Every once in a while, WhatsApp drops support for older versions of platforms it is available on. The last time this happened was in December 2020. Within a year, the Facebook-owned instant messaging service has revealed when it will be ceasing operations for even more devices.

According to the official WhatsApp FAQ page (via Yahoo Finance Australia), the messaging app will stop working on the versions of operating systems that were set as a bare minimum at the end of last year.

This means the world’s most-used instant messaging service will no longer work on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, iOS 9, and KaiOS 2.5.0 from November 1, 2021.

If you are using smartphones/feature phones running any of the operating systems mentioned above, you will have to either update to a newer version if available or switch to a handset with the new minimum requirements to continue using WhatsApp.

The company states that from the first of November, 2021, WhatsApp will require a minimum of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, iOS 10, or KaiOS 2.5.1. Additionally, the firm explicitly mentions that no matter the iOS version, if an iPhone is jailbroken, the application will not work.

Since WhatsApp will be retiring very old versions of Android and iOS, the changes won’t affect many users. However, we cannot say the same for KaiOS users as these consumers may not know how to update their phone or the OEM might not have pushed any new firmware.

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• WhatsApp is testing messages that disappear after 90 days

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KaiOS Technologies announced that the popular mobile games Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride has been ported over to the KaiOS by the Singapore based developer Storm. The Storm isn’t the original developer of these games, but it owns the license to port them into instant games for the KaiOS.

“Storms and KaiOS share the same mission, which is to empower all people – especially the underserved markets – with quality content. We have seen how Storms’ gaming content is being appreciated by KaiOS phone users. Over the last eight months, Storms’ games have been downloaded more than one million times via the KaiStore, with markets such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Tanzania experiencing the highest number of installs,” said Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies.

Codeville also added, “Seeing how arcade games such as Shoot and Fish are topping the list when it comes to game installs, we are thrilled to welcome the well-loved Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride which fall under the same game category to our KaiOS ecosystem.”

Well, both the games were initially designed for touch-based devices. So, in Fruit Ninja, players had to swipe to slice the fruit, while in Jetpack Joyride, players had to tap to rise Barry up in the air. But, Storm reworked the game to work on keypad based devices, so now players can play the game using the keypad. In Fruit Ninja, players need to press the number that appears nearby the fruit to slice it, whereas, in Jetpack Joyride, players need to press the or ‘5’ or Menu button to rise Barry up in the air.

KaiOS is an operating system designed for feature phones. Currently, KaiOS powers 150 million feature phones across the globe, and these two games will be available to every KaiOS user. KaiOS brings smart features to the feature phones such as Google Assitant and other apps helping communities around the world to be connected with each other.

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Last month, Nokia 6300 4G smartphone was announced, adding another device to the expanding portfolio of revived classic Nokia phones. As the name indicates, it is an upgraded version of the Nokia 6300 which was first launched in 2007.

Now, the feature phone with 4G connectivity support has been listed online for pre-sale in China for a price of 399 yuan which roughly converts to $61. It is likely to be available for purchase in the Chinese market from 30th December.

The Nokia 6300 4G features a 2.4-inch display, which is slightly bigger than the original model. Under the hood, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, along with 512MB of RAM.

As for the internal storage, the device comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage and also has a microSD card slot, allowing users to further expand the storage capacity up to 32GB.

EDITOR’S PICK: Honor is now planning to produce 100 million smartphone units in 2021, surpassing Huawei

In the software department, it is running KaiOS and comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube. There’s also a VGA camera on the back with an LED flash that doubles as a flashlight.

Along with 4G, the phone also supports GPS and Bluetooth. The device is powered by an 860mAh removable battery, which can be charged through the MicroUSB port. The company has promised 27 days of usage on a single charge.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi patents smartphone design with surround display and pop-up cameras

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In 2017, Reliance Jio announced the Jio Phone feature that came with support for 4G VoLTE. Currently, the handset is priced at Rs 699 (~$9). However, due to stock issues, it is easily available for purchase. Fresh information shared by 91mobiles reveals that it will be soon available for purchase easily. The only gripe is that its price will increase by Rs 300.

The publication revealed that the Jio Phone will soon be available with a price tag of Rs 999 (~$13). Reliance Jio is likely to make an official announcement on the price hike in the coming days. The publication has learned through its sources that the Jio Phone will be sold with a recharge pack of Rs 125 (~$2), which means the handset’s cost will shoot up to Rs 1,124 (~$15).

While some units of the Jio Phone were sold with Spreadtrum chipset, others were driven by Qualcomm’s chip. The images of the new retail packages of the JioPhone shows that all its units will be featuring the Qualcomm SoC.

