Category: Top Around the Web

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Samsung To Debut A New Mid Range Galaxy R Series

Samsung introduced the Galaxy M and the refreshed Galaxy A lineup of smartphones earlier this year; in a bid to take back the market lost to Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi, Honor and Realme. The company has since seen significant success with both the lineups in countries like India. Now, a known gadget tipster has claimed that Samsung is looking forward to introducing a brand new series which will be called the Galaxy R.

Samsung Galaxy R Series

So. What many are calling #GalaxyA90 (SM-A90X) will very likely be launched as the new #GalaxyR series.

– Two models already in the pipeline.
– Both have huge display and triple camera.
– At least one of them comes with 5G support and the other with a very unique camera feature. pic.twitter.com/oJMnzJSYG1
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) June 21, 2019

According to the tipster who goes by the username @OnLeaks on Twitter, the Samsung Galaxy R series of the smartphone will cater to the mid-range. Two devices are currently in development in the lineup, out of which both of them have a huge display and triple rear cameras. It is claimed that at least one of the handsets in the upcoming series will have support for 5G; the next generation of mobile networks.

The other smartphone is touted to have a unique camera feature, details of which are unknown at the moment. One of the smartphones in the Samsung Galaxy R series may be the long rumoured Galaxy A90 which will be rebranded into the new lineup. The device has the model number SM-A90X and was leaked a while ago, but was later claimed to be launched as the Galaxy A80 back in the month of April. This suggests that the “unique” camera feature may be a pop-up mechanism to house the front-facing camera; as the feature was expected to debut with the Galaxy A90.

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Also read: Future MacBook And iPad Models Reported To Feature OLED Display

The upcoming 5G smartphone in Samsung’s R series will not be the first 5G capable device from the company. It has earlier launched the Galaxy S10 5G back in the month of February. While the handset caters to the premium category, the 5G R series device is expected to be a mid-range handset, so it may be the world’s most affordable 5G smartphone when it is introduced. Unfortunately, more details about the lineup including the price and rest of the specifications are unknown at the moment but are expected to be revealed in the following weeks.

June 22, 2019
Future MacBook And iPad Models Reported To Feature OLED Display

Apple is one of the leaders in the market that it competes in. However, just holding top honours does not guarantee success forever, one must adapt to the ever-volatile industry. With this, the tech giant may now start introducing its OLED displays to more product lineups. We may soon start seeing better displays on its notebooks and tablets.

According to a report, Apple is apparently seeking to make good on a contract with Samsung, the latter is one of the largest manufacturers of the aforementioned OLED displays. Reportedly, the American company has failed to buy enough units for the iPhone screens from Samsung. Hence, the bid to utilize the particular technology. This report is still unconfirmed by both parties in question, so a concrete conclusion cannot be formed.

The tech giant has equipped the high-end screens on its flagship smartphones in the last few years. Even though most users are unaware of this fact, Samsung displays are actually one of the key selling points for the top-end premium smartphones used by Apple. As of now, several other OEMs have used OLED screens in their tablets and notebooks, however, Apple is yet to do the same. These screens have historically been well-received and a shift in display panels will definitely help bolster the company’s sales.

Apple devices that ship with the OLED displays are still a while away from being seen. Furthermore, even if the company were to immediately issue the order for larger sized OLED panels, it will still be a couple of years before any product having them will be commercially available. However, if this is true future MacBook Pros and iPads will be the first devices apart from the Apple Watch and iPhones to receive the particular technology.

Also Read: OnePlus Now Holds 2% Share In Premium Smartphone Market

A more probable scenario would be the iPhone XR being equipped with the OLED screen due to its popularity. Hence, a better screen on the best-selling product, as said by Apple, is highly likely. Apple is planning on making significant additions and changes in its future lineup to make up for the slowing down of its sales and drop in market share.

