Category: Tech

Vivo S18 Images Leak Online Ahead of December 14 Launch; Suggests Aura-LED Lights, New Colours

Vivo S18 series is set to launch in China on December 14. The series, succeeding the Vivo S17 lineup launched in May this year, is confirmed to come with three models – a base Vivo S18, Vivo S18 Pro, and the Vivo S18e. The company has teased the design and colour options of the upcoming handsets and revealed some key specifications about each of them. Now, more images of the phones have surfaced online suggesting new colour options.

A Gizmochina report shared images of the Vivo S18 series in newer colour options. Vivo had recently also revealed the design and colour options of the handsets. However, the new leaked images show the phones in black and grey colours with flower-like patterns on the back panel. In the images, the Aura-LED flash unit, placed below the camera module is seen to be lit up.

The report does not specify the model, but it is likely to be the Vivo S18 Pro. On the official microsite for the upcoming phones, the base Vivo S18 was seen in black, green, and purple colour options, while the Vivo S18 Pro was teased in a green and purple colour variant. The green and purple options of the base model showed the flower patterns on the back panel, while the darker variant is seen with a solid black colour, with no patterns.

According to 91Mobiles, these images were posted by the company on their official Weibo profile. However, at the time of writing this, the images were not found on Vivo’s page on the microblogging site. The images have however been circulated online. Twitter user Anvin (@ZionsAnvin) shared the said images.

Earlier, when the company had confirmed the launch date of the Vivo S18 series, it also revealed several key specifications of the upcoming products. The base Vivo S18 will come with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery, while the Pro model will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC. Meanwhile, the Vivo S18e will get a 4,800mAh battery with 80W wired fast charging support. The phones are also confirmed to feature curved OLED displays with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Vivo China President Jia Jingdong confirmed that the Vivo S18 Pro will be equipped with a Sony 50-megapixel VCS bionic IMX920 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support, another 50-megapixel Samsung JN1 sensor with an ultra-wide lens, and a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 portrait shooter. It will also include a 50-megapixel front camera sensor alongside dual flash units.

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Reliance Jio Rs. 909 Prepaid Recharge Plan With 84 Days Validity, Unlimited Talktime Announced

Reliance Jio has announced a new prepaid recharge plan that brings benefits including unlimited voice calling as well as unlimited 5G data with 84 days validity. The data plan costs Rs. 909 and offers 2GB of high-speed data daily alongside 100 SMS messages. Besides calls and SMS, the prepaid recharge plan provides subscriptions to various OTT platforms including Sony Liv, and Zee5. Further, subscribers can avail free access to Jio apps, including JioCinema, JioTV, and JioCloud.

As per Reliance Jio’s website, the Rs. 909 entertainment plan comes with unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS messages on a daily basis, and access to a total of 168GB of data. The plan’s validity is 84 days. The plan offers 2GB of data per day. Post the available quota, customers can access unlimited data at 40Kbps speed. It offers free subscription to Sony Liv and Zee5 applications.

Customers choosing the new Jio recharge plan will also get a complimentary subscription to JioCinema, JioTV, and JioCloud. Additionally, eligible subscribers will also get unlimited 5G coverage. The JioCinema premium is not included in the complementary JioCinema subscription.

Ahead of ICC World Cup 2023 last month, Jio had launched a Rs. 808 prepaid plan with unlimited data and voice calls. It offers 2GB data per day with a validity of 84 days and a bundled complimentary subscription to Disney+Hotstar for three months.

The telecom company competes with the likes of Airtel, Vi and BSNL and also offers two plans with a complimentary Netflix subscription. Jio’s Rs. 1,099 plan offers 2GB of daily 5G data, while the Rs. 1,499 plan offers 3GB of data every day. The plans support 100 SMS per day and unlimited voice calls.

Jio users can visit the MyJio app, Jio website, and third-party mobile wallets to learn more about the plans and select recharge plans.

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Apple to Launch iPhone With Under Display Camera to Replace Dynamic Island After 2026: Report

Apple is working on equipping its iPhone models with an under display camera (UDC) that could debut on an upcoming model in the next couple of years, according to a report. South Korean tech conglomerate LG is reportedly working on an under panel camera (UPC) that hides the cutout for the component on a smartphone’s display, allowing for an uninterrupted viewing experience when playing games or watching videos. Apple is expected to replace the Dynamic Island display cutout with sensors located under the display for camera and Face ID in the future.

