Samsung Galaxy S8 Selfie Camera Will Come With Autofocus: Report

Samsung Galaxy S8 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017. After a bunch of speculation about the smartphone already floating on the web, new details have surfaced regarding the upcoming smartphone’s front camera.  

Samsung Galaxy S8 may finally become the company's first smartphone to feature autofocus functionality on the front camera, a feature so far missing from even the flagship handsets of the South Korean titan. Samsung is planning to introduce autofocus functionality with the front camera on its upcoming flagship device, being dubbed Samsung Galaxy S8, instead of fixed-type, as per a report in South Korean media.

It has further been suggested that the smartphone will be using encoder technology instead of the existing voice coil motor mechanism for autofocus.

“People are starting to take more selfies and number of demands for cameras that take selfies with higher qualities is increasing,” an industry representative told etnews. The website also reported that Samsung is planning to use a slimmer technology for its front camera’s auto-focus module as compared to the rear camera’s to ensure that it doesn’t stick out.

the Galaxy S8 is likely to feature a 5.5-inch and 6.2 inch 4K panel with dual-edge curved display. It may be powered by two chipsets – a Snapdragon 830 for the US and Exynos 8895 for other regions. Samsung has already begun mass production of the chipsets, and they will be based on 10nm process. The smartphone could be available in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. 

On the connectivity front, the Galaxy S8 could come with a USB Type-C connectivity port, along with 4G LTE and VoLTE support, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Armed with a 4,200mAh battery, fast charging and wireless fast charging features are expected too. Other features such as a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner, water and dust resistance and hear rate sensor are also expected on the Galaxy S8. On the software front, the Galaxy S8 could run on Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box.

Coolpad Mega 3 with triple SIM card slot, VoLTE support, Note 3S launched in India: Price, Specifications, features

Coolpad has launched the Mega 3 and Note 3S smartphones in India. The smartphones are priced at Rs. 6,999 and Rs. 9,999, and will be sold from December 7 exclusively on Amazon India. The big highlight of the Coolpad Mega 3 smartphone is that it dons triple-SIM slots and comes with VoLTE support. The Note 3S, on the other hand, sports a fingerprint sensor at the back.

Coolpad has also partnered Reliance Jio, under which buyers can carry their purchase invoice to Reliance Digital store and get a Jio 4G SIM card with Welcome Offer valid till December 31. Under this offer, users get free unlimited voice and video calls across India, unlimited high-speed 4G mobile data, with daily capping limit of 4GB, after which speed will be dropped down to 128Kbps. Users also get unlimited SMS and unlimited access to Reliance Jio suite of apps for music and movies streaming, Live TV streaming, cloud storage and more.

Coolpad Mega 3 specifications and features

The Coolpad Mega 3 features a 5.5-inch HD (720p) display with pixel density of 269ppi, and screen-to-body ratio of 73.5 percent. The Mega 3 is powered by MediaTek’s MT6737 quad-core SoC clocked at 1.25GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM. It also comes with 16GB onboard storage and microSD card slot for expandable storage.

Coolpad has packed an 8-megapixel auto-focus rear camera of aperture f/2.2 with LED flash, and an 8-megpixel selfie camera of aperture f/2.2 with field of view of 80.1 degrees and an LED flash to help you capture better selfies in low-light conditions. Armed with a 3,050mAh battery, connectivity options on the smartphone include triple SIM card slots, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n and GPS. On the software front, the Coolpad Mega 3 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with Cool UI running on top. The smartphone will be offered in three color variants – gold, grey and white.

Coolpad Note 3S specifications and features 

The Coolpad Note 3S also features a 5.5-inch IPS HD (720p) display with a sheet of 2.5D curved glass on top. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 415 octa-core SoC clocked at 1.36GHz paired with 3GB of RAM. With 32GB of onboard storage, a microSD card slot for further expansion is also present.

In the photography department, the Note 3S sports a 13-megapixel rear snapper of aperture f/2.2 with LED flash, and a front-facing 5-megapixel selfie snapper of aperture f/2.2. The smartphone is equipped with a mere 2,500mAh battery, along with connectivity options such as dual SIM card slots, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n and GPS. On the software front, the smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Cool UI 8.0 running on top. The smartphone also come with a fingerprint scanner at the back.

Apple Music Student Plan in India costs just Rs 60 per month

Apple first introduced University Student membership plan in Apple Music in May this year in seven countries, and now it has expanded its services to 25 more countries across the world including India. This membership offers a discounted subscription rate to those studying in a college or university.

Now, alongside the Individual and Family plans, users in India will notice a new plan called University Student when choosing their subscription plan in the Apple Music app. The Individual plan as we all know is priced at Rs. 120 per month, while the new University Plan is being priced at a discounted Rs. 60 per month. The Family Plan lets up to six people share the subscription, and costs Rs. 190 per month, like before.

To verify the eligibility of a student, Apple has partnered with a student validation service called UNiDAYS. Students need to enter their email address and name of the school/ university to verify their eligibility. Once verified, the University Student plan is activated for the subscriber at a discounted rate.

The authentication is not one time either. UNiDAYS regularly checks if the subscriber is still a college student while your Apple Music subscription is still active. If UNiDAYS finds that the subscriber is no longer a student or has been on the University Student plan for 48 months, it will automatically stop student pricing and switch the user to the full individual pricing plan.

