HMD Global is lauded for its impressive software support for its Nokia-branded smartphones. When the Android 10 stable update was announced last month, the company released an infographic showing the update schedule for its devices. Keeping to its promise of starting in Q4 2019, the Nokia 8.1 is now the first to receive the update.
Juho Sarvikas who is the Chief Product Officer at HMD Global posted a tweet announcing the update is rolling out to the upper mid-range phone.
Android 10 upgrade for Nokia 8.1 starts today! First on SD710 to bring new features such as Dark theme, Gesture Navigation and more. Staying the course to be the first across the portfolio! Nokia phones #Keepgettingbetter#nokiamobilepic.twitter.com/U9g1jZHtA6
It is no surprise that the Nokia 8.1 is the first Nokia device to get the stable update seeing as it was part of the Android Q beta program.
Below is the change-log for the update which is over 1.4GB in size:
Dark Mode – Take it easy on your eyes
Smart reply – Save more time with recommended actions
Gesture Navigation – Get around with a swipe and a pull
Additional controls for privacy and location
Google Security Patch (2019-09)
The other Nokia devices scheduled to get the update this year are the Nokia 7.1 and the Nokia 9 PureView. HMD Global says they will be updated this quarter which means the update should arrive between now and December on both phones.
However, we believe the Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2 will also get the update this year as both phones were announced after the update schedule was published. Seeing as they are new devices, they should be high-priority.
OnePlus is experimenting with its launches this year. For the first time in its history, OnePlus announced two flagship-grade models, the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro in May 2019. Then in September 2019, it released the OnePlus 7T alongside the OnePlus TV in India with no mention of the 7T Pro. Now we know that the 7T and 7T Pro are getting a global launch on October 10.
While the two models are yet to debut internationally, the OnePlus 7T is already available in India. And I have been using the OnePlus 7T for the past week. So, here’s my first impressions of the new model.
OnePlus 7T Hands-On: Design
The OnePlus 7T brings on a familiar design on the front but there are some significant changes at the back. Gone are the dual cameras and the pill-shaped camera housing from the OnePlus 7. The new model brings in a circular camera module that houses three camera sensors inside. There’s no doubt that this camera arrangement stands out from the crowd. In fact, I had a few people immediately recognize the OnePlus 7T, all thanks to this weird camera module at the back.
At first glance, the OnePlus 7T’s Glacier Blue might look similar to the Blue shade on its predecessors. However, let me be clear here, the Glacier Blue color on this model is quite different from what we’ve seen before. This Blue changes its shade like a chameleon and you’ll often be surprised by how dark and light it gets under different lighting conditions.
For example, if you look at the image above, it looks like the OnePlus 7T comes in a soft light blue shade. You might feel there’s a bit of a gradient finish as well. But then, look at the image below. See how dark it gets when the lighting gets low? Honestly, when you are using the phone indoors, the OnePlus 7T has such a dark tint that you might even call it frosted blue or gray. That’s how dark it can get.
It’s like the phone has two different colors when you are using it indoors and outdoors.
Same Phone but different colors.
Can you imagine all these pictures are of the same Glacier Blue color variant?
The built quality of the OnePlus 7T is pretty solid. You have tactile buttons, a smooth polished metal back, a glass camera housing that doesn’t get scratched easily and gorilla glass 5 protection on both sides. You get volume buttons on the left and the power button and alert slider on the right. The bottom part of the phone is pretty crowded featuring a USB Type-C port, dual SIM card slots, and a speaker grill.
OnePlus 7T is its most recent flagship
Alert slider and power button are on the right
Bottom portion of the OP7T is pretty crowded
Camera Bump is significant
Overall, the phone has a symmetric design language, except for that totally random single antenna band at the bottom that separates the SIM card slot. The OnePlus 7T isn’t the most beautiful phone that I have seen lately, but the design definitely grows on you. And if you are someone who likes your phones to stand out, the 7T definitely won’t disappoint.
OnePlus 7T Hands-On: Display
The OnePlus 7T has one of the most beautiful displays in its price segment. The phone features a 6.55-inch 90Hz Fluid AMOLED panel with a small waterdrop notch on top. The high refresh rate display is definitely pleasing to the eyes and translates to a better browsing and gaming experience. For Rs. 37,999 ($534), I don’t think you’ll find a better display panel on a smartphone.
