Tag: launch

Huawei To Launch The P30 Pro In India On April 9

The world’s second largest smartphone maker Huawei unveiled its next generation of camera oriented flagship smartphones, the P30 and P30 Pro at an event in Paris on March 26. The smartphones succeed the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. The devices will take their place at the top of the company’s most expensive smartphones list. A fresh listing by Amazon India has teased the India launch of the P30 Pro wherein the pricing of the handset will be revealed on the 9th of April. As the Huawei P20 didn’t make it to the country last year, only the Pro variant is expected to be announced in India this year as well.

Huawei P30 Pro

To recall, the Huawei P30 Pro features a similar design to the Huawei P20 Pro. It has a significantly large 6.47 inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. Unlike the regular P30, the display edges will be tapered to the sides, similar to the ones seen in the Mate 20 Pro. Like the regular variant, it also will have an in-display fingerprint scanner with face unlock technology.

The Huawei P30 Pro runs on the 7nm Kirin 980 chipset, which has an Octa-core Cortex CPU and a Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a quad rear camera module comprising of an f/1.6 aperture equipped 40MP primary sensor, an f/2.2 aperture equipped 20MP ultra-wide sensor, a third f/3.4 aperture equipped 8MP periscopic telephoto lens with an f/3.4 aperture and a fourth ToF (Time of flight) sensor. The periscopic lens provides lossless 5x zoom capability, which is the highest amongst any smartphones right now. For selfies, there is a 32MP front camera housed in the notch up front. The P30 Pro packs 8GB of RAM and an option of either 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of internal storage.

The P30 Pro is powered by a massive 4,200 mAh battery, which utilizes Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge Wired Charging. The device also supports Reverse wireless charging. Moreover, it is also IP68 dust and water resistant.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Beats Powerbeats Pro True Wireless Earbuds Launched

As mentioned above, the pricing of the Huawei P30 Pro will be revealed on the 9th of April. It was launched in Europe at a price of € 999 (Rs 77,800) for the version with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB of onboard memory was priced at € 1099 (Rs 85,600); whereas the top end model with 8GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage was priced at € 1249 (Rs 97,300). The Indian pricing of the smartphone is expected to be similar to its European counterpart.

April 4, 2019
Beats Powerbeats Pro True Wireless Earbuds Launched

After much speculations and leaks, Apple’s Beats division, known for creating premium audio products has launched the Powerbeats Pro true wireless earbuds. The device is the first pair of true wireless earphones from the company. Interestingly, the earbuds will compete with the newest AirPods, which also belongs to Apple. The latest true wireless earbuds from Beats, the Powerbeats Pro are the wire-free variant of the company’s Powerbeats 3 wireless earphones. The company claims the latest earbuds are an upgrade over its predecessor in terms of sound and connectivity.

Beats Powerbeats Pro

The Beats Powerbeats Pro feature adjustable, secure fit ear hooks on each earbud and have Class 1 Bluetooth for faster connection speed and a longer range. Like the newest AirPods, the newly launched earbuds also have the Apple H1 chip which provide for seamless connectivity with the iPhone, iPad and MacBooks. The Powerbeats Pro also supports hands-free “Hey Siri” command to summon the digital voice assistant on iOS devices.

Beats claims the Powerbeats Pro true wireless earbuds have a battery life of 9 hours on a single charge. The charging case of the wireless earphones has an additional battery life of 24 hours which can be replenished via a lightning port. Furthermore, the company claims that a 5-minute charge is enough for a 1.5 hour listening time on the device. Notably, sensors on each earbud are capable of detecting when they’re taken out of one’s ears and automatically pause the music when done so. The music resumes playing when they’re plugged back inside the ear. Unfortunately, there is no support for wireless charging, which was freshly added on the new AirPods.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Renders Of An Unknown Motorola Smartphone With Quad-Rear Cameras Leaked

The Powerbeats Pro true wireless earbuds have been launched at a price of US$ 249.95 (Rs. 17,700). They will be available in the US starting in the month of May. The earphones will be available in four colours, namely Black, Ivory, Navy and Moss.

