Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ with Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display, triple rear cameras, in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner announced

Samsung has announced its flagship Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ smartphones at an event in San Francisco, as it had promised. These pack a 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Displays and are the first Samsung phones with an in-display Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner that reads the 3D contours of user's physical thumbprint for improved anti-spoofing. The company says that these have world’s first FIDO Alliance Biometric Component certification.  These are powered by Snapdragon 855 or  Samsung Exynos 9 Series 9820 SoCs depending on the region, run Android 9.0 (Pie) with OneUI and come with Samsung services like Bixby, Samsung Health, Samsung Pay and Samsung DeX. Both have triple rear cameras with a primary 12-megapixel Dual Pixel and Dual Aperture primary sensor, 16-megapixel Ultra Wide Lens with a 123-degree field of view and a 12-megapixel Telephoto lens. These have an improved 10-megapixel Dual Pixel front-facing camera, while the S10+ also comes with secondary 8MP depth sensor. These have IP68 water and dust resistance, 3,400mAh and 4,100mAh  batteries, respectively with support for wired fast charging and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 as well as new Wireless PowerShare feature to charge Qi compatible devices on the back of the phones. Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ specifications S10 – 6.1-inch Quad HD+ (3040 × 1440 pixels) Curved Dynamic AMOLED display with 550ppi, HDR10+, Corning ...

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) One UI-based Android 9.0 Pie beta update starts rolling out in India

Samsung has started rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie beta update based on One UI to the Galaxy A7 (2018). Owners of the phone can register for the Android Pie/One UI beta program in India, as the over-the-air update has already started rolling out.  The Galaxy A7 (2018) is the first mid-range phone that Samsung started testing Pie for. While Samsung has not officially announced anything about the beta update, screenshot for the Pie beta OTA on various forums act as proof for the reports that Samsung is indeed rolling out the Pie beta update and allowing owners of the phone to test the next version of Android. If you are an A7 (2018) user, head over to Samsung Members app and go into the Notices section. Here, you would see a notification of the beta program. list. Tap that, then use the Register button to enroll in the beta. Once you’ve registered, you should be able to download the first Pie beta from the Software update menu of the Settings app by tapping the Download updates manually option. The first beta includes the February 2019 security patch. Source

Samsung’s new A Series smartphones said to launch in India on February 28

It is known that Samsung is working on Galaxy A-series whose launch is expected to commence pretty soon. However, the company has now revealed that it might be launching the new A-series lineup in India on February 28th. The line-up will include the Galaxy A10, A20, and the Galaxy A30. The detailed specifications of the Galaxy A50, Galaxy A10, and Galaxy A30 have surfaced the internet last week, and the images have surfaced today. It seems the company will make the new series official just a day after it unveils the Galaxy M30 on February 28. The reason behind the company choosing India has the launchpad for the 2019 A-series is to turn the A series into the country’s biggest brand, and aims to achieve $4 billion in sales till the end of 2019 from just the new Galaxy A phones.  The Galaxy A10, Galaxy A20, and Galaxy A30 are expected to be similar to the Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20, and Galaxy M30, with Infinity-U/Infinity-V displays. We may also see the Galaxy A50 make an appearance soon, as photos of the device including specifications have surfaced in the phone’s service manual recently. However, it remains to be seen if A50 will debut in India first like the other phones in ...

Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform gets support for Alexa voice development kit

Qualcomm, back in 2017 has announced the Mesh Networking Platform to provide customers with support for smart devices into their homes. The company has expanded its ability with the introduction of the Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit for Amazon AVS. Qualcomm's vision for supporting the advanced voice services in the Mesh Networking Platform is to build a platform that provides corner-to-corner coverage, intelligence to connect any smart home device, and the ability to control the entire network by voice. With the introduction of this kit, it is making it even easier for designers to build Wi-Fi mesh networking systems that integrate voice. It’s the result of integrating Meeami Technologies’ ClearVoice far-field voice enhancement software, which helps deliver superior user experiences, even in noisy environments around the home. The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit is qualified for the Alexa Voice Service by Amazon and is designed to offer manufacturers the necessary building blocks to quickly and cost-effectively create mesh Wi-Fi systems with Alexa built-in. Nick Kucharewski, vice president and general manager, Wireless Infrastructure and Networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc said: Mesh networks have become the new standard to support the best possible connected experience in the home. By adding Amazon’s advanced voice capabilities through the Alexa Voice Service, ...

