Airtel offers Rs. 2000 cashback on purchase of any 4G smartphone – Here’s how you can avail it

Airtel has announced new #AirtelThanks program special festive offer that offers instant cashback benefit of Rs 2,000 on upgrading to a new 4G smartphone before this month. The cashback will be credited to the customer's My Airtel account in the form of 40 coupons worth Rs 50 each. Airtel has already teamed up with several OEMs to offer cashback and additional data. These digital coupons can be redeemed on subsequent recharges on reachare with select packs of Rs. 199 & above or postpaid bill payment of Rs. 399 & above. How to avail this Buy a new 4G smartphone from any online or offline store Insert a 4G SIM in a new 4G smartphone on or before October 31, 2018 Coupons will auto-apply on every subsequent recharge or bill payment via My Airtel App, valid for the first 40 months of being credited to the customer’s account (Only one coupon can be availed at the time a recharge or bill payment) Back in August, Airtel offered  free Amazon Pay digital Gift Card worth Rs. 51 to its pre-paid and post-paid customers. Last week it announced three months Netflix subscription and access to premium content from ZEE5 for Airtel mobile customers on Infinity Postpaid plans of Rs. ...

HTC EXODUS 1 native Blockchain smartphone now available for pre-order, shipping in December

After so much hype, HTC has introduced its new blockchain-powered smartphone, “EXODUS 1,” as it promised. Right from the way how consumers can order the devices, the EXODUS 1 is wholly dedicated to blockchain encryption.  Genesis Block. Exodus Phone. This is official early access release to the EXODUS 1. We are inviting a community of developers and enthusiasts to work with us to keep building security. Join us in rebuilding trust together, one phone at a time. Get your early access now! pic.twitter.com/sPcNc7wnzj — HTC EXODUS (@htcexodus) October 23, 2018 HTC says that in a bid for elevated smartphone security amid recent security breaches, it wants consumers to truly own their data including browsing history, identity, assets, wallets, emails, and all without the need for central authorities. The HTC EXODUS 1 features a secure enclave, a locked area of the device completely protected from the Android OS. The secure enclave will hold crypto keys, whether that is currencies or non-fungible tokens. The device will also offer an easy and secure way to recover keys lost in the hardware in case if you lose your phone or forget your key. HTC also said that it will soon release APIs to allow third-party developers to use the EXODUS 1 specific hardware to protect ...

Xiaomi will launch Snapdragon 675-powered smartphone next year

Earlier today at the 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong, Qualcomm introduced its latest Snapdragon 675 Mobile Platform based on 11nm process technology, 2 performance (based on new Cortex A76) cores and 6 effciency cores (based on Cortex A55) as well as enhanced AI Engine, Spectra 250 ISP,  Kryo 460 CPUs and Adreno 612 GPU. At the event, Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director said that the company will launch Snapdragon 675-powered smartphone next year. He did not go into specifics, so we will have to wait till next year to find out more details about this phone. Snapdragon 670 has support for up to three front and rear cameras, and supports features such as telephoto, wide angle, and super-wide image capture, enhanced portrait mode (Bokeh) as well as 3D face unlock. Hope we can expect a power-packed mid-range smartphone with advanced set of features. Met Cristiano @cristianoamon, Qualcomm's Global President, during #4G5Gsummit. @Qualcomm & @Xiaomi have been great partners. Qualcomm announced a new SoC: #Snapdragon675, which will come to devices next year. #Xiaomi will launch a new device with this incredible chipset. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WhMABcfUlx — Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) October 23, 2018 Qualcomm already said that the Snapdragon 675 Mobile Platform is available for OEMs for ...

