Virtual reality (VR) headsets have gained considerable buzz in the recent past. Oculus brought VR into mainstream, and several others followed soon after. Samsung’s Gear VR was the most prominent of all but to use it, you have to buy a Note 4. This is the reason it’s out of the reach of most enthusiasts. A Kickstarter project called ANTVR showed some promise with its innovative features and controllers. However, it’s Google who might bring the VR experience to everyone with the Google Cardboard project.
As the name suggests, the entire gadget is made up of just cardboard and some other small bits that you can find in your homes itself. You will have the support of Google; that will assist you in making the headset as well as provide software support for it. You can consider this as a gift from Google for all the big data you provide them.
Google has released new SDK for Android and Unity to create apps for the VR headsets. The Google Cardboard project can be considered the heights of jugaad device by a prominent company. The company already provides instructions to assist you in making your own DIY VR headsets. On a page dedicated to the Cardboard project, the company also featured several apps and games for the headsets.
The headsets work with any device and thus is accessible to all.
You can download the Cardboard app to start your VR experience. There are several demos already available in the app including a Google Earth flyby, a tour of Versailles and lets you watch Youtube videos on a virtual massive screen. Apart from this, you can download apps like Paul McCartney’s live performance, The Hobbit VR experience and several other fantastic visuals for your eyes only.
You can also buy the headsets, and they cost you somewhere between $20-$45. This is way cheaper than every other alternative in the market, and you can make it yourself for even less. The company says that it will be uploading instructions to make the device with extreme specifics such as how to cut using a blade, die-cutting or a laser cutter.
It’s great to see Google interested in an open source project for VR technology. The affordability of this technology is really encouraging. As it works with any phone, you don’t even have to buy an expensive new device to make it work. Of course, you might end up with nausea, headache and vertigo but it’s worth the effort to watch Sir Paul McCartney live, isn’t it?
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s meeting with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong has triggered rumours that the two firms are discussing the possibility of a new Facebook phone. According to sources, the two parties met at Samsung’s headquarters, they were joined by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, along with Samsung’s mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun along with other top level executives from both companies.
This raised speculations that Facebook and Samsung are planning a Facebook phone. As we saw in the past, Facebook’s last phone the HTC First, which had Facebook Home software layer with Android UI on top was discontinued, same goes with HTC ChaCha, another Facebook phone which had a physical Facebook button for quick posting to the social network. Though, both devices couldn’t succeed and did not take off.
It’s not the first time these power houses are working together, the much hyped Samsung Gear VR has been launched in partnership with Oculus last month, which is now owned by Facebook. If rumours are true, it will interesting to see what this device can offer to users and if it can it be a competitor to Google’s Android One Project.
Samsung has brought out a slew of devices at IFA Berlin this year. The major ones of course were the Galaxy Note 4, the Note Edge, Gear S and the Gear VR, but apart from these there are also some other innovative products brought by the company. One of them is an Android powered printer.
Printers have come a long way, but they still have the usual connectivity issues. In the age of mobility and instant access we don’t want to deal with the whole PC to printer connectivity scenario. This is where Samsung’s Smart MultiXpress printers come in handy.
Samsung has released 10 Smart MultiXpress models, and these are designed to work without being setup through a PC. They have a 10.1 inch touchscreen to help you navigate through the printer. You can search and print documents from web browsers, emails, maps, images and other types of content.
The 10.1 inch display will let your print documents from the web.
These printers are compatible with Samsung Cloud Print and Samsung’s XOA printing platform. To add even more convenience, the printers are also NFC available. You can easily print your documents remotely.
According to Samsung, the printers are will make business’s more efficient and productive. These devices have faster processors to speed up the printing process. Samsung claims they also offer longer lasting toner and drum technologies thereby bringing down the maintenance costs of running them.
So if you are working in one of those offices which have regular printer issues, Samsung’s Smart MultiXpress Series MFP printers might be the solution you were looking for.
Just a few days ago, Samsung had it hard when the AnTuTu benchmark screenshot of Galaxy Note 4 was leaked online, just weeks before the release. Now, SamMobile has uncovered details about the camera for the Galaxy Note 4.
SamMobile reports that the Galaxy Note 4 will apparently feature a 16-megapixel Sony IMX240 camera sensor with optical image stabilization and UHD video recording, and a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera with WQHD video recording. These details seem consistent with the earlier report.
A sensor built into the bottom right side of the handset called Side Touch will also be added in the Galaxy Note 4. The sensor is supposed to replace a dedicated camera button, allowing users to simply tap on the side of the handset to take a picture.
