Vivo Z3i Standard Edition launched: Price, specifications and alternatives

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January 14, 2019

Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Vivo has announced the launch of their new smartphone, Vivo Z3i Standard Edition in China. Priced at CNY 1,998 (roughly Rs. 21,000), the Vivo Z3i Standard Edition brings a water drop notch and a glass sandwich design. Here are some of the alternatives available in India right now.

Vivo Z3i Standard Edition: Specifications

Vivo Z3i Standard Edition comes with a 6.3-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD panel and a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio P60 processor coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo based Funtouch OS out of the box. All of this is backed by a 3,315mAh battery.

As for the optics, the Vivo Z3i Standard Edition sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 24-megapixel selfie shooter.

Vivo Z3i Standard Edition: Alternatives

Poco F1

If you want flagship grade performance with a decent set of cameras, the Poco F1 should be your choice. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with Adreno 630 GPU. It packs in up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Xiaomi Poco F1 is available at a starting price of Rs. 19,990.

Honor Play

Also Read: Honor Play First Impressions: Ultimate Gaming experience on a budget?

Just like the Poco F1, Honor Play also offers flagship-grade hardware at a relatively lower price point. It is powered by the company's own flagship Kirin 970 chipset and comes with up to 6GB of RAM. It runs on Android Oreo based EMUI out of the box. Honor Play is available at a starting price of Rs. 19,999.

Vivo V11 Pro

If you are interested in Vivo's Funtouch UI and want something as fascinating as an in-display fingerprint scanner, the Vivo V11 Pro should be your pick. It also sports a water drop style notch up front. Vivo's V11 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM. It comes with a price tag of Rs. 25,990.

Top 5 smartphones under Rs 10,000 to get in January 2019: Realme C1, Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro and more

By

Devesh Arora

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January 14, 2019

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is now available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999

While some companies have introduced new smartphones in the budget categories, others have dropped the prices of their smartphones to bring them into the list of smartphones under Rs. 10,000. From Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro to Realme C1, here are the top 5 smartphones that you can consider buying in January 2019.

Realme C1

Realme C1 is currently known to offer the best bang for your buck. It features a 6.2-inch notched IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1520 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC coupled with the Adreno 506 GPU. It packs in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. All of this comes in with a price tag of Rs. 7,499.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 was launched last year and has already received a successor. However, the phone still performs marginally well and offers great value for money. It does lack the new design trends, which include a notch and a glass sandwich design. In exchange what you get is a decent performing Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. The base variant of the smartphone is available for just Rs. 9,999 via Flipkart.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

In case you are looking for a notched display and decent performance in your next smartphone, the Redmi 6 Pro by Xiaomi is worth a look. It comes with a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. The smartphone runs on Android Oreo based MIUI 10 and will soon be updated to Android 9.0 Pie. Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 9,999.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Review: A notch above other budget phones

Lenovo K9

Lenovo K9 is currently the only phone to offer USB Type-C port in the budget smartphone category. It comes with a MediaTek P22 processor and 3GB of RAM. It features a 5.7-inch HD+ display. The dual-SIM handset comes with 32GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. Lenovo K9 is available at a price of Rs. 8,999.

Infinix Note 5

In case you are looking for a smartphone that runs on pure stock Android, the Infinix Note 5 might just be the right pick for you. It is powered by the MediaTek P23 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM. It is a part of Google's Android One program, which means updates will be quicker. Infinix Note 5 is available on Flipkart with a price tag of Rs. 8,999.

Samsung to launch its new Galaxy M series on January 28 in India, will be targeted at millennials

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Tech Desk

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January 14, 2019

Samsung Galaxy M, Samsung Galaxy M10, Samsung Galaxy M20, Samsung Galaxy M30, Samsung Galaxy M40, Samsung Galaxy M50, Samsung Galaxy M India launch, Samsung Galaxy M price in India, Samsung Galaxy M price, Samsung Galaxy M launch, Samsung Galaxy M India launch, Samsung Galaxy M Amazon, Samsung Galaxy M specs, Samsung Galaxy M Specifications — Samsung Galaxy M series will be sold exclusively on the company's online store and Amazon.

Samsung has announced that it will be launching its new Galaxy M series of smartphones in India on January 28. The series will be targetted towards the country's millennials, hence the nomenclature, 'M'. The company has stated that India will be the first country it will be launching this new smartphone series in, with more countries to follow.

This new Samsung Galaxy M series might be an online exclusive smartphone series. As the company has said it is partnering with Amazon to sell this new series in India. The company also stated that all the Galaxy M series smartphones will also be available on their own online store, for consumers to purchase.

