The official-looking press renders of the OnePlus 6T in a new “Thunder Purple” colour have surfaced in China. Tech news platform mr gizmo published the images on their platform. According to the renders, OnePlus 6T “Thunder Purple” colour on the back panel seems to have a gradient hue that goes from violet to lilac to amaranth shade of pink. The news comes three days after a tipster Ishan Agarwal claimed in a tweet that OnePlus will launch OnePlus 6T in 'Thunder Purple' colour. As per a tweet by tipster Ishan Agarwal, OnePlus 6T “Thunder Purple” colour was seen on OnePlus Support Website, and amazon listing also showed the same colour for sale. Its predecessor, the OnePlus 6, was launched in three colour options i.e. Midnight Black, Mirror Black and Silk White, and the company later launched the Red colour. In the case of OnePlus 5T, the company launched a Star Wars edition a few months after the official launch. For OnePlus 6, the company tied-up with the Marvel Comics and launched a special Avengers edition. The OnePlus 6T builds upon the features and hardware of the OnePlus 6 and adds a bigger 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch and an in-display fingerprint sensor. OnePlus claims the fingerprint sensor embedded in the screen is the fastest among its peers and can unlock the phone in 0.34 seconds. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is coupled with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. On the back, the smartphone has a 16MP Sony IMX 519 sensor with f/1.7 and 1.12-pixel pitch. It is combined with a 20MP Sony IMX376K sensor to measure the depth of field. On the front is another 16MP sensor for selfies. The camera now a dedicated mode for low-light photography called Nightscape. The OnePlus 6T runs on OxygenOS 9.0.2 based on Android 9.0 Pie. The OnePlus 6T packs a bigger 3,700 mAh battery , which the company claims lasts 23 percent longer than OnePlus 6’s 3300mAh.from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Ormur0
PUBG fever has gripped the world and looks like its very contagious. With Diwali just around the corner, you might be tempted to gift something special to your favourite PUBG aficionado (or yourself, we’re not judging). So, we’ve scoured the internet to find PUBG-themed gifts that are sure to make them giddy with excitement. T-Shirts You don't have to go all out when buying a Diwali gift. Something simple like a T-Shirt is more than enough to show that you care. Thanks to the popularity of PUBG, finding PUBG-themed T-Shirts easier than ever. All you need to do is find the right colour and design. Check out PUBG-themed T-Shirts here Ghillie Suit A Ghillie Suit is used by hunters and snipers to camouflage themselves. It is also a rare clothing item that can only be obtained from airdrops in PUBG. Will there be any practical use for this gift in real life? Probably not. Is it cool? Absolutely! Check out Ghillie Suits here Backpack If you want to offer practicality with your gift, you might want to consider a PUBG backpack. Like its virtual counterpart, the PUBG backpack can be used to carry around loads of things. The PUBG Backpack: Never leave home without it. Check out PUBG backpacks here Nerf While playing with toy guns such as Airsoft can be dangerous, Nerf guns are a lot safer. These guns fire foam darts at surprisingly long distances. Getting hit on the body by one won’t cause any harm (eye protection is still advisable though). There's also a huge number of Nerf guns out there ranging from those modelled after pistols, pump action shotguns, lever action weapons and even semi-automatic rifles. Check out Nerf guns here PUBG Mobile controller triggers The problem with playing PUBG on mobile is that the controls aren’t really made for it. At max, you’re limited to using your two thumbs. These triggers attach to almost any mobile phone and lets players use their fingers to fire their weapon, while using their thumbs to circle around their opponent. A must for serious PUBG Mobile fans. Check out PUBG Mobile controller triggers here Keychains You’ll be surprised how something as simple as a keychain can be so cool. There's a plethora of PUBG keychains out there. If you know the recipient’s favourite gun, you can chose a replica of that in the form of a keychain. Check out PUBG keychains here
Paytm Mall Maha Cashback sale is now on its fifth day, and the e-commerce platform is offering up to Rs 20,000 of cashback on electronics. There is also an additional 10% discount for those who make a payment using an Axis Bank debit or credit card. So, let’s get started on the best deals: Canon EOS 1300D Price: Rs 27,999 Sale price: Rs 19,999 (inclusive of cashback) The Canon EOS 1300D uses an 18MP APS-C size sensor and the DIGIC 4+ image processor. The camera comes with Wi-Fi and NFC, which allow you to transfer photos more easily. During the sale, one can get the camera for Rs 19,999. View deal here. Canon EOS 200D Price: Rs 54,295 Sale price: Rs 47,295 (inclusive of cashback) The Canon EOS 200D has a 24.2 MP sensor and is Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled, which lets you transfer photos from the camera to other devices easily. During the Paytm Mall Maha Cashback sale, it is available for Rs 47,295. View deal here. Nikon D3400 Price: Rs 40,949 Sale price: Rs 32,449 (inclusive of cashback) The Nikon D3400 comes with two NIKKOR lenses of 18mm-50mm and 70mm-300mm. The camera is Bluetooth-enabled, which means you can easily transfer photos and video to other devices. During the sale, it is available for a price of Rs 32,499, and that includes the cashback as well. View deal here.
