iPhone 8 May Indeed Sport Bezel-Less Display With Touch ID Embedded, Patent Tips

iPhone 8 May Indeed Sport Bezel-Less Display With Touch ID Embedded, Patent Tips

Even amidst several reports of a delay in the iPhone 8, new developments about its features continue to leak online. Now, Apple has been found to have recently been granted some major patents, indicating the arrival of at least two big features on the iPhone 8 – an edge-to-edge display and Touch ID embedded into the screen.

Patently Apple reports that USPTO has granted as many as 56 new patents to Apple ranging to different use-cases on the upcoming iPhone. The report specifically highlights three major patents – one which deals with a portable 3D scanner, one which integrates Touch ID underneath the display, and one which eliminates the bezel by extending the display right till the edge.

In the patent, the Touch ID beneath display implementation was mentioned for the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. There are three different technologies explained, one which is called ultrasonic imaging, which is essentially a more accurate form of sensor than the capacitive one used currently.

ALSO READ : Apple iPhone 8 will come with 3GB RAM, 64GB/256GB storage

“The most accurate but least common finger-scanning technology is ultrasound imaging. In this type of sensor, two transducers are placed on the x- and y-axes of a plate of glass–one each for receiving and transmitting–for propagating ultrasound waves through a glass plate; when the finger is placed on top of the glass, the finger impedes the waves and the receiving transducer can measure the alteration in wave patterns. This type of scanner is very new and largely untested in a variety of conditions, but initial results show promise for the technology. It combines the large plate size and ease of use of the optical scanners with the ability to pervade dirt and residue on the scanner, an advantage of capacitive scanners,” the report explains.


This does hint that the iPhone 8 may as well choose to embed Touch ID underneath the display, but the report also notes that the technology is “fairly new and untested”. Xiaomi has used ultrasonic fingerprint sensors below glass - not below the display - in at least two of its smartphones - the Mi 5s and the Mi 6. The iPhone 8 is tipped to sport wireless charging, OLED panel, larger battery, dual selfie and back cameras, and much more.

LG G6 review , Specifications and Price for LG G6 device

LG G6 review , Specifications and Price for LG G6 device

LG has spent the past few years releasing handsets with gimmicks; technologies deliberately designed to set it apart from the competition and prove how innovative it can be. The LG G4 had an impressive manual camera and quality craftsmanship, while the LG G5 was modular. Yet, beyond showcasing pioneering spirit, these phones haven’t threatened the Samsungs and Apples of the world.

In a change of tack, LG said it created the G6 purely to give the people what they want. The result appears to be an all-rounder which manages to still offer LG’s signature pioneering originality in an appealing package.


The LG G6 has a world-first Dolby Vision HDR display in a solid, waterproof build with dual cameras, a speedy operating system and excellent battery life. Does all this mean it’s time for Apple and Samsung to start taking LG seriously? Or is the 18:9 display just another gimmick?

Design

The LG G6 is an attractive handset. Sure, it might not have the infinity edges of the curved Samsung Galaxy S8 but it does offer a larger display to body ratio than many phones on the market. Thanks to the 18:9 screen ratio, the LG G6’s FullVision display provides an extra 11.3 per cent viewing area over traditional 16:9 displays meaning you get a 5.7-inch display in the body of a 5.2-inch handset.

This smaller form factor also makes the LG G6 easier to use with one hand, especially with the rear-mounted home button and fingerprint sensor. The weight is balanced and minimal so one-handed side-on operation in bed works really nicely, but old habits die hard and we soon found ourselves back in familiar two-handed territory.

Display

The LG G6 display is what makes this phone stand out.

As we said, it offers an 18:9 ratio in that 5.7-inch LCD form, bringing with it a Quad HD+ display with 2880 x 1440 resolution, giving a PPI of 564, plus Dolby Vision and HDR10 support. This High Dynamic Range means a greater number of colours and contrast between light and dark, which results in a clearer picture. If you’ve splashed out on a 4K HDR TV, you’ll already know the difference this makes.

HDR is almost more important on smartphones than on TVs because constant phone pixel upgrades are tough for the human eye to see – some researchers believe we may have even reached the limit – whereas skin colour is something the brain picks up in finite detail. Ultimately the screen on the LG G6, with greater colour accuracy, creates a more convincing replication of reality. And despite being an LCD, you can see how the HDR range enhances the LG G6 screen over the OLED-toting Samsung competition.

Cameras

On the rear of the LG G6 are 13MP wide f/2.4 125-degree, and 13MP Standard OIS f/1.2 71-degree cameras. This dual camera setup is able to offer a wide variety of shooting options that make the LG G6 a lot of fun to play with. Primarily, the phone is smart enough to stitch images together so you can shoot in 18:9 to take full advantage of the handset’s display.

As you zoom between the angles of the two lenses, LG says the transition is seamless. In reality, there’s enough of a zoom-hop for you to notice when it’s switching, but the phone is so fast you can zoom in and out between the two without any worry of it slowing you down.

On the front of the phone is a 5MP Wide f/2.2 100-degree selfie snapper. This also shoots in 18:9 but causes a loss in resolution so we stuck to the full offering for the best selfie results. Check out the three modes compared.

