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Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G Comes With a Price Tag of US $300

5G connectivity is a new thing. While not many players have jumped into this wave just yet, it is already making inroads among the common people. The premium smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Huawei’s Mate 30 5G, which cost around the US $1000, were among the first generation of smartphones to receive 5G connectivity. Hence, the company is looking forward to disrupting this trend a bit by bringing a more affordable option into the market with Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G.

More About Xiaomi

Xiaomi is known to make affordable handsets, incorporating most of the premium features of bigger brands into compact and low-cost packages. Continuing on this path, it is now working to make 5G connectivity much more affordable. It’s a new smartphone, the K30 5G from the sub-brand Redmi is slated to cost one-third the price of a premium smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G

Redmi K30-Features & Specs

The K30 5G was unveiled recently in Beijing for 1999 Yuan or approximately US $285. The Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G also comes in two variants, with 5G, and without 5G. Both these versions are available for pre-order and are expected to be shipped soon.

Even though the phone is much cheaper than the premium brands, it doesn’t compromise on the quality. It comes with a robust build housing a fast processor that can help you do various tasks like playing games, streaming videos, and switching between the apps much more smoothly. It also comes with a 64MP rear camera and a 20MP front selfie camera. Analysts see the launch of Redmi K30 as the starting of more affordable 5G phones. With more and more carriers getting on the 5G wave, it looks like Xiaomi is all set to make the most out of it.

February 9, 2020
Where Did Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha Go?

As the year ended, it left the smartphone users with an important question, what on earth happened to Xiaomi’s futuristic smartphone, the Mi Mix Alpha one? It created a worldwide buzz when it was presented in September 2019, stating that it would become available in the last week of December 2019. It would have become Xiaomi’s new year’s gift to the smartphone watchers.

Mi Mix Alpha’s Features

This futuristic smartphone has a feature of the flexible screen that can wrap itself around the edges, who wouldn’t want that? This model promised viewers that it would have a triple camera setup, including a 108-megapixel shooter. This smartphone makes the Chinese tech company’s most expensive flagship!

Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha

Competitors

Despite all the possible competitors of Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha, Huawei dared to launch its foldable Mate X in November 2019.

Promise Of Future

Its been more than a month, and yet the Chinese tech company doesn’t have a date for Mi Mix Alpha’s launch, probably due to the technical endeavours it carries, but they have said they would launch it as soon as they can. They are just speculations flying in the air of technology until we know more about the smartphone’s launch. The phone did cast a lasting appearance on Alibaba’s T-mall and Xiaomi’s online store in December but could not be bought by the smartphone searchers!

Last Word

Let’s hope we don’t have to wait for an undisclosed amount of time for Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha smartphone to get launched! With such breath-taking features intact, the smartphone users find it difficult to wait around.

February 9, 2020
MIX Alpha Concept Phone by Xiaomi Soon To Hit the Markets

It’s been quite a while since Xiaomi unveiled its revolutionary MIX Alpha concept phone to the world. The all-screen phone, which created quite a buzz in the market when it was first revealed, maybe hitting the markets soon. Xiaomi launched the first phone in the Mi MIX series back in 2016. The phone, which was only intended to be displayed as a concept to show the future of smartphones, created quite a buzz in the market due to its Bezel-less display. This success pioneered the launch of a new series that showcased new and improved technologies like the piezoelectric earpiece and the slider mechanism. But, the MIX alpha, which was launched last year, blew the ball straight out of the park.

Xiaomi’s MIX Alpha Concept Phone

Features & Specifications of MIX Alpha Concept Phone

This phone comes with a wraparound POLED display, which covers the whole of the front and back except a small strip that contains the camera setup. It’s 180.6% screen to body ratio is genuinely mind-blowing, making it seem like something straight out of a sci-fi movie and speaks volumes about the level of innovation involved.

The smartphone runs on Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset and comes with a 5G modem to run the show. Also, the 4050 mAh battery can keep the phone alive for an extended period, so that you can play games and enjoy your movies with ease. The 40W fast charging system can help get it all charged up quickly, and the 12GB RAM and 512 GB UFS 3.0 storage will ensure that you never run out of space.

