Huawei is all over the news since the past few hours due to the ban it received from the US government. The country has blacklisted the Chinese smartphone manufacturer into a list called "Entity List," which means US-based companies will no longer be able to do business with Huawei. This resulted in Google putting up a ban on Huawei and deciding not to provide any services going forward.
This has raised many eyebrows and people have tons of questions going on their minds. Since Huawei runs on Android and most people using Android rely on Google services, this can be a huge issue in the international markets.
In regard of recent development about Android Suspension, Huawei has released a statement saying “Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry."
"Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally. We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally,” they further added.
According to the statement, the company is promising to keep the existing Honor and Huawei devices updated. Now as Google has banned their services, Huawei will provide their own eco-system developed on top of Android Open Source Project. The company has been providing its own services in China for a long time. This means instead of the Google Play Store, the users will be using Huawei App Store on the upcoming Huawei and Honor smartphones.
Google recently banned Huawei from Android and all its services like Gmail, YouTube and more after US government listed Huawei under something known as the Entity List. With the ban in place, the company will be unable to provide Google services to the customers, which is really important especially outside the Chinese market.
Though the ban has not yet come to an end, the US government decided to delay the process by 90 days, starting today. During this time, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer will be able to purchase American-products and also maintain existing networks in the US. Further, the company will also be able to provide Android updates for Huawei and Honor handsets during the 90 day time period.
With the ban being lifted for the time period, the Android license is also back. This means that Huawei can still work with Google in order to bring updates for their existing handsets. The time period is also enough for the company to work on Android Q updates for their existing flagship devices and we really hope the company makes the most out of their time.
However, the company cannot come up with a new smartphone during this period. Since the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro have already received licences before the ban, they can be launched today. Notably, the smartphones are launching in India on June 11. While the future might be safe for the Mate X as well, we don't see any other devices coming in anytime soon.
Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi has just launched a new smartphone, the Redmi Note 7S. Just like the name, the device itself is quite similar to the recently launched Redmi Note 7. The major difference here is the 48-megapixel camera at the back. In case you are confused with the Redmi line-up, here are some alternatives you can consider.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2
While the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 is now quite old, it is one of the few smartphones in the price range to offer a stock Android experience. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It comes with a glass sandwich design and a notched display. Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.
Realme 3
Realme recently launched their new budget-oriented smartphone, the Realme 3. It is powered by the mediocre MediaTek Helio P60 processor coupled with up to 4GB of RAM. It comes with a 6.22-inch display with a waterdrop style notch and a resolution of 1520x720 pixels. The phone is available in India at a starting price of 8,999.
Redmi Note 7
If you are least worried about the megapixel count of your cameras, the Redmi Note 7 might be a better option at around Rs. 1,000 less. The smartphone sports a 6.3-inch FullHD+ display with a waterdrop style notch up front. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with up to 4GB of RAM. The device is available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.
Samsung Galaxy M20
Samsung's new M-series smartphones also have a lot to offer for the price. Priced at Rs. 10,990, the Samsung Galaxy M20 brings in a 6.3-inch fullHD+ Infinity-V Display. It is powered by the octa-core Exynos 7904 processor paired with up to 4GB of RAM. The device runs on Samsung Experience v9.5 built on top of Google's Android 8.1 Oreo.
Redmi Y3
In case you want a better selfie camera instead of the rear camera, then you should choose the Redmi Y3 instead. The smartphone comes with a 32-megapixel selfie shooter up front. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor coupled with up to 4GB of RAM. All of this comes in at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) was the company's first smartphone to sport a quad camera setup on the back. The phone does feature a lot of nice hardware including a Snapdragon processor in all variants. The Snapdragon 660 though not super powerful but is a decent performer. The company seems to have had plans to make the Galaxy A9 (2018) overkill when it comes to camera performance. However, plans that aren't properly executed are never worth it. In this review, we will find out if Samsung was able to execute this plan properly or not.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018)
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. This is coupled 6GB/8GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage depending on the variant you choose to purchase.