Another option on the LG G6 is to go all the way up to UHD 16:9 video recording, or 18:9 at FHD. You can also record in FHD at 60fps when shooting 16:9. All of this sounds great but is a little overwhelming because you essentially need to decide if you’re going to capture in 18:9 for the phone, or stick to 16:9 for compatibility. It is worth bearing in mind that you can crop back to 16:9 in the future, if need be.

Hardware

The LG G6 doesn’t feature the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 830. Instead, it runs on the 821. This is because the chip was fine-tuned to work with the 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, LG G6's new screen and those cameras. The result is a super smooth experience and the LG G6 is blisteringly fast. The only downside in not going with the latest chipset might have been with battery performance, but this is clearly well optimised thanks to the LG G6's 3,300mAh unit.

For storage on the LG G6, you get 32GB onboard plus microSD expansion with support for up to a further 2TB. You also get a hefty 100GB of Google Drive storage thrown in. While the Korean version of the G6 gets a Quad DAC for lossless audio, we aren’t given that feature in the UK unfortunately – although you do get a good old 3.5mm audio port for headphones. Instead, we get full IP68 water and dust proofing, and the fingerprint sensor works even with wet fingers.

Battery

The battery life on the LG G6 is decent, to say the least. On our first day of use with brightness set to auto, location, sync and Wi-Fi turned on, plus heavy use all day, we were left with 41 per cent by bedtime. Overnight, Android 7.0 Nougat used its Doze mode, to preserve energy meaning we only chewed through 9 per cent in around seven hours. Day two had less use, but still ended with 28 per cent to spare. Day three – yup, there was a third day – managed up until 8pm before dying with battery saver automatically kicking in at around 4pm when there was 5 per cent left.

Software

Android 7.0 Nougat comes as standard with the UX 6.0 skin. The highlight being the voice-controlled Google Assistant, which comes pre-installed and is now easily accessible from the lock screen by saying “OK Google”. We mainly used this for dictating WhatsApp messages, which worked well every time - presuming you don’t like punctuation.

The LG UX 6.0 offers a way to take advantage of that 18:9 display. One fun trick is the ability to open two windows of equal size side-by-side. The LG Backup & Reset is also onboard to allow for saving to an SD card for peace of mind as it auto backs up when charging. Our only gripe? The app tray is no more, meaning you need to organise everything across your home screens much like Apple does with its iPhone. Also, that 18:9 screen often has black bars at the top and bottom as many apps don’t yet take advantage of the display space.

PRICE

£ 699

Rs. 56,500

$ 875

Data Source: www.wired.co.uk

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 processor and battery details Reviews, Price in INDIA

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Processor & Battery Details with Price

New details about Xiaomi's rumoured Mi Max 2 smartphone have surfaced online. According to a report by My Drivers website, the handset will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC. Previously, it was claimed that the smartphone would come with a Snapdragon 660 chipset. The smartphone is also expected to have a 5,000mAh battery.
For those unaware, Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 is slightly less powerful than the 660.
Furthermore, the report adds that Mi Mix 2 will stick to Full HD (1080x1920 pixel resolution) display and run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. For imaging, the handset may feature a 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor, same that is also used in the Mi 5S. A 5MP front-facing camera is also expected.
Smartphone buyers in India prefer Xiaomi over Samsung and Apple, claims report
As for the price, the yet-to-be-announced Mi Max 2 is likely to be priced between CNY 1499 -1699, or about Rs 14,000-15,900.
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is expected to be launched with the company's upcoming flagship - Mi 6. The handset even got listed on GFX Bench benchmarking website recently. As per the listing, Mi 6 will feature a 5-inch Full HD display of 1080x1920 pixel resolution. Running Android 7.0 Nougat OS out-of-the-box, the smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 825 SoC paired with 4GB/6GB of RAM. It will come in two internal storage variants - 64GB and 128GB.
For imaging duties, Xiaomi Mi 6 is expected to have a 12MP rear camera with 4K recording functionality. Nothing else has been mentioned.
Xiaomi Mi 6 hardware specifications surface online
Xiaomi recently launched its Redmi 4A smartphone in India. Priced at Rs 5,999, it has a 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. The Redmi 4A is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM. There's 16GB of internal storage, with support for microSD cards of up to 128GB in size.
For imaging duties, Xiaomi Redmi 4A has a 13MP rear camera with LED flash. There's also a 5MP front-facing shooter included in the mix. Major connectivity options include 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, with a 3,120mAh battery rounding off the spec sheet.

Data Sourse :www.gadgetsnow.com

Xiaomi Redmi 4A Review, Price and Specifications

Xiaomi Redmi 4A Review, Price and Specifications

In a handful of years of its existence, Xiaomi has become quite well-known for bringing all-rounder smartphones at competitive prices. And even though all of the Chinese company's smartphones have been generally well-received, its budget Redmi line-up has been especially popular.
Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi 4A in India. The entry-level smartphone was introduced in China last year and became the top-selling handset during the country's Singles' Day sale.
The Indian smartphone market has a plethora of options in the budget segment (Rs 7,000 - Rs 15,000). But the entry-level segment doesn't really have that many (good) options, and that gives the Redmi 4A a golden opportunity to conquer the market.
So at a price of Rs 5,999, does the Redmi 4A manage to stand out? We played around with the budget smartphone for a few days, and here's the rest of our review.