The Slide touch sensor is supposed to replace a dedicated camera button, allowing users to simply tap on the side of the handset to take a picture.
The device’s front-facing camera will be a 3.7MP unit, capable of capturing images and video in WQHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). It represents a noticeable bump in resolution and capabilities.
The Galaxy Note 4 camera app is expected to have a gesture-based shortcut; users would be able to access the app while the handset is off by tapping the screen with two fingers and swiping them apart. Gesture-based functions are becoming increasingly popular on smartphones – we seen the Galaxy S5 include a feature called Air Wake up, which allows users to wave their hand over the screen take it off standby.
The Device is also expected to take a departure from the faux leather back panel.
However, the biggest highlight of the Galaxy Note camera will four new camera modes, three of which are dedicated to the art of the selfie: “Selfie” mode, “Wide Selfie,” “Selfie Alarm,” and “Create A GIF File.” Most intriguing of those is Selfie Alarm, which allegedly makes it easier to take selfies with the phone’s superior rear-mounted camera by allowing it to automatically detect your face and snap the photo.
On the hardware side, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is rumored to include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 or Samsung Exynos 5433 chipset, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device may be water and dust resistant, and may also include a fingerprint scanner like the Samsung Galaxy S5. Other features rumored for the Galaxy Note 4 include an iris scanner, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor and the virtual reality (VR) headset called Samsung Gear VR, which would pair with the Galaxy Note 4.
MSI components and peripherals are rather popular in the computing industry. And while MSI also makes gaming gear and hardware, only in recent times has MSI started to push hard in the gaming laptop and desktop arena. The MSI GL63 is one such series which offers some serious spec hardware at interesting prices.
We are checking out the MSI GL63 9SD. This is one of MSI’s newest gaming laptops. There are a few things that make gaming laptops good;
It should have good cooling
Hardware to support most games
Fast Refresh Display
Great keyboard
Somehow still lightweight.
MSI managed to check all the above boxes in the GL63 series. and the 9SD is also perfectly placed in that bracket.
The MSi GL63 9SD has a good design, a usual aggressive look for a gaming laptop. Even though the laptop is missing any kind of RGB, it makes up for it by introducing aggressive lines and reflective decals.
Specifications
Our unit was equipped with the 9th Gen Core i7 9750H along with 8GB RAM and 256 m.2 SSD paired with a 1 TB HDD. For graphics the 9SD has GTX 1660 Ti With 6GB of VRAM.
The display also fits the bill with a 120 hz refresh rate and an antiglare coating , excellent viewing angles and good brightness from a full HD 1920x1080p panel.
MSI partnered with Steelseries for the keyboard on the laptop. The Keyboard keys have good travel but still remain easy to game on and comfortable for long sessions of gaming. The 9SD model has RED backlit lets, but you can always get the 9SDK model for a full RGB backlit keyboard.
Gaming
The Combination of the above hardware allowed for impressive gaming results, With PUBG running comfortably at 100- 110 fps and Shadow of the tomb raider delivering a good 60-70 fps. Wolfenstein Youngblood achieves 100fps. All the games were between High – ultra settings, with Motion Blur Off.
The MSI GL63 9SD also has impressive audio inbuilt with large stereo speakers and support for 3D audio using the company’s Nahimic 3 App. The laptop also has a dragon centre which is like a dedicated Game mode to allow for customisation and hardware performance focusing towards specific games.
The MSI GL63 series is presently on sale for upto 30% off and you get additional deals like PUBG loot boxes and mechanical gaming keyboards on certain products.
Gaming setups are incomplete without a dash of RGB lighting and attractive peripherals nowadays. Brands manufacture peripherals such as mice and keyboards keeping in mind the requirement of gamers, some of them being build quality, key feedback, comfort and aesthetics. Some keyboards feature anti-ghosting to avoid simultaneous key presses, some mice provide customisable on-the-fly DPI settings and so on. For some users, buying a keyboard and mouse combo is the best bet. Listed below are some of the best keyboard and mouse combos that are affordable at the same time.
The GAMDIAS Gaming combo consists of a RGB backlit keyboard and an ambidextrous mouse with adjustable DPI settings. The ARES membrane keyboard includes a host of convenient features, such as 23-Key Rollover, All-keys lock mode, and OTF (On the fly) macro recording with 3 programmable Macro keys. Moreover, the keyboard features a spill-proof design, along with 7-colour RGB lighting and a convenient wrist-rest. The keyboard is paired up with the OUREA FPS mouse, which has an inbuilt microprocessor, an 8-million click lifespan and an ambidextrous design, which means that it is optimal for both left and right handed users. Furthermore, the mouse features selectable DPI options from 400/1600/3200/4000 DPI, and has a weight tuning system for mouse weight customization.
