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Google and HTC Announce US$1.1 Billion Cooperation Agreement

After several reports that Google will take over HTC’s mobile division, Google has just announced a deal with HTC. In a statement released by the search engine giant, Google, the majority of the personnel working in HTC mobile division will now work for Google in a deal worth US$1.1 billion. Moreover, Google will, “receive a non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property (IP).”

In a statement, Google has said

Google and HTC Corporation today announced a definitive agreement under which certain HTC employees – many of whom are already working with Google to develop Pixel smartphones – will join Google. HTC will receive US$1.1 billion in cash from Google as part of the transaction.

This deal doesn’t mean that HTC will shut shop in its smartphone department. HTC CEO Cher Wang said that this agreement will “ensure continued innovation within our HTC smartphone and Vive virtual reality business.” Google concedes that this deal is a testament “to the decade-long strategic relationship between HTC and Google around the development of premium smartphones.”

The transaction is expected to close by early 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.

This is not the first time that Google has taken charge of the hardware for its smartphone lineup. Six years ago, Google announced a US$12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility. However, after opening a manufacturing plant in the United States, Google decided to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for a fraction of the price it bought Moto for. The takeover made Motorola into an amazing smartphone manufacturer and has continued to thrive in the smartphone industry since then.

HTC’s flailing smartphone share and tumbling sales in the past few years made people talk about a possible takeover by Google of its smartphone department while HTC continues its work in the VR industry. In late August, reports emerged that a deal between Google and HTC will be announced by the end of 2017.

Rick Osterloh (Google) and Cher Wang (HTC)

This move by Google to buy off smartphone personnel from HTC could bring Google closer to achieving the hardware/software synergy that has worked so well for Apple and the iPhone. Although HTC and other Android smartphone makers still use off-the-shelf processors and other components in their handsets, Google snatched one of Apple’s chip architects earlier this year. This could be an attempt to evolve beyond that and design its own chip.

Meanwhile, Google’s two new flagship devices, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are scheduled to be launched on October 4th. The Pixel 2 is made by HTC while the Pixel 2 XL with thin bezels and a tall display is made by LG.

September 21, 2017
Great Smartphone And Tech Accessories Deals On Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale

The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale is on and there are some great deals on tech that can help you save some money. From smartphones to headphones to more storage options, let’s take a look at top tech deals that are available right now.

Moto G5 Plus

The Moto G5 Plus was launched in early 2017 and received great reviews for its camera performance. Even today, The Moto G5 Plus’ camera is considered one of the best in its price category. The device has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px display. The Moto G5 Plus has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. On the optics front, the smartphone has a 12MP f/1.7 camera with dual-focus pixels and can record 4K video and 5MP front-facing camera.

Nokia 6

Nokia 6 has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box and is powered by a 3000 mAh battery. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. On the optics front, the Nokia 6 has a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and both the cameras record 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30fps.

LG Q6

The LG Q6 was recently launched in India for a price of Rs 14,990. It sports a 5.5 inch 2160 x 1080 px IPS LCD display. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with LG’s custom skin on top of it. The LG Q6 packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 505 GPU along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 2TB. It features a single 13MP rear-facing camera with a single LED flash and on the front is a wide-angle 5MP sensor.

Mi 10,000 mAh Power Bank

The Mi 10,000 mAh power bank is ideal for people who travel a lot or power users who need to charge their phone more often than others. This power bank will charge an average phone at least three times and you can charge this power bank up overnight. It is sturdy and can survive a few drops here or there.

Bose Quiet Comfort 25

The premium noise canceling headphones by Bose are critically acclaimed and available at a great price right now. The wire can be detached for easy carrying and the case for the headphones make it easier to carry the over-the-ear headphones around. The Bose Quiet Comfort retail for around 25000 but, right now are available for a price of Rs 15,100 on Amazon!

JBL Go Speaker

The JBL GO speaker is compact, powerful and provides a great price-to-performance experience. The speaker retails for Rs 3,490 but during the sale, it’s available for Rs 1,899.

TP-Link Wireless Router

The TP-Link Wireless Router is an essential for good internet connection at your home or office. It has a data transfer rate of 300 MB per second and has all the essential ports you might need to setup your internet connection. It usually retails for around Rs 1,499 but is right now available for Rs 849 on Amazon.

