Here are some great alternatives to the 59 banned Chinese apps in India

After the Indian government’s interim order to disallow the use of 59 mobile apps with Chinese origin, Google Play Store and Apple App Store has de-listed TikTok in India along with some of the other apps in the list. The government finds all these apps “engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” Having said that, most apps from the list are still available on both the app stores at the time of writing. 

Nevertheless, if you want to stop using these apps and are looking to replace these popular mobile apps of Chinese origin, here are the top 10 alternatives to the banned mobile apps.

Alternatives to TikTok, Helo, Bigo Live, Vigo Video, Vmate, U Video, Viva Video, Likee and Kwai

TikTok and other short video platforms are part of the list of 59 apps banned in India. You can choose Dubsmash, Roposo, Chingari and more such apps available both on Play Store and Apple App Store. 

Alternatives to Shareit and Xender

Shareit and Xender are two popular file transfer apps that are part of the apps that have been prohibited for use in India. Users have the option to download Google Files, ShareAll and more for transferring files between devices. 

Alternatives to UC Browser, CM Browser, APUS Browser and DU Browser

Popular mobile browsers such as UC Browser have been banned and instead, you can switch to other popular and secure browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox Browser, Opera and more.

Alternatives to Camscanner

Camscanner is a popular document scanning app for smartphones but with its ban in India, you can now look at using Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens which are equally good, if not better.

Alternatives to UC News, Newsdog and QQ Newsfeed

News curating apps such as UC News has been banned in India and so alternate options include Google News, Apple News or dedicated apps of various news publications.

Alternatives to ES File Explorer

A popular file manager, ES File Explorer is among the list of 59 apps being banned in India. You can download Files by Google, Solid Explorer File Manager and more such apps.

Alternatives to Club Factory, Shein and ROMWE 

Popular shopping apps like Club Factory are now banned for use in India. Users can instead install and shop from Amazon India, Myntra, Flipkart and more such e-commerce platforms.

Alternatives to Baidu Map and Baidu Translate

You can install and use alternative apps like Google Maps, Google Translate, Apple Maps and more.

 

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Its officially called OnePlus Nord

OnePlus Nord has officially been confirmed as the name of the company’s upcoming affordable smartphone. The phone has earlier been referred to as the OnePlus Z, OnePlus 8 Lite and more recently, OnePlus Lite. However, putting all rumours and guesses to rest, OnePlus has revealed that its affordable smartphone is called OnePlus Nord.

In the first part of the documentary released by OnePlus, the company gives its fans an overview of what went into making an affordable phone in a matter of six months that will be priced below $500. The phone was previously expected to be unveiled along with the OnePlus 8 series that launched on March 15, however, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the launch was postponed to a later date. It’s now speculated that the OnePlus Nord will be launched on July 10.

The second part of the documentary is scheduled to release on July 7 where the company is expected to reveal more details about the launch of the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus Nord will also go up for pre-orders for 100 units on July 1 from 1:30 PM IST. OnePlus also has a dedicated section for the OnePlus Nord on its website and the Amazon India page for pre-orders has also gone live. On Amazon, users will have to click on "Notify me" to stay updated about the pre-order that is set to go live tomorrow.

OnePlus Nord leaked specifications

OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a dual punch-hole cutout in the corner for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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TikTok banned in India: Heres what TikTokers have to say about the ban

We won’t be hearing about TikTok for a while now. The viral video sharing app has been banned by the Indian Government along with 58 other apps originating out of China, and this one’s not a hoax. The order came straight The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking the power under section 69A of the IT Act 2009, based on “information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”

The appendix lists out popular apps like UC Browser, Shareit, Helo, Likee, WeChat, ES File Explorer and a bunch of utility and community apps, including that of Xiaomi.

Among the 59 apps, TikTok is certainly the largest, and would probably be missed a lot. Based on stats provided by Apptrace, it’s presently ranked fourth in India on the Google Play Store and ranked sixth on the App Store. And the viral short video platform boasts a whopping 119 million active users in India alone!

Popular sentiments nonetheless, TikTok had become a viral phenomenon among teenagers and young adults who participate in lip-syncing songs, comedic skits and viral challenges, which gets consumed and shared millions of times. Even if you are not on TikTok, chances are, you hear about the app or the ‘TikTokers’ every few days.

The app has now been taken down from the Google Playstore and the Apple Appstore. Considering the influential platform it had become, banning the app would certainly have an impact on these creators, and the popularity and following they command. Digit.in spoke to two popular tech TikTokers to find out how they feel about the ban —

Aarish Khan, 19. A.K.Technical Point 1.7 million followers on TikTok

The conversation happened in Hindi. We have translated it to English.

Do you think it was right for the Government to ban TikTok?

I’ve been on TikTok for 2 years now and gained a lot of followers. Earlier, I used to spend more than two hours a day scrolling on the app and it’s very addictive. But I don’t think it should be banned. Instead, TikTok should work at removing hateful content from the platform.

How will you reach out to your audience?

I have asked my followers to start following me on Instagram, as I think that’s the only other platform where I can upload my videos. I also had a good 2.7 million following on Likee (another social media app banned among the 59 apps). There are Indian apps also that are like TikTok, but I don’t think they are as good. I have also heard YouTube is working on a short video platform. I might join that.

Vijay Karthikeyan, 36 Techboss India 233k followers on TikTok

Do you think TikTok is a bad influence?

Yes. TikTok is certainly very addictive. They have a simple user interface anyone can use and you can end up spending a lot of time browsing it. While I do have a lot of followers, I support the Indian government’s move to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps because they are posing a threat to our national security by stealing our data.

Are you thinking of joining other short video platforms?

Right now, I will focus more on YouTube. That’s where most of my audience comes from. I have also heard of a bunch of Indian apps that are like TikTok but for now, I will sit and observe what happens and then decide if I want to join another platform.

Was it right to ban TikTok in India?

TikTok, like any other social network, may feel addictive to young users, but the app is also designed in a way that incentivises you to keep scrolling and engaging. Speaking to a counselling psychologist who works with children in India, we learnt teenagers sometimes spend more than 5-6 hours getting a TikTok video right.

“I absolutely support the ban of TikTok. And I’m happy yesterday itself it was declared banned in India, but it should be all around the world too. People need to understand the side effects of it, “ said Saleha Bootwala, a counselling psychologist based out of Pune.

However, TikTok is only considering this an interim ban and has complied with it by taking down the apps from the app stores. TikTok India has been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. It's also not the first time the app was banned. Previously, the Madras High Court had asked the app to be removed citing pornographic content, but that ban was soon lifted. The present order is far more sweeping and includes a lot more apps, and came at a time when nationalistic sentiments are at an all-time high. 

“TikTok has democratized the internet by making it available in 14 Indian languages, with hundreds of millions of users, artists, storytellers, educators and performers depending on it for their livelihood, many of whom are first-time internet users,"  said Nikhil Gandhi, Head of TikTok, India

The company said in a statement that it continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government.

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OnePlus announces 100 pre-orders for its affordable phone on July 1

OnePlus Nord a.k.a the OnePlus Lite / OnePlus Z will be up for pre-orders starting July 1, the company has announced. The much-anticipated affordable OnePlus smartphone hasn’t been announced yet and it's not confirmed what it will be called at launch. However, the company is opening up 100 pre-orders for the phone, indicating that we’re close to an official launch. Interestingly, OnePlus is hosting an event on July 2 where it is expected to launch three new TVs.

The new Instagram account OnePlus created for its affordable smartphone has posted a story which says “24 hours until we’re open for business - for at least a couple of seconds. 100 pre-orders coming up”, concluding with a phone emoji. The company has been generating a lot of hype for its affordable phone which marks OnePlus’ re-entry into the affordable segment. 

How to pre-order OnePlus Nord?

OnePlus will go live with 100 pre-orders for its upcoming affordable phone dubbed OnePlus Nord on July 1 from 1:30 PM IST. Currently, it’s not known whether the pre-orders will go live on the OnePlus India store or Amazon India, but we’ll update this post as and when we receive new updates.

OnePlus Nord leaked specifications

OnePlus has earlier accidentally indicated that the affordable phone could be called OnePlus Nord after the name was spotted in a now-deleted picture on Instagram. Nevertheless, here’s everything we know about the affordable OnePlus.

OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a dual punch-hole cutout in the corner for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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ACT Fibernet upgrades customers in Delhi with higher speed, more data cap

If you are an ACT broadband customer, then there is good news for you. ACT has upgraded the speed and data of some of its plans in Delhi. Under the existing plans, the ACT Platinum Promo plan has been upgraded to 150 Mbps speed with 1000 GB FUP and ACT Diamond plan has been upgraded to 300 Mbps Speeds with 1500 GB FUP. The price of the plans remains the same. The ACT Platinum Promo plan is priced at Rs 1049 whereas the ACT Diamond plan is priced at Rs 1349. Let’s break down the changes to these 2 plans.

