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Author: Shilpa

LG V60 ThinQ With 5G and Dual-Screen Functionality Launching at MWC 2020: Report

LG, the South Korean smartphone maker, was once quite popular in India. Over time, its popularity declined. Despite that, many users keep an eye out for LG’s high-end smartphones. LG’s V series smartphones are one of the most well-known globally. it is popular for its audio and camera capabilities. LG is now believed to be getting ready to release its latest device – the LG V60 ThinQ. According to sources, the company is expected to launch the smartphone at MWC 2020. The smartphone will with 5G connectivity. Users would be able to use LG’s Dual Screen accessory for two screens on the device which is the latest trend.

LG V60 ThinQ

LG V60 ThinQ

The news about this smartphone was first seen in the Korea Herald. The news did not cite a specific person, instead simply mentioned an industry source. According to the same piece, the LG V60 ThinQ will be among the first smartphones of this new year that will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. The phone will increase its 5G presence in new markets that support next-generation wireless technology. This includes countries like Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The smartphone will launch at the Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona. The event is scheduled to happen between February 24 to 27.

Besides 5G connectivity, LG’s latest offering will feature dual-screen functionality as well. This could be via the LG Dual Screen accessory. This means that the phone will have its primary screen. The secondary screen can be accessed via the accessory. When the accessory connects to the phone, users can access and use the second screen. The accessory connects to the device via the USB Type-C. It works as a cover for the phone itself.

LG V60 ThinQ Dual ScreenLG V60 ThinQ Dual Screen

V60 ThinQ vs. G8X ThinQ

Recently, India saw the release of LG G8X ThinQ and Dual Screen accessory. While it was by no means a budget phone, it still received quite a good response. The phone has a ‘free stop hinge’ which helps in setting the angle of the second screen freely. This means that you don’t have to worry about setting the screen at specific angles. Set it as you like! The LG V60 ThinQ and its Dual Screen accessory will feature better hinge technology. Besides these models, LG has a few other 5G smartphones in the market where the next-gen wireless network is already available.

The release of these smartphones tells us that LG is quite keen on innovating in this niche. Although the predecessor model didn’t do that great with the dual-screen feature, LG is determined to improve the model. This leads us to the upcoming release of LG V60 ThinQ, its latest effort. In this design, the first smartphone to feature it was the LG V50 ThinQ followed by the LG G8X ThinQ. With an improved tech on the same design, it looks like LG does believe it its innovation. Hopefully, this version will prove to be better and more efficient than the previous models.

January 7, 2020
Realme C3, Realme 5i Listed on Singapore’s IMDA Certification Site

Realme is getting ready for launching two budget phones – the Realme C3 and the Realme 5i. The news about the release of these phones was found on Singapore’s IMDA (Infocomm Media Development Authority) website. While there are no details known about these phones, we do know the model numbers of these devices. This became known after Sudhanshu Ambhore, a reliable tipster, tweeted about the details about these phones on the IMDA website.

Realme C3

Realme C3

The Realme C3 smartphone has the model number RMX1941. The phone offers support for LTE. This also indicates that the device will not be a 5G smartphone. It is expected to release early next year and has already gathered much interest among the fans. Both the smartphones were listed by Sinoppel Device Pte. Ltd. which is the local office of Oppo Mobiles. IT is also believed that the Realme C3 phone could possibly replace the Realme C2 as the entry-level Realme smartphone. However, we do not know a lot about the specs of the device yet.

Realme 5i

The Realme 5i, on the other hand, has the model number RMX2030. This is the same number that was seen on the Wi-Fi Alliance certification website. Many believe that this increases the authenticity of the details. Besides the model number and the fact that it will support LTE, we don’t know a lot about its features and specs. Since Realme already has a good range of devices on the 5 series, including Realme 5 and the Realme 5s, we believe that the Realme 5i could offer significantly better features. Looking at the Realme 3i, this looks possible. Realme could increase the price of the 5i slightly or maybe even replace the original Realme 5 with the Realme 5i. This ensures that the 5 series stays mostly up to date.

