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Netflix Launches Mobile Only Plan In India, Costs Rs 199 Per Month

Due to the abundance of 4G internet, on-demand music and video streaming services have seen rapid growth in India. To attract more customers to its platform, Netflix has introduced a “Mobile” plan that is significantly more affordable than the “Basic”, “Standard” or “Premium” plan.

As the name suggests, the subscription can only be used to stream on-demand video content on smartphones and tablets. Equally important is the fact that content is limited to SD quality (standard quality) or 480p in the “Mobile” Netflix subscription. Nevertheless, users still get the option to download media locally which they can consume later, during the absence of an active internet connection.

Speaking of price, the Netflix “Mobile” plan costs only Rs 199 which is significantly lower than other plans. For reference, listed below are all the plans that Netflix offers in the country:

Feature	Mobile	Basic	Standard	Premium
Price	Rs 199	Rs 499	Rs 649	Rs 799
HD Streaming	No	No	Yes	Yes
UHD Streaming	No	No	No	Yes
Watch On Laptop and TV	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch On Mobile Phone and Tablet	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screens That Can Be Viewed Simultaneously	1	1	2	4
Cancel Anytime	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
First Month Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Also Read: 2020 Olympics Medals Will Be Made From Gold Recycled From Old Smartphones

Although Netflix mobile subscription is remarkably more affordable than regular plans, as previously mentioned, video streaming is only limited to SD quality which may be the only reason that keeps potential subscribers at bay.

What do you think of this affordable Netflix plan? Let us know in the comments below.

July 24, 2019

2020 Olympics Medals Will Be Made From Gold Recycled From Old Smartphones

Olympics is a long-running athletic event which is over a century old. The event is generally believed to be the pinnacle of all sporting events and hosts a myriad of different competitions that have the worlds best athletes compete against each other whilst representing their respective nations. In the event, the contestants strive to show the result of their years of hard training in front of a global audience. The top honour for the event is the legendary gold medal. Surprisingly, for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, these prestigious badges will be made from precious metals recovered from recycled smartphones.

Smartphones are known to house over hundreds of tiny components. By its extension, those small but crucial parts are sometimes made of rare and expensive materials. Silver, bronze and even gold are materials that can be found in almost every device nowadays. Hence, programmes have surfaced worldwide for the recycling of electronic waste products with Apple being a notable name.

How They Were Made

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee had started a two-year campaign to collect donated electronic devices from its citizens back in April 2017. It was undertaken to harvest the required metals. Over 78,895 tons of gadgets were received in total which included over 6.21 million smartphones. The end result saw an extraction of 32kg of gold, 3,500kg of silver and 2,200kg of bronze. 2020 Olympics organizing committee has revealed the designs of the medals one year prior to the actual event. The badge was designed by a person who won a competition that had entries from more than 400 professional designers and design students.

Olympic Medals

The Olympics’ medals that will be handed out to its first, second and third place winners are gold, silver and bronze respectively. The medals are 85mm in diameter and measure 7.7mm at their thinnest and 12.1 mm at their thickest. Gold medals use more than 6 grams of gold plating on pure silver, while the silver medals are made from pure silver. On the other hand, bronze medals are made from a red brass alloy consisting of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 11 Leaked Internals And Camera Features Roundup

Olympics 2020 will begin from 24th July in Tokyo till 9th August and would have multiple countries send their best athletes to compete for top honours. For those wondering why stores still buy obsolete, old or broken phones, its to recycle its components or sell it for the small amounts of rare materials they carry. So if you are in possession of such an old device, cherish the treasure it holds within.

July 24, 2019

Nokia Launches 220 4G and 105 Feature Phones

Nokia has been making smartphones for quite some time now, however, a large part of the company’s revenue is still generated via the sales of budget-oriented feature phones. Further diversifying its portfolio of such affordable mobile devices, Nokia has launched two new candy-bar style phones which are called the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105.

The newly launched 4G handset is a successor to the Nokia 220 which debuted in the year 2014, while the Nokia 105 has undergone a fourth overhaul.

Nokia 220 and 105

As previously mentioned both the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105 have a Candybar style design with a small display on the front and a tactile keypad which is placed right below it. Notably, the latter has a rubberised keypad while the former has a plastic keypad.

