Xiaomi Mi A2 launch date, specifications, expected price and alternatives in India

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June 14, 2018

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.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A launched: Price, Specifications and Alternatives

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 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

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 (2018) — 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 Pixelbook users can soon install Windows 10: Report

By

Tech Desk

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June 14, 2018

Google Pixelbook runs on ChromeOS out of the box

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.

Also Read: Here’s how you can enable Google Material Design 2 on Android Messages

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.

Intel to launch its first discrete GPU in 2020: Everything you need to know

By

Brahmjot Singh

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June 14, 2018

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.

Intel's first discrete GPU coming in 2020: https://t.co/s9EPeFifBp pic.twitter.com/n5zmUY2Mc2

— Intel News (@intelnews) June 12, 2018

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.

Also Read: Top 5 gaming laptops available in India 2018

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.

Fortnite now available for Nintendo Switch: Here's what you need to know

By

Tech Desk

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June 13, 2018

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.

Also Read: OnePlus introduces Asphalt Cup gaming competition: Here’s what you need to know

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.

Here's how you can enable Google Material Design 2 on Android Messages

By

Devesh Arora

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June 13, 2018

Android Messages app is available for all Android smartphones

Google has recently updated their Android Messages app to version 3.3. The new version comes with a set of new features, improvements and optimisations. One new hidden feature introduced with the new feature is the Material Design 2.

Material Design provides a minimalistic and simple look to the Android apps. Google has now come up with a much improved Material Design 2 for the Messages app. Other apps which have already updated to Material Design 2 includes Google News and Google One.

The Material Design 2 adds a new option in the settings, the Dark Mode. Dark Mode switches the whites to the blacks and gives a smooth look in the dark. The feature is currently not available but it will soon make its way to the app with further updates. Apparently, the whole Material Design 2 is not available for just anyone who updates to the latest app version.

Also Read: OnePlus 6 starts receiving OxygenOS 5.1.6 OTA update: Here’s what you need to know

Unfortunately, to enable the all-new Material Design 2 on Android Messages, users will need a rooted device as of now. You can refer to our root guide in order to root your smartphone. Here's how you can enable the new design if your device is already rooted.

How to enable Material Design 2

Download and Install MiXplorer from here
Open the MiXplorer app and head over to the root section
Now go to the directory /data/data/com.google.android.apps.messaging/shared_prefs/
Here, look for the file PhenotypePrefs.xml and open it. In the popup menu, select editor and then select code editor.
Tap on the three dots on the top right corner and tap on Find. Search for bugle__phenotype_enable_m2.
By default, the value is set to False which needs to be switched to True.
Now look for bugle_phenotype_enable_phenotype_override and switch its value to True.

After performing all the steps, close the MiXplorer app and Force Stop the Android Messages app by going into Settings>Apps>Android Messages>Force Stop. Now re-open the Android Messages app and you should see the changes. You have to make sure that you do not swipe the app from the Recents menu or else the app will reset back to normal and you have to go through the whole process again.

Vivo Nex launched in China: Here are the alternatives you can buy right now

By

Devesh Arora

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June 13, 2018

Vivo Nex will soon be available in China

Vivo has finally launched the much-awaited Vivo Nex in China. The smartphone features an in-display fingerprint scanner and achieves a 91.24 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Just like the Vivo Apex, the Vivo Nex also has a front-facing camera that rises out of the smartphone's body only when required.

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Vivo Nex sports a 6.59-inch Super AMOLED with a resolution of 2316x1080 pixels and a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. The dual-SIM handset comes with 128GB/256GB of onboard storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. The Vivo Nex runs on Android 8.1 Oreo-based Funtouch OS 4 out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery with support for fast charging.

In the camera segment, the Vivo Nex features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture.

Vivo Nex will be available at a starting price of CNY 3898

The Vivo Nex will initially be available in China at a price of CNY 3,898 (roughly Rs. 41,200) for the 128GB variant while the 256GB variant will come with a price tag of CNY 4,498 (roughly Rs. 47,500).

Also Read: Honor to soon launch the Honor Play gaming smartphone: Here’s what you need to know

Vivo has not yet announced that if and when will they bring the Vivo Nex to other markets including India. Here are some alternatives that you can buy in India right now

Vivo X21

In case you are mesmerized with the in-display fingerprint sensor technology, the Vivo X21 can be your pick. The Vivo X21 features a 6.28-inch SuperAMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The Vivo X21 is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 35,990.

OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6 does not come with an in-display fingerprint scanner but does come with a fast one. The OnePlus 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and will be one of the first devices to get the Android P update. OnePlus 6 is available at a starting price of Rs. 34,999.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

If all you care about is design, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is still one of the best-looking smartphones available in India. The Mi Mix 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The device packs in 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The Mi Mix 2 retails for Rs. 29,999.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A launched: Price, Specifications and Alternatives

By

Devesh Arora

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June 12, 2018

Xiaomi has launched two new budget smartphones in China, the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A. The smartphones are successors to the last year's Redmi 5 and Redmi 5A. Both the latest smartphones come with 18:9 displays and MediaTek processors.

Xiaomi Redmi 6

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 chipset. The device packs in either 3GB or 4GB of RAM coupled with 32GB and 64GB of onboard storage. The smartphone runs on Android Oreo-based MIUI 10 out of the box.

On the optics front, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.

Xiaomi Redmi 6A

The Xiaomi Redmi 6A is a toned down version of the Redmi 6 and it is a successor to the Redmi 5A. The Redmi 6A now features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helios A22 processor. The Redmi 6A comes in only one variant which has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. Just like the Redmi 6, the Redmi 6A also runs on Android Oreo-based MIUI 10 out of the box.

