Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition comes with a carbon fibre back
Oppo has finally launched the much anticipated Oppo Find X. The company has also partnered up with Lamborghini and launched a Find X Lamborghini Edition. The special edition smartphone has a carbon fibre back with an embedded Lamborghini logo.
The Lamborghini Edition Find X comes with the next level Super VOOC fast charge technology that can charge up the smartphone from 0 to 100% in 35 mins. The smartphone comes with a premium price tag of EUR 1699 that roughly converts to Rs. 1,34,000.
The Lamborghini Edition will be available for EUR 1699
Specifications
In terms of specifications, the Oppo Find X features a 6.4-inch FullHD+ OLED display. The smartphone is powered by the latest and greatest, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The Lamborghini Edition of the phone comes with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. The dual-SIM handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo-based Color OS out of the box. All of this is backed by a 3,730mAh battery which supports Oppo's latest Super VOOC fast charging.
As for the cameras, the Oppo Find X features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel and a 20-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 25-megapixel selfie shooter.
Alternatives
Vivo Nex
Vivo recently launched the Vivo Nex that comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone also comes with a Pop-up selfie camera that comes out only when you launch the camera app. The phone sports a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2316 pixels.
Vivo X21
In case you are in love with in-display fingerprint scanners, the Vivo X21 is on sale. The Vivo X21 features a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 36,999.
OnePlus 6
If you don't care about fancy tech and need the best out of your money, the OnePlus 6 makes more sense. The OnePlus 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The smartphone features a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display. OnePlus 6 is available in India at a starting price of Rs. 34,999.
Yahoo Mail Go is a lighter and much faster version of the e-mail client.
Yahoo once a big name in the industry is now struggling to keep up and gain new customers. But, the fact is that the company will not be dying off at least in the near future, as still millions of people trust Yahoo to keep their e-mails safe and secure. The company is also making huge efforts to keep up with the times and to keep their users happy. Today they have launched a new app for Google's Android Go operating system. Additionally, they have also revamped the whole mobile web experience. The stripped down version of the app is aptly named Yahoo Mail Go. The app is less than 10MB in download size and utilises only 50MB's of RAM while running.
Yahoo has kept all of the important features of the original application, this has been made possible thanks to the lite version of the app being built on the same architecture as the larger one. Additionally, the company has also added lots of other features like compatibility with third-party e-mail service providers, support for search, customisable swipe actions, themes, people notifications, animated GIFs, and much more. Yahoo has also built-in the capability of telling apart general and promotional e-mails directly into the app.
The Yahoo Mail Go app is currently available on the Google Play Store. However, according to a report from Android Police, the app isn't compatible with Android Go devices like the Nokia 1. But, they do claim that the app will soon be up and running on all of the Android Go running smartphones.
Along with the new Android Go app, the company has also revamped its web experience for mobile users, which you can check at mail.yahoo.com. The new revamped mobile platform according to the company is more interactive and fast. This new interface features a lot of intuitive features like infinite scroll for emails, a side menu with all the folders, quick actions for a chosen email, customisable swipe actions, multiple themes, and suggestions for frequent contacts. It is being said that a similar redesign is coming to the main app with a ton of other new features very soon.
LG X5 (2018) is currently only available in South Korea
LG, the South Korean giant has launched the LG X5 (2018) in their home country. Even in 2018, the smartphone comes with a 16:9 display. The company has priced the handset at KRW 363,000 which roughly converts to Rs. 22,200.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the LG X5 (2018) features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MT6750 processor. The device packs in 2GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 4,500mAh battery powering up the device.
On the optics front, the LG X5 (2018) sports a 13-megapixel camera at the back with a LED flash. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie snapper.
LG has not yet revealed any plans for launching the LG X5 (2018) in India. So, here are some alternatives available in India right now
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 14,999
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is one the best mid-range smartphones available in India. The smartphone comes with a 5.99-inch FullHD+ display. The handset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM. The phone is priced at Rs. 14,999 for the 32GB variant while the 64GB variant is available for Rs. 16,999.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
The ZenFone Max Pro M1 by Asus is a much better option when compared to the LG X5 (2018). The ZenFone Max Pro M1 starting at Rs. 10,999 comes with the powerful Snapdragon 636 processor. The dual-SIM handset sports a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2160x1080 and an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Vivo V9
The Vivo V9, when compared to the LG X5 (2018), carries a modern design with the notch up front. The Vivo V9 sports a 16MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there is a 24-megapixel selfie shooter. The Vivo V9 is available at a price of Rs. 22,990.
Oppo has finally launched the much-awaited Oppo Find X. After a lot of leaks and rumours, we finally have a smartphone in the market that sports a 6.4-inch display with a stunning 92.25 percent screen-to-body ratio. The smartphone comes with flagship grade specifications and three Pop Up cameras.