ACT Platinum Promo plan and ACT Diamond plan details

Starting with the ACT Platinum Promo plan, the price of the plan is the same for new and existing customers - Rs 1049. The data cap is still the same at 1000GB after which the speed drops to 1Mbps. During the FUP usage, however, speed for customers has been increased from 150 Mbps to 200 Mbps. 

Moving over to the ACT Diaomind plan, the speed for users has increased from 150 Mbps to 300 Mbps and the data cap has also increased from 1250GB to 1500GB. The price of the plan is still the same at Rs 1349. After the FUP is reached, the speed drops to 2 Mbps.

“As part of our brand promise of Feel the advantage we believe in bringing the best experiences to our customers and as a step to further enhance our customer experience, we have upgraded plans with higher speeds / increased FUP limits. In these times where customers are connected to the internet from their home, our high-speed plans will enable superior internet experience, especially around work from home, streaming, gaming and e-learning”. 

If ACT isn’t available in your area and you are looking for a broadband plan with unlimited internet, then you can check out our list of best broadband plans with unlimited data here. If 4G is your preferred choice to connect to the internet, then you can check out our comparison of 4G plans with high data benefits here.

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PUBG Mobile to get new Livik map from 7 July

PUBG Mobile has confirmed that its new map, Livik will be available to all players from July 7 onwards as part of the v0.19.0 update. The new map is the game’s first map that is exclusive to the mobile version. It is also expected to be one of the smallest maps yet for the game, even smaller than Sanhok, with each game limited to 50 players.

Pack your virtual bags and get ready to take a trip to PUBG MOBILE's first exclusive map Livik. Break new ground with Update 0.19.0 becoming available to all regions on July 7th! Join in on the action nowhttps://t.co/Lvgc5qlZAp pic.twitter.com/K661LrsUbW

— PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) June 30, 2020

In an interview,  the developers noted that the idea behind the new map is to allow for shorter, faster-paced matches. This would make it ideal for working professionals who may not have the time to play a normal game of PUBG Mobile on large maps like Miramar and Erangel as these games can last for 40 minutes or so. 

Besides a shorter and more frenetic play style, Livik also comes with a bunch of new additions. This includes the introduction of the P90 SMG to battle royale. The weapon was initially limited to Team Death Match mode. Then there is the MK12 burst-fire sniper rifle, which should be quite devastating in long-range situations. Finally, there is the Monster Truck, a new vehicle added to the map. The developers also note that a majority of the weapons in the game will now be able to use the extended barrel weapon attachment. This is to make starting weapons more effective in late stages of the game as players may not have the time to scavenge for newer weapons. 

However, those players waiting for Erangel 2.0 will have to wait a little longer. The developers noted that they were still “putting the final touches on the map” and players can expect the new version of the classic map to be available later this year. 

You can learn more about the new map here.

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MediaTek Helio G35 and Helio G25 gaming chipsets announced for affordable smartphones

MediaTek has launched Helio G35 and Helio G25 chipsets that are built especially for affordable gaming smartphones and comes with MediaTek HyperEngine game technology. Both the chipsets are part of the company’s G-series of processors such as the Helio G90, G90T, G85, G80 and G70 that offer an enhanced gaming experience and imaging features.

“Mobile gaming is now the preferred mode of entertainment across market segments, and MediaTek expanded its G-series to meet the huge demand for competitively priced, mainstream gaming smartphones,” said Dr Yenchi Lee, Deputy General Manager, Wireless Communications Business Unit, MediaTek.

The Helio G35 and G25 chipsets have been crafted on a 12nm FinFET process with an octa-core CPU with speeds upto 2GHz and 2.3GHz for the G25 and G35 respectively. The new chipsets come with PowerVR GE8320 GPUs with MediaTek’s Hyper Engine that offers smart power management for efficient battery life during gameplay sessions.

With the Hyper Engine technology built into the chips, it ensures a sustained peak performance while gaming. It also supports dual-channel Wi-Fi and LTE support that reduces latency in times when the network connectivity isn’t strong. The Hyper Engine is also responsible for dynamic allocation of CPU, GPU and RAM.

The G35 supports up to Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display while the G25 is limited to HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) resolution. The G25 supports up to 21MP single camera while the G35 comes with support for up to 25MP cameras and features like AI-enhanced modes and bokeh effects. The chips also support Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and Rolling Shutter Compensation (RSC) for creating videos at upto 1080p 30FPS without apparent jerks and movements.

Both the chips come with support for dual 4G SIM, eMMC 5.1 storage, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, FM radio and more. MediaTek Helio G35 is expected to be used in the Realme C11 while the G25 could power the upcoming Redmi 9A as per some leaks.

 

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Microsoft could reveal Xbox Series S in August 2020: Report

If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then we could see the much rumoured less powerful Xbox Series S also known as Lockhart revealed in August 2020. According to the source, “The company was aiming to show off the long-rumoured, more-affordable Xbox Lockhart around June 9. But it pushed those plans all the way to August — at least for now”. So it looks like Microsoft is waiting to showcase the new console, but when Sony held its PS5 reveal event, the company showed off the design of the PS5 along with an all-digital version of the console. 

According to Tom Warren from the Verge, “I’ve been reporting on Xbox Lockhart having a slightly underclocked CPU, but I now believe it’s the same speed as Series X. Just different GPU frequencies and CU counts”. So if the CPU is the same, then we can presume that the CPU bottleneck will not be an issue for developers. However, the lower CU counts and GPU frequency means that the console could take a hit on resolution but still deliver the same performance with games. This is quite the different approach when compared to Sony who is giving users the same hardware under the hood, with the only difference being the presence/absence of a Blu-ray drive. 

"Obviously, in the name 'Series X,' it gives us the freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to," Xbox head Phil Spencer said in December 2019 to Gamespot when the Xbox Series X was first unveiled. 

Information about the Lockhart console was also revealed in leaked Microsoft documents. The documents read, “Welcome to the June 2020 Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) release. You can use the GDK to develop games that can be certified and approved for release on Windows 10 PCs, Xbox One Consoles, and Project Scarlett consoles. In fact, you can target all those devices using a shared codebase”.

Microsoft is expected to showcase its first-party games at an event in July. We are looking forward to getting a look at gameplay from titles like Hellblade: Senua’s Saga, Halo Infinite and many more.

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Indian government bans 59 mobile apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Mi Community and more

TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Xiaomi Mi Community, ES File Explorer, Clash of Kings are among the list of 59 mobile apps that have been banned by the Indian government. The Ministry of Information Technology finds these apps “engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” 

The Indian government had earlier reportedly received a list of apps that originated or have links with China from intelligence agencies citing security and privacy concerns over the use of these apps. In a press release issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the government cites several complaints, reports and an “exhaustive recommendation” which forms the basis of this new order to ban 59 apps.

The government hasn’t revealed the nature of the ban, neither has it approached Google Play Store and Apple App Store to enforce the order. As of writing this report TikTok, Shareit and more apps from the list are available on the respective app stores. 

Interestingly, a viral message doing the round of the Internet was recently spotted that prohibited the use of 14 apps with Chinese origin but it was discredited by the government at the time.

The Indian government has accused these 59 mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms of “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data” in an unauthorized manner to servers outside of India. Hence, the government has deemed these apps as a security concern for mining and profiling users data by “elements hostile of national security”.

Here’s the list of 59 mobile apps issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT that it has disallowed for use in mobile and non-mobile Internet devices.

 

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Homegrown Tik-Tok alternative Chingari garners 25 million downloads on Google Play

A homegrown social networking app called “Chingari” has gone viral with more than 2.5 million downloads on the Google Playstore. Launched as a TikTok alternative, the short video sharing app reached 500,000 downloads in just 72 hours and the new milestone is coupled with thousands of favourable reviews on the app’s listing page on Google Playstore.

Apart from helping users reach out to millions with their posts, the biggest draw for the app is that it also pays content creators for content that goes viral. It’s also available on the Apple App Store.

It’s a truly Indian app with support for multiple vernacular languages, which has perhaps resonated with the people of the country amidst a surge in Anti-China sentiments. On the Google Playstore, it’s called Chingari - Original Indian Short Video app.

What is Chingari app?

Billed as a Tik-Tok alternative, Chingari is a homegrown, short video sharing app founded by two Bengaluru-based software engineers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam. It’s free to download and offers a TikTok like interface to consume and upload content. Creators can also upload their own short videos.

The app has a feed which users can scroll up or down to watch short videos based on topics and people they follow. Topics include Entertainment, Technology, Health, Movies, Sports and more. Posts can also be filtered by hashtags and they can be shared as WhatsApp staatus, along with sharing them as links on other social media apps.

But it’s not new per se. The first version of the app launched on the Google Playstore in November 2018 and on iOS, it debuted in January 2019, according to Gadgets 360. And the recent fame is likely due to the demand for Indian alternatives. But there’s also another factor driving the downloads.

Chingari pays the content creator based on viral the video becomes. For every view one gets on their videos uploaded on the app, users get points which can then be redeemed for money.

The app is available in Hindi, English, Bengali, Gujrati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telegu.

