Google has launched a new addition to their Google Home devices called the Home Hub. It is a tablet/dock hybrid smart device with a built-in screen. The device can run most Google apps like weather, YouTube, etc. The Home Hub can directly play videos from YouTube. The smart device also acts as a centralised control system for other smart devices that are installed in a modern day smart house like speakers and lights. Instead of controlling different smart devices from their proprietary apps, the Home Hub can control them from a unified interface.
Features
Google has intentionally skipped the addition of a camera to the Home Hub. They believe some users might feel uncomfortable in front of a device that is directly pointing a camera towards them. The new device has an Ambient EQ sensor that can determine the ambient light and adjust the brightness of the Home Hub during different times of the day.
The Google HomeHub has a “Voice-Match” feature. With this feature, the Home Hub can determine which member of a family it is interacting with it. And it will give out results based upon the member’s preferences and relevance. It also has Nest Integration. Nest is a centralised thermostat that can control temperatures in different areas in a home or office. It has a quick status drawer which the company is calling HomeView. It can be pulled by a simple swipe from the top of the screen which allows viewing the status of different smart devices across your home. With this feature, Home Hub can remotely control Nest and other smart devices.
Google Home Hub also acts as a digital photo frame and displays pictures taken from the android phones or google cloud of the home-owner. The smart device will come with a 6-month free subscription of Youtube Premium which is an ad-free version of video streaming service.
Price & Availability:
The Google Home Hub has a price tag of 149$ (Rs 11,000 approximately). It is available for pre-order starting today on the Google online store. It will be available in retail stores from 22nd October in the USA, UK and Australia. Google is yet to announce the availability of this device in India.
Google has launched the highly anticipated Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices at the Made By Google event today. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are exactly what we saw in the numerous leaks leading up the the event. However, they do carry features and improvements which we did not know.
Design
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices sport a familiar design with a matt finish back and rounded edges. The rear of the device houses the single camera lens, LED flash and fingerprint sensor. The front of the Pixel 3 XL is a bit different, with a huge notch, which Google claims provides more screen real estate to users.
They feature Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the screen for protection and Soft touch Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. The devices have an IPX8 water and dust protection rating. The devices have an Aluminium frame with hybrid coating and are available in Just Black, Clearly White and Not Pink Colours.
Display
The Google Pixel 3 has a 5.5 inch FHD+, flexible OLED display. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 443 ppi. The Google Pixel 3 XL has a 6.3 inch FHD+, flexible OLED display. It has an 18:5:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 523 ppi.
Both the devices have an always-on display and the now playing feature. They have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection and HDR support.
Processor
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. They have an Octa Core CPU with a clock speed of 2.5 GHz, along with the Adreno 630 GPU.The devices have 4 GB of LPDDR$ RAM and 64 GB/ 128 GB storage options.
Additionally, they have the Pixel Visual Core chip which helps in improving the camera performance. The devices also feature the Titan M security module. The Titan M security module adds to the security provided with your phone and it safeguards user data, passwords and more.
Camera
Pixel devices have been known for their excellent camera performance. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL also come with a bunch of new camera features and improvements. The devices have a 12.2 MP dual-pixel rear camera. This has an aperture of f/1.8 and shots 4K video at 30 fps. The devices have dual front cameras featuring an 8 MP wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. The lenses have an aperture of f/2.2 and f/1.8 respectively. The front camera records 1080p video at 30 fps.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL camera are heavily integrated with AI. The cameras use machine learning to shoot the perfect picture every time, according to Google. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL continue to have the
The rear camera features autofocus and dual pixel phase detection. With this you can just tap on a subject and the camera will automatically track the subject, never letting it go out of focus.
Battery & Audio
The devices have a 2915 mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging support. The device uses a USB Type-C charger. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have dual front firing speaker and 3 microphones. Google also offers YouTube Music for 6 months, free of cost to all Pixel 3 buyers. The Pixel 3 devices will be the first to ship with YouTube Music.
Additional Features
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have some other equally impressive features as well. The device has a CallScreen feature. With this, you can just tap on the CallScreen button when you are receiving a call. The Phone will automatically ‘talk’ to the person on the other end of the line and inquire as to who is calling and for what reason. It will then transcribe the reply in real time and show it to you in textual format on your screen. You can then decide whether you want to pick up the call, reject it or report it as spam.
The devices also have the flip to shut feature. With this, you can just turn your phone upside down, to mute notifications.
Price
The Google Pixel 3 starts at $799 and is up for pre-order now.
Lenovo might launch the Z5 Pro under the moniker S5 Pro. This phone might compete against the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Honor 8X in India. Very little is known of the cameras. One of the cameras will be telephoto and the other one will be a regular field of view camera but it is still not known what the other two cameras will be. It could be black and white, depth sensor, wide angle or even a super telephoto zoom.
