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Is the iPod still relevant in 2017?

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August 15, 2017

iPod, the name by which people refer to a music player, was initially introduced by Apple, something similar from Sony was called a Walkman. Now Apple has finally discontinued the iPod series and now they are no longer have a separate tab on their website for the iPods. So was this a wise decision by Apple?

Are the music players replaced?

We think it was a pretty wise decision as people don't prefer to keep another device just to listen to music. Since the introduction of smartphones, people have been able to do a lot more with their mobile phones. Earlier phones were used only for calling and texting, which led people to opt-in for a music player. But now all the smartphones and most of the new feature phones are capable of playing music.

Also Read: OnePlus 3T: Should you still consider this as your next smartphone?

Is online music the new trend?

Yes, online music is the new big thing. Earlier people used to purchase music from services like iTunes or used to buy music CDs. But now, thanks to the certain telecom operators for bringing down the prices of the mobile data plans. Now people can easily stream music online via applications like YouTube, Spotify, Gaana, Google Play Music, Apple Music and much more.

Is Price now the concern?

iPod, Walkman or any sort of music players have never been cheap enough. Some advanced music players like the iPod Touch costs nearly what a smartphone does. So maybe now people think rather than spending money on a smartphone and a music player, they can add up the amount and get a better smartphone. So if we consider the cheapest in the lot, a good music player comes for around Rs. 2000 where as an Android smartphone starts at roughly Rs. 3,500. So it is quite obvious people would buy a smartphone which can also double up as a music player.

So who would still consider buying a Music Player?

There are people who still like the music output delivered from an iPod or Walkman or some other music players. People who love music and want the best sound, prefer to use a proprietary music player with some good set of headphones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launching on August 23: Video Teaser

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August 15, 2017

Samsung is now set to unveil the most anticipated phone of the year, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. A video teaser from the company's official social media channels shows that the company has set August 23 as the date for their unpack event. In the video teaser, the company has also confirmed that the whole event will be live and can be watched on their official website.

Throughout the whole video, the company flaunted about the S-Pen which is the key feature of their Note series. The company boasted about the pen by striking words and then later using it to switch to different words. The company also gives a clue that the Note 8 will come with a nearly bezel-less display. Samsung might call it the infinity display like they did for the S8 and S8+.

Also Read: Nokia 8 expected to launch tomorrow: Here’s what you need to know

Past rumours and leaks suggest that Samsung Galaxy S8 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset for the US and Exynos 8895 for other regions. The phone is said to come with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone will feature a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440x2960 pixels. The flagship device will run on Android 7.1 Nougat with Samsungs own custom UI layered at the top. All of this is said to be backed by a 3,300mAh battery.

In the camera department, the Note 8 is said to come with a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back and an 8-megapixel camera at the front for selfies and video calling.

Nokia 8 expected to launch tomorrow: Here's what you need to know

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August 15, 2017

HMD Global's Nokia 8 is one of the most hyped phones as it is expected to come with a lens from Carl Zeiss, a company of optics, which is known for great photography. The smartphone will be the first flagship, since the comeback of the company. We have had a lot of leaks and rumours in the past about the upcoming Nokia 8, which have given us enough clues on how the phone will look and what will be under the hood.

Nokia 8 leaks — Source: GSMArena

As per the invites sent by HMD Global, the company is holding an event in London on August 16, which is most likely for the launch of Nokia 8. We do not have any information so far, about the live streaming of the event. If the company decides to go live to unveil the new flagship, we'll post an update. As this is a flagship device, rumours suggest that the price of the smartphone will be EUR 589 (roughly Rs. 44,300). However, it was earlier tipped that the price in India for the Nokia 8 would be Rs. 44,999.

Also Read: Amazon India’s Great Indian Sale: How well did it perform?

