Sony confirms it is looking to downsize its operations in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa

Sony has confirmed that it is looking into the possibility of downsizing its operations in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. The company's confirmation comes after reports from tipster Evan Blass said that Sony would shut down mobile operations in the said regions. Bad news for Sony Mobile fans in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa: I'm hearing that the company will "shut down its operations and offices" in the region by October. — Evan Blass (@evleaks) June 27, 2018 Though the statement doesn't mean that the company will be shutting down completely, but it does hint that Sony isn’t doing well in these regions and might be planning to cut its losses. The news comes in times as Chinese brands enjoy massive growth in the Middle East and Africa markets, according to Counterpoint Research. Chinese brands have seen a 36% annual growth in the Middle East and Africa for Q1 2018. The main reason for the downfall of Sony has to be the dated design, poor marketing campaigns, along with pricing compared to other phones in the segment. Despite all that Sony still enjoys, a limited loyal fan base, but with this latest confirmation coming directly from Sony hints that it will at least see ...

Spotify Lite with basic functionality released for Android

The craze for Lite/ trimmed down apps these days is racing ahead, and now it is Spotify whose Lite app has made its way to Play Store. However, the implementation isn't exactly the greatest, and it is missing a lot of crucial features from the main.  The interface is more or less the same as the main app with a custom launch screen and Facebook connectivity. As for the features that are missing; there's no offline playback. With Spotify being a music streaming app, offline playback is crucial given that this app's entire point is to save data, but for some reason, it is missing. Surprisingly, there's no extreme quality playback, but with saving data being the main point, it is understandable. Spotify Connect, which allows audio to be seamlessly streamed from wireless audio devices is, unfortunately, missing as well. It doesn't allow Premium subscribers to select specific songs to play. Spotify seemingly went too far in trimming down for the Lite app deleting essential feature just for the sake of having a Liter version. We hope Spotify brings improvements eventually in the upcoming updates. You can download the Spotify the APK and side-load it manually, if its not available in your country through Google Play. Via

Instagram testing the ability to ask questions in Stories

Instagram- the Facebook-owned company now has added the ability to ask questions in its Stories after rolling out the option to add soundtracks to your Stories. The feature is dubbed "ask a question," and has started rolling out at least for Android users, but not for all though. Stories on Instagram already feature yes/no polls, emoji sliders that users can bundle with questions. The new ability enables followers to ask questions or roast the story uploader as well. Then again, the roll out seems to be limited at the moment, as I myself  with Instagram beta am not able to see the option just yet. We should expect wider roll out of this feature along with official announcement sometime later this month. Recently, the company announced that Stories feature is being used by over 400 million every day, compared to 250 million last June. Source

RED Hydrogen One with 5.7-inch holographic display, 6GB RAM, Android 8.1 specifications surface in benchmarks

Ahead of the official release in August, RED Hydrogen One which was introduced last year has been spotted Geekbench benchmarks. It confirms most of the previously rumored details like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, and 6GB of RAM. According to the Geekbench benchmark listing, the device has managed to score 1946 on the single core test and 5820 points on the multi-core. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 835 will be coupled with 6GB of RAM and will run on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. RED HYDROGEN ONE is the world’s first holographic phone with 4-View technology that can display 3D content without glasses. It sports a 5.7-inch holographic display and features a pogo pin system that allows you to add stackable modules to the phone giving it a modular touch. There is a USB Type-C port on the bottom and the 3.5mm audio jack. The device will let you view both 2D and 3D VR and AR experiences. The RED Hydrogen One will be available in two variants, and they will differ by the build quality; the first one might be built out of aluminum, and this was previously up for pre-order on RED’s website for $1295. On the other hand, the more premium option will have a titanium build and was available for $1595. ...

Apple’s 2018 iPhones said to feature both embedded Apple SIM and traditional SIM card tray

Apple will be launching three new iPhones later this year, and rumor mill already started flowing in details, fresh to join the list is the that the 2018 iPhones said to feature both embedded Apple SIM and traditional SIM card tray.  In markets like China where Apple SIM is not available, the company is said to be offer iPhones with two physical SIM card trays. Apple introduced SIM back in 2014 to provide cellular iPad users with a convenient way to switch between carriers and use short-term data plans when needed. This is really useful for those who travel between countries frequently. It will work with selected carriers in more than 180 countries and regions around the world. Previously, Apple SIM was placed in the iPhone when needed, but now it will be embedded within the models. The company still sells in SIMs in their retail stores, and this can be used in the lower-cost 9.7-inch iPad and other models. However, the latest report doesn't mention which iPhone model will have an embedded Apple SIM, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed that the 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus would come in dual-SIM variants, but the 5.8-inch variant will be available in regular single SIM. There are reports ...

OnePlus introduces Amber Red OnePlus 6, available in India from July 16

After rumors, OnePlus has officially introduced the Amber Red version of its flagship OnePlus 6 smartphone that joins the Mirror Black, Midnight Black, Silk White and OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition versions of the smartphone. The company introduced Lava Red OnePlus 5T smartphone back in November last year. Other than the color, other specifications are similar to the original OnePlus 6. To capture the perfect red, OnePlus utilized a never-done-before technique utilizing optical coating, evaporative film, and six panels of glass. An added anti-reflective layer was used to allow more light to reach the bottom layers of glass before being reflected off the device, creating a sense of depth. A translucent orange layer intermixes with the red base layer to achieve a radiant glossy red, unique to OnePlus. The OnePlus 6 Amber Edition edition comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and will go on sale globally starting next week. It will be available in India from July 16th through Amazon.in and OnePlus online store priced at Rs. 39,999, same as the other 8GB RAM with 128GB storage versions of the OnePlus 6. Regarding the launch of new color variant, OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, said: We believe power and attitude can be both elegant and humble, and we have strived to achieve ...

