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Author: Shilpa

Huawei Mate X Review

The Huawei Mate X is the next foldable phone to be released. It looks as if we are living in the future we dreamed of a few years back. This foldable smartphone is geared up for a 2019 release, probably towards the end of the year. This Huawei Mate X Review will give you all the juicy details. The phone has a solid hinge making it a pleasant experience using it. It has been designed to make it sturdy so that handling it will not be a nerve-wracking experience. The Huawei Mate X has a 6.6-inch and 6.38-inch screens on either side, and it would transform into an 8-inch Android tablet when you open it up.

This bezel-less model looks so much better than Samsung Galaxy Fold. The phone will be made available in two variants, both having the specs required to run such a device. The original version of Huawei’s Kirin 980 chipset will be joined by the 5G Mate X with the Kirin 990 chip. The camera array of the Mate X model has also undergone some changes. The phone will now use sensors and lenses from Huawei P30 instead of Mate 20, as it was supposed to do earlier.

You might be aware that the Huawei Mate X will be released amid tensions between Google and the company. The phone might not allow access to the Google Play Store and default Google apps will not be present either. This might be one thing that could provide an edge to Samsung Galaxy Fold as Huawei is its only competition in the foldable market right now.

Huawei Mate X Unfolded

Design and Screen

Although it was apparent that Huawei has used a sturdy hinge system. The question here is how this system worked when the phone was in its folded mode. So, there is a button at the rear of the phone. Pressing this would release the back part of the display, letting it unfold into a tablet. Naturally, the front side of the smartphone is 6.6-inches of the all-screen display compared to Samsung Galaxy Fold’s 4.6-inch display with heavy bezels.

You may notice a vertical bar on the left of the back screen. This is where you will find the power button/fingerprint scanner combo, the USB-C port for charging, and the triple-camera system. Many of us might be apprehensive about unfolding or folding a phone since we are conditioned to think doing so will break it. Well, in most cases we would be right. However, with the latest trend of folding phones, we need to get more comfortable with such models since that is where we are heading right now.

Huawei claims that the foldable screen has undergone over 100,000 folds in lab-condition stress tests. They also have a case for added protection. What is surprising here is that it feels a lot sturdier in our hands than other comparable models. While the company says the clasp system is vital for the phone at this, maybe the upcoming phones would feature a hinge-free model.

Display

The display is where Mate X has gained followers. While Samsung showed off with a 4.6-inch display with heavy bezels, Huawei jumped up with an all-screen folded version that opens up to a FullView 8-inch display. The screen creates a virtual bezel as you fold it back again. It also works to save battery which could be due to Mate X’s screen technology. This OLED display has individual pixels that could be powered with the unused pixels remaining pitch black. This works differently to the LCDs where the entire panel needs to be lighted up at once.

Huawei Mate X Folded

Huawei believes that this power-saving feature is one of the main features of Mate X. Another common concern with delicate all-screen wraparound phones is their scratch resistance and durability. In most cases, these flexible plastic displays are more vulnerable to scratches than glass. The company, keeping this mind, is working on more durability tests. They hope to make it safer and more durable before it is set to launch.

Battery and Specs

Huawei Mate X features two batteries, totalling up to 4,500mAh. Since the Mate X has a larger screen compared to the Galaxy Fold, it naturally consumes more power as well. The foldable phone also features 55W SuperCharge tech which is far better than the usual 40W charging. Basically, this means that the phone could be charged from 0% to 85% in a mere 30 minutes.

The Mate X is powered by a Kirin 990 processor and a Balong 5000 5G modem. You will find that it works at superfast 5G speeds with only 3 or seconds to download a 1GB video. Earlier, the phone was set to run on the Kirin 980 processor, but the delays led to an upgrade. The phone comes with 512GB storage and support for expandable storage with Nano Memory.