The highlighting features on the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105 are an LED TorchLight, FM Radio and a long battery backup which is a staple to company’s feature phones. Both smartphones have plastic build which is designed to disassemble in case of an accidental drop. The detailed specifications of the two smartphones are as follows:

	Nokia 220 4G	Nokia 105
Display	2.4 inch QQVGA Colour Display	1.77 inch QQVGA Colour Display
Battery	1200 mAh	800 mAh
Camera	VGA Camera LED Flash	N/A
Dimensions and Weight	121.3 x 52.9 x 13.4mm 86.5 gram	119 x 49.2 x 14.4mm 74 g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 4.2 Micro USB 3.5 mm Audio Jack	Micro USB 3.5 mm Audio Jack
Other Features	LED Flash Wireless FM Radio MP3 Player	FM Radio Torchlight

Also Read: Fresh Leak Reveals Full Specs Of The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 And Note 10+

As the specifications state, the price of the Nokia 220 4G is the more than the Nokia 105. Both the handsets will be available for purchase in the month of August. The price of the two devices are as follows:

Nokia 220 4G: US $ 44, (around Rs 3,000)
Nokia 105: US $ 15 (around Rs 999)

What are your thoughts on the two newly launched feature phones from Nokia? Let us know in the comments below.

July 24, 2019

Apple iPhone 11 Leaked Internals And Camera Features Roundup

Historically, Apple releases the latest entry of its flagship smartphones in September. The latest models are reportedly dubbed iPhone 11 and will launch in three different variants. The traditional launch event will host the latest generation of iPhones that will be successors to their previous iterations; iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. Now, we have provided a small roundup of leaked internals and features of the upcoming smartphones.

Reportedly, 2019 iPhone will feature similar resolution as its predecessors while keeping the lightning port and sport a new Taptic engine. It means that the upcoming Apple handsets will not carry the USB-C port that is already available on the latest iPad Pros.

Display & Ports

Previously, reports had unsurfaced claiming the tech giant to move towards a more AMOLED centric electronic product line. However, the 2019 iPhone XR might be skipping the new display which may arrive on its 2020 edition next year. The deal with Samsung for a large number of AMOLED panels will have Apple include such displays on a more broader scale in the near future. Additionally, the exclusion of a USB Type-C port is rather odd considering 2018 iPad Pro already features the universal port.

Internals & New Taptic Engine

2019 iPhone or iPhone 11 will run on the latest A13 SoC, codenamed Cebu, from Apple. It will be the latest instalment in mobile processors from the company and improvements are expected on power management and performance. A beefier version of the chipset might be included in the upcoming 2019 iPad Pro as well.

Past reports had suggested that Apple is moving to discontinue its proprietary Taptic Engine owing to cost and lack of flexibility. Now, a fresh report claims that ‘leap haptics’ from Apple will replace the previous engine for haptic feedback. Haptic feedback is a touch and pressure sensitive system that allows for more customised functionality. Users could press on apps and launch certain functions that were available. Apple is rumoured to be removing its Taptic Engine on iPhones for a new iteration that might be more cost-effective.

Brand New Camera

Many have already seen the new triple camera setup which is featured on the back of 2019 iPhones. The iPhone 11 and 11 Max will feature a triple camera on a square module at the back while the cheaper 11R only sports a dual-camera setup. The third additional sensor is now leaked to be a wide-angle lens which would allow for ultra-wide shots from the rear. Notably, one new feature that will be available to users is Smart Frame. It is a function that captures an image from both the primary and wide-angle lens which thereon lets the users manually adjust the framing, or perform automatic perspective and crop correction.

iPhone 11 Concept

However, the new function is only accessible for a limited time after a shot is taken and will discard additional footage soon after. The front-facing camera on the iPhone 11 will also see an upgrade. The selfie shooter is getting added support for 120fps slow-motion recording. A function which is not seen on a more broader scale in the current market.

Also Read: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Review

As of right now, no concrete conclusions can be drawn about what is confirmed and what is false. Only Apple’s official launch announcement in September can clear all doubts and rumours. Stay tuned for more information regarding the upcoming iPhone. More information is expected to arrive soon and updates will follow promptly.

July 24, 2019

Fresh Leak Reveals Full Specs Of The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 And Note 10+

Samsung will soon launch the 10th iteration of its Note lineup of smartphones which will be dubbed the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10+. Both the smartphones have been subjected to numerous leaks in the past that have revealed their features in bits and pieces.

However, a reliable source has shared detailed specs of the two Samsung Galaxy Note 10 handsets that have only left their pricing to the imagination.

It has been said time and again that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup of smartphones will be significantly different than their predecessor, both in terms of specs and design. And the latest leak strengthens the claim.

According to the images shared by the source, both the Galaxy Note 10 smartphones will have a visionary design with a large screen display on the front that is surrounded by negligible bezels. Besides they will also have a punch hole in the display to house the selfie camera and an indisplay fingerprint sensor.

Talking about the rear of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, they seem to have a glass build with a neat layout that accommodates the company branding the camera setup. Both handsets have an elongated capsule-shaped triple camera module. Besides, the Galaxy Note+ sports and additional ToF sensor which is placed next to the main module.

