Tag: iphone x

Test Shows OnePlus 5T Is The Fastest Charging Flagship Phone

As smartphones get thinner, manufacturers usually resort to reducing battery sizes in order to maintain the thickness-to-tech inside ratio. The good news is that the chipsets are getting better at power management and fast charging is really good. Even wireless fast charging is catching up these days and almost every flagship phone now has a USB Type C port.

Recently, OnePlus conceded that the company’s own Dash Charging technology is much better than the wireless technology which is available in the market hence, the OnePlus 5T shipped without wireless charging capabilities. So, how good is Dash Charging, then? Apparently, it’s the best in the market and a test has proven that.

The test included all the top flagship phones of 2017, the Samsung Galaxy Note8, LG V30, OnePlus 5T, Google Pixel 2, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. All the Android phones have a USB Type C port and the three iPhones of course, have the lightning port. The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X support fast charging if you buy the adapter and a Type C to lighting port cable from Apple.

The battery percentages were checked after 30 minutes of charging. It is worth noting here that all the screens were off during the test and the three iPhones were charged using the fast charging gear. After 30 minutes, the OnePlus 5T was at 59% while the LG V30 was the first runner-up at 53% and the iPhone X was at 50%.

At the one-hour mark, the OnePlus 5T was the winner again at 93%, 7% more than LG V30’s 86%. The iPhone X was at 81%, closely followed by the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus at 80% and 79%, respectively.

The OnePlus 5T turned out to be better than the competition thanks to its Dash Charge technology, which is different from Qualcomm’s QuickCharge. Dash Charge delivers higher amperage than QuickCharge and uses dedicated circuitry in the charger itself for heat management. So, if charging up your phone at a blazing speed is your top priority, then it is worth taking a look at the OnePlus 5T as your next flagship phone.

December 2, 2017
Apple Releases iOS 11.2 which Brings Fast Wireless Charging To iPhone 8 / 8 Plus And iPhone X

Apple has released iOS 11.2 for all iOS 11 compatible devices. The update seems a bit unusual since Apple usually releases new iOS updates on Tuesday.

The update seemingly fixes an iOS 11.1.2 bug that was causing iPhones to crash because of third-party apps that use recurring notifications for things like reminders. An update from Apple, for a bug that was reported just a few hours ago, is an extremely fast reaction to the problem.

Other features that iOS 11.2 brings are fast wireless charging for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. The update introduces 7.5-watt speeds through Qi-based charging pads, so devices top up battery quicker than before.

Another big introduction in the latest version of iOS 11 is Apple Pay Cash in the US. This is Apple’s peer-to-peer transaction service. Apple Pay Cash is available inside the Messages app, and allows iPhone users to send money through iMessage. Cash is then deposited on an Apple Pay Cash card inside the Wallet app on iOS 11.2, and can be used to purchase goods through Apple Pay or the money can be transferred to a bank account.

Other little updates include a pop-up that explain that the Control Centre Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles have changed. There are also new live wallpapers for the iPhone X.

You can download the update by going to Settings < General < Software Update.

December 2, 2017
Here’s Something Important You Should Know About Face ID

The Apple iPhone X launched towards the end of the year and grabbed all the attention that iPhones have historically done. With a huge design departure from the previous generations, Apple took an important decision and removed the trusted Touch ID and replaced it with Face ID.

If you own an iPhone X, you’d have your own experience with Face ID and differing opinions about whether it was the right decision or not. But, the fact is that Touch ID is gone, and by the looks of it, it isn’t coming back. One of the many great things about Touch ID was multiple fingerprint support which allowed users to give access to people they trusted.

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With Face ID, that options isn’t there yet and if you thought that future software updates will allow that to happen, then you might be wrong in thinking so. According to Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering has conceded that multiple ‘face’ support for Face ID is not a part of Apple’s plans for Face ID.

Someone who missed that Touch ID feature emailed Craig Federighi regarding the same and got this response:

Currently we’re focusing Face ID on a single user authentication. Even TouchID’s multi-finger support was really intended to enable a single iPhone owner to unlock the device with a finger and thumb on both hands, not to enable multi-user authentication.