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PUBG Mobile Update 0.19.0 Coming on July 7 With New Livik Map

PUBG Mobile has announced through its Twitter handle that the 0.19.0 update will land on July 7. It will bring the recently named Livik map that is currently in the beta version of the game. The post on Twitter does not share any more details on what we can expect from the 0.19.0 update.

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Apple might exclude charger and earpods from iPhone 12 box

As we near the launch of the next iPhone, the rumours and leaks around it start to pick up with a feverish pace. Just like the last few years, we’re getting early, unconfirmed reports surrounding the charger of the iPhone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the iPhone 12 will not come with EarPods in the box. Perhaps the more notable claim is that Apple might, in fact, even be doing away with the bundled charger, leaving just the charging cable as the accessory in the box.

According to Kuo, the reasoning behind the removal of the bundled accessories is the potentially high cost of making the iPhone 12. Kuo says that Apple wants to maintain the current retail price for the iPhone 12 and apparently, removing essential bundled accessories seems to be the only way to do so. Do note that at this point, it is not clear whether Kuo is referring to all four alleged models that make up the iPhone 12 series or just a smartphone that might be called the iPhone 12.

Unfortunately, we cannot help but recommend taking these “predictions” with a pinch of salt. For the last three years, there have been numerous reports just before the year’s iPhone launch, speculating that Apple would bundle a fast charger in the box (rumour started with the iPhone XS) or that Apple would ditch the Lightning connector in favour of USB-C. This last one has come up over and over again, once when Apple shifted to Type-C port on the iPad Pro, again when a screenshot from an early build of iOS 13 leaked, showing a type-C cable to be connected to a computer, and recently, with the EU going after Apple for using a proprietary connector.

Current rumours, as they stand, suggest that Apple would remove the bundled charger from the box, and instead, would coax people into buying the newly leaked 20W fast charger. Apple is known for being consistent with whatever it is they do and removing a long-standing bundled accessory would go very much against that image. The only accessory to ever be removed from the iPhone box is the lightning to 3.5mm headphone converter, something that was included only on 2 generations of iPhones, to ease the transition to a headphone-jack-less world.

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Xiaomi MIUI 12 stable update rolling out to new phones Heres whats new

It’s been just about a month that Xiaomi announced the global version of MIUI 12 for its smartphones, with beta versions rolling out on the same day. Now, with the sale and production of new smartphones impacted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Xiaomi is focusing on rolling out the new interface to new smartphones on priority.

A new report states Xiaomi smartphones have already started to receive the stable update to MIUI 12 which includes the Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K30 Pro Zoom, Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro 5G and Mi 10 Youth. The report claims that the updates started rolling out from June 28 for more phones including the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 9 Explorer Edition, Redmi K20 Pro and the Redmi K20.

However, it seems there’s still time for the updates to roll out to phones in India. The rollout falls in line with the timeline shared by Xiaomi at the launch of MIUI 12. Xiaomi had promised that the first stable build will start rolling out from June. The rollout will also depend a lot on the COVID-19 pandemic that’s presently raging across the globe.

What’s new in MIUI 12?

MIUI 12 brings a new design that’s powered by a Physics Engine and an animation rendering engine, which makes UI elements appear a lot better and more consistent across the software. The new interface also introduces floating windows to Xiaomi smartphones that can be used for quick replies to messages, or even a game to run minimized. MIUI 12 also supports universal casting to TVs and displays that support Miracast.

Then there are Super Wallpapers which let you tour planets from your phone screen. These wallpapers use part of the same package to animate the home screen, lock screen and the always-on display.

There are also a host of privacy improvements including a better notification management feature. MIUI 12 will highlight the critical components like the camera or microphone used by an app in the background. You can also choose to let apps acquire your location information only when they are running in the foreground.

There’s also a new dark mode that can force third party apps to also emulate the theme style. Lastly, a new Ultra Battery Saver mode is included to make phones last longer on a single charge. It kicks in when the phone hits 5 per cent battery,  and shows a minimalist home screen with just a few essential apps.

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Apple could launch a 108-Inch iPad in 2020, 85-inch iPad Mini in 2021: Report

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is expected to launch a 10.8-inch iPad in 2020 and an 8.5-inch iPad Mini in 2021. It isn’t clear whether the new iPad will replace or be in addition to the 10.2-inch iPad and 10.5-inch iPad Air. It also isn’t clear what chip the upcoming iPads will run on as the refreshed iPad Air and iPad mini in 2019 run on the A12 Bionic chip which is Apple's latest and greatest. It is possible we could get the A13 with the upcoming iPhone 12 and the same chip could find its way to the upcoming iPads. Kuo has also said that a 20W power adapter will come with the new iPads in the box. 

Kuo has often been right with his Apple predictions, but we still suggest you take this with a grain of salt. Apple recently refreshed its iPad Pro lineup and also introduced a snazzy new keyboard that magnetically holds the iPad in place, giving the illusion that it is levitating. The refreshed iPad Pros come with the A12z chip. You can read more about the new iPad Pros here. 

We had a chance to review the iPad Air in 2019 and in our review we said that “The iPad Air is a fantastic device for content consumption, playing games and running a host of different apps from the App Store. It has swift performance and the display is a treat. The battery life and touch response are good too. The sound output from the tablet is good. However, it doesn’t have stereo separation when watching movies and it does not support the second-gen Apple Pencil.” You can read our review in detail here. 

The iPad Mini was also refreshed in 2019, bringing with it Apple Pencil (1st gen) support, A12 Bionic Chip and an upgraded display. Though it does retain its 7.9-inch form factor. It isn’t clear whether the upcoming 8.5-inch iPad will replace the 7.9-inch one or offer customers one more choice for an iPad mini.

At WWDC 2020, Apple announced the latest version of iPadOS and if you want to know if your iPad is compatible with iPadOS 14, then you can check out the list here.

Source

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Everything you need to know about the upcoming OnePlus TVs

OnePlus has been drip-feeding us information about the upcoming OnePlus TV with some new teaser every day. So we thought we’d compile everything we know about the OnePlus TV in one place. We will talk about the speculated pricing, display size, features and more. This includes all the information that OnePlus has confirmed about the OnePlus TVs and some information we are guessing based on the teasers, leaks and out experience. 

OnePlus TV Screen Sizes

As per a Bluetooth listing, it was speculated that OnePlus would launch three variants of the OnePlus TV - 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch. The naming convention in the same listing also hinted that the 32-inch TV would be an HD ready TV, the 43-inch TV an FHD TV and the 55-inch a UHD TV. OnePlus has also teased three prices for the TVs hinting at three models. The 32-inch and 43-inch screen sizes are the hottest space in the TV market right now with brands like Xiaomi, Kodak and more offering TVs in this space and new entries from brands like Realme, Nokia and more. The 55-inch screen space also has Nokia, Xiaomi, Kodak and more flexing their muscles and even though OnePlus has a 55-inch offering in the Q1 and Q1 Pro, its high price tag puts it in the premium TV category.  

OnePlus TV Price

Which, of course, brings us to the price of the new TVs. OnePlus took to Twitter to tease three different prices for the TV. 1X,999, 2X,999, and 4X999. This, of course, represents the price of the three TVs - 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch respectively. As far as availability is concerned, we will know that once the TVs are announced on July 2.  

OnePlus TV display technology

The OnePlus Q1 and Q1 Pro that launched last year were QLED TVs. We recently reviewed a TCL QLED TV and the 55-inch variant of the C715 is priced at Rs 55,990. There are of course higher variants available as well of the TCL QLED TV. It isn’t confirmed whether OnePlus will stay with the QLED bandwagon this time around as the company has only teased features like support for Dolby Vision, 93 percent DCI-P3 colour space, 95 percent screen to body ratio and the fact that the Gamma Engine, which was there in the Q1 will be there on these TVs as well. Since the Q1 TVs supported Dolby Atmos as well, it is likely that the new TV will do the same. Whether we will see any HDMI 2.1 features like eARC remains to be seen. With a lot of budget TVs offering Dolby Vision and smooth Android TV experience, it will be interesting to see how OnePlus distinguishes itself from the crowd.  

OnePlus TV OS and UI

Which brings us to the OS and UI. The OnePlus Q1 and Q1 Pro ran on the Android TV platform with OnePlus’ own Oxygen Play overlaying it. We don't see any reason for the company to deviate from this, rather we think improvements could be made to the UI and UX the TV comes with. The Q1 Pro gave users the best of Android TV and Oxygen Play as UI options, similar to what Xiaomi does with its PatchWall and Android TV options on TVs. OnePlus’ app integration the last time around was impressive giving users features like screenshots, seamless app controls and more and we think the experience could be better refined this time around. Nothing is known about the UI and OS of the upcoming TVs. This is us making an educated guess. 

