Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei, unveiled the Honor 9 a few months ago. The company is now set to officially launch the smartphone in India. Honor has confirmed the launch date of the Honor 9 in India as for October 5 via their official Twitter handle. The tweet was made in order to reply to a customer's query. The highlight of the smartphone is the dual-camera setup sitting at the back of the smartphone.
We are glad to inform you that launch event for Honor 9 will be held on 05-Oct-2017. Kindly stay tuned for more updates. Thanks!
The Honor 9 is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 960 SoC coupled with Mali-G71 GPU. The smartphone features a 5.15-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and a pixel density of 428ppi. The Honor 9 is currently available in multiple variants, where the consumer can get a combination of 4GB or 6GB of RAM with 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. However, it is still not known whether only one variant will make its way to India or all of them. The storage on the device is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The device runs on Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 layered on top of it out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,200mAh battery powering up the smartphone which also supports fast charging. As far as connectivity is concerned, the Honor 9 supports 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS, NFC and USB Type-C.
On the optics front, the Honor 9 sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 20-megapixel camera sensor coupled with a 12-megapixel sensor with a dual-tone LED flash. Up front, the phone features an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The Honor 9 is available in Charm Sea Blue, Amber Gold, Gray and Black colour variants.
Huawei is looking forward to launching their Huawei Mate 10 series of smartphones expanding their smartphone portfolio on October 16. With the launch date just around the corner, we have been getting a lot of leaks and rumours about the Mate 10. Recent reports have suggested that there will be multiple devices under the Mate 10 series, the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10 Lite and a Mate 10 Porsche Design.
Image Courtesy: Evan Blass (@evleaks)
The new reports come from Evan Blass, a popular tipster, who has revealed how will the Huawei Mate 10 Pro look like. He has also shown us the colour variants of the smartphone which include Grey, Blue and Brown. The images clearly show that the Mate 10 Pro will sport a dual-camera setup at the back. The rear cameras are covered inside a patterned strip which gives the Mate 10 Pro a two-toned design. The cameras are provided by Leica with Sumilux-H lenses. Just like the LG V30's camera, the camera one the Mate 10 Pro now has an aperture of f/1.6 which will help in delivering better low-light images.
Up front, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro features an edge-to-edge display making it nearly bezel-less. As per the reports, there is a 6-inch display with a resolution of 1440x2880 pixels. The smartphone will be powered by the Huawei's homegrown Kirin 970 processor and will be backed by a 4,000mAh battery. The fingerprint scanner sits at the back of the device at an easy to reach position.
Meanwhile, another report suggests Huawei Mate 10 will be able to sync over a dock in order to get the desktop experience right from the smartphone. The feature was first introduced with Windows Phones using a dock called Continuum. Later the feature was adopted to Android by Samsung as they introduced Dex which syncs the Android UI from the smartphone to a desktop-like experience. Huawei might do something similar with its upcoming smartphones and might also launch a dock for the same.
Reliance Jio may now give few users a penalty by putting a 300mins FUP on voice calls. The company claims that few users have been misusing the power of having free unlimited calls with their Jio network. Some users have been making promotional calls using their Jio network which is quite inappropriate. Reliance Jio has confirmed Telecomtalk, a Telecom news portal, that the company will limit calls to 300mins per day for some users. However, the FUP limit will be on daily basis and not on a weekly or monthly basis.
How will Jio find out who is misusing the Voice Calls?
Jio Priority team will put on the limit for the users who have been making calls for more than 10 hours a day.
Meanwhile, Jio has got something interesting for existing as well as new customers. Jio has been kind enough to extend the festive offer for the JioFi. The device will continue to sell for Rs. 999 which is almost half the price at which it was launched. The offer was first announced on September 20 where Jio stated that the offer will last until September 30. The company has now stated via its official Twitter handle, "The festive celebration continues! Get your JioFi for a reduced price of Rs.999. Buy now"
JioFi is a WiFi hotspot dongle launched by the company last year. JioFi brings hi-speed 4G data speeds even to devices that do not support 4G network.
Google Pixel 2 and the Google Pixel 2 XL have their launch date around the corner and we have been hearing a lot about these devices lately. Lately, the leaks and rumours have pointed towards the launch of only two smartphones just like what happened a year before. Now, contradicting the earlier reports, a new report suggests that Google might unveil another smartphone which could likely be called as the 'Ultra Pixel'. The 'Ultra Pixel' smartphone, according to the rumours, will be launched alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL on October 4. The report comes from a legit YouTuber 'Mrwhosetheboss', who claims to have received a leaked slide from a Google presentation.
