Weekly Roundup: Vivo NEX, Xiaomi Mi Max 3, Huawei Nova 3, Nokia 6.1 Plus, X5 and more

Vivo has launched the NEX smartphone in India finally after so much hype. It comes with a pop-up front camera that automatically rises and hides when you open and close the camera app. Huawei has launched the Nova 3, the company’s latest smartphone in the Nova series. It packs a 6.3-inch FHD+ 19:5:9 aspect ratio curved glass display with a notch and many more.  The Vivo NEX packs a 6.59-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen with ultra narrow bezels with 91.24 screen-to-body ratio, Screen SoundCasting Technology, and 8-megapixel pop-up front camera that automatically rises and hides when you open and close the camera app. This uses extremely precise micro-stepping motors, with independent drive ICs and precision control algorithms to precisely control this process, says Vivo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAXnvS45D0c&t=4s It has an in-display fingerprint sensor, and the company says that the third-generation screen fingerprint technology, is smaller, and more powerful offering 50% better accuracy and the unlocking speed is increased by 10% compared to the predecessor. The Vivo NEX comes in Black color in India, is priced at Rs. 44,990, and will be available for order  exclusively on Amazon.in as well as Vivo Shop online and ships starting from July 21st. Huawei announced the Nova 3 which is the company’s latest smartphone in the Nova series ...

OnePlus will work on these 6 commitment points around its products based on ‘Open Ears’ community event feedback

OnePlus always improves its products based on feedback from its users. To take it to the next step, it recently held its first  ‘Open Ears’ forum in India to collect in-depth feedback about the software and hardware of OnePlus products. Today, the company has announced that it has received a lot of suggestions from the community during the sessions at the community event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V37txpbQtI It has decided to work on the following 6 commitment points around the OnePlus products: FileDash will be improved to be made compatible with other OnePlus applications. It will also be made easier to discover. OnePlus Switch with support enhanced data backup and desktop backup Selfie Portrait Mode on the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T Correction on the "Oil Painting Effect" to continue Shelf will support Dark Theme Support to include additional accent colours for the theme Hope we can expect more OxygenOS updates in coming weeks and months to add these features that the company has promised. Source

OnePlus 3 and 3T OxygenOS 5.0.4 update brings July Android security patch, camera improvements and more

After rolling out the final OxygenOS beta update for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones earlier this month, OnePlus today rolled out stable OxygenOS 5.0.4 update for these smartphones. This brings the latest Android security patch, front camera image quality improvements, as well as third-part app fixes. System Updated Android security patch to 2018.7 Camera Improved image quality for the front camera Fixed manual ISO setting issue of 3rd party camera apps Third-Party Apps Fixed parallel WhatsApp crash issue Fixed front camera zoom-in issues for Snapchat The OnePlus 3 and 3T OxygenOS 5.0.4 update is 95MB in size, and is rolling out gradually. Even though the about page shows it as June, it actually has July security update, says OnePlus. If you are still using beta OS on the 3 or 3T, you have to flash the stable ROM manually by downloading it from downloads.oneplus.net. The company already said that it will provide Android version updates for the 3 and 3T till November 2018 and Android security updates till November 2019. Source

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 said to feature Iris Scanner and Intelligent Scan

When the Samsung's Galaxy Tab S4 surfaced in renders, one striking detail that caught our attention is the lack of a fingerprint sensor and the only possible explanation for this is that Samsung could employ an iris scanner instead. Obviously, Samsung wouldn't launch its new flagship tablet without any sort of security features.  Cut to the chase, thanks to the instructional video, it is more or less confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S4 would feature an iris scanner. The new demonstration video comes from the official Galaxy Tab S4 firmware. Unsurprisingly, it is the same animation that plays when you’re setting up an 'Intelligent Scan' on the Galaxy S9 or S9+. If you are unaware, the Intelligent Scan combines the iris scanner and facial recognition when unlocking the device. Should one of them fail, other is used as a backup. According to the Wi-Fi Certification, Galaxy Tab S4 is expected to be powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. We are hearing rumors that the Galaxy Tab S4 will be introduced at the Unpacked on August 9th, 2018. Source

Here’s a Sneak Peak at the Upcoming Honor 9N

Honor hasn't really hidden away the fact that there's a new device on the horizon. To be called the Honor 9N, we got a chance to take a sneak peak at the phone. Here's a quick gallery of the smartphone ahead of the launch on the 24th.  You'll observe that the Honor 9N packs a notch. This is fast becoming a standard feature even in mid-range phones. We're told that there is a software option to disable the notch so if you're not a fan, Honor has a solution for you. Bezels all around are pretty small for a mid-range device. At the top within the notch is a single front facing camera and earpiece. In addition to the standard black and blue colours, Honor will also introduce two really interesting new shades with the 9N. A play on teal and lavender, the two colours looks really nice and distinctive. A fingerprint sensor lies in the centre with the dual camera module placed at the top left. The teal finish almost looks painted on with a layer of gloss on top. There's no doubt that this phone will be turning heads whenever you take it out of your pocket. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="258841,258840"] On the ...

