Samsung is working on a second Bixby-powered Galaxy smart speaker

Samsung seems to be working on its second Galaxy smart speaker. According to a new report on the internet, the company is working on the second product in the market after announcing the first product, the Galaxy Home smart speaker along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 back in August of this year. The interesting thing to note here is that the Samsung Galaxy Home has not yet launched in the market at the time of writing. This means that even before the customers have a chance to buy the first device, the company is already working on more products in the lineup. This may be a real example of courage right there.

Talking about the details of the upcoming smart speaker from the company, it looks like this product will be cheaper in price. This means that the company is looking at competing with Google Home and Amazon Echo. For contrast, the first smart speaker is aimed to take on the likes of Apple HomePod. This cheaper offering is likely to attract users who want to use a Samsung-branded smart speaker without shelling as much amount of money.

Watch: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 First Look

According to a report by SamMobile, the upcoming smart speaker will come with model number SM-V310. For context, the Galaxy Home smart speaker will come with the model number SM-V510. The report stated that it is likely that Samsung is working on a number of smart speaker products. The device is expected to come in Black color but rest of the details are unclear at the time of writing.

Samsung has not revealed any timeline to launch this cheaper smart speaker. Though it is likely that the company may reveal the smart speaker at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019. It is also likely that the company may launch the device along with the launch of Samsung Galaxy S10 series around March or April.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2LHpEqO
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy A50 leak hints at 24-megapixel camera, 4,000mAh battery: Report

A recent report claimed that Samsung is gearing up to launch a new ‘Galaxy M’ series in India sometime next month. But that is not the only new smartphone in the pipeline. The company is also working on a new Galaxy A-series device, dubbed Galaxy A50.

According to GalaxyClub.nl, the Samsung Galaxy A50 will feature a 24-megapixel camera at the back. It is unclear, if that is the only sensor or whether it will be a part of a multi-camera setup. The leak further mentions that the smartphone will be backed by a 4,000mAh battery.

The smartphone will also feature 4GB of RAM, 64GB and 128GB storage options, and will run Android 9.0 Pie OS out-of-the-box. The OS will be wrapped under Samsung’s new One UI. Samsung has traditionally launched its Galaxy S1-series first running the latest operating system out-of-the-box. This makes us believe that the rumored Galaxy A50 is likely to launch sometime in March after MWC 2019.

Watch: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ First Impressions

This isn’t the first time we have come across a leak around the Galaxy A50. It was last spotted on Geekbench, and the list revealed an Exynos 9610 SoC under the hood. This is a new Samsung chipset manufactured on a 10nm process. It features four Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.3GHz and four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.6GHz. It is also paired with a Mali-G72 GPU. Rumors also hint at a possible inclusion of features such as wireless charging, and in-display fingerprint sensor.

As mentioned, Samsung is gearing up to take the wraps off its new Galaxy M-series in India sometime next month. The series will initially consist of three devices, dubbed Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20, and Galaxy M50. It is worth noting that Samsung has yet to reveal an official date for the launch of its Galaxy M-series.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2AqB5yy
via IFTTT

Vodafone Idea is offering Rs 30 Amazon Pay voucher on Prepaid recharges; here’s how to get it

Vodafone Idea is offering Amazon Pay voucher to all prepaid users under its ‘New Year Offer’ until January 10. The telecom operator is giving out an Amazon Pay voucher worth Rs 30 on a minimum recharge of Rs 95, which means you are effectively paying Rs 65. The Amazon Pay voucher is wallet money that you can use for various mobile recharges, to pay utility bills and DTH recharges or even purchase products on Amazon India.

Vodafone’s ‘New Year Offer’ for prepaid recharges is valid till January 10, 2019. Users will get Amazon Pay voucher worth Rs 30 on making a prepaid recharge on a minimum recharge amount of Rs 95 and recharge plans above Rs 95. It is not unknown if the mode of recharge is valid for all recharge platforms or just Vodafone‘s own app and website. By introducing minimum prepaid recharge plans, telecom operators are hoping to get more subscribers to pay a monthly cost to ensure their connection remains active.

Additionally, Vodafone will also select 15 customers for Amazon Pay vouchers worth Rs 3,000, notes company on its website.

