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DJI Unveils The DJI Storm Drone Alongside Its Own Van And Crew

DJI, one of the most highly celebrated brands in the field of drone and cinematography has yet again outdone themselves with its latest professional-grade filming drone. The drone is as flagship as they get, so much so that the model is not even available for purchase. DJI has rather decided to employ its service of this drone alongside a van that is equipped with various tech and parts of the drone being manned by a team of professionals trained crew for filming.

Aptly named, DJI Storm received a rather uneventful reveal with the company discreetly uploading a video of the drone on YouTube. The drone is heavily equipped to tackle various scenarios and function at the optimum levels(operational parameters ranging from -10°C to 40°C). Carrying with it an eight-rotor blade, the drone has a maximum payload capacity of 18.5kg.

This opens up the potential for drones to carry various mid-sized and professional filming cameras like the Arri Alexa LF camera that was equipped with its lens as seen in the YouTube reveal video. The camera was also outfitted with one of DJI’s wireless focus system (that follows the subject in focus) along with DJI’s Ronin 2 gimbal for stabilization.

The video showcased a myriad of expensive hardware that is not exactly consumer grade but rather used for professional work or filming. Even DJI’s latest drone model available for sale, the Matrice 600 for professionals, costs $5000 (approx. Rs. 3,47,000). The Matrice 600 however, is only capable of carrying a load of upto 6kg. DJI Storm is also reportedly faster than the Matrice variant by 10mph, having a top speed of 80kmph. DJI has listed the capabilities of the drone to sustain flight for 15 minutes with a payload of 12kg, this depends on the batteries used to power the drone systems.

DJI Storm is working out to be one of the most expensive filming drone systems ever seen. The DJI Ronin 2 gimbal for stabilization carries a hefty price tag of $8000 (approx. Rs. 5,56,000) and the heavy duty drones like xFold Dragon X12 will put buyers down by $30,000 (approx. Rs. 20,87,000).

However, the company seems to be reserving the equipment for its DJI Studio Custom Aerial Cinematography Service, which is seen in the video with the special van, professionally trained crew, and many of the DJI’s top gears like Master Wheels and Force Pro remote control systems. These systems allow the cinematographers to move the drone’s camera as they would do in person.

Also Read: Mysterious Mid Range HTC Smartphone Certified By Bluetooth SIG, Launch Imminent

DJI Studio is not a relatively new department within DJI, having been working with Asian markets for a while now. What can be gathered by the company’s Chinese website show offerings for only the DJI Matrice 600 paired with the Sony A7S II camera or the DJI Inspire 2. It is unclear as to which markets would be hit with this service as no official announcements have been made so far.

June 1, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M40 Specs Leaked, Reveals 32MP Primary Camera

As previously reported, South Korean technology giant Samsung is all set to launch the Galaxy M40 smartphone on June 11, 2019. Similar to the other devices in the Galaxy M series, the Galaxy M40 is expected to provide decent specifications at a competitive price point. Samsung seems quite confident with the upcoming device owing to the success of the Galaxy M10, M20 and M30 in the market. As per fresh leaks, the smartphone is expected to feature a 32MP primary camera alongside two other sensors.

Galaxy M40: Leaked Specifications And Features

Leaks suggest that the Galaxy M40 will sport a 6.3 inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The smartphone will boast of a high screen-to-body ratio thanks to the Infinity-O display (punch-hole display). The right side of the device will accommodate the volume rockers and the power button. The rear panel of the handset houses the triple camera setup, the fingerprint scanner and the company branding in the middle.

Samsung Galaxy M30

Under the hood, the Galaxy M40 will run on the Snapdragon 675 chipset, which consists of the octa-core Kryo 460 CPU and the Adreno 612 GPU. Information regarding different variants is unknown, but it is confirmed that the smartphone will launch with at least 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It will be powered by a 3,500 mAh battery, unlike the Galaxy M30 (see review here), which packed a massive 5000 mAh battery.

Regarding optics, the Galaxy M40 will feature a triple rear camera setup, which will consist of a 32MP primary sensor, a 5MP depth sensor and a third 8MP ultra wide sensor. For selfies, it will sport a 16MP front camera housed in the in-screen cutout. Noteworthy, the M40 will be the first M-series smartphone to run on Android 9.0 (Pie) out-of-the-box.