Huawei recently launched its flagship smartphone, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, at an event in London but users have already started to complain about issues related to its display. Some people took to the Huawei community forum in the UK and showed that their devices were having green hues on the edges. It seems that the problem it is occuring on LYA-L09 devices with an LG screen. Those who have the LYA-L29 device (also with an LG screen) have reportedly not detected any green bleeding/radiation problems. The company has acknowledged the presence of a problem and are offering phone replacements in select countries. SuomiMobiili cited Elina Takala, Huawei's Director of Marketing and Communications Finland, who said that the company is investigating why a small number of “phones have been green in some countries.” In Finland, consumers will get a new phone without charge if they have a faulty display. The Mate 20 Pro features a 6.39-inch 2K+ Curved OLED HDR display with a 19.5:9 display aspect ratio and a standard rectangular notch that houses the front camera and sensors for face recognition. The Mate 20 Pro also has an in-display fingerprint sensor that uses Dynamic Pressure Sensing. The device’s unlock speed is also said to have increased by 30 percent over the last generation of the in-display fingerprint sensors. The Mate 20 Pro is powered by the Kirin 980 SoC, which is based on a 7nm architecture and the phone is backed by a 4,200 mAh battery, and even gets an IP68 rating. Coming to optics, the Mate 20 Pro comes equipped with a triple rear camera setup: 40MP + 20MP + 8MP sensors, where the first sensor is paired to a 27mm wide lens with an f/1.8 aperture, while the second 12 MP sensor gets a 16mm ultra-wide lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The 8MP sensor is paired to a 3X 80mm telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture. On the front, the Mate 20 Pro features a 24MP RGB sensor that is housed inside the notch and alongside the camera, there is a dot projector, a flood illuminator, an IR camera, and a proximity and ambient light sensor as well.
Amazon kicked off the Great Indian Festival sale for the third time on November 2 this month, and it's about to end in a few hours. The e-commerce platform features hundreds of products across all major categories. Besides that, one can also get a 10% cashback on using an HDFC Bank debit or credit card during the Great Indian Festival sale. Jabra Elite Active 65t Price: Rs 14,999 Sale price: Rs 11,999 The Jabra Elite Active 65t comes with two microphones for noice cancellation and better reception The Jabra earbuds are Alexa-enabled and allow you to access Siri and Google Assistant when a phone is connected to it. As per the company's claims, it offers a battery life of eight hours. View deal here. TAGG 400 Wireless Headphone Price: Rs 4,999 Sale price: Rs 2,699 The TAGG 400 Wireless Headphone features an in-line microphone and remote that let you pick up calls and switch tracks easily. According to the company, it offers a battery life of up to ten hours. View deal here. Sennheiser HD 4.40-BT Bluetooth Headphone Price: Rs 7,490 Sale price: Rs 5,989 The Sennheiser HD 4.40 is a pair of wireless over-the-ear headphones that comes with ear-cup mounted controls that allow you to switch audio tracks and change volume easily. According to the company, the headphones can provide up to 25 hours of audio playback on one charge. View deal here. DOSS SoundBox Bluetooth Speaker Price: Rs 6,999 Sale price: Rs 3,828 The DOSS SoundBox is a wireless portable music streaming device that offers a battery life of up to 12 hours. During the sale, it is available for Rs 3,828 down from its MRP of Rs 6,999. View deal here. boAt Stone 1000 Price: Rs 4,990 Sale price: Rs 2,950 The boAT Stone 1000 is a waterproof and shockproof Bluetooth speaker, which comes with an IPX5 rating. The device packs a 3000mAh battery, which according to the company, offers up to 25 hours of battery life in one charge. View deal here.
Hackers put up private messages of 81,000 Facebook users for sale, a report by BBC says. The news platform claims that hackers had put a price of 10 cents (approx Rs 7) per account but now the sale advertisement has been taken offline. The breach reportedly first came to light in September, when a post from a user nicknamed FBSaler appeared on an internet forum. “We sell personal information of Facebook users. Our database includes 120 million accounts,” the user had reportedly written. BBC notes that many of the users whose account details have been compromised “are based in Ukraine and Russia. However, some are from the UK, US, Brazil and elsewhere.” It also says that cyber-security company Digital Shadows examined the claim in the advertisement on behalf of the BBC and confirmed that “more than 81,000 of the profiles posted online as a sample contained private messages.” It also says that data from 176,000 more accounts was also made available. “The BBC Russian Service contacted five Russian Facebook users whose private messages had been uploaded and confirmed the posts were theirs. One example included photographs of a recent holiday, another was a chat about a recent Depeche Mode concert, and a third included complaints about a son-in-law. There was also an intimate correspondence between two lovers,” the BBC reported. Meanwhile, Facebook has claimed that the platform’s security had not been compromised and that the data could have been obtained through malicious browser extensions. “We have contacted browser makers to ensure that known malicious extensions are made unavailable for download in their app stores. “We have also contacted law enforcement and have worked with local authorities to remove the website that displayed information from Facebook accounts,” Facebook Executive Guy Rosen said. The report comes a month after 50 million accounts were allegedly hacked. Facebook had later later claimed that the number of accounts compromised was 30 million. Facebook said that cybercriminals found a flaw in the platform’s ‘View As’ feature and exploited the vulnerability in Facebook’s code that existed between July 2017 and September 2018. It allowed attackers to steal Facebook access tokens, which they could then use to take over people’s accounts. Access tokens are the equivalent of digital keys that keep people logged in to Facebook so they don’t need to re-enter their password every time they use the app.
