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Sony Launches the Xperia XZ Premium In India – First Phone With Snapdragon 835
Sony has launched the new Xperia XZ Premium in India, making it the first phone to officially launch with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. The Xperia XZ Premium is also the world’s first phone with a 4K HDR display. Sony has launched the XZ Premium in India at a price of Rs 59,990 and if you prebook the phone from 2^nd – 11^th June you also receive a SRS-XB20 wireless bluetooth speaker free. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium goes on Sale in India starting 12th June.

The Xperia XZ premium comes after a few phones that failed to live up to expectations from Sony in 2016, with certain Sony signature things missing like IP certifications and the top of the line hardware. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium however solves all the problems with a full package from the Japanese company.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5 inch 4K HDR Display with TRILUMINOS Display for mobile and X-Reality for mobile picture engine. The 4K display comes into play whenever high res content is available like a 4k video or movie. Natively the display runs Android at QHD resolutions and sometimes at 1920 x 1080p like most other QHD phones. This is the first true 4K display on a mobile phone and it looks gorgeous.

The built and design of the phone mostly remain at par with previous generations of Sony flagships, however, the new phone adds Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back along with IP68 weather resistance. The new design of the phone is highly reflective and in India the phone has been launched in two colors Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black.

Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of Storage with microSD support for 256 GB. Running all the hardware is a 3230 mAh battery with Qnovo Adaptive charging and Quick Charge 3.0.

Sony too has left out on the dual camera setups, and stuck with a 19MP Motion Eye camera which has a 1/ 2.3” Exmor RS for mobile memory stacked sensor with a pixel size of 1.22?m and Predictive Hybrid Autofocus.
The XZ Premium also offers 960 fps Super slow motion video and the camera is equipped with a 25 mm wide G Lens with a F2.0 Aperture.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has SteadyShot 5-axis image stabilization and does 4K recording at 30fps. The front camera is a 13MP 1/ 3.06” Exmor RS for mobile image sensor with a 22mm Wide-angle lens with an F2.0 aperture. The front too has SteadyShot with 5-axis stabilization.

The front of the phone does have stereo forward firing speakers with a great sound and the phone supports Hi-Res audio and LDAC via the USB -C port. Interestingly the Xperia XZ Premium maintains the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Android 7.1.1 runs out of the box with Sony’s layer of skin which is essentially pretty close to stock with minimum customizations. Sony does offer up some apps, including their video, gallery and Sony Liv. Inside the box you will get:
- One unit of Xperia XZ Premium
- Instruction Manual
- Quick Charger (UCH12) worth MRP 1,490/-
- USB Type-C Cable
- In Ear Headphone MH-750
June 1, 2017
Motorola Canada: The Next Bold Motorola Phone to Launch On 1st June

Motorola Canada has tweeted that the company will be launching their next “bold phone” on the 1st of June. While it isn’t clear whether the phone will be launched in just Canada or other parts of the world, the tweet shows a colorful GIF.

Guess what?! We’re announcing the next bold phone from Motorola on June 1st. pic.twitter.com/SCyEkNtPza

— Motorola Canada (@Moto_CAN) May 30, 2017

What phone exactly will launch is unclear, as rumors for the next generation of both Moto Z and Moto X phones have been lingering. We also saw leaked images of the Box of the Moto Z2 Play recently.

Motorola seems to be on point when it comes to refreshing their device lineups, and now with both the Moto Z phones and Moto X phones due for update it could be either or both in this cycle.

June 1, 2017
Essential Phone PH-1 is Official

Andy Rubin may have been teasing a smartphone for a while, but now the device known as the Essential Phone PH-1 is official. The Essential phone costs $699 and has flagship specifications like a Qualcomm 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

The phone will be launched in the US to start and will be unlocked to all carriers. Essential is making the design of the phone simple, but with two prong connection, and working on a host of accessories that click into place, starting with the worlds smallest 360 degree camera.

The essential phone has a full front 5.71 inch display with radiused corners with a 19:10 aspect ratio and a 2560 x 1312 QHD resolution and a brightness of 500 nits. The back has 13 MP dual cameras with one RGB sensor and one Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lens. The front has an 8 MP camera and both cameras are capable of shooting 4k video at 30fps.

The Essential phone also has a 3040mAh battery and supports fast charging using USB, but it does have a cordless dock that allows you to lay flat the phone.