Galaxy M40: Expected Price And Availability

Also Read: Mysterious Mid Range HTC Smartphone Certified By Bluetooth SIG, Launch Imminent

As mentioned before, the Galaxy M40 will be unveiled by the company on June 11, 2019. Sources state that it will be priced around the price point of INR 20,000 (~$287). When launched, it will be retailed on an online-only basis, with the retailers being popular e-commerce website Amazon and Samsung’s own online store.

June 1, 2019
Panasonic S1H Launched With Support For 6K Video Recording

Japanese electronics company Panasonic is widely known for making capable mirrorless cameras under its Lumix brand. The company on 31st May has announced its latest offering, the Lumix S1H Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera; which boasts of being the worlds first full frame camera capable of recording in 6K resolution at 24 frames per second (fps). It is the successor to the Panasonic Lumix S1 launched last year and features notable improvements over it.

Panasonic S1H

As a full frame digital camera, the Panasonic Lumix S1H claims many world’s first to its name. Like mentioned above, it is the world’s first to record in 6K resolution at 24 fps in a 3:2 aspect ratio; or in 5.9K resolution at 30fps with an aspect ratio of 16:9. It is also capable of recording 10 bit 4K DCI video at up to 60 fps, which is also a world’s first. The camera has a variety of recording formats like the 4:3 Anamorphic mode like present in the popular GH5 camera from the company. The Lumix S1H also claims a wide dynamic range of 14+ stops with the V-Log/V-Gamut mode. Noteworthy, this dynamic range is the same as the premium Panasonic VariCam video camera.

Also read: Alphabet’s New AI Defeats Human Players In A Multiplayer Game

Unfortunately, Panasonic has not specified if the Lumic S1H will feature the in body image stabilization; like present in its predecessor, but it is assumed that the latest camera will pack in the stabilisation option. It also does not have any recording time limit, which may be a beneficial feature for shooting events. In terms of pricing and availability, the Panasonic Lumix S1H will be available starting fall, which generally refers to the fourth quarter of the year in the US; with the global availability to be announced soon. For pricing, the company’s latest offering is expected to be priced around US$ 4000 (Rs 2,78,300).

June 1, 2019
OnePlus 7

OnePlus 7 is the latest smartphone from the Chinese smartphone OEM OnePlus and was launched alongside the OnePlus 7 Pro on 14th of May. It is the successor to the OnePlus 6T from last year and features top tier specifications; which include a 6.41 inch AMOLED display, 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC and up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Click here to buy the OnePlus 7 from Amazon.

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May 31, 2019
China Prepares A Counter Strike On The Huawei Ban

Trade relations between the US and China are rising in intensity again with China preparing for a response against the US ban on Huawei. The southeast Asian country has taken special measures to restrict the trade of rare earth elements to the US, placing the western country in its own ‘entity’ list. This puts the US in a blacklist as an unfavourable foreign company.

Japan’s SoftBank, taking the market opportunity has announced its plans for building its 5G network with equipment from Nokia and Ericsson amidst the turmoil. Huawei prior to this had been the supplier for 4G and was planned to collaborate alongside SoftBank for the same.

The restrictions on rare earth elements stand as a signal from the Beijing leaders of its willingness to retaliate with countermeasures in place. This, however, is reported to only be actually deployed if the trade war between the US and China worsens with time. One of the important rare elements derived from China is Neodymium, a popular industrial grade element used to make magnets. It is often seen advertised spec sheets of audio gear such as earphones and headsets. The US according to various trade experts and researchers have no outside alternative worthwhile apart from China.

The Chinese phone manufacturer, Huawei sits in the middle of the trade war zone. Taking a massive hit on its business with the loss of its huge deal with SoftBank related to 5G networking. This incident came after Huawei was claimed to be a national threat by the US President Donald Trump and placed in the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List that has its business operations in America crippled.

