Huawei's sub-brand Honor has launched two new smartphones in China today. The Honor 8X which is a successor to the last year's Honor 7X and the Honor 8X Max which is here to compete against the Xiaomi Mi Max 3. Both the smartphones come with notches up front, a dual-camera setup at the back and run on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.
Honor 8X
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Honor 8X features a 6.5-inch TFT IPS display with a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. The dual-SIM handset packs in 4GB or 8GB of RAM coupled with 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The device runs on Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI 8.2 out of the box. All of this is backed by a 3,750mAh battery.
On the optics front, the Honor 8X bears a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 20-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie snapper with a f/2.0 aperture.
Honor 8X Max
In terms of specifications, the Honor 8X Max sports a massive 7.12-inch TFT IPS display with a resolution of 1080x2244 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM. For storage, the dual-SIM handset gets 64GB and 128GB as options with further expandability using a microSD card. It runs on EMUI 8.2 which is built on top of Android 8.1 Oreo and all of this is being looked after by a massive 5,000mAh battery.
As for optics, the Honor 8X Max features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. There is an 8-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calling.
Alternatives
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports a dual-camera setup at the back
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. The smartphone runs on a stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo. At a starting price of Rs. 10,999, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 gives the most value for your money.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on MIUI 9
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the most popular options when considering a mid-range smartphone in India. It is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor found on the Honor 8X Max. It comes with 4GB or 6GB of RAM with 64GB of onboard storage. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 14,999.
Nokia has finally started making some good mid-range smartphones and Nokia 6.1 Plus proves that. The smartphone features a 5.8-inch 19:9 FullHD+ display. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. It is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 15,999.
The Detel D1 Gold is one of the best secondary phones you can keep in your pocket at all times.
Feature phones have seen a recent resurrection from the brink of dying all thanks to Reliance Jio. However, they have become a sight for sore eyes these days. Considering the fact, all those who are in their 20's or older, will remember chatting away on they feature phones on their T9 keyboard. Many companies other than Reliance Jio like Detel are still making feature phones till date. We got out hand on the Detel D1 Gold to check out how good feature phones really are in 2018, here's what we thought:
Detel D1 Gold: Specifications
Detel D1 Gold sports a 2.4-inch display along with Dual SIM and a Micro-SD card support with up to 16GB expandable storage. The USP of the device is its Auto Call Recorder functionality and that it is too gold.
The Detel D1 Gold reminds us of the past times.
It comes with a 0.3-megapixel or VGA camera on the back paired with an LED flash, which also doubles as a torch.
Detel D1 Gold: Design
Detel D1 Gold features a very typical feature phone design of the past. There is a small 2.4-inch display with speaker piece on the top, the full T9 keyboard on the bottom, small camera at the back and nothing more on the phone, apart from the charging and headphone jack.
The Device features a T9 keyboard
The device also has a 0.3-megapixel camera at the back
First look at the device will reveal it's shiny keyboard at the front, and the gold coloured body with a gradient texture on it. The device is made entirely of plastic, however, nobody can argue the fact that it looks good. The keys have a sturdy feel to it. The back panel feels durable, like the phone can take a bad beating and still survive.
Detel D1 Gold consists of a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer.
Overall the feature phone is nothing but a bright shiny gold candy bar design phone. Smartphones of today, with glass on the back and front and curved display's, are not at all durable. However, the Detel D1 Gold shows durability that only some can mimic.
Detel D1 Gold: Features
The Detel D1 Gold supports various Indian languages as well
The device packs the design of the past, however, it still packs some modern day features. The smartphone can play FM wirelessly if you ever need it, you can insert a microSD card into it and use that to play songs and use it as an mp3 player, it can make calls, it can work as a torch, it has a pre-loaded snake game which is a delight to play, it can browse the internet. However, we will suggest you not to, as it runs on GPRS/2G connection and opening Facebook to send one message sometimes takes over 15 minutes. Still, the number of features makes the use case of the Detel D1 Gold really broad.
Detel D1 Gold: Camera
The Detel D1 Gold sports a 0.3-megapixel rear camera with LED-Flash. Fun fact, to click any photos from the camera you will need to insert a micro-sd card first as the device comes with near to none internal storage. However, with a 0.3-megapixel camera, we highly doubt that anybody will even care.
Indoor
Indoor
However, if you are still wondering, the photo quality is next to nothing, and you will be able to capture the shape of the object but no details at all. Simply, the existence of the camera on this phone is simply of no use according to me. However, do keep this in mind, I currently have used various flagship devices, and it has been years since I last used a VGA camera to take an image.