While it remains to be seen as to how the phone will sit among the masses, one thing is for sure: It will indeed be a landmark in the history of smartphone devices.

February 9, 2020
Google I/O 2020 starts May 12th

Recently, Google released its “Collaboration of the Cosmos” puzzle. The idea was that Google would only reveal a secret if the puzzle was solved successfully. Happy news ahead! The puzzle was just solved just meeting the threshold. The big reveal was that Google I/O 2020 will take place from May 12 – 14. The developer conference is scheduled to take place in Mountain View, California right next to the Googleplex. The company is known to wait for fans to crack the puzzles before announcing its dates. The puzzle was a collaborative online game to restore a fictional satellite network. Once the game came to an end, the constellation of satellites revealed the date.

Google I/O 2020

However, unlike the previous I/O puzzles, Google decided to only reveal the message after a certain number managed to crack it. This is the fifth year that the tech giant has planned to host its developer conference at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. This concert venue is a short walk from the company headquarters. The outdoor stage is pretty large and is now being readied to host Sundar Pichai’s main keynote. The company is working on erecting air-conditioned tents in the surrounding parking lots in addition to relaxation areas, demo areas, and more.

Google I/O 2020

If you compare the dates to last year, you will note that the dates for the event fall a week later this year. The event is scheduled to start on Tuesday morning and wrapped up by Thursday afternoon.

Google’s Sundar Pichai recently tweeted, “Cosmos aligned. We’ll be back at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View for this year’s #GoogleIO on May 12-14!”

Google Developer Conference 2020

Now that the dates are revealed, all that is left to know is the pricing and ticketing details. Google is most likely to go ahead with a raffle where the participants will need to fill out an application form mentioning the reason for coming and their area of technical interest. Since the participants will get about a week to submit the application, you can take your time. This should be released sometime next month.

Pixel 4a

Now that Google has revealed the dates of its upcoming I/O developer conference, rumours have started making the rounds on what the company is likely to launch here. The conference is expected to take place near Google’s HQ – the same place where the tech giant has been hosting the event for the past few years.

Last year’s big announcement at this time included the budget-friendly Pixel 3A and 3A XL. It was a great phone with a stunning camera. With the date confirmed, many believe that we will see the launch or at least get a glimpse into Pixel 4a. It is expected that the model will feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, a hole-punch display, and a square camera bump. Since Pixel 3a was released around the same time last year, fans believe that this is the perfect time for the 4a smartphone reveal. In addition to the 3a smartphone, Google also revealed its Nest Hub Max. We hope this year brings more Nest hardware as well.

February 9, 2020
Slack Update: Google Is Working On Another Messaging App To Take On Slack

While Google has been the master of many things, one thing it hasn’t had much success is chat applications. Though it has never had much difficulty in building one, and the ones like Allo did hit it off with people for a while, it’s just that there have always been too many alternatives. After getting mild reviews on Allo, Google now seems to be shifting its focus from personal messaging apps to the more business-oriented ones, such as Slack.

What More The Google Is Offering?

According to a report, Google is coming up with a comprehensive mobile chat application that will incorporate current services like Hangouts Meet, Hangout Chat, Drive, Gmail, and others. It is supposed to fulfil all your business communication needs.

Currently, a person has to use two different apps, one for messaging and one for video conferencing. Yes, there is an option for sending messages in a video calling application, but it cannot be used for chatting. Also, it can get pretty cumbersome in a business environment where things have to be done quickly, efficiently, and with minimum hassle. This app will bring together all the key elements of G-Suite, which are handy for a business, all in one place. It is slated to take on the likes of Slack and Microsoft 365 package.

Slack

Challenges That Google Might Face

However, the road ahead for Google is not very smooth. Slack, being the pioneer, already has an established user base who commends the intuitive approach to design and functionality of the company. Microsoft is another big name in the field, having its Office 365 package. While it might not be as engaging or exactly better than Slack, the existing user base responded to this package pretty well.

So, to make it all work, Google will have to give a compelling reason to businesses to switch to their platform. It has a tough task ahead because switching to a new platform can sometimes be a drain on resources because there is always that risk of it not working out. So, is there a threat to the existing apps like Slack due to the entry of one of the world’s biggest companies onto the scene?

