Realme 3 Pro receives first OTA update, receives support for 960 fps super slow-mo video recording

Realme’s latest smartphone, the Realme 3 Pro, recently went up for sale in India. The company claims that it sold off over 1.7 lakh units of the handset in eight minutes and announced two more ‘surprise’ sales on the same day. Additionally, the phone manufacturer also rolled out an update for the device on the same day, which adds some new features to the phone’s camera. The update carries the build number RMX1851EX_11_A.12 and is 182MB in size. The update brings support for capturing super slow-motion videos at 960fps for the Realme 3 Pro. There are some improvements to the device’s camera quality and clarity, along with improvements to the phone system’s stability. 

The update doesn't update the Realme 3 Pro's Android security patch to April. While users of the device should receive a notification when the update is available for their units, they can check if the update is available manually in the Software update tab, in the handset’s settings. One can also download the latest firmware and flash it manually. However, do note that one will need to download the entire build that weighs 2.45GB in size and follow the instructions here to flash it.

The new Realme 3 Pro goes up against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro (review) and other phones in the same price range. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC and was announced in three variants with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It sports a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a dewdrop notch design and runs on ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9 Pie. Backed by a 4045mAh battery, the handset comes with VOOC 3.0 fast-charging support. 

In terms of optics, the Realme 3 Pro features dual-rear cameras where one is a 16MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens, while the other one is a 5MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture lens. On the front, it features a 25MP sensor that is paired with an f2.0 aperture lens, supports AI beautification modes and face unlock. The device also features the Hyper Boost 2.0 software, which the company claims enhances the phone’s speed and gaming experience. 

http://bit.ly/2PBMT7G

Microsoft survey reveals Siri and Google Assistant are the most widely used voice assistants

Microsoft conducted two online surveys. The first one was conducted from March to June 2018 and consisted of over 2,000 responses in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and India. The second one was conducted in the U.S. alone and 5,000 people participated in it. The second online survey went live in February 2019. The key stats found in the survey highlight that 69 percent of respondents have used a digital assistant while 75 per cent of households will have at least one smart speaker by 2020. 41 percent of users reported concerns around trust, privacy and passive listening. Also, consumers will not divulge personally identifiable information without a substantial reward. Over half of consumers expect their digital assistants to help make retail purchases within the next 5 years. It must be noted that the 2000 global respondents are a mix of people from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India. So, this data isn't exactly applicable for the larger Indian population but a niche that are early adopters of smart speakers and can access broadband internet at home.

Speaking about how people are engaging with voice assistants, the survey highlighted that 72 percent of respondents use voice search via a personal digital assistant such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and Cortana. The voice search through a smart home speaker is at 35 percent. 36 percent of those surveyed use voice commands to operate a TV or smart home device that is not a smart home speaker and 31 per cent of voice commands were issued to a vehicle. 

Speaking of the most popular digital assistant, the survey notes that Apple Siri and Google Assistant are on top with a share of 36 percent each, followed by Amazon Alexa at 25 per cent. Microsoft Cortana is at 19 per cent and “others”  take up one percent. The Microsoft research notes that “The popularity of Siri and Google is likely due to the sheer volume of mobile phones (approximately 250M in the US) when compared with smart speakers (approximately 50M+ in the US). Both Siri and Google are more aligned with mobile phones while Alexa is more closely aligned with smart speakers (though Siri and Google are starting to infiltrate smart speakers, while Alexa can also be used on mobile phones)”.

Even though Alexa can be used on smartphones, it has to be installed and added as an app. Apple and Google provide their voice assistant natively through the smartphone making access to them easy and hands-free when using a voice command. Cortana is present on all Windows 10 PCs. Amazon has dominance in the smart speaker space and so do Apple and Google. 

Speaking of smart speakers, the survey found that in 2019 45 percent of people owned a smart speaker and 26 percent are planning to buy one, whereas 29 percent have no plans to purchase one. 

Speaking of which smart speakers do people want to buy, the survey says that in 2019 the echo is the most popular with a 43 percent response, and the echo dot has a 43 percent response. The Google home has a mere 17 per cent response and the Google Home Mini has a 31 percent response. The insights provided by the survey do highlight that talking to a digital assistant seems to be the way forward and it just might be the next natural evolution of how we access information. 

