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Sony's 2018 Wireless Affordable series(WI-C300, WH-CH400, WH-CH500) Hands-on Review

WH-C500
The newly launched affordable series wireless headphones by Sony truly are a bargain.

Sony recently announced their new lineup of Affordable series headphones for India. These headphones or earphones are designed to be used during everyday activities like Computing or relaxing at home. The new sports series headphone range starts from Rs 2,990 and goes all the way up to Rs 4,990.

The new range of Sony's affordable series headphone includes three models. Namely, WI-C300 (Rs. 2,990), WH-CH400 (Rs. 3,790), WH-CH500 (Rs. 4,990). All of these headphones are completely wireless. Also, they come packed with active noise cancelling. They are optimized to work with Google Assistant. No Siri optimisation though. However, these come packed with NFC for easy connectivity. Also, standard connectivity is via Bluetooth.

Design

Sony WH-CH400

WH-CH400
WH-CH400

The design of the Sony WI-CH 400 is pretty basic. It comes with a plastic headband with no support. However, the headbands have a cut in them. This makes it both look a little better and allows air pass and cool your head. However, these are the cheapest ones also, yet offers almost the same features as it's big brothers. Hence the compromises were made in the design department. The earcups are also on-ear style, with no support for ear whatsoever. They are just plain flat. This might hinder comfort in the long run. However, they come with active noise cancelling and NFC support. Overall, design-wise these are just bland.

Sony WH-CH500

WH-CH500
WH-CH500

The design of the Sony WH-CH500 is pretty similar to Sony's other offerings.  It comes with a soft plastic headband. A mixture of durability and comfort.The earcups come with link controls and swivel design for easy storage. The headphones are quite comfortable in the ear. The headphones like the other ones come with NFC support along with active noise cancelling.

Sony WI-C300

WI-C300
WI-C300

The Sony WI-C300 is the only new in-ear style headphone for the company's affordable lineup. The design of the Sony Wi-C300 is little questionable. The earphones come with two earbuds joined with a cable. The cable contains two blocks. One housed the inline controls and the NFC pad. The second contains the battery. The position of the battery module might be uncomfortable for many while wearing them around the neck. However, if that's not an issue for you, it has a pretty good design.

Sound Quality

All of the three, affordable series headphones are designed to be fully wireless and offer active noise cancelling. Along with, they can offer ambient noise modes to offer sounds in when you need it. We tried all three of the above-mentioned earphones for a couple of minutes. Our first impression of the sound quality is really good. The active noise cancelling works really well. Pairing them using NFC was easy and convenient. The base of the headphones is extremely good. Also, these headphones get really loud if you decide to turn up the volume. However, the few minutes of testing isn't enough to completely tell us the quality of sounds these earphones will put out in all genres. However, the first impression makes us feel it will be pretty good.

Conclusion

The WI-C300 (Rs. 2,990), WH-CH400 (Rs. 3,790), WH-CH500 (Rs. 4,990) are greatly designed wireless headphones and earphones by the company. These look and feel very good. Also, they sound good by the initial testing. These make the earphones completely worth the money spent on it. However, missing Siri optimization might put some iOS users down. However with the smartphones killing the headphone jack, buying wireless headphones could be a good decision. Also, who can forget the convenience of wireless headphones.

Sony's 2018 Wireless Sports Series(WI-SP500N, WI-SP600N, WF-SP700N) Hands-on Review

WI-SP600N
The new sport series earphones by Sony are truly good

Sony recently announced their new lineup of sport series headphones for India. These headphones or earphones are designed to be used during activities like running and at the gym. The new sports series headphone range starts from Rs 4,990 and goes all the way up to Rs 12,990.

The new range of Sony's sports series headphone includes three models. Namely, WI-SP500 (Rs. 4,990), WI-SP600N (Rs. 9,990), and WF-SP700N (Rs. 12,990). All of these headphones are completely wireless. Also, they come packed with active noise cancelling. They are optimized to work with Google Assistant. No Siri optimisation though. However, these come packed with NFC for easy connectivity. Also, standard connectivity is via Bluetooth.