The design and specifics of the brand mention the basics and essentials as the focus of the company, the design is built around a solid titanium frame, which is completely scratch and ding resistant, with a ceramic back and gorilla glass front.The company drop tested the titanium frame phone, and found it to do better than the “Aluminum competitor” the Essential Phone Ph-1 is only 7.8 mm thick.

The phone has been launched in black and white and will launch in two additional colors at a later date. Those in the US can book the Essential phone on the company’s website.

May 30, 2017
Will You Buy a OnePlus 5 If The Price is High

OnePlus’s next big phone is around the corner and the company is working hard at making the phone popular pre release. While the company keeps giving out information about it’s upcoming phone, new rumors surrounding the price are starting to appear.

With the company trying to improve on availability and quality of materials, the costs of the phone appear to be going high. The leaks so far mention a OnePlus 5 with a new design and specifications that include a Snapdragon 835, possibly 8 GB RAM and up to 256 GB of Storage.

The big changes this year will be the 5.5 inch QuadHD AMOLED display along with dual 12 MP cameras with One wide and One Tele lens. Recent leaked renders show a new blue pentaprism design.

With all this high end hardware and new tooling required to make the new design of the phone, the OnePlus 5 is bound to be priced higher.The pricing of the OnePlus 5 is expected to cross US$500, would you still buy the OnePlus 5?

[poll id=”48″]

May 29, 2017
Moto Z2 Play Leaked Unboxing In Images

Images of what appear to be the Brazilian retail unit of the upcoming Moto Z2 Play have leaked. The leakster has not only leaked the packaging but the full unboxing experience, showing a new color full design on the packaging.

The leak also shows the new slim design of the Moto Z2 Play along with practically every spec of the device. The images show that the Moto Z2 Play show that the phone will have 4 GB of RAM and 64GB of Storage, along with possibly support for microSD, the device also appears to comewith a 3000 mAh battery with TurboPower charging.

The specs also reveal that the Moto Z2 play has a 12 MP dual AF pixel camera along with Laser autofocus, and a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080p display. The Moto Z2 play clearly seems to be built on the Mods platform and will support old and possibly new mods, referred to as Moto Snaps in Brazil.

The Moto Z2 play leaked is the grey model which comes with the black front panel, though it will be offered in a white and gold model, as well as a white and silver model according to leaks.

May 29, 2017
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Leaks Show Massive Screen And Dual Cameras

A new leak out of china shows the front panel of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 phone from Samsung. The phone which was rumored to be killed due to the massive failure of the Note 7 thanks to its battery issues, lives to see the light of day.

The new leak goes in line with previous rumors of a 6.3/ 6.4 inch display on the next Note phone. With technology catching up, reports of the Note 8 with a 6.4-inch 4K Super AMOLED display increased. This would mean that Samsung may launch an upgraded Gear VR to match the phones performance.

Samsung is reportedly added dual cameras at the back of the phone to match up with current day demands. The phone will still run on the Snapdragon 835/ Exynos 8895 depending on market, but will launch with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of Storage.

It may seem that Samsung will be able to embed the fingerprint sensor under the front of the glass hence removing the need for a rear sensor. The Galaxy Note 7 will continue to hold an S-Pen and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, according to leaked schematics.

The layout of the camera is expected to be a wide and tele, along with a 1.7 aperture on both cameras. The phone despite the large size will be comfortable to hold in the hand by the looks of it.

Will Samsung get it right with the Note 8, considering that they have already recovered most of their market with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

May 27, 2017
HTC U11 To Launch in India 9th June Rs. 54999

HTC will launch the HTC U11 on June 9th according to information received from people close to the launch. The HTC U11 which was recently announced in Taiwan at the company’s HQ in Taipei will be launched in two waves, the first wave in the First week of June for markets including United States, UK, Europe and Australia for the 4GB and 64GB variant of the U11 by HTC.

The Second wave of launches will begin in the second week of June for markets like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Thailand where the phone will be launched in the 6 GB + 128 GB variant. According to our sources the price that HTC is aiming to sell the HTC U11 at is Rs 54999 but this may change as the shipment reaches India and the costs are finally evaluated. HTC wants to keep the phone at tough competition with the Samsung Galaxy S8 in India.

The highlight of the HTC U11 is the Edge sense feature which allows users to squeeze the phone from the edges to initiate an action. The front has a 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440 px display with a Super LCD panel with Gorilla Glass 5, the fingerprint sensor and capacitive back and menu buttons sit on the bottom chin of the phone.