Also Read: Apple Planning On Removing 3D Touch Feature In Future iPhones

Actions questioning Huawei’s networking equipment and services have never been raised although concerns regarding security have driven its potential business operations away from it. The company’s affiliation with the Chinese Government only worsens relations with foreign companies like the Japanese SoftBank who’s decision is only a result of such accusations thrown about. Regardless of how soon or how smoothly the trade tensions die out, Huawei’s brand trust with confidentiality in mind will remain as trauma in the minds of its future partners.

May 31, 2019
Mysterious Mid Range HTC Smartphone Certified By Bluetooth SIG, Launch Imminent

Taiwanese company HTC is best known for its smartphones. However, due to intense competition in the space, courtesy of Chinese OEMs, sales for the company have fallen significantly in the past few years. It has been long speculated that the company may exit the smartphone business altogether. However, in the month of April, a mid-range HTC handset surfaced on performance benchmarking platforms Geekbench and Antutu which suggests otherwise. Now, the device has been granted Bluetooth certification which suggests an imminent launch.

HTC Mid-range Smartphone

The mysterious smartphone from HTC is expected to be a mid-range offering. It has been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) with the model number 2Q7AXXX. This falls in line to the two previously leaked mid-range devices from the company. While the former had the model number 2Q7A100; the latter used the HTC 2Q741 moniker to identify itself. This insinuates the aforementioned handsets are part of a series that HTC may introduce soon. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth certificate of the smartphone does not add to the existing information about it, except for the fact that the upcoming device will have support for Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy.

HTC Desire 12

Also read: Xiaomi Delays The Release Of Its Foldable Smartphone Over Market Insecurity

Previous leaks revealed the mysterious HTC mid-range smartphone will run on the 10nm Snapdragon 710 SoC. The chipset consists of an Octa-Core CPU and the Adreno 616 GPU. In terms of memory and storage, the device may have 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage which might be further expandable via a microSD card. Even though the listing did not reveal the screen size of the upcoming device, it mentions an FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 px. Unfortunately, HTC has not confirmed the authenticity of the leak, therefore, the price and the launch date of the upcoming smartphone by the company is anyone’s guess. But, the listing on the Bluetooth certification website hint toward an imminent launch.

May 31, 2019
Facebook Patent Reveals A Drone Powered By Kites

A freshly revealed patent shows that Facebook is working on a drone which is quite unconventional. The drone will not use its own power source for flight, instead it would make use of kites to stay afloat. Named the “dual-kite aerial vehicle”, each drone consists of two separate kites that can be directed independently. Moreover, the drone can utilize the force of the wind to extend its flight time, essentially making it self-sufficient.

The patent was originally filed in the month of November 2018. It depicts a drone that is connected to the kites via a kiometre-long tether. It is designed along the lines of a helicopter-style aircraft, and by cutting down the size and weight of the drone, it can attain extra-long flight durations. Facebook also mentions that a fleet of such drones can be controlled wirelessly from the surface. Since higher altitudes imply more sunlight, they can be employed to generate power through solar panels as well.

The social media giant was previously reported to be working on Aquila, which was a project that involved beaming down an LTE network from high-flying droneships in the stratosphere. The drones in Aquila were supposed to run on solar energy, providing sustainable flight over long durations of time. However, the project didn’t really take ‘flight’, and was abandoned by the company in the year 2018.

Also Read: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Trailer Reverts The Series Back To Its Roots

The drone in the freshly filed patent, however, is nothing like Aquila. It resembles the balloons that Google previously showcased for its Loon project. Nonetheless, the reveal should be taken with a grain of salt, since it could be long before we could get to witness such an offering from the company. With the privacy and security concerns looming over Facebook, it may not want to launch large drones into the sky anytime soon. However, considering that the organization previously teamed up with aviation giant Airbus to provide high altitude connectivity, a prototype may be under development as well.

May 31, 2019
Alphabet’s New AI Defeats Human Players In A Multiplayer Game

Concepts easily understood by humans are not as simple to machines. Variables always arise and questions that machines can’t answer make complete autonomy difficult. Alphabet, Google’s parent company had its DeepMind’s technological studio train its AI to learn how to play a game of capture the flag on a level greater than that of a human.