Following are the detailed specs of the two Galaxy Note 10 smartphones:

Specification

Galaxy Note 10

Galaxy Note 10+

Screen

6.3 Inch Infinity O, 60 Hz

AMOLED Display

QHD+ Resolution

6.5 Inch Infinity O, 60 Hz

AMOLED Display

QHD+ Resolution

Chipset

Exynos 9825

Octa Core CPU

(2x 2.7 GHz, 2x 2.4 GHz, 4x 1.4 GHz)

Snapdragon 855

Octa Core CPU

Adreno 640 GPU

Exynos 9825

Octa Core CPU

(2x 2.7 GHz, 2x 2.4 GHz, 4x 1.4 GHz)

Snapdragon 855

Octa Core CPU

Adreno 640 GPU

Battery

3600 mAh

Fast Wired Charging Upto 45 W

Wireless Charging Upto 20 W

Reverse Wireless Charging Upto 15 W

4300 mAh

Fast Wired Charging Upto 45 W

Wireless Charging Upto 20 W

Reverse Wireless Charging Upto 15 W

Front Camera

10 MP Dual Pixel

f/2.2

4K @ 30 fps

10 MP Dual Pixel

f/2.2

4K @ 30 fps

Rear Camera

12 MP Dual Pixel, f/1.5-f/2.4

16 MP Ultra Wide, f/2.2

12 MP 2x Optical Zoom, f/2.1

4K @ 60 fps

12 MP Dual Pixel, f/1.5-f/2.4

16 MP Ultra Wide, f/2.2

12 MP 2x Optical Zoom, f/2.1

ToF (Time Of Flight Sensor)

4K @ 60 fps

Security

Face recognition

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Reader

Knox 3.4

Face recognition

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Reader

Knox 3.4

RAM

8 GB

LPDDR4x

12 GB

LPDDR4x

ROM

256 GB (base variant)

UFS 3.0

Expandable Upto 1 TB

256 GB (base variant)

UFS 3.0

Expandable Upto 1 TB

Other Features

AKG Stereo Speakers

Dolby Atmos

S-Pen (with air gestures)

AKG Stereo Speakers

Dolby Atmos

S-Pen (with air gestures)

Also Read: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Review

To sum it up, both the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ will be one the best smartphones of the year 2019. However, to authenticate the leaks and get official pricing we will have to wait for the official launch which is scheduled for 7th of August.

July 24, 2019

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Review
Reiterating on what was said before, it is the perfect time to be a PC gamer. NVIDIA had announced its RTX SUPER series cards at Computex 2019 and will mark the first refresh of its latest-gen graphics cards. Historically, Team Green has always led the charts in performance over its competitors. Even with the vanilla RTX series cards, the company has managed to stay ahead of any new-gen graphics cards released by AMD. We have already reviewed the RTX 2070 SUPER and now we see how the RTX 2080 SUPER holds up in its comparison.

Notably, the RTX SUPER series will replace their vanilla versions except the RTX 2060. Both standard RTX 2070 and 2080 will cease production to make room for the nominally faster SUPER variants. The review will follow a similar format as the prior tests and feature multiple categories to give detailed information to our readers.

Design

One of the key defining design element that the RTX 20 SUPER series feature is a new mirror finish on the steel front. The metallic texture is extremely reflective and houses the new name of the new SUPER GPU. RTX 2080 SUPER features a dual fan set up which is a welcoming change over the GTX 10 series single blower style fans. It enables a better thermal management system overall. The side houses GeForce RTX branding which is backlit by a green LED providing the graphics card with a minimalistic yet attractive aesthetic. We appreciated the sleek design, however, the design may vary depending on which 3rd party you buy it from. The version we tested was the Founder’s Edition sold directly by NVIDIA. Users can also expect triple fan variants from other retailers like Zotac, Gigabyte, MSI and much more.