Zebronics is a well-known Indian peripheral manufacturing brand, and the Transformer gaming combo is fit for anyone who’s looking to add a little zest to their system. The keyboard features a total of 104 keys with 4-colour RGB illumination and a total of 3-light modes. The keyboard also has integrated media control keys, and sports a durable build thanks to the aluminium frame. The bundled mouse also supports RGB illumination, and has a sturdy design. Furthermore, the mouse features an extra button for DPI settings and two additional customizable buttons on the side of the mouse. The mouse has a 3200 DPI sensor.
Cosmic Byte Dark Matter Gaming & Keyboard Mouse Combo
The Cosmic Byte Keyboard features a high quality membrane and 19-Key Rollover to prevent anti-ghosting. It has a one-touch media access key to access the volume and play/pause operations easily. Aesthetics wise, it features a total of 3 lighting modes. Moreover, the keyboard has 10customizable keys so that gamers can play different games with desired key setups. The less-feature-rich mouse has a similar RGB pattern scheme to the keyboard, and has extra customizable keys on the left. The mouse sports a 2400 DPI sensor.
Redgear Manta Gaming Keyboard & Mouse Combo
With a life span of up to 10 million keystrokes as claimed by the company, the Redgear Manta keyboard is ergonomic and well-built keyboard. It also has 3 LED colour light modes. The Redgear Manta keyboard has 19-key rollover to register all keys accurately while in-game. Similarly, the Manta Gaming mouse has an ergonomic design, but the mouse is not ambidextrous, instead, it is focused towards right-handed users. Users can customize the RGB settings on the mouse for an attractive look, and also save 5 macro profiles using the software application which comes bundled with the combo. The mouse also sports a 3200 DPI sensor, with on-the-fly DPI switching.
HP Gaming Mouse & Keyboard Combo GK1000
The HP GK1000 gaming mouse and keyboard combo is a good deal for those who are looking to get a reliable set of peripherals for their setup. The keyboard has gaming-specific keys and multimedia keys that can be controlled with the help of the function key. The mouse has only two DPI settings: 1,000 and 1,600. The company claims that the mouse offers enhanced precision and manoeuvrability. Where the keyboard claims to have a lifespan of 10 million key presses, the mouse guarantees 5 million clicks.
It is that time of the year again when gamers spend all their money to buy the best in gear, console and gaming peripherals at the Amazon Great Indian Festival. We made a list of the best deals on Amazon that are available today!
Microsoft Xbox One S 1TB Console (Free Games: Sea of Thieves)
Xbox One S Sea of Thieves Bundle features a full-game download, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, 4K video streaming, High Dynamic Range, and an Xbox wireless controller.Xbox One S has over 1,300 games including Xbox One exclusives. It also features built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K video streaming and is available at a very low price on the Amazon Great Indian Festival.
MRP – Rs 30990
DEAL PRICE – Rs 19990
Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2
The all new media buttons and more intuitive controls make the gaming experience even better. Hundreds of new games have been listed in Evo Game Pad App across all genres and the games list is increasing rapidly. The new Evo Gamepad Pro 2 is very ergonomically designed the offer price makes it an absolute steal.
MRP – Rs 2899
DEAL PRICE – Rs 1890
Redgear Pro Series Wired Gamepad
Redgear Pro series wired gamepad uses the latest and ultra precise VR on the left and right stick to help you game like a pro, no more dead zones while playing your FPS games and allows better control for angles on sports games. It also comes with X-input and direct-input compatibility that allows you to play all the latest games in plug and play mode, easily move between X-input mode and direct-input mode with a dedicated switch. Jazz up your gaming space with the new Pro series controller with backlit illuminated ABXY keys.
WAS – Rs 1499
DEAL PRICE – Rs 999
Gamdias Hades M1 Gaming Wired/Wireless Mouse
GAMDIAS designed for the gamer who pursue pleasant feeling in game. Each of the gaming products is designed with a patented special feature and never ceasing to break the limitations of traditional thinking. GAMDIAS Hades M1 wired/ wireless Optical gaming mouse has a whopping 10800 DPI. With 7 Smart keys allow for strategic assignment of macros, profile keyboard keys, media controls Windows functions. The Amazon Great Indian Festival has an amazing deal on the mouse!
