iGyaan has been busy these days and there’s a good reason for it. At iGyaan, we believe in bringing tech to you the best way we can, all the time. So, when we’re not busy writing about it at work, we talk about it while ‘Porsching Around’. Check out the trailer for iGyaan newest concept show. First episode will be out soon.
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New Episode|While You Were Out -Launch Stories
Here’s the latest ‘While You Were Out’ episode:
The stories we talked about today are:
1. LeEco Comes to India: LeEco, formerly called LeTV, launched Le Max with the tag-line”Go Big, Go Bold”, and Le 1s, along with revealing the new logo for the company, in India. While the Le Max boasts of big specs inside a big frame, the Le 1s is aimed at the mid-range market.
2. Samsung Launches Gear S2 and Gear VR Headset in India: The Gear S2 and Gear VR headset were launched in India in January, after being unveiled for the first time at IFA Berlin last year. The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch screen with a 360×360 resolution (302ppi). To power the device, Samsung has used 1GHz dual-core processor and provided the option of 3G Connectivity.The pricing for the smartwatch starts at Rs. 24,300 while the head-set is priced at Rs. 8,200.
3. BlackBerry Priv Launches in India: The Priv, which was first unveiled in October, is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs. It comes with a price-tag of Rs. 62,999.
4. Microsoft Launches Nokia 230 Dual-SIM in India: The Nokia 230 Dual SIM brings some flavour to the feature phone category with a premium look and feel to it thanks to its metallic construction. The phone is designed for those who want a high-end phone as far as feature phones are concerned, and are not too fond of making that leap to touchscreen devices. The phone costs Rs. 3,949
5. Motorola Cannot Stop Talking about the ‘Shatterproof’ Moto X Force: The phone was launched globally last year as Droid Turbo 2 and is all set to arrive in India now with its much talked about ‘shattershield’ display. On the specs front, Moto X Force packs a 5.4 inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset along with 3 GB of RAM. Moto X Force is expected to be priced around Rs.40,000.
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Hands On with the Honor 5X
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor launched the Honor 5X in India. The successor to the Honor 4X made its debut in China earlier this month after its unveiling at CES 2016.The Honor 5X is priced at Rs 12,999 with preorders starting yesterday and sales starting from February 1 on Amazon and Flipkart.
In terms of design, the Honor 5X sports an aircraft-grade metal unibody construction with a fingerprint scanner at the back that promises 0.5 seconds unlocking time and can also be used to capture photos. The device gives a premium look for a budget-friendly smartphone, keeping it on par with the Le 1s that was launched last week. These devices show us that budget phones are turning out to be the new premium.
The Honor 5X sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080p resolution, and a pixel density of 401 ppi. It is powered by a 64-bit octa-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC with Adreno 405 GPU. The 5X is available in 2GB of RAM options with 16GB onboard storage that is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card slot.
On the camera front, the Honor 5X gets a 13MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual tone LED flash and a 5MP selfie shooter. Both the rear and front cameras are impressive and fast, especially when shifting focus. The colors are a touch darker than the actual setting which helps in capturing blacks well. The shutter is on the slower side as well.
Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and 4G (Dual SIM). The device gets its juice from a 3000mAh battery pack with Smart Power 3.0. The handset runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop which is upgradable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The Honor 5X does have a premium look, and the metal unibody construction does well to add to that. However, it fails to grab our attention when compared to LeEco’s Le 1s, which was launched last week at Rs 2000 cheaper at that.
The UI isn’t as snappy and fluid as one would hope, especially in its initial usage, which may put off a lot of buyers. It takes a couple of seconds before the Gallery or Camera apps open.
Specs
Honor 5X
Display 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels (401ppi) Processor 64-bit octa-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 GPU Adreno 405 RAM 2GB Storage 16GB Rear Camera 13MP with f/2.0 aperture and dual tone LED flash Front Camera 5MP Expandability Up to 128 GB via MicroSD Battery 3000mAh battery Connectivity Bluetooth v4.1, USB 2.0, GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and 4G OS Android 5.1 Lollipop with EMUI 3.1 Price Rs 12,999 -
Samsung Galaxy S7 to Have the Same Design as Galaxy S6
Right ahead of the Mobile World Congress which kicks off, we have some more updates on the design of the Galaxy S7. If Evan Blass (@evleaks), who has been a reliable source for news in the past, is to be believed, the design of the Samsung flagship would be very similar to its predecessor, the S6.