Apart from India, Apple Music Student Membership has been extended to these countries as well - Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

This makes a total of 32 countries offering Apple Music's University Student plan. Earlier in May when Student Membership was first introduced, it was made available in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro with Snapdragon 626 SoC, 4GB RAM, 16MP selfie camera spotted on AnTuTu

Samsung’s ever growing profile in the smartphone industry is set to find a new device added to the lineup – the Galaxy C7 Pro. The phone was first spotted on Indian import-export tracker website Zauba, and was then spotted on a Geekbench benchmark. In its latest development, the phone was recently spotted on an Antutu benchmark running on a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC.

On its Antutu benchmark, the C7 pro featured the model number SM-C7010 and was running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The phone features an Adreno 506 GPU, and a 1920 x 1080 pixels Full HD resolution. The benchmark further shows the phone to be running on 4GB RAM coupled with 64GB of ROM. It also shows the phone to be featuring a 16MP rear camera with a 16MP selfie shooter. The Zauba listing of the device showed the phone as featuring a 5.7-inch display.

The Geekbench benchmark of the Galaxy C7 Pro as shared by GSMarena also shows the phone to be powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm processor with 4GB RAM, and running Android Marshmallow. The phone got 1000 on single-core score and 5670 on multi-core score in the benchmark test.

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is expected to be unveiled next month along with the Galaxy C5 Pro. The original Galaxy C7 and C5 were launched in China back in March, featuring a metal unibody design and fingerprint scanners.

Motorola Moto M to launch in India soon, company official teaser video out: Specification and features

Lenovo-owned Motorola on Monday confirmed that the Moto M smartphone will soon be launching in India. The company took to Twitter and teased a video of the Moto M metal-clad smartphone.

Motorola's first all metal smartphone, the Moto M, was unveiled earlier this month in China. It was launched at CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 19,700). We can expect the pricing of the Moto M to remain around this range when it launches in India.

Apart from sporting an all-metal body, the Moto M features antenna bands running on the top and bottom edges at the back. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) 2.5D IPS display with a pixel density of 401ppi. It is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek Helio P15 processor clocked at 2.2GHz coupled with 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM. It packs 32GB inbuilt storage and supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB). The dual-SIM smartphone features hybrid SIM slot which means it supports a Micro-SIM or microSD card in the second SIM slot.

The Moto M sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, an f/2.0 aperture, and supports PDAF (phase detection autofocus). It also sports an 8-megapixel front sensor. The smartphone is backed by a 3050mAh battery, and also comes with support for fast charging. Much like several Moto smartphones, the Moto M also comes with splash proof design (or nano-coating) which means it can bear light rain splashes. The handset supports 4G with VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C (USB 3.1), NFC, and 3.5mm connectivity options.

Next-gen Apple iPad Pro to reportedly feature bezel-less display, ditch physical home button

Apple decided to keep its October event focused on its Mac lineup. It was rumoured to refresh iPad models at the event initially but later that rumour died down, and new models are expected early next year. Now, a new leak gives us a look at all the changes we can expect on the next-generation iPad.

Macotakara reports that the new iPad will sport a 10.9-inch display, but will be of the same size as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The new Pad is expected to just increase the screen size by reducing the bezels from the sides. The top bezel where the FaceTime camera is situated will remain unchanged, but the side and the bottom bezel will be thinned out. The Home Button will be removed altogether to make way for the large display.

Apple has been long toying with the idea of eliminating its iconic home button from its iOS devices. In the period between 2012 and 2014, the company acquired 26 patents from biometric security company Privaris, which specializes in integrating fingerprint readers into touch screens. Apple has also been awarded a patent for a ‘capacitive fingerprint sensor’, which further stresses at a future of physical button-less iOS devices. The technology allows a device to detect fingerprint readings anywhere on the display of a device. The idea has not been made commercial as the fingerprint image gets distorted by the time it travels from the glass surface to the Touch ID sensor underneath. However, Apple is expected to use a certain lens to help achieve accurate results despite layering the sensor under the display.

Lenovo K6 Power with 4,000mAh battery, Ultimate Power saver mode launched in India, priced at Rs 9,999: Specifications and features

Lenovo is expanding its budget smartphone portfolio with the new K6 Power smartphone. Priced at Rs 9,999, the smartphone goes on open sale at 12PM on December 6 exclusively via Flipkart.  The company has launched the 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage model in the country in Silver, Gold, and Dark Grey colour variants.

Lenovo claims the K6 Power’s battery is capable of delivering 96 hours of music playback, 13.6 hours of videos playback, 48 hours of voice calls, 12.6 hours of web surfing and 649 hours of standby time. The smartphone also comes with a power saving mode called Ultimate Powersaver which cuts off data and apps in background, but keeps core functions like calls and texts active, increases battery life three times. It also comes with reverse charge feature which can charge other phones through the K6 Power. Besides the big battery, the K6 Power also comes with a metal unibody design, fingerprint sensor and support dual-SIM card slots. 

Additionally, the smartphone supports Lenovo’s TheatreMax technology. It also boasts two stereo speakers at the back, and like the recent Lenovo smartphones, the K6 Power also comes with Dolby ATMOS support.

The company at the event said that since their launch in India 2.5 years ago, Lenovo and Motorola have sold over 13 million handsets in the country.

Lenovo K6 Power specifications and features

The smartphone sports a 5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) display with pixel density of 441ppi with 450-nit brightness, and 178-degree viewing angles. It runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based Vibe UI and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor paired with Adreno 505 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 32GB of onboard storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage.