One of the most basic games in terms of principle, capture the flag has two teams go against each other with the primary objective of the game being to capture a flag (any marker). The marker is located at each teams respective base and has to be captured by an enemy team after which they have to safely return with it to their own base safely. Easy for humans to understand and play, but complex for a machine that has to make numerous calculations that’ll help it strategize in a manner resembling humans.

This stands to change with AI and machine learning. A report published by researchers at DeepMind, subsidiary of Alphabet, details a system not only capable of learning the game, capture the flag but also devising strategies and planning on a level of human teams in Id Software’s Quake III Arena. The paper published reported on how the AI was not taught how the game played but only informed if the opponent was beaten or not.

Reasoning behind this approach of training an AI stems from the unpredictable behaviour that can be exhibited as the learning process continues. Some of the researchers working on DeepMind’s AI have previously developed alongside AlphaStar, who’s machine learning program beat professional StarCraft II players. The key techniques utilized in the study was reinforcement learning, which had rewards given out to incentivize the software towards the goal.

The agent utilized by DeepMind, appropriately dubbed For The Win (FTW), learns from on-screen pixels using a convolutional neural network, a collection of mathematical functions (essentially neurons in the human brain) arranged in layers. The data absorbed by this is sent to two recurrent long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, one that that operates on a slow timescale while the other on a faster timescale. This enables a degree of prediction about the game world and take actions through an emulated game controller.

The 30 FTW AI agents were trained in different stages with the powerful learning paradigm to improve real world performances. Agents there on were reported to have formulated and enacted strategies generalised across the different maps, team rosters, and team sizes. The AI’s learned human behaviours like following teammates, camping, and defending their base from attackers while not repeating tactics that do not give any inherent advantages like following the teammate too close as the training progressed.

Also Read: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Trailer Reverts The Series Back To Its Roots

The AI had surpassed the win-rate of human players by a substantial margin in a tournament involving 40 humans that were randomly matched in both games as teammates and enemies. The Elo rating (the probability on winning) of the AI was 1,600 compared to good human players that had an Elo of 1,300 while the average for human players was 1,050. This held true even when the agents were slowed down by a quarter of a second. Human players only won 12-21% of the times ranging from skill level.

May 31, 2019
Gigabyte Launches PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs With 4.88 Gbps Read Speeds

Taiwanese technology company Gigabyte has unveiled the first PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that hits an incredible read speed of 5,000 MB/s, or 4.88 GBps. At the same time, the SSD can reach write speeds of 4,400 MB/s.

However, Corsair also launched its own Generation PCIe SSD on May 27, 2019. It can achieve a read speed of 4950 MB/s, which falls merely 50MB/s short of Gigabyte’s SSD. Both the SSDs offer almost 56% faster read speeds than the Samsung 970 nvme Solid State Drive, which is one of the fastest available SSDs in the market. The Gigabyte PCIe 4.0 utilizes the Phison PS5016-E16 controller and 3D Triple Level Cells (TLC) NAND flash memory chips manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Toshiba.

A full body copper heat spreader engulfs the AORUS NVMEe Gen4 SSD, so that the generated heat can be managed at higher read/write speeds. Since the temperature can increase drastically during operation, Gigabyte states that using the heatsink can reduce the temperature of the SSD by almost 14 percent.

Also Read: Xiaomi Delays The Release Of Its Foldable Smartphone Over Market Insecurity

As per reports, the NVMe SSD will be available in two storage variants, 1TB and 2TB. The company plans to roll out the SSDs in the month of July 2019. Interested users can get their hands on the Gigabyte X570 motherboard along with the SSD and the latest Ryzen processors in order to test out the insane Gen4 transfer speeds. Since Gigabyte has not unveiled the price of the NVMe Gen4 PCIe SSDs, an official announcement is awaited regarding the same.

May 31, 2019
Xiaomi Delays The Release Of Its Foldable Smartphone Over Market Insecurity

Foldable smartphones are expected to be the technology trend for the year 2019. Samsung and Huawei have both showcased their first devices capable of folding into half. These handsets are the Galaxy Fold and the Mate X respectively. While the former was deemed ready for sales a few weeks ago, incidents questioning the smartphone’s durability surfaced online. This led to Samsung recalling the units in a bid to fix the issues plaguing them. While the market waits patiently for the Galaxy Fold to show up again, the major blow of the incidents seems to have been suffered by Xiaomi.