April 4, 2019
Nokia Launches The X71 Smartphone In Taiwan

At an event today in Taiwan, HMD Global owned Nokia Mobile has launched the X71 smartphone. The device has been in the news over the past few weeks because it features an all-new design from the company. It is also expected to make its debut in the global markets soon as the Nokia 6.2 or the Nokia 8.1 Plus.

Design & Features

The Nokia X71 smartphone measures 157 x 76.45 x 7.98mm and weighs 180g. It features an all-glass design on the front and the back with a metal frame on the sides. The front is dominated by a 6.39-inch display with a resolution of FHD+. According to the company, the device has an impressive 93% screen to body ratio which is accomplished by a punch hole cutout on the top left of the display. For biometrics and security, there is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Under the hood, the Nokia X71 is kitted with a Snapdragon 660 SoC which is manufactured using 14nm fabrication process. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and Adreno 512 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a triple rear camera setup consisting of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48MP sensor; combined with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16 MP camera is housed in the punch hole display on the front. For memory and storage, the Nokia X71 has been launched with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

The Nokia X71 is powered by a 3500mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. For connectivity, the smartphone has dual SIM, dual standby functionality and supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. To ensure a better audio recording experience while shooting videos, Nokia has used its OZO 360 degree sound technology.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Xiaomi Granted Patent For Smartphones With Bottom Notch

The Nokia X71 has been launched at a price of 11,900 Taiwanese Dollars (Rs. 26,900). Unfortunately, the company has not announced when it will launch in other countries.

April 2, 2019
Amazon Launches Echo Show Smart Display In India

In a bid to expand its lineup of smart home products for the Indian market, e-commerce giant Amazon has launched a new product in the country. Called the Echo Show, the device is a smart display with Alexa, the company’s virtual voice assistant built in. The product was originally launched back in the month of October last year in the United States.

Amazon Echo Show: Price & Availability

The Amazon Echo Show smart display has been priced at Rs. 22,999 and will be available in a Black and a White colour variant. It is available to purchase from the online retailer and a few third-party sellers and will ship immediately. Initial buyers will also get a complimentary Phillips Hue smart bulb with the product.

Amazon Echo Show

The Amazon Echo Show features a minimalistic fabric design which is dominated by a 10.1-inch display on the front. It has an HD resolution and is capable of displaying necessary information on the screen. There are speakers on the rear of the device which are tuned by Dolby, a reputed name in Audio technology. As mentioned earlier, they have the Alexa voice assistant built in which would allow users to ask for information such as the weather, news or controlling other smart home products.

Also read: Samsung Will Launch Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab S5e Galaxy A20 and Galaxy A20e In India This Month

The display on the Echo Show also enables video calling via the 5MP camera housed on top of the display. For easier voice recognition, there are eight microphones which support far-field recognition. This allegedly helps in hearing commands from far away in a room. For users who have multiple Echo smart devices, the Echo Show also supports a feature called multi-room music. This allows for music playback across all the devices at once in near perfect synchronization. There is also an option to visit websites using the pre-installed web browser.

April 2, 2019
Nubia Alpha To Go On Sale In China Starting April 8

Chinese smartphone maker Nubia launched its Alpha wearable at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona in the month of February. It is the world’s first foldable smart wearable and was first shown off at the IFA last year. The company has freshly announced that the Nubia Alpha will go on sale in China starting the 8th of April.

Nubia Alpha

To recall, the Nubia Alpha has a 4 inch flexible OLED display which is produced in collaboration with Visionox; a known maker of OLED displays. The screen has a resolution of 960 x 192 px and a pixel density of 245 ppi. According to the company, the display has been tested for durability and should be good for at least 1,00,000 bends. The device is made out of stainless steel and has two buttons on the right side and the sensors housed up front. Unlike most smartwatches, it has a camera built-in. There is a 5MP f/2.2 sensor for taking selfies and making video calls from the device.

