Huawei P20 Lite with 5.6-inch FHD+ full-screen display, dual rear Leica lens cameras, hybrid zoom surfaces

Huwei P20 smartphone surfaced  online earlier this week, now the P20 Lite, the cheaper version in the series has surfaced online, thanks to @evleaks. This has a similar notch-design as the P20, but the fingerprint sensor on the front has been moved to the back. This is said to feature dual rear cameras with Leica lenses and hybrid zoom. It also matches the design that appeared on the FCC certification earlier this month.  [HTML1] Huawei P20 Lite rumored specifications 5.6-inch (1080 x 2250 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display Octa-Core Kirin 659 processor (4 xA53 at 2.36GHz + 4 x A53 at 1.7GHz) with MaliT830-MP2 GPU 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.0 16MP dual rear cameras with LED flash, Leica Lens, Hybrid zoom 8MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS / GLONASS 3520mAh battery The Huawei P20 Lite along with the P20, both with dual rear cameras and the P20 Pro with triple rear cameras will be introduced at an event in Paris on March 27th. Price and the availability details of the phone are missing. Source

Xiaomi Mi 6 Android 8.0 Oreo MIUI 9.2 Global Stable update starts rolling out

Xiaomi announced Oreo based MIUI Global Beta program for Mi 6 back in December 2017 and Oreo based MIUI Global Beta ROM for the device was released in January. Now the company has released MIUI 9.2 Global Stable ROM for the smartphone which is based on Android 8.0 (Oreo), this is the first smartphone from Xiaomi receiving Oreo based MIUI Stable update. The new update comes as MIUI 9.2.3.0.OCAMIEK and also brings the January 2018 security patch to the device. As per users on MIUI Forum, New Notification Shade is missing in this update which is strange since Quick Reply and Bundled notifications were introduced in Android Nougat. You can download the Recovery ROM here and flash it using updater method or download the Fastboot ROM to flash it using fastboot method. We can expect Xiaomi to roll out Oreo based Stable update for Mi MIX 2 soon as company announced Oreo based MIUI Global Beta program back in January. Check out the changelog below, Highlights Optimization - Android 8.0 update (02-12) Optimization - Protection from unintentional tapping for Dial pad (02-12) System Optimization - Android 8.0 update (02-12) Fix - Apps changed Wi-Fi connection status without the user's permission (02-12) Fix - Apps stopped ...

Worldwide smartphone shipments decline 0.5% first-time in 2017, expected to return to growth in 2018: IDC

According to the International Data Corporation's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone shipments worldwide have declined 0.5% in 2017 making it the first year-over-year decline in the market since the evolution of smartphones. A total of 1.46 billion devices were shipped in 2017 including both Android and iOS. Furthermore, IDC says that it is expecting shipments to fall to a lower single-digit growth in 2018 and the overall market to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.8% over the 2017-2022 forecast period with volumes forecast to reach 1.68 billion units in 2022. Design changes and innovations are expected to be the impactful requirement of the industry. IDC says that technology advances are becoming less about tangible hardware aesthetics and more about components and software. This shift is making a huge difference as smartphones these days are marching towards bigger screens and smaller bezels. There is a chance in 2018 that phablets out-ship regular smartphones, essentially ending the race for bigger screens. With 5G becoming the next big thing, OEMs, component suppliers, telcos, and services companies are looking to capitalize. IDC expects commercial 5G smartphones to hit the market in 2019, ramping up to account for roughly 18% of worldwide shipments by 2022. In terms of OS ...

CENTRiC signs 650 crore MOU with UP Govt, plans to setup R&D and manufacturing unit

Priyanka technologies; the manufacturer of CENTRiC smartphones today announced that it has signed MOU worth 650 crores with UP Govt and is planning to set up R&D and manufacturing unit in the state. This unit in UP will serve for both CENTRiC and FRND mobiles as well as other mobile phone manufacturing globally. The expected project is said to generate over 1500 employment opportunities directly and indirectly in and around the state. Priyanka Technologies (India) Private Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Priyanka Communications India Private Limited (PCIPL), owner of  Priyanka Telecom, CENTRiC, and FRND smartphones.While Priyanka Telecom is in the distribution, the CENTRiC & FRND are smartphone and feature phones brand respectively. Commenting on the same, Manish Agarwal, Founder, Priyanka Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd. (CENTRiC Smartphones) said, The Company plans to invest INR 648 Crores in setting up an R&D and Manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. We, as a company, strongly believe in the ‘Make in India’ vision laid by our Honourable Prime Minister and thus, to further strengthen our stance, we have planned to set up the R&D and Manufacturing unit for India’s very own mobile phone brand - CENTRiC Smartphones.

How to set up face unlock on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India a couple of weeks ago with a promise to bring face unlock via OTA before the end of March last week, the company delivered on the promise and released the OTA for enabling face unlock last week. This is the first Xiaomi smartphone in India to get the feature, even the Mi flagships like MIX 2 are yet to get AI based facial recognition unlock. Xiaomi claims that Artificial Intelligence algorithm based facial recognition system can unlock the phone under 0.2 seconds. In case you own a Redmi Note 5 Pro and wish to use this feature, this guide will help you in setting it up. Go to Settings > Lock Screen & Password > Add Face Data. [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="large" ids="245212,245213"] Information regarding the face unlock will be displayed and on proceeding, user will be asked to enter Lock Screen Password. [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="large" ids="245214,245207"] After entering the password, a warning and a Disclaimer will be shown to user, following which User will be asked to register his/her face data. [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="large" ids="245208,245209,245210,245211"] The smartphone went on sale today for the second time on Flipkart as well as Mi.com, the company claims to ...

OnePlus captures double the market share than Samsung, leading the Premium Android Smartphone market

One phone, three years and a sprightly start up like attitude later, OnePlus has managed to break through as the largest premium smartphone brand in the country. IDC recently published its latest report with figures from Q4 2017 and the numbers tell an interesting story. With 48% market share, OnePlus is well and clear in the lead as it takes on the mantle of the most popular premium brand ahead of Industry stalwarts like Apple and Samsung. Just as interesting are the company’s revenue figures. Crossing 1.4 billion dollars in revenues, the company grew 55 percent year on year. It doesn’t appear that the demand is going to slow down anytime either as both the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T have broken all sales records for the company. Without a doubt, striking that often precarious balance between price and performance has worked wonders for the company. The sheer value proposition of not having to spend flagship prices for a device that gives you all the specs for a fraction of the cost has resonated with the youth of the country. With the OnePlus 5T, the company has managed to hit practically every flagship grade feature while maintaining the same price. More than just ...

