Samsung introduced Good Lock, a customisation tool for Samsung smartphones back in the days when flagships were running Android Marshmallow. The company has now finally released a new version for the Samsung devices running on Android Oreo.
The Samsung Good Lock app was recently spotted on the Galaxy App store in South Korea. Sadly, the app is not available for other regions. However, thanks to a few people in South Korea, the app was extracted as apk and shared over the internet. The app can be installed on Samsung devices running on Android Oreo including Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, S9 and Note 8.
Here's how to download and install the app
Unfortunately, the app is split into various parts so you will need to install multiple apks in order to make it work.
Open the QuickShortcutMaker app on your phone and search for LockStar, Routines, QuickStar and Task Changer in order to change different settings. When you tap on these apps inside the QuickShortcutMaker app, you need to click on Try in order to open the app.
Downloaded Files
Apk installation
QuickShortcutMaker on Play Store
As the app is not officially supported for other regions, you will need to make changes like this. There will be an icon for Good Lock 2018 in the app drawer but firing up that app will always show you a blank screen. It is not the perfect solution but as for now, this is the only way to get the Good Lock to work on your Android Oreo smartphone.
How to use Good Lock
Good Lock a great customisation app as it allows users to customise everything from Lock Screen to Notification icons. You can even change how the task manager on your smartphone looks. Unlike the third-party apps found on Play Store, Good Lock is ad-free and gives you a lot of customisation options without affecting the device's performance.
Open the QuickShortcutMaker app
Select the app you want to customise (LockStar, Routines, QuickStar or Task Changer)
Hit Try
Turn it on and make the necessary changes
Tap on Save and confirm if the changes are now applied
You can go back to the app anytime and make any changes you want.
Is the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 the best mid-range smartphone?
Asus recently unveiled a new smartphone in their Zenfone Max series. The Zenfone Max series is focused towards providing great battery backup and decent performance on a budget. The all-new Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes packed with a 5,000mAh battery. Will it be able to live up to our expectations? Here's our full review of the ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. It sports a 5.99-inch FullHD+ IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. For the optics, it features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 13-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 and f/2.4 aperture respectively. For the Selfies, there is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper with a selfie flash. All of this is backed up by a massive 5,000mAh Battery.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is an impressive smartphone that shatters its competition on and off the paper.
The smartphone sports a metal and glass construction with plastic caps at top and bottom for the antenna. This gives the smartphone a premium look. It runs on a nearly-stock Android 8.1.0 Oreo. What differs the ZenFone Max Pro M1 from other Asus devices is the absence of the ZenUI skin. It also features a Fingerprint sensor, a dual-sim card slot, micro-USB port and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Design
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports an almost similar design to the smartphones in this segment but slightly improved. The device sports an 18:9 aspect ratio display which increases the screen size by reducing the bezels and keeping the dimension of the phone the same.
The ZenFone Max Pro M1 sports a 5.99-inch display up front
The front of the device houses a 5.99-inch (1080x2160 pixels) IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor and on-screen buttons so the bottom is void of anything. Above the screen, there is an earpiece. On the right of the earpiece are the sensors and on the left, there is the 8-megapixel front camera.
There is a vertical dual-camera setup at the back
The smartphone sports a metal back. There is a plastic strip at top and bottom and sides of the phone for antenna purposes. The rear camera sensors lie vertically on the top left of the smartphone. The led flash is just below the camera sensor. The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is in the top centre of the smartphone. There is an Asus branding just below the fingerprint sensor. On the bottom centre, there are the labels regarding production. However, the branding and the labels are so subtle that they aren't visible that much. It really gives the back a clean look.
Right
Left
Top
Bottom
The right of the smartphone sports a volume rocker and a power button. The hybrid dual sim card tray is on the left of the smartphone. The bottom of the phone features a micro-USB slot for charging and data-sync in the centre along with speakers on the right and headphone jack on the left. There is a secondary microphone situated on the top of the device.