Under the hood, the Nubia Alpha has been kitted with a 28nm Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC. The chipset has a Quad-core CPU and Adreno 304 GPU. Notably, the processor was released in 2016 and since has been succeeded by the new Snapdragon Wear 3100. The device features 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage. It also has an IP67 rating for protection against water and dust.

The Nubia Alpha is powered by a 500mAh battery, which the company claims can last up to two days depending on its usage. It has features like fitness tracking, mobile payments, and voice calls either through its built-in speaker or a connected Bluetooth headset. The smartwatch also has gesture controls. These will allow the user to scroll the content on the display in all four directions by waving a finger over the front-facing camera.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Oppo Patents A Smartphone With Sliding Rear And Dual Selfie Cameras

While the company hasn’t specified what price the Nubia Alpha will be available for in China. But the price mentioned at the event that the smart wearable will be sold for €450 (around Rs 36,400). The Black coloured eSIM model will be available for €550 (around Rs 44,400), while the Gold clad version will retail for €650 (around Rs 52,500). While these are the European prices, they are expected to be similar in China.

April 1, 2019
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 With S Pen Launched

Samsung is currently the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer. However, it has been struggling in the tablet industry which is largely dominated by the Apple iPad. In an order to improve the aforementioned state, the company has launched an 8-inch tablet, Galaxy Tab A which has a contemporary design, is packed with worthy specifications and is shipped with an S Pen.

Galaxy Tab A 8.0

The Galaxy Tab A 8.0 measures 201.5 x 122.4 x 8.9 and tips the scale at 325 grams. The front of the tablet harbours an 8-inch TFT display with 1920 x 1200 px resolution. The left and right bezels surrounding the display are quite thin while the top and bottom bezels are comparatively thicker. The bezel above the display makes room for the 5 MP front facing selfie camera and the earpiece for answering phone calls.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 packs the Exynos 7904 SoC which consists of an Octa-Core CPU and Mali G71-MP2 GPU. In terms of memory and storage, it features 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM which is further expandable upto 512GG via a microSD card. The tablet is powered by a 4200 mAh battery and runs on an unspecified version of Android.

The rear of the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 carries the company branding and an 8 MP camera which can also capture 1080p videos at 30 fps. Connectivity options on the device include 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The Galaxy S Pen is securely stored in the body of the tablet and is IP68 rated which makes it dust-proof and waterproof. It can be used for both taking notes and creating drawing illustrations.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 11 with Triple Camera Leaked

The tablet will be available in two Gray and Black colour options. Unfortunately, Samsung has not yet provided any details about the pricing or availability of the Galaxy Tab A 8.0.

March 29, 2019
Huawei Introduces Wireless Charging Case For The P30

In an event held in Paris on the 26th of March, Huawei unveiled its latest flagship smartphones, the P30 and the P30 Pro. In addition to the smartphone duo, the company also introduced a variety of accessories for the devices. Both the newly launched smartphone are quite similar in terms of features and looks. One notable feature that the standard P30 misses out is the support for wireless charging. However, in order to provide the smartphone with this in-demand feature, Huawei has announced a wireless charging case.

Huawei P30 Wireless Charging Case

The wireless charging case for the P30 has an attractive design with mesh grills on the rear. The case appears to be made out of plastic and rubber-like material which will provide for an easy-to-grip and comfortable experience. The rear also carries company branding and it has a precisely cut window for the triple camera and LED flash setup. Notably, the bottom side of the case has a slight ridge that sticks out of its surface.

The right side of the wireless case for the P30 has raised controls for the easy operability of the power button and volume rockers. The bottom of the case also has a cutout for the 3.5 mm audio jack which allows it to be used unobstructedly. The newly announced accessory is capable of charging the P30 with 10w of maximum power. Even though, company’s fast wireless charger can charge devices with upto 15W of power.

