Category: Mobile

Smartphone News and Reviews, Latest Cellphones, Accessories, New Launches, Specifications, Details with Image and Video from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Moto, HTC, Xiaomi, Oneplus, Meizu, Sony, Lava, Micromax Yu Mobile and More.

Everything We Know About The New Google Pixel 2 Devices

The launch of the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is scheduled for October 4th. Two of the most anticipated Android smartphones of the year have a lot riding on them after Apple unveiled the iPhone X with a new design and a whole lot of technology crammed into it. With months of leaks and renders finally culminating into the official reveal, let’s take a look at what we know so far about the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Display

The most recent leak by Android Authority sheds light on the display of the two Pixel smartphones and corroborate what we have all been expecting. The Pixel 2 will have a 5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display while the Pixel 2 XL will have a tall 18:9 aspect ratio curved Quad HD screen. The screen size of the Pixel 2 XL is expected to be 6 inches.

Design

The design of the 2016 Pixel smartphones was one of the most polarising features of the phone. The “glass window” at the back bothered some people, while others felt indifferent towards it. The new Pixel 2 lineup is expected to retain the glass window albeit, a smaller size. The fingerprint sensor will be placed outside the window this time around. The thick bezels will be present on the smaller sibling, the Pixel 2. Google will reportedly add front-firing stereo speakers to the thick bezels. The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, will have a more 2017 flagship design with thin bezels and a tall display. The stereo speakers will be present but, they won’t be front-firing ones. The phones are expected to be launched in two colour variants, All Black, and Black and White. The front of both the colour variants is expected to be black.

Price

One of the most important aspects of any smartphone is its price. There isn’t any definitive proof or leak that sheds light on the pricing strategy that Google will adopt for the new Pixel lineup. However, there are reports of Google dropping the 32GB variant and launching the new Pixel devices in 64GB and 128GB variants only. This may translate into a higher starting price than the previous generation Pixels. Also, Google may bundle unlimited Google Cloud storage till 2023 for consumers who buy the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL which the company may use to justify the steep pricing.

The 3.5mm Headphone Jack?

Yes, with each passing day it looks more and more likely that Google will dump the 3.5mm headphone jack on the new Pixel smartphones. The leak is a few weeks old and was corroborated by Android Authority’s credible source. It will be interesting how Google will deal with the news especially after its not-so-subtle dig at Apple last year during the launch of the 2016 Pixel.

Camera

The information about cameras on both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is a little hazy. Both the phones will have what Google is calling, “Pixel Cameras.” Unlike a lot of 2017 flagships, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have a single camera at the back. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have a Wide Colour Gamut and Google Imaging Chip, as well as Optical Image Stabilisation. Whether OIS will be present in both the cameras is yet to be seen.

What’s Under The Hood?

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have specifications worthy of being 2017 flagships. Both the phones will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, even though there were rumours of a Snapdragon 836 debuting. The devices will have 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage but, looks like microSD card slot will still be missing. The Pixel will be powered by a 2700 mAh battery while the Pixel 2 XL will be powered by a 3520 mAh battery. As expected, both the phones will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and will be the first one in line to receive the Android P update in 2018.

Active Edge And Google Assistant

The new Pixel smartphones are also expected to have the Active Edge feature which was first experienced on the HTC U11. This feature allows you to squeeze the frame of your phone to launch an app or trigger an action. It is being said that Active Edge will work closely with Google Assistant this time around to make the experience of using Google’s AI assistant more immersive and interactive.

The launch of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is just a few days away. The leaks will always be leaks and never tell us the whole picture. Stay tuned to iGyaan as we will bring you the full coverage of the event to your screens.

September 29, 2017
LG V30 To Hit The US Market On October 5th

LG announced the new flagship, the LG V30 at the IFA 2017 in Berlin. The smartphone made headlines for featuring an OLED panel and thin bezels around the display. Now, after releasing the phone in South Korea, LG has announced that the V30 will hit the US market on October 5th. As far as price is concerned, in the US, you can order the phone through AT&T for US$810 or through T-Mobile for US$800.

The LG V30 has a 6 inch 2880 x 1440 px OLED FullVision display, LG’s first, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. LG’s nearly edge-to-edge OLED display has HDR 10 format for a high level of colour contrast and as announced, the smartphone will be Daydream compatible.