The Chinese smartphone OEM showed off its foldable smartphone in a series of teasers and videos over the past few months. It was also reported the device could make its way into the market in a few months at half the price of the Galaxy Fold and the Mate X. However, due to the increasing market insecurities over Foldable Smartphones, Xiaomi seems to have pushed back the release of its foldable handset.

Investors in the Xiaomi supply chain, had revealed that while the launch of the device was earlier planned in the month of June, our original source claims it has been postponed for later in the summer. This will allow Xiaomi to further test their foldable device.

Due to the unfortunate incidents with the durability of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and the following negative sentiments regarding foldable smartphones; Xiaomi is delaying the release, and further testing their product, and also making sure that the insecurity over the Galaxy fold failure will not impact the sales of their foldable device. Our source claims that the company may wait till another manufacturer releases a foldable device, before they unveil the phone in its entirety.

The company was claimed to have sourced foldable displays from the display maker Visionox. A patent for a foldable Xiaomi device was also discovered around the same time. The rumoured handset by the company is also expected to feature the Snapdragon 855 SoC, up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

Also read: OnePlus 7 Unboxing And Hands On Video

The major attraction with the foldable Xiaomi smartphone is claimed to be its price. Our source told us that the device could retail at half the price of the already announced handsets from Samsung and Huawei, retailing in at about US$ 999 and arriving in India at a lucrative price tag of Rs 74,999.
The handset is now expected later in the Summer, possibly after Samsung re launches the Galaxy Fold, and while Huawei Mate X is also expected in the month of July.

May 31, 2019
Apple Planning On Removing 3D Touch Feature In Future iPhones

Apple’s latest generation of smartphones has been shrouded with plenty of rumours and speculations. The renders seem to strike the right chord with some but fail to impress others, regardless Apple is set to take centre stage with its latest lineup. Amongst the many leaks that have yet to be confirmed, the latest reports point towards the removal of 3D Touch input. The 3D touch is a feature that the company introduced in its handsets back in the year 2015 that has made a recurring appearance since and is now receiving a rain check with the latest generation of iPhones.

The exclusive pressure sensing technology from Apple has always been a cut above the rest was made possible by the company’s proprietary Taptic Engine. The seamless integration of 3D Touch within iOS added a varying degree of functionality to the user interface that saved time for users.

3D Touch allowed users to perform many useful ‘quick functions’ like ‘peak and pop’ where pressure on emails or other text-based apps allowed previews of messages and URLs without actually opening the said application or links. Apple, however, has been reported to have removed the Taptic Engine for cost efficiency and space management.

Apple’s Taptic Engine that powers the 3D touch is reportedly expensive to implement and takes up a lot of space inside the device. The company has sought to increase its profit margins and use the space for other potential components, like a larger battery. One of Apple’s best-selling iPhones the iPhone XR lacked the 3D Touch feature and still sold commendably. This is probably one of the major reasons that reassured Apple on its decision to make the feature optional.

Also Read: OnePlus 7 Unboxing And Hands On Video

Apple users have to, regardless of their stance on this decision, accept the removal of the Taptic Engine and lack of the 3D Touch functionality that was offered on previous iterations of iPhone models.

May 31, 2019
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Trailer Reverts The Series Back To Its Roots

We get dirty, so that the World stays clean

Activision’s vision of a game closer to reality has never looked so good, as showcased in the latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reveal trailer that was released on May 30, 2019. The franchise can be deemed nothing less than legendary, and while the reviews of the previous iterations of the game have been dwindling in quality, Modern Warfare aims to take the player back to the roots.

The trailer is centred around the ‘golden’ CoD character, Captain John Price, who is one of the more prominent faces of the franchise. It is expected that other characters such as John “Soap” MacTavish and Derek “Frost” Westbrook will also make an appearance in the reboot. The trailer showcases scenarios that are heavily relatable to the current state of the world in some cases. Terrorism and bio-chemical wars are just two of the threats that were poised in the trailer.