Reports suggest the Nokia 8 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset coupled with Adreno 540 GPU. The flagship device will feature a 5.3-inch QHD display with a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels. The smartphone is said to come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. However, it is also rumoured that the 6GB and 8GB RAM variants of the flagship will be launched soon after. Nokia 8 will run on Android 7.1 Nougat out-of-the-box. The phone is also said to feature a 13-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back with optics from Carl Zeiss. Up front, the phone will come with a 13-megapixel front facing camera for selfies and video calling.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A to be unveiled soon: Report

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August 14, 2017

Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant, is now looking forward to introducing another smartphone to its portfolio, calling it the Redmi Note 5A. The company is set to add the new device to its Redmi Note lineup next week on August 21, as per the few reports. We have already seen the leaks and rumours of the device with the pictures of retail box leaked and few reports claimed to see the smartphone working.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5a leaks — Source: SLASHLEAKS

Meanwhile, recent reports suggest, the Redmi Note 5A will feature a 5.5-inch display. The smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. For the optics, the smartphone is said to come with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calling. All of this will be backed by a 3,080mAh battery.

Also Read: Xiaomi to soon launch the MIUI 9: Here’s everything you need to know

Reports also claim that the Note 5A will come with a metal unibody design and will run on Android 7.1 Nougat layered with the company's own MIUI 9 skin on top out-of-the-box. However, the phone is said to come without a fingerprint scanner and will be priced at around 999 yuan (roughly Rs. 9,800).

The Redmi 4A, which is currently available, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The smartphone features a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280x720. It comes with a 13-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel front facing camera.

Android O will be the last major update for the OnePlus 3 and 3T

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August 14, 2017

OnePlus have been in the news lately due to the launch of their flagship OnePlus 5. The company launched the next flagship, but the users of the last year's flagship are still concerned about the updates. However, the company had previously confirmed that the OnePlus 3 and 3T will get an update to the next version of Android which currently being called as Android O. People are concerned about what is next, whether it will get any more updates or not. To clear the doubts of the people there was a QnA session of the company's forums.

During the QnA session, Oliver Z the company’s Head of Product answered some of the most asked questions. He clarified that there will be no major update for the 3 and 3T after the Android O update.

Oliver Z stated, “Android O is going to be the last Android version update we’ll release for OP3/3T. We’ll continue to release security patch updates for the foreseeable future, and offer support for individual application updates. After the OP3/3T have been updated to Android O, we’ll start moving the Open Beta Program from OP3/3T to OP5”.

Also Read: How to install OxygenOS Official Open Beta on your OnePlus 3/3T

OnePlus 3 and 3T users currently have an option to enrol in the Open Beta program where they will receive updates frequently with new features and bug fixes. OnePlus 3 is currently on the OpenBeta 21, whereas the 3T is on OpenBeta 12 . Oliver also confirmed that the OpenBeta program will end once the Android O update is rolled out for the 3 and 3T. The latest OpenBeta update introduced parallel apps', a feature which allows users to use multiple accounts on social media applications like WhatsApp, Facebook and much more.

The OnePlus 3 and 3T were initially introduced with Android Marshmellow and got updated to the Android 7.1.1 Nougat eventually.

Amazon India's Great Indian Sale: How well did it perform?

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August 14, 2017

Amazon India had a Great Indian Sale from August 9 to August 12, 2017, which satisfied many customers and had set new benchmarks in brand performance and sales. Since the day 1 of the sale, Amazon saw something great coming up. Customers were delighted with the offers provided by the e-commerce website, and the company was happy with the response they got from the sales. Here is a quick glance at various categories at the Great Indian Sale by Amazon India.

“We are humbled by the response from customers to our latest Great Indian Sale, making it our biggest shopping event of 2017. Customers especially enjoyed big deals from big brands across Smartphones, TVs & Appliances and Fashion, with old-product exchange and No-Cost EMI being particular hits.” said Manish Tiwary, Vice President - Category Management, Amazon India.

“With Prime continuing to be our top selling product and Amazon Pay seeing 20X growth in top ups, customers continue to vote for the trust and convenience of shopping on Amazon.in” he added.