Design and display

Even though majority of the smartphones today come with metallic construction, the Xiaomi Redmi 4A has a plastic body. It has a polycarbonate matte-finished back with a 13MP rear camera and LED flash at the top left corner, and the Mi branding and speaker grille at the bottom. 

READ:BSNL offers 56GB data and unlimited calling at Rs 339

The back is exactly the same as the previously-launched Redmi 3S. However, there's no fingerprint sensor on the Redmi 4A. We believe this might drive away some potential users, as even the most basic of smartphones come with fingerprint scanners these days.

Having slightly curved edges, the 4A has the volume rocker and power buttons on the right, and the SIM slot on the left. The bottom edge has a microUSB port and the top has a 3.5mm audio jack. The front is dominated by a 5-inch display. The screen has three capacitive (non-backlit) keys and an LED indicator below it, and the earpiece and 5MP selfie-camera above it.

READ: The best YouTube Video to MP3 converter 2017

Talking about the display, the Redmi 4A has a 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution and 296ppi pixel density. In our time with the device, we found the display to be good enough for an entry level smartphone. It has accurate colour reproduction and impressive viewing angles. The sunlight legibility is good too. The display has a 'Reading Mode' which eliminates all the Blue light, reducing eye strain. You can also change the strength for Reading Mode and also select the apps in which you require it to be activated.

All-in-all, we found the design of the Xiaomi Redmi 4A to be quite likeable. At the given price, it offers great looks, a good display and is lightweight too.

Performance and camera

Xiaomi Redmi 4A is powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor coupled with Adreno 308 GPU. It offers 2GB RAM along with 16GB of internal storage. The storage can be expanded via microSD cards of up to 128GB in size.The Redmi 4A runs Xiaomi's MIUI 8 skin based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The interface is clean and user friendly. But there is no app drawer and all apps are placed on multiple home-screens. The device offers a 'second space', which enables users to have different profiles with separate wallpapers, apps, files and photos. Other MIUI-specific features include a Child Mode that lets users lock apps, a hovering 'Quick Ball' button which provides quick shortcuts and a One-Handed Mode that shrinks the display to one corner of the screen.The phones comes pre-loaded with third-party apps such as Facebook, Amazon Kindle, MakeMyTrip that can be uninstalled.Just like majority of other Xiaomi smartphones, the Redmi 4A comes with an IR blaster that can be used to control home appliances such as TV and ACs. The pre-installed Mi remote app enables users to add multiple remote controls for different appliances and use them from the phone itself.During our testing, we found the overall performance of the Xiaomi Redmi 4A to satisfactory. The phone handled multi-tasking to random app switching without any heating issues. Audio quality is also quite good.

     As for the network reception, it was good during our testing. The phone handled calls even in areas of problematic coverage.Coming to the battery, Xiaomi Redmi 4A's 3,120mAh battery easily lasted us more than a full day on a single charge with moderate use. This included playing games and browsing social media for a few hours, all while staying connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.We ran Antutu and GeekBench 4 tests on our device. While the phone scored 32,588 in Antutu Benchmarks, the single-core and multi-core scores on GeekBench 4 were 626 and 1611 respectively.On the connectivity front, Redmi 4A offers Hybrid dual-SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and microUSB.Redmi 4A Price : Rs 5,999    Read More.....

eBay India could soon merge with Flipkart | Ebay India Merges

eBay India could soon merge with Flipkart

eBay India could soon merge with Flipkart

According to a new report, among the flurry of investors that Flipkart is currently talking to, eBay and Tencent Holdings are two of them. It is said that eBay is looking to invest about $500 million in Flipkart, and subsequently merge its online store with Flipkart. The report hasn’t been confirmed yet, so we’re taking it with a grain of salt for now. 

A third investor in the form of Microsoft, PayPal, or Google Capital could be joining the funding round for Flipkart, as per the report. The merging of eBay India with Flipkart will no doubt bolster their standing in the Indian e-commerce segment. This will help them take on the likes of Amazon India which is currently one of the most popular e-commerce sites in the country. 

Also, this could be Flipkart and eBay India’s way to combat the imminent arrival of Alibaba in India. With an investment of $500 million, eBay India will have a majority stake in Flipkart, thus allowing them to merge services. It will be interesting to see if these plans will actually go through or if Flipkart will have to rely on other major investors in this round of funding. 

Interestingly, eBay invested about $134 million in Snapdeal a few years ago. But following investments by other major players, eBay’s investment now stands at just 6%. So this proposed Flipkart investment could have more significance than any other investment made by eBay in the past. With Amazon going about its business very smoothly in the country, it should be seen if this proposed merger between Flipkart and eBay India will have any impact on its functioning.  Read More.....

BSNL offers 56GB data and unlimited calling for Rs 339

BSNL Special offers 56GB data and unlimited calling for Rs 339

While private telecom operators like Airtel, Idea, and Vodafone are stepping up efforts to face the looming danger from Reliance Jio, state-owned telecom company BSNL has been dormant. Now it has also joined the price war by announcing a mouth-watering plan.

The latest plan offers 2GB data per day and unlimited calling within its network for 28 days at Rs. 339. The customer's account will also get credited with 25 minutes of a free call to other networks every day and after that, they will be charged 25 paisa per minute. Though Jio offers unlimited calling to other networks also, it only offers 1GB data per day; whereas, BSNL is offering 2GB data per day. However, please be advised that users will only get 3G speeds, unlike Airtel or Jio.