Also Read: Here’s How Dark Mode Prolongs Battery Backup While Helping You Sleep Better

The wireless charging case has been listed on the company’s website but its retail price is currently unavailable. However, it is expected to be a sub-US $ 100 accessory.

March 28, 2019
Huawei Launches Promising Accessories Along With The P30 Pro

After a long period of anticipation and teasers, Huawei finally launched the P30 and the P30 Pro smartphones at an event in Paris. The newly launched handsets are laden with top tier specifications and have a focus on photography. In addition to the flagship duo, the company has also launched a variety of accessories which include the Huawei FreeBuds, the Huawei FreeLace and the Huawei 12000 SuperCharge power bank.

Huawei FreeBuds

The Huawei FreeBuds are a pair of wireless earphones which draw inspiration from the Apple AirPods. The wireless earbuds are shipped with an elliptically shaped case which is used for both storing and charging them. The earbuds have a touch-sensitive rear which can be used to control various functions. Double tap on the right earbud play/pauses the music while a double tap on the left earbud activates the voice assistant. Double tap on either earbud while an incoming phone call will answer it.

The Huawei FreeBuds offer a playtime of up to 3 hours on a single charge while the charging case can be used to further increase the run time to 10 hours. After the initial Bluetooth setup, the earbuds auto pair to the device as the user opens the charging case. They also have inbuilt IR sensors which detect when an earbud is removed. The wireless earphones are also water resistant that allows them to be used while working out or in sudden drizzling conditions. The Huawei FreeBuds are available in two colours which include Black and White. The earbuds are available at a price € 118 (Rs 9200).

Huawei FreeLace

The Huawei FreeLace is an around-the-neck style set of wireless earbuds like the OnePlus Bullets. Nevertheless, they have a highly distinguishing feature that is a built-in USB Type C port. Notably, the ports stay concealed until the user detaches the right side earpiece from the main unit. The connection port allows them to be charged from a Huawei device or any smartphone that supports reverse charging.

The Huawei FreeLace has magnetic rear ends which when brought closer sticks together and automatically pauses the audio content being played. They also have inline controls which can be used to control the volume or play/pause the media. Huawei claims a battery life of 18 hours with support for fast charging. 5 minutes of fast charge can provide a listening time of up to 4 hours. Like the FreeBuds, the FreeLace is also water resistant due to its IPX5 rating. The neckband style earphones are available at a price of € 99 (Rs 7700).

Huawei 12000 40W SuperCharge Power Bank

As the name suggests, the newly launched power bank from Huawei has a 12,000 mAh battery. Noteworthy, it is capable of fast charging smartphones and other USB Type C devices with a maximum power of 40 W. The power bank has a chunky build that measures 135.4 x 69 x 15.5 mm and tips the scale at 227 grams. The top side of the device has 4 LED indicators, power on/off switch, USB Type A connector and a USB Type C connector which can be used for both power in and power out.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 9X Leaks Before Official Announcement

With the fast charge output of 40W, Huawei 12000 power bank is also capable of charging laptops. The device can be charged with 40 watts of power which can fully replenish its inbuilt battery in 2 hours and 14 minute or this time extends to 5 hours 25 minutes with a traditional 10w charger. The power bank is priced at € 99 (Rs. 7,700) and will be available for purchase soon.

March 27, 2019

Huawei Launches P30, P30 Pro With Periscopic Lens

The world’s second largest smartphone maker Huawei unveiled its next generation of camera oriented flagship smartphones, the P30 and P30 Pro at an event in Paris on March 26. The smartphones will succeed the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. The devices will take their place at the top of the company’s most expensive smartphones list. With top-of-the-line specifications, the P30 and P30 Pro are aiming towards the premium photography centred flagship smartphone segment.

Huawei P30: Features And Specifications

The Huawei P30 is the less feature rich variant of the high-end P30 Pro. It features a similar design to the Huawei P20 launched last year. The device has a 6.1 inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The smartphone has an in-display fingerprint scanner with support for face recognition.