Realme C3, Realme 5

Other Details

Towards the end of 2019, details have emerged about the Realme’s upcoming smartphones. Named Realme C3 and the Realme 5i, these budget smartphones are among the latest leaks. While not a lot is known about these devices, it is quite certain that these smartphones will be released sometime in 2020. With India being a major market for Realme, these phones are likely to be released here first. A global or geography-specific release may soon follow. More details about the phone, its specs, release dates, and price should be available in early 2020.

While both Realme C3 and the Realme 5i are touted as budget smartphones, we don’t know other specs about them. We do, however, know that the Realme C3 will be a non-5G smartphone and is likely to be released before the 5i model. The C3 will likely replace Realme C2 and feature higher specs than its predecessor which is only natural to expect. The price of these devices is not likely to be a lot higher than the Realme 5 and 5s models. The price increase will be justified by better specs hopefully.

January 7, 2020
Realme X50 Confirmed to Offer Simultaneous Dual-Channel Wi-Fi and 5G Connectivity

WRealme’s first 5G phone is on its way. The Realme X50 is expected to launch in China at a specific event. The promotion for this event has been going on pretty strongly in the last few weeks. The phone could have simultaneous dual-channel Wi-Fi and 5G connectivity. This will ensure better uplink and downlink speeds. Realme has also revealed that the X50 model will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC. It will also support mainstream 5G network bands. This will make sure that the users do not face any connectivity problems.

Realme mentioned that the X50 smartphone will work on dual-channel Wi-Fi and 5G networks at the same time. This was mentioned in an official Weibo post. Although the company did not talk about the technical aspect of this, it did mention that users would be able to enjoy higher speeds overall. You might have noticed that the Dual Channel Network Acceleration feature in ColorOS 7 works in a similar manner, allowing users to have a smoother and faster experience.

Realme X50 Camera

Realme X50

The company has made another announcement on their official Weibo channel where they talked about offering dual-mode 5G support. Besides this, it will also support mainstream 5G network bands including n1, n41, n78, and n79. Quite recently, Realme talked about its upcoming phone, the X50 model. The phone will have a pill-shaped hole-punch that will have two front cameras. The X50 smartphone will have a 6.6-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Coming to the camera, the phone will have a 64-megapixel camera with Sony IMX686 sensor. Other specs that might be seen here include the fact that the phone will have 8GB of RAM. The phone will run on octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC that comes with Qualcomm X52 5G modem. The smartphone will also have a 32-megapixel main selfie camera and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens.

Realme X50

What else is new?

The Realme X50 will come with an improved cooling system. This five-dimensional, ice-cooled heat dissipation system will replace the usual heat-sinking tube. The announcement was via Weibo again. This new cooling system will ensure complete coverage of core heating sources. The news regarding this came soon after Realme released promo about the X50 smartphone and its simultaneous dual-channel Wi-Fi and 5G connectivity feature. Of course, the fact that the phone will come with a 64-megapixel primary sensor is a huge attraction for most users as well.

According to the official Weibo post by Realme, the X50 smartphone will have an 8mm ultra-large diameter liquid-cooled cooper tube having 410 cubic metres of volume. This tube is an important part of their 5D ice-cooled heat dissipation system. The reason behind the usage of this new cooling system is the fact that the phone’s processing unit comes with an integrated 5G modem. The phone will launch sometime next year. We will know more details about its price and so on nearer the release date.

January 7, 2020
MIUI 11 Update Based on Android 10 For Redmi Note 7 Pro, Redmi Note 7

Recently, both Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro received an MIUI update. While this upgrade was for Android 9 Pie, the company recently announced that they are planning to roll out another update. This one would bring Android 10-based MIUI 11 update to these smartphones. Although Xiaomi is yet to officially comment about this update, forum moderators have mentioned that the two devices will soon receive these updates. Besides the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro, Note 7S is expected to receive the update at the same time.