June 22, 2019
LG W Series Smartphones India Launch Date Revealed

Korean electronics manufacturer, LG was one of the first OEM that got in the Android smartphone business. Some notable devices launched by the company include the LG Optimus One, LG ThinQ lineup and the LG V lineup. However, due to fierce competition from Chinese companies, LG had to fall back for a while and reiterate its product strategies for the Indian market.

It seems that the company is now ready to make a come back with full force which will happen with a brand new smartphone lineup called the LG ‘W’. Although the company’s upcoming mid range offering, the LG W10 has leaked on several instances (1,2), there were no details about its launch. A tipster on Twitter has shared a leaked launch invitation of the LG W lineup which exhibits that the series will make its global debut on the 26th of June at an event in New Delhi.

In addition, the leaked launch poster also boasts of a triple rear camera module which the device was previously reported to have.

As previously mentioned, one device that is confirmed to launch at the event is the LG W10 which was leaked previously. In terms of looks, the smartphone has a contemporary design with a water drop notch display on the front and a plastic back. The rear of the smartphone houses a triple camera setup, LG branding and a fingerprint sensor.

In terms of battery, the LG W10 will be powered by a 4,000 mAh lithium cell which is likely to support fast charging. The details about the smartphone’s chipset are currently unavailable, however, it is assumed to be kitted with the Snapdragon 660 or Snapdragon 675 SoC which is present on most smartphones in the mid range segment.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 To Pack In A Time Of Flight Sensor

Conclusively, all the details about the LG W series smartphones including price and specifications will be revealed at the launch event which is scheduled for the 26th of June.

June 22, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M30s Leaked Via Geekbench

Korean electronics giant Samsung launched the Galaxy M series of smartphones back in the month of January. The first devices in the lineup were the Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20, and the series saw expansion in the name of the Galaxy M30; in the month of February and the Galaxy M40 which was launched last week. The lineup has seen tremendous success and has put Samsung in level with its Chinese rivals in the budget smartphone space in India. Now, reports of another addition to the Galaxy M series has started to surface online. A handset, purported to be the Galaxy M30s has been leaked via Geekbench, a popular performance benchmarking website.

Galaxy M30s

As mentioned above, the Galaxy M30s is expected to be the latest entrant in the popular Galaxy M series. According to the Geekbench listing, the smartphone has the model number SM-M307F. This is in line to the model number of the Galaxy M30 which is SM-M305F in India. The change hints at a slightly upgraded device of the same device. Other details in the lsiting includes an octa core processor with a clock speed of 1.74GHz. It is revealed to be the 10nm Exynos 9610 SoC which is also present in the Samsung Galaxy A50. The chipset consists of an Octa-core CPU and the Mali G72 MP3 GPU. It is a more powerful processor than the Galaxy M30’s Exynos 7904 which should make it a worthy performer.

Galaxy M30

Also read: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 To Pack In A Time Of Flight Sensor

Also present in the Samsung Galaxy M30s is 4GB of RAM which is the same as the regular variant. The device runs on the current Android 9 Pie which is likely to be skinned with the company’s OneUI. Unfortunately, more details like the pricing of the handset are unknown at the moment but the listing on Geekbench insinuates that it may be closer to launch than ever.

June 21, 2019
App Store Publishers Reportedly Earn 60% Higher Than Android Developers

According to a new report by Sensor Tower research group, a significant gap was observed in the revenues generated between iOS and Android app publishers. This income disparity was noticeable by a large margin. In Q1 of 2019, the top 100 application developers for Apple’s App Store on an average earned 64% higher than its Android counterpart Google Play.

Sensor Tower’s Store Intelligence uncovered App Store publishers earning an estimated amount of $83.8 million (approx. Rs.584 crores), whilst Android studios only garnered $51 million (approx. Rs. 355 crores). This survey was taken over the top 100 apps the Apple and Google platform. Both of these platforms have seen an annual growth of 12% from last years figures.

Gaming Apps

In the field of mobile gaming, the revenue gap was much smaller. However, App Store developers still held a large margin of lead with 48% over Android mobile game studios. Apple’s platform under this segment made $70 million (approx. Rs. 487 crores) to Play Stores $48 million (approx. Rs. 334 crores). This segment of gaming combined is still the largest revenue stream for the industry with the rise in popularity of mobile gaming.

