The OnePlus 6 Infinity War limited edition might be exclusive to India only.
Chinese Smartphone Manufacturer OnePlus is expected to launch the OnePlus 6 soon. There are also rumors of the company launching a limited edition version of it also. The limited edition with be an Avengers: Infinity war edition. However, now the company has officially confirmed this with a media note. The note says that OnePlus will be launching a Limited Edition OnePlus 6 based on the Marvel's upcoming movie, Avengers: Infinity War.
The company states that the partnership will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Marvel Studios. In the same media note, the company also says that the collaboration "marks a step towards strengthening our association with Disney India" following the Star Wars Tie up last year. Given the reference to Disney India, it seems like the Infinity War edition will be targetted to Indian Markets only.
However, there are rumors of the limited edition smartphone making it's way to western markets this time. However, as China and India are the biggest selling grounds for the company. Also, the partnership is only with Disney India. This leads us to believe that the limited edition OnePlus won't make the western market cut.
With Marvel boasting a huge fan base in India. Also, the demand for unique limited edition smartphones growing in the country. OnePlus took a strategic decision to partner up with Marvel in India for OnePlus 6 limited edition.
What do we know about the OnePlus 6?
However, there is very little we know about the device itself. Although several leaks and teasers have shown us what the device may look like, we don't know anything for certain. However, as the Avengers: Infinity War is launching worldwide on April 27th, we know the smartphone is not that far away.
We know, that the OnePlus 6 will boast a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with 8GB of RAM. Mr. Carl Pei, CEO OnePlus, already teased the camera samples of the OnePlus 6. The teased photos show that the camera will be impressive. Also, it will be sporting wireless charging.
Huawei's sub-brand Honor has launched another smartphone today in China. The Honor 10, launched today, is inspired by the recently launched Huawei P20 in terms of design. Looking at the Honor 10, the first thing you will notice is the notch up front which consists of the earpiece, camera and a couple of sensors. Another highlight of the smartphone is its AI-backed dual-camera setup at the back.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Honor 10 sports a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The smartphone is powered by Huawei's homegrown HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset coupled with the Mali-G72 MP12 GPU. The device packs in 6GB of RAM coupled with either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone runs on EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,400mAh battery powering up the internals.
On the optics front, the Honor 10 features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 24-megapixel and a 16-megapixel sensor. Up front, there is a 24-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
In terms of connectivity, the Honor 10 supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC and a USB Type-C port. The smartphone also features a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button up front.
Price and Availability
Honor launched the Honor 10 in China starting at a price of CNY 2,599 (roughly Rs. 27,200) for the 64GB variant. The 128GB variant of the smartphone retails at CNY 2,999 which roughly converts to Rs. 31,400. The Honor 10 comes in two interesting colour variants, namely, Phantom Blue and Mirage Purple. The smartphone will go on sale starting April 27 in China. There is no word on when the smartphone will make its way to the other markets.
Sony demonstrated Sony Connect by connecting 25 speakers and playing a sound to demonstrate its power.
Sony recently announced their new lineup of Party series wireless speakers for India. These speakers are designed to be used during activities like camping or during a house party. The new party series speakers range starts from Rs 7,990 and goes all the way up to Rs 13,990.
The new range of Sony's party series speakers includes three models. Namely,SRS-XB21 (Rs. 7,990), SRS-XB31 (Rs. 9,990) and SRS-XB41 (Rs. 13,990). All of these speakers are completely wireless. Also, they come packed with NFC support and party link. They are optimized to work with Google Assistant. No Siri optimisation though. Also, standard connectivity is via Bluetooth. Party Link is Sony's software which enables the speakers to be bundled with up to 100 speakers together.
Design
SRS-XB41
SRS-XB41
SRS-XB31
SRS-XB21
All three of the Sony's party series speakers look almost the same. Except for minor changes. The SRS-XB41 comes with speakers lights and strobe lights which sync to music and look really impressive. The SRS-XB31 misses the strobe lights feature. However, it still has the speakers lights. The smallest of the bunch, SRS-XB21 has just a single led for power. All three of the speakers are made from mesh technology offering a software feel in hand. Overall, they look and feel very good. The best part about these speakers is their IP67 rating, which is unparalleled in the market.
Sound Quality
All of the three, Party series speakers are designed to be fully wireless and offer loud sound with a great base. We tried all three of the above-mentioned speakers for a couple of minutes. Our first impression of the sound quality is really good. Pairing them using NFC was easy and convenient. The base of the headphones is extremely good. Also, these speakers get really loud if you decide to turn up the volume. However, these are made for the party environment, so that was expected. However, the few minutes of testing isn't enough to completely tell us the quality of sounds these speakers will put out in all genres. Although, the first impression makes us feel it will be pretty good.
Also, the company claimed that the speakers can be clubbed for a louder sound. Also, it supports up to 100 speakers coupled together. We couldn't see that in action, but the company displayed by connection 25 speaker together.
Conclusion
TheSRS-XB21 (Rs. 7,990), SRS-XB31 (Rs. 9,990) and SRS-XB41 (Rs. 13,990) 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 speakers completely worth the money spent on it. However, we would recommend the smaller model if you don't care about those fancy lights. This is due to the fact, these offer similar sound quality. Although, missing Siri optimization might put some iOS users down. With the ease of access to mobility of wireless speakers and the capability and IP67 rating, these are a good option to spend your money on.
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
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
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
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.
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
Sepcifications
Earphones
Earbuds
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
Design
Earphones
Earbuds
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
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Front
Front
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.
Back
Back
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.
Top
Left
Right
Bottom
Bottom
Top
Left
Right
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
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.
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
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
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Right
Left
Top
Bottom
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 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
Home Screen
Lock Screen
Notification shade
Android 7.1.1
Notification shade
Home Screen
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 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.
AnTutu
GeekBench
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.
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
Lock Screen
Home Screen
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.
Indoor
Indoor
Indoor
Indoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
Outdoor
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.
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.
PC Mark Work 2.0
Battery Settings
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 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.
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.
Don’t you just hate it when you have to stop using your phone when it rains? So do we ? pic.twitter.com/WsWc4Mw3Yz
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.
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 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).
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.