Design

Sony WI-SP500N

The design of the Sony WI-SP500N is pretty basic and advanced at the same time. The earphones consist of only a cable between the earbuds. However, both the earbuds have a noise cancelling unit attached to it. The NFC module and inline controls are mounted on the right side. The battery is on the left side. This makes the earphones look a little bulky. However, due to the grip fit material Sony used in the ear tips and surrounding area, the earphones are surprisingly grippy in the ear. Overall, the design is pretty neat. However, some may not like it due to ear mounted units.

Sony WI-SP600N

The design on the Sony WI-SP600N is the most basic out of the whole sports series lineup of the company. The earphones consist of traditional wireless earphones design. This included two earbuds connected via a cable. The cable has the inline controls along with battery and NFC module mounted on it. However, the ear tips aren't the basic design. The ear tips are fitted with specially designed tips what help hold the earbuds to your ear. This enables them to stay one even during vigorous exercise. Overall, this is the best earphones design wise. At least, this is what I think.

Sony WP-SP700N

WF-SP700N

The design of Sony WP-SP700N is the most unique and trending at this time. These are the company's flagship sport series headphones. It consists of fully wireless earbuds. It also comes along with a case that has a battery of its own to charge the earbuds. The earbuds are very light and comfortable to wear in everyday situations. The case is also quite small and easy to open and close with just a light swipe. Also, these are the world's first splash proof fully wireless earbuds. So, kudos to the design team on this one.

Sound Quality

All of the three, sport series headphones are designed to be fully wireless and offer active noise cancelling. Along with, they can offer ambient noise modes to offer sounds in when you need it. We tried all three of the above-mentioned earphones for a couple of minutes. Our first impression of the sound quality is really good. The active noise cancelling works really well. Pairing them using NFC was easy and convenient. The base of the headphones is extremely good. Also, these headphones get really loud if you decide to turn up the volume. However, the few minutes of testing isn't enough to completely tell us the quality of sounds these earphones will put out in all genres. However, the first impression makes us feel it will be pretty good.

Conclusion

The WI-SP500 (Rs. 4,990), WI-SP600N (Rs. 9,990), and WF-SP700N (Rs. 12,990) are greatly designed wireless earphones by the company. These look and feel very good. Also, they sound good by the initial testing. These make the earphones completely worth the money spent on it. However, missing Siri optimization might put some iOS users down. However with the smartphones killing the headphone jack, buy a sports series wireless earbuds from Sony is a great decision right now.

Amazon launches a new lite Internet Browser on the Google Play Store

Amazon Browser (1)
Amazon's new Internet Browser is Lite and Simple

Amazon, the e-commerce giant, has launched a new application on the Google Play Store. This time it is not a shopping app or an e-book application. The company has brought a new Internet browser which is said to be lighter than the other browsers. The browser is named "Internet: fast, lite, and private" on the Google Play Store.

The new browser by Amazon in is a lite application and it weighs in at around 2MB. The application is currently compatible with Android devices running on Android version 5.0 or above. However, we did notice that the browser is currently not available for our Samsung Galaxy S8 while we were able to install it on our 10.or E. 10.or is a sub-brand by Amazon which might be the reason why these devices got the browser support first.

The browser was only available for our 10.or devices

Amazon claims that their new browser will provide users with a more private experience. The company is doing this by not letting the application to ask for any additional permissions.

Link to Application on Play store

We did download and install Amazon's new Internet browser to check what it offers. The browser is very simple in terms of looks which is quite obvious as it is a lite application. Firing up the browser, we are greeted by a homepage which refers a few websites including Amazon and Facebook. Further, the homepage shows some trending news articles.

Also Read: OnePlus 6 to be the first water-resistant smartphone by the company

Amazon's Internet browser also offers a private tab where you can search anything and the history will not be recorded in the browser. We tried loading a few websites and they loaded quite fast. Being a lite app, it's just a simple browser and does not provide a lot of features. The app is sized at around 7MB after installation.