Sony PlayStation 4 Pro Marvel’s Spider-Man Limited Edition announced

Sony has announced PlayStation4 Pro Marvel’s Spider-Man Limited Edition.  This Limited Edition includes a specially designed PlayStation 4 Pro (PS4 Pro) with 1TB HDD, Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK4) and the Blu-ray Disc version of the PS4 title Marvel’s Spider-Man. It comes in red color featuring the iconic Spider-Man logo, a matching DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvxTpUCkO5s The bundled Marvel’s Spider-Man game starring Marvel's Spider-Man features the acrobatic abilities, improvisation and web-slinging that the wall-crawler is famous for, while also introducing elements never-before-seen in a Spider-Man game. "From traversing with parkour and unique environmental interactions, to new combat and blockbuster action, it's Spider-Man unlike any you’ve played before," said Sony. The bundle includes three chapters with our post-launch DLC series – Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps. The Sony PlayStation 4 Pro Marvel’s Spider-Man Limited Edition is priced at $399 (₹ 27,510 approx.), is available for pre-order and will go on sale in the U.S. on September 7th. In Thailand it will be available at an MSRP of THB 17,690 (US$ 528 / ₹ 36,455 approx.).

ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 6GB RAM, 16MP front and rear camera version will finally go on sale from July 26 for Rs. 14999

Update: Asus today confirmed that the 6GB RAM version of the Zenfone Max Pro M1  will go on sale in India from 26th July, which is next Thursday, exclusively on Flipkart. ASUS just launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone in India back in April, and the phone went on sale from May 3rd in 3GB RAM with 32GB storage version and the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage versions starting at  Rs. 10,999. At the launch the 6GB RAM with 64GB storage version with 16MP primary rear and 16MP front camera for Rs. 14,999 in June, but it did not happen. Today at the Zenfone 5Z launch event the company has announced that the top-end Zenfone Max Pro M1 variant will finally go on sale in India exclusively on Flipkart starting this July. ASUS Zenfone Max Pro (M1) 6GB RAM specifications 5.99-inch (2160×1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display with 1500:1 contrast ratio, 85% NTSC color gamut, 450 nits brightness 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 6GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) Dual SIM (nano + nano) 16MP rear camera with LED Flash, PDAF, 1.12μm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, secondary 5MP camera 16MP front-facing camera with ...

JioPhone Monsoon Hungama exchange offer – JioPhone at an effective price of Rs. 501; Rs. 594 plan with unlimited calls, 90GB data for 6 months

Earlier this month  at the annual AGM Reliance Jio chairman introduced JioPhone offer dubbed as “Monsoon Hungama” that allows feature phone users exchange their phone for a new JioPhone at an effective price of Rs. 501 instead of paying the full amount of Rs. 1500. Today the company has announced more details about the offer and also introduced a special plan for these users. How does it work? Under the Monsoon Hungama exchange offer Jiophone will now be available at effectively Rs 501. Additionally, Rs 501 is also a 100% refundable security deposit at the end of 3 years, thereby making the JioPhone effectively fre. This Rs 501 offer can be availed instantly at the retail point, on exchanging any old 2G/3G/4G (non-VOLTE) phone. Customers should ensure that the old phone that is being exchanged must be in working condition and with charger. The old phone must be handed over to the retailer at the time of the new JioPhone purchase Handset must be in working condition without any damage/missing parts or broken/burnt parts and should be sold in the last 3.5 years (1 st Jan’ 2015 onwards) JioPhone or any CDMA or operator locked devices WILL NOT be accepted for ...

Sony MP-CD1 ultra-portable mobile projector with 120-inch projection launched in India at Rs. 29990

Sony today has launched the MP-CD1 ultra-portable Mobile Projector in India. This was previously announced at the CES 2018 earlier this year. The company says that it can fit in your palm and can project up to 120 inches in size from a short distance of 3.5m and weighs just 281 grams and measures 83.0 mm x 16.0 mm x 150.0 mm.  The Sony MP-CD1 ultra-portable Mobile Projector features Texas Instruments’ DLP IntelliBright technology that employs advanced image processing algorithms to boost brightness without compromising on battery consumption. Thanks to its unique design, it helps in minimizing the heat while still maintaining high brightness. It can project up to up to 120 inches in size at a resolution of 854 x 480. The Sony MP-CD1 projector comes with 105 ANSI lumens and 5,000mAh built-in battery offering two-hours of projection time. The projector’s auto keystone correction provides full-screen display without distortion even when projected from an angle or onto an uneven surface. It connects to an HDMI connection, and the company is claiming five-second bootup time. It connects via a standard USB-C port and rated at 5V 3A. The Sony MP-CD1 projector is priced at Rs 29,990, and it will be available in India from August 3.

Sony schedules an event in India on August 1, Xperia XZ2 with 5.7-inch FHD+ HDR display, Snapdragon 845 expected

Sony just sent out invites for an event in India on August 1st. The invite just has the date and the event will be held in New Delhi without any other details. The company will likely introduce its flagship Xperia XZ2 smartphone in the country at the event. To remind you, the phone that was introduced at the MWC earlier this year packs 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 and was introduced as the world’s first smartphone with 4K HDR Movie recording. It 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 ...