We’ll certainly keep your feedback in mind as we consider our plans to evolve Face ID in the future.

Now, it might be possible that as Apple continues to make Face ID better, it may reach that point where multiple faces can be recognised but, as of now that seems uncertain.

December 2, 2017
Your iPhone X May Be Faster Than Your Friend’s iPhone X

Apple iPhone X has been out for almost a month now and people who’ve recently ordered it, will start receiving their iPhone X sooner rather than later. If you have an iPhone X already, it is possible that your phone might be faster (or slower) than your friend’s iPhone X.

Apple equips iPhones in the US with modems from both Intel and Qualcomm, and the same goes for their priciest iPhone yet, the iPhone X. In a new report, it has been unearthed that iPhone X models with Qualcomm modems were faster than iPhone X models with Intel modems.

The test shows that iPhone X models with Qualcomm modems “get consistently better LTE speeds than Intel’s on America’s most common LTE band.”

It is worth noting that Apple crippled a few functionalities of the Qualcomm chip because the Intel chips don’t support these features yet. So, in order to keep the differences at a bare minimum, Apple curbed the performance of the Qualcomm chipsets itself.

But, the good news is that you won’t notice the difference between the two until you’re in a dire situation.

Following recent legal battles between Qualcomm and Apple, it won’t come as a surprise if all iPhones start shipping with Intel modems in the future. Reports already suggest the same and with recent law suits, the relationship between the two firms may have gone beyond repair.

December 2, 2017
Apple iPhone X Goes On Sale On Amazon At 2pm – Discounts, Offers And More On iPhone 7, iPhone SE
If buying an iPhone X was a part of your holiday plans then fret not. One of the most anticipated smartphones in the world, the iPhone X will go on sale in India via Amazon today (30th November) at 2pm. Here are a few offers available:
- No Cost EMIs up to 6 months on HDFC Credit Card along with INR 2,000 instant discount on HDFC Bank Debit and Credit Card transactions
The iPhone X is priced at Rs 89000 for the 64GB variant while the 256GB variant is priced at Rs 1,02,000 in India.

Along with the iPhone X, other iPhone models will be available at a discounted price as well. Buy it here

The iPhone 7, which usually retails for Rs 49000 for the 32GB variant is on sale for Rs 41999 while the 128GB variant is available for Rs 51999 which usually retails for Rs 58000. Buy it here

The iPhone SE, one of the most affordable iPhones ever made, is currently available for Rs 19999 which usually retails for Rs 26000. Buy it here

Watch Our iPhone X Unboxing:

Watch Our iPhone 7 Review:

Watch our iPhone SE Review:
November 30, 2017
Face ID Cracked Yet Again

Face ID might be the future, according to Apple but, it sure has some loopholes. Then again, which technology doesn’t? Vietnamese cyber security research firm Bkav was able to crack Face ID for a second time using a more elaborate mask and nearly US $150 in materials.

The researchers were able to crack Face ID with a 3D printed mask of the user’s face made of stone powder. Infrared images of the user’s eyes were printed on paper and glued onto the 3D mask to trick the iPhone X’s infrared camera into perceiving that real eyes were looking at it.

After the first attempt at fooling Face ID, the firm recommended that businessmen and National Leaders not use Face ID for securing their iPhone Xs. After the second attempt, the firm has come to conclusion that Face ID is not secure enough business transactions like Apple Pay.

To say that your iPhone X is not secure at all and you should stick to a passcode is a little far-fetched. The process that Bkav undertook to fool Face ID is quite intensive and required special equipments to attain the desired results. You would also need access to a high-quality image of the person’s face and uninterrupted time with the user’s iPhone X.

Apple can take a feather out of Android Jellybean’s hat by adding an extra layer of security wherein the user has to blink before FaceID unlocks the phone. Android Jellybean had a feature called ‘liveness check’ but, it was easily fooled. Face ID on the other hand will implement it much better.