10.or D In-depth Review: The best ultra-low-budget phone ever?

Amazon India owned 10.or (pronounced Tenor) recently unveiled their latest smartphone. Their latest addition to their lineup is the 10.or D. The 10.or D is supposed to be the company's answer to the ultra-low-budget smartphone segment. The smartphone comes with decent, low budget specifications with a completely stock android to boost the performance. The design language is also same as company's other smartphones. The segment has seen complete monopoly by Xiaomi with the Redmi 4A and the new Redmi 5A. So does the 10.or D good enough to make a splash in the market?

10.or D

The 10.or D comes with a Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 coupled with an Adreno 308 GPU and 2GB or 3GB of RAM depending on your variant. It sports a 5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display. For the optics, it features a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and f/2.0 aperture. For the selfies, it packs a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a f/2.2 aperture with face detection and more. All of this is backed up by a 3,550mAh Battery.

10.or D
The 10.or D is one of the best smartphones in its price range.

The smartphone sports a plastic shell which is nothing to be surprised about at this price range. It runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The company promises a guaranteed update to at least Android 8.0 Oreo. This is a real plus point for the smartphone in its price range. Also, the software offers a stock UI experience like the Pixel devices and adds a couple of bug fixes to improve stability. It also includes a Fingerprint sensor, a dual-sim card slot with micro-sd expansion micro-USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Design

The 10.or D features the same design as the other smartphones in the company's lineup. This is really common for the devices in this segment. The phone's boxy design with slightly curved back makes it look good. Also, that light curve at the back improves the ergonomics really well. The phone is more comfortable to hold and use for long durations. This is contrary to what one might think from a first glance.

The front consists of a 5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display. Above that, you have an earpiece which is loud enough to make calls in busy and noisy areas. The sensor array for the proximity sensor and accelerometer is at its’ right. And the 5MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture is at it’s left. The device features a rear fingerprint sensor and on-screen buttons, so that’s it on the front.

On the rear of the device, you will find the speaker and the camera array along with the fingerprint sensor. There is a camera unit in the top centre of the device with a LED flash on it's right. The fingerprint sensor below the camera array. The phone bears the 10.or branding at the lower centre of the device. The speakers are also rear mounted. The speaker lies at the bottom below the 10.or branding. The device's back in non-removable.

The power buttons and the volume rocker is on the right. The dual-sim card tray along with micro-sd card slot lies on the left. There are separate slots for the two sim cards and micro-sd card. that's good over hybrid dual-sim card slots we have been seeing in the past years. On the top, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack along with a secondary microphone. And on the bottom, there is a micro-USB port with the primary microphone.

10.or D
The 10.or D is one of the best smartphones in its price range.

With a good looking and a surprisingly having good ergonomics. The 10.or D is completely charm to use in hand design wise and looks great at the same time. The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is in the correct location. However, if you are someone with big hands, the device feels small in hands. This is really beneficial for those with small hands. Overall, the 10.or D is one of the best-looking smartphones in its segment.

Software

The 10.or D runs on stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat. This offers a pixel like a user experience and helps in performance also. Apart from a couple of bug fixes, the software is left untweaked. This is a good thing for many, but some people want a unique look to their devices. Afterall, this is Android, an easy 3-rd party launcher will do the trick for them. Also, the company promised to update the device to at least Android 8.0 Oreo. almost, all devices in its segment don't bother with updates to the Android system, so that's great.

10.or D Screenshots
Screenshots of the 10.or D User Interfaces

When it comes to performance, all these little things like completely stock android help a lot. Also, the devices just got updated to January's Android security patch. Most of the smartphones in this segment are stuck on outdated software. It is really a good thing, that the company is making effort to keep this updated.