Well, probably not.

Some Unsuccessful Attempts

As we all know, Google hasn’t had any significant success with a messaging app. The company has always been a bit confused when it comes to the question of how these apps should be incorporated with the existing user base. In fact, at one point in time in 2016, Google was simultaneously running six messaging apps at once! While there were a few bright stars like Allo and Spaces in this otherwise bleak sky, they ultimately suffered from obscurity. The last major attempt by Google in the field of chat applications was in the form of Allo, which was eventually shut down in March 2019.

Though Google has all the technical expertise and resources at its disposal, it remains to be seen whether it can overcome its previous failures. It will also be interesting to see how Google uses its competitive edge, which it has over the other companies into launching a successful product. Since Google has been pretty successful at enterprise software, which is an entirely different field than personal applications, it might just be able to pull it off. Hopefully, we will be getting to hear more about it at the Google I/O scheduled to take place later this year.

February 9, 2020
Common Charger For Smartphones Ordered By EU, Paves The Way For Domination Of USB-C

Tell you what, the European Union will be enforcing a universal charger for all smartphones, owing to the reduction in electronic wastage and interoperable charging for all end-users like you and me by common vote appeal.

Technological Outburst

With the advancement of technology and smartphone devices, nobody is thinking about or even for that matter giving importance to electronic wastage. A common charger will serve useful to all the smartphone devices and users, of course!

USB Type-C’s A Saviour

A remarkable introduction of USB Type-C has proved to be beneficial for the lifestyles of proprietary charging connectors. It comes with a lot of advantages, like for instance, charging speeds, connection reversibility, and knowledge transmission charges.

Domination Of USB-

Same Boat

A similar initiative was launched in 2014, thinking it would put an end to the electronic waste of 51,000kg back then and also help in avoiding charge clutter. The European Union was yet to approve it formally. They said they would require two years to include the rules to their national laws, and also, the manufactures will need another year to agree and implement.

Apple iPhone Users

What is the one thing that an iPhone user will not find in a sea of chargers? Something that resembles his own iPhone charger! Apple users will be at a loss for words because Apple will be the single most objector to the standardization of chargers as they have their proprietary lightning connector!

Last Word

In the initial draft, most of the voters are in favour of the ‘common charger for all’ policy. Yet, there still has to be a formal approval from the European Union. Their consent will put an end to the Micro-USB series. Let us hope for a better electronic wastage rescuer in the form of a common charger!

February 9, 2020
Xiaomi’s New Patent Reveals Another Foldable Phone With 5 Pop-Up Cameras

If you think that the Smartphone industry has hit the walls with their new features, you are mistaken. You are definitely missing out on all the work that Smartphone companies are coming up with. Xiaomi tops the list with its new patented foldable Smartphone design with an awesome set of five pop-up cameras.

The new patent shows some unusual ideas or the next big boom in its phone design. The unique part is that it has a pop-up design with a set of five pop-up cameras. It’s like Xiaomi is deciding to take the most hyped-up trends in the smart-phone industry.

The Earlier Design

Like many other Chinese smartphone makers, Xiaomi also experiments with their designs to attract more customer attention. In January, Xiaomi teased a foldable phone that folds twice. But while it looked cool and attractive, many noticed an issue with the model.

There was no sufficient space for a camera. Recently, Xiaomi unveiled a new concept phone, which has a screen that wraps around the body of the phone.

The Foldable Phone Comes With A Bang

The massive hit of the year is here. As per the latest news, Xiaomi shares a teaser of a patent for a foldable phone with a beautiful ‘clamshell’ design and a pop-up selfie camera. The foldable design marked a return this year with the Moto Razr, which has a foldable screen as well.

According to Xiaomi’s patent, the phone could sport dual-cameras at the back too. The camera feature of this phone makes it more unique from that of other smartphones.

The phone features a 6.47-inch curved full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) and an OLED display. The device has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730G processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Some websites are also sharing images of what the device would look like based on the patent. The clamshell foldable phone also has a tiny notification screen around the cameras. The phone comes with a horizontal folding line which when unfolded will result in a long screen.