The sudden name change is a huge reason for speculation. We feel that this was done to distant this model from the Lenovo Z5. The Z5 were left customers disappointed after a marketing campaign that hinted at a notch-less screen. The Pro however, has a notch-less all screen display. The selfie camera of the Z5 Pro is retractable and slides out. The phone will launch in China soon. It reportedly features Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Corning Gorilla Glass, Face ID and fingerprint scanner.
Lenovo posted sample shots taken from the Z5 Pro on a micro blogging site:
The phone also features an Adreno 512 GPU and has a 3300 mAh battery. Whats more, it will probably have a 3.5 mm audio jack as well. We quite liked the deep colours, the sharpness and the dynamic range of the images and cannot wait to get our hands on it for a full review.
Intel has launched a lineup of their new X-Series 9th generation processors. With the new line of processors the company is mainly focusing on gaming and content creation. The key product launches from the event are: the Core-i9, Core-i5, Core-i7 and the new 28 core Xeon processor. The new processors are based on the 14 nm manufacturing technology which is same as the 8th Gen Skylake Processors.
The main star of the show was the new i9 flagship model which is the 9900k. The company is touting it as “the best gaming processor in the world”. The core i9-9900k is an 8 core / 16 thread CPU. It has a Turbo Frequency of 5.0 GHz making it the world’s first mainstream processor that is able achieve this clock speed.
The new i5-9600k is an 8 core and 8 thread CPU. It has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and it can throttle upto 4.6 GHz. The i7-9700k is an 8 core 8 thread CPU which has a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz. It can be boosted upto to a frequency of 4.9 GHz.
Another important product the company launched is the Intel W-3175x Xeon processor. It is a 28 core / 56 thread CPU. This chip’s clock speed starts at 3.1GHz and goes up to 4.3GHz. It has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 255 watt.
Price & Availability
The Core i9-9900K is available for pre-order now and deliveries will start from 19 October. Other processors in the lineup will go on sale in November and December. Talking about price, the Core i9-9900K has a price tag of $488 (approximately Rs. 36,120), the Core i7-9700K has a price tag of $374 (approximately Rs. 27,660) and the Core i5-9600K has a price tag of $262 (approximately Rs. 19,380). The price of the Intel W-3175x Xeon is unannounced and we will have to wait for the company to do the same.
The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are set to launch on October 16 and now a new leak reveals some more features about the highly anticipated devices. The Huawei Mate 20 will have a headphone jack while the Mate 20 Pro will not. The finding was through a leaked render of the devices.
The images show a round hole on the top of the Mate 20, right next to what seems to be an IR blaster. The Mate 20 case also shows off the rear mounted finger print sensor. This has been placed right below the triple camera setup. The images also detail the speakers on the bottom, USB Type-C mouthpiece.
A Mate 20 Pro case, shows that the devices lacks the headphone jack and also a rear mounted fingerprint sensor. This could hint at an in-display fingerprint sensor on the device.
Specifications
The devices will run on the new flagship Kirin 980 SoC from Huawei. The company claims that the processor is faster than the latest A12 Bionic from Apple. The processor is made from the 7nm manufacturing process, which increases its speed. The Mate 20 is reported to have a 6.53 inch LCD display with a 2,244 x 1,080 px resolution. It is said to pack a 4,000 mAh battery. The Mate 20 Pro is said to have a curved OLED display with a resolution of 3,120 x 1,440 px.
The Huawei Mate 20 is said to be available in 4GB, 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. They will also offer storage variants of 256 GB and 512 GB. The Mate 20 Pro is said to have a 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variant and 256 GB and 512 GB variants.
The devices will also sport a water drop notch on their display and are building up a lot of excitement as Huawei has been hyping the launch a lot. An earlier leak had detailed the prices of these devices which did come as a shocker to everyone.
Benchmark Scores
Additionally, the benchmark scores of the devices have been leaked which show that they will be the fastest Android devices to hit the market this year. Huawei hasn’t lived up to its promise of beating the new Apple iPhones, however this is a leak and we might see a different score after the launch.
The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are set to launch on October 16.
The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale is starting today and its got some great deals lined up. For the lovers of sound and music, we bring to you the top deals in headphones and earphones. The sale starts at 12 Noon today for prime customers and tomorrow for others.
boAt Rockers 430 Bluetooth Headphones
This pair of bluetooth headphones will ensure that you don’t get into the hassle of wires again. The headphones have a built-in microphone and a good design to suit your needs.
The device is available in The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale for a price of Rs 1,799 compared to its original price of Rs 3,490.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Headphones
The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 features the NoiseGard hybrid active noise cancellation technology and has folding headbands, providing improved portability.
The device is available for a price of Rs 31990 compared to its original price of Rs 39990.