Nokia 6 (2017) Android 9.0 (Pie) update starts rolling out

After releasing Android 9.0 (Pie) beta update for the Nokia 5 smartphone last month, HMD Global has finally started rolling out stable update for Nokia 6, as it had promised. The phone was released back in 2017 running Android 7.1 (Nougat) and got Android 8.1 (Oreo) update last year. Nokia 6 TA 1021 get android pie pic.twitter.com/IHwkMEBhUP — Navith (@Navith21583093) February 20, 2019 Android P includes Adaptive Battery that uses machine learning to prioritize system resources for the apps, App Actions that helps you raise the visibility of your app and help drive engagement using machine learning, and Slices are a new way to surface rich, templated content in places like Google Search and Assistant. The Nokia 6 v6.12H update is 1720.2MB in size and also includes Android security patch for February, 2019. The company already said that Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1  will get Android Pie within Q1 2019 and Nokia 3 and Nokia 1 in Q2 2019. What’s New New system navigation, settings menu and notifications Adaptive Battery power prioritisation for users’ most commonly used apps/services Adaptive and optimised brightness levels Predictive Application Actions Digital Wellbeing helps you focus on what matters most to you Google Security Patch 2019-02

Here’s how you can install Android Pie-based OxygenOS 9.0 port on Redmi Note 4

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was amongst the best selling devices launched last year in India, despite launching in 2017 it was launched with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and was updated to Android 7.0 (Nougat) in August 2017. Redmi Note 4 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 mobile platform, the same processor that powers Mi A1 which received Android 9.0 (Pie) update along with Dual 4G VoLTE support couple of months ago. Xiaomi has already announced the list of smartphones eligible for Android Oreo/Pie update, but Xiaomi’s best seller from 2017 is not included in the list and now we can assume that Redmi Note 4 will not receive any Android update. In case you wish to enjoy the latest version of Android on your Redmi Note 4, you can use custom ROM on your device. Earlier, we tried Arrow OS and crDroid ROM on Redmi Note 4 both of which were based on Android Pie. Oxygen OS is another Android skin that is popular amongst users for the customizations it offers without adding bloat, developers have ported Android 9.0 (Pie) based Oxygen OS to Redmi Note 4. We tried it on our unit and here are the first impressions, Performance and Benchmarks: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is almost three year old now, we obtained AnTuTu ...

Xiaomi introduces 10000mAh power bank with wireless fast charging, 20W wireless charging pad and car charger

Xiaomi just announced Mi 9 smartphone with support for world's first 20W wireless charging. At the event the company introduced 10000mAh power bank with support for wireless 10w fast charging as well as new 20W wireless fast charging pad that joins the 10w charging pad and new 20W wireless fast charging car dock. All  Highlights of 10000mAh Xiaomi wireless fast charging power bank 10W Qi wireless fast charging USB PD / QC 3.0 / QC 2.0 18W USB Type-C input / output (5V-3A / 9V-2A 12V-1.5A) 18W USB Type-A output (5V-2.4A / 9V-2A 12V-1.5A) Charge three devices simultaneously — 1 wireless, 2 wired Dimensions:  147.9 × 71.6 × 18.4mm Charging time: 4 hours with 18W charger, 6 hours with 10W charger Highlights of 20W Xiaomi wireless car charger 20W Qi wireless fast charging 2.5D glass surface and thermal pad to improve the heat dissipation efficiency Blue ring light that lights up after the power is turned on, and is useful at night when driving USB Type-C input - 5V/3A 9V/2A 12V/2A (18W) / 15V/1.8A 20V/1.35A (27W) Built-in hidden infrared sensor detects the phone and locks it automatically or releases it when you want to remove it Clamp arm is 81.5mm wide to support Mi 9 ...