If you are coming from a non-notch smartphone, it might take some time getting used to the notch. But it’s not something that’ll bother you in the long run.
Snapdragon 855 Plus and 8GB of RAM with OxygenOS on top is the perfect recipe for a smooth UI experience. Just as expected, the OnePlus 7T handles everything with ease and there won’t be a single app that’ll trouble the device.
I’ll talk more about the hardware performance in my review but know that the OnePlus 7T is one of the fastest smartphones in the market today. The phone handles even graphic intensive games like Call of Duty Mobile very smoothly. I have spent hours playing COD Mobile and I haven’t had a single hiccup so far. Even the thermals are pretty well controlled.
So apart from that gentle notification from the UI saying that “you’ve been using your phone for too long”, nothing else will come in between you and your long hours of gaming and entertainment. You can check out the complete specs of the OnePlus 7T here.
As for the battery, it has been pretty good so far. The 3800mAh isn’t exactly very large but the OnePlus 7T should last an entire day on a single charge. Not to mention, Warp Charge 30T is really fast and you can top up your smartphone in no time at all! I mean you can charge your phone up to 70% in just over 30 minutes! That’s really cool!
OnePlus 7T’s camera is also on par with its predecessors. The wide-angle and macro cameras are really my favorites as you can do a lot with those lenses. Portrait mode could use some fine-tuning but overall, the OnePlus 7T’s cameras won’t disappoint you. I’ll share more details about the phone’s camera in my detailed review soon.
The first OxygenOS 10 build did have a few bugs but things have improved after the first update that was rolled out a few days back. I’m expecting OnePlus 7T’s UI to get even better in the upcoming updates.
Overall, the OnePlus 7T is turning out to be a worthy upgrade to the OnePlus 7. The phone has all the bells and whistles that you want in a flagship device (except for wireless charging) and it brings the best of the OnePlus 7 Pro at an affordable price point.
So what do you think of the OnePlus 7T? If you have any specific questions, please share them via the comments section below. I’ll try to answer each one of them personally.
MIUI 11 was announced last month during the Mi MIX Alpha and Mi 9 Pro 5G launch event. Just a few weeks after and Xiaomi is already rolling out a stable update and the Redmi K20 and Redmi 7.
The update is rolling out as MIUI V11.0.3 (V11.0.3.0.PFJCNXM) for the Redmi K20 and is just shy of 700MB in size. For the Redmi 7, the update has version number 11.0.1.0.PFLCNXM The update brings a number of new features including a focus on sounds and colors. The update for the Redmi 7 comes with September’s security patch. The update brings new features as well as fixes for both phones.
MIUI 11 brings a dark mode to Xiaomi and Redmi phones and uses true black rather than gray or blue. There is also a new font called MiLan Pro, new ambient display features that are highly customizable. There is also a dynamic sound system that uses ambient sounds from nature. The sounds change throughout the day too.
There is also Mi Work Suite which includes productivity features such as large document transfer between multiple devices, smart screencast, and wireless printing. Another new feature is the Mi Go Suite which includes a smart travel assistant. MIUI 11 also brings a new file transfer feature that works with phones from OPPO and Vivo too. There is also a built-in document viewer, so you don’t need to install additional apps for that.
With the Redmi K20 and Redmi 7 out of the way, we expect more devices will get the MIUI 11 stable update in the coming days or weeks.
Google is set to launch its latest flagship smartphones, the Pixel 4 lineup which will be unveiled on the 15th of October. In addition to the 4G variant, Google could also unveil 5G variant of these smartphones at the same event claims a report published by Nikkei Asia.
If this turns out true, Google will not only beat Apple but it will also defeat Microsoft who has recently re-entered the smartphone market with the Surface Duo, and every other corporation in the race of launching first 5G compatible smartphone made by an American company.
According to the source, Google has started test production of its first 5G smartphone which is currently ongoing in China. However, taking the US-China trade war into consideration and to avoid any sort of tarriffs, Google will ultimately esatablish a manufacturing unit outside of China. The leading option for the location is a Vietnamese facility which is currently under construction and will be ready by the end of this year.
The 5G compatible Pixel 4 or whatever Google’s first 5G phone will be named is expected to be commercially available in spring of 2020. Accordingly, the 5G handset could go on sale between 1st of March and 31st May next year. At the time of its commercial launch, the company is also reported to lift covers from an affordable variant of Pixel 4 which is presumed to be the Pixel 4A.