Performance

The performance is a major area of concern in any device. The 10.or D is meant to compete with the devices like the Redmi 5A. With its specifications, it already matches it in raw performance. However, the 10.or D comes with stock Android while the Xiaomi devices boast a heavily skinned MiUi. This will definitely affect the everyday performance in a good way. The 10.or D comes with a Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 coupled with an Adreno 308 GPU. This is coupled with a 2GB RAM with 16GB storage or 3GB of RAM with 32GB storage.

10.or D Tests
10.or D Tests

We ran our usual AnTuTu benchmarks and the GeekBench benchmark to evaluate the performance of the phone. Our review unit is a 3GB RAM with 32GB storage. So the test scores may vary. The AnTuTu 7 yielded a score of 43380 which is way higher than its competition. The GeekBench yield a single core score of 683 and multi-core score of 1898. The performance numbers of the device leave its competition behind in the dust.

The phone exhibits no lag while long usage duration. The phone's internals also stays cool even with long usages.

10.or D
The 10.or D is one of the best smartphones in its price range.

In light gaming such as Temple Run and Hill Climb Racing, the phone runs smoothly. However, heavy games like Need For Speed: No Limits and Asphalt 8 with device displays minute lag in long usages. Considering, the devices price tag and its competition, the performance is way ahead of its competitors.

Display

10.or D
The 10.or D is one of the best smartphones in its price range.

The smartphone has an average 5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display. The display gets quite low and bight. The colours are okay for an HD IPS display. The sunlight readability is poor. This is totally because of the capacity of the IPS display. However, at this price point, you cant expect anything else from the display.

Camera

The 10.or D features a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and f/2.0 aperture. For the selfies, it packs a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture. The camera sensors are great on paper. However, not everything depends on the camera lens as we have seen in the past.

The indoor shots by the device are quite good. The photos are good for the price of the device. However, zooming the photo introduces slight grain, but its great for what mobile cameras are meant to do. The stabilization of the camera is not bad but not that good too. The outdoor images from the device are really good. The colours aren't natural but are bright though. The details are great and the exposure is also good.

10.or D Camera Samples
Selfie

The 5MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture has the same story. The photos from the front camera are same as the back camera. Except for a little change on paper, everything is same. The front camera also has face detection which helps you detect a persons face while taking selfies. However, there is no such use for it yet. Maybe a later software update will make use of it.

The camera's on the 10.or D are n where near the flagship smartphone camera's we are used to these days. But considering the cost of a flagship smartphone and the cost of the 10.or D, the camera's are great. Also, 10.or D has got one of the best cameras in its segment.

Battery

Packing a 3,550mAh battery, the company claims the smartphone to have a backup of almost 2 days. However, 2 days with ideal usage translates to a day and a bit with my usage. I am happy to report that even with heavy usage of mine the device lasts around a day and a half. This is really impressive considering the price tag of the smartphone. The device takes almost 3 hours to charge with the included 1 Amp charger.

10.or D Tests
10.or D Tests

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 10 hours and 57 minutes. Which is up to the mark with the capacity of a battery in smartphones.

Conclusion

10.or D
The 10.or D is one of the best smartphones in its price range.

The 10.or D comes with a starting price tag of Rs 4,999 for the 2GB RAM and 16GB storage variant. The upgraded 3GB RAM model with 32GB storage costs Rs 5,999. Considering the price tag, the smartphone is a great deal. The smartphone trumps its competition in every aspect. It also includes a fingerprint sensor, which is a first in this segment. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member, you get an extra year warranty for this device. So this makes it more beneficial if you are already a prime member. In the starting we asked, is the smartphone good enough to make a splash? The answer is yes, it is good enough to dominate the segment. So with all that goodness and a low price tag, the smartphone is worth going for.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) In-Depth Review: Only for Binge Watchers?

It's no secret that the tablet market has been shrinking. In this age of increasing screen sizes and with decreasing bezels trend of 2017 the need for a tablet has greatly diminished. Although, despite the depleting market, the tablets continue to survive. Samsung recently launched their Samsung Galaxy Tab A in the country. It is supposed to a be an affordable tablet by the company. With an 8.0-inch (800 x 1280 pixels) FHD IPS display, the screen is not far big from the smartphones of these days. So the point comes is a tablet worth it? If yes, is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A worth the money?