“In the official Chinese community of Mi, official information appeared in the closed section that the development of MIUI 11 based on Android 10 for RN7 and RN 7 Pro began!”, the moderator wrote in the forum. The message indicates that the first beta version will be rolled out within the next two to three weeks in India. However, users will have to wait for a couple of months for a more stable update.

Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro Features

Note 7 Pro has a 6.3-inch FHD+ Dot Notch LTPS in-cell display. It runs on the latest Snapdragon 675 SoC by Qualcomm. Coming to the camera, the phone features a dual rear camera system with a 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor and 5 MP secondary sensor. The smartphone does come with a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Besides this, it features an IR blaster, type-C port, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and at the back. If you look at the Redmi series, you will notice that this is one of the very first smartphones to have a USB-C port.

The phone has a huge 4,000 mAh battery which offers about 20% more standby time compared to its predecessors. Of course, it supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 as well. While this was all about Redmi Note 7 Pro, let’s take a quick look at the Redmi Note 7 model. You might have noticed that this model is not available in the market. This is because the phone has been replaced by the Redmi Note 7s Model.

MIUI 11 Update

The latter comes with a 6.3-inch full-HD+ display. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset and running on MIUI 11 based on Android 9 Pie, the phone quickly became popular. It also has a 4,000mAh battery and comes with support for Quick Charge 4.0. With regards to the camera, you can expect a 12-megapixel primary camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel secondary depth sensor. The front has a 13-megapixel sensor.

MIUI 11 Update

Redmi Note 7 Pro and Note 7 are two highly popular models that were released earlier in the year. India is a huge market for Xiaomi and the company is ensuring that it stays that way. These two smartphones will receive their Android 10-based MIUI update soon. Note 7 is available in two variants. One has a 3GB RAM and 32GB storage while the other comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Available colours include Ruby Red, Onyx Black, and Sapphire Blue.

January 7, 2020
Oppo Reno S Phone Reportedly Gets Certified in Indonesia, Hints at Imminent Launch

Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd, popularly known as OPPO, is a Chinese consumer electronics and mobile communications company. Although it has its headquarters in Guangdong in China, Oppo has an easy global presence. It designs and manufactures smartphones, Blu-ray players, and other electronic devices. Oppo is getting all ready to release its Reno 3 series smartphone this month. Besides this, many believe that another Reno-series smartphone that might launch soon. This refers to the Oppo Reno S, which has already received certification in Indonesia.

Oppo Reno S Phone

The company is also planning to release a new Reno series smartphone with the model number CPH2015, the rumours regarding which has been doing the rounds from quite some time now. The same smartphone is expected to release in India. However, an official confirmation is pending. Nashville Chatter noticed the Oppo Reno S’ certification in Indonesia. This database lists the phone’s model number as CPH2015 and the name as Oppo Reno S. The phone has also received the BIS certification and EEC certification in Russia. This implies that the phone could be made official soon.

Oppo Reno S

The Oppo Reno S will come with a 64-megapixel primary camera. However, we don’t know yet if it would use the Samsung ISOCELL GW1 sensor or the Sony IMX686 sensor. There is also no word on whether the smartphone would have a triple rear camera or a quad-camera setup, similar to the Oppo Reno 3 Pro phone. This is expected to release near Christmas in China, hopefully, followed by a global release soon. The dual phone will have two Nano SIMs and support for 4G as well.

The Oppo Reno S smartphone will support the 65W VOOC 2.0 fast charging technology. It is expected to be released in India sometime in December. Looking at the price range for the phone, it could be part of the mid-range premium models. There is no doubt that the imaging hardware and powerful specs will make this a popular phone once released.

Oppo Reno S Camera

The Impending Launch

Oppo is getting ready to launch its Reno 3 phones this month. The Reno S is likely to run on Android v9.0 (Pie) operating system. It will be powered by Octa-core processor with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Chipset. The smartphone will have 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. Users will be happy with its resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 395 PPI pixel density.