The source also revealed that the alleged 5G smartphone from Google will be equipped with Snapdragon 855 mobile platform of chipsets which is supplied by Qualcomm.
While Asia Nikkei questioned Google about the authenticity of these claims, as of now the Global search giant has refrained from responding. Nonetheless, 15th of October is approaching fast, therefore, we wont have to wait for long to know whether Google will actually be crowned the title of “first American company to launch a 5G compatible smartphone” or not.
Besides the flagship devices of the company that recently gained another member -UMIDIGI F2- with excellent specs and price tag, the Chinese manufacturer is also very famous about its entry-level Power series that comes with a massive battery and pretty affordable price. Currently, there is only one member in the Series but according to leaked information, the company is getting ready to add another.
Strangely, the new model isn’t going to be named Power 2 but they will skip a number going straight to UMIDIGI Power 3. As you can see in the photo, the 6000 mentioned should be the capacity of the battery and it’s going to sport a quad-camera setup on the back. The rest of the specs are still undisclosed so we’ll have to wait until UMIDIGI officially announces the device or another leak surfaces. Until that happens, you can visit their official website to check out their latest flagship UMIDIGI F2 and their new smartwatch and wireless headset.
Realme has been working on its new premium flagship smartphone named Realme X2 Pro, which will reportedly make its debut in Europe on 15th October. Now, the company has confirmed that the smartphone will get launched in India in December this year.
Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India has taken to Twitter to make this announcement. This will be the second smartphone from the Chinese company to launch in India in December as Realme has already confirmed that the launch of Realme XT 730G in India will take place in December this year.
Coming to the Realme X2 Pro, the company has so far confirmed that the device will feature 90Hz Fluid AMOLED display with 135Hz touch sampling rate and 20:9 aspect ratio. It has also been confirmed that the display will be protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5.
Under the hood, the smartphone will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core processor clocked at 2.96GHz. As for the cameras, the device will come equipped with a 64-megapixel quad-camera setup.
It's official now! We are bringing #realmeX2Pro to India in Dec. Time to rethink flagships. Get ready for #FasterSharperBolder. 2K RT in 30mins – to win one SD 855+, 90hz display flagship 5K RT in a day & I will giveaway one more
The TENAA listing has revealed that the device will pack 64-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad camera system and it has a frontal shooter of 16-megapixel. Realme China CMO Xu Qi has also shared camera samples of the device.
The phone will feature 50W SuperVOOC Flash charge, compared to 65W SuperVOOC fast charging support in OPPO Reno Ace that will be introduced on October 10th in China. It will feature dual Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res audio certification.
The ColorOS 6.1-based Android 9 Pie operating system is expected to come preloaded on the device. TENAA revealed that it has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage. However, the phone is expected to come in 8GB RAM variant and storage options of up to 256GB.
The official announcement from the company regarding the launch of Realme X2 Pro in India in December comes just days after the smartphone was certified by BIS in India, which suggested that the phone should not be far away.
Essential Inc. slowed down things following the launch of its first smartphone, the Essential PH-1. Two years after it announced the PH-1, it is yet to announce another phone.
Prior to releasing details about its new smartphone, the official Essential Twitter account tweeted earlier this week that the company is recruiting for a number of positions in Bangalore, India. Yes, Essential has an office in India and its hiring.
We're looking for talented engineers and designers based in Bangalore, India to join our team.
Essential says it is recruiting for talent to work on Android and Cloud technology. Those who get hired “will work closely with HQ in Palo Alto” to build and design future products and platforms.
The company says workers will get perks such as flexible time off, catered meals, and fresh fruit, in addition to a competitive salary and health benefits.
Below is a list of the openings at the Indian office:
All the positions are full-time and are located in Bangalore. Do check here for full details on the positions and their requirements.
This is the second time this year Essential is recruiting for multiple positions. Back in February, it put up listings for 21 positions, however, some were not full-time jobs unlike the ones in India.
Rumors surrounding the upcoming Meizu 16T have claimed that it will be arriving as a gaming-focused smartphone. However, the camera sample of the Meizu 16T that was shared by Meizu Technology Vice President Huahai Liang reveals that the Meizu 16T will be also offering amazing night scene photography experience.
The below shown camera sample shows that the phone was able to capture it with rich details and impressive color reproduction. The image is quite bright and has no obvious noise. The TENAA listing of the smartphone has revealed that its rear-mounted triple camera system has a 12-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel secondary shooter and a 5-megapixel sensor.