The LG V30 is powered by a 3300mAh battery with wireless fast charging which supports 3.0 quick charge. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.2 with LG’s UX 6.0+ on top which offers a few customisation options. A big omission from the V30 is the secondary display, which was a signature in the previous V series devices. Instead, LG has introduced a Floating Bar which displays shortcuts and can be disabled when not required. The LG V30 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage with up to 2TB of expandable storage via a microSD card. The V30 has IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810G rating for durability.

LG has partnered up with Bang & Olufsen this time around to deliver sound quality ideal for media consumption and the B&O logo appears on the rear of the smartphone just below the fingerprint scanner. Thanks, to the partnership, LG V30 incorporates a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC powered by Bang & Olufsen with few sound presets like enhanced, detailed, bass and live. The smartphone also has support for Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) technology for high-resolution audio streaming. There are reports that the India variant of the LG V30 may not feature the quad DAC.

Aside from the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which also doubles as a home button, LG has introduced few new security features in the LG V30 such as facial and voice recognition. The voice recognition will even work along with the music playback.

On the camera front, the LG V30 features a dual-camera setup at the back. As LG had announced, this smartphone has the first ever inbuilt camera unit to feature a 16MP crystal clear lens made of glass with an f/1.6 aperture and another 13MP wide angle lens with an f/1.9 aperture. Compared to the f/1.8 aperture cameras on the iPhone 7Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S8+, the camera on the LG V30 will let 25% more light to pass through. The glass lens also delivers greater light-collecting ability than a plastic lens as well as better colour reproduction. The camera will feature laser detection AF, optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. On the front, the LG V30 sports a 5MP wide-angle camera with an aperture f/2.2.

The price of US$800 seems normal considering the Galaxy Note8 retails for over US$900 and the iPhone X will start at a price of US$999. The price and availability of the LG V30 in India has not been confirmed by the company yet.

September 29, 2017

Battle Of The Flagships Under Rs 40,000: OnePlus 5 Vs Nokia 8 Vs Honor 8 Pro Vs LG G6

Gone are the days when you couldn’t expect premium performance from smartphones that didn’t come with a premium price tag. Nowadays, good phones are getting cheaper, and cheap phones are getting better. Flagship devices from the likes of Samsung and Apple continue to cost over Rs 50,000 in India but, there smartphone makers who bring in high quality at a sort of affordable price. Rs 40,000 is not “affordable” by any means, but if you can get a phone as fast and smooth as a Rs 60,000 phone by almost half of it, you don’t have much to complain.

OnePlus 5, Nokia 8, Honor 8 Pro and the LG G6 offer flagship performance and features at a price under Rs 40,000. Each phone has its own USP and areas of performance where it excels. So, if you have a budget of around Rs 40,000 and you want a phone with flagship performance, which one would fit the bill? Let’s find out.

Specifications	OnePlus 5	Honor 8 Pro	LG G6	Nokia 8
Price	Starting at Rs 32,999 Click Here To Buy	Rs 29999 Click Here To Buy	Rs 36,900 Click Here To Buy	Rs 36,999 Click Here For Pre-Orders
Display	5.5 inch	5.7 inch	5.7 inch	5.5 inch
Resolution	1920 x 1080 px	2560 x 1440 px	2880 x 1440	2560 x 1440 px
OS	Android 7.1 Nougat Stock Android	Android 7.1 Nougat EMUI 5.1	Android 7.1 Nougat LG UX	Android 7.1 Nougat Stock Android
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835	Kirin 960	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM	6GB/8GB	6GB	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB/128GB	128GB	64GB	64GB
Expandability	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Water and Dust Resistance	No	No	IP67 Rating	IP54 Rating
Primary Camera	Sony IMX 398 Megapixels: 16 Telephoto Sensor: Sony IMX 350 Megapixels: 20	12MP RGB sensor + 12MP Monochrome (black and white) sensor	Dual 13 MP (f/1.8, OIS, 3-axis) + 13 MP (f/2.4) wide-angle lens	13MP + 13MP with an f/2.0 aperture RGB (colour) primary sensor and monochrome (black and white) secondary sensor Carl Zeiss Optics
Battery	3300 mAh	4000 mAh	3300 mAh	3090 mAh
Video	3840 × 2160p @ 30fps 1920 x 1080p @ 30fps	3840 × 2160p @ 30fps 1920 x 1080p @ 30fps	3840 × 2160p @ 30fps 1920 x 1080p @ 30fps	3840 × 2160p @ 30fps 1920 x 1080p @ 30fps
Front Camera	16MP with an f/2.0 aperture	8MP with an f/2.0 aperture	5MP with an f/2.2	13MP with an f/2.0 aperture
Extra Features	Smooth stock Android with subtle OxygenOS tweaks	VR Capabilities Due to QHD display	Bezel Less Display	Bothie OZO Audio