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ launching in India on March 6, pre-order begins same day on Flipkart, Airtel Online Store

Samsung announced the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones with new dual aperture camera, Super slo-mo and several features at its Unpacked 2018 event at the MWC 2018 earlier this week.  It also started pre-booking for the phones in India soon after the announcement. Today the company has confirmed that it will launch the flagship smartphones in India at an event on March 6th. Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ specifications S9 – 5.8-inch Quad HD+ (2960 × 1440 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity display with 570ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection S9+ – 6.2-inch Quad HD+ (2960 × 1440 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity display with 529ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with Adreno 630 GPU / Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 9 Series 9810 processor with Mali G72MP18 GPU S9 – 4GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB/128GB/256GB storage (UFS 2.1), expandable memory with microSD S9+ – 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB/128GB/256GB storage (UFS 2.1), expandable memory up to 400GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) Single / Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) S9 – 12MP Dual Pixel rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.4-f/1.5 variable  aperture, 960fps super slo-mo S9+ – 12MP primary rear camera with f/2.4-f/1.5 variable aperture, LED Flash, 960fps super slo-mo, 12MP secondary rear camera with f/2.4 ...

Samsung Galaxy S9 Hands On and Photo Gallery

Another MWC means it’s time for one more Samsung Galaxy flagship. The Korean giant finally unveiled the S9 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and  S9, S9 Plus combo could very well be the hottest Android phones this year. We spent some time with them at MWC and here’s what we think. Now in its 9th generation. The Galaxy S9 looks more or less identical to the Galaxy S8. It retains the same premium build, look and feel that made it look like a futuristic slab glass and metal while refining things all around. At the front, the Galaxy S9 sports a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display with a pixel density of 570ppi. Like the S8, the screen stretches all way around the edges. The S9 doesn’t quite make the leap to an all screen design which would entail the use of a notch. There’s the usual niceties like Gorilla Glass 5 protection and while the screen is the same as from the S8, brightness levels have been boosted marginally. The general button layout is essentially identical to the S8 and the phone continues to be exceptionally comfortable to hold despite the large display in use. The one big change ...

Xiaomi launches India’s first Mi Home Experience Store in Chennai

Xiaomi today has launched India's first Mi Home Experience store in Chennai. It is not a regular Mi Store, but a Store where products that are not available in India at Mi Home stores can be experienced. The Mi Home Experience Store will open tomorrow. Xiaomi has announced that it is offering phone engraving with the designs you need but the free option is only for a limited period. Xiaomi products like Ninebot Plus, Home cleaning Robots, Mi sports shoes, Blood pressure monitor, 90-point luggage carrier, Smart Rice Cooker and much more will be showcased at the Mi Experience Store.  It is Xiaomi's 25th Mi Store and 1st Mi Home Experience Store in India. As the name suggests, you can't buy any of these products. Instead, you can go and experience the products which are the only option for now. The Mi Home Experience Store will be opened tomorrow, March 1st from 11:00 AM in Phoenix Market City Chennai 1st Floor. Xiaomi has also announced that it aims to reach 100 Mi Home Stores in 2018 itself. Let's hope that Xiaomi brings some of the products to India as well.

Gaana receives $115 million funding from Tencent, to invest in AI

Chinese Internet conglomerate Tencent is funding $115 million to Indian music streaming service Gaana. The popular music streaming service continues its investments pace in the country with backing from domestic giants like Flipkart and Ola last year. Tencent already holds majority stakes in Tencent Music Entertainment, which is China’s largest music streaming business and it also operates JOOX, a leading music streaming platform in Southeast Asia. Biggest of all, it holds stakes in Sweden's Spotify service. On the other hand, Gaana currently has over 60 million monthly active users in January is now said to use the latest round of funding in technology developments including a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize music experiences for consumers. Gaana is aiming to cross 200 million active users mark in three years and is already improving its Social platform which recommends songs based on what friends and family are listening. Gaana Originals platform has more than 100 million playouts. Digital music service in India is expected to cross Rs 3,100 crore in revenue by 2020 with over 273 million online active music listeners. Commenting on the same, Prashan Agarwal, chief executive of Gaana said: Music streaming is the future of music consumption globally, and in India, we are only 10% of the way towards building a business ...

Google Flutter beta launched for faster cross-platform app development

Google at the MWC 2018 event has announced the first beta of Flutter which is a new mobile UI framework that helps developers in designing high-quality native interfaces for both iOS and Android. It lets developers to create native apps in record time. Flutter targets mobile development in performance and platform integrations of native mobile, with high-velocity development and multi-platform reach of portable UI toolkits. It comes with features like stateful Hot Reload, a new reactive framework, rich widget set, and integrated tooling which makes it easy to design fresh apps with brand new designs. [HTML1] Developers can take advantage of it to create expressive and flexible designs with composite widget sets, rich animation libraries, and a layered, extensible architecture. It also supports Google's portable GPU-accelerated renderer and high-performance, native ARM code runtime, and platform interop. https://youtu.be/fq4N0hgOWzU The Alpha release of Flutter last year managed to deliver features like screen reader support, accessibility features, right-to-left text, localization and internationalization, iPhone X and iOS 11 support, inline video, additional image format support, running Flutter code in the background, and much more. It also supports Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, new refactorings to help developers have full control on the coding department. The beta release works with a pre-release of Dart 2 with improved support for declaring UI in code ...

Google Clips goes on sale in the US for $249

After briefly going on sale in January, Google Clips is now officially available in the USA just in time for the promised March shipping time frame. Clips is Google's  A.I powered camera was introduced back in October at the Pixel event. Users who have managed to purchase the Clips camera during the sale in January will also get their deliveries starting today. Google Clips is capable of recording moving image leveraging on machine learning techniques without any human intervention. It connects via Bluetooth LE and WiFi Direct in order to sync with Android and iOS and in quickly recording spontaneous moments. It also has an option to create short movies using the recorded clips. Google Clips comes with a 12-megapixel sensor with f/2.4 aperture, 1.55 µm pixel size and 130-degree wide-angle lens and also has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It has 16GB internal storage. Google claims that it can offer up to 3 hours of smart capture on a single charge. Clips use USB Type-C port to connect. As you keep using the camera, it gets familiarize with the faces so that, it will start taking more photos of the known faces, instead of strangers. Clips app for Android and iOS lets you view, save, delete and share ...

ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) with 5.7-inch full-view display, dual rear cameras, 4000mAh battery announced

ASUS introduced Zenfone Max Plus (M1) in Russia back in November last year, now at the MWC 2018, it has introduced the Zenfone Max M1. It has 5.7-inch HD+ full-screen 2.5D curved glass display  with 18:9 aspect ratio and 82% screen-to-body ratio and has a 13-megapixel / 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, PDAF for 0.03 second quick focus and a secondary 8-megapixel rear camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens for group photos. There rear camera arrangement is is vertical compared to horizontal arrangement on the Max Plus M1. It also comes with 13MP or 8MP front camera with face unlock. It is powered by Snapdragon 430 / 425 SoCs with 2GB or 3GB RAM. It has a metal finish, features a fingerprint sensor on the back, comes with dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots and packs a 4000mAh battery  that promises battery life of 41 hours on standby, up to 23 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, or up to 16 hours of video playback. It also lets you charge other devices. Asus Zenfone Max (M1) (ZB555KL) specifications 5.7-inch (1440 ×720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 ( 4 x 1.2 GHz Cortex A53 + 4 x ...

