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Top Tech Deals On Gearbest

India is the second-most populated country in the world and the third largest smartphone market. Despite the potential in the Indian market, there are plenty of great smartphones that either don’t launch in India or launch too late to be relevant at all. Xiaomi, for example, has some great smartphones in China but, rarely launches any in India. The recently launched Xiaomi Redmi S2, for example, is a China-exclusive for now. However, it is available to buy on Gearbest and plenty of other smartphones are on sale as well!

Elephone Smart Band

Price: US$ 9.99 (Rs 681 approx.)

The Elephone Smart band for US$ 9.99 is one of the best deals out there for people looking to buy a fitness band. It has a Heart rate monitor, Sleep monitor, and Step/distance/calories counter. The fitness band will also notify you if there is a notification or an incoming call. At a price of Rs 700, the Elephone smart band is a great deal!

Buy it here

Xiaomi Redmi S2

Price: US$ 154.99 (Rs 10,000 approx.)

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top. To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

Buy it here

HOMTOM HT70

Price: US$ 164.99 (Rs 11,100 approx.)

The HOMTOM HT70 is built like a tank and has the battery capacity of one. The smartphone has a 10000 mAh battery which means it is a smartphone cum power bank

It has a 6 inch display with a 1440 x720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio, common among budget smartphones.

The HOMTOM HT70 runs on the MediaTek MTK6750T chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor’s placement is similar to the Galaxy S8’s as it is right next to the dual-camera setup. The back of the device also houses a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front has an 8MP camera.

Buy it here

Blackview A20

Price: US$ 39.99 (Rs 2700 approx.)

Entry-level smartphones in India barely impress. The Nokia 1, despite being an Android Go device is not an entry-level device and Indian brands have failed to capitalise on this situation. The Blackview A20, however, could be the answer to entry-level smartphones woes. At an effective price of about Rs 3000, the A20 has a lot going on for it.

It has a 5.5 inch display with a 960 x 480 px resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the MediaTek MTK6580 chipset with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. That is coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. There is no fingerprint sensor which is understandable for a smartphone at this price.

The one thing that the Blackview A20 does not skim out on is the number of cameras on the smartphone. It has a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 5MP primary sensor and a 0.3MP secondary sensor. The front of the device houses a 2MP camera.

Buy it here

May 14, 2018
Moto C2, C2 Plus Renders Leaked

Lenovo-owned Motorola recently launched new devices in its G and E series of smartphones. The company has had a lot of success with budget smartphones like the Moto G5 Plus, Moto E4 and more. In 2017, Motorola launched the Moto C and Moto C Plus, two very affordable smartphones at a starting price of Rs 4795. The second iteration of the C series, expected to launch soon, the Moto C2 and C2 Plus have been leaked.

According to the renders, the Moto C2 and C2 Plus will have a design very similar to the Moto E4, which was launched last year. The C2 won’t have a fingerprint sensor while the Moto C2 Plus will have a front-facing home button which will house the fingerprint sensor. The design language is similar to last year’s Moto smartphone which means we won’t see an 18:9 aspect ratio here. The bezels are also thick all around the display.

Considering the price point of the two smartphones, the images do reveal possibly well-built devices. The back of both the smartphones house a single camera with an LED flash. Interestingly enough, the front-facing camera has an LED flash as well. This has also become increasingly common these days although it does seem like an add-on rather than a necessity.

Apart from the design, the renders do not reveal anything else. The previous Moto C smartphones ran on MediaTek chipsets and we expect the same with the new generation. It will be interesting to see if the Moto C2 will be an Android Go device, considering the Moto C had 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Apart from the Nokia 1, there aren’t many Android Go smartphones available in India.

Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A, which is priced at Rs 5999 was the 5th bestselling smartphone of Q1 of 2018 and the C2 smartphones will have a stiff competition from other budget smartphones in the highly congested Indian market. Motorola is yet to release the recently launched Moto G6 and E5 series in India. This means the launch of the Moto C2 and C2 Plus could be saved for the third or fourth quarter of 2018.

