Digital Indian Gov

In the hyperactive world of gadgets, it typically takes three iterations for a product to discover its purpose. Over the journey of evolution, obvious creases are ironed out. The Apple Watch is no different. What stands out though, is that the Apple Watch is already the highest selling watch. Period. Obviously luxury brands didn’t stand a chance in volume. But across the segment, Apple seems to have gained an edge. Since the Apple Watch Series 4 is here, and I’ve been able to get it on my hand, quite literally, here are my first impressions.

The new Apple Watch has a larger screen, thanks to its edge display.

It's lighter, louder, and packs more features.

The GPS variant starts at Rs 40,900, while Cellular variant starts at Rs 49,900

The initial complaint against smartwatches was that you still needed a phone to do much of the activities. That changed earlier in the year with the Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular variant. Now we’re still not quite there yet. You can’t have the Apple Watch as the company’s only product you use independently. You’ll still need an iPhone to go through setup and fundamental use. Cellular connectivity however helps you stray away from your phone when you need to. If you ever decide to stay away from your iPhone then this has you covered.

With the Apple Watch Series 4, you get a digital crown that feels new. For one, it feels softer to use, and now includes haptic feedback. On the earlier Apple Watch Series 3, while you still got feedback, it was from the Watch itself, but with the new Series 4, the Digital Crown itself lets you know how you’re progressing through its interface.

The dial on the Apple Watch Series 4 is still a curved rectangle. Very close to a square but still more portrait-ish. If you have a fetish for round watch dials, you’ll have to wait it out. It wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say that watchOS loves square dials while Android Wear loves round dials. The new Watch Series 4 is larger, slimmer, feels lighter with more features packed in. Let’s take a look at these.

Design changes in the Apple Watch mean you now have a louder speaker, one’s that more resourceful in crowded and busy areas, allowing you to take calls at ease. To avoid interference and echo with the mic on device, Apple moved the mic to the opposite side of the speaker. All water and swim-proof features continue from the earlier generations. So why does audio on the watch matter? Entertainment and productivity aside, purely for safety. More audible and clear audio means you don’t have to slouch while talking, or going about your tasks, just to hear or be heard.

If you go by Apple’s focus on safety with fall detection and calling out to emergency services on your behalf, you would want to be sure of its efficient audio relaying capabilities.

This is one reason that makes the Series 4 an important consideration. A new feature addition here is fall detection, where the watch alerts you, the local emergency service in India (emergency number 112), and your emergency contacts with your location.

Apple has researched the nature of falls over years, and believes there are three types of drops. A forward fall, a backward fall and a straight drop. Three instances could be if you step on something slippery and fall on your back, or if you trip over something and fall forward, or third, if you simply faint and drop straight down. Either way, there’s a rate of descent, a pattern with which you fall and a peculiar movement. All of these parameters have been researched by Apple and factored into its algorithms to trigger in emergencies. They can’t be faked, and hence come across as a resourceful function to have.

This is why the effective audio on the watch effectively complements its design purpose. If you’re hurt, you might not be able to speak loudly or with clarity.

The Apple Watch Series 4 is available in two options – GPS and Cellular. The GPS variant is priced at Rs 40,900. The Cellular variant is priced at Rs 49,900. Both variants go on sale starting October 19 in India.

The Apple Watch Series 4 has widened the feature gap with its competition. The software-hardware collaboration, the intelligence designed into its algorithms would ensure you are safe, focussed on working out, and are aware of your surroundings with air quality, ultraviolet levels, and can tap into numerous apps to continue seamless work and entertainment wherever you are. Although the new watches are priced at over Rs 40,000, much of these features can be experienced at close to half with the Series 3. But then, it’s not the same thing.

Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday and as it does each and every year, it started off the big event with a keynote presentation. There are always tons of big announcements made during Apple’s keynotes, which is obvious since software is such a huge and important part of Apple’s products. At WWDC 2018, Apple took the wraps off of new versions of tvOS, watchOS, and macOS, showing off the latest and greatest features set to come to Apple’s various product lines in 2018. Of course, the most popular products in Apple’s portfolio are the iPhone and iPad, so iOS 12 was obviously the star of the show at WWDC 2018. Want to check out all of the best new iPhone and iPad features Apple showed off during its big WWDC 2018 keynote presentation? Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered right here.
Compatibility iOS 12 will be available on all devices that currently support iOS 11, which is crazy! Apple says older devices that will get the iOS 12 update will see huge performance benefits, with key functions getting speed boosts of up to 70%. Here’s the full list of devices that are compatible with iOS 12: iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPod touch 6th generation,
Augmented Reality Apple created a new USDZ file format that’s optimized for AR sharing, making it much simpler to share 3D objects with other people. All iOS and macOS devices will support the new file format, as will popular third-party software such as all of the relevant apps in Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite. ARKit 2 was introduced during the event as well, giving developers access to awesome new AR tools such as the ability to have multiple devices see the same 3D virtual objects in AR from different perspectives. Apple also announced a new app called Measure, which allows you to measure objects and distances in augmented reality.
Photos Search in the Photos app gets a big update in iOS 12. Search Suggestions highlights important things before you even start typing, and Apple’s smart search features are more robust as well. For example, you can search “sporting events” or multiple search terms like “surfing” and “vacation.” A new For You tab in the Photos app highlights different photos and photo groups, and it also recommends different effects for photos and shows you previews. Basically, this update brings the iOS Photos app a bit closer to Google Photos, though Google’s app is still more robust and feature-rich.
Siri Shortcuts A new Shortcuts feature lets third-party apps add shortcuts to Siri. So for example, you can create a shortcut so when you say “I lost my keys” it’ll open the Tile app and locate your keys. Developers can make shortcuts for their own app, or users can use the new Shortcuts app that lets you create personalized shortcuts with multiple apps. This is based on the Workflow app Apple acquired, and the possibilities are limitless.
Popular app updates Several Apple apps are getting big updates in iOS 12. The Apple News app gets a new browser tab that helps with channel and topic discovery, and favorite sources are more accessible now. There’s also a new side bar in the news app that simplifies navigation. The Stocks app was rebuilt from the ground up with a new UI, and Apple News integration is being added to Stocks as well. Curated business news will be accessible right in the Stocks app. Also of note, after-hours prices are now accessible in the Stocks app, and there’s finally an iPad version of the app. The Voice Memo and iBooks apps have received big updates as well. iBooks has been renamed to Apple Books and the UI gets a big overhaul in iOS 12.
CarPlay CarPlay gets a big update as well, most notably with support for third-party navigation apps. You guys… WAZE ON CARPLAY!!!!!
Notifications New grouped notifications let you group notifications by app… FINALLY! There’s also a new Instant Tuning feature in notifications on the lock screen that lets you stop specific apps from displaying notifications on the lock screen moving forward.
Screen Time Apple introduced several new features to improve Do Not Disturb and make driving safer. The new Screen Time feature is the biggest news, giving you a weekly activity summary that details how you used your iPhone or iPad. You can also set limits so you get alerts when you use an app too much. Parents can also create allowances for apps to limit the amount of time they can use a specific app, or create downtime at certain time so all nonessential apps are blocked at certain times.
Messages, Animoji, and Memoji Apple’s animated emoji feature now has tongue detection in iOS 12. Lord help us all. New Animoji include ghost, koala, tiger, and T Rex have been added to iOS 12 as well. More importantly, the new Memoji feature in iOS 12 lets users create their own Animojis that look like themselves (or anyone else they want). Aside from new Animoji and Memoji, the Messages app gets some other cool new features as well. Snapchat-like filters and video stickers are among them, but the big news here is live Animoji and Memoji, which can be combined with other effects in the Messages app.
FaceTime Group FaceTime has been introduced in iOS 12, with support for up to 32 simultaneous participants in FaceTime. You can also create a Group FaceTime right from a group chat in Messages, quickly adding all the chat participants to a group video call. And guess what… live Animoji and Memoji are also supported in FaceTime now!

Apple just announced the next major update to the iPhone and iPad: iOS 12, the annual upgrade to Apple's mobile operating system. The update, which is likely not to arrive until this fall, includes some major new features, along with several incremental changes that will make using your device a lot easier. Among the notable additions: a standalone Measure app that's like a virtual tape measure, third-party app support for CarPlay, grouped notifications, and customizable animated avatars called Memoji. Here are all the new features included in iOS 12.

Apple is adding a brand-new app called Measure. Measure helps you take measurements of real-world objects. The app uses your iPhone's camera to virtually take accurate readings, which let you see the width, length, and height of things just by tapping your screen. Plus, if you point Measure at a photo, it'll automatically detect it and tell you the dimensions.
Apple is making the Photos app smarter and more interactive. Apple made a bunch of subtle updates to the Photos app, putting it on par with apps like the popular Google Photos. Here's what the app can do now: Search suggestions. The app will recommend searching for people, places, categories, business names, sporting events, or concerts. When you select a term, the app will pull up all photos related to that term. Search refinements. You can search with multiple search terms, too. For You. The app will automatically generate personalized items like memory movies, features photos, and "On this day" images. Sharing suggestions. The Photos app will suggest photos and videos to share with the people who are in them. When someone accepts the images from you, they'll get a recommendation to share their own photos back with you. Apple says that sharing is end-to-end encrypted, and works via iMessage.
Apple added Siri Shortcuts to help you speed up your day. Siri Shortcuts is a way to get things done more quickly. Now, Siri will automatically suggest actions based on how and when you're using certain apps. If, for instance, you order a coffee every morning around the same time, Siri will start asking you if you're ready to order it. Apple will have several preloaded Siri Shortcuts available, or you'll be able to create your own verbal shortcuts. A phrase like "Help me relax" will trigger a meditation app, or the phrase "Find my keys" will open up the Tile app and start the geolocation process.
Apple's Stocks and News apps are getting redesigned. Apple is giving its Stocks and News apps a refresh in iOS 12. The Stocks app will now have sparklines showing the ups and downs of a stock throughout the day, and relevant business news integrated throughout the app. Clicking on a certain stock will open a more in-depth analysis of the stocks performance, including after-hours pricing, which is missing from the current version. Apple is also adding the Stocks app to the iPad for the first time. The Apple News app redesign will now allow you to jump straight to your favorite news sources. On iPad, there will be a new sidebar for easier navigation.
The Voice Memos app is getting a redesign - and it's coming to the iPad for the first time. Apple is adding the Voice Memos app to the iPad for the first time. The app is also getting a redesign across the board, and will now be easier to use on any platform. Indeed, it's coming to Mac, too. Voice Memos are also getting iCloud support, which means you'll be able to access your memos on any device.
Apple changed the name of iBooks to Apple Books and gave it a new look. So long, iBooks — Apple has renamed its reading app to Apple Books. The app is getting more than a new name, however. Apple Books has been redesigned in iOS 12, and now includes a new Book Store tab, which includes top charts and curated collections.
Apple CarPlay will now support third-