Amazon Prime Music launched in India, free for Amazon Prime users on Android, iOS and web

Amazon has finally launched Amazon Prime Music service in India. It was introduced last year exclusively for Echo devices in the country. It is available for Android and iOS devices and is also available on the web at music.amazon.in. As the company had announced previously, the service is free for Prime customers since it is including in their package, and is also ad-free. It lets you choose music in different languages such as Hindi, English, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Rajasthani. It also has offline music downloads and Alexa voice support that lets you search for music with your voice. Amazon says that it has millions of of songs. It has playlists for Indian and International artists and also has curated playlists across genres, moods, activities and more. Amazon Prime Music - Android | iOS | Web

ASUS Zenfone 5 Lite Hands On and Photo Gallery

Asus along with the Zenfone 5 has also introduced the Zenfone 5 Lite  at the MWC 2018 event. Just like the Zenfone 5, the 5 Lite also packs full-screen display. We have got our hands on the phone so let’s take a detailed look at hardware and specifications of the phone. The Asus Zenfone 5 Lite sports a 6-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Even the Zenfone 5 Lite packs a glass body design and a great build that gives it a premium look. The phone comes in two variants; Snapdragon 630/ 430 64-bit Octa-Core Mobile Platform with Adreno 508/505 GPU coupled with 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. It has a 20MP front camera above the display along with earpiece, microphone, LED flash the and usual set of sensors. It also has a secondary 120-degree wide-angle lens. There are ultra-slim bezels on all corners. The volume rockers and the power button are present on the right side. While the SIM card tray is present on the left side. The phone comes with dedicated Dual SIM and microSD slots. The secondary microphone for noise cancellation and a 3.5mm audio headphone jack is present on the top. The main speaker grill ...

ASUS Zenfone 5 Hands On and Photo Gallery

ASUS just introduced the Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 5 Lite smartphones at the MWC 2018 event just as promised. The Zenfone 5 comes with 19:9 aspect ratio full-screen display with minimal bezels, falling in line with most of the smartphones launching these days. We have got our hands on the phone so let’s take a detailed look at hardware and specifications of the phone. The ASUS Zenfone 5 sports a 6.2-inch (2246 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with 19:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It has a glass body design with a great build that gives it a premium look. The phone is powered by 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU coupled with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The phone comes with iPhone X style top-notch where the 8MP front camera is present right above the display along with earpiece, microphone and usual set of sensors. Since the phone has 90% screen-to-body ratio and an 19:9 aspect ratio, there are ultra slim bezels on all corners except for the top where the notch with the front cam is present. The volume rockers and the power button are present on the right side. While the SIM card tray is present on ...

ASUS Zenfone 5 Lite with 6-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 630/430, dual front and rear cameras announced

Along with the Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 5Z, ASUS also introduced the Zenfone 5 Lite at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona. It has a 6-inch Full HD+ display with 1.79mm slim bezel and 80.3% screen-to-body ratio with support for glove touch. It is powered by Snapdragon 630 or 430 SoCs with 3GB or 4GB RAM. It runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat) with ZenUI 4.0, but it will get Android Oreo update with ZenUI 5.0 by Q3 2018, says the company. It has a 16MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, 0.03-second PDAF, LED flash along with a secondary 120-degree wide-angle camera. It also has a 20-megapixel front-facing camera with Sony IMX376 sensor, f/2.0 aperture and soft LED flash along with ASUS SelfieMaster technology for smart beautification in selfies, videos and live streams. There is also a secondary 120-degree wide-angle camera. It also has 3-axis electronic image stabilization for both front and rear cameras. It has a 2.5D curved glass finish on the back as well. It has a fingerprint sensor on the back that can unlock the phone in 0.3 seconds. It has dedicated Dual SIM and microSD slots and packs a 3300mAh battery. ASUS Zenfone 5 Lite specifications 6-inch (2160 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ ...

ASUS Zenfone 5 with 6.2-inch FHD+ 19:9 bezel-less display, Snapdragon 636, 6GB RAM, dual rear cameras announced

ASUS just announced the Zenfone 5, the latest smartphone in new series at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona, as expected. It has a 6.2-inch Full HD+ 19:9 Super IPS display with notch design and 90% screen-to-body ratio. The company says that it has AI Display with auto color temperate adjustment and smart screen on. It is powered by Snapdragon 636 with support for up to 6GB RAM and runs Android Oreo with ZenUI 5.0, which the company says is the cleanest ZenUI yet without any separate apps for browser, email, messaging and minimal third-party apps like Facebook and Instagram. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with support for OIS, Sony IMX363 sensor and 0.03s  Dual-pixel PDAF along with AI scene detection to detect 16 type of scenes automatically including  Food, Sky, Animals. It also has a secondary 8-megapixel rear camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens for portrait shots and shoot images with wider view. ASUS also has ZeniMoji, similar to the iPhone X's Animoji. It also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with auto portrait and Selfie panorama modes and has Face unlock apart from fingerprint sensor on the back. It has dual speakers with five-magnets and NXP Smart amplifier. It is also the world's ...

ASUS Zenfone 5Z with 6.2-inch FHD+ 19:9 bezel-less display, Snapdragon 845, 8GB RAM, dual rear cameras announced

ASUS today announced the Zenfone 5Z, the top-end smartphone in Zenfone 5 series at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona, as expected. It has the same 6.2-inch Full HD+ 19:9 Super IPS display with notch design and 90% screen-to-body ratio with AI Display for auto color temperate adjustment, but this is powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC with support for up to 8GB RAM. It runs Android Oreo with ZenUI 5.0, has a 12-megapixel rear camera with support for OIS, Sony IMX363 sensor and 0.03s  Dual-pixel PDAF along with AI scene detection to detect 16 type of scenes automatically, has a secondary 8-megapixel rear camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens for portrait shots and shoot images with wider view. It also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with auto portrait and Selfie panorama modes and has Face unlock apart from fingerprint sensor on the back. It has dual speakers with five-magnets and NXP Smart amplifier. It is also the world's first smartphone with DTS Headphone: X for 7.1-channel surround sound and comes bundled with Hi-Res Audio earphone. ASUS Zenfone 5Z specifications 6.2-inch (2246 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass Super IPS display with 500 nits Brightness, 95.4% NTSC color gamut, DCI-P3, 1500: 1 Contrast Ratio, ...

Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 Mobile Platform Series with multi-core Qualcomm AI Engine announced

Qualcomm at the MWC 2018 announced Snapdragon 700 Mobile Platform Series with on-device Artificial Intelligence with multi-core Qualcomm AI Engine offering 2x improvements compared to Snapdragon 600 Series. This will bring features and performance previously only available in the premium Snapdragon 800 Mobile Platform Series, says Qualcomm. In addition to AI, this also brings improved camera, device performance and power, supported by the heterogeneous compute power of premium features including the Qualcomm Spectra ISP, Qualcomm Kryo CPU, Qualcomm Hexagon Vector Processor and Qualcomm Adreno Visual Processing subsystem to offer up to 30% improvements in power efficiency, and better performance and battery life compared to Snapdragon 660 Mobile Platform. It will also offer ultra-fast LTE, carrier Wi-Fi features, as well as enhanced Bluetooth 5. The Snapdragon 700 Series Mobile Platforms is expected to be available for OEMs in the first half of 2018, so we can expected new 700 Series SoCs sometime in Q2 2018. Commenting on the new Snapdragon 700 series, Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager, mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, said: The Snapdragon 700 Mobile Platform Series will bring premium tier technologies and features into more affordable devices, something our global OEM customers and consumers are demanding. From our cutting-edge Qualcomm AI Engine to superior camera, device performance ...

Reliance Jio extends partnership with Samsung to deploy cellular IoT network across India

Back in February last year at the MWC, Samsung and Jio announced I&G (Infill & Growth) Project for Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd in India for LTE services upgrade across India by expanding both the current network capacity as well as network coverage. Today the companies have extended the relationship to further boost LTE network coverage and capacity, and deploy a next-generation cellular IoT network. The companies said that the partnership will bring LTE coverage 99 percent of the Indian population and significantly improve network capacity across the country. The IoT network will support a variety of consumer and enterprise use cases such as vehicle tracking, smart appliances, smart metering, security, surveillance and more. The NB-IoT service utilizes existing Jio's spectrum and is enabled by a simple software upgrade of the already installed base stations. It also users new and dedicated Cellular IoT virtualized core. The commercial NB-IoT network has already been established by Jio and Samsung in Mumbai this month, and will roll out in other parts of the country soon. Commenting on the partnership, Jyotindra Thacker, President of Reliance Jio Infocomm, said: Making sure that everyone benefits from mobile broadband that is both available and affordable to all is our top priority. We will once ...

KaiOS 2.5 will run on feature phones with Qualcomm, Spreadtrum chipsets with just 256MB RAM

At the MWC event, KaiOS Technologies announced that it is partnering with Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA, Airfind, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Doro, HMD Global, Micromax, NXP, Qualcomm to integrate with newest chipsets and offer advanced functionality on lite phones. Furthermore, KaiOS is already supported on high-performance LTE chipset platform Spreadtrum’s SC9820A which is now running on JioPhone. With this new partnership with various companies, Kai is planning on bringing tailored apps to KaiOS-powered devices and bundle the KaiOS on mobile brands including Micromax, new Doro feature phones, and a new Nokia feature phone powered by KaiOS. With its partnership with NXP, Kai is planning on adopting embedded Secure Element (eSE) and near field communication (NFC)-based mobile solutions in the JioPhone. KaiOS 2.5 will also be optimized and supported on Spreadtrum’s SC9820E and 3G device solution SC7731E chipsets later this quarter. This partnership is aimed at offering users a broader selection of lite phones that support advanced mobile functionality. The company says that emerging markets see a particular benefit from Spreadtrum’s technology as these new advanced chipsets give a competitive advantage in terms of  price and  efficiency. KaiOS will be powering affordable, lite phones and other connected  devices that use  limited memory while  still offering that offer rich user experience. In ...

Nokia 3 Android 8.0 Oreo beta update starts rolling out

After roll out stable Android Oreo update for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 last month, HMD global has started rolling out Oreo beta update for the Nokia 3 (TA-1020 and TA-1032), as it had promised. The company’s Chief product officer; Juho Sarvikas has announced the same on Twitter. [HTML1] Android 8.0 Oreo brings range of features including Background limits, Picture-in-Picture (PIP), notification channels, Wide-gamut color for apps, Adaptive icons, Companion device pairing, Keyboard navigation, AAudio API for Pro Audio and more. The update will be available via Nokia phones beta labs and the beta testers will be the first ones to test the Android 8.0 followed by wide-roll out post the best testing phase. The update has version number 3.220. Stable update for the phone is expected soon, and the company already confirmed that  Nokia 2 will go straight to 8.1 and will include memory optimization features found in Android Oreo (Go Edition). To join the Nokia phones beta labs, you need to have a working Nokia 3 phone and need to create an account and validate your device by entering the IMEI number. Once you are with the whole process, you will be getting the beta software Over-The-Air (OTA) update which might take up to 12 hours post activation. ...

Xiaomi Mi Band 2 with heart rate sensor back in stock in India at a new price of Rs. 1799

Xiaomi launched the  Mi Band 2 in India back in September 2016, but it went out of stock after few months. It also launched the Mi Band HRX Edition in the country without heart rate sensor a year later. Today Xiaomi has announced that the Mi Band 2 is back in stock in the country at a new price of Rs. 1799. To remind you, the Mi Band 2 has a 0.42-inch OLED display that shows time, steps and also heart rate when you tap the button below the display. It has upgraded pedometer algorithm for more accurate heart rate tracking and gathering better fitness and sleep data. It has IP67 ratings for water resistance. Xiaomi Mi Band 2 specifications 0.42-inch OLED display with scratch-resistant glass, anti-fingerprint coating shows time, step and heart rate Photoplethysmography (PPG) / Heart rate sensor Monitors your fitness and tracks your sleep 7g ultra light body IP67 ratings for water resistance Bluetooth 4.0 LE 70mAh Li-po battery with up to 20 days of standby The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is available for Rs. 1799 from mi.com. Check out our Mi Band 2 Review here, if you are planning to get it. Xiaomi also started selling Mi No. 1 Crewneck T-shirt on Mi.com at a discounted price of Rs. ...