September 21, 2017
Top Smartphone Deals At The Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale

Flipkart is offering some great deals on smartphones and tech accessories during its Big Billion Days sale. We look at the top deals for smartphones available right now.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung’s 2016 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7 has a 5.1 inch 2560 x 1440 px display. In the day and age of big phablet-type flagships, the 5.1-inch compact form factor might be ideal for people looking for a smaller phone but with top-end specifications. Under the hood, the Galaxy S7 has the Exynos 8890 chipset, 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. The Galaxy S7 has a 12MP dual-pixel camera at the back and a dual pixel 5MP camera at the front.

Huawei P9

The Huawei P9 has a 5.2-inch display and 1080p resolution. The P9 runs on the Kirin 955 chipset with an octa-core CPU set at 2.5GHz for the quad-Cortex-A72 cluster and 1.8GHz for the quad-Cortex-A53. The P9 has a 3000 mAh battery and is equipped with a USB type C charging port. The Huawei P9 has dual 12 MP rear-facing cameras with an f/2.2 aperture, 27 mm, Leica optics, and phase detection autofocus. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture.

Lenovo K8 Plus

The Lenovo K8 Plus has two variants, a 3GB RAM, and a 4GB RAM variant and both of them are on sale right now. The Lenovo K8 Plus has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with three touch capacitive navigation buttons below. Powering the device is a 4,000 mAh battery and it runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Under the hood, the smartphone has the MediaTek Helio P25 chipset, a 2.6 GHz octa-core processor, Mali T880 GPU, 3GB/4GB RAM with 32GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. It has a primary 13MP Pure cell sensor mated with a 5MP Samsung BSI sensor dual camera with an f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash. On the front is an 8MP wide angle lens with an f/2.0 and an LED flash.

Moto E4 Plus

Motorola announced that the new Oxford Blue colour variant of the Moto E4 Plus will be available on Flipkart exclusively during the Big Billion Days sale. The Motorola Moto E4 Plus is powered by 1.4GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6737M processor and has 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage along with microSD card expansion. The Moto E4 plus has a 5.5 inch 1280 x 720px IPS LCD display along with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an oleophobic coating.The phone also runs Android 7.1.1 out of the box and should be updated to the next generation Android by the company, as the UI is mostly stock with some Moto features including the Moto display, some gestures and One-Key Navigation. The front also has a fingerprint sensor along wit a notification LED light.

For optics, the front has a 5 MP camera with a front flash while the main camera is a 13 MP with an f/2.0 aperture. The battery on the E4 Plus is a massive 5000 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A

The Xiaomi Redmi 4A is a budget device ideal for people who want performance and battery life without shelling out too much cash. The device has a 5 inch 1280 x 720 px display. The budget smartphone from Xiaomi runs on the Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 425 chipset with a quad-core processor and Adreno 308 GPU. The rear camera on the Redmi 4A has a 13MP sensor with auto-focus and LED flash, the front-facing camera, on the other hand, has a 5MP sensor. The device is powered by a 3120 mAh battery.

Honor 8 Pro

Competitively priced, great performance, big battery, and a dual-camera setup, the Honor 8 Pro was launched as a competitor of the OnePlus 5. The Honor 8 Pro has 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px display which is ideal for media consumption via VR. The Honor 8 Pro has 128 GB of storage along with 6GB of RAM. The Honor 8 Pro runs on the Kirin 960 chipset which is an octa-core chip – four high-performance Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four low-power Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.8Ghz. The phone also has a large 4000 mAh battery and fast charge capabilities, with long battery modes built into Honor’s user interface. The camera setup consists of two cameras, 12+12 MP shooters, where one is a monochrome camera while the other is RGB. The front camera is an 8 MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.

Honor 6X

The Honor 6X is a budget offering by Huwaei’s sub0-brand, Honor. The phone has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display. The Honor 6X has a HiSilicon Kirin 655 chipset, octa core processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded 256GB via microSD card. On the camera front, the smartphone sports a dual 12MP+2MP camera setup and an 8MP front-facing camera. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi A1

The Mi A1 combines Xiaomi’s hardware and Android One’s stock OS experience at a budget price. The smartphone has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection and aluminum unibody build. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery and 2A charging through the Type C port. The phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. In terms of optics, the smartphone features dual sensors – 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture (26mm) and 12MP with an f/2.6 aperture (50mm) setup with 1.25-micron pixel size. Out of the two cameras at the back, the primary one is equipped with a telephoto lens and the secondary camera has a wide-angle lens. On the front is a 5MP camera.