The HTC U11 has a new 12 MP utra-pixel camera module with a 1.4 micron pixel size , f/1.7 aperture and dual pixel autofocus. The 5 axis optical image stabilization on the back camera merges with EIS like on the Google Pixel to give a mix of both worlds and really steady shots even in low light. The video is captured at 4k @30fps and will work with gyro based electronic image stabilization which too is a pretty good example of leveraging the power of the new chipset and software for a good outcome. The HTC U11 is the first phone to be awarded the DXO mark rating of 90 and features impressive optimizations for better UI and camera performance.

The front camera is 16 MP sensor which does have an f/2.0 aperture but no auto focus. The front camera also has a wide angle lens and manages to do a good job in low light.

Watch our HTC U11 Videos Below:

May 25, 2017
Xiaomi Announces Mi Max 2 With 5300 mAh Battery and Snapdragon 625
Xiaomi has announced the Mi Max 2 at an event in Beijing starting RMB 1699 or about $247 or roughly Rs. 16000. The phone is equipped with a massive 5300 mAh battery along with many improvements over the previous generation Mi Max.

The Mi Max 2 has a unibody metal design along with the same 6.44-inch display, and yes it still has big bezels. The phone will be available with 4 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of storage. The phone with the larger capacity will cost RMB 1999. the phone will go on sale in China starting the 1st of June. Specs include :
- 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625 processor
- Android 7.0 Nougat with MIUI 8
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB or 128GB storage
- 12MP rear camera
- 5MP front-facing camera
- Rear fingerprint sensor
- USB-C port
The new Mi Max is expected to launch in India by the end of June for a price of Rs. 16999 for the 64 GB variant. Xiaomi may also push updates of MIUI in India to some of it’s old phones early this summer.
May 25, 2017
Motorola is Confident That They Would have Caught The Note 7 Battery Flaw

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 held the better half of 2016’s news headlines thanks to faulty batteries and a large outcry from the consumers and the media. However, not all companies feel that the battery issues that Samsung dealt with would have been something of an issue in their production.

During the launch of the HTC U11, the company showed off it’s extensive testing around each and every aspect of production, in which batteries were one of the biggest under scrutiny.

Motorola’s Battery engineer,Russ Gyenes, with 25 years of experience at the company under his belt claims that the 8 point check is something that all battery manufacturers and users should have already had.

“I looked at that eight-point check,” he said. “Why wasn’t this being done by them in the past” .

Motorola has been making smartphones for many years, including the first smartphone which used a battery. The company talked about it’s many battery protocols and how it ensures not only at the testing stage but at each stage of production, including design and manufacture that the batteries comply with the outcome expected from the finished product.

The company’s 118 question audit with each manufacturer of their batteries ensures that the batteries comply to standards set not only by various battery regulatory authorities around the world but with Motorola’s own strict compliance rules. If any of those fail the whole process is stopped at a very early stage so it can be rectified. “It is a showstopper” claimed Russ, “Batteries simply should not fail any audits”.

Russ Gyenes, has been trying to convince Motorola to talk about their battery technology to the consumer, but clearly the interest to do the same was not there prior to the Samsung incident.

May 25, 2017
DJI Spark Drone is the Size of a Small Phone and Costs US $ 500

DJI has launched a brand new compact drone called the Spark, the drone had leaked in images earlier this year. The new drone has some interesting features and may be great drone for first time drone owners.

The Spark has a 2 axis gimbal and shoots video at 1080p resolutions, in comparison with the DJI Mavic the drone has lesser resolution. However, the drone can be controlled with hand gestures and also features the ability to be flown directly from the DJI app on your smartphone, without the need of a controller.

The DJI Spark has a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor that captures 12 megapixel photos, and most of the fight systems are controlled by the forward-facing 3D Sensing System, dual-band GPS and GLONASS, a high-precision inertial measurement unit, and 24 powerful computing cores built into the tiny Spark .

The spark offers 16 minutes of flight time with Lithium polymer battery, and can be flown with the Remote controller accessory. While the Spark starts at US $500 in the United States and other markets, in India, the retail price of a DJI Spark, including an aircraft, a battery, a USB charger and three pairs of propellers, is INR 43,000.

