Oppo to Set up First India R&D Center in Hyderabad https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/oppo-camera.jpg?resize=640%2C410&ssl=1

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo announced today it was planning to set up its first India research and development (R&D) center in Hyderabad.

In line with its objectives, the company has hired Tasleem Arif as its R&D Head in India, Oppo said in a statement.

“We are focused towards offering unique experiences to our consumers in India through our innovations and technological capabilities. The opening of our first R&D Centre in Hyderabad is a step in that direction and strengthens our commitment to the Indian consumers,” said Charles Wong, Oppo India President.

As the Vice President and Head R&D, OppoIndia, Arif will be leading the team which will focus on software localisation for Indian consumers as well as device quality.

Prior to joining Oppo, Arif was working at Samsung as Head – Samsung Make for India Innovations (R&D) and India Hardware-Software Product Planning.

He brings to the new role almost 15 years of experience in mobile software, design and development.

“We are excited to have Tasleem on board and believe that with his expertise we will be able to build a strong R&D team and make this centre second largest after China,” Wong said.

The Hyderabad R&D center will be Oppo’s seventh facility globally with the other six being located in China, Japan and the US.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/oppo-first-india-rd-center-hyderabad/

Honor Play Gets New Ultraviolet Edition, On Sale from October 3 https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/honor-body.jpg?resize=640%2C476&ssl=1

Honor has introduced a new shade of the Honor Play called Ultraviolet in India priced at Rs. 19,999. The Honor Play’s Ultraviolet variant comes in the 4GB + 64GB memory configuration and will be available exclusively from Amazon and the official Honor online store in India starting October 3, 2018.

The Ultraviolet Honor Play packs the same specifications as the Midnight Black and Navy Blue variants of the device. The company has not revealed whether the higher-end 6GB + 64GB variant of the Honor Play will be available in the Ultraviolet color option or not.

The Honor Play features a 6.3-inch FHD+ display that comes with a notch and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by the Kirin 970 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is expandable by up to 256GB with a microSD card. The Honor Play comes with Huawei’s GPU Turbo technology that claims to improve the graphics processing efficiency by 60% while reducing the energy consumption by 30%. You can check out our gaming review of the Honor Play to find out whether this has any real-world impact on performance.

On the imaging front, the Honor Play sports dual-rear cameras, with a 16MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. On the front, the device comes with a 16MP camera for selfies and video chats. While the rear camera setup is said to support AI recognition to suit the available lighting, the front camera also comes with other supposedly AI-driven features such as portrait lighting.

Honor Play Specifications:

Display	6.3 inch, Full View FHD + (1080 x 2340 pixels) IPS LCD
Memory	4/6 GB RAM
Storage	64GB ROM + MicroSD, up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Processor	Huawei Kirin 970, Octa-Core (4*2.36Ghz + 4*1.8Ghz) with GPU Turbo
Camera	16MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4, LED Flash, 4K Support
Front	16 MP f/2.0, Portrait Mode
OS+UI	Android 8.1 + EMUI 8.2
Battery	3750mAh with Quick Charge support
Sensor	Fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass
Bluetooth	4.2
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

In terms of connectivity, the device has a hybrid SIM slot with 4G VoLTE capability. It also has a USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The phone carries a 3,750mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo with the company’s own EMUI 8.2 custom interface on top.

• Buy the Honor Play from Amazon (Rs 19,999)

 

from Beebom https://beebom.com/honor-play-ultraviolet-edition-india/

Nokia 5.1 Plus Goes on Sale For the First Time at 12PM on Flipkart Today https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Nokia-5.1-Plus-website.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1

Unveiled alongside the Nokia 6.1 Plus earlier in August, the Nokia 5.1 Plus neither had a price tag nor a release date for India until last week. It has been priced reasonably at Rs. 10,999 and is scheduled to go on sale for the first time on Flipkart today, as well as Nokia’s own online store, at 12 PM.

Nokia 5.1 Plus Specs

The Nokia 5.1 Plus sports a 5.86-inch HD+ IPS LCD display, with a 19:9 aspect ratio since you get a massive notch up-top. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio P60 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device brings along microSD card support, allowing you to expand storage up to 400GB.

In the optics department, the Nokia 5.1 Plus features a dual rear-camera module with a 13MP primary sensor (f/2.0 aperture) and a secondary 5MP depth sensor. The device also includes PDAF and LED flash on the rear whereas the front features an 8MP (f/2.2 aperture) selfie camera.

There’s also a decently-sized 3,060mAh battery and all your usual connectivity options available on board as well. It runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo under Google’s Android One program, so the experience would be top-notch.

To sum it all up, here’s a quick look at the key specs of the Nokia 5.1 Plus:

Display	5.8-inch HD+ 19:9 Display
Processor	MediaTek Helio P60 (4 x A73 1.8GHz + 4 x A53 1.8GHz)
RAM	3GB
Storage	32GB
Primary Camera	Dual: 13 MP PDAF, f/2 + 5 MP depth sensor, LED flash
Secondary Camera	8 MP FF, f/2.2, 80.4 FoV
Battery	3,060 mAh
OS	Android 8.1 Oreo
Sensors	Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor
Connectivity	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2; GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS/Galileo

The Nokia 5.1 Plus competes against the Redmi 6 Pro and has a couple of interesting features up its sleeve, such as the more premium looking body as well as the stock Android software. So which of the two would you be willing to buy? Let us know in the comments below.

Buy Nokia 5.1 Plus from Flipkart (Rs 10,999)

from Beebom https://beebom.com/nokia-5-1-plus-first-sale-flipkart/

Elon Musk Agrees To Step Down as Tesla Chairman; Will Pay $20 Million Fine https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/tesla-body-.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Coming under pressure from his lawyers and investors of Tesla, tech billionaire Elon Musk has agreed to step down as chairman of the company for three years and pay a $20 million fine in a deal with the US stock market regulatory authority, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to resolve securities fraud charges.

The SEC announced the deal on Saturday, two days after it sued Musk in federal court for misleading investors over his post on Twitter last month that he was considering taking Tesla into private ownership.

Musk said that he had “funding secured” for a buyout of the electric-car company at $420 a share, reports The New York Times.

Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018

Under the settlement, which requires court approval, Musk will be allowed to stay as CEO but must leave his role as chairman of the board within 45 days. He cannot seek re-election for three years, according to court filings.

He accepted the deal with the SEC “without admitting or denying the allegations of the complaint”, according to a court document.

“As a result of the settlement, Elon Musk will no longer be Chairman of Tesla, Tesla’s board will adopt important reforms — including an obligation to oversee Musk’s communications with investors — and both will pay financial penalties,” Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, said in a statement.

“The resolution is intended to prevent further market disruption and harm to Tesla’s shareholders,” Peikin added.

Musk’s tweet about taking his company private, along with attacks on critics on social media, raised concerns with investors about whether Musk has become too focused on criticism from so-called short-sellers who had been making bets against him and Tesla.

According to the SEC’s complaint, Musk’s misleading tweets caused Tesla’s stock price to jump by over six percent on August 7, and led to significant market disruption.

Tesla in recent years has become one of the most valuable American car maker, with its stock worth more than $50 billion.

But its shares have been hit hard since the SEC filed the lawsuit. On Friday, its stock dropped almost 14 per cent.

Musk, a co-founder of Tesla, is the company’s largest stockholder, owning approximately 22 per cent of its outstanding shares.

The company has recently been struggling to meet audacious production goals for its Model 3 sedan.

Musk has courted several controversies in recent times by making a series of unusual public comments or appearances, including a podcast interview in which he smoked marijuana.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/elon-musk-tesla-chairman-sec-fine/

Google Doodle Celebrates Indian Ophthalmologist Govindappa Venkataswamy https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/doodle_opt.png?resize=640%2C323&ssl=1

Facebook Faces $1.63 Billion EU Fine for Latest Data Breach Affecting over 50 Million Users https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Facebook-Suspends-AggregateIQ-Over-Misuse-of-Users-Personal-Data.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Embroiled in another massive data breach, Facebook may face $1.63 billion in fine from the European Union (EU) privacy watchdog, the media reported.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission which is Facebook’s lead privacy regulator in Europe, has asked Facebook to submit more details in the incident where data of over 50 million users were hacked via “Access Tokens” or digital keys.

The “privacy watchdog could fine Facebook as much as $1.63 billion for the data breach”, the report added.

“We are concerned at the fact that this breach was discovered on Tuesday (last week) and affects many millions of user accounts but Facebook is unable to clarify the nature of the breach and the risk for users at this point,” the regulator was quoted as saying.

A Facebook spokeswoman said the social media giant will respond to questions from the EU watchdog.

In the biggest-ever security breach after Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook on Friday admitted hackers broke into nearly 50 million users’ accounts by stealing their “access tokens” or digital keys.

This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people’s accounts.

Access tokens are the equivalent of digital keys that keep people logged in to Facebook so they do not need to re-enter their password every time they use the app.

Senator Mark R. Warner has also called for a full probe into the incident.

Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, Warner said it was high time the Congress stepped up and took action to protect privacy and security of social media users.

Facebook also said it was taking precautionary step to reset access tokens for another 40 million accounts that have been subject to a “View As” look-up in the 2017.

As a result, around 90 million people will now have to log back into Facebook, or any of their apps that use Facebook login.

Reacting to the new data breach, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: “While I’m glad we found this, fixed the vulnerability, and secured the accounts that may be at risk, the reality is we need to continue developing new tools to prevent this from happening in the first place.”

Zuckerberg and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg have already faced hearings at US Congress over Cambridge Analytica data breach that affected 87 million users.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/facebook-eu-fine-view-as-data-breach/

Fortnite Cube Has Created Another Floating Island http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Fortnite has just entered into Season 6, and there are a bunch of changes. Among the many new things, the patch notes mentioned new ‘floating islands’ on the map, but so far there was only one — a huge chunk of Loot Lake which was raised into the air by the Cube that apparently didn’t melt inside the lake.

That particular floating island has been moving around the map, and underwater-Kevin has finally reached the first rune among the ones it left printed on the map, pulling it up into the air and causing it to float as well. The event took place at the rune near Pleasant Park, and has been caught on video by a bunch of players.

The Floating Island has reached the first rune and raised the platform it's on. There appear to be volcanic craters appearing in the corrupted area as well! pic.twitter.com/WNjilehORk

— Fortnite Master (@FNMasterCom) September 30, 2018

Other than there being two floating islands on the map now, the land pulled out of the ground has left behind a crater that propels players into the air when approached — a pretty neat way of getting up into the air without having to use launchpads or something similar.

It looks like the Cube will now revisit all the runes it left on the map and turn each of those places into floating islands as well. Seeing as Kevin left seven runes on the map, it still has six more places to go before, probably, coming back to rest atop Loot Lake’s massive crater (which also propels you into the air, by the way).

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Season 6 yet, get on that Battle Bus! Exciting changes await.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/fortnite-cube-created-another-floating-island/

Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: What’s New https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Untitled-design-4-3.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1

The Redmi Note 6 Pro has been made official without much fanfare and launched only in Thailand for now. It comes as an upgrade for one of Xiaomi’s most popular devices, the Redmi Note 5 Pro and brings along a slightly new design, bigger display, quad cameras, and more. So, let’s not waste any time, let’s take a look at the differences and similarities between these two Redmi Note ‘Pro’ devices:

Redmi Note 6 Pro: All the New Features

Xiaomi may find it easy to adopt a design pattern, which can trickle down to many of its devices over the year, but it knows when’s the best time to follow the trend and offer its users an upgrade. The Redmi Note 6 Pro does just that, so here’s a look at what’s new:

• Display

One of the key differences, that you’ll indeed notice right off the bat, is the inclusion of a display notch on the Redmi Note 6 Pro. The Chinese giant has sliced off some of your top bezels to now include a 6.26-inch display as compared to the 5.99-inch display on Redmi Note 5 Pro.

The IPS LCD panel, with a Full-HD resolution, still stays the same on both devices but the bump in screen-to-body ratio to 86% is quite significant. The notch on the Redmi Note 6 Pro includes the earpiece, sensors, and for the first time – dual selfie cameras, so let’s go ahead and talk about them.