Performance

The Mate X runs on a customised version of Android. The interface changes and optimises itself in milliseconds as you fold and unfold it. The general UI experience is seamless and smooth. With there being some time before it actually launches, we believe that the experience might be enhanced as well. EMUI is Huawei’s custom skin that is based on Android which is what is used here. The split-screen multitasking with the larger screen made things much easier. You could even use a mouse and keyboard with the tablet version of the phone. Huawei’s CEO has also implied that an EMUI desktop-style experience could be possibly seen sometime in the future.

Huawei Mate X Review

Camera

While we know that the Huawei Mate X has a triple-module system, we know little about anything else camera-related. There is no front camera since the rear screen doubles up as a viewfinder. Since the rear cameras are usually much better, this should give you some excellent selfies. If you want, you can set up the second screen to get a dual viewfinder. This allows the other person to see a preview of the picture you are taking. The megapixel sizes and aperture details are yet to be released.

Verdict – Huawei Mate X Review

Despite being an expensive phone, Huawei Mate X is certain to win hearts, especially after the foldable phone has gained some more popularity. It is extraordinarily thin with very less bezel. It has been designed to be sturdy and the camera is awesome. What else do we need?

December 18, 2019
Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Review

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha smartphone was recently quite recently on the 24th of September 2019. The phone comes with a 7.92-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 2088 x 2250 pixels. We have seen a ton of designs in the past year ranging from foldable phones to popup cameras. This ‘concept’ phone by Xioami was first released in China. While it is a pretty interesting and exciting smartphone, some feel that its design is not very practical. The Mi Mix Alpha is one of the first phones in the market to feature Samsung’s shiny new 108-megapixel SOCELL Bright HMX sensor. This should be a huge upgrade over the usual 48-megapixel Sony cameras. This 108-megapixel camera sensor was developed by Samsung in collaboration with Xiaomi. Let’s take a look at the Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Review.

Design

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha has dimensions of 154.38 x 72.30 x 10.40mm. While it is the world’s first 108-megapixel camera, it’s aesthetics could have been designed better. It has been launched only in one colour – the classic black. It has a wrap-around all-screen design which makes it a bit impractical, to say the least. Basically, it doesn’t have any bezel at all. It is completely just screen. The screen, in fact, wraps around the edges and goes nearly to the back. While it may sound ultra-cool, it is not very practical. The other fingers holding the phone might inadvertently press something even if you don’t intend to do anything.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Review

If a phone is all-screen, durability will become a major concern. If you are very clumsy, like me, chances are that you will drop the phone multiple times and in the oddest places. Since the screen wraps around the edges, the chances of breaking it is very high. Users having regular glass-backed phones feel it is delicate and gets scratches quickly. How would a wrapped around screen fare? Another thing you might have to keep in mind is that you will never be able to use a protective case! The idea of such a screen is awesome and if you are careful user, go for it! However, it might not be suitable for the majority of us.

Display

Xiaomi’s Mi Mix series has always tried to enhance the phone screens. The original model of the phone started off the outrageous bezel competition. With the Mi Mix 3, the notch-less design came into being. With waterfall displays being the new trend, how could Xiaomi sit quietly? The company has designed the Mi Mix Alpha with extremely curved edges, designed to look amazing while helping make use of the 108-megapixel sensor.

The surround screen wraps up to the back where it meets the camera at the rear side. To an onlooker, it gives an effect of having been made almost entirely of the screen. They wouldn’t be wrong to assume this either! The usual icons of battery level and network signal are displayed on the side. The volume control buttons are designed to be pressure sensitive and are on the side of the phone. With a 180% screen-to-body ratio, this is the only one of its kind.

Other Specs

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha runs on MIUI Alpha based on Android. It features a whopping 512GB of inbuilt storage and 12GB of RAM. It is a dual-SIM smartphone where you can use only Nano-SIM cards on both the slots. The phone is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor featuring 1 core clocked at 2.96GHz, 3 cores clocked at 2.42GHz, and 4 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. Connectivity options here include GPS, Bluetooth v5.00, USB Type-C, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, 3G, and 4G.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Wrapped Around Screen

If you are keen on the sensors and features on the phone, you might be glad to know that Xiaomi has got you well covered. Sensors include an ambient light sensor, barometer, accelero-meter, compass/ magnetometer, proximity sensor, temperature sensor, gyroscope, and fingerprint sensor. The phone allows users to use traditional ways of unlocking, such as PIN or Pattern. You could also set up face unlock.