Looking at its camera, the phone has a 20 MP front camera and four rear cameras. On the back, there is a primary 64MP camera, an 8MP one, a 13MP one, and a 2MP sensor. You will be able to enjoy features like Auto Flash, Digital Zoom, and Touch to focus. What is awesome is that the phone will have a 4100 mAh battery which is sufficient for a complete day’s use. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, Volte, and more. We will know more soon once the company releases specific details before the actual launch. Fingers crossed!

January 7, 2020
ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G Coming In H1 2020

phonexxxxxxxxxxWe know the name, design, and specs of ZTE’s upcoming flagship device. It is likely to be called ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G. The company is planning to launch the device in H1 2020. The phone will run on Snapdragon 865 SoC. The details about it emerged during the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2019 where the company talked about the Axon-branded phones featuring Snapdragon 865 SoC.

Design and Specs

The device will feature really thin bezels, have a curved display, and a visible front camera. The materials used for the body would be majorly glass and metal. Although it has not yet been specified whether or not the phone will have a display hole or a waterdrop display notch, we should know more about it soon enough. The ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G will have three rear cameras with an LED flash located right underneath. Since there is no sight of a fingerprint scanner at the back, it looks like the device is likely to use an under-display fingerprint scanner.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G

The phone is designed to be only 7.9mm thick, weighing about 175 grams. The device will support SA/NSA dual-mode 5G network and WiFi 6. Besides this, it will come with a flexible hyperboloid glass, a 4,000mAh battery, and many other features. The phone will also use AI engine Z-Booster 2.0 which allocates system resources smartly, helping optimize game and multitasking duties.

The ZTE smartphone will run on Android 10 out of the box with ZTE’s MiFavor 10 skin on top of it. The latter was announced quite recently. It offers better battery life, new system icons, AI-related improvements, and so much more. Besides the smartphone, ZTE has plans of introducing as many as 15 5G products in 2020. Out of these, at least 10 of them will be 5G smartphones.

What else?

The popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently launched an official press meet. Here, the company talked about its upcoming devices, including the ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G. It would be powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC. It is likely to have a dual-mode 5G support, UFS 3.0 storage, and 6.47-inch full-HD+ OLED display. The smartphone has a model number ZTE A2020 SP. Regarding other specifications, the phone will have 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of storage.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G Release

With regards to the camera, the phone will have a triple rear camera setup. The main camera will be a 48-megapixel one with a 2-megapixel secondary camera and an 8-megapixel third shooter. The front will sport a 20-megapixel selfie camera. The smartphone is most likely to have a waterdrop-style notch on the front. The phone’s triple camera sensors will be vertical with the LED flash following them. The right side of the screen will feature the power button and the volume control buttons. Although the phone is expected to launch in the first half of 2020, there has been no official word on it from ZTE so far.

January 7, 2020
Typewise Keyboard Is Here With Odd Layout & Big Claims

Typewise Keyboard is one of the most popular keyboard apps available on the Google Play Store. While most keyboards have brought to the market new ways of typing, no one has come up with a new layout. Typewise introduces the users to a new approach of typing compared to our traditional keyboard apps. The keyboard has a new layout featuring larger keys. While it may be useful, it does take some getting used to. Another thing is that the keyboard also depends on the usage of gestures. However, don’t fear. It comes with a tutorial which will take you through the app. It generally pops up when you first launch the Typewise Keyboard app. First launched in Switzerland, it was soon released globally.

Features

The company devoted itself to creating an excellent keyboard app. According to research by the Cambridge University and ETH Zurich says that every fifth word written on a smartphone is misspelled. The company’s latest app can help its users reduce types by as much as 80% when compared to other popular apps like Swiftkey and Google Keyboard. However, the only trouble is that it has a vastly different layout and interface.