The most interesting thing about the Oppo Find X is the Pop-up mechanism for the cameras. We have seen pop-up selfie camera on the Vivo Apex and Vivo Nex before. The mechanism on the Find X is quite different. The rear camera, as well as the front camera, pop out as soon as you fire up the camera app. Oppo claims it takes only 0.5 seconds for the smartphone to load the cameras.
Unfortunately, the phone does not have a fingerprint scanner, not even an in-display one. Oppo Find X uses face unlock which again pops out the camera when you need to unlock and pops it back in when done. With this whole pop up mechanism thing, Oppo managed to get 92.25 per cent screen-to-body ratio up front and a clean design at the back.
Specifications
As for the specifications, the Oppo Find X features a 6.4-inch FullHD+ OLED display. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The dual-SIM handset packs in 8GB of RAM and offers up to 256GB of onboard storage. The phone runs on Oppo's Color OS which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. Under the hood, there is a 3,730mAh battery that supports Oppo's VOOC fast charging.
On the optics front, the Oppo Find X sports a 16MP+20MP dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there is a 25-megapixel selfie shooter.
Price and Availability
Oppo Find X is priced at a premium of EUR 999 that roughly converts to Rs. 78,800. There is also a Lamborghini Edition of the same that comes with a price tag of EUR 1699 (roughly Rs. 1,34,000. The smartphone will be made available in Europe starting August 2018. Oppo is planning to bring the Find X to India on July 12.
Android Messages is available for all Android smartphones
Google now allows you to send and receive text messages from your desktop with the latest update of the Android Messages application. Android Messages app comes pre-installed on most smartphones, while others have an option to install it and use it as the default app. Just like WhatsApp, Android Messages users will also have a web interface where they can read, send and receive text messages.
The new Android Messages web interface will work on browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge on Windows PC, Mac or even Chromebooks. The feature will need the latest app installed on your Android phone. The latest version of the application is 3.3.043 which can be found here.
We updated the app on our 4-5 Android phones but the option didn't show up on any of them. However, a developer at XDA Developers uploaded screenshots of the same so we can say the feature will start working soon.
Messages Web Interface (Image Credits: XDA Developers)
Here's how you can use Android Messages Web Interface
If you have used WhatsApp for Web then the setup process will be quite familiar to you. The interface is simple yet brings in a lot of features. Apple users had this privilege for a long time and now finally we Android users can enjoy the feature as well. However, Apple iPhone's iMessage sync only with Macs whereas the Android Messages can be used on both Windows as well as Mac.
After 18 months of the partnership, Google seems to have removed the integration and started requesting users to directly book cabs from the Uber application.
Google and Uber last year partnered up with each other to integrate the ride-hailing service directly into the Google Maps application. This partnership allowed users to book, track, complete and pay for cab rides directly from the Maps application. We even saw an APK teardown of the Google Maps beta app in which we got to see the option to create an Uber account was lying disabled.
After 18 months of the partnership, Google seems to have removed the integration and started requesting users to directly book cabs from the Uber application. The announcement of this news was first posted on Google's support page, which was spotted and reported on by Android Police. The support page states, "You can no longer book Uber rides directly in Google Maps."
The feature was extremely well received when first launched as it allowed users to search for directions then choose the ride-sharing option after which they could book a cab directly from within the app. The ride-sharing option is still available in the Google Maps app, however, when chosen it shows you an estimate of your ride and then sends a prompt to take you to the Uber application.
Uber is not the only app that shows in the ride-sharing tab of the Google Maps app, there are over 17 different services that show up. However, it is the only one that previously would let users ride and complete their rides without opening any other app. The reason as to why the feature has been disabled is currently not known. It may be the fact that not many people were using the feature, or that the relationship between both the companies has suffered due to various lawsuits and isn't as strong as it used to be.
Apple iPhones are one of the most demanded smartphones globally since the date launched. With the iPhone Xs starting at Rs. 99,900 in India, it can be said that the future models with a few exceptions might not be affordable for all. However, as the years pass, prices of smartphones depreciate and they become more affordable. Also, with these phones being powerful devices at the time of launch, buying them after a few years doesn't make them a bad choice.
If you look in the used smartphone market now, the Apple iPhone 4s is available at really impressive prices. An old iPhone 4s in good condition at the moment would cost you around Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500. The smartphone ticks all the right options like design, performance, looks, and more. However, the only problem you might have is that the device is over eight years old right now. So the question remains, Is the Apple iPhone 4s worth it? Continue reading to know if it is the right purchase decision or not.
