Samsung Galaxy J2 Core with Android Go launched in India: Price, Alternatives

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August 24, 2018

Samsung has finally launched its first Android Go smartphone in India, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core. The smartphone comes with entry-level specifications and competes against the likes of the Nokia 1. The company has launched the smartphone in India and Malaysia today while the other markets will soon get the device. Samsung has not yet revealed the pricing details of the smartphone.

As for the specifications, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core features a 5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 540x960 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Exynos 7570 processor paired with 1GB of RAM. For storage, the device comes with 8GB of internal storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition). All of this is backed by a 2,600mAh battery.

In terms of optics, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core bears an 8-megapixel camera at the back. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.

Alternatives

Nokia 1

Nokia 1 is one of the first smartphones to come with Android Oreo (Go Edition). The smartphone features a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display. It is powered by the entry-level MediaTek MT6737M processor paired with 1GB of RAM. The Nokia 1 gets 8GB of storage which is expandable using a microSD card. It is currently available in India for a price of Rs. 4,999.

Micromax Bharat Go

Just like the Nokia 1, Micromax Bharat Go also offers similar specifications. The major difference between the Bharat Go and Nokia 1 is the brand and the build quality. The Micromax Bharat Go is available for a price of Rs. 4,399.

Lava Z50

The Lava Z50 was one of the first Android Go Edition smartphones to enter the Indian market. Just like the Nokia 1, the Lava Z50 also comes with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display and the MediaTek MT6737M processor. What differs the two of them is the battery size and the cameras. Lava Z50 is up for sale in India with a price tag of Rs. 4,399.

Oppo A5 launched in India: Price, Specifications and Alternatives

By

Devesh Arora

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August 24, 2018

Oppo has launched a new budget smartphone in India, the Oppo A5. The smartphone was initially introduced in China back in July. The phone with 19:9 display and a dual-camera setup has finally made its way to India. The Oppo A5 will be available with a price tag of Rs. 14,990 via the offline retail stores.

Specifications

In terms of specifications, the Oppo A5 features a 6.23-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1520x720 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC coupled with Adreno 506 GPU. The dual-SIM handset packs in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 4,230mAh battery powering up the internals.

On the optics front, the Oppo A5 sports a dual-camera setup at the back which consists of a 13-megapixel primary a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel shooter with f/2.2 aperture.

Alternatives

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones in 2018. The looks of the Redmi Note 5 Pro are nowhere close to the Oppo A5. However, when it comes to performance, the Xiaomi smartphone beats it with the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The device packs in 4GB or 6GB of RAM paired with 64GB of internal storage. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 14,999.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is priced very competitively which also makes it a much better option over the Oppo A5. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display without a notch. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor which is way more powerful than the SD450 found on the Oppo A5. The device runs on stock Android 8.1 Oreo and comes in at a starting price of Rs. 10,999.

Xiaomi Mi A2

If you are willing to spend a little bit more for an overall better smartphone, the Mi A2 from Xiaomi is worth a look. The Xiaomi Mi A2 is a part of Google's Android One program which brings stock Android 8.1 Oreo with quicker updates. The handset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display. The Xiaomi Mi A2 is available at a starting price of Rs. 16,999.

Infinix Note 5 launched in India: Here are some alternatives

By

Devesh Arora

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August 23, 2018

infinix, note 5 — Infinix Note 5 is a part of Google's Android One program

Infinix has launched yet another budget smartphone in India, the Inifinix Note 5. The smartphone aims to compete against the likes of the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. The highlights of the smartphone include its 18:9 display and the fact that it runs on Google's Android One operating system which brings the latest version of Android and faster updates. The Infinix Note 5 is available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999 and will be available via Flipkart starting August 31.

Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Infinix Note 5 sports a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P23 processor which is clocked at 2.2GHz and it is paired with the Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. The dual-SIM handset comes in two variants- 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The storage on the phone is expandable using a microSD card of up to 128GB. The device runs on stock Android 8.1 Oreo and comes with 4,500mAh battery with fast charging support.

On the optics front, the Infinix Note 5 sports a 12-megapixel camera at the back with f/2.0 aperture and a dual-tone LED flash. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter with a f/2.0 aperture and a soft flash.

Alternatives

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is one of the few phones under the Rs. 10,000 bracket that runs on a stock version of Android. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. It comes with up to 6GB of RAM coupled with up to 64GB of internal storage. It runs on stock Android 8.1 Oreo but it is not a part of the Android One program like the Infinix Note 5. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 is available at a starting price of Rs. 10,999.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is one of the best budget smartphones and it currently rules the Rs. 10,000 price bracket in India. The Redmi Note 5 features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ 18:9 display and it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset. The phone comes with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The Redmi Note 5 comes in at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.