The Huawei P30 runs on the 7nm Kirin 980 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core Cortex CPU and a Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a triple rear camera module comprising of a 40MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, a 16MP ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, and a third 8MP telephoto sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. For selfies, there is a 32MP front camera housed in the notch up front. The P30 packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The Huawei P30 is powered by a 3650mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. The smartphone also supports NanoMemory cards, a new memory standard the company introduced in 2018. The device is IP68 Dust and Water resistant.

Huawei P30 Pro: Features And Specifications

The P30 Pro has a significantly larger 6.47 inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. Unlike the regular P30, the display edges will be tapered to the sides, similar to the ones seen in the Mate 20 Pro. Like the regular variant, it also will have an in-display fingerprint with face unlock technology.

The Huawei P30 pro also runs on the 7nm Kirin 980 chipset, which has an Octa-core Cortex CPU and a Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a phenomenal quad rear camera module comprising of a 40MP primary sensor with an f/1.6 aperture, a 20MP ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, a third 8MP periscopic telephoto lens with an f/3.4 aperture and a fourth ToF (Time of flight) sensor. The periscopic lens provides lossless 5x zoom capability, which is the highest amongst any smartphones right now. For selfies, there is a 32MP front camera housed in the notch up front. The P30 packs 8GB of RAM and an option of either 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of internal storage.

The P30 Pro is powered by a larger 4,200 mAh battery, which utilizes Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge Wired Charging. The device also supports Reverse wireless charging. Moreover, it is also IP68 dust and water resistant like the P30. Both the smartphones ship with a silicone case and fast chargers in-the-box.

Also Read: Xiaomi POCO F1 Gets Dark Mode Via MIUI Beta Update

The price for different variants of the P30 and P30 Pro are as follows:

P30 Pro 8GB+128GB – € 999 (Rs 77,800)
P30 Pro 8GB+256GB – € 1099 (Rs 85,600)
P30 Pro 8GB+512GB – € 1249 (Rs 97,300)
P30 6GB+128GB – € 799 (Rs 62,200)

Model	Huawei P30 Pro
Display	6.1 inch OLED
Operating System	EMUI 9.1 Android 9 Pie
Processor	Kirin 980
RAM	6GB
Storage	128GB
Rear Cameras	40 MP f/1.8 16 MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide 8MP f/2.4 Telephoto
Selfie Camera	32MP f/2.0
Security	In-Display Fingerprint, Face Unlock
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (wave2) Bluetooth 5.0 USB Type-C NFC
Battery	3650mAh
Dimensions	149.1 x 71.36 x 7.57 mm
Weight	165g

March 26, 2019

Xiaomi launches The Mi Notebook Air In China

Xiaomi has launched the updated Mi Notebook Air at an event in China today. The new notebook boasts of a lightweight design and updated specifications. It is the successor to the original Mi Notebook Air which was launched in December last year. Notably, the latest device weighs 1.07Kg, which is significantly lighter than the Apple MacBook Air from the yesteryear, which weighs 1.25Kg. The device has been launched in two different models.

Mi Notebook Air 2019

The update to the Mi Notebook Air has been only on the hardware side. The device has been renewed to the latest Intel 8th Generation Processors. Both the models have a 12.5-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The design is similar to its predecessor, complete with a metal body and slim bezels around the display. There are speakers tuned Harman, which is a reputed brand in the audio department. Xiaomi claims that the battery backup on the device is better than the last generation and it can charge from 0 to 50 percent in 35 minutes.

The first model of the Mi Notebook Air runs on the Intel Core M3 processor which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and an option of either 128GB or 256GB of SATA SSD storage. The second variant has an 8th gen Intel Core i5 processor combined with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of SATA SSD storage. In terms of ports, the device features a USB Type-C port; combined with two USB Type-A ports and a headphone jack.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Sony Launches RX0 II, The World’s Smallest 4K Video Camera

The updated Mi Notebook Air for the year 2019 will be available in two colour options, namely Gold and Silver. The base variant with Intel Core M3, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage has been priced at CNY 3599 (Rs. 36,960). The model with Intel Core M3 processor, 4GB RAM and 256GB storage will cost CNY 3999 (Rs. 41,068). The top end variant with Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and 256GB storage has been priced at CNY 4299 (Rs. 44,149).