Saregama, Harman Kardon team up to launch Carvaan Gold with 130+ stations, companion app

Saregama has entered into a strategic partnership with audio brand Harman Kardon, by HARMAN, for the launch of  next generation of Carvaan range of products. The first product from this partnership, Carvaan Gold has been launched just in time for festival season.  Carvaan Gold is the high-end variant of Carvaan designed using iconic Harman Kardon sound technology and speakers. It comes in a hi-end metallic body and is available in exclusive Champagne Gold and Rose Gold colors. The product also comes with a companion app that allows users to create their own playlist or select their favorite song on Carvaan. Carvaan Gold comes pre-loaded with 5000 evergreen Hindi songs, no ads, categorized into 130+ stations featuring the best of Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Rajesh Khanna and other legends of Bollywood; the entire collection of Ameen Sayani’s Geetmala; FM/AM radio and the option to listen to one’s personal collection of songs via Bluetooth or by plugging in a pen drive in the USB port. Carvaan Gold works on a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 5 hours. The Saregama HARMAN Carvaan Gold is priced at Rs. 14,990 and comes in Champagne Gold and Rose Gold colors. Vikram Mehra, Managing Director of Saregama India ...

Samsung patent hints at a full-screen fingerprint scanner

Samsung has filed a patent with the USPTO and WIPO which is a method for acquiring biometric information and electronic device supporting the same’. The patent was published on October 18, 2018. Unlike the regular optical in-display fingerprint scanner, Samsung has patented a new technology that makes it possible to use the entire display as a fingerprint scanner. The patent describes a Samsung smartphone with one or two processors; a main processor and a second low-power processor which will control the biometric sensor, the touch sensor, and the lighting sensor. The 2nd processor can perform all tasks independently as long as the smartphone is locked. The main processor can remain in sleep mode and thus save on battery consumption. Once the touch is detected on the screen, the brightness of the display will be increased and post which a three scan authentication is done at different brightness levels. The information gathered will be combined for a more reliable authentication. This technique would also make it possible to scan a wet or dirty finger. For the three scans, the smartphone needs 60 to 90 milliseconds. The processor needs 200 to 300 milliseconds in between to adjust the brightness. However, the patent description doesn't give any ...

Google Pixel 3 memory management issue said to kill background apps; Google to roll out fix for ‘unsaved photos’ camera bug

Google Pixel series and bugs seem like a never-ending story as the recent batch of Pixel 3 and 3 XL phones which are making their way into customer's hands are reporting of software related issues. It is being reported that Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, thanks to 4GB of RAM, could be having memory management issue. Reports state that taking a photo is apparently enough to kill the music player if it's playing music in the background. Tests suggest that the phone couldn't handle more than 3-4 apps as they are forced out of memory. The reports started flowing even before the phone hit the markets. Android Police's Artem who was testing the Pixel 3 XL and found that merely cycling between Chrome, Google+, and Twitter was enough to force Chrome out of memory on the Pixel 3 XL, requiring that the app is reloaded the next time it is opened. It is clear the reason behind this issue is because of the poor memory management, it isn't clear if it is a result of Google's decision to go with just 4GB of RAM. Hopefully, it's an issue that can be fixed via update. Moving along, memory management isn't the only issue Pixel 3 ...

Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Windows VR headset with dual 3.5-inch AMOLED displays announced

Samsung Electronics has announced a new advanced display technology for the HMD Odyssey+, bringing true-to-life Windows mixed reality space through the Windows Mixed Reality Platform. It comes with exclusive Anti-Screen Door Effect (Anti-SDE) Display innovation. The Anti-Screen Door Effect is where fine lines separating pixels become visible in some displays, the Screen Door Effect can hinder immersion and even lead to dizziness or nausea over time. The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ deploys its cutting-edge display technology to fight irritating fixed-pattern noise, with 1,233 PPI for an enhanced mixed reality experience. It comes with dual 3.5-inch AMOLED displays with a combined resolution of 1,440 x 1,600 per eye. The Samsung HMD Odyssey+’s controller can act as a flashlight, allowing you to see the world around you for a more comfortable and convenient way to stay aware of your surroundings. The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ integrates AKG’s premium audio technology and comes built-in with the 360-degree spatial sound support that simulates 3D audio, delivering clear and precise acoustics from every angle. The headset also includes built-in volume controls, allowing you to easily adjust the volume whenever you need. It weighs 590g along with a wide eye box measuring 146mm to help match your facial features. Everything from the headband to ...