• Cameras

The Redmi Note 6 Pro is the first Xiaomi phone with a quad-camera setup. Yes, it has to be the first Xiaomi device with dual cameras both on the front, as well as the rear.

While Xiaomi has upgraded the dual-camera setup on the rear with the inclusion of a new 12MP primary lens, with a f/1.9 aperture as compared to the smaller f/2.2 aperture on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The secondary 5MP depth sensor still remains the same for both, but it will still lead to better low-light photos than the predecessor.

Turing our attention to the front, you will notice that the Redmi Note 5 Pro sported just a single 20MP sensor with a f/2.2 aperture. Xiaomi has not just upgraded the 20MP sensor that now touts a bigger f/2.0 aperture but also included a secondary 2MP sensor on Redmi Note 6 Pro’s front to further improve bokeh selfies and AI portraits.

Redmi Note 6 Pro: Everything that Remains the Same from Note 5 Pro

Except for the display and cameras, not a whole lot has changed for Xiaomi’s Redmi Note lineup over the past six months. Just like its predecessor, the Redmi Note 6 Pro has been powered by the Snapdragon 636 chipset, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

There’s a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 4000mAh battery, and an Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI skin running on the device. All of the connectivity options still remain quite similar as well.

Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro Specs

Now that you’ve seen the key difference and similarities between Redmi Note 6 Pro and Redmi Note 5 Pro, take a quick look at the key specs of the two devices:

Specs / Device	Redmi Note 5 Pro	Redmi Note 6 Pro
Display	5.99-inch Full-HD IPS LCD	6.26-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD
Processor	Snapdragon 636	Snapdragon 636
RAM	4GB/6GB	4GB
Internal Storage	64GB	64GB
Rear Camera	12MP (f/1.9, 1.4µm) + 5MP (f/2.0)	12MP (f/2.2, 1.25µm) + 5MP (f/2.0)
Front Camera	20 MP (f/2.2)	20 MP (f/2.0) + 2 MP
Software	Android 8.0 Oreo-based MIUI 10 (updated)	Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 10
Battery	4,000mAh	4,000mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, infrared, microUSB, 3.5mm jack	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, infrared, microUSB, 3.5mm jack
Colors	Black, Champagne Gold, Rose Gold, Lake Blue	Black, Blue, Rose Gold

SEE ALSO: Nokia 6.1 Plus vs Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Mi A2: The Best Budget Smartphone?

Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Not a Lot Has Changed

The Redmi Note 6 Pro, as you can tell, comes as an iterative upgrade over the currently existing Redmi Note 5 Pro. It brings the trendy display notch to the device and updates your device’s camera game with the inclusion of four cameras on board instead of usual three. The internals and everything else remains the same, just like the Redmi 6 lineup which came earlier this year.

The device has currently landed only in Thailand, with no mention of an India launch from Xiaomi right now. However, we know that it’s a significant series for the Chinese giant and for its presence in the Indian market is certain over the coming months. What are your views on the Redmi Note 6 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/redmi-note-6-pro-vs-redmi-note-5-pro/

Facebook Hack May Have Affected Instagram, Spotify and Tinder Profiles https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/insta-body-.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Facebook recently revealed the company has discovered a potentially serious security flaw which might have exposed the data of around 50 million users. The vulnerability was spotted in the implementation of the ‘View As’ feature and may have been introduced back in July 2017, allowing hackers to steal digital login credentials of millions of users.

But a new revelation might further widen the impact of the security breach. Facebook’s VP of product management, Guy Rosen, has disclosed that hackers may have also exploited the security flaw to access users’ accounts on third-party services, which use Facebook login, such as Tinder, Airbnb, Spotify as well as Instagram. 

A Facebook spokesperson recently acknowledged malicious parties may have gained access to an individual’s profile on other services if they used their Facebook account to sign up for it. This basically means if you signed up for Instagram using your Facebook account, hackers might have also gained access to your Instagram account.

As of now, the exact number of third-party services that were compromised by the security breach in Facebook’s system has not been revealed, but early estimates suggest that Tinder, Instagram, Spotify and Airbnb accounts might have been compromised.

In an interaction with KrebsOnSecurity, a Facebook spokesperson revealed that it is possible that hackers may have exploited the vulnerability to access third-party sites and apps. However, the Facebook representative added that so far, no evidence of ‘interactive log in to third-party sites as the user’ has been discovered.

If the latter is proved to be true, the linked third-party services such as Tinder and Spotify might launch their own investigation to gauge the extent of the security breach. Facebook, on the other hand, has patched the security loophole, revoked the ‘access tokens’ of the affected users and has ìnformed them about the incident via a notification on top of their feed.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/facebook-hack-affects-instagram-tinder-profiles/

Nokia 7 Plus Stable Android 9 Pie Update Finally Starts Rolling Out https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screenshot_20180928-145916--e1538220854577.png?resize=396%2C560&ssl=1

Adding to the steadily growing lineup of Android 9 Pie devices, HMD Global (the company now leading the charge of Nokia-branded phones) is finally rolling out the stable update that brings the latest flavor of Android to Nokia 7 Plus owners.

The Finnish giant had been testing Android 9 Pie on its popular mid-ranger, the Nokia 7 Plus, ever since the OS update was announced at Google I/O 2018 earlier this year. HMD Global pushed out the final Android 9 Pie beta update to users a couple weeks ago and it seems like Nokia 7 Plus owners, like me, can now rejoice that the stable Android 9 Pie update is here at last.

The Android 9 Pie stable update, which carries the build number V3.22C, weighs in at about 1.4GB in total and it does take some time to download and install, so be patient. We’d been testing the beta builds and the stable update appears to be free of any bugs, and glitches up until now.

 

As pointed out in the tweet (and screenshot) below, Android Pie arrives with “a plate of new features” to Nokia 7 Plus and this includes features such as the new colorful design, outlined icons, dark theme, gesture navigation that I’ve been trying to get used to since the beta, and all of your AI-powered goodness including Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness and App Actions.

Everybody wants a piece of the Pie! We are starting roll out of Android 9 on #Nokia7Plus. Which of its delicious new features is your favorite? #Nokiamobile pic.twitter.com/whiZlZPLTP

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) September 28, 2018

The highlight, however, would have to be the fact that Nokia 7 Plus is the first non-Pixel device to get access to Google’s Digital Wellbeing tools that are currently being tested in beta. It recently arrived to the device with a Play store update and users couldn’t be any more excited to try and curb their smartphone addiction with useful insights.