All these phones have their own pros and cons.

OnePlus 5

What we like:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Stock Android OS experience
Portrait mode in camera.

What we don’t like:

Battery size
No expandable storage
No OIS
No water resistance.

Honor 8 Pro

What we like:

Display
Battery
VR capabilities
Storage expansion via microSD card
Price.

What we don’t like:

Chipset is more comparable to the older Snapdragon 821
No water resistance
EMUI might not hold itself for a long time.

LG G6

What we like:

Display
Design
Camera
Water resistance
Storage expansion via microSD card
Price
Professional video features.

What we don’t like:

Older Snapdragon 821

Front camera is only 5MP with an f/2.2 aperture.

Nokia 8

What we like:

Snapdragon 835
Display
Stock Android OS
Nokia’s build quality
Carl Zeiss optics
Bothie will be practical for people who live stream content
Storage expansion via microSD card.

What we don’t like:

The most expensive of the four.
Nokia’s software is untested as of now.

Buying a smartphone is a big decision and all these phones have their advantages. Choose wisely and let us know if you own any of these phones or are planning to get one.

September 28, 2017

Google Pixel 2 And Google Pixel 2 XL Specifications Leaked

The launch of the new Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is scheduled for October 4th. Android Authority has reported that new leaks reveal the full specifications of the next generation Pixel smartphones and have corroborated the leaks with an internal document.

Google Pixel 2 will have a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top of the display for protection. The smartphone will be powered by a 2700 mAh battery and run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. One new addition will be IP67 rating for water and dust resistance and the 3.5mm headphone jack will be a miss on the new Pixel. Making use of the chin and forehead, Google will add dual front firing stereo speakers to the Pixel 2. Another new feature which was rumoured for a while is Active Edge. First experienced in the HTC U11, this feature allows you to squeeze the frame of your phone to launch an app or trigger an action. The device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, and 64GB or 128GB onboard storage options.

Purchasing either the Google Pixel 2 or the Pixel 2 XL will give the consumer unlimited Google Cloud storage until 2023, which might be what Google meant in the launch teaser video where it talked about phones running out of storage. The information about cameras on both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is a little hazy. Both the phones will have what Google is calling, “Pixel Cameras.” Unlike a lot of 2017 flagships, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have single camera at the back. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have a Wide Colour Gamut and Google Imaging Chip, as well as Optical Image Stabilisation. Whether OIS will be present in both the cameras is yet to be seen.

The GooglePixel 2 XL on the other hand will see a design shift from the other three Pixel models and feature a curved Quad HD screen with thin bezels. The smartphone will be powered by a 3520 mAh battery which is considerably larger than the 2700 mAh battery on the Pixel 2. Just like the 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL, both the phone will have the same internals and cameras. This means a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, same 64GB or 128GB onboard storage variants and Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. Active Edge will also be present in the Pixel 2 XL and stereo speakers, albeit not front firing ones.

There is no word on the pricing of both the phones but previous leaks have suggested that the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be priced higher than their predecessors due to a bump in the storage. These are leaks at the end of the day and although the source claims them to be legitimate, you can’t be 100 percent sure until Google lifts the curtain on the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL on October 4th.

September 28, 2017
LG Just Added A Mosquito Repellent To Their Smartphone

LG has announced a budget oriented smartphone, the K7i in India at a price of Rs 7990. The South Korean tech giant, LG made the announcement during the ongoing Indian Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

The riding feature of this phone is something quite unique, a mosquito repellent mode. To remove all your doubts, LG has confirmed that this technology is completely safe and harmless for human beings. LG explains that the smartphone uses an ultra-sonic technology, which once activated will keep the mosquitoes away. LG also clarified that its proprietary technology is silent and odourless. “An LG K7i a day, keeps mosquitoes at bay?”