Synthetic Benchmark

Users should keep in mind synthetic benchmarks record raw performance which does not always translate to a real world performance in games. Nevertheless, synthetic benchmarks do allow for better measurement of graphics cards productivity capabilities like video editing and rendering for professionals.
- Geekbench 4
  In Geekbench, the OpenCL benchmark has the RTX 2080 SUPER receiving a 300,000 score. The score is 10-15% boost over its predecessor the RTX 2080 but a significant bump over the RTX 2070 SUPER. Interestingly, the RTX 2080 SUPER sits right above the RX 5700 XT from AMD and below the RTX 2080 Ti.
- Time Spy
  Time Spy test under the 3DMark benchmarking software tested the RTX 2080 SUPER on a 1440p resolution. The result was a score of 10,227 and a 60+fps average; it is a nominal bump over its predecessors as even the 2070 SUPER came really close with comparable performance. We observed a similar trend across benchmarks with 2080 SUPER sitting in between the 2080 Ti and 2070 SUPER.
- Time Spy Port Royal (Ray Tracing)
  3DMark also offers a special benchmarking tool that can put the ray-tracing capable NVIDIA cards to the test. Port Royal with DXR enabled offered a score of 6185 with an average fps nearing 28.86fps. Its a minor improvement over the RTX 2070 SUPER which nears the 6000 marks as well and trails behind the RTX 2080 Ti that scored over 7000.
- MSI Kombsutor (Stress Test)
  MSI Kombustor is a stress testing app that runs a rendering frame for the GPU to measure its endurance during load. The RTX 2080 SUPER reached 90% usage and during a 15-minute run, it barely crossed the 80-degree mark during our test. The frame rate counter sat stably at 280-290fps with no signs of thermal throttling.
Gaming Benchmarks
- PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds
  
  PUBG was tested on 3 different resolutions while being set on the highest graphical settings possible. At 1080p the game performed admirably with framerates crossing 140fps; while On 1440p, the game managed to average around 120fps with occasional drops to 100fps during explosions in an open environment. 4K or 2160p saw the card take a massive hit in performance but still put out a stable and smooth 60fps on the high native resolution.
- Battlefield V
  
  Similar to PUBG, Battlefield V was also run on three different resolutions to see any notable difference in performance. RTX 2080 SUPER managed to score an average of about 150fps while at 1440p it managed only about 100fps. All the settings were focused for the best graphical fidelity possible and 4K performance reached a stable 70fps.
- Metro Exodus
  Metro Exodus was a title launched with support for NVIDIA’s latest ray-tracing technique. It was one of the first game to do so and we tested the game with DXR settings on at 1080p. When the game ran on 1080p and DXR off, we saw an average of 140fps at maximum settings. After DXR is turned on we see a notable hit in performance and the game drops to an average of 90 fps and when DLSS was turned on the performance got bumped to 120fps. At 1440p, the RTX 2080 SUPER managed to churn out an impressive average of 130fps and even managed to offer a stable 60fps on 4K native resolution.
Cooling & Noise

NVIDIA is renowned for a better thermal management solution over any of its competitors. Team Green has optimised its cards for optimal performance without overheating at all times. The MSI Kombustor test was a good wat to test it out and during loads, the GPU managed to hit the 80 degree Celsius mark with fans running on 57-58dBa audio levels. On idle, the card is still pretty audible at 52-53dBa and has a temperature within the 40-50 degree Celsius range during rest. All in all the RTX 2080 SUPER is a powerful card which should rarely face thermal throttling during peak gaming operations.

Driver Support

The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER graphics card is the latest entry in the RTX SUPER series and is bound to receive the latest drivers. NVIDIA has already announced drivers for popular AAA game titles prior to the actual launch. The support will enhance graphical fidelity during gameplay and will also complement its ray-tracing solutions for great visuals. The list of the latest game titles that have been optimised by NVIDIA includes Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Madden NFL 20. Both games are the latest instalment in their respective franchises; a free copy of Youngblood will be available with the purchase of any RTX SUPER series graphics card from NVIDIA.

Price & Conclusion

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is available for a price tag of INR 61,400 in India (USD 599 in the US). Buyers should note that the above-mentioned price is for the Founder’s Edition from NVIDIA. The graphics card will be sold by various 3rd party retailers such as MSI, Zotac, Gigabyte, and many more may carry a slightly different price tag. For more information regarding availability, readers can check out NVIDIA’s official website; for those who wish to buy peripherals for an even greater gaming experience can also check out NVIDIA’s G-sync monitors.

Also Read: Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

The RTX 2070 SUPER retails for the INR 43,600 and USD 499 and offers performance on par with the RTX 2080. The tests have shown that the RTX 2080 SUPER offers only a marginal boost of performance over the last iteration. An average of 10-15% increase in performance is observed all the while carrying an additional INR 20,000. It is strongly recommended for people who are leaning more towards 1440p or 1080p gaming with ray tracing enabled to go for the RTX 2070 SUPER. The card is a powerful contender at a reasonable price point and should offer similar performance to its elder sibling. If gaming enthusiasts do wish to spend extra for the sweet 4K 60fps then look no further than the RTX 2080 SUPER.
July 23, 2019
Honor Launches MagicBook Pro 16 Premium Laptop
On the 23rd of July, Honor held a launch event in its home country, China where it unveiled the long-anticipated Honor 9X duo of smartphones. Besides it also unveiled a premium-grade notebook computer called the MagicBook Pro that touts a 16-inch display with an elegant design and high-end specifications.