Detel D1 Gold: Battery
The battery on this device is one of the most interesting aspects of it. The Detel D1 Gold was well lying around my house and car for over two weeks as my backup device if need be. It had a 48 percent battery charge when put there, and the surprise was it ran over two weeks on that without needing a charge. There is also a power saving mode in the device, which wasn't even turned on. From the in-box charger, the device takes almost 2 hours to charge from 0-100.
The glossy finish on the T9 keyboard makes it look fancy.
Keep a note that I used the phone with an extra sim-card to use as a secondary phone to make and receive some calls here and there. If you use it more than me, then the turning on the power saving mode will help you keep that month-long battery life. The device is backed by a 1,500mAh battery.
Detel D1 Gold: Conclusion
With these specifications and the features, you must be starting to wonder, why even did we bother to write this review. However, when you consider the feature phone is priced under Rs. 999 (less than $15) brand new. Then you might understand the target audience of the phone. The Detel D1 Gold is meant for the people who can't afford a device priced over Rs. 1,000. They need a device for making calls and doing other basic stuff like texting and a bit of web browsing. This makes the D1 Gold, a great device with great battery life, good features, and amazing durability.
The Detel G1 Gold looks amazing.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are people like me, who need just an emergency device or a second phone. The smartphones of today have horrible battery life. With my iPhone dying almost towards the 5-6 pm mark in the evening. In those cases, I can rely on a phone like the Detel D1 Gold as a soldier ready for duty. We can easily toss it into our backpacks or our vehicles so that it is available when need be. Also, the device has an immensely good battery life, so charging it is not a big issue.
Even with a plastic back, the device looks great.
So, time to the answer the question now, why the Detel D1 Gold exists in 2018? The answer is simple, it offers something good for the less fortunate in their price segment and a secondary device they can rely on for the more fortunate. The device has a use-case for no matter which segment of the society you belong to. That is a tough task to accomplish, which the D1 Gold has. That's why it still exists in 2018.
Xiaomi has rolled out a new software update for the recently launched Xiaomi Poco F1 smartphone. The new update weighs in at around 335MB and brings in minor changes to improve the stability of the device. The rollout has already begun and if you have a Poco F1 you should get the update soon.
As far as the changelog is concerned, the new MIUI 9.6.18.0.OEJMIFD update brings in camera optimisations along with some optimisations made to the recorder for using the dual mics on the phone. The update has also fixed some issues and brought overall stability. One noticeable change with the new update is the new AOSP navigation buttons.
This update does not fix the major issue with the Poco F1 which is the lack of HD video playback on popular applications like Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos. Unfortunately, an update cannot fix this issue as it is a licencing problem.
As for the specifications, the Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2246 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. For storage, there are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB options. The storage is further expandable using a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery powering up the device.
On the optics front, the device sports a dual-camera setup at the back which is a combination of a 12-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.
Xiaomi has launched three new smartphones in India under the Redmi 6 series. These three smartphones include the Redmi 6A which is an entry-level smartphone, the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6 Pro are the two new budget smartphones. All these smartphones come under the hashtag DeshKeNayeSmartphone and come with Dual VoLTE support.
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
Redmi 6A is a new entry-level smartphone from Xiaomi
In terms of specifications, the Redmi 6A features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1440 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 processor. The device packs in 2GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 9.6 out of the box. All of this is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.
On the camera front, the Redmi 6A bears a 13-megapixel camera at the back with PDAF and EIS support. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter with AI portrait mode. The front-facing camera can also be used to unlock the phone via Face Unlock.
Xiaomi Redmi 6
Xiaomi Redmi 6 comes with an Helio P22 processor
As for the specifications, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 sports a 5.45-inch HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone comes with a MediaTek Helio P22 SoC coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. For storage, the Redmi 6 gets a 32GB and 64GB option which is further expandable using a microSD card. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI out of the box.
On the optics front, the Redmi 6 features a dual-camera setup consisting of a 12-megapixel primary and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie snapper with AI portrait mode and AI Face Unlock.
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro sports a notch up front
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor coupled with the Adreno 506 GPU. It features a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The dual-SIM handset is available in two variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and the other with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
On the optics front, the Redmi 6 pro gets a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video calling.