“The benefits customer will get under the Combo STV of Rs 339 are unlimited calls in BSNL network and unlimited data with fair use policy of 2 GB per day with a validity of 28 days. The data of 2GB per day is one of the best in the industry. The free calls to another network will be for 25 minutes per day and after that, the charges will be at 25 paisa per min,” BSNL said in a statement.

"We are committed to providing affordable and efficient services to all segment of our loyal mobile customers. We offer best prices to our customers considering the present trend of Indian telecom industry," BSNL Director for Consumer Mobility RK Mittal said.

This offer can be availed starting from 16 March 2017, and it is limited to 90 days. At present, it is available only for prepaid customers.  Read More.....

Paytm Bank: Paytm plans to start payments bank by March end

Paytm plans to start payments bank by March end

MUMBAI: Paytm Payments Bank, which got the final approval from the Reserve Bank in January, hopes to start operations by the month-end, PayTm founder and chief executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma said here today.

"If the RBI blesses us, we will be able to have our bank by this month-end. Banking must be made available to everyone, the money that the customer puts in isn't a liability but an asset," Sharma said at the India Today Conclave here.

Stating that banking in the present form is outdated, he said, "Versace suits will not change the banking model. Our payments bank will be built on a new model that will be focussed on bringing financial services to the hundreds of millions of unserved/under-served."

Taking a swipe at the way banks have dealt with loans given to industrialists and especially in dealing with the big-ticket defaulters, Sharma said, "the present financial system penalises a sincere person, but if someone speaks the language of those in the corridors of power, he takes a loan of hundreds of crores and fails to pay it back, he will still manage to live in London or such locales."

Sharma expressed belief that with greater penetration of mobile Internet connectivity, his business will grow further.

Paytm currently has about 21.5 crore subscribers, Sharma said adding as against this SBI has 20.7 subscribers.

Paytm does about 20 crore transactions a month, while according to RBI data, all other e-wallets put together do 19 crore transactions.

"You can undermine a business but not a technology; it is a tsunami," he said on online payments and smart phones. To further deepen this, we need better Internet network and telecom connections, he added.  Read More.....

The best YouTube Video to MP3 converter 2017

Youtube Videos to MP3 Converter 2017

Get music from YouTube videos

YouTube is home to a near-endless selection of videos. There's one problem: you need to be online to access them.

A large proportion of the videos you find could survive having video stripped away to leave just the audio (music videos and vlogs spring to mind). You could use a dedicated downloader to save the videos, and then use a separate utility to rip the audio, but why go to such lengths when you could use one program to do these two steps in one fell swoop?

We've rounded up the most powerful and flexible free software for ripping the audio from YouTube videos and saving it directly in MP3 format. Whether you want to download a videocast to listen to on the train, grab some music for your daily workout, or save some ambient noise to help you sleep, these free YouTube to MP3 converters will make the job effortless.

1. Any Video Converter Free

The best free YouTube to MP3 converter – simply paste an URL to convert and save the audio

You would be forgiven for judging Any Video Converter Free by its name and believing it to be a tool for converting from one video format to another. While this is part of what it can do, it can also be used to download videos from YouTube and save them as MP3s – exactly what we’re looking for! As downloading as MP3s is not the sole purpose of the program, it is rather larger than you might expect, but this should not put you off (but take care not to install the optional adware during setup).

It seems almost overkill to use what is a powerful and versatile piece of software for just one task, but downloading MP3s is as simple as pasting in the URL of a YouTube video and waiting for the download to complete. You can then select MP3 as the output format, and hit the Convert Now button. It's a shame there's no one-click option, but it's hardly a major hardship.

Download here: Any Video Converter Free

2. Free YouTube to MP3 Converter

Download and convert music from YouTube quickly and easily, complete with album artwork

Free YouTube to MP3 Converter does exactly what you'd expect, and it's perfectly safe to judge it by its name. Unfortunately, like Any Video Converter Free, there is bundled adware from ByteFence to avoid, so be watchful during the installation and uncheck any additional bits and pieces you don't want.

Once installed, however, you're in for a treat. There's no need to fiddle about with options, you can just get on with downloading the music you're interested in immediately. Use a simple drop-down menu to choose the quality and format you would like to save your audio file, paste the URL, and click Download. Files are saved and converted in one fell swoop.

The beauty of Free YouTube to MP3 Converter is that there's no messing about, nothing superfluous, and nothing confusing. It has one purpose in mind, and it has been designed to do it as efficiently as possible. Definitely worth a try – we're sure you'll love it!

Download here: Free YouTube to MP3 Converter

3. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter can save audio from YouTube clips in just about any format you like

Another piece of software whose name could mislead you, Freemake Video Converter is worth adding to your list of titles for consideration. Aside from a potential privacy concern in the form of usage logging, and the bundling of (thankfully avoidable) extra software, this is a highly competent tool that deserves your attention.

The interface may seem a little overwhelming, and the program might seem a little too powerful to start with, but it's really just a matter of getting to know how it works. Paste in the URL of a YouTube video, wait for analysis to complete, and then click 'to MP3' to the lower right of the program window – or you can click the Convert menu and opt to convert to Apple's AAC format instead.

Not all of the download and conversion options in this program are free, but most are, and third-party converters can be used to plug the gaps.

