OnePlus 6T comes with a dual-camera setup at the back
OnePlus has just unveiled the successor to OnePlus 6, the OnePlus 6T. The new smartphone comes with a similar set of specifications and even looks quite familiar from the back. However, there are certain improvements and changes and here's everything that keeps gives the OnePlus 6T an edge over its predecessor.
To begin with, OnePlus 6T gets a slightly larger display at 6.41-inch as the notch is now much smaller. Both the OnePlus 6 and 6T share the same processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 which comes with the Adreno 630 GPU. The devices are available in 6GB+64GB, 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants. Also, the new smartphone gets a larger 3,700mAh battery.
Coming to the features, OnePlus 6T gains an edge here as it comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is quite futuristic and impressive. However, the in-display fingerprint scanner on the device is not as fast as a physical sensor, like the one on OnePlus 6.
It sports a waterdrop style notch up front
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is trying to bridge the gap between OnePlus 6 and 6T by introducing some of the software features to the older flagship. OnePlus' new Night Scape feature is making its way to the OnePlus 6 via an OTA update next week.
Sadly, following the footsteps of other smartphone manufacturers, OnePlus has also ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack on their latest flagship offering. However, the company did manage to shrink down the bezels a little bit by removing the audio jack. Also, the inclusion of the Type-C to 3.5mm jack right inside the box is much appreciated.
In a nutshell, apart from the smaller notch and the in-display fingerprint scanner, most of the things remain the same here. So, if you are planning to upgrade from your OnePlus 6 to the 6T, we highly recommend waiting for the next flagship from OnePlus. However, if you are coming from a OnePlus 5T or an older model, this one is a worthy upgrade.
Disclaimer: The author is currently in New Delhi on behalf of OnePlus India to attend the launch of the OnePlus 6T
Huawei's sub-brand Honor recently launched the Honor 9N in India. The smartphone is here to compete against the likes of the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The Honor 9N surely looks more impressive than most of the smartphones in this price range, but should you get the phone? Read our in-depth review of the Honor 9N to find out.
Specifications
Honor 9N sports a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the Kirin 659 processor coupled with the Mali-T830 GPU. Our unit packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.
Design
The Honor 9N with the glass-sandwich design is surely one of the better-looking smartphones in this price range. As for placements, the Honor 9N sports a FullHD+ display up front with a tiny notch up top which houses the earpiece, selfie camera and a couple of sensors. At the bottom, there is a chin that also has Honor branding on it.
Honor 9N sports a glass sandwich design
Flipping the phone reveals the beautiful glass back which is covered with fingerprints as soon as you take it out of the box. The dual-camera setup sits at the top left corner with an LED flash sitting right beside it. The fingerprint sensor is in the centre which makes it quite easy to use. While the right side has the volume rocker and the power button, the left side only has the removable hybrid SIM tray. The bottom is congested with the microUSB port, a speaker grill, a microphone and a 3.5mm jack. Up top, there is only a secondary noise-cancelling microphone.
Display
the 5.84-inch display is easy to use single-handedly
The Honor 9N features a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. There is a notch up top which gives it a more premium look. The display itself is bright enough for indoor use case scenarios. However, take this thing out and you will start to feel that the max brightness isn’t giving you the best result. The colours are a bit unnatural and there are no options in the settings menu where you can tweak them.
Software & UI
Honor 9N runs on EMUI 8.0.0 which is based on Android 8.0 Oreo. Unlike some other Honor smartphones, this one is stuck with an older version of Android Oreo which also indicates that Honor 9N will be one of the last Honor smartphones to get Android Pie.
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Home Screen
Notification shade
Settings
About Phone
EMUI is quite easy to use and has great optimisations for better battery. However, the UI does lack an app drawer which is why you might want to consider switching to some other launcher like Nova Launcher. Also, during our testing, we did notice some lag and stutter in the UI which was caused due to the heavy skin on top. We feel that these stutters can be a major problem for the overall user experience. It is also worth noting that the device also ships with some bloatware which includes games like Asphalt Nitro, Dragon Mania and much more.
Ignoring these negatives and looking at the positives of the EMUI, the UI does offer a ton of extra features. There is a dedicated theme store, multiple transition effects on the stock launcher, an integrated app lock and many other extra useful features.