The Spark Fly More Combo includes an aircraft, two batteries, four pairs of propellers, a remote controller, propeller guards, a charging hub, a shoulder bag and all necessary cables, with a retail price of INR 60,000.

May 25, 2017
OnePlus 5 Will be the First Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Phone in India Claims OnePlus

OnePlus just sent out information that the OnePlus 5 will be the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 based phone in India. This till now may be a true fact, as no manufacturer has managed to launch Snapdragon 835 equipped phones in India. Samsung decided to launch the Exynos variants in India for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

However, HTC has already announced that the HTC U11 will launch in India in the first week of June and Sony’s XZ premium may also hit India soon. So if any of that happens, then OnePlus’s claims may fall short.

The OnePlus 5 is also expected to have 6 GB to 8 GB RAM along with 128 GB to 256 GB of Storage. The leaked images of the OnePlus 5 show a dual camera setup at the back along with OnePlus’s announcement that they are working Wirth DXO mark to get the best possible camera setup.

The launch of the OnePlus 5 is expected to happen in June with the device shipping as early as July to most countries including India.

OnePlus 5 is also expected to get Dash Charge 2 a faster and more efficient charging system which will be designed to ensue that batteries will have a better health despite high amperage of charges.

May 25, 2017
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Sale at 12 Noon

The Xiaomi Redmi 4 will go on Sale at 12:00 Noon on Amazon.in in a limited flash sale option.

Prices for the phone start at Rs 6,999 for the 2GB RAM + 16GB storage variant, whereas the 3GB RAM+ 32GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 8,999, and the 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 10,999.

Click here to buy now.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 runs the Snapdragon 435 SoC and is available in multiple size and storage options. The phone has a dual-SIM (Micro+Nano) tray and runs MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The Redmi 4 from Xiaomi has an all-metal built along with a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel.

The front has a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display along with a 5-megapixel front camera with f/2.2 aperture. The main camera is a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, and LED flash.

The Redmi 4 has a 4100mAh battery and will support MicroSD cards up to 128 GB. The phone also has an IR blaster that doubles up as a remote.

May 23, 2017
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active in the Works

Looks like Samsung may launch a tougher and more rugged version of the Galaxy S8 after all. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active just went up on the wireless power consortiums website.

Major appearance changes include a tough rugged back panel and a flat display with slight bezels on both sides mimicking the LG G6 in it’s design. There are still no frontal buttons on the phone and the finger print scanner appears to remain at the back if at all on the phone.

With not a lot given to go by, the phone is expected to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 variant launched exclusively for At&t with a release date of second week of June.

May 23, 2017
Top AmazonBasics Wireless Bluetooth Speakers

Amazon may be one of the largest marketplaces in the world, but the company does have a whole host of products up it’s sleeve. AmazonBasics is one such line of products that gives you whole host of quality products with several options to choose from.

Speakers is one such category, and we are today listing the top speakers we found from AmazonBasics for you guys to choose from.

1. AmazonBasics Ultra-Portable Nano Bluetooth Speaker

This compact and lightweight speaker packs a punch, it runs for 6 hours on a full charge, and has an inbuilt mic to handle calls. The rubberized handle doubles up as a clamp to hang the speaker potentially anywhere. The speaker does have a splash proof design.

2. AmazonBasics RED Portable Bluetooth Speaker

This portable speaker is perfect for your desktop or table top with a good looking design. The candy red color is one of the three options available. The speaker has ample bass for it’s size with its 2 internal 2.5-watt speakers and 2 full-range drivers. The speaker also works with auxiliary input in case you want to go analog.

3. AmazonBasics Shockproof and Waterproof Bluetooth Mini Speaker

This compact speaker has a fantastic industrial design and is IP67 rated water resistant. Despite the industrial rating the speaker is long with good levels of mids and highs along with excellent bass from the 3-watt audio driver and passive subwoofer. It does come with a carabiner so you can hang it on a bag or in your shower. The speaker also has a mic for phone calls.

4. AmazonBasics Shockproof and Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

A bigger version of the above mini speaker, with the same industrial design and rubberized outer shell the speaker is IP67 shockproof and waterproof. It produces an impressive sound with a large passive subwoofer and dual audio drivers. Bass enough to vibrate your desk while keeping distortion out. Included is a carabiner for an on the go design. The battery lasts 8 hours on a full charge.

May 23, 2017
HTC U 11 Launched with Snapdragon 835 and Edge Sense

HTC has launched the new U11 at an event in Taipei. The HTC U11 will be the company’s successor the the HTC 10 and their new flagship for the year 2017.