May 14, 2018
Apple iPhone Catches Fire In CCTV Footage

Ever since the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s firegate controversy, smartphones catching fire gets more attention than usual. A few months ago, we saw a video of a man biting his smartphone’s battery before getting a new one. The battery obviously exploded because it was punctured. This goes to show that batteries in smartphones can explode if damaged even slightly. In a new incident of an iPhone bursting into flames, there was no biting involved.

The CCTV footage appears to be of a repair shop, which means it is fair to assume that the iPhone was there for a repair. The incident took place in Las Vegas, USA and was recorded by a surveillance camera. The video shows a man working at his desk when, suddenly, an object on the desk explodes. While the exact source of the explosion is not visible in the video, KTNV has reported that it was an Apple iPhone 6s.

It is worth noting that this is not an iPhone-exclusive issue. As we have learned in the past, no smartphone is explosion-proof and that has nothing to do with the smartphone maker. Lithium-ion batteries can explode if they’re damaged or defective. Lithium-ion batteries are made up of layers, with positive and negative electrodes are wrapped around each other. These positive and negative electrodes are insulated from each other.

Since the incident occurred in a repair shop, it is possible that the battery of the iPhone was already damaged. It is also entirely possible that the battery could have been damaged during the repairing process. As we have seen in the past, a slight puncture can cause batteries to explode. Apple has also conceded that prolonged exposure to heat can cause long-term damage to your iPhone’s battery. It is also possible that the iPhone battery had been replaced with a third party battery that caused the explosion.

Whatever the reason may be for the explosion, it does serve as a good reminder to always take care of your smartphones and not damage the battery.

May 14, 2018
OnePlus 6 Official Price Leaked Ahead Of May 16th Launch

The OnePlus 6 is one of the many smartphones launching in the month of May. We have already seen the launch of the LG G7 ThinQ, Xiaomi Redmi S2 while the Nokia X, Apple iPhone SE 2 is also expected to launch this month. There isn’t much left to know about the OnePlus 6 as several leaks have revealed what to expect from the device. However, Amazon Germany appears to have leaked the official price of the OnePlus 6 just a few days before its launch.

According to the Amazon listing, the OnePlus 6 will be available in 64GB and 128GB storage variants. This is odd, considering the OnePlus 6 is also expected to be available in a 256GB storage variant. The OnePlus 6, according to the website, will be sold for 519 Euros (Rs 41000 approx.) for the base model and 569 Euros (Rs 45000) for 128GB storage variant. The pricing around the world is a little complicated and this doesn’t mean that the direct conversion to INR will be the price in India. Different regions have different taxes and rules, hence the price varies. The price of the OnePlus 6 is expected to start at Rs 34999 in India.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 In White And Black Colour Variants Leaked In Live Image

The Avengers Edition will also be launched along with the OnePlus 6 and is expected to be available in just the 256GB storage variant. Considering OnePlus’ pricing strategy for the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition, the Avengers Edition could be marginally pricier than the regular 256GB storage variant.

A lot seems to have changed with the OnePlus 6. The metallic back will be replaced by a glass back which means we could see wireless charging as well. The smartphone will have a notch on the display which hasn’t pleased everybody. However, OnePlus has conceded that there will be an option to hide the notch via software.

The flagship smartphone will launch on May 16th in London followed by its India launch on May 17th. The smartphone will go on sale on May 21st via Amazon exclusively.

May 14, 2018
Top Tech Deals During The Amazon Summer Sale

The Amazon Summer Sale has commenced and there are some really good deals on everything ranging from household products to clothes. However, it’s the tech the matters the most! iGyaan lists the top tech deals that are ideal for anyone looking for a smartphone to a smart speaker.

Honor 7X

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The budget smartphone from Huawei’s sub-brand was launched in December 2017. The 4GB RAM variant usually retails for Rs 16999 but, is available for Rs 14999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

At the time of its launch, the Honor 7X was the only budget smartphone to offer an 18:9 aspect ratio. Since then, even though devices like the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Zenfone Max Pro have launched, the Honor 7X is still an impressive device.

The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display. It runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The onboard storage is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery and runs Android 8 Oreo with EMUI 8.0 on top.