The device sports a 6.3-inch (2220 x 1080 pixels) Super AMOLED display. For the optics, it features a quad camera set up at the back, consisting of a 24-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture main sensor with PDAF along with an 8-megapixel, f/2.4 aperture ultrawide sensor, 5-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture depth sensor, and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 aperture 2x Zoom sensor. For selfies, it packs a 24-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture sensor. All of this is backed by a 3,800mAh non-removable battery.
The device sports a glass back panel that comes in amazing paint jobs, a first by Samsung. It runs Google’s Android 8.0 Pie operating system with the company's own One UI skin on top. The phone sports dual SIM card slots, a dedicated microSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-Type C port for charging and data syncing and a fingerprint sensor at the back.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Design
The design of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is really good. The back panel is made out of glass, however, the glass is really thin. Our review unit was the Lemonade Blue Variant, which is super flashy. If you want something less eye-catching, the Caviar Black colour variant is a good bet for you.
The device sports a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.
The speaker grille, 24-megapixel front camera, and the sensor array are all placed inside of the top bezel. Due to it not sporting a notch, the bottom chin doesn't look out of the place.
Coming to the back, Galaxy A9 (2018) sports a quad camera setup paired with an LED flash aligned vertically on the top left corner. The quad camera unit has a small bump, however, it was expected considering the size of the sensors integrated into the device. The fingerprint sensor is above the Samsung branding in the centre top of the device.
The right edge consists of the volume rockers and the power button. Unlike the Galaxy A7 (2018), the fingerprint sensor is not in the power button, but on the back. The top edge holds the SIM card tray with two SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot with a secondary microphone. The left edge sports only a Bixby button while the bottom edge has the USB-Type C port along with headphone jack and speakers.
Overall, the design of Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) feels pretty good. It's flashy but not completely in your face like some of the other devices. Exclusion of the notch really changes the look of the front of the device. The feel of the smartphone in hand is also good.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Software
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) runs Google’s Android 8.0 Oreo with the company’s own Samsung Experience 9.0 skin on top. Samsung Experience UI as the name suggests is a skin that makes the smartphone experience tailored to what Samsung thinks is the best.
It offers a heavily customized Android experience with its own icon packs and some additional apps by the company. What is good is while setting up the smartphone you are asked which Samsung Apps do you want to install. These apps can also be uninstalled later if wanted. There are also a few Microsoft Office apps pre-installed, which cannot be uninstalled, however, these apps are quite handy.
Overall, with its Experience UI, Samsung has evolved a lot from its old days of what used to be the TouchWiz UI. There are many small features that have been added here and there, which make the experience much better than most of the other skins.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Performance
Performance is a major area of concern on any device, the same goes for the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018). It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor coupled with an Adreno 512 GPU and 6/8GB of RAM. Our review unit came with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
We ran our usual benchmark tests to evaluate how the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) performs. On AnTuTu the device was able to score 139516, which is great considering the price and competition is a bit low.
On GeekBench it managed to get a single core score of 1614 and a multi-core score of 5504. The performance numbers of the device on paper are lower than the competition.
While playing light games such as Temple Run and Crossy Chicken, the phone runs flawlessly. Heavy games like Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile also run without any hiccup.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Display
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) sports a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2220x1080 pixels. The brightness levels are able to get super low and immensely high depending on the situation. The colours are better than most other smartphones in this range. The sunlight legibility is also great.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Camera
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) features a quad camera setup at the back. There is a 24-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture main sensor with PDAF along with an 8-megapixel, f/2.4 aperture ultrawide sensor, 5-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture depth sensor, and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 aperture 2x Zoom sensor. For selfies, it packs a 24-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture sensor. The quad camera setup on the back is definately overkill, packing a zoom lens, wide angle and a telephoto lens, all you can ask for together.
Images that were taken with the rear camera come out very good. The images have good details and come out very sharp. Due to a dedicated depth sensor and a wide angle lens, it can take perfectly stable shots even on while zoomed in at the maximum capacity. With the addition of the 2x Zoom lens, the field of view changes a lot going from 2x Zoom lens to a wide angle lens. You can take photos in whichever view frame you want without losing focus or clarity even a bit.