The 'Ultra Pixel' is a new name for everyone and the leaks suggest that the smartphone will have a bezel-less display and a dual-camera setup at the back. If the rumours are to be believed, the 'Ultra Pixel' could be a direct competition to the Apple iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. According to the YouTuber's source, the 'Ultra Pixel' might skip on the Android's signature navigation buttons and may instead opt-in for "fluid" gestures in order to move around the operating system. The "fluid" gestures concept is very much similar to what we saw at the Apple's event on the iPhone X.
However, this is just a little piece of leaked information. As we don't have any official confirmation as of now, we will have to wait until the company makes any announcements on the launch event. The Google Pixel 2 devices are being launched on October 4 at an event held in San Francisco. The company might also announce the new Pixelbook as well as a Google Home Mini.
Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in India due to its link with the rich history of the country. Being an auspicious day of lights, the festival brings along great deals and is a great time to get gifts for your loved ones.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 / Apple iPhone 8
Smartphone technology is growing faster than ever and we get to see some beautiful smartphones from different companies. The current flagship offering from Samsung, the Galaxy Note 8 can get some huge discounts and offers in the coming days and could be one of the best options for anyone in need of a new smartphone. The Note 8 comes with top-notch specifications and a dual-camera setup at the back which is one of the best smartphone cameras of 2017.
However, there are people who have got so much obsessed with the Apple's ecosystem that they just simply cannot use Android devices no matter how good they are. Apple has recently launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in India making it a great choice for anyone's gift. Afterall everyone loves to own the latest iPhone out in the market. Our suggestion would be to pick the iPhone 8 Plus over the iPhone 8, as it comes with a dual-camera setup that can click those beautiful portrait mode pictures. Also, it is suggested to get the 256GB variant as it can last longer without running out of storage.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier / Apple Watch Series 3
Smartwatches have become the new trend for all its glory. The smartwatches not only add the appeal to your dressing but now also have more functionality than the regular costly watches. The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier is arguably one of the best smartwatches for Android devices. The watch has a great design and is surely a conversation starter. Watch faces can be easily changed according to your mood or styling using the Android application and even the straps are easy to replace.
As the Android smartphone owners enjoy the features of the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier, Apple smartphone owners will have to stick with the Apple Watch Series 3 which also comes under the best smartwatches of 2017.
Sony MDR-XB950B1 Extra Bass Bluetooth Headphones
Sony MDR-XB950B1 is one of the best pairs of headphones offered by the company at its price range. The headphones come with the Extra bass button which when pressed delivers great sound with a good amount of bass. The headphones can be easily paired with any device using Bluetooth or NFC. The headphones are also able to deliver a decent amount of battery life. This could be a great gifting option for a person looking for a new pair of headphones that offer great sound and good comfort.
So you are looking to gift a Bluetooth Speaker on this Diwali which is portable as well as delivers great sound? The Bose SoundLink Mini II can be the perfect bet. These speakers are compact and can be easily carried around even for trips. The speakers deliver an immersive sound experience with such a compact design. Bose is already a reputed brand when it comes to audio and this is one of their best-selling Bluetooth speakers.
Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 (10,000 mAh)
If you finally decide to get any of the above devices as a Diwali gift for your loved ones a Power Bank would be quite necessary to keep the devices charged up on the go. A Power Bank is one of the best gifting options as it does not cost much and can be really handy for many people in the fast-moving tech world. People often run out of juice and search for that one power outlet. The Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 is the cheapest product in the lest and is one of the best power banks in the market. The Xiaomi Mi power Bank 2 10000mAh is quite sleek and lightweight which makes it easy to carry. The power bank supports two-way fast charging, which means it can charge itself fast as well as it can provide the charge at faster speeds.
Apple has recently launched the iPhone X alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Though the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have already made their way to the market, there is still a month left for the iPhone X to make its debut to the stores. It is also known that the iPhone X will be priced significantly higher than that of the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. Many Apple fans and other people are still confused in making the decision of buying which of the three new iPhones. Here we have five reasons as of why you should skip the iPhone 8 and opt-in for the upcoming iPhone X.