The Meizu 16T is fitted with a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with super-slim bezels. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2232 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The display of the phone is integrated with an in-screen fingerprint reader. The Meizu 16’s top bezel is the home for its 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The Snapdragon 855 chipset that clocks at 2.84GHz powers the Meizu 16T. The 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition of the smartphone was recently spotted on AnTuTu with an average benchmarking score of 418,909. TENAA has revealed that the phone may come in 8 GB RAM option. This model may feature an internal storage of 256 GB. There is no support for additional storage on the device.
The Meizu 16T is loaded with Android 9 Pie OS. It remains to be seen whether it comes with the latest Flyme 8 UI. The mCharge rapid charging technology powered 4,400mAh battery is present inside the device.
The Meizu 16T is scheduled to go official on Oct. 23. As of this writing, there is no information available on the pricing of the smartphone.
Avi Cloud (AVC) has shared new monitoring data which reveals that the Xiaomi has been named the leading company for the Smart TV segment in the Chinese market for the month of August 2019.
As per the list, Xiaomi was followed by Skyworth, Hisense, TCL, Changhong, Haier, Konka, Cool, Philips, and Samsung to make the top 10 smart TV companies of the Chinese market for August this year.
Prior to this, the data coming from three research institutions — Aoweiyun.com, Qunzhi Consulting, and Zhongyikang showed Xiaomi Smart TVs as to be leading in the first half of this year in terms of shipments in China.
For such success in the Smart TV segment, Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi attributed it to “continuous innovation”. He cites the example of a 65-inch TV which won the “Color TV Innovation Product” award at the China Intelligent Display and Innovation Application Industry Conference.
Previously, the company won several awards, including “2019 Top Ten TV Awards”, “High-end Smart Product Award”, “Disp Grand Prize-AIoT Technology”, and has managed to establish its presence in budget as well as premium smart TV market.
Lu Weibing, President of Redmi brand said that the reason behind Xiaomi’s success in the Smart TV market is mainly four — easy to use system, rich content library, interconnected IoT appliances, and high quality.
The Xiaomi Smart TVs come with MIUI TV operating system based on Android TV and have the company’s own custom user interface named PatchWall which provides an interactive experience to the users.
It’s noteworthy that Xiaomi’s success in the smart TV segment isn’t limited to its home country China. The company is also the leading brand in the Indian market, where it started selling televisions just few years ago.
Each month AnTuTu releases a list of best smartphones that top its benchmarking results for a month prior. Accordingly, the list of handsets with highest AnTuTu scores for the month of September has been published. Noteworthy, statistics for each model have been collected from at least 1000 units which helps in providing reliable data figures.
The pole position is held by the 8 GB + 256 GB variant of the VivoNex 3 that has scored 483,427 points. Suprisingly, the second place is also held by a Vivo smartphone which is the 8 GB + 256 GB variant of iQOO Pro 5G that has scored 481,211 points.
The Vivo handsets are followed by Asus’ latest and greatest Gaming centric smartphone which is the ROG Phone 2. The average of 1000 units, with 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM is 473,917. Next in line is another Gaming focused device, the Black Shark 2 Pro from Xiaomi whose 12 GB + 256 GB variant has scored 464953.
The number five spot is enjoyed by yet another Xiaomi smartphone which is the 8 GB + 256 GB variant of the Mi 9 Pro 5G. It has secured a score of 464,807 points. Next in order is the lesser known Meizu 16S Pro whose 8 GB + 128 GB variant have scored 460,076 points.
At number seven we have the third and last handset from Xiaomi which is the aggressively priced Redmi K20 Pro. The 12 GB + 512 GB variant of the device scored 456,237 points in this month of the year.
Finally, at position eight, a Samsung smartphone makes an appearance. Its 12 GB + 256 GB storage variant of the Galaxy Note 10+ manages to score 449,269 points. Following Samsung, we have the high-end offering from Vivo’s sister company OnePlus whose 12 GB + 256 GB OnePlus 7 Pro have registered a score of 448,488 points.
Lastly, we have the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Out of all the devices, this is the only handset to not feature the Snapdrgaon 855 or 855+ chipset. Instead, it is kitted with Huawei’s in-house developed Kirin 990. The 8 GB + 256 GB variant of the device registers a score of 445,446 points.