Razer Death Adder Essential is equipped with 6400 DPI 4G optical sensor, capable of movements up to 200 inches per second and 50 g acceleration, meaning it will always respond with exacting accuracy and organic fluidity only possible with optical sensor. The sensor tracks Z-axis to as low as 1 mm on most surfaces including glass table tops, perfect for low-sense gamers who can set tracking cut-off on mice lift, ensuring always consistent control. With a deal price of more than 50% off it is an absolute steal!
WAS – Rs 4999
DEAL PRICE – Rs 1799
Logitech Prodigy G231 Gaming Headphones with Mic (Black)
G231 Prodigy gaming headset uses 40 mm neodymium drivers deliver high-quality stereo sound to keep you immersed in your game from start to finish. G231 works with Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC so you can hear the incredible audio in all your games. High-performance cloth ear cups can be slipped off for washing. Earpieces have been designed to be slim and light. Folding, unidirectional mic can be positioned to pick up your voice alone, Don’t feel like talking? Easily fold it up and out of the way. Connects via analog 4 pole 3.5mm plug.
WAS – Rs 6495
DEAL PRICE – Rs 2999
HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro Gaming Headset
Product features HyperX Cloud Alpha ‘s innovative dual – chamber driver design restrains distortion and reproduces clearer and clearer audio. The dual chamber separates the bass and medium and high sounds and is tuned to clear and smoothly optimized sound. The Cloud Alpha headset uses high quality red memory foam, extended headband, soft supple leather toilet and inherits HyperX’s award-winning comfort.With inline audio adjustment function and detachable cloth wound cable, you can easily adjust the volume and mute the microphone with convenient inline audio adjustment.
Arctis features a new mic design with unmatched clarity, and improved comfort with materials inspired by athletic clothing. Arctis 7 features lag-free wireless audio, 15-hour battery life, a premium steel headband, on-ear Game/Chat audio balance, and DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound. What more, it is available for a whopping 7000 rupee discount at the Amazon Great Indian Festival.
WAS – Rs 17499
DEAL PRICE – Rs 10499
Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel
For those who like to play fast-paced racing games and want to experience realistic handling and controls while playing these games, the Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel is a great choice for PC and console gaming. Equipped with three pedals and a fully functional steering wheel with an assortment of functions and features, this racing wheel gets you right in the middle of the action every single time. It is available at almost half price for the Amazon Great Indian Festival.
Samsung has opened its biggest ever store in Bengaluru, India. The Experience centre, was opened on Tuesday and covers a massive area of 30,000 square feet.
Samsung is the global leader when it comes to smartphone sales. However, its position is threatened by a number of fast growing Chinese brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi. India, being the fastest growing and second largest smartphone market in the world, is bound to be the battle ground for companies to establish their lead over one another. Xiaomi holds 30% market share in India while Samsung comes second with 23%. At a time like this, it makes perfect sense for the South Korean giant to kick up its focus in India and ensure it stays in the race.
The Experience
The Royal Opera House Building Which Houses the Store
The Experience Centre is housed within the iconic Royal Opera House in Bengaluru. The Opera House was a theatre which as the name suggests, featured Opera during the British Era. Samsung claims it has spent two years restoring the structure to feature the Samsung Experience Centre.
The tech giant is not only showcasing its full lineup of smartphones and wearable devices but also consumer electronics. The centre has products like TV’s, electronic appliances and a VR experience segment too. Here, the Samsung Gear is showcased, which is bound to get a lot of attention.
Apart from this, it has a service centre for smartphones. The experience centre will also will organise workshops, activities and events in the future, according to the company.
Back in July, Samsung had opened one of the world’s largest phone factories in Noida, near Delhi. The factory is reported to be the world’s largest mobile phone production unit. Coupled with the opening of the new Experience Centre in Bangalore, its safe to say that Samsung is not backing down in this smartphone war. Its global rival Apple, however seems to be oblivious of the changes in the market as it is yet to open a flagship store in India.
Happy Republic Day to all our readers! On this day, iGyaan is feeling very generous and we have decided to give a lot back to our Team iGyaan. A mega giveaway awaits everyone where ten lucky winners can win a backpack, smartphone, earphones and much more!
Here is a comprehensive list of who will win what:
We are continuing our countdown of listing out the best phones launched in 2017. We have covered two price segments of under Rs. 10000 and Rs. 20000 already. Let’s take a look at the top phones launched in 2017 under Rs. 40000.
Moto X4
Starting off with the most inexpensive phone on the list, the Moto X4 has a lot of features that its closest competitors don’t, like an IP68 rating and a dual-camera setup together. At a starting price of Rs. 20999, the Moto X4 is a great device for people who want a great camera and a water resistance.