While Nokia also points out that the stable update brings along a new camera UI, Google Lens, and Motion integration, but the same arrived on the device about a month now. It was pretty buggy at the time and we’ll have to test out the update a little extensively to know better.

Even if the update has arrived a little later than expected, the Nokia 7 Plus now joins the likes of Google Pixel lineups, Essential PH-1, and OnePlus 6 to be running Android 9 Pie. Have you received the stable update on your Nokia 7 Plus yet? If yes, let us know your experience with the latest flavor of Android until now.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/nokia-7-plus-android-9-pie-stable-update/

Google Camera App Port Now Available for Poco F1, Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/hdr-1.jpg?resize=560%2C420&ssl=1

Redmi Note 6 Pro Specs, Launch Date and Price https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/redmi-note-6-pro-2.jpg?resize=640%2C320&ssl=1

The successor to the popular Redmi Note 5 Pro, which sold in millions in India, is here and you may not have heard of it as Xiaomi didn’t really make a huge deal of it. Redmi Note 6 Pro quietly made its debut in Thailand earlier this week and it brings along a larger display with a notch, quad-cameras, and a ton of AI features.

Redmi Note 6 Pro Specs

The Redmi Note 6 Pro features a bigger 6.26-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio as compared to its predecessor. It touts of 86 percent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to the notch, but there’s still a huge chin on this device.

In line with its predecessor, the Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 636, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. It runs Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top of Android 8.1 Oreo.

In the optics department, the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with an upgraded set of cameras. There’s a 12-MP primary sensor, with an f/1.9 aperture and EIS, and a secondary 5-MP depth sensor on the rear. The newest addition here is the dual front cameras, with a 20-MP primary sensor and 2-MP depth sensor.

It also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a humongous 4,000mAh battery that Xiaomi’s Note device is known for. To sum it all up, here’s a quick look at the specs table for the Redmi Note 6 Pro:

Display	6.26-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD
Processor	Snapdragon 636
RAM	4GB
Internal Storage	64GB
Primary Camera	12MP (f/1.9) + 5MP depth sensor
Secondary Camera	20MP (f/2.0) + 2MP depth sensor
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 10
Battery	4,000mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, hybrid nanoSIM, microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Colors	Black, Blue, Rose Gold

Price and Availability

Xiaomi has unveiled only one variant, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage of Redmi Note 6 Pro in Thailand. The device went on sale for 6,990 baht (approx. Rs. 15,999) in three different color variants namely Black, Blue, and Rose Gold.

We tried contacting Xiaomi India to know more about the device’s launch in the country, however, we haven’t received any concrete details about it. The device’s price, however, falls squarely in line with the Redmi Note 5 Pro that was launched at Rs 13,999 – but the price was ramped up to Rs 14,999 soon after.

So, what do you think of Redmi Note 6 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/redmi-note-6-pro-specs-launch-date-price/

Redmi Note 6 Pro is the First Xiaomi Phone With Dual Selfie Cameras https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/redmi-note-6-pro-camera.jpg?resize=640%2C320&ssl=1

Xiaomi has quietly announced the new Redmi Note 6 Pro in Thailand and while the quiet launch is pretty surprising, we are glad that the Redmi Note 6 Pro is finally official, after so many leaks and rumors. The Redmi Note 5 Pro brings a number of upgrades over the Redmi Note 5 Pro, including the notch, but the most interesting upgrade has to be the new quad cameras. Yes, the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with a dual camera setup on both the front and the back, making it the first Xiaomi phone to have dual selfie cameras.

The Dual Selfie Cameras on the Redmi Note 6 Pro

The dual camera setup on the front includes a 20MP f/2.0 primary camera along with a secondary 2MP depth camera sensor. The new setup should bring improved portrait mode selfies. I mean, the AI Portrait Mode in the Redmi Note 5 Pro’s front camera is decent enough but it still has its flaws. The secondary depth sensor in the Note 6 Pro should ensure that the portrait selfies have more natural blur and better edge detection.

Other Camera Improvements in the Redmi Note 6 Pro

Apart from that, the Redmi Note 6 Pro seems to have the same dual camera setup on the back as the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which includes a 12MP f/1.9 primary sensor plus a 5MP depth sensor. However, the Note 6 Pro will come with AI Scene Recognition, which isn’t present on the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Well, I am mostly excited to try out the new dual cameras on the front but I am not sure when we will be able to try it out because we contacted Xiaomi asking them about the Redmi Note 6 Pro India launch and they denied commenting about it.

Well, the Note 6 Pro has gone on sale in Thailand for 6,990 baht (approx Rs 15,999) and some users have already received their unit. So, the phone should arrive in India pretty soon.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/redmi-note-6-pro-first-xiaomi-phone-dual-selfie-cameras/

September Android Distribution Report: Android Oreo Grows, Pie Still Absent https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/android-body-1-1.jpg?resize=640%2C335&ssl=1

Google has released the latest Android distribution report for the month of September which shows a noticeable growth in Android Oreo’s installed base. The new distribution numbers are based on data collected on the basis of Android devices which visited the Google Play Store in a span of 7 days ending on September 28, 2018.

As per the updated Android distribution figures, Android Oreo’s net adoption figures now stands at 19.2%, with Android 8.1 Oreo standing at 5.8% while Android 8.0 commands a share of 13.4%. The previous report showed Android Oreo’s adoption at the 14.6% mark, which means it has recorded a jump of 4.6% in a span of around two weeks.

Android Oreo’s growth had been stagnant since late August, however, the increase in its distribution comes at the expense of previous builds. As per the new report, Android Nougat now stands at 29.3%, down from the 30.8% share of the installed base recorded two weeks ago. Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s share has also dropped from 22.7% to 21.6% as of now.

As for Android 9 Pie, the latest version of Google’s smartphone operating system is yet to get listed on the Android distribution chart because its installed base is still below the 0.1% mark. So far, Android 9 Pie has been rolled out only for Google’s Pixel line-up, the Essential Phone, OnePlus 6 and the Nokia 7 Plus via the stable channel, and the only other device to run Android 9 Pie is the Sony Xperia XZ3 which is yet to hit the market.