Performance
Honor 9N is powered by the company's own Kirin 659 processor which has now become quite old as we have seen it running the show on Honor 7X from 2017. However, the chipset does not disappoint you when it comes to performing daily tasks or even playing games like PUBG. The software, on the other hand, looks like its the bottleneck here as it is not optimised to its best. We did notice a few stutters here and there while launching a few applications.
GeekBench
AnTuTu
Camera
The Honor 9N comes with a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 13-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The rear set of cameras are able to take decent pictures in outdoor lighting condition and the portrait effect also works quite well.
Outdoor shots
Up front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter which is able to snap some really good selfies in outdoor lighting conditions. It also has a portrait mode which works only with the help of the software and does a decent job. However, the edge detection here is not up to the mark. Also, the camera tends to struggle a bit when in indoor lighting conditions.
Front Camera
Portrait Mode
Battery
Honor 9N comes with a 3,000mAh battery out of the box. During our testing, we were barely able to take it through a full working day with heavy usage. However, with light to moderate use, you might be able to get more juice out of the device. Standby time of the phone is pretty good, thanks to the optimizations made in EMUI. If you are looking for a better battery life, you should consider the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 instead.
Verdict
The Honor 9N comes with a premium looking design and is surely one of the lightest smartphones I have tested personally barring the Redmi 6A. When using the phone without a case, it feels premium, however, there is a downside to that, which is that it gets all smudged up with fingerprints as soon as you remove the cover. The software experience here isn’t the best and could have been better. The small form factor of the phone makes is quite easy to use single-handedly.
Honor 9N is good but not the best
In a nutshell, the Honor 9N does give a premium look and feel to its user with the glass sandwich design and a notched display at a starting price of Rs. 11,999. However, the end-user experience is based more on software, than looks. EMUI still needs a lot of work and if Honor decides to make it better, it can be one of the best smartphones at this price range available in the market. Until then, we highly recommend checking out some alternatives from companies like Asus, Xiaomi and Realme.
OnePlus 6T sports a waterdrop style notch up front
After much speculations, leaks and rumours, the OnePlus 6T smartphone is finally here. The device comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner, a teardrop style notch and much more. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider buying the OnePlus 6T over other Android smartphones.
Build and Design
OnePlus 6T comes with a glass sandwich design
OnePlus 6 was already a well-built phone and OnePlus 6T, being its successor, is even better. The new flagship smartphone boasts a glass sandwich design and feels quite premium in hand. Even though the phone looks quite similar to the OnePlus 6 from the back, the front of the phone tells a different story. This time, the front features a smaller teardrop style notch and the bezels are now lesser than before.
OxygenOS
OxygenOS is one of the best ROMs built over Android. It brings you closer to the stock version of the operating system while adding a bunch of useful features. It also brings in fewer animations which leads to a better overall performance of the device. The support to Google's Project Treble is just an icing on the cake.
Extra features
OnePlus 6T features an in-display fingerprint sensor
The OnePlus 6T comes with a set of features that most smartphone manufacturers do not offer. With the OnePlus 6T, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has brought the optical in-display fingerprint sensor to its range of smartphones. OnePlus devices are also quite popular for their fast charging technology which aims to give you a day's power in just half an hour.
Community
Over the years, OnePlus has built up a strong community and it has members from almost everywhere around the globe. Having such a large community means quick solutions to any problems or bugs with the smartphone. Such a large community also improves the lifeline of the device as the community will keep supporting the phone even after its 3-year update cycle is over.
Yes, we agree that OnePlus has drastically increased its pricing over the years. However, considering the inflation and the pricing of the competition, it is still one of the best smartphones you can get for the price. The phone is currently available in the US for a starting price of USD 549.
Disclaimer: The author is currently in New Delhi on behalf of OnePlus India to attend the launch of the OnePlus 6T
Reliance Jio has introduced a new Gift Card for its customers. The gift card will be quite handy in this festive seasons and it can be easily converted into a JioPhone or a few recharges. The card is priced at Rs. 1,095 and will be available via Amazon India, Reliance Digital stores and Reliance Digital Xpress Mini.
With a validity of around 12 months, the Reliance Jio Gift Card can be used by any new or existing Jio user. The gift card can also be combined with the Monsoon Hungama offer in order to get extra benefits. With the help of the Monsoon offer, users can grab the JioPhone for an unbelievable price of just Rs. 501 by handing over any working feature phone in exchange.