Xiaomi has priced these smartphones quite aggressively
As for the pricing, the entry-level smartphone, the Redmi 6A will be available at a starting price of Rs. 5,999. The 32GB variant of the smartphone is priced at Rs. 6,999. The Xiaomi Redmi 6 3GB+32GB variant is priced at Rs. 7,999. The 64GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs. 9,499. Redmi 6 buyers can get Rs. 500 discount by using an HDFC card on Flipkart or Mi.com.
The 3GB+32GB and the 4GB+64GB variants of the Redmi 6 Pro are priced at Rs. 10,999 and Rs. 12,999 respectively and it will go on sale for the first time on September 11. The Xiaomi Redmi 6A will be available via Amazon and Mi.com starting September 19.
LG, the South Korean giant, has launched the LG Q Stylus+ in their home country. At the launch, the company has also announced that they will be bringing the smartphone to India in two colours, Moroccan Blue and Aurora Black. The handset will go sale starting today at a price of Rs. 21,990.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the LG Q Stylus+ features a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core processor. The handset packs in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and all of this is being powered by a 3,300mAh battery.
On the optics front, the LG Q Stylus+ bears a 16-megapixel camera at the back. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel super wide-angle camera.
At around Rs. 20,000, if you are looking for a flagship experience, look no further thank the Poco F1. The Poco F1 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon845 SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. It is available at a starting price of just Rs. 20,999.
Xiaomi Mi A2
Xiaomi Mi A2 is a part of Google's Android One program
Xiaomi recently launched the Mi A2 Android One smartphone in India which is a successor to the much popular Mi A1. The smartphone features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display and it is powered the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The Mi A2 is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 16,999.
In case you are looking for a good looking smartphone with decent hardware, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is the perfect option. The smartphone features a 5.8-inch 19:9 FullHD+ display. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. It is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 15,999.
Huawei's sub-brand Honor has launched a new entry-level smartphone in India. While the Honor 7X, a mid-range smartphone was a huge hit, the company is now planning to dominate the entry-level segment with the all-new Honor 7S. The Honor 7S comes with an 18:9 display with HD+ resolution at a starting price of Rs. 6,999. Here are some alternatives to consider.
10.or D2
10.or D2 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
10.or recently launched the entry-level 10.or D2 which is the successor to last year's 10.or D. The new smartphone brings in an 18:9 display and runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC coupled with up to 3GB of RAM. The 10.or D2 is available at a starting price of Rs. 6,999.
Xiaomi Redmi 5A
Xiaomi Redmi 5A is one of the most popular entry-level smartphones
Xiaomi Redmi 5A is one of the most popular options in the entry-level smartphone segment. The smartphone features a 5-inch IPS LCD display with a traditional 16:9 aspect ration. The devices comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor. It packs in up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage. Redmi 5A starts at a price of Rs. 5,999. We highly recommend waiting for a few days as the successor Redmi 6A is on its way.
iVoomi i2 Lite
iVoomi i2 Lite runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
iVoomi i2 Lite is a great alternative to the Honor 7S. The smartphone features a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of 1440×720 pixels. It is powered by the MediaTek MTK6739 chipset and comes with 2GB of RAM. For storage, it bears 16GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and it is priced at Rs. 6,499.
Infinix Smart 2
Infinix Smart 2 is available in an attractive set of colours
Infinix Smart 2 features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1440 pixels. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and it comes with 2GB of RAM. The Infinix Smart 2 runs Android 8.1 and it is powered by a 3050mAh. At Rs. 5,999, its a worthy alternative to the Honor 7S.
Xiaomi Redmi 5
Xiaomi Redmi 5 runs on Android Nougat-based MIUI
At a starting price of Rs. 7,999, Xiaomi Redmi 5 is slightly more expensive than the Honor 7S. However, it brings in great value for money. It sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by a better Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC coupled with up to 4GB of RAM. The Redmi 5 is available at a starting price of Rs. 7,999. However, just like the Redmi 5A, the Redmi 5 is also getting a successor on September 5.
OnePlus 6 users can now install the latest version of Android
OnePlus 6 finally gets its first Open Beta for the OxygenOS. One of the major changes that come with the update is Android 9.0 Pie. Users can head over to OnePlus' site or follow the instructions given below to install the update. However, currently the update is known to carry some issues like Google Pay service not working and apps might crash.
As for the changelog, the major change here is the Android version which is now upgraded to the latest Android 9.0 Pie. With the Android Pie, the OnePlus 6 gets a brand new UI along with Android P gestures and other new features and system improvements. Apart from the version upgrade, the Open Beta 1 also brings support to accent colour customization a new "Do Not Disturb" mode with adjustable settings and the latest gaming mode 3.0. The update also adds text notification mode and notification for 3rd party calls.
