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 ...