Google Health cards get common symptom search in India in Hindi and English

Google with an aim to offer healthcare related information quickly in search results, rolled out the Health Cards with over 400 health conditions back in April 2016. Today it announced that it is adding information about commonly searched symptoms like common cold, acute bronchitis, flu, pneumonia, chest infection and Hindi language support. Google will now show an overview description along with information on self-treatment options and what might warrant a doctor’s visit. Google says that it is aiming to navigate and explore health conditions related to the symptoms and take you to a place where you can quickly talk to a health professional or do more in-depth research on the web. To make this information tailored to India, Google said that it is working closely with Apollo Hospitals. These results are intended for informational purposes only, and for any additional support, it is always recommended to consult a doctor for medical advice and treatment. This cards of information are to prepare you before you present your problem to a doctor and what questions you should be asking. The new symptom search experience will be available in Hindi and English on the Google App. Source

Google Tez now lets SBI bank users create SBI UPI IDs

Google today announced a strategic partnership with SBI to deeply integrate SBI bank on the company's digital payments app Google Tez. This partnership lets users create SBI UPI Id; @oksbi and get access to exclusive offers for SBI customers and enable wider adoption of digital payments and growing the digital payments ecosystem in India. Google now claims that since the launch of Tez in September 2017, has processed over 250 million transactions and has over 13.5 million monthly active users, across India, from the major cities to Kashmir and Kanyakumari. Currently, Tez supports over 70 UPI enabled banks. Google's Tez is built on the Indian government-supported Unified Payments Interface (UPI), allowing users make small or big payments straight from their bank accounts to the accounts of others from over 70 UPI enabled banks free of cost. Since the app was built for India, it is available in English and seven Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Commenting on the partnership, Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI said: We are committed to create an enabling environment to promote digital payments for more Indians. We already have a multitude of services including e-commerce and m-commerce, and this partnership with Google Tez will drive innovation and deliver exciting new opportunities ...

Lava Z50 Android Oreo (Go edition) smartphone announced; Airtel and Google partner for Android Go

Lava today introduced Z50, the first Android Oreo (Go edition) smartphone in the country. Apart from the Android Go edition features for smooth performance, it has Bokeh mode and an LED flash for both front and rear cameras. It also offers search in 10 major Indian languages (including Hindi) besides enabling search for images, weather and also translate from search home screen. Airtel also announced that it has partnered with Google to bring low-cost smartphones powered by Android Oreo (Go edition) to the Indian market. In addition to Lava, Micromax will also introduce Micromax BHARAT GO smartphone powered by Android Oreo (Go edition) in partnership with Airtel. The phones will be launched under Airtel’s ‘Mera Pehla Smartphone’ program starting March, 2018. These will also come pre-loaded with compatible apps, including MyAirtel App, Airtel TV and Wynk Music. Lava Z50 specifications 4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) FWVGA 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection 1.1GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737M with Adreno 304 GPU 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) Go Edition Dual SIM 5 MP rear cameras with LED flash 5MP front-facing camera with LED flash 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS It will come in Black and Gold colors ...

HTC 10 Android 8.0 Oreo update with Jio VoLTE support starts rolling out in India

HTC confirmed Android 8.0 (Oreo) update for some of its devices back in August last year. The HTC U11 was the first phone to get the Oreo update in November starting from Taiwan, later the U11 Life got the update,  after a delay the HTC 10 got the update recently. Now the company has finally started rolling out Oreo update for Indian users that also brings VoLTE support for Reliance Jio users. [HTML1] Android Oreo comes with lots of new features and improvements including Background limits, Notification channels, snooze notifications, Autofill APIs, Picture in Picture (PIP) display, Adaptive icons and much more. The v3.18.400.2 for the HTC 10 is 1.43GB in size, but it still has Android security patch for December, 2017. Image via

YouTube Live streaming to get automatic captions, locations tags and more

YouTube is announcing few new features to its live stream function to improve the user experience and make it accessible to more people. This includes automatic English captions to live streams whenever professionally provided captions aren’t available. These automated captions provide creators a quick and inexpensive way to make live streams accessible to more people and YouTube is using its automatic speech recognition (LASR) technology for captions with error rates and latency approaching industry standards. This features will be rolled out in the coming weeks and will continue to improve accuracy and latency of automatic captions. Furthermore, creators can now add a location tag to their mobile live streams and video uploads and share all their favorite hot spots with viewers. Users, on the other hand, can explore other videos with the same location tag by simply clicking on it. You can also use the location filter on the search results page to find other videos from the same location. YouTube introduced the Super Chats to trigger real-life events last year and wow creators can set this up for their channels using IFTTT (If This, Then That) with over 600smart home devices like lights, pet feeders, and confetti cannons which can be connected to Super Chat which is already available on desktop and ...

Actions on Google Assistant gets 7 news languages, deeper app integration, available to more developers

At the Mobile World Congress, Google shared some major developments in Actions on the Google Assistant; it will now be available in seven more languages including Hindi, Thai, Indonesian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Dutch bringing the total supported languages to 16. Google says that if developers localize their apps in these new languages, they will be among the first Actions available in the new locales, and will also earn rewards. Apart from languages, Google is also making it easier to build Action for global audiences. It recently added the building with templates creating an Action by filling in a Google Sheet without a single line of code for French, German, and Japanese. Google is also making it a little easier to localize Actions into different languages by allowing developers to export the directory listing information as a file. With the file in hand, you can translate offline and upload the translations to your console, making localization quicker and more organized. Google to help developers in building the first action in new languages, suggested developers take a quick tour of some of the useful developer features that are rolling out this week. Another biggest announcement is that Google said that by the end of the year the Assistant will reach ...

Lenovo Yoga 730 with Alexa voice support, Yoga 530 Windows 2-in-1 laptops announced

Lenovo at the MWC 2018 event introduced the new Yoga 730; the 13-inch and 15-inch variants, and Yoga 530 2-in-1 Laptops. These come with Alexa voice support and powered by the latest 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processors. The Lenovo Yoga 730 sports a 13-inch and 15-inch UHD (3840x2160) IPS touchscreen display and a 14-inch FHD IPS touchscreen display on the Yoga 530 with thin borders. They also pack the optional Lenovo Active Pen 2 with 4,096 levels of sensitivity to write, draw, or annotate with Windows Ink. They are powered by the latest 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processors, optional Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics. For added security, Lenovo now lets you log into the Yoga 730, Yoga 530 2-in-1 with its integrated fingerprint reader through Windows Hello. The Lenovo Yoga 730 apart from Cortana, also brings the Alexa integration which is made possible due to the newly introduced far-field microphones. Furthermore, they also get JBL speakers, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio and you can also connect the Yoga 730 to a 4K display through the laptop’s blazing-fast Thunderbolt 3 port. The Lenovo 15-inch Yoga 730 packs 1.89 kg, and 1.12 kg for the 13-inch model. On the other hand, the 14-inch Yoga 530 weighs 1.6 kg. As for the battery department, Lenovo claims that the new ...

