Asus recently launched the Asus ZenFone 6 and they have now finally brought the smartphone to India as the Asus 6z. The flagship smartphone comes with an impressive set of specifications along with a rotating camera and a bezel-less display. Here are some of the alternatives you should consider.
OnePlus 7 Pro
OnePlus 7 Pro is available in three colour variants.
OnePlus recently launched their latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro. The smartphone comes with a bezel-less 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 3120x1440 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor coupled with up to 12GB of RAM. All of this comes in at a starting price of Rs. 48,999.
If moving parts on the phone scare you, you should look at the design of the Honor 20. Honor 20 comes with a punch-hole design and sports a 6.26-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. It comes with flagship grade specifications like Kirin 980 processor and up to 6GB of RAM. Honor 20 is available at a starting price of Rs. 32,999.
Samsung Galaxy S10e
While the Samsung Galaxy S10e is on the more expensive side, it does bring some advantages to the table. It is one of the very few compact flagship smartphones available on the market. It comes with a punch hole design Super AMOLED display and features like Samsung Pay. Galaxy S10e is currently available at a price of Rs. 50,900.
Oppo Reno 10x
Oppo recently launched the Oppo Reno series smartphones in India. The Reno 10x is their flagship and it comes with 10x lossless zoom capabilities. It also features flagship grade hardware like Snapdragon 855, 8GB RAM and more. Oppo Reno 10x is available in India with a price tag of Rs. 49,990.
Vivo V15 Pro
Vivo V15 Pro sports a triple camera setup at the back.
In case the Asus 6z is too expensive for your budget, the Vivo V15 Pro might be worth a look. It comes with a 32-megapixel pop-up selfie camera and the 5th generation in-display fingerprint scanner. The device also sports a 48-megapixel camera at the back. It comes with a more powerful the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 coupled with 6GB of RAM. All of this comes in at a price of Rs. 28,999.
Redmi Note 7 lineup from Xiaomi comes with a waterdrop style notch.
Redmi Note 7 Pro will again be made available via yet another flash sale on Flipkart and Mi.com in India today. The sale will go live at 12 PM. These sales tend to finish within a matter of seconds so we recommend that you stay logged in and have your payment details saved.
Redmi Note 7 Pro is priced at Rs. 13,999 for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant, whereas the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 16,999. During the sale, the device will be made available in Neptune Blue, Nebula Red and Space Black colour options.
During the sale, Xiaomi will be offering customers up to 1,120GB of 4G data and unlimited calling to Airtel users. Reliance Jio users can avail double data benefits. Additionally, Flipkart will be offering its Complete Mobile Protection plan at Rs. 699 down from its usual price of Rs. 999.
Redmi Note 7 Pro specifications
Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels and a waterdrop style notch. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM.
It comes with either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage with support for further expansion using microSD card. The phone runs on MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie. All of this is backed by a massive 4,000mAh battery.
The device features a dual camera setup on the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor paired with a 5-megapixel secondary depth sensor. On the front, it sports a 13-megapixel sensor for taking selfies.
Most people are looking for a smartphone somewhere in the price range of Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 in India. However, people have to deal with some sort of compromises while getting a mid-range smartphone. So, to conquer that problem, many people lean towards older flagship models. Should you be going for a OnePlus 3 in 2019 as a mid-range option?
OnePlus stops selling the older flagship as soon as the new one hits the market. So, it is impossible to find a brand new OnePlus 3. However, one can still grab a used or refurbished OnePlus 3 for under Rs. 15,000 via preloveddevices.com or 2gud.com.
OnePlus 3: Design
While most smartphones have adapted the glass-sandwich design with bezel-less screens, OnePlus 3 still screams old fashioned with its aluminium back and chunky bezels up front. However, having such a design brings its own set of perks. Since the phone has an aluminium back, it can handle drops better than other phones.
The antenna bands make the phone look old-fashioned.
As for the placements, the OnePlus 3 sports the alert slider and the volume rocker on the left edge. The right side of the phone houses the SIM tray and the power button. While the bottom edge consists of the USB Type-C port, speaker grille and a 3.5mm headphone jack and the primary microphone, the top edge is left clean.
OnePlus 3: Display
It comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display.
OnePlus 3 sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Though it is nothing compared to today's flagship smartphones, it can still manage to beat most of the mid-range smartphones available. Since it is an AMOLED panel, it produces deeper blacks and punchier colours. Also, it helps make the ambient display experience better.
OnePlus 3: Software
One of the biggest selling points of OnePlus smartphones is the software. The OnePlus 3 currently runs on OxygenOS 9.0.3 based on Google's Android 9.0 Pie operating system. As the smartphone has received three major updates, it will not be receiving the upcoming Android 10 Q update.