The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection.
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 smartphone runs stock Android 8.0 Oreo and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities.
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.
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.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Priced similarly to the Moto X4, the Galaxy A7 (2017) has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance as well.
It has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display and a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the device has an Exynos 7880, Mali-T830MP3 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the physical button which sits below the display.
The device runs Android 6 Marshmallow and is powered by a decent 3000 mAh battery which is charged via a USB C port.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) has a 16MP camera on both the front as well as the rear. These cameras have an f/1.9 aperture which has been teamed up with Light+ technology.
OnePlus 5
OnePlus 5 might have become the forgotten sibling but, at the time of its launch, the device had a lot going for it. A sturdy built, nice display and flagship specifications at almost half the price, the OnePlus 5 was the go-to phone for a lot of consumers. However, five months after its launch, the company launched the OnePlus 5T with a modern design and the same price. The company subsequently announced that it will stop the manufacturing of the OnePlus 5 although, software support will continue until the launch of Android P.
The OnePlus 5 has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage which cannot be expanded. The fingerprint sensor is placed below the display which also acts as a home button.
The smartphone is powered by a 3300 mAh battery with OnePlus’ own Dash Charge technology.
The OnePlus 5 has a 16 MP wide camera with an f/1.7 aperture along with a 20 MP telephoto camera with an f/2.6 aperture. On the front is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
OnePlus 5T
The OnePlus 5T is the better-looking of the two phones by OnePlus. It was launched in November and has reduced bezels around a tall 18:9 display. The OnePlus 5T also has a new Face Unlock feature which will soon be rolled out to the OnePlus 5 as well. The OnePlus 5T has the same specifications as the OnePlus 5 and is also priced exactly the same.
The other big difference between the two is in the camera department. Unlike the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 5T no longer has a secondary telephoto lens at the back. Instead, OnePlus has decided to focus on the device’s low-light photography capabilities. The cameras do not have OIS and OnePlus has decided to go for EIS on the dual camera setup at the back. The device has a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture coupled with a 20MP sensor with the same f/1.7 aperture and field of view, ie no optical zoom. On the front is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Nokia 8
The Nokia 8 was a significant smartphone for HMD Global. It was the first ever Nokia branded flagship running Android OS. At the time of its launch, everyone expected it to be priced over Rs. 40000 but, the device launched in India at a price of Rs. 36999.
The Nokia 8 sports a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button below the screen.
Powering the device is a 3,090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support via USB Type-C port. The Nokia 8 runs on stock Android 7.1.1 OS and the company has promised monthly security updates and yearly Android updates.
The Nokia 8 boasts a Zeiss powered dual camera setup at the rear – a primary 13MP RGB (colour) sensor with optical image stabilisation paired with a 13MP secondary monochrome (black and white) sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of recording videos in 4K at 30 FPS and has a portrait mode for bokeh effect. On the front is a 13MP camera which can also record 4K videos at 30FPS.
Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro
Another Samsung device with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, the Galaxy C9 Pro is priced under Rs. 30000 which makes it a very good phone for users who prefer Samsung’s build and design.
The Galaxy C9 Pro has a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is again housed inside the physical home button which sits below the display.
The Galaxy C9 Pro has a massive 4000 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro has a 16MP camera on both the front as well as the rear. These cameras have an f/1.9 aperture and record 1080P videos at 30fps.
Honor View10
The latest entrant in the affordable flagship segment, the Honor View10 is expected to be priced under Rs. 40000 and pose competition to the likes of the OnePlus 5T and Nokia8. The only smartphone in this category that concentrates on Artificial Intelligence, this phone has everything an affordable flagship should have, and the bells and whistles of the Kirin 970 are a bonus.
The Honor View10 has a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor View10 has minimal side bezels and thin top and bottom bezels.
Under the hood, the device has the Kirin 970 chipset with a Neural Processing Unit, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device along with a USB Type C port. The front of the device also has a home button which houses the fingerprint sensor.
The Honor View10 also has facial recognition which is becoming more prominent since the launch of the iPhone X. The facial recognition works similar to the Face ID on the iPhone X, the accuracy of which, will be extensively tested in the coming weeks.
Because of its facial recognition technology, the Honor View10 also has iPhone X-like animojis, which Honor claims are much more accurate than iPhone X since it tracks the user’s tongue as well.
Powering the device is a 3750 mAh battery and supports 5V / 4.5A fast charging.