Typewise Keyboard

The best part of the application is that it can be used offline, making sure it is accessible and offers a higher level of privacy. In its beta phase, more than 20,000 users used it. Now, it has been made available for all users – both Android and iOS. The keyboard features a patented ‘hexagon layout’. Since this helps make the keys wider, users will have less chance to make a mistake hitting the wrong key. This is the major idea behind reducing typos and other errors.

Since a Cambridge study claims that 74-per cent of users who type using two hands and two thumbs will generally have the highest typing speed. This is why Typewise keyboard creators have optimized it for typing in this manner. As of now, the app supports more than 40 languages with AI speaking English, German, Italian, Spanish, and French. The developers said that they are working on adding new languages.

Typewise Keyboard uses swipe gestures for word capitalization and deletion. This helps in reducing typos. Swiping certain letters on the keyboard will capitalize it. Swiping left will delete the last letter and long swipes will delete more. You can stop by raising your finger. While its basic version is free for all users, there is also a paid version with more features.

Typewise Keyboard Layout

Premium Version

Typewise Keyboard’s premium version boasts of a great many features. Haptic feedback is not available in the free version. However, users will be able to use it in the premium version. Other features include as follows. Users will be able to enjoy 13 additional themes, personalized word predictions, enable vibration, and create own text replacements. If you want to try out Typewise premium, you can go with monthly or annual subscriptions. You could also try the lifetime subscription. The app offers a 30-day free trial as well.

January 7, 2020
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Benchmarks: Pros And Cons

Every time Qualcomm comes up with a new chipset, it allows the tech media to benchmark it. This allows them to have a baseline. Using this, they would be able to compare them to devices releasing, later on, featuring this processor. Qualcomm’s current flagship processor, the Snapdragon 855, was released last December. The company released it as the first 7nm chipset for mobile devices. The successor chipset, the Snapdragon 865, is expected to be launched by the end of this year. News about the tests related to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is already going around. A device code-named ‘Qualcomm Kona’ was seen. The device was seen using the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform.

Looking back, we remember that the Snapdragon 855 was codenamed ‘msmnile’. What is surprising to note here is the fact that the Qualcomm Kona device also runs on the msmnile processor. However, its benchmarking scores are quite better than Snapdragon 855 processor. The 855 processor got 3.5k in the single-core test and in the multi-core test, it received a scored of about 11k. Regardless of how good a chipset might be, it is bound to come with pros and cons. Let’s take a look at the advantages of this processor.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Benchmark

Advantages of Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Benchmark

The Snapdragon 865 is produced on TSMC’s 7nm N7P process. This is also the same process used to manufacture Apple’s A13 Bionic chipsets. The Snapdragon 865 uses 10-bit HDR and 90FPS gaming and new display. In the Google Play Store, users will receive regular GPU driver updates. According to Qualcomm, the CPU and GPU on the upcoming chipset are 25% faster. The processor is expected to be 25% higher with regards to power efficiency as well.

Qualcomm has retained the CPU architecture from the Snapdragon 855. We know that a 2.84GHz prime core running on the Kryo 585 along with three Cortex-A55 efficiency cores clocked at 1.8GHz and three Cortex-A77 mid-cores clocked at 2.4GHz. The primary core is designed to handle more heavy-duty tasks like 4K videos, heavy games, etc. while photo editing and a similar thing will be processed by the mid-cores. Most other tasks will be handled by the efficiency cores. Besides the GPU and CPU, the processor has a new ISP that comes with the ability to crunch 2 gigapixels per second and enable 8K video recording. It also has a new AI Engine that is faster and efficient than ever before. It is designed to finish tasks like in-call live translation.

With regards to its performance as well, the processor does not let you down. It performs 15 per cent faster on CPU benchmarks and around 9 per cent faster on GPU tests. As of now, it does not have the optimizations required to run phones like OnePlus 7T Pro. We will have a better knowledge of how it actually performs once the phone starts powering commercial devices. The Snapdragon 865 will be joined with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem so most Android phones getting release the upcoming year will have 5G support.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855

Any Poor Qualities?