Soundmagic E10C In-Ear Wired Headphones
The SoundMagic E10C is constructed with two-tone metal ear piece bodies and low profile metal hardware, with a modern design and finish for a premium appearance. The tangle-free cable and included wire clip ensures that the E10C are easy to wear and use.
The device is available for a price of Rs 1399 compared to its original price of Rs 3199.
JBL in-ear headphones
The new JBL C200SI has powerful 9mm drivers and offer all-day comfort. An in-line microphone with universal remote control lets you talk and manage your calls on Android and iOS devices
The device is available for a price of Rs 799 compared to its original price of Rs 1499.
Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Earphones
Quiet Comfort 25 headphones are a pair of wired headphones from Bose which provide a great sound experience as well as functionality.
The device is available for a price of Rs 12600 compared to its original price of Rs 25200.
Sennheiser RS175 Wireless Headphones
These are a pair of closed, circumaural headphones with digital wireless audio transmission and has a transmission range of up to 328ft/100m.
The device is available in The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale for a price of Rs 17590 compared to its original price of Rs 21990.
Ant Audio H56 Bluetooth Metal in Ear Stereo Bass Headphone
It can be used when you are out running, jogging or exercising. It offers high quality, hands-free phone conversation with up to 6 hours of playtime and just 1.5 hour of charging time.
The device is available for a price of Rs 999 compared to its original price of Rs 3299.
The momentum free has a highly portable design. It delivers ang all-day listening experience. It packs an integrated microphone, a six-hour battery life and a luxurious leather case.
The device is available for a price of Rs 11990 compared to its original price of Rs 14990.
Sennheiser CX Sport Bluetooth Sports Headphone
Sennheiser’s CX Sport In-Ear Wireless headset is lightweight, sweat and splash resistant. The CX Sport can be worn around or in front of the neck. Four sizes of ear adapters and three sizes of ear fins provide a personalised fit for wearing comfort and passive reduction of external noise.
The device is available in The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale for a price of Rs 7,990 compared to its original price of Rs 9,990.
Nu Republic Nu Jaxx Wireless Earphones with Mic
The ear buds pack CSR 8635 chipset, coupled with large 11MM titanium drivers. It has a metal design and a magnetic faster system which ensures that the ear buds wrap around your neck when not in use. The headphones come with a 1-year replacement warranty.
The device is available for a price of Rs 1299 compared to its original price of Rs 3999.
The launch of the much awaited OnePlus 6T has been announced. The smartphone will be launched in an event in New Delhi, on October 30. Invites for the event will be available ononeplus.infrom 10:00 AM on October 17 and cost Rs 999. Those who attend the event will get a gift hamper full of super add-ons and OnePlus merchandise.
The event will start at 8:30 PM IST. The company claims that the attendees will be the ‘first in the world’ to experience the OnePlus 6T. The OnePlus 6T is the next flagship killer from OnePlus and is set to be faster than its predecessor. The device features an in-display fingerprint sensor and a tiny water drop notch on its display. The device is expected to have better performance than the OnePlus 6 as its tagline ‘Unlock the Speed’ conveys.
Pre-Booking & Specifications
The pre-booking for the device is set to open on the official launch date or even sooner as a listing on Amazon had gone up earlier. The listing detailed the device and also said that those who pre-book the device will receive free Type-C Earphones and Rs 500 Amazon Pay Balance. The Type-C Earphones will put an end to complaints regarding the lack of a headphone jack.
The device is said to have a 6.41 inch Super AMOLED display. It will reportedly run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 8 GB of RAM. The device may have a 512 GB storage variant this time, considering the fact that OnePlus doesn’t offer expandable storage support and that it is offered in most phones these days. The device will run Android 9 Pie out of the box and might have an IP rating this time around.
The exact details of the OnePlus 6T, along with the price will be known after its launch on October 30. Stay tuned to iGyaan for more information about the device.
Optiemus Infracom is the licensed manufacturer for BlackBerry smartphones in India. The company launched the Evolve smartphone in August which will go on sale on 10th October in India and today the company has launched the BlackBerry Key 2 LE. The Key 2 LE is an android phone with a physical Qwerty keyboard.
Specifications:
The smartphone has a 4.5 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen and it has an aspect ratio of 3:2. The dipslay has a resolution of 1080 x 1620 pixels and a pixel density of 434 ppi. Below the screen is the 4 row BlackBerry keyboard with capacitive touch. The keyboard can be used as a trackpad to scroll through the screen and the spacebar on the keyboard doubles as a fingerprint scanner to securely unlock the device. Under the hood, it runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Chipset which is an Octa-Core CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz along with the Adreno 509 GPU. In terms of storage and memory, the device has 64 GB of inbuilt storage and 4 GB of RAM. It also has an expandable card slot which accepts microSD cards of upto 256 GB.
