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HIGHLIGHTS Three variants of the Redmi 5 are now available in China The 4GB RAM variant is priced at CNY 1,099 It is available in Gold, Rose Gold, Black, and Light Blue colour options The Xiaomi Redmi 5 now has a third variant with 4GB RAM in China. Listed on the official Xiaomi store, this will be the third variant in the Redmi 5 range that was previously launched in 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM options. The Redmi 5 4GB RAM variant's price is  CNY 1,099 (roughly Rs. 11,000), a premium of CNY 200 (roughly Rs. 2,000). It apparently comes with no other specification upgrades except the increased RAM; it has inbuilt storage of 32GB. The smartphone is yet to launch in India. As we mentioned, the 4GB RAM variant of the recently launched Redmi 5 has been quietly listed on Xiaomi's official website in China. The new variant is available in Black, Rose Gold, Light Blue, and Gold colour variants. The smartphone was launched alo...

HIGHLIGHTS Nokia 3310 4G is officially listed in China HMD Global has partnered with China Mobile to launch the new handset The 4G variant runs Alibaba-owned YunOS The Nokia 3310 4G has now been officially launched in China, weeks after receiving TENAA certification. HMD Global, the company licensing the Nokia brand, has silently listed the 4G variant of the Nokia 3310 on the official Nokia site and has partnered with China Mobile to make the new model available in the country. Price and global availability details of the new Nokia 3310 variant are likely to be announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, next month. Nokia 3310 4G comes in two colour options: Fresh Blue and Deep Black. It is available as an upgrade to the modernised Nokia 3310 that was launched in a 2G variant in India May last year. Unlike the Nokia 3310 2G that runs Nokia Series 30+ OS and its 3G variant that was ...

HIGHLIGHTS The update is rolling out to HTC U11 users in India It will be available as an OTA download with file size of about 1.5GB The update brings many core Android Oreo features to HTC U11 HTC India on Tuesday announced that the Android Oreo software update for the HTC U11 is now rolling out for users. Some users reporting having received the update, which has an approximate file size of 1.48GB. Software update v3.16.708.3 brings with it availability of Android 8.0 Oreo and other system enhancements to the HTC U11 flagship smartphone. As we mentioned, HTC India took to Twitter to officially  announce  rollout of the Android 8.0 Oreo stable build for HTC U11. "HTC U11 Oreo Update is live. Start updating now.. HTCU11 Oreoupdate" said the tweet. One Twitter user has supposedly received the update that is available in the form of an OTA download. While there is not much detail in the update changelog, it does mention additions like ...

HIGHLIGHTS Vivo X20 Plus UD will be available in China starting February 1 The smartphone comes at a price of Rs. CNY 3,598 (roughly Rs. 36,100) It features a Synaptics Clear ID 9500 under-display fingerprint sensor After much anticipation and some recent teasers, Vivo X20 Plus UD has ultimately been launched in China. Vivo on Wednesday made the new announcement after demonstrating the model at CES 2018 earlier this month that debuted as its first smartphone with an under-display fingerprint sensor. The smartphone features an AMOLED panel that hides the Synaptics-made under-display fingerprint sensor, called Clear ID 9500. It will go on sale in the Chinese market starting February 1 with a price tag of CNY 3,598 (approximately Rs. 36,100). The model will be available in only Black colour option with a golden frame. The Vivo X20 Plus UD is a new variant of the original X20 Plus that was launched in September last y...

Qualcomm has signed memorandums of understanding for sales worth at least $2 billion (roughly Rs.  12,700 crores) with Lenovo, Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications, Vivo Communication Technology, and Xiaomi Communications. The Chinese firms expressed an interest in buying Qualcomm components with a total value of no less than $2 billion over three years, the US chip maker said on Thursday. The non-binding agreement will be subject to further agreements and covers technology related to RF Front-End components, it said in a statement. The companies unveiled the multi-year agreement at a Qualcomm-hosted event in Beijing, attended by the US firm's chairman and its chief executive.