November 28, 2017
Apple iPhone SE 2 Is Coming Early 2018, Manufacturing Begins in India

Apple has had massive success with its budget iPhone SE, especially in markets like India. The iPhone Se is one of the strongest selling phones, and with massive discounts on online sites like Amazon and Flipkart, the iPhone SE continues to be a good seller. However, Apple has plans the retire the raging iPhone SE and replace it with an aptly named iPhone SE 2. The launch of this new iPhone will also kick off Apple’s India manufacturing at Wistron at full swing. The iPhone SE 2 is rumoured to be completely assembled in India to be supplied to the other parts of the world as well.

Specs wise Apple is said to remove some of the highlight features of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Do not expect the iPhone SE 2 to feature wireless charging, an OLED display, Face ID or even an edge to edge display. However, Apple is expected to use a better resolution display than that on the iPhone SE, along with the A10 Fusion processor, and a bigger 1,700 mAh battery. Apple is also expected to improve capacities to 64 GB and 128 GB variants along with the ability to capture 4K at upto 60fps on the new HEVC formats. Apple is also expected to use 2GB RAM and enable fast charging on the iPhone SE 2, features which are relatively cheap to include and are well appreciated by buyers

The Wistron plant in Bengaluru, which was established early this year, has been producing iPhone SEs for India. But production for the iPhone SE 2 is expected to be ramped up as Apple may supple other regions with the India made units.

Price wise Apple is expected to keep in the Rs. 30,000 (US$ 400-500) region for an iPhone SE 2 outright. The iPhone SE may see a Feb-Mar 2018 launch with availability at the same time. Apple is also expected to launch Product RED versions of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the iPhone X early 2018.

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November 25, 2017
Top Accessories For The Apple iPhone X

The iPhone X was launched back in September along with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. However, it was not until the 3rd of November that users in India received their beloved iPhone X. New features like wireless charging, a bezel-less display and the much talked-about Face ID make the iPhone X one of the most interesting iPhones launched in the recent years.

Let’s check out the top accessories that you can buy to compliment your shiny new Apple iPhone X:

Rhinoshield Screen Protector

With wireless charging, comes an all glass design. The glass used on the iPhone X is the hardest glass Apple has ever used on a smartphone but, if you are clumsy and a case doesn’t cut it for you then the Rhinoshield screen protector is just what you need. You can buy a protector for the back of the phone as well and give your new iPhone X an all-round protection from your clumsy hands.

Buy it here

Rhinoshield Mod Case

Rhinoshield is known for making really good cases for the iPhones. The new mod case for the iPhone X takes modularity to a whole new level. Not only can you pick and choose different buttons for the case, you can also customise the back rim and the back panel of the case. But, the reason this case makes its case to be on this list is the modularity it offers in terms of photography. You can add four different lenses to your iPhone X and get the perfect shot you’ve been waiting for. You can choose between wide-angle, fish-eye, super wide and macro lenses depending on the kind of photo or video you’re preparing to shoot.

Coupon Code – iGyaan

Buy it here

Anker PowerTouch 10 Wireless Charger

Apple finally introduced wireless charging in its iPhone lineup this year. This means that if you have bought an iPhone X, you will definitely buy a wireless charger as well. Fret not, because the Anker PowerTouch 10 is the ideal wireless charger in India. It has a nice sturdy built and comes in a nice matte black colour. It supports 10V output so when Apple enables fast wireless charging on the iPhone X, you won’t have to look for another one.

SanDisk iXpand

The iPhones have never had expandable storage. There are people still, who own an iPhone with 16GB of onboard storage and continue to live like that. If you had saved up for the iPhone X but, spending over a lakh on a phone was not ideal and you went for the 64GB variant instead, then the SanDisk iXpand is the best tool you can buy. It connects to your iPhone via the lightning port and you can store images, songs, movies and a host of other things in this little expandable storage tool and keep your iPhone X free for those 4K 60fps videos.