While benchmarks offer an important purpose, not many want to completely rely on it. While rating processors with numbers is a great way of filtering and sorting them, the problem arises when there are plenty of benchmarking tools, each one stressing a different aspect. Initially, everything revolved around single-core and multi-core CPUs. Later, GPUs became more important. The trouble here is that there are plenty of factors that are not tested by most benchmarking tools, such as multimedia, wake-word responsiveness, and more. For the most part, users like to have a solid idea about the chipset’s speed ranks. Another issue is that some benchmarking tools don’t use the latest models for AI.

Talking about the Snapdragon 865 in particular, we see that the Performance Mode will not make any core perform faster. It will just make sure that the task is finished efficiently. Since it is very rare to find two devices having the same Snapdragon 865 tuning, it is up to the developers to determine how they want to balance the performance with battery usage. Naturally, the more the Qualcomm’s processor strives towards maximizing performance, the more power it sucks up from the battery.

Features

The Snapdragon 865 is expected to the choice for many 2020 Android flagship phones. Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and many other manufacturers are already eyeing it. The fact that Qualcomm has decided to make 5G an integral part of the chipset is a great move since this makes it the first choice of device manufacturers. While we don’t know a great deal about how it will work with commercial devices, we will soon know a lot more from OEMs and from third-party apps. You can be sure that the chipset is powerful enough to handle AI-powered features and experiences.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

Of course, the Snapdragon 865 is faster than the 855 regardless of the benchmarks being CPU or GPU constrained. Qualcomm depended on unmodified ARM Cortex-A77 design for the performance cores instead of simply making changes in the last year’s cores. While Qualcomm still needs to up its game to be able to compete with Apple’s latest production, it has been steadily improving its design. If this keeps up, they should soon meet those standards. However, as of now, Qualcomm lags behind Apple’s 2017 A11 processor in certain aspects. But with the latest release, other aspects are much better now.

Verdict

Overall, the Snapdragon 865 performs far better than last year’s Snapdragon 855. While devices having less RAM and running on 865 processes might not perform up to the mark, they still perform better than 855-powered models. While Apple has always managed to stay one step ahead of the game, it looks like Qualcomm is doing great trying to bridge the gap. With 5G support and AI capability, Qualcomm could possibly find it easier to compete in the market. Another major benefit of 865 is its improved memory latency. It ensures that the loading times are low and the overall functioning of the device is smooth.

December 22, 2019
Xbox Series X Release Date, Specs, Design And Launch Titles For The Next Xbox

Xbox Series X is the next one set to launch towards the end of 2020. Known earlier as Xbox Project Scarlett, the product was recently released at The Game Awards 2019. Although users knew about the impending release of the next Xbox, the details about the same were not available. After the latest update, we now know a lot more about the upcoming Xbox Series X. Microsoft offers many next-generation hardware consoles where “Series X” is just one of them. While Xbox is planning on releasing this model, Sony is working to launch PS5. Let’s take a look at Xbox Series X and its features.

Xbox Series X Specs

The new Xbox features AMD’s custom-designed processor that uses Zen 2 and Navi architecture. When compared to the Xbox One X, we find that Xbox Series X is twice as powerful. It can run games efficiently at 120Hz frame rates and with8K resolutions. The console also has an SSD storage system, a physical disc drive, and ray-tracing technology. What makes it more alluring is that it is compatible with Xbox One accessories.

Xbox Project Scarlett Components

On first glance, it looks to be one of the finest consoles in the market. The company has focussed on the rate and playability of the games, according to Spencer. It helps in ensuring that the games load extremely fast and that the game is running at the highest frame rate possible. With regards to the numbers, the company is hoping to get the games running at 60 FPS in 4K. So far, Microsoft has worked to bring 4K visuals in Xbox so as to bring strong visual improvements with this product.