1.) Overall scale, Reach and customer response:

Day 1 of Great Indian sale is the biggest day for Amazon.in in 2017, at the back of rapid momentum of 88% growth for Q2
The Amazon Shopping app continues to maintain its leadership position as the most downloaded shopping app in the country
Amazon.in sees 2X growth in customers from Tier 2, 3 and below geographies. Sees new customers from areas like Tinsukia, Banka, Purnia and Karbi Anglong

Also Read: Essential to showcase PH-1 smartphone at an event on August 25

2.) Smartphones

Apple saw 40X growth; Samsung (13X), Honor (10X), Moto & Lenovo (9X), BlackBerry (10X) and OnePlus (6X) Redmi 4A sold out under a minute
During the sale, customers were thrilled to welcome exclusive new launches from:

Blackberry - Blackberry KeyONE
OnePlus - OnePlus 5 Gold
Apple - iPhone 6 32GB
LG - LG Q6

3.) TVs & Large Appliances

Key exclusive brands Sanyo and BPL grew by over 25X
TCL, an Amazon Exclusive – introduced 3 new models under their UHD (4K) Android TV range with a Buy One TV Get One TV offers for Prime members. The top model of the range (65” 4K TV worth INR 1.1 Lakh) sold out by Day 2
Airconditioners grew by 4X, Refrigerators grew by 7X and Washing machines grew by 8X; Bosch, Haier, BPL & LG were category best sellers.

4.) Fashion & Accessories

Majority of top fashion brands witnessed upwards of 5X growth
Brands like Marks & Spencer, Levis, Titan, Gap, Redtape grew upwards of 5X
Men’s Shoes and Men’s Apparel grew 4X, Kids Apparel (3X), Luggage(3X), Handbags(3X), Kids Shoes (3X) and Women’s Shoes(3X)
Sports goods grew 5X followed by Shirts (4X), Pants (3X), Shoes (3X)

5.) Music & Storage Devices

1 guitar was sold every minute and a musical keyboard was sold every 5 minutes
6X growth in the sale of Storage Devices with Samsung, WD and Seagate featuring among the top sellers; Samsung EVO Plus Memory card and Seagate Hard Drives were key bestsellers

6.) Baby products

Several baby products saw growth of over 3X
Strollers & Prams witnessed heightened customer interest and grew by 6X
Nursery décor and car seats grew by over 3X

7.) Home & Kitchen

Small Appliances saw an overall 4X growth key brands Bajaj, Philips, Kent, Usha and Eureka Forbes leading the category
20X growth of exclusive selection sales of Bajaj, Morphy Richards, Pigeon Livpure and Butterfly
Induction cooktops, Irons, Water Heaters, Vacuum Cleaners, Sewing Machines and Water Purifiers were the highest growth driving categories with over 5X growth
Kitchen and dining products grew 4X led by key brands Cello, Prestige, Ganesh and Milton.

The e-commerce website's growth is not only limited to the products. Amazon pay, a wallet introduced by Amazon, saw 20X increase in the top ups made. Amazon offered no-cost EMI which led to a 5X growth on EMI option. Exchange by Amazon also got an increase of nearly 15X.

Asus ZenFone 4 leaked on GFXbench ahead of launch

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August 14, 2017

Asus has a launch event planned on August 17 in the United States, where it is being assumed that they will be launching the much anticipated Asus ZenFone 4. Today, the device showed up on the benchmarking website GFXbench where all of the specifications have been disclosed.

As for the specifications, the new Asus ZenFone 4 (Z01K ZE554KL) will sport a 5.5-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It will be powered by a Qualcomm octa-core chipset clocked at 2.2GHz. The device will feature 4GB of RAM along with 64GB Internal Storage. Also spotted on the website was that the phone will be running Google's Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system.