Click Here To Buy Xiaomi Mi A1

September 20, 2017
Motorola Unveils New Oxford Blue Colour Variant Of The Moto E4 Plus

Lenovo-owned Motorola has unveiled a new colour variant of the Moto E4 Plus, which the company launched in July 2017 in India. The Moto E4 Plus in Oxford Blue colour will go on sale from 21st September on Flipkart exclusively during the Big Billion Days Sale at a price of Rs 9999.

The Motorola Moto E4 Plus is powered by 1.4GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6737M processor and has 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage along with microSD card expansion. The Moto E4 plus has a 5.5 inch 1280 x 720px IPS LCD display along with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an oleophobic coating.The phone also runs Android 7.1.1 out of the box and should be updated to the next generation Android by the company, as the UI is mostly stock with some Moto features including the Moto display, some gestures and One-Key Navigation. The front also has a fingerprint sensor along with notification LED light.

For optics, the front has a 5 MP camera with a front flash while the main camera is a 13 MP with an f/2.0 aperture. The battery on the E4 Plus is a massive 5000 mAh battery and owners will get dual-SIM capability with VOLTE.

The new variant will be availble on Flipkart exclusively as of now, and its availability in Moto Hub retail stores has not been confirmed.

September 20, 2017
New Google Pixelbook, Google Home Mini And Daydream VR Leaked

After the Google Pixel, 2 XL images were leaked, new images of three new products and their details have been leaked before Google hosts a launch event n October 4th. Details about the new Google Pixelbook, Google Home Mini, and the Daydream VR headset have been revealed by Droid Life.

The Google Pixelbook succeeds last year’s Chromebook Pixel. The laptop will be another high-end offering by Google and will be the first iteration that can be folded into a tablet. the Pixelbook will be accompanied by a pressure-sensitive stylus called the Pixebook Pen. No other details about the laptop have been revealed other than the storage variants and their prices. The 128GB base variant will be priced at US$1199 (Rs. 77,200 approx.), while the 256GB and 512GB variants are expected to be priced at US$1399 (Rs. 90,000 approx.), and US$1749 (Rs. 1.12 lakhs approx.) respectively.

The Daydream VR headset will be the second iteration of the wearable product by Google. Just like the Pixebook, no specific details have been revealed by the website. The colour variants, however, have been revealed and the Daydream VR will be available in Charcoal, Fog, and Coral colours. Just like the previous generation, a remote controller can be seen alongside the new generation VR headset in leaked images. The new wearable will reportedly cost US$99 (Rs. 6,400 approx.).

The third product leaked is the Google Homi Mini. The smaller sibling of the Google Home will compete with Amazon Echo Dot and will be powered by the Google Assistant. The smart speaker will be available in Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral colours. The Home Mini will be priced at US$49 (Rs 3200 approx.).

The leaks, as we say, should be taken with a pinch of scepticism. The launch event is just a few days away and the new Pixel devices along with a host of new products will be officially launched on October 4th.

September 20, 2017
The Bose Quiet Comfort 25 Headphones Are On Sale For A Price Of Rs 15119

The Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones are without a doubt, one of the best premium headphones in the market right now. The active noise cancellation on these headphones is great and because the headphones are wired, it has a great sound reproduction as well. The Bose QC 25 retails for about Rs 25200 in India, but, right now, you can buy these headphones at a price of Rs 15119 which is a great deal for the quality of these noise canceling headphones.

The wire is detachable to carry them with ease and the carrying case which comes with the headphones makes it easier to fit these headphones inside a backpack. The ear cups are comfortable and won’t trouble you during long music listening sessions. The sound is a very subjective thing, hence, the ideal sound profile will vary from person to person, but, if you like a more balanced sound rather than a bass-heavy profile, then the Bose QC 25 are the ideal pair of headphones.

September 20, 2017
LG Q6+ Launched In India At A Price Of Rs. 17990

LG has launched a new variant of the LG Q6, the LG Q6+ in India. The new smartphone looks identical to the LG Q6 and is priced at Rs 17990. The LG Q6+ will be available across retail outlets, while the LG Q6 will remain an Amazon exclusive and retail for a price of Rs 14990.