China’s commercial 5G rollout is still a few months away but the top three Chinese carriers are already accepting pre-subscriptions for 5G in the country. Unsurprisingly, this pre-subscription drive seems to be successful with over 9.3 million users signing up for 5G even before they are officially rolled out.
All three carriers in China are offering pretty good discounts for their pre-subscribers. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom operators are giving out 5G subscriptions for up to 30 percent discount to early adopters. For example, China Mobile customers who have been with the carrier for more than 5 years get a solid 30 percent discount on 5G plans for the first six months. New customers get a 20 percent discount on the official price at launch. China Telecom and Unicom users are also getting a similar discount scheme.
China Mobile has reportedly secured around 5.6 million 5G pre-subscriptions already while the figure for China Telecom and China Unicom is said to be around 1.9 million and 1.8 million respectively. What’s even more interesting is that the Chinese carriers have not really disclosed the pricing for their 5G plans. Only China Unicom has given out a figure, which starts at 190 yuan (~$27) but it could change since the carrier states that this is just the phase one of its promotional offerings.
Looks like China will be at the forefront of 5G adoption. So, it would be interesting to see how fast the new generation network grows once it is rolled out in the market.
Xiaomi has officially confirmed that the Redmi Note 8 Pro will be announced in India on October 16. After its launch in China back in August, the phone has been slowly expanding to markets in Asia and Europe. But the phone’s launch has been most awaited in India where the Redmi Note series has always been a best seller.
At the end of the Redmi 8 launch event today, the company confirmed the launch date for the Redmi Note 8 Pro. It also revealed some of its features such as a 64MP sensor in a quad-camera setup at the back, MediaTek’s gaming-centric SoC, and powerful cooling. Expect the Redmi Note 8 Pro India version to be identical to the global versions, except for its memory configurations.
Both models namely the Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro should meet us at the October 16 event in India. The Redmi Note 8 will come with Snapdragon 665, a 48MP triple camera setup, and a 4000mAh battery. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 8 Pro will be targeted at heavy users with MediaTek G90T gaming-centric processor, a 64MP quad-camera setup, and a larger 4500mAh battery. MediaTek had earlier revealed that the G90T will change the perception of the company in India with the Redmi Note 8 Pro. In this regard, the chipmaker was also quick to release the kernel source for the device.
With the Redmi Note 8 series releasing on October 16, the independent brand would have released four smartphones in India in a span of 20 days! The timing is actually perfect given how all these new models will be available before the Diwali season in India.
The Redmi Note 8 series is already available in European markets like Ukraine, Germany, and Spain, alongside Asian markets like Malaysia. The Indonesian launch is scheduled a day after the India launch, on October 17.
After the huge success of the Xiaomi TV in India, OnePlus decided to bring their range of smart TVs to the subcontinent. Fresh information reveals that Realme is exploring its options of entering the Indian smart TV market with their latest lineup of televisions. Latest reports on 91mobiles claim that the Realme TV could launch before the end of 2019. This is their latest attempt to take on Xiaomi, whose Mi TV range currently dominates the smart TV lineup. Xiaomi has a large portfolio in the country, starting from the budget-friendly 32-inch models, right up to the premium 65-inch variants.
While there is no word on the specifications of the Realme TV, the company may price its TVs competitively. The Chinese firm has been quite successful in India with their latest lineup of smartphones, and it would want to continue this streak with their smart TV lineup. Realme plans to launch the device within the next few months, probably alongside the Realme XT 730G smartphone that is slated for a December 2019 release.
In related news, the Realme XT 730G is a slightly enhanced version of the Realme XT that launched in September this year. While the Realme XT is powered by the Snapdragon 712 SoC and sports a 64-megapixel quad rear camera setup. The XT 730G is powered by the Snapdragon 730 gaming processor. The device sports a Super AMOLED display with a 3D glass design and an in-display fingerprint sensor. It draws power from a 4,000 mAh battery that supports 30W VOOC fast charge. The handset is already selling as Realme X2 in China with a starting price of 1,599 Yuan (~$224). Also, Realme is gearing up to release their flagship Realme X2 Pro in China and Europe on Oct. 15. The smartphone features a 90Hz display, Snapdragon 855+ chipset, 50W fast charging technology and 64-megapixel quad cameras.
On the 1st of October, Activision Blizzard Inc released the mobile version of its immensely popular Call of Duty franchise. Clearly, the nostalgia factor has worked in favour of the company as the game has been downloaded over 100 million times within just one week of its launch.