MoArmouz Headphone Adapter

It’s been over a year since Apple decided to kill off the headphone jack. If you are still in love with your headphones and would rather choose the dongle life over bluetooth headphones, then this nifty accessory from MoArmouz makes perfect sense for you. The dongle has a sturdy build and doesn’t add much weight to the iPhone making it portable and comfortable. It comes with a small carrying pouch so that you remember to put the dongle back in it and not forget it elsewhere.

NuAns Cable

This nifty little accessory can be your saviour in dire times. It is a small lightning cable that doubles up as a key chain. You can basically take it along with you as a key chain and use it to charge your iPhone X when you find out that you’ve left your charging cable at home.

Mi Power Bank Pro

One of the best power banks in the market, the Mi Power Bank Pro supports quick charging. This means that you can rapidly charge up your iPhone X while on the go. With a capacity of 10000 mAh, you can easily charge your phone more than twice without wanting to charge it again.

Buy it here

B&O Beoplay H8 Headphones

If you are on the bluetooth side of the spectrum, then you should invest in some of the best bluetooth headphones you can buy. The Beoplay H8 from Bang & Olufsen with active noise cancelation are some of the best bluetooth headphones available in th market. They have a premium built and long hours of music listening should not be an issue with these headphones.

Mujjo Walltet Case

Another case in the list, this one is a simple leather case with one useful feature. It has a card holder at the back for convenience and the built quality of the case is even better than the leather case that Apple makes.

Buy it here

November 23, 2017
Face ID Has A Useful Feature That You Probably Don’t Know About

The iPhone X has brought back the excitement that used to surround an iPhone for so many years. With a new design and a lot of new features, the iPhone X has been one of the best iPhones ever made. One of the most talked-about feature of the iPhone X however, has been Face ID.
Face ID has a lot of neat tricks up its sleeve, most notably being the infamous ‘Animoji’.

Animoji On iPhone X

If you are not a morning person, you have faced the the annoyance of your iPhone’s loud alarm tone blaring at you early inj the morning. And at such an early time, you tend to struggle to pick up the phone and shut the alarm. And while you are still struggling to get hold of your phone, that alarm tone is at its peak volume still annoying you.

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Keeping that in mind, a new little nifty feature in the iPhone X was revealed on Reddit.

Woke up this morning to my iPhone alarm and when I looked at my X, I noticed the volume lowered itself. I tried this again to make sure I wasn’t just imagining it after waking up, and it does!

That is such a little thing that didn’t need to be a feature, but the fact that it is, is amazing. Now when I wake up and look at my phone its a softer volume instead of continually blaring the alarm at me. Little things like this are awesome.

When you think about it, this feature won’t sell iPhone Xs in bulk. It will never make it to the advertisements as a “marquee feature.” But, the fact that this feature exists and tackles such a trivialised issue is a great thing.

November 21, 2017
10-Year Old Unlocks His Mother’s iPhone X Using Face ID

Ever since the iPhone X was launched, the most talked about feature has been Face ID. The near bezel-less design of the iPhone X meant that Apple had to get rid of the iconic home button and Touch ID. At the launch of the iPhone X and over the last few weeks, Apple has said that Face ID is much more secure than Touch ID and the possibility of bypassing it is you have an evil identical twin.

A new video has emerged of a ten-year old unlocking his mother’s iPhone X using Face ID. In the video, the mother explains that despite setting up Face ID for her face, her son is able to unlock the phone using his face.

Wired reports that after the mother reregistered her face under different lighting, her son was not able to unlock her phone. She then reregistered the third time in dimmer lighting to replicate her initial registration, and then, her son was able to unlock the phone again. The son was also able to unlock his father’s phone, but only in one instance.

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It is possible that the kid’s age was a factor as Apple has said that the “undeveloped facial features” in those under the age of thirteen could cause issues with Face ID.

This questions Apple’s claims that Face ID is more secure than Touch ID since it is hard to believe that the son would be able to bypass Touch ID on his parents’ other iPhones under any given conditions.

