Telegram has hit a new milestone. The app has been downloaded 500 million times on the Play Store. Unlike some other apps, Telegram doesn't come bundled or preinstalled on a smartphone, unlike other popular chat apps. According to Android Police, “Many of the Play Store install milestones that go by are more a reflection of 'how many phones were this app bundled with' than 'look at how many people downloaded this by choice.' Telegram doesn't ship pre-installed on any Android phones, but despite that, the app just passed 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store”. On April 24, the company published a blog post highlighting that it has 400 Million users. In the blog, post Telegram highlights that “Every day at least 1.5 million new users sign up for Telegram. Features like folders, cloud storage, and desktop support make Telegram ideal for remote work and study during the quarantine. It's no wonder Telegram is the #1 most downloaded social media application in over 20 countries – people all over the world are switching to Telegram at an accelerating pace.”
The blog post goes on to read, “Video calls in 2020 are much like messaging in 2013. There are apps that are either secure or usable, but not both. We'd like to fix that, and we will focus on bringing you secure group video calls in 2020.” So it looks like Telegram will work on a video calling feature in 2020. There is no information on when the app will get the feature. The demand for video calling apps has increased during the lockdown. You can check out some of the popular video calling apps being used here.
WhatsApp has also increased the limit of video calling from 4 ton 8. However, to use the feature, users have to update the app. You can read more about WhatsApp’s increased video calling limit here.
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A Forbes article claimed Xiaomi smartphones are collecting browser data including from incognito sessions and sending to servers in Russia and Singapore. While rampant data collection is indeed an unfortunate status quo of internet companies, it’s the nature of encoding that Xiaomi is using that has alarmed cybersecurity experts. Xiaomi took out a detailed blog explaining their privacy policies and data collection practices with Manu Kumar Jain even recording a video to debunk the ghastly claims made by the Forbes article
While the response is listed out in full detail on Xiaomi’s blog, it can all seem a litte too technical. To help you understand, we have broken each claim made on the Forbes piece and Xiaomi’s response to it —
Claim 1: Mi Browser and Mint Browser tracking all activity, even when in incognito
Gabriel Cirlig, the cybersecurity expert quoted in the Forbes piece was the first to discover this. He found the Mi browser (installed by default in all Xiaomi phones) as well as Mint Browser (available on Google Play Store with thousands of installs) were tracking the URLs you visited as well as the search terms you used on DuckDuckGo as well as Google Search. The browser tracked the URL even when you are in the private or incognito mode. This data is being sent to servers owned by Alibaba in Russia and Singapore, and rented by Xiaomi.
Xiaomi’s response
Xiaomi admits to collecting data such as system information, preferences, user interface feature usage, responsiveness, performance, memory usage, and crash reports. These are anonymised and aggregrated and cannot be used to identify an individual. Xiaomi also admits that URLs are collected to identify slow-loading web-pages but doesn’t mention whether it also looks at what the user is searching on search engine websites. Furthermore, Xiaomi states the data collection is done with user consent which the user permits when they agree to the terms and conditions when setting up a Xiaomi smartphone.
The company further confirmed that it collects usage stats while in incognito mode as well, and usage stats also includes URLs which is ironic considering the incognito mode is enabled so that such data is not collected.
Counter Response from cybersecurity researchers
So, Xiaiomi have published a blog, which I think aims to refute what myself, @hookgab and @iblametom are presenting.https://t.co/b8YH1pa2xo Let's tear it down.
— Cybergibbons (@cybergibbons) May 1, 2020
Another cybersecurity expect who Forbes spoke to, Andrew Tierney (goes by the alias @Cybergibbons) tweeted out a proof of concept which countered Xiaomi’s response. While most of it is too technical to explain in simple terms, the video basically shows that the data collected has a UUID or a universally unique identifier which easily lets someone identify where the data came from.
Claim 2: Sending data to remote servers using sub-standard encoding
The researchers also claimed Xiaomi is storing the data in foreign servers based on Russia and Singapore. These servers are owned by Alibaba and rented by Xiaomi. They have web domains registered in Beijing. Furthermore, it was found Xiaomi is using base64 encoding which the researchers claimed can be easily decoded on the client-side, once again potentially revealing individual identities.
Xiaomi’s response
“Xiaomi hosts information on a public cloud infrastructure that is common and well known in the industry. All information from our overseas services and users is stored on servers in various overseas markets where local user privacy protection laws and regulations are strictly followed and with which we fully comply.”
Indeed, this is a standard practice among many software companies. Collecting aggregated and anonymised data is performed by the largest internet giants like Google and Facebook. And this is one place where Xiaomi alone can’t be taken to task.
Xiaomi also claimed the data sent to overseas servers are all anonymised and there’s no way it can be traced back to an individual. However, the researchers found Xiaomi is using base64 encoding which is easily trackable, at least from the client side.
Xiaomi’s response didn’t really touch this part of the claim. It did however state that they use TLS 1.2 encryption standard. As a result, while it may be difficult to intercept the data in transit, there’s no way to tell how the data is treated once it reaches it destination.