As for the specifications, the OnePlus 6 sports a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. All of this is backed by a 3,300mAh non-removable battery which comes with Dash Charge support.
Huawei is offering discounts on its smartphones for two days
Huawei India has announced the "Huawei Smartphone Deals" sale in the country which is a two-day sale. The sale will bring down the prices of the popular phones including the P20 Pro, P20 Lite, Nova 3 and the Nova 3i. The sale will be exclusively available on Amazon from September 4 to September 5. The offer common among all the phones includes 5 per cent off using SBI credit cards and no cost EMI for up to 12 months.
Huawei P20 Pro
In India, the P20 Pro is available only in Graphite Black and Midnight Blue colour options
The P20 Pro which was originally priced at Rs. 64,999 is now available for just Rs. 59,999. The smartphone comes with a triple camera set up at the back which includes a 40-megapixel, 20-megapixel and an 8-megapixel sensor. Further, the phone has flagship grade hardware with a beautiful design to cover all that up.
Huawei P20 Lite
P20 lite sports a notch up front
P20 Lite, as the name suggests, is a lighter version of the P20 Pro. The P20 Lite is a mid-range smartphone with a premium look and feel. The smartphone is now available with a price tag of Rs. 17,999. So, it gets a temporary price cut of Rs. 2,000.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently launched the Nova 3 which is an affordable flagship smartphone offering. The Nova 3 is still priced at Rs. 34,999. However, customers can get an additional Rs. 4,000 off if they exchange their old smartphone. Additionally, Reliance Jio users can avail an extra cashback of Rs. 1,200.
Huawei Nova 3i
The Nova 3i sports a 19.5:9 aspect ratio display
The Nova 3i is a toned down version of the Nova 3 and it carries similar design aspects. However, the phone comes with mid-range hardware inside. The smartphone was originally available for Rs. 20,990. It is now available with a price tag of Rs. 20,490 on Amazon India.
Motorola recently unveiled the much anticipated Motorola One and Motorola One Power at the IFA 2018 event in Berlin, Germany. At launch, the company claimed that the Motorola One Power will be exclusively available in India. However, Motorola decided to silently launch the One Power as the Motorola P30 Note in China. Though most things remain the same, the key difference is the UI.
Motorola P30 Note Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Moto P30 Note features a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2246 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. The dual-SIM handset packs in 4GB of RAM or 6GB of RAM coupled with 64GB of internal storage. The device runs on Android Oreo-based ZUI 4.0 out of the box. All of this is backed by a 5,000mAh battery.
On the optics front, the Moto P30 Note sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.
Alternatives
The Motorola P30 Note is available in China at a starting price of CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 21,000). Considering the price and specifications, here are some alternatives available in India with better value for money.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a dual-camera setup at the back
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. The smartphone runs on a stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo. At a starting price of Rs. 10,999, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 gives the most value for your money.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro features an 18:9 display
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is currently one of the most popular mid-range smartphones in India. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor found on the Motorola P30 Note. It gets with 4GB or 6GB of RAM with 64GB as a standard storage option. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 14,999.
Nokia 6.1 Plus
Nokia 6.1 Plus sports a notch up front
In case you are looking for an Android One smartphone from a tier one brand with modern design, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is the perfect option. Even the Nokia 6.1 Plus is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone features a 5.8-inch 19:9 FullHD+ display. It is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 15,999.
10.or (Tenor) kept the 10.or G users wait for a long long time for the Android 8.1 Oreo update. The much-anticipated update is finally here and users can install the update right away. The company, in a recent Facebook post, claimed that they will be rolling out the Oreo update for the 10.or G in early September and it is here.
Android 8.1 Oreo for 10.or G brings all the basic features provided by Google which include Autofill, Picture-in-Picture mode, Notification dots, a new set of emojis and much more. 10.or has also included general stability and performance improvements with the update. Apart from all this, the update also brings the latest Android security patch, August 2018.
How to install the update
Head over to the Settings
Tap on About Phone>System Updates
Now tap on Check for updates
Android 8.1 Oreo update
The update weighs in at around 1.2GB and the download time depends on your internet connection. However, once you restart the device to update, it can take up to 15mins.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the 10.or G features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 chipset coupled with up to 4GB of RAM. For storage, the phone comes with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
On the optics front, the smartphone bears a 13-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back. The front is equipped with a 16-megapixel selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture.