November 15, 2017
All Three iPhones In 2018 Will Look Like The iPhone X
2017 has seen a surge in bezel-less phones and tall displays. Apple also joined the race with the launch of the iPhone X in September. Apple also launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which were an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 7 an 7 Plus. With the iPhone X, Apple took some bold decisions like ridding the home button and introducing an OLED display for the first time. In 2018, it appears that all iPhones will look like the iPhone X, with thin bezels, a tall display and a notch.

Ming Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI believes that the iPhones launching in 2018 will be similar to the iPhone X and that there will be no home button in any of the phones. Kuo has had a good track record predicting what Apple might do. He released a research note which was obtained by MacRumours.

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According to the note, the iPhones could come in three different sizes:
- A 5.8-inch phone with an OLED display (similar to the iPhone X).
- A 6.5-inch phone with an OLED display (like an iPhone X Plus).
- A 6.1-inch phone with an LCD display.
The two iPhones with OLED displays will be priced closer to the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X while the 6.1 inch iPhone with LCD display is expected to be priced similar to the iPhone 8 (US$649).

The OLED phones are also expected to have better specifications than the LCD iPhone but, that is how Apple will keep the price down for the 6.1 inch model and try to offer an iPhone for everyone in 2018.

Home Button On The iPhone 8

This means that Face ID is here to stay, for now at least. Many believed that the iPhone X is a test run for Apple and want to ease its consumers into the new future of no home button. It is also possible that the OLED iPhones in 2018 will have in-display fingerprint sensor while the LCD iPhone will only have Face ID. However, Face ID in the next-gen iPhones is expected to be better as Apple will have ample time to iron out the few glitches and errors in the current form of Face ID.

Kuo has also predicted that Apple’s Face ID will come to the iPad Pro and next year’s iPhones.
November 14, 2017
Top Water Resistant Phones In India Right Now

A lot of smartphones nowadays boast of an ‘IP’ rating which indicates the phone’s ability to fight off water and dust damage. Here’s what an ‘IP’ rating mean-

IP- This stands for the International Protection marking, a standard drawn up by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Dust

6- The first digit stands for its resistance to dust, but also general dirt and sand. For example, the Moto X4 earned a ‘6’ rating for “No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight).”

Water

The second digit stands for the phone’s resistance to water

•   0 – No protection.
•   1 – Dripping water shall have no harmful effect.
•   2 – Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect with enclosure is tilted at 15°.
•   3 – Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical.
•   4 – Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction.
•   5 – Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction.
•   6 – Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) from any direction.
•   6K – Powerful water jets with increased pressure.
•   7 – Immersion, up to 1m depth for up to 30 minutes.
•   8 – Immersion, 1m or more depth (exact details vary).
•   9K – Powerful high temperature water jets.

This feature has become ever so important nowadays as phones are getting more expensive and every user wants the best features for the price he/she pays. Also, phones are the principal mode of photography for a majority of consumer market and having a phone with an IP68 rating always helps. So, let’s take a look at the top phones with an IP68 rating available in India right now:

Moto X4

The cheapest phone on the list, the Moto X4 starts at a price of Rs 20999 and is the only phone in this price bracket which has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 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 or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which also doubles up as a single navigation button. The Moto X4 is powered by a 3000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities.

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.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Priced at Rs 54945, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium became the first phone with a 4K HDR display. The device is also IP68 water and dust resistant.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5 inch 4K HDR Display with TRILUMINOS Display for mobile and X-Reality for mobile picture engine. The 4K display comes into play whenever high res content is available like a 4k video or movie.

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

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

LG G6

The LG G6 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset with quad-core processor and Adreno 530 GPU along with Android 7.0 Nougat. The phone has a 5.7 inch QHD+ FullVision display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution and an awkward 18:9 aspect ratio. The LG G6 is available in two variants – one with 4 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage and the other with 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage. Both the variants have an expandable storage of up to 2 TB, when those card become available.