The Honor View10 has a dual camera setup at the back and has a single camera at the front. The back of the devices houses a 16MP RGB sensor and a 20MP Monochrome sensor with both having an f/1.8 aperture. The primary camera setup records 4K videos at 30fps. At the front of the phone is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is the second iteration of Xiaomi’s ‘Mix’ lineup. The original Mi Mix created quite a stir when it was launched back in 2016 thanks to its bezel-less design. It was the first phone at that time to sport such a design and ever since then, every smartphone maker has followed suit and made thinner bezels for their phones.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has a 5.99 inch 2160 x 1080 px LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Mi Mix 2 has a 12% reduced bottom bezel and a screen-to-body ratio of 80.8%. The device features a cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic speaker and ultrasonic proximity sensor.
Under the hood, the flagship smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB RAM and storage options of 64GB, 128GB or 256GB. The onboard storage will not be expandable due to the absence of a microSD card slot. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device just below the camera.
The device is powered by a 3,400 mAh battery which is considerably smaller than the previous generation Mix’s 4,400 mAh battery.
The Mi Mix has a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 1.25-micron pixels, an f/2.0 aperture 4-axis optical image stabilisation, 5-piece lens, and facial recognition. On the front is a 5MP which features facial recognition as well.
The LG G6 followed the pattern of every great LG Android smartphone to fly under the radar. At the time of its launch, the LG G6 was already behind the Galaxy S8 and the S8+ because it had the Snapdragon 821 chipset while the Samsung devices were powered by the Snapdragon 835. Even though the chipset is old. there is no denying that the LG G6 has one of the best cameras in this segment along with an edge-to-edge design and features like wireless charging.
The LG G6 has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, the Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone which doubles up as a home button.
Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
To the back, the LG G6 has a dual-camera setup. One of them is a 13MP normal lens with an f/1.8 aperture while the 13MP wide-angle lens has an f/.2.4 aperture.
Essential Ph-1
The Essential Ph-One was launched to a lot of fanfare as the company’s founder of Andy Rubin, popularly known as the father of Android. The company promised that it would have all the essential elements of a smartphone, especially a great camera. The phone had a small notch at the top of the display for the camera and a small chin with nearly no bezels on the rest of the three sides of the display.
Post the launch of the phone, it was heavily panned by critics for its poor camera. The lack of the headphone jack didn’t do it any good either. However, ever since it launc, the company has pushed out a lot of updates and at a price of US $499, the Essential Ph-1 is a great device.
It has a 5.71 inch IPS LCD display with a 2560 x 1312 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of onboard storage which cannot be expanded.
Powering the device is a 3040 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
It has a dual 13MP camera at the back with an f/1.9 aperture. One of them has an RGB sensor while the other one has a monochrome sensor. It records 4K videos at 30fps and with the latest software update, clicks portrait photos as well. On the front of the phone is an 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
BONUS: HTC U Ultra
At the time of its launch, the HTC U Ultra was priced at Rs. 59900. At that price, the device was aksing a lot from its potential customers but, the price of the phone has now dropped to under Rs. 30000 and if you are a fan of HTC’s hardware, then thid device is a decent option.
The HTC U Ultra has a 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px Super LCD5 display.
Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the front of the device.
Powering the U Ultra is a 3000 mAh battery.
It has a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera that facilitates fast focus and less blurred shots at night. The front camera has a 16 MP UltraPixel Sensor.
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.
One of the best phones of 2016 and still a great deal at Rs. 11,499.
16 MP primary camera with laser focus, 5 MP front camera
5.5-inch full HD display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow OS
1.5 GHz MSM8952 Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core
550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory expandable up to 128GB
3000 mAh battery
3. Redmi 4A
This phone which is typically only available in flash sales is available throughout the Amazon Great India Sale but only for Prime Members. Our Review Marked it as a best buy in the price bracket.
13MP primary camera and 5MP front facing camera
5-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen with 1280 x 720 px display
Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow Miui 8
1.4GHz Cortex A53 64-bit Qualcomm snapdragon 425
2GB RAM, 16GB internal expandable up to 128GB a
3120mAH lithium-ion battery
4. Coolpad Note 5
The 32 GB variant of the Coolpad Note 5 is available for a cool Rs. 2000 discount making the Price only Rs. 9999
This ultra portable and fast hard drive is a steal at Rs. 4099 is available in a brushed Aluminium finish in several colours to match with your existing gear.
8. Amazon Fire Stick
Not only do you get to stream video and make your old TV a Smart TV, Amazon is giving Rs. 499 as cash back during the sale.