Claim 3: User data collected isn’t anonymous, as claimed by Xiaomi. The UUID is specific for each user for 24 hours and not randomly assigned as suggested by Xiaomi
Gabi and other researchers found that the data shared from the Mi Browser and Mint Browser all carry unique identifiers which are specific for individual devices. For instance, two sets of data sent from the same smartphone within 24 hours. will carry the same UUID, which again potentially allows server clients to identify the origin of the data.
Xiaomi’s response:
“This screenshot shows the code for how we create randomly generated unique tokens to append to aggregate usage statistics, and these tokens do not correspond to any individuals.”
Counter response by the researchers:
The POC video released by Andrew clearly shows that the UUID is the same for data sent within 24 hours, debunking Xiaomi’s claim of using randomised tokens. He even debunked the screenshot shared by Xiaomi on Twitter.
They present this as evidence that they "create randomly generated unique tokens" that "do not correspond to any individuals". This code shows nothing of the sort. pic.twitter.com/B4mkhU7ZKH
— Cybergibbons (@cybergibbons) May 1, 2020
Is it fair for Xiaomi to collected private browser data?
Xiaomi took a day to jot down its side of the story which maintained that the research done by Forbes for the story is flawed. The company further stated that collecting usage data is a standard industry practice. Almost every web browser in the world collects user data. However, it’s the nature of collecting data by Xiaomi that is under scrutiny.
For instance, while Chrome and Firefox are known to keep track of the URLs you visit, collecting data generate during an incognito sessions isn’t heard of, and can’t be considered normal or an industry practice which can be accepted.
The private mode exists specifically to prevent URLs being listed on browser history and to prevent cookies and other trackers to be inserted. Including search terms is even more alarming.
Furthermore, which it’s proven that the data stays encrypted while in transit, having an UUID means the data can potentially be traced back to the individual.
Xiaomi’s response of calling out the research as flawed without substantiating the claim with relevant evidence and pointers isn’t right. The company needs to come clean of its data collection practices in light of the recent revelations.
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Just a few weeks after Facebook announced that it was investing 5.7 billion dollars in Jio Platforms, Silver Lake Partners, an American private equity firm, has now invested 750 million dollars in Jio Platforms as well. As we reported earlier, Facebook has already invested in Jio Platforms and are looking to create a sort of ‘super app’, much like Weibo chat in China. The deal was Facebook’s largest since the company bought the messaging app WhatsApp in 2014. Facebook spent a whopping 22 billion dollars on that acquisition.
Silver Lake Partners invest $750 million in Reliance Jio Platforms
According to various reports, the investment by Silver Lake Partners represents a shift as this is the first big investment for the equity firm in India. This could put Reliance in a dominant position and could see the telecom giant really push forward when and if the COVID-19 outbreak quells down. Talking about the investment, Reliance Industries Limites Chairman, Mukesh Ambani said, “I am delighted to welcome Silver Lake as a valued partner in continuing to grow and transform the Indian digital ecosystem for the benefit of all Indians. Silver Lake has an outstanding record of being a valuable partner for leading technology companies globally. Silver Lake is one of the most respected voices in technology and finance. We are excited to leverage insights from their global technology relationships for the Indian Digital Society’s transformation."
Reliance Jio joins hands with Silver Lake Partners for a Digital India
As the country goes through a relative time of turmoil because of the Coronavirus, it looks like companies like Reliance Jio are looking to revitalise the economy of India by introducing digitisation across all areas of the country. Reliance has also said that the company has piqued the interest of other financial investors.
Reliance is also looking to launch Jio Meet, the company’s video calling app and have also offered 2GB free complementary data for Jio users.
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Realme X3 SuperZoom has been in the news ever since it was spotted on certification websites in Thailand and India, but a recent leak reveals some of the key specifications of the phone. The X3 SuperZoom also has a regular variant that’s been leaked through a TENAA listing.
According to a tweet posted by leakster Sudhanshu Ambhore, the Realme X3 SuperZoom could come with a 4,200mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. The phone will feature an AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of at least 90Hz similar to the previous generation.
Realme X3 SuperZoom leaked specifications
The Realme X3 SuperZoom has been rumoured to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset with upto 12GB RAM and Android 10 based RealmeUI out of the box. Notably, the company’s Realme X2 Pro from last year did come with an 855+ chip onboard.
The name “SuperZoom” indicates that the phone could come with a telephoto lens that offers more than 20x digital zoom. This is similar to what the company did with the X2 and X2 Pro. While the latter features a 13MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, the regular X2 has a macro lens instead.
The phone was allegedly spotted on Weibo with a carbon-fibre finish on the back and an accented strip that runs down the middle of the rear panel. The design looks reminiscent of Oppo’s Reno range of smartphones but isn’t a direct rip-off.
The X3 SuperZoom could feature a 64MP primary camera or maybe go ahead with Samsung’s 108MP sensor. The X2 Pro was packed with a 64MP camera setup. Having said that, nothing is known about the camera capabilities of the X3 SuperZoom yet.