Oppo RealMe 1

If storage and RAM are the only things you look on a new smartphone, the RealMe 1 is worth a look. The RealMe 1 has a stunning design at the back and comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone is available at a starting price of Rs. 10,990.

Xiaomi Poco F1 to get full support from the developer community

By

Devesh Arora

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August 23, 2018

xiaomi, poco, poco f1 — Xiaomi Poco F1 to soon get the Android Pie update

Xiaomi hosted an event in India yesterday where they announced the launch of the much awaited Xiaomi Poco F1. The smartphone offers flagship grade specifications including the Snapdragon 845 and up to 8GB of RAM at a much affordable price point. One of the best things about this Xiaomi device is that it supports Project Treble and the fact unlocking the phone's bootloader does not void its warranty is just an icing on the cake.

At yesterday's event, Mr. Jai Mani announced that the Xiaomi Poco F1 comes with Project Treble which will help Poco in delivering faster software updates including the security patches and major Android updates. He also said that unlocking the bootloader of the Xiaomi Poco F1 will not void the manufacturer's warranty. This gives the users an extra bit of confidence in going ahead and rooting their smartphone. Additionally, the company will soon release the kernel source of the Poco F1 on August 29 via Github. Moreover, Jai Mani directly said that users who do not prefer MIUI can easily flash the AOSP GSIs.

So, Poco is directly helping developers in bringing more support for their new flagships smartphone. This is something that will help the Poco F1 to set apart from the likes of Xiaomi Mi A2 and the Honor Play. Just like the OnePlus 6, the Poco smartphone will soon get popular in the rooting community and there will be tons of custom ROMs available soon after the device is available to the masses.

Xiaomi Poco F1 Specifications

In terms of specifications, the Xiaomi Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2246 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU. The dual-SIM handset comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.

OnePlus 5 and 5T get Project Treble support: Here's what it means for the users

By

Devesh Arora

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August 23, 2018

OnePlus 5T — OnePlus 5/5T to soon get the Android Pie update, thanks to Project Treble

OnePlus recently launched their 2018 flagship, the OnePlus 6. The latter smartphone came with something called the Project Treble support. The support has now arrived for the older devices like the OnePlus 5 and 5T via the company's latest OxygenOS 5.1.5 update. Project Treble will allow OnePlus 5/5T users to get faster Android updates and here's why.

Project Treble was introduced by Google last year to solve one of the biggest issues with Android. Google releases a new version of Android and non-Pixel users usually have to wait for minimum 2 months or in some cases more than a year. With Project Treble, Google helps smartphone manufacturers in delivering faster software updates.

Now as the OnePlus 5/5T have got the Project Treble support, we can expect OnePlus to soon push the Android Pie update. As the OnePlus 6 is the current flagship, it will get the update first while the 5/5T will get it soon after. OnePlus 3/3T, on the other hand, will take some time to get the update as they do not have the Project Treble support as of now.

Also Read: OnePlus 6T launching in October: Will be priced at Rs. 37,999

Seeing the Project Treble support come in for the OnePlus 5 and 5T is surprising as the company in a recent AMA session said that they have no plans to bring the Project Treble support to older devices. However, it is good to see that the company is supporting devices which are even a year old.

Apart from the Project Treble support, the OxygenOS 5.1.5 update also brings the latest August security patch for the smartphones. Also, there is now an option to skip pressing the tick mark sign when entering the passcode. The setting can be changed from Settings>Security & Lock screen>Screen lock>PIN.

Top 5 alternatives to the 10.or D2

By

Devesh Arora

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August 22, 2018

10.or, a sub-brand of Amazon India has launched a new smartphone in the country. The entry-level 10.or D which was launched last year now has a successor called the 10.or D2. The new smartphone brings in an 18:9 display but lets go of the beloved fingerprint scanner. The 10.or D2 is available at a starting price of Rs. 6,999 and here are some alternatives.

10.or D

In case you want to save a little more money while not loosing on the performance, 10.or D is a great choice. It features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 found on the 10.or D2. It comes with 2GB or 3GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage. The device also runs on the latest Android 8.1 Oreo. It is currently being sold at a starting price of Rs. 4,999.

10.or G

10.or G offers much better specifications when compared to the 10.or D2. However, what you lose here is the 18:9 panel as the 10.or G comes with a traditional 16:9 panel. The 10.or G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone is available at a starting price of Rs. 7,699.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Xiaomi Redmi 5A is one of the most popular options when it comes to the entry-level smartphones. Though the phone does not come with an 18:9 display like the 10.or D2, it surely packs in equally great hardware. It features a 5-inch IPS LCD display and it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor. The dual-SIM handset comes with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage. It starts at a price of Rs. 5,999.

iVoomi i2 Lite

iVoomi i2 Lite is a great alternative to the 10.or D2. It features a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of 1440×720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MTK6739 chipset and comes with 2GB of RAM and 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. The i2 Lite is available with a price tag of Rs. 6,499.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a slightly better phone when compared to the 10.or D2 competitor Redmi 5A. 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. For storage, the dual-SIM handset offers up to 64GB storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The Redmi 5 is available at a starting price of Rs. 7,999.