The smartphone has a dual camera setup at the back. One of the cameras is equipped with a 16MP sensor while the other one is a 2MP depth sensor. The camera setup at the back has PDAF and records 1080P videos at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP camera which also records 1080P videos.

Moto G5s Plus

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Despite the Moto G6 series of smartphones launching recently, the Moto G5s Plus is still the latest budget smartphone from Motorola in India. The smartphone retails for Rs 16999 but, will be available for Rs 12999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The Moto G5S Plus has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top

The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The G5s Plus is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery TurboCharge capabilities. The Moto G5S Plus runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with little customisation done by the manufacturer resulting in stock Android OS experience.

The Moto G5S Plus features rear-mounted 13MP dual-cameras with an f/2.0 aperture. On the front is a wide-angle 8MP camera with a single LED flash and a panoramic mode. The rear cameras capture videos in 4K at 30 FPS and the front camera records videos in 1080P at 30 FPS.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

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The Xiaomi Redmi 5 was recently launched in India after the success of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Note 5. Launched at a price of Rs 7999, it’ll be available for Rs 7499 during the sale.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Redmi 5 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, a 1.8GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card. Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which, Xioami claims has a standby time of up to 12 days.

The Redmi 5 has a 12MP camera at the back with 1.25-micron pixel size. To the front of the device is a 5MP camera with Beautify 3.0, which is Xiaomi’s software for enhanced selfies.

Amazon Echo Dot

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The Amazon Echo Dot is one of the most affordable smart speakers in India available right now. The speaker retails for Rs 4499 but will be available for Rs 2999 during the sale. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is an ideal smart speaker for users just starting to get the hang of a smart home.

The Amazon Echo Dot is the smallest Echo sibling and has all the functionalities that an Echo possessed but, with a lower sound quality. The device measures 83.5 x 83.5 x 32 mm and weighs 163 grams. A good thing about the Echo Dot is that it can be connected to other speakers for a better soundstage and still retain its core ‘smart’ features.

Even though the Google Home Mini has launched in India and the Assistant is getting some crazy new features in the future, Alexa cannot be discarded as many smart home products are Alexa-compatible. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is a great start.

TCL 39 inch LED TV

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The Indian TV industry, especially the smart TV industry was disrupted by the launch of the Xiaomi Mi TV 4. Since then, we have seen a reaction from other TV makers and TCL also launched a few smart TVs in India recently. However, it continues to sell its LED TVs as well and the 39 inch Full HD TV is available for Rs 16999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The TCL LED TV is not a smart TV and for some people, it might be a good thing. As much as we want to believe that the television industry is on the verge of extinction, it is not true. A lot of people still watch TV and don’t really care about smart features. Rarely any content on TV is 4K which means a Full HD display should suffice for many.

Day 2 Deals

Boat Dual Port QC 3.0 Car Charger (Rs 399): Buy it here

House of Marley EM-JE041-CP Earphones (Rs 999): Buy it here

Photron Tripod with Pan Head (Rs 700): Buy it here

TP-Link Wi-Fi Range Extender (Rs 1299): Buy it here

Wireless Earbuds (Rs 500): Buy it here

May 12, 2018
BlackBerry KEY2 To Launch On June 7th

BlackBerry, once one of the most famous phone makers in the world has endured rough few years since the emergence of Android and iOS. The company tried competing with the behemoths using its own BlackBerryOS but, faltered. The company then adopted Android OS and gave it its own to launch smartphones like the BlackBerry KEYone. The Canadian smartphone maker will launch a follow-up to its famous Android device, the BlackBerry KEY2 on June 7th.

?2? ? pic.twitter.com/t4ZF9yGfhH

— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) May 11, 2018

The company took to Twitter to announce the launch event. The launch event will take place on June 7th in New York at 10 am local time. The company has not disclosed any other details about the smartphone except for the name. The image does hint at the texture of the back panel of the device. Similar to the KEYone, the KEY2 could also have a textured back panel which certainly looks and feels different from most smartphones on the market right now.