The Max Box can amplify the sound of your smartphone
The Max Box can also double up as a smartphone stand.
The ZenFone Max Pro M1 comes with something called as a Max box. It is nothing special but a piece of cardboard designed to increase the smartphone sound. It can also act like a smartphone stand. There is nothing so special about it but its good to see that smartphone manufacturers like Asus are taking initiatives like this.
Software
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on nearly stock Android 8.1.0 Oreo out of the box. It is not exactly like the interface found on the Google Pixel or Xiaomi Mi A1 as Asus has made a few modifications here and there. However, the interface is snappy and apps load in a gist.
The software is almost stock which gives this smartphone an edge.
The software performance of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is great. The software runs lag-free with nothing to complain in regards to the performance. Also, it's an Android phone so if you don't like the way it looks, you can always change it with third-party launchers and more. The smartphone, unfortunately, comes with bloatware including Facebook, Messenger and Instagram that cannot be uninstalled.
Performance
The performance is a major area of concern in any device. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 focuses towards delivering a great battery backup. However, the smartphone performs good enough for its price point. With its specifications, it already matches the expected performance mark. The Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC paired with Adreno 509 GPU. Our review unit has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. There is also a 4GB+64GB variant on sale.
AnTuTu v7(Left) and Geekbench 4(Right)
We ran our usual AnTuTu benchmarks and the GeekBench benchmark to evaluate the performance of the phone. The AnTuTu 7 yielded a score of 111845 while GeekBench gave it a solid single core score of 1302 and multi-core score of 4451. The performance numbers of the device are higher compared to its competition.
The phone exhibits no lag while long usage duration and the internals remains cool even at heavy gaming. In light gaming such as Temple Run and Hill Climb Racing, the phone runs smoothly and cool. The situation is different with heavy games like PUBG. While the phone doesn't lag it heats a bit.
Display
ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 runs on stock Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
The smartphone has an average 5.99-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio. A 5.99-inch display would seem like a large display, however, that's average by 2018 standards. Also, it's an 18:9 aspect ratio display, so it doesn't feel so huge in hand. It also has a rounded display making it look and feel better. The display gets not so quite low and highly bright. The colours are average but considering the price tag, it is good enough. The sunlight readability is great. Coupled with the 18:9 aspect ratio display, the browsing and consuming content on this smartphone is a delight.
Camera
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a dual rear camera setup. The setup consists of a 13-megapixel rear camera f/2.2 aperture with a 5-megapixel f/2.4 aperture sensor. For the selfies, it packs an 8-megapixel front camera with LED flash. The camera sensors are good on paper, how the secondary rear camera could have a bigger sensor. However, not all depends on the sensor so let's see.
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
The indoor shots by the device are impressive and the colours feel quite good. Also, the focus on the indoor shots and the stabilization of the camera is good. The outdoor images from the smartphone are really good and colours are satisfying. The details and the exposure is also good. However, there is no bokeh effect, at least one that is noticeable despite the dual camera setup.
Outdoor
The 8-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash has the same story. The photos from the front camera are same as the back camera except for the little unnatural colours. Rest the camera quality is the same as the back.
The camera quality of the smartphone quite impressive. The true camera buffs might like this smartphone. Also, the company has to post an update to improve the low-light performance and overall camera improvements which our unit didn't get at the time of writing the review. So expect the camera performance to improve.
Battery
Packing a 5,000mAh battery, the expectations are quite high. Also, its a device of the Zenfone Max series, so expectations are even higher. The device charges adequately fast with the included 2amp charger. It took the smartphone to completely charge from 0-100 around 2 hours 30 mins. The smartphone lasts almost two days with average usage which is excellent.
The PC Mark shows a lot less time than real usage due to the display not getting as lower than other phones.