Download here: Freemake Video Converter

4. VideoGrabby

Want the audio from just one video? Hop over to VideoGrabby and get it in seconds

If you don’t fancy the idea of installing software – you may only want to download a single MP3, after all – VideoGrabby could be just what you're looking for.

Rather than a downloadable program, VideoGrabby is a web app that can be used to extract the audio from a YouTube video and save it as an MP3 file, quickly and easily. With the URL of a YouTube video safely stashed in your clipboard, pay a visit to the VideoGrabby site and paste the link in to the empty box. Once the link has been analysed, click the Record Audio button and you'll be prompted to save the file to your hard drive. That's all there is to it.

Should you decide that you would like to download a video in its entirety rather than just the audio, you can do this by following the same procedure but clicking the Record Video button instead. A very handy site to have bookmarked.

Try it online: VideoGrabby

5. ClipGrab

Simplicity itself – just copy a YouTube video URL and ClipGrab will handle the rest

An utter delight of a program, ClipGrab keeps things nice and simple – aside from the bundling of the pesky ByteFence adware, which you can opt to skip if you're on the ball.

The wonderfully simple interface gives you a pleasing hint of just how easy things are going to be, right from the word go. Copy a YouTube URL to the clipboard and ClipGrab will spring into action, offering to download the related video for you.

Even if this doesn’t happen – you might not yet have the program running, for instance – a quick paste into the relevant field is all it takes. You can then indicate that you are interested in downloading the audio as an MP3 before you click the "Grab this clip!" button to do just that. The MP3 you seek will be yours in next to no time.

Download here: ClipGrab

Facebook testing ‘Dislike’ button in Messenger app

Facebook testing ‘Dislike’ button in Messenger app

Facebook testing ‘Dislike’ button in Messenger app

he past few years, Facebook fans have been asking the company CEO Mark Zuckerberg whether he will ever introduce a 'Dislike' button with thumbs down emoji on the social network. While Zuckerberg has hinted several times that it might not happen, it seems that the company still has plans for implementing the feature, even if only in its standalone Messenger app.
As reported by TechCrunch website, Facebook is bringing 'reactions' buttons to its Messenger app. It has been mentioned that some users are able to select between any of the seven emoji characters representing different reactions, for each text. This is something we have already seen in Slack team messaging app.

According to the screenshots shared by the website, users will get options to choose reactions such as Heart-eyes, Lol, Wow, Sad, Angry, Like and thumbs-down Dislike. This is also the first time we've seen an indication that Facebook might make the 'dislike' reaction mainstream. But since it's claimed to be in testing phases, it's not for sure if the feature will be launched for all or not.
These seven reaction emojis on Facebook Messenger are not the same 'reaction' emojis seen inside the main app. Instead, these are regular on-screen keyboard emojis. It has been further reported that both parties (and everyone else, if it is a group) will be able to view reactions and the count of people agreeing to it. Tapping on the count will give a list of all those who have agreed to that particular emoji.

Facebook too, confirmed the news to TechCrunch by stating that "We're always testing ways to make Messenger more fun and engaging. This is a small test where we enable people to share an emoji that best represents their feelings on a message."
It has been explained that Facebook never built a Dislike button for its main app as it could've brought more negativity in posts. But in Messenger, where users plan and coordinate about events and other things, introducing a thumbs-down button may be of some help.  Read More...

 

Xiaomi Mi 6 to launch on April 16, rumoured to feature curved display and Snapdragon 835

Xiaomi Mi 6 powered by Snapdragon 835 reportedly launching on April 16

Xiaomi Mi 6 to launch on April 16, rumoured to feature curved display and Snapdragon 835

We have been talking about all the promising flagship smartphones that have come up till now and are slated to launch in future. Surprisingly, there is one name that many of us are missing from our lists, the Xiaomi Mi 6. Despite of being in headlines constantly, the upcoming flagship from the Xiaomi has not received the attention it deserves.

As we all know, Xiaomi skipped the MWC this year because the company was supposedly not ready with their flagship. According to rumors, the Mi 6 was supposed to launch in February, which didn’t happen.

According to a recent report, Xiaomi is said to launch the Mi 6 on April 16. The successor of Mi 5 is expected to come with the latest Snapdragon 835 processor and have 2 storage variants- 4GB RAM/ 32GB internal storage ad 6GB RAM/ 128GB internal storage.

As we all know, Xiaomi failed to sell the Mi 5 in large numbers, the company is expected to fill the loopholes this time and come up with a better offering. Although the Mi 5 was a good smartphone overall but the company did not launch the 4GB variant in India and the pricing was over the par. The consumers in India have a perception that the company is known for affordable phones, which may also be a reason to restrict its market in phones over Rs. 20K.

As per the report from Chinese website mydrivers, the Mi 6 is expected to have a curved display, ceramic body and a high-end read camera like Xperia XZ Premium.  Read More...

Samsung opens early Registrations for Samsung Pay in India, 5 banks on board as of now

Samsung opens Registrations for Samsung Pay in India

The mobile payment service from Samsung will be available to users with accounts in Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Cards, and Standard Chartered Bank.

Samsung opens Registrations for Samsung Pay in India, 5 banks on board as of now

Samsung Pay is finally coming to India. Samsung teased the launch of its mobile payment service back in December last year and it look’s like the launch of the service is imminent. Samsung has started accepting registrations for early access to the payments programme.