For instance, if you make a recharge of Rs 95, you get 500MB 3G / 4G data, and a talktime of Rs 95. Under this plan, all local and outgoing calls will be charged at 30 paise per minute. While the plan also comes with a validity of 28 days, it does not come bundled free SMS.

Meanwhile, Vodafone recently introduced a new prepaid plan of Rs 398 which offers unlimited local and national calling, and unlimited roaming. The Vodafone Rs 398 prepaid plan also includes 1.4GB daily 3G/4G data. The plan comes with a validity of 69 days, which means users can download a total of up to 96.6GB data through the validity period. Sadly, unlike other plans, this one does not come bundled with daily free SMS.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2SvNcBy
via IFTTT

Qualcomm Days on Flipkart: Xiaomi Poco F1 at Rs 17,999, Oppo R17 Pro at Rs 45,990, Asus Zenfone 5Z at Rs 24,999 and other deals

Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart is hosting Qualcomm Days on December 30 and December 31, where smartphones powered by Qualcomm chipsets are available at discounted price. The Qualcomm Days sale comes days after Flipkart’s Mobiles Bonanza sale and can be seen as a way to continue discounted price on devices that were available during the previous sale as well. During Qualcomm Days, Flipkart is offering discounts on Asus Zenfone 5Z, Poco F1, Oppo R17 Pro and other devices. Here is a look at top deals on smartphones during Qualcomm Days sale:

Xiaomi Poco F1 starting at Rs 17,999

Xiaomi Poco F1 has emerged as one of the best smartphone in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment. It has been discounted multiple times since its launch and is now available at a starting price of Rs 17,999 for the variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The price is inclusive of Rs 2,000 extra off on exchange of any other device. The smartphone also comes with buyback value up to Rs 14,000, making it a solid offering in this segment.

The Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch display with Full HD+ resolution and a wide notch that hides its infrared face recognition system. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM and option for 64GB or 128GB storage. There is also a higher end model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It offers dual rear camera setup with 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensors and a 20-megapixel selfie shooter. There is fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, 4,000mAh battery and Android 9 Pie.

Asus Zenfone 5Z at Rs 24,999

Asus Zenfone 5Z is the next best option if you don’t like the plastic design of Xiaomi Poco F1. It is another mid-range flagship smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with 6GB RAM or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage. The 6GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 24,999 while the 8GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 28,999.

The Zenfone 5Z features a 6.2-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. It runs Android 8.0 Oreo and is backed by a 3,300mAh battery. It features dual rear camera with 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensors and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

Oppo R17 Pro at Rs 45,990

Oppo R17 Pro is the smartphone aimed at those looking for a number of cameras on their device. The Oppo R17 comes with a total of four cameras, with three on the back and one at the front. The Oppo R17 Pro features triple rear camera setup with 12-megapixel main camera, 20-megapixel secondary camera and a third time-of-flight 3D camera. At the front, it gets a 25-megapixel selfie camera.

The smartphone features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display and sports an in-display fingerprint sensor. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. It runs ColorOS 5.2 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 3,700mAh battery. It also supports 50W Super VOOC charging, which is the fastest charging on any smartphone right now. It is priced at Rs 45,990 and customers get up to Rs 16,900 off on exchange.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 starting at Rs 8,999

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, which was launched early this year as a Flipkart exclusive, is available at a starting price of Rs 8,999 during Qualcomm Days sale. The smartphone has seen multiple price cuts because of the launch of Zenfone Max Pro M2 and was available at the same price during Flipkart’s Mobiles Bonanza sale as well.

In terms of specifications, it sports a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 636 SoC, 3GB or 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB internal storage. The 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM variants feature dual rear camera setup comprising of 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensors while the 6GB RAM variant gets a combination of 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel setup. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel shooter on the 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM variants while the 6GB RAM variant gets a 16-megapixel camera. It runs Android Oreo and is backed by a 5,000mAh battery.

Google Pixel 3 from Rs 66,500

Google Pixel 3 is available at a starting price of Rs 66,500 on Flipkart during Qualcomm Days sale. The Pixel 3 and its larger sibling Pixel 3 XL have one of the best imaging experience on a smartphone right now. Both the smartphones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage.