OnePlus TV remote control

One of the weakest elements of the OnePlus Q1 TVs was the remote control that came with it at launch. It was unergonomic. OnePlus did release a refreshed remote control later on which improved on some of the problems with the original remote control. Whether OnePlus decides to stick with the second-gen remote control or go back to the drawing board and come up with something new is yet to be seen. One of the best features about the first-gen remote control was the USB-C charging. We hope that it is retained. 

OnePlus TV launch date and pre-orders

As we’ve mentioned above, OnePlus will reveal the OnePlus TV to the world on July 2, 2020. There is no information on when the TVs will be available. However, those interested can pre-book the OnePlus TV. Customers can pre-book the OnePlus TV for a mere Rs 1000 and get 2 years extended warranty if they purchase the TV before August 5 2020. You can check out all the pre-booking benefits here.  

OnePlus TV made in India

Information circulating the internet suggests that OnePlus has partnered with Skyworth to manufacture its TVs in India. OnePlus has done this to take advantage of zero import duties of the key component which is the open cell TV panel. It accounts for 70 percent of the cost of the TV. This will help OnePlus keep the cost of the TV down and be more competitive in the Indian market. OnePlus is also making its OnePlus 8 family of smartphones in India in the Oppo facility in Greater Noida, so it is possible that the company is making its TVs in India as well. This isn’t confirmed though. You can read more about it here.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 is expected to be 50 more expensive Will it be worth the premium

With Qualcomm making the 5G modem on the Snapdragon 865 mandatory, Android flagships are struggling to remain affordable with many crossing the Rs 50,000 mark in India, a market where OEMs aim to keep devices affordable. And if you have been hoping the Snapdragon 875 next year will lower the prices again, we have some bad news.

Based on information from South Korea, the Snapdragon 875 will be even more expensive than the current Snapdragon 865. A whopping 50 percent increase in price is expected. A forum post claims the Snapdragon 875 SoC itself will cost $130, as compared to Snapdragon 865’s $85 price tag.

The entire package, however, is expected to go up to $250, where the Snapdragon 865 is being sourced at $160. The forum post claims this is the price Xiaomi will be buying the chipsets at, from Qualcomm. It needs to be noted that the final unit price of the chipsets will depend on the volume ordered. Considering the number of flagship Android phones Xiaomi launches and sells in a year, it’s fair to guess Xiaomi is one of the largest customers for the chip.

The higher $250 price tag is likely what OEMs will have to pay since the company has made the purchase of the entire chipset mandatory, including the 5G modem and the RF components.

Android flagships to become more expensive in 2021

With Qualcomm having a near-monopoly in Android flagship chipsets, the price of these premium smartphones is only going to go up in 2021, if the report is to be believed. This could force OEMs to limit the number of flagship devices, in favour of smartphones powered by the 7-series SoCs. Or opt for silicon from MediaTek and Samsung instead. With the latter finally foregoing the use of proprietary Mongoose cores, we might just see an Exynos chipset go toe to toe with the next Snapdragon 8-series SoC.

What we know so far about the Snapdragon 875

Based on reports coming out of Taiwan, the Snapdragon 875 is already under mass production using TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing node. The Apple A14 Bionic is also being made on the same platform at TSMC. Reports claim Qualcomm is investing 6,000 to 10,000 5nm wafers per month in TSMC for the Snapdragon 875, which also includes the Snapdragon X60 5G modem.

As for the features, new CPU designs released by ARM gives us a good idea on what to expect. The Snapdragon 875 is expected to come with custom Cortex-A78 cores and the Cortex-X1 Super Core. MyDrivers also confirmed that the new cores will debut first on the flagship chipset, followed by the 2021 Samsung Exynos 1000 chip. Qualcomm is likely to stick to the 1+3+4 core configuration.

The Cortex-X1 Super Core promises a whopping 30 percent improvement in speed than last year’s Cortex-A77, while the Cortex-A78 also offering a modest 20 percent increase, as claimed by ARM.

Further reports state Qualcomm will use an Adreno 660 GPU in the Snapdragon 875, and for what maybe for the first time, another Adreno 665 video processing unit (VPU) and an Adreno 1095 display processing unit (DPU).

Provided there’s no halt in production due to the ongoing pandemic, Qualcomm is expected to announce the Snapdragon 875 in December 2020, followed by a debut on a Xiaomi smartphone.

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Affordable OnePlus phone teased on Amazon India ahead of official launch

OnePlus is asking people to guess the name of its upcoming affordable smartphone and as listed the OnePlus Lite and OnePlus Z as two options on Amazon India ahead of the official launch. The affordable OnePlus phone has been leaked previously as the OnePlus 8 Lite and subsequently as the OnePlus Z but there’s no confirmation yet on the official name of the upcoming phone. In fact, OnePlus accidentally indicated that the phone could be called OnePlus Nord instead as has been spotted in a now-deleted picture on Instagram. 

OnePlus is generating a lot of hype in the heads up to the official unveiling of their upcoming smartphone which marks the company’s re-entry into the affordable segment after the OnePlus X that was launched back in 2015. With the new phone, the company could be looking to stay relevant in the affordable price segment of the Indian smartphone market which it once dominated.

OnePlus Nord Leaked Specifications  OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a dual punch-hole cutout in the corner for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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OnePlus 8 series to go on sale today on Amazon India: Here are the alternatives to consider

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are going on sale later today on Amazon India. The OnePlus 8 series was previously available in limited quantities earlier due to production issues likely caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. However, this afternoon, both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will go on sale on Amazon India and OnePlus India store.

OnePlus 8 series pricing, sale date and launch offers 

OnePlus 8 is priced starting at Rs 41,999 for the base variant in Glacial Green colour with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 44,999 and comes in Onyx Black colour. The maxed-out variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is up for grabs in Interstellar Glow and Glacial Green colours and is priced at Rs 49,999.

OnePlus 8 Pro is priced starting at Rs 54,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage while the maxed-out variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is up for grabs at Rs 59,999. 

As part of the sale offers, OnePlus is offering a 10 percent discount for CITI Bank cardholders, an instant cashback of Rs 1,000 on Amazon Pay for those who pre-booked the phone, no-cost EMI of up to 12 months with major banks, benefits worth Rs 6,000 with Reliance Jio and six bonus audiobooks by Audible. As part of the OnePlus Red Cable Club, new users will also get six-months extended warranty and 50GB free cloud storage.

OnePlus 8 alternatives

OnePlus 8 is perhaps one of the best mid-range flagship phones to consider if looking for a new smartphone that you can depend upon. However, it’s likely that many people don’t want to spend over Rs 40,000 on a smartphone yet so here are the alternatives you can look at instead.

Realme X50 Pro is available starting at Rs 39,999 and comes packed with the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset as the OnePlus 8 along with 64MP quad cameras on the back and support for 65W fast charging out-of-the-box. The maxed-out variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is available at Rs 47,999 on Flipkart.

The iQOO 3 is one of the most affordable Snapdragon 865 powered smartphones in India as it’s available both in 4G and 5G versions. The iQOO 3 also features an AMOLED screen, a 48MP quad-camera setup but supports 55W fast charging out-of-the-box.

The iQOO 3 starts at Rs 34,999 for the 4G variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage while the 256GB storage option retails for Rs 37,990. The 5G variant has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and is priced at Rs 44,990. There are some cashback offers that buyers can avail which provides cashback of Rs 3,000. 

OnePlus 8 Pro alternatives

While the OnePlus 8 Pro features top-of-the-line specifications, there are other flagship smartphones you can consider especially when you’re spending over Rs 50,000 on a mobile phone.

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 10, it’s flagship phone in India with a versatile 108MP camera array, Snapdragon 865 chipset, high refresh rate display and support for fast wired/wireless charging. It starts at Rs 49,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and goes up to Rs 54,999 for the other variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro specifications 

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are both powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC and are 5G-capable. OnePlus 8 rocks a 6.5-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display while the same on the OnePlus 8 Pro is a 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED display measuring 6.7-inches. Both are HDR10+ certified and rock in-display fingerprint sensors and punch-hole selfie cameras. 

There's a triple camera setup at the back of the OnePlus 8 including a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, a 16MP ultrawide lens and a 2MP macro. The OnePlus 8 Pro gets a quad-camera setup with a 48MP Sony IMX689 primary sensor, another 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with an ultrawide lens, an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x hybrid zoom and a colour filter lens.

The OnePlus 8 is powered by a 4,300mAh battery while the OnePlus 8 Pro is powered by a 4510mAh battery. Both smartphones get charged via a 30W Warp Charge 30T charger. Only the OnePlus 8 Pro goes a step further and boasts of 30W wireless charging support as well. The OnePlus 8 Pro is also IP68-rated water and dust resistant.

 

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OnePlus confirmed to launch three affordable TVs in India on July 2

OnePlus has confirmed that it’s going to unveil three new televisions in India on July 2, entering into the affordable TV segment. The company is going all-in with marketing the new televisions and has revealed some key details about their upcoming affordable TVs. OnePlus currently sells two TVs in its Q1 series and while there’s no word on what the new and affordable TV series will be called, the company has revealed on its official forum, some of the key highlights about the three upcoming TVs in India.