We ran the PC Mark’s Work 2.0 Battery Life test which subjects the phone to extreme usage and finds out the battery life in that condition. The device yielded a result of 15 hours and 8 minutes. Which is lower considered the competition, however, the smartphone lasts longer than those smartphones. This is due to the screen not being able to get lower than other competing phones. Personally, I don't think this should affect daily performance.
Conclusion
The Zenfone Max Pro M1 is truly the budget king we have been looking for.
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes with a starting price tag of Rs 10,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant. However, the upgraded 4GB RAM model with 64GB storage costs Rs 12,999. Considering the price tag, the smartphone is a great deal. Better than any we have seen. The smartphone is amazing compared to its competition. The smartphone also packs Face Unlock, however, at the time of writing this review, the update was not live it. In simple words, the smartphone is the best one you can buy at this range.
Edit: The smartphone got an update after this review was written. The update enabled the Face Unlock on the smartphone. In our testing, we found that the face unlock on the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 isn't as good as the competition. It doesn't recognize the face half of the time and when it does it takes longer than phones like the Redmi Note 5. However, the smartphone was already impressive in our testing, so this shouldn't change anything. You can continue to use the Fingerprint sensor which is quite fast and responsive.
Micromax Canvas 2 Plus (2018) features an 18:9 display
Micromax has launched the Canvas 2 Plus (2018) in India today. The smartphone is a successor to the Canvas 2 Plus and it now comes with an 18:9 display to match today's smartphone standards. The budget smartphone is launched with a price tag of Rs. 8,999 and will be available in Jet Black and Matte Black colour variants.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Micromax Canvas 2 Plus (2018) features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM. The dual-SIM handset comes with 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The Canvas 2 Plus (2018) runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and it is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
On the optics front, the Micromax Canvas 2 Plus (2018) sports a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.
Alternatives
If the Micromax's latest budget smartphone, Canvas 2 Plus (2018) failed to impress you, here are some alternatives available to buy right now.
Xiaomi Redmi 5 is one of the best alternatives to the Micromax Canvas 2 Plus (2018). The Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The smartphone features a 5.7-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi Redmi 5 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 7,999.
10.or G
10.or G sports a dual-camera setup at the back
10.or G is not as impressive in terms of looks but it does have some powerful internals. The 10.or G sports a 5.5-inch FullHD IPS LCD display. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. The dual-SIM handset comes with 32GB or 64GB of storage. 10.or G starts at a price of Rs. 7,699.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 runs on MIUI 9 out of the box
If you are willing to spend Rs. 1,000 more, the Redmi Note 5 can be a great choice. The smartphone comes with an 18:9 display and it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset. The Redmi Note 5 is available in India at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.
Nokia 6 is now a part of Google's Android Enterprise Recommended Program
Google recently introduced a program called Android Enterprise Recommended Program. Under this program, Google collaborates with separate OEMs in order to list down the smartphones that can be used for business purposes. As of today, there are 7 OEMs with 17 different devices under this program.
Here's a complete list of devices that are now a part of Google's Android Enterprise Recommended Program:
BlackBerry KEY2
Huawei P20
Huawei P20 Pro
Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Moto G6
Moto G6 Plus
Moto Z3 Play
Nokia 3.1
Nokia 5.1
Nokia 6
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 8 Sirocco
Sharp Aquos SH 10-K
Sony Xperia XZ2
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
Sonim XP8
In case you are wondering how these devices made it to the list and what is the criteria, there is a minimum set of specifications set by Google. The device must have at least 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. On the optics front, the device should have a selfie camera of at least 2-megapixel while the rear one has to be of at least 10-megapixels.
The smartphone or tablet should be capable of providing a battery backup of minimum 8 hours. Also, the OEMs should ensure that the device gets security updates within a 90-day timeframe and the company should guarantee at least one major Android update.
Apparently, every flagship including some mid-range devices is capable of making it to this list. However, it depends on the OEMs whether they want their devices to be rolled out for the program or not.