He also confirmed that a microSD card slot for storage expansion would also be part of S7. The device will have an IP67 rating which makes it dust and water-resistant.
As it had been reported for some time now, the S7 would come in two variants, the S7 Edge, and the flat screen S7. The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor with a 5.1-inch QHD screen along with 4 GB of RAM. The other model, the Galaxy S7 will come equipped with a Exynos processor. The devices are expected to be unveiled next month at the Samsung Unpacked event on the 21st of February. Watch this space for latest developments.
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Activision to Bring new Ghostbusters Game to PS4 and Xbox One
With the Ghostbusters franchise set for a much-awaited reboot this year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans of the franchise that a video game is also in works which will look to complete the whole Ghostbusters experience for them.
Activision which is the game studio behind the development of this “new Full-fledged Ghostbusters game” will bring the title exclusively to Next-Gen consoles later this year along with the movie launch. Not much is known about the game right now, and there is no information whether the new game will feature the female cast of the new movie, or it will give the chance to old fans of the franchise to go on ghost busting journey with the old team.
But considering the fact that the timing of the movie and the game launch coincide, it can well be expected that this Next-Gen title would feature the new cast as a means to drive up the revenues of both the game and the movie at the time of the launch which is 15th July, 2016.
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Apple to Launch Original TV Shows Alongside the iPhone 7
Lo and behold as Apple plans to come out with its own TV shows to be introduced alongside the new iPhones at the September event this year. Rumours about Apple working on its own streaming-service with original content have been milling around for the longest time. Looks like Netflix may have found itself a strong competitor.
According to a report, Apple is expected to produce its exclusive TV shows for iTunes. It reads as follows,
“The Cupertino-based tech giant began sounding out Hollywood’s creative community late last year, but has yet to sign any agreements, according to two people with knowledge of the overtures. One plan is to have deals in place so Apple can announce exclusive content as part of a cable-like offering in September, when it is expected to unveil its iPhone 7.”
But before we get too excited -we have heard some pretty incredible things the past couple of weeks. They include Apple taking over Time Warner, which would inadvertently mean acquisition of HBO. We will have to wait and see if there is any truth to these rumours.
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Samsung to Launch Ultra-Wide 144Hz Monitors
Samsung, a leading name from the panel manufacturing industry has revealed its plans to launch two new ultra-wide (3440×1440) displays in the coming months. Both these panels will support a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz and will be one of the first monitors in the world to support Display Port 1.3 tech.
The new DisplayPort standard will be able to take monitors beyond 4k and into the realm of ultra high 5K resolutions with just a single cable. Additionally, the new video cable standard could allow 2016 graphics cards to drive HDR-enabled 4K monitors at high-frame rates of 144Hz.
Current generation graphic cards do not support DisplayPort 1.3, but it’s expected to be a standard for high-end cards in the coming months.
Samsung’s new monitors will be available in 30- and 35-inch variants, and use VA panels for their work. According to reports, Samsung, which is known to prefer IPS panels tried their luck with the technology for these ultra-wide high refresh rate monitors but settled for VA due to constraints of the current generation of iPS panel tech.
The smaller 30-inch model is expected to be made available to markets sometime during Q3 of this year, and the 35-inch model is expected to hit stores during Q2. No pricing details have been released but considering the high-end tech used in these panels expect these to be anything but affordable when they finally hit stores later this year.
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Samsung Galaxy J7 Specs Leaked
Looks like life’s all work at Samsung these days. After refreshing its A-series lineup, the South Korean tech giant is all set to come out with new offerings for its J series.
The two new entrants to the J series are yet to make their way to the Indian market in the form of J1 and J5, and if latest rumours are to be believed the J7(2016) is already queuing up to be the next.
Evidence of the phone being in the works and its specifications have been revealed courtesy of the Kernel source code entries found alongside the entries for the Galaxy A9 published earlier.
The code also takes the lid of the specifications of device revealing in the process for the phone to come equipped with a Full HD display expected to be around 5.5 Inch in size.
