Instagram might get video calling feature soon

  Instagram is already feature-rich with stories, stickers, live, and it recently launched a standalone Direct messaging app which is under testing. Today we are seeing yet another new feature; video calling which is under testing by the internal Instagram team.  The new video calling icon will appear navigation bar in the chat just like how it shows in the WhatsApp. To access the feature, the user needs to open an active chat with a friend or family. You will be able to video call only if the other user has already accepted the request to chat. Otherwise, the icon won’t appear. Tapping on the video call icon will start the video call instantly, but the company seems to have not designed the other U.I elements of the video call. Instagram recently rolled out GIF stickers from Gify, and the company already allows people to join in live with others live stories. Instagram owned Facebook already supports the feature with 17 billion video chats in 2017 which is up to 2X from 2016. Since the feature just begun its development phase, it should be months before we see this in action it all Instagram decides to roll out the feature. Source

HTC U11 Android 8.0 Oreo update starts rolling out in India

HTC just as it promised has started rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update to U11 in India. The update has already started rolling out to users in batches and comes with version number 3.16.708.3 and is of 1.48GB in size. The phone was originally launched with Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) back in June last year. The phone got Oreo update in Taiwan back in November last year. According to the changelog, the update brings bug fixes along with Android 8.0 features including notification channels, Picture-in-Picture mode, new launcher interface, 3D touch like app shortcuts, Android Oreo helps minimize background activity in the apps you use least, Notification Dots, Smart text selection, Android Instant Apps and new emoji set. [HTML1] [HTML2] The Oreo update will also bring visual changes to the HTC's sense U.I. There is no word on Treble support, but we hope the company brings it since it will fasten the update cycle. The HTC U11 packs Edge sense technology for new squeeze interaction. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835, has support for BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers, and four optimally positioned omni-directional microphones that work together to record audio from all directions. Since the update has just started rolling out, it might be a while before it reaches everyone. In case ...

Ulefone T2 Pro world’s first smartphone with Helio P70 processor, 19:9 display to be announced at MWC 2018

Ulefone just sent out invites for its MWC 2018 launch event next month. The company also said that it will introduce its flagship smartphone that will feature the upcoming MediaTek Helio P70 processor and unique 19:9 full-screen display with Apple iPhone X-like top notch. The design renders of the phone shows a shiny metal frame with antenna lines on the top and the bottom, glass back and dual rear cameras. The company has not shared any other specifications of the smartphone, but it said that the phone will measure 165.85x78.25x7.7, so it should have a large display around 6-inches and might feature display resolution of 1,080 x 2,280 pixels. Recent rumors revealed that the MediaTek Helio P70 will be an Octa-Core SoC that use 12nm TSMC process technology with four Cortex-A73 CPU cores clocked at 2.5GHz and the other four smaller Cortex-A53 CPU cores clocked at 2GHz. It is said to pack Mali G72 MP4 GPU, come with support for up to 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, UFS 2.1 or eMMC 5.1 storage. MediaTek is also said to be working on Helio P40 and P38 SoCs. The Ulefone MWC 2017 event takes place from February 26th to March 1st, 2018 at its booth at 7I61 in Hall 7 ...

Reliance Jio launches data add-on packs starting at Rs. 11, 6GB data at Rs. 101

Last week Reliance Jio launched the most affordable Rs. 49 pack with free voice calls, 28 days validity for JioPhone users. At that time it introduced affordable data add-ons at Rs. 11, Rs. 21, Rs. 51 and Rs. 101. Now the company has launched these packs and has also revealed data benefits that come with these packs. The base Rs. 11 pack offers 400 MB data, the Rs. 21 pack offers 1GB data, the Rs. 51 pack offers 3GB data and the Rs. 101 pack offers 6GB data. All these packs don't have validity, so it will be valid till your existing plan's validity. Data on these add-on packs are used once the daily quota on your existing plan is over. You can do multiple recharge of these add-on packs, but these will be queued up in your account, for usage only once the first voucher has expired. These new add-on packs are now live on the Jio website as well as My Jio app.

Sharp S3 Android One smartphone with 5-inch 1080p display, Android 8.0, water-resistant body announced

Sharp recently announced S3, the company's latest Android One smartphone and the successor of S2, in partnership with Google running stock Android 8.0 (Oreo). It promise Android updates for 24 months and security updates for 3 years. It has a 5-inch 1080p IGZO screen, is powered by Snapdragon 430 with 3GB RAM, has a 13.1-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 5-megapixel front camera, features a polycarbonate body, but it doesn't have a fingerprint sensor. Sharp S3 specifications 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IGZO display Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 ( 4 x 1.2 GHz Cortex A53 + 4 x 1.5 GHz Cortex A53) 64-bit Mobile Platform with Adreno 505 GPU 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) 13.1MP rear camera with LED flash 5MP front-facing camera Dimensions: 71 × 144 × 8.5 mm; 143g Water (IPX5 / IPX8) and dust (IP6X) resistant 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB Type-C 2,700 mAh battery The Sharp S3 comes in Blue, Black, White and Pink colors, is priced at 32,400 yen (US$ / Rs. 19000 approx.) without contract or with 12-month contract from local operator Softbank. Source