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A comes with a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 coupled with an Adreno 308 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It sports an 8-inch (800 x 1280 pixels) FHD IPS display. For the optics, it features an 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and f/1.9 aperture. For the selfies, it packs a 5MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. All of this is backed up by a massive 5,000mAh Battery.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a good tablet for entertainment, but productivity lacks on Android OS

The devices come with a metal body which looks like gorgeous. It is a simple yet elegant design. But with a massive screen size and big chunky bezels, it is difficult to use with one hand. That being said, all the tablets are same in this area so it passes this test. It runs on Android 7.1.1(Nougat) with Samsung Experience 8.5. The device will update to Android 8.0 Oreo in the future, so it is a good news. The Tab A sports a dual-hybrid sim card slot along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB type-c port for charge and sync. However, at this price point, it lacks a fingerprint sensor. It is a big drawback considering such a big size of the device.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A  features a pretty simple design. Being said, there is nothing bad about it. The design language is not new, but nothing bad is there about it. There are big chunky bezels facilitate in holding the tablet. It also sports a physical home button along with two capacitive buttons in traditional Samsung style. There is a plastic boundary on the tablet. It prevents the tablet from scratches and scuffs. The back is made out of metal which looks and feels great.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) Front
The tablet's massive display makes it great for watching videos and more

The front consists of an 8.0-inch (800x1280 pixels) FHD IPS display. Above that, you will find a Samsung branding. The branding is accompanied by a speaker piece on the top, which gets the job done during calls. Also, yes this tablet has the facility to make calls. On the right of the speaker piece, there is the 5MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. Below that massive screen is a physical home button. On the left and right of the home button, there are the overview and back buttons. These are capacitive buttons.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) Back
The metal back gives it a premium feel in hand

On the back of the device, there is a visible boundary between the plastic side and the metal back panel. It gives a unique look to the device. In the top centre, there is the 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and f/1.9 aperture. Below it, lies the LED flash unit. Below the camera unit, you will find another Samsung branding. the first one was above the display on the front. The bottom centre you will find the licensing information.

The right side of the device consists of the power button and the volume rockers. The power button is not textured, so that's a minus point. textured power buttons help to find them easily in the pocket or the dark. Although considering its massive size, it won't fit in any normal pocket. On the left side, there is only the sim card tray and nothing else. At the top of the device, you will find a 3.5mm headphone jack along with a secondary microphone. On the bottom, there is the USB type-c jack for data and sync along with primary microphone and the speakers.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a good tablet for entertainment, but productivity lacks on Android OS

Overall, it is a good looking tablet with a pretty simple yet elegant design. There is nothing to complain about the design apart from the absence of the textured power button. Although considering people won't keep this in the pocket, it's a useless point altogether. With the presence of plastic boundary along the sides, the ensures metal remains undamaged. Also, it offers more protection to the screen in the case of a drop. Considering the massive size, that's a really good thing to have.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A runs on Android 7.1.1 with Samsung Experience 8.5 skin on the top. Samsung Experience is Samsung's skin on its Android devices. While it changes truly everything about the Android as we know it. With custom launcher, new settings, notification shade, icons, and lock screen. The Samsung Experience is truly great if you don't want the stock android. It resembles a lot of stock Android in its functionality and the similarities end there.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a good tablet for entertainment, but productivity lacks on Android OS

Although, its the same on all Samsung devices, Samsung also adds a few device related add-ons. Like the Keyboard has arrow keys for navigation. The settings are two tabbed, to make use of that screen real estate. However, third-party apps from the play store aren't optimized for a tablet. They mostly scale themselves making the experience worse. All in all, Samsung did great with the software end but it wasn't enough. The Android app developers are to blame here. The whole depleting tablet market is the cause here we believe.