OxygenOS is quite close to stock Android.
Since the OnePlus community is huge and there are hundreds of OnePlus 3 and 3T users out there, there will be custom ROMs available for the phone. Also, it is worth mentioning that OnePlus 3 is much better supported by various ROM developers than some mid-range smartphones.
As far as the stock experience is concerned, the OnePlus 3 runs as smooth as some of the newer smartphones. Sure, it is missing on some of the features that are made available to OnePlus 6 or newer. It still manages to provide a seamless experience without any lag or stutters.
OnePlus 3: Performance
OnePlus 3 was launched back in 2016 and it has aged pretty well. The smartphone can still handle most of the day-to-day tasks without any hiccups. However, when it comes to heavier tasks like gaming, the phone really shows its age. Though light games like Subway Surfers perform well, games like PUBG Mobile struggle on the maximum settings. Turning the settings a little lower brings back the smooth experience we expect from a flagship chipset. It is still better than most other smartphones available under Rs. 12,000.
OnePlus 3: Cameras
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When the OnePlus 3 was launched back in 2016, it did not have the best cameras when compared to other flagship models. So, it is pretty much understood that when it comes to cameras, some of the mid-range smartphones from 2019 will be able to defeat the old OnePlus flagship. However, it is not as bad. It can still manage to shoot some decent images in good lighting conditions.
OnePlus 3: Battery
The three-year-old OnePlus flagship smartphone comes with a 3,000mAh battery. The battery is where you might get disappointed. The smartphone bearly makes it through a day of heavy usage. Also, since you will be getting the phone used, the battery might have degraded even to a point where the phone would not even last a day on light to medium usage. However, the 20W OnePlus Dash Charger is there to back you up when needed.
OnePlus 3: Verdict
It comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage.
It is highly unlikely that you will be able to find a OnePlus 3 in mint condition. However, if you manage to grab a great deal, the three-year-old flagship still makes sense in 2019. The smartphone had flagship internals back in 2016 with plenty of storage and RAM. So if you are looking for a good smartphone but do not wanna spend a fortune on it, a used OnePlus 3 might be a great option.
Oppo A5s 4GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 12,990 and can be purchased via the offline market, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall, Tata Cliq and Snapdeal.
Oppo has launched a new 4GB RAM variant of its Oppo A5s smartphone in India. It is currently available in the country via both online and offline platforms alongside the other two variants. The company was originally supposed to launch the 4GB variant of the device back in May, however, it got delayed.
Oppo A5s 4GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 12,990 and can be purchased via the offline market, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall, Tata Cliq and Snapdeal. The device has been made available in Green and Gold colour options.
To recall, the company launched its Oppo A5s back in April. Then the company only introduced the 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM variants priced at Rs 8,990 and Rs 9,990, respectively.
Coming to the specifications, Oppo A5s features a 6.2-inch HD+ (1520x720 pixels) In-Cell display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 processor paired with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage. The internal storage is expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card.
The device runs Google's Android 8.1 Oreo operating system with the company's own ColorOS 5.2 skin on top. All of this is backed by a 4,230mAh battery.
It comes with a dual camera setup on the back consisting of a 13-megapixel primary sensor paired with a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front, it features an 8-megapixel sensor to take selfies.
Apple has finally released the second beta of its latest mobile operating system, iOS 13, for the developers. If you are currently running iOS 13 Beta 1 then you should definitely update your iPhone right away. The new update aims to fix tons of problems that were found on Beta 1 and the new version is also more usable.
The Beta 2 update is focused on performance, stability and battery life improvements. This will provide the developers with a more stable environment to work on. Developers can test their applications better and even people who are using it as their daily driver can have a better experience overall.
The much-awaited Public Beta of iOS 13 is expected to be released in late July as per the reports. Meanwhile, Apple has planned to release one more firmware update in the name of iOS beta 3. After the final update of iOS Beta 3, their first iOS 13 Public Beta will be rolled out for the masses via the Apple website.
Additionally, with iOS Beta 2 Apple has also released the updates for their other devices like macOS Catalina developer beta 2, watchOS 6 developer beta, iPadOS 13 developer beta 2 and tvOS 13 developer beta 2 respectively.
If you are already running the iOS 13 Beta 1 on your iPhone or iPod Touch, you will receive a notification for the available OTA update. Alternatively, you can head over to Settings > General > Software Updates to check for any available updates. However, if you are on the stable version, you will need to head over to the Apple Developers page to sign up for the Beta program.
Facebook's Libra currency will be available on various platforms.