Alongside the JioPhone, the users can also get a special prepaid plan of Rs. 594 which brings unlimited calls and 90GB of 4G data for a validity of 90 days. The users will also get 300 SMS messages for the 6 months period. As a part of the offer, the users will also get an additional 6GB 4G data making it a total of 96GB for the plan period.
Even though users will be paying a sum of Rs. 501 to get their hands on the JioPhone, the amount will be refunded to them after a period of 2 years. However, the consumers will need to return the phone in order to get the amount back.
OnePlus has finally taken the wraps off their latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 6T. The highlights of the smartphone include the in-display fingerprint scanner and the teardrop style notch up top. Here's everything you need to know about the latest offering by OnePlus.
Specifications
As for the specifications, the OnePlus 6T features a 6.4-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED display. The smartphone is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU. The dual-SIM handset packs in 6GB or 8GB of RAM coupled with up to 256GB of onboard storage. The device runs on OxygenOS based on Google's Android 9 Pie operating system. All of this will be backed by a 3,700mAh battery with support for the company's own fast charging technology.
On the optics front, the OnePlus 6T features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.
OnePlus has once again priced its latest flagship very aggressively. The smartphone will be available starting October 29, 5PM via T-Mobile. The phone will be available at a starting price of USD 549. The 128GB and 256GB with 8GB RAM variants of the smartphone are priced at USD 579 and USD 629 respectively. Alongside the OnePlus 6T, the company has also launched the Type-C Bullets earphones which will be available for a price of USD 19.95. There is also a new backpack and a new fifth anniversary variant of the Bullets Wireless for a price of USD 99 and USD 69.
The OnePlus will be launching in India on October 30 at an event in New Delhi at 8:30 PM. The India pricing and availability details will be shared at the New Delhi event tomorrow.
Disclaimer: The author is currently in New Delhi on behalf of OnePlus India to attend the launch of the OnePlus 6T
While many people have dismissed the 3310 and the 8810 as mere toys, we do think that these play a much bigger role in the revival of the Nokia brand.
First the Nokia 3310 then the 8810, it seems to have become a trend for HMD Global to relaunch one of Nokia's most iconic mobile phones at each Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona.
Nokia has been revived from the dead after being sold to Microsoft and then further being sold to HMD Global. Though this sale has brought about various changes like using the Android operating system instead of Windows, much has stayed the same, like the solid build quality and the high prices of the devices. One new thing that HMD Global has done alongside reviving the Nokia brand is the introduction of classic old phones at every MWC held till now.
While many people have dismissed the 3310 and the 8810 as mere toys, we do think that these play a much bigger role in the revival of the Nokia brand and might also take part in helping it regain the crown back from the competition.
The reason why people have dismissed these phones as mere toys is because at around the same cost they can get a smartphone like the Nokia 1. But take to notice that any revived brand that over the years had lost its value needs to garner a lot of attention, and that is what these phones are doing they are reminding people what Nokia was and are making a statement that the company is back. Getting these phones to the market HMD Global got a lot of free press which mostly expensive smartphones do. Now consider that HMD could have spent billions and billions to promote new smartphones. However, it still wouldn’t have got them this much attention as they just did. So if you think clearly these aren’t meant to be sold to the masses instead they are the advertisements that most people got to see for a low cost.
Getting these phones to the market HMD Global got a lot of free press which mostly expensive smartphones do.
Now that the company has gotten all the eyes on them with these living advertisements doing most of the work for them. They should start making good smartphones as compared to their competitors.
Just for context this new strategy of advertising by harnessing the nostalgia factor is working as by the end of Q1 2018 the company has sold over 10.5 million smartphones which is better than a lot of its competitors. I also do think that the company also needs to distance itself from the recent past, to gain the prominence that it once had.
After reading this article please share your thoughts in the comments section below if Nokia will be able to make a comeback and become a mainstream brand again and if this is a good strategy that they are following.
Apple is gearing up to host a launch event on October 30 in New York. The company is said to launch new iPads, MacBooks and much more. Though the event is not as hyped as the iPhone event, the company still has a lot up its sleeve to get the fans excited. If you are excited about the upcoming event and want to know what Apple is unveiling, you can watch the livestream from your home.
How to watch the live stream
Apple fans can use their Apple products in order to watch the livestream on October 30. The users can head over to the Apple's official website using the Safari browser on their MacBook, iPhone, iPod or iPad. The users can also use the Apple TV app to watch the livestream.