Editor’s Pick: Qualcomm and Reliance Jio are partnering to bring 5G in India

Jio Phone specifications

Jio Phone 4G is a feature phone with a candybar form factor. It has a 2.4-inch display that supports a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. On its back is a 2-megapixel shooter and it has a front camera of 0.3-megapixel

The device runs on KaiOS that brings support for apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, and so on. As far as connectivity is concerned, it comes with VoLTE, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support. It is backed by a 2,000mAh battery. The phone ships with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of native storage.

UP NEXT: Jio Phone with 5G support and around Rs 2,500 (~$34) pricing in works for India

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The Nokia 6300 4G is the latest classic Nokia phone that has gotten a remake. The original which was announced in 2007 was known for its stainless plates, which, unfortunately, has not been brought back.

The Nokia 6300 4G looks nothing like the original and save for the power button at the top, the design does not evoke a feeling of nostalgia. However, the new model does pack significant upgrades on the inside.

Running KaiOS and powered by a Snapdragon 210 processor along with 512MB of RAM, the Nokia 6300 4G also boasts 4GB of built-in storage, a big boost over the 7.8MB internal storage of the 2007 model. There is also support for storage expansion (up to 32GB) via a MicroSD card slot.

The display is bigger at 2.4-inches and so is the removable battery which has nearly doubled from 860mAh to 1500mAh and charges via a MicroUSB port. HMD Global says the battery will last up to 27 days in standby.

Another big upgrade is the addition of 4G support and a Wi-Fi hotspot. There is a VGA camera on the back with a flashlight that doubles as the camera flash. There is GPS, Bluetooth, dual nano-SIM support (select markets), FM radio, and an audio jack.

The Nokia 6300 4G also comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps including Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube. It also has Google Assistant for setting reminders and getting answers to questions.

The phone comes in Light Charcoal, White, and Cyan Green. It will sell for €49 (~$58) in Europe but there is no news on availability at the moment. We will update the post once we have more details.

UP NEXT: HMD Global announces Nokia 8 V 5G UW; a Nokia 8.3 5G for Verizon

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Currently, Android and iOS are the only two major platforms for smartphones. As for feature phones, there is KaiOS, which is trying to bridge the gap between smartphones and feature phones since its release. Google has been a long partner of this platform and has even invested $22 million in it. The search giant’s most used services such as YouTube, Google Assistant, and Google Maps are already available on KaiOS. Now, the company is also bringing Google Lens support for this rising feature phone OS.

KaiOS is one of the unique operating systems, which run on feature phones providing smart functionalities. It is mostly found on Nokia handsets as well as devices from carriers like Jio. Apart from Google apps, these phones also support Facebook and WhatsApp.

Google has been closely working with this platform to bring its services so that people from all walks of life can experience the services provided by the Mountain View-based tech giant.

In a post on Google India Blog, the company officially confirmed the availability of Google Lens built right into Google Assistant on KaiOS phones. To access it, users will have to long-press the center button with mic icon to launch the Google Assistant and select the camera icon.

Then, users can point their phone’s camera at any text to read it aloud or translate it to a number of Indian languages. Here’s the complete list of languages that are supported right now.

• English
• Hindi
• Bengali
• Telugu
• Marathi
• Tamil

Apart from the above-mentioned languages, Google will be soon adding the below-listed two languages as well.

• Kannada
• Gujarati

Last week, at the Reliance AGM (Annual General Meet), Google also announced to invest ₹33,737 crores ($4.5 billion) in Jio Platforms Ltd for a 7.73% equity stake. As part of the deal, it is partnering with Jio to develop an entry-level smartphone.

UP NEXT: Deleted contacts can now be recovered on the Google Contacts site

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The Nokia 8110 4G, the 2018 resurrection of the 90s phone, is receiving a new update that brings support for WhatsApp and Facebook.

The update arrives as V15.00.17.03 on the phone which runs KaiOS and it is pretty small at 38MB. With the new update, owners of the phone will be able to download Whatsapp and Facebook from the KaiStore and stay in touch with friends and family. The update is rolling out globally, so you may want to check your phone to see if it has arrived.

The Nokia 8110 4G is one of the feature phones running KaiOS, which is a forked version of Firefox OS. Google invested $22 million in the company last year. With this, a number of Google’s own products such as Maps, Assistant, Search and YouTube are now integrated into the operating system. However, there are reports that Google is also working on its own “touchless” too.

READ MORE: Nokia TA-1184 phone codenamed “Wasp” passes FCC, packs 6.1” screen

The 8110 4G has a 2.4-inch display with a 240 x 320 resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon 205 dual-core processor paired with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage with support for expansion via a MicroSD card (32GB max.).