With regards to its battery life, the phone relies on a 4,050mAh battery with 40W wired fast charging. This battery capacity should perhaps be enough if you don’t plan on having your wrapped-around screen on always.

Camera

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha, of course, features the stunning 108-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.69 aperture and 0.8-micron pixel size. The secondary one features a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2 aperture and 1.4-micron pixel size. The third one is a 20-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.0-micron pixel size. The camera setup has auto-focus and other features.

As you may know, Samsung developed the 108-megapixel camera sensor featuring here in partnership with Xiaomi. The pixels are combined into 2×2 squares for better light sensitivity in dark surroundings or low light. By doing this, it would be able to produce 27-megapixel images. Although the 1/1.33-inch sensor is quite large for the phone and provides the phone with a high light-gathering capability. You will not require a specific selfie camera either as all you need to do is to flip around your phone and use the viewfinder for the 108-megapixel shooter.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Camera Review

Maybe Xiaomi wanted to design something new for the launch of its first phone having a 108-megapixel camera sensor. Xiaomi says that the rear screen could be used as a viewfinder and take gorgeous selfies with the main 108-megapixel sensor. You wouldn’t have to trouble yourself either. All you need to do would be to turn your phone around, and there you go! All in all, the phone has a new design and has some great features to impress us.

Verdict – Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha Review

While Xiaomi’s wrapped-around screen didn’t win many hearts, the idea behind it is not bad. This “concept smartphone” will not be mass manufactured. Instead, the company will initiate a small-scale production soon. The product will be released sometime in December. While there are concerns around the durability of the screen and its battery life, it has a ton of useful features as well.

December 18, 2019
What Is Google Maps Incognito Mode and How to Enable It
Google Maps usually stores your location history so that you can always look back and see the places you have visited. This is an excellent idea since you can always trace your history. Sometimes, this might not be so great, especially if you don’t want Google diligently following you to certain places. Previously, you would have had to turn off location history for that. However, Google has come to the rescue. Announced in early October 2019, the company is now launching an Incognito Mode for the Google Maps Android app. This will allow the users to use the map for a certain amount of time.

Google Maps Incognito Mode

What is Google Maps’ Incognito mode?

The idea behind the Google Maps Incognito Mode was first talked about at the I/O developer conference in May. It is expected to work similarly to the Chrome browser’s incognito mode. When turned on, users would be able to search for a location and even navigate to it using Google Maps. However, Google will not save it in history so your Google account will have absolutely no information regarding that. After Chrome’s success with Incognito Mode, Google released an Incognito mode for YouTube app on Android as well. This works in pretty much the same way as well. According to Google, these little features are designed to offer users more control over their privacy.

How can you turn on incognito mode in Google Maps?

Follow the short guide below to be able to turn on the incognito mode in Google Maps and use it accordingly.
1. Open the Google Maps application on your Android smartphone.
2. Click on your profile picture.
3. You will see an option called “Turn on Incognito Mode”.
4. Tap on it to switch it on.
5. You can switch it off the same way within the same menu.
One thing to note here is that once the user enters the incognito mode, they will not get any personalised suggestions from Google. So far, this feature is only available for Android users. iOS users might have to wait for some time. The feature is expected to launch for them soon too.

Google Maps Incognito Feature

The Launch And Other Features

The Incognito Mode of Google Maps is expected to be released on 9 December 2019. According to Google, Android users will now be able to make use of an additional feature. Users can now bulk-delete information from their Google Maps timeline and location history. These features will be received by iOS users soon enough.