Xbox Series X Review

In Series X, an SSD will come as standard. It will allow the users to use its storage system as virtual RAM. In addition to this, the load time performance will be increased by as much as 40 times. When we talk about standard RAM, the console is set to use GDDR6 which is usually used as a memory for graphics cards. However, Series X could possibly use it as a fast RAM instead.

Benchmark results are now available which features AMD Flute SoC. If that is indeed the case, we know a lot more about the power level and specs about the same. While Microsoft has been playing these details close to the chest, we will get to know a little bit more, if the benchmark results are true. According to the news, the AMD Flute SoC will have eight Zen 2 cores, 16 threads, and SMT capability. However, the base clock speed is only 1.6GHz which is not very high.

Xbox Series X Controller

Microsoft is, of course, working on its next-generation controller that will go with its next-generation console. This next-gen Xbox Wireless Controller is designed to be more accessible. Microsoft has revamped the controller’s design, such as its shape and size. With the company determined to improve and enhance tech and design and every opportunity, this design revamp doesn’t really come as a surprise. Along with all these changes, we see that users will be getting a dedicated share button that allows them to share videos and images with others.

Xbox Series X Controller

Xbox Series X Games

Phil Spencer mentioned that it will be more immersive and realistic. He believes that this is the stepping stone into the future of gaming. Phil also said that the 15 Xbox Game Studios are working on creating a massive next-generation library including Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga.

Halo Infinite is now a confirmed launch title of Xbox Series X. Since it has been five long years since a mainline Halo game was released, fans are going to be quite excited. The Halo franchise is considered to be Xbox’s first popular games. The fact that Microsoft has chosen to launch its next-gen console with Halo makes it a pretty thoughtful move. It will come with three generations of backwards compatibility. This means that users would be able to run literally thousands of games and not be restricted to a few.

The company is also planning to take a cross-generation approach to avoid siloing. Phil said, “Our goal for our first-party games is that your entitlements will be cross-generation and your Achievements will move effectively with your save game because that’s where they stand.” Coming to third-party games, there are plenty of developers and games waiting to be made available on the new Xbox. Ubisoft’s Gods and Monsters, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Rainbow Six Quarantine and EA’s Battlefield 6 will all feature here.

Older Xbox Consoles

Xbox Game Studios mentioned that the release of Xbox Series X will not affect any of the previous models. The company is planning to have an approach that will include the family of devices instead of just the latest one. This is the only way one would be able to cater to all the customers and ensure that they are able to use it well and comfortably. Cloud game-streaming might be in the cards in the future as well.

Xbox Series X

Project Lockhart

Besides Xbox Series X console, rumours have it that Microsoft is also working on other next-generation Xbox, nicknamed Project Lockhart. It looks as if this new Xbox will belong to a family. According to a Microsoft spokesperson at the Game Awards, “Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name ‘Xbox Series X’ allows room for additional consoles in the future.”

Other speculations suggest that this model could be a lower-priced next-gen Xbox console that would fall just below the higher-end Xbox Series X. Project Lockhart will likely be disc-less console and far more powerful than its current disc-less box.

Verdict

Xbox Series X is a next-gen console which most players are eager to get their hand on. It looks like the company is learning from the past and making decisions that will ensure that the users will have a better overall experience. All in all, you can sure this is going to be one awesome ride. With backward compatibility, users will now have more choices than ever.

December 21, 2019
New Moto 360 Review

The Moto 360 was launched in 2014. At that time, it was among the first smartwatches to comes with a circular body. The second-gen Moto 360 followed in 2015 having similar features. In the last few years, we have not seen any new watch update from Motorola. The company has finally decided to launch its third smartwatch called the new Moto 360. This New Moto 360 Review will take through the features of the watch.

Today, top companies like Apple and Samsung are heavily investing in the wearable market. Now wonder Motorola wanted to keep up with them. The latest Moto 360 smartwatch returns to the market with a bang. The question is – will be as good as we have come to expect?