In the heads up to the official launch, OnePlus is hosting a contest on Amazon India asking users to guess the starting price of its upcoming televisions. In a tweet, the company has also hinted at the starting price of three models, expected to be 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch starting at Rs 1X,999, Rs 2X,999 and Rs 4X,999 respectively.

It's all that you need at a price that you want. Can you guess the price of the upcoming OnePlus TV Series? #SmarterTV #OnePlusTV

— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) June 27, 2020

Based on this, one can speculate that the starting price of the most affordable OnePlus TV could be Rs 19,999 or lower as is also indicated by the contest on Amazon.

Additionally, OnePlus has confirmed that the upcoming TVs have a nearly bezel-less display with over 95 per cent screen-to-body ratio and measures just 6.9mm at its thickest point. The new TVs are expected to come with HD, Full HD and 4K UHD resolution panels with support for Dolby Vision and 93 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut.

The new OnePlus TVs are set to launch in India on July 2 but if you’re interested to get either of the three TVs based on the features teased by OnePlus, you can pre-book the upcoming OnePlus TVs. As a complimentary offer, everyone who pre-orders the upcoming OnePlus TVs will be eligible to get a 2-year extended warranty.

 

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Xiaomi Redmi 9A key specifications and render leak ahead of the official launch

Xiaomi Redmi 9A has been leaked yet again, this time courtesy of the company’s own product brochure for July-August 2020. This brochure is meant for the authorised retailers in the Philippines region and so there’s no word for when the phone will arrive in India. The Redmi 9A is an entry-level phone in the Redmi 9 series of budget phones and the leak also revealed key specifications which corroborate previous leaks about the phone.

The brochure has been uploaded by GizGuide, a consumer technology publication based out of Phillippines which lists the Redmi 9A as “coming soon”. Notably, the brochure doesn’t list the prices of the Redmi 9A. Let’s take a look at the leaked specifications of the Redmi 9A.

Xiaomi Redmi 9A leaked specifications

The leaked image of the Redmi 9A looks in-line with the design of the previous generation Redmi 8 series. The phone features a waterdrop notch with the display measuring 6.53-inches. The display has an HD+ resolution with a rather noticeable bezel at the bottom with the word “Redmi” etched on it.

Redmi 9A is powered by the MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core processor with Mali-G31 as the GPU. This is paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage with support for up to 512GB microSD cards. 

The phone is equipped with a single camera on the back that uses a primary 13MP sensor. On the front, there is a 5MP selfie camera housed within the notch. 

The Redmi 9A is expected to be equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that could support 10W fast charging. It could be priced between 100-120 Euros which is around Rs 8,400 - Rs 10,000 by direct conversion.

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Intel uses flawed testing to claim supremacy over AMD

The tussle for compute supremacy between Intel and AMD has never been this intense. AMD’s Ryzen series of processors have been hacking away at Intel’s market share in the consumer space at a fairly consistent rate, and team Blue has tried hard to not let go of their dominance. Now, a set of leaked slides from the Intel Partner Connect program has stirred up major controversy for Intel, causing a significant backlash from tech press and enthusiasts alike.

The presentation in question was given during the Intel Partner Connect event and is meant only to be used as training material for Intel’s partners. Amongst the many slides, is one that compares a tenth generation Intel Core i7-10750H powered MSI GL65 with the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS powered Asus Zephyrus G14. The slide shows benchmark data from 6 games that were played on both the machines, with Intel being ahead of the AMD Ryzen chip in every scenario. There is, however, only one problem. The GPU on the MSI GL65 is what is colloquially called the Max-P version of the Nvidia RTX 2060, while the GPU on the Zephyrus G14 is an Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q. Max-P means it’s a full-blown GPU with a performance-focused design. In fact, Nvidia quietly updated the RTX 2060 mobile to the performance of what would be an RTX 2060 Super, without changing its name. The RTX 2060 Max-P has a TDP of 90 Watts and the Max-Q version has a TDP of 65W. The two GPUs have a boost clock of 1560 MHz (RTX 2060 Max-P) and 1186MHz (RTX 2060 Max-Q). Suffice to say, it was not a fair comparison. The second issue with the slide is that Intel while using frame-rates as the benchmark, doesn’t actually state those numbers. Instead, it considers the Asus Zephyrus G14’s performance as “base” while its own performance is denoted by percentage points, qualified by the phrase “up to.”

Intel’s claim with the slide is that “Intel Core i7-10750H based system offers better gaming performance than top bin AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS based system across a wide selection of AAA games (measured at ultra-settings) for a lower price.”

Besides using a machine with a GPU that has lower performance, Intel also hastily chose to go up against a Ryzen 9 4900HS-based machine, instead of one powered by the Ryzen 9 4900H. The ‘HS’ part has a slightly lower clock-speed and even lower single and all core Turbo in comparison to the 4900H, bringing the overall TDP to 35W for the HS in comparison to the 45W of the H. The remainder of the slides also show Intel cherry-picking benchmarks to suit their narrative. For example, when talking about video encoding performance, Intel chose to use Magix Fastcut Plus, an obscure video editing program with 20 ‘mixed’ reviews on Steam. According to Intel, when video editing and rendering in this software, their Intel Core i7-9700K is 2.7 times faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 3950x. Intel should have ideally used Adobe Premiere Pro or even DaVinci Resolve for this comparison since these are far more commonplace than ‘Magix Fastcut Plus.’ Making matters worse is that Intel uses Premiere as a benchmark in a later slide when they talk about the performance gains of the 10th gen over the previous generation chips from Intel.

Over the last few years, AMD has been closing the price and performance gap on Intel, with their latest processors being neck-to-neck, if not better, than Team Blue’s offering. It is no secret that Intel has been struggling to squeeze more performance out of its 4-year-old 14nm process (which has been refined over the years). Proof of Intel’s struggle with delivering performance while keeping power draw and heat at a minimum is Apple’s recent announcement that it will completely ditch Intel in favour of its in-house silicon designed using the ARM instruction set.

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Huawei Nova 7i could launch in July in India: specifications and expected pricing

Huawei Nova 7i could launch in India sometime in July, according to a new report doing rounds of the Internet. The Nova 7i debuted in Malaysia in February earlier this year and features quad cameras on the back, support for fast charging out-of-the-box and is powered by an octa-core processor to boot.

As per an exclusive report by Pricebaba that cites a “trusted source”, Huawei is preparing to launch the Nova 7i in India in July. It can be noted here that Huawei hasn’t officially revealed any plans to launch the Nova 7i in India yet. The company had launched the Huawei Y9s in India last month in May alongside the Huawei Watch GT2E and much recently the Huawei Freebuds 3.

Huawei Nova 7i specifications and expected pricing

Huawei Nova 7i features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ (2310 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner for the selfie camera. The phone measures 8.7mm at its thickest point and weigh 183 grams. 

The Nova 7i is powered by Kirin 810 processor with an octa-core CPU and Mali-G52 MP6 GPU. This is paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage with an option to expand the storage further up to 256GB. The phone runs on EMUI 10 and doesn’t come with support for Google Play Services. The phone will likely come with Huawei AppGallery as we’ve seen previously with the Honor 9X Pro.

It features a quad-camera setup on the back which consists of a primary 48MP camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro camera and another 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there’s a 16MP selfie camera housed within the punch-hole cutout.

The Nova 7i is fitted with a 4,200mAh battery with support for 40W fast charging out-of-the-box. Huawei claims that the phone can go from 0 to 70 per cent in 30 minutes.

In Malaysia, the Huawei Nova 7i is priced at RM 1099 which roughly translates to Rs 19,300 by direct conversion. We expect Huawei to launch the Nova 7i at a similar price here in India. The phone comes in three colours, black, green and pink.

 

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Microsoft to permanently shut down all retail stores

In what could be considered a bleak representation of current events, Microsoft has announced that they will be shutting down all but four retail stores. The company said that the four stores that will remain open will be transformed into experience centers. The company said that they will be moving the retail operations online.

"Our sales have grown online as our product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and our talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location," said Microsoft corporate vice president David Porter. Currently, Microsoft has over 80 retail stores that have had to stay shut due to the Coronavirus outbreak. During the time, while retail sales have obvious rock-bottomed, online sales have risen greatly, prompting Microsoft to take the new approach for retail. "Microsoft will continue to invest in its digital storefronts on Microsoft.com, and stores in Xbox and Windows," the statement said.

While the company has not declared how many employees would be impacted or lose their jobs due to this new direction, the company has said that the retail ream will continue to tend to customers from the Microsoft corporate facilities. They will continue to provide training, support and sales guidance remotely. The company has committed a $450 million corpus to aid everyone involved in this transition.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the company announcing the end of Mixer, Microsoft’s game streaming platform. The company has said that they will be partnering with Facebook Gaming moving forward.