Apple iPhone 4S: Design
The design on the iPhone 4s is quite dated as it is almost seven years old. However, this kind of a design is now making a comeback on the iPhone. If seen now, the metal and glass sandwich design doesn't look dated. The thing to keep in mind is that the iPhone 4s doesn't have Corning Gorilla Glass protection instead it features normal toughened glass.
iPhone 4s used a 30-pin connector
The power button used to be on the top
The design only seems dated when you get to its boxy construction and the 3.5-inch display. Apart from the design, the phone features a 30-pin connector that hasn't been used for around 7 years now. It was the last Apple device to feature the 30-pin connector. Additionally, it comes with large bezels and has an extremely small footprint when it comes to holding the device. It might be good or bad depending on personal choices. However, personally, I feel the phone still looks stunning and has the potential to turn heads.
The iPhone 4s when initially launched came running iOS 5. Due to the good support offered by the manufacturer the device was able to get iOS updates til v.9.4.5, it got iOS 9 in 2015 alongside the iPhone 6S. It is able to run most of the essential apps people require on a daily basis. However, recently we have seen many apps starting to drop support. Soon the device will be left with support for only basic apps. Also, the software will lag heavily if you try to use the phone for anything that is not a basic task. The software does pack a lot of nifty iOS features like Airdrop, Airplay, iMessage, FaceTime and more. This does make the iPhone 4s a good choice for a secondary smartphone. At the price range, the smartphone is currently available at, the software is better than most of the others.
When launched the iPhone 4S had the best in class performance, but as of now due to the advancements in technology, the iPhone 4S can only perform basic tasks and a few heavy ones. This can be blamed on the older processor not being able to keep up. The device also gets slightly heated when performing any kind of heavy tasks on it. We are not gonna bother with the performance numbers for this one. As we already know they will be low thanks to today's standards.
The iPhone 4s sports a 3.5-inch 640 x 960 pixels IPS Display, which does seem pretty small, especially in 2019. The device comes with big bezels, which make its display look even smaller. Typing on such a small screen is extremely challenging. However, you will get used to it pretty quickly as was our experience. Web browsing and minor tasks are also quite hard to perform on such a small display. The sunlight readability is simply, bad. The display is bright enough for indoor usage.
The iPhone 4s sports an 8 MP f/2.4 aperture primary camera with an LED flash. On the front, it comes packed with a VGA sensor. The camera is pretty bad on paper in terms of 2019. However, in reality, you will discover it is somewhat ok. It was good back in 2011, but right now it is there just if you need a camera in an emergency. Over the past few years, smartphone camera quality has radically improved. However, if you look at Rs 3000-4000 priced phones in the market right now, it is comparable.
Apple iPhones are known for really bad battery backup. If you buy a used and abused smartphone the battery can last at max 2-3 hours. Before purchasing the smartphone it is recommended to take a good look at the battery condition before buying a used 4S used. Even if the battery is in perfect condition don't expect it to last more than 8-10 hours. You will really struggle with the battery life with a used iPhone 4s.
Buying a smartphone that was launched eight years ago would seem absurd. But getting an iPhone at Rs. 1,500 also seems unbelievable. All in all, using the 4s for a week reminded me of the great Apple's Design was. The smartphone is good for daily light usage. Like phone calls, WhatsApp, and basic net browsing. However, if you are looking for a smartphone that can handle heavy tasks, this phone won't last. For Rs. 3,000, a new phone will perform almost the same or worse in many cases. So if you are looking for a basic smartphone under the budget of Rs. 5,000, the iPhone 4s is a good option. Just keep in mind, you will not get a warranty on a used smartphone. So now it hinges on the fact, what do you want? at that price point, do you want a warranty or great design and build quality.
Asus ZenFone AR launched as ZenFone Ares in Taiwan
Asus has launched the ZenFone Ares in their home country, Taiwan. The smartphone is nothing new but just the ZenFone AR which was launched in India back in July 2017. Almost a month later, the Taiwanese company decided to launch the smartphone in their home country without making any changes.
The Asus ZenFone Ares or ZenFone AR is focused towards AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality). The Asus ZenFone AR was one of the first smartphones to come with 8GB of RAM and one of the first Tango-enabled smartphone.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Asus ZenFone Ares comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. The phone sports a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and a pixel density of 515 PPI. The device packs in 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The ZenFone Ares runs on Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box with the company’s own ZenUI 3.0 layered on the top. It also packs a 3,300 mAh battery and supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0.
In the camera department, the ZenFone Ares features a TriCamera setup including a 23-megapixel primary camera, a depth-sensing camera and a motion-tracking camera Asus’ high-res PixelMaster 3.0 technology. The primary camera supports OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and phase detection autofocus. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calling.
Price and Availability
Asus ZenFone Ares has been launched in Taiwan at a price of TWD 9,990 (roughly Rs 22,500). The price point is pretty cheap considering it was launched at Rs. 49,999 in India.
The Zenfone is better than the Redmi on paper. However, does the same carry out in real life?