In the optics department, the smartphone has dual 13 MP + 5 MP rear cameras with Dual-LED flash and an 8 MP selfie camera. The rear cameras can record 2160p or 1080p videos @30 FPS and the front camera can record 1080p videos @ 30FPS. Talking about connectivity, the device has Wi-Fi 802.11 ac with dual band, Bluetooh 5.0, GPS, NFC and a USB Type-C connector for charging and data transfer. The device has a non-removable LI-Ion battery of 3,000 mAh and supports Quick Charge 3.0. It it is available in three colours: Atomic, Slate and Champagne. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with BlackBerry’s added security applications.
The device also has programmable keys to quickly switch between favourite apps.
Security features:
Blackberry has always been renowned as a brand that makes highly secure phones. The company now has incorporated their proprietary security suite into Android. It is a bundle of different applications that the company has developed for additional security features.
Some of the apps included are: Redactor, Locker, Firefox Focus and BlackBerry Privacy shade.
Redactor and Privacy shade can hide certain areas on screen under a black mask that the user might want to hide.
Firefox Focus is the latest mobile browser from Mozilla. It can block trackers on websites that collect information about the user for showing display ads, remembering user preferences, etc.
DTEK app monitors other installed apps and let the user know when their data is at risk and provides preventive measures.
Blackberry Locker is an application to securely hide pictures, videos or other data file on the device.
Price & Availability:
The BlackBerry Key 2 LE will be exclusively available on Aamzon from October 12. The smartphone has a price tag of Rs. 29,990.
Xiaomi’s new Mi Band 3 is the latest in the series of fitness bands offered by the smartphone giant. The Mi Band and Mi Band 2 were popular as they were offered at a very attractive price. The Mi Band 3, has also been launched at a lucrative price, but that is not all. Xiaomi has also ensured that the price is not the only thing which makes the Mi Band 3 attractive. Loaded with features such as an improved heart rate sensor, a pedometer, a bigger display and much more, we try to find out if the Mi Band 3 is worth it.
[section label=”Build Quality & Design”]
Build Quality & Design
The Mi Band 3 looks pretty much the same when compared to the previous generation, but features a bigger OLED screen and a new strap. The new strap is very sturdy and made of Thermoplastic Elastomer. The Mi Band 2 received complaints from users regarding its strap which left their hands itchy and irritated. The new strap on the other hand is very comfortable and convenient to wear and you don’t realise it sitting on your hand. The strap is adjustable up to 21.6 cm, easily fitting hands of all sizes. The strap is also available in different colours, and the black that we have looks good and has a great finish.
The band is resistant to dust and sweat and doesn’t get accumulate dirt even with extensive use. The Mi Band 3 has an IP rating of 5 ATM which means that the device is water and dust resistant. It is water resistance to 50 metres, therefore using it in heavy rain or even a swimming pool should not be a problem. The display however, is not that durable and can get scratched easily. We recommend that you install a screen protector for your Mi Band 3. Xiaomi has also fixed the issue of the tracker getting loose or falling out of the strap which was prevalent with the Mi Band 2. Now, its secured so well that sometimes one finds it difficult to take it out. The tracker by itself weighs 8 grams and combined with the band, it weighs 20 grams. Overall, the device is built well and most importantly doesn’t feel like you have something sitting on your wrist as you go through your day.
[section label=”Display”]
Display
As mentioned before, the Mi Band 3 has a bigger, 1.9 cm OLED display. Since the display is OLED, it helps in improving the battery life. It is all touchscreen and easy to navigate through. The touch can be unresponsive at times but it is mostly effective. It works well even when it is in contact with water. In fact, it sometimes works even more smoothly when covered with water! The display has good viewing angles and is very crisp indoors. It’s not the best in direct sunlight, but you can view it if you put in some effort.
A lot of users had complained of the lack of an always-on display on the earlier Mi Band. An always on display will let you view information such as the time and date without the need for waking the screen up from time to time. Xiaomi hasn’t provided a solution for this yet and has instead provided a twist to wake feature with the Mi Band 3. The twist to wake function can be activated through the MiFit app. Once in the app, you need to navigate to the ‘Profile’ section. Here, you click on your device, which is the Mi Band 3. Scroll down a bit and you will see the ‘lift wrist to view info’ option which you can enable. The function activates the screen every time you twist or raise your wrist. However, it does not work well all the time and you might have to repeat the action twice or thrice to get the display going. You can also customise the watch face through the Mi Band itself, choosing from three different options.
[section label=”App Integration”]
App Integration
The Mi Band 3 also packs a lot of cool features other than that of a regular fitness band. The band depends heavily on app integration to utilise most of the features. The app in itself can be confusing at times and could be simplified. The setup process is somewhat tedious and it takes a while to get a clear idea of the layout of the app. After some familiarisation, you will find access to a whole lot of options.