For photography, the K6 Power is equipped with a 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 sensor camera with LED flash, Pro-mode, PDAF support, slow motion and time lapse. For selfies, it has an 8-megapixel Sony IMX219 camera with wide-angle lens and beautification mode and can shoot up to 1080p videos.

Lenovo is also touting the App Lock functionality powered by the fingerprint sensor. Other Vibe Pure UI customisations include Dual Apps (allowing apps to be used with two different accounts on the same phone), as well as the Long Screenshot features. Connectivity options include dual-SIM support, 4G with VoLTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11n, USB OTG support, Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Receiving Galaxy Note 7's Grace UX

Samsung has started rolling out Galaxy Note 7's Grace UX to last year's Galaxy Note 5. According to 9to5google reports, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 users in South Korea have been receiving an over-the-air (OTA) update that brings an all-new software experience. To recall, Samsung introduced the new Grace UX with its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone earlier this year.

A forum post at XDA Developers suggests that the update is about 600MB in size, and brings various UX features of the Galaxy Note 7 to Galaxy Note 5. Some of the new features that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 users are receiving include Blue light Filter, Ultra power saving mode, Smart manager, and Wide selfie among others. The Galaxy Note 5 update with Grace UX is currently rolling out to users in South Korea, though it can be expected to be available for more users in the coming days.

Despite the update, the Galaxy Note 5 still runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Galaxy Note 5 users can manually check for the update via Settings > About Device > Software Update. Unfortunately, Samsung is yet to confirm broader update plans for the Galaxy Note 5.

Recently, the South Korean giant launched Android 7.0 Galaxy Beta Program for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. We expect the Android Nougat update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge to roll out soon.

Google Pixel, Pixel XL capture 10% of India’s premium segment in just 17 days; Apple dominates with 66% share: Counterpoint

Last month, Google launched its first fully self-branded Pixel smartphones worldwide as well as in India. The unique and the distinguishing factor about these smartphones from the earlier Nexus series is that these smartphones are premium in terms of features as well as the price tag. Pixel phones have been pitched by the search giant as direct competitors to Apple's iPhone and if latest report by research firm Counterpoint is anything to go by, Google might have a strong case in its favour. 

Google has managed to garner a 10 percent market share in India’s premium smartphone segment.
According to a Counterpoint research report, in just over 17 days, Google India shipped over 33,000 units of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. This helped propel the company to the third position in the list of companies in the premium smartphone segment. Smartphones priced above Rs 30,000 are classified in the premium smartphone segment. Google with its 10 percent market share, follows Apple and Samsung that have a market share of 66 percent and 23 percent respectively. “We are very enthused by the feedback from Indian customers and the initial response for Pixel has been extremely positive and in line with our expectations,” a Google India spokesperson told ET.

"Google is aggressively trying to take advantage of the lack of competition in this segment and does not want to miss-out on the opportunities. The company is leaving no stones unturned with heavy spend on marketing, there are exchange and cashback offers also available for the new entrant. A refreshing and feature packed Pixel is making for a good proposition against the incumbents Apple's new iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphones," Counterpoint Research said in an emailed statement.

Google launched the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in India with prices starting from Rs 57,000. Despite the high price tag, one of the things that has worked in the Pixels’ favor is the whole Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco. With its unique combination of top-end specifications and deeply integrated Google Assistant, there’s no Android smartphone that comes close to the Pixels. At this price range then the only real competition to the Pixel smartphones are Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Bixby and Kestra- Samsung male and female voice assistants for Galaxy S8

While we have long known that Samsung will be integrating an AI digital assistant on its next year’s flagship, the Galaxy S8, new reports suggest that the South Korean giant is also giving gender identity to the digital assistant. From what we knew all this while, was that Samsung’s assistant might be known has Bixby, but the latest rumor hints that Samsung has been recently granted trademarks for the names of both Bixby and Kestra, with Kestra being heavily speculated to being the assistant’s feminine alter ego.

In EU patent application, the description of the trademark rather clearly describes the nature of Bixby and Kestra, reading, “Computer software for enabling hands-free use of a mobile phone through voice recognition” and “Computer software used to process voice commands.” However, there is no official word from Samsung about Bixby and Kestra, probably the smart assistants will only debut when the Galaxy S8 is released in 2017.

Also, if you are wondering where the names Bixby and Kestra come from, roll back to the Star Trek world. For the ones who don’t know, Jerome Bixby is an American writer, who produced four screenplays for Star Trek episodes back in the 60s, while Kestra can be linked to Kestra Troi, the little sister of USS Enterprise’s ship counselor.

Rumors about Samsung‘s own virtual assistant began churning out a few weeks ago, after the South Korean company acquired Viv Labs, a California-based startup. The company is known for its development of intelligent interfaces that can be applied to everything, and most importantly, it is known for creating Apple’s Siri, which is now a part of Apple iPhones, iPads and the MacBooks too. 
From everything that has been leaked or rumored about the Galaxy S8, the digital assistant has been the high point. While Samsung Galaxy smartphones already feature S Voice assistant, but it is not on par with its competitors. However, the AI assistant integration will help Samsung compete with the likes of Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.

A couple of weeks ago, we also found out, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will feature a button dedicated to launching the AI digital assistant. Essentially, rather than using just speech to fire up the device’s virtual assistant, Wall Street Journal reports that it is more likely that customers will be able to use a hardware shortcut button to trigger the feature. “The latest internal prototypes of the premium Galaxy S8 handset include a button on the side edge of the smartphone that would be used to launch a beefed-up virtual assistant,” says the report. 