MagicBook Pro 16 Specs and Features

Right off the bat, the Honor MagicBook Pro draws a lot of inspiration from Apple’s MacBook lineup of computers. It has an aluminium body with a sleek design that incorporates a 16.1-inch Full HD display. In terms of dimensions and weight, the laptop measures 369 X 234 X 16.9mm and it tips the scale at 1.7 kg.

Under the hood, the MagicBook Pro 16 can be configured with either an i5 or i7 8th Generation Intel processor. It also packs an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU that has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

The laptop computer from Honor also has a bunch of nifty features which include a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, a 1 MP web camera that is concealed inside the function lane of the keyboard and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

To keep the temperatures on the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 under check, the laptop is kitted with dual high-speed fans. The laptop also has a variety of input and output ports which are as follows:
- 1x USB Type-C Port
- 3x USB 3.0 (Type A) Port
- 1x HDMI Port
- 3.5 mm audio jack, headphone and mic combo
Connectivity options on the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 include 802.11 ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. The laptop is powered by a 57 WHr battery which is claimed to provide a battery backup of upto 14 hours.

In term of memory and storage the Honor MagicBook Pro is offered in several configurations for which the prices are as follows:
- Core i5, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage: 5,499 yuan (around Rs 55,000)
- Core i7, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage: 6,199 Yuan (around Rs 62,000)
- Core i7, 16GB RAM and 1TB storage: 7,999 Yuan (around Rs 80,000)
Also Read: Jio GigaFiber Commercial Launch Date Tipped, May Cost Rs 600 Per Month

The laptop is currently available for purchase only in China but if the demand for its rises, the company may launch it in other regions as well

To sum it up, the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 sums to a be a laptop that not only looks good but offers worthy specs for the price it is being offered at.

Which according to you is the best feature on teh newly launched laptop from Honor? Do let us know in the comments below.
July 23, 2019
Jio GigaFiber Commercial Launch Date Tipped, May Cost Rs 600 Per Month

Following the sensational reception of Jio 4G, Reliance Industries had announced Jio GigaFiber at the 2018 AGM (Annual General Meeting). At the time of kick-off, the ultra-high-speed internet service was limited to 1,100 cities and users could enrol via a registration process.

Although the beta trials of the Jio GigaFiber service has undergone successfully in most regions, its commercial launch is yet to take place.

According to a fresh report, the highly anticipated Jio GigaFiber service will be commercially rolled out on the 12th of August which is the designated date for company’s this year’s AGM.

Besides announcing the commercial avialbliliy of high-speed broadband Jio GigaFiber, Reliance is also expected to unveil products and services in the entertainment and IoT domain(internet of thing).

When the Jio GigaFiber service was announced last year, users had to pay a sum of Rs 4500 as a security deposit to acquire the necessary networking equipment. However, the company had later introduced an affordable version of ONT (optical network terminal) that has brought down the security deposit to just Rs 2,500.

In terms of the monthly subscription fee, Reliance is expected to retain the price of Rs 600 which was originally announced. Subscribing to the said plan provides a combo of three services which include GigaFiber broadband, Jio Home TV (DTH service) and Jio Apps including Jio Music and Jio Movies (both of which are on-demand streaming services).

Also Read: Huawei Launches The Honor 9X & Honor 9X Pro In China

Conclusively, as Jio 4G took over the telecom sector due to competent prices and widespread reach, the Jio GigaFiber is expected to replicate that in the broadband and DTH industry.

What are your thoughts on Jio GigaFiber? What do you think should be the right pricing for the service and equipment? Let us know in the comments below.

July 23, 2019
Huawei Launches The Honor 9X & Honor 9X Pro In China
At an event in China, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor launched its latest mid-range smartphones, the Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro. The devices are the successor to the Honor 8X series launched last year and features notable improvements in the design and performance department. The handsets have been launched in the Chinese market for now, with global availability expected to be announced soon.

Honor 9X Series

As mentioned above, the Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro are the latest mid-range offering from the company. The smartphones feature a glass sandwich design on the front and back with a metal chassis for reinforcement. Both the devices measure 163.1mm x 77.2mm x 8.8mm and weigh 206g. The handsets have a 6.59 inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080px. To maximise the screen to body ratio, they use a pop-up mechanism to house the front-facing camera. This makes them the first smartphones from Honor to have a pop-up camera. For biometric authentication and unlocking the handsets, they have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner with support for face unlock.