Till now we have seen that most of the smartphones that the company has released under the ZenFone 4 line carry a dual camera sensor on the rear. Nothing might have changed with this device as per the listing it shows that the device comes with two camera sensors.

As per reports, Asus might be also holding an event in India on August 19. The company had previously launched the ZenFone 4 Max in Russia at 13,000 Rubals (Roughly Rs. 14,000).

Also Read: Top 5 Smartwatches that you would want to buy in 2017

As per a few reports suggest that the new device from Asus will come in two colour options - Black and White. Some reports also point towards the fact that the device will be priced at 499 Euros (Roughly Rs. 38,000). The company might wait a bit before bringing these devices to India as they haven't even launched the ZenFone 3 Zoom in India yet.

Top 5 Smartwatches that you would want to buy in 2017

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August 14, 2017

Watches were initially known for telling what time it is, but now the era has changed and smartwatches have been introduced which can do a lot more than just telling the time. Smart watches are currently priced a lot and there are plenty of them to choose from, which makes it a difficult decision for people to make. People always prefer to get the best and the most out of what they pay. Here we bring out a list of smart watches which will make the worth of your every penny. However, these watches are in no particular order.

1.) Moto 360 (2nd Gen)

Moto 360 was one of the first android wearables and this one is the second generation of the same. Over the generations, the company improved the battery life and the display of the smart watch. This is one of the best and the most comfortable smartwatch. The Moto 360 2nd Gen comes in two size options including the 42mm and the 46mm. Though the watch was introduced in 2016, it still is a great option in 2017. The price of the Moto 360 2nd Gen is currently starting at Rs. 34,999.

2.) Samsung Gear S3

Samsung Gear S3 has given us one of the best smartwatch experiences. The watch looks appealing and functions great as well. The smart watch comes with a Super AMOLED display, which we have seen in the company's smartphones, and can easily last for up to three days. The watch comes with GPS and is IP68 rated which makes it water and dust resistant. Samsung has recently increased the compatibility of the device by adding support to iOS. Samsung Gear S3 is currently priced at Rs. 28,500.

Also Read: Top 5 Smartbands to buy in 2017 to track your daily life

3.) Apple Watch 2

Apple Watch 2 is one of the best smartwatches available in the market right now. The watch comes with inbuilt GPS and runs on the latest watchOS 3 by Apple. The watch is water-resistant, which makes it more durable and usable in different kind of weather scenarios. The Apple Watch is on a bit expensive side but offers a great appealing design. Every tech reviewer, when the wearable tech was being introduced, said that this will be the next big thing. However, this did not happen may be due to the technology wasn't ready or nobody wanted to use it. Apple might have got it right as the introduced the Apple Watch in the watch category instead of the made-up smartwatch category. This is the most successful smartwatch than any company has been able to sell until date. Apple Watch 2 starts at Rs. 31,500.

4.) LG Watch Style

The LG Watch Style was initially built in collaboration with Google and offers a whole bunch of features which are loved by the Android Wear users. The watch also looks and feels good in the hand. Battery life on the Watch Style is not as good but can easily last for the working day. The style of the watch grabs attention and of course, you can always change the watch faces. It offers great utility, the design is slim and comes with decent amount of features including the Google Assistant which works fine. The LG Watch Style is currently available via Amazon India at a price of Rs. 31,533.

5.) Asus ZenWatch 2

Asus ZenWatch 2 comes with an AMOLED display which is much crisp and clear. The watch has a great build quality and runs on Google's Android Wear operating system. The battery life on the watch is impressive and it comes with the quick charge ability. The downsides of the watch include the bezels and the week Bluetooth range. The Asus ZenWatch 2 starts at Rs. 23,999.