The survey provides detailed insights into the adoption of smart speakers and digital assistants. However, it would be interesting to see an analysis tailored to the Indian market to understand the smart speaker and digital assistant adoption in the country and  which smart speakers do people want to buy?

Source

http://bit.ly/2J4hl92

Scientists in Japan want to grow human pancreases in pigs for transplantation: Report

Yes, you read that headline correctly. According to a recent news report by Xinhua, scientists at the University of Tokyo intend to use human stem cells to grow pancreases inside pigs for future transplantation. The first project in such an endeavour that involves growing of human organs inside animals is expected to begin in about a year’s time. The project is pending approval from government and university committees at the moment.

Hiromitsu Nakauchi, one of the professors at the University of Tokyo leading the experimental transplantation project, says that the team will use human-introduced pluripotent stem cells (or iPS cells) to reproduce pancreases. More specifically, the team will inject human iPS cells into a pig embryo that’s genetically modified to lose the ability to develop a pancreas. The team of scientists will then place the embryo in a surrogate sow’s womb. For reference, a sow is a female pig. The team will then remove the foetus before delivery to study the amount of pancreas tissue derived from the human iPS cells and its ability to function.

The team of scientists in Tokyo hopes that these genetically modified pancreases can be used to treat patients with a serious case of diabetes in a period of ten years. According to Xihua’s report, the Ministry of Education and Science in Japan okayed the controversial research process involving the use of animals as hosts for growing human organs on March 1. The ministry’s decision to approve the undertaking of such a project could potentially open more doors for other Japanese researchers with similar experiments and studies.

That said, the Japanese government reportedly still prohibits the placement of fertilised animal eggs containing human cells in human wombs and the use of animals developed through such genetic engineering for the purpose of breeding. Many questions in the realm of ethics have been raised in the past. Recently, scientists in China injected monkeys with human brain genes in an attempt to create transgenic monkeys and study the evolution of human intelligence.

http://bit.ly/2PCJmGj

Google Pixel 3a visits Geekbench ahead of expected official unveiling

Google is expected to announce two new smartphones, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL on the first day of Google I/O 2019. However, information regarding the two handsets has been leaking out rapidly ahead of the official reveal. Just recently, we came across two press renders of the Google Pixel 3a that showed off the phone in white and purple colour variants and now, the smartphone has popped up on Geekbench, where some additional information about it has been revealed. The listing suggests that the Pixel 3a is running Android 9 Pie with 4GB RAM. While the processor is not listed, the phone is speculated to be powered by the Snapdragon 670 platform. 

The Pixel 3a managed to score 1625 and 5206 in single-core and multi-core Geekbench tests. This is lower than the 1805 and 5790 single and multi-core test numbers of the Pixel 3a XL, which is in line with the rumours that the Pixel 3a XL might come equipped with a more powerful Snapdragon 710 SoC, which is also paired with 4GB of RAM. While the new Geekbench listing doesn’t reveal more about the Pixel 3a, an earlier report suggests that the handset might come equipped with a 5.6-inch OLED display. On the other hand, the Pixel 3a XL is rumoured to sport a 6-inch OLED panel. The two phones are speculated to feature the headphone jack, which Google ditched with the Google Pixel 2 smartphones.

Previously leaked images of the Pixel 3a revealed the phone’s design in its entirety. If the renders are to be believed, the Pixel 3a could sport a design similar to the current Pixel 3. It’s seen with an 18:9 display aspect ratio and comes equipped with a single camera and dual-tone frosted glass on the back. 

The fingerprint sensor is also present on the rear, along with the Google logo on the bottom. Renders showing off the device in white colour suggested that its power button could be in contrasting dark orange while it is bright yellow for the purple Google Pixel 3a. Additionally, both new renders of the device suugest May 7 as the set date, which is the first day of Google I/O 2019. This is speculated to be a hint of the date when the new phones could be announced. 

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Redmi Y3 first sale in India today via Amazon and Micom: Heres everything you need to know

Xiaomi recently unveiled the Redmi 7 and the Redmi Y3 in the Indian market. While the Redmi 7 has already gone on sale, the Redmi Y3 will go on sale for the first time today starting 12 noon. The smartphone will go on sale on Amazon.in and Mi.com. Users can also go to a Mi Home store to get their hands on the device.