Design
When the iPhone X is compared to the older generations it gets a major overhaul in the design. The new smartphone comes with an edge-to-edge display with just a notch at the top. While the iPhone 8 still pretty much looks like the iPhone 7, 6s and 6 at least when compared from the front of the smartphone. Also, it is worth considering that all the smartphone companies are now moving towards bezel-less displays as that is the future of smartphones making the iPhone X a sort of future-proof phone.
Display
Apple has finally ditched the IPS LCD panels and opted-in for the OLED panel with the new iPhone X. OLED is a much better display technology as compared to the IPS LCD found on older generations including the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. iPhone X features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1125x2436 pixels and a pixel density of 458ppi. Also, the bezel-less iPhone has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio which beats the 1,400:1 contrast ratio found on the iPhone 8. The iPhone X also flaunts a bigger display in nearly the same chassis size of the iPhone 8.
The iPhone X arguably comes a better set of cameras when compared to the iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone X's rear cameras have considerably lower aperture than that of the iPhone 8 Plus allowing users to get a better picture. Also, there is TrueDepth camera up front which can also be used for the new Animoji feature introduced by Apple.
FaceID
Speaking of the cameras bring us to one of the most important features of the iPhone X. The FaceID is a replacement to the current biometric security, TouchID. Yes, of course, some people think the TouchID is more convenient than the new FaceID. Considering the other smartphone manufacturers and the bezel-less displays, FaceID or facial recognition is the future as it brings biometric security without compromising with the design of the smartphone.
No Home Button
As the iPhone X comes with a bezel-less display, there is no home button anymore. Most probably if Apple decides to continue with this design language for few years, the next generation iPhones will also not have the home button. So it's better to get the habit of the new swipe gestures which are also easy to use.
Reliance Jio recently took the initiative to launch a 4G VoLTE enabled feature phone which is effectively free for everyone. The phone has started shipping and the company now claims that all JioPhone will be shipped before the auspicious festival, Diwali. The company managed to sell more than 6 million devices and it will be interesting to see how Jio will manage to deliver more than 6 million devices in less than a month. The claim is coming from the official social media channels of the company. Jio's official twitter handle, on replying to a customer claimed that the pre-booked devices will be in the hands of the customers before Diwali which is on October 19.
The tweet made by JioCare stated, “Thanks for reaching out, We have started the delivery of JioPhone in a phased manner to avoid inconvenience to our customers. Please be assured that all customers who have done the pre-booking of the device will receive it by Diwali.”
“We will send you an SMS informing about the store address and pickup date as soon as it is ready for delivery. The delivery status of your JioPhone order will soon be available on 1800 890 8900,” JioCare further added.
A few days ago, Reliance Jio stated that the deliveries of the JioPhone have begun on September 24 and they plan to deliver the devices within 15 days. The JioPhone is effectively free, but the customer will currently have to pay Rs. 1,500 which will be refunded once the phone is returned after three years.
OnePlus 5 is the latest flagship offering for OnePlus which comes with high-end specifications. Google recently launched the new version of its Operating System, the Android 8.0 Oreo. The OnePlus team is now working on delivering the software update to its smartphones. The current flagship has been spotted on the Geekbench listing running on Android 8.0 Oreo. After the software was released, OnePlus announced to bring the update to the OnePlus 5 as well as the OnePlus 3 and 3T. Recently, the company rolled out the Android Oreo update in a closed-beta group where the testing is being done. The closed-beta group might now have started to work for the OnePlus 5 as well. The company has also stated that the devices will receive the update before the end of 2017.
Google's new operating system version was announced in August and devices like the Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Pixel C tablet started receiving the OTA update by the first week of September. The Android Oreo brings several changes over the Android Nougat. The software version also brings features like picture-in-picture mode which is currently supported by few applications. Apart from the features, Google improved the battery performance by making some under the hood changes and also introduced faster boot time with the Pixel devices.
OnePlus 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with the Adreno 540 GPU. The smartphone comes in two variants, one with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage and the other with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone is backed by a 3,300mAh battery which supports Dash Charge (company's proprietary fast-charging technology).