9. Sandisk MicroSD 16 GB
Looking for one of the best MicroSD cards for your smartphone storage needs. Rs. 419 is all you need to spend during the sale. One of the best MicroSD cards on the market.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been no mystery to the tech world, and while the phone is expected to launch in about a weeks time almost everything is already known about the next big flagship from Samsung.
Tech industry tipster has Evan Glass has leaked what appear to be images of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8’s color options. Expected to launch in three colors, according the Blass, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will be available in black sky, orchid grey and arctic silver.
The leaks also include details about the pricing of the Samsung Galaxy S8 which is expected to start at € 799 while the bigger brother the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is expected at 899€.
Samsung will also launch a DeX station which will allow users to connect the Galaxy S8 to a monitor to get PC like performance. The Samsung Galaxy DeX station is expected for 150€.
While the new GearVR which has been heavily leaked as well is expected for 129€ The new design Gear360 is expected for 229€.
No console is perfect, but the right accessory can help bring it closer to perfection. And gamers need to have the absolute best of accessories if they want to beat other gamers from around the world. It’s a kind of religion that only serious gamers will understand. 2015 has produced not only some jaw dropping games, but also other equipments that provide for the ultimate gaming experience and that takes gaming to a whole new level, Let’s have a look at some of them.
Logitech’S G410 Mechanical Keyboard
Logitech launched the G410 Atlas Spectrum keyboard a couple of months ago. The G410, which has a tenkeyless design (i.e no number pad or macro keys), is small and light enough to carry around in your bag. The smaller board also makes it easier to identify keys for gaming and allows for a smoother, easier gameplay.
The keyboard is built around the custom-designed Romer-G mechanical switches. This means the keys have a shallow actuation point (1.5 mm of travel) and is designed to have a softer click as well. The company also says that the Romer-G switches register key presses up to 25 percent faster than its competitors.
Users who still prefer the old-school way of having a mechanical keyboard and who enjoy the loud clicks may find softer voice of the G410 a little too subtle. However, newcomers are sure to love the smaller, lighter board and the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) LED keys that light up the board beautifully when your fingers press on a key.
Razer DeathAdder Chroma Ergonomic Gaming Mouse
The DeathAdder is a mouse that’s been around for many years now.The mouse has been updated several times over the years and the newest one uses Razer’s Chroma technology, bringing 16.8 million colour options to the table.
The Razer DeathAdder Chroma is a right-handed, ergonomic Gaming mouse with a Optical sensor with a maximum DPI of 10,000 DPI. There’s 5 programmable buttons, a 1000Hz Polling Rate, a braided cable and obviously the 16.8 million colour Chroma lighting (mouse wheel and Razer logo).
The ergonomics of the mouse keeps the design to a minimal. The mouse looks clean and simple but has a firm grip and strong build. When it comes to performance, there’s really no going mouse that can top Razer. The mouse tracks well and has a great in-game performance, though the lack of some buttons can prove difficult when playing RPG, MMO or MOBA.
Add to this you get 16.8 million customizable colour options for the mouse. So whether you’re in the mood for electric blue, pastel pink or signature Razer green, you can take a pick and illuminate your Razer DeathAdder Chroma’s scroll wheel and Razer logo.
VR Headgear
Consider VR headsets as future gaming accessories. Two names dominated this year’s VR headwear news – Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. You may have seen these wearables already in actions already. The Oculus Rift will officially launch early 2016. The virtual reality headset was initially demoed as an entertainment gear that could create virtual environments for you to see movies and shows. But the fact remains that he Oculus Rift is primarily for gaming.
It’ll still be a while before VR-centric games are developed for the headset. Oculus has stated that existing games with a first person or fixed-camera perspective can be ported to VR with some development effort, however the best virtual reality games are those that are designed for the Rift from the start.
The HTC Vive VR headset is the product of HTC and Valve Corporation. It is also part of Valve Corporation’s SteamVR project. HTC officially unveiled its device, Vive, during its Mobile World Congress keynote on March 1, 2015. The headset will officially launch in April next year.
Steam Controller
Those aware of the Steam controller will know how useful the new controller is the it comes to playing games on the PC. It’s much more than your standard controller, mostly because the Steam controller introduces touchpads and ditches the need to rely on thumbsticks, which makes gaming a lot more easier if you’re the kind who like to play at the comfort of your couch.
Touchpads allow a more natural movement, according to users. Guide your thumb across the touchpad and the movements correspond to the movements on the screen. Recently, a new Steam client beta update was released that allows you to do a lot more. With the new update, if you click the upper left portion of your trackpad, for example, the cursor leaps to a corresponding position on your PC’s monitor – potentially speeding up reaction times in top-down strategy and MOBA strategy games.