Back in November 2017, the possible specifications of the KEY2 were leaked on Geekbench. According to the listing, the BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. This won’t be stock Android as BlackBerry is known for its security features and the KEY2 will also have those features. The device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM.

BlackBerry KEYone

The BlackBerry KEYone had a very interesting keyboard. The KEY2 will also stand out in the sea of thin bezels and tall smartphones with its full-size keyboard. It will be interesting to see if the company decides to reduce the bezels and go for a modern design with thin bezels and then also have a slider keyboard. That would make the KEY2 a very bright prospect for people who like a physical keyboard but don’t want an archaic looking smartphone.

May 12, 2018
Apple iPhone SE 2 Renders Leaked Again With iPhone X Style Notch

Apple is expected to launch the Apple iPhone SE 2 before the World Wide Developer’s Conference 2018 kicks off in early-June. The rumours surrounding the iPhone SE 2 have increased in intensity and uniformity. That usually is a sign of a smartphone on the brink of launching. So far, we either seen a radically different design with thin bezels and a notch, or the same iPhone SE design with a glass back for wireless charging.

In new 360º renders leaked on Twitter, the images reveal a new radical design of the iPhone SE 2, more in line with the iPhone X and soon to be launched iPhone 2018 lineup. The smartphone has a notch on the display and very thin bezels all around. If Apple does go ahead with notch, it certain that the iPhone SE 2 will have Face ID and the notch won’t just be there without solving any purpose.

There is no chin on the iPhone SE 2 here, which means no LCD display. Since Apple folds the display from the bottom to get rid of the chin, an OLED panel is necessary for that. If this turns out to be true, the iPhone SE 2 will likely have a better display than the iPhone 8/8Plus which have an LCD panel.

One thing consistent with all iPhone SE 2 renders is the presence of a single camera on the back of the smartphone. Apple will likely use the iPhone 7 sensors for the iPhone SE 2. Under the hood, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to run on the Apple A10 Fusion chipset, the same SoC that powers the iPhone 7/7 Plus and the new entry-level iPad.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 To Launch In India On May 17th

We expect the iPhone SE 2 to launch before WWDC 2018 commences in June. This means that the iPhone SE 2 could be launched in May, joining a huge list of other flagship devices launching in this month. India will be one of the first few countries where the Apple iPhone SE 2 goes on sale. It will be manufactured at the Bengaluru plant where the current iPhone SE and iPhone 6s Plus are manufactured.

May 12, 2018
YouTube Will Remind Users To ‘Take A Break’ With New Update

At the Google I/O 2018 conference, the company unveiled a lot of new technological advancements including Google Duplex. One of the most anticipated announcements was that of Android P. The next iteration of the world’s most populat mobile OS will officially roll out later in the year but, Google gave us a glimpse of what’s in store for us. One of the main areas where Google has worked on is the digital well-being. YouTube appears to be a part of that initiative by Google as the new update to YouTube for Android brings a ‘Take A Break’ feature.

The ‘Take A Break’ feature will allow users to keep a check on their YouTube habit and monitor their usage of the app. This is in line with what’s in store for Android P in the future. To start using the new feature, head over to the YouTube app’s setting and then click on general. There on, you can choose different ways to monitor your activity and work on your “Digital Well Being.”

Must Read: Android 9 P: Google I/O 2018 New Features

Users can set a reminder for 15, 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Once a user sets a reminder for a certain time, YouTube will automatically pause the video at those intervals. A user can decide whether continue to watch the video or dismiss the reminder. Another option available in “Disable sounds & vibrations’ for the app. This will essentially stop all notifications from the app to pop up on the screen. The idea here is that the app won’t try to grab your attention, and the user will be able to avoid getting distracted from constant notifications.

The third feature available is the ‘Scheduled Digest’ and will again revolve around notifications. This feature lets users get all of their notifications from the app once a day at a time of their liking. Users can select the time they feel they can devote to YouTube and get all the notifications at that particular time.

The feature is available in the latest version of YouTube app for Android. The version number is 13.17.55 and should be rolled out to all Android devices soon.