As far as the specifications go, the LG Q6+ has the same 5.5 inch 2160 x 1080 px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio found on the LG Q6. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with LG’s custom skin on top of it. The LG Q6+ packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 505 GPU along with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 2TB. The handset lacks a fingerprint sensor but LG has introduced face unlocking feature instead. There is no confirmation on the presence of Corning Gorilla Glass.

The resemblance with the LG Q6 continues, as it also features a single 13MP rear-facing camera with a single LED flash and on the front is a wide-angle 5MP sensor. The rear camera records video at 1920 x 1080 px at 30 FPS. LG also claims that the Q6 has US Military Standard-810G Certified which means that it can survive quite a few drops.

The LG Q6+ brings in an extra 1GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. It will be interesting to see whether the widespread availability will push consumers into splashing an extra Rs 2000 for the LG Q6+ or the LG Q6 will continue being a top seller for LG in this price bracket.

Click Here For Best Price

September 20, 2017
Top Tech Deals At The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale

The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale for Amazoon Prime members is now live and we take a look at the top 10 tech deals available during the sale. People without Amazon Prime membership will be able to access these deals from September 21.

Seagate Backup 4TB Hard drive

This Seagate 4TB storage hard drive is ideal for people who hate deleting their old data and like to carry it with them wherever they go. The hard drive has USB 3.0 transfer speeds and is backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports at USB 2.0 transfer speeds. The hard drive comes with 3 years of warranty as well. It retails at a price of Rs 22,199 but, during the sale, it will be available for a price of Rs 9,499.

WD Elements 1TB Hard Drive

This WD hard drive is light, portable and gives you an extra 1TB of storage in case you run out of the onboard storage on your desktop or laptop. This hard drive also has USB 3.0 transfer speeds and a 2-year warranty.

SanDisk 64GB Class 10 Memory Card

The SanDisk 64GB Class 10 Memory Card is water, dust and shock proof. If you need more storage in your smartphone and your phone has a microSD card slot, this memory card is ideal. Even if your phone doesn’t support microSD card, yiu can store your media in this card and carry it with you along with a USB OTG card reader and consume media on the go without hampering your phone’s onboard storage.

Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch

The Samsung Gear S3 is an ideal smartwatch for you if you have an Android smartphone. The smartwatch has 1.3-inch 360×360 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ and is IP68 certified water and dust resistant. It has a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 768MB RAM, and 4GB onboard storage.

Honor Band 3

The fitness tracker is ideal for people who want to keep a track of their activity but do not necessarily need a fancy smartwatch. The Honor Band 3 tracks your steps, sleep and is water resistant up to 50m.It has a heart rate monitor and a battery life of up to 30 days. Moreover, it has smart notifications to reduce your interaction with your smartphone while you’re busy or driving.

Lenovo Yoga Tab 3

The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 has 4G LTE connectivity and an 8-inch 1280 x 800 px display. It has an 8MP primary camera with autofocus and an 8MP front-facing camera, 1.3GHz Qualcomm APQ8009/MSM8909 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 16GB onboard storage. The tablet is powered by a massive 6200 mAh battery and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

Samsung Evo Plus 32GB Memory Card

If you’re looking for a memory card with high transfer speeds and durability, the Samsung Evo Plus memory card is for you. The microSD card has a 32GB storage and fast read and write speeds up to 95mbps and 20mbps respectively. The included SD adapter makes it compatible with even more devices whilst retaining the high transfer speeds.

SoundBot Bluetooth Speaker

The Soundbot Bluetooth Speaker has 40mm premium drivers for both active outdoor and indoor use. The speaker comes equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 and has a 3.5mm AUX output as well. The speaker is shipped with 1 year of manufacturer’s warranty as well. The average battery life of the Soundbot Bluetooth Speaker is 10 hours.

Acer Switch 10.1 inch Laptop

This laptop is ideal for people who are not power users and just need a device for general media consumption and document editing. The Acer Switch has a 1.44GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor, 2GB DDR3L RAM, and 32GB flash storage. The laptop runs Windows 10 Home and has a battery life of 12 hours.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch

The Apple MacBook Air for people who want to be a part of the Apple ecosystem but, do not need the power of a MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air has a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB LPDDR3 RAM, 128GB Solid State hard drive and, Intel HD Graphics 6000. The MacBook Air is light, portable and efficient. It usually retails for a price of Rs 77,200 but, during the sale it will be available for Rs 55,990.