To use Samsung Pay in India, users will need one of the following Samsung smartphones: Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A7 (2016), or Galaxy A5 (2016). Currently, the South Korean technology company has tied up with 5 Indian banks to get this service to customers. These include - Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Cards, and Standard Chartered Bank. Samsung will be adding more banks to this list soon, starting with Citibank.

Also Read  Samsung Galaxy 8

Samsung Pay will allow users to transact cash-free in three simple steps. A swipe up on the above mentioned devices will bring up Samsung Pay, users can then authenticate their accounts using their fingerprints, the third and final step is to make contactless payment using NFC or Magnetic Secure Transmission on any regular card machine.

For security of transactions, Samsung uses Samsung KNOX to protect both hardware and software. KNOWX constantly monitors phones for vulnerabilities. Even if the phone is compromised, card information is still safely encrypted within a separate and secure data vault.

Click Here to register for early access to Samsung Pay.

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Reliance Jio launches ‘Buy One Get One Free’ recharge offer for Prime members

Reliance Jio Buy One Get One Free recharge offer for Prime members

Jio kicked off registrations for 'Jio Prime' membership from March 1st, 2017. It is a critical phase for the company, as it needs to pass this litmus test of converting current users into long-term customers to fix its spot in the market. The company has been coming up with some surprising offers soon after its official roll out. Similarly, it has added one more move to lure as many users as possible.

Jio has come up with an attractive offer, Buy One, Get One Free. Under this offer, any customer who recharges with Rs. 303 will be getting an additional data of 5GB that is worth Rs 201 for free. Also, any customer who recharges their Jio number with Rs 499 and above will be getting an additional data of 10 GB that is worth Rs 301 for free.&nbsp

Bear in mind, the above offer is applicable only for Jio Prime numbers who signed up for the membership before March 31st, 2017 by paying Rs.99. Only first recharge made in April 2017 is eligible for these benefits, and the free data will only have one-month validity. 

The offer was earlier reported by TechPP today morning. Taking it further, we confirmed about the offers with Reliance Jio officials, and the reports have come out to be true. 

This is indeed a strategic move by Jio that will persuade more users to sign up 'Jio Prime' membership. Are you planning to sign up for Jio Prime membership? If not, is this offer will make you change your decision? Let us know in the comments section. 

data:http://www.in.techradar.com

Jio Prime subscription: list of every prepaid, postpaid plan on offer

Reliance Jio has finally revealed its data and calling plans for prepaid and postpaid users.

Reliance Jio has finally revealed more data and calling plans for both prepaid and postpaid users. The new plans make the most of the Jio Prime membership announced by Reliance MD Mukesh Ambani, and offer special incentives to those who subscribe to Jio Prime. The new Jio Prime membership plan will cost users a one-time fee of Rs. 99 to be enrolled, and paying a fee of Rs. 303 every month will let users extend the unlimited calling and data services by another 12 months. Both new and existing users can enroll under the Jio Prime membership by March 31, 2017, and the plans will be valid until March 31, 2018.

While the Rs. 303 plan has been Jio’s highlight, offering data services with FUP cap of 1GB per day and effectively costing Rs. 10 per day, there are also multiple other plans that one can opt for. Breaking the chart down into prepaid and postpaid, these are the following plans made available for prepaid users:

1. Rs. 19: 200MB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 1-day validity
2. Rs. 49: 600MB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 3-day validity
3. Rs. 96: 7GB 4G data, 1GB/day FUP, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 7-day validity
4. Rs. 149: 2GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS, Jio Apps subscription, 28-day validity
5. Rs. 303: 28GB 4G data, 1GB/day FUP, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 28-day validity
6. Rs. 499: 56GB 4G data, 2GB/day FUP, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 28-day validity
7. Rs. 999: 60GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 60-day validity
8. Rs. 1,999: 125GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 90-day validity
9. Rs. 4,999: 350GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 180-day validity
10. Rs. 9,999: 750GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, 360-day validity


For postpaid users, the range of plans are somewhat limited, and are as follows:
1. Rs. 303: 28GB 4G data, 1GB/day FUP, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, one-month bill cycle
2. Rs. 499: 56GB 4G data, 2GB/day FUP, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, one-month bill cycle
3. Rs. 999: 60GB 4G data, unlimited voice calls and messages, Jio Apps subscription, one-month bill cycle  Read More...

MWC 2017: Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra launched

Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra launched at MWC 

MWC 2017: Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra launched

Sony has launched four new smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The new devices are the Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. All four smartphones run the latest version of Android. The Xperia XZ focuses on superior display and camera technology. The Xperia XZs, on the other hand, is an improved version of the original Xperia XZ. Meanwhile, the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra are successors to the Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra.
Xperia XZ Premium
The Xperia XZ Premium comes with a  5.5-inch 4K (3840×2160) display, with a pixel density of  806 ppi, like the Z5 Premium. The Xperia XZ is the world’s first smartphone with a 4K HDR screen, meaning the resolution is four times better than high-definition displays. HDR supported screens on a mobile smartphone is fast becoming a marquee feature. LG’s latest smartphone, the G6, has an HDR display. Even the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (now defunct) featured an HDR screen.