Lenovo 100e, 300e and 500e rugged Chromebooks start rolling out

Lenovo back in January has introduced the 100e, 300e, and 500e Chromebooks for Education. Though they were supposed to ship from January end, after a delay for over a month, the company at the MWC 2018 event announced the availability of these.  To remind you, the Lenovo 100e is powered by the Intel dual-core Celeron CPU with 4GB of RAM and sports an 11.6-inch non-touch display. It has two USB 3.0 and Type-C ports, comes with rotatable HD camera and offers up to 10 hours of battery life. The 300e is powered by the MediaTek MTK 8173C SoC with 4GB of RAM, and one each Type-C and USB 3.0 port. It also has the same 11.6-inch multitouch display and packs add HDMI out. On the other hand, the 500e is the high-end Chromebook packs a 11.6-inch HD (1366x768) multitouch display, powered by a quad-core Celeron CPU, and 4-8GB of RAM. It has two USB 3.0 ports and two Type-C ports. It also charges over Type-C and also has a stylus that docks inside the computer. All the Chromebooks have rubber bumpers, reinforced ports and hinges and spill-resistant keyboards with reinforced keys that are tough. The 300e and 500e feature a 360-degree Yoga hinge that lets the device switch ...

Huawei P20 with dual rear Leica cameras surface, P20 Pro said to pack triple rear cameras

Huawei might have skipped the P20 series announcement at the MWC 2018, but the news about the flagships never stops coming. Today we see the freshly surfaced image of the P20 courtesy of popular leakster Evan Blass. Unlike the Pro model, the base P20 is said to have dual-rear cameras.  [HTML1] The Huawei P20 recently surfaced on certification site revealing the dual rear Leica cameras, top-notch matching with the today's leaked image. According to the latest picture of the P20, we can clearly see the iPhone X-like top-notch that we have seen in the P20 Lite and the fingerprint sensor is present on the front instead of back unlike the P20 Lite. Furthermore, it also shows dual rear cameras with LEICA lenses, and glass body design. We hear rumors that the phone will run Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.1 on top and is expected to be powered by Kirin 970 SoC. Rest of the specifications remain a mystery for now, but we should know more details as we move forward. The Huawei P20 announcement is scheduled to take place in Paris on March 27th.

Moto E5 Plus with 18:9 display, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor surfaces in press render

We already know that Motorola will be refreshing its Moto G and E series this year. Moto E5  and Moto E5 Play had already surfaced in press renders, now the Moto E5 Plus render has surfaced, thanks to @evleaks. Unlike the E5 and E5 Play, this will feature a 18:9 display. This also shows a front LED flash and Motorola logo below the display, similar to other phones in the series. [HTML1] It will feature a unibody design with rear-mounted fingerprint sensor within the Motorola logo, similar to the E5. Even though the design of the camera arrangement is similar to the Moto X4, it only has a single camera. The render also shows a 3.5mm audio jack on the top along with a secondary microphone, USB port on the bottom along with the primary microphone. Since the speaker is not seen, it will likely be embedded into the earpiece. We don't have any specifications of the phone yet. Looking at refection on the back, it might have a glass back, similar to the Moto X4. The clock widget shows April 3, 2018 (Tuesday), same as the E5 and E5 Play renders. Motorola has not scheduled any events at the MWC this week, so we can expect the ...

BlackBerry ‘Ghost’ with bezel-less display said to launch in India soon

A new BlackBerry smartphone code-named 'Ghost' has surfaced online, thanks to @evleaks who also says that the Android smartphone will have a bezel-less display and will be a premium smartphone. The image shows a sleek smartphone with a metal frame, cured corners, SIM slot and antenna cutouts present on the side. It also shows a front-facing camera and an earpiece above the display. [HTML1] The phone is said to launch in India soon and will be made by Optiemus Infracom, who also designed, manufactured and sold last year's BlackBerry KEYone in India as well as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Even though we had seen BlackBerry smartphones code-named Athena, Luna, and Uni recently, the new  'Ghost' handset is completely new that we have not heard before, so we don't have any specifications yet. Looking at the image, it looks like it will have a large screen with a size of about 6-inches. Since it will be a premium smartphone, we can expect dual rear cameras and a powerful processor. Source 

Nokia 8 Sirocco Hands On and Photo Gallery

HMD Global introduced the  Nokia 8 Sirocco Android One smartphone at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona. It is an upgraded version of the Nokia 8 with premium design. Check out the Hands On and Photo Gallery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz9UgeYHFzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6YaPuCHU7g If there was one word to describe the Nokia 8 Sirocco edition, it would likely be exquisite. The company has a heritage of stunning hardware design and HMD is carrying the torch forward with aplomb. The company might call it a special edition but honestly, the design bears little if any resemblance to the Nokia 8. This is all glass phone held together by a barely-there stainless steel chassis. Internally, the phone has a Snapdragon 835 chip with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The phone of course runs Android 8.0. This time around though, the Sirocco Edition is IP67 Rated, has wireless charging and even a bigger battery. The screen is a 5.5 inch 2K pOLED panel that is curved on both sides. Nokia didn’t go with an 18:9 aspect ratio this time around but we don’t really mind that at this size. The phone is compact enough to fit most pockets and feels chunky in a good way. Sure, it is similar to what Samsung has been doing ...

Indian tablet Shipments decline by 11% in 2017, Lenovo leads with 26.1% share: IDC

Indian tablet market has yet again seen a dip by 11% in 2017, according to International Data Corporation's (IDC) Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. A total of 717 thousand tablets were shipped in India with a 32% sequential decline in 2017, which is more or less similar YoY.  After a huge spike in Q3 2017 and completion of the Gujarat State government tablets deal, the commercial segment declined by 35% in Q4 2017. However, it is 75% growth compared to the same quarter last year. When we account for the entire year 2017, the Indian tablet market witnessed a total shipment of 3.2 million units which is a decline of 11% from 3.6 million units shipped in 2016. The strong demand from commercial segment has marginalized the overall decline to an early double-digit number. However, the consumer segment witnessed a consecutive decline for the second straight year. However, the slate market continues to dominate the Indian market with 96% of the tablet shipments, while the detachable market share remains limited to 4% in 2017. The 7-inch segment saw a 22% annual decline, though it has remained a dominating segment in 2017. Lenovo continues to lead the Indian tablet market with 26.1% market share as its shipment ...

MediaTek Helio P60 Octa-Core 12nm processor with multi-core AI processing unit, Dual 4G VoLTE announced

MediaTek at the MWC 2018 unveiled Helio P60, the company's latest processor for mid-range smartphones. The company says that it is the first SoC platform with a multi-core AI processing unit (mobile APU) and MediaTek’s NeuroPilot AI technology. It promises  70% CPU performance boost over the Helio P23 and Helio P30, in addition to a 70% GPU performance enhancement. It is based on 12nm TSMC's FinFET technology. It features four ARM Cortex A73 2 GHz CPUs and four ARM Cortex A53 2 GHz CPUs in an Octa-Core big.LITTLE configuration.  It says that the P60 is up to 12% more efficient overall and up to 25% more power efficient in highly demanding games compared to P23. It has MediaTek’s CorePilot 4.0 technology, with thermal management, user experience monitoring and Energy Aware Scheduling (EAS). The NeuroPilot AI technology works seamlessly across CPU, GPU and Mobile APU within the SoC to maximize performance and energy efficiency. The MediaTek’s NeuroPilot SDK in P60 is compatible with Google Android Neural Networks API (Android NNAPI), and also supports common AI frameworks, including TensorFlow, TF Lite, Caffe, and Caffe2. The company is working on bringing ONNX support to the chipset in Q2 2018 to provide developers with even more flexibility ...

