Monthly Archives: April 2018

Redmi Note 5 Pro-Like Design Spotted in Xiaomi Mi 6X (Mi A2) Promotional Video

Xiaomi is all set to launch the Mi 6X mid-range smartphone in China at a launch event scheduled for April 25. With roughly a week to go for the official unveiling, rumours, leaks, and confirmations have outed almost everything there is to know about the Mi 6X smartphone, which will likely be rebranded as the Mi A2 in India. In a recent development, a seemingly official promotional video advertisement of the Mi 6X has surfaced online.

The video, uploaded on YouTube by a third-party channel (and not Xiaomi itself), and spotted by ITHome, gives us an 18-second look at the upcoming Mi 6X. From what little is revealed in the video, we can ascertain that the mid-range handset will resemble the Redmi Note 5 Pro in more ways than one. It sports a similar vertical dual rear camera setup and an 18:9 display fullscreen display. The shots shown in the video reveal four colour variants – Red, Black, Gold, and Blue. We can also expect a Rose Gold colour option to arrive at the launch event.

Apart from that, the teaser video reaffirms the presence of a 20-megapixel primary sensor. Recent rumours suggest a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 sensor might accompany it in the dual camera module. On the front, the Mi 6X is expected to get a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor.

Talking about internals, the Xiaomi Mi 6X might sport a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080×2160 pixels) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The handset is said to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, coupled with 4GB/ 6GB of RAM and 32GB/ 64GB/ 128GB of inbuilt storage. The smartphone will seemingly run Android Oreo out-of-the-box with MIUI 9 in China and an Android One-branded variant (Mi A2) expected in markets including India. It will also feature a 2910mAh battery under the hood.

The OnePlus 6 might not be official, but the first ads are already here

OnePlus has been talking about its next flagship phone for a few weeks now, but the handset isn’t official. However, that didn’t stop the Chinese smartphone maker from airing actual OnePlus 6 ads in cinemas.

One such teaser was recorded on video in India, although the handset wasn’t really shown off.

The following clip focuses on the need for speed, which seems logical given that OnePlus already revealed the speed-related specs of the handset a few weeks ago. The handset will pack a Snapdragon 845 chip, just like every other Android flagship out there, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage — cheaper versions will probably come with less RAM and memory, however.

Previous OnePlus handsets proved to be quite fast when it comes to real life speed tests, even faster than other Android handsets sporting the exact set of specs. Last year’s OnePlus 5T was even faster than Apple’s iPhone X.

Source: http://bgr.com/2018/04/16/oneplus-6-release-date-nears-teaser-commercial/

How the Galaxy S9’s worst feature was made by Oscar winners

What’s the Galaxy S9’s least loved feature? That’s easy: AR Emoji, the Samsungexclusive that whips up 3D avatars. It’s a pretty transparent imitation of the iPhone X’s 3D animoji characters — fox, monkey, swirl-capped turd — but with one major, absolutely crucial difference: You.

While, yes, you can become a character like Donald Duck, you can also make Samsung’s 3D figures look like you, because they’re made from a selfie that the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus took of your face.

That was the idea, anyway. In reality, AR Emoji’s creepy human avatars look very little like the real people they try to represent.

None of the over-20 CNET staffers who made an AR Emoji recognized themselves in their avatar. Our 3D selves had plasticky faces that grimaced every time we tried to smile, developed a horrible eye twitch and lacked enough customization options to give me curly hair or clothes I’d actually wear. AR Emoji even gave a short-haired editor a man bun for literally no reason at all.

My colleague Scott Stein and former TechCrunch writer Darrel Etherington, meanwhile, would never be mistaken for twins. But their AR Emoji would have them separated at birth:

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/how-the-galaxy-s9s-worst-feature-was-made-by-oscar-winners/

Jio Home TV Service Will Offer HD Channels at Rs. 400 Per Month: Report

Jio Home TV, if rumours are to be believed, is set to be the telecom giant’s next big project that will reportedly offer a fresh change in the Indian Direct-to-Home (DTH) space. According to a report, Jio Home TV will offer SD (Standard Definition) channels for a monthly price of Rs. 200 and SD + HD (High Definition) channels for Rs. 400 per month. This is believed to be based on Enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) and is not the yet-to-be-launched Jio DTH service.

As per a report by TelecomTalk, the Mukesh Ambani-back company is planning to soon launch its new Jio Home TV service that is said to be a modified version of the Jio Broadcast app, which was recently being tested for streaming HD content on select devices. According to the report, the operator will roll out this feature for all its users, with a rebranded version called Jio Home TV. Do note, however, that this piece of news comes from an unconfirmed source and might not be completely accurate.

eMBMS is said to be a hybrid technology that combines the capabilities of TV channel and radio architecture to create a scalable solution for providing HD content in high volumes. Further, an active Internet connection will not be required for accessing this content as most of it will be placed in broadcast mode for offline access. An apparent confirmation from Jio comes through Reliance Industries’ third quarter report that specified the testing of Jio’s eMBMS testing pan-India.

Earlier this month, Reliance Jio had announced the deployment of Massive MIMO pre-5G/ 4G technology at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium to offer high speed Internet access and enhance user experience during IPL 2018.

Source: https://gadgets.ndtv.com/entertainment/news/jio-home-tv-hd-channel-price-400-per-month-1838172

A CLOSE LOOK AT APPLE’S RED IPHONE 8

For the second consecutive year, Apple is releasing a Product RED color variant of its iPhone. The red iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be available from all major carriers on Friday; preorders have already begun. Sadly, there’s no red iPhone X for reasons unknown, but Apple is putting out a Product RED folio case so you can at least buy an accessory for the device that sends some of the purchase price to a good cause.

Today Apple offered a brief hands-on with the iPhone in its latest hue. The major difference between last year’s Product RED iPhone and this one is that Apple has wisely gone with a black bezel on the front. I wasn’t a big fan of the white faceplate on the 7; in fact, I bought a dumb screen protector to try to get this same look. Now Apple has made the right choice, and the red / black combo is indeed very, very sleek.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/4/11/17221452/apple-red-iphone-8-hands-on-photos

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Nokia 6 (2018): Price in India, specifications compared

Samsung launched a new mid-range smartphone in India under its Galaxy J-series yesterday. Called Galaxy J7 Duo, the highlights of the smartphone include dual cameras at the back, and Face Unlock feature. The Galaxy J7 Duo will compete with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the recently launched Nokia 6 (2018). We pitted all three smartphones, and here’s how they compete based on their price, specifications and features.

Price in India and availability

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo is priced at Rs 16,990, and will be available to purchase online and via offline retail stores starting today. Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 Pro is available through flash sale model with the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model priced at Rs 13,999, and the 6GB RAM with 64GB storage model priced at Rs 16,999. The Nokia 6 (2018), on the other hand, is priced at Rs 16,999.

Watch: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 + 5 Pro Review

Source: http://www.bgr.in/news/samsung-galaxy-j7-duo-vs-xiaomi-redmi-note-5-pro-vs-nokia-6-2018-price-in-india-specifications-compared/