May 12, 2018
Nokia X Passes Through TENNA Before May 16th Launch

HMD Global started 2018 with the launch of a few impressive devices at MWC 2018. Nokia 1 was the first-ever Android Go device and the Nokia 7 Plus has garnered great reviews since its launch. The soon to be launched Nokia X will be the first from the company to have a notch. The growing trend of incorporating the notch design has finally caught up with the resurrecting Nokia brand as well.

The launch of the Nokia X is scheduled for May 16th and plenty of images of the smartphone have been leaked already. Just like every other smartphone, the Nokia X has also passed through TENNA in China revealing all the specifications of the smartphone before its launch.

The Nokia X will sport a 5.8 inch TFT display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into a 19:9 aspect ratio, the same as the P20 Lite. There is also a notch on the display, which could be the reason why the smartphone has a taller aspect ratio.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 In White And Black Colour Variants Leaked In Live Image

The vertically placed dual-camera setup is in the usual Nokia position but, the “Carl Zeiss” branding is missing. This means that the Nokia X will cost somewhere between the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 2018. The listing mentions an unnamed SoC with eight cores clocked 1.8GHz. There are rumours that the device will have two variants, one running on the Snapdragon 636 with 6GB of RAM and the other with the MediaTek Helio P60 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM.

Nokia X Leaked Images

The smartphone will also have a glass build, something that a lot of mid-range smartphones sport nowadays. The Moto X4 and P20 Lite being the latest examples. The Nokia X will launch the same day as the OnePlus 6 and will be available only in China for the time being. It will be interesting to see if HMD Global decides to bring the smartphone to other markets like India, where the majority prefers to buy budget smartphones.

May 11, 2018
Xiaomi Mi 7 With iPhone X Like Notch Leaked In Live Images

The Xiaomi Mi 7 will have a notch, making it a first for Xiaomi. The trend of the notch has had a polarising response so far where some people can’t stand it while the others believe it doesn’t look half bad. The smartphone makers have certainly grown accustomed to it as more companies embrace the notch. But, the Mi 7 could be the only Android smartphone that will truly justify having a notch on the display.

New images posted on Twitter by popular leaker Ben Geskin give us a glimpse of an iPhone X design with Android OS. The Mi 7 looks identical to the iPhone X but, it still has a chin, which the iPhone X doesn’t. The back of the smartphone has a vertically placed dual-camera setup again, very similar to the iPhone X but, Xiaomi appears to have adopted this design language for 2018.

The back doesn’t appear to be made of glass which is odd for a 2018 flagship device. However, users won’t complain about a solidly built smartphone and that is what we expect from Xiaomi. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back in a central position. Xiaomi has been doing this for devices long before it adopted the 18:9 aspect ratio.

The most interesting part about the Mi 7 is the notch. Unlike a lot of Android smartphones which have a notch but, without a real purpose, the Mi 7 is expected to house hardware that will enable Face ID-like facial recognition system. This means the Face Unlock won’t depend on software and in turn, be much more reliable. If Xiaomi pulls this off, it will do a one-up over Apple since the Mi 7 will also have a fingerprint sensor.

iPhone X Face ID

A recent report from MyDrivers clams that the Mi 7 will launch in late-May as part of Xiaomi’s 8th-anniversary celebration. Here is where it gets a bit tricky. A previous report claimed that the Mi 7 won’t come out before the third quarter of 2018 since the company has not been able to develop the technol0gy required for 3D facial recognition. It is, however, possible that Xiaomi could unveil the Mi 7 sooner and then make it available for sale later in the year.

It is to be seen how Xiaomi goes about the launch of one of the most ambitious smartphones from the company. The Xiaomi Mi 7 will gain international attention if it becomes the first Android smartphone to replicate Apple’s Face ID.

May 11, 2018
Lenovo Z5 Will Have iPhone X Like Thin Bezels Without The Notch

A couple of days ago, Lenovo’s Vice President Chang Cheng shared a teaser image of the company’s upcoming flagship device on his Weibo page. The image revealed the top-left side of the smartphone which hinted at the fact that the device won’t have a notch. The bezels were also extremely thin. To continue hyping up the phone, the Lenovo VP has posted a sketch of the smartphone, the Lenovo Z5.