LG K7i has a 5-inch display and the resolution of the screen has not been disclosed by the company. Judging by the price, it might be a 1280 x 720 px display but, this is just speculation. The device is powered by a 2500 mAh battery which is surprisingly user removable and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. It has an unknown quad-core processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage and microSD card support. The smart phone also has WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, FM radio and dual-SIM support. The new mosquito repelling smartphone will be available in a brown colour variant.

On the camera front, the LG K7i features an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

LG launched a lineup of Televisions with similar mosquito repelling proprietary technology and has followed it up with a smartphone. The date of availability of the smartphone in India has not been announced yet.

September 27, 2017
Micromax Ties Up With BSNL To Launch A JioPhone Competitor Feature Phone

Micromax is readying to launch a 4G feature phone which will compete with the new JioPhone. The feature phone will be called BharatOne and will be launched in the first week of October for a price of Rs 2000. BharatOne will be launched in collaboration with state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam.

The free voice and data offers will be provoded by BSNL and Micromax will take care of the manufacturing. The BharatOne is said to have a better camera, larger screen and more battery life than any other feature phone available in the market right now, including the JioPhone.

The date of launch has been intelligently decided to take advantage of the festive season. There is enough proof that Indian consumers like to shop for mobile phones during this season. Recently, Xiaomi announced that it sold over 1 million handsets during the Amazon and Flipkart sales. To believe that people will be eyeing an even more affordable phone during the season is not far fetched.

Reliance JioPhone took the industry by storm when it received over 6 million pre-orders within two days of being announced. So much so that Reliance had to close the pre-orders only a day and a half after it announced the JioPhone. The first phase of the delivery of pre-orders began on September 25th. The consumers can track their orders via the MyJio app but, as of now, the status shows ‘Created’. The tracking of delivery seems pointless right now but, the status should be clearer in the days to come.

There were reports of Airtel also launching a Rs 2500 feature phone in collaboration with one of the homegrown smartphone manufacturers like Lava or Karbonn.

The JioPhone’s popularity has forced other telcos to sit up and take notice of the vast potential in the feature phone market, especially after concentrating on the smartphone market for so long.

September 27, 2017
Xiaomi’s Sale Starts On 27th September With Deals On Redmi Note 4 And More

Xiaomi announced that during the recent Amazon and Flipkart sales, Xiaomi managed to sell over 1 million handsets. And now, in order to lure customers to the company’s own website mi.com, Xiaomi is hosting a three-day ‘Diwali With Mi’ sale from 27th September. Let’s take a look at the top deals for you to save some bank during the Diwali shopping:

Xiaomi Mi A1

The newly launched mid-ranger Mi A1 has dual-cameras and stock Android. The Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection and aluminum unibody build. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery and 2A charging through the Type C port. The Mi A1 runs pure Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS. The phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. In terms of optics, the smartphone features dual sensors – 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture (26mm) and 12MP with an f/2.6 aperture (50mm) setup with 1.25-micron pixel size. Out of the two cameras at the back, the primary one is equipped with a telephoto lens and the secondary camera has a wide-angle lens. The telephoto lens allows the user to take bokeh effect shots with blurred background and a 2X optical lossless zoom. For landscape shots, Xiaomi has introduced a wide angle lens while on the front is a 5MP camera.

Redmi Note 4

The Redmi Note 4 was launched in early 2017 in India. It has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display. The smartphone runs 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3GB RAM/32GB storage or 4GB RAM/64GB onboard storage, which is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. Powering the device is a massive 4100 mAh battery and a fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device just below the camera. On the camera front, it has a 13MP rear facing camera and a 5MP front facing camera. The 32GB storage variant costs Rs 10999 but, will be available for Rs 9999 during the sale. The 64GB storage variant costs 12999 and will retail for Rs 10999 during the sale.