Over the last few years, Microsoft has been slowly pivoting from a hardware company to more of a services model. The company has been building its cloud computing portfolio such as Azure Cloud. Microsoft is also poise to enter the cloud gaming space with Project Xcloud, which is already available to users in various countries. In  India, Microsoft had announced a partnership with Reliance Jio for Xcloud.The company has also started to move away from the traditional sales model for its software, turning to the subscription model for its popular software such as Microsoft Office.

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Epson CinemaHome offers brings an Epson EH-TW650 projector, Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar and Milan 100-inch screen for Rs 89,999

Watching movies and TV shows at home have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic and since more people are spending time in front of the TV, the desire to upgrade to a better, more immersive experience is eminent. To give you a package deal, Epson has launched the Cinema@Home offer that brings with it an Epson EH-TW650 home theatre projector, a Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar and subwoofer and a Milan 254-cm (100-inch) screen. The bundle is priced at Rs 89,999 and those interested can know more about it here. 

Coming to the Epson EH-TW650, the projector has an RGB liquid crystal shutter projection system and a contrast ratio of 15,000:1. It also brings with it Vertical/Horizontal Keystone - ±30° / ±30°. The projector weighs a mere 2.7 kgs. In terms of connectivity, the projector has a USB-A and one USB type-B port. You also have the traditional RCA input along with a VGA port and 2 HDMI ports. In our review of the projector, we said, “The Epson Eh TW-650 brings with it fantastic performance with great colours and contrast, be it gaming or watching movies and TV shows. It has 2 HDMI inputs, which is nice, but we wish it had more audio output options. Turn down the lights and you will love the performance of the projector. If you are looking to build a home theatre setup or simply looking to test the projector waters without breaking the bank, then you can definitely consider this one.”

Moving over to the Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar, it has four 1-3/4 inch drivers and two 1-inch tweeters. It has a 6-½ inch wireless subwoofer. It has a total power output of 200 W. The bar weighs 2.7kgs and the subwoofer 7.9kgs. When it comes to connectivity, the soundbar has an HDMI ARC port, optical in, in addition to Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi (2.4GHz only). The device also has one HDMI port for passthrough (50 / 60 Hz YCbCr=4:4:4, HDR10, HLG and HDCP2.3). The soundbar comes with Alexa built-in. You can read more about the soundbar here.

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OnePlus reveals new details about its upcoming mid-ranged TV

OnePlus is all set to launch its 2020 TV lineup and while it isn’t clear how many TVs the brand will launch, it is speculated that we will see three OnePlus TVs - 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch. OnePlus has taken to its official forum page to highlight some details about the upcoming TV. the post reads, “This time, with our brand-new series of OnePlus TVs, burdenless design remains at the core of what we are bringing to all of you. Today, I want to share some of the details in our mid-range segment TV.”

The purpose of the TV is to immerse you in the content you are watching on it and hence OnePlus says the new mid-ranged TVs will have very slim bezels giving the TV a 95 percent screen to body ratio.  The forum post reads, “When you look closely, you'll discover that its design is different from the rounded corners used in most TVs. This one has four, nearly 90-degree corners to match the screen. ”

The post also highlights that at its slimmest, the TV is a mere 6.9mm thin. That is thinner than the OnePlus 8 which is about 8mm in thickness. 

OnePlus has confirmed that the TVs will start under Rs 20,000. It is speculated that OnePlus has partnered with Skyworth to manufacture its TVs in India. OnePlus has done this to take advantage of zero import duties of the key component which is the open cell TV panel. It accounts for 70 percent of the cost of the TV. This will help OnePlus keep the cost of the TV down and be more competitive in the Indian market. You can read more about OnePlus making Tvs in India here. 

If you are interested in picking up the OnePlus TV know that you can pre-book the TV. those that pre-book the device will get an additional 2 years warranty on the TV from Acko. you can read more about that here. OnePlus will officially unveil the OnePlus TVs on July 2, 2020. 

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Next-Gen Xbox Lockhart spotted in Leaked Microsoft documents

Microsoft may be touting the Xbox Series X to be the most powerful next-gen console, but it is possible that they could launch the much-rumoured less powerful Lockhart machine as well. The Xbox Series X was codenamed Project Scarlett but it looks like there were two consoles under the Project Scarlett codename - Anaconda and Lockhart. Even though we have seen the Anaconda symbol on the Xbox Series X motherboard, we haven’t heard anything officially about Lockhart from Microsoft. If leaked documents are to be believed, then it looks like the less powerful Lockhart console could exist. The leaked document reads, “Welcome to the June 2020 Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) release. You can use the GDK to develop games that can be certified and approved for release on Windows 10 PCs, Xbox One Consoles, and Project Scarlett consoles. In fact, you can target all those devices using a shared codebase”.

So it looks like the multiple Scarlett consoles could hint at the existence of Lockhart. Sources told the Verge, “that this special Lockhart mode is part of the Xbox Series X developer kit. The devkit, codenamed Dante, allows game developers to enable a special Lockhart mode that has a profile of the performance that Microsoft wants to hit with this second console.” it looks like the console will have 7.5GB of RAM as opposed to the 13.5GB on the Series X. It will also have a lower clocked CPU and GPU giving it 4 teraflops of graphical power. It looks like Microsoft is making it easy for the developers to make games for this entry-level console.    

Why we think Microsoft should kill Lockhart

Sony took the world by storm by not only showing off the design of the PS5 but also introducing an all-digital version. The cost of a 4K Blu-ray disc drive may be a mere $20 (Rs 1500 directly converted) when it comes to the cost of production but Sony may be able to price the console $50 to $100 cheaper than the version with a disc. Why? Well, to begin with, it means that you will make all your game purchases digitally. Games in India and internationally are priced at par on PSN and offline when launched i.e., $60 or Rs 3,999 for the base variant. Since the cost of printing and distribution of physical discs is negated in the digital space, Sony makes more money with each digital game sold. This means that if a person buys the digital console buys a handful of games digitally, Sony has recovered the cost of the discount it will offer on the console. This is an oversimplification of the business model, but it should give you some idea as to why it makes sense. The fact is that whether you buy the digital or disc-based PS5, you will get the same experience on the console. Lockhart, on the other hand, aims to cater to those with a 1080p TV  or the audience that wants to get onto the next-gen bandwagon but can’t afford the premium the new consoles will demand.  While this is a nice thought, it is a known fact that the base variant of any console is the bottleneck for developers making games for multiple platforms. This means that even though the Series X and PS5 may be able to deliver higher performance, the games could be based on the limitations Lockhart brings. This is just my theory. Another thing to note is that why would the GPU be capped at 4 Teraflops when the Xbox One X is a 6 teraflop machine?

Nonetheless, Xbox is expected to showcase its first-party lineup in July and we hope the get a glimpse of the true power of the Xbox Series X.

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Second Next-Gen Xbox 'Lockhart' Console Spotted in Leaked Microsoft Document, Specifications Tipped

Microsoft has been rumoured to launch a more affordable and less powerful Xbox console, codenamed 'Lockhart' since last year. Now, a tipster on Twitter has posted a leaked Microsoft document that includes references to this 'Lockhart' console and multiple "Project Scarlett consoles."

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PUBG Mobile Livik Map Will Bring New Firearms, Erangel 2.0 Teased to Launch in H2 2020

PUBG Mobile is slated to get an exclusive new Livik map soon. This new map has been designed to enable mobile users play short 15-minute matches on-the-go. It will essentially allow short bursts of play between work breaks and tight schedules.

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Ubisoft to Probe Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

Ubisoft said it has launched an investigation into claims of sexual assault and harassment levelled against some of its employees.

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PUBG Mobile to get a new, smaller, Livik Map: Everything you need to know

PUBG Mobile has announced that it will be introducing a map to battle royale that will be exclusive to the mobile version of the game. Called Livik, it is the same map that was known as ‘Secret Map’ in PUBG Mobile Beta. interestingly enough, it is currently still tagged as Secret Map in the beta, but that should change soon. The developers made the announcement via a tweet.

Introducing... Livik! Our newest PUBG MOBILE exclusive map! We can't wait for you to experience Livik in it's full glory! Try it in Beta now! https://t.co/Lvgc5qlZAp pic.twitter.com/U99zb3ypCY

— PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) June 25, 2020

 

PUB Mobile Livik map: Details

The new map will be much smaller than previous PUBG Maps, even smaller than Sanhok. In an interview, the developers said that the map is designed to offer a 15-minute game, which should make it ideal for working professionals or anyone else who may not have the time to play through the 30-40 minute match on maps like Erangel or Miramar. It also features only 50 players instead of the usual, which should result in shorter games with faster pacing as compared to the current set of maps. 

The idea behind the new map is very reminiscent of Garena Free Fire and even PUBG Mobile Lite. 

PUBG Mobile Livik map: New additions

The developers also revealed that the new map will feature a brunch of new weapons exclusive to the new map. This includes the P90 SMG that was initially limited to Team Death Match Arena Mode. There is also the MK12 burst-fire sniper rifle that should add a new tactical element to matches. Finally, the developers note that A majority of the weapons found in the game will now be able to use the extended barrel attachment. The idea being that players will be able to use their starting weapons much more effectively in the late game stages as they may not have time to scavenge for new weapons.