The Redmi Y3 is a selfie-centric budget phone with a 32MP front-facing camera which also supports EIS. It will be available in two variants - 3GB RAM + 32GB storage which is priced at Rs 9,999. There is also a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant priced at Rs 11,999. If you are an Airtel user, you can get up to 1120 GB of 4G data, and unlimited calling upon purchasing the smartphone.

Coming to the specifications of the smartphone, the Redmi Y3 sports a 6.26-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1520x720 accompanied with a Dot Notch. The display has a 19:9 aspect ratio. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone comes with an Aura Prism Design in black, red and blue colours. The back panel of the smartphone comes with a fingerprint sensor and P2i hydrophobic coating is supposed to give it some level of water resistance. The phone also comes with a 3.5mm jack and an IR blaster.

The dual-SIM Redmi Y3 sports an Octa-core Snapdragon 632 SoC, and comes in two RAM and storage variants mentioned above. The phone runs MIUI 10 based on Android Pie 9. A 4000mAh battery powers the entire package. For the optics, the smartphone ships with a 32MP front camera with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). The phone can record video in 1080p at 30fps using the front camera. 

At the back, the smartphone packs in a dual-camera setup where one is a 12MP primary sensor with 1.25um pixel size and a 5pc lens with an aperture of f/2.2. The camera comes with PDAF, and 33 AI scene detection feature as well as EIS support. The rear camera can record videos in 1080p at 60fps. The secondary camera at the back is a 2MP depth sensor. There is a single tone LED flash at the back as well. For the front, the camera uses the screen as a flash. 

In our first impressions of the device, we noted, “The Redmi Y3 certainly comes across as a big upgrade over its predecessor, especially in the selfie department. The performance too seems like it may be an upgrade over the Redmi Y2, but it won’t be able to match up to other mid-rangers in the same price range. Essentially, if you have Rs 9,999 to spend, you can either go for the performance route with the Redmi Note 7 or the selfie-centric way with the Redmi Y3. However, we should mention that the performance of both the phones is yet to be tested by us, so we'll reserve any definitive judgement on that. What’s notable is that the Redmi Y3 becomes the cheapest smartphone with a 32MP front camera in the market presently. All the others like the Samsung Galaxy A70 and the Vivo V15 and the Vivo V15 Pro are priced almost double that of the Redmi Y3. The megapixel wars have now reached the front camera and combined with Xiaomi’s price-game, it certainly looks impressive.”

http://bit.ly/2V3fQ2r

AMD turns 50, launches Ryzen 7 Gold Edition with free games

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, AMD has launched the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition. The processor comes signed by Lisa Su, the Chief Executive Officer of AMD. Buyers of the Gold Edition will also receive two free games, a Lisa Su signature sticker, and an AMD 50th anniversary t-shirt. According to the popular American chip maker, the entire celebration package is available only for a limited time through participating retailers.

The two free games included are World War Z and The Division 2 Gold Edition. “With The Division 2 Gold Edition you get the main game, Year 1 Pass, 7-day early access to all Year 1 episodes, 8 classified assignments, 3 new specializations and more,” writes AMD on its website. “Band together in World War Z, where you and a few hardened survivors are left to take on millions of ravenous zombies without feeling or fear. Plus, you get an exclusive AMD50 weapon skin on top of it.”

If bought through a participating retailer, adds AMD, the two free games are included with the purchase of the following AMD Ryzen processors: Ryzen 7 2700X, Ryzen 7 2700, Ryzen 5 2600X, Ryzen 5 2600, and Ryzen 5 2400G. They’re included even with the purchase of the following AMD Ryzen graphics cards: Radeon VII, Radeon RX Vega Series, Radeon RX 590, Radeon RX 580, and Radeon RX 570.

First started life in 1969 as a Silicon Valley start-up, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) has been and is a key player in the semiconductor business for computer processors. In 2006, AMD acquired Canada-based graphics technology company ATI and integrated its Radeon series of graphics cards in its own offerings. Lisa Su has been the Chief Executive Office of AMD since October 2014 and was recognised by Fortune as one of the World’s Greatest Leaders in 2017.

http://bit.ly/2PDqAhU

OnePlus 7 Pro camera to have 3x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, newspaper ad confirms notch-less display

OnePlus will launch the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro on May, but Wired got access to the “near final” pre-production model of the Pro variant, and tested out the camera of the phone. The Chinese company has already announced that the OnePlus 7 pro will have a triple camera setup on the back, and this was confirmed in an image that was leaked over the weekend. Wired says that it tested the camera of the phone and has revealed that the phone has a 3x optical zoom and a 10x digital zoom.