In contrast, the download count of PUBG, Fortnite, and Apex Legends which are some of the most popular battle-royale games was 26.3 million, 22.5 million and 25 million respectively in their first week of release.
Randy Nelson, who is the head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower said that “This is by far the largest mobile game launch in history in terms of the player base that’s been built in the first week,”. Sensor Tower is an organic user acquisition service that helps app developers grow their audience using App Store Optimisation and app marketplace intelligence.
While the original Call of Duty for consoles was a paid game, its mobile version is free to download and play but users can make in-app purchases to acquire visually appealing elements like skins for weapons and distinctive clothes.
The mobile version of Call of Duty is developed by the Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings LTD. The same company also holds a stake in PUBG mobile’s developer, Bluehole and Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games. Both these games can be credited for popularising the battle-royal format, in which a large number of players fight together to defeat the enemy and come out on top.
The 100 million download figure is the combined total of downloads on Android’s Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Notably, 17% of all the downloads were done users hailing from the United States which was followed by Indian users, where PUBG has a massive player base. The game is yet to launch in China where it is expected to see a positive response as well.
Activision has labelled 2019 as ‘transition year’ and it is currently bracing for the launch of its upcoming console edition of Call Of Duty which will launch on October 25. Some other game franchises that the game studio owns include “Candy Crush”, “Overwatch”, “Warcraft”, “Hearthstone” and “Diablo”.
Motorola India has been consistently working on expanding its Motorola One family of smartphones. Last month, it had launched the Motorola One Action smartphone that came with an action camera feature as its major highlight. The Motorola One Macro that has gone official today has a dedicated macro vision apart from other exciting features like waterdrop notch display, big battery and a decent SoC. It is an entry-level Android One smartphone from the company.
Motorola One Macro Specifications
The Motorola One Macro that comes with a polycarbonate rear. Upfront, it has a 6.2-inch IPS LCD Max Vision display that offers a tall aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The smartphone promises a screen-to-body ratio of 82 percent, claims the company.
The MediaTek Helio P70 chipset that includes 2.0GHz octa-core processor and Mali-G72 MP3 graphics powers the smartphone with 4 GB of RAM. The device offers an inbuilt storage of 64 GB. There is a hybrid SIM slot for adding a microSD card to the device. The smartphone runs on the Android One version of Android 9 Pie OS which means it will be blessed with Android 10 OS update later this year. It will also be provided with security updates for two years.
The Motorola One Macro features a triple camera system on its rear. The main sensor of 13-megapixel has f/2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 1.2micron. It can shoot 60fps full HD videos and 120fps slow-motion footages. The 2-megapixel macro lens with a pixel size of 1.75micron can capture shots as close as 2cm with bokeh effect. It is assisted by a depth sensor of 2-megapixel for portrait shots. Apart from dual-LED flash, the rear cameras are coupled with laser autofocus system. Placed on the frontside of the smartphone is an f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The 4,000mAh battery that can be charged through USB-C supports 10W charging. The company claims that the handset can last for 2 days on a single charge. The other features that are available on the smartphone include water repellant coating on the chassis, dual SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack.
Motorola One Action Price and Availability
The Motorola One Action has landed in India for Rs. 9,999 (~$140). It comes in a single color option of Space Blue. In India, the smartphone will be available for purchase exclusively through Flipkart starting from Oct. 12. A global launch of the smartphone will happen in the Europe, Latin America and the U.S. on Oct. 24.
What’s your opinion on the pricing and specifications of the Motorola One Macro? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
Earlier this year, Samsung unveiled its first foldable smartphone which is called the Galaxy Fold. Unfortunately, the company had to delay its original date of commercial availability due to display issues but that has now been fixed and the unique handset is available for purchase in several countries.
The New Galaxy Fold With Slight Design Changes
Even though Samsung has reiterated the design of Galaxy Fold to prolong its life, the fact cannot be denied that its display is made out of soft plastic and is still susceptible to going bad if poked by a sharp object intentionally or accidentally.
Samsung has revealed that the display replacement cost of the Galaxy Fold costs a whopping $599. While not every device owner would require to get the display on their handset replaced, this steep cost might drive away potential buyers.