If this one image is anything to go by, the Lenovo Z5 might be one of the most exciting smartphones to launch this year. The sketch reveals that the Z5 won’t have a notch, and the bezels will be evenly spread out on all sides. The sketch, which could exaggerate the design a bit, shows iPhone X-like thin bezels on all sides of the smartphone.

Many questions arise after looking at the sketch. The front camera, earpiece and the necessary sensors appear to be missing here. There are rumours that the smartphone will have a flip-up front camera, something we saw at MWC 2018. The fingerprint sensor could have easily been placed at the back but, rumours claim the smartphone will have an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, considering how expensive that tech still is, we expect a rear-mounted fingerprint reader on the Lenovo Z5.

The sketch also shows the USB C port located at the bottom while the headphone jack is missing. It is possible that the company could place it on the top but, considering the industry-wide trend, we could see headphone jack-less Lenovo Z5. Apart from that, the image doesn’t really tell us anything else about the device.

The launch of the flagship device is still over a month away. The new sketch does increase the interest in the Z5, especially considering the slew of smartphones that sport a notch these days. The Lenovo Z5 could be a breath of fresh air the smartphone industry is in dire need of.

May 11, 2018
Moto Z3 Play Renders Reveal Side-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor

Lenovo-owned Motorola will soon launch a new iteration of its modular smartphones. The Moto Z3 Play is expected to launch in June followed by another Moto Z device later in the year. As has been the case with the Z Play series, the Z3 Play will also be a mid-range smartphone priced at under Rs 30,000 in India. A few leaked images of the device had surfaced online, but, Evan Blass has posted the renders of the smartphone.

According to the renders, the Moto Z3 Play will have a dual-camera setup on the back. For the first time in the Z series, the 18:9 aspect ratio will be introduced. For the Moto Z3 Play to be compatible with current Moto Mods, the footprint of the smartphone will remain the same as previous generations but thanks to thinner bezels, the display will be bigger. Like with the Moto G6 series, the chin will house the “Motorola” branding.

Motorola has decided to move the fingerprint sensor on the side of the device since the bezels are much thinner. The power button is on the left and the fingerprint sensor is on the right-hand side just below the volume rockers. It is worth noting here that the chin could have housed the fingerprint sensor instead of the Motorola branding like the Moto G6.

The Moto Z3 Play will run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box which should not be a surprise. The Moto G6 and E5 lineup that was recently launched, also run the latest version of Android out of the box. Interestingly, the smartphone will have the May 1 security patch as well. The device will have a 6-inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The Moto Z3 Play is expected to run on the Snapdragon 636 chipset coupled with either 4GB RAM/32GB storage or 6GBRAM/64GB storage.

So far, there are no details about the pricing of the device. Along with the Z3 Play, we expect Motorola to also unveil a few Moto Mods to go with the new smartphone.

May 11, 2018
Apple Watch Series 3 Goes On Sale In India On May 11th: How To Setup

Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 3 along with the iPhone X back in September 2017. In India, the smartwatch goes on sale on the 11th and will be compatible with Airtel and Jio postpaid connections. The highlight of the 3rd generation of Apple Watch is that it has cellular support, which means that users can leave their iPhones behind and still be able to make calls, send texts and surf the web. The pre-registration for Apple Watch Series 3 began on the 4th of May.

How To Set Up Apple Watch Series 3:

You need an Airtel or Jio postpaid connection for this to work. Head to the Settings and go to About section. Users will get a carrier update and once updated, simply open the Watch app (pre-installed in iPhones) to set up your Apple Watch Series 3. The app will prompt you to set it up and after logging in to the necessary accounts, you will receive a confirmation SMS from your carrier.

The new Apple Watch Series 3 has an improved heart rate sensor and a SIM card slot. This has resulted in a 0.2mm thickness increment which is commendable. Apple also claims that the new Watch Series 3 is swim-proof, which means athletes can track their activities even when they’re swimming.