It should also be noted that the map features a new unique vehicle, the Monster Truck.

Karakin and Erangel 2.0

While the developers didn’t mention Karakin, they did talk about Erangel 2.0 and said that they were “putting the final touches on the map.” While they did not specify an exact time when the map will be available, they did ask players to look forward to the second half of 2020. So we can expect the new version of the classic map to be available later this year. 

You can learn more about the new map here.

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Exclusive: Compaq to launch smart TVs in India on July 15

Those that are familiar with PC and laptop brands will undoubtedly know the name Compaq. Once a household name in the laptop and PC space, the name Compaq dwindled away. Now the brand is making a comeback in one of the hottest consumer electronic spaces in India - TVs. Digit has learned that Compaq will launch its TVs in India in mid-July - 15th to be precise. The company will launch 8 models and there will be a mix of smart and “hybrid smart” TVs. It still isn’t clear what “hybrid-smart” stands for in the TV space but we will find out soon enough. Nothing else is known about the upcoming Compaq TVs. 

So how has the Compaq name made a comeback, that too in the TV space? Well, NCR based Ossify Industries has acquired the rights to use the name Compaq for its smart TVs. We think this is finally coming in fruition and we will see the TVs launching soon. 

The TV space is heating up in India with the 32-inch and 43-inch dominating and the 50 and 55-inch space also seeing growth. We have seen a lot of new entries in the small screen size space with Nokia launching its 43-inch TV and Realme entering the TV space with the launch of its 32-inch and a 43-inch TV. We also have brands like Daiwa, Shinco, Thomson and Kodak that make TVs in India competing in this space with budget TVs. OnePlus is also expected to launch a 32-inch and 43-inch TV in India on July 2. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people are choosing to stay at home and the black mirror has become the primary source of entertainment for most. With people looking to invest in newer TVs, be it for the latest technology, smart features, large screen experience, etc. this is the time when the TV market in India is booming. For those interested, you can check out our list of the best 43-inch TVs here.

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OnePlus Nord to feature dual selfie cameras, could launch on July 10 in India

OnePlus Nord, the much rumoured affordable phone by the company is set to feature dual front-facing cameras, a first for OnePlus. While other smartphone manufacturers have played hard and fast with single and dual selfie cameras, OnePlus has almost always strayed away from using two cameras on the front but all that changes with the affordable OnePlus phone, dubbed Nord.

According to an exclusive report by Android Central, the upcoming OnePlus Nord features dual selfie cameras in 32MP + 8MP arrangement. The 8MP camera uses an ultra-wide camera and the dual camera cutout is located in the top-left corner. The report notes that the cutout on the OnePlus phone is “not as wide” as the one on Huawei’s P40 series.

Dual selfie cameras is a departure for the company that used the same selfie camera on its latest OnePlus 8 series of phones as we saw on the OnePlus 7 and 7T series. It would be interesting to see how OnePlus positions this new change in its product line-up and whether or not it gets carried to the flagship phones in the future as well. The upcoming OnePlus phone has been leaked on the Internet previously as the OnePlus Z and OnePlus 8 Lite and the company itself has been dropping hints about it on a new Instagram account.

ONEPLUS NORD LEAKED SPECIFICATIONS 

OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a punch-hole cutout in the centre for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for developments with the OnePlus Nord in the heads up to the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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Google Photos redesigned: Heres whats new

Google has redesigned its Photos app for relatively better management of a user’s pictures and videos. The app has also received a bunch of new features that make it easier for you to look up a particular photo, video and memories. Google Photos is used by over a billion users each month, making it one of the popular photo and video management apps that comes pre-loaded on all Android smartphones.

Google Photos redesigned: Here’s what’s new

Google Photos app icon has been redesigned and sheds its angular design in lieu of rounded corners. Google’s aim in redesigning the Photos app is to declutter its interface and offer a simpler way of storing and revisiting your pictures and videos. With the previous design, there were four tabs at the bottom namely, Photos, Albums, For you and Sharing. The redesign brings a new three-tab interface-- Photos, Search and Library. 

The primary Photos tab has all the pictures and videos but the thumbnails are now larger and the white space in between has also been trimmed down. The video clips in the Photos app now play automatically while scrolling through the library which is a nice touch for separating photos from videos. The memories carousel on top is now larger and automatically curates pictures so that you can revisit some memories. Google claims that over 120 million users view Memories each month so with the new update the app gets the ability to curate your best pictures with family, friends, on a vacation and even highlights from the previous week.

The automatic creation such as movies, collages, animations that were generated under the For you tab is also now relocated into the Memories tab. Users will also be able to hide people from memories and remove particular days from being highlighted in the carousel.

The Search tab lets you quickly find pictures based on different parameters such as people, places, things and more. There’s a new option which lets you view your pictures and videos on an interactive map. Google says the map view has been one of the most requested features and so with its addition, you can check out the places where you have taken a picture and can easily tap and zoom across different locations. The photos are automatically organised by the app, based on the location history that can also be added manually. 

The redesigned Google Photos app is rolling out for Android and iOS and should be available to you over the next week. Meanwhile, have a look at the best tips and tricks to use Google Photos.

 

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PUBG Mobile's Tiny Livik Map Will Only Support 40-Player Matches

PUBG Mobile is getting Livik as a new map to let gamers play quick matches while on-the-go. The map was announced by the official PUBG Mobile account on Twitter on Thursday.

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5 games releasing in July worth checking out

June may have been dominated with a lot of love and hate for The Last of Us Part II (review), but that doesn’t mean July will be a dry spell for gaming. The summer of gaming is underway with new game reveals and more. We got our first look at the PS5 design along with some of the games for the system and even a new look at Cyberpunk 2077 which has now been delayed to November 19. While the rest of the year looks to hold some exciting games, July is no slouch. We have not one but two big-name games coming to Sony’s platform and one cute and cuddly game coming to Microsoft’s console. If you have been saving up for some new games, then here are 5 games releasing in July worth considering. 

Ghost of Tsushima

One of the most anticipated games of the year, Ghost of Tsushima takes players back to feudal Japan when the island of Tsushima was invaded by the Mongols. A lot of gameplay elements were shrouded in darkness until developer Suckerpunch gave us an 18 minute deep dive into the game. We not only got to see traversal and combat but also the environment, the ability to play the game in black and white and also, the ever-important photo mode. If you want to take on the role of a samurai who has decided to become a ninja, then this is the one for you.  

Release Date: July 17 Platform: PS4

Marvel’s Iron Man VR [PSVR]

The PSVR is an underrated piece of hardware. Not only is it a great entry point for VR gaming, but Sony also has a good exclusive library of games. The newest addition to that library is Iron Man VR that puts players in an Iron Man suit and lets them take to the skies to save the world. Not only will you get to perform some slick aerial moves, but also customize your Iron Man suit to make it more personal. 

Release Date: July 3 Platform: PS4 (needs PSVR to play)

Death Stranding

Death Stranding (review) is a game that will definitely not appeal to everyone. It is more of an acquired taste. It takes dozens of hours before you get into any actual combat. Yet, if you are a fan of Hideo Kojima’s style of storytelling, there is something here for you.  Not to mention the fact that the game looks visually stunning and brings with it a AAA star cast in the form of Mads Mikkelsen, Norman Reedus, Guillermo Del Toro and more. The game also has some stunning visuals when it launched on the PS4 and we can't wait to see what it looks like on a high-end PC. 

Release Date: July 14 Platform: PC

Destroy all Humans Remake

If you grew up playing on a PS2, then chances are you had your hands on a game called Destroy All Humans. You took on the role of an alien in the game and did literally what the title of the game said - Destroy all Humans. The game was fun, quirky and brought with it an interesting set of weapons. Now the game is back and has been remastered for new generation consoles and the PC. 

Release Date: July 28 Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Grounded

Obsidian Entertainment is now an Xbox first-party game studio and the first Xbox exclusive (available on PC as well) that they are releasing is Grounded. The game may have a very State of Decay 2 (review) like vibe to it but with a twist. You have shrunk to the size of an ant, just like the kids in 'Honey I shrunk the kids', and you need to fight to survive from the hoard of giant insects.  

Release Date: 28 July 2020 Platform: PC, Xbox One

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Cyberpunk 2077 New Trailer Unveiled, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Anime Out in 2022 on Netflix

CD Projekt Red has unveiled a new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077, and announced a new original anime series called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which will release in 2022 on Netflix.

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Sony Makes PlayStation Bug Bounty Programme Public, Offers Rewards Up to $50,000

Sony has made its bug bounty programme for the PlayStation 4 console and the PlayStation Network public. It is a reward system for researchers or whoever finds a bug in Sony’s PlayStation related devices and reports it to Sony, so the company can patch it before the same is exploited.

