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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
Since the introduction of iOS and Android operating systems, the one feature that we have always loved is the ability to capture screenshots. When the screenshots were introduced, there was only one way to take it, by holding a key combination. However, our smartphones have gotten smarter over the years and now there are various ways to take a simple screenshot. The Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+/S8/S8+ and the Note 8 can take screenshots in 5 different ways.
Hold down the Power Button and Volume Down key to take a screenshot
This is one of the most popular ways in which people take screenshots. However, if you have just upgraded to an S9 from an S7 or older generation, you might be confused. In the Samsung Galaxy S7 and earlier generations, we used to take screenshots by holding down the power and the home button. Since the new smartphones come with an Infinity Display, they don't have a home button. So, to take a screenshot you simply need to hold the power and the volume down key together in order to take a screenshot. Also, the Power+Volume Down key combination is common for most Android smartphones out there.
2. Palm Swipe to Capture
A Swipe of Palm can also capture a Screenshot on the Samsung Galaxy S8
Another popular method to take screenshots in the Samsung smartphones includes the palm swipe. Palm Swipe to capture has been on the Samsung smartphones since the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S3 back in 2012. You can enable Palm swipe by following these simple steps:
Head over to Settings
Tap on Advanced features and tap on Palm Swipe to Capture
Make sure it is turned on
Now you can simply take a screenshot by swiping the edge of your palm across the screen. However, you cannot use the Palm Swipe feature when you are using the on-screen keyboard.
Smart Capture can be found in the Edge Panels of your smartphone
With the introduction of curved edges, Samsung also introduced a feature called Edge Screen. Edge Screen sits at one of the edges of your smartphone and can be called by just a swipe. The Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+/S8/S8+ and Note 8 all come with this feature as they have curved screens. To take screenshots using Smart Select, you need to make sure that your Edge Screen is turned on
Open up your phone's Settings
Now go to Display and scroll down to find Edge Screen
In the Edge Screen section, Make sure Edge Panels is turned on
Also, in Edge Screen Smart Select should be checked
Bring out the Ede Screen by swiping left from the right edge. Scroll until you find Smart Select. Here you can select, Rectangle or Oval to take a part of the page as a screenshot. You can also use Animation in order to create a gif.
4. Bixby Voice Assistant
Hey Bixby "Take a Screenshot"
The Bixby Voice Assitant was introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S8. However, the voice assistant was not liked by everyone. The assistant is actually capable of doing a lot of tasks like even taking a screenshot.
Open up the page you want to screenshot
Fire up Bixby by saying "Hey Bixby"
Now say "Take a Screenshot"
Voila! Bixby just took a screenshot for you. You can navigate to the gallery to see the screenshot.
5. Google Assistant
Ok Google, "Take a Screenshot"
Just like the Bixby Voice Assistant, Google Assistant can also take screenshots for you. This feature not only works on the Samsung Galaxy S9, it works on all Android smartphones that have the Google Assistant.
Call up Google Assistant by saying "Ok Google"
Once the assistant pops up, say "Take a screenshot"
The Google Assitant did all the work for you and saved a screenshot in your gallery.
WhatsApp, Worlds most used messaging app is back at it again with a new feature.
Messaging Giant, WhatsApp recently introduced a slew of new features. These features are will help make the messaging app more intuitive to use. Especially one of the many new features is welcomed the most.
What's the new Feature?
The new feature resolves the issue of files accidentally being deleted. When you download a file and then accidentally delete it, you can't download it again from WhatsApp. WhatsApp fixed this issue in their latest update. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp now allows users to download the media again. This is due to company storing media on the server even if its downloaded once.
Delete for Everyone Feature enables users to delete sent messages.
However, this feature was partially available before also. The company used to keep non-downloaded media on the server for 30 days. However, now the company has decided to keep the downloaded media also. With this new update, WhatsApp will keep media on the server no matter what happens. This will enable to download it again if it gets deleted.