Under the hood, the Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro are kitted with the latest chipset from Huawei, the 7nm Kirin 810 SoC. It consists of an Octa-core CPU and the Mali G52 GPU. In terms of optics, the Honor 9X has a dual-camera setup, which is comprised of a 48MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The Pro variant, on the other hand, has a triple camera layout which adds in an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens to the mix. Both smartphones have an f/2.2 aperture equipped 16MP front-facing camera housed in the pop-up mechanism.

Both the devices in the Honor 9X series are powered by a 4000mAh battery with support for fast charging. For efficiently cooling the smartphones under heavy load, they are equipped with liquid cooling technology. The Honor 9X will be available in three colours, namely Phantom Blue, Phantom Red and Magic Night Black; while the Honor 9X Pro will be available in the Phantom Purple and Magic Night Black colour.

Pricing & Storage Variants

Also read: Another Day, Apple Watch Saves Yet Another Man’s Life

The pricing of the Honor 9X series, along with their corresponding storage variants are listed below.

Honor 9X-
- 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM: CNY 1399 (INR 14,000)
- 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM: CNY 1599 (INR 16,000)
- 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM: CNY 1899 (INR 19,000)
Honor 9X Pro-
- 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM: CNY 2199 (INR 22,000)
- 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM: CNY 2399 (INR 24,000)
July 23, 2019
Another Day, Apple Watch Saves Yet Another Man’s Life

Apple Watch which was originally intended as an extended accessory to the iPhone has turned into a lot more. The smartwatch with built-in health-related sensors like a heart rate monitor (HRM) has saved a significant number of lives in the past.

Likewise, a 48 year old Brit named, Paul Hutton received a life-saving surgery after his Apple Watch notified him of irregular heartbeat pattern which would frequently drop below 40 bpm (beats per minute). For reference, the heart rate of a healthy human ranges between 60 bpm and 100 bpm.

When the Apple Watch notified him for the first time, the man visited a general practitioner who apparently diagnosed him with low heart rate. In order to resolve the issue, he cut down on caffeine. Nevertheless, his Apple Watch which was upgraded in 2017 continued to send notifications.

Following continuous warnings from the wearable device, he has referred him to a consultant who diagnosed him of a potentially life-threatening condition called, ventricular bigeminy. Readers who are unaware, this condition is referred to as a problematic heart rhythm in which there are repeated rhythmic heartbeats, one long and one shorter. This irregular heart-pumping action can lead to the improper blood supply to vital organs of the body.

The sufferer has since undergone a complex surgery that has supposedly fixed the underlying health issue. Though he continues to use his Apple Watch and perhaps will use it even in the future.

Also Read: Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

To sum it up, technology has actually come a long way and devices like Apple Watch are of great use in saving precious lives.

What is your take on health-related technology and gadgets? If you use any such gadgets yourself, do let us know in the comments below.

July 23, 2019
Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

Samsung will soon announce the 10th generation of its Galaxy Note smartphones which will be carrying the “Note 10” branding. Reports in the past claimed that like the Galaxy S10 lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup will have four variants including the “e” variant, “+” variant, “5G” variant and a standard variant. However, a technology blog based out of Greek suggests that the device will only be offered in two variant.

Besides, the source has also revealed key details of the two Galaxy Note 10 variants which are as follows:In term of display, the economical Samsung Galaxy Note 10 variant will have a 6.3 inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution while the second variant will have a 6.8 inch AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution. The former will weigh 168 grams while the latter will weigh 198 grams.

Notably, both the smartphones will skip on a 3.5 mm jack which reportedly allows adding 100 mAh of their respective batteries. Speaking of battery, the smaller Galaxy Note 10 will pack a 3500 mAh battery whereas the high-end variant will have 4,300 mAh battery.

Although both variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will support fast charging the affordable variant will support 25 W charging whereas the top-of-the-line handset will support 45 W fast charging. Noteworthy, Samsung will not supply a 45 W charger within the box and it will be sold separately as an accessory.

The S-Pen that is a staple to Galaxy Note lineup of smartphones will also be present on the Note 10. However, the new stylus pen will boast of new features including support of touchless gestures. Also, while taking notes, the new S-Pen will produce an artificial sound which will replicate the sound of writing on paper with a highlight marker.

A distinguishing photography feature that the Galaxy Note 10 is bound to get is “zoom audio”. The feature is similar to what LG had showcased a couple of years ago. As the name suggests, the zoom audio feature increases the levels of volume captured as a user zooms into a video. To help better understand the following is an example. If a user is capturing video of a running tap and he zooms into the frame, the volume of the audio recording will also increase which mimics an immersive experience.

Finally, with the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung has reportedly done away with the dedicated Bixby button. Instead, the toggle switch to the Voice Assistant will be incorporated into the power button as observed with the Huawei P30 Pro.