March 26, 2019
Sony Launches RX0 II, The World’s Smallest 4K Video Camera

In a bid to launch a competitor to the highly successful GoPro action cameras, Sony launched the RX0 in 2017. Despite offering good features at a lucrative price, the device wasn’t very successful. The company has announced the successor to the camera. Called the RX0 II, it has new tricks up its sleeve and offers few innovative features.

Sony RX0 II

According to Sony, the RX0 II is the world’s smallest 4K video camera. The action camera measure 59 x 40.5 x 35mm and weighs 132g. It has a rugged design and boasts of superior durability. It is certified to be waterproof up to 10 meters, is dustproof, shockproof and crush resistant up to 200kg of force. In terms of optics, there is a 15.3MP CMOS sensor combined with the company’s BIONZ X image processor which measures 1 inch. There is also a ZEISS Tessar T 24mm fixed wide angle lens with an aperture of f/4.0. The lens has a minimum focussing distance of 20cm.

The Sony RX0 II also has an LCD panel which can be tilted up to 180 degrees. The camera can record videos in 4K resolution and has an Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for smoother footage which can also be used in handheld mode. There is slow motion recording support of up to 1,000fps. The action camera has a microphone jack for vlogging. Unlike most of its competitors, the RX0 II can capture still photos as well. Sony claims that the new update improves colour reproduction and adds an optional ‘Soft Skin Effect’ to refine the images. With the camera, there is an option for accessories like the VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip for better grip and a bracket for mounting the camera.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Nokia X71 With 48MP Triple Camera And Punch Hole Display To Launch Soon

The Sony RX0 II will be available to purchase in the US and Australia starting the month of April. The camera has been priced at US$ 698 (Rs. 48,057). The additional kit comprising of the shooting grip and bracket will be sold separately from June this year with pricing to be announced soon.

March 26, 2019
Samsung Galaxy A70 Launched With A 4500mAh Battery
Samsung launched the newest smartphones in its Galaxy A lineup, including the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 last month. These devices showcased a new strategy by the company to regain the market share lost to the advent of Chinese smartphone OEMs. In a fresh announcement, the company has launched the latest member to the family, the Galaxy A70 with innovative features and modern design.

Galaxy A70

The Samsung Galaxy A70 is the elder sibling to the Galaxy A50. It features a similar design, complete with a ‘3D Glasstic’ gradient at the back. The front is dominated by a massive 6.7 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 px. There are minimal bezels all around the display and an Infinity-U style notch on the top. For biometrics and security, the smartphone has an in-display fingerprint scanner and support for face unlock technology.

The Samsung Galaxy A70 runs on a chipset which consists of an Octa-core CPU, out of which two cores have a clock speed of 2.0GHz and six are clocked at 1.7GHz. While the company hasn’t specified the details of the chipset, it is speculated to be the 10nm Snapdragon 670 which Samsung manufactures for Qualcomm. For optics, the smartphone has a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 32MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture; combined with an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor with an aperture of f/2.2; and a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor. For selfies, there is a 32MP camera with an aperture of f/2.0 housed in the Infinity-U notch on top of the display. In terms of memory and storage, the device will be available in the following variants.
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
The Galaxy A70 is powered by a hefty 4500mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. There is also a dedicated microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 512GB. The smartphone runs on the latest OneUI on top of current Android 9 Pie. It will be available in four colours, namely Black, Blue, Coral and White.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Round Up Of The Apple Event Held On 25 March

The Samsung Galaxy A70 is expected to be formally announced at an event on the 10th of April. Unfortunately, the company has not given any information on the pricing and availability of the smartphone but it is expected to be priced below Rs 30,000 in India.
March 26, 2019
Round Up Of The Apple Event Held On 25 March

Cupertino based tech titan, Apple held an event on the 25th of March where it announced four brand new subscription services. The list of newly announced services includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and Apple News Plus.