Apart from that, the publication also talked to one of the key company executives. Before we proceed to tell you about what the tech news platform said of the OnePlus 7 Pro camera, let’s just look at the details of the camera configuration. There is the 48MP primary camera, which is paired with an 8MP sensor with a telephoto lens having an aperture of f/2.4, and a 16MP sensor with f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens.

As mentioned, the phone has a 3x optical zoom. Wired says that OnePlus 7 Pro’s camera “doesn't beat the Huawei P30 Pro’s 5x zoom, of course.” the publication talks about “marginally” less detail, more noise and a difference in colours in the zoomed images. It also says that the video recorded with the 3x zoom have some degree of stabilization. What’s interesting is that OnePlus knows that it cannot beat the like of Huawei P30 Pro, and their “main goal is to give users a simple user interface.”

“On our previous phones, we wanted to maintain a nice phone body that wasn’t too thick, and to make sure the lens didn’t stick out too much. In this case, the users’ input on forums helped me to get these features onto the phone. But we tried to find the balance over the entire phone experience. I think we have a shot at competing with the first tier phones. I don’t think we can beat them, but the imaging world is always subjective,” Wired quoted OnePlus Imaging Director Simon Liu, as saying.

The news comes a day after OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed that the OnePlus 7 Pro has received an A+ display rating in DisplayMate's Lab Tests, which was confirmed by DisplayMate in a tweet. Pete Lau tweeted the information saying, “Can't wait for you to experience our A+ rated display (there is no A++ so we hit the ceiling) by the renowned independent research and test lab - DisplayMate.” OnePlus also claimed that the phone scored “exceptionally well” across parameters like colour accuracy, brightness, contrast accuracy, pixel density, among others.

In a related news, an advertisement in the print publication of the New York Times has confirmed what we know so far. OnePlus got a full-page ad published in the US daily showing the schematics as well as the selling points of the phone. The image published on the newspaper shows a triple camera setup, and a pop-up camera tucked inside the body. There is a OnePlus branding, above all, there is a tagline, “Just a better phone.”

No bells and whistles. No bezel. No notch. Just a better phone. Now that's newsworthy.@nytimes pic.twitter.com/85DgxLG7YN

— OnePlus USA (@OnePlus_USA) 29 April 2019

Yes Virginia, if it's in The New York Times, it's got to be true. Welcome to the world, One Plus! pic.twitter.com/leKjS801dN

— Dave nyc (@david_nyc) 29 April 2019 http://bit.ly/2UOkcVW

Facebook F8 Conference: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and other expected announcements

Every year, Facebook hosts a conference where the developer community that builds products and services around the website are invited. Called Facebook F8, the two-day conference will be held in San Jose, California from April 30. The annual conference will provide the attendees networking opportunities, deep-dive sessions and product demos that showcase the latest developments in the space of Artificial Intelligence (AI), AR/VR, and new tools that help build new products for consumers. Those who are interested can catch the action live from 10pm (IST) on April 30 here.

The conference comes on the heels of Facebook’s announcement of its first quarter (2019) earnings. The Menlo Park-based company’s first-quarter profit dropped to $2.43 billion from $4.99 billion on year-over-year basis. Facebook also said that it has kept aside a sum of $3 billion in connection with the FTC inquiry. The firm, however, registered an 8 percent increase each in both Daily Active Users (1.56 billion on average)  and Monthly Active Users (2.38 billion). “We had a good quarter and our business and community continue to grow. We are focused on building out our privacy-focused vision for the future of social networking, and working collaboratively to address important issues around the internet,” Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, said.

Taking a cue from this, here is a list of announcements that we may witness at the conference.

Privacy

Facebook was mired in several controversies last year, and the company may be looking to address those issues. In fact, Zuckerberg has already apprised people about his vision of a privacy-focused social networking in a 3200-word letter. So this year at F8, we may see announcements which would help the platform to operate keeping in mind the users’ privacy. There is a possibility that the company may announce AI-powered enforcements that could help mitigate the privacy problems that the company is facing.

WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger update

Facebook is one of a few companies that directly connects with the masses. For this, it has apps like WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Facebook has already announced that it will introduce new features and updates to Facebook’s family of apps, “that will help build community and bring the world closer together.” These apps have grown exponentially under one umbrella company, and out of the three, WhatsApp has been witnessing tweaks and updates the most.

We could see announcements regarding the support of making voice as well as video calls from WhatsApp Web/Desktop. There have been a lot of stories surrounding the Dark Mode, and given the Silicon Valley’s inclination of incorporating the native Dark Mode, it is expected that the company may announce the updates on the roll out of this feature. Further, WhatsApp may also get a support for Animated Stickers and the feature might be presented at the conference.

VR and AR

Last year, Facebook launched the Oculus Go, its mobile VR headset, at F8 Conference, and this year may also see some important announcements. Oculus has already launched the Oculus Quest, and most recently, it unveiled the Oculus Rift S. Now both the device are priced the same at $399, however, there is not particular launch date for both of these devices. We may see Facebook announcing the exact launch date of both of these products.

Just like other tech giants, Facebook has also been using AR in its products, Instagram and Messenger. Facebook has provided a set of tools called Spark AR Studio to developers so that they can develop camera-based effects, hence, we may see some new announcements in this space as well. Reportedly, Facebook has 10 AR-related sessions scheduled during the two-day event.

http://bit.ly/2GICAL6

Redmi phone with pop-selfie camera teased officially

We are regularly witnessing the launch of phones with pop-up camera mechanisms, and it seems that Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is also ready to jump on this bandwagon. The company has shared a video on Chinese social media platform Weibo teasing a phone with a pop-up selfie camera. The video shows scenes from the just-released Avengers: Endgame movie as well as of the other Xiaomi phones with an emphasis on speed and performance.

It is speculated that this could be a flagship device, which means that it will have top-of-the-line specs. This is in line with recent reports about a Redmi device with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC in the making. It should be noted that the video does not reveal any information about the phone and any information about the phone in this story is on the basis of previous leaks and reports.

As far as the specs of the yet unidentified Redmi phone are concerned, based on the information shared by a Chinese tipster, the Redmi Snapdragon 855 phone will come with a 6.39-inch display and it’s processor is claimed to be accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. In the camera department, the phone is tipped to come loaded with a 32MP shooter on the front and a triple-camera setup, including a 48MP camera, an 8MP secondary sensor and another 13MP camera on the back.

The existence of the phone is also proved by Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing and other Xiaomi executives, who have already revealed some details about this particular device. They reportedly said that this Redmi flagship device will feature a 3.5mm headphone jack and NFC. Further, Weibing had said that the phone is worth waiting for as it would offer a higher screen-to-body ratio, faster performance and better cameras.

It is also being claimed that Redmi is working to launch a device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor. It is expected to come with a notch-less display, pop-up cameras on the front and a triple-camera setup on the back.

http://bit.ly/2V2RZ2R

Microsofts Your Phone app updated to mirror smartphone notifications on PC

Last year Microsoft had announced a Your Phone app that will lets users mirror the notifications on a phone to the connected PC. The app has now got an update that will let Android smartphone users view the notifications on their PCs, and in the process, giving them another reason to not to pull out the phone to check alerts. The update is being rolled out in a phased manner and to only Windows Insiders, which mean others won’t be able to test this feature yet.

The announcement was made by Vishnu Nath, Director of Program Management- Microsoft Mobile eXperiences, in a tweet. He also shared an image in which we can see notifications from Facebook Messenger, Twitter, OneDrive and Google lined up in a single window. Earlier, Android users could also read their text messages, as well as see the last 25 photos taken from a connected phone, on the PCs.

#WindowsInsiders using the #YourPhone app, we got even more for you! We have just begin a staged roll-out of syncing notifications from your phone to PC! pic.twitter.com/MZYT1rcIp3

— Vishnu Nath http://bit.ly/2UPIgHW

Realmes upcoming phone teased in new video, features bezel-less display, pop-up camera

The CEO of Realme mobile phones, Madhav Sheth confirmed that the company is expanding its presence in Europe via online retailers. The company will also launch its phones in China as it has set up a Chinese website and an official account on Weibo. The smartphone manufacturer is teasing the launch of a new smartphone in the county with a promo video, which was recently posted on its Weibo page. While most of the video is about young people having fun, the most interesting bit is a new Realme phone, which is showcased multiple times in the teaser. 