Although the current leak does not reveal any details about like the chipset or camera resolution of the upcoming Galaxy Note 10, interested readers can review them here.

Also Read: Asus ROG Phone 2 Launched, Features 120 Hz AMOLED Display And 6000 mAh Battery

In order to confirm all the claims and obtain the official pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, we won’t have to wait for long as their launch is scheduled for the 7th of August at the Unpacked event which will take place in New York.

July 23, 2019
Apple To Buy Intel’s 5G Modem Business For US$ 1 Billion

American technology giants Apple and Qualcomm dropped all pending lawsuits against each other and signed a six-year licensing agreement back in the month of April this year. As a repercussion of the decision, chipmaking giant Intel, who was the chief supplier of smartphone modem for the Apple iPhone for the last few years; announced that it is quitting any development on 5G modems. Now, the latest reports reveal that Apple is in advanced talks in buying the dormant 5G modem division from Intel for a hefty sum of US$ 1 Billion.

About the deal

As mentioned above, due to the settlement between Apple and Qualcomm, Intel announced that it is quitting the 5G modem business. The reason cited of the decision by the latter was that Apple is its most important client and without it, the company does not see a path forward. With the chipmaker moving out of the modem business, Apple could really benefit with the company’s resources and expertise. Intel was also the sole supplier of network modems for the iPhones launched in the year 2018, which include the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.

Also read: Huawei’s First 5G Smartphone Will Soon Be Commercially Available

It has been rumoured time and again that iPhones with support for 5G connectivity may arrive as soon as next year. And Apple is looking forward to using its own 5G modems inside the devices. However, for the near future, the company may have to use third-party modems, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50/X55 ones; as it may take years for it to develop a viable and sustainable modem business for its handsets. It is speculated that when the deal with Qualcomm ends in the year 2025; Apple will be ready with its own smartphone modems for use in future iPhones.

July 23, 2019
Huawei’s First 5G Smartphone Will Soon Be Commercially Available
In the month of October 2018, Huawei unveiled four different smartphones in the Mate 20 flagship lineup which include the Mate 20 Pro, 20 Lite, 20 X and the standard variant. As the name suggests, the Mate 20 Pro is top of the line handset while the three other devices were targetted towards mid-range and affordable flagship segment.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Huawei will introduce its first 5G compatible smartphone which has been delayed due to several reasons including the US ban. However, as per multiple reports, Huawei’s first 5G smartphone will the Mate 20 X phablet and it will be available for purchase soon.

According to a Chinese news agency, Global Times, the handset will be commercially available in its home country starting the 26th of July. While another foreign new agency, VentureBeat claims that the Mate 20 X 5G is currently available for pre-order on Amazon Italy and shipping will commence soon.

In terms of features, the 5G variant will have slightly upgraded features which include Balong 5000 modem, 5000 mAh battery instead of 4200 mAh, 8 GB RAM instead of 6 GB and 256 GB ROM instead of 128 GB. Besides, all other features of the upcoming Mate 20 X 5G are as-is, which are as follows:
- Display: 7.2 inch OLED
- Front Camera: 24 MP
- Rear Camera: 40 MP, 20 MP, 8 MP
- Chipset: Kirin 980 SoC
- CPU: Octa-Core
- GPU: Mali G76
- Memory Expandability: Upto 256 GB, NM card
- Operating System: EMUI, Android 9 Pie
- Security: Rear Mounted Fingerprint Sensor
Also Read: Asus ROG Phone 2 Launched, Features 120 Hz AMOLED Display And 6000 mAh Battery

Although Huawei is not the first company to launch the 5G compatible smartphone (already achieved by Xiaomi and Samsung), it is one of the first which is a praiseworthy feat. Besides, the Balong 5000 5G modem incorporated in the handset is developed in-house unlike the previously launched devices which feature X50 modem which is developed by Qualcomm.

In addition to the Mate 20 X 5G, Huawei’s Mate X 5G which is the world’s first 5G foldable phone will also be commercially available soon.
July 22, 2019
Asus ROG Phone 2 Launched, Features 120 Hz AMOLED Display And 6000 mAh Battery

Following the success of its original gaming smartphone, Asus has launched the ROG Phone 2. Like its predecessor, the newly launched device has unique features that make it stand out of the bunch. Few of those features include an enormous 6,000 mAh battery, UFS 3.0 storage and the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC.

Asus ROG Phone 2 Specs and Features

The front of the Asus ROG Phone 2 is dominated by a 6.59 inch AMOLED display that has Full HD+ resolution. The display panel has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a response time of just 1 ms (millisecond). Noteworthy, it is the world’s first handset to feature an AMOLED display of this high refresh rate.