However, the duration of the files being saved is still not known. According to a report, files sent months ago were downloaded after a couple of attempts. This means the company might keep the media forever. This is a big privacy issue that the users might face. Also, with the files kept on the server for a couple of months, the App still says the media to be secure. This done via end-to-end encryption.
How to get it?
This new feature is available for Android only as of now. The update will be rolling out soon to all Android users. iOS users will have to wait for this update. As for the Windows Phone, still no news for this update on its platform.
Motorola is gearing up to launch a new line-up of smartphones this week. The Moto G6 family is almost ready to be unveiled. We have witnessed a lot of leaks and rumours until now. However, the Geekbench listing of the Moto G6 Plus confirms few of those leaks and rumours.
As far as the specifications are concerned, as per the Geekbench listing, the Moto G6 Plus will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The device will pack in 4GB of RAM while other reports suggest there will also be a 6GB RAM variant. As for storage, the device is expected to come with 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage.
Moto G6 Plus leaked images
Further, the Moto G6 Plus will run on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. A few other reports suggest that the smartphone will sport a 5.93-inch full HD display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, there will be a 3,200mAh battery powering up the internals.
GizmoChina, on the other hand, has reported that the Moto G6 Plus might carry a Snapdragon 630 chipset under the hood. The report says that GeekBench has wrongly listed the Snapdragon 630 as Snapdragon 660. It happened at the time of HTC U11 Life also where GeekBench listing showed Snapdragon 660 while the smartphone was launched with the Snapdragon 630 chipset.
Lenovo-owned Motorola has confirmed the launch date as April 19. The launch event will be held in Brazil. The smartphone is expected to come in Silver, Rose, Blue and Black colour variants.
The Canon EOS M50 comes with 4K movie recording capability
Canon unveiled their latest EOS M50 camera in India. The Canon EOS M50 is the company's new mirrorless camera for India Market. It features a DIGIC 8 image processor. This enables it to ensure better picture quality. The camera also packs 4K movie shooting capability. The camera is priced at Rs 61,995 for the single kit option.
It also comes with touch and drags AF (autofocus). It also comes equipped with an improved 'dual pixel CMOS AF'. Canon's latest lightweight portable camera comes with 24.1-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor. This enables the camera to shoot ultra-high-definition movies even under low-light conditions.
“India is an evolving market and so are the demands and expectations of the customers. EOS M50 strengthens our commitment to the mirrorless segment. This product is a result of our ‘consumer-first’ approach.”
Kazutada Kobayashi, president and CEO, Canon India
Canon EOS M50 Features
Canon claims that the '4K Frame Grab' function enables to extract high-quality images from the already taken footage. The company also claims that their IS lenses help reduce camera shake during movie shooting.
The camera also had a feature that enables shooting at the resolution of HD 120p enabling high-quality slow-motion videos. Also, to help with low light conditions, the camera comes with ISO speed of 25,600 and expandable up to 51,200.
The Canon EOS M50 comes with an Electronic Viewfinder with touch and drag autofocus.
The newly added silent mode enables to completely turn down the shutter sound. This helps when you don't want the shutter sound to spoil the environment. The camera also allows for a continuous shooting speed of approximately 10 fps. Moreover, this can be done in one shot AF and 7.4fps in Servo AF.
The company says that the EOS M50 is designed for single-handed operation. For the same purpose, the buttons and dials located on the right side of the camera. This enables users to adjust settings even while looking through the electronic viewfinder (EVF).
Black Shark is the Xiaomi's attempt at the Razer Phone Alternative
Chinese Electronics manufacturer, Xiaomi is backing Black Shark. The company just released their first smartphone. Black Shark, which is also the name of the smartphone is a gaming-centric device. What's more interesting, is its price tag. The smartphone starts at CNY 2,999 (~Rs 31,100). The smartphone will be available on JD.com, YouPin and Xiaomi's website. The first sale will be happening on April 20th. However, the availability of smartphone outside China is still unknown.