One significant fact is the return of the original developers, Infinity Ward back to the franchise. As per reports, the core developer and design teams working on the game (including developers from Naughty Dog) are focusing on the emotional impact that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare can have on the players. Infinity Ward co-head stated that the story designers will aim to be sensitive and edgy at the same time. Since the game is based on real world headlines and events, it is expected to feature psychological warfare along with dictating villains and a rich dose of violence.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
The trailer further reveals that the storyline of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare can be experienced from two separate perspectives. The player can play as a lethal Tier-1 Marine with a complete set of weapons and equipment, or he can play as a freedom fighter in the Middle-eastern region. Similar to the previous games, the players can call in airstrikes, perks and care packages to strengthen their position.

Also Read: A 16 Year Old Dies After Allegedly Playing PUBG Mobile For Six Hours

The game is scheduled for launch on October 25, 2019. Additionally, Infinity Ward revealed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will support cross play across all major platforms, which may be a major upside to the game. Furthermore, more information regarding the gameplay and the game itself is expected to be revealed at the E3 2019, which will start June 11 onwards. And we can all hope to catch some more glimpses of old characters from the previous Modern Warfare games, because the end of the trailer packs a clue too obvious to ignore.

Who’s your team?

Some Old Comrades

Watch the official reveal trailer of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare below

May 31, 2019
The Galaxy Note 10 Will Not Have Physical Buttons Or A Headphone Jack

Samsung is known for launching its Galaxy Note series smartphones at the end of summer. Following the same launch cycle, the company’s upcoming flagship, the Galaxy Note 10 is expected to be unveiled in the month of August 2019. Ahead of its announcement, rumours regarding the device have started to surface. As per latest rumours, the 3.5mm headphone jack, which was retained in the Galaxy S10 series smartphones will reportedly not be present in the Note 10 devices. Furthermore, the flagship smartphone may not sport any physical buttons as well. The device will be released in two different variants, and both of them will sport the same button-less design.

The rumours further state that the exterior buttons of the Galaxy Note 10 handsets will be replaced by capacitative or pressure sensitive buttons, that will be accessed by the user via raised bumps or a textured surface along the sides. Another device with the same design factor is the Vivo Apex, which is a step ahead and excluded all forms of ports and buttons from the device. Both the volume rockers and power button in the aforementioned smartphone were capacitative. Moreover, the device lacked all forms of ports, including the charging port. It had to be charged using the magnetic POGO pins at the back.

The removal of buttons from the smartphone will result in the absence of any cutouts in the frame of the device. This implies that the the Note 10 will have a slimmer design with increased structural integrity. Also, an IP68 water and dust resistance rating is easier to attain with the removal of physical buttons. However, we can expect that the Note 10 will not go port-less anytime soon, since the inclusion of a stylus and fast charging renders it impossible to do so.

A similar change was introduced to smartphones a few years back, when manufacturers inadvertently moved in favour of removing physical ‘home’ buttons from the devices. For instance, the iPhone 6S was the last smartphone from Apple that featured a physical home button. The downside to such buttons is their tendency to wear out after a duration of time. On the other hand, capacitative buttons are much more resilient as compared to physical buttons. Another factor is the space consumed by the physical button module inside the device. The removal of physical buttons can ensure more space for the screen and other components.

As mentioned before, the buttons are not the only feature that is being eliminated. Rumours state that the 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been present in all Samsung flagships till date (except the Galaxy Fold) will be ditched in the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 smartphones. Other popular smartphone brands such as OnePlus and Apple have already gotten rid of the headphone jack in their flagship smartphones, and it seems that the South Korean technology company is planning to follow suit.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Also Read: Amazon Textract Service Intended For Transcribing Data Is Now Live

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is expected to be unveiled in the month of August 2019. It is speculated to feature a quad rear camera setup, a 19:9 display and a 4,500 mAh battery in the top variant. Also, the company may introduce a new stylus for the smartphones, which will boast of an inbuilt camera with optical zoom.

May 31, 2019
Moto Z4 Officially Launched With Snapdragon 675 And Moto Mods Support

Motorola has finally given an official release date for the Moto Z4 this Thursday for its US and Canadian markets. The handset has been long awaited by fans across the world and going by past release cycles of the previous Z series by Motorola, it can be deduced that the Moto Z4 will be available in India in the coming months.