Jolla Sailfish 3 and new Sailfish devices, support for feature phones announced at the MWC 2018

Jolla has introduced the Sailfish 3 OS just as it promised and it is the third generation independent mobile operating system along with new device support including Sony's Xperia XA2, the Gemini PDA, and INOI tablets. Sailfish is now also available for the new era of 4G Feature Phones.  Jolla is providing Sailfish 3 Jolla with full support for regional infrastructures including steady releases & OS upgrades, services to establish independent R&D centers, local hosting, training, and a flexible feature set to support customer specific needs. Sailfish 3 will also have extended security features and options, making it a solid option for various corporate solutions. Apart from the already existing support, Jolla Sailfish aims to back even more phones through the Sailfish community, extends support for several platforms including feature phones, wearables, tablets, corporate solutions, and a range of smartphones. Further with Sailfish 3, Jolla will extend its downloadable version of the OS, the Sailfish X, to new devices, such as the Gemini PDA. The company is extending support for the new Sony Xperia XA2 in collaboration with Sony Open Device Program, and through the Sailfish X program interested users can purchase an official Sailfish X license and install the OS on their brand new Sony's Xperia XA2 devices which will ...

Nokia 1 Hands On and Photo Gallery

HMD Global introduced Nokia 1, its first Android Oreo (Go edition) smartphone at the MWC 2018. We got to check out the smartphone, check out the hands-on impressions and photo gallery. [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="medium" ids="244899,244900"] Bright colours greet you as you take a closer look at the Android Go powered Nokia 1. The most affordable Android handset from the company brings back with it the legacy of interchangeable Xpress On covers. Designed as an accessible smartphone right from scratch, the Nokia 1 makes use of bright colours and plastics to drive costs down while still keeping things interesting. The Nokia 1 is a compact device with a 4.5 inch display. With a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, this isn’t going to be turning heads anywhere but that’s not the point of this device anyway. The Nokia 1 gives you a 1.1 GHz Mediatek MT6737M processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and most importantly, a pure build of Android guaranteed to get updates for the next 2 years. Performance is good enough for what the phone is aimed at. Basic social media use, browsing and phone should not pose an issue at all though you probably don’t want to game on this ...

Nokia 7 Plus Hands On and Photo Gallery

HMD Global introduced Nokia 7 Plus, a mid-range Android One smartphone at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona. It is the successor of the Nokia 7 that was introduced in China last year. Check out the hands-on impressions and the photo gallery of the phone. The new Nokia 7 Plus is a very intriguing device that sits somewhere between a mid ranger and a flagship. There’s an obvious focus on design and aesthetics here. We love the metal build of the phone alongside the cool design touches that we’ve come to expect from the brand. The copper bezels on the black variant make the phone look gorgeous. The 7 Plus has a large 6 inch Full HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio which makes it easier to hold in the hand. With it’s curved corners set within a dark frame, the phone looks deceptively like a Pixel 2 XL, more so with the stock build of Android on-board. At the back you’ll observe dual cameras modules one of which is equipped with a 2 x optical zoom as well. Nokia claims that the ZEISS lens equipped 12 and 13MP cameras have been tweaked for low light performance. Whats even better though is that the ...

Nokia 8110 Hands On and Photo Gallery

HMD Global introduced refreshed version of its iconic 8110 smartphone at the MWC 2018. Dubbed as Nokia 8110 4G , the feature phone has VoLTE support and has intuitive tactile mechanics with slide to answer and end the call, and a helicopter-style spin on its axis. Check out the hands-on impressions and photo gallery. Like the original 8110, flipping down the slider can be used to answer calls or snap open the interface. Much has changed this time around though. The big chunky buttons from the 1996 classic have been replaced by a flat button layout similar to what we saw on last year’s reboot of the 3310. The entire front fascia is equal parts retro and Nordic chic in the way that it manages a clean and seamless look. A small bar on the front slider makes it easy to pull it down. Now, the 8110 was always known as a Banana phone back in the day. And for good reason. As you can see the device has a certain curve to it and it fits exceptionally well in the hand. Up front is a 2.45 inch 240.x 430 display displaying the built in Kai OS interface that is powered by the Snapdragon 205 chipset and ...

Samsung Dex Pad Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ desktop dock announced

Samsung at the Unpacked event along with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+  also introduced the new DexPad accessory. It is an upgrade to the original Dex Station that was introduced last year. It removes the need for a keyboard and a trackpad. The Samsung DexPad with a USB Type-C port lets you connect your phone where it sits flat and use it both as a keyboard dubbed "Touch Keyboard" and a trackpad dubbed "TouchPad." While we don't like to write on the phone in that position, but comes in handy to use it as a tracked pad with such a large display. The DeX Pad is capable of powering displays up to 2560x1440, compared to the 1080p on DeX Station. Connectivity is similar as the Dex Station with two USB ports, a USB Type-C port, and an HDMI port, but the Ethernet port is unfortunately gone. It is not just compatible with the Galaxy S9 and S9+, but can also be used with Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8. Samsung also says that Touch Keyboard functionality will be added in an upcoming software update. No pricing or availability details are revealed yet, but it should be available along with the Galaxy S9 phones next month.

Sony Xperia Ear Duo wireless headphones with Google Assistant and Siri integration announced

Sony at the MWC 2018 event has introduced the Xperia Ear Duo wireless headphones with noise-canceling and Google Assistant and Siri integration. The dual listening experience combines music that you are listening to environmental sounds for the richer sound experience.  The Xperia Ear Duo wireless headphones can send audio notifications about your calendar, news headlines, and other topics to the headset. The intelligent “Daily Assist” feature recognizes the time, location and activities to offer relevant information throughout the day. The Sony's in-house developed Spatial Acoustic Conductor, allows the sound generated behind the ear by the unit´s driver to be transmitted directly to the ear. The specially designed ring supporter surrounds the ear canal so the music can blend seamlessly with sounds from your environment. With Sony’s Clear Phase audio technology, the volume intelligently adjusts based on your surroundings and background noise and eliminates sound dispersion for crystal clear listening. It is powered by the Sony’s ultra-low power consuming CXD5602 chip and a sophisticated multi-sensor platform. It can respond to head gestures which will allow you to answer or decline incoming calls by shaking or nodding your head, or skip through music by shaking your head left and right. You can also control your music and volume by simply tapping ...