Other features promised by Google at the I/O 2019 include filters that can auto-delete location history, app, and web activity. The tech giant believes that the incognito mode offers the users greater control over their privacy. That is why they have been introducing this mode for each Google application, starting with Chrome, then YouTube, and now Google Maps. This allows users to decide whether or not they want a certain activity of theirs traced and added to their history.
December 18, 2019
PUBG Mobile Lite Available Now for Download in India

Tencent Games, the developer of the popular PUBG game, recently launched the Lite version for PC. Now the company is planning to release PUBG Mobile Lite in India. This version would be available for download at the Google Play Store. It has been specifically designed keeping those in mind who use smartphones having less than 2GB RAM. This lite version was first released in the Philippines last year. However, the developers have added some new features, such as new “Buggy” vehicle, a new weapon “RPG-7”, increase in the number of players, and three new locations.

PUBG Mobile Lite Now Available

What is PUBG MOBILE LITE?

To put it simply, it is a much lighter version of the original PUBG MOBILE game. Since the main version of the game uses a lot of mobile resources, it doesn’t run all that well on low-end phones. Most Indian players have budget smartphones, giving them a poor experience. It has been a fair idea by Tencent Games to release a Mobile Lite version of PUBG. While the lite version has already been in Beta in many South-east Asian countries, it has arrived in India. Since the majority of the country has 1GB per day data packs or sometimes even less, downloading this shouldn’t be a problem. The size of the LITE version is only 400MB.

PUBG Mobile Lite Features

The lite version of PUBG was developed using the same engine as PUBG Mobile. The beauty of this release is that it works with devices having less than 2GB RAM while still offering the original game play to the players. The game features the Classic mode that has 60 players for the last 10-minute fast game. Previously, there were only 40 players. The map has also become smaller. You will also find that the game modes are now down to two – Classic and Arcade with one map each.

PUBG Mobile Lite in India

Regarding specific PUBG Lite features, you might be happy to know that it comes with Enhanced Aim Assist, Upgrade to Winner Pass, Weapon Recoil Suppression, Bullet Trail Adjustment, Location Display, Extended Time to Kill, Heal yourself while moving.

Talking about the installation, the pack is only about 400MB. However, the total size of the game will end up at about 491 MB. If you have not played PUBG so far, this might be a good time to start. New players will receive a ton of rewards, such as vehicles and gears.

Highlights

Besides being lighter than the original version, the lite version comes with many optimisations that make it easier for players to use the app. This is so that players from rural areas and those playing on lower-end smartphones would still be able to enjoy the game in all its glory. India has always been a huge market for PUBG. The company has realised this and organises dozens of events and releases even special India-themed seasons as well. Not so long back, the PUBG LITE for PC was released in beta in India for certain players.

December 18, 2019
5 Things You Should Know About Upcoming Nokia TV

Nokia recently released a teaser about its latest device. It is expected to be released on the 5th of December 2019. While Nokia has not said a word so far, Flipkart has confirmed that the new product by Nokia is a TV. Flipkart even shared a picture to give us a peek into how the Nokia TV would look. With the TV about to be released, let’s take a look at its highlights and features. The TV is expected to be unveiled at an event in New Delhi. Flipkart is the official brand licensee for Nokia and is expected to handle all the sales for Nokia branded Smart TVs.

Design

Nokia TV is designed and manufactured using the best hardware available for its display. There are plenty of rumours going around about the same. According to speculations, it is believed that the the TV will come with a 55-inch 4K panel, offering the best experience ever. The TV is designed to be ultra-slim and might look similar to Xiaomi’s 55 inches model.

Nokia Smart TV

Dolby Audio Sound Quality

One of the major drawbacks in the televisions today is that downgraded sound quality. Even the higher models come with only decent quality audio. However, the TV will have incredible audio enhancements like Dolby Audio support. Besides this, you will also be able to enjoy a surround and theatre-like sound experience thanks to DTS TruSurround Sound support.

JBL Acoustics

While Nokia has not mentioned that the TV would come with JBL Audio, the picture shared by Flipkart tells us that it will indeed be the case. Flipkart later confirmed the speculation that the it will be powered by the JBL audio. Since this is the first time JBL will be seen in the TV audio sector, many are excited to see how things will turn out.