The LG G6 has a dual rear camera setup with two 13 MP sensors. One of the sensors supports wide-angle shots and has a 125 degree lens. The other sensor is for regular shots, with OIS 2.0 and 71 degree lens. The front camera is a 5 MP wide angle lens with a 100 degree field of view.

The LG G6 has a non-removable 3300 mAh Li-ion battery, which supports QuickCharge 3.0, and will work for more than a day according to LG.

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The 2017 flagship phones from Samsung have an IP68 rating as well for water and dust resistance.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S8+ in April 2017. Apart from the LG G6, there was hardly any mainstream global phone with thin bezels and premium features. Qualcomm made a deal with Samsung and gave the company an exclusive early access to the Snapdragon 835 chipset. This made it possible for Samsung to launch the Galaxy S8 with a 2017 flagship chipset way before any other OEM got their hands on it.

The display is edge-to-edge with minimal upper and bottom bezels. Both the phones run a new 10 nm chipset, The S8 has an Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad), 64 bit chipset while the S8+ will have an Octa core (2.35GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad), 64 bit chipset.

Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have a 4GB RAM (LPDDR4), 64GB (UFS 2.1) storage, the Galaxy S8 has a 5.8” (146.5mm) Quad HD+ 2960×1440 px display with a 570ppi while the S8+ has a 6.2” (158.1mm) Quad HD+ 2960×1440 px display with a 529ppi density. Both have Samsung’s own super-AMOLED display. For cameras both phones get a main Dual Pixel 12MP OIS (F1.7), Front: 8MP AF (F1.7). While the battery on the Galaxy S8 is 3000 man, the S8plus has a 3500 mAh battery. Both support fast charging and wireless charging as well.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ does most of the things right. If you have the budget, there aren’t many phones that look as good and perform as well as these two flagship phones from Samsung.

Buy it here

Samsung Galaxy Note8

Both the Galaxy Note8 and the S Pen are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.

The Samsung Galaxy Note has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px 18.5:9 aspect ratio Super AMOLED display with an 83.1% screen-to-body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back of the device.The Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat and Samsung has promised an update to 8.0 Oreo in the near future. The phone is powered by a non-removable 3,300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 2.0 through the USB Type C port and because of the glass at the back, the phone also supports wireless charging as well.

Just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device right next to the dual-cameras. As is with all Samsung flagship devices, the Galaxy Note8 ships with two different chipsets, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 2.45 GHz octa-core processor with Adreno 540 GPU for USA and China, and the Exynos 8895, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU) + 1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) with Mali-G71 MP20 for the remaining markets.

The Galaxy Note 8 is the first phone from Samsung to feature dual-cameras with a 12MP dual-camera setup, the primary camera has a wide-angle 12MP lens with an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera has a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens enables a 2X lossless optical zoom and has features such as the Bokeh effect, much like the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-cameras are capable of capturing 4K videos at 30 FPS On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and captures 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The Galaxy Note8 is much more than just a “slightly larger Galaxy S8+.” It surely does what Galaxy S8+ does best, and then does a lot more. The integration of the S Pen in Samsung’s UI and the dual-cameras are worth an upgrade to the Galaxy Note8 and the premium price tag.

Buy it here

Apple iPhone X

Although onky IP67 rated, the iPhone X deserves a mention for its superior hardware and software performance.

The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 px OLED True Tone Super Retina display with minimal bezels around it. The phone runs iOS 11 and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery which charges through the Apple signature lightning port placed at the bottom of the phone. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Apple A11 Bionic chipset with a neural engine, a hexacore processor, 3GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, and 256GB. As is with every iPhone, the onboard storage can not be expanded via a microSD card. The small bezels mean there is no physical home button, which is now replaced with gestures for navigation. Siri is activated by pressing the now larger lock/unlock button. The iPhone X is also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance.