The smaller screen appears for showing notifications only when the phone is in its folded form. Xiaomi is testing out a number of designs for the foldable form before switching to some other form.

Xiaomi Is Doing Wonders With Its New Launches

This is not the first time that a Xiaomi is patenting for a foldable phone with such a design. There were other companies too who have launched such a design.

Tiger Mobiles teased a new foldable phone patent, which comes with a similar clamshell design. Samsung is also expecting that foldable phones will cross 6 million shipments in 2020. Still, it won’t be surprising to see more brands to showcase upcoming devices next year.

Wrapping Up

The trend for smartphones is going up as per its increasing demand. So, there is no coming back from the technology advancement that Smartphone companies are going to make. The demand, sales, and competition in the Smartphone industry are going to rise by this year.

February 8, 2020
Will the Samsung Galaxy S10e Go Down As Just One-Off Experiment?

Samsung is the manufacturer of the world’s most sold and preferred smartphones and other quality devices. It is a tough competitor of Apple and people look forward to its various launches. Samsung has established itself as one of the premium brands in the smartphone market.

Samsung had launched a cheaper “budget-friendly” alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S10 called the Samsung Galaxy S10e in the year 2019. It was smaller when one compares it to the other smartphones that came in the market during the same year. Many people see it as a cheaper alternative to its flagship phone Samsung Galaxy S10.

On February 11^th, 2020, Samsung is unveiling a series of smartphones of the S20 in the market. These are Galaxy S20, Galaxy 20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra. So, where is the S20e? is Samsung dropping the “e-branding” in its Galaxy S series?

There was no Galaxy S9e and Samsung has not released any announcements regarding the Galaxy S20e yet. So, was the launching of the S10e a failed off-experiment? Samsung was trying to use this phone as a more affordable version of the main model. But the speculations suggest that the plan did not go well, and Samsung has decided to discontinue this idea.

Was this a consequence of poor marketing?

Samsung Galaxy S10e was an enthralling device of the year 2019. It had certain unique features. Still, it did not come out to be a successful venture. The sales date is not available with us, but it is pretty clear from the various sources that the S10e was not a long time success, since Samsung does not show any signs of its continuation.

Samsung Galaxy S10e sales were the least among its other devices. The main problem in the scenario seems to be branding. Also, as a “budget-friendly” alternative, it did not stand up to that criterion for many consumers. The difference in the price -points was not that significant and to the consumers who did not see it as a cheaper offering, did not really understand its prospect.

Many people saw a greater advantage in investing in the actual flagship device as it had more features and also at not that of a price difference. Also, when several consumers posed their questions regarding the S10e, Samsung could not satisfactorily clear those concerns.

One can see it in a counter-light as a very clever strategy. By introducing such a device, Samsung was able to pump up the sales of its main devices. It is because this device makes the consumers excited and they were evaluating the pros of their main device in a better way.

What, if not?

Samsung may launch the Lite versions of its main models like the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. This is a downgraded version of the main flagship device and also offers better services than the experimental S10e.

Therefore, we can positively conclude that the Samsung Galaxy S10e was a one-off experiment, which did not go as planned. Its continuation has been terminated as Samsung has made no implications regarding the S20e.

February 8, 2020
SONY XPERIA FLAGSHIP TO PACK A LARGE 4400MAH BATTERY

One of the biggest technology companies in the world today is SONY from Japan. With its high-quality products paired with the latest technological aspects, SONY is a trend-setter. From the first Walkman devices to the newest tech smartphones, SONY has made a place among the tech giants of the world.

One of its most popular and successful ventures of this company is the SONY XPERIA series. Many are accepting and appreciating the Xperia flagship products worldwide, making it one of the most selling products od SONY. People all over the world are excited about the latest trends in their development.

SONY’s most anticipated launch!

Speculations suggest that the SONY is launching a new XPERIA flagship on the 24th of February at this year’s MMC2020. It consists of some of the remarkable features such as a high-resolution 4k panel of the OLED type. Its 4k screening will guarantee an enthralling viewing experience, and the tech-savvy consumer base will go gaga over it. A 4k resolution will also attract many gamers and other tech enthusiasts.