For those of you who were wondering about music controls, the app does not support this. If you are playing music, the band does not even recognise it, therefore being able to control it is out of the question. The Mi Band 3 does not have NFC support, despite many Mi Band 2 users looking forward to it.
[section label=”Fitness”]
Fitness
Essentially being a fitness tracker, the Mi Band 3 packs a lot of features. It features a heart rate sensor, which is a definite improvement over that of the Mi Band 2. The heart rate sensor was surprisingly accurate on many occasions. On comparing the data with that of the Apple watch, we found the readings to be identical. Through the app, you can view your heart rate data and keep a track of it over days and weeks. The heart rate sensor is a good feature for people with health issues or those who are simply health conscious.
However, it is not recommended to be fully dependant on the data for an accurate depiction of your health. The heart rate sensor also takes quite a toll on the battery life of the Mi Band 3. Frequent use of the feature will bring down the battery life of the device to a couple of days. On the flip side, not using the feature so much will ensure a better battery life.
The device has a pedometer, a calorie tracker and a distance tracker. The pedometer is still not very accurate and sometimes records steps even while you’re just sitting. However, while you’re on the move, it does provide pretty accurate data. Additionally, you can also add a step goal through the app. You can also set a weight goal. The app does not help you reach these goals much but does give you a summary of your activities for the day and how much closer you are to your goal. You can also program the app to give you hourly reminders to get up and move if you’ve been sitting for too long.
Also featuring on the Mi Band 3 is a dedicated exercise mode. This is a letdown as the exercise mode is not at all specialised and just records the duration of your exercise and the number of calories you burnt. There is no option to define what kind of exercise you did, nor does it give you any comprehensive feedback. A ‘solution’ has been provided for this under the behaviour tagging section in the app. This lets you tag your activity for a certain duration or time period under various options such as running, swimming, badminton, etc.
With the Mi Band 3, you also get sleep tracking. The band tracks your sleep and gives you a comprehensive breakdown of the quality of your sleep. It divides your sleep into various parts such as ‘deep sleep’, ‘light sleep’ and more. The app also allows you to record how you feel when you wake up. This helps you track your sleep and accordingly make changes in your schedule. The Mi Band 3 also has a stopwatch, which is useful during a workout or a run.
Apart from the above-mentioned features, you can also add friends through the app. This is done by scanning the QR code on the app. Once you have added someone as your friend on the app, you can then track their activities and oddly enough, their sleeping patterns. Xiaomi claims a battery life of 20 days with the new Mi Band 3. But the battery life varies with how much you use it and what features you use. The heart rate sensor takes a toll on the battery and the band may just end up lasting for around a week with intense usage.
[section label=”Notifications”]
Notifications
Another upgrade with the Mi Band 3 is the notifications feature. Now, you can receive all the notifications that are on your phone, directly to the Mi Band. This eliminates the need to keep your smartphone with you all the time or keep checking it. You can choose and add those apps from which you want to receive notifications. You can receive WhatsApp and text messages. These notifications are read-only and there is no way to reply to them through the band. Similarly, you get a notification when someone is calling you, however, you can only reject the call and not answer it or talk back through the Mi Band 3. You need to connect the Mi Band 3 to your smartphone via Bluetooth to do this.
[section label=”Standalone Tracker”]
Standalone Tracker
However, one does not always have to keep their phone connected to the Mi Band 3 via Bluetooth. You can also use the device as a basic fitness tracker. It will give you access to features such as the pedometer, heart rate sensor, calorie tracker and stopwatch. You will not be able to receive notifications and the data from your Mi Band 3 will not sync with the app until your phone is connected to the device. Being connected to the Mi Band 3 does not mean that you cannot connect to another device via Bluetooth. If your smartphone has Bluetooth 4.0 or above, it will connect to another device while being connected with the Mi Band 3 at the same time
[section label=”Verdict”]
Verdict
For a price tag of Rs 1,999, there is only so much that a device can offer. But the Mi Band 3 actually offers much more. Despite the fact that it is a budget fitness band, it does not lag behind in terms of features. Most of the features in the band are as effective as they are attractive. So if you’re looking for a fitness band on a budget, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is the way to go.
Nokia India teased a smartphone with a ‘mega display’ on its twitter account recently. The phone could be the Nokia 7.1 Plus, the successor to the recently launched Nokia 7.1. Nokia was however quick to take down the tweet shortly after it was posted, hinting that it may have not been intended to be showcased, yet.
The device will feature a 6.18 display. This will be an IPS LCD screen with an FHD+ resolution. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset and has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. There are also rumours of a higher, 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant.
However, judging by the recently launched Nokia 7.1, we can expect the same ‘Pure Display’ technology and Zeiss camera setup. The Pure Display gives the device an HDR display and also converts all your content into HDR in real time. It also had a Zeiss camera setup. This makes for better camera performance, according to the company.