Samsung also stated that all the Galaxy M series smartphones will sport a powerful display, powerful camera, powerful battery and a powerful processor. This according to the company will help deliver good performance to millennials.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Review: Great cameras, good performance and average battery

The lineup according to earlier reports will include the Galaxy M10, M20 and M30, all of which recently appeared on Geekbench sporting the company's own Exynos 7885 processor with 4GB of RAM.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S10 to launch on February 20: Here’s what to expect

It seems with this new lineup of smartphones Samsung is trying to take on brands like Xiaomi and Asus that provide very good specifications at a low price. These smartphones are preferred by most millennials due to their power to cost-performance ratio. Samsung might radically price their devices to get an upper hand on these manufacturers. With the big brand name, and if it is able to deliver the specifications at a low price, Samsung might be able to take back its crown in India.

Nokia 5.1 Plus, Nokia 3.1 Plus get price cut in India: Here's what you need to know

By

Tech Desk

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January 13, 2019

HMD Global has recently made the Nokia 6.1 Plus smartphone available in the offline market. Now the company has announced that the cheaper Nokia 5.1 Plus will also be available via the offline stores starting January 15, 2019. Alongside the availability, the Finnish company has also announced the price drop of Nokia 5.1 Plus and Nokia 3.1 Plus.

Nokia 5.1 Plus was earlier available with a price tag of Rs. 10,999 via the online market. The smartphone has received a price cut of Rs. 400 and it will now be available for just Rs. 10,599. According to NokiaPowerUser, the price drop is effected only for the offline market and the phone will still sell for Rs. 10,999 via online stores. However, as of writing this article the Nokia 5.1 Plus is available for Rs. 9,999 via Flipkart.

Nokia 3.1 Plus, which was launched as an offline-only smartphone has also received a price cut in India. The smartphone was earlier available for a price of Rs. 11,499 and after receiving a price cut of Rs. 1,500, it is now available for just Rs. 9,999 via the offline market. Notably, you can save around Rs. 50 more if you buy the phone from Flipkart as it is priced at Rs. 9,950 on the e-commerce website.

Also Read: Top 5 mid-range smartphones to buy in January 2019: Realme 2 Pro, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 and more

Nokia 5.1 Plus Specifications

Nokia 5.1 Plus features a 5.86-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1520 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P60 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 3,060mAh battery.

Top 5 mid-range smartphones to buy in January 2019: Realme 2 Pro, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 and more

By

Devesh Arora

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January 13, 2019

Huawei, Y9(2019) — Notched displays have become a trend even in mid-range smartphone category

The mid-range smartphones market in India has a lot to offer these days. With aggressive pricing strategies and notched displays, the companies are able to attract way more customers than ever. From Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 to Huawei Y9 (2019), here's a list of top 5 smartphones available at a price of around Rs. 15,000.

Realme 2 Pro

Realme is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer that has helped in bringing a revolution in the mid-range smartphone market. The company recently launched the Realme 2 Pro with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor aggressively priced at Rs. 13,999. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo based ColorOS 5.2 out of the box. It packs in up to 6GB of RAM coupled with 64GB of onboard storage.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2

With the ZenFone Max Pro M1, Asus aimed at making the competition tough for a player like Xiaomi. As the company succeeded in its mission, the successor Max Pro M2 was made even better. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with up to 6GB of RAM. It runs on a nearly stock version of Android. Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 is currently available at a starting price of Rs. 12,999 via Flipkart.

Honor 8X

Huawei's sub-brand Honor has also been ruling the mid-range smartphone space with the help of their aggressive pricing strategy. The company's latest offering Honor 8X comes with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. It comes with the Kirin 710 processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It packs in 64GB of onboard storage which is further expandable using a microSD card. Honor 8X is available at a starting price of Rs. 14,999.

Huawei Y9 (2019)

Huawei has recently launched their new mid-range smartphone in India, Huawei Y9 (2019). It comes with a Kirin 710 chipset and a notched display up front. It also has an AI backed dual-camera setup at the back. Huawei Y9 (2019) is launched with a price tag of Rs. 15,999 in the country.

Xiaomi Mi A2

In case you want a pure stock Android experience, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is the phone you should be looking for. Xiaomi Mi A2 is a part of Google’s Android One program, which means it runs on clean stock Android. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC and comes with up to 6GB of RAM. All of this comes in at a starting price of Rs. 15,999.