Non-Gaming Apps

Furthermore, non-gaming apps paint a grim picture for Android. The gap between the App Store and Google Play app publishers is a massive 232% difference. Users from Apple spent an estimated $23.3 million (approx. Rs. 162 crores) in comparison to Android’s mere $7 million (approx. Rs. 49 crores). There is a revenue discrepancy of more than three folds. Notably, Apple does have a great advantage considering that Google services and Play apps are banned in China, the largest consumer of smartphone services

Also Read: Apple Recalls Older MacBook Pro Citing Battery Hazards

This essentially makes App Store a more profitable business venture regardless of the fact that Android is the more popular platform. It is reported that Android currently holds an estimated 75% of the OS market share whilst iOS holds just about 23%. Hence, although it should’ve been the other way around, various factors such as user preferences, demographics, and availability should be taken into consideration.

June 21, 2019
Apple Recalls Older MacBook Pro Citing Battery Hazards
One of the most essential components of any mobile computing system is undoubtedly its battery pack, be it smartphones or laptops. What shouldn’t be taken lightly, however, is how potentially dangerous they can be if mounted incorrectly. Overheating is a serious danger when proper precautions are not taken and may cause serious harm to anyone by ignition or explosion (See Samsung Galaxy Note 7). Hence, Apple has issued a warning and recall for the 2015 MacBook Pros with Retina Display.

Apple has reported that the batteries “may pose a fire safety risk.” Furthermore, the company stated that the risk affects only a limited number of units sold between September 2015 and February 2017. Although it will be far and few models that are actually affected between the period, it is still a great number considering the number of units that could be sold in a time frame of two years. Apple has sold the third generation MacBook Pro from 2012 to 2018, so not every device will fall under this risk.

Owners of this version may want to check their serial numbers at the Apple’s support website. The model in question is the “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)”. One will get a free battery replacement if they contact Apple, should the company deem them eligible. Unfortunately, the whole process might actually take about two weeks to resolve. This is a long wait for individuals who use their Mac laptops on a regular basis.

Instructions to check Battery Replacement eligibility
- Visit this link
- Enter your serial number. (Users can obtain their computers serial number by clicking the Apple logo in the top left and clicking ‘About This Mac’). The serial number will be displayed under the ‘overview’ tab.
Furthermore, Apple has stated that no other devices such as the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display are affected which were sold in the same time period. Likewise, in the past, the company had recalled 2016 13-inch MacBook Pros as well, although not for safety issues.

The tech giant is yet to announce the exact details regarding the risk and fire hazard that users potentially face.

Also Read: Google Axes Its Tablet Lineup, Will Focus On Laptops Instead

It is still unclear exactly when the overheating battery issue was originally uncovered, regardless it is a risk that customers should be aware of. Apple has faced many past allegations related to quality control and battery issues, but it is praiseworthy that the company is willing to pay for faulty units out of its own pocket. Loyal Apple fans might just get a free battery pack after all. Still, user caution is advised for safety until the replacement programme is complete.
June 21, 2019
New Deepfake Technique Can Make Portraits Sing

Deepfake is a term which was initially coined in the year 2017. It is a technique that utilizes an AI to project combined videos and images onto source images through machine learning. Now, a fresh report from the Imperial College in London and Samsung’s AI research lab in the UK have showcased how a simple image and audio file can be used to make a singing video of a portrait.

Previously, the technique was used to produce life-like videos from still shots. The researchers are heavily employing machine learning to generate realistic looking results. A trained eye can easily notice the mechanical and almost scary imitation by the AI but it is still a great deal considering the amount of data actually needed is negligible. The technique can even be seen combining a portrait of Albert Einstein, the famous mathematician, to create a unique lecture.