The Elec reports (in Korean) that LG Group’s electronic component manufacturing firm LG Innotek is in “advanced development” of a UDC system that is expected to solve one of the biggest challenges that posed the technology — insufficient light transmission. Unlike existing selfie cameras, under display cameras allow less light to pass through the display area, which means that the camera lens and the sensor receive less information, resulting in low-quality images. 

LG Innotek’s ‘freeform optic” lens technology is expected to overcome the challenges posed by under display cameras, according to the report. The company has applied for patents that reference this freeform optic technology since 2021, and deal with (translated from Korean) “optical system, camera module, and mobile terminal”.

By utilising a freeform lens, the company’s patent states that it can reduce the distortions such as lower quality in the peripheral areas or image blurring by adjusting the thickness of the surrounding lens, according to the report.

The Elec reports that Apple isn’t expected to equip its smartphones with a UDC module until 2026. Before equipping the iPhone with a camera located under the screen, Apple is reportedly looking to add an under display sensor for Face ID authentication.

While the inclusion of these sensors under the screen hints at the arrival of a future iPhone model with an “all screen” display, it is worth noting that Apple will not be the first company to equip its phones with an under-display camera. Chinese smartphones like the ZTE Axon 30 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 — both released in 2021 — as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 are also equipped with low-resolution selfie cameras located under the display.

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Google’s December Pixel Feature Drop Arrives, With AI Features Reserved for Pixel 8 Pro

Google’s last Pixel Feature Drop for 2023, has finally arrived. It brings a ton of new features that will arrive on new and recent Pixel smartphones. Some of these updates also have features that trickle down to other Pixel ecosystem devices. While the highlight of this update includes some new generative AI features that use Google’s recently announced Gemini Nano AI model, these are currently tied down to the Pixel 8 Pro only. Still, there’s plenty to look forward to for those who own older Pixel devices as well.

Google today introduced its new Gemini AI model which has been made available in three different sizes – Ultra, Pro and Nano. According to Google, Gemini Nano is the most efficient model and is the one being used in the Pixel 8 Pro in particular to handle some AI generated tasks locally on the smartphone, without the need to be connected to the internet or the cloud. This includes a new Summarise feature in the Recorder app, which will deliver summaries of recorded conversations, interviews and more without connecting to the internet. Another Gemini Nano AI-driven feature is Smart Reply which has been made available in the GBoard keyboard app. The feature is currently available as a developer preview and works with certain apps only (will be coming to more apps next year). Pixel 8 Pro owners can demo the feature in WhatsApp currently letting them automatically generate replies based on the current chat conversation.

Moving away from the Gemini Nano model, the Pixel 8 Pro gains another feature that according to Google utilises its Tensor G3 processor. Video Boost will now be available for Pixel 8 Pro owners. After enabling the feature in the camera app, all users have to do is shoot a video like they normally would, while Google saves a separate copy of the same video in a different format. Once both videos are uploaded to the cloud, Google’s computational photography models will adjust parameters like colour, lighting, stabilisation, and graininess, helping make videos appear better. Video Boost also works with Night Sight video (once again on Pixel 8 Pro) resulting in videos that have richer colour and more detail once processed in the cloud. The end product is then downloaded back to the phone and replaces the original recorded video on it.

The new Smart Reply feature works with WhatsApp
Photo Credit: Google

 

Both Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 owners will also get access to a new Night Sight timelapse feature (found in the same camera mode) letting them shoot timelapse videos with better dynamic range and overall clarity.

The Pixel Fold, apart from the new tools mentioned above, also gets access to a Dual Screen Preview. It lets your subjects view themselves when shooting a photo by looking at themselves in the second preview on the Fold’s cover display.