Xiaomi Redmi 4

The Xiaomi Redmi 4 has a 5-inch 1280 x 720 px LCD display and a 4100 mAh battery. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, and 2GB RAM/16GB storage or 3GB RAM/32GB storage variants. On the optics front, the device has a rear facing 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, and LED flash. On the front is a 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

Audio Accessories

Apart from smartphones, Xiaomi has a few deals in its audio department as well. The Xiaomi over-ear Mi Comfort Headphones will be avilable at a price of Rs 2699, they usually retail for Rs 2999. The Mi In-Ear Headphones will be available at Rs 499 instead of Rs 599. The Mi Bluetooth Speaker Basic 2 will also be available to buy during the sale.

Xiaomi will be planning to sell more handsets when the sale starts and pile on the million sales it did during the Amazon and Flipkart sale.

September 26, 2017
HMD Global Launches The Nokia 8 In India At A Price Of Rs 36999

HMD Global has launched the Nokia 8 in India at a price of Rs 36999. HMD global held a launch event in New Delhi on September 26th and unveiled the first-ever Android flagship with Nokia branding in India. The flagship will be up against the likes of LG G6, OnePlus 5 and the Honor 8 Pro as far as the price of the phone is concerned.

The Nokia 8 has a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. The smartphone has an aluminum unibody design and an IP54 rating for splash resistance. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside a physical home button which sits between two navigation touch capacitive buttons below the screen. Powering the device is a 3090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support via USB Type-C port. The Nokia 8 runs stock Android 7.1.1 OS and the company has promised monthly security updates and yearly Android updates. Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The smartphone will be available in Tempered Blue, Polished Blue, Steel colour variants at the time of the launch and the Copper Gold colour variant will be available after a few weeks.

In terms of optics, the Nokia 8 is the first Nokia Android device to feature Carl Zeiss optics. In a very 2017 move, the Nokia 8 boasts a Zeiss powered dual camera setup at the rear – a primary 13MP RGB (colour) sensor with optical image stabilisation paired with a 13MP secondary monochrome (black and white) sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of recording videos in 4K at 30 FPS and has a portrait mode for bokeh effect. On the front is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture which can also record 4K videos at 30FPS.

One feature that HMD Global has concentrated on in the Nokia 8 is Bothie. The company claims that the Nokia 8 is the first smartphone in the world which allows ‘Dual-Sight’ video to be live streamed natively and in real-time to social feeds such as YouTube and Facebook. Dual-Sight allows you to use the front and rear camera at the same time in a split screen view. Another feature that the smartphone boasts is called OZO Audio in which the smartphone’s three microphones and Nokia’s acoustic algorithms allow you to capture 360-degree spatial surround sound. You can also share 4K videos with OZO audio with anyone – binaural codecs ensure high fidelity playback even on devices without OZO Audio.

The Nokia 8 will go on sale in India on October 14th and will be available online on Amazon exclusively and offline retail stores. Nokia also announced that in top 50 cities in the country, there will be a concierge service, wherein a company representative will come to the consumer’s house and pick up the phone for any repairs.

September 26, 2017
Unboxing The iPhone 8 And iPhone 8 Plus
When Time Cook took to stage to announce the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, there was an air of familiarity of what the two phones would be like. The names, however, were yet to be confirmed and the first image on the big screen confirmed that Apple would be skipping a whole ‘S’ generation and jump straight into the iPhone 8 era. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were revealed with a design so familiar that its hard to make out the difference between the previous generation iPhones and the 2017 iPhones by just looking at them. Let’s unbox the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to see what we get inside the box:
- iPhone 8
- Documentation
- Lightning earphones
- Lightning to 3.5mm jack
- Sim ejector tool
- USB wall charging brick
- USB to lightning port cable
Initial impressions of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are very similar to the ones of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This time around, there is a glass back which definitely makes the new iPhones a lot more grippy than the previous gen iPhones. Another noticeable difference is the True Tone display. True Tone display first featured on the iPad wherein the phone adapts to the ambient display and changes the white balance to maintain the vibrance and accuracy of colours.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be available in Space Gray, Silver and a new Blush Gold colour. The devices retain their previous generations’ screen size ans resolution of 4.7 inch 1334 x 750 px and 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display, with the addition of True Tone. . Under the hood, both the phones have Apple’s A11 Bionic chip which so far, has blown the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset out of the waters, in benchmark tests at least. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have a 3GB RAM and 64GB pr 256GB onboard storage variants. The 1821 mAh battery in the iPhone 8 is smaller than the iPhone 7’s 1960 mAh battery while the iPhone 8 Plus has a 2675 mAh battery as compared to the 2900 mAh battery on the iPhone 7 Plus. Apple however, claims that the new iPhones will have identical battery life to their predecessors. There is also wireless charging this time around, thanks to the glass back on both the iPhones. The TouchID is still there right below the display and might as well be the deciding factor in some consumer’s purchase decisions over the iPhone X.