Specifications of Nokia TV

While there has been nothing regarding specifications about the smart TV, we know that it will come with Android TV OS. With Nokia being a smartphone brand, we can be sure that they will use a good enough processor with the required RAM to make sure that the Nokia TV runs smoothly. The rumours also suggest that the TV might come with a separate JBL soundbar.

Nokia Smart TV with JBL Sound

Price

So far, there has not been any mention of price, from either Flipkart nor Nokia. However, looking at Nokia’s pricing trends, it doesn’t look like the TV will fall in the affordable range. It could be priced somewhere along with the range of the OnePlus TV. Despite this, it should be worth it since Nokia is known for its build quality and features.

Verdict – Nokia TV

While it may have come as a surprise that Nokia is releasing a smart TV, it is not really very shocking. Especially since other smartphone companies like OnePlus and Huawei have already dipped their toes in this sector. According to Flipkart, the date of release is not all that far away. So, we can expect the see the Nokia TV release any day now.

December 16, 2019
Vivo U20 with Triple Cameras, 5000mAh Battery Launched in India: Specs, Price & Availability

The latest Vivo U20 finally comes to India. This smartphone features a triple-camera set-up with an LED flash at the rear. The phone has a large 5000mAh battery with an 18W fast-charging system. Vivo U20 is designed to run on Funtouch OS 9 powered by Android 9 Pie. This phone succeeds the Vivo U10 model that was launched in September this year, not all that long ago. This new Vivo U20 model arrives in two variants – different based on its RAM specs. The model featuring 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage is retailed at Rs 10,990 while the higher model having 6GB RAM and 64GB storage costs Rs 11,990.

Specs and Highlights

The Vivo U20 is a decent enough phone, especially considering the budget. The smartphone has seen several upgrades from the U10 model. This includes a bigger display, a far nicer camera, and a better chipset. Let’s take a quick tour of the Vivo U20’s specs and features. With regards to display, the phone boasts of a 6.53-inch capacitive display with FullHD+ resolution of 1080 pixels. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 91.3%. As already discussed, the phone is available in two different models – 4GB and 6GB RAM. It features a 64GB internal storage which is expandable.

Vivo U20

The phone lasts a day and more on the 5000mAh battery. It has an 18W fast-charging system, so you don’t have to wait for a long time as it charges up. The U20 model is available two stunning colours – Racing Black and Blaze Blue. It runs on 4th Generation Kryo CPU and 6th Generation Adreno GPU.

Camera Quality

Moving to the camera specs and quality, the phone has a triple-camera set-up. The cameras are lined up with the LED flash seated the last. The 16MP Sony IMX499 primary sensor comes with an f/1.8 aperture. There is also an 8MP sensor for super wide-angle shots and a 2MP the super macro shots. The primary camera features a PDAF sensor with Night Mode as well. The Vivo U20 does not disappoint selfie enthusiasts either. With a 16MP selfie shooter, you can be sure that your selfies will be stunning and vivid. It does not feature a punch-hole camera like the Vivo V17 either.

Special features

The latest Vivo U20’s battery is incredible. Vivo claims that it can last for about 273 hours on standby, 11 hours on video use, and about 18-20 hours on social media browsing. Another nice find here is the Snapdragon 675 chipset. This is usually seen in higher-end phones, so the U20 is one of the few in this price range featuring it. Thanks to this, users would be able to enjoy better performance and imaging results.

Vivo U20 with Triple Cameras

You will notice that the price of the 4GB RAM model and 6GB RAM model are different. Both the variants will go live starting November 28 from 12 PM onwards. You will be able to purchase them from Amazon.in and Vivo India E-Store. This model was mainly designed and developed by Vivo to compete with the likes of Realme who have been steadily gaining market share. With the release of U20, Vivo has captured a fair share of the market.

December 16, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S11 Family Said to Offer 3 Display Sizes, 5 Different Variants

Samsung Galaxy S11 family is expected to be launched in three different screen size options in five different variants. This new range of devices come after the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup. The S10 range of devices was released earlier in the year in four variants – the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10e, and Galaxy S10 5G. The latest series has only one variant with 5G support.