Coming to the front camera, that is a completely different story. The camera app has a smart beauty mode turned on by default, which tries to make you look better. However, this makes the colours brighter and messes with the white balance. Turning it off solves most of those problems. The details and sharpness on the front camera are okay.
Overall, the quad camera setup at the back provides amazing photos. The details and sharpness obtained from that setup are unbelievable. With the addition of a 2x zoom lens and a Wide angle lens together, the ability to take a perfect shot is unmatchable. If you want a camera phone with all the tricks up its sleeves, look no more.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Battery
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is backed by a 3,800mAh battery Li-Po, which easily lasts more than a day. Charging time with the included charger is around 90 minutes, which is great. The adaptive smart charging on its charger is amazing. If you are not a heavy user, you can easily make it work till the end of the second workday.
We ran PCMark's Work 2.0 Battery Life test, which subjects the phone to heavy usage and finds out how the battery performs in those conditions. The device yielded a result of 12 hours and 32 minutes, which is quite good in comparison to similar battery capacity smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) Review: Verdict
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) starts at Rs. 30,990, for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The bigger 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 33,990. If you are a camera buff, look no more and buy the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018).
If you don't care about the camera at all and demand only raw performance, there are some better options out there. Phones like the OnePlus 7, which costs a little more and offer much better performance and features. However, the Galaxy A9 (2018) sports much better camera setup that makes the choice less obvious. In short, if you only care about the cameras, Galaxy A9 is a great buy, else there are better options out there.
With the ongoing trade war between US and China, Huawei suffers as Google is now forced to no longer give services to the company. Outside the Chinese market, Huawei smartphones highly rely on Google services starting from the operating system to services like Gmail, Youtube and more.
The US government has added Huawei to something called the "Entity List." The US-based companies cannot do business with the companies on this list without "explicit approval" from the government. Due to the trade war between the two countries, Google has to stop doing business with Huawei in any manner.
For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.
Now, after reading this, people with Huawei and Honor smartphone must be worried about their smartphones. The good news is they need not worry as the services will continue to run on their smartphones. However, where they should be worried about is the future updates as the company won't be able to push any Android updates including security patches. Also, the new phones will no longer have access to YouTube, Gmail, Google Play and other Google services.
It is worth noting that the company can still use the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for its upcoming smartphones. However, due to the restrictions from Google, these smartphones will not have a Google Play Store and will not be able to run any Google services. Also, there are quite a few third-party applications on the Google Play Store that require Google Play Services to run.
In a nutshell, if you already have an Honor or Huawei phone, you need not worry for quite some time. However, if you were planning to buy one, you should drop the plan and start looking for other options.
Black Shark launched its first gaming smartphone last year, which never made its way to India. However, with their latest Black Shark 2 gaming smartphone, the company is planning to tap the Indian market as well. While the phone has already debuted in China, it is making its way to India on May 27.
Black Shark 2 was launched in China back in March 2019 and it is already available on sale. The smartphone is here to compete against the likes of the Asus ROG Phone, Razer Phone 2 and the Nubia Red Magic.
As it is a gaming smartphone, it comes with flagship grade hardware including the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. The device sports a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The gaming phone comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery, which supports 27W fast charging.
In terms of the cameras, the Black Shark 2 comes with a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary and a 12-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.
The Black Shark 2 also comes with some gaming-centric features such as a pressure sensitive display, Liquid Cooling 3.0, a vapor cooling system and much more.
While we know everything about the device already, what we do not know is the price range the company is targetting for the Indian market. It is worth noting that with the OnePlus 7 Pro being available at around Rs. 50,000, Black Shark needs to hit a price point somewhere around Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000.
