Asus to launch Zenfone 5z with notch display, Qualcomm 845 SoC on July 4

Unveiled at the MWC 2018, Zenfone 5z was the first Android smartphone to sport an iPhone X-inspired notch and system-wide AI capabilities, along with a dual camera set-up on the rear

Asus, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, is gearing up to launch the Flipkart-exclusive Zenfone 5z in India on July 4. The e-commerce platform recently listed the teaser page, confirming the launch of premium smartphone in India.

Asus Zenfone 5z was first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February, alongside Zenfone 5. Both sport similar glass-metal-glass sandwich design and feature a dual camera set-up on the back. However, the processor, RAM and storage configurations set them apart.

In terms of features, the Zenfone 5z boasts 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 6.2-inch fullHD+ screen covering almost the entire front. The 19:9 aspect ratio leaves just a small notch on top to accommodate an 8-megapixel camera, earpiece and sensors – just like in Apple iPhone X but smaller.

On the back, the smartphone sports a dual-camera set-up, which features 12MP and 8MP shooters.

The primary 12MP sensor boasts f/1.8 aperture. and the 8MP sensor features 120-degree wide-angle lens. Both front and rear cameras are backed by AI for automatic scene selection and portrait photography, and machine learning to improve the output by learning usage patterns.

Read More On → Asus Zenfone 5Z

 

Honor 7C review: Another budget smartphone with decent camera, performance

For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 OS, face unlocking capabilities, etc.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS : Honor, an online subsidiary of Huawei, is on a roll in India. After launching the budget Honor 9 Lite, followed by a mid-range Honor 10, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently launched the Honor 7C. For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with several premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 operating system, face unlocking capabilities, etc.

In terms of design, the Honor 7C looks like another modern day smartphone with 5.99-inch fullHD+ IPS 18:9 aspect ratio screen, which is bright and colourful, covered under curved glass. The phone belongs to Honor 7x lineage, therefore it has an aluminium back that feels sturdy. The phone’s tall stance, coupled with a mammoth screen on front, looks good for a budget proposition.

The Honor 7C is one of the very few Honor devices to boast the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Honor has been using the in-house developed Huawei Kirin system-on-chip (SoC) in almost all the models. However, the Honor 7C trades in the Kirin 659 SoC for the entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC to power the device.

As for the performance, the Honor 7C sails through most daily tasks without any hiccups. However, it does feel underpowered, especially while handling processor-intensive tasks like multitasking and online video streaming. The performance, though, is at-par with other budget smartphones in the segment, except for the recently launched Xiaomi and Asus smartphones, which boast a much powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC.

Also Read → Honor 7C Review

 

OnePlus 6 launched in India, price starts at Rs 34,999: Details here

OnePlus 6 would go on sale starting May 21, exclusively on Amazon India. However, the OnePlus 6 Avenger Infinity War-based special 256GB storage variant would go on sale some time in June

The OnePlus 6 smartphone comes in three RAM and storage combinations – 6GB/64GB, 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. This OnePlus phone is priced at Rs 34,999, 39,999 and Rs 44,999, respectively.

The phone would go on sale starting May 21, exclusively on Amazon India. However, the OnePlus 6 Avenger Infinity War-based special 256GB storage variant would go on sale some time in June.

ONEPLUS 6: SOFTWARE

→ The OnePlus 6 boots Android Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.1 operating system, which now supports gesture-based on-screen navigation.

ONEPLUS 6: CAMERA

→ OnePlus 6 sports dual camera set-up on the back featuring a 16-megapixel primary sensor, paired with 20MP sensors. The primary sensor is assisted with optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. Both the sensors feature bright f/1.7 aperture for low-light photography.

ONEPLUS 6: NOTCH-BASED SCREEN

→ OnePlus 6 sports a 6.28-inch 19:9 aspect ratio notch-based screen. Just like its predecessor, the phone’s screen is of AMOLED breed with fullHD+ resolution.

ONEPLUS 6: DESIGN

→ OnePlus 6 is the first premium offering from the stable of OnePlus to feature glass-based design. The OnePlus 6 features glass-aluminium-glass sandwich design, utilising Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back and sturdy aluminium frame sandwiched in between.