Under the hood, the phone will pack a Snapdragon 650 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. The 2016 model of the J7 will come with a 13MP camera on the back, with a 5 MP shooter at the front. The kernel code also lists the J7 to come packing a finger-print sensor and lists a 4300mAh rated battery to power the device.
Regardless to say, nothing of this is official so expect changes to the refreshed J7 by the time anything official is revealed about it.
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New Sony Xperia C6 Render Reveal Design Details
Just ahead of the Mobile World Congress, rumours and renders and leaks are doing the rounds like there is no tomorrow. The latest update to be added in this list is of a bezel-less design for the Xperia C6.
Sony will hold a press conference at the MWC where it would announce new devices, Xperia C6 will be one of them. @OnLeaks have come up with a new render of the device based on its factory schematics. Xperia C6, with its bezel-less display, seems inspired by an older mid-range Sony device, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, another device which has a near-bezel-less display.
The device is expected to be powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor. Many believe that Sony is pretty much committing commercial hara-kiri by opting for MediaTek Helios P line. Sure they have low TDP, and Snapdragon 800 is a more expensive series but it’s definitely more reliable.
Coming back to the design of C6, the render also suggests three colour variants. This is all the dope we have on the new Sony device. Watch this space for more.
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Xiaomi Mi 5 and Redmi Note 3 Will Come to India
Xiaomi is trying to get as many of its devices as it can in India. The company’s India head Manu Jain said that new products are bound for India, but the Mi TV will not be one of that.
Jain expressed the importance of bringing Xiaomi’s products to India, stating that the company completely supports the ‘Make in India’ program and is looking for new partnerships to boost its presence.
Last year, Xiaomi got too few products in India and even fewer smartphones. Other than the Mi 4i and Mi Band, India received only upgraded versions of earlier phones. Devices like the Mi Note and Mi Note did not make it into the Indian markets. However, Jain has announced that the Redmi Note 3 and the Mi 5 will be available in India.
“With the new products coming up for Xiaomi, a lot of hard-work has gone in, both from the China teams and India teams. We are working very hard to ensure that the time gap between the two launches is reduced. Of course, some gap is to be expected between given that to launch a new device in India, we need to get certifications, clearances,” said Jain.
So for those in India who’ve been hearing a lot about the upcoming Mi 5 flagship and have been excited all through, will soon be able to get their hands on the device as Xiaomi plans to bring it to India soon enough.
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Apple Developing Tech That Allows Charging From a Distance
Apple is working on wireless charging which would allow devices to be charged even at a distance from the charging port. The Cupertino-based company is reportedly collaborating with American and Asian partners to develop this tech.
Currently, the Apple Watch is capable of getting charged even from a few millimetres away from the source. But that isn’t really a groundbreaking development. Also, increased distance between the device and the charging source means a fall in efficiency. Apple is currently focusing on overcoming these problems and making wireless charging smoother. We can expect to see this kind of technology in 2017.
If this development is adopted in future Apple devices, the user could charge their phone while walking around the room. Charging your phone could be like using any other wireless tech like Wi-Fi. Apple made a patent application in 2010 which makes an iMac a source of wireless charging for Apple devices at a distance of 1 metre using a technique called near-field magnetic resonance.
Though wireless charging still exists, it’s only in its nascency. There is a long way to go before it can be employed in a useful and productive way. Let’s see if Apple becomes a pioneer in incorporating this kind of charging in its devices.
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Oppo F1 Unveiled in India
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has launched in India its first handset of the new F series smartphones which will target customers with an inclination towards photography. The Oppo F1 is the first of Oppo’s F series phones to arrive in India.
Oppo has unveiled the F1 at the price point of Rs 15,990. The company also teased a 5.5-inch Oppo F1 Plus smartphone with 4GB RAM during the event which will be priced at Rs 26,990, and will be launched in April. It is said to be a high-spec variant of the camera focused F1 smartphone.
The Oppo F1 is impressive when it comes to specs and features a 5-inch display with a 720 x 1280(294ppi) pixel resolution along with a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 coating. SoC on board is a 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. Storage is listed at 16GB which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.
The smartphone comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera along with a single LED flash. A front 8MP camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture lens and a sensor size of 1/4 inch is also included. Oppo its front camera can capture photos 30 percent clearer than a standard 5MP camera and 44 per cent brighter than those taken with an f/2.4 lens. Additional features such as Beauty 3.0 live color filters and more is also included. The device will be powered by a 2500mAh battery.
