Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi 5G phones going on sale for first time in Europe

Europe will witness the sale of the first breed of 5G phones this week with three OEMs: Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi, launching their 5G offerings in Switzerland. The phones will launch in association with Swiss carrier Sunrise. While the sales of the Oppo Reno 5G already started on May 1, the Mate 20 X 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G will both go on sale starting May 2. The Huawei Mate 20 X was launched in London in October, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G was unveiled at MWC, Barcelona and the Oppo Reno 5G was launched in the last week of April in Zurich.

Huawei Mate 20 X 5G

The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G has a massive form-factor with a 7.2-inch OLED display, a resolution of 2244x1080 pixels, and a pixel density of 346ppi. The display of the phone has a teardrop notch which houses the front camera and has a built-in digitizer that makes it compatible with Huawei’s M-Pen. The phone is offered in Midnight Blue and Phantom Silver colours. Under the hood, the phone has a HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

When it comes to the camera, the phone has a three-camera setup. There is a 40MP sensor with a wide-angle lens, (f/1.8 aperture), a 20MP ultra-wide angle Lens, (f/2.2 aperture) and an 8MP telephoto lens (f/2.4 aperture). On the front is a 24MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens. The phone houses a 5000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support. It runs on EMUI 9 OS, which is baked atop Android 9.0 Pie.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

Xiaomi unveiled its first 5G smartphone integrated with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem. Called the Mi Mix 3 5G, the phone is essentially the same premium flagship that the company had announced in China, however, it has the latest Qualcomm flagship SoC. The Mi Mix 3 5G has a 6.39-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution. The phone has a slider mechanism that can be raised to reveal the front camera. There’s also a dedicated Google Assistant button on the phone. On the back, the Mi Mix 3 5G has a 12MP standard sensor paired with another 12MP telephoto sensor, while on the front, there’s 24MP selfie camera along with a 2MP depth sensor. It has a 3800mAh battery and runs on Android 9 Pie.

The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) will be priced at costs CHF 997 (approx Rs 68,000, or $980) while the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G costs CHF 847 (approx Rs 57,600, or $830).

Oppo Reno 5G

The Oppo Reno 5G sports a Gorilla Glass 6 protected Full HD+ 6.65-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. Oppo says that the display is HDR 10+ compliant, and the phone comes with a sixth-generation in-screen fingerprint sensor. Under the hood, the phone has the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and Qualcomm X50 modem, along with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

The phone has a triple camera setup that features a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens and OIS, an 8MP secondary sensor with a lens having f/2.2 aperture, and a periscope telescopic lens with 13MP sensor. A dual-LED flash and laser autofocus tech completes the camera module. For selfies, the phone comes with a shark fin-type pop-up module that houses a 16MP sensor with a lens having f/2.0 aperture, and an LED flash. It houses a 4,065mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast charging support. It runs Android 9 Pie-based ColorOS 6 and has an AI-powered Breeno virtual assistant. When launched, it was reported that the Oppo Reno 5G will be priced at 900 Euros (approx Rs 70,000, or CHF 1027). 

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2UQR1Sh

Amazon Summer Sale smartphone deals revealed: Our top seven pics

Amazon will host its Summer Sale from May 4 to May 7 and the online retailer has revealed the discounts customers can avail on various gadgets during the sale. As one would expect, there will be hefty discounts on smartphones as devices falling under Mobile & Accessories categories are receiving discounts of up to 40 percent. Popular smartphones like the OnePlus 6T, Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy M20, Mi A2, Redmi 6 Pro and more will be available at a discounted price during the sale. There will also be some deals on the latest smartphones like the Huawei P30 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10. 

Additionally, a no-cost EMI and exchange option will be offered on all eligible devices, along with a 10 percent instant discount for SBI debit and credit card users. One can also avail exchange offers and total damage protection option on phones, and other eligible electronic gadgets. Amazon Prime users will get early access to the sale at 12 pm on May 3. 