Taiwanese Electronics Manufacturer, Asus recently launched their latest smartphone in the Zenfone Max series. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 packs a massive 5,000mAh battery and comes in at Rs. 10,999. This puts the Zenfone Max Pro M1 in direct competition with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Xiaomi with the Redmi Note series has dominated the budget smartphone segment. However, in our testing, the Zenfone proved to be giving a hard time to the Redmi. So, is the Zenfone Max Pro M1 really better than the Redmi Note 5?
Design
Both the phones sport a 5.99-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display with metal back and plastic parts at the back for antenna purposes. Both the devices have considerable bezels but less than what we are used to. Also, both the smartphones have a rear mounted fingerprint sensor. However, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a dual camera setup at the back while the Redmi Note 5 has a single one. Along with the Redmi Note 5 sports an IR Blaster while the Zenfone Max Pro M1 doesn't.
Front
Back
Both the devices look and feel premium in hand. Also, both the handsets sport an almost similar footprint.
Software
The Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on stock Android 8.1.0 Oreo while the Redmi Note 5 runs on MIUI with Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box. In terms of software performance and stability, the Zenfone takes the lead. However, many MIUI fans will disagree as it carries a ton of useful features. If you are not an MIUI fan, you will love the stability and performance of stock Android on the ZenFone.
Performance
Performance is the major concern for any smartphone. The Xiaome Redmi Note 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC coupled with 3/4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of storage. While the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 635 SoC with 3/4GB of RAM along with 32/64GB storage. This instantly makes the Zenfone better than the Redmi on paper. However, not everything depends on specifications.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
We ran our usual AnTuTu v7 and Geekbench 4 benchmarks in our reviews for the devices. That also proved the Zenfone is better in performance numbers than the Redmi. Just like the specifications, the real-life performance does not depend on these numbers. In real life usage, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of performance compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.
Also, the Redmi tended to run a little hot on heavy gaming while the Zenfone managed to remain cool. You can read more in your detailed reviews (Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1).
Display
The ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Redmi Note 5 feature a 5.99-inch FullHD+ IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. In terms of maximum brightness, both the smartphones managed to reach almost an equal level. However, when it comes to the lowest level of brightness, the Redmi easily beats the ZenFone.
ZenFone Max Pro M1
Redmi Note 5
Camera
The camera is something people care about these days. On paper the Zenfone sports a combination of a 13-megapixel and a 5-megapixel camera a the rear. While the Redmi only has a 12-megapixel camera at the rear. For the selfies, the Zenfone has an 8-megapixel sensor while the Redmi has a 5-megapixel sensor. Both of the devices sport a front led flash. This puts Zenfone ahead on paper.
Redmi Note 5
Redmi Note 5
Zenfone Max Pro M1
Zenfone Max Pro M1
In our testing, we found out that the Zenfone has a better colour accuracy than the Redmi. Also, the Redmi couldn't handle white balance well. You can check out the camera samples and detailed camera information in our full review of the device.
Battery
The Zenfone sports a 5,000mAh battery while the Redmi sports a 4,000mAh battery which gives an edge to the Zenfone at least on paper. In our testing, we found that the Zenfone lasts for almost 2 days while the Redmi only lasts a day and a half. This makes Zenfone a better smartphone for battery backup.
Conclusion
Asus packs more performance and features at a slightly higher price point
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is available at Rs. 10,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 starts at Rs. 9,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant. This makes the Zenfone slightly more expensive than the Redmi. However, you get a better battery life, better camera, better performance and the smoothness of stock Android. The Redmi Note 5, on the other hand, has an IR Blaster and the MIUI which is loved by many.
So the question still remains, where should you spend your money if you wanna buy a budget segment device? Well, the answer is clear, if you can't live without the IR Blaster or MIUI then its the Redmi Note 5. If you need a better camera and performance, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the choice.
WhatsApp is currently one of the most popular messaging applications
WhatsApp is now working with Microsoft in order to launch a proper desktop app. A recent report by Windows Central, WhatsApp is introducing a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of the app.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp will now have its own native app on Windows. For this project, Microsoft and WhatsApp are closely working together. The reports have also shared a few screenshots which give us an idea of what the application will look like.
Source: Windows Central
To recall, WhatsApp already has its own desktop app. However, the app is just another version of its Web app. The web app does the job but misses on to a lot of features. Unlike the web app, the new UWP version of the desktop app will now have support for voice and video calling.
Looking at the screenshots shared, we can confidently say that the new UWP application will also link to your smartphone using a QR code. This is the same way you used to connect to the web app. So, you will still need an internet connection on your desktop as well as your smartphone.
WhatsApp has been constantly updating its application in order to provide users with most as many features as possible. The company recently introduced UPI feature in the app where users can transfer money to their contacts directly from their bank account within the app. The Facebook-owned company also introduced a Business version of the app recently which allows businesses to create a separate account and use the app to send important messages and reply to user's queries.