On a more entertaining side of things, even Rasputin can be seen singing Beyoncé’s iconic “Halo” with comical results. Furthermore, realistic examples are also available with tweaked videos which were generated to mimic human emotions based on the audio that was input into the system. It has become remarkably more simplified with time to produce deepfakes, even if they are not commercially available.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Will Boast Of A Three Stage Camera Aperture System

However, people are being reasonably worried regarding the implications of the technique. This can potentially be used to spread large scale false information and propaganda using famous personalities as their templates by those that seek to gain from it. The US legislators have already started noticing the future complications that can potentially be faced. Deepfakes have already caused harm, especially for women, who have had fake pornography surfaced to create an embarrassing spectacle for them. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is still too early to say how much good or harms the technology might end up causing.

June 20, 2019
Smart Speakers Could Soon Detect Heart Attacks

‘Smart’ homes nowadays are incomplete without a voice assistant enabled speakers. These smart speakers have been becoming increasingly more popular as a household gadget. They bring a variety of both entertainment and practicality to its users. Tech giants like Amazon and Google have pushed for these type of products with their own Echo and Home products respectively. Latest updates constantly add more functions to such gadgets, like the ability to detect heart attacks being developed by certain researchers for emergencies.

A dedicated team from the University of Washington are working towards perfecting a machine learning algorithm that can detect heart attacks. The algorithm is trained to monitor sounds for agonal breathing, where sharp gasps of air are taken by the victim suffering from a heart attack. However, this type of respiration only holds true for about 50% of the victims during cardiac arrest. This tool is being developed to be built into the aforementioned smart speakers to help save lives.

When detecting a heart attack, the devices can help raise an alarm even when the victim is incapacitated. The researchers behind the software are looking to make the process entirely seamless and in the background. This implies that the system can passively monitor the bedroom for breath patterns and under cases of attack it would automatically contact the authorities. A ‘contactless’ system from the smart speakers, as the team coined it, for relaying crucial information to concerned parties.

Unfortunately, the feature is far from being commercially viable as of right now. The algorithm is still being trained with a broad range of data to reduce false positive results regarding agonal breathing. A number of scenarios from different angles and distances to the smart speakers are being currently tested. Audio from real 911 calls that were recorded in Seattle is also being used to train the AI that will run the system. Additionally, the audios include samples from sleep studies, with the system detecting agonal breathing 97% of the time from a distance of upto 6 metres.

Also Read: Samsung Fixes Galaxy Fold And Is Ready For Launch

The system is relatively imperfect with false reports occasionally being treated positively. However, the team is working on ironing out such complications. Soon the world might just see a lot more applications similar to this in the future related to health, fitness and security with the smart speakers. For example, Alexa is capable of listening to the sound of glass breaking and alerting users of a potential break-in, a well thought after feature. Emergency safety nets are always a necessity as every life is important.

June 20, 2019
Apple Downsizing Production In China

Tensions between the US and China regarding trade have had implications on a global scale. The trade ‘War’ has already claimed victims with Huawei, that is facing various restrictions on its business practice within America. Western corporations have been wary of collaborating with Huawei since the ban, fearing allegations and federal lawsuits. A fresh report reveals that Apple is currently seeking to shift a part of its production away from China. This arrives after China’s warning issued towards the US and certain internal issues faced by the company.

Apple, like Huawei, is one of the companies that are vulnerable to the crossfire between the two nations. Due to the uneven ground between Washington and Beijing, the company is looking to shift a part of its entire production from the southeastern nation. The smartphone manufacturer has been planning diversification to other countries for a while now, citing issues from “high labour costs and risk of overly centralizing its production.”

The countries being considered for such a large scale relocation to include India, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Apple is currently leaning towards India and Vietnam in particular. Furthermore, older iPhones are already being produced in India which will help ease the transition since 90% of the Apple products currently available are still made in China. The company will move between 15-30% of all production, “with or without the final round of $300 billion tariffs.”