As for the Galaxy S8, we have quite a handful of leaks and rumors about it. The latest leak suggests that Samsung Galaxy S8 might feature a Xiaomi Mi MIX-like design. A recent report by The Investor suggested that the Galaxy S8 could feature a bezel-less, or edge-to-edge display and would be based on organic light-emitting diode technology.

The report further quotes Samsung’s Park Won-sang, a principal engineer at the display-making unit of Samsung, as saying, “Samsung Display would roll out a full-screen display whose display area ratio (a scale that measures space taken up by a display on the front part of a handset) reaches more than 90 percent next year.” He further said that Samsung may go for smartphones with display ratio up to 99 percent. As of now, smartphones have display area ratio around 80 percent.

Furthermore, Techtastic reports that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will sport 6GB of RAM. This is an upgrade from the 4GB RAM seen on predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S7. The Galaxy S8 is also rumoured to sport a 256GB storage variant. It is unclear whether this will be the only storage option, or one of the storage variants made available in the market. If Samsung follows tradition, then a separate microSD slot for further expansion of memory will also be offered with Galaxy S8. Just to put things into perspective, the predecessor was offered in 32GB and 64GB storage variants only. It may be powered by two chipsets – a Snapdragon 830 for the US and Exynos 8895 in other regions. 

VLC media player now supports 360-degree videos and Photos

Everything needs to upgrade with time. The latest to join the VR bandwagon is VLC media player. The app which allows one to play video format on any platform has now added support for 360-degree immersive videos. This week, VLC unveiled a technical preview of the feature that allows its desktop app to play the newest format in videos. The preview is currently available for Windows and Mac machines. It is expected that the full VLC version 3.0 will be rolled out at the end of the month.

VLC has collaborated with 360-degree camera maker Giroptic to develop the feature for its app, which can display 360-degree photos, panoramas, and videos. Similar to how one watches 360-degree content on YouTube or social media platforms, all one needs to do is use the mouse and keyboard to control the point of view in the footage when viewing the content on VLC’s desktop app. The same capabilities will be extended to all platforms including its mobile apps for iOS, Android and Xbox One through which users will be able to experience content by moving their devices equipped with accelerometer.

Other than existing platforms, the new 360-degree feature of the VLC app will also support VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift, Google’s Daydream VR headset, and the HTC Vive in the coming year. The app is further getting 360-degree audio support which will include head tracking headphones, which would likely result in a more immersive experience. 

It is to be noted that currently, only the technical preview of the feature is out which means it is still short of perfection. For those willing to test the feature, the preview is available on http://streams.videolan.org/ along with some sample videos and images.

Airtel rolls out 4G Advanced service in Tamil Nadu,Puducherry; claims data speed up to 135 Mbps

Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has upgraded its 4G services in Tamil Nadu by offering mobile broadband speeds up to 135 Mbps. Under the new initiative, customers in Chennai, Madurai, Hosur, Vellore, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore and in Puducherry can experience 4G services, the company said in a statement.

The deployment of 4G services was under its network transformation program ‘Project Leap’. Airtel has taken up project Leap program under which it plans to invest Rs 60,000 crore over the next three years to meet growing demand of voice and high speed data services in the country. The deployment of 4G advanced in Tamil Nadu, would result in superior 4G experience for its customers with faster data speeds and better network coverage. Those customers having 4G support devices would be able to get mobile data speeds of up to 135 Mbps, it said.

Airtel formally launched the 4G services in Tamil Nadu in May 2015 using the 1800 Mhz band and recently added capacity on the 2300 Mhz band using TD LTE. With the latest launch, Tamil Nadu is among few places to have high speed data services over 4G advanced. 

Early this year, Airtel launched 4G data speeds of up to 135 Mbps in Kerala. “As a leader in tele-communication space it is our endeavor at Airtel to consistently innovate and provide best in class mobile experience to customers. We launched first 4G network in Tamil Nadu in 2015 and with deployment of 4G advanced we are all set to deliver a superior mobile broadband service”, Bharti Airtel, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Hub CEO, George Mathen said. “With 4G advanced, customers in the State can look forward to considerably improved data speeds and better coverage,” he said.

Nokia Pixel Running Android 7.0.1 Surfaces On Geekbench; Entry-Level Handset To Be Announced At MWC 2017?

As Nokia’s plans to re-enter the smartphone business are official, the rumor mill just can’t keep still as numeros leaks and revelations keep spilling about the company’s new smartphone after years. The Finnish smartphone maker is expected to launch Android-powered smartphones, which could mark the company’s comeback in the industry at the Mobile World Congress in 2017. Now the latest details to emerge about the Nokia smartphone is through benchmarking website, Geekbench, according to which the purported smartphone will come with entry-level specifications.

The Nokia smartphone or the Nokia ‘Pixel’ smartphone as a lot of rumors are suggesting, will run the latest Android 7.0.1 Nougat OS and will be powered by a dual-core Qualcomm processor clocked at 1.19 GHz with 926 MB or 1GB of RAM. According to Geekbench, the smartphone scores 404 on single-core test and 661 on multi-core test, indicating the handset will indeed be an entry-level smartphone. However, there have been speculations in the past about Nokia unveiling not one but two smartphones out of which one will boast premium features. Recently, a Weibo post by a Chinese leakster hinted that one of the upcoming Nokia smartphones could come with a 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch screen with 2K (QHD) display, which could eventually mean a high-end category smartphone.