Google Pixel 3 was launched at Rs 71,000 and is being discounted by Rs 4,500 and customers get Rs 23,300 buyback value when they purchase a policy for Rs 199. The Pixel 3 features a 5.5-inch Full HD+ P-OLED display with thin bezels surrounding it. It features a single 12-megapixel rear camera and dual 8-megapixel selfie shooters for ultrawide selfie. It comes in clearly white, just black and not pink colors, runs Android 9.0 Pie and is backed by a 2,915mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy On8 from Rs 12,990

Samsung Galaxy On8 is basically the rebranded version of Galaxy J8 for the online-only retail segment. The smartphone was launched at Rs 19,990 and is being discounted to Rs 12,990. It is among the first budget devices from the company to feature Infinity Display design similar to Samsung’s flagship devices.

In terms of specifications, the Galaxy On8 features a 6-inch HD+ display, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset. It sports dual rear camera setup comprising of a 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensors. At the front, there is a 16-megapixel shooter and the smartphone is backed by a 3,500mAh battery.

Watch: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Key Features

Other deals

Flipkart is also offering recently launched devices like the Redmi Note 6 Pro from Xiaomi and Zenfone Max Pro M2 from Asus, which are powered by Qualcomm chipsets. The Redmi Note 6 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs 13,999 while the Zenfone Max Pro M2 starts at Rs 12,999. There is also the Redmi Note 5 Pro, Realme C1, Vivo V11 Pro and LG G7 ThinQ available at Rs 12,999, Rs 7,499, Rs 25,990 and Rs 32,990 respectively.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2Q8sZQl
via IFTTT

Some Samsung Galaxy S9 users are reporting ‘massive battery drain’ after Android 9 Pie update

Samsung surprised the industry when it launched the Android 9 Pie-based OneUI update for Samsung Galaxy S9 devices without any prior announcement. This was a stable update and initial reports on the update indicated that it indeed did not have any noticeable bugs. However, days after the update rolled out for devices, some users have come out complaining about a “massive battery drain” after updating their devices. This indicates that the update is not entirely bug-free as previously indicated. According to the complaints, the drain causes the battery level to drop from 10 percent to 5 percent in mere “seconds”.

According to the initial report by SamMobile, initially the battery drain was attributed to some misbehaving app in the background but upon inspection, it was found that there is no such app in the background. The report noted that there are no random reboots and the update is stable overall in other aspects. It also speculated that it is likely that the battery drain issue was widespread and possibly the reason why Samsung has not rolled out the update to all the Galaxy S9 devices in the market.

Watch: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 First Look

The report also indicated that it is likely that this Christmas Android 9 Pie-based OneUI was a limited rollout to check if there are any hidden bugs in the system. Now that the company is likely to be aware of the hidden bugs then it is possible that it is currently working on fixing the issues. Though, it is also possible that it may take time for the company to fix the update considering it is still working on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 OneUI beta.

This implies that the company may come around fixing the battery drain issue in the S9 devices after it rolls out the final update for the Galaxy Note 9 devices in January. However, it is also possible that the company is planning to launch a new build of the update along with the fix for the issue along with the update for Note 9 devices in the coming month.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2LL3G6o
via IFTTT

Oppo R15 Dream Mirror Edition ColorOS 6 beta version released

Oppo has released its first beta version of its brand new ColorOS 6 for the Oppo R15 Dream Mirror Edition. The company recently announced its latest Android-based operating system – ColorOS 6, bringing a redesigned UI and new features. Oppo announced this information via its official Weibo account.

The post suggests that the latest version brings a new UI design for bezel-less smartphones. The Oppo R15 Dream Mirror Edition users can head over to the software update section in the settings menu to download and install the public beta. Since this update is being pushed out in small batches users may have to check it several times.

Additionally, the final and stable version of the ColorOS 5.2 is yet to arrive on the same device and surprisingly, the latest beta version of the ColorOS 6 is already available. As of now, it is unknown whether the update is based on Android 9 Pie.