Kult recently unveiled its Kult Gladiator smartphone. The Gladiator is more of a revamped version of the previously launched Kult Beyond. The Gladiator, when compared to the Beyond, comes with a higher battery capacity and a better rear-facing camera. The Gladiator also has a larger display as compared to that of the Beyond. The smartphone is exclusively available via the e-commerce website, Amazon India at a price of Rs. 6,999. Here is our in-depth review on the Kult Gladiator.
Specifications
The Kult Gladiator features a 5.5-inch OnCell IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MT6735 SoC which is a 64-bit quad-core chipset clocked at 1.25GHz and coupled with Mali-T720 GPU. The Gladiator comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery powering up the device. The phone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out of the box.
On the optics front, the Kult Gladiator sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with a LED flash. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash.
Design
Kult Gladiator just like the Beyond comes with a metal back panel which is also removable. Camera sensor and the LED Flash sit at the top left corner of the smartphone with the fingerprint sensor right below at the centre which is easily reachable and pretty fast and responsive. The beautifully designed Kult logo is printed at the bottom middle of the smartphone. Up front, the smartphone gives a very neat design with just the camera sensor and the LED flash sitting at the top on either side of the earpiece. Also, the phone comes with a 2.5D curved glass up front.
The Gladiator runs on Google's Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The software on the phone gives a nearly stock experience with almost no bloatware.The device does come with apps like Opera Mini pre-installed, but thankfully they can be easily uninstalled. As it is an Amazon Exclusive smartphone, it is quite obvious that the phone will come pre-loaded with the Amazon shopping application.
Lock Screen
Home Screen
About Phone
Performance
The performance of the Kult Gladiator was very similar to what we saw on the Kult Beyond. The smartphone was easily able to handle day-to-day tasks and is also able to run games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers smoothly. Just like the Beyond, the phone did stutter while playing games like the Asphalt 8 which is acceptable considering the price of the Gladiator.
Battery
The Kult Gladiator, when compared to the Beyond, comes with a larger battery. Due to the higher battery capacity, one has to compromise with the weight of the smartphone as it is significantly more than that of the Beyond. However, the compromise made is worth it as the battery on the smartphone is reliable. The Gladiator easily lasts a full working day even with heavy usage. With light usage, the phone can even have some juice left for the next day.
PC Mark
Camera
The Kult Gladiator sports a 13-megapixel camera at the back with a LED flash. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel camera for selfies and video calling. Considering the price of the smartphone, the pictures from the rear camera come out really well. Here are some of the sample shots that we took from the rear camera of the Gladiator in different lighting conditions.
Verdict
The Kult Gladiator comes with decent amount of specifications considering the price of the smartphone. Interestingly, at a budget of Rs. 6,999 the consumer gets a fingerprint scanner, massive battery, a large display, great build quality and decent set of cameras. As the phone comes with a 4,000mAh battery, with a large battery comes more weight which might be a drawback for few people. As the smartphone shares few things in common with the beyond, the speakers still not sound as good as they could have.
Kult has been lately working towards delivering affordable smartphones to people. However, the Gladiator is much more similar to the Beyond, but comes with major improvements and made the smartphone even better. Surprisingly, the price remained the same while the phone got better. At a price of Rs. 6,999, the Kult Gladiator justifies the price a consumer pays.
Reliance Jio recently introduced Jio Phone which is 4G VoLTE enabled feature phone for Rs. 1,500 which instantly became a hype. Since the company started, Jio has made the competition tough for Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and much more. To counter the current feature phone plan by Jio, Airtel is reportedly working on a smartphone which will be priced at under Rs. 2,000 and will support 4G VoLTE. The reports are coming from 91Mobiles which suggest Airtel is working on an Android-based smartphone. The reports claim that the device will be running on Android Nougat out of the box.
Surprisingly, Airtel might launch the smartphone somewhere in the first week of October, as per the report. The company will also start shipping the devices before the auspicious festival, Diwali. In terms of specifications, the report claims that the Airtel smartphone will feature a 4-inch display which will make it a compact device. Also, the device may come with only 1GB of RAM. Reports also suggest that company might not compromise with the cameras and the smartphone might have a front as well as a rear camera.
However, if the reports come out to be true, it would be interesting to look at a smartphone which is priced at under Rs. 2,000 and supports 4G VoLTE as well as runs on the Android operating system. Airtel would also need to introduce some special tariff plans in order to compete against the Jio Phone. Assuming the reports as true, the smartphone might come with apps like MyAirtel pre-loaded.
