Google Pixel 4a leak suggests lack of two-tone finish

Following last year, Google is expected to unveil a lighter variant of its 2019 flagship this year. The Google Pixel 4a has leaked online giving us our first real-life glimpse of 2020’s mid-range offering from the company. The image showcases the front and back of the alleged phone. The smartphone is seen sporting a never-seen-before-on-a-Pixel hole-punch display. Moreover, the handset is seen to feature a single rear camera in the Pixel 4-like rectangular module.

TechDroider took to Twitter to reveal the images. The Pixel 4a shares the same design stylings as the Pixel 4 but lacks a glass shade. For reference, last year’s ‘a’ series had the same design language as the Pixel 3. Unlike the Pixel 4, which had a glass panel, the Pixel 4a seems to be sporting a plain back instead. Further, there’s a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. The leak is very scuffed up by fingerprints and other oils.

Previously, Pixel 4a was seen sporting a punch-hole screen with a thin outline of bezels on all sides of the display. The handset is rumoured to feature a flat 5.7-inch or 5.8-inch display. The White Google Pixel 4a features an orange coloured power button in the renders. On the other hand, the Black model comes with a white power button. 

The volume rocker is situated on the right edge of the screen, and the bottom edge houses the USB Type-C port and the speaker grille. Moreover, 3.5mm audio jack is seen on the top edge. The Pixel 4a could sport a matte back. However, the module is seen sporting a single camera lens. The upcoming Google phone is unlikely to feature a Soli radar chip. That means it is likely to make its way to India. 

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Vivo revises Android 10 update roadmap after mid-Feb delay announcement

The COVID-19 outbreak has, as you may know, forced innumerable companies to postpone product launches, cancel public events, and shut down factories. Among the affected is popular Chinese smartphone brand Vivo, which noted in mid-February via Weibo that the Funtouch OS 10 software update based on Android 10 would see a delayed roll-out for many handsets. The company has since shared a revised roadmap that tells us when we can expect to see the latest Android version on Vivo models.

According to a report filed by DealNTech, Vivo will roll out Funtouch OS 10 in phases. The first 4,000 early adopters of the NEX 3 5G will receive the first public beta version on March 14 if they sign up for it. Towards the end of the month, users of the X27, X27 Pro, and X27 (8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant) will see their update. In April, many NEX owners can expect to receive their update along with owners of the S5. However, users of the Z5, Z5i, Z5x, S1, and S1 Pro will see their update only towards the end of June. The same goes for the owners of the Z3,  Z3i, Z3i Standard Edition, X21s, and X23 Symphony Edition.

Since the Funtouch OS 10 update will first be rolled out to Vivo customers in China, users who reside in India may have to wait for a little longer. Apart from the Android version upgrade, Funtouch OS 10 reportedly delivers a new animated lock screen, live wallpapers, iOS-inspired icons, etc. It is also expected to come with a new screen mirroring feature that lets Vivo users share what’s on their screen easily. The update is also expected to bring an upgrade to the proprietary JOVI Smart Voice assistant.

Vivo is a day away from launching the NEX 3S 5G in China. The upcoming handset is expected to be a production-ready embodiment of the APEX 2020 concept smartphone that Vivo showcased late last month. The Vivo NEX 3S 5G is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip with up to 8GB of RAM. The handset’s screen is expected to measure 6.89 inches with a maximum resolution of 1080 x 2256 pixels. The APEX 2020 is best known for its gimbal camera, which means the primary rear camera sensor is housed inside a tiny gimbal-like structure to help improve optical stabilisation while capturing photos. Read more about it here.

Inline image courtesy: DealNTech

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Extremely rare Nintendo PlayStation console sells for over Rs 2 crore

An extremely rare prototype console that was made as a collaboration between Sony and Nintendo has reportedly been sold to a buyer for $360,000 (approx Rs 2,66,42,000). According to a report by Polygon, the console is believed to be the only one in existence, which is one of the reasons for its high price. 

Of course, there is also a big history behind the console too. Here’s a little back story. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, Nintendo was the biggest gaming company on the planet with only Sega giving it any competition. Around that time, the company thought about releasing a new console that would make use of CDs to play games instead of cartridges that were prevalent at the time. So Nintendo went to Sony to create a new gaming console that would make use of CDs. However, mid-way through the partnership, Nintendo pulled out of the deal and decide to work with Phillips. The result of that partnership was the Philips CD-i, which is considered to be one of the worst consoles ever. Sony, however, decided to go ahead and create its own console. It was called the PlayStation. You may have heard of it.

The report notes that the rare console, also known as the Nintendo PlayStation or the Super NES CD-ROM, was originally found by one Terry Diebold inside a box of things that were once in the possession of former Sony Computer Entertainment CEO, Olaf Olafsson. Olafsson would later work at Advanta Corporation, where Diebold used to work. When Advanta Corporation when bankrupt, many of its items were privately auctioned off, which is how Diebold reportedly got it.

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Call of Duty: Mobile to soon get a new map called Meltdown

Call of Duty: Mobile players will soon get a new map to play on. The developers have teased the new map on Twitter and it has been correctly identified as Meltdown by players. Meltdown is a multiplayer map that was first introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The map sees players fight it out in a nuclear powerplant and is said to encourage medium to close range engagements. 