To lure in customers, Samsung has announced that it will replace the display of the Galaxy Fold for just $149 for the units that are purchased before the 31st of December, 2019. Not only is this cost a lot more affordable, but it is also significantly less in comparison to some of the other flagships from Samsung, Apple or even OnePlus which is known for aggressively priced smartphones and their replacement parts.
For reference, a comparison chart has been shared below that draws a difference between the cost of replacing the display on various high-end smartphones:
Display repair or replacement price
Back panel
Samsung Galaxy Fold
$599 (*149 if you buy before December 31)
$139 (front screen)
$99
Galaxy Note 10+
$279
$99
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max and XS Max
$329
$599
Apple iPhone XS and iPhone X
$279
$549
Apple iPhone 11 and iPhone XR
$199
$399
Apple iPhone 8 Plus and 7 Plus
$169
$399 (8 Plus), $349 (7 Plus)
Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 7
$149
$349 (8), $319 (7)
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8
$239
$99 (Note 9), $64.95 (Note 8)
Samsung Galaxy S9, S8 and S8 Active
$219
$99 (S9), $64.95 (S8)
Samsung Galaxy S9+, S8+
$229
$99 (S9+), $64.95 (S8+)
Google Pixel 3 XL
$280
$99
LG V40
$199
–
OnePlus 7T
$154 (part only, no labor)
$31
Samsung Galaxy S10+
$269
$99
Samsung Galaxy S10
$249
$99
Samsung Galaxy S10e
$199
$99
To wrap things up, either pick a unit of the Galaxy Fold before 31st of December or use it with extreme care even when it feels like a chunky brick in your pocket when in its bent/folded state.
At the end of the previous month, Xiaomi had introduced the Redmi 8A smartphone. It came with some impressive features like a waterdrop notch enabled display, a Sony IMX363 12-megapixel camera and an 18W fast charging assisted 5,000mAh battery. Priced at Rs. 8,999 (~$126), the Redmi 8 that has gone official today is an upgraded version of the Redmi 8A phone.
Xiaomi Redmi 8 Specifications and Features
The Xiaomi Redmi 8 has a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a waterdrop notch. It supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The plastic rear of the phone with Aura Mirror design with glossy appeal has P2i nano-coating that protects it from water splashes.
The MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the Redmi 8. The Snapdragon 439 SoC that powers the Redmi 8A is also available on the Redmi 8 smartphone. The SoC is coupled with up to 4 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of up to 64 GB. A dedicated microSD card slot is available on the handset for extra storage. There is a 5,000mAh battery inside the smartphone. It supports 18W fast charging through USB-C port. The box package of the handset has a 10W charger.
The Redmi 8 has a dual-camera setup that has a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary camera with f/1.8 aperture, 1.4micron pixel size, and Dual Pixel autofocus. The main lens is assisted by a 2-megapixel sensor for adding depth effects to the images. The dual cameras support AI scene detection across 33 categories and language translation through Google Lens. The front side of the Redmi 8 features an AI 8-megapixel selfie camera. The handset carries support for face unlock.
The rear shell of the phone features a fingerprint scanner which his unavailable on the Redmi 8A. The other features of the Redmi 8 include a 3.5mm audio jack, wireless FM radio, IR blaster, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS.
Xiaomi Redmi 8 Price and Availability in India
It was confirmed at the launch that Sapphire Blue, Ruby Red and Onyx Black are the three color editions of the Redmi 8. However, the official website of Xiaomi India states that the Emerald Green is the fourth color variant of the smartphone. The 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage models of the smartphone are respectively priced at Rs. 7,999 (~$112) and Rs. 8,999 (~$126).
To celebrate selling 100 million phones in just 5 years of its existence in India, Xiaomi is offering the first 5 million units of the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage edition of the Redmi 8 for Rs. 7,999 (~$112). From Oct. 12, the Redmi 8 will be available from 00:01 hours midnight on Mi.com, Hi Home and Flipkart.
Xiaomi’s Global VP and Managing Director for India, Manu Kumar Jain confirmed that the company will be launching the Redmi Note 8 series in India on Oct. 16.
Oppo has already confirmed that the company is hosting a launch event in China on 10th October where the company is all set to launch the Oppo Reno Ace and Reno Ace GUNDAM edition smartphones.
Now, the company has shared a new poster which confirms that Oppo will also be launching accessories at the same event. It has been confirmed that Oppo Gaming Controller will get launched on 10th October, i.e. tomorrow.