Facebook announced a couple of months ago that it will be introducing its own cryptocurrency. The company has decided that it will be calling its new cryptocurrency, Libra. However, the currency will not be controlled by Facebook itself. The company has teamed up with 27 other organisations across the globe in order to form Libra Association, a non-profit firm.
According to the Libra Association's official website, as of now, over 31 percent of the world's population is not a part of the formal banking system. So, with the help of Libra cryptocurrency, the company aims to “lower barriers to entry, and improve access to financial services.” Also, they will form a dedicated Libra protocol for this cryptocurrency.
Commenting on the announcement, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, said, "We aspire to make it easy for everyone to send and receive money just like you use our apps to instantly share messages and photos. To enable this, Facebook is also launching an independent subsidiary called Calibra that will build services that let you send, spend and save Libra -- starting with a digital wallet that will be available in WhatsApp and Messenger and as a standalone app next year."
"In addition to our efforts, many other companies will build their own services using Libra -- from payment companies like Mastercard, PayPal, PayU, Stripe and Visa, to popular services like Booking, eBay, Farfetch, Lyft, Spotify and Uber, to non-profits doing important work around financial inclusion like Kiva, Mercy Corps and Women's World Banking, to companies in the crypto space like Anchorage, Coinbase, Xapo, and Bison Trails. A number of leading Venture firms are also joining to help drive innovation on the Libra network. We're hoping to have over 100 cofounding members of the Libra Association by the time the network launches next year," he added.
Just like other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, all the transactions made using the Libra currency will remain private. Additionally, they will allow seamless payments anywhere without any sort of a user fee attached to it. It will be made accessible to anyone with as long as they have a smartphone and internet connectivity.
Google's Gboard 8.4 update brings a lot to the table.
Gboard is one of the best Android keyboards available on the Google Play Store. While it already has dozens of useful features like gesture-typing, Google decided to roll out the Gboard 8.4 update with a set of new features including trending stickers, symbol emojis along with some under the hood changes. Here's everything you need to know about the latest update.
Some of the features were not discovered by the users but, 9to5google has found them in their APK insight of the latest beta. Google has made many other changes under the hood and also introduced new features.
Renamed 'Shapes' to 'Symbols'
Google has now renamed the 'Shapes' section to the 'Symbols' section in the emojis. Also, some of the emojis have been transferred into specified categories. Initially, there were 221 characters but, as per the recent report, there is now a total of 229 characters in the category of the symbols.
End of GIF Camera
Google has decided to remove the GIF Camera from its Gboard as they feel it's unnecessary and filling up space in the keyboard. These changes will be enacted in their next coming update to the Gboard. After the update, you will be no longer available to use the GIF camera from the Gboard.
Google has planned to introduce a new feature into Gboard called the 'My Packs'. In the new features, the user can have access to the trending stickers which are used by the other users all around the world in a separate column in the keyboard. This feature was spotted in an APK teardown by 9to5google.
Apart from that, Google has made quite a lot of changes under the hood. While some of the changes are available in the beta version of the application, many of them will be making their way to the final version or the upcoming minor updates.
Nubia has just launched its first gaming smartphone in India, the Nubia Red Magic 3. The smartphone comes with an interesting set of features like a 90Hz display and 8K video recording for a jaw-dropping price. So, here are the top five reasons why you should consider Red Magic 3 as your next smartphone.
90Hz Display
Nubia has launched the Red Magic 3 for the people who are interested in mobile gaming. The first step to win the hearts of the gamers is to provide a faster refresh rate display. While the Red Magic 3 is not the first phone to sport a 90Hz display, it is the only one to offer something like that under a price bracket of Rs. 40,000.
8K Video Recording
Nubia's latest gaming smartphone comes with a 48-megapixel camera at the back with f/1.7 aperture. While the megapixel count might not be as impressive, the phone does impress in the video recording capabilities. The Nubia Red Magic 3 is capable of recording 8K resolution videos at 30fps, which is very rare to see in smartphones.
Game Space
Nubia Red Magic 3 comes with RGB lighting at the back.
Since the Red Magic 3 is a gaming-centric smartphone, there has to be some sort of gaming space. With their new flagship smartphone, the company has introduced the Game Space 2.0. It is a dashboard for the gamers where they can organise their game library, tweak performance settings, look at the real-time stats, manage notifications and much more.
One of the more interesting features of the Red Magic 3 has to be the capacitive shoulder triggers. As the name suggests, the company has provided capacitive buttons on the sides of the phones so when you hold the phone in a landscape position while playing, you can use those buttons as triggers for your game. This helps in taking the gaming experience to a whole new level.