September 20, 2017
Top Smartphones Deals On Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale

Buying a smartphone is a tough decision. A lot of factors need to be weighed in before you choose a phone that will be your companion for the next few months or years, depending on which phone you buy or for which purpose. Price of a smartphone more or less is the deciding factor in many cases. Amazon Great Indian Sale has some great deals on smartphones in all price range and iGyaan brings you the top picks for you to choose from. Amazon Prime members can access these deals from September 20th.

OnePlus 3T

The OnePlus 3T, last year’s flagship is still one of the best budget smartphones in the market right now. With an excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset and buttery smooth Android OS experience, the OnePlus 3T ticks almost all the boxes of a great smartphone. It has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with a promised update to Android 8.0 Oreo. During the sale, the OnePlus 3T will be available at a discount of Rs 5000!

Xiaomi Redmi 4A

The Xiaomi Redmi 4A is a budget device ideal for people who want performance and battery life without shelling out too much cash. The device has a 5 inch 1280 x 720 px display. The budget smartphone from Xiaomi runs on the Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 425 chipset with a quad-core processor and Adreno 308 GPU. The rear camera on the Redmi 4A has a 13MP sensor with auto-focus and LED flash, the front-facing camera, on the other hand, has a 5MP sensor. The device is powered by a 3120 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a 6.4 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection. The smartphone is powered by a massive 5300 mAh with QuickCharge 3.0 and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI 8 on top. The phablet has a one-hand usage mode as well. Under the hood, the phablet has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Cortex-A53 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB onboard storage options. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device and sits just below the cameras. The Mi Max 2 switches to dual-audio speakers when in landscape mode. On the optics front, the Mi Max 2 has a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture, equipped with the Sony IMX386 sensor with PDAF and dual-LED flash. On the front, the phablet has a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

Samsung On5

Samsung On5 is a budget offering from Samsung that has a 5-inch 1280 x 720 px display. It has a 1.3GHz Exynos quad core processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB onboard storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 2600 mAh battery and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Samsung Galaxy A9

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro has a 6-inch 1920 x 1080 px display ideal for media consumption. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box and is powered by a massive 5000 mAh battery. Under the hood, the Galaxy A9 Pro has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset, 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. On the camera front, the device has a 16MP primary camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus, OIS, LED flash and a 1/2.8-inch sensor size. On the front is an 8MP camera.

LG V20

The LG V20 was launched in 2016 and still holds up pretty great in 2017. The LG V20 has a 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and a secondary display on top of the primary display that lets you access apps of your choice and also displays incoming notifications. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage expandable up to 2TB via microSD card. The LG V20 runs Android 7.1 Nougat and will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo in the coming months.

September 20, 2017
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 To Go On Sale On Amazon At A Price Of Rs 12999

Xiaomi launched its second iteration of the mid-range phablet lineup, the Mi Max 2 in India on July 18th. The smartphone went on sale on Xiaomi’s official website for a price of Rs14999 for the 32GB onboard storage variant. On September 20th, the Mi Max 2 will go on sale on Amazon India for the first time and will be priced at Rs 12999 for the 32GB storage variant.

The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a 6.4 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection. The smartphone is powered by a massive 5300 mAh with QuickCharge 3.0 and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI 8 on top. The phablet has a one-hand usage mode as well. Under the hood, the phablet has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Cortex-A53 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB onboard storage options. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device and sits just below the cameras. The Mi Max 2 switches to dual-audio speakers when in landscape mode.

On the optics front, the Mi Max 2 has a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture, equipped with the Sony IMX386 sensor with PDAF and dual-LED flash. On the front, the phablet has a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The Mi Max 2 has a big screen and a massive battery, ideal for people who primarily consume media on their smartphones. The price cut of Rs 2000 on Amazon makes this phone an interesting deal and is now priced at par with the Lenovo K8 Note which features dual-cameras and a 4000 mAh battery.

September 20, 2017
Google Pixel 2 XL Images Leaked

Google will launch the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL on 4th October. There have been a number of leaks about the specifications of both new Pixel devices and now, new images of the Pixel 2 XL have been leaked by Droid Life. The images reveal that the Pixel 2 XL will come in two colour variants – Black and White, and Just Black.