The Reno Ace is expected to come equipped with a 6.5-inch OLED display that with waterdrop notch. The 90Hz refresh rate supporting screen will deliver full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio.
For capturing selfies, the front notch may feature a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 sensor. The rear-mounted quad camera system of the smartphone may include a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary shooter, a superwide lens of 8-megapixel, a 13-megapixel and a portrait lens of 2-megapixel.
The device will be powered by the Snapdragon 855+ chipset and will have a pair of 2,000mAh batteries that supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge technology through USB-C. The smartphone features LDDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage.
The leak mentions that the Reno Ace has a new generation of light-sensitive screen fingerprint scanning module like the Realme X2 Pro. The handset also features an AK4377A audio chip and a 3.5mm audio jack.
As for the pricing, a tipster from China has shared the specs sheet of the upcoming OPPO Reno Ace smartphone along with its rumored pricing. The handset is expected to go official in three models such as 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The leak states that they are respectively priced at 3,699 Yuan (~$517), 3,999 Yuan (~$559) and 4,499 Yuan (~$629).
OPPO will be announcing the Reno Ace flagship smartphone in China tomorrow. Alongside the Ace, the company will be debuting the OPPO K5 smartphone. A recent report had carried the leaked pricing of the OPPO K5. A fresh leak that appeared yesterday reveals that the Reno Ace will be arriving in China in three variants. The leak also carries the pricing of the rumored models.
OPPO Reno Ace Price in China (Rumored)
A tipster from China has shared the specs sheet of the upcoming OPPO Reno Ace smartphone along with its rumored pricing. The handset is expected to go official in three models such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. The leak states that they are respectively priced at 3,699 Yuan (~$517), 3,999 Yuan (~$559) and 4,499 Yuan (~$629). It is advisable to digest the leak with a pinch of salt as there is no way to confirm whether the pricing information of the Reno Ace is accurate.
The Reno Ace is expected to come equipped with a 6.5-inch OLED display that with waterdrop notch. The 90Hz refresh rate supporting screen will deliver full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. For capturing selfies, the front notch may feature a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 sensor. The rear-mounted quad camera system of the smartphone may include a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary shooter, a superwide lens of 8-megapixel, a 13-megapixel and a portrait lens of 2-megapixel. The smartphone supports 5x hybrid optical zoom apart from OIS and EIS.
The Reno Ace is powered by the Snapdragon 855+ chipset. It has a pair of 2,000mAh batteries that supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge technology through USB-C. The smartphone features LDDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. The leak mentions that the Reno Ace has a new generation of light-sensitive screen fingerprint scanning module like the Realme X2 Pro. The handset also features an AK4377A audio chip and a 3.5mm audio jack. Rumors have it the company may also unveil the Gundam Edition of Reno Ace at tomorrow’s event.
Marketed as the world’s first ultra-short projector to be integrated with ALPD (advanced laser display) technology, the Xiaomi Ecosystem WEMAX ONE PRO FMWS02C ALPD 7000lumens Laser Projector delivers up to 150-inches of full-HD quality images in 50 centimeters.
With an impressive product life of up to 25, 000 hours, the WEMAX ONE PROis an advanced laser projector that adopts a compact, minimalist “box” design language. Its host and Bluetooth remote control design style consistency enables you to control the laser projector from any corner of the house using a voice assistant. The remote control is backed by two AAA batteries.
The aforesaid features completely justify the steep $3,359.99 price tag the WEMAX ONE PRO usually carries, but Banggood is giving you a chance to buy this feature-rich laser projector for a lowered price of just $1,589.99. This is a noteworthy 39 percent reduction in the device’s original selling price.
Aside from that, you get a FENGMI Fast Refresh Rate Of Shutter Type 3D Glasses worth $39.67 as a free gift if you place your order before the promo comes to an end. An absolute bargain at this price, the WEMAX ONE PRO features ALPD 3.0 laser light source technology by Appotronics.
In addition to housing high-quality lasers, the unit comes with a high-end speaker system that offers a true cinema experience. Moreover, it is capable of projecting a display up to a maximum of 150 inches, while offering maximum source brightness of 180 nits, and native contrast of 3000: 1.
You can head straight to this link to check out more details about the WEMAX ONE PRO FMWS02C ALPD 7000lumens Laser Projector and grab the discount before the promo wraps up.
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If this turns out true, Google will not only beat 
The pole position is held by the 8 GB + 256 GB variant of the 