HIGHLIGHTS Tipster Evan Blass leaked Samsung S9, Galaxy S9+ details Samsung's DJ Koh had hinted at the launch plan during CES 2018 Samsung Galaxy S9 range was initially rumoured to debut at CES Samsung Galaxy S9 is set to launch at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in February, and a new leak has seemingly revealed the exact launch date as well as pre-order and shipping dates. Samsung's next flagship series, which will be the successor to the company's Galaxy S8 line, is widely expected to feature two models - the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Prolific tipster Evan Blass has tweeted what he calls the details of the "go-to-market schedule for Galaxy S9 and S9+". The upcoming Samsung smartphones will compete against Apple's flagship iPhone X. Earlier, at a press conference at CES 2018, Samsung's Mobile Communications Business President DJ Koh had revealed that the company's first flagship smartphone of 2018 will be unveiled at MWC, w...

HIGHLIGHTS Samsung Galaxy Note 8 now has an Olympic Games edition It features a customised exterior and special wallpapers The smartphone bears the same specifications as the original Samsung Galaxy Note 8 PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition has been unveiled in Seoul, South Korea, to extend the company's Olympic legacy. The South Korean company will give more than 4,000 units of the Limited Edition Galaxy Note 8 to athletes and the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic family, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) staff before the games begin in early February. Notably, the new model bears internal hardware identical to the original Galaxy Note 8, though it sports a shiny white back glass and the gold Olympic rings on the outside - inspired by the Olympic Torch alongside a rock golden finish rim and buttons. There are also some golden finish elements on the S Pen that comes bundled wi...

HIGHLIGHTS Apple is said to start issuing stock grants in the coming months The move comes after new tax laws announced by Trump administration Apple also said it will match all employee charitable donations Apple told its employees on Wednesday that the iPhone maker is issuing a bonus of $2,500 (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakhs) worth of restricted stock units following the new US tax reform, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The company will begin issuing stock grants to most employees worldwide in the coming months, the report said. Apple also said it will match all employee charitable donations, up to $10,000 (roughly Rs. 6.4 lakhs) annually, at a rate of two to one. Axios has obtained the full email sent to employees regarding the new bonuses and charity donation matching. It has been reproduced in its entirety at the end of the article. Earlier in the day, Apple said it would make about $38 b...

HIGHLIGHTS Sony has confirmed an event for Feb 26 during MWC 2018 The Sony Xperia XZ Pro is expected to be unveiled at the event The phone might be the first from Sony to sport a dual rear camera setup Sony is all set to unveil its latest innovation in consumer technology. The Japanese tech giant has sent out press invites confirming its launch event for MWC 2018. The company will be showcasing new devices on Monday, February 26 which is the inaugural day of this year's Mobile World Congress, to be held in Barcelona from February 26 - March 1. Rumours suggest Sony will announce the Xperia XZ Pro flagship smartphone at the event. As is evident from press invites sent to media organisations, Sony will be launching some new products on February 26 during MWC 2018 in Barcelona. The invite does not blatantly mention any details about the products that will be launched, although the rumour mill has been expecting the Xperia XZ Pro to make a debut at the ...

HIGHLIGHTS Bitcoin had achieved a peak over $19,000 in mid-December Investors fear that regulators may clamp down on the cryptocurrency Ethereum and Ripple also tumbled after reports of regulator action Bitcoin fell as much as 20 percent on Wednesday, piercing below $10,000 (roughly Rs. 6.38 lakhs), while other cryptocurrencies took similar spills due to investor fears that regulators could clamp down on them in an effort to curb speculation. The cryptocurrency has rebounded slightly, however, and as of 10:05am IST on Thursday it was up to $11,505 (roughly Rs. 7.34 lakhs). The world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency at one point lost 30 percent of its value since Tuesday. Bitcoin, despite some stabilization in late US trading, was half its record peak of almost $20,000 (roughly Rs. 12.76 lakhs) set on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange a month ago. Ethereum and Ripple, the No. 2 and No. 3 virtual currencies, tumbled aft...