OnePlus 6T (Buy it here)

Once the sale goes live, customers can buy the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version of the OnePlus 6T for Rs 32,999, down from Rs 41,999. Considering how the OnePlus 7 series of phones are about to debut on May 14, one can either buy the OnePlus 6T at a discounted price or wait for the latest OnePlus 7 series phones to arrive. In any case, the OnePlus 6T will be considerably discounted during the Amazon Summer sale and is a good smartphone to go for.

Samsung Galaxy S9 (Buy it here)

Samsung’s 2018 flagship, the Galaxy S9, will also be heavily discounted and available for Rs 39,900. Do note that the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version of the phone will receive the price cut and is still a good option with all the flagship features. 

Mi A2 (Buy it here)

Prices of many mid-range handsets will also be slashed during the sale. Xiaomi’s second Android One device, Mi A2 will be available for Rs 10,999, along with an additional Rs 1,000 off on exchange.

Redmi 6 Pro (Buy it here) 

The Redmi 6 Pro will receive a Rs 1,000 discount and will be priced at Rs 9,999 during the sale. The smartphone is equipped with a 5.84-inch display and is powered by the Snapdragon 625 SoC. It features 12MP+5MP dual rear camera and comes with a 5MP front-facing shooter.

Honor 8X (Buy it here)

The Honor 8X is currently available for Rs 14,999 but its price will be dropped to Rs 12,999, while the Honor Play will be up for grabs at Rs 13,999. The highlights of the Honor 8X is its dual rear cameras, which is equipped with a 20MP+2MP dual rear camera setup. On the front,  it sports a 16MP front camera. The handset sports a 6.3-inch and is backed by a 3750mAH battery.

Samsung Galaxy S10 (Buy it here)

The Galaxy S10 is priced at Rs 66,990 and will be available with up to Rs 6,000 off on exchange. The smartphone sports a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display and comes equipped with 8 GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It comes equipped with a triple rear camera setup, which consists of a 16MP ultra wide lens, a 12MP with f1.5 and f2.4 aperture. There's also a 12MP tertiary sensor on the back. 

Huawei P30 Pro (Buy it here)

The Huawei P30 Pro is priced at Rs 71,990 and comes equipped with a 6.47-inch display. The handset is powered by the Kirin 980 SoC and is backed by 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. A bundle offer will be available with the Huawei P30 Pro and users buying it will get Huawei Watch GT for Rs 2,000. 

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2IUeAYK

Google will now let you Auto-Delete your Location History and Web & App Activity Data every 3 or 18 months

Google has made it easier for users to manage their Location History and Web & App Activity data. The company collects this data to improve the experience of its services and provide ads, but it can also be used to track users’ each and every move and build behavioural patterns.

Users already had an option to turn Location History on and off, but now, users will be able to control this automatically. Google’s new auto-delete controls for Location History and Web & App Activity data let users set auto deletion of data every 3 months or 18 months. It seems like an odd choice of timelines, but what it means is that you can now instruct Google to delete your private data every 3 or 18 months. Any data older than the selected choice will be automatically deleted from users’ account on an ongoing basis.

“We work to keep your data private and secure, and we’ve heard your feedback that we need to provide simpler ways for you to manage or delete it.,” Marlo McGriff and David Monsees, Product Managers at Google wrote in a blogpost.

The option to set the 3 or 18 month deletion time is available in the My Activity tab on Google. Here, users will see an option to Choose to Delete Automatically. Users will still have an option to keep their data until they choose to delete it manually.  

Google says that these controls are coming first to Location History and Web & App Activity. They will start rolling out in the coming weeks.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2vzivSg

Reliance Jio reportedly working on an all-in-one super app similar to WeChat

We recently came across a report, which stated that Reliance Jio is now the second largest telecom operator in India with 30.6 crore subscribers. It has apparently overtaken Airtel, which is said to have fallen behind with 28.4 crore subscribers. Jio is said to have achieved this feat by offering highly affordable recharge plans and more data than its competitors. Now, Mukesh Ambani led telecom operator is said to be readying a new “super app” that might offer over 100 services. An IANS report claims that Jio’s super app will offer e-commerce, online bookings, and payments, all in one place. 