Realme’s teaser video suggests that the company is working on a new smartphone that features a completely bezel-less display design. The phone seen in the video sports a notch-less display and comes equipped with a centrally-placed pop-up mechanism for the front camera. While the company has not officially confirmed which new phone this is, the company’s CEO Madhav Sheth quoted a report on Twitter about a leaked Realme handset. He asked his followers’ opinions on what they thought about the report, which was about a Realme handset that was spotted on TENAA featuring the model number RMX1901. 

The TENAA listing also showcased some images of the new phone, which is in line with the phone that is shown off in the teaser video. As per the TENAA listing, the smartphone features a 6.5-inch display OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. Since no notch was spotted on the device’s display, it is expected to employ a pop-up front camera. Additionally, the lack of a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor suggests that the device might come equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor. 

The new Realme phone is expected to be a flagship product with the latest Snapdragon 855 SoC. However, the company might limit the number of cameras on its back to two and a equip a single sensor on the front, which is housed within the pop-up camera. The handset could be backed by a 3680 mAh battery that supports VOOC fast charging and is expected to launch running on ColorOS 6 on top of Android 9 Pie. 

http://bit.ly/2ZK8XkY

Oppo A1k entry-level phone launched for Rs 8490 in India

Oppo has quietly launched the Oppo A1k entry-level smartphone in India. According to indiashopps.com, the smartphone was initially made available in Russia a week ago, however, when we checked the Indian as well as the Russian websites of the company, we couldn’t find the phone listed on either of them. Priced at Rs 8490, the Oppo A1k will reportedly be available through offline channels, and will compete with the likes of Redmi 7, and Realme C2.

Oppo A1k Specifications:

The Oppo A1k features a 6.1-inch HD display that offers a resolution of 1560x720, with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Under the hood, the phone has the Mediatek Helio P22 mobile platform paired with MG GE8320 GPU. The same SoC powers the Realme C2, which is available at a starting price of Rs 5,999. The Oppo A1k is equipped with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of local storage, and is only offered in this variant in the country.

In the camera department, the Oppo A1k ships with an 8MP rear camera with a lens having an aperture of f/2.2, and a 5MP selfie shooter with an f/2.0 aperture. It comes equipped with a 4,000 mAh battery and 2x fast charging technology. The phone runs on Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box with ColorOS 6.

The news comes a few days after the company launched the Oppo F11 Pro Marvel's Avengers Limited Edition smartphone for Rs 27,990 in India. The Oppo F11 Pro Avengers Limited Edition features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display and is powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 processor. It has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and the phone draws power from a 4,000mAh battery. The device comes with a dual-camera setup with the primary 48MP sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. On the front is a rising camera with 16MP Sony sensor with f/2.0 aperture.

http://bit.ly/2vpMc89

Realme 1, Realme U1, Realme 2 Pro to get HyperBoost 20, CEO reveals Android Pie update schedule

Realme recently launched two new phones in India, the Realme 3 Pro and the Realme C2, which run on ColourOS 6 on top of Android 9 Pie. Now, the company’s CEO Madhav Sheth has confirmed when the Android Pie update will be made available for other Realme phones. As per the company executive, the beta version of ColorOS 6 with Android Pie will be rolled out to Realme 2 Pro users on May 15 and it will also enable HAL3 camera support on the handset. Additionally, the Realme 1 and Realme U1 will receive the Android Pie update on June 5, while the Realme 2 and Realme C1 are slated to receive the update on June 15. 

Sheth says that after the beta version of ColourOS 6 is rolled out, it will take around 20 days to make the final stable version available. This will be a staggered rollout so, not all users will receive the update instantaneously. In addition to revealing the Android Pie update schedule for the aforementioned phones, Sheth separately confirmed that the Realme 1, Realme U1, and the Realme 2 Pro smartphones will be receiving HyperBoost 2.0 software update with ColorOS 6.0. The Realme 2 and Realme C1 are still being considered for the update.

HyperBoost 2.0 is a software, which was announced with the Realme 3 Pro smartphone. The company claims it can enhance the device’s speed and gaming performance by fine-tuning it in real-time, thereby improving the response rate. When HyperBoost 2.0 is turned on, touch response of the Realme 3 Pro is said to increase by 16.2 percent, while thanks to a new feature called FrameBoost, the device’s frame rate stability is touted to improve by 38 percent. 