A few other smartphones do run Android Pie, but that’s in the beta stage and does not count towards Google’s dashboard.  With major smartphone makers such as Samsung and Huawei yet to commence the rollout of Android Pie update, the latest version of the OS is expected to pick up momentum only in the upcoming months.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/september-android-distribution-android-oreo-grows-android-pie/

Xiaomi Quietly Launches Redmi Note 6 Pro With Quad-Cameras, Notch https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/redmi-note-6-pro-2.jpg?resize=640%2C320&ssl=1

After numerous leaks and rumors over the past week, Xiaomi has now quietly made its latest mid-range offering – the Redmi Note 6 Pro – official in Thailand. This device is the successor to the popular Redmi Note 5 Pro, which sold millions of units in India and has brought along a larger display with a notch, quad-cameras and a ton of AI features.

Price and Availability

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 6 Pro only in Thailand on Thursday, September 27, via their Community Forum and Facebook. The device has been unveiled one configuration, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage but there could very well be many other configurations globally.

The device has gone on sale in Thailand for 6,990 baht (approx Rs 15,999) and some users have already received their unit. It comes in three different color variants namely Black, Blue, and Rose Gold.

Redmi Note 6 Pro: Key Specs

Coming to the specs, the Redmi Note 6 Pro sports a huge 6.26-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio, thanks to the notch up-top. It boasts of a 86% screen-to-body ratio but there’s still a significant bottom chin on this device.

Much like its predecessor, the device is powered by the Snapdragon 636, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. It runs Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top of Android Oreo, has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and that massive 4,000mAh battery is still here as well.

There’s no IR-backed Face Unlock here, even though that notch is pretty big.

In the optics department, the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with an upgraded set of cameras. There’s a 12MP primary sensor, with a f/1.9 aperture, and a secondary 5MP depth sensor on the rear. It also features EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) for video recording. The new addition here is the dual front cameras, with a 20MP primary sensor and 2MP depth sensor.

There’s also a ton of AI features, including AI Recognition that can detect 206 scenes in up to 27 categories and an all-new AI Portrait mode. `

Here, you can take a quick look at the differences between the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 6 Pro:

Beebom’s Take

The Redmi Note 6 Pro is official, I know, but that was a really tasteless launch for a device lineup that has helped the Xiaomi brand rise and become a crowned budget phone maker across the globe. The company’s Redmi Note 4 and Redmi Note 5 series are best-sellers and seeing that the Redmi Note 6 Pro has received such a lukewarm and quiet launch has us all puzzled.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro is one of the most awaited devices from the Chinese giant’s camp but has the company put the device out there because of all the revealing leaks. There’s really no way for us to know that but we hope the device will land in India very soon. So, what are your views on the Redmi Note 6 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/redmi-note-6-pro-launched-thailand/

Pocophone Starts Sending Poco F1 Units to Developers for Better Custom ROM and Mods Support https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/4.-Poco-F1-1.jpg?resize=640%2C422&ssl=1

Xiaomi’s subsidiary Pocophone launched its first smartphone – the Poco F1 – in India last month, featuring flagship specifications at an affordable price of just Rs. 20,999. Packing Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage, the Poco F1 quickly became an overnight sensation worldwide.

What’s more interesting is that at the launch event, Poco announced its support for the developer community and promised that unlocking the Poco F1’s bootloader won’t void the manufacturer’s warranty, something that is commonly seen on devices from other manufacturers.

Poco ensured that unlocking the bootloader would be pretty easy for all developers, promising that any user could unlock the device’s bootloader in just 3 days. Even when users faced some problems unlocking the bootloader, Poco was quick to address the issues. However, there still was a major hurdle that the company needed to overcome, getting the devices to the developers.

We got a list of developers from @MishaalRahman and are in the process of sending out units to everyone he suggested who was willing to work on it.

More on this soon! https://t.co/gNmDmY1K8V

— Jai Mani (@jaimani) September 29, 2018

In order to make that happen, Poco has now teamed up with XDA to send devices to the developer community. The company has already received an extensive list of developers, chosen on the basis of their merit and their history of working with Xiaomi devices, from XDA’s Mishaal Rahman who will start receiving their new devices shortly.

We're looking to expand the list of custom ROM developers that @IndiaPOCO sends devices to. Please head over to @xdadevelopers and vote for your favorite!https://t.co/XtQGlTnZii

— Jai Mani (@jaimani) September 29, 2018

That’s not it, Poco is still looking for more developers to expand the list of custom ROM developers for the Poco F1. The company, along with XDA, have set up a Google Form with the names of 5 developers who are next in line to receive the device. The company is now urging users to vote for the developers and it plans to select 3 developers from the list who will also receive a new Poco F1. The poll is live until September 30th and if you’re a Poco F1 user you should definitely head over to the post and vote for your favorite developer.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/poco-sends-developers-poco-f1/

Indian Cryptocurrency Exchange Zebpay Shuts Down Operations https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/zebpay-app.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Amidst the global crypto market slump, Zebpay, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in India, has shut down operations following the regulations imposed by the Reserve Bank of India earlier this year.

In an official blog post, the company revealed that all unexecuted cryptocurrency transactions will be canceled starting at 4:00 PM on September 28th, and after that, no cryptocurrency orders will be accepted. Zebpay notified that all incomplete orders will be refunded as crypto coins and tokens back into the Zebpay wallet of customers.

We are stopping our exchange. At 4 PM today, we will cancel unexecuted orders & credit your coins to your Zebpay wallet. No new orders will be accepted. The Zebpay wallet will work even after the exchange stops.

Read more: https://t.co/W8ygzPIYz1 pic.twitter.com/tPWCnyu7Yu

— zebpay (@zebpay) September 28, 2018

“The recent past has been extremely difficult. The curb on bank accounts has crippled our, and our customer’s, ability to transact business meaningfully. At this point, we are unable to find a reasonable way to conduct the cryptocurrency exchange business. As a result, we are stopping our exchange activities”, the company said in an official blog post.