Since the Nokia 7.1 Plus is the successor to the Nokia 7.1, it will carry more updates than just a bigger screen. HMD Gobal is aiming to make a comeback into the smartphone market with its mid range line-up. The company faces fierce competition in this segment and needs to ensure they hit the right chords with buyers. The device is said to launch on October 11.
There have been multiple instances where the upcoming Google Pixel 3 XL has leaked online. The device is set to launch officially on 9th October at a NYC event. Previously a leaker who goes by the name of Rozetked shared a hands on video of the Pixel 3 on Youtube. And now a Hong Kong based retailer is selling the Pixel 3 XL even before its official launch. The alleged Pixel 3 XL was available for HK$15,880 or around Rs 1,50,000. Engadget, got their hands on one such unit and have tested the device thoroughly.
Google Pixel 3 XL Via Rozetked
The reporters at Engadget state that the Pixel 3 XL is a solid and well-built device. The accessories included in the smartphones’s box are : a USB Type-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, USB Type-C earphones, wall charger and the device itself.
Specifications:
The device has a 6.3 inch capacitive OLED touchscreen along with a notch up top. It has a resolution of2,960 x 1,440 pixels.It runs on the Snapdragon 845 chipset. In terms of storage it has 128 GB of inbuilt storage and strangely enough it only has 4 GB of RAM. But this might be a cheaper variant of the device and other variants with higher RAM and a bigger storage might also be available.
Pixel 3 XL
In the photography department, the Pixel 3 XL still has a single 12.2 rear camera but the new device surprisingly has two front cameras. The front cameras have a resolution of 8 MP each. Out of the two front cameras, one has the standard lens and the second has a wide angle lens for taking group selfies. As for recording videoss, the rear camera can record 4K videos at 30FPS and the front camera can only record video upto 1080p.
The phone runs on the latest Android 9.0 Pie. Another noticeable feature the device has is Active Edge. This activates the Google Assistant by squeezing the sides of the smartphone. Previous leaks of the device state that the smartphone has a 3,430 mAh lithium ion battery.
Though the upcoming Pixel 3 devices have leaked before their official launch. We believe that Google still has some fancy tricks up their sleeve and might demonstrate some surprising elements about their latest flagship.
Finally, Google will officially launch the device tomorrow and clear up all the rumors that have been building up. Also, we might see a new version of the their Chromecast digital media player and even a Chrome OS tablet.
The launch of the OnePlus 6T is near and the device seems to be up fro pre-order on Amazon. The deal was available for some time and is no longer visible. It also offered Type-C Earphones and Rs 500 Amazon Pay Balance if you pre-book the device. The option is no longer available on Amazon and came shortly after OnePlus took to its twitter handle to announce that something exciting regarding the OnePlus 6T is on its way.
Reports suggest that pre-bookings for the device will open from the date of the official announcement in India and will end on October 30. The device is pegged to start shipping from November 1. However, we still have to stay tuned to the company’s official twitter handle to see what else the offer holds. One thing is for sure, early users will be getting the Type-C earphones bundled with the device, which will put an end to user woes regarding the lack of a headphone jack.
The OnePlus 6T will have an in-display fingerprint scanner, a water drop notch on its display. It is said to be faster than its predecessor. This can be inferred from the tagline for the device, which reads ‘Unlock the Speed’.
Specifications
Despite the fact that a ‘T’ upgrade does not carry very significant changes, the OnePlus 6T is already shaping up to be very different from its predecessor. This could mean that for the first time, we could see a major jump in specifications. However, the device is said to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 8 GB of RAM. The device may also have a 512 GB variant as OnePlus does not offer memory card support for its devices. The OnePlus 6T will have a 6.41 inch Super AMOLED display, according to reports. The display features a water-drop notch and an in-display fingerprint scanner, which has been confirmed. It is said to have a 3,700 mAh battery and will run Android 9 Pie.
The smartphone industry has been growing at an unprecedented rate. With cut-throat competition, manufacturers are making breakthroughs almost every few months. For some, it is the battle to be on the top and for the others, it is the war to survive. So, we take you through the top smartphones which are set to launch soon. The specifications are based on various leaks and the official specs will only be revealed after the launch of the devices.
Google Pixel 3
The upcoming flagship devices from Google is one of the most and least anticipated phones. The reason being that even though they will be great devices, a series of leaks have laid the devices bare before us. With unboxing videos and reviews doing rounds of the vast internet, the only thing which is possibly left to know is the price. The Google Pixel series is the only one to have stuck to a single lens camera setup, even in 2019. This does not make the devices dated or dull the camera performance.
The Google Pixel 2 has one of the best smartphone cameras out there, despite the fact that it has been an year since its launch. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will continue to carry what has now become a signature single camera setup. However, Google has given in to another trend from the smartphone industry. The infamous notch. The larger, Google Pixel 3 XL has a huge notch while the Pixel 3 will sport a more conventional design.