ONEPLUS 6: PROCESSOR

→ OnePlus 6 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), which is an octacore processor paired with Adreno graphic processing unit.

Read About → Oneplus 6 Avengers Edition

Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is closely working on a new Redmi device that is also expected to make its way to India. Touted as the Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.

Now, the phone's purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2's front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.

In terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a 16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.

Read More About → Technology News ←

OnePlus 6 to have glass design, nanotech coating, says CEO: Details here

The OnePlus 6 will depart from the present trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body but retain the horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to unveil the fifth iteration of its flagship smartphone, called the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will make a departure from the current trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body, but it would retain horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Little has so far been officially said about the notch screen-based OnePlus 6, except that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and have a 256GB storage variant paired with 8GB of RAM. But OnePlus has been teasing the features of the smartphone in the form of tweets and as part of other social media promotion activities – ingress protection (IP) rating for water and dust resistance, for example.

Now, talking about the design of the OnePlus 6, Pete Lau wrote a long blog explaining OnePlus’ approach to adopting new industrial designs. In the post, the CEO explained the rationale for the company’s move from a sandstone design in the OnePlus 1 to an aluminium design in the OnePlus 3, and now the glass design for the upcoming OnePlus 6. Lau also shared that the new glass build would contain five printed layers of Nanotech coating, which would give the device a stronger impression of depth.

Here is the complete blog post shared by Pete Lau on OnePlus forums:

Want to learn coding? Google Grasshopper app can teach you on your mobile

Google launched Grasshopper app, created by a team of coders known an 'Area 120', to help beginners learn programming languages on their smartphones. Here is all you need to know about Grasshopper app

Global search engine and technology giant, Googlehas launched Grasshopper app, a platform to help budding coders learn programming languages on the go using their smartphones. The app, created by a team of coders known by the name ‘Area 120’ from Google's workshop for experimental products, is available for free on Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded from Google PlayStore and Apple App Store, respectively.

Here is everything you need to know about the importance of coding and how you can use the Grasshopper app from the comfort of your home to ace the art of coding:

What is coding?

Coding, also known as programming, is the way to communicate with computers. It tells a computer what actions to take; writing a code is like creating a set of instructions for the computer to follow. By learning how to write a code, you can tell a computer what it has to do and how it has to behave in a much faster way. If you know coding languages, you can make websites and apps, process data, and do many other things.

Why Grasshopper?

The 'about' section of the Grasshopper app states: “Coding is becoming an essential skill, and we want to make it possible for everyone to learn even when life gets busy. We made Grasshopper to help folks like you get into coding in a fun and easy way. And, we put Grasshopper on a phone so you can turn your commute or waiting in line into a learning moment. We hope you like it and that it helps you embark on or continue your journey in learning to code.”

Click Here To : Google Grasshopper App

Xiaomi Mi A1: An all-rounder budget smartphone with flagship-like features

Designed in partnership with Google, it is a brilliant dual camera phone with promising Android One

The Xiaomi Mi A1 seems an identical twin of the Mi 5X; the only difference lies in the operating system these devices run on. The Mi A1 is the first Xiaomi smartphone to use stock Android version along with heavily customised MIUI theme.

It is also a first premium mobile phone to wear the Android One moniker, created with the promise of a pure Android experience and quicker software updates, and earlier limited to budget smartphones. That indeed is the device’s USP, but how does it fare on other parameters?

Business Standard took the Xiaomi Mi A1 for a spin and here are our observations:

Design

At first glance, the smartphone resembles the Google Pixel, with some minor tweaks. The metallic uni-body design feels premium in hand and the 2.5D curved glass on top of the screen accentuates the details. On the back, the dual camera set-up bulges out from the body, enclosed in a metallic frame, accentuating the camera unit. The fingerprint scanner is placed at the upper centre which makes it easier to reach and comfortable to use.

Overall, Xiaomi has not done any fancy design experiment with the Mi A1 and the result is no-frills, neat-looking smartphone. Read Full Story >>>

Watch On Xiaomi MI A1

Samsung to launch Galaxy S8 in India on April 19: Key facts to know

Samsung revealed Bixby, a smart voice assistant to rival Apple's Siri at the US event.