The Paytm Mall Maha Cashback sale is live now and will last go on till November 7. The e-commerce platform is offering upto Rs 20,000 of cashback on TVs and large appliances. Besides that, buyers will also get a 10% instant discount on making a payment through an Axis Bank debit or credit card. So, let’s take a look at the deals: Dell Inspiron 3000 Price: Rs 38,000 Sale price: Rs 25,868 (inclusive of cashback) The Dell Inspiron 3000 comes with a 15.6-inch display that offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i3 (7th-gen) processor, which is paired with 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. The laptop is also pre-installed with Windows 10, which means you do not need to worry about installing an OS separately. View deal here. Dell Vostro 3000 Price: Rs 29,422 Sale price: Rs 25,499 (inclusive of cashback) The Dell Vostro 3000 is powered by an Intel Core i3 (6th-gen) processor, which is paired with 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. One should keep in mind that the laptop comes with DOS, which means you will have to install Windows on your own. View deal here. Asus Vivobook X507 Price: Rs 36,990 Sale price: Rs 22,290 (inclusive of cashback) The Asus Vivobook X507 is powered by an Intel Core i3 (7th-gen) processor. The laptop has 8.1mm thin bezels with 75.4% screen to body ratio. The machine is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor and comes with Windows Hello. View deal here. Dell G3 3000 Price: Rs 84,325 Sale price: Rs 69,560 (inclusive if cashback) The Dell G3 3000 is a gaming laptop that is powered by the latest 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. The laptop comes with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. It has a 15.6-inch display that offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. As far as graphics is concerned, the G3 is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 4GB of DDR5 video memory. View deal here. Asus Vivobook S14 S406 Price: Rs 70,990 Sale price: Rs 50,116 (inclusive of cashback) The Asus Vivobook S14 is powered by an Intel Core i5 (8th-gen) processor, which is paired with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB hard drive. The laptop comes with a 14.1-inch FHD display and Windows 10 pre-installed. View deal here. Asus TUF Gaming FX504 Price: Rs 77,990 Sale price: Rs 56,490 (inclusive of cashback) The Asus TUF Gaming FX504 is a gaming laptop that comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display. The laptop is backed by the latest 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor that's paired with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. When it comes to graphics, it has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of GDDR5 video memory. View deal here
Motorola One Power could soon join the ranks of the smartphones that have got the Android Pie 9.0 update. The smartphone was seen listed on Geekbench running Android Pie OS, which suggests that a stable update could soon be rolled out to it. Google’s Pixel devices, a couple of Nokia-branded smartphones and some OnePlus handsets are among the handful of phones that have already got the update while several of other OEMs have either rolled out or are planning to release beta versions of the update to their devices. According to the listing, the Motorola One Power running on Android Pie scored 1,274 points on single-core and 4,508 points multi-core tests. Notably, these scores are less than what the smartphone scored when it ran on Android 8.1 Oreo. In our review, Motorola One Power scored 1,330 points in the single-core test and 4,961 points in the multi-core test. This means that Motorola engineers have to tweak the software according to the device so that it can work on its full potential when upgraded to a higher OS number. Moto One Power was launched under Google's Android One programme and was first announced during the IFA 2018 event in Berlin. If a smartphone is enrolled under Google’s Android One programme, it’s assured to get at least two OS updates and timely security patches. The company claims that the Moto One Power is made in India and that 100 percent of its parts are made in the company's manufacturing facility in Chennai. The Moto One Power features a 6.2-inch Full HD+ 19:9 “Max Vision” display with a notch and a maximum brightness of 450 nits. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, which is paired with the Adreno 509 GPU. The smartphone comes with 4GB RAM/64GB of internal storage. The internal storage can also be extended up to 25GB via a microSD card. In the camera department, the smartphone is equipped with 16MP + 5MP dual-rear cameras with f/2.0 aperture and 1.12μm pixels. The main camera also supports 4K video-capture. On the front, there is an 8MP sensor with a f/2.0 aperture and 1.25μm pixels. The front camera supports portrait mode, auto HDR and comes with selfie beauty mode. The Motorola One Power features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and is fitted with bottom-firing Dolby Audio speakers. Motorola says that the One Power comes with Widevine L1 certification, which means that it can support viewing HD video playback on Netflix. The Motorola One Power was priced at Rs 15,999 when it was launched.
Yes, the new iPhones from Apple support dual-SIM connectivity but Apple’s implementation of it is slightly different. Unlike most other smartphones out there, where dual-SIM connectivity simply involves inserting two active SIM cards into the device’s SIM card slot, the new iPhones require the primary SIM to be a physical card (of nano-SIM size) and the secondary to be an eSIM. Soon after the launch of the new iPhones in September, that is the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max, Apple announced that Airtel and Jio would be the only carriers providing eSIM service in India for the moment and that more carriers would follow in the future. The eSIM feature was enabled on the iPhones with the iOS 12.1 update very recently. According to FoneArena, those wishing to use a Jio eSIM on their new iPhone need simply visit a Jio store or a Reliance Digital outlet to complete the activation process. Current Jio users wishing to trade in their old physical SIM card for an eSIM may also visit a Jio store or a Reliance Digital outlet, where they will be expected to scan a QR code and submit their iPhone’s IMEI. The activation of the new eSIM should take a few hours. The plans users are subscribed to on Jio will remain the same whether the SIM is a physical card or an eSIM. Airtel, on the other hand, which has had an eSIM option for some time now, has reportedly suspended the service for the moment. Though Apple has chosen to implement the eSIM system for iPhones sold in India, it plans to release regional versions of the iPhone XS models that support two physical SIM cards in China and other countries where eSIM is not yet available. Apple’s decision to include dual-SIM connectivity in iPhones could easily be attributed to the fact that most other smartphones in the market today already feature it. To add to it, mobile carriers like Jio are regularly offering numerous new data and call plans at attractive rates.