The Xperia XZ Premium also gets an improved camera. The Japanese company claims the phone’s 19-megapixel “Motion Eye” camera is capable of shooting videos at 960 frames per second, four times slower than any other smartphone. The Xperia XZ Premium also features a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with an aperture of f/2.0 and a 22mm wide-angle lens.
Along with a 4K HDR screen and super slow motion video capture, the Xperia XZ Premium is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor – which is the fastest chip created by Qualcomm. The new processor is also capable of delivering Gigabit Class LTE (up to 1Gbps).Other features of the Xperia XZ Premium are as follows: 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal memory with microSD card support, fingerprint scanner, waterproof design, USB Type-C support, and a 3230 mAh battery with Stamina mode.
So far, there is a limited section of content that can be viewed on a 4K HDR screen. Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video service offers content in 4K HDR. Sony said it has inked a partnership with Amazon to optimise a selection of 4K HDR content from its Prime Video streaming service. Xperia XZ Premium will be available in Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black colour options, beginning from late Spring 2017. It will likely to be priced at $799 ( or approx Rs 53,305).
Xperia XZs
Sony has also unveiled another high-end smartphone, called Xperia XZs. It comes with a  5.2-inch Full-HD screen,  Qualcomm Snapdragon 820,  4GB of RAM, either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, microSD card, and a 2,900mAh battery.  Like the Xperia XZ Premium, the Xperia XZs gets the new Motion Eye rear camera with its 960fps super slow motion video feature.  The smartphone will be available in Ice Blue, Warm Silver and Black colour variants. The Xperia XZs is said to be launched in April.  Read More...

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017: All top-end smartphone launches 'target' Samsung

All top-end smartphone launches 'target' Samsung at MWC 2017

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017: All top-end smartphone launches 'target' Samsung

Phonemakers square measure spile in to fill a spot within the market left by Samsung, still licking its wounds from a expensive recall of its flagship Note seven and with no key device of its own to launch at the medium industry's biggest annual honest.
China's Huawei, the foremost seemingly challenger to fill the outlet within the premium finish of the market, took the wraps off a brand new phone in its quest to displace Samsung because the world's no. a pair of smartphone maker once Apple, throughout a rush of recent product releases on Sunday sooner than this week's World Mobile Congress.
Chinese challengers Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Gionee square measure in hot pursuit, whereas BlackBerry and Nokia proclaimed models exploiting their retro attractiveness.
Samsung itself bestowed 2 new tablets unfinished the launch of its next flagship device, the Galaxy S8, expected currently at the tip of March instead of at Mobile World Congress, its usual showcase.
"The past six months have beyond any doubt been one among the foremost difficult periods of our history," Samsung's European promoting chief David Lowes told a group discussion in metropolis. "We're determined to find out each doable lesson."
Samsung withdrew the Galaxy Note seven last Oct once faulty batteries light-emitting diode some devices to conflagrate, resulting in a loss of shopper trust, wiping out quite $5 billion of operational profit, and permitting the iPhone to overtake it in sales.
"The competition is feisty however i believe we've got a decent probability," Richard Yu, chief government of Huawei's shopper business cluster, told Reuters in Associate in Nursing interview.
Samsung's smartphone market share born to seventeen.7% within the fourth quarter, whereas Apple's rose to seventeen.8%, in step with research firm Strategy Analytics.
Independent analysis analyst Richard Windsor of Radio Free Mobile doubts whether or not Samsung will quickly regain its position.
"Samsung has taken a huge $5.4 billion hit to profits, apologized extravagantly for the recall and admitted shortcomings in its quality and assurance method however i do not suppose that the complete effects of this issue have absolutely affect," he wrote in a very diary post. He pointed to a survey from Harris Poll that shows that Samsung's name has fallen from No. seven within the us to No. 42, only 1 position higher than the United States of America mail service.

Nokia to launch four new smartphones at MWC 2017: Likely specifications, prices and more

Nokia to Launch its 4 new Sartphones at Mobile World Congress 2017

Nokia to launch four new smartphones at MWC 2017: Likely specifications, prices and more

Mobile World Congress (MWC) can easily be considered as the biggest tech event of the year, especially when it comes to mobile technology. Nearly all major smartphone manufacturers launch/showcase their latest and greatest devices, and technologies at MWC each year. That's the case this year too, but MWC 2017 is a little extra special because of another reason. It's because it marks the proper return of a name that once used to rule the mobile phone business - Nokia.