Aadhaar holders can now generate their 16-digit Virtual ID (VID)

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced 16-digit Virtual ID (VID), which is a random number mapped with the Aadhaar number. This can be used instead of Aadhaar number wherever eKYC compliance is needed. You can generate 16-digit VID on UIDAI website here or mobile app by entering your 12-digit Aadhaar number (UID), security code and OTP that you receive on your mobile number attached. You can generate a VID once a day, and there is no expiry period. This will be operational with its Authentication User Agencies (AUAs) which have migrated to VID and UID Token. UIDAI said that telecom companies and e-sign provider AUAs not using API version 2.5 and e-KYC API 2.5 starting July 1 shall be charged Rs. 0.20 for every transaction performed. This charge will be waived AUA has fully migrated to APIs 2.5 by July 31. All the other AUAs including banks should migrate to VID and UID Token using Auth API 2.5 and e-KYC API 2.5 by August 31. UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said that VID is a critical security measure for protecting residents' privacy and their Aadhaar numbers. With the introduction of Virtual ID, an Aadhaar holder will have an option of not sharing his/her ...

Vivo Z1i with 6.26-inch FHD+ 19:9 display, Snapdragon 636, dual rear cameras, Android 8.1 surfaces

Vivo announced Z1 in China last month, now the Z1i, a cheaper version has surfaced. It will feature similar specifications as the Z1, including a 6.26-inch FHD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass display with a notch, 90% screen-to-body ratio and norrow bezels, 4GB of RAM, Android 8.1 (Oreo) with Funtouch OS 4.0 on top and features a 13-megapixel rear camera along with a secondary 2-megapixel camera, but this will be powered by Snapdragon 636 instead of Snapdragon 660, come with 128GB of storage, 16-megapixel front camera, and a slightly smaller 3180mAh battery. Vivo Z1i rumored specifications 6.26-inch (2280 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 IPS display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 4GB RAM, 128GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Funtouch OS 4.0 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) 13MP rear camera with LED flash, secondary 2MP camera 16MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 154.81 x 75.03 x 7.89mm ; Weight: 149.3g 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS  3180mAh battery The Vivo Z1i is rumored to be priced at 1998 yuan (US$ 302 / Rs. 20,650 approx.) and might go official in July. Via

Weekly Roundup: Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro, Mi Pad 4, Vivo V9 6GB, Acer Nitro 5 (2018) Gaming Laptop and more

This week Xiaomi introduced the most expected Redmi 6 Pro and Mi Pad 4 tablets, and also introduced Mi 6X Hatsune Miku Special Edition, Vivo introduced V9 6GB edition, Acer launched the Nitro 5 (2018) Gaming Laptop, and lots more from this week in our weekly roundup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfddk8iYqeQ&t=0s Xiaomi announced the Redmi 6 Pro the company’s latest mid-range smartphone in the Redmi series. It packs a 5.84-inch FHD+ 19:9 aspect ratio display with a notch, is powered by Snapdragon 625 with up to 4GB of RAM, runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI on top, a 12-megapixel rear camera with flash along with a secondary 5-megapixel camera for AI portraits and AI scene detection. There is also a 5-megapixel front camera with AI portrait and AI Face unlock. It comes in Rose Gold, Gold, Blue, Black and Red colors, is priced at 999 yuan (US$ 156 / Rs. 10,520 approx.)and for the 3GB with 32GB storage version, 1199 yuan (US$ 184 / Rs. 12,510 approx.) and for the 4GB RAM with 32GB storage version and the 64GB version of it costs 1299 yuan (US$ 199 / Rs. 13,555 approx.). Xiaomi announced the Mi Pad 4. It has an 8-inch Full HD screen with 16:10 aspect ratio, and the company says that it ...

Huawei’s new GPU Turbo technology roll out timeline revealed

Huawei earlier this month has unveiled GPU Turbo technology, which according to the company would increase device performance by 60% while reducing power use by 30%. The company would enable this tech on a Huawei phone via a software update and it promised that it will roll out to several of their smartphones.  Now the company has revealed a detailed schedule for the rollout, sharing which devices, as well as regions, will get the update and when. The GPU Turbo technology is already present on the Honor 9i, and the beta testing for Huawei Mate 10 series and Honor 10 is underway. It is also looking for Huawei P20 and P20 Pro users to start beta testing the tech.  Here's the schedule for Huawei and Honor phones. Phone Region Availability Huawei P20 and P20 Pro Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa August 2018 Huawei Mate 10, Mate Pro, Mate RS Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa August 2018 Huawei P20 Lite Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa September 2018 Huawei P Smart All Markets September 2018 Huawei Nova 2i, Mate 10 Lite All Markets September 2018 Huawei Y9 2018 All Markets September 2018 Huawei Mate 9 All Markets November 2018 Huawei Mate 9 Pro All Markets November 2018 Huawei P10 Plus All Markets November 2018 Huawei P10 All Markets November 2018 Phone Region Availability Honor 10 Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East August 2018 Honor 9 Lite Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East September 2018 Honor V10 Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East September 2018 Honor 7X All ...