Multiple rumors suggest Reliance Jio will unveil an affordable Lyf-branded feature phone with advanced functionality at its upcoming AGM next week. Now, more details and photos of the alleged Jio 4G VoLTE phone have surfaced online. For starters, the feature phone will, be 4G capable and support VoLTE, but it’s also shown to support dual SIMs and tethering, allowing it to function as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Lyf-branded Reliance Jio 4G feature phone also has a 2.4-inch color display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 2-megapixel rear camera, and a VGA front-facing camera. For video calls. The battery capacity is believed to be 2000 mAh, but details of the processor are unknown, except that it could be a dual-core model clocked at 1.2 GHz.
The operating system of the 4G VoLTE Jio feature phone is said to be a modified version of the HTML5-based FirefoxOS called KaiOS, and an app store called KaiOS Plus is coming. The most ambitious feature would be an integrated voice assistant that supports Indian languages. Reliance Jio apps, including Jio TV, Jio Cinema, Jio Music, and MyJio, will be supported.
With an affordable feature phone, Reliance Jio could target millions of Indian 2G and 3G users who cannot afford smartphones. Previous rumors have suggested that the company will also roll out new pricing plans for feature phone users.
In related news, the investigations into the leak of Reliance Jio’s user database continue. The data would include the names, phone numbers, email addresses and alternate contact numbers of Jio subscribers, as well as the dates they activated their Jio SIM cards, but not Aadhaar details or PAN numbers. A resident of Sujangarh in Rajasthan, reportedly a computer science graduate, has been arrested. He is in the custody of the Navi Mumbai Police, which is cooperating with the Maharashtra Cyber Cell. Both books about hacking and computer hardware were seized from the man, including a desktop, laptop, and pen drive. Authorities treat this as a case of unauthorized access rather than data theft.
Nokia 6 launch date announced, EMI offering for Nokia 3 buyers HMD Global, the company promoting the resurgent Nokia brand, has announced that the Nokia 6 smartphone will go on sale in India on August 23. It will only be available on Amazon India, and interested buyers must pre-register. The price of the Nokia 6 in India is, Rs. 14,999, making it the most premium of the three Android smartphones launched by the company. Amazon offers Prime members Rs. 1000 cashback if they use Amazon Pay to buy the Nokia 6, and Vodafone users will get 10GB of data at a discounted price of just Rs. 249 per month for five months. Buyers also get discounts on Amazon Kindle ebooks and Makemytrip.com.
Meanwhile, those interested in buying the new Nokia 3 can now take advantage of interest-free credit schemes offered by Home Credit India Finance in partnership with HMD global. Customers can get zero percent EMIs with flexible deposit options and repay their credit in six or seven months. The Nokia 3 is only available offline and costs Rs. 9,499. The Nokia 3 is the most affordable of Nokia’s three comeback devices, and it will help the company reach many more potential buyers.
Alleged Xiaomi Redmi Note, 5 specs leakTipsters, have posted information online about a suspected Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 device, which is slated to launch later this year. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is also expected to have a 5-inch full-HD display, a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera and a 3680mAh battery, and will run MIUI 9.0 based on Android 7.1.1. The Redmi Note 5 would also be available in three versions, differing only in amounts of RAM and storage: one with 3 GB/16 GB, one with 3 GB/32 GB, and one with 4 GB/64 GB. Prices are said to start at CNY 859 (about Rs. 8,000).
WhatsApp for Android gets file transfers in multiple formats, and media bundling. The latest new feature added to WhatsApp is the ability to send and receive files of any type. After receiving the update, WhatsApp users on Android can select any file to send to someone else. The update also brings text formatting and media bundling. Users can long-press text typed in the message box to apply the bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough styles. When you send multiple photos in a WhatsApp chat, they appear as a bundle instead of individual messages one after the other. Users can then open all the images on one page and scroll between them.