Realme X3, on the other hand, could feature a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with dual punch-hole notch cutout and has been listed to be powered by Snapdragon 765G chipset with upto 12GB RAM and 256GB storage options to choose from.
The rear camera array consists of a primary 48MP camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera and two 2MP cameras, possibly a macro and a depth sensor. On the front, there’s a 16MP and a 2MP camera housed within the notch cutout.
It is rumoured to pack a 4,100mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging like the SuperZoom variant.
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The first-quarter numbers for smartphone shipments are in and things, as expected, do not look good. The overall shipments have dropped, and there’s no doubt that the Coronavirus outbreak is to blame. While total shipments fell by 13 percent, which comes out to roughly 300 million fewer devices, not everyone was in the red.
According to Counterpoint Research, every major brand suffered from reduced shipments, with Samsung taking the biggest hit. During Q1 of 2019, Samsung had shipped 72 million devices, a number that has dropped to 59 million for this quarter. Apple’s shipments dropped from 42 million to 40, while Huawei, went from 59.1 to 49. However, there were two companies that surprisingly continued to see growth in shipments. Xiaomi had shipped 27.8 million units in Q1 of 2019 a number that grew modestly to 29.7. The highest growth was registered by Realme, whose numbers nearly tripled, going from 2.8 million same times last year to 7.2 million this year.
Counterpoint Research continues to note that the impact of the coronavirus is going to be worse in Q2 2020. Besides predicting a further slump in sales numbers, there is also expected to be a notable slowdown in 5G deployment according to the firm. India and Spain have already delayed the auction of the 5G spectrum. The note continues to say that since China has already started recovering, Chinese brands like Oppo and Huawei are likely to benefit from that growth as well. However, Samsung whose major markets are still under lockdown looks to continue its rough patch.
All the drastic changes in shipment numbers apart, Samsung still commands the number 1 spot, with Huawei in second. Huawei has managed to hold its spot despite the crippling sanctions put on it by the U.S. Government. Samsung still holds a 20 percent market share while Huawei has a 17 percent share of the pie. Apple is in number 3 spot with regards to the global shipment, with its 40 million units accounting for a 14 percent market share.
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OnePlus is expected to launch a new smartphone called the OnePlus Z soon and a new leak has given is a bit more information about the processor powering the smartphone. According to a tweet by notable tipster, @MaxJmb, the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm 765 SoC and will offer support by 5G connectivity. The same person had previously suggested that the device will be launched in July this year.
pic.twitter.com/3pOxPgddM8
— Max J. (@MaxJmb) May 1, 2020
Previous reports had suggested that the OnePlus Z will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset, which would make it the first smartphone by the manufacturer to be powered by a MediaTek SoC. However, if the latest leak is true, then it looks like Qualcomm will continue it’s record of powering all OnePlus smartphones, all the way from the OnePlus One.
Images of the smartphone were leaked a few days and suggest that it will feature a punch-hole style design for the front camera. The smartphone has been tipped to sport a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display with an OLED panel. It is expected to packs triple-rear camera setup with a 48MP+16MP+ 2MP configuration. At the front, it is tipped to sport a 16MP unit housed inside the aforementioned punch-hole. It may also feature a 4000mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging.
OnePlus unveiled its new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro series of flagship smartphones last month. Both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, and sport high refresh-rate displays with support for HDR10+. They also come with multi-camera setups. However, the OnePlus 8 features a slightly smaller 6.55-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a punch-hole located on the top-left corner. At the back is a triple-camera setup with a 48MP+16MP+2MP configuration, while at the front is a 16MP unit.
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a QHD+ 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that goes for a punch-hole selfie camera instead of a pop-up module like on its predecessor. It also offers a 120Hz refresh-rate, which is higher than the 90Hz refresh rate found on the OnePlus 8. The Pro variant of the phone also comes with a quad-rear camera setup with a 48MP+8MP+48MP+2MP configuration.
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Owners of Realme 5 Pro and Realme XT have reason to feel good as the company has started rolling out a new OTA update for the devices. The new updates carry the build numbers RMX1971EX_11.C.03 for the Realme 5 Pro and RMX1921EX_11.C.04. for the Realme XT. The updates are being rolled out in a phased manner, with a small group of users getting the update first, post which, the roll-out will be much wider. This is a pretty good strategy so as to prevent any major disruptions due to a botched update.
In addition to bringing the April Security Patch update to the devices, there are also a number of new features included for users. For starters, the audio quality for third-party apps has been improved and a number of issues have also been fixed. Issues like the alarm being turned off and being dismissed from background tasks have been fixed. There are some minor changes to the Dark Mode as well for both the Realme 5 Pro and the Realme XT.
As with every OTA update, we would strongly recommend waiting to update as lately, there have been a number of cases with smartphone updates causing more harm than good. Some companies have even had to stop the rollout altogether. OnePlus faced a terribly similar issue in their Beta program, where a beta update had to be halted and then rolled back because it locked some users out of their devices. Therefore, a little patience is always good. As it is, the OTA updates doesn’t bring critical fixes, and the April security update can wait a few days.
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