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Sony is offering a 50,000 bounty to report critical PlayStation 4 bugs

If you feel like you’ve got the programming chops, then you’ll be glad to hear that Sony has announced a bug bounty program. Anyone can participate in this program. Participants will have to report vulnerabilities on the PS4. Rewards start at $50,000. Senior Director of Software Engineering, Geoff Norton wrote in a blog post,” Our bug bounty program has rewards for various issues, including critical issues on PS4. Critical vulnerabilities for PS4 have bounties starting at $50,000.”.

Reporting a low-priority issue could net you a sweet $500 and a critical or serious issue could get you $50,000 or more, depending on the problem. In the blog post, Geoff Norton continued, “To date, we have been running our bug bounty program privately with some researchers. We recognize the valuable role that the research community plays in enhancing security, so we’re excited to announce our program for the broader community.”. You can check out more information about the program at Sony PlayStation’s page on HackerOne. 

In other news, Apple rewarded an ethical hacker $75,000 for discovering major flaws with Safari. You can read more about that here. In fact, Apple is offering a million-dollar bounty to researchers who can find flaws in its various operating systems. You can read more about that here. The Indian government is also offering Rs 4 lakh to users who can find flaws and vulnerabilities in Aarogya Setu app. If you’re interested, you can check out that story here. 

 

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OnePlus TV will have 95 percent screen to body ratio

OnePlus Founder & CEO Pete Lau has taken to Twitter to highlight that the upcoming OnePlus TVs will have a 95 percent screen to body ratio. It isn’t clear if he is talking about a single model or all of them. His tweet reads, “With a 95% screen-to-body ratio, we're pushing the boundaries of your TV experience. Literally. #SmarterTV”.

We know for a fact that there will be more than one OnePlus TV launching on July 2. For one thing, the OnePlus 2020 TVs are available for pre-booking on Amazon and a Bluetooth certification hints that we will see a 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch TV launch from OnePlus. The company has taken to Twitter to highlight some of the features we can expect from the upcoming TV. 

A few days ago Pete Lau tweeted, “For the new OnePlus TV, we took away the bezel and gave you more immersive display. It’s more TV at a more affordable price. #SmarterTV” he also talks about Dolby Vision in one of his tweets staying, “Our vibrant Cinematic Display, Dolby Vision, and Netflix: These are the makings of one great movie night. #SmarterTV” We also know that the TV will cover 93 percent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. 

It looks like OnePlus is going all out to give people the features they want in a TV, but what about the price? Well, it has been confirmed that the OnePlus TV will start under Rs 20,000 and you can read more about that here. Xiaomi is the current market leader in the TV space with 30 percent share and that is because their TVs pack in features and specs at affordable price points. We have also seen TVs from brands like Kodak, Realme, Nokia and more try to make a dent in Xiaomi’s market share. Here is why we think a 32-inch and 43-inch TV from OnePlus could stir up the market.

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PUBG Mobile to Soon Get a New Exclusive Map Called Livik, Currently Playable in Beta Version

PUBG Mobile will soon get a new map called Livik that will be exclusive to the mobile version of the game. The announcement was made by the official PUBG Mobile account on Twitter, adding that the map is currently playable in the beta version of PUBG Mobile.

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Vodafone Idea offers prepaid users up to 5GB additional data with these recharges

Vodafone and Idea users now have an incentive to log onto the companies website or log into the app to recharge their prepaid numbers. As a part of the web/app-exclusive benefit, customers have 5 plans to choose from that give them additional data benefit if recharged by using Vodafone or Idea website or app. There are a total of 5 plans that give these benefits and the data benefit starts at 1GB and the maximum additional data benefit on offer is 5GB.

Starting with the Rs 149 plan, users get unlimited calls and a validity of 28 days. The plan brings with it 2GB data overall with the addition of 1GB data if recharged using the Vodafone Idea website or app. Users also get a limit of 300 SMS with this recharge. 

Moving to the Rs 219 plan, users get 1GB data per day with this plan and an additional 2GB data overall if recharged using the Vodafone Idea website or app. This plan also has a validity of 28 days and brings with it unlimited calls. Users also get a limit of 100 SMS per day. 

Next up is the Rs 249 plan that also has a validity of 28 days and brings with it 1.5GB data limit per day. If recharged the Vodafone Idea app or website, customers can 5GB data extra overall. The plan brings with it unlimited calls and a 100 SMS per day limit. 

With a validity of 56 days, the Rs 399 plan brings with it 1.5GB data per day and an additional 5GB data overall if recharged via the companies app or website. With this recharge, users get unlimited calls and 100SMS per day limit. 

Last but not least, we have the Rs 599 plan which brings a validity of 84 days and a data limit of 1.5GB per day with an additional 5GB data overall if recharged using the Vodafone Idea app or website. The plan has unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day limit. 

Vodafone Idea also brings with it a number of recharge plans with double data benefits. You can learn more about them here. All major telecom providers are giving users some attractive data offers in the Rs 251 recharge plan. You can check out our comparison of what is on offer here.

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Realme X3, X3 SuperZoom, Realme Buds Q and Adventure Backpack launched: All details here

Despite strong anti-China sentiments consuming the country in the midst of border skirmish with Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh, Realme hosted an online-only launch event, launching the Realme X3 SuperZoom, the Realme X3, the Realme Buds Q and an Adventure Backpack. Out of them, the X3 SuperZoom is already available in Europe, having launched in May. The other three products are a first.

Realme X3 SuperZoom and Realme X3 specs and features

There isn’t much of a difference between the Realme X3 SuperZoom and the regular Realme X3, except for the zooming capabilities of the camera. Let’s cover the similarities first.

Both the Realme X3 SuperZoom and the Realme X3 are powered by the Snapdragon 855+. It’s a bit strange to see a new smartphone with last year’s flagship chipset, but it’s actually a clever way to bypass the mandatory 5G modem (which has no use in India for now), without compromising too much on the performance. The Snapdragon 855+ is based on the 7nm manufacturing process with the prime core capable of going up to 2.96GHz. The Adreno 640 GPU is also quite capable as we have seen in devices like the OnePlus 7T, Asus ROG Phone II last year.

Both phones also rock LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage, along with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate. Realme claimed the phone comes with 90.5% screen to body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. They also sport a 4,200mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.

Realme X3 with a 12MP regular telephoto lens

The Realme X3 series runs on the new RealmeUI based on Android 10. They also support Dolby Atmos audio.

As for the cameras, both smartphones rock the 64MP Samsung GW-1 sensor with a 26mm, f/1.8 lens, along with an 8MP ultrawide camera with f/2.3 lens and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there are two selfie cameras drilled into the display. The primary is a 32MP Sony IMX616 sensor while the second is an ultra-wide Sony IMX 471 f/2.0 shooter.

Now the differences. What sets the Realme X3 SuperZoom apart from the Realme X3 is an 8MP f/3.4 periscope telephoto lens capable of going to 124mm and 5X optical zoom and OIS. The telephoto lens on the X3 SuperZoom is also capable of doing astrophotography. which is one of the biggest highlights of the device according to the company.

The regular Realme X3 comes with a 12MP telephoto lens with f/2.5 lens. The zooming capabilities of the regular X3 is not known yet.

While the interior is more or less the same across the X3 series, the Realme X3 SuperZoom comes with 8GB and 12GB RAM coupled with 128GB and 256GB storage. The Realme X3 on the other hand will be more affordable with a 6GB and 8GB RAM variant with 128GB storage on both.

Realme Buds Q specs and features

The Realme Buds Q is designed by French artist, Jose Levy and is based on the shape of a cobble with a frosted finish, which the company claims makes it comfortable and ergonomic to carry. The buds weight 3.6 grams while the box itself is 35.3 grams. Realme claims a 20 hour music playback when charged with the charging case. The buds also support Bluetooth 5.0 and touch-based controls.

The buds itself have a beak-like structure, to fit well in the ears. They come in three colours — Black, White and Yellow. The buds house 10mm dynamic bass boost drivers using PEEK&PU polymer composite diaphragm.

The buds also have a low-latency mode for gaming, bringing the latency down to 119ms. To enable the low latency mode, just press both buds against your ears till you hear a car revving.

The buds also support hi-res AAC audio. On a single charge, Realme claims each bud lasts 4.5-hours. It tops up using a micro-USB port and takes two hours to fully charge.

The Realme Buds Q are also IPX4 water resistant which makes it splashproof against rain and sweat.

Realme X3, Realme X3 SuperZoom, Realme Buds Q and Realme Adventure Backpack price and availablity

The Realme X3 starts from Rs 24,999 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, while the 8+128GB storage is priced at Rs 25,999. Meanwhile, the flagship Realme X3 SuperZoom is priced at Rs 27,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, while the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is priced at Rs 32,999.  

The Realme X3 will go on sale from 25th June on Flipkart and Realme.come while the X3 SuperZoom will go on sale on Flipkart from June 30th.

The Realme Buds Q is priced at Rs 1,999, and will go on sale from July 1st on Realme.com and Amazon India.

Lastly, the Realme Adventure Backpack is priced at Rs 1,499 and will be available on Flipkart, Amazon India and Realme.com from July 1st.

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