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade is the company’s take on a gaming service which spans across the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac computers. The paid subscription will initially provide access to over 100 gaming titles which will sprout further over time. Noteworthy, it even allows the user to play games in offline mode. This is a significant aspect as its direct competitor, the newly launched Google Stadia lacks support for this notable feature. The service will roll out in autumn this year and its pricing details are yet to be revealed. Exceptionally, family members can also share the subscription across different devices without an additional cost.

Apple Card

Apple card is a virtual credit card service which is developed for iPhone users and is an extension of the Apple Pay and Wallet services. The service is intended towards lowering interest rates, removing unnecessary fees and simplifying the process of applications in obtaining a credit card. According to the company, the service will simplify the use of existing digital payment mediums to a great extent.

Notably, it is just a credit card service and not a banking service. Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs and MasterCard that handle its financial end. As previously mentioned, the user can directly sign up for a card right from the iPhone which is generated in minutes, unlike conventional service which can take days. Reportedly, the service makes use of machine learning which can precisely reflect the spending patterns of the user and also offer rewards in cash. Distinctly, the service will not charge late fees from the however, its functioning is unclear as of now.

Apple News Plus

As the name suggests, it is a news service from Apple that again requires a paid subscription. It showcases the content in a user-friendly and elegant manner which is enriched with photographs, animations and typography optimised for Apple devices including iPhone, iPad and Mac. The news service incorporates content from over 300 established newspapers, magazines and digital publishers some of which include Vogue, WSJ, GQ, Traveller, Wired and The New Yorker. The service is currently limited to the US and Canada where the users can subscribe it at a monthly fee of $ 9.99 and $ 12.99 respectively. Admirably, six members of a family can share one Apple News Plus subscription.

Apple TV Plus

Also Read: Xiaomi Poco F1 Gets Game Turbo Mode For Better Gaming Performance

Apple TV Plus is the company’s attempt at a video streaming service which will take on the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. The service is set to launch in over 100 countries which will roll out in Q4 of 2019. According to the company, around 30 original projects are currently in the works which will be exclusive to the platform. Additionally, content from renowned channels including HBO, Showtime, CBS All Access will also be available on the streaming service. Like the Apple Arcade, its price is also currently unavailable.

In addition to the Apple Plus subscription service, the company has also released an all-new Apple TV application which has a completely redesigned interface. The new version of the application is designed to serve on-demand digital content, without advertisement with the option of offline downloads. The new Apple TV app is now available for the Apple TV and iOS devices. While its support for third-party smart TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung and Vizio will be available some.

March 26, 2019
Apple Launches Apple News Plus And Apple Card

Apple’s Show Time Event saw the company launching its news subscription service, called Apple News Plus with a collection of over 300 magazines. The service aims to provide a high quality curated news experience, which forms the basis of any News application. With a premium catalogue of magazines such as the National Geographic, the Vogue, and the New Yorker, Apple News Plus launched the service in the US and Canada on March 25. In addition, the company also launched its own credit card application, known as the Apple Card, the much-awaited Apple TV+ Streaming service and the Apple Arcade, which is a game subscription service.

About Apple News Plus

The application will be rolled out in an update for Apple devices and will bring forth a wide variety of stories and news for its users. Making the Apple News service more “premium” was Apple’s goal all along, as showcased by beautiful magazine covers in neat and impressive layouts in the application. Some magazine covers are intricately and vividly designed, others are animated and some sport a bold typography style to make a premium statement.

Apple claims that it won’t track what its users read on the News Plus application, nor will it allow advertisers to track them without their consent. With more than 5 billion articles read on the Apple News app every month, the company wants its users to make the best use of its premium news plus app rather than relying on social media networks for news that may be adulterated.