Instagram, a few months ago revealed that they are testing out a feature where users will get notified if anyone takes a screenshot of their stories. In a recent report, Instagram confirmed that they will be no longer testing out the feature and it will never make its way to the app any time soon.
As per a report by BuzzFeed News, Instagram confirmed that they will no longer be testing out the feature. The company announced back in February that they will be bringing the screenshot notification feature to their app soon. However, now the plans seem to be dropped and people who were excited about this feature will be disappointed.
Instagram's competitor Snapchat has this feature for quite a while now. The company introduced the stories feature only after Snapchat started to gain popularity. Now the Facebook-owned app wanted to copy the screenshot notification feature as well.
Instagram recently introduced the Swipe Up feature where viewers can swipe up on some stories which will then redirect them to a link provided by the uploader. The feature was really helpful for YouTubers, Bloggers and Businesses as they can give direct links to their fans via Insta Stories. A recent change in the app also allowed users to purchase items directly from stories uploaded by various businesses. In the latest update, the social-networking app brought in a feature where users can make the stories where they are mentioned as their stories.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
Asus has rolled out a new FOTA update for the recently launched Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1. With this new system update, the company is aiming towards improving the overall user experience of the smartphone.
The new FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) update updates the Google Security patch to May 2018. One of the biggest changes in the update will make Airtel, Idea and Vodafone users happy as the phone now finally supports VoLTE on these networks. Apart from the changes, the update improves the response speed of the fingerprint scanner. The update also improves the front-facing camera performance.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 users should receive the OTA notification soon. To check for updates manually, head over to Settings>System>System Update and tap on Check for updates. If you have not received the update yet, you can manually flash the latest firmware by downloading the file from here.
Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a dual-camera setup at the back
In terms of specifications, the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. The dual-SIM handset comes in three variants, 3GB+32GB, 4GB+64GB and 6GB+64GB. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 5,000mAh battery powering up the internals.
As for the cameras, the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 sports a 13MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper.
Xiaomi Mi 6X and Mi A2 will share the same design language
Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant recently unveiled the Mi 6X in China. The smartphone is a successor to the Mi 5X which was launched as Mi A1 in global markets. So we can now expect that the Mi 6X will be labelled as Mi A2 for the other markets. The only difference between the Chinese and global variant is its software.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Mi 6X (Mi A2) features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with 4GB or 6GB of RAM. In terms of storage, there are 32GB and 64GB options which are further expandable using a microSD card. The Mi 6X runs on MIUI whereas the much-awaited Mi A2 will run on Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One) out of the box.
On the optics front, the Xiaomi Mi 6X (Mi A2) sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel primary and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.
Launch Date and Expected Price
As of now, Xiaomi has not disclosed any details as of when the smartphone will make its way to India. The Xiaomi Mi A1 was launched a month after the Mi 6X's launch. The company has also stopped bringing the Mi A1 in stock which could be because the launch date of Mi A2 is near. Considering the history, we can expect the launch of Mi A2 very soon. The company might host a launch event by June-end or sometime in July.
In terms of the pricing, the 4GB+64GB variant of the Xiaomi Mi 6X was launched in China for CNY 1,599 (roughly Rs. 17,000) while the 6GB+64GB variant is available for CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs. 19,000). Keeping Xiaomi's track record in mind, the Mi A2 will be launched at a starting price of around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 16,000.
Alternatives
As the smartphone is not available just yet, here are some alternatives available in India right now.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on MIUI 9
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC coupled with 4GB or 6GB of RAM. The device packs in 64GB of storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is available in India at a starting price of Rs. 14,999.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. The smartphone features a 5.99-inch FullHD+ IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The dual-SIM handset runs on a near stock Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 starts at a price of Rs. 10,999.