Almost three weeks after its initial launch in the US, South Korean giant Samsung will launch its flagship device Samsung Galaxy S8 in India on April 19.

Samsung launched S8 and S8 Plus on March 29 in the US. The devices come in two variants with different screen sizes -- the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus.

On Monday, the company said in an invitation: "Samsung India cordially invites you to the launch of its next Galaxy series".

Also Read : Update details to link PAN and Aadhaar, mismatch leads to failure

Samsung revealed Bixby, a smart voice assistant to rival Apple's Siri and Google's Assistant at the US event.

The device has a bezel-less curved edge "infinity display" covered with pristine glass and a 12MP rear camera with multi-frame processing and optical image stabilisation. It has an 8MP auto-focus front shooter.

The device is IP68 rated, meaning it is water and dust resistant. The company has also upped the security feature with iris scanner, face recognition and fingerprint scanner - moved to the back of the device - to unlock the device.

The home button has been shifted beneath the "infinity display". (readmore)

Nokia 3310 makes a comeback with 22 hours of battery life, dual sim

Price in India, other countries can fluctuate a little bit because of taxation and cost factors

Finnish mobile device player Nokia is in reboot mode as it gets ready to bring to India its 17-year-old iconic Nokia 3310 handset for about Rs 3,500, along with its Android smartphones, next quarter.

"All the products that we have announced Nokia 3310, Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 will be available in the second quarter of this year in India. Average global selling price for Nokia 3310 is 49 euros," HMD Global Oy Chief Marketing Officer Pekka Rantala said.

HMD Global has licence to design and sell Nokia branded phones globally as well as use technologies developed by Nokia Corporation.

Also Read : Technology News, Latest Technologies, Products, Gadgets, Gizmos, Trends from India and the World

"Now, we are celebrating the new era of Nokia brand that is the reason we are with HMD Global. Let me also be very clear that we would not license the Nokia brand to just anybody. It means too much to us. We chose carefully. We looked at the market. We looked at Google to be our brand licensing partner which could do this for a long time," Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri said.

HMD Global also unveiled Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 smartphones for 189 euros and 139 euros built on Google's Android platform. The company has already been selling Nokia 6 in China. One model of Nokia 6 with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage will be retailed at around 229 euros and the other one with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory with support for external memory card will be available for around 299 euros.

Nokia 6 has 5.5-inch screen size, 8 MP front camera and 16 MP rear camera.

Nokia 3 and 5 have 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage and support memory card of up to 128 GB.

The Nokia 3 smartphone sports 5-inch screen size, 8 megapixel camera in the front and back. Nokia 5 has a 5.2-inch screen, 8 MP front and 13 MP back cameras.

Rantala said the price in India and other countries can fluctuate a little bit because of taxation and other cost factors associated with individual countries.

Nokia 3310, known for its robustness, was the most widely used feature phone globally in 2000-05. It is estimated to have sold 126 million units globally when there were only a few countries with mobile networks. Read Full Story >>>

Google launches AI-powered Pixel smartphone; will cost Rs 57,000 in India

Google launches AI-powered Pixel smartphone; will cost Rs 57,000 in India

With an aim to lead the world of smartphones with its artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology, Google on Tuesday launched much-awaited Pixel — a new premium device completely designed by the tech giant with Google Assistant built right-in — at a special event here.

India is among the first six countries where Google Pixel is being launched. Starting at Rs, 57,000, it will be available for pre-order in India starting October 13 on e-tailer website Flipkart and at over 1,000 plus multi-brand retail stores, including Reliance Digital, Croma and Vijay sales, among others.

The launch also ended the Nexus branding under which the company has always released phones in partnership with other original equipment manufacturers like LG (for Google Nexus 5) and Huawei (for Google Nexus 6P).

Although HTC has manufactured the smartphones, the new device bears Google branding.

With curved sculpted edges and a unibody made up of combination of aerospace grade aluminum and glass, the device comes in two sizes — 5 and 5.5-inch with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protected super AMOLED display. Pixel is available in two — quite black and very silver colours in India.