Zebpay has assured that despite halting the cryptocurrency exchange business, the Zebpay wallet will be functional, allowing customers to initiate a transaction using their crypto coins and tokens for making online purchases or investing in a venture. Also, Zebpay’s existing customers will be able to conduct deposit and withdrawal from their wallet.

Back in April, RBI issued a new directive which prohibited institutions falling under RBI’s regulation from engaging in cryptocurrency trade, citing serious concerns about consumer protection and possibly facilitating crimes like money laundering. Aside from forbidding financial bodies from dealing in cryptocurrencies, RBI also asked them to sever ties with all private firms and parties involved in cryptocurrency trade.

Following RBI’s directive, cryptocurrency prices in India tanked, with Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash being the major crypto denominations which suffered a sharp decline in their exchange value in India.

Back then, Zebpay was among the cryptocurrency exchanges which lowered the quoting price of Bitcoin significantly by listing its exchange value at Rs. 3,75,580, compared to its international exchange value of Rs. 4.29 lakh at that time. Now that Zebpay has halted trading, other cryptocurrency exchanges such as WazirX have pounced on the opportunity to poach Zebpay’s existing customers.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/indian-cryptocurrency-exchange-zebpay-shuts-down-operations/

WearOS 2.1 Rolling Out Featuring Major Redesign and Better Gestures https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/wearos-redesign-featured-web.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Earlier this year in March, Google officially rebranded its Android Wear platform as ‘Wear OS by Google’ which was unveiled at the Baselworld watch show in Switzerland. As part of the update, Google promised to introduce new features and improvements to the platform over the coming weeks and months. Following that in August, Google announced a refreshed WearOS with simpler gestures, a more proactive Google Assistant and easier activity tracking. As promised, the update is finally rolling out in September, although it’s almost the end of the September.

Busy day? Every minute matters. The new #WearOSbyGoogle design gives you a helping hand when you need it most, convenient access to your notifications, #GoogleFit, and more. Rolling out now: https://t.co/UldqISuWdH pic.twitter.com/dvGlhxQIQg

— Wear OS by Google (@WearOSbyGoogle) September 28, 2018

Now, according to a recent report from Android Police, Google has started rolling out the update, called WearOS 2.1, bringing a complete redesign for the platform. The updated WearOS makes everything more accessible to the user by introducing a ton of quality-of-life improvement. The company also posted a short video on Twitter highlighting some of the major changes coming to the platform.

With WearOS 2.1, notifications will no longer take up the entire screen, swiping left on the main screen will take users to the Google Assistant and swiping right from the home screen will display health related data. The quick settings panel on WearOS 2.1 has also been improved and now include new shortcuts for Google Pay and Find My Phone to make these features more accessible.

As of now, only a few people have received the update along with the redesigned interface. Google now claims that the update should reach all supported devices over the next month, so there’s no need to panic in case you haven’t received the update yet.

Google has also clarified than any watch that received Android Wear 2.0 should receive the WearOS 2.1 update, which means that the update should roll out to all devices except for a few first generation Android smartwatches.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/wearos-2-1-rolling-out/

Facebook Hack Affects 50 Million Users; Company Faces Class-action Lawsuit https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/view-as-feature.jpg?resize=640%2C388&ssl=1

Google’s New Project Aims to Preserve the Cultural Heritage of Indian Railways https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/indian-railways.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

In a first-of-its-scale heritage mapping and digitisation project, Google and Ministry of Railways on Friday launched a project that aims to preserve the cultural heritage of the Indian Railways. The two-year digitisation project “The Railways-Lifeline of a Nation” is a comprehensive digital document viewable on Google’s Arts and Culture website. It was launched at the National Rail Museum.

The project is divided into “Journeys”, “People”, “Heritage” and “Engineering” sections, each containing visual and textual narratives that rail enthusiasts can access for free. It comprises photographs, documentaries, text, virtual tours, 360-degree videos, online exhibits, and maps, pertaining to the Indian Railways.

Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal via video-conferencing said that the project is an experience for the “1.3 billion people of India about what the 1.3 million railway employees are doing for serving them”.

“From the Nilgiri mountains to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Station, let the people of India relive their childhood… through the train journey to Madhira and through the Darjeeling toy train; let’s show them the Kangra Valley, the Kalka-Shimla experience so that it could be enjoyed by someone in Coimbatore or Ooty,” he said.

Along with several railway lines, the project also documents stories of 32 railway employees including engineers, ticket checkers, trackmen, and shunters. Also capturing stories from the Indian Railways are other sections like the street art, literature, Bollywood, music, and sports, which demonstrate the inseparability of trains and culture.

The online project will also materialise as digital exhibits at 22 stations in India including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Howrah, Secunderabad and Varanasi, Google said. The event also saw the inauguration of a permanent exhibition of these online resources in the National Rail Museum premises.

Notably, the Indian Railways started its journey in 1853 between Boribunder and Thane, and has expanded to be the fourth largest railway network in the world.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/google-new-project-preserve-cultural-heritage-indian-railways/

Google Celebrates Indian Railways With Multimedia Showcase in Arts And Culture https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/railgoogles_1-1.png?resize=640%2C438&ssl=1

In a first-of-its-scale heritage mapping and digitisation project, Google announced a new project that aims to preserve the legacy and heritage of the Indian Railways through the Google Arts and Culture website and app, which went viral earlier this year and could already be regularly used by many Indian users.

The two-year digitisation project “The Railways-Lifeline of a Nation” is a comprehensive digital record which is seen on the Arts and Culture website and app. It was launched at the National Rail Museum in Delhi.

Indian Railways, which started its journey in 1853 with a train between Boribunder and Thane, is the fourth largest railway network in the world. It’s arguably the most diverse railway network in the world too. The project documents everywhere Indian trains ply – such as the Nilgiri mountains or the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Station. You can relive iconic train journeys to such as the Darjeeling toy train or the Kalka-Shimla mountain line.

Along with several railway lines, the project also documents stories of 32 railway employees including engineers, ticket checkers, trackmen, and shunters. The stories are told through video snippets and photo essays that show these railways employees go about their daily work, and live a regular life. It humanises the parts of the train journey that you never really pay attention too.