In terms of cameras, the Redmi 6A features a 13MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie snapper.

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 is available at a starting price of CNY 799 (roughly Rs. 8,400) while the Redmi 6A retails for CNY 599 (roughly Rs. 6,300). The smartphones are currently available only in China. So, here are some alternatives you can buy in India right now:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus was launched as the Redmi Note 5 in India. The smartphone features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. The Redmi Note 5 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels. The smartphone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. The dual-SIM handset is available at a starting price of Rs. 10,999.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

Though the Redmi 5 is the Redmi 6's predecessor, it is still a great smartphone. The Redmi 5 sports a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The device packs in 2GB/3GB/4GB of RAM coupled with 16GB/32GB/64GB of onboard storage. Redmi 5 is priced at Rs. 7,999 for the base variant.

OnePlus introduces Asphalt Cup gaming competition: Here's what you need to know

By

Devesh Arora

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June 11, 2018

OnePlus, the Chinse smartphone manufacturer has announced an online gaming tournament, the Asphalt Cup. The company has collaborated with Gameloft in order to bring this competition to any smartphone user across the country. The competition is set to kick off on June 13 and will go on until July 8, 2018.

OnePlus and Gameloft will also give goodies, gifts as well as cash prizes to the Winners and even to those who qualified for the finals. As a part of the tournament, the users will have to play the popular smartphone game, Asphalt 8: Airborne.

In case you are wondering what the prizes will be, here's a list of prizes.

Top 5 winners every week will be getting a pair of OnePlus Bullets (Wireless)
Top 25 players will get some goodies by OnePlus and Gameloft
At the end of the competition, Top 3 winners will receive Rs. 3 lakh cash prize each coupled with a OnePlus 6 and OnePlus Bullets (Wireless)
If that's not enough, during the tournament, the players will also receive in-game rewards worth Rs. 2 crores

Also Read: TWRP recovery now officially available for the OnePlus 6 and Huawei P20 Pro

OnePlus has partnered up with Gameloft in order to promote its recently launched flagship, OnePlus 6. In terms of specifications, OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The dual-SIM handset is available in 64GB and 128GB storage options.

OnePlus 6 is currently priced at Rs. 34,999 for the 6GB+64GB variant while the 8GB+128GB variant retails for Rs. 39,999.

Honor to soon launch the Honor Play gaming smartphone: Here's what you need to know

By

Devesh Arora

-

June 11, 2018

Huawei's sub-brand Honor is currently planning on launching a new gaming smartphone named Honor Play. With the new smartphone, Honor is planning to take over gaming phones like Razer Phone, Xiaomi BlackShark, Nubia Red Magic and the recently launched Asus ROG smartphone.

As for the specifications, the Honor Play is expected to come with the company's homegrown HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC. The smartphone will feature a 6.3-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. The dual-SIM handset will pack in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which will be further expandable using a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 3,750mAh battery powering up the internals.

On the optics front, the Honor Play will come equipped with a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel and a 2-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.

Honor is also boasting about two new features on the upcoming gaming smartphone, a GPU Turbo and “4D” haptic feedback.

The competition Xiaomi BlackShark and Asus ROG Phone are powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor while the Razer Phone and Nubia Red Magic come with the Snapdragon 835 SoC. All these smartphones come with up to 8GB of RAM. The Honor Play will be the first gaming smartphone to come with a non-Qualcomm processor and less than 8GB of RAM.

Also Read: Asus ROG Phone launched: Here are the Top 5 Alternatives

Except the Razer Phone, the three gaming smartphones come with 6-inch displays with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Honor Play will also be the first gaming smartphone to feature a display with a notch up front.

As for pricing, the Honor Play is expected to come with a starting price tag of CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 21,000).

TWRP recovery now officially available for the OnePlus 6 and Huawei P20 Pro

By

Devesh Arora

-

June 11, 2018

OnePlus 6 and the Huawei P20 Pro are two recently launched flagships. The smartphones have gained immense popularity since their launch. As the devices are now popular and have a number of users around the world, TWRP has decided to develop a recovery which is now officially available.

For those who are unaware, TWRP is a recovery for Android devices which is usually prefered over other recoveries as it offers a lot of features and has an easy to use and user-friendly interface. The recovery allows users to root their Android smartphones and install custom ROMS in them. With the official support from TWRP, the OnePlus 6 and Huawei P20 Pro users can now easily install the TWRP custom recovery on their smartphone.

Also Read: How to root your Android device without a computer using KingRoot

The installation process on the OnePlus 6 is a bit different as the smartphone is a part of Google's Project Treble which creates two partitions, A and B and lacks a dedicated recovery partition.

How to install the TWRP recovery

Install your smartphone's drivers on your PC and set up ADB
Download the files for your smartphone from the links given below
OnePlus 6
Huawei P20 Pro
Now Power Off your smartphone and boot into the bootloader by holding down the Power and Volume Button until you see something on the screen.
Connect your smartphone to the PC using the cable provided with the handset
Open Command Prompt on your PC
In case you are installing the TWRP on the OnePlus 6, type fastboot boot twrp-3.2.1-0-enchilada.img
Once you enter into the recovery, install the twrp-installer-enchilada-3.2.1-0.zip

Now finally you have the TWRP Custom Recovery on your smartphone. You can use this custom recovery to root your device or even install custom ROMs.

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Specifications

Launch Date and Expected Price

Alternatives

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Nokia 6.1

How to enable Material Design 2

Vivo X21

OnePlus 6

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Xiaomi Redmi 6

Xiaomi Redmi 6A

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Xiaomi Redmi 5

How to install the TWRP recovery