HMD Global Oy, the Finnish company that acquired exclusive rights to manufacture Nokia-branded smartphones last year, will be unveiling as many as four Android-based Nokia smartphones at its MWC conference, set to begin in a few hours from now.
Of these, the Nokia 6 has already been unveiled in China earlier this year. At MWC 2017, the company is expected to announce the availability of the smartphone to other regions as well. In terms of specifications, the Nokia 6 has a 5.5-inch Full HD display of 1080x1920 pixel resolution. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. There's 64GB of internal storage, with support for microSD cards of 128GB in size. For imaging duties, the Nokia 6 has a 16MP rear camera with LED flash, in addition to an 8MP front-facing shooter. The smartphone is expected to cost under Rs 20,000 when it comes to Indian shores.
The next smartphone in Nokia's upcoming line-up is likely to be called Nokia 5. As per earlier reports, the handset will have a 5.2-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. It'll probably be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM. 16GB of internal storage is expected, with support for microSD expansion. It's been mentioned that the smartphone will have a 12MP primary camera. The Nokia 5 may bear a price tag of around $210, or about Rs 14,000.
The Nokia 3 will be an entry-level member of the company's new portfolio of smartphones. As such, it's expected to come at a price of about $158, translating to roughly Rs 10,500.
Lastly, HMD Global is expected to announce a proper Nokia flagship smartphone as well. Dubbed Nokia P1, the smartphone has been a subject of numerous leaks and rumours over the past few months. Earlier reports have claimed that the Nokia P1 will have a 5.3-inch display (either Full HD or Quad HD resolution) secured with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Running Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box, the premium smartphone is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 835 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM. It's likely to come in two internal storage variants - 128GB and 256GB and have IP57 rating for water and dust resistance.
For imaging duties, the Nokia P1 is claimed to sport a 22.6MP rear camera with the famed Carl-Zeiss optics. It can be assumed that the rear camera will be capable of recording 4K-resolution video and support recording at multiple frame rates as well. Expected to have all modern connectivity options such as 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and USB Type-C, the Nokia P1 is likely to pack a 3,500mAh battery with Quick Charge support. As for the price, the smartphone may be priced at around Rs 54,500.  Read More...

7 Earth-like planets could be best bet to find alien life

7 Earth-like planets could be best bet to find alien life

Astronomers call Trappist-1 the most incredible star system they've ever seen. A newly discovered set of exoplanets only 39 light-years away could be the perfect lab for finally proving we aren't alone.

A nearby, relatively dim little star nobody even noticed until about 20 years ago might be playing host to the most intriguing planetary party yet seen.

On Wednesday, astronomers announced that the star, Trappist-1, is circled by at least seven Earth-sized planets, including three that could have oceans of liquid water to maybe, just maybe, support life.

"Looking for life elsewhere, this system is probably our best bet as of today," said Brice-Olivier Demory, professor at the University of Bern's Center for Space and Habitability and one of the authors of a paper on the discovery published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The team first put Trappist-1 on the map last year with the announcement it hosted at least three planets, the first exoplanets to be spotted around an ultracool dwarf star, representing a whole new promising avenue in the search for life beyond the grasp of our own sun.

Upon closer inspection and poring through data from telescopes around the world and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the scientists realized what first appeared to be three planets is really at least seven -- and all only 39 light-years away.

"This is really the first time we have seven planets which can be called terrestrial which are in the temperate zone," astronomer Michael Gillon at the University of Liège in Belgium told reporters on a conference call. "So many is really, really surprising."

The seven planets, named Trappist-1b, c, d, e, f, g and h in order of increasing distance from their parent star, orbit much closer than all planets in our solar system, even Mercury. In fact, the astronomers on Gillon's team say the system better resembles the handful of rocky moons orbiting Jupiter. But because Trappist-1 is much smaller and cooler than our sun, it provides its more closely orbiting temperate zone planets with about as much energy as Venus, Earth and Mars get from our star.  Read More...

Mobile World Congress 2017:Get ready for the Royal Rumble of phones at MWC

Mobile World Congress 2017: Next week's Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona will see plenty of new phones from big name players. Just not from Samsung.

Mobile World Congress 2017:Get ready for the Royal Rumble of phones at MWC

Just about every heavy hitter in the wireless industry is bringing a shiny new phone to Mobile World Congress -- held this time each year in Spain's hippest metropolis -- each trying to out-wow the others with its latest wares.

But we won't see any new phones from Samsung. The Korean electronics giant will launch its newest tablets at the show, but plans to save its highly anticipated flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone for later this year.

The company's back-to-basics approach is a tacit admission that last year's G5, which went out on a limb with a modular system that allowed you to customize the phone with accessory parts, was a failure.

The G6 could end up as LG's redemption phone and has a high chance of taking the spotlight normally devoted to Samsung. That would be fitting considering LG last year tried to upstage Samsung by holding its press conference a few hours earlier. Samsung ended up blowing away the competition with its Galaxy S7 event, which featured Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a surprise cameo.

That decision creates a vacuum that, ironically, may make this one of the more competitive shows in recent years. Over the past few years, the world's largest phone maker used the conference to launch the latest iteration of its Galaxy S line of phones, pretty much keeping the spotlight to itself.

Not this time. Now, Samsung's cross-town rival LG is looking to move past last year's flop with its successor G6 phone. Meanwhile, former high-flying brands Nokia and BlackBerry are banking on nostalgia to grab attention. It all just underscores the fact that although Apple and Samsung dominate the market, consumers still have plenty of alternatives. The trick is to not come across as a bunch of also-rans.

"I don't know that it's necessarily an opportunity for someone else to stand out," said Jan Dawson, an analyst at Jackdaw Research. "In fact, it might just make everyone else seem unimportant by comparison."

So why all the effort? Regardless of how brutally competitive it is, the phone remains the remote control for your life. And for many companies, it's the gateway to get you to buy more of their products or services. That's why these companies keep falling over themselves to introduce new phones.

Here's a breakdown of what to expect starting this weekend.

LG's moment?

When LG "unveils" its G6 phone on Sunday, there will be few surprises. A steady stream of leaks, including from CNET, give a good impression of the device: a large display, a narrow frame, a water-resistant body, last-year's Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a built-in (nonreplaceable) battery.  Read More...