Quoting ‘experts’, IANS says that if Jio does announce a super app that encompasses multiple services, it could create India’s WeChat. This could turn out to be true since the telco already has a slew of apps available for its consumers. “The ubiquitousness of Jio devices puts Reliance in a powerful position. It can connect its vast ecosystem of its users with a multi-layered fabric, offering a rich array of services, connecting online-to-offline, through a one-stop, super app,” Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS. “India is a mobile-first nation and such a self-contained network that offers convenience will find favour with demanding consumers,”

App developers use tech stack to develop apps, which is a combination of frameworks, tools and programming languages. The tech stack employed by Reliance Jio is said to consist of a conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) layer, a logistics layer, a vernacular voice tech layer, and also an AI-based education layer. Ram says that with the help of these layers, when put on top of Jio devices, could enable Jio to create a WeChat like ecosystem in India. Reliance Retail’s online shopping platform is also expected to launch soon. It is currently said to be under internal testing and will take on online retailers like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm and others. 

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2GYiRbu

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chooses Harman, Google to power its connected vehicle ecosystem

Car makers out there are eager to create something more than just a car. They want to equip their cars with a 4G connection (some already claim to be 5G-ready) for instant answers, easy navigation, and music playback. They want to let the user give the car voice commands. They even want to shift the control to some of the elements inside the car to a smartphone app. Hyundai and MG Motor have already showcased their connected automotive systems for their future offerings in India.

In what seems like a move towards a solution similar to theirs, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced earlier this week that it has chosen Harman and Google as its technology partners to build its own connected vehicle “ecosystem”. Detailings the details of its new deal with the two companies in a press release, FCA writes that its new connected system will be launched in the second half of the year and feature in all new FCA vehicles worldwide by 2022.

According to FCA, the “on-board system” (or dashboard infotainment unit) of the new connected tech will be powered by Google’s Android OS. Users will be encouraged to use a proprietary smartphone app to connect to it for added functionality. Capable of updating itself over the air, the on-board system will present “an intuitive app-based environment” to the user. Meanwhile, the “off-board system” (read: the FCA server) will use Harman’s Uconnect services through a cloud-based platform “to power connectivity and deliver full array of services”.

Samsung Electronics, which acquired Harman International Industries in 2016, is an indirect technology partner for FCA’s new connected system. The off-board system will have access to Samsung’s Smart Things platform to interact with smart city infrastructure and household devices. “By selecting industry leaders such as Samsung and Google, we are making an efficient and responsible utilization of capital to provide advanced technological solutions to our customers worldwide,” commented Harald Wester, Chief Technical Officer at FCA.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2J74FOQ

Instagrammers of the year 2019 announced: Here are Indias most followed, most engaged and most influential accounts

Instagram has announced the winners for Instagrammers of the Year 2019. The initiative aims to acknowledge Instagram’s most engaging communities across the country. This is the second edition of Instagrammers of the Year and it takes into account the top Instagram influencers in India for 2019. The awards recognise achievements across categories like Most Followed, Engaged Account of the Year, Storyteller of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, Fashion, Food and Entertainment accounts of the year.

Topping the Insta charts, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas became the “Most Followed Account” in 2019 with 39 million followers. The actor had a strong social media presence this year and her Insta success can be attributed to her global fan base and international projects, apart from her grand nuptials.

Next up, with her “Impromptu Boomerangs at the Cannes Film Festival, slo0mo videos while catching a flight or an AMA with fans,” Deepika Padukone was awarded the “Storyteller of the Year” award for the account with the most engaging stories.

The “Most Engaged Account” award goes to the Indian Cricket Team Captain Virat Kohli. Instagram attributes his success to “providing a sneak peek into the locker room, his grueling training sessions, off-field selfies”.