The project is divided into “Journeys”, “People”, “Heritage” and “Engineering” sections, each containing visual and textual narratives that rail enthusiasts can access for free. It comprises photographs, documentaries, text, virtual tours, 360-degree videos, online exhibits, and maps, pertaining to the Indian Railways.

Also capturing stories from the Indian Railways are other sections like the street art, literature, Bollywood, music, and sports, which demonstrate the inseparability of trains and culture.

The online project will also materialise as digital exhibits at 22 stations in India including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Howrah, Secunderabad and Varanasi.

With Inputs from IANS

from Beebom https://beebom.com/google-india-railways-arts-culture/

Mi Luggage Hands-on: All-New Product, Typical Xiaomi Quality https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180927_133526.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

While Xiaomi’s Bengaluru event was focused on smart devices, the Chinese giant launched one non-tech product dubbed as Mi Luggage in India as well. These suitcases, which are available in two different sizes, 20-inch and 24-inch, adds to the Chinese giant’s fledgling lineup of lifestyle products.

I’ve already tried out Xiaomi backpacks earlier this year and I had loved it, so I had high hopes. They didn’t let me down and here are my first impressions of the Mi Luggage suitcases:

Xiaomi Mi Luggage: First Impressions

Xiaomi is good at building smartphones (even if some look similar) and other hardware but it’s not fooling around when it comes with other products either. You will find great build quality and just a ‘Mi’ branding. It’s very minimal and follows a tried-and-tested design.

• Durability

The Mi Luggage suitcases, available in 20-inch and 24-inch variants, are not just light, portable and ergonomic, but also have very sturdy build quality. The company is using Makrolon material from German company Bayer, which Xiaomi claims makes the suitcases lot stronger but I found it to be very similar to American Tourister bags that are quite popular.

I was assured of the build quality by the demo, where one of the executives while playing around with the suitcase, sat down on it. Yes, it did flex but it didn’t permanently deform the exterior and nothing broke inside either.

Xiaomi has also gone for a honeycomb pattern (which has pretty good in-hand feel and a shine under light) and vertical stripes (more like indents) on the outside for additional support to the mechanical structure of the suitcases.

• Plenty of Room

You’ll just have to take our word for it, given that it’s hard to show volume in these pictures. Both compartments have more than enough room for all your stuff. The compartments feature soft-touch polyester lining with a zipper, but you also get a belt and zipper mesh to secure your valuables.

Xiaomi claims the 20-inch Mi Luggage can hold up to 36 liters, while the 24-inch model takes in up to 64 liters in volume. You could carry the former for a shorter weekend trip, while the larger model can be used for trips closer to a week.

• TSA-Approved Lock

The company also laid a ton of stress on the three-digit combination lock on Mi Luggage because it’s TSA-approved. It keeps your stuff secure and TSA authorities in the US can easily open your bag without damaging the lock, to check its contents.

• Wheels and Handle

Xiaomi has also included four noiseless wheels, made of highly elastic TPE material and they won’t make too much noise when you drag these suitcases around. While this sounds great, the highlight of these wheels is that you don’t need to put any effort into moving the suitcase. You just need to give it a gentle push and that’s all. It won’t tumble or move forward, thanks to the 360-degree swivel in the wheels.

The handle bar, with four adjustable steps, is like any other and you would have seen it on many other suitcases. These were stiff at first, but loosened up after a few tries.

Price and Availability

Xiaomi embraces affordability like no other brand. And it’s no different with this suitcase. The smaller 20-inch suitcase is priced at Rs 2,999 whereas the larger 24-inch one is priced at Rs 4,299. Both will go on sale on Amazon, Flipkart, and Mi.com from October 10 at midnight.

So, will you be getting one of these suitcases for yourself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/xiaomi-mi-luggage-hands-on-review/

Here’s Your Chance to Review the OnePlus 6T Before Launch https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/oneplus-6t-dual-cameras.jpg?resize=640%2C547&ssl=1

iPhone XS Beautygate: Is Apple’s Smart HDR Over Smoothening Your Face? https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/iphone-xs-vs-iphone-x-selfie-hdr-on.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1

Amazon Echo Leads India’s Smart Speakers Market https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/echo-dot-3.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

Led by Amazon, the smart speakers category in India grew 43 percent in the second quarter this year, an International Data Corporation (IDC) report said today.

Amazon with its Echo range of smart speakers, led the category with 59 percent market share, closely followed by Google for the second position, showed IDC’s “Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker”.

“Although the initial usage of smart speakers are currently limited to few use cases as the smart homes market is at a very nascent stage in India, we are seeing signs of it growing beyond entertainment,” Navkendar Singh, Associate Research Director, IDC India, said in a statement.

The Indian smart home devices market which consists of connected lights, smart speakers, connected thermostats, smart TVs, home monitoring/security products, digital media adapters, among other connected devices for homes, saw a healthy year over year growth of 107 percent to reach at 1.4 million shipments in the second quarter of 2018.

Video entertainment category which includes smart TVs, streaming sticks and set-top boxes grew 81 percent year over year, and the category continues to dominate with 85 percent unit share within the portfolio of various smart home products.

Xiaomi, which debuted in the smart TV market in the first quarter of 2018, tripled its shipments in the second quarter, IDC said.

Amazon remains the clear leader in the streaming stick category, with almost eight out of 10 streaming devices sold in the country being Amazon Fire Stick, the research showed.

“The Indian video entertainment market is seeing an upgrade to connected media devices and larger screen viewing experience,” said Jaipal Singh, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/amazon-echo-leads-india-smart-speakers-market/

Mi Home Security Camera 360 Hands-on: Peace of Mind For a Bargain https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180927_134918-copy.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1

At its major product launch event in Bengaluru, Xiaomi extended its smart home offerings beyond air purifiers, which also bagged an upgrade yesterday, and smart routers with the launch of the Mi Home Security Camera 360 degree.

The smart security camera is one of the many products in Xiaomi’s “Mi Ecosystem,” where the devices are manufactured by partner companies (over 200 of them), such as Mijia in this case, but the device is sold under Xiaomi’s banner.

This is the Chinese giant’s first-ever smart security product to be launched in India, so we were curious to check out its utility at the event. Here are our first impressions:

Design and Build

The Mi Home Security Camera 360 may look huge in close-up shots (like the one you can see below) but it’s actually a small thing – no bigger than a decent-sized coffee mug. The tiny, curved plastic body makes the camera look adorable and I, for one, would love to have in your house – keeping an eye on my things when I’m away.