Hike supports the Tamil movie VIP 2 with their new set of stickers

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August 13, 2017

Hike, India's first home-grown messaging app has now rolled out a new set of stickers in order to gain people's attraction towards the movie VIP 2. VIP 2 is a Tamil movie, where the lead role is by renowned actor Dhanush and the Bollywood actress Kajol. Hike messenger users can now use the stickers to denote messages or movie dialogues. Users can share stickers showing the romance between Dhanush and Amala or spice up chats with classic dialogues from the movie. There are 36 stickers in three different languages - Tamil, Telegu and English

Hike messenger has also brought up some fun live filters featuring Dhanush’s signature helmet and Kajol’s dark glasses.

Also Read: Hike tries to become the next Tinder with their new microapp

The movie is a sequel to the 2014 Tamil movie named Velaiilla Pattadhari which was directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth. VIP 2 stars Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Saranya Ponvannan, Samuthirakani and Kajol who is making a comeback in a Tamil film after 20 years.Dhanush as Raghuvaran in VIP2 chooses to be an entrepreneur and follow his passion. This is reflective of the youth in India who are increasingly pursuing their ambitions.

Commenting on the partnership, the Hike spokesperson said “We are excited to be associated with VIP2, a film which is expected to be amongst this year’s biggest and most awaited. We are creating a fun social experience for VIP2 where people can share stickers, try filters and personify their favourite characters”.

The social app now has around 15,000 stickers in over 40 Indian languages. Over 300 million stickers are exchanged every day on the platform.

Top 5 Smartbands to buy in 2017 to track your daily life

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August 13, 2017

Smartbands have become a trend lately, not because of their multi-functionality, but the appeal they give when you wear them on. Most of the smart bands today are capable of fitness tracking, sleep tracking, caller ID and much more. Since the introduction of the smart bands, people have been curious to know which would fit them the best. Here we bring out a list of smart bands which will make the most of the money you pay. Do keep in mind these smart bands are in no particular order.

1.) Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Mi Band 2 uses an OLED display to give you the information you need. The screen on the band automatically turns on once you lift your wrist. It is capable of showing time, steps, distance walked and heart rate. This is one of the most accurate fitness trackers in the price range. So if accuracy is your concern, this might be a great choice. The band is also capable of measuring your heart rate and can also record your sleep which you can check on the mobile application. The band just simply connects using a Bluetooth connection between the band and the smartphone. Mi Band 2 is currently priced at Rs. 1,999.

2.) Fastrack Reflex

Fastrack Reflex also uses an OLED display for giving information at a glance. The band is not the best when it comes to fitness and sleep tracking. But the band surely impresses in looks. The band has some stunning looks and a big OLED display. if you are looking for a smart band just to add up to your daily wear and you don't care much about accuracy, then this one is for you. Fastrack is a renowned brand and has been known for its styles. The Fastrack Reflex is available in both online and offline markets at a price of Rs. 1,995.

Also Read: Top 5 Smartwatches that you would want to buy in 2017

3.) Fitbit Charge 2

Fitbit Charge 2 is one of the best fitness trackers you can buy right now. It is quite expensive than what we listed above but is surely worth every penny for the people who love fitness tracking and need that accuracy. The smart band connects with the GPS on your phone and has a large screen to display your data. It also comes with a heart rate tracker and some more new fitness features. Fitbit Charge 2 is currently priced at Rs. 14,999.

4.) Samsung Gear Fit 2

Samsung Gear Fit 2 is a bit costly fitness tracker from the company. Samsung tried to make a merger between the smartwatch and a smart band which ultimately made the cost of production higher. At this price, a person can get a smartwatch too. However the tracking is really good on the device and if you somehow get the band at a discounted price or in a sale, this would make worth your money. Also, the smart band is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. One thing which impresses us is that the Gear Fir 2 comes with an AMOLED display which makes the details more crisp and clear. Samsung Gear Fit 2 is currently priced at Rs. 8,990.

5.) Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit blaze is another smart band from the company. This one is a bit over priced but does a great job. The band looks nearly like a smart watch and have tons of features. This one has a bigger display and shows all the needful information. Bands on the device are replaceable and the company offers various types of bands. Fitbit Blaze is currently selling at a price of Rs. 19,999.

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