Nokia 3310 4G VoLTE phone announced

After more than a month the phone got certified, HMD Global today officially announced the Nokia 3310 4G phone with VoLTE support in China. It has a similar design and a similar 2.4 inch QGVA color display, 2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash light, Bluetooth, microSD expansion slot and a 1200mAh battery as the Nokia 3310 3G, but this has a more powerful processor, more RAM, more storage and it runs on YunOS compared to Java-powered Feature OS in the 3G version. The version that is launched in China comes with single SIM support and has support for 2G: 900/1800; 3G: TD-SCDMA B34 / 39 and 4G: TDD B38 / 41, 39, 40 bands. Nokia 3310 4G specifications 2.4-inch (240 x 320 pixels) QVGA curved window colour display 1.5GHz dual-core processor 256MB RAM, 512MB internal storage, MicroSD card support up to 64GB YunOS 5.2.0 Single SIM 2MP rear camera with LED flash LED torchlight Dimensions: 117 x 52.4 x 13.35mm; Weight: 88.1g 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, MP3 player for music 4G VoLTE with WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 1200mAh battery with up to 15 hours 2G talk time, up to 8 hours 3G talk time and up to 5 hours 4G VoLTE talk time and 15 days standby on 2G, 12 days of ...

Honor 9 Lite vs Moto G5S Plus

Quite lately, Honor has been launching smartphones with an aggressive pricing strategy to cement its place in the Indian market. Recently, the company launched the Honor 9 Lite with beautiful glass and metal body and Quad cameras at a starting price of just Rs. 10,999. At this price point, the Honor 9 Lite is definitely a bang for the buck. Having said that, there is a sea of smartphones available in the market from various manufacturers with similar features. Comparing is always healthy, which points out the good and bad from both the sides. This, in turn, helps them to rectify their mistake and not to repeat them in future. Today, we have compared Honor 9 Lite with the Moto G5S Plus smartphone that was launched recently, with dual rear cameras. Design One of the most talked about thing in the Honor 9 Lite is its 'Design'. The Honor 9 Lite smartphone comes with an all-glass body with a metal frame on sides, which is a rare sight for the mid-range these days. It feels compact yet solid, premium and lightweight in hand. I don’t shy away from saying Honor 9 Lite has set a new benchmark for build and design at this price point. Weighing just 149 ...

Honor 9 Lite sold out in 120 seconds in fourth sale on Flipkart, next sale on February 6

Huawei’s Honor brand started selling the Honor 9 Lite smartphone exclusively on Flipkart last week. The phone sold out in record 6 minutes of the sale opening, selling at a the rate of over 150 units per second on January 21st midnight and it sold out in 3 minutes in the second sale on January 21st 12 noon. Later it sold the smartphone on January 23rd at 12 noon, which was sold out in 120 seconds. [HTML1] Today the company has announced that the phone was sold out in 120 seconds once the sale opened at 12 noon, same as the previous sale. The company will hold fifth sale of the Honor 9 Lite on Flipkart at 12PM next Tuesday, February 6th. Check out our Honor 9 Lite review, if you are planning to buy the phone. Commenting on today's sale, P Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group, said: Honor 9 Lite’s continued sale success is a testament to its technological innovation and superior product quality. Since the first sale, we have witnessed unprecedented consumer response that has pushed Honor 9 Lite to emerge as one of the best-selling smartphones from Honor’s portfolio this year. We expect the momentum to grow more and more with time.

Motorola Sonic Play 100, Sonic Play 150, Sonic Play 200 and Sonic Play 275 Bluetooth speakers launched in India

Motorola has launched new Motorola Sonic Play Bluetooth speaker series - Sonic Play 100, Sonic Play 150, Sonic Play 200 and the Sonic Play 275 in India. These are designed for easy travel, focuses on ergonomics, comes with integrated Multipoint Technology, which lets you connect two devices at one time and feature built-in controls to adjust volume +/-, Play/Play and more. Highlights of Motorola Sonic Play 100 / 150 Bluetooth Speakers Balanced sound at any volume Wireless freedom, with easy Bluetooth Connectivity aided with Voice prompts. Upto to 4 hours of playtime, 50ft range. In built mic for calls for hands-free calling  Less than 50 gram weight Integrated FM radio (Sonic Play 150 only)  Bluetooth 4.1 Integrated multipoint technology to connect two devices at once  Powerful 1.5w output to provide superb bass-driven sound Support 3.5mm audio jack AUX  Touch Control buttons: Volume +/-, Play/Play  Colors: Black Motorola Sonic Play 200 / 275 Bluetooth Speakers Balanced sound at any volume Wireless freedom, with easy Bluetooth Connectivity aided with Voice prompts. Upto to 10 hours of playtime, 50ft range. In built mic for calls for hands-free calling Dual drivers with passive bass radiator Less than 70 gram weight Integrated FM radio Integrated microphone for handsfree calling (Only in Sonic Play 275) Bluetooth ...

Ola announces international foray, all set to launch in Australia

Ola; Indian cab sharing aggregator has announced its plans to foray into Australia. The company has begun onboarding driver-partners across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and said that is aiming to expand soon and work with local communities for better reach. The move comes as a part of the international expansion through which Ola has begun on-boarding private hire vehicles (PHVs) and driver-partners in major cities in Australia. Ola Cabs was founded in 2011, and it currently serves over two million people every day in across 110+ cities in India and billion rides annually, through its platform on an aggregate basis. [HTML1] Currently, Ola is inviting private hire vehicle owners in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth to learn more about driving and can also register on Ola Drivers website to work with Ola. Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Ola said: We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem which embraces new technology and innovation. With a strong focus on driver-partners and the community at large, we aim to create a high-quality and affordable travel experience for citizens and look forward to contributing to a healthy mobility ecosystem in Australia. Source