Moving to older devices (Pixel 7 Pro up to the Pixel 6a), a new Portrait Light tool is available in the Photos app that lets users get rid of harsh shadows and improve the overall lighting of any photos that are stored on the same app, regardless of whether it was shot on a Pixel or not. The Photo Unblur tool also gets some added functionality and now works with dogs and cats as well. Once again, this works regardless of where the source image comes from. Users can also use their Pixel phones as webcam by simply plugging in the USB cable into a computer and selecting ‘Webcam’ in USB preferences. There’s also a Clean feature which can help remove smudges, stains and more from scanned documents.

Repair Mode finally comes to Pixel devices
Photo Credit: Google

 

Photo and camera-centric features aside, Google’s push for passkeys gets stronger with Password Manager now being able to identify apps, services or accounts that support the same, letting you add them when available.

Call Screen, a feature that’s not available in India yet, now makes its way to the Pixel Watch. Owners of the Pixel Watch can now also automatically unlock other Pixel devices when nearby, reducing the need to manually enter a password to unlock them, in case your hands are busy. Users of the first gen Pixel Watch can now also sync their Do Not Disturb and Bedtime Modes from one device to the other. Pixel Tablet also gets AI-enhanced Clear Calling and now supports spatial audio with head tracking when connected to Pixel Buds Pro.

Last but not the least comes the much-awaited Repair Mode. The feature basically keeps your personal data protected when handing over your Pixel device to a service centre for repairs. It mainly reduces the need for users to format or erase their devices when getting them serviced.

You can head here to check whether your Pixel device supports a particular feature from the December Feature Drop. The update is rolling out gradually and will reach supported Pixel devices over the next weeks.

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Honor X50 GT, Honor 90 GT Could Launch Soon, Specifications Tipped

Honor has launched a number of smartphones over the past few weeks. On November 23, the Honor 100 series was unveiled in China. It included a base Honor 100 and the Honor 100 Pro. Soon after, the Honor X7b and Honor Magic 6 Lite 5G were launched in quick succession of one another. However, the latter model has only been listed on Honor’s Italy website till now and Honor has not yet confirmed the China or global launch of the handset. According to recent leaks, the company is expected to introduce two more phones in China later this month.

A Weibo user with the username ‘The Factory Director is Mr. Guan’ (translated from Chinese) shared in a post that the Honor X50 GT and the Honor 90 GT are likely to be announced in China later this month. These models are expected to succeed the Honor X40 GT and Honor 80 GT, respectively. The leak adds that the Honor 90GT will launch as a mid-range product, while the Honor X50GT will likely be a relatively budget offering.

Another tipster, Cai Ge Talks About Digital, suggested that the Honor 90 GT will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and carry up to 24GB of RAM. The phone is expected to support dual speakers and optical image stabilisation (OIS). The performance and display features of the phone are expected to come with improvements over the preceding model. The leak adds that the phone may also launch alongside a Honor 90 GT+ model.

To jog your memory, the Honor 80 GT launched with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC paired with Adreno 730 GPU and up to 16GB of RAM. It featured a triple rear camera unit with a 54-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. This model is backed by a 4,800mAh battery with 66W wired SuperFast charging support.

Meanwhile, the Honor X40 GT is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and packs a 4,800mAh battery with support for 66W fast charging. The phone carries a 50-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and another 2-megapixel macro shooter.

Is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro the best smartphone you can buy under Rs. 40,000 in India? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and what it has to offer on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Tecno Plans to Launch 24 New Smartphones in India Next Year, Aims to Be Among Top 5 Brands



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Tecno Plans to Launch 24 New Smartphones in India Next Year, Aims to Be Among Top 5 Brands

Tecno, a leading smartphone brand of the Transsion Group, is eyeing to be among the top five smartphone brands in the Indian smartphone market by 2024, a top company official said.

The company is betting on premiumisation and is focussing on metros to achieve its ambitious goal, he said.

“The Indian smartphone market is maturing, and consumers are demanding more premium features and experiences. We are planning to launch 24 new models in 2024, of which 50 percent will be 5G-enabled.” said Tecno Mobile India CEO Arijeet Talapatra.

The brand is traditionally strong in tier II and cities below it for its affordable and feature loaded smartphones.

Ranked sixth in the Indian smartphone market, Tecno has witnessed a significant shift towards premiumisation in recent times.

