Xiaomi recently launched the much-awaited Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro in India. The smartphones have seen a lot of success in the country by going out of sale within seconds of the start of the Flash Sale. The company has shown its love to the customers by introducing a new feature on the Redmi Note 5.
With the MIUI 9.5 update, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has received Apple iPhone X-like gesture-based navigation system. Now you can finally let go of that navigation bar and enjoy a true full-screen experience on that 18:9 display.
How to activate the Gesture Navigation feature
First of all, make sure that your Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is on the latest firmware. You can do this by heading over to Setting>About Phone>System Update.
Once your smartphone is updated, head over to Settings
Navigate to Full-screen display>System Navigation
Here select "Full-screen gestures" and you are done
Now you will notice that the Navigation bar is gone. So to go back to the home screen, just like the iPhone X, simply swipe up from the bottom. Similarly, instead of the back key now you have to swipe left or right anywhere from the screen. To access the multitasking screen, swipe up from the bottom and hold.
If you do not like the new changes or cannot get used to it, you can always revert back to the good old navigation bar. You can head over to Settings>Full-screen display>System Navigation and select Buttons.
We hope that the feature will soon make its way to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro as well.
Xiaomi has launched a number of products in different categories. Sadly, only a few of them made their way to India. The company is planning to fix this problem by knowing people's interests. The Chinese manufacturer has introduced the Mi Crowdfunding programme in India. Via this new programme, the company will ask the people which products are they interested in.
Under the Mi Crowdfunding programme, Xiaomi will keep posting a list of products that will make their way to India's portfolio only once a certain number of people are interested in the product. If the product does not grab enough attention in the given time period, the customers will not get the product and their money will be returned. The Mi Crowdfunding programme is a part of the Xiaomi Mi Fan Festival which is set to run from April 5 to April 6.
Currently, the company has listed two new products under the Mi Crowdfunding programme.
The Mi Selfie Stick Tripod is a combination of a selfie stick and a tripod stand. The product is listed on the company's website for Rs. 1,099. It also comes with a Bluetooth shutter remote that uses Bluetooth 3.0. The tripod is capable of rotating 30-degrees and can accommodate even a smartphone as large as Mi Max 2.
Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Audio Receiver
The Mi Bluetooth Audio Receiver converts any normal earphones, headphones or speakers into a wireless one. The receiver has a 3.5mm Audio Jack to connect with your earphones and can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth 4.2.
Detel is a new entrant into the Indian market of consumer electronics. The company till now has launched a range of televisions, mobile phones and power banks. We got the Detel 32-inch smart TV for review purposes delivered to our office. The television is powered by Google's Android operating system and is available at Rs. 17,999. The television utilises LED technology and comes with an HD ready panel from Samsung. The television sports 8GB of internal storage along with 1GB of RAM. It comes packed with features like Dolby Digital and Miracast support amongst various others.
One important point to keep in mind is that the television is made in India by an Indian brand. The brand is currently new so it will definitely have some problems, which we will be addressing in this review. However, not all was bad and we did like more than a few things in this television. This might have been the cheapest LED smart TV in the market when launched. However, now it's not, comparing it to the Mi TV 4A 32-inch which is way cheaper. One thing to note here is that this might not be the cheapest 32-inch smart TV but it is a good contender. The Mi TV 4A doesn't let users download apps from the Play Store, or even let its users watch Amazon Prime or Netflix, whereas this does. Also, the Detel smart TV comes with a Samsung A* grade panel which is definitely much better than most of the competition.
The box of the television includes: The Television set, a remote control, a user manual, a pair of leg stands, a few screws and an HDMI cable. We mentioned what was included in the box just to warn you that the screws inside the box are not adequate for the leg stands and we had to use our own screws to fix that, so if you are planning to purchase the television just be ready to get a few screws that actually fit the television.We also found that when the television is set on the stand it tends to lean forward, which kind of makes viewing difficult, so also get something to put under the stand to balance to TV upright.
Coming to what we liked about the television, first and foremost is its remote control. The remote control of the device is really functional. It has various buttons to perform almost every task that a user can think of. From a YouTube, Netflix button to a mouse button it had all of the buttons we wished to use. However, the quality of the remote seems iffy, and we think better quality plastics could have been used by the company.
Coming to the display, the company has decided to go with the Samsung LSC320AN09/10 panel. This panel has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The display seems a bit oversaturated when turned on for the first time. After playing around the settings and tweaking the display, we found the television to perform much better. The display after the tweaks was really easy on the eyes, and an overall pleasure to view. We could spend hours watching content and playing games not get tired. However, we do recommend that when gaming put the television in the gaming mode to get better response times.
The television comes with two A/V ports, two HDMI ports, two USB ports, one microSD card slot, one VGA port, one PC A-IN, one RF-IN, one LAN port and one line out port. Seeing a company add so many input ports is a delight as we can connect a lot of our appliances at once without the need of constantly replacing the wire inputs.
As for the sound, the television supports Dolby Digital which makes the sound coming out of the television a total delight. The soundstage of the television is perfect and the amount of treble and bass don't need any adjusting. The television gets quite loud and is able to fill a big room full of people with sound.