Numerous leaks had already made rounds on the internet and a surprising accidental listing of the smartphone on Amazon. The device was actually sold by mistake from Amazon and received by a customer who posted the unboxing and confirmed the support for Moto Mods.

Price and Availability

The Moto Z4 by Motorola carries a price tag of $499 (approx. Rs. 35,000) for its only available combination of 4GB RAM with a 128GB of internal storage. The smartphone will start its sale on June 6th in the US with pre-orders being currently available. The device will only be available in Canada later this summer with no official date released yet. Colour variants of the smartphone are confirmed to be in Flash Grey and Frost White. A 5G mod will be made for Verizon customers in the US for $199 (approx. Rs.14,000) with its original cost being $349 (approx. Rs.24,500). A Moto Mod that will feature a 360 Camera Mod will be bundled with the unlocked models at the same price according to the company.

Specifications

The Moto Z4 with Android 9 Pie is a single-SIM smartphone in the US with a dual-SIM variant claimed to be in production for the south-east Asian market, namely China and India. The device is equipped with a 6.40-inch full HD+ OLED display panel that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Moto Z4 will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC octa-core processor along with 4GB of RAM.

The primary camera of the handset will only have a single 48-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization. The sensor has an aperture of f/1.7 and a pixel size of 1.6-microns that takes 12-megapixel shots along with PDAF, laser autofocus and dual-LED flash. The front shooter also has a large 25-megapixel sensor (f/2.0) for selfies. The camera will be the key highlight of this device with the Quad Pixel technology (pixel binning). This will keep the image size lower than a full blown 48-megapixel image and should, in theory, have better low-light performance and improve overall details.

Moto Z4 will have 128GB of in-built internal storage that will be supplemented by the external storage options via microSD card (upto 2TB). Device connectivity options of the handset include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, Bluetooth v5.0, NFC, USB Type-C. The smartphone will include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/ magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an optical in-display fingerprint sensor.

Also Read: A 16 Year Old Dies After Allegedly Playing PUBG Mobile For Six Hours

Moto Z4 has no official IP rating but a P2i splash-proof nano-coating is provided for protection against accidental spillage. The phone is built out of 6000 series aluminium, and a 2.5D curved glass layer finish on top. Moto Z4s display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 an ageing but still effective anti-scratch measure. Measuring 158x75x7.35mm and weighing around 165g the device will be powered by a 3,600mAh battery that is reported to deliver around 2 days of battery life while supporting Motorola’s 15W TurboPower fast charging. The fast charging adapter will be included in the box.

May 31, 2019
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Added To The Android Q Beta Program Again

Huawei was recently barred from doing any business with American companies; after the US government included it in an entity list earlier this month. However, the company was later given a 90-day extension to finish all pending business after which the ban will be in its full effect. Due to this, smartphones from Huawei lost the Android license provided by Google and were also removed from the Android Q Beta Program. Now, Google has added the Huawei flagship device from last year, the Mate 20 Pro back to the list of handsets supporting the upcoming Android Q Beta update.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro Android Q

As mentioned above, the official website of Android has added the Mate 20 Pro smartphone by Huawei back to its Android Q Beta Program. The device was removed from the listing because of the ban placed by the US government; restricting any business between an American company and the Chinese OEM. With this, the handset joins the limited list of devices including the Asus Zenfone 5Z, LG G8, Nokia 8.1 to be a part of the Beta program. While the Mate 20 Pro was also removed from the Android Enterprise recommended devices and Google’s list of Android handsets last week; the listing in both cases have not restored the name of the Huawei flagship yet.

Also read: A 16 Year Old Dies After Allegedly Playing PUBG Mobile For Six Hours

The addition of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro back to the Android Q Beta Program may be due to the 90 day extension period in effect. And since the smartphone has been added to the listing once again, it may insinuate that the handset will receive the stable update of Android Q after all. Unfortunately, it is not known if the company’s latest flagship smartphone, the P30 Pro; launched back in the month of March will receive the Android Q Beta update. However, an official announcement regarding the same is expected soon.

Watch the Unboxing and First Look of the Huawei Mate 20 Below:

May 31, 2019