OnePlus 7 leaks started to show up, OnePlus 6T 5G variant to arrive soon

By

Tech Desk

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January 13, 2019

OnePlus is now gearing up to launch their next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7. Though the company has not yet confirmed what the next smartphone would be called, currently it is being referred to as the OnePlus 7. The smartphone has leaked for the first time via the more popular and reliable leak provider, SlashLeaks.

In a Twitter post by SlashLeaks, OnePlus 7 has been spotted alongside what looks like to be a 5G variant of the OnePlus 6T. OnePlus promised at the Qualcomm Summit in Hawaii that they will soon be launching a 5G smartphone. So, the OnePlus 6T in the image looks like to be the first 5G smartphone by the company.

#OnePlus - #OnePlus7 - OnePlus 7 leaked https://t.co/STBcjEJiKe pic.twitter.com/SqMG6WJPwV

— /LEAKS (@Slashleaks) January 12, 2019

As for the OnePlus 7 itself, it seems to have a nearly bezel-less design with no notches what so ever. Speculations suggest that the smartphone will come with a slider for the front facing camera just like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and Honor Magic 2. Also, the leaked OnePlus 7 has a curved glass design similar to what we have seen on the latest Samsung Galaxy S-lineup.

Also Read: How to make a normal OnePlus 6T look like OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

Looking at the leaks so early give us a hint that OnePlus might launch the 5G variant of the OnePlus 6T at MWC 2019. The phone will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 to bring the 5G modem on board. It is expected to be priced at around Rs. 45,000 when it drops in India. As for the OnePlus 7, it is expected to launch sometime in May 2019, which would be a bit earlier than their regular cycle.

Vodafone, Idea remove FUP limits on Unlimited Calls, now talk as much as you want without worrying

By

Tech Desk

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January 12, 2019

Vodafone and Idea Merge — Vodafone Idea eliminate FUP limit on unlimited calls

Since the introduction of Reliance Jio in the Indian telecom industry, we have seen the whole industry taking a huge turn. From calls to data, everything has got way cheaper at least on the pre-paid plans. While unlimited calls were truly unlimited back when they were introduced, companies had set FUP (fair usage policy) limits in the recent plans.

Now that is going to change as Vodafone Idea has taken a step towards eliminating FUP limit on calls. The telecom operator has been charging 1.2 paise per second for local and national calls once users exceeded their FUP limit of 250 daily calls or 1,000 weekly calls. They have now removed any sort of FUP limits on the unlimited calling plans.

In order to keep frauds away, the company has set a FUP limit of 2,000 daily minutes and weekly 14,000 minutes. However, a day only has 1,440 minutes, which means no one will ever reach the 2,000 minutes mark, hence making the calls completely unlimited. As for the 14,000 mins weekly limits, it is also hard to reach if you decide to get any sleep during the week.

Also Read: Here’s why you should opt-in for pre-paid plans over postpaid ones: Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and Reliance Jio

As for the pricing, the telecom operator currently offers unlimited local and national calling on plans priced at Rs 177, Rs 199, Rs 399, Rs. 458, Rs. 509, Rs. 569 and more. Alongside the unlimited calling, the company also offers free incoming on national roaming and data depending on the pack of choice.

Top 5 features coming to PUBG Mobile soon: Snow bike, Monster hunting mode and more

By

Devesh Arora

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January 12, 2019

PUBG Mk47 — PUBG Mobile is receiving a couple of new features including the MK47 rifle

PUBG Mobile is constantly being updated by Tencent Games in order to introduce new features that keep the excitement level high within the gamers. While the game recently received a new map called Vikendi, it is still running under a beta mode. Alongside the stable version of the map, the game will receive more features in the coming weeks.

1.) New Vehicles

PUBG Tukshai, tuk tuk, auto rikshaw — PUBG Mobile to soon get Tukshai vehicle

With the introduction of the Vikendi map, PUBG Corp promised a new vehicle called Snow Bike specifically built for the snow map. The vehicle will run smoothly even in snowy areas of the map. Apart from the Snow Bike, the company is also introducing the Tukshai vehicle, which is more popularly known as auto-rikshaw in India.

2.) New Weapon

Every now and then, PUBG likes to bring new weapons on board. With the next update, the company is going to introduce the MK47 Mutant rifle. It will use the 7.62mm bullets, which are also used by the Ak47 rifle. The MK47 weapon will also get a laser sight attachment, which will improve the shooting accuracy while running.

