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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