The cameras department is where Apple claims the biggest change is. The iPhone 8 has the same 12MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture with a few software upgrades and OIS. Apple claims the new camera is larger and faster than the previous generation. On the front is a 7MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture which records 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30fps. The iPhone 8 Plus features a 12MP dual-camera setup. The primary wide angle lens has an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.8 aperture. The new “Portrait Lighting” feature allows users to adjust the lighting for portrait shots. On the front is a 7MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture which records 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30fps. The dual-cameras at the back record 4K videos at 60fps.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/91LMGa7LsD

— Bharat Nagpal (@TheBharatNagpal) September 25, 2017
September 25, 2017
Jio Phone Deliveries Begin On September 25
Reliance will begin the delivery of the 6 million Jio phones booked during the month of August on September 25. According to a report by PTI, people in rural areas will receive the phone before their urban counterparts. The deliveries will begin in a phased manner and will be completed within 15 days. Official Twitter handle of Jio states that everyone who has pre-booked the Jio phone will receive their order before Diwali this year, which falls on October 19th.

According to CyberMedia Research, a total of 61.8 million mobiles were shipped in the second quarter of 2017. With 6 million units of sale, JioPhone is estimated to account for around 10 percent of India’s total mobile phone market in a quarter.

The consumers can track their orders via the MyJio app but, as of now, the status shows ‘Created’. The tracking of delivery seems pointless right now but, the status should be clearer in the days to come.

Earlier in the month of September, JioPhone crossed 6 million pre-orders and the company had to close the pre-orders just a day and a half after it was opened. The JioPhone, as Mukesh Ambani announced, will be effectively for free with one time refundable deposit of Rs 1500 on return of the handset. To rival with the “India ka smart phone”, other telecom companies like, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone are also reported to be in talks with phone makers to introduce their own 4G smartphones in the Indian market.

Here’s an overview of the JioPhone:
- 2.4-inch display
- Supports digital payment via NFC
- SD card slot for extended memory
- Torch light
- Supports 4G VoLTE for calls and data
- New set of data plans, starting at Rs 153 for the device
- Comes with preloaded Jio apps like Jio Cinema, Jio Music etc.
Major Attractions of JioPhone:
- Unlimited 4G data for Rs 153 a month
- JioPhone will be effectively free of cost
- One time security deposit, refundable at the time of return after 3 years
- Available for advance booking from 24 August
- Long press number 5 on the JioPhone and a distress message will be sent to all registered contacts.
- PM Modi’s podcast Mann Ki Baat on the Jio feature phone will be available.
- Most likely, NaMo app will come pre-loaded on the device.
Do you think other telecom companies will be able to rival the precedence that the JioPhone is creating for itself? Let us know in the comments below.
September 25, 2017
Sony Launches Xperia XZ1 In India For Rs. 44990

After unveiling the Sony Xperia XZ1 at IFA 2017 in Berlin, the Japanese tech giant has launched the new phone in India. The highlights of the launch was that the phone will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and the 3D scanning camera. A noticeable omission is that of the Xperia XZ1 Compact which was launched globally along with the XZ1. Sony also recently launched the Xperia XA1 Plus in India at a price of Rs. 24990.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. The design of the phone is reminiscent of a lot of previous Sony flagships, dating back to 2013’s Xperia Z. The device runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and is powered by a 2700 mAh battery, which is considerably smaller than a lot of smartphones in the market. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, similar to the one found in XZ Premium, 4GB RAM, and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.

Sony has used its “Motion Eye” camera system in the XZ1. According to Sony, “Motion Eye” system uses a 1GB memory-stacked camera which has five times faster image processing than other smartphones. Ditching the trend of the dual camera setup, Sony went with a single camera at the back with a 19MP 1/2.3? Sony IMX400 camera lens with an f/2.0 aperture. Sony has pointed out that the phone’s 3D scanning capability is one of its highlights. The camera app includes features like Predictive Capture which will click the picture seconds before you actually hit the shutter button. Sony has used SteadyShot electronic stabilization for video instead of optical image stabilization for images. The primary camera can also record super slow motion 720p video at 960fps in addition to recording 4K videos at 30fps. On the front, the XZ1 has a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and 22mm wide-angle lens.