With the new and advanced heart rate sensor, the watch will notify an increased heart rate if you’re not active. Interestingly, in the new Apple Watch, the cellular number will remain the same as your iPhone and users can perform tasks such as iMessage directly from their watch without having their smartphone connected to it. The Apple Watch Series 3 will also stream 40 million songs from the iTunes and the Music App. The Siri on the smartwatch is also be voice-enabled for communication with the watch without looking at the screen. The display of the watch acts as an antenna and an electronic SIM card which is smaller than a nano-SIM card is used in the smartwatch.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 Will Have Galaxy S9-Like Heart Rate Sensor

The smartwatch has a dual-core processor to carry out all the tasks. The smartwatch will run Apple Watch OS 4 out of the box and has a battery life of up to 18 hours, Apple claims. The new W2 chip inside delivers 85 percent faster Wi-Fi while also being 50 percent more power efficient, which will be crucial because of the cellular connectivity feature using up more battery than usual.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is priced at Rs 39080 for the 38mm size variant and the 42mm variant will cost Rs 41120. The Apple Watch Series 3 is certainly a very pricey accessory to own in India. However, it has its own advantages and users who really need an Apple Watch, should not look beyond the Series 3 model.

May 10, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi S2 With 18:9 Aspect Ratio, 16MP Front Camera Launched

Xiaomi has launched a yet another budget smartphone in China, the Xiaomi Redmi S2. The smartphone from Xiaomi will be available in two variants, one with 3GB RAM/32GB storage and the other with 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The base model is priced at RMB 999(Rs 10500 approx.) and the other one is priced at RMB 1,299 (Rs 13800 approx.).

There have been rumours that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 might launch in India as an Android One smartphone. The Mi 6X could launch as the Mi A2 while the Redmi S2 will be a more affordable offering from Xiaomi, both running stock Android OS. However, these are all speculations so far and nothing can be said for certain.

Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi S2 takes a lot of design cues from other Xiaomi smartphones launched in 2018. It has the same vertically place dual-camera setup found on the Mi MIX 2s and Redmi Note 5 Pro. The aluminium unibody design is also familiar along with a circular fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port.

Mi MIX 2s

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top.

To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

The Redmi S2 appears to be another impressive budget smartphone from Xiaomi’s sub-brand. It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi decides to launch the Redmi S2 in India as an Android One smartphone. If priced at under Rs 10,000 the device could be a great contender against the likes of Honor 9 Lite.

May 10, 2018
TIDAL Falsified Streaming Numbers Of Beyoncé, Kanye West’s Albums

TIDAL is a subscription-based music streaming service owned by popular rapper, Jay-Z. The streaming service has come under serious scrutiny over misconduct, allegedly inflating streaming numbers of albums by multiple artists. A new report by Norwegian news outlet, Dagens Næringsliv has accused the streaming service after a year-long investigation.

Dagens Næringsliv worked closely with music research firm Midia and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS) to validate the accusations. The albums in question here, are Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Apparently, the reporters from Dagens Næringsliv obtained a hard drive that contained manipulated TIDAL streaming data. They then took that data to Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)’s Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS), which analysed it and laid down their findings.

Both Lemonade and The Life of Pablo were released exclusively on TIDAL in 2016. 10 days after TLOP was released, TIDAL announced that the album was streamed over 250 million times. Two weeks after Lemonade was released, the album apparently was streamed over 306 million times. These numbers sounded suspicious to folks over at Dagens Næringsliv, especially considering the TIDAL has only over 3 million worldwide subscribers.

In a statement to Variety, TIDAL said:

This is a smear campaign from a publication that once referred to our employee as an ‘Israeli Intelligence officer’ and our owner as a ‘crack dealer.’ We expect nothing less from them than this ridiculous story, lies and falsehoods. The information was stolen and manipulated and we will fight these claims vigorously.

Buying fake views and subscribers is nothing new. Outlets like Fiverr offer services like these as well. In this case, if the study finds some sort of grounding, TIDAL could be in some serious legal trouble. TIDAL executives could be sued for collusion and/or fraud since streaming rates correspond to royalty payments. Inflating streaming numbers and thus increasing royalty payments is clearly illegal and if proven to be true, Sony and Universal would have to pay back some funds and a penalty.

May 10, 2018