Both the devices will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The phones will have a 5.4 inch display. Both pixel phones will have 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of Storage in the base variants. The top variant may offer upto 256 GB of storage. The smaller Pixel 3 has a 3000 mAh battery while the larger XL has a 3400 mAh battery.
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will launch on October 9.
OnePlus 6T
The OnePlus 6T is going to launch on October 16 and fans cannot contain their excitement. The upcoming device will see major changes such as the presence if an In-display fingerprint sensor and a water drop notch. A ‘T’ upgrade does not usually see such changes. Upgrades in terms of camera, battery and speed are possible, making the device even more appealing. However, OnePlus has let go of the headphone jack and the decision does not sit well with some fans. But, it is highly improbable that the someone would shun this device over a headphone jack.
The device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and have 8 GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the device will have 512 GB of storage as OnePlus does not offer microSD card support with its devices. It has a 6.41 inch Super AMOLED display with a tiny waterdrop notch. The device will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and has a 3,700 mAh battery.
The OnePlus 6T will launch on October 17.
Nokia 9 PureView
The Nokia 9 PureView is one of the most unique devices on the list as it sports a penta camera setup, according to report. The penta camera setup is a patented technology, belonging to Zeiss. Additionally, reports say that the Nokia 9 has the PureView tag. The PureView tag indicates a device which is revolutionary in terms of camera performance.
Additionally, the Nokia 9 has a massive 4150 mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The device has a 6 inch AMOLED display. It runs on the Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 8 GB of RAM. The device has 256 GB of internal storage and an IP68 certification.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
With its launch around the corner, Huawei is stirring up curiosity with the Mate 20 Pro. The Mate 20 Pro features a unique triple camera setup design. The design is in a square with the LED flash filling in the last spot in the box. The device will run on the Kirin 980 SoC as announced by Huawei. The Kirin 980 is the next flagship from Huawei and is manufactured by the 7nm process. Huawei claims that the Kirin 980 is faster than Apple’s latest A12 Bionic chip.
The device has a 6.3 inch screen with a tiny, water drop notch. Along with the Kirin 980, it has the Mali G76 MP10 GPU, an AI processing Unit and DDR4 RAM. Under the hood, it has a 4,000 mAh battery . It has an in-display fingerprint sensor. The cameras range from f/1.8 to f/2.4 in terms of aperture and have varying focal lengths from 16 mm to 80 mm.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is set to launch on October 16.
Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Prois set to be the next big thing from Samsung. The device is said to feature a quad camera setup, a first for the company which recently launched the Galaxy A7 with a triple camera. With these devices, it is clear that Samsung is not saving all the best features for its flagship devices and is now focusing on all segments.
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro has a 6.28 inch Super AMOLED display. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 512 GB using a microSD card. It packs a 3720 mAh battery. The four cameras are a main camera, a depth sensor, a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens.
The device is set to launch at the special Galaxy Event on October 11.
Lenovo might be working on the successor of their very popular K8 Note. The K8 note was launched back in August 2017. The phone was feature packed and offered good value for money. Now a poster of a mystery Lenovo device has surface online. The poster reads “The Killer Returns”. It might be the successor to the K8 Note as it has been referred to as killer note previously on some forums. This could also be the Lenovo Z5 which has already been launched in China and is performing well in terms of sales.
Lenovo K8 Note
The smartphone has a 5.5 inch display. It runs on the Mediatek Helio X23 processor along with a Mali-T880 GPU. It has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of inbuilt storage. In the camera department, it has 13 MP + 5 MP dual rear cameras and a 13 MP selfie camera with LED flash. It also has a fingerprint sensor. At the time of launch it had a price tag of Rs. 14,999 which has now come down to Rs 9,600.
The K8 Note from 2017 did well in terms of sales. But because of fierce competition from other Chinese companies like Xiomi and Oppo the sales saw a dip. These other Chinese companies have been launching smartphones with much higher specifications at very competitive prices.
Therefore, Lenovo now needs to come up with excellent smartphones at even better prices. The poster is one indication to an upcoming launch of a Lenovo smartphone. We can expect Lenovo to deliver a great package as such competition between the companies turn out to be best for the consumers.
The poster also gives us a date which is 16th Ocober 2018. However, for now we can only wait for the company’s official announcements.
You can also watch our unboxing for the Lenovo K8 Note.
It is that time of year when the e-commerce giants, Amazon and Flipkart lock horns and try to rake in as many customers as possible by offering lucrative discounts. Both the companies have announced their own versions of high discount sales. Amazon is calling it the Diwali Great Indian Festival Sale which commences on 10 October and ends on 15 October. Whereas, Flipkart calls it as Big Billion Days which will take place between 10th-14th October.
We will continuously update this post to give you the latest deals. So keep watching this space regularly.