It looks like PUBG Mobile is all set to get a brand new update. If the PUBG Mobile Lightspeed Beta available in China is to be believed, the game will get a new weapon, a new vehicle, new weather in Erangel and Miramar, death cam reply, new animations and snow. The information was posted on Reddit by user, u/AtomR, who said that the MK47 was added to the Chinese Lightspeed Beta of the game, along with the Tukshai vehicle. To recall, both of these are already available on the PC and Xbox versions of the game, with the latter getting the update a few weeks back. Judging by the previous releases, the MK47 will be available on all maps, while the Tukshai will be exclusive to the Sanhok map. The Redditor also notes that Erangel and Miramar will finally get weather effects. This would most likely include rain. It was added that the update does include snow, but it will not be a separate map altogether. Instead, Erangel will get a separate area that is covered in snow. However, the developers of the game are expected to add a snow map to the game. Data miners have uncovered information that suggests that the location will be based on Europe and feature locations such as a castle, a cosmodrome and more.The final name of the map is not yet known, with reports suggesting that it will be called Dihor Otok. The user is also directed to a video by YouTuber, Rey LAGARTO who has posted a video showing all of the features in the PUBG Mobile Lightspeed Beta Update. It is not yet known if or when all these updates will make their way to the global version of the game, or what the final build version will be called. The global version of the game is currently on 0.9.0, and was released a few weeks ago.
Apple Watch has been the most shipped smartwatch globally in the third quarter of 2018, two separate reports have confirmed. Both these reports have also placed Fitbit in the second place, making it overtake Samsung and other smartwatch makers. While Strategy Analytics puts Apple Watches’ global market share at 45 percent, Counterpoint Research says that Apple Watch grabbed 30 percent of the smartwatch market share globally. According to Strategy Analytics, global smartwatch shipments grew by 67 percent annually to reach 10 million units in the third quarter of 2018. “Apple shipped 4.5 million smartwatches worldwide in Q3 2018, rising 25 percent from 3.6 million units in Q3 2017. While far ahead of the chasing pack, Apple’s global smartwatch market share slipped to 45 percent this quarter, down from 60 percent a year ago. Apple is facing growing competition from a revitalised Fitbit and Samsung. The recent launch of Apple’s new Watch Series 4 model was a badly needed addition to its armoury,” Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, said. Fitbit shipped 1.5 million smartwatches worldwide and captured 15 percent of the global smartwatch market share, rising strongly from zero market share a year ago. Fitbit is now the world’s second largest smartwatch brand, the report shows. Steven Waltzer, Industry Analyst at Strategy Analytics, says that Fitbit’s Versa portfolio is proving to be wildly popular across North America. Fitbit has further scope for growth next year by pushing deeper into Europe, Asia and Latin America. Samsung captured 11 percent of the global smartwatch market share in Q3 2018, lifting itself slightly from 10 percent in Q3 2017. Meanwhile, according to Counterpoint’s Global Smartwatch Tracker, global smartwatch shipments grew by 53 percent year-on-year (YoY) in the third quarter of 2018 with strong performance from Fitbit, kids' watch brands such as imoo, and start-ups such as Amazfit. Research Director Jeff Fieldhack noted, “Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market with a lion’s share of 30 percent of the smartwatches shipped. The introduction of the Series 4 this fall was the biggest update from a design and features standpoint, and has quickly resonated with Apple’s loyal user base. Apple’s Series 3 saw an uptick later in the quarter with discounted pricing, while Apple’s Series 1 continued to be the single biggest selling SKU contributing to almost half of all Apple Watch shipments. This could change in holiday season quarter as our channel checks showed pent-up demand for the Series 4.” Counterpoint Research Analyst Satyajit Sinha also complimented Fitbit’s Versa smartwatch for becoming the driving force of the sales. “Fitbit continues to shift its focus from predominantly SmartBand/trackers to smartwatches and has now evolved as the next best player to Apple in terms of experience and scale. The launch of the Versa smartwatch was the turning point for Fitbit’s smartwatch segment growth. The health/fitness factor is playing a key role in driving consumer decision making for the adoption of smartwatches and Fitbit has entirely focused on this core use case,” Sinha said.
The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale is going to end tonight by midnight. If you’re thinking of purchasing a TV, then this might be the last time you'll be able to grab the best deal on Amazon this year. The e-commerce platform is offering up to 10% off to customers using an HDFC Bank debit or credit card. One can also get up to Rs 18,000 of cashback on TVs on their Amazon Pay wallet. Here’s a look at the best TV deals from brands like Sony, LG, Samsung and more: Sony 40-Inch Bravia Full HD LED TV Price: Rs 44,900 Sale price: Rs 36,490 The Sony 40-inches Bravia Full HD LED TV offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a panel size of 40 inches. The TV comes with multiple HDMI and USB ports to connect to external devices such as a Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, camera and more. During the sale, it is available for Rs 36,490 along with a 10% discount on HDFC cards. View deal here. LG 43-Inch Full HD Smart LED TV Price: Rs 53,990 Sale price: Rs 38,990 The LG 43-inch Full HD LED Smart TV comes with built-in Wi-Fi that lets you connect the TV to your home network and access apps like Netflix, Youtube, Hotstar and more. One can also watch content on their smartphone on a bigger screen via the Miracast function. View deal here. Samsung 32-Inch HD Ready LED Smart TV Price: Rs 33,900 Sale price: Rs 21,990 The Samsung 32-inch HD Ready LED Smart TV offers a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. With Samsung Cloud, users can also share and watch photos and videos from their mobile phone on the TV. View deal here. TCL 40-Inch Smart LED TV Price: Rs 28,990 Sale price: Rs 17,990 The TCL 40-inch Smart LED TV offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. As it is a smart TV, users can download and watch content from apps like Netflix, Youtube and more. During the sale, it is available for Rs 17,990 down from its MRP of Rs 28,990. View deal here. BPL 32 inch LED TV with Amazon Fire TV Stick Price: Rs 21,990 Sale price: Rs 11,990 The BPL 32-inch LED TV offers a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The TV comes bundled with an Amazon Fire TV Stick and is available for Rs 11,990. If you have an HDFC Bank debit or credit card, then you can also get a 10% cashback on your purchase. View deal here. 