The company sticks strongly to their brand philosophy and wants to continue their U series of phones forward, and to make that happen the design for HTC plays an important role. The HTC U11 continues the Liquid surface design seen on the HTC U ultra, but, the similarities mostly end there.

The HTC U11 is sleeker and more refined, built with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, which is a good thing considering the front and back are glass. The metal frame holds everything together and the phone looks great with a good play of colors using the glass layering technique on the back of the phone.

The phone also manages clean lines with a flush back and a tiny camera bump along with IP67 water resistance, making this the first HTC flagship with any kind of weather resistance. The phone has been launched in 5 colors all of which will be coming to most markets including India, the Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver, Ice white, Sapphire Blue and Solar Red.

On the specs front HTC has pretty much upped the game, for markets like India this will be the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset equipped handset from any manufacturer. HTC will also only launch the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant in India and plans to price it competitively against the Samsung Galaxy S8. Other markets including US , Europe and Australia will get the 4GB + 64GB variant in the first wave. The front has a 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440 px display with a Super LCD panel, the fingerprint sensor and capacitive back and menu buttons sit on the bottom chin of the phone.

The HTC U11 has a new 12 MP utra-pixel camera module with a 1.4 micron pixel size , f/1.7 aperture and dual pixel autofocus. The 5 axis optical image stabilization on the back camera merges with EIS like on the Google Pixel to give a mix of both worlds and really steady shots even in low light. The video is captured at 4k @30fps and will work with gyro based electronic image stabilization which too is a pretty good example of leveraging the power of the new chipset and software for a good outcome.

The front camera is 16 MP sensor which does have an f/2.0 aperture but no auto focus. The front camera also has a wide angle lens and manages to do a good job in low light.

The main camera on the HTC U11 is the highest rated with a DXO mark score of 90. The camera also has interesting modes built in including a full PRO mode with RAW capture and HDR boost which works to get the best result in poorly lit conditions.

The HTC U11 launches with Android 7.1.1 out of the box and will feature the ability to use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa which launches in July as a play store app. Interestingly users will be able to use both assistants at the same time, ideally because one may not be able to the function of the other. The HTC Companion assistant will also reside on the phone as a contextual assistant, again leveraging the power of the 835 chipset.

The new layer of HTC Sense is super clean and intuitive, HTC continues to remove redundancy from their apps, so you mostly get a stock android experience with continued customizations offered via the HTC themes.

The main feature of the HTC U11 is the “Edge Sense”, a feature that allows you to squeeze the edges of the phone to be able to initiate a task, initially things like launching an app, or turning on the flashlight. Later the company wants to enable automations based on the Squeeze feature, allowing you to set up tasks that you would normally need to tap on the screen to achieve. For eg. one squeeze could in theory, click a picture, launch Instagram, and share that image including preset text and filters.

For now the Edge Sense will be restricted to app and feature launches. The Edge sense needs to be setup the first time you start the phone, deciding how strong a squeeze you need for the phone to activate.

The HTC U11 will include noise cancelling U sonic in earphones inside the box, the earphones will map your ear canal and do a tone setup to give you the best sound and this works really well. The new noise cancellation feature works with the USB-C port which allows two way data flow. HTC will also include a dongle for Usb C to 3.5 mm headphone jack, this tiny dongle includes a DAC which in itself is a feat.

The HTC U11 will be manufactured in Taiwan at the HTC plant in Taipei, which has one of the strongest standards and best assembly lines in the world. The U11 goes through various layers of testing before making it to the final box. The factory which has a futuristic assembly line, run by 50% robots, tests each component of each phone before the phone is packed into a box. Then each packed phone goes through a quality check where each aspect including aesthetic and internals of the HTC U11 are checked by quality control engineers.

HTC’s U11 manufacturing process is too difficult to shift out of the company’s own manufacturing unit and they want to bring back their gold standard when it comes to build quality and general quality assurance.

HTC wants to sell the HTC U11 in markets like India, Malaysia, Thailand etc within one week of global sale which starts first week of June. The company is strongly focused on the right pricing and wants to fix their mistakes of the past. While the European price of the phone is Euro 749, the Indian market will see the phone for around Rs. 55000-57000 making it a strong competition for the Exynos equipped Samsung Galaxy S8

May 16, 2017