Design – New Moto 360 Review

The Moto 360 smartwatch has a replaceable strap attached to its circular body. Its leather strap and stainless steel silver body look and feel premium. The company has said that the product will be able in Black and Rose Gold as well along with an option of silicone strap. While it features a traditional, round face, the Moto 360 seems to have taken minimalism as its theme. You will find a black ring bezel around the screen and another bezel underneath that. This means that the body is larger than the display.

Moto 360 review 2019

The Moto 360 smartwatch has a 1.2-inch display and feels a bit thick. You might remember that the original Moto 360 had a ‘flat tire’ effect at the bottom. That is no longer seen here. The dimensions of the product are 42.8 x 42.8 x 11.68mm. You will find two controls on the right side of the watch. One is a button that you can assign certain functions to while the other is a rotating crown. You can spin the latter and use it to go through different menus. Although it is thick, it is not heavy. Although Motorola only has select options for straps, they will likely come up with a wide variety in the near future.

Display

The 2019 version of Moto 360 has an AMOLED display with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. With regards to the display quality, you can be sure that it is simply great. You can see the pictures with high clarity and rick colours. You will rarely be left trying to understand it. Although the colour details could have been better, it is not that much of an issue. It looks good if you choose a sober face. However, if you want to go with something more colourful, chances are that it would be more visible.

Always-on is a nice feature. This means you will never need to wake your watch up to see the time. This would keep your watch face lit up so that you can see the alerts, etc. This will also save battery in the long run if you keep waking up the screen to a minimum. The always-on screen came across as a bit too dim at times. However, it is better than others in the market.

Moto 360 review

Fitness Tracking

Of course, the Moto 360 uses Google’s Wear OS which connects it to Google Fit. This is what will help you stay abreast of your workouts and day-to-day activities. Most of the workouts available in Google Fit Workout app is also seen here. These come preloaded on the watch. Activities include running, biking, walking, and strength training. You will also find some uncommon activities include polo, paragliding, and sand running.

Besides Google Fit, Moto 360 has Fit Breathe. It is a meditation app with various breathing exercises. This mindfulness tool is similar to other apps available on other fitness trackers and watches. Although it offers a wide range of tracking tools and activities, it cannot be used during all activities due to its bulky design.

Features And Performance

Moto 360 is powered by Qualcomm’s Wear 3100 chipset. A major benefit of this includes battery life optimizations among others. The watch is fast and easy to navigate. Since this is currently the best Qualcomm chipset in the market, you can be sure it works like a dream. The smartphone has 1GB RAM with 8GB of storage space. Thanks to this, you can comfortably add as many apps you want without thinking twice!

New Moto 360 2019 Review

If you are already using Google Android devices, this smartwatch should be highly useful. You can use Google Fit for fitness tracking, Google Pay for NFC payment, Google Maps for navigation, and so much more. If you are certain you are going to be part of Google’s Android ecosystem, there is pretty much nothing that you can’t do here. The Wear OS brings an easier way of accessing notifications. You can also reply by using Google’s recommended suggestions. However, you will not be able to do a lot, only press yes, no, etc.

Battery Life

Coming to Moto 360’s battery life, you will find that it does not last as long as we would expect. Even the original Moto 30 has the same issue. It looks like the developers have not made much improvement in that respect. On a full charge, you can use it for a day comfortably. If you charge it every night, you shouldn’t run into any trouble. However, this usually is not very practical and doesn’t fit in with everyone lives.

You can maybe pull it to a day and a half, but you cannot make it last through two whole days. If that’s how your work is, you might need to go around with a charger all the time. There is a Battery Saver mode that you can switch on. The company claims that your watch can easily last about 3 days in this mode.

Verdict

The Moto 360 is an excellent smartwatch. The fact that it is tied to the Google ecosystem makes it more useful than other options. While its thick body and low battery life may not very attractive, the overall features of the smartwatch make it a worthy choice. It would be better if Motorola chooses to bring back wireless charging that was present in the older models.

December 21, 2019