Conclusion
Considering the fact that Detel is a new company in the Indian market, it will have some teething problems. However, considering the fact that the company has provided such a good television at this price is commendable. The display is great along with the sound. But, the most important part of a smart TV is its user interface, which Detel has managed to keep simple enough for everybody to understand. If you are in the market for a smart TV but are on a tight budget, we would say that you that you definitely check out the Detel 32-inch smart LED TV before purchasing.
Black Shark the Xiaomi backed gaming accessories brand will be launching a new gaming smartphone next week. Xiaomi has officially sent out invites to media houses for the same. The new smartphone is being said will take on the Razer smartphone and will launch in Beijing, China on April 13. Though the invite does include the Mi branding, it is being said that the smartphone will not sport the Xiaomi branding. This is due to the fact that Xiaomi with this smartphone will be targetting the developed markets, where for the people it is extremely difficult to pronounce the brands name.
Xiaomi black shark invite | Image Credit: Weibo
The invite for the event first surfaced on Weibo. Currently, not much is known about how the device will end up looking. Last week, another leak on Weibo stated that this so-called gaming smartphone from Xiaomi will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. While earlier, in an AnTuTu listing the smartphone was showcased to sport a full-HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 along with 32GB of internal storage. Whereas, a listing on Geekbench suggested that the device will run on Google's Android 8.0 Oreo operating system backed by 8GB of RAM.
If all the specification leaks about the new Black Shark gaming smartphone are true, then it will give the Razer Phone a true run for its money. As both the smartphones will have similar specifications to each other. The one place where we expect the Black Shark smartphone to take the cake is its price which is expected to be much lower than the Razer Phone, as Xiaomi is famous to keep the price of their devices highly competitive.
Since the launch of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, dual-cameras and portrait mode have become so popular among the smartphones. Nowadays, you can get dual-cameras on a budget smartphone like iVoomi i1, a mid-range device like Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and a flagship like OnePlus 6 or Samsung Galaxy S9+. Those using an older smartphone cannot take advantage of the portrait feature.
Now there is a way to get portrait shots even on a two-year-old flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S7. Google Pixel 2 introduced software based portrait mode which can be ported to other smartphones as well. Thanks to the developers at XDA Developers for porting the Google Camera app from the Pixel 2 for other smartphones. Initially, the app worked only on devices running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821. Now, the developers have expanded the compatibility and it now works with some Exynos powered devices as well.
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Portrait
Here's how you can get the Portrait mode on your Samsung Galaxy S8 or S7
Go to Settings by clicking on the icon on the top left corner and then tap on Settings
Open B-S-G Mod Settings
Tap on Model and Select Nexus 6
In the same page, turn on Portrait mode on all models
Go back to the settings page and scroll down to find Developer Settings
Here uncheck camera.af.debug.show and turn on camera.faceboxes
Now just restart the app and you are done. Voila! you can now take Portrait mode pictures from your Samsung Galaxy S8 or S7.
To take portrait mode shots, simply fire up the Google Camera app, tap on the menu icon in the top left corner and select portrait mode. Find a subject and hit the shutter button. It might take a few seconds to do the whole processing. Also, do note that currently, the portrait mode for selfies do not work.
HMD Global introduced five phones at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona. The five phones included the Nokia 1, Nokia 8810, Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco. The company, on Wednesday, brought three out of those five phones in India, namely the Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco.
The specifications of the smartphones were revealed at the MWC 2018. The India launch was mainly about the pricing and the availability details of the smartphones in India. The Nokia 6 successor, Nokia 6 (2018) is priced at Rs. 16,999 and will go on sale starting April 6. The smartphone will be available via both online and offline markets.
Nokia 8 Sirocco
Nokia 7 Plus is expected to be the most demanding phone of the lot as the company is touting it as “flagship for everyone.” The smartphone is priced at Rs. 25,999 and will go on sale starting April 30 exclusively via Amazon.in. However, interested buyers can pre-book the device which is opening on April 20. The flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco is priced at Rs. 49,999 and will compete against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S9, Apple iPhone 8 and the Google Pixel 2. Just like the Nokia 7 Plus, the Nokia 8 Sirocco will also be available for pre-booking starting April 20 and will go on sale on April 30. The flagship will be available via both online and offline stores.
HMD Global launched the Nokia 1 Android Oreo (Go Edition) smartphone in India recently. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 5,499 and is available in Dark Blue and Red colour variants. Customers can also avail Rs. 2,200 cashback from Jio and 60GB of additional 4G data.
HMD Global is holding a launch event in India on April 4. The finish company is expected to launch a bunch of smartphones including the Nokia 6 (2018), 7 Plus and the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco. The launch is being held in New Delhi which will begin at 12 PM on April 4. The company has announced that they will also be live streaming the event via their official Facebook page.
Nokia Mobile has created an event on their Facebook page that says, "Having evolved in design, technology, and style - we bring to you a new range of smartphones in India; equipped with best of Android and Google services. Join us as we unveil the next milestone for Nokia phones via Facebook Live, on April 4th at 12:00 PM." So if you are interested in watching the live stream, you can head over to company's Facebook Page on April 4 at 12 PM.