Other than the display size and quality, the speculated premium-range Nokia smartphone is expected to run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. One of the highlights of the premium-end version is that it will come equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens in the front, which could possibly make it one of the first smartphones to incorporate professional-level technology to its front camera. It is expected that the smartphone will feature a 22.6-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and 4K video recording capabilities. The premium variant is further expected to sport a metal unibody design and have water-resistant capabilities. In terms of connectivity, it will come equipped with support for 4G LTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Till now, there haven’t been any details about the battery capacity, however, it is rumored to support Quick Charge 3.0 technology. According to rumors, prices of the premium-variant could start at Rs 30,000 approximately. 

Lenovo K6 Power expected to launch in India soon: Specifications, features

Lenovo had unveiled the K6 series at IFA 2016 in Berlin back in September, which includes the K6, K6 Note and the K6 Power. The K6 series is expected to feature the Vibe branding when it comes to India.

Lenovo India, on its official social media handle, posted a teaser that reads, 

"Hi, can I borrow your charger please?" - tag a friend who says this all the time 😂(Warning: Lack of a Kickass battery can cause anxiety.)

Lenovo did not use the Vibe branding while launching the new K series smartphones at IFA, but considering how the company has been launching its K series smartphones in India under Vibe, it is a possibility that the smartphone will be officially launched as Lenovo Vibe K6 Power. On the design front, the Vibe K6 Power boasts a metal unibody design, and it will be available in three colors — dark grey, gold and silver. There is no word currently on the pricing of the Lenovo Vibe K6 Power, but it is expected to be between the budget and mid-range segment.

Lenovo Vibe K6 Power specifications and features 

The Lenovo Vibe K6 Power features a 5-inch full HD display with pixel density of 441ppi, and it is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor (four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.2GHz + four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.5GHz) and paired with Adreno 505 GPU. The smartphone comes in two variants of RAM and storage. The lower variant comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB onboard storage, and the higher variant comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The storage of the smartphone can further be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.

In the photography department, the Lenovo Vibe K6 Power smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) and LED flash. Up front, the smartphone houses an 8-megapixel selfie camera with video recording capability at 1080p. The connectivity options provided by the smartphone include dual-SIM support, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS. On the software front, the smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow wrapped under Vibe UI.

For power, the Lenovo Vibe K6 Power uses a 4,000mAh battery. The smartphone also houses a fingerprint scanner which is embedded on the back panel just below the rear camera lens. As seen in most Lenovo smartphones, the Vibe K6 Power also comes with Dolby ATMOS audio support.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in Glossy Black leaks in live photos with 128GB Inbuilt Storage

Samsung may reveal a new 'Glossy Black' variant of its Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone, if some new leaked live images are to be believed. The rumoured Glossy Black Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge variant featuring 128GB inbuilt storage has been spotted, and leaked in live images by a tipster in China.

These pictures were posted by a Samsung rep on Weibo, so this is pretty much an official confirmation.

To recall, Apple earlier this year introduced the latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones in an all-new Jet Black colour. Samsung's move to bring an all-new colour and bump the internal storage may be an attempt to take on the latest iPhones.

The South Korean company recently launched an all-new Blue Coral colour variant for the Galaxy S7 Edge in South Korean. The Blue Coral colour of course became popular with Samsung's "now dead" Galaxy Note 7, which was the first smartphone sporting the colour. Currently, the Galaxy S7 Edge is available in Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, White Pearl, Silver Titanium, and Pink Gold colours.

Apple iPhone 8 to Feature Wireless Charging, Says KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo

The Apple iPhone 8 is one of the most anticipated devices even though its expected launch is about 10 months away. While we haven’t come across any major leaks as of now, it’s mostly the well known and reliable analysts, who have been predicting what steps Apple could be taking for its next generation iPhone. 

Noted KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reiterated that the iPhone 8 will support wireless charging. Kuo notes that wireless charging adapters will be bundled with just the premium models, and the base model buyers will have to buy it as an additional separate accessory. The wireless adapter will be of the same design structure as the inductive pad used for charging the Apple Watch currently. Kuo also confirms that iPhone 8 will sport a glass back to ensure fast wireless charging speeds with minimum disruption from frequency interference.

It is worth pointing out that an all-glass back design for the iPhone 8 has been rumored earlier as well. And if we look more closely at the reports so far, it appears that the Apple iPhone 8 will be highly inspired by Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S7.

Analyst Kuo further says that Apple would be employing the task of wireless charging to supplier Pegatron for developing and producing the wireless charger cable hardware. Initially, it was rumored that Apple would be working with a company called Energous for the iPhone 8’s wireless charging facility. It had also been rumored that Foxconn would be pitching in for the iPhone 8’s wireless charger, but Kuo says that since the company is already packed up with manufacturing Apple’s iPhone with OLED display, Pegatron might end up with the task. 

2017, being Apple’s 10-year anniversary, the company is expected to shake things up a little and bring in a twist with the new iPhones. It has reported quite frequently that Apple would be opting for OLED displays instead of its usual LCD panels for the new iPhone models. However, Kuo himself had earlier said that the OLED display would be used on only one iPhone 8 variant that is the 5.5-inch variant. He also said that the iPhone 5.5-inch variant would come with a dual-camera setup. Kuo further said that there would be another 5.5-inch variant of the iPhone 8, but that would feature an LCD display with dual cameras. As for the 4.7-inch variant of the iPhone 8, it would come feature an LCD display. 