Apple devices today are not only just a piece of technology but they have become a status symbol at least in countries like India. People are willing to pay more than Rs. 1 lakh just to see an Apple logo behind the smartphone. However, those who cannot afford the latest and greatest often fall towards the older models. Today, you can get an Apple iPhone 4 for less than Rs. 3,000 in a very good condition, but is it worth it? Let's find out.
Apple iPhone 4: Design
Apple iPhone 4 does not look too outdated and feels quite premium in hand thanks to the glass sandwich design and the metal body. However, the display is very small according to today's standards where even budget phones get larger than a 5-inch display. Even the bezels are quite chunky. Looking past that, the phone has an iconic design and it surely gives you a premium feel, which most budget phones can just dream of.
While the boxy design might feel dated, it makes it one of the very few phones that can stand still. The smartphone also gets a 30-pin connector at the bottom, which was abandoned by Apple over 7 years ago. One thing that this iPhone does better than the latest ones is keeping the headphone jack. While it is not the greatest sounding ones, it is a pleasure to have one. Also, I personally loved the power buttons on the top, which is only convenient with smaller form factors.
Apple iPhone 4: Software
When the Apple iPhone 4 was launched back in 2010, it shipped with iOS 4. Over the years, the smartphone got three major updates with the last one being iOS 7.1.2. While iOS 6 was pretty fast on this, the iOS 7.0 is what made this phone almost unusable. Though the animations on the latest iOS version look cool, we would highly recommend turning them off to make it a little more usable.
The phone can perform all the basic tasks such as making phone calls, reading text messages and even making a Facetime video call. However, what it cannot do is run most 2019 applications. Applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram will not be available for the iPhone 4 as they all require iOS 8 or above.
Apple iPhone 4: Performance
Performance is something where the iPhone 4 really lacks even when compared to some of the budget Android smartphones from 2019. With the iOS 7 update, the hardware inside could not cope up. The whole user interface (UI) feels quite laggy and at times even unusable for basic needs. If you are willing to wait for a couple of seconds before your contacts list shows up, then you might as well go with the old iPhone. However, if you are impatient you should look up for a good Android phone or at least an iPhone 5.
The iPhone 4 features a 3.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 640x960 pixels. While the resolution is nowhere close to HD, it looks quite decent in a small display smartphone like the iPhone 4. The major issue might arise when you start typing long text messages, as it can be extremely challenging. If you are coming from a big sized phone, it will take some time to get used to. While the sunlight readability is not great, the display is bright enough for indoor usage.
Apple iPhone 4: Camera
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The Apple iPhone 4 sports a 5-megapixel camera at the back with f/2.4 aperture and an LED flash. Up front, it features a VGA sensor for selfies and video calling. The camera is pretty bad on paper in terms of 2019, where most smartphones come with at least an 8-megapixel sensor. However, it does a pretty decent job out in the real world.
Apple iPhone 4: Battery
Older iPhones like the iPhone 4 were known to give a bad battery backup as they used to come with very small batteries. The phone will not even be able to last a full day with heavy usage. However, where the iOS really shines is at giving great standby times. So, if you are using this phone as a secondary device only for calls, it might even last you for more than a day.
The phone does not have any sort of fast charging, but due to a smaller sized battery, the phone will charge up pretty quickly.
Apple iPhone 4: Conclusion
In a nutshell, if you are planning to use the iPhone 4 as your primary device in 2019, it is a bad idea and you should drop it right now. However, if you are planning to use it as your secondary device just for calls and text messages, it might serve the purpose. Do note that you will not be able to use a Jio SIM as the device only support up to 3G networks. Also, it is worth noting that the phone uses a micro-SIM instead of the more popular nano-SIM technology.
After a huge success with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG Mobile, Tencent Games has finally released the Beta version of the much-awaited game, Call of Duty Mobile. While the game can be played on any mid-range or flagship smartphones, here are some of the best smartphones we recommend to get the best experience.