Nokia 6.1
Nokia 6.1 is also a part of Google's Android One program
Xiaomi Mi A2 will be a part of Google's Android One program. If you are looking for an Android One smartphone, Nokia 6.1 is a great option. The Nokia 6.1 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset. The device packs in 3GB or 4GB of RAM coupled with 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. The Nokia 6.1 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 16,999.
Google launched the Pixelbook last year alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The Google Pixelbook currently runs on ChromeOS. As per a recent report by XDA Developers, the laptop will soon be certified to run Microsoft Windows 10.
Google Pixelbook is made out of a great combination of hardware but ChromeOS is not able to push it through its limits. Microsoft Windows 10 supports a lot of apps and games that can take advantage of the hardware. So, if the laptop gets certified, users can officially install Windows 10 and enjoy an overwhelming combination of software and hardware.
According to a report by XDA Developers, the new Chromium codebases consists of codes that claim Google is currently testing Windows Hardware Certification Kit (WHCK) and Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) on the Pixelbook. The codes has specifica mentions of HFK and the development codename of Pixelbook, Eve.
WHCK by Microsoft is used to certify the hardware used in the laptop to work well with Windows. Similarly, HLK certifies compatibility of Windows with the hardware. These stepes taken by Google give a clear indication on an upcoming certification for Microsoft Windows 10 on the Google Pixelbook.
As for the specifications of the Pixelbook, the laptop is powered by the 7th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. The Pixelbook featrues a 12.3-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2400x1600 pixels. The laptop comes with 8GB or 16GB of RAM coupled with 128GB/256GB/512GB of NVME SSD storage.
The discrete GPU that Intel hinted at in its tweet could be anything. (Image Credit: Flickr)
Intel is now planning to launch its first discrete GPU in 2020. The company will directly compete against Nvidia and AMD once the GPU is launched. These GPUs will help PC gamers and video editors in gaining that extra performance. The company confirmed the news about the upcoming GPU via their official Twitter handle @intelnews.
The tweet was further linked to an Intel Newsroom story published back in November. The story was about Raja Koduri joining as Chief Architect at Intel. Koduri was the former Chief Architect of the AMD Radeon Technologies Group.
The discrete GPU that the company has hinted at in its tweet could be anything, ranging from a basic GPU which is marginally better than the integrated versions or an over-powered chip with unheard of performance. Or it could even be a dedicated graphics processor for mining of cryptocurrencies. Until they launch the chip in 2020, the best we can do is speculate.
With all of the rumble currently going around in the gaming and crypto worlds, a new GPU from a major chip maker like Intel seems to be a good idea. Additionally, we the consumers will be benefitting a ton if the news comes to be, as this would make Intel compete with Nvidia, who for most has a monopoly in the gaming market, and give them a good fight. Thus bringing down the prices of dedicated GPU's and bringing the performance to cost ratio at a new and appreciated level.
Epic Games' Fornite: Battle Royale now available on Nintendo Switch
One of the most popular PC games, Fortnite is now available on Nintendo Switch. Epic Games' Fortnite is now available for free on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Nintendo made the announcement at the E3 video expo in Los Angeles today.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is currently available on Windows PC, Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox, Mac and even on iOS devices. Sadly, the Nintendo Switch users cannot cross-play the game with PS4 users as Sony has blocked cross-play. However, Nintendo Switch users can still play the multiplayer game with other platform users.
Fortnite: Battle Royale by Epic Games has gained a lot of popularity since the launch back in September last year. The game was launched as free-to-play and it has still not switched to a paid one which is one of the reasons behind the game's popularity. Fortnite directly competes against PUBG which sells for around Rs. 999 on Steam. PUBG is currently available only on Windows PC and Android devices.
The Nintendo Switch version of the game is not gonna give you the best experience as it has a smaller screen and controls a are quite different. When using the Switch in handheld mode, the gameplay feels quite similar to the iOS version. However, when you connect the Switch to an external display and play using the Joy-Cons, you might get a better experience. The console handles the game smoothly and gives a constant 30fps.