However, the company is geared up to release the Galaxy S11 models with both 5G and 4G LTE support. The largest of the three display sizes is rumoured to be 6.9 inches. The smallest one could be launched under the name Galaxy S11e, which will basically act as Galaxy S10e’s successor. This phone’s screen is expected to be either 6.2-inch or 6.4-inch. The regular Galaxy S11 will come with a 6.7-inch screen size while the Galaxy S11+ model will have the largest 6.9-inch display.

The Different Variants – Samsung Galaxy S11 Family

There are also rumours going around that mention that all the five variants would feature curved-edge displays. In other words, it would be totally different to the Galaxy S10e that came with a flat panel. Regarding connectivity, the device should be offered in both 5G and LTE variants for the smaller S11 models. The larger one would only be released with 5G support. Blass’ tweet tells us that these devices might be launched sometime in mid to late February. The timing is nothing new for Samsung with most of its smartphones launching at the same time of the year. The launch event might take place in San Francisco, California.

There are also rumours making rounds that the Galaxy S11 might feature Samsung’s latest 108-megapixel ISOCELL HMX sensor. If true, it would offer the users better camera features like Optical Image Stabilisation and 5x optical zoom. Some reports mention that the company might be planning to use the 108-megapixel sensor’s second-generation version. The company is not planning on offering only 5G support for its latest line, possibly so as to keep up with the demand for its current 4G-only models as well. The S11 phone will have a tall 20:9 aspect ratio. However, it is not known for certain if the punch-hole camera seen in S10 phones will continue here.

Samsung Galaxy S11

Samsung Galaxy S11 is in the works and is referred to with codename “Picasso”. This smartphone is expected to run on One UI 2.1 powered by Android 10 out-of-the-box. The Galaxy S11e might be released with model number SM-G970. It is expected that it would come with a 3,730mAh battery. Looking at Galaxy S11, it might come with a model number SM-G985/986, with a 4,300mAh capacity.

The company could release the Galaxy S11 family with Exynos 9830 SoC for international markets. For the US regions, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 might be used. In addition to this, other reports suggest that Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series might be merged into a single flagship series the upcoming year. The Galaxy S11 might be released with S Pen support as well.

December 16, 2019
Samsung Launches World’s First 108-Megapixel Smartphone Camera Sensor in Partnership With Xiaomi

While the likes of Redmi and Realme are competing with 64MP camera phones and vying for market domination, Samsung has launched the world’s very first 108-megapixel smartphone camera sensor. This was developed in collaboration with Xiaomi. With this partnership, Xiaomi will become the first-ever company to release a smartphone featuring a whopping 108 megapixels camera. This camera sensor is the first one to go over 100 million pixels. You can expect a resolution comparable to that of a high-end DSLR camera.

Highlights Of The New Sensor

Let’s take a look at some of the highlight of this brilliant 108-megapixel camera sensor developed in partnership by Xiaomi and Samsung. It may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time these two companies have come together to work on camera sensors. Previously, Samsung and Xiaomi have collaborated to develop a smartphone that would use Samsung’s 64-megapixel ISOCELL GW1 sensor.

The name of this new 108-mega pixel sensor is ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. The best part about them is that they are capable of shooting photographs even in extreme lighting conditions. Now that the development is done, Samsung will start mass-producing the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensors towards the end of August 2020. These sensors are 1/1.33-inch in size which makes it easier for them to allow more light. The large surface area doesn’t hurt either.

Samsung said that they used the new Tetracell technology which joins 4 pixels into one. This is what lets the sensors take better photos even in low light areas. Besides improving colour accuracy, it will also minimize noise. For brighter lighting conditions, this sensor will make use of the Smart-ISO mechanism. This allows us to take clearer images by adjusting the level of amplifier gains. Since this adjustment depends on ambient light, the photos will emerge to be more realistic, rich in colour, and vivid.

Xiaomi’s Plans

Now that the companies have successfully finished the development of this 108-MP camera sensor, Xiaomi will now release the world’s 1st smartphone featuring this new sensor. Xiaomi’s co-founder and president, Lin Bin, said, “As we continue our partnership, we anticipate bringing not only new mobile camera experiences but also a platform through which our users can create unique content.”