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 10’s Display Will Double Up As A Speaker

Apple has seen global success owing to China as its main base of operations. However, the political strifes, unstable trade, and issues within the eastern countries demographics are pushing the company to reallocate the manufacturing process entirely. This event will turn out to be an extremely expensive move for the company, requiring an estimated 3 years as well. Notably, this will only seek to benefit the company in the long run and hopefully bring the economic price to developing countries.

June 20, 2019
Nube Gaming Smartphone With Extendable Gamepad

Handheld gaming machines have been in the entertainment industries for almost 40 years now. These type of devices have always been a hit or miss with the audiences centred around gaming. Sony is a great example of this with the successful PlayStation Portable aka PSP and the subsequent failure of the PlayStation Vita. However, with the mobile gaming market being the largest revenue generator for the industry, it was inevitable that hybrid technology would be born soon. Nube Mobile is currently developing one such gaming device.

Specifications & Design

The company which is largely unheard of had patented designs last year regarding an extendable smartphone. These extended forms now include buttons such as controller D-pads and even joysticks, and may even feature special cooling functions. Nube Mobiles is based in Hong Kong and also works off of Spain in Malaga. According to the company’s own website, development is underway regarding two products. “One is a new smartphone for new players” while the other is a “new game based on one of the most popular films of the moment.”

The product in question is probably the hybrid device which at a glance would resemble a regular handset with bezels at the top and bottom. In addition to this, the key feature manifests itself once the corners bezels are pulled out from the device. Once fully extended gamepad buttons will flank the screen from the left and right sides. This, in turn, makes the smartphone look like a Nintendo Switch since the button layout is entirely similar. The Nube Gaming Mobile would although likely sport a larger and higher resolution display than the 6.2-inch HD screen found on the Switch.

Nube’s hybrid device has its buttons slightly encaved within the smartphone, just enough to slide in behind the screen. This makes it a practical smartphone and handheld gaming system simultaneously. Optional gamepad for smartphone do exist in the market, but no other company has it in-built within their handsets. Apart from the gaming peripherals, the essential front sensors are provided on the top like any other smartphone. The left side houses the volume rockers while the right has the power button along with two SIM card slots. The charging port is found at the bottom of the device alongside the apparently lone speaker on the left.

Nube Mobile’s upcoming smartphone only has a single camera at the back with a flash. Notably, the camera modules will move when the controls are extended due to their placement. Unfortunately, internal specifications cannot be discerned but going by the trend, a high refresh rate with a powerful processor is expected. The device will also probably be powered by a large battery pack. The website claims that Nube Mobile’s have 5 years of video game industry experience and that the new products will be introduced soon.

Also Read: Samsung Patents A Gaming Laptop With Expandable Display

With the mobile gaming market surpassing the PC and consoles in terms of revenue generated, a new shift in development focus has already started. Popular game studios for the aforementioned platforms are now taking the mobile market more seriously. This is evident with Activision bringing the Call Of Duty experience to smartphones. Official launch dates or any information was not provided by the company, but according to the website, the announcement would’ve been made in April. More updates are expected soon since the month has long since passed.

June 19, 2019
OPPO To Launch Under Display Camera Smartphone on 26th June

Mobile World Congress 2019 is the largest mobile industry expo in the world which was held in Spain on Feb 2019. The Chinese market being one of the larger markets with its own set of exclusive devices from various company receives its very own MWC at Shanghai which is scheduled for 26th to 28th June. OPPO one of the well-known smartphone manufacturers has confirmed its attendance at the Mobile World Congress 2019 on Weibo. A poster shared by the company clearly indicates that it is planning to launch the first under-display camera in the world.

Under-display camera smartphones essentially have its front camera within the front display but unlike a punch-hole module cannot be seen. The screen entirely encompasses the front panel with the camera under it. Earlier this month, Oppo had showcased its first functional prototype to the world, as did Xiaomi. Most OEMs have adopted a pop-up camera (like OnePlus 7 Pro) or rotating camera modules (such as Samsung Galaxy A80) for the full display solution. These are currently almost exclusively found in top-end or high mid-end range smartphones.