Those who do not own an Apple product can use their Windows 10 PC to watch the livestream. However, the limitation here is that the users will need to use the Edge browser only.
Apple is said to launch a new iPad Pro variant which is said to come with a USB Type-C port. There are also rumours that the company might launch a new MacBook Air as well. The company might also unveil a new Mac Mini at the event. Alongside these major announces, the company is also said to bring a new Apple Pencil, Airpods and the much-awaited Air Power.
After the New York event, on October 30, OnePlus will be holding an event in New Delhi where it will be confirming the India price and availability.
OnePlus the Chinese smartphone brand is holding a launch event for the OnePlus 6T on October 29 in New York. The event will commence at 11 AM EST or 8:30 PM IST. The company will be livestreaming the event on its official website and YouTube channel, we will embed the video here as soon as it is made available.
The company will also constantly update its social media handles including Facebook and Twitter, live directly from the event. After the New York event, on October 30, OnePlus will be holding an event in New Delhi where it will be confirming the India price and availability.
OnePlus 6T according to earlier leaks, reports and company confirmations will sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a waterdrop style notch and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Similar to its predecessor it will also be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor paired with Adreno 630. The device will come running OxygenOS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie. It will come with 4GB/6GB/8GB of RAM along with 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage expandable via a microSD card. All of this is backed by a 3,700mAh non-removable battery.
Coming to the camera specifications, the OnePlus 6T features a dual camera setup on the back with a 16-megapixel primary sensor paired with a secondary 20-megapixel camera. The device will be missing a 3.5mm audio jack and will sport an in-display fingerprint sensor.
OnePlus is gearing up to launch their latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 6T. The smartphone is set to unveil on October 29 at an event in New York. The smartphone will launch in India on October 30. Just a few days left before you can get your hands on the OnePlus 6T and here's why you should wait.
Speed
OnePlus devices are one of the fastest Android smartphones on this planet. The OnePlus 6T will be no exception. The company says that they are working on making the OnePlus 6T faster than the OnePlus 6 by which they will be able to make life easier for their customers.
Fingerprint sensor
OnePlus has announced that the OnePlus 6T would be the first smartphone from the company to feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. In case you think this is going to be slow like the Vivo V11 Pro or Vivo Nex, you might be proved wrong once the phone is unveiled. Unlike the Vivo phones, the OnePlus 6T uses an optical sensor under the display which is way more faster, reliable and secure.
OnePlus had recently faced some issues with the branding of their popular fast charging technology, Dash Charge. Now, the company is said to rebrand it and go with the name Warp Charge. The name change is an opportunity for the Chinese OEM to bring a faster charging solution to its smartphones. OnePlus is said to borrow the Super VOOC charge technology from Oppo and call it the Warp Charge.
Price
Even though OnePlus is planning to increase the prices with their next smartphone, the phone still remains value for money considering that the smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 3 cost way above Rs. 50,000. The new iPhones are touching the Rs. 1 lakh mark for which you can probably get two or more OnePlus 6Ts.
Disclaimer: The author is currently in New Delhi on behalf of OnePlus India to attend the launch of the OnePlus 6T
Google has started working on an app subscription service for their Google Play Store. The service is currently being referred to as Google Play Pass. With the Google Play Pass, the users can enjoy paid apps and games for a monthly fee. The feature has been spotted on in a Google Play Store APK teardown and here's what it means.
Though Google has not given any confirmations, the upcoming Play Pass service will ask users to pay a monthly fee which can vary on the basis of the plan they select. This monthly fee will then allow the users to use some of the paid applications and games available on the Google Play Store.
The feature was first spotted by XDA Developers back in June this year during an APK teardown of the Google Play Store. The developer of MightyQuinnApps, Kieron Quinn suggested that the feature could be subscription based. During the further digging, decompilation of the Play Store APK showed something called the "Play Pass" which could potentially be the subscription-based service.
It is also worth mentioning that Google did as users that how well does "Pass" describe a subscription service that offers hundreds of dollars worth of paid apps and games for a monthly fee. The company brought this query to some users on Google Opinion Rewards.
As Google has not yet confirmed anything, we highly recommend taking this news as a pinch of salt. The Play Pass feature is currently being talked about due to the speculations made from the teardown of the APK.