But this also has a downside. A 4k resolution would drain the battery at a rapid rate and will, even more, use power for its performance compared to a Full HD+ resolution. A better performance naturally requires a better backup. Hence, this flagship has come with a better and unique feature.

Ambitious Battery performance

Keeping this 4k in perspective, SONY has included an enormous 4400mAh battery in its handset. It took a giant leap from a 3540mAh battery in the previous models of Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ2 Premium and Xperia 1.

It is a first-ever SONY flagship with such an impressive 4400mAh battery capacity. Other specifications may include an X55 dual-mode 5G modem, supporting both the NSA and SA networks. 5G tech inclusion is one of the primary reasons that more than 4000mAh battery is essential.

Also, this model might include a powerful processor, QUALCOMM Snapdragon 865 CPU.

A name is yet to be confirmed officially by the SONY workers for its upcoming revolutionary flagship. It can be anything from Xperia 1.1 or the Xperia 1 2020, no one knows for sure. The hype around the launch is a huge one, and the tech enthusiast is super excited about getting their hands on the device.

Expectations are on hype

SONY has consistently delivered some of the best products over the years, and so the expectations for the new launch are also very high. People are looking forward to its launch, and it seems that the product is already a success among the general consumer base.

The specifications that the company has leaked have made the people more willing to invest in the product. Also, the new-age technology has set the bar high, and with a 4400mAh juice, SONY already has seemed to cross that bar.

Just a few more days and all our speculations and predictions would come to rest with the most awaited launch of SONY.

February 8, 2020
PUBG Mobile Game is China’s most profitable mobile game overseas for 2019

Chinese mobile game PUBG is the most played game outside of China, as of 2019. The US $776 million is the total valuation of PUBG in 2019. PUBG downloads from Google Playstore and the iOS App Store have generated this revenue.

PUBG stands for Player’s Unknown Battlegrounds. It is a battle royale game, developed by LightSpeed and Quantum Studio (internals of Tencent Games). However, there have been other developers in the past.

Who is in the race with PUBG?

In 2018, Knives Out was the most played Chinese game across the world, with annual revenue of US $465 million. This year, PUBG has defeated Knives Out.

In 2019, Knives Out (developed by NetEase) are runner-up while Rise of Kingdom (From Lilith Games) is in the third position.

What is the Gameplay?

It is a multiplayer, (player versus player) game. Anyone can play either solo, dual, or team.

In battleground, a helicopter drops every player at the specified flagged location via parachute. The player reaches one of the four flag points according to the map. Those areas are 8*8 Km, 6*6 km, and 4*4 km. The player has no gears while landing.

Once landed, players move ahead in their quest to different areas, buildings & ghost towns for new collectables. The collectables include weapons, vehicles, armours, and much more stuff.

As the minutes pass, maps shrink, increasing the chances of encounters. The player or team who is alive at the end wins the game.

Game for PEACE

Although, Chinese developer Tencent has massive revenue from PUBG across the world. It had to be modified/overhauled to meet specific Chinese regulatory requirements. It led to change PUBG’s name to Game for PEACE, in China.

Game for PEACE is a less violent version of PUBG and has more visuals indicating to Chinese patriotism.

Including both PUBG and Game for PEACE, Tencent earned a valuation of US$1 Billion.

Which countries play it most?

Chinese game PUBG is very popular in the USA and Europe. Gamers in the USA contributed to one-third of the total PUBG’s revenue.

Out of the total PUBG players (including Game for PEACE), 24% of users are in the USA. 2nd highest percentage is far behind the USA. It’s Germany, with 6% of users.

Revenue Boost

Last year, Tencent re-released PUBG mobile version, which increased the revenue from $25 million to $160 million. It is a growth of 540%, as per data from Sensor Tower Analysis. After re-release, PUBG’s activity & revenue increased by 39% from Jan 2019 to Dec 2019.

Even if we exclude Game of PEACE from the above equation, figures say an increase of 152% (to $63 million)

Conclusion

PUBG is the fastest-growing mobile game in the world right now, and it will continue to grow at this speed. However, many controversies have also arrived with PUBG games in the recent past, especially in India. Apart from all this, PUBG seems to be an addictive game.

February 8, 2020