Pixel is first smartphone with Google Assistant — a built-in AI programme that works as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator. Read More

Also Read:

Google takes on Apple with Pixel phone, Home assistant

Google launches AI-powered Pixel smartphone

WhatsApp introduces new camera features

Article Source : Business Standard

Lenovo launches Z2 Plus smartphone priced at Rs 17,999

Lenovo launches Z2 Plus smartphone priced at Rs 17,999

Chinese smartphone major Lenovo on Thursday launched Lenovo Z2 Plus smartphone in India that comes with "U-Health" feature to help users track steps taken and calories burnt.

The device comes in two options — 3GB/32GB (priced at Rs 17,999) and 4GB/64GB (priced at Rs 19,999) and will be available on Amazon starting September 25.

Z2 Plus features 5-inch full-HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and comes in fibre glass frame and also packs a U-Touch 2.0 fingerprint sensor that can be used to do seven different functions.

The 4G VoLTE-enabled smartphone sports 13MP rear camera and a 8MP front camera and supports 4K capture, 1080p time lapse and slow motion recording.

The smartphone will come with a premium chrono case accessory with five different chrono faces.

The matte black stealth case worth Rs 699 will come bundled with the phone.

Also Read:

• Le Pro3 smartphone with world's first Snapdragon 821 launched

• South Korea asks Samsung to extend Galaxy Note 7 refund

• Google takes aim at rivals with 'smart' messaging app

• MacOS Sierra to bring virtual assistant Siri to Mac: Apple

Samsung sued after Note 7 exploded in man's pocket in US

Samsung sued after Note 7 exploded in man's pocket in US

Adding to Samsung's woes over Galaxy Note 7, a man from Florida has sued the South Korean company after a Note 7 device exploded in his pocket while at work in Palm Beach Gardens.

Jonathan Strobel suffered severe and "deep second-degree burns" on his right thigh and thumb when the phone exploded, West Palm Beach News - Breaking News, Local Headlines & Weather reported on Monday.

The lawsuit has asked for $15,000 in compensatory damages from Samsung Note 7.

Strobel later received an email from the company, requesting him to surrender Note 7.

"Samsung is a big corporation and they control the information that's put out. They obviously knew what was wrong (with the phone). Unfortunately for Strobel, it was too late for the mandatory recall, Strobel's lawyer was quoted as saying. read full story

Google to unveil Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in October

Google to unveil Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in October

Google will unveil its Pixel(Nexus) range of devices along with Daydream virtual reality (VR) and a new 4K compatible Chromecast to replace the currently available options on October 4, media reported on Tuesday.

Earlier reports pointed out that HTC is making this year's Nexus phones and there are two of them — Pixel and Pixel XL, code named Sailfish and Marlin, respectively.

"Google's Pixel XL has allegedly surfaced on a Geekbench benchmark listing recently, showcasing a couple of pieces of information that seem to confirm once more that the codename for the device is Marlin,"technology website reported on Tuesday.

Pixel XL is expected to have an aluminum unibody design, a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a 5.5-inch screen, according to earlier leaks.

Pixel XL is rumoured Smartphones to pack quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor clocked at 1.59GHz paired up with 4GB of RAM and will be running on NMR1, a version of Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. (more)

China's LeEco to buy Vizio for $2 billion

China's LeEco to buy Vizio for $2 billion

China's Le Holdings, also known as LeEco, said on Tuesday it would buy US consumer electronics company Vizio for $2 billion.

Irvine, California-based Vizio makes affordable flat screen televisions, soundbars and LCD monitors. Founded in 2002, the company is now one of the largest manufacturers of TV sets in the United States.

Vizio, which filed for an initial public offering last year, generated sales of $1.3 billion in the first six months of 2015, according to IPO documents.

Vizio's hardware and software units will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of LeEco. The company's Inscape TV viewership data business will be spun out as a privately owned company, LeEco said.