Samsung 108-megapixel camera

Currently, Xiaomi is playing in the 64-MP camera smartphone market, competing with Realme and Redmi. Its 64-MP camera smartphone is expected to be released towards the end of 2019. What comes as a surprise here is that even Samsung has plans for releasing a 64-MP camera smartphone. Xiaomi, Samsung, and Realme will all be using ISOCELL GW1 sensor. Samsung was the one who developed this sensor as well.

As of now, Xiaomi has not mentioned which one of its smartphones would be featuring the 108 megapixels camera. However, those following the market speculation that it could be the Mi Mix 4. The comment of a senior Xiaomi executive gave rise to this rumour. He mentioned that Mi Mix 4 is likely to better than Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright GW1.

December 16, 2019
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1 Extended Till February, Epic Games Teases Holiday-Themed Content

A couple of months back, in October, Fornite came through the black hole completely revamped with a new map, a new look, and a short-term season lasting for about two months. Users could make use of this season to earn Battle Pass rewards. The good news now is that Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1 has been extended till early February 2020. Epic made this announcement quite recently. The developers have a lot in store with rewards, new game features, and an unmissable event.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1 Extended

The official blog of Epic Games featured an announcement along the same lines. They say, “more content for you to unwrap, including new game features, free rewards and a live experience that you won’t want to miss.” The post also talks about Fortnite’s holiday-themed updates. Although the company has not talked about specific updates, leaks tell us that changes may be seen with the Risky Reels locations. Fortnite’s fans will also be receiving a big surprise on January 1, 2020, according to sources. For tips and tricks to play Fortnite, check this out.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1 Extended

After Epic Games extended the season 1 of Fortnite Chapter 2 till February 2020, this has become one of the longest-running seasons in the game. Epic Games released an event titled “14 Days of Fortnite” for the holidays. This was well-received by the players. Looking at this, it doesn’t feel like the Season 1’s extension is a mere coincidence, especially since it is the holiday season once again!

Last December, Epic had a 14 Days of Fortnite event. Here, players could indulge in daily holiday-themed challenges, gain rewards, and more. It looks like the company is working along the same lines. During last year’s event, the game’s map got a winter revamp with each day bringing new LTMs. Holiday outfits were seen in the Item Shop as were Snowball Launcher and festive Battle Bus. Fortnite even has a “holiday-lit Legendary Bush” in-game!

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1

According to the developers, this additional time will allow the players to collect season rewards and other awards. In addition to this, we can also expect to see a holiday-themed event sometime soon. One thing many believe is that this event is likely to grander and better than any previous event. The number of teasers put out by Fortnite is working with the players excitedly waiting for the big reveal, expected to take place on January 1, 2020.

Fortnite v11.20 Update

With the v11.20 update, Fortnite will offer the users the option of playing the PC version of the game using Microsoft DirectX 12. This is great news since it will give the users better CPU performance and distribution of rendering jobs. The game’s current PC version needs a Microsoft DirectX 11-capable graphics card. With Microsoft DirectX 12 support, higher frame rates with a steady output can be supported. The company is also working to release more features which would be possible with Microsoft DirectX 12 APIs.

Although we don’t know what to expect in this year’s event, we can be sure that it is likely to be great. With the extension till February, the celebration is going to continue well into the new year.

December 16, 2019
10 Popular Apps You Need to Uninstall From Your Android Phone

Android is an open-source operating system designed and developed by Google. Since it is open-source, it is more vulnerable to malware attacks. With millions of applications on the Google Play Store, it is not practical for us to expect the company to keep an eye out, though they do their best. Some apps do escape their notice and it is up to us to remain safe. These malicious apps can pop up malicious links, steal your passwords, affect you financially, and generally ruin your experience. This is why we will talk about the Apps You Need to Uninstall in this post.

So, what can we do?