Along with the images, the website also revealed that the Pixel 2 XL will be priced at US$849 for the 64GB variant and US$949 for the 128GB storage variant. Google, in its teaser for the new phones, hinted at a solution for phones running out of storage, which means that there might be microSD card slot for storage expansion on the new Pixel devices. Google will offer to finance both the phones as well. The 64GB Pixel 2 XL will cost US$35.38 per month over 24 months and the 128GB version will cost US$39.54 per month over 24 months.

The black and white colour variant looks like an interesting choice for the new Pixel 2 XL and will definitely help the phone stand out from the crowd of the same old black and gold coloured phones. The all-black colour variant also has a two-toned shade and with the “glass window” at the back being black and the rest of the back is dark gray.

As far as specifications go, the Pixel 2 XL is expected to have a 5.99 inch QHD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and minimal bezels around the screen. The smaller variant, the Pixel 2 will have a 4.99 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with the same thick bezels around the display like last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL. Under the hood, both the phones will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB RAM. The new Pixel smartphones will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and will be the first devices in line to receive Android P update next year. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will also ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack this time.

There isn’t much known about the cameras on the Pixel 2 devices except the fact that both the phones will have a single-camera setup. If last year’s Pixel cameras are anything to go by, the new phones will have a great camera performance.

In 2016, India was among the first 6 countries to receive the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, and it is expected that this year as well, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be launched in India soon after the global launch.

September 20, 2017
OnePlus And Castelbajac Releases A Limited Edition Variant Of The OnePlus 5

OnePlus, in collaboration with renowned French designer and artist Castelbajac announced a limited edition variant of the OnePlus 5 at an event in Paris. The limited edition device will be launched at a pop-up event on September 22, at the Colette gallery in Paris.

Contrary to popular belief, OnePlus did not launch a OnePlus 5 variant with an overpowering vibrant colour, but, the phone has a unique colour scheme for the hardware buttons, and sports a mantra on the back. The custom wallpapers too, follow the design language inspired by the work of Castelbajac. The wallpapers are vibrant, unique, have loose designs and thick lines. The accessories unveiled along with the phone have a similar colour scheme and continue the trend of being reminiscent of the work Castelbajac. There are two different T-shirts available, a dual-layered tote bag, a Never Settle baseball cap, a red, blue and yellow phone holster that’s worn much like a gun holster, and colorful waist-worn case bag that seems fit to be worn on the front.

As far as what’s inside the phone is concerned, OnePlus did not touch upon that during the event. This means that the OnePlus 5 Castelbajac Limited Edition will have the same 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px Super AMOLED display. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS on top. The 2017 flagship has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with a combination of either 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage or a whopping 8GB RAM and 128 of storage which can not be expanded. The OnePlus 5 also features dual cameras on the back, one of the main cameras is a 20 MP sensor with an f/2.6 aperture, while the other is a 16 MP camera with an aperture of F/1.7.

The limited edition OnePlus 5 will be a hard device to get your hands on and how many pop-up events will be organised for the device is yet to be seen. As far as the price goes, there is no official word on the pricing yet, and the final price will be unveiled at the pop-up event on September 22nd.

September 20, 2017
iOS 11: Top 5 Features, Eligible Phones And How To Upgrade
On September 12, Apple launched the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the much awaited iPhone X. Along with the high-profile launches, Apple also announced that the global rollout of iOS 11, which was announced at the WWDC 2017, will start seeding to compatible iPhones and iPads on September 19. Apple has always supported older devices unlike Android, and there is no surprise in the case of iOS 11 update as well, as the iPhone 5s will also updated to the new OS. A

As the official rollout has now begun, let’s take a look at the Top 5 new features of iOS 11 that should get you excited:

New Control Center

The control center gets an overhaul here in iOS 11. You still have to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the control center, but, you have the ability to add or remove a lot of shortcuts and toggles. From the settings app, you can fill up the control center to the brim or keep it clean and empty. There are two vertical sliders, one for brightness and one for sound. You can tap and hold an icon for further settings even if your phone doesn’t have 3D touch. There is a new feature called screen recording which can be triggered directly from the control center. Tapping on the WiFi or Bluetooth icon disconnects you from the current device, rather than switching off the WiFi or Bluetooth.

