Samsung on Tuesday launched the 2018 updated variants of its Galaxy A8 series, called Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018), both of which riff on the company’s well-known flagship Galaxy S8. That means they now have Infinity Display – Samsung’s term for nearly borderless screen – to boot, IP68-certified dust and water resistance, and Gear VR and Samsung Pay support, along with a dual front-facing camera, a feature that is not even present on the S8.
The selfie camera setup on the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) consists of a 16-megapixel f/1.9 fixed-focus sensor and an 8-megapixel f/1.9 companion, while the rear camera is 16-megapixel. f/1.7. In terms of specifications, the Galaxy A8 (2018) has a 5.6-inch full-HD+ (2220x1080px) Super AMOLED display, while the A8+ (2018) has a 6-inch. Both phones run on Android 7.1.1. Nougat is, unfortunately powered by the Exynos 7885 Octa, which has two 2.2GHz cores and six 1.6GHz cores. The Galaxy A8 (2018) only comes in a 4GB RAM variant, while its larger cousin has 4GB and 6GB options.
The battery of the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) is 3000 mAh, while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) has 3500 mAh. Internal storage options are 32 GB and 64 GB, expandable via microSD card. Both phones will be available in January 2018, and Samsung has not yet provided pricing information.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have surfaced in multiple leaks hinting at the possible front and back panels, battery capacity, and release date of the phone. The photos suggest that Samsung has solved the tricky placement of the Galaxy S8’s fingerprint sensor, although the phone may not have a dual camera. Bloomberg says the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are slated to launch at the end of February.
Apple may be slowing down your iPhone Apple may be intentionally slowing down older iPhones, according to data from performance testing company Geekbench. Data suggests that iOS slows down your device’s performance as the battery deteriorates ensuring your phone still gets through the day. People who replaced the battery noticed a performance improvement, somewhich they couldfirm via Geekbench. Whatever the reason, this adds to users’ fears of “planned obsolescence” among manufacturers.
Apple India has had a leadership change, with sales head Sanjay Kaul stepping down to be replaced by Michel Coulomb. The latter has led Apple in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, and most recently, was the head of South Asia, based in Singapore. It’s unclear that Kaul’s departure has anything to do with Apple’s slow growth in India.
Vodafone launches another JioPhone competitor Vodafone has partnered with Itel Mobile, owned by Transsion Group, in China to establish the Itel A20 in India at an “effective price” of Rs. 1,590. However, it is priced at Rs. 3,690. If you stick to Vodafone’s network and the same device for three years and top up your account with at least Rs. 150 per month for 36 months, you will get Rs. 900 cashback after 18 months and Rs. 1,200 more at the end of 3 years in Vodafone M-Pesa.
As for the phone, the Itel A20 has a 4-inch WVGA display, runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, a 1.3GHz quad-core chip, 1GB RAM, 1700mAh battery, 8GB storage, and 4G VoLTE support. It has a 2-megapixel camera on the back and a 0.3-megapixel camera on the front.
Ola buys Foodpanda India Ola, India’s main rival to Uber has acquired Foodpanda India to enter the food delivery business and compete against companies like Swiggy, Zomato, and UberEATS. Ola said it would invest $200 million (approximately Rs. 1,282 crores) in Foodpanda’s India business over an undisclosed period.
Nokia 5 survives durability test, Nokia 6 gets Android Oreo beta Nokia 5 performed well in durability tests conducted by YouTuber JerryRigEverything, only scratching the phone at level 6 on the Moch scale. On the other hand, the Nokia logo scored easily, while the new glass protector for the rear camera provided security.
Meanwhile, HMD Global has added the Nokia 6 to its Android 8.0 Oreo beta testing program, where device owners can sign up now and receive a beta before its public launch next year.
Network algorithms and climb the news feed. Facebook targets “engagement bait” Facebook has decided to take strict action against posts labeled “engagement bait”, which beg users to like, share, or tag friends as a means of voting or entering a contest in an attempt to manipulate social media. NFacebook pages that regularly use these tactics will see a drop in traffic as these new rules take shape, but those asking for help (charity) or advice (travel tips) will be left alone.
More Pixel 2 issues Some owners of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have taken to the Pixel User Community forum to complain about bundled headphone adapters (Google dropped the headphone jack this year) that don’t seem to work. A post that started in October has since received comments, with some who reported the issue to Google receiving active adapters as replacements.
On Tuesday, two new budget smartphones, InFocus launched the Vision 3 in India, priced at Rs. 6,999 phone with a dual camera setup on the back – 13-megapixel primary and 5-megapixel wide-angle secondary lens – along with a 5.7-inch 18:9 HD+ display, 4000mAh battery, and support for 4G VoLTE. The Vision 3 runs on Android 7.0 Nougat powered by a MediaTek MTK6737H quad-core chip and 2 GB of RAM. It will be on sale exclusively on Amazon India, starting at midnight Wednesday.
Tenor – styled as 10. or – has announced a new phone that will cost less than Rs. 10,000: the 10. of D. It has a 5.2-inch HD display, Snapdragon 425, 3500mAh battery and two RAM and storage variants, 2GB + 16GB and 3GB + 32GB. There’s no word on what version of Android it’s running and its camera settings, but you can register your interest now, and it will go on sale on January 5.
Plex launches music player for Windows, macOS media player platform Plex has launched Plexamp, a music player for Windows and macOS, which takes inspiration from Winamp and modernizes it. It is one of the first projects to emerge from the Plex Labs experimental division. Plexamp can play any music format under the sun, supports media keys, remote control, and notifications, and can help you take your music anywhere thanks ,to Plex.