Under the hood, the Asus Rog Phone 2 is kitted with the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC which has 4 percent higher CPU speed and 15 percent high GPU speeds than the standard variant that is found on devices like the Redmi K20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 (US and China Variant). The chipset consists of an Octa-Core CPU with the prime core being clocked at 2.96 GHz and the Adreno 640 GPU which is clocked at 675 MHz.

The Asus Rog Phone 2 has a single 24 MP camera on the front and dual rear setup which is comprised of a 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a 13 MP sensor with an ultra-wide viewing angle of 125 degrees. The device can also capture 2160p videos from the rear setup and 1080p videos from the selfie sensor.

As previously mentioned, the Asus Rog Phone 2 is powered by a mammoth 6,000 mAh battery which supports 30-watt fast charging. In terms of memory and storage, it has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.0 memory. Besides the Asus Rog Phone 2, the OnePlus 7 Pro is the only commercially available to pack this super high-speed storage chip.

Other notable features of the Asus Rog Phone 2 include an In-display fingerprint sensor, 3.5 mm audio jack, dual front-firing audio speakers, quad microphones with noise cancellation support and LED-lit logo on the rear. Connectivity options on the smartphone include Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G VoLTE, GPS, NFC and dual USB Type C ports for charging, data syncing and connecting accessories.

Speaking of accessories, Asus offers a whole host of these. Some of the accessories purpose-built of the ROG Phone 2 include an Active Cooler with inbuilt fan, TwinView dock, attachable gamepad and mobile desktop dock.

The smartphone runs on the latest Android OS which is 9 Pie. For the first time, Asus allows the user to select between two different UI which include the customised ROG UI and bloatware-free ZenUI which was last seen on the ZenFone 6. Talking about ROG UI, one noteworthy feature of the ROG Phone 2 includes “X mode” which is Asus marketing term for a gaming mode.

Like the Google Pixel 3, the ROG Phone 2 also supports toggling apps by simply squeezing its sides. However, unlike former, Asus’ offering does allow to manually configure apps based on the user’s wish.

Also Read: This Is What The Upcoming Huawei Nova 5i Pro Looks Like, Live Images

To sum it up, Asus ROG Phone 2 is an absolute beast of a smartphone which is targetted towards gaming enthusiasts. While the mass consumers may find it a bit bulky and heavy as per their liking.

The price of the smartphone is not yet revealed and will be publicised on the 23rd of July at a joint event held by Asus and Tencent, developer of PUBG.

July 22, 2019
This Is What The Upcoming Huawei Nova 5i Pro Looks Like, Live Images
Chinese tech titan, Huawei has been through tough times in the recent past, after the US government designated it to an entity list. Fortunately, the ban has now been lifted and the company is bracing for the launch of new products. Soon it will announce the Huawei Nova 5i Pro. However, before the official launch, live images of the smartphone have already been posted on the Chinese social media website, Weibo.

Huawei Nova 5i Pro Features and Design

According to leaked images, the Nova 5i Pro has a modern design with a punch-hole display on the front and an attractive gradient glass panel. Notably, the rear panel of the smartphone is reminiscent of the flagship-grade Mate 20 X which was launched last year.

The front of the Nova 5i Pro like most mid-range and premium smartphones has negligible bezels on all four sides. The rear of the smartphone houses the company branding, a fingerprint sensor and quad-camera setup which is housed in a square module that protrudes slightly from the surface.

As per to the specs revealed by the previously leaked official pamphlets, the Nova 5i Pro will be a mid-range smartphone and it will compete against the likes of the Redmi K20 that has set a new standard in this segment. Although the official price of the device is yet to be publicised, it is expected to be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 price bracket.

Reader’s who are planning to buy a smartphone in this segment must go through our previously published article “Huawei Nova 5i Pro Vs Redmi K20: Which One Should You Pick?“

To recall, following are the specs of the Huawei Nova 5i Pro:

Huawei Nova 5i Pro Specs
- Display: 6.26 inch, 2340 x 1080 px
- Front Camera: 32 MP
- Rear Camera: 48 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP
- Battery: 4000 mAh, 20 W Fast Charging Support
- Chipset: Kirin 810, Octa-Core, 7 nm
- Security: Rear Mounted Fingerprint Sensor
- Colours: Blue, Black, Green
Also Read: Google Pixel 4 Will Have Radar Technology For Touch Less Operation

To sum it up, if Huawei is able to price the Nova 5i Pro at the assumed price i.e Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000, it has the potential to become a leading contender in the mid-range segment. Nevertheless, we will have to wait for the official launch to verify the leaks and assumptions.
July 22, 2019