Performance

The performance is a major area of concern in any device. However, this is a Tablet with big screen and performance is not the biggest concern here for Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A sports a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 coupled with an Adreno 308 GPU and 2GB of RAM. While the specifications are not up to the par, the device's purpose is not to chew on performance intensive games. Rather the design is for everyday usage.

We ran our usual AnTuTu benchmarks and the GeekBench benchmark to evaluate the performance of the device. The AnTuTu yielded a score of 35725 which is okay considering the price. The GeekBench yield a single core score of 662 and multi-core score of 1818. The performance numbers of the device on paper were sort-of good for the value.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) Talking on Phone
Calling on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is possible, However not recommended.

The tablet is great for everyday use with an ability to run few heavy apps if you wish. However, its main forte its massive screen. The device performs great in things like internet browsing with a large number of tabs open. The Google Chrome is optimized for tablets which makes it a delight to work on it. The big bezels provide a place to hold the device. The device performs well in the way it was supposed to be used. However, you can use it as a normal phone and make calls with it. We won't recommend it. Just purely because of its size. If you still wish to, you can insert a sim card in it and make calls or use it to browse the internet.

The device stays cool in under stressful conditions so that's a plus.

Display

The tablet has a massive 8-inch (800 x 1280 pixels) FHD IPS display. However, comparing it to a device like the iPad it is small in size. The display gets quite low and really bight if you wish to. The sunlight readability is great and if you wish to save battery, it can get quite low too. The colours are great, however, it doesn't match the clarity of the OLED display. Though at its price point we can say its definitely really good. As the device is made for productivity and media consumption it is a great display.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A features an 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and f/1.9 aperture. For the selfies, it packs a 5MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. The camera is nothing that great. On paper for this price you think you can get a 16-megapixel dual camera or what not. However, remember it is not made to be your smartphone. It is an 8-inch tablet. It has cameras for video calling and not taking great stills.

The indoor shots by the device are quite good. The colours are a bit brighter than reality but they are acceptable. The camera really shines outside with ample light. However the image stabilization, only digital its great. The photos don't get blurry and out of focus on the movement of the hand. With outside shots, where the light is ample, it stabilizes great and provides great focusing photos with a high amount of detail.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) Front Camera Sample
Selfie

The 5MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture has the same story. The photos are brighter than expected, but its good enough for video calls and more. You won't get the best shots for flaunting on the social media during a party. Considering the fact who will hold an 8-inch tablet taking selfies during a party? During the video calls for which the front shooter is meant for, it shines with providing great but not that detailed photos. It helps in situations where the internet connection is not that great.

Battery

Packing a massive 5,000mAh battery the tablet lasts more than a day. The battery is good enough to last almost a day and a half with constant usage. Even at the full brightness where Samsung display's a notice that the battery will drain faster, the device lasts more than a day. The charging time for the included charger is around two hours. Considering the massive battery it is quite good. The included charger is a 2 amp. It doesn't have the Samsung Adaptive fast charging, but it gets the job done.

We ran the PC Mark’s Work 2.0 Battery Life test which subjects the device too heavy usage and finds out the battery life in that condition. The device yielded a result of 15 hours and 44 minutes. Which is up to the mark with the capacity of a battery. Although, with the massive ultra-bright display of this tablet its great.

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a good tablet for entertainment, but productivity lacks on Android OS

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A comes with a price tag of Rs 17,990. Considering that price tag, the tablet is quite a deal. In the diminishing era of tablets, it shines brightly. Not only that, it works as advertised. For the price point, it is a great device, only if you have a use for it. Unlike a smartphone, tablets are not for everyone. So if you have a use case for a tablet, may it be binge-watching or internet browsing, its a great deal of the money. So would we recommend this tablet? Definitely, if you have a use case for the tablet. Not many people have a use-case for it, that's why their market is depleting. But if you do need a tablet, go for this one.