You can choose to place the Mi Home Security Camera on a table-top (next to your books in the living room) or hang it from the ceiling outside your main entrance. The domed top of the camera can rotate a full 360-degrees and has a vertical viewing angle of 96-degrees (the camera can be tilted 45 degrees up and down).

User Experience

Xiaomi’s Mi Home Security Camera 360 looks and functions like a nifty home monitoring device, which can easily be controlled via the Mi Home app.

You can install several of these cameras, with a 2MP sensor, at your home or office to keep a close check on your belongings, loved ones and property.

You can see a real-time feed of all the connected cameras in the app on your smartphone. You can then choose to play/ pause, mute/ unmute and view any of the video feeds.

You can save recordings to a microSD card, either multiple minute-long recordings or an hour-long recording for the whole day. Xiaomi claims the 64GB SD card can hold up to 5 days of 1080p FHD video recordings – after which they’re overwritten. You can choose to save the recording to the SD card or your phone’s gallery via the Mi Home app.

The Home Monitoring feature, as the name suggests, alerts you by sending a notification and a small 10-second clip whenever it detects motion in the camera’s view. You can then choose to talk back (more on this later) to the person- if they are still in frame – just by calling up the camera.

One of my favorite features of the Mi Home Security Camera 360, however, was the night vision mode that allows the camera to keep recording and monitoring your home even in low-light condition. This is thanks to 10 IR LEDs that allow the sensor to detect any motion up to 9 meters in front of the camera.

Another impressive feature of this security camera is dubbed as Talkback, where you can simply place a call to the camera and talk to the person on the other end. Both of you will be able to speak and listen to each other.

There’s a large speaker and a microphone integrated on the rear of the camera, and it can get pretty loud even in crowded spaces such as during yesterday’s demo. You can certainly use it to scare your cat or dog away!

Mi Home Security Camera 360: First Impressions

Though I spent only a brief time with the Mi Home Security Camera 360, it turned out to be my favorite new thing launched by Xiaomi yesterday. The ease-of-use and rich feature-set makes this a great pick at just Rs 2,699.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/mi-home-security-camera-hands-on-review/

Paytm Mall Offers Exchange Bonus of up to Rs 7,000 for iPhone XS, XS Max https://i1.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/iPhone-XS-Face-ID.jpg?resize=640%2C391&ssl=1

There is good news for those who want to get the new Apple iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max (starts at Rs. 99,900) as Paytm Mall is offering an exchange bonus of Rs 7,000 to prospective buyers in addition to the exchange value of their old phones.

The e-commerce arm of Paytm today announced the availability of the newly-launched iPhone models on its website and mobile app. The new iPhone XS and XS Max began shipping in India today, along with other second-tier markets, and there are tons of launch offers already.

The phones would be delivered within 24 hours to customers in more than 20 cities, said a statement from Paytm Mall.

The iPhone XS and XS Max support dual SIM and dual standby functionality and are fuelled by Apple’s latest A12 Bionic chipset built on 7-nm design and a new neural engine with an 8-core dedicated machine learning (ML) processor.

Both the models — iPhone XS and XS Max — are available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants in space gray, silver and a new gold colour variant starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 1,09,900, respectively.

Apple officially introduced its 2018 lineup of iPhones and Apple Watch at an event in California earlier in September.

• Buy the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max from Paytm Mall (starts at Rs. 99,900)

 

With inputs from IANS

from Beebom https://beebom.com/paytm-mall-exchange-bonus-iphone-xs/

India to Have Over 700 Million Smartphone Users by 2022: Counterpoint https://i0.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/smartphones.jpg?resize=640%2C261&ssl=1

More than a billion smartphones will be sold in India over the next five years, taking the number of users beyond the 700 million mark by 2022, Counterpoint Research reported today.

Mid-range smartphones (roughly Rs 14,000-Rs 29,000), will grow 20 per cent (year-on-year) in 2018 and by almost four times during the next five years to make it one of the most important smartphone segments in India, the market research firm added.

The sales volume sweet spot is moving from sub-$150 (nearly Rs 10,000) segment towards mid-tier as many features and capabilities common among flagship models, progressively diffuse through to these lower price bands, noted Counterpoint’s white paper on “India Mid-Tier Smartphone Segment and opportunity for SoC players”.

“Features such as full-screen displays, dual-cameras, biometric security and support for Artificial Intelligence (AI) are beginning to make in-roads to the mid-range. They will become widespread over the next few years,” said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.

Many of these advanced features will be enabled and enhanced through the evolution of the underlying System-on-Chip (SoCs) and other components.

“These features will help OEMs to differentiate their offerings in the mid-tier segment at a time when overall smartphone innovation is perceived to have plateaued,” Pathak added.

India is the second largest smartphone market in the world after China. It has just surpassed 400 million smartphone users.

However, this accounts for just 44 per cent of the potential total addressable market for smartphones as the country is underpenetrated relative to many other markets.

“Part of this lack of development can be attributed to the poor relative development of data-capable mobile networks and high data pricing. Upstart operator, Reliance Jio, has catalysed a rapid shift toward 4G LTE, together with much more accessible data pricing,” noted Research Director Neil Shah.

Looking at the competitive environment, the top five brands contributed to 92 percent share of the mid-tier segment in India.

Samsung, Vivo, Apple, OPPO and Huawei were the leading brands in the first half of 2018.

“However, we expect competition to increase in the segment as more brands enter including Xiaomi, Asus, Nokia HMD and others,” said the white paper.

The role of SoC players is critical to unlocking the potential of the mid-tier market segments.

If done successfully, we believe the mid-tier segments will grow almost four times in volume over the next five years in India. To enable this growth, cutting-edge solutions such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 are required on a broad scale.

“Qualcomm already has a strong presence in key brands in the mid-tier. The Snapdragon 710 can further strengthen Qualcomm’s share within key brands in the mid-tier segments as it has in the $100-$200 lower-tier segment,” the white paper added.

from Beebom https://beebom.com/india-700-million-smartphone-users-2022/