The Black Shark features some features that put it apart. It features a liquid cooling system. The new Black Shark smartphone also features a DCI-P3 colour gamut. The company claims of the colour gamut to cover about 97% of all colours. The company also claims a whopping 2,79,464 on the AnTuTu benchmarking application with the Black Shark.
However, the smartphone is presently only restricted to China. So here are some of the other alternatives that you can buy outside of China.
Razer is known for its excellent gaming peripherals and laptops. So a Razer Phone is a great gaming smartphone.
Razer is widely known for its excellent gaming peripherals and laptops. The same company released a smartphone mid last year, making it one of the best gaming smartphones out there. Sure, the smartphone is not one of the best all-rounders but is gaming-centric. Dual front stereo speakers offer great sound with the 120Hz display offering enough refresh rate for any smartphone game.
2. OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 5T was launched back in November 2017. However, it is still a capable smartphone. It packs a Snapdragon 835 along with 6/8GB RAM. It features an 18:9 full view display and a dual rear camera setup. The smartphone is not designed for gaming but offers excellent performance if you decide to use it for the same. Also, it is available worldwide, so that's a bonus.
3. Honor View 10
Honor recently launched their View 10. The smartphone is not at all gaming-centric. However, it offers excellent performance and great value for money. And also, with the AI based features it packs, it is a great smartphone for everyday use. This makes the View 10 one of the best daily smartphones. The Kirin 970 can surely tackle any game that's thrown on it.
4. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s
Mix 2s is the company's latest full-screen display smartphone. And its got a stunning display.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s matches the Black Shark at performance figures and price. It packs the same processor and RAM configuration as the Black Shark. It comes with Snapdragon 845 along with 6/8GB of RAM. What's more, it costs almost the same price. This makes the Mi Mix 2s a great alternative. What's more, it packs an almost edge to edge display making usage experience amazing. What's a good game without a great display?
5. Samsung Galaxy A8+
Galaxy A8+ looks like the S8 mini with amazing camera performance.
The Samsung Galaxy A8+ is the company's best mid-range smartphone. It offers great camera performance. Also, due to the presence of the dual from the camera, it makes it a great selfie-centric smartphone. It doesn't match the Black Shark in performance, how it matches and beats it in the display. The smartphone has got an excellent display. And as we know, one of the most important aspect of gaming is the display.
The Huawei P20 Pro is available in attractive colour variants
Huawei P20 and P20 Pro in the international markets are one of the best smartphones consumers can get in the market.
Huawei P20 Pro has gained immense popularity due to its attractive design and the unique triple camera set up at the rear which is powered by Leica. In case you don't want to doal out huge wads of cash to purchase the device, here are a few alternatives to the Huawei P20 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Samsung unveiled their 2018 edition of flagships at the MWC back in February. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are now available for purchase in most markets. The Galaxy S9+ is one of the best alternatives to the Huawei P20 Pro as it is from 2018 and comes with a great set of cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera setup at the back with variable aperture
As for the specs, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ features a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440x2960 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The smartphone is powered by the Exynos 9810 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM. The device is available in 64GB and 256GB storage variants. The Galaxy S9+ features a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back with variable aperture technology.
Apple iPhone X
Yes, Apple iPhone X is from 2017 while the Huawei P20 Pro just unveiled. The iPhone X is, however, still a considerable alternative to the P20 Pro. If you are in love with the displays that have a notch, iPhone X got you covered. Apple's flagship also has a great OLED panel and a stunning design.
Apple iPhone X's glass-back brings Wireless Charging to the table
The Apple iPhone X features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1125x2436 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The smartphone is powered by the Apple's own A11 Bionic chipset.
As for the optics, the Apple iPhone X sports a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there is a 7-megapixel selfie shooter.
OnePlus 5T
If you don't want to get into the iOS world and stick onto an Android phone, OnePlus 5T is another great option. Also, you can easily purchase the OnePlus 5T without burning a hole in your pocket. The OnePlus 5T offers stock-like Android experience with great performance. The smartphone might not have cutting-edge cameras but the performance makes this phone a beast. If you can wait for a month or so, you can grab the successor OnePlus 6 instead.