Xiaomi Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Battle of the affordable flagships

By

Devesh Arora

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August 22, 2018

Xiaomi hosted an event in New Delhi, India today in order to unveil the highly anticipated Poco F1. The Poco F1 is the latest flagship offering from the company that comes with an affordable price tag. The smartphone directly competes against the OnePlus 6 which why we have a quick comparison here between the two.

Specifications

The Xiaomi Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch IPS LCD display with FullHD+ resolution. The OnePlus 6 on the other hand sports a 6.28-inch Optic AMOLED display. Both the smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and offer up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Display

The OnePlus 6 and Xiaomi Poco F1, both feature large displays with a notch up front. However, the notch on the Poco F1 is larger than that of the OnePlus 6 which is because of the extra sensors on the Xiaomi smartphone. In terms of the display technology, the OnePlus 6 uses an AMOLED panel while the Poco F1 comes with an IPS LCD panel. For deeper blacks and better viewing angles, the AMOLED panels are the way to go.

Face Unlock

OnePlus introduced Face Unlock with the OnePlus 5T and it is known to be one of the fastest face unlocks. The Xiaomi Poco F1, on the other hand, is a bit slower but offers more security. The extra infrared sensors on the latter phone's notch allows to bring more security and unlocks the phone even in the dark. Unlike the OnePlus 6 which has to max out the brightness in order to recognise the face in the dark, the Poco F1 has these sensors. However, both the phones also come with a fingerprint scanner at the back.

Build Quality

OnePlus 6 features the more popular glass sandwich design which also makes it look and feel premium in hand. The Xiaomi Poco F1, on the other hand, features a hard-coated polycarbonate body. However, there is also a special edition of the latter smartphone which is known as the Kevlar Edition. It is made up of an even better material. So, while the glass on the OnePlus 6 brings beauty it is also fragile. The Poco F1 does not look as premium but it is surely more durable.

Software & UI

While both the flagship smartphones run on Android 8.1 Oreo, there is a difference between the UI. The OnePlus 6 runs on OxygenOS which is pretty close to stock Android while the MIUI on the Poco F1 is highly customised. The MIUI brings more features and customisation options while the OxygenOS brings simplicity and faster animations. However, with the Poco F1, Xiaomi has introduced something called MIUI for Poco. The company claims that this new UI brings 21 per cent faster animations.

Price

The Xiaomi Poco F1 starts at a price of Rs. 20,999 while the top of the line variant comes in at Rs. 28,999. The Poco F1 is much cheaper than the OnePlus 6. The latter starts at a price of Rs. 34,999.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 First Impressions: Can the new S Pen make a difference?

By

Devesh Arora

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August 22, 2018

samsung, galaxy, note 9, first impressions — Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is not a device to be used single-handedly

Samsung has finally launched the much-awaited Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in India. The all-new Note 9 is a successor to the last year's Note 8. While it shares a lot in common with the previous generation, it surely brings in a ton of new features and improvements. Here are our first impressions on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.44-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440x2960 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Exynos 9810 processor coupled with Mali-G72 GPU. The phablet comes in two variants, one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage while the other one carries 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of internal storage. The storage is further expandable up to 512GB using a microSD card. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.

Design

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 looks a lot similar to the previous year's Note 8. The glass-sandwich design, the Infinity display and even the button placements. However, the design is now much improved. The fingerprint scanner is now in a much better location while still being out of reach with one hand for someone with small hands. The display now has smaller bezels when compared to the Note 8. Thankfully, Samsung has still not gotten rid of the headphone jack.

The glass back invites a lot of smudges so we highly recommend slapping a case on as soon as you get the device. The colour variants are quite attractive while we personally liked the Blue one as it comes with a yellow S Pen which adds into the beauty of the phablet. Speaking of the S Pen, the stylus is now better than previous generations as it now comes with Bluetooth. It allows for the button on the S Pen to be used as a Camera trigger, media controls and what not.

Camera

As soon as we took the first picture from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, we were really impressed and we can say that these will be one of the best cameras on any smartphone in 2018. The phablet sports a dual-camera setup consisting of two 12-megapixel sensors with OIS on both. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

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Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is priced at Rs. 67,900 for the 6GB+128GB variant while the 8GB+256GB variant retails at Rs. 84,900. The smartphone will be available in Midnight Black, Ocean Blue and Metalic Copper colour variants. The smartphone comes with a ton of features and the company is surely charging a premium for that. However, looking at Apple's pricing, the Galaxy Note 9 is quite reasonable in India. If you are using a Galaxy Note 8 already, this might not be a worthy update. In case you are coming from something like the Galaxy S8 or older smartphone, the Galaxy Note 9 deserves a look.