Qualcomm and Ericsson make first 3GPP-compliant 5G NR sub-6 GHz OTA call

Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson at the 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong announced the successful completion of a 3GPP Rel-15 spec compliant 5G NR over-the-air (OTA) call over sub-6 GHz bands on a smartphone form factor mobile test device. The OTA call was conducted in the Ericsson Lab in Stockholm, Sweden on the 3.5 GHz band. Much like the companies’ first OTA calls performed using millimeter wave (mmWave) in both 28 and 39 GHz spectrum bands, the latest sub-6 GHz call utilized Ericsson’s commercial 5G NR radio AIR 6488 and baseband products and a mobile test device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem and RF subsystem. Back in December 2017, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies announced interoperability development testing (IODT) to pave a way for the commercial launch of 5G NR standard-compliant infrastructure, smartphones and other mobile devices in the first half of 2019. The successful 5G OTA calls using both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands are critical milestones in the commercialization process. Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, said: Achieving interoperability on different spectrums shows the strength of the 5G ecosystem. Together with Qualcomm Technologies, we’ve successfully tested 5G NR on 39, 28 and now, 3.5 GHz band. These milestones add to the commercial readiness ...

Qualcomm introduces first Bluetooth smart headset reference design featuring push-button activation support for Alexa

Qualcomm Technologies has announced the industry’s first qualified end-to-end Bluetooth Smart Headset reference design featuring push-button activation support for Alexa for users of Android phones with the Alexa app. It is based on Qualcomm's Bluetooth audio chips; QCC5100-series. The reference design includes virtually all the key hardware and software required for manufacturers to help them develop advanced Bluetooth headsets. In addition, to support for Alexa, the solution also supports ultra-low power consumption for extended playback time and battery life, as well as Qualcomm cVc noise reduction technology designed for superior audio and voice service capabilities. It also lets manufacturers add support for active noise cancellation and Qualcomm aptX HD high-resolution wireless audio. The Qualcomm Smart Headset Development Kit is the first Bluetooth Smart Headset reference design built with support for the Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit. This means device makers no longer need to oversee the bulk of coding for their Alexa integration or to add any communication hardware beyond Bluetooth, which helps to reduce cost and accelerates development time. The QCC5100-series SoC architecture is designed to deliver low-power consumption and optimized to ensure longer audio playback time for both voice calls and music streaming. A dedicated application processor sub-system, dual DSP architecture and ...

Qualcomm’s new QTM052 5G mmWave antenna module is 25% smaller

Qualcomm has introduced a new addition to the Qualcomm QTM052 mmWave antenna module family of fully-integrated 5G NR millimeter wave (mmWave) modules for smartphones and other mobile devices. This is 25% smaller than the first QTM052 mmWave antenna modules that were announced in July 2018. The latest mmWave antenna module is engineered to enable mobile device manufacturers to address stringent mobile handset size requirements for 5G NR smartphones and mobile devices that are expected to launch in 2019. Thanks to these smaller antenna modules, OEMs now have more options for antenna placement, providing them with more freedom and flexibility in their 5G mmWave designs. The QTM052 mmWave antenna modules pair with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem to help address the challenges associated with mmWave. It packs a phased antenna array design in a small footprint, suitable for integrating up to four modules in a smartphone form factor. The modules support advanced beam forming, beam steering, and beam tracking technologies, designed to drastically improve the range and reliability of mmWave signals. They include an integrated 5G NR radio transceiver, power management IC, RF front-end components and phased antenna array as well as support up to 800 MHz of bandwidth in the 26.5-29.5 GHz (n257), ...