OnePlus 7 Pro
OnePlus recently unveiled their all-new flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It is currently one of the only phones in India to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor coupled with up to 12GB of RAM. It also comes with Liquid Cooling System as well as a 2K AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate making it one of the best smartphones for gaming.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
While the whole Samsung Galaxy S10-lineup will be able to run Call of Duty Mobile, the Galaxy S10 Plus should be the choice of most as it offers a much larger display and comes with a larger battery as well. The smartphone comes with the latest Exynos 9820 processor coupled with up to 12GB of RAM.
Apple iPhone XS Max
In case you are an Apple fan or just need the best experience, you should opt-in for the Apple iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. The smartphones come with the Apple A12 Bionic chipset, which is way better than the Snapdragon 855. Also, these phones come with a much optimised operating system.
Poco F1
In case you are on a budget but still need to play Call of Duty Mobile on the highest settings possible, the Poco F1 should be your pick. The smartphones come with last year's flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The Poco F1 also comes with a Liquid Cooling system, which means long gaming sessions will never be a problem.
Huawei recently launched their flagship Huawei P30 Pro in India. While it comes with flagship specifications, it also brings a great set of cameras. It also comes with a 6.47-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The smartphone packs in a huge 4,200mAh battery, which is suitable for long gaming sessions.
Smartphones have become exciting at the price range of Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 with 48-megapixel sensors and much better processors coming into the play. While the options are vast, we have cut them down to a list of top 5 smartphones that have the best cameras in the price range.
Poco F1
In case you are looking for a flagship-grade experience but do not want to shred a lot of cash, the Poco F1 will be the best option. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with Adreno 630 GPU. As for the cameras, there is a 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back, whcih offers one of the best in class photography experiences. Xiaomi Poco F1 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 19,990.
Redmi Note 7 Pro
Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi recently launched their Note 7 Pro in India and it has become one of the best selling smartphones. The device comes with a 6.3-inch FullHD+ display with a waterdrop style notch up front. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It is available at a starting price of Rs. 13,999.
Realme 3 Pro
Realme recently launched the Realme 3 Pro in India. The smartphone brings in a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 25-megapixel selfie shooter. The phone is able to offer all this with a price tag of just Rs. 13,999.
Samsung Galaxy A50
Samsung Galaxy A50 has a lot to offer for a starting price of Rs. 19,999. The smartphone comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and a Super AMOLED display. It is powered by the Exynos 9610 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It also gets a triple camera setup at the back and a waterdrop style notch up front.
While Oppo smartphone might not be the best value for your money, they sure are good at the cameras department. Available at Rs. 17,990, the Oppo F11 brings in a 48-megapixel camera at the back and a 16-megapixel camera at the front. The smartphone also packs in a MediaTek Helio P70 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM.
While Google has been known to keep an eye on you, the company has also been keeping track of all the online purchases made using other e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart. The company, however, does not directly deal with these giants but read through the purchase receipts sent to your Gmail account.
According to a recent report by CNN, Google has a "Purchases" page where it shows most of the items you have purchased since 2012. The report further suggests that they have spotted purchases from different mobile apps including Amazon, DoorDash and Seamless. There were even purchases from stores like Macy’s. However, none of these purchases was made directly from Google. They even verified that receipts of these purchases were sent to the Gmail account and that is how the company listed them on the "Purchases" page.
Now even you can go to the Google Purchases page to see the list of purchases you made online. When you go to this page, you will need to enter your Google credentials in order to see everything you purchased till date.
The CNN report also got a quote from Google spokesperson, “To help you easily view and keep track of your purchases, bookings and subscriptions in one place, we’ve created a private destination that can only be seen by you”.
“You can delete this information at any time. We don’t use any information from your Gmail messages to serve you ads, and that includes the email receipts and confirmations shown on the Purchase page,” the spokesperson further added.
Though the Google spokesperson said you can delete these records anytime, it is not as easy as it sounds. Once you head over to the Purchases page, you can click on the particular page to get an option to ‘Remove Purchase.’ However, the page will immediately prompt “To remove this purchase, delete the email” and it will then take you to your Gmail inbox. So, deleting all the purchases might take quite some time as you will have to delete the email associated with that purchase as well.