A short clip was previously shared by an OPPO executive which showcased a smartphone with the praiseworthy feature. It is uncertain if the aforementioned device is a prototype that is under development or an initial version of a smartphone that would be available commercially. The device had no visible seam for a front camera and had a full display panel at the front. This has probably given the world its first look into completely bezel-less smartphones.

Check this out from our R&D team! @Xiaomi continues to innovate and we have some exciting tech up our sleeves. RT if you love under display camera! #xiaomi pic.twitter.com/4Rlzt9uRAd
— Alvin T (@atytse) June 3, 2019

Also Read: Sony Hexa Lens Smartphone Camera Specifications Revealed

The smartphone industry is one of the most volatile markets in the world. New is generally outdated in a quarterly cycle whilst any sci-fi dream of today is a reality within a year. Popular Entertainment such as movies have frequently showcased futuristic gadgets and handsets, and now our lives edge closer to them. No indication or otherwise have been provided regarding when the device will be available or even what the model/name would be. However, these innovational strides in the industry are always a positive sight.

June 19, 2019
Google Calendar Suffering From Global Outage

2019 has been a year of numerous outages across various services and applications worldwide. For instance, social media platforms Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram suffered from a worldwide outage in the consecutive months of March and April. Furthermore, American technology company Google also suffered from Google Cloud downtime earlier this month. As per recent reports, Google Calendar is also not functioning currently for multiple users across the globe.

Many users who have been trying to access their Google Calendar schedules at calendar.google.com are facing issues, since they are greeted with an error. First reports started pouring in at about 7:30pm IST (10am EST). The majority of Canadian and US population (in addition to other countries) are unable to navigate to the website since then. The company has confirmed details regarding the service outage via its G Suite Status Dashboard, which can be viewed by clicking here.

Scheduling made simpler with @googlecalendar ? https://t.co/3WXZX2deRE pic.twitter.com/s3E1q8gGsO
— Google Workspace (@GoogleWorkspace) June 18, 2019

The company’s statement implied that the problem is being investigated. Additional details are expected to be available shortly. The most interesting aspect of this outage is the fact that the company posted a tweet from the G Suite Twitter handle stating how the Google Calendar application makes scheduling much simpler for day-to-day usage. The tweet was published merely an hour before the service outage. This may be a coincidence or a timed external attack on the company’s servers. Shortly thereafter, the company posted about the service disruption as well.

Google Calendar is currently experiencing a service disruption. Please stay tuned for updates or follow here: https://t.co/2SGW3X1cQn
— Google Workspace (@GoogleWorkspace) June 18, 2019

Also Read: Facebook Announces Its Cryptocurrency Named Libra

This incident is another wake up call to a multitude of users across the globe, showcasing how vulnerable online services can be. When a lot of users rely on a single platform for their daily needs, a backup/contingency plan becomes an absolute necessity for conglomerates. An update from Google is expected to be available shortly, with engineers working on the problem, as stated by the company. Google’s other services (including Gmail, Docs and Drive) seem to be entirely unaffected at the moment. Moreover, the mobile application for the same is functioning without any hiccups as well.

June 18, 2019
Facebook Announces Its Cryptocurrency Named Libra

American social media giant Facebook has announced a digital currency called Libra on the 18th of June. It is a cryptocurrency that aims at allowing billions of Facebook users to make transactions globally. Libra is expected to debut in the year 2020 alongside a blockchain network supporting it. The company also introduced its newest subsidiary called Calibra, which is a payments interface that will leverage the various assets of Facebook like Messenger and WhatsApp.

About Libra

As mentioned above, Libra is the latest cryptocurrency backed by Facebook. The company believes it will be used for money transfer between people in developing countries; who do not have access to a proper banking structure. The final goal though is to develop the first mainstream cryptocurrency, which is in use more than Bitcoin. Facebook believes Libra will grow into a currency which is stable and decentralized; this means no country will have ruling rights over it. Although the social media company is developing the currency, it has formed the non-profit Libra Association alongside 27 other partners so help it develop and get the cryptocurrency into the mainstream market. These partners include names like Mastercard, Visa, eBay, PayPal, Uber and Vodafone.