Source Image : Appleidesigner

HTC Desire 10 Pro with 4GB of RAM, 20 MP rear camera launched in India at Rs 26,490: Specifications and features

HTC has launched two new smartphones, HTC 10 evo and Desire 10 Pro, in India. The HTC Desire Pro is priced at Rs 26,490 and will be available from December 15.  The company at the launch event in New Delhi also announced it was celebrating 10 years in India, and, said it would launch its latest smartphone - the HTC 10 evo - in the country by the end of December.

 The HTC Desire 10 Pro comes with metallic frame, fingerprint scanner and a 150-degree ultra wide-angle selfie camera. It will be available in four color options — stone black, polar white, royal blue and valentine lux. Though the smartphone comes with top-of-the-line specifications as well.

The HTC 10 evo is more of a premium smartphone with features like metal unibody, water and dust resistance with IP57 certification, and is bundled with USB Type-C dual adaptive earphones , which the company calls BoomSound earphones. HTC says the adaptive audio technology adjusts the audio output based on the ambient noise to offer custom experience. Just like the HTC 10, the HTC 10 evo also comes with support for Hi-Res 24-bit audio. The smartphone will be available in gunmetal, glacial silver and gold color options. 

HTC Desire 10 Pro specifications and features 

The smartphone boasts a 5.5-inch full HD (1080p) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Under the hood is MediaTek’s 64-bit Helio P10 octa-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. It also comes with support for microSD card for storage expansion up to 2TB.

For smartphone photography enthusiasts, the HTC Desire 10 Pro comes with a 20-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash and laser auto-focus. For selfies, it comes with a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture. The HTC Desire 10 Pro draws its juice from a 3,000mAh battery and in terms of connectivity; it supports dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS.

On the software front, the HTC Desire 10 Pro runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC’s own Sense UI layered above. One of the highlights of the smartphone, is the support for 24-bit Hi-Res audio and Dolby-enhanced BoomSound speakers. We have seen the same audio module on the company’s flagship HTC 10 smartphone.

HTC Bolt launched as HTC 10 evo: Price, specifications and features

HTC has unveiled the new HTC 10 evo smartphone in Taiwan. The new HTC 10-series smartphone has been also listed on the company's UK site. The HTC 10 evo is the global variant of the Sprint-exclusive HTC Bolt which was launched recently in the US.

Much like the HTC Bolt, the HTC 10 evo will be available in Gunmetal, Silver, and Gold colours. The smartphone is now available to pre-order in Taiwan from the company's E-Store. It has been priced at TWD 17,990 (approximately Rs. 38,500) for the 32GB variant while the 64GB variant has been priced at TWD 19,900 (approximately Rs. 43,000). The company website confirms that the HTC 10 evo will start shipping in Taiwan from November 28. Unfortunately, there is no word when the smartphone will be available in UK, or mention of its UK pricing.

While the company hasn’t mentioned anything about India launch, the smartphone has already been listed on HTC India website. HTC is widely expected to launch the Desire 10 Pro in India on November 24, and there are chances wherein the company might as well announce the HTC 10 evo.

One of the biggest highlights of the HTC 10 evo is it packs USB Type C-enabled headphones. The HTC 10 evo smartphone also comes with support for HTC BoomSound Adaptive Audio.

HTC 10 evo specifications and features

The smartphone flaunts a 5.5-inch QHD (1440x2560pixels) Super LCD 3 display with 2.5D curved glass on top and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Under the hood, the HTC 10 evo is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 octa-core SoC clocked at 2GHz, paired with Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It’s quite surprising why HTC decided to go with the dated and controversial Snapdragon 810 SoC with thermal issues, while it could have gone with the much-refined Snapdragon 820 SoC. To recall, the Snapdragon 810 chipset had drawn severe criticism for over-heating issues. Samsung took a logical step in skipping the chipset on its Galaxy S6-range and Galaxy Note 5, and used its homebrew Exynos 7740 SoC instead.

With 32GB / 64GB of onboard storage, the HTC 10 evo also comes with a microSD card slot for further expansion. In the photography department, it is equipped with a 16-megapixel rear snapper with 29.3mm wide angle lens, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual-LED flash. The rear camera also supports 4K video recording and 120fps slow motion video recording capabilities. Up front, the smartphone houses an 8-megapixel selfie camera with support for HD video recording. 

The HTC 10 evo is armed with a 3,200mAh battery along with support for Quick Charge 2.0 for fast charging. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The handset sports fingerprint scanner below the display which is claimed to unlock the device in just 0.2 seconds. This phone is water, splash and dust resistant, in fact it has an IP57 rating. On the software front, the smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat wrapped under HTC’s Sense UI. 

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) with Android Marshmallow spotted on benchmarking website: Specifications, features

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) has been showing up online for a good number of times now which hints that the launch could be anytime soon. Successor to the Galaxy J3 (2016), the upcoming smartphone is expected to come with improvements over its predecessor. The smartphone has already been cleared by the FCC in the US, received Bluetooth certification and has now been spotted on benchmarking website GFXBench. Recently, press renders of the Galaxy J3 (2017) had been leaked online which showed what the smartphone could look like.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) specifications and features

The GFXBench lists the Galaxy J3 (2017) with model number SM-J327, which is different from SM-J327P leaked before. This adds weight to earlier leaks about there being two variants of the upcoming smartphone. According to the benchmark listing, the Galaxy J3 (2017) is expected to feature a 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon quad-core processor, Adreno 308 GPU, and 1.5GB of RAM. It is expected to feature 16GB onboard storage.