The Realme 3 Pro was also made available for purchase today for the first time. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 710 SoC and comes with up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. It sports a d 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a waterdrop notch screen and is backed by a 4045mAh battery. On the camera front, the phone is equipped with a 16MP + 5MP dual camera setup, where the 16MP Sony IMX519 sensor is paired with an f/1.7 aperture, while the 5MP sensor has an f/2.4 aperture lens. It sports a 25MP sensor on the front, coupled with an f2.0 aperture lens. 

http://bit.ly/2PA6dlK

Samsung to launch vertical QLED TV next month to target smartphone content consumers

Samsung will launch a vertical QLED TV next month. The TV is called 'The Vertical' and it can be used vertically and horizontally (in the traditional style) just like a monitor. The Vertical TV from Samsung has a 43-inch display and is priced at $1630 which translates to Rs 1,13,800 approx directly converted. The TV can connect to mobile phones via NFC. Since content on smartphones is consumed in the vertical form factor, the vertical orientation of the TV is to give consumers a large screen smartphone-like experience. 

"We will change ways of viewing with new form factors and user experiences to cater to various needs of consumers. We decided to introduce this product in the Korean market first, considering the high ratio of smartphone users and consumers' willingness to try innovative tech products. We will follow up the early market reaction to launch it in other markets." Han Jong-hee, head of visual display business at Samsung Electronics, said in a launching event.

Further, The Vertical is equipped with a 4.1-channel, 60-watt high-end speaker. Samsung says it can be used to play various online music services such as Samsung Music as well as music stored on smartphones. When users are not watching TV, the Vertical can be used to display photos, clocks, sound walls, etc. The remote control of the TV comes with a built-in microphone to enable voice control via Bixby.

The intention of TVs orientation is to give viewers the ability to seamlessly switch between mobile devices and TV. this will let users enjoy smartphone videos, photos and music on bigger screens.

There is no information on when the TV will come to India. Speaking of India, Samsung recently showed off some smart capabilities that are coming to all 2019 Samsung TVs. These include capabilities like live streaming live to your Samsung TV from your smartphone, backing up your photos and videos to a storage device connected to your TV, using your TV as a PPC and more. You can check out the details of these features here.  

http://bit.ly/2DDkysC

Airtel rolls out new data-centric prepaid Rs 48 and Rs 98 prepaid plans to take on Jio, Vodafone-idea

Airtel recently lost to Jio and slipped down a notch to the third spot in terms of its telecom subscriber count in India. Airtel, reportedly, is now the third largest telecom operator in the country, displaced by Jio which has taken over its number two position. However, the telco is not letting up without a fight and is rapidly rolling out new plans and recharges.

Airtel has now rolled out two new recharge plans that are aimed at customers who need data for a month. The new plans are priced at Rs 48 and Rs 98. The Rs 48 recharge plan from Airtel offers 3GB of 3G/4G data daily for 28 days, while the Rs 98 plan from Airtel offers 6GB of 4G/3G data for 28 days. Subscribers will only get data with these recharge plans, since there is no calling benefit. However, the telco also offers 10 free SMSes with the Rs 98 prepaid recharge. 

The two new recharge options from Airtel are yet to show up on Airtel’s website, but are available via third party recharge websites and apps like Paytm. They are also available on all circles the telco operates in. However, there are other data packs featuring similar pricing, currently listed under the Data section on the Airtel website. Priced at Rs 49 and Rs 92, these plans offer 3GB and 6GB of high-speed data for one and seven days respectively. The company is most likely to replace these plans since they offer considerable lesser validity than the new recharge packs. Additionally, there’s also the Rs 29 recharge plan, which offers 520MB data for 28 days. 

The new recharge options by Airtel come soon after Vodafone quietly rolled out a new Rs 139 plan on its website. The new pack offers 2GB 4G/3G data with 100 SMS for 28 days, along with unlimited local and STD calling and roaming benefits. This plan can be availed in Delhi and NCR, Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and UP East. It is priced between the company’s already existing Rs 129 and Rs 159 plans. With the Rs 129 plan, users get unlimited calling, along with 1.5GB 3G/4G data and 100 SMS per day for 28 days. The Rs 159 plan also comes with unlimited calling and offers varying benefits in differing Vodafone circles. 

You can read our best unlimited prepaid plan comparison between Vodafone-idea, Jio and Airtel here. 

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