The iPhone X has dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and it’s equipped with dual optical image stabilization. The sensors are both larger and faster, according to Apple, and the main camera is equipped with a wide angle lens and has an f/1.8 aperture while the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture. In between the two cameras is a quad-LED True Tone flash. Both the front and back cameras have the portrait mode. The rear cameras have the portrait lighting feature, just like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

The bottom line is, the iPhone X has all the ingredients of being the best iPhone yet. The design, the new cameras and the AR integration makes the iPhone X even more future-proof than it predecessors. However, the price tag of the iPhone X can make you question how much you love the iPhone and whether its enough to shell out over a thousand dollars on it.

Buy it here

November 13, 2017
Apple iPhone X Display And Speaker Issues Reported Online

The Apple iPhone X has been one of the most successful iPhones of the recent past. Ever since its launch, the iPhone hX has received great reviews and the transition from Touch ID to Face ID has been organic for a lot of consumers. However, with every new phone, there are complaints of something weird happening to it in some units. The iPhone X seems to be no different as issues of an inextinguishable green line appearing on some people’s phones have surfaced online.

The images above are from Twitter users mix0mat0sis, Nate Heagy and Christian Roman, and represent a few of the examples of the “green line of death” as one of them called it. No one seems to know what causes it or how prevalent it actually is.

The iPhone X has a new diamond sub-pixel pattern in its display, and all green sub-pixels appear in lines, while red and blue alternate. It appears that an electrical fault in a these phones is causing the voltage to flow to all the green sub-pixels in a line. The fact that it stretches from top to bottom of the display suggests it is something at the edge of the display that’s sending an incorrect voltage down a few lines of pixels.

There appears to issues with the speaker of some of the iPhoneXs as well. Some users on Reddit, MacRumors and Twitter have reported that their new iPhoneX’s top speaker is crackling at higher volume levels. There in no constancy in its severity but, it happens regardless of what you’re playing and appears to persist with replacement units as well.

Both of these issues have been reported in enough iPhone Xs to not be called as ‘isolated incidents’ and Apple should be fixing these issues especially considering the price the consumers have paid for the new iPhone X.

November 13, 2017
Clips Introduces Selfie Scenes For 360-Degree Selfies On iPhone X

Apple has announced a new update to the iOS app, Clips. Clips is a free app for iOS that makes it easy to create and share fun videos using iPhone or iPad. In the new update, Clips has introduced Selfie Scenes, new artistic transition affects and a redesigned interface.

Clips 2.0 is available as a free update on the App Store and is compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini 2 and later models, running iOS 11.1 and later. Selfie Scenes are only available on the iPhone X and style transfer effects are only available on the iPhone 7 and later models and 2017 iPad Pro.

New update for @Apple #Clips on the App Store is now Live with new features for the #iPhoneX ! pic.twitter.com/wHBztuVztf

— iGyaan (@igyaan) November 10, 2017

Selfie Scenes takes full advantage of iPhone X’s true depth cameras to create a 360-degree immersive scene around the user. Users can choose from 10 scenes, featuring locations, characters, colours and visual styles plus two scenes from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Each scene is a full 360-degree experience, so it surrounds users on all sides as they move the iPhone X around.

To manage storage space in a better way, users can now access and edit their Clips videos across iPhone and iPad via iCloud. Videos are automatically uploaded and backed up to iCloud, so users can start a video on iPhone and finish it later on iPad.

November 10, 2017
Apple To Fix iPhone X Screen’s Unresponsiveness In Cold Weather

Apple has said that it is working on a fix for the iPhone X screen’s unresponsive behaviour in cold weather. Apple has mentioned it before as well that ideally, a user should use their iPhone in temperatures between 32 degrees and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some users on Reddit complained about this issue and also clarified that these issues arose when they used their phones within the said temperature barriers. Darus214, a Reddit user said,

It literally takes 2 seconds from going inside to the cold outdoors and my screen stops being very responsive. I try swiping on websites and it doesn’t register my finger.

He later added that the outside temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit when his handset became unresponsive. After more than the usual number of complaints surfaced online, Apple was quick to respond:

We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update.

This issue has affected a few users and considering the temperature in India, iPhone X users in India can breathe a sigh of relief as this issue might not affect you anytime soon.

November 10, 2017