Also read: Revolt RV400 Launched, First All-Electric MotorBike

The aforementioned organizations together are set to contribute to an asset pool known as Libra Reserve. This will make sure that every Libra (a unit of the currency) is backed by something essential in nature. This is different than how Bitcoin works, as it relies on its rarity and insufficiency to increase in value. Facebook’s Libra is being viewed as a financial behemoth, due to the sheer number of people using Facebook actively, which is around 2.4 billion each month. However, as the company always finds itself in the middle of a privacy debate, it may also face a lot of criticism when it lands next year.

June 18, 2019
India Asks WhatsApp To Digitally Fingerprint Every Message For Traceability

WhatsApp Messenger, owned by the American social media giant Facebook is one of the most popular messaging services in the world. And the largest market for the application in India, with over 200 million active users in the country. Lately, the platform has been plagued with malicious activities, some of which are criminal in nature. To counter that, the Indian government has asked WhatsApp to digitally fingerprint every message sent on the app for easy traceability.

About the move

A report claims that WhatsApp has been asked by the Indian government to make it easy to trace the origins of a message on its platform. This may be achieved by placing a digital fingerprint of the sender on the message. Notably, the messaging app boasts of a secure, end to end encryption on its platform since the year 2016. This according to the company, does not let even its employees view what has been sent or received on its platform. Two government officials have said that it should be able to identify where a message has originated and how many people have interacted with it; that is either have read it or have forwarded it. Interestingly, this is not the first time demand from the Indian government similar to the one mentioned above has been shared with WhatsApp.

Also read: Apple TV Will Gain Picture In Picture Functionality With Upcoming Update

While the Indian government has claimed the request to trace the messages on WhatsApp will be limited; it goes against the company’s privacy policies. The company claims it cannot go forward with the demands as it would change the architecture of the product and make it a different application altogether. So, the introduction of a digital fingerprint to track the origins of a message on WhatsApp might be seen as a breach of privacy.

June 18, 2019
Samsung Patents Smartphone With Dual Display

The latest generation of smartphones follows a trend that has seen many OEMs try making an all display front panel. Hence, this sought to innovatively hide or exclude the front-facing camera altogether. Samsung was the first to introduce a punch hole front camera with the Galaxy A8s and now brings a new take to the mix. A freshly patented Galaxy device will apparently not have a front-facing camera and rather feature a display at the back which can be used to take selfies from the rear mounted camera.

Devices such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, that feature a pop-up front camera have become increasingly more common. Some even sport rotating and shifting cameras as well (see Samsung A80). The point of having a smaller display on the back extends to the ability to use the rear camera for taking selfies. Samsung is not the first with this workaround, Vivo Nex and Nubia X also feature a dual display functionality.

The Korean company had previously filed a patent for a double-sided display, and now it is seeing its first implementation. The patents filed had showcased designs for the dual-display device that is taking a real form in development stages. The secondary display, according to the designs, is placed at the back right below the primary camera and is about half the size of the front screen. This makes selfie shots possible as the preview can be displayed on the back while clicking a photograph.

Apart from the photography implications of the patented dual-screen smartphone, no other information or features can be garnered. Looking at the renders, it is clear that there is no front camera only a speaker grill, and no 3.5mm headphone jack either. Any sign of a fingerprint sensor is also indiscernible, so an in-display sensor is probably the case. It is highly unlikely for Samsung to roll out this new feature on its flagship S series devices. However, the Samsung Galaxy A series might be the perfect place for testing such designs.

Also Read: iPhones In 2020 To Arrive With 5G And A Smaller 5.4 Inch Variant

The A series was the first to introduce a triple and quad camera set up alongside a new rotating camera technology for the company. So it is not far off to assume that the upcoming innovative device will be featured in this bold series. Samsung’s debacle with its foldable smartphone should make it more cautious over new releases but its brave steps forward are always appreciated by the industry and its community.

June 18, 2019