Itel A45 launched along with A22 and A22 Pro: Price, Specifications and Alternatives

By

Lalit Wadhwa

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August 21, 2018

Itel, A45 — The Itel A45 is the company's newest smartphone.

Indian Smartphone manufacturer, Itel recently announced another smartphone in its ever-growing lineup. The recently announced A45 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition and sports a dual camera set up at the back and HD+ full-screen smartphone with 18:9 aspect ratio. Along with that, the company has introduced two new smartphones in the country namely A22 and A22 Pro.

Specifications

As for the specifications, the Itel A45 flaunts a 5.45-inch HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. For the optics, the smartphones sport a dual 5-megapixel AF and VGA sensors with LED flash on the rear. For the selfies, the 5-megapixel shooter on the front with soft selfie flash. The Itel A45 sports a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6739WA SoC coupled with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. All of this is backed up by a 2,700mAh battery.

For the other smartphones launched, the Itel A22 and A22 Pro smartphones sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC. Both of these smartphones sport a 5-inch IPS display with 480 x 954 pixels resolution up front.

Itel, A22, A22 Pro — The Itel A22 and A22 Pro look same.

While the A22 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition and sports a 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. The bigger A22 Pro runs Android 8.1 Oreo and offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. All of this is backed up by a 2,400mAh battery.

For the optics, the smartphone sports a 5-megapixel sensor on the rear along with a 2-megapixel sensor on the for selfies.

Pricing and Availability

The Itel A45 is priced at Rs. 5,999. While the Itel A22 costs Rs. 5,499 and the bigger A22 Pro costs Rs. 6,499. The smartphones are available countrywide starting today. For the launch offers, the company has partnered up with Reliance Jio for an Instant Cashback of Rs 2,200.

Alternatives

10.or D

The 10.or D costs around the same price as the recently launched Itel smartphones. The smartphone also packs a fingerprint sensor at the rear along with more powerful processors and up to 3GB RAM.

10.or E

The 10.or E is like the elder sibling of the 10.or D. it packs more power than the Itel smartphones along with offering stock Android experience with up to 3GB RAM and a fingerprint sensor.

Fitbit Charge 3 launched in India: Here are some alternatives

By

Tech Desk

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August 21, 2018

Fitbit has introduced a new fitness tracker band in their popular Fitbit Charge series. The new Fitbit Charge 3 is a successor to last years Charge 2 and it brings massive improvements over the last generations. The all-new Fitbit Charge 3 has launched in India at a price of Rs. 14,999 and it will be available via both major online and offline platforms starting November 2018.

Fitbit Charge 3 now comes with a water resistance of up to 50 meters which means you can take it for a quick swim or even use it in the shower. The water resistance also allows the fitness tracker to track the swimming of the user. The new fitness tracker also comes with an enhanced 24/7 PurePulse heart rate technology which brings in more accuracy.

Alternatives

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro

Samsung Gear Fit series compete directly against the Fitbit Charge series which is why their latest Gear Fit 2 is a great alternative to the Charge 3. Priced at Rs. 10,900, the Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro is exclusively available via Flipkart. The smart band features a 1.5-inch curved AMOLED display. It runs on Samsung's own TizenOS and has a bunch of watch faces as well as apps available via the company's own app store.

Huami Amazfit Stratos

huami, amazfit, bip, stratos, india, launch, price, specifications, features — Amazfit Stratos offers up to 5 days of battery life

Xiaomi's subsidiary company Huami recently launched two new smartwatches in India, the Amazfit Bip and the Amazfit Stratos. Amazfit Stratos falls under the similar price range to that of the Charge 3. The Stratos features a larger 1.34-inch LCD display with a resolution of 320x320 pixels which also supports the Always-on feature. The device is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage. With a 290mAh battery, Huami claims a battery life of up to 5 days.

Fitbit Charge 2

If you just can't wait for November to arrive, the Fitbit Charge 3 predecessor Charge 2 can offer you 80% of the features with a smaller price tag.

Beetel BiteTech News, Reviews, PC Mobile Phones, Tablets and more

Alternatives

Nokia 1

Micromax Bharat Go

Lava Z50

Specifications

Alternatives

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Xiaomi Mi A2

Specifications

Alternatives

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Oppo RealMe 1

Xiaomi Poco F1 Specifications

10.or D

10.or G

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

iVoomi i2 Lite

Xiaomi Redmi 5

Specifications

Display

Face Unlock

Build Quality

Software & UI

Price

Specifications

Design

Camera

Conclusion

Specifications

Pricing and Availability

Alternatives

10.or D

10.or E

Alternatives

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro

Huami Amazfit Stratos

Fitbit Charge 2