Founded in 2004, LeEco started selling smartphones in China in April last year. Earlier this year, the company unveiled an all-electric battery concept car.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch advised Vizio on the deal, while Latham & Watkins LLP was the legal counsel. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter. more

India is the apple of CEO Tim Cook's eye as iPhone sales spike over 50%

India is the apple of CEO Tim Cook's eye as iPhone sales spike over 50%

India has become one among the fastest growing markets for Apple, which is looking at increasingly offloading more iPhones in the country to offset the decline in the device’s sales globally.

iPhone sales in India were up by 51% during the nine months that ended June 30, company CEO Tim Cook revealed during an earnings call with analysts and investors. “We're looking forward to opening retail stores in India down the road, and we see huge potential for that vibrant country,” he added.

On the contrary, iPhone sales have fallen for two straight quarters now as the global market for smartphones especially developed markets) becomes saturated. In its third quarter (April-June), Apple reported a 15% drop in iPhone sales from 47.5 million units in the corresponding quarter last year to 40.4 million units.

The iPhone contributes to over 60% of Apple’s earnings, making it the most important device in the company’s lineup.

Read More | Business Standard

IoT to overtake mobiles by 2018: Report

IoT to overtake mobiles by 2018: Report

The Internet of Things (IoT) is set to overtake mobile phones as the largest category of connected device by 2018, according to the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report.

Between 2015 and 2021, the number of IoT connected devices is expected to grow 23 per cent annually, of which cellular IoT is forecast to have the highest growth rate. Of the 28 billion total devices that will be connected by 2021, nearly 16 bn will be IoT devices.

Western Europe will lead the way in adding IoT connections. The number of IoT devices in this market is projected to grow 400 per cent by 2021. This will principally be driven by regulatory requirements. The report said mobile data traffic in India would grow 15 times by 2021. India expanded the most in terms of net addition during the first quarter of 2016 (calendar year), adding 21 million, followed by Myanmar (5 mn) and Indonesia (5 mn).

For example, for intelligent utility meters, and a growing demand for connected cars including the European Union’s e-call directive to be implemented in 2018. E-call is an automatic emergency call system for motor vehicles.

Rima Qureshi, senior vice-president and chief strategy officer, Ericsson, says: “IoT is now accelerating as device costs fall and innovative applications emerge. From 2020, commercial deployment of 5G networks will provide additional capabilities that are critical for IoT, such as network slicing and the capacity to connect exponentially more devices than is possible today.”Read more.

More Technology News.

Panic button must in mobile phones by next year

No mobile handset will be sold in India without the facility of identifying the location through Satellite based GPS from January 2018, the notification said

From January 1 next year, all mobile phones sold in India will come with a panic button enabling users, especially women, to send out distress signals in case of an emergency.

A notification by the department of telecommunications said no mobile phone handset shall be sold in India from January 1, 2017, without the facility of having a panic button and all phones need to compulsorily have global positioning system (GPS) facility from January 1, 2018.

"Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women," Communications and Information & Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Once a panic button is pressed, a call will be directed to the emergency contact - family, friend or police. Though, details are yet to be finalised.

For feature phones, the government said pressing numeric key 5 or numeric key 9 should invoke emergency call, while for smartphones the same could be done by either via an emergency call button or by pressing the on/off button in quick succession thrice.

The rules may be called the panic button and GPS facility in all mobile handsets rules, 2016, according to the notification.

Also, for easy tracking, no mobile handset will be sold in India without the facility of identifying the location through satellite based GPS from January 2018, the notification said. The government has been trying to create a panic button in the mobile phones since last year. After discussions with the ministry of women and child development, mobile phone companies, the department of telecom came out with this solution.

The move was necessitated by growing number of crimes especially against women. This development is expected to address some security concerns, according to experts. Read More

Ringing Bells starts refunding money to customers

Noida-based Ringing Bells, which has promised to sell smartphones for Rs 251 apiece, has started refunding money to customers due to negative speculation around its claim. Read More

User installs 32 apps usually.

Indian mobile users on an average store upto 32 apps on their mobiles, lower than world average of 42 apps as most of the new smartphone users in the country use low-end handsets that carry lesser in-built memory, according to a user trend study report .


Also, most of the users still prefer 2G network to access mobile internet and therefore, they tend to download less apps due to slow internet speed, said the study conducted by 9Apps, an android app distributor.

Most downloaded apps included Whatsapp and Facebook. Majority of apps downloaded were in English language with Hindi language app contributing to 26 per cent of total downloads, the study said.