Nokia 6 (2018) features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC coupled with the Adreno 508 GPU. The device packs in 3GB or 4GB of RAM with 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. Storage on the device is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The Nokia 6 (2018) runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3000mAh battery powering up the internals.
Nokia 7 Plus sports a 6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The device packs in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The smartphone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and is backed by a 3800mAh battery.
Samsung recently launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in India. The launch of new smartphones means that their predecessors will receive a price cut. So, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have received a price drop in India. The new prices are now listed on the Samsung estore in India. The prices will soon start affecting the other online stores and the offline stores as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8 is now priced at Rs. 49,990 in India. The price drop makes it much cheaper than the Galaxy S9's 57,900 price tag. The larger Samsung Galaxy S8+ is now available for as low as Rs. 53,990. Samsung also has another variant of the Galaxy S8+ in India which comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The 128GB variant of the smartphone is now priced at Rs. 64,900.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a 5.8-inch display while the S8+ sports a 6.2-inch display. Displays on both the smartphones are Super AMOLED and come with a resolution of 1440x2960 pixels and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Both the smartphones are powered by the Exynos 8895 octa-core processor. The devices pack in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Galaxy S8+ also comes in a 6GB+128GB variant. Both the smartphones run on Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0 layered on top of it. The Galaxy S8 is backed by a 3,000mAh battery while the larger Galaxy S8+ packs in a 3,500mAh battery under the hood.
On the optics front, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ feature a 12-megapixel camera at the back with f/1.7 aperture, OIS, PDAF and a LED flash. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter on both the smartphones.
For security, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ sport a fingerprint scanner at the back. The devices also come with an Iris Scanner and Face Unlock feature.
Detel Mobiles expanding its portfolio in India has launched a set of feature phones in the country. The new feature phone models include the Detel D1 Boom, D4 Prime, D120 and D500. The phones have something in common and that is the presence of the ‘Panic button’ which is specially designed for Women's safety.
Detel D4
Why do I need a feature phone in 2018?
In 2018, it might be strange seeing companies like Detel putting the effort into bringing a feature phone to the market. Currently, the market is dominated by smartphones which are available from Rs. 2,000 and go all the way up to Rs. 1 lakh. Detel considered Women's safety and decided to bring in a set of feature phones with a Panic Button.
D1 Boom
But most smartphones also have some kind of feature or apps which can act as a Panic Button, then why invest in a feature phone?
Yes, smartphones support some kind of panic buttons or apps. However, these phones usually do not last long. In most case scenarios, we are out of battery on our smartphone especially when we need it the most. Here comes the Detel's set of feature phones into play. In these feature phones, whenever you are in an emergency you just long press the number 5 key in order to call for emergency.
Specifications
As these are feature phones, there is nothing much when it comes to specifications. The Detel D1 Boom is an interesting feature phone which comes with a Big Speaker inside. The handset can play music from your microSD card and can get really loud. All four feature phones sport 1.8-inch colour displays. These phones come with features like Dual SIM capability, Auto call Recorder, Digital Camera, Video Recorder, Phone Vibrator, Wireless FM, Torch, Power Saving, FM Recording, Audio/Video Player, Call Blacklist and 16GB Expandable Memory. Detel also provides 1-year of warranty with purchase of any of the four feature phones.
Speaker inside the D1 Boom
The D1 Boom, D4 Prime, D120 and D500 also support 23 languages including English, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali and more.
The new Detel feature phones are available in a variety of colours via B2BAdda.com. The Detel D1 Boom and D4 Prime are priced at Rs. 699 and Rs. 599 respectively. The D120 and D500, on the other hand, come with a price tag of Rs. 649.
Apple recently started rolling out the iOS 11.3 update on the supported devices. The devices that are eligible to be updated to iOS 11.3 include the Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8/8Plus, iPhone 7/7Plus, iPhone 6s/6sPlus, iPhone 6/6Plus, iPhone SE and the much old iPhone 5S. The much-awaited feature of the iOS 11.3 was the Battery Health feature which is missing on the Apple iPhone 5S and here's why.
To recall, last year Apple admitted that they have been slowing down the Apple iOS devices over the years. Apple explained this by saying that they throttled down the CPU speed of older iPhones as the batteries get old and cannot handle the power required. However, Apple promised that with the next update users will be able to choose between speed and battery life.
Now coming back to the Apple iPhone 5S, users who updated their iPhone 5S to the latest firmware reported that there is no such Battery Health feature on their smartphones. Apple has responded to this by saying that they do not officially throttle the CPU on the iPhone 5S.
Apple iPhone 5S Specifications
The iPhone 5S was introduced way back in 2013. The smartphone features a 4-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 640x1136 pixels. iPhone 5S is powered by the Apple A7 chip coupled with PowerVR G6430 GPU. The device packs in 1GB of RAM and comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options. Under the hood, there is a 1560mAh battery powering up the internals.
On the optics front, the iPhone 5S sports an 8-megapixel camera at the back with a dual-tone LED flash. Up front, there is a 1.2-megapixel selfie shooter.
