Xiaomi Play smartphone to be announced on December 24

After a teaser recently, Xiaomi today announced that it will introduce a smartphone in the new Play series in China on December 24th. The company doesn't reveal any details other than the name of the phone, but the name hints that it could be targeted at gaming. It could also be the 48MP camera phone that the company has been teasing. There are some rumors that say that it could be a version of Snapdragon POCO / POCOPHONE F1 for the Chinese market at an affordable price tag of less than 1999 yuan. We should know more details about the Xiaomi Play in the coming days. Source

Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem for IoT, wearables, and more announced

Qualcomm Technologies has announced its next-generation modem purpose-built for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications; the new Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem. It brings together key elements required to build cellular-enabled IoT products and services in a single chipset, including global multimode LTE category M1 (eMTC) and NB2 (NB-IoT) as well as 2G/E-GPRS connectivity, application processing, geolocation, hardware-based security, support for cloud services and accompanying developer tools.  The modem is engineered to reduce power consumption by up to 70% in idle mode. The Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem is also 50% smaller and more cost-effective than its predecessor – making it ideal for IoT applications requiring low-power, wide-area connectivity in a small form factor device. The new modem is also software-compatible with the Company’s prior LTE IoT solutions which allows module manufacturers to reuse software investments to develop new module solutions. It has support for both 3GPP release 14 Category M1 and NB2 for operation with networks using any of these LTE IoT modes, as well as 2G/E-GPRS to allow for connectivity in areas where LTE IoT is not yet deployed. The Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem features an RF transceiver with extended bandwidth support from 450 MHz to 2100 MHz. It also integrates a comprehensive RF front-end, a ...

Xiaomi No. 1 Mi Fan Sale from Dec 19 to 21: Discounts on smartphones, LED TVs and more

Xiaomi today announced that year-end No.1 Mi Fan Sale will happen from Wednesday, 19th December until Friday, 21st December offering discounts on smartphones, Mi LED TVs and more. It is being held on Mi.com, as well as its online partner platforms - Amazon.in and Flipkart.com depending on the prodcuts. Xiaomi said that Redmi Note 6 Pro will also be available with an exciting Paytm offer throughout the sale.  Smartphones POCO F1 (8GB+256GB) Armoured Edition - Rs. 26,999 (Rs. 2000 off) POCO F1 (8GB+256GB) - Rs. 25,999 (Rs. 2000 off) POCO F1 (6GB+128GB) - Rs. 21,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Mi A2 (6GB+128GB) - Rs. 16,999 (Rs. 2000 off) Mi A2 (4GB+64GB) - Rs. 14,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Redmi Note 5 Pro (6GB+64GB) - Rs. 14,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Redmi Note 5 Pro (4GB+64GB) - Rs. 12,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Redmi Y2 (4GB + 64GB) - Rs. 10,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Redmi Y2 (3GB + 32GB)  - Rs. 8,999 (Rs. 1000 off) LED TVs Mi LED TV 4A PRO (49) - Rs. 30,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Mi LED TV 4A (43) - Rs. 21,999 (Rs. 1000 off) Mi LED TV 4C PRO (32) - Rs. 14,999 (Rs. 1000 off) There are games such as Santa is Lost on Mi.com wherein users can log in and search for the Santas hidden ...

Funcl W1 Bluetooth Earbuds Review

Smartphones and its associated technology are evolving at a rapid phase. Out of all the upgrades, the disappearance of 3.5mm audio jack remains the questioning and unusual one. Having said that, the push towards Bluetooth headset is on the rise, besides the USB Type-C technology. In this Bluetooth headset arena, there are few who wish to emphasise more on uniqueness which might include futuristic designs and Voice assistant's that will not only satisfy people but get over the cables too, such as true wireless earbuds. One such is Funcl, a hardware startup with a group of experienced professionals who worked top audio companies and manufacturers (Harman Audio, Foxconn, Xiaomi, and Goertek). A few weeks back, the company introduced Funcl W1 True wireless headphones powered by Bluetooth 5.0. We got hold of the device for a weeks time and came up with a review of this True Wireless earbud. Box Contents Funcl W1 headset Silicone ear tips in two additional sizes Charging case Micro USB cable Quick start guide and user manual Build quality The build quality of Funcl W1 is surprisingly good for its price, be it the charging case or the headset itself. Moving on, the charging case is small, glossy and made of ...

HTC Desire 12s with 5.7-inch 18:9 display, 4GB RAM, 13MP front and rear cameras with LED flash announced

HTC has announced Desire 12s, months after introduction of Desire 12.  It has a 5.7-inch HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio display, is powered by Snapdragon 435 with up to 4GB of RAM, runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) with HTC Sense UI on and 13-megapixel front and rear cameras, both with LED flash. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, comes with dual SIM support and packs a 3075mAh battery. HTC Desire 12s specifications 5.7-inch (1440 × 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display Octa-Core Snapdragon 435 (4 x Cortex A53 1.4GHz + 4 x Cortex A53 1.1GHz) Mobile Platform with Adreno 505 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB storage / 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable memory with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with HTC Sense UI Dual SIM 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, 1080p video recording 13MP front-facing camera with f/2.4 aperture with LED flash Fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 154.2 x 72.7 x 8.3 mm; Weight: 150g 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, NFC 3075mAh battery The HTC Desire 12s comes in Black, Silver and Red colors, is priced at NT$5990 (US$ 194 / Rs. 13,920 approx.) for the 3GB RAM with 32GB storage version and the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage version costs NT$ 6990 (US$ 226 ...

