News

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are priced at Rs 71,000 and Rs 83,000 for the 64GB storage variant, whereas the 128GB variant retails at Rs 80,000 and Rs 92,000, respectively   Search engine and technology giant Google announced the third generation Pixel-series smartphones in October. Named the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, the phones go on sale in India from today (November 1), exclusively on home-grown e-commerce portal Flipkart. While the Google Pixel 3 has been priced at Rs 71,000 and Rs 80,000 for the 64GB and 128GB storage variants, the Google Pixel 3 XL retails at Rs 83,000 and Rs 92,000 for the 64GB and 128GB model, respectively. The phones come in three colours -- clearly white, just black and not pink. The Pixel 3-series has a glass-metal-glass design with a matte paint covering the lower back side. Though these phones continue with a single primary camera, they now have a dual camera module on the front for selfies. Both the phones are powered by Qualcomm Snap...

Xiaomi, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer, is launching a Google Android One operating system-based  Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone   in India today i.e. August 8. First unveiled in Spain on July 24, the device is a successor of the Mi A1, which was the first Xiaomi smartphone to run stock Android out of the box. The Mi A2 gets a major design overhaul in comparison to the predecessor, along with several new improvements in terms of specifications and features. The Xiaomi Mi A2 features a familiar design that the company introduced with the launch of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The phone sports a bigger 5.99-inch in-plane switch (IPS) screen in a form factor almost identical to the predecessor. The screen features fullHD+ resolution that stretches in an 18:9 aspect ratio, protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5. While most other midrange phones are moving towards all glass design, the Mi A2 retains the metallic body design of its predecessor, but now boasts mor...

The Honor Play will go on sale today at 4PM exclusively on Amazon. It will be available in two colours - blue and black Honor, an online sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is gearing up to launch the Honor Play in India today i.e. August 6. The phone was first unveiled in China last month. It is with this smartphone that Honor introduced the GPU Turbo technology, which the company claims to improve phone’s graphic performance without compromising on the processor’s efficiency. The Amazon-exclusive smartphone would go on sale today from 4PM and will be available in two colours – blue and black. The  Honor Play  is a premium device with top-notch specifications and features such as Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with a discreet neural processing unit for machine learning, artificial intelligence-based dual rear cameras. The phone brings back Honor’s signature metallic design with matte look. It boots Android Oreo 8.1 covered under EM...

The Nokia 6.1 Plus is a global variant of the Nokia X6, which is HMD Global's first notch screen-based smartphone that was launched in China in May HMD Global, an official licensee of Nokia-branded phones, recently announced the launch of its first notch screen-based smartphone -- the Nokia X6 -- outside China. Named Nokia 6.1 Plus for international markets, the phone’s user manual with network SAR information in compliance with India's telecom regulatory body was recently leaked online, confirming that the phone is set to launch in India soon. In terms of design and features, Nokia 6.1 Plus is expected to be similar to Nokia X6, which is currently available only in China. However, Nokia 6.1 Plus would come with the Google apps pre-installed and Android One promise, which is a usual case for any Nokia-branded smartphone aimed at international markets. Nokia 6.1 user manual Nokia 6.1 user manual Photo: Nokiapoweruser Speaking of specifications, Nokia 6.1 Plus...

The Moto E5 Plus would be the third Motorola device in India to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The Amazon-exclusive smartphone would also boast a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery Motorola, a Lenovo-owned smartphone manufacturer, will launch the  Moto E5 Plus  in India today i.e. July 10. The Moto E5 Plus would be the third Motorola device in India to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The Amazon-exclusive smartphone would also boast a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery. Last month, the company launched the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play in India that were the first Motorola phones with modern screens. While the Moto G-series offers value for money proposition in affordable segment, the Moto E-series is battery-centric and comes with bigger capacity batteries. The Moto E4 Plus, which was the last Moto E-series smartphone launched in India, also had a 5,000 mAh battery. Moto E5 Plus specifications In terms of design, the Moto E5 Plus would look similar to the recently ...

The GPU Turbo technology would boost the graphic performance by up to 60%. The phone would also come with tripod-free night mode, which Huawei says will improve the camera's low light performance Huawei, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, on July 03 announced the  Honor 10 GT  with 8GB RAM and GPU Turbo technology in its home country. According to the company, the technology would boost the phone’s graphic performance by up to 60 per cent. The phone would also come with tripod-free night mode, which Huawei says will improve the camera’s low light performance. The GPU Turbo is a graphic processor enhancement technology developed by Huawei to power its Kirin processor-based smartphones, including Honor-branded phones. The hardware-software integrated graphics processing acceleration technology reconstructs the traditional graphics processing framework at the lower layer system, therefore improving the user experience by providing an on-demand graphic surge to smart...