New ransomware uses private photos and messages for blackmail. Another ransomware attack targets Android users, and this time the stakes are bigger than just losing important data. Rather than encrypt data and make ransom demands to unlock it, the new LeakerLocker threatens to send photos and messages, and your phone’s web browser history, to people in your contact list unless victims pay. The malware has spread through two malicious apps in the Google Play Store that have been downloaded up to 15,000 times collectively. The chance of embarrassment is huge and of course people store all kinds of private information on their phone.
YouTube Video Thumbnails Now Animated YouTube has animated the video thumbnails on its desktop website. Users can see quick three-second previews of each video by hovering their mouse cursor over them. The three-second duration was chosen by YouTube as a balance between showing users what to expect and not giving too much away. The previews are pulled from the first half of each video, and creators currently have no control over what is shown to site users. For now, the feature only works in Chrome and Firefox.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 photo may have been accidentally tweeted. Samsung’s Exynos processor division may have leaked a picture of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. A promotional tweet about the Exynos 8895 SoC shows the front of a device that looks nothing like the Galaxy S8 and S8+, which are the only phones currently used, but resemble machines seen in previous leaks. The image may be a prototype, but it may also be a standard or generic reference image. The Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to be released in September and will be heavily investigated due to the catastrophic failure of the Galaxy Note 7 last year.
Samsung’s investigation into the Galaxy Note 7 debacle revealed that they caught fire due to faulty batteries that also didn’t have enough room to expand when hot. Speaking of which, an iFixit teardown reveals that the Galaxy Note 7 “Fan Edition” reborn phone that went on sale in South Korea last week is identical to the original Galaxy Note 7, except it has a physically smaller battery. There are no changes to other components. The move could be a way for Samsung to turn some of its ill-fated stock into salable merchandise, and the model could be launched in other parts of the world. Hopefully, no one who buys one will try to make it through airport security.
Google Pixel XL 2 would have ambient display Anticipation is building for the launch of Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2, and new rumors seem to indicate that at least the larger of the two will have an always-on ambient display, multiple display color modes and a pinch to activate the Google Assistant. The always-on display would work similarly to Samsung’s high-end models, displaying notifications and other information while the phone is on standby. The phone’s frame is rumored to be compressible and will be used as a shortcut to open Google Assistant or perform other actions, such as muting an incoming call. The phone could also have a 6-inch AMOLED display with a larger 2:1 aspect ratio.
Amazon India rolls out Local Finds feature Amazon India appears to have introduced a feature called Local Finds designed to help users sell their belongings to others in the same city. Some users have reported receiving notifications about the new feature, but it appears it hasn’t been rolled out to all users. There are ten categories in which new and used goods can be listed for sale or search, including books, telephones, video games, clothing, and jewelry. Sellers must enter information, upload photos and provide their contact details. Listings show the condition of items, and buyers can decide whether to pick them up now or use the Local Find listing.
India now has more than 1.2 billion telecom subscribersTelecom regulator TRAI has announced that the number of telecom subscribers in India has surpassed 1.2 billion. The figure takes into account wired and cordless telephones and Internet connections. The monthly growth rate for telephone subscribers was 0.51 percent, increasing from 1,198.89 million at the end of April 2017 to 1,204.98 million at the end of May 2017. Reliance Jio led the growth, followed by Bharati Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone, and Idea mobile. However, Tata Teleservices, Telenor, Sistema Shyam, and MTNL lost subscribers. BSNL reportedly lost 0.13 million regular subscribers during the same period.
Vertu Says To QuitLuxury Phone Maker Vertu Could Be About To Quit. Creditors have reportedly turned down an offer from new owner Hakan Uzan to repay the company’s debt, leaving the company no option. This will impact existing Vertu users as the company’s concierge service will also have to close. Vertu devices can still be produced through licensing agreements, as Uzan owns the rights to the company’s technology and designs. Vertu phones have rarely offered the latest technology, instead relying on luxurious materials to attract wealthy buyers.