Samsung is doing the best it can to make Bixby, its digital assistant more popular. Despite pre-installing the assistant on its smartphones and other devices, hardly anyone is seen using it. Samsung thinks this could be because the assistant is not as versatile as Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. As a result, the company is planning to open up the platform for third-party development. According to a report from Wall Street Journal, the South Korean giant is slated to make the announcement at the Samsung Developers Conference next week. While it’s not technically the first time Samsung is allo third-parties to develop apps for Bixby, the report states the support could be wider this time. Samsung hopes having third-parties develop applications for Bixby will make the AI assistant catch up to its rivals like the Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri. Even Microsoft’s Cortana is being used by people more than Bixby. The report stated that Samsung will announce how developers can create ‘capsules’ for Bixby. It sounds a lot like Alexa Skills, which enables the smart speaker platform to hail a cab, book a table, play a game and more. Though Bixby is hardly being used, Samsung is bulldozing consumers with the feature by offering it on 500 million consumer appliances including fridges, washing machines, televisions and more, apart from smartphones. The company plans to install Bixby in all its products by 2020. Active third-party development can make or break a platform. Amazon’s Alexa is so popular today because of its versatility and its wide of range of ‘skills’. Google Assistant too, apart from being installed on every single Android phone sold outside China, is also quite versatile, and has active support from the community. Apple too recently opened Siri up to third parties through Siri Shortcuts this year. Microsoft also has Cortana skills for the same reasons. Samsung is also expected to reveal some concrete details about its upcoming foldable smartphone at its Developers Conference. The foldable smartphone is likely to be launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next year. 
Idea has launched a new Rs 159 prepaid plan for its customers. The plan has a validity of 28 days and brings with it 1GB data per day, free unlimited local and STD calling along with free roaming. Users will be able to make voice calls for 250 minutes per day with a total of 100 minutes for a week. So, technically, the calling isn’t unlimited. The prepaid plan offers users 100 text messages over SMS as well. The plan will be available across select circles throughout the country. So make sure the plan is available in your region before recharging. Idea isn’t the only service provider offering such a plan. Relaince Jio, Airtel and Vodafone also have prepaid plans available at the same price point. For Rs 159, Vodafone is giving customers unlimited local, STD, and roaming 1 GB of 4G data per day and 100 texts per day. The validity of the Vodafone plan in 28 days. Airtel is offering the same benefits but the validity of its plan is 21 days. Reliance Jio, on the other hand, is giving users 42 GB of data with a daily limit of 1.5 GB. The recharge, which will cost users Rs 149, comes with a validity of 28 days and brings with it unlimited calling, 100 texts per day and subscription to Jio’s library of apps. Ever since Relaince Jio forayed into the telecom market, the company has made waves by offering data plans at affordable rates, forcing the competition to reduce tariffs and give more data as well. Reports currently circulating the internet suggest that telecom companies may increase tariffs in the next few quarters. You can read more about that here. 
NASA has released a new video on its YouTube channel, but that’s no surprise given how the American space agency drops one every other day. This one, however, is special—it’s the world’s first 8K video footage taken in space. The video is shot on a RED Helium 8K camera by astronauts in the International Space Station. The camera is capable of capturing video at 8192 x 4320 pixels. “This new footage showcases the story of human spaceflight in more vivid detail than ever before,” commented Dylan Mathis in a NASA news release, the Communications Manager for the International Space Station Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The world of camera technology continues to progress, and seeing our planet in high fidelity is always welcome. We're excited to see what imagery comes down in the future.” The RED Helium 8K camera was delivered to the International Space Station on the 14th SpaceX cargo resupply mission back in April through a Space Act Agreement between NASA and RED. Though the camera was delivered in April, NASA got around to making a montage with the footage sent back from the space station only in November. The video was dropped on YouTube on November 2, marking the 18th anniversary of humans living continuously aboard the International Space Station and the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first two space elements. NASA’s 8K video is best watched on 8K monitors or televisions, which, admittedly, are still very few in number out there. The Dell UP3218K 8K monitor, which was showcased at CES 2017, is an excellent monitor to view NASA’s video on. In reality though, most of us own displays with a maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels and internet connections fast enough to stream a 4K video without stutters. It’s still a great watch though!
FaceID on the next iPhone is going to get even better, according to a report by noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The 2019 iPhone will have an upgraded TrueDepth camera for better and faster authentication. First reported by MacRumors, Kuo said Apple will use a new sensor to better illuminate the face of the user and “to lower the impacts from visible lights of environment in order to improve the Face ID user experience.” The FaceID system will see a new sensor that will do range-sensing. It could be a Time of Flight 3D camera that will do the range-sensing. The camera will measure the time it takes for the IR light dot to travel between the camera and the subject to better construct a 3D image of the user’s face. The range-sensing camera can also prevent someone else unlocking the iPhone by holding it up against the user’s face. The TOF camera can also be used to make augmented reality better and improve the quality of 3D images. Kuo even notes that the 2020 iPad can edit 3D photos using the Apple Pencil. The iPhone X introduced the FaceID camera in 2017. Apple calls it the TrueDepth camera. It has a range of sensors facilitating the 3D face scan. It’s almost a miniaturised verison of the Xbox Kinect and has an IR dot projector that throws a beam of 30,000 dots to create a depth map and authenticate the face. The depth map is stored in the secure enclave of the iPhone and every time the user tries to unlock the phone, the FaceID system verifies the face by matching to the depth data it had captured earlier. It’s fairly advanced biometric face recognition system and is different from the 2D face unlock that most Android phones perform. But FaceID also has its own set of quirks. You can unlock the phone if you’re wearing a pair of glasses or a cap. It’s also known to have failed for twins. Apple did improve the low-light performance of the system, but with a TOF 3D camera, it will probably get even better.