Sony has claimed that the Xperia XZ1 is the first smartphone featuring real time 3D capture:

High quality 3D scans of objects can be rendered in just a minute using four scan modes; head scan, face scan, food scan and freeform scan. Scanned objects can then be shared on messenger apps using 3D stickers or uploaded to 3D communities such as Sketchfab. The 3D Creator app also sports a ‘Find More’ option that provides access to a growing 3D ecosystem via Google Play.

The Xperia XZ1 is priced at Rs. 44990 and will go on sale September 25 through both offline and online channels. The smartphone will be available only in the Black colour variant unlike its global variant which is available in Snow Silver, Horizon Blue, and Twilight Pink as well. For the launch offers, Sony is bundling a Quick Charge 3.0 charger in the box for a limited time while the buyers can purchase the Sony Style Stand Cover for Rs 2,490 which costs Rs 3490 originally along with the device. HDFC credit/debit card holders and ICICI credit card holders can also avail a 5 per cent cash back on purchase.

September 25, 2017
Samsung’s Foldable Android Device Gets Certified In South Korea, May Launch In 2018

Innovation in the smartphone industry has seen a dip in the past few years, with near bezel-less displays being one of the few new “big changes” happening. We have seen smartphone manufacturers tinker with displays so far, with Samsung’s flagship devices sporting a curved display, LG’s V series featuring a secondary display and the likes of Vivo sticking a secondary display at the back of the phone. Keeping up with its tradition of innovating in the display department, Samsung showcased a foldable display smartphone back in 2013 and announced its desire to make the phone a commercial product. Now, the smartphone with a foldable display has been certified in Samsung’s home market, South Korea.

The phone is expected to launch in 2018 as the Galaxy X which now sounds like a rip-off of the iPhone X, which means that Samsung will definitely choose a different name for their marquee device.

According to Let’sGoDigital, the phone has appeared in a filing from the Korean National Radio Research Agency (NRRA), with a model number SM-G888N0. Moreover in the filing, the device is listed out as a “radio equipment for global LTE communication,” while it was spotted as a “smartphone” at the Wi-Fi Alliance. The filing however, does not reveal any other details about the smartphone.

After the big reveal in 2013, the hopes of seeing a foldable Android smartphone on the shelves of mobile stores seemed to have died a slow death. After IFA 2017 in Berlin, Dongjin Koh, President of mobile business at Samsung told some reporters at a news conference in South Korea that a foldable smartphone is in the works and the company is aiming for a 2018 release. The phone will be a part of Samsung’s ‘Note’ lineup, according to Dongjin Koh. He also said that there are still hurdles to overcome and a possible release would be pushed back if the issues are not resolved in time.

When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product. We are digging thoroughly into several issues we must overcome, as we don’t want to just make a few, sell a few and be done. We want to hear that Samsung made a very good product. We have a plan to adopt a foldable display in our roadmap.

A number of patents as well as Samsung’s own concept video from CES 2013 tell us what to expect from the Galaxy X. Samsung is most likely to start small, with a smartphone that folds halfway like a wallet. Another design, in line with Samsung’s prototype unveiling, could see the phone unfold into a full-size tablet.

September 25, 2017
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Have The Best Cameras Claims DXOmark

The Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were launched on September 12th along with the highly anticipated iPhone X. In India, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus became available for pre-orders on September 22nd for a starting price of Rs 64000 for the iPhone 8 64GB storage variant. During their launch, Apple claimed that the camera performance of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is much better than the previous gen iPhones and DXOmark has backed that claim. According to DXOmark, the cameras on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are the best smartphone cameras in the market right now.

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus is the best-performing mobile device camera we have ever tested. Its overall DxOMark Mobile score of 94 sets a new record, beating out the 90 points for both the Google Pixel and the HTC U11, as well as the 92 that its sibling iPhone 8 just scored.