Price
The Red Magic 3 looks like a premium gaming smartphone but does not cost a fortune. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 90Hz display and all the RGB around, the smartphone comes at a starting price of just Rs. 35,999. The top-end variant comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and that costs Rs. 46,999.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus comes with chunky bezels on the front.
Apple smartphones usually cost a fortune and people are willing to pay the huge some just because they last. Now, those who cannot afford the latest and greatest often lean on towards an older model for a similar experience. So, here's our review of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus in 2019.
Before we begin, let's keep the price of the iPhone 6 Plus in mind. Apple launched the smartphone back in 2014 with a starting price of Rs. 54,999. Though the company has now stopped selling the iPhone 6 Plus, you can still grab a used or refurbished one for under Rs. 20,000 from websites like preloveddevices.com or ebay.in.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Design
All the new iPhones now come with glass-back designs but the iPhone 6 Plus being so old comes with an aluminium body. The front of the smartphone comes with huge chunky bezels, which are not outdated yet as the company launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus just 2 years ago.
The antenna bands make the phone look outdated.
As far as the placements are concerned, the iPhone 6 Plus sports a single camera at the back with a LED flash. The rest of the back consists of the antenna band and the shiny Apple logo. While the power button and the SIM tray sit on the right, the left is equipped by the volume rockers. The bottom edge gets the lightning port, which is surrounded by the speaker grille.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus is also known for the bend-gate issue, which caused all the iPhone 6 Plus models to bend when kept inside a tight jeans pocket.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Software
When Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, they came with iOS 8. Over the years, the company rolled out around four major software updates for the smartphone. Currently, the iPhone 6 Plus runs on iOS 12.3. Unfortunately, the five-year-old flagship will not be receiving the upcoming iOS 13 update.
iOS 12 on iPhone 6 Plus runs as smooth as on the newer models.
Coming back to the iOS 12, using the iPhone 6 Plus on the latest software update was a charm. I did not notice any sort of lag or hiccups whatsoever. The phone was able to run most applications seamlessly.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Performance
Even though the iPhone 6 Plus is now five years old, it still manages to perform quite well. The smartphone was able to perform most of the day-to-day tasks like checking social media, listening to music, making a few calls seamlessly. However, when it came to gaming, I did not enjoy the experience as heavy games like PUBG Mobile stuttered a bit. It is, however, safe to say that apart from gaming, the phone will handle most tasks thrown at it.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Display
The display on the 5-year-old smartphone is nowhere close to even some of the mid-range smartphones of 2019. The iPhone 6 Plus sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Though the resolution sounds adequate, the maximum brightness and a few other aspects take the hit. However, even binge watching my favourite TV series on Netflix was amazing.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Cameras
Back in 2014 when Apple introduced the iPhone 6 series, they had the best cameras in the industry. However, with evolving technology, smartphone cameras have really started to catch up with DSLRs. Now, even a mid-range smartphone comes with a dual-camera setup at the back and produces some great low-light shots.
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The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, manages to shoot some decent pictures from the 8-megapixel rear camera. Even the 1.2-megapixel selfie camera does a decent job.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Verdict
iPhone 6 Plus still looks like a premium smartphone.
To conclude, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is a good choice if you want to enter the world of iOS without breaking the bank. However, if you are looking to use this as your daily driver for the next few years, you should look elsewhere. Also, if cameras are something you really care about, some Android smartphones like Poco F1 or Redmi Note 7 Pro might impress you.
Twitter is bringing back its Mac OS app with the help of Apple's Project Catalyst.
Twitter recently announced at the Apple WWDC event that it will be bringing back the beloved macOS Twitter app. The company will be doing this with the help of Apple's Project Catalyst from macOS 10.15 Catalina. Apple said at the WWDC 2019 that this will be their new project, which will help the developers port their iOS apps into Mac.
Twitter removed the app from the MacOS as they thought it is not feasible to maintain two separate codebases for the app. So, they started rolling out patchy updates to convince the users to make use of the browser version instead of the application.
According to a recent report by The Verge, Twitter has announced that this new app will be coming out with their new updates and it will offer features like multiple windows, the all new dark mode, keyboard shortcuts, notifications and much more.
Commenting on bringing back the Twitter app on MacOS, Apple wrote in their recent post that "We are excited that Project Catalyst will enable us to bring Twitter back to the Mac by leveraging our existing iOS codebase. We'll also be able to add native Mac features on top of our existing iPad experience while keeping our maintenance efficient as we continue to improve this shared codebase in the years to come."
The much-awaited Twitter app will be launched soon after macOS Catalina 10.15 is rolled out.