Unveiled at the MWC 2018, Zenfone 5z was the first Android smartphone to sport an iPhone X-inspired notch and system-wide AI capabilities, along with a dual camera set-up on the rear Asus, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, is gearing up to launch the Flipkart-exclusive Zenfone 5z in India on July 4. The e-commerce platform recently listed the teaser page, confirming the launch of premium smartphone in India. Asus Zenfone 5z was first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February, alongside Zenfone 5. Both sport similar glass-metal-glass sandwich design and feature a dual camera set-up on the back. However, the processor, RAM and storage configurations set them apart. In terms of features, the Zenfone 5z boasts 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 6.2-inch fullHD+ screen covering almost the entire front. The 19:9 aspect ratio leaves just a small notch on top to accommodate an 8-megapixel camera, earpiece and sensors – just like in Apple iPhone X but ...

The company said the partnership will start this summer at Marriott's select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains Amazon.com  said on Tuesday that it has partnered with Marriott International to help increase guest access to amenities with Alexa, through its voice-controlled device Echo, in an attempt to expand its presence in the hospitality industry. Alexa for hospitality would assist in providing services ranging from ordering room service to requesting housekeeping or calling the concierge for dinner recommendations without picking up the phone. The company said the partnership will start this summer at Marriott’s select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains. Several media reports had said that Marriott had tested both Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa to select what was best suited for its hotels. Marriott did not comment specifically on Apple, but said it has “great ...

From 4K videos, EIS, wide-angle lens, water resistant casing to an affordable price tag of Rs 9,999, the Noise Play 2 is a great value-for-money proposition in the action camera segment Having visited many exciting places across India, I wondered why I never kept a pictorial record of my visits from the first time I started exploring the unexplored. For action cameras, the GoPro did cross my mind. However, considering the price involved, among other factors, I chose not to go for it. Instead, I started looking for a no-frills and more affordable action camera for amateurs. It was then that I came across Noise Play 2 action camera. An affordable price tag of Rs 9,999, optional accessory pack with waterproof casing at Rs 3,999, and the strength to record videos in ultraHD (4K) resolution are some of the reasons that went in the Noise Play 2’s favour. I would have loved to take it out on a ride to the mountains, but that will be for later. For now, here is my review of the d...

The Zenfone 5Z has 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 6.2-inch notch-based fullHD+ screen covering almost the entire front Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Asus was the first smartphone maker to announce Google Android-based devices – the Zenfone 5Z and Zenfone 5 -- with iPhone X-inspired notch-based screens at the Mobile World Congress held in February. Now, after almost four months, the company is gearing up to launch the Zenfone 5Z on June 15, according to a tweet shared by company through its official Japan handle. Earlier this year, when Asus showcased the Zenfone 5-series, the adoption of artificial intelligence technology in smartphones was in early stages and Asus showcased its different use cases, such as automatic scene selection and setting optimisations in camera, auto ringtone adjustments and optimal battery utilisation, etc. Though the Zenfone 5-series smartphones were claimed to bring system-wide AI-based optimisations, a lot has changed sinc...

Sony Joy will be the vice-president of Truecaller Pay   Technology News  : Phone number search engine Truecaller on Wednesday announced a strategic investment into the payments space in India by acquiring Chillr, the country’s first multi-bank payments app. Truecaller co-founder and chief strategy officer Nami Zarringhalam said the founders of Chillr — Sony Joy, Anoop Sankar, Mohamed Galib and Lishoy Bhaskaran — will join Truecaller. Sony Joywill be the vice-president of Truecaller Pay. Zarringhalam said the company intended to leverage its full reach of over 150 million users in India as well as its 300-plus existing partnerships in the country. “By acquiring Chillr, we are reaffirming our commitment to mobile payments and strengthening our plans to raise its adoption amongst our user base,” Zarringhalam said. He, however, did not disclose the amount paid and the terms and conditions for acquiring the Chillr, which was launched in 2014. Tru...

For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 OS, face unlocking capabilities, etc. TECHNOLOGY NEWS  :  Honor, an online subsidiary of Huawei, is on a roll in India. After launching the budget Honor 9 Lite, followed by a mid-range Honor 10, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently launched the Honor 7C. For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with several premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 operating system, face unlocking capabilities, etc. In terms of design, the Honor 7C looks like another modern day smartphone with 5.99-inch fullHD+ IPS 18:9 aspect ratio screen, which is bright and colourful, covered under curved glass. The phone belongs to Honor 7x lineage, therefore it has an aluminium back that feels sturdy. The phone’s tall stance, coupled with a mammoth screen on front, looks good f...

Priced at Rs 19,995, the Skagen Falster is a refreshingly new experience, but a not-so-impressive battery life and unconventional charging cable reduce its utility I am not a big fan of Apple iPhones, but Apple watches are a different league altogether. Being an Android user, however, I have known that going for an Apple watch without an iPhone would limit its utility and not serve the purpose eventually. For the love of Apple smartwatches, I even contemplated moving to the iOS ecosystem, but never really took that step. Recently, I came across Skagen Falster, a smartwatch by American contemporary accessories brand owned by Fossil. Having used an analog Fossil watch for over 10 years now, I know the quality the brand promises. Therefore, I decided to give the Skagen Falster smartwatch a go, to see how the new-age technology blends with the age-old brand. Designed in all black, the Skagen Falster watch looks simple but makes a statement. It does not weigh much, feels l...