OnePlus 5T has an 18:9 AMOLED display up front
OnePlus 5T is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The smartphone packs in 6GB or 8GB of RAM coupled with 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone runs on Android Oreo-based Oxygen OS. OnePlus 5T sports a dual-camera setup at the back which includes a 16-megapixel and a 20-megapixel sensor.
Google Pixel 2 XL
Google Pixel 2 XL is one of the best smartphones from 2017. If you prefer stock Android over customized ones, this smartphone can deliver the perfect experience for you. The Google Pixel 2 XL does not have a triple-camera or a dual-camera setup. However, the smartphone uses Google's software algorithms to deliver great bokeh effect in pictures. Being the best smartphone camera of 2017, we think it can be an alternative to the Huawei P20 Pro
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are one of the best phones of 2017
The Google Pixel 2 XL features a 6-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1440x2880 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The device packs in 4GB of RAM coupled with either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The Pixel 2 XL sports 12-megapixel camera at the back with a LED flash.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Huawei P20 Pro might be one of the best smartphones currently, but Galaxy Note 8 ruled the smartphone world in 2017. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was one of the complete packaged smartphones of 2017.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with an S-Pen
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 features a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440x2960 pixels and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Exynos 8895 chipset coupled with the Mali-G71 MP20 GPU. The device packs in 6GB of RAM and it is backed by a 3300mAh battery.
In the camera segment, the Galaxy Note 8 comes with a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup with dual OIS at the back. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper.
Both the Huawei P20 Pro and P20 Lite smartphones are now available in the Indian markets as well.
There are a ton if applications available for iOS and Android
Smartphone applications have made our life much easier. There are a ton of apps on both popular mobile-based operating systems, iOS and Android. Some of these apps have become a great part of our life as they solve a lot of our problems. So we have brought down a list of apps that we think should be the first to install when you get a new smartphone.
Messaging App
WhatsApp is the first app that comes to our mind when speaking of texting or messaging. It is also one of the first apps we install after setting up our smartphones. So if you have recently got a new smartphone, you should definitely install WhatsApp. It offers you free cross-platform messaging where you can also share pictures videos and much more. There are more apps like WhatsApp which include Telegram, Hike and many more.
WhatsApp is available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone
Notes Keeping App
Most smartphones including iPhones and Android smartphones come with a notes application. Usually, these apps are not as good as some of the third-party notes keeping apps. We recommend that you should try out Google Keep. Keep is Google's own note keeping application and is available on both, iOS and Android. Keep allows you to sync all your notes online so that they can be safe and you can also see those notes from any device. You can also check out some other advanced notes app like Evernote and Microsoft OneNote.
Evernote comes with some advanced set of features
Your Telecom Operator's app
Nowadays. most of our work is now easy thanks to the smartphone applications. Telecom operators like Airtel, Vodafone and Jio also have their own apps for various reasons. These apps allow you to check your balance, data left, pack validity and much more. We highly recommend you to install applications by your service provider to keep a track of your usage. You can also make online recharges or bill payments using these apps.
My Jio App from Reliance Jio allows you to check your balance on the go
Social Media App
We all need to be social in some way or the other. Sometimes they help us relax or stay connected to our friends and family. Sometimes these social media platforms might just be a part of your work. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram have their own Android and iOS applications. If you are on any social media, you can simply install the app to stay connected.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media application
Music Streaming Service
Spotify allows users to listen to high quality music for free
Since Jio came into the market, rates of mobile data have been reduced by a lot. As the mobile data is now cheaper, instead of downloading music, many people now prefer to use a music streaming service. There are plenty of music streaming services like Gaana, Apple Music, Saavn and much more. You can also check out Spotify, a popular music streaming service. To install Spotify we recommend you to read our article on How to download and use Spotify in India.