Watch: Oppo F9 Pro First Look

To recall, the Oppo R15 Dream Mirror Edition was launched back in April this year. The smartphone sports a 6.28-inch full HD+ notched display along with a 19:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. Under the hood, the handset is powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset, paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

On the imaging front, there is a dual rear camera setup, including a 16-megapixel camera and a 20-megapixel camera. For selfies, there is a 20-megapixel camera sensor. The device is equipped with a rear fingerprint sensor as well. It is fueled by a 3,430mAh battery with support for VOOC Flash Charge.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2s0edRW
via IFTTT

Netflix Stops Offering iTunes Billing for New or Rejoining Subscribers

Netflix has stopped offering the iTunes billing as a payment method to its new or returning subscribers on iOS globally.

from RSS Feeds | APPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2F0wF4R
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Redmi 6A 16GB storage variant to go on sale today at 12PM: Price, Specifications

Xiaomi’s budget Redmi 6A will be up for flash sale today on mi.com and Amazon India at 12:00PM. The smartphone was launched in two variants in September. The 2GB+16GB variant will be made available today in flash sale at Rs 5,999, while the 2GB+32GB variant of Redmi 6A at Rs 6,999 is already up for open sale on mi.com and Amazon India.

Xiaomi recently increased the price of both smartphones in India, but now it seems these have restored their original launch price of Rs 5,999 and 6,999. Both variants of Xiaomi Redmi 6A pack 2GB of RAM and Helio A22 processor from MediaTek. The only difference is in their 16GB and 32GB storage variants.

Xiaomi Redmi 6A specifications and features

Xiaomi Redmi 6A features a 5.45-inch HD+ display, which carries a resolution of 1440 × 720 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It also comes powered with a 2GHz MediaTek Helio A22 quad core SoC tagged alongside 2GB of RAM. Besides the 16GB and 32GB of storage options, the smartphone also supports an expandable storage of up to 256GB via microSD.

In the photography department, the Xiaomi Redmi 6A comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Both cameras support lenses with f/2.2 aperture. Additionally, the front camera is also backed by AI Portrait mode and AI beautify modes.

Watch Video: Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro First Look

On the connectivity side of things, the Redmi 6A features dual-SIM support with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB port. The device is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and features Android 8.1 Oreo layered with MIUI 9.6 on top.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2CIf7Zz
via IFTTT

Poorly conceived security, privacy rules could create new vulnerabilities: Symantec

Speaking to , Symantec Managing Director (India and SAARC) Gaurav Agarwal said there are certain aspects that need to be taken care of when these regulations are framed and implemented.

from Gadgets Now http://bit.ly/2SvcyzE
via IFTTT

Nokia 9 PureView ‘Beholder’ renders leak out on the internet with penta-camera setup and in-display fingerprint

It looks like the final renders for the upcoming and much-anticipated Nokia-branded flagship smartphone from HMD Global, the Nokia 9 PureView have leaked out on the internet. According to to the leaked renders, the device will indeed come with a Penta-camera set up along with an in-display fingerprint scanner on the front of the device. The renders also confirmed that the device will be part of the Android One program. The fact that the device will be part of the Android One program is not surprising as HMD Global has been launching all its smartphones under the same program.

The render was posted by popular smartphone leaker Evan Blass on his Twitter account. According to the leak, the device is likely to come with a code name “Beholder”. Inspecting the render properly, we also see that the company has not gone for a notched display on the front and that the device will come with significant bezels both on the top as well at bottom of the device. The back of the device appears to be curved and we can see the antenna bands on all sides of the device.

Watch: OnePlus 6T – Warp Charge vs Dash Charge Compared

The back camera sports a Zeiss branding and from the looks, it seems like the device will sport a somewhat similar look to what we saw in the Nokia 8 Sirocco. Taking a look at the top of the device from the front, it seems that the device will only sport a single camera set up on the front for selfies. HMD Global has not revealed any information on the potential launch date of the device. Though it is likely that the company will launch the device along with another device in the month of January.

The render comes along the same time when HMD Global is rolling out the Android 9 Pie update for its devices across the globe. More recently, the company launched the Pie update for Nokia 5.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 Plus devices across the globe. The company has managed to roll out the update considerably faster than most device makers in the market but it is expected from the devices that have launched under the Android One program.



from BGR India http://bit.ly/2SrGjkM
via IFTTT