There are some specific apps and some app categories that you should stay away from. If you have it, it is highly advisable to uninstall them right away. In most cases, these apps would not be contributing anything to your productivity. In any case, there are always better and more secure alternatives available.

Types of Apps To Uninstall Immediately

In this section, we will discuss the different types or categories of application that you should uninstall from your smartphone right away. In the following section, we will cover the particular applications that are known to offer no productivity and are decidedly shady.

Battery Saver Apps

These battery saver apps don’t really help out in the way they are meant to. You might notice them extending the life an hour or two, but it rarely works like that in real-time! To actually conserve power, you will have to regular energy demand. For this, you will have to stop using or reduce the usage of energy-consuming apps. To do so, you would require control over the operating system. This, in turn, can only be granted by having root access. So, in short, your apps would not be able to actually help you save battery life if you don’t have root access.

Battery Saver Apps

Anti-virus Apps

We all tend to install anti-virus apps on our phones hoping and thinking that they would shield us from virus and other malicious codes. However, they don’t really protect us. All they do is to warn us and send us alerts about insecure applications that you may be installing. Even if you do have malicious files, these anti-virus apps wouldn’t be able to remove them. The best way to stay safe would be to stop using third-party APK files, which means that you don’t require an antivirus app anymore.

Cleaning Apps

Cleaning apps are a smart trick the developers use to trick you into downloading them and making you use them – for absolutely no rhyme or reason. We are so conditioned to use them that we never think twice either. You can always clean the cache and other things manually by going to your Settings menu. Besides not being remotely helpful, they are also huge power consumers.

Applications To Uninstall Immediately

Yahoo! MAP Free

Yahoo, once a popular name, is no longer all that trendy. Yahoo Maps was once highly used, but with others like Waze and Google Maps entering the market, Yahoo Maps just didn’t keep up. Although the Yahoo Maps are free, they are so forgotten that barely any of us remember it exists anyway. Besides this, in most phones, Google Maps comes pre-installed making it a pointless task to install a third-party application.

Yahoo! MAP Free

LiveXLive

This app gives the users a list of events happening nearby. You would be able to live stream it on your phone. While the idea behind it is nice, the app seems to have built-in malicious API in it. This could lead to damage to your phone.

Smule

Smule is pretty similar to the like of TikTok. Here, users upload their videos, and everyone would be able to view it. These kinds of apps usually come with tons of pop-up ads and it would be a surprise if it was full of malware as well. Sometimes, users would receive messages where they would be asked to join certain apps in return for cash rewards. For joining, you would have to give them your name, contact details, email address, and so on. They simply store this information and sell it later to third-parties.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

The ultra-popular game, Mobile Legends: Band Bang, is an MMORPG game. Whatever you do, stay away from this game and do not install it on your device. The game is known to have malicious libraries that can affect your phone and even steal data. Besides this, you will be pestered with pop up advertisements and malicious links.

SHAREit

SHAREit was once a very popular application. It allows users to share data between two devices. However, of late, the app does not work as efficiently as it used to do. Today, it is full of popups, malicious ads, and even has some offensive content. There are plenty of alternatives to SHAREit that are way more secure and reliable.

SHAREit

Facebook

You are certain to find Facebook on almost every device. However, with recent news arising about Facebook stealing data and so on, it is not really safe to continue using this. Thousands of Facebook users across the globe have boycotted this social media platform after it became apparent that data breaches were rampant here. If you must use Facebook, doing so from a browser is a better option.

Yahoo Search

Coming to Yahoo once again, it had a wildly popular search engine. Over time, it became filled with malicious content and is not a relaxing experience at all. Since Android is owned by Google, you will have Google Search come pre-installed on your smartphones. Despite that, if you still want some other search app, try Bing. It is far more effective than Yahoo.

Wrapping Up

If you have any of the above-mentioned apps on your phones, it is highly recommended that you uninstall them immediately. Do not fall for cleaning apps or battery saver apps either! With hundreds of clean, user-friendly, and functional apps being developed all the time, you are sure to find reliable and secure alternatives easily. Follow this list of Apps You Need to Uninstall immediately and never install them back again!

December 15, 2019