HIGHLIGHTS Xiaomi already had 5 other TVs in Mi TV 4A series Xiaomi TV features AI-based recommendations UI called PatchWall 50-inch Mi TV 4A will go on sale on January 23 Xiaomi has introduced a new the 50-inch Mi TV in its lineup. Xiaomi had launched the Mi TV 4A series in 2017 and the 50-inch TV is its 6th addition. The new 50-inch Mi TV 4A has been priced at CNY 2,399 (roughly Rs. 23,800). Just like Xiaomi's other products, it is currently unclear if the new television set will make its way to the other markets, including India. The new 50-inch model has been added by Xiaomi to the Mi TV 4A lineup which already has five variants. The 50-inch Xiaomi Mi TV 4A comes with several features. It sports a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution display and a 60HZ refresh rate with support for HDR10+ HLG. The Mi TV 4A series feature a frameless design and comes with integrated Mi TV Bar with 10 speakers, 2 wireless rear satellite speakers, and a subwoofer. The model...

HIGHLIGHTS Update applies to pages regardless of the technology used to build them Slow web pages will be penalised in terms of ranking Google providing tools to developers to test page's search performance Google on Wednesday announced it will start considering page speed while ranking websites in mobile searches. Google's 'Speed Update', where it has promised to lower the rankings of slow webpages, will be in effect starting from July 2018. The search giant has cited "people really care about the speed of a page" as a reason for using a page's speed in the ranking algorithm for mobile searches. It said that the update will apply the same standard to all pages irrespective of what technology they are built with. In a blog, Google explains the 'Speed Update' will only affect pages that "deliver the slowest experience to users and will only affect a small percentage of queries." Interestingly, Google also says that a sl...

HIGHLIGHTS Nokia (2018) and Nokia 7 have started receiving Android 8.0 Oreo New update is initially rolling out in China Original Nokia 6 is also in plans to receive latest Android version Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 have started receiving their Android 8.0 Oreo updates. HMD Global on Monday pushed the new update rollout in China and is set to deliver an identical experience to its last year's Nokia 6 soon. The latest development emerges days after the company released Android Oreo Beta Labs for the original Nokia 6 in India. As confirmed by HMD Global via Weibo, the Android 8.0 Oreo update is rolling out for the Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 with a bunch of new features. The update not just brings the newest Android but also improves the user experience with more concise and fluid interface, new generation background management, and enhanced power-saving features. Also, you can expect core A...

HIGHLIGHTS Amazon Great Indian Sale will start on January 21 Amazon Prime members will get 12 hours of early access Mobile phones and accessories will receive up to 40 percent discount Amazon India on Sunday announced that it is set to host the highly anticipated 'Amazon Great Indian Sale' in the country between January 21 and January 24. Under the forthcoming sale, Amazon Prime members will get 12 hours of early access starting 12pm (noon) IST on January 20. The company will offer discounts on usual suspects like mobile phones, laptops, cameras, computer peripherals, home appliances, fashion, daily essentials, and books among others. Deals will also be provided on Amazon products such as Kindle e-readers and Fire TV Stick. The online marketplace will offer 10 percent additional cashback apart from various discounts on HDFC Bank debit and credit card and EMI transactions. Also, Amazon Pay users will receive 10 percent balance back (up to Rs. 200...

Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) smartphone was launched in December 2017.  The phone comes with a 6.00-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 2220 pixels. The Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) is powered by 1.6GHz octa-core processor  i t comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 32GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.  the cameras are concerned, the Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) packs a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 16-megapixel front shooter for selfies. The Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) runs Android 7.1.1 and is powered by a 3500mAh.  It measures 159.90 x 75.70 x 8.30 (height x width x thickness) and weigh 191.00 grams. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and NFC.  Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope and Barometer. About Samsung Founded back in 1969 as Samsung Electric Industries, Suwon, South Korea-headquartered Sams...