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One Plus 2 16 GB Variant Launches In India
Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus, launched the OnePlus 2 in July last year in only a 64GB storage option. The handset was launched for a price tag of Rs 24,999, and back then the company promised a more affordable 16GB variant of the phone for Indian users in the future.
OnePlus 2 Flash forward to today, and the company has finally lived up to its promise and come to the market with a new more affordable variant. The One Plus 2-16GB variant launched in India will be available exclusively via Amazon India for Rs 22, 999, and what will come as welcome news for customers waiting to buy the phone, the new variant will be invite free.
The new variant of OnePlus 2 will come equipped with similar specs to the 64GB model, but will sport a16GB eMMC v5.0 inbuilt storage instead of 64GB, and also cut down on the RAM from 4GB to 3GB.
The phone will feature the same 5.5-inch 1080p display as the 64GB variant. It is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz and Adreno 430 GPU. The smartphone will also come equipped with Dual 4G Nano-SIM cards slots, as well as the popular USB Type-C.
The OnePlus 2 16GB variant will share the same 13MP rear and 5MP front camera. The rear camera comes with a 1.3-micron sensor, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 4K video recording. Powering the phone will be a 3300mAh battery pack. It will also come equipped with a fingerprint sensor.
Specification
OnePlus 2
Display 5.5-inch TPS LCD in cell, Corning Gorilla Glass Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi) Chipset Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC Processor Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 GPU Adreno 430 RAM 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM Storage 16 GB Expandability N/A Rear Camera 13 MP 1.3-micron sensor, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture Rear Camera Video 2160p@30fps, 2160p(DCI)@24fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. Front Camera 5MP Front Camera Video 1080p@30fps Battery Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery Operating System Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Oxygen OS Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
NFC, Radio FM,microUSB v2.0, Type-C reversible connectorMiscellaneous Fingerprint sensor Price Rs 22,999 -
LeEco to bring “Le 3D Helmet” to India
Chinese Smartphone maker LeEco, according to reports, has plans of selling virtual reality headsets and bring to the markets smart Tv’s for its consumers in India during the next quarter.
LeEco’s VR headset which will be called the Le 3D Helmet will come equipped with a 5.5 inch, 2K resolution display with a 70 degree view. The 3D headset was launched in China and soon will make its way to India.
Virtual reality (VR)is soon becoming the next big thing in India but not too many VR headsets have made way to the Indian markets as of now, and as such there is a growing market space to be catered for VR hardware, and LeEco plans to take full advantage of that.
Atul Jain, India chief operating officer of LeEco, is keeping his cards close to his chest and has declined to disclose the price of the company’s VR device.
The company earlier this month unveiled three new smartphones to the Indian market and has disclosed impressive registration numbers for a flash sale which will see them retail on Flipkart. More than 300,000 customers have registered for the sale but the company expects numbers to go higher for subsequent sales.
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HTC One M10 Specifications Revealed
Over the past few days, a lot has been spoken about the HTC One M10, codenamed “Perfume”. It began when popular leakster @evleaks tweeted that the upcoming HTC One M10 is going to look a lot like the HTC One A9. Those familiar with the One A9 know that the device sparked off a major controversy with the device’s likeness to the iPhone 6, in terms of design.
Today, @evleaks has outed some specs of the device which are likely to be the actual thing. The device will sport a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. A microSD card slot will be available too.
On the camera front, the flagship is said to feature a 12MP UltraPixel rear camera with laser autofocus and OIS. HTC is ditching the front-facing speakers with the One M10, but the device will have a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The handset will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8 on top. Earlier it was speculated that HTC would unveil the device at the MWC in February, but now it looks like the company will have a dedicated event for the launch sometime in March.
These specs are a little different from what we’ve come to hear about the device. Earlier, it was suggested that the One M10 will sport a 5.5-inch display and feature a 20MP primary camera, but Evan Blass of @evleaks says otherwise. Of course, nothing has been confirmed so far so you may want to take this with a pinch of salt.
Earlier it was also speculated that HTC would unveil the device at the MWC in February, but now it looks like the company will have a dedicated event for the launch sometime in March.