While OEMs like Samsung, Lenovo and Huawei are reportedly working to come up with smartphones with 5G capabilities in the near future, Apple will reportedly launch the 5G iPhones in 2020. Earlier this year, market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) had predicted that smartphone sales in India in 2019 will be driven by 5G, and that consumers will start seeing 5G on their smartphones sometime in the second half of 2019. Since Apple launches its iPhones in September, we should see the first iPhone with 5G modems in the second half of 2020. Apple has had a history of not rushing into things and competing with other OEMs when it comes to incorporating new features in its phones. It seems that Apple will wait until it is 100 percent sure that the 5G infrastructure and devices are ready to complement each other. According to tech news platform Fast Company, Apple plans to use Intel’s 8161 5G modem chip in its 2020 phones. Intel hopes to fabricate the 8161 using its 10-nanometer process, which increases transistor density for more speed and efficiency. “If everything goes as planned, Intel will be the sole provider of iPhone modems,” the report said. Intel has been working on a precursor to the 8161 called the 8060, which will be used for prototyping and testing the 5G iPhone, the report claimed. On the contrary, smartphone manufacturers Oppo, Huawei, and Xiaomi are expected to contain 5G modem chips made by Qualcomm and are expected to debut at the Mobile World Congress in February. But there have been several problems like overheating with 5G modems. Manufacturers are still working on a fix. While Intel is solving the challenge of heat dissipation caused by the 8060 modem chip, Qualcomm’s X50 modem has also created heat dissipation problems for other smartphone OEMs developing smartphones that support millimeter wave 5G, the report said. Fast Company also says that Apple has held conversations with MediaTek about potentially supplying 5G modem chips, but that seems to be the “Plan B.” MediaTek is also said to be working on a 5G modem.
Apple’s iPhone sales will see a drop in India for the first time in four years, according to Counterpoint Research. Research Director at Counterpoint Research, Neil Shah, said that for the quarter, Apple has sold between 700,000 to 800,000 units, which is down from about a million a year ago. For the whole of 2018, Apple was expected to sell about 2 million phones. This is a drop of about a million phones from last year. Shah told Reuters, "Sales are set to drop for the first time in four years. If you look at Q3 - it was 900k last year and this (year) is almost 450k”. The fall is sale is of course attributed to the falling rupee value and the rising price of the iPhone. Even though more than half the phones sold this year were older iPhone models, it is the high cost of the new iPhones which has led to a flat revenue in India for Apple. According to Reuters, “Cook on Thursday called the company's problems in India "speed bumps along a very long journey" and most analysts say that the prestige of Apple's brand should allow it to claim back lost ground as Indians' spending power continues to grow.” India is a price-sensitive market and even though there are those who will spend a lot on an iPhone, most consumers will look for a value for money proposition with smartphones. With a number of Android devices available at various price points, offering good value for money, Apple is facing still competition. It is not only the iPhones that have become costlier. Apple recently refreshed its most affordable laptop in India and made it unaffordable. The older generation MacBook Air had an MRP between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 but was available for a street price of around 50k. The new MacBook Air’s start at 1,14,900. This makes the device quite unaffordable for those looking for an entry level Mac. Since most of Apple’s laptops hover in the 1 lakh+ price segment choosing the right machine can be a challenge. You can read about the new MacBook Air here. Speaking of the iPhones, Apple launched three new iPhones in 2018 – the iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS and the iPhone XR. You can read our in-depth review of the iPhone XS here, iPhone XS Max here and iPhone XR here. 
The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale is now on its day 3. The e-commerce platform has some great deals on smartphones. This time, Amazon is also offering up to 10% discount to those who will make payment through HDFC bank debit or credit card. So, let’s take a look at the best smartphone deals on Amazon during the Great Indian Festival sale. Xiaomi Mi A2 Price: Rs 19,999 Sale price: Rs 15,191 (HDFC 10% discount + Amazon cashback) The Xiaomi Mi A2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor. It has a dual 12MP + 20MP rear camera with a 20MP unit on the front. At the sale, it is available for Rs 15,191 (appx). View deal here. Huawei P20 Lite Price: Rs 19,999 Sale price: Rs 12,499 (HDFC 10% discount + Amazon cashback) The Huawei P20 Lite is powered by a Kirin 659 octa-core processor, which is paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. The device comes with a 5.84-inch FHD display that offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. During the sale, you can get this smartphone for as low as Rs 12,499. View deal here. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Price: Rs 52,990 Sale price: Rs 40,990 (HDFC 10% discount + Amazon cashback) The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was launched last year with a price tag of Rs 74,690. During the non sale period, it was available on Amazon for Rs 52,990. Now, during the Amazon Great Indian Festival sale, it is available for Rs 40,990 (Appx). View deal here. Apple iPhone X Price: Rs 95,390 Sale price: Rs 71,999 (HDFC 10% discount + Amazon cashback) The Apple iPhone X is now available on Amazon at a discounted price of Rs 71,999, which includes HDFC bank discount and Amazon cash back as well. View deal here. Redmi 6 Pro Price: Rs 11,499 Sale price: Rs 8,899 (HDFC 10% discount + Amazon cashback) The Redmi 6 Pro comes with a 5.84-inch full HD+ display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor. During the sale, you can get this device for Rs 8,899 (appx) that includes HDFC 10% discount and Amazon’s Rs 1,000 cash back. View deal here. 