The company’s average selling price has increased from Rs. 11,000-12,000 in January 2023 to Rs. 18,000-19,000 in December 2023. It is targeting a major growth in the Rs. 15,000 plus segment, with plans to sell 1.5 million handsets in 2024 compared to 7.5 lakh in 2023, he said.

“We are well-positioned to capitalise on this trend with our strong focus on innovation and design. Tecno’s foldable range will bring further strength with the Phantom sub-brand,” he said on the sidelines of the launch of the mass segment phone Spark Go (2024).

The company’s premium smartphone portfolio includes the Phantom series, which features foldable smartphones. “5G is the future of smartphones, and we are committed to making it accessible to a wider range of consumers,” Talapatra said.

Currently 96-98 percent of industry in the Rs. 15,000 plus categories are 5G-enabled and 55 percent of its 10k-15k models are 5G-enabled.

The company’s focus on premiumisation, tier I cities and metros, coupled with its strong 5G portfolio is expected to propel it towards its goal of becoming a top five smartphone brand in India by 2024, he added.

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OnePlus 12 Packs a Large Vapour Chamber, Teardown Video Reveals

OnePlus 12 was unveiled in China on December 5. The handset succeeds the OnePlus 11, which launched in India in February this year. The latest OnePlus handset is confirmed to launch globally, including in India, in early 2024. The OnePlus 12 comes with Qualcomm’s latest octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and packs a 5,400mAh battery with 100W wired SuperVOOC and 50W wireless charging support. A teardown video of the phone has surfaced online and it reveals all the structural components of OnePlus’s latest flagship model.

In a video shared by WekiHome on YouTube, we first see the SIM tray of the OnePlus 12 being removed, followed by the removal of the back glass, which is opened up after melting the adhesive material with heat. We then find a three-piece plastic cover under which the motherboard is placed in a dual-stacked design alongside a special copper foil. This foil is expected to help in the heat dissipation process around the processor. As the teardown proceeds, we see the large vapour chamber, placed right below the phone’s display.

Beneath the three-piece plastic cover, among other elements, we also see the wireless charging pad, the NFC antenna alongside the LED flash unit and the ambient light sensor packed inside the OnePlus 12. The video also shows us the placements of the three camera sensors – a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-808 primary sensor, a 64-megapixel telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom, and a 48-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens. As the teardown proceeds, we also see multiple rubber gaskets which are supposed to protect the phone from water damage. Notably, the phone comes with an IP65 rating for dust and splash resistance.

Currently available in China in Pale Green, Rock Black, and White colour options, the OnePlus 12 starts at CNY 4,299 (roughly Rs. 50,700) for its 12GB + 256GB option. The 16GB + 512GB and 16GB + 1TB variants are priced at CNY 4,799 (roughly Rs. 56,600) and CNY 5,299 (roughly Rs. 62,500), respectively, while the top-of-the-line 24GB + 1TB option is listed at CNY 5,799 (roughly Rs. 68,400).

The OnePlus 12 features a 6.82-inch quad-HD+ (1,440 x 3,168 pixels) LTPO OLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. It sports a 32-megapixel front camera sensor and supports 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C connectivity. For security, the phone carries an in-display fingerprint sensor. The handset weighs 220 grams and measures 164.3mm x 75.8mm x 9.15mm in size.

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iOS 17.2 to Bring Telephoto Camera Improvements to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max

Apple released the iOS 17.2 RC (Release Candidate) for users enrolled in the company’s developer programme on Tuesday. Besides adding support for Qi2, the next-generation wireless charging protocol to older iPhone models and a host of other new software features, the company’s upcoming OS update is also set to bring improvements to the latest iPhone 15 Pro models. With iOS 17.2, the telephoto cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly offer faster focus capabilities than before. The update also adds the ability for iPhone 15 Pro phones to capture spatial video.

Following the release of iOS 17.1.2 last week, Apple has now shipped the iOS 17.2 RC version to developers and testers. As per the Apple’s release notes for the latest software (via 9to5Mac), the software includes “improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.”