In terms of build quality and appearance, both the phones do not deviate too much from the design language of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which were launched back in 2016. The most noticeable difference here is the glass back which enables wireless charging in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Under the hood, the two new iPhones have the A11 Bionic chipset which, so far has beaten the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset in benchmark results. The next big difference is the cameras.

In terms of optics, the new iPhone 8 has the same 12MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture with a few software upgrades and OIS. On the front is a 7MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture which records 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30fps. The iPhone 8 Plus features a 12MP dual-camera setup. The primary wide-angle lens has an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.8 aperture. The new “Portrait Lighting” feature allows users to adjust the lighting for portrait shots. On the front is a 7MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture which records 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30fps. The dual-cameras at the back record 4K videos at 60fps.

According to DXOmark, the iPhone 8 Plus also has one of the best video-taking capabilities.

For Video, its score of 89 is among our highest, but tied with the HTC U11 and slightly below the Pixel’s 91. Of course, the Pixel is nearly a year old now, so it makes sense that Apple’s new flagship is breaking new ground.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have definitely suffered because of the attention that the iPhone X has received. This report from DXOmark should spark some interest in the two iPhones and consumers might consider buying either of the phones instead of waiting for the thousand-dollar iPhone X releasing later this year.

September 23, 2017
Huawei Launches Maimang 6 With Four Cameras

Huawei has launched the Maimang 6 in China which might be sold as Mate 10 Lite globally. A lot of smartphone makers launch a device in its native country under a different name than its global name. Huawei Mate 10 Lite was heavily leaked and it was reported that the Android device will have a dual-camera setup at the back and the front as well.

The Maimang 6 has a 5.9-inch 2160 x 1080px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device runs Android 7.0 NOugat out of the box with Huawei’s EMUI 5.1 skin on top and is powered by a 3340 mAh battery. It also has Huawei’s in-house octa-core Kirin 659 chipset, octa-core 2.36 GHz processor, along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB onboard storage.

On the camera front is where this smartphone will attract a lot of eyeballs. The rear of the phone contains a 16 MP main sensor and a 2 MP secondary sensor, while the front has a 13 MP camera and another 2 MP secondary sensor. A fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the phone since the phone has thin bezels and no physical button at the front of the phone.

The Huawei Maimang 6 will be available in three colour variants, Obsidian Black, Streamer Gold and Aurora Blue colors. Pre-orders began in China 22nd Sep for the phone, which is priced at 2399 yuan (Rs. 23,600 approx.). The phone will officially go on sale in China on September 30. The Mate 10 lineup will be globally unveiled on October 16 in Munich where the Maimang 6 is expected to debut as the Mate 10 Lite. Huawei has hyped up the Mate 10 series after unveiling the Kirin 970 back in August and showed off the chipset’s AI capabilities.

September 23, 2017
Bixby Voice Now Available In India

It is fair to say that Samsung has had a great 2017 when it comes to its flagship smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ released earlier in 2017 and the Samsung Galaxy Note8 broke pre-order records in the United States and South Korea. In India, the Galaxy S8, S8+ and the Galaxy Note8 all released with Bixby but, without Bixby Voice. Samsung, however, during the India launch of the Galaxy Note8 announced that Bixby Voice for India will start rolling out from September 22.

For all the software and hardware prowess that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8 devices possess, one thing that still annoys consumers is a physical button on the left hand side of the phone, the Bixby button. When Samsung introduced Bixby along with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, there was a general consensus of it being exactly like Google Assistant and dedicating a hardware button to the AI assistant was Samsung’s push to replace Google Assistant.

Samsung has said that it has optimised Bixby for India in away that it will understand different Indian accents. This means that your Galaxy flagship phone will respond to you regardless of which region of the country you are from.

At Samsung, we listen to our consumers and bring in meaningful innovations that help make their lives better. With Bixby, the phone adapts to you and not the other way around. It’s a smarter way to use your phone and get more done. Keeping in mind the diversity in Indian accents and our commitment to ‘Make for India’, Bixby has been optimised to understand Indian accents.

Similar to other AI voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Amazon Alexa, Bixby allows you to verbally communicate with your phone and perform tasks such as googling something, open apps or even make calls or send text messages. You can even point your phone to a certain object and Bixby will be pull up links to buy that product.

September 22, 2017