Ericsson to deploy 5G-ready LTE equipment for Vodafone Idea in India

Ericsson has announced that it has been selected by Vodafone Idea Limited which combinedly India’s leading telecom service provider, to deploy 5G-ready equipment across select markets in India. As a VIL partner, Ericsson is deploying next-generation technology with built-in customizations and innovations to deliver rich consumer experience. As part of the contract, Ericsson is supplying radio access and transport equipment from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio, including the MINI-LINK 6000 microwave backhaul solution. These deployments will provide VIL’s network with advanced LTE capabilities, high capacity, low latency microwave backhaul and enable rapid deployment 5G services in future. This will also improve VIL’s spectral and energy efficiency while increasing overall network capacity. Ericsson India has already begun radio access and microwave network consolidation and modernization with the cornerstones of increased coverage, quality and capacity with optimal opex and capex efficiency. Consolidation of existing deployed base (2G/3G) will be carried out to maximize spectrum on LTE, followed by ongoing optimization of the network. In another news, Ericsson is evolving its 5G Platform with portfolio additions across core, radio access, and transport areas, as well as service orchestration.  With early 5G deployments underway in dense urban areas, the next step is to improve 4G performance and build ...

Google Chrome Dark Mode for Android and Web said to darken web pages

Google is known to be working on bringing dark mode for Android and the web. The latest development in this regard reveals that a new code change indicates that Chrome for Android will recolor web pages as well when using the browser’s upcoming dark mode.  With the inclusion of dark mode in a wide variety of Google apps and the addition of system-wide dark mode in Android Q. Google seems to be giving high priority to dark mode this year. Similar to Samsung's browser, Google for Chrome may be employing a similar strategy for its own dark mode where it turns the web pages into the dark for more pleasing reading experience at night. The change adds a new Chrome flag, #enable-android-web-contents-dark-mode, whose name alone makes its purpose fairly clear. Digging a little deeper, it is evident what the new flag will actually do. When the flag is enabled, a preference is toggled in Blink, Chrome’s underlying engine, called “force_dark_mode_enabled”. This preference, under the hood, tells Blink whether or not to use some of its built-in “high contrast” settings. These high contrast settings will simply change the colors of some aspects of web pages, and because they’re commonly used for accessibility purposes and are not designed to ...

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE with 5.97-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 712, triple rear cameras, in-display fingerprint sensor announced

Along with the Mi 9, Xiaomi also introduced the Mi 9 SE, successor of last year's Mi 8 SE in China. It has a 5.97-inch Full HD+ Samsung AMOLED display with 90.4% screen-to-body ratio. It is the world's first smartphone to be powered by the latest Snapdragon 712 SoC. The phone has fifth-gen in-display fingerprint sensor and retains the main 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor as well as 20-megapixel front camera from the Mi 9, but this feature an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 13-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. The phone comes with a gradient holographic rainbow spectrum surface on the back, has a slightly smaller 3070mAh battery and has support for 18W fast charging, but it doesn't have wireless charging that is present in the Mi 9. Xiaomi Mi 9 SE specifications 5.97-inch (1080 × 2280 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 103.8% NTSC Color gamut, 600 nits brightness, >60000:1 contrast ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection Octa Core Snapdragon 712 10nm Mobile Platform (Dual 2.3GHz Kryo 360 + Hexa 1.7GHz Kryo 360 CPUs) with Adreno 616 GPU 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB / 128GB (UFS 2.1) storage Dual SIM Android 9.0 (Pie) with MIUI 10 48MP rear camera with 1/2.0″ Sony IMX586 sensor, ...