3.) New voices and Emotes

An upcoming update for PUBG will also bring new voices for making communications between teammates better. The game will also receive a bunch of new emotes, which are a fun part of the game.

4.) FPP Driving

PUBG Fpp driving — Driving in FPP mode will give a more realistic experience

One of the much awaited features in PUBG Mobile is the FPP mode for driving. The FPP mode or First-Person-Perspective mode will give a more realistic feel to the game while driving vehicles. The FPP mode for vehicles will be activated when you select FPP while selecting the map for classic game search.

5.) Zombies and Monsters

PUBG always had an edge over Fortnite due to the real things it brought. Now the game is said to soon receive Zombies and Monsters. The Chinese version of the game has already received monsters as a part of the upcoming Chinese New Year. Even Zombies have been spotted by some players in the past on the Erangel map.

Samsung Galaxy S10 to launch on February 20: Here's what to expect

By

Tech Desk

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January 11, 2019

Samsung Unpacked 2019 Galaxy S10 — Samsung Galaxy S10 to launch at the Samsung Unpacked event

Samsung is gearing up to launch the much-awaited smartphone of 2019, the Samsung Galaxy S10. The phone will be unveiled at an event called Samsung Unpacked which is scheduled for February 20 and will take place in San Francisco, California. The company is said to launch multiple variants of the flagship smartphone.

How to watch the live stream?

Unlike last year, Samsung is not launching its new flagship line-up during the MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona. Instead, the company is keeping a separate date so that it does not collide with other smartphone launches. The Galaxy Unpacked event will be live streamed via the company's official website www.samsung.com/galaxy. However, the South Korean giant has not revealed the timing of the event as of now.

What to expect?

According to the leaks and rumours, Samsung is planning to launch three variants of the Galaxy S10 which will be named as S10, S10+ and S10 Lite. Alongside the three variants, the company is also said to launch two 5G variants of the flagship device. The Galaxy S10 is rumoured to come with the new Infinity 'O' display, which means it will have a hole for the selfie camera similar to the Galaxy A8s. This will allow the company to decrease the bezels significantly over the last year's Galaxy S9.

Also Read: Samsung updates its Android 9.0 Pie rollout schedule: Over 30 Galaxy devices to receive One UI

As for the specifications, the Galaxy S10 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 in the US and other markets will be getting the Exynos 9820 processor. Samsung Galaxy S10 will feature a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display whereas the S10+ will get a larger 6.7-inch panel.

Honor 10, Honor Play and Honor View 10 start receiving Android 9 Pie based EMUI 9.0 update

By

Tech Desk

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January 11, 2019

Honor, Honor Play, Honor Play Smartphone — Honor Play has finally started receiving the Android 9 Pie based EMUI 9.0 update

Huawei recently announced the Android 9 Pie based EMUI 9.0 update for Huawei and Honor devices. While Huawei has already pushed the update for its major smartphones, Honor has now started rolling out the update for the more popular Honor Play, Honor 10 and the Honor View 10.

EMUI 9.0 comes with Google's latest operating system, Android 9 Pie. The update brings in all the features that Google announced last year with the release of Android Pie. These features include gesture-based navigation, full support for notches, notification enhancements, a rotation button and much more.

As for the EMUI 9.0 specific features, the company has brought a new UI and features like GPU Turbo 2.0, AI Translation, AI Shopping, HiVision, Password Vault, Wireless Sharing, Digital Balance dashboard and more

GPU Turbo 2.0 will help in boosting the gaming performance of your smartphone. HiVision is a feature that will allow users to point the camera at something to bring up more description. Password Vault and Wireless sharing are for managing passwords and sharing files wirelessly respectively.

Also Read: Top 5 smartphones launching in January 2019: Huawei Y9, Honor View 20 and more

Honor has rolled out the update via OTA, which means you should soon receive a notification claiming that the update is available. Tapping on the notification will allow you to easily download and install the update. However, if you want to check for the updates manually, head over to Settings > About Phone > System Updates and tap on check for updates.

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Vivo Z3i Standard Edition: Specifications

Vivo Z3i Standard Edition: Alternatives

Poco F1

Honor Play

Vivo V11 Pro

Realme C1

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

Lenovo K9

Infinix Note 5

Nokia 5.1 Plus Specifications

Realme 2 Pro

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2

Honor 8X

Huawei Y9 (2019)

Xiaomi Mi A2

1.) New Vehicles

2.) New Weapon

3.) New voices and Emotes

4.) FPP Driving

5.) Zombies and Monsters

How to watch the live stream?

What to expect?