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact with 5-inch Full HD+ HDR display, Snapdragon 845, 4K HDR recording announced

Sony just announced the Xperia XZ2 Compact , the company’s latest compact series smartphones MWC 2018 in Barcelona along with the XZ. It has a 5-inch Full HD+ 18:9 HDR screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, is powered by an Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform and runs Android 8.0 (Oreo).  It has a anti-scratch polycarbonate body compared to glass body on the XZ2 . It also has front facing stereo speakers with S-Force Front Surround. It comes with a 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera with 1/ 2.3″ Exmor RS memory stacked sensor, 960 fps super slow motion videos (FHD/HD), Predictive Capture, Anti-distortion shutter, Triple image sensing technology and 5-axis image stabilization for shake-free videos. It also has 4K HDR Movie recording and high ISO sensitivity of 51200 for photos and ISO 12800 for video. It has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, has IP65/68 ratings for dust and water resistance and packs a 2870mAh battery with support for fast charging, but it doesn't have wireless charging like the XZ2. Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact specifications 5-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) 18:9 Triluminos HDR Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 400GB via ...

Sony Xperia XZ2 with 5.7-inch Full HD+ HDR display, Snapdragon 845, 4K HDR video recording announced

Sony just announced the Xperia XZ2, the company’s latest flagship smartphone at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona, few months after the introduction of the Xperia XZ1 at IFA. It has a 5.7-inch Full HD+ 18:9 HDR screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, is powered by an Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform and runs Android 8.0 (Oreo). It has a 3D glass body and features the same Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the back. It also has front facing stereo speakers with S-Force Front Surround. It comes with a 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera with 1/ 2.3″ Exmor RS memory stacked sensor, 960 fps super slow motion videos (FHD/HD), Predictive Capture, Anti-distortion shutter, Triple image sensing technology and  5-axis image stabilization for shake-free videos, similar to the XZ1. It is also world's first smartphone with 4K HDR Movie recording and also offers ISO sensitivity 51200 for photos and ISO 12800 for video. It has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, has IP65/68 ratings for dust and water resistance and packs a 3180mAh battery with support for fast charging and also has wireless charging. Sony Xperia XZ2 specifications 5.7-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) 18:9 Triluminos HDR Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU ...

Apple said to launch high-end over-ear headphones later this year: KGI

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is said to be working on high-end over-ear headphones that are expected to launch later this year. In the latest research note outlining, KGI predicts his expectations for Apple's "acoustic accessories" pipeline later this year along with AirPods. Furthermore, he says that Apple to soon have own-brand, high-end over-ear headphones with all-new design as convenient as the AirPods with better sound quality and have it ship beginning Q4 2018 at earliest. Primax & SZS will be the key suppliers that will benefit from high ASPs. Primax will assemble thanks to its familiarity with the acoustic business, and SZS is likely to use MIM technology advantages as leverage to become the exclusive or main MIM part supplier. The new Apple headphones will be priced higher than AirPods and should help boost the business momentum of Primax as the assembly provider. We recently learned that Apple will be launching the upgraded AirPods with water-resistance, and with Apple’s voice assistant hands-free which is an improvement over the current AirPods. Source

Canon EOS M50 4K mirrorless camera and EOS Rebel T7 DSLR announced

Canon today announced the EOS M50 4K mirrorless camera and entry-level EOS Rebel T7 with a 24.1-megapixel sensor. The EOS M50 is the company's first mirrorless M-series camera with 4K recording capabilities and features DIGIC 8 processor with a 24.1megapixel sensor.  The Canon EOS Rebel T7 entry-level DSLR Cameras comes with an upgraded CMOS sensor to deliver sharp, high-resolution images. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, Scene Intelligent Auto Mode, and an Optical View Finder. The rest of the specifications remain mostly the as the T6. It has a 9-point phase-detection autofocus, 3fps burst shooting speed and 1080p video recording at 30fps, and a three-inch LCD monitor. On the other hand, the EOS M50 4K camera packs a new DIGIC 8 Image Processor with HD 120p high-frame video rate and built-in OLED electronic Viewfinder with touch and drag autofocus. It has a 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor which produces less noise and high definition in low-light situations. The M50 comes with a new silent mode. It features a Vari-Angle LCD touchscreen and connectivity options include Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth for automatic image transfer to compatible devices while shooting. The Canon EOS M50 will be available from April 2018 at $779.99 (Rs. 50,438 approx.) for the body only and with the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS ...

Vivo APEX FullView Concept Smartphone with in-display fingerprint scanner, 98% screen-to-body ratio announced

Vivo back at the CES 2018 show introduced the first smartphone with in-display optical fingerprint and today, APEX FullView Concept Smartphone with in-display fingerprint scanner, 98% screen-to-body ratio. The company is using its FullView technology in breakthroughs to the camera, speaker, and sensor elements. It is the world’s first Half-Screen Fingerprint Scanning Technology, following the industry’s first mass-produced In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Smartphone X20 Plus UD. It features slim top and side bezels at 1.8mm and a 4.3mm bottom bezel which is the thinnest in the industry. The screen-to-body ratio is expected to be around 98% if the bottom bezel reaches 1.8mm, ultimately creating a truly bezel-less experience. Taking advantage of its audio technologies, Vivo introduced Screen SoundCasting Technology with APEX, that transforms the entire FullView Display into a speaker. The Screen SoundCasting Technology sends vibrations through the display without the need for a traditional loudspeaker. It conserves power, reduces sound leakage, and optimizes low to high pith sound for a better and more balanced audio experience. Furthermore, APEX features an 8MP Elevating front camera which seamlessly rises in 0.8 seconds when it is required and retracts after use. Since it is an OLED screen, we expect the scanner is provided by Synaptics. The phone deploys a new System in Package (SIP) technology to ...

Airtel joins global Seamless Alliance to bring high-speed in-flight data connectivity

Airtel today announced that it is joining Seamless Alliance to bring uninterrupted in-flight  onnectivity to customers. It is aiming to usher in opening a new era of innovation for mobile operators and airlines by empowering mobile operators to extend their services into airline cabins. The Seamless Alliance formation with other founding members including OneWeb, Airbus, Delta, and Sprint.  The global alliance was announced in Barcelona. This formation will eliminate the immense costs and hurdles that are usually associated with the acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure by streamlining system integration and certification, providing open specifications for interoperability, increasing accessibility for passengers, and enable simple and integrated billing. Airtel said that it would continuously provide its customers via satellite technology with the same high speed, low latency connectivity from the ground, to air and back again. It will also significantly reduce costs for everyone involved while creating a smooth, positive user-experience. Commenting on the same Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said: We are delighted to be a founding member of this innovative technology platform to bring seamless connectivity to customers in the true sense. Over 370 million mobile customers across Airtel’s global network will be able to enjoy uninterrupted access to high-speed data ...