In the photography department, the Galaxy J3 (2017) could come with 5-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus, face detection, HDR and touch focus. Up front there is likely to be a 2-megapixel selfie camera. On the software front, the smartphone is expected to run on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. Taking the specifications into context, we can assume that this Galaxy J3 (2017) with model number SM-J327 could be the lower variant. The assumptions are made on the basis of its display and the cameras.

As for the other variant of the Galaxy J3 (2017) with model number SM-J327P, the specifications are quite similar except for a few differences. This smartphone is expected to feature a 5.5-inch full HD AMOLED display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel selfie camera, 2,600mAh battery, and Snapdragon 430 chipset paired with 1.5GB of RAM. 

OnePlus 3T to launch in India soon, company confirms

Adding another feather to its cap, OnePlus last week launched the OnePlus 3T, which is an upgraded version of OnePlus 3. The OnePlus 3T was launched with features that are a bump from the not-so-old OnePlus 3. OnePlus said at the launch event that its new smartphone will hit the shelves on November 22 in the US, November 26 in the European market, and November 28 in the UK. However, there was no announcement made for the Indian market then. Now, it seems we are soon going to witness the launch of OnePlus 3T in the country.

OnePlus GM Vikas Agarwal is volunteering for a ‘Truth or Dare’ on the company’s Facebook page. Fans can either choose ‘ask me anything’ or challenge for an ‘adventurous dare.’  At the end of this round, he will reveal all the required details.

The Chinese mobile startup had revealed the pricing for the OnePlus 3T for the announced regions (which didn't include India initially). The 64GB storage model has been priced at GBP 399 (roughly Rs. 33,700), EUR 439 (roughly Rs. 31,200), and $439 (roughly Rs. 29,800), while the 128GB model has been priced at GBP 439 (roughly Rs. 37,100), EUR 479 (roughly Rs. 34,800), and $479 (roughly Rs. 32,500). The India launch will also spell the pricing alongside but till then we can assume it to be nearing the above mentioned INR currency equivalents.

OnePlus 3T specifications and features 

The OnePlus 3T’s specifications are in line with what have leaked before. So, in essence you get a device with a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) Optic AMOLED display. The screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4. The OnePlus 3T comes with a Snapdragon 821 chipset instead and it is clocked at 2.35GHz with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

On the photography front, the smartphone sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX398 image sensor, f/2.0 aperture, Phase Detection Auto-focus (PDAF), Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), and 4K video recording capabilities. There is also a 16-megapixel fixed-focus selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and 1080p video recording capabilities.

The device is backed by a slightly larger 3,400mAh battery with support for the company’s proprietary Dash Charge technology. There is also a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button up front, and an Alert Slider on the side. Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS. The OnePlus 3T runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Oxygen OS, and will be updated to Android 7.0 Nougat later this year.

Google Pixel, Pixel XL smartphones available on Flipkart with discount of up to Rs 33,000

Google’s new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones bring the best of hardware and software combination, but the premium pricing may steer away some people from buying them. If you have been waiting to get one of the new Pixels, this might be a good time. Flipkart has introduced some exchange discounts and cashback offers, making the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones even more enticing than before. The offer is valid till November 30.

You can now exchange your old smartphone for a new Pixel and get up to Rs 26,000 off, bringing the price down to Rs 31,000 from Rs 57,000 for the 32GB storage variant. However, the maximum discount is applicable on Apple iPhone 6s Plus, and the exchange value for other smartphones differ based on the model and brand. The age and condition of your existing smartphone will also be an important factor that will determine its exchange value. Besides the exchange, users can also get a flat Rs 7,000 instant discount if they use an HDFC credit card, bringing the effective cost down to Rs 24,000.  Axis Bank credit card use and discount Extra 5% off.

What’s more, Flipkart is also offering no cost EMI option for Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Citibank, HSBC, ICICI, SBI and Standard Chartered bank credit cards with EMI’s as low as Rs 3,167 per month for up to 18 months tenure. 

Google Pixel, Pixel XL specifications and features 

The Google Pixel sports a 5-inch full HD (1080p) display, whereas the Pixel XL sports a slightly larger 5.5-inch QHD (1440x2560pixels) display with 2.5D curved glass and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection and aluminum body. Under the hood, you have Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor, paired with Adreno 530 GPU and 4GB of RAM. With 32GB and 128GB onboard storage, there is no option to expand it further. 

Both, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are equipped with a 12.3-megapixel rear snapper of aperture f/2.0, laser auto-focus and LED Flash. Google also claims that the camera is the best on any smartphone, with DxOMark score of 89, which even surpasses the Apple iPhone 7. The camera also includes modes such as HDR+ and Smartbust, video recording in 4K, and video stabilization and more. Google is also offering users with unlimited photo and video storage on Google Photos in high-resolution quality. 

On the connectivity front, both smartphones feature a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer- up to 7 hours in 15 minutes., Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and NFC. The Pixel is armed with a 2,770mAh battery, whereas the Pixel XL boasts a slightly larger 3,450mAh battery. On the software front, both smartphones run on the newest Android operating system, Android 7.1 Nougat. 