Subscription Plans And Availability

Similar to other mainstream subscription services, Apple News Plus aims to provide paid readable content from different magazines to its premium users, who will pay a monthly fee. One of the many news sources that Apple partnered with is the Wall Street Journal, which will cater general news to the company so that Apple can do the same for its users. The News Plus subscription service will be priced at $9.99 per month for users in the United States, whereas Canadian users will have to pay $12.99 per month for the same. A welcoming piece of information is the fact that up to six members of a family can share the subscription. Furthermore, the service offers its users a free month of trial before they decide whether to pay for the premium News curation or not. First seeing the light of Canada and the US, Apple News Plus will be launched in the UK and Australia later this year.

Apple Card

As mentioned before, Apple also unveiled its new credit card app, known as the Apple Card. The company clearly states that it is not just similar to a bank or online banking services, rather, the Apple card users will help its users be a part of a well-balanced financial life. Based on a simplicity factor that provides transparency and privacy at the same time, the Apple Card is designed specifically for the iPhone and will integrate directly with the Apple Wallet card.

Features

One of the many defining features of the Apple Card is the elimination of any transactional charges while using it. The app will encourage users to pay lesser interest and provide them with the lowest interest rate in the market. Moreover, the Card has a very attractive rewards program which gives back a percentage of every purchase made via the card. The rewards are stored as cash on the customers’ Apple Cash card, which can be used for making other transactions. A user will get 2% cashback on every payment made via the card, while a 3% cashback will be earned for every purchase made directly from Apple. Noteworthy, any purchase made via the physical card will earn just 1 percent cash back.

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Mastercard will handle all aspects of payment processing for Apple. Rumours surrounding the Apple card have been rendered true, as the company has partnered with Goldman Sachs for the card. A unique card number will be generated on the user’s iPhone and will be stored securely on the device itself. Similar to the Apple News Service, the company won’t track the contents of the purchase made by the users, or any in-depth details of the same. Clearly, Apple is focusing on the privacy end here, which a lot of customers are skeptical about these days.

March 26, 2019
Intel May Introduce 9th Gen Core CPUs For High End Laptops Soon

The Game Developer’s Conference held in San Francisco saw some interesting revelations being made, with Google unveiling its upcoming cloud gaming platform and Oculus’ new VR headset, the Rift S. The American multinational corporation, Intel also announced its 9th generation of CPUs for high-performance laptops.

About The New Lineup

Named “Coffee Lake”, the new lineup will primarily be targeted towards gaming and digital content creation. The new processors will enable users to play games and stream at high framerates and resolution without affecting the performance. Also, the 9th Gen Core CPUs will support Gigabit-class Wi-Fi 6 and Intel Optane Memory for improving communication latency and solving storage issues. The Intel Optane chip was launched in the year 2017 and is as fast as conventional RAMs while being inexpensive at the same time. It unifies the RAM chip and storage chip into a single module.

Expected Specifications

The company did not put forward any official specifications for the same, but as per leaks, Intel will introduce two new models in each of the Core i5, i7 and i9 CPUs. The Core i5-9400H is expected to have four cores running at 4.3 GHz, whereas the toned down i5-9300H will sport similar cores clocked at 4.1 GHz. The i7 lineup will be joined by the Core i7-9850H and Core i7-9750H, both with hexa cores clocked at 4.6 GHz and 4.5 GHz respectively. Lastly, the top-end Core i9 series is said to feature two new models, which are the i9-9980HK and the i9-9980H. Both the variants will expectedly have a total of 8 cores, with the clock speeds varying at 5 GHz and 4.8 GHz respectively. All the models are also speculated to sport Hyper Threading.

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Furthermore, the company also teased its upcoming graphics card, code named Odyssey. Although Intel did not divulge any specifications or details regarding the same, spectators were thrilled to learn that Intel may release a variant from the Odyssey series soon. Additionally, the company also teased its new UI for GPU configuration, which is already available for selected beta testers.

The Intel 9th Gen Core CPUs will be launched in the second Quarter of 2019.

March 22, 2019