Siri

Siri has received a massive overhaul as well. The Voice Assistant, since it was launched with the iPhone 4s, has become better with every iteration of iOS. In iOS 11, Siri is going to sound better, and it’ll have new capabilities, such as translating a lot of different languages, which can come in handy if you’re traveling to a foreign land. But, one of the most useful features Siri received in iOS 11 is the ability to respond to texts, which will come in handy when you can’t talk to the phone.

Notes

One of the most used in-built apps is the Notes app. In iOS 11, Apple has added a lot of new features to the Notes app that can help the app stack up against other famous third-party note-taking apps. The notes app includes support for drag and drop, a built-in document scanner, markup tools (handwriting support included) and adding tables to your notes. These features will shine even more in the iPad because of a larger screen.

Storage

The storage window in the settings app gets a new look as well. In addition to showing you what kind of data is cluttering your memory, the iPhone Storage menu in the Settings app will let you instantly free up space that you’re not actually using. At a glance, you’ll get suggestions for deleting old messages and pictures, as well as apps that you don’t really use. The menu also shows you all the videos and attachments you can remove to free up space, and lets you act on it.

Files

Apple has introduced a new standalone Files app, which essentially replaces the iCloud Drive app. The Files app lets you browse the files stored in your devices locally and in your iCloud account. It is an app which has featured in Android devices for the longest time and now, iOS users will be able to manage their onboard storage better.

All devices which will receive the iOS 11 update
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone 6/6 Plus
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- iPhone 7/7Plus
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2017)
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2016)
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad Air 2
- iPad Air
- iPad (2017)
- iPad Mini 4
- iPad Mini 3
- iPad Mini 2
- iPod touch 6th generation
How to install iOS 11:

You need to back up your data before beginning the installation process. Connect your device to WiFi in order to download the software update file.
- Go to Settings>General>Software Update. Your phone will now look for a software update and ask your permission to install the update.
- Once downloaded, your phone will again ask permission to install the update.
Once the necessary permissions are granted, your phone will restart and iOS11 will be installed.
September 20, 2017
Sony Xperia XZ1 Set To Launch In India On 25th September

Sony unveiled its new flagship, the Xperia XZ1 along with XZ 1 Compact during the IFA 2017 in Berlin in August. At the time of its unveiling, Sony announced that the smartphone will be available globally in the coming month and it looks like Sony is set to launch the XZ1 in the Indian market on September 25th. Sony has sent out press invites for a launch event in Delhi on 25th September. Whether the compact variant will be launched along with the XZ1 is yet to be seen.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. The design of the phone is reminiscent of a lot of previous Sony flagships, dating back to 2013’s Xperia Z. The display still has thick bezels around it and doesn’t look like a 2017 flagship smartphone. Sony claimed during the launch of the XZ1 that the device will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, whether that will be the case with the Indian variant has not been confirmed yet. The device is powered by a 2,700 mAh battery, which is considerably smaller than a lot of smartphones in the market. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, similar to the one found in XZ Premium, 4GB RAM, and 64GB onboard storage.

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

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is priced at US$699 (Rs 45000 approx.) in the global market and the price in India could well cross the Rs 50,000 mark.

September 19, 2017
Moto X4 Set For October 3rd Launch In India

Lenovo-owned Motorola launched the Moto X4 at IFA 2017 in Berlin in August. The launch of the Moto X4 will take place in India on October 3rd after the company sent out press invites for an event in New Delhi. The launch of the Moto X4 will be Motorola’s third in quick succession in India after the Moto G5S and G5S Plus were launched in August in the sub 20K category. Motorola has been teasing the launch of the X4 on Twitter and even hosted a giveaway contest.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection. The smartphone runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities. Motorola recently announced that the Moto X4 will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo by the end of the year. The company claims that the 15 mins of charge can give up to 6 hours of talk time. The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The new smartphone will also feature Alexa, the Amazon AI voice assistant. This isn’t the first time that Alexa has made its way onto a smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 was the first smartphone to feature the voice assistant. Since then, we have also seen Alexa make its way to the HTC U11.The 4 in Moto X4 signifies that the new smartphone will be able to share the sound with up to 4 devices, thanks to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0.

The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The Moto X4, is expected to be priced at around Rs 25000 even though its European price is higher. The promotional poster doesn’t give away any other information but, the smartphone is expected to go on sale on Amazon and Motorola’s recently launched Moto Hub retail stores.

September 19, 2017