Lenovo ZUK Edge spotted on AnTuTu with Snapdragon 821 SoC, 6GB of RAM, Android 7.0 Nougat, 128GB Storage

Lenovo’s online-only brand, ZUK, has released some powerful yet affordable smartphones in the past two years. After launching the Z2 Plus in India, Lenovo looks all set to launch a new smartphone in China called ZUK Edge. As the name suggests, the smartphone is widely expected to feature Samsung Galaxy S7 edge like dual-edge curved display. The ZUK Edge has already been cleared TENAA certification and now spotted on AnTuTu benchmark, revealing some of its key specifications and features.

Sporting a model number Z2151, the benchmark listing reveals a full-HD dual edge curved display. A previous TENAA listing hinted at a 5.5-inch display, but it’s not clear how Lenovo will make use of the curved display. Samsung uses the curved screen on the Galaxy S7 edge for notifications, news ticker and shortcuts. The ZUK Edge is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 quad-core SoC clocked at 2.35GHz. It is paired with Adreno 530 GPU, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. However, one of the leaked screenshot also reveals 128GB internal storage option.

In the photography department, the ZUK Edge could sport a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. On the software front, the smartphone could run Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. It is expected to come with 3,000mAh battery and connectivity options such as Bluetooth, GPS, 4G LTE with VoLTE support and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. While there is no word on the launch date or availability yet, the ZUK Edge is rumored to go official sometime in the first half of 2017. 

Samsung Says Galaxy S7 Smartphone is safe to use

We won't be entirely incorrect when we say that 2016 will be remembered as one of the worst years in Samsung's smartphone business. The South Korean company earlier this year permanently discontinued Galaxy Note 7 after multiple fire and explosion cases were reported by users. Now after a couple of explosion cases reported which involve Samsung's premium Galaxy S7 smartphones, Samsung has issued a pre-emptive statement.

The company in its statement said, "Samsung stands behind the quality and safety of the Galaxy S7 family. There have been no confirmed cases of internal battery failures with these devices among the more than 10 million devices being used by consumers in the United States; however, we have confirmed a number of instances caused by severe external damage. Until Samsung is able to obtain and examine any device, it is impossible to determine the true cause of any incident."

Previously, Samsung started sending pop-up messages to Galaxy S7 customers reassuring them that their Galaxy S7 units were safe, and that there was no recall for their devices.

In a recent smartphone explosion case, a Samsung Galaxy S7 user claimed that his handset exploded causing second and third degree burns on hands. In another case, Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge reportedly exploded while on charge last month. The user claimed that he was charging the phone with the original Samsung charger overnight, when it caught fire automatically. In another case involving Galaxy S7 Edge, a user reported that the handset exploded inside the pocket causing second and third degree burns.

Apple reportedly throttling iPhone 7 LTE performance on Verizon to match with AT&T

Apple has been relying on different suppliers for internal components on its iPhones. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus were powered by Apple A9 chipsets made by either Samsung or TSMC. While the current A10 SoC is solely manufactured by TSMC, the LTE modem used on the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are either powered by Qualcomm or Intel. Now, a new report suggests that Apple may be throttling the speeds to offer a uniform experience on the new iPhone 7, irrespective of the carrier.

The new iPhone 7 is the first Apple phone to either be powered by Intel XMM 7360 modem or Qualcomm X12 LTE modem. Theoretically, the Qualcomm modem is capable of downloading data up to 600Mbps, compared to Intel modem that can download at 450Mbps. While iPhones on Verizon network are capable of offering faster data download speeds compared to AT&T, a research carried out by Twin Prime and Cellular Insights found Verizon LTE speeds to be marginally faster.

The Bloomberg report cited researchers at Twin Prime and Cellular Insights for testing. Recode in a separate report citing sources claims that Apple indeed limited some iPhone 7 models featuring Qualcomm chipset to match the speeds of Intel-powered chipsets. "It wanted the cost savings and flexibility of having two chip sources but also wanted the different versions of the phone to be as similar as possible," said Ina Fried in her report. Apple has however refuted the claims of different download speeds.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller commenting on the report said, "Every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus meets or exceeds all of Apple's wireless performance standards, quality metrics, and reliability testing. In all of our rigorous lab tests based on wireless industry standards, in thousands of hours of real-world field testing, and in extensive carrier partner testing, the data shows there is no discernible difference in the wireless performance of any of the models."

Twin Prime also did a real world testing by pitting the Apple iPhone 7 against the Samsung Galaxy S7, both running on Verizon network. Despite both smartphones using the same Qualcomm modem chip, Samsung handset was twice as fast compared to the new iPhone. Jan Dawson, founder of tech insight firm Jackdaw Research LLC told the publication that the throttling may have been done on Apple’s end. “They don’t want one version to get the reputation that it is better. If Apple had a guiding principle it’s that they want to make sure customers were having a consistent performance,” she said. 

Today, with companies battling to make their smartphones the fastest, Apple throttling network speeds on the new iPhone 7 could turn out to be an unusual step. However, analysts believe that t could be done to offer uniform performance across networks. The move to have speed parity could also keep wireless carriers happy as customers won’t complaint about higher speeds on other networks. When Financial Review contacted Apple, the spokesperson said, “Every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus meets or exceeds all of Apple’s wireless performance standards, quality metrics, and reliability testing.”