A bunch of products like electronics, smartphones, accessories and home decor will be available at heavily discounted prices. A lot of companies have announced the discounts their devices will be available at. We at iGyaan bring you the best deals announced till now.
(Note: Smartphone discounts will begin from 11th October even though the sale begins on 10th October)
Honor seems very optimistic about the Big Billion Days Sale and plans to sell a million smartphones during the the upcoming festive season. They have announced great discounts on their smartphones. Some of them are:
Honor 9N
The Honor 9N will be available at a discount of Rs. 4,000. The 3 GB RAM/32 GB ROM variant & the 4 GB RAM/64 GB ROM variant will be available at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999 respectively down from their original Rs. 11,999 and Rs 13,999 price tag. The Honor 9N has a 5.8 inch Full HD display and the Kirin 659 Octa Core processor. The device has 16 MP front camera and 13 MP + 2 MP dual real cameras.
The Honor 7A will be available for Rs 7,999 which is Rs 3,000 down from it’s original Rs 10,999 price tag. The smartphone has a 5.7 inch HD+ display. It has a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of ROM. Talking about the processor ithe device has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor along with the Adreno 505 GPU. In terms of cameras, it has an 8 MP front camera and 13 MP +2 MP rear cameras. The smartphone has a 3,000 mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be available at Rs 29,990 which is Rs 16,000 less than its original Rs 45,990 price tag. The device has a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display and is powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor along with the Adreno 540 GPU. The device has an 8MP front camera and a 12 MP rear camera. The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM. It has a 3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery.
Another notable mention is the Moto Z2 Force which will get a 50% discount and will be available for Rs. 17,499. This is a true flagship device that has exceptional build quality and great user experience.
The Lenovo K8 Plus was launched at Rs 10,999 for the 3 GB RAM variant in September 2017. In the sale it will be sold for Rs. 6,999/- that is Rs 4000 less than the original price. It has dual 13 MP + 5 MP rear cameras and an 8 MP front camera with LED flash. The smartphone has Octa-Core Helio P25 processor along with Mali-T880MP2 GPU. The phone packs a huge 4,000 mAh battery. In terms of display it has a 5.2 inch FUL HD capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 424 ppi. This smartphone one of the best option in the budget segment at this crazy price. With its dual cameras, fingerprint sensor and great battery, this smartphone will give the Realme C1 and Xiaomi 6A a very tough run for their money.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro has a 5.99 inch capacitive display. The device is powered by Snapdragon 636 Octa-Core processor along with an Adreno 509 GPU. In terms of memory and storage it is available in three variants 3 GB RAM/ 32 GB ROM, 4 GB RAM/64 GB ROM and 6 GB RAM/64GB ROM. Although the key highlight of this device it’s 5,000 mAh mammoth battery. During the sale all three variants will be get a Rs 2,000 discount. The price for the variants is as follow:
Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2 inch capacitive display with a notch. The device is powered by flagship Snapdragon 845 Octa-Core processor along with an Adreno 630 GPU. In terms of memory and storage it has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage. It has a a 3,300 mAh battery that supports fast charging. During the sale, the smartphone will be available at a discount of Rs 5,000. The price after discount is Rs 24,999/-
The Oppo A71 with 3 GB RAM and 13 MP rear camera gets a discount of 4,000 and will go on sale for Rs. 6,990/-. Also the Xperia R1 dual with Snapdragon 430 will be available for Rs. 6,990 after a 3000 discount.
Along with these superb deals, HDFC Bank customers get 10% additional Instant discount. Flipkart is also offering great value for old phones under exchange offers.
Amazon Deals
Amazon has not announced a lot of deals for now but we will get to know more about them in the coming days. Though one very popular device to get a discount is the OnePlus 6. The OnePlus 6 has flagship specs at a very competitive price. The OnePlus 6 has been appreciated by one and all. The 64 GB variant that sells for Rs. 34,999 currently will see a temporary price cut of Rs. 5,000 and will be available for Rs. 29,999 during the sale.
Amazon is teasing a lot of devices with discounts but they have not disclosed the exact price for those smartphones. We will have to wait for Amazon to announce the prices for these products.
Overall, the upcoming sales will bring us a lot of deals which means a lot of savings during the upcoming festive season. We will keep an eye on these deals and update you with the new updates as they come out.
Samsung Galaxy S9
This is the latest flagship from Samsung. The Galaxy S9 is one of the top smartphone that is available in the market. It has a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED Capacitve touchscreen display with an insane pixel density of 57o ppi. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 Octa-Core processor along with the Adreno 630 GPU. The smartphone has 64 GB ROM with 4 GB RAM. It has a battery of 3000 mAh and supports fast-charging.
In the sale it will be available for Rs. 42,990/- which is much lower than it’s original price which was Rs 62,500/-.