It has a single 2MP camera, packs a 1,500mAh battery and has 4G support. It also has Wi-FI, Hotspot, FM Radio, and GPS.

(Via)

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KaiOS is the future of feature phones. This operating system is a fork of FirefoxOS and Google has invested $22 billion on it, then brought all of its most important apps. Thanks to this operating system, even feature phones can run the most important Android and iOS apps such as WhatsApp and YouTube. One of the first feature phones with KaiOS is Reliance JioPhone and it was launched in 2017.

It features a complete connectivity side with Wi-Fi, LTE connectivity, and a GPS module. Thanks to these connectivity options and KaiOS, Reliance JioPhone is able to connect to the internet and download apps. Indeed, it has just received the support to Google Maps. The app comes via a software update as there is no app store on KaiOS, and navigation is through internet and GPS connectivity.

RELATED: JioPhone 2 Announced: Now Has QWERTY Keyboard & Dual SIM Support

Google Maps is not the first and neither the last app which will come on KaiOS. Reliance JioPhone already has Facebook installed for people who updated it in the last period, and it will also get other important apps. WhatsApp, Google Assistant, and YouTube are coming soon and you will be able to have full control of them through its old-style 3×4 keyboard.

(via)

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With the official launch of the JioPhone 2, it has been confirmed that WhatsApp will finally make its way on KaiOS phones, and HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas published a Twitter post in which he confirmed that even the new banana phone Nokia 8110 will get the support to the most used messaging app. In case you do not know, WhatsApp has only been available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone in the last period, and it has been dismissed for every other OS. But soon it will come again on another operating system, and it is an OS dedicated to old-school feature phones.

KaiOS is a fork of Firefox OS on which Google has invested $22 billion to bring several of its most important apps. Soon, it will be possible to use WhatsApp even on feature phones like Nokia 8110 which boast an important advantage over traditional smartphones. We are referring to the battery life, as without a big touchscreen display and with low-end components, they can last for ages on a single charge. Juho Sarvikas has implicitly confirmed the arrival of WhatsApp on the Nokia 8110 through the tweet below.

You will only be able to use WhatsApp with the classic 3×4 keyboard of this device, but thanks to its 4G connection it will be fast and reliable. Among the other specs, the banana phone features a 2.4-inch display showing images at a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It has a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 205 chipset, 512 MB of RAM And 4 GB of internal storage expandable with a micro SD up to 64 GB. It only has a single camera on its back with a 2 MP resolution with a flashlight and a battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh. The handset has been launched in Europe with a price tag under €100 (lastly in Italy for €89).

(via)

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India’s best selling feature 4G phone, the JioPhone, now has a successor. The JioPhone 2 comes with a new design and tons of new features while keeping a few ones from its predecessor.

The biggest change in the JioPhone is its design. Gone is the candy bar design. The JioPhone 2 is now wider, thanks to a full QWERTY keyboard. The display is still 2.4-inches but now sits in landscape mode.

It still has 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage with a MicroSD card slot for adding up to an additional 128GB of storage. The JioPhone 2 also runs KaiOS and will be getting Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube support when it goes on sale on August 15. The original JioPhone will also get it on the same day.

Another upgrade in the JioPhone 2 is support for dual nano-SIM cards. It also has a 2MP rear camera and a VGA front camera. There is Cat. 4 LTE, VoLTE, VoWiFi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and even NFC. There is also an FM radio, Google Assistant, and a single mono speaker.

READ MORE: Google Invests $22 Million in KaiOS

The JioPhone 2 is powered by a 2000mAh battery. It has an introductory price of INR 2,999 (~$44). Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Reliance Jio and the JioPhones, also announced that it will run a promo where owners of other feature phones can exchange their device for the original JioPhone for just INR 501 (~$7).

(Via)

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Heard the name KaiOS before? If you haven’t, there is no need to be ashamed but we are sure you know a phone that runs it. The Nokia 8110 4G is an example of a phone that runs KaiOS – a Linux-based OS for feature phones with smartphone features.

KaiOS Technologies, the company behind the OS, just got some big funding from Google. The tech giant is said to have invested $22 million in the business. There is a reason for that though.

Google already dominates the smartphone world with its Android OS but it wants its services on feature phones too. So, both companies (Google and KaiOS) are working together to bring services like Maps, YouTube, Search, and Google Assistant to phones running KaiOS.

READ MORE: Google’s $550 Million Investment In Jingdong Could See Its Hardware Products Selling On JD.com

Over 40 million phones running KaiOS have already been shipped. Apart from the Nokia 8110 4G, it is also powering TCL’s Alcatel One Touch Go Flip and Reliance Jio’s JioPhone. We want to believe more brands that are into feature phones will adopt the OS.

(Source)

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