Debutant actor, Sara Ali Khan made her Instagram debut in 2018 and won the “Rising Star Award” for growing her fan base on the community significantly through the year.

Chef Pooja Dhingra won the “Food Account of the Year” award for her creative and detectable food content.

You can check out the list of winners and what they had to say below:  

Most Followed account of the year

@priyankachopra

Engaged account of the year

@virat.kohli

Storyteller of the year

@deepikapadukone

Rising star of the year

@saraalikhan95

Food account of the year

@poojadhingra

Fashion account of the year

@sejalkumar

Entertainment account of the year

@bhuvan.bam22

Here’s what the winners are saying: Deepika Padukone - "Well, what I really cherish about social media is the fact that it gives me the opportunity to interact with my fans directly and connect in a way that is personal and authentic. And considering I'm someone who doesn’t say much with words, but more through emotions, I think photographs are a great way for me to express myself.” Sara Ali Khan - “Instagram is a platform that allows me to be myself and to stay connected with audiences in the most direct and organic way. Not to mention it also allows me to salivate over great food, look at interesting and new places to travel to and of course stalk people!” Pooja Dhingra - “Instagram is my go-to community for all things food! Whether it’s to find fellow foodies to work with me, scour for global dessert trends or do a sneak peak of my newest recipe – Instagram has helped me in more than one way, and I am grateful for all the love I receive from the community.” Bhuvan Bam - “I am thankful to the Instagram community and my fans for all their overwhelming love! Instagram is a great place for creators like me to connect with like-minded people and create diverse content that has the potential to inspire many. I look forward to sharing more love and laughter on the community through 2019.” Sejal Kumar - “Instagram has allowed me to showcase my true self with my community where I share my fashion preferences, travel tales and music, and engage with like-minded people. I'm thankful for all the love from the community and hope to create more cool and creative content in 2019!”

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2ZPEqTa

OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro full spec sheet leaked

OnePlus will launch the OnePlus 7 series of phones on May 14 at multiple locations simultaneously. Thanks to teasers from the company and leaks, we already know a lot about what the phones will offer. In the latest development, an alleged full spec sheet of the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro has been outed and it shows both the variants with big batteries and 30W Warp charging. Further, the OnePlus 7 Pro is seen having 10GB of RAM, while the standard version has 6GB of RAM.

The spec sheet shows that the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro sport the OS, processor, two rear cameras and optical under-display fingerprint sensors, that is, both of them run on Android 9.0 Pie with Oxygen OS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, have a 48MP primary camera and a secondary telephoto lens. Other than these, both the phones differ quite a lot in terms of display, front camera specs and RAM. The OnePlus 7 Pro additionally has an Ultra-wide lens, which the OnePlus 7 does not.

OnePlus 7 specs

According to the spec sheet, the OnePlus 7 will have a 6.2-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 60Hz and a Full HD+ resolution. The display will have a waterdrop notch that will house the front camera. Along with Qualcomm’s flagship processor, the phone will be offered with 6GB RAM. Further, there is no third rear camera, and the phone has a larger 4150mAh battery capacity than the Pro variant.

OnePlus 7 Pro specs

The spec sheet notes that the OnePlus 7 Pro will have a 6.64-inch AMOLED display Quad HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The phone will have an edge-to-edge display because unlike the standard variant, the front shooter sits in the pop-mechanism. Along with Qualcomm’s flagship mobile platform, the Pro variant will be offered with 10GB RAM. Further, there is a third rear camera with an ultra-wide lens and the phone has 4000mAh battery capacity.

There are a lot of things that this spec sheet does not tell, for example, the sensor resolution of the telephoto sensor, the wide angle (in case of Pro variant), and the front sensors. We already know that the phones will have 3X optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. Further, although it has been reported that the company may offer multiple RAM variants, this spec sheet does not list all the RAM and storage variants, and there is no mention of the rumoured 5G variant.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2UXaUXG