Apple’s release notes for the RC indicates that the upcoming iOS 17.2 update will provide a boost in focusing speed and accuracy while capturing distant objects for both the 3x telephoto camera of the iPhone 15 Pro and the 5x periscope telephoto sensor of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In addition to this, iOS 17.2 will introduce the ability to record spatial video on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This footage with 3D effects is designed to be watched on Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which is set to be released early next year.

Apple’s upcoming iOS 17.2 update will also bring support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 series and iPhone 14 series. It also offers improvements to the Messages, Memojis and Apple TV app and introduces the new Journal app that was unveiled at WWDC 2023. The update also adds new clock and weather widgets. The iOS 17.2 update is expected to be available to the general public later this month.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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WhatsApp Could Soon Let You Listen to Video and Music Audio Together on Video Calls

WhatsApp rolled out screen-sharing functionality for video calls earlier this year. The long-awaited feature allows users to share screens during video calls just like Google Meet or Zoom. Now, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform is reportedly bringing additions to this functionality. WhatsApp could soon let you share music audio during a video call while sharing your screen. This feature was reportedly spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS version 23.25.10.72 which is available on the TestFlight app.

As per a report by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the app is working on a new feature that will allow iPhone users to share their audio while sharing their screen during video calls. This will let users listen to video and music audio together when someone shares their screen in video calls. The ability to share video and music audio in real-time during a screen-sharing session is expected to increase the interactions on the platform — especially during presentations and virtual gatherings.

The video and music audio sharing feature spotted in development on WhatsApp
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

 

The new feature was spotted on the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS 23.25.10.72 that is available via the official TestFlight beta programme. The actual functionality and the feature are yet to be rolled out to users on the beta testing channel as it is still in development, according to the feature tracker.

The publication has included a preview of the share music audio feature that appears to be sourced by enabling hidden features that are still being worked on. WABetaInfo also states that the feature won’t work with WhatsApp voice calls, and it will also be unavailable on video calls where the video is disabled.

WhatsApp started to support screen sharing in video calls in August to compete with video-conferencing platforms. This functionality can be accessed by tapping the share icon. The company has also started allowing landscape mode in video calls to support this functionality.

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Himachal Pradesh Special Investigation Team to Boost Digital Asset Security, Onboards Liminal


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Himachal Pradesh Special Investigation Team to Boost Digital Asset Security, Onboards Liminal

The law enforcement authorities in Himachal Pradesh are going bullish on tightening the security around the digital assets sector. The State’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has teamed up with Liminal Custody Solutions. In recent weeks, the Himachal Pradesh SIT conducted several raids in different parts of the Himalayan state, investigating leads that hinted at an ongoing scam concerning crypto assets in the region. After several rounds of investigation and multiple arrests, the probing officers have decided to make sure such incidents do not repeat.

The collaboration between Liminal and the Himachal Pradesh SIT kickstarted back in September, details of which are officially being disclosed only now. Liminal, as part of its job, helped the investigation team to navigate through the complexities of handling illicit crypto assets.

“Recognising the intricate nature of this emerging domain we shoulder a significant responsibility to guide and assist law enforcement agencies at every stage while upholding the most stringent security protocols,” Manan Vora, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Operations at Liminal said in an official statement.

The Himachal Pradesh SIT also availed the services of this Singapore-based Web3 firm to create segregated wallets as well as facilitate asset transfers into as per the SIT’s directions. For Liminal, this marked the inception of its participation in India’s law enforcement operations. Abhishek Dular, DIG Northern Range, Himachal Pradesh lauded the Web3 company for being prompt in assisting the scam unearthing.

“Their unwavering commitment to supporting law enforcement, stringent internal controls over seized digital assets, and their secure wallet solutions were instrumental in our success,” Dular said.

The SIT investigations in this case have reportedly revealed that at least one lakh people have been duped and 2.5 lakh IDs have been found, including multiple IDs of the same person.

As per the investigating officers, scammers lured-in victims by promising handsome returns in a short span of time. Three to four kinds of cryptocurrencies were used, and fake websites were created that showed manipulated and inflated price of cryptocurrencies.

Earlier, two main accused, Sukhdev and Hemraj, were held in Gujarat. The alleged kingpin of the scam, Subash however, is still at large and is believed to be hiding in Dubai.

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