The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale has kicked off on November 2 and will end on November 5. Amazon has also partnered with HDFC bank and offering up to 10% discount to those who will make payment using HDFC bank card. Buyers will also get a 10% cash back on their Amazon wallet on orders above Rs 5,000. So, let’s begin. Echo Dot 3rd Gen Price: Rs 4,499 Sale price: Rs 2,999 The Echo Dot 3rd Gen is a hands free smart speaker that connects to a cloud based assistant Alexa, which can play music, check the weather, and order food on command. The speaker can be connected to external speaker as well via Bluetooth or AUX cable. View deal here. Sennheiser HD 4.40 Bluetooth Headphone Price: Rs 7,490 Sale price: Rs 5,989 The Sennheiser HD 4.40 is an over-the ear wireless headphone, which comes with a built-in microphone and ear-cup mounted controls that lets you manage audio tracks and calls easily. As per the company, it can provide upto 25 hours of battery life in one go. View deal here. LG 43-inch 4K Smart LED TV Price: Rs 66,990 Sale price: Rs 46,999 The LG 43-inch 4K Smart LED TV offers a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The TV comes with a built-in Wi-Fi that allows you to connect the TV to your home network and access apps like Netflix, Youtube and more. It has multiple HDMI and USB ports to connect external devices such as a camera, laptop and more. Buyers can also get an instant 10% discount on making payment through HDFC card during the sale. View deal here. Amazon Fire TV Stick Price: Rs 3,999 Sale price: Rs 3,499 The Amazon Fire TV stick is a media streaming device that turns your dumb old TV into a smart one. The device allows you to watch content from apps like Netflix, Hotstar, Voot and more. During the sale, users can get the device at a discounted price of Rs 3,499. View deal here. Bose SoundLink Mini II Price: Rs 16,200 Sale price: Rs 12,959 The Bose SoundLink Mini II offers a battery life of up to ten hours and comes with a built-in microphone that lets you pick up calls even when the phone is connected to it. The speaker is available during the sale at Rs 12,959. View deal here.
Shakti- India’s first microprocessor has been designed and booted by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M). The researchers say that the chip can be used for mobile computing and other devices. The chip can be used in low-power wireless systems and networking systems. The researchers say that the chip can help reduce the reliance on imported chips in the communications and defence sector. The researchers also claim that the chip is on par with international standards. Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Indian Space Research Organizations (ISRO) in Chandigarh fabricated the Shakti family of processors. This makes it the first 'RISC V Microprocessor' that is designed and manufactured in India completely. "With the advent of Digital India, there are several applications that require customisable processor cores. The 180nm fabrication facility at SCL Chandigarh is crucial in getting these cores manufacturers within our Country," said Prof. Kamakoti Veezhinathan, Lead Researcher, Reconfigurable Intelligent Systems Engineering (RISE) Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT-M. As far as use cases are concerned, the Shakti family of processors can work with various devices such as consumer electronic devices, mobile computing devices, embedded low-power wireless systems and networking systems, and more. The ability to design and manufacture chips is the next step in electronics manufacturing in India. In India, smartphone components such as processors, etc. are imported and assembled in India. The initial batch of 300 chips, named RISECREEK was produced under Project Shakti, in July 2018. The chips were fabricated at the Multinational Chip Manufacturer Intel's facility at Oregon, USA. The chips were used to successfully boot the Linux operating system. Now, the fabrication has been done in India.
At the OnePlus 6T launched event in Delhi earlier this week, Poco decided to take a jab at its rival with its ‘Do the math’ campaign where it attempted to highlight how the Poco F1 is a much better buy than the “overpriced” OnePlus 6T. Whether the experience of using the Poco F1 (review) is the same as that of OnePlus 6T (review) is debatable, the fact of the matter is that the Poco F1 is a Snapdragon 845-powered smartphone available starting Rs 20,999. Xiaomi’s trolling didn’t just end there. The company recently announced the “OP bundle” where, you not only get the Poco F1, but also a bunch of other Xiaomi products, at the price of the OnePlus 6T. Poco even used OnePlus’ tagline in a tweet claiming “Never Settle for OverPriced” and announced the exclusive bundle that will be available on mi.com. The bundle, named the Poco F1 bundle in its official website has eight Xiaomi products that you can buy for Rs 37,999 which is the price of the OnePlus 6T 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The bundle includes the following: 1. Poco F1 6GB RAM + 64GB storage 2. Hard case 3. Mi Body Composition Scale 4. Mi Band 5. Mi Air Purifier 2S 6. Mi Power Bank 7. Mi Rollerball Pen 8. Mi Bluetooth Speaker The Poco F1 along with all the other Xiaomi products in the package may look quite attractive, and if you’re in the market looking for all the things Xiaomi has included in it, it’s a good enough deal. However, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the OnePlus 6T is simply one of the best smartphones available right now. The Poco F1 too is commendable for its price to performance ratio, but it can’t match up to the OnePlus 6T in terms of both the experience or the spec-sheet. OnePlus is also the number 1 in the premium segment in India while Xiaomi has next to no presence. It’s Mi Mix 2 announced last year doesn’t seem to be as good as an option as the OnePlus devices it chose to compete with. However, OnePlus is not the only option to look at in that premium segment anymore. Even though the OnePlus 6T offers an all-round good experience, smartphones like the Asus Zenfone 5z or the LG G7+ ThinQ are equally good, if not better. Both phones offer a wide-angle camera while the LG flagship goes a step further to offer a 12-bit HDR display along with Dolby Vision support and is IP68 water and dust resistant with military grade durability. ₹37,999 gets you more than just speed. Unlock the #MasterOfSpeed + a host of best-selling #Xiaomi products with our exclusive #OP Bundle, available now on https://t.co/DREiXVqBDe. Never Settle for OverPriced. #DoTheMath. Get this now: https://t.co/tUwJPBNreO pic.twitter.com/oKyRfxoI5M — POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) November 2, 2018