OnePlus 6 to be the first water resistant smartphone by the company

OnePlus 5
Just like the OnePlus 5/5T, OnePlus 6 will also feature a dual-camera setup

The Chinese smartphone giant OnePlus is currently gearing up to launch its next flagship, the OnePlus 6. As the launch date is nearing, the company is leaving more teasers and clues for us to guess what the smartphone's features be. This time around the company has left a clue that the upcoming smartphone will be water resistant.

Recently, OnePlus India tweeted via their official Twitter handle saying “Don’t you just hate it when you have to stop using your phone when it rains? So do we.” This simple tweet clearly says that the company's upcoming flagship smartphone will be water resistant. This will make the OnePlus 6 the first OnePlus device to support water resistance.

Water Resistance in a smartphone has been there for quite a while now. Flagships from Samsung, Apple and HTC come with water resistance. OnePlus fans have been asking for water resistance and with the OnePlus 6, they will finally get it.

Also Read: OnePlus 6 with a notch to be unveiled soon, Here’s what to expect

The OnePlus 6 is expected to launch sometime in May. However, we already have seen a lot of leaks and rumours telling us what the smartphone will carry under the hood. The OnePlus 6 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU. The device will come with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and this time there will also be a 256GB storage variant.

OnePlus 6 will sport a dual-camera setup at the back with a 16-megapixel and a 20-megapixel sensor. In India, the smartphone will be available exclusively via Amazon. The 2018 flagship from OnePlus will also come in a new Coral Blue colour variant.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini spotted on TENAA and AnTuTu ahead of launch: Specifications leaked

Samsung Galaxy S8 AOD 2
Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini might also feature an Always-on Display

Samsung is reportedly working on a smaller variant of their recently launched flagship smartphone. Samsung Galaxy S9 line-up is now getting a mini variant which will be called the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini. The Galaxy S9 Mini was recently spotted on TENAA and AnTuTu revealing the some of the specifications and key features of the smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini was spotted on AnTuTu Benchmarking website with the model number SM-G8750. There has also been another model number in the reports, SM-G8850 which could be a dual-sim variant of the same smartphone.

Renders of the upcoming Galaxy S9 Mini

As far as the specifications are concerned, the reports suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The Snapdragon 660 chip will be coupled with the Adreno 512 GPU. The smartphone will feature a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED Infinity display. The device will pack in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The smartphone will run on Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience UI out of the box. Under the hood, there will be a 3,000mAh battery powering up the internals.

If the reports are true, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini can be expected to be cheaper than the regular S9. The Galaxy S9 Mini features a 5.8-inch display which is similar to the regular S9, but it does support a mid-range processor instead of the Snapdragon 845 found on the regular S9 (US Variant).

Also Read: How to take a screenshot on your Samsung Galaxy S9/S8 or Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini is also expected to come with a dual-camera setup at the back. The South Korean giant will offer Blue and Black colour variants for the latter smartphone.

Flipkart to introduce a new smartphone on April 17: Here's what you need to know

Flipkart to reveal two big announcements on April 17

The popular e-commerce website, Flipkart is gearing up to introduce a new smartphone in the country. Flipkart made an announcement via its official Twitter handle that it will be announcing two big things on April 17.

Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of Flipkart said that they will be revealing an exclusive partnership with a tech giant. They are aiming to bring a tough competition for other smartphone manufacturers and sellers. The video on Twitter claims that there will be a "BIG reveal on Flipkart on April 17, 12 noon." The company will make the announcement via a press event scheduled for tomorrow, April 17 at New Delhi.

Reports suggest that the e-commerce company is going to partner up with either Huawei or Motorola. These companies also have smartphone launches lined up including the Moto G6 series and Huawei's P20 family.

Instead of a new smartphone, the e-commerce giant might come up with some sort of Value Added Services. These value-added services can be availed by anyone who is interested. The company might also launch a whole new Smartphone brand that will be exclusively on Flipkart.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi A1 discontinued in India, what is in store for the future?

Currently, the company is running a guessing contest on its app. You can head over to their official app and tap on the "#BigOnFlipkart" banner to participate. The contest gives you three options and you have to choose any two out of the three. You will also need to fill in your basic details like Name, E-Mail address and phone number.