Besides a new map, the developers will also add a new weapon to the game, namely an assault rifle called the KN-44. The rifle is said to offer a slow rate of fire but makes up for it by offering high damage. The weapon should be available from next week onwards and players will be able to acquire the weapon in two ways. They can either pay for it via the Color Spectrum Draw, which would offer a legendary version of the KN-44 called Color Spectrum. Players will also be able to grind their way to the gun via the Heavy Shot event which would task players to play various modes, get kills in MP matches and more. 

By mid-March, players will also be able to try a new class in Battle Royale, called Trap Master. Details about the abilities of the new class are scarce, but judging by the name, players will most likely be able to set traps for opposing players, which might make it appealing for those who prefer stealth and tactics over straight-up firefights. It might also make for a good support class to have in a squad.  

 

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Apple will now fix your iPad Airs faulty screen for free

If you own the latest third-generation Apple iPad Air tablet, you might be eligible for Apple’s latest service programme that aims to fix a faulty screen on some units for free. More specifically, you have reason to concern yourself with this new service programme only if you own an iPad Air manufactured between March and October 2019. If you believe you’re an affected iPad Air customer, you can visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for support. Find the nearest one by clicking here.

“Apple has determined that, under certain circumstances, the screen on a limited number of iPad Air (3rd generation) devices may go blank permanently. A brief flicker or flash may appear before the screen goes blank,” writes the Cupertino-based technology giant in its recently published support page following a number of recent user complaints regarding blank screens on some new iPad Air units. Apple promises to honour this new service claim free of charge for up to two years after the first retail sale of an affected iPad Air.

Determining the manufacturing date of your iPad Air can be tricky as Apple believes it has no reason to share that information with you. You can, however, attempt to retrieve it through the following steps: visit Settings > General > About on your iPad Air. Press and hold the list item ‘Serial Number’ and copy it. Paste it in the text box found on this external website, verify you’re not a robot by checking the reCAPTCHA checkbox, and then tap Check. The page that follows should tell you when your tablet was manufactured. If you're not comfortable with sharing your iPad Air's serial number on an external websute, you can always check its warranty status using Apple’s own web utility from here.

Apple launched the third-generation iPad Air globally nearly a year ago at a starting price of Rs 44,990. Sitting between the iPad and the 11-inch iPad Pro in terms of price, the iPad Air features a 10.5-inch True Tone Retina display that is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil. It is powered by an Apple A12 Bionic chip with up to 256GB of internal storage capacity. Like the more affordable iPad, it features Touch ID for added security. Like all other iPad models, it is available in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + cellular variants. You can read our review of the Apple iPad Air here.

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Nubia Red Magic 5G smartphone specification confirmed, will come with 144Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865 SoC and more

Nubia has pretty much revealed everything that one would need to know about it’s upcoming Red Magic 5G smartphone. The information was revealed via a teaser image that was posted on Nubia’s own website. The image has confirmed a number of features of the smartphone, before its official launch on March 12. 

As per the image, the phone will sport a 144Hz display refresh rate and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC with support for 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technology. In terms of memory, the device would offer UFC 3.0 storage and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. 

The Nubia Red Magic 5G also packs a cooling fan, just like its predecessor. It also offers support for 55W fast charging, which should ensure that users don’t have to wait a very long time to charge the device back up to 100%. Other features include an in-display fingerprint sensor and a triple-rear camera setup with 64MP Sony sensor. 

Images of the smartphone have already been leaked a few weeks back. The images suggested that the drive would feature a ‘REDMAGIC’ logo that appears to feature RGB lighting underneath. The image also suggests that the frame of the phone will feature shoulder buttons, as well as air vents as well as pogo connector pins. 

Images of the phone were leaked a few days back and revealed a vertical camera strip that houses three cameras followed by the “REDMAGIC” logo that appears to light up in different colours. The top and bottom edges are not clearly visible. However, the edge consists of a shoulder button, an air vent, and a pogo connector. Moreover, the previous image has revealed that it will sport an air vent, a volume rocker and a power key on its red-coloured spine.

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Sony slashes PlayStation 4 Pro price, reportedly throws in Death Stranding

If you’re in the market for Sony’s high-end gaming console, you’re in luck. Sony has dropped the price of the PlayStation 4 Pro by a couple of thousand rupees, which means you can get one with 1TB storage from Amazon.in today for Rs 36,899. But that’s not all. According to a report by The Mako Reactor, Sony’s new PlayStation 4 Pro bundle will now ship with a free copy of Death Stranding. You should be able to see the new bundle with the updated price on online retail sites and offline game stores in the next few days.

Though the new Sony PlayStation 4 Pro bundle appears to offer better value at a reduced rate, it actually doesn’t. The previous bundle on Amazon.in was priced at Rs 38,710 but it shipped with an additional DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller, which is worth close to Rs 4,000, as opposed to a copy of Death Stranding, which is currently priced at Rs 1,840 on Amazon.in. The new bundle is expected to do away with the additional controller but include a copy of the new Hideo Kojima action game instead.

The bundle currently spotted on Amazon.in features the updated price tag but does not carry the new bundle information that swaps the extra controller for a copy of Death Stranding, which means you could get the old bundle (console + two wireless controllers, that is) at the updated price if you place an order today. The report, which claims that the source of the new information is part of the supply chain, says Sony is expected to make the price update official in the next few days. 

Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding went live for the PlayStation 4 platform in November last year and is expected to make it to PC in June later this year. Starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Léa Seydoux, Death Stranding is an open world game that revolves around a courier who is tasked with the delivery of essential supplies in a world that no longer has a wireless communications network. The game has several asynchronous online functions. Read our review of it here.

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