If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then the Samsung Galaxy S10 could ditch its iris scan for Qualcomm’s under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The information comes from leakster Ice universe via twitter. Ice tweets, “Yes, the S10 cancels the iris sensor and the ultrasonic fingerprint is enough to replace it.” In another tweet Ice Universe says, “Compared to optical fingerprint sensors, the S10 ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is faster and has a larger recognition area, and 30% of the screens may be recognized.” The final tweet reads, “In 2019, at least half a year, S10's ultrasound and new screen technology are Samsung's exclusive.” According to the leakster, the new fingerprint sensor on the S10 will be faster than currently available under-display fingerprint sensors. It will also cover a larger area – about 30% of the screen. This means that users will be able to unlock the phone from a larger surface area of the display. Ditching the iris sensor hints that the S10 may look to shave off some bezel from the top giving the device a higher screen to body ration. It also means that we may see more screen on the front of the smartphone. As far as exclusivity of the fingerprint sensor on the Samsung device is concerned, this isn’t the first time the South Korean giant is looking to keep a feature to itself for some time. When Fortnite was launched for Android, it was a Samsung sxclusive. You can read more about the Fortnite exclusivity on Samsung devices here. Samsung unveils its S series of smartphones at the beginning of the year around MWC. So, it is expected that the company will unveil the S10 family of devices at the beginning of 2019. Samsung usually kicks of the flagship trend for the year and we are looking forward to seeing what the company has in stored for us.
Micromax has launched the company’s first Google certified Android TVs. The TVs will be available in 49-inch screen sizes and 55-inch screen sizes priced at Rs 51,990 and Rs 61,990, respectively. Both the TVs boast of 4K resolution with HDR 10 support. Google Certified Android TV means that the TVs will run on the Android TV platform and not AOSP (Android Open Source Platform). The TVs run on Android Oreo and boast of support for Dolby and DTS sound. Under the hood, the TVs are powered by a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor coupled with 2.5GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB EMMC storage. Thanks to the Android TV platform, the Micromax TVs boast of built-in Chromecast. They also support MHL, Google Assistant voice controls with voice-enabled search along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. For audio, the TVs have 2x12W speakers. The TVs will be available in stores starting November. "Today, with the launch of our first ever Google-certified television, we have taken a step further in providing our consumers with memorable and stunning picture-quality experience and a wide array of options with Google's Play Store. The new range targets the consumers who want a larger than life experience and desire to access smart android content on a bigger, sharper, crystal clear screen. We are committed to grow this category further and consolidate our position in the television segment in India," said Rohan Agarwal, Director, Micromax Informatics. We have seen the launch of a number of budget 4K HDR TVs in the past. Xiaomi has a 55-inch 4K HDR TV available in the market and also has a 49-inch 1080p HDR TV available. Other brands like TCL, iFFALCON, Thomson and more have also launched their range of UHD and HDR TVs in the market.
The festive season is the best time to buy a smartphone in India. You get deep discounts on devices that increases the value for money. The OnePlus 6T is fresh in the markets, but for many, the base price of the smartphone may be too high. If you still want a flagship phone with a Snapdragon 845, there are quite a few options to choose from. You have the Poco F1 starting as low as Rs 20,999 for the 6GB+64GB variant while the Asus Zenfone 5z with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is also available at a discount of Rs 5,000 at Rs 31,000. But the best deal is perhaps on the LG G7+ ThinQ (review). The LG G7+ ThinQ launched in India for a very reasonable Rs 39,999. You get the flagship Snapdragon 845 SoC under the hood, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. But it packs more interesting features like a 12-bit HDR display that supports Dolby Vision, a Quad DAC for Hi-Fi audio and a wide-angle camera. Flipkart is offering a massive Rs 10,000 discount on the LG G7+ ThinQ bringing the price down to Rs 29,999. There’s an additional discount of 10 percent if you purchase it using a SBI card, bringing the price down to Rs 27,000. Click here to buy the LG G7+ ThinQ Additionally, you can also exchange an old Samsung Galaxy S8+, OnePlus 6 or an Apple iPhone 7 Plus to get the phone at Rs 14,999 or Rs 17,099 or Rs 14,099 respectively. The LG G7+ ThinQ is a grossly undervalued smartphone. The phone is both IP68 rated water and dust resistant as well as MLT-STD 810 military grade durable, which no other smartphone in that price range offers. The LG UI is also quite customisable and aesthically good looking. The camera can shoot HDR videos as well as record in high-fidelity audio. It’s also quite compact to hold and use. The OnePlus 6T is also undoubtedly a good phone. It’s one of the fastest there is, but the niggling compromises might reduce the durability of the phone, which the LG G7+ ThinQ guarantees at much less the price.