Sony launches its 2018 edition of Audio line-up in India

Sony's new portable speakers come with ‘Party Booster’ feature

The Japanese tech-giant, Sony has launched its latest Headphone and Speaker line-up in India today. The whole attention here was grabbed by the all-new WF-SP700N truly wireless headphones. The company also introduced Wireless Speakers with a more advanced Extra Bass technology.

Sony's new headphone line-up includes the model numbers WF-SP700N, WI-SP600N, WI-SP500, WI-C300, WH-CH400 and the WH-CH500. The new speaker family, on the other hand, comes with the model numbers SRS-XB41, SRS-XB31 and SRS-XB21.

The WF-SP700N are the most feature-packed truly-wireless headphones from Sony

The WF-SP700N is being touted as the " World’s first truly wireless noise cancelling headphones" as they come digital noise cancelling technology. The pair of wireless headphones also has a splash-proof design. The other models including the WF-SP700N come with one-touch connectivity via NFC or Bluetooth. The WF-SP700N and the WI-SP600N have an edge over other headphones as they come with Google Assistant.

The company has also introduced a line of portable speakers. The company has improved its Extra Bass technology and also made the speakers dust and water proud this time. Interestingly, the SRS-XB41, SRS-XB31 and SRS-XB21 can also connect up to 100 different speakers via Bluetooth in order to create a wireless party chain.

Price and Availability

Sony's new Headphone and Speakers line-up will be available across all Sony Center and major electronic stores in India. The WF-SP700N and WI-SP600N are priced at Rs. 12,990 and Rs. 9,990 respectively. These headphones will be available in the market starting May 15, 2018.

Sony now has a wide-range of wireless headphones to choose from

The WI-SP500 and WH-CH500 are both priced at Rs. 4,990. The WI-C300 and the WH-CH400 are priced at Rs. 2,990 and Rs. 3,790 respectively. The WH-CH500 will be available starting May 15 while the other headphones will be available starting April 16.

The portable speaker line-up starts at Rs. 7,990 with the model number SRS-XB21. The Sony SRS-XB41 and SRS-XB31 can be grabbed at Rs. 13,990 and Rs. 9,990 respectively. The portable speakers will be available at the stores starting today, April 16.

All the new products are available in Black as well as a few more attractive colours.

Xiaomi Mi A1 discontinued in India, what is in store for the future?

Xiaomi Mi A1
The Mi A1 is the first Android One-based device from Xiaomi

Xiaomi in 2017 launched its first ever Android One smartphone in India, the Mi A1. A report has surfaced suggesting that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has discontinued the phone in India. The Xiaomi Mi A1 was a re-branded version of the company's Mi 5X which was being sold in China. The discontinuation of the device hints at the company launching its successor, and it helps to know the fact that the company has an event scheduled on April 25 where it might launch the Mi A2.

According to a report by 91Mobiles, the company has discontinued the A1 to pave a way for its replacement. They claim that Xiaomi has halted the supplies of the device citing Xiaomi partners in New Delhi. Also citing the same partners, it has also been said that the last billing of the device was done months ago. Also when you when you see the Xiaomi website, the smartphone seems to be perpetually out of stock, thus strengthening the report.

Xiaomi Mi A1
The Xiaomi Mi 6X is expected to launch in China on April 25

Xiaomi has already sent out media invites for an event happening in China on April 25. It is expected to launch the Xiaomi Mi 6X there, which when comes to India will become the second Android One device from the company.

Also Read: Top 5 alternatives to Xiaomi Black Shark smartphone

In terms of specifications, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is expected to sport a 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels with a full-screen display. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. According to a previous report it will launch in three storage variants - 4GB RAM with 32GB of internal storage, 6GB RAM with 64/128GB of internal storage. It is also expected to sport a dual camera setup on the back similar to the one found on Xiaomi's Redmi Note 5 Pro.