The touchpad has a lot more features that are still being discovered. One such feature is that the touch area can be reduced to specific zones, ensuring that touch input will go directly to on-screen hotkeys or a game’s mini-map for easy navigation. The Steam controller is a novel way of game playing, especially for those who want more than just the standard mouse, keyboard, and gamepad.
Kinect
Microsoft decided to keep Kinect as a separate entity rather than having it as a primary component in the Xbox One package. Kinect is a camera and motion controller that lets you command your Xbox and TV with your voice and gestures, play games where you become the controller and make Skype calls in HD. Scan your own face and embed them into some games, or engage in some serious gesture-based dance gaming. The Kinect is an add-on for those who want a little more out of their Xbox One console.
In today’s update about the iPhone 7, we have speculations from Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple analyst from KGI. In the latest KGI memo, Kuo further strengthens the rumours of a dual-camera set-up for the iPhone 7 Plus.
The note was released on Wednesday in which Kuo talks about Apple maintaining its trend of coming out with two iPhone models in 2016 as well. We expect to see iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at the September event this year.
The iPhone 7 would be a 4.7-inch model with the regular iSight camera built on LinX imaging technology. The iPhone 7 Plus, however, with its 5.5 inch screen will have two variants – one with a single camera, while the other would feature a dual-camera design. This design would include two sensors, both marked at 12 MP each. While Optical Image Stabilisation is a feature iPhone users are already used to, optical zoom is something we can look forward to in the new device, along with a whole new set of features like bokeh effects and variable focus this design change is likely to bring.Kuo further speculates that all iPhone 7 Plus models will not have the new dual-camera set-up. Only 25%-35% of shipped models will sport the new feature. Apple is gearing up for some complicated production that involves high costs with two variants of just the iPhone 7 Plus. It would be interesting to see how it pans out for the Cupertino-based company.
The GAMDIAS Gaming combo consists of a RGB backlit keyboard and an ambidextrous mouse with adjustable DPI settings. The ARES membrane keyboard includes a host of convenient features, such as 23-Key Rollover, All-keys lock mode, and OTF (On the fly) macro recording with 3 programmable Macro keys. Moreover, the keyboard features a spill-proof design, along with 7-colour RGB lighting and a convenient wrist-rest. The keyboard is paired up with the OUREA FPS mouse, which has an inbuilt microprocessor, an 8-million click lifespan and an ambidextrous design, which means that it is optimal for both left and right handed users. Furthermore, the mouse features selectable DPI options from 400/1600/3200/4000 DPI, and has a weight tuning system for mouse weight customization.
Zebronics is a well-known Indian peripheral manufacturing brand, and the Transformer gaming combo is fit for anyone who’s looking to add a little zest to their system. The keyboard features a total of 104 keys with 4-colour RGB illumination and a total of 3-light modes. The keyboard also has integrated media control keys, and sports a durable build thanks to the aluminium frame. The bundled mouse also supports RGB illumination, and has a sturdy design. Furthermore, the mouse features an extra button for DPI settings and two additional customizable buttons on the side of the mouse. The mouse has a 3200 DPI sensor. 
The Cosmic Byte Keyboard features a high quality membrane and 19-Key Rollover to prevent anti-ghosting. It has a one-touch media access key to access the volume and play/pause operations easily. Aesthetics wise, it features a total of 3 lighting modes. Moreover, the keyboard has 10customizable keys so that gamers can play different games with desired key setups. The less-feature-rich mouse has a similar RGB pattern scheme to the keyboard, and has extra customizable keys on the left. The mouse sports a 2400 DPI sensor. 
With a life span of up to 10 million keystrokes as claimed by the company, the Redgear Manta keyboard is ergonomic and well-built keyboard. It also has 3 LED colour light modes. The Redgear Manta keyboard has 19-key rollover to register all keys accurately while in-game. Similarly, the Manta Gaming mouse has an ergonomic design, but the mouse is not ambidextrous, instead, it is focused towards right-handed users. Users can customize the RGB settings on the mouse for an attractive look, and also save 5 macro profiles using the software application which comes bundled with the combo. The mouse also sports a 3200 DPI sensor, with on-the-fly DPI switching. 
Kuo further speculates that all iPhone 7 Plus models will not have the new dual-camera set-up. Only 25%-35% of shipped models will sport the new feature. Apple is gearing up for some complicated production that involves high costs with two variants of just the iPhone 7 Plus. It would be interesting to see how it pans out for the Cupertino-based company.