Microsoft patents hint at a wearable device with actuators

Microsoft has discontinued its lineup of wearable devices after launching the Microsoft Band 2. However, the company seems to be planning a comeback. A new patent file named “WEARABLE DEVICE” was published by USPTO and filed by Microsoft in June 2017. The patent details a wearable device that has actuators which are adjustable in terms of their duty cycle, power and/or position based on sensor data. The actuators in the wearable device are adjustable relative to one another in terms of their position and in various examples, the actuators may be adjustable relative to one another in terms of their duty cycle, power and/or position based on sensor data. The Microsoft wearable device uses a haptic actuation for therapeutic stimulation and in various examples, the wearable device may be worn close to a joint and used to affect the involuntary movement of the joint or limb. it may be used to alleviate some symptoms of a condition which affects motion or control of the limbs and one example is Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease typically include tremors; involuntary shaking of parts of the body, such as the hand, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles. Source | Via

Google Maps for Android gets auto-rickshaw as public transport mode in India starting from Delhi

Google has announced that starting today, commuters in Delhi will be able to see a new public transport mode; auto rickshaw in Google Maps. By selecting this mode of transport, commuters will be able to view suggested routes for the ride as well as the estimated auto-rickshaw fares. The new feature can be found within the ‘public transport and ‘cab’ modes in Google Maps and is based on the expected trip route and the official fare model shared by the Delhi Traffic Police. The feature will be available in the Google Maps app on Android devices. To use the feature, users need to update Google Maps to the latest version v.10.6, open the app, search for a destination, then tap on directions and go to the public transport tab. After choosing the mode of transport on the screen, users will be able to see the estimated price of the journey and the route’s traffic information. Then simply tap ‘Navigate’ to start the trip. The same option can also be accessed through the “cab” mode on Google Maps. Vishal Dutta, Product Manager, Google Maps said:  The idea of this feature is to incorporate one of most commonly used modes of public transport in Google Maps and share transparent information about the ...

Huawei Nova 4 with 6.4-inch FHD+ display, 8GB RAM, 48MP rear camera, 25MP in-screen front camera announced

Huawei just announced Nova 4, the company’s latest smartphone in the Nova series in China, as it had promised. It packs a 6.3-inch FHD+ curved glass full-screen display with a 4.5mm hole to house the 3.05mm small 25-megapixel front camera, 0.85mm micro-seam earpiece on the edge and has a 86.3% screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by Kirin 970 SoC with support for GPU Turbo 2.0, packs 8GB of RAM and runs Android 9.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9.0.1. It has a 48-megapixel rear camera, 16 million super wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel camera to capture depth information in portrait shots. There is also a version with a 20-megapixel primary camera. It has 3D hyperboloid glass body with gradiant finish in some versions, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and packs a 3750mAh battery with support for fast charging. Huawei Nova 4 specifications 6.4-inch (2310 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ curved glass display, 96% NTSC Color Gamut Octa-Core Huawei Kirin 970 (4 x 2.4 GHz A73+ 4 x 1.8 GHz A53) 10nm processor with Mali-G72 MP12 GPU,  i7 co-processor, NPU, GPU Turbo 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage Android 9.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9.0.1. Dual SIM 48MP (1/2" Sony IMX586 sensor) / 20MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, CAF, ...

Microsoft patent hint at dual-screen folding device

A new Microsoft patent filing hints at a twin-screen folding hinged device which is about the size of a smartphone.  The hinge connects two screens on the device which also shows that the company is still interested in new form factors for its hardware.  off late, we have been hearing reports and rumors regarding a Microsoft device with a large dual-screen device called Centaurus. This device may be part of its strategy to take on Chromebooks. There are rumors about a Microsoft foldable device called Andromeda, although it is not clear whether this is ever likely to appear. The latest folding device patent from Microsoft reveals a few interesting features like a pop-up feature which allows the user to open the screen with a button on the outside. This 'user controllable lock' can be used to open the device enough to read a message displayed on the edge of the screen and then close the device again or open it further if they want to respond to the message or carry out another action. The patent notes that the closed device can be very compact and carried in the user's pocket. As with most patents, it doesn't mean the device is likely to reach ...

Honor Band 4 with 0.95-inch AMOLED color display, 50-meter water resistance launched in India for Rs. 2599

Huawei’s Honor brand has launched Honor Band 4, successor of Honor Band 3 in India. It has a 0.95-inch AMOLED color 2.5D curved glass touch screen display in addition to Home button, comes with continuous heart rate tracking and is also water resistant up to 50 meters with Swim stroke recognition. It has Huawei Huawei TruSleep 2.0 uses cardiopulmonary coupled dynamics spectrum (CPC) to monitor complete sleep structure including deep sleep (REM) to analyse sleep and offer personalized sleep recommendations. The Huawei TruSeen 2.0 heart rate technology offers 24-hour continuous heart monitoring when running, walking, cycling and more. Honor Band 4 specifications 0.95 inch AMOLED touch display Bluetooth 4.2 LE, Compatible with Android 4.4 (or later) or iOS 9.0 (or later) Pedometer, Sleep tracker, Exercise tracker, Sedentary reminder 6-axis sensors; infrared wearing detection sensor Continuous Heart rate sensor Call and Message notification, Incoming call mute function Water and dust resistant (50 meter / 5 ATM) NFC for payments Dimensions: 43 × 17.2 × 11.5 mm; Weight: ~ 23g 100mAh battery with up to 14 days of usage time, 20 days standby The Honor Band 4 comes in Meteorite Black, Midnight Navy and Dahlia Pink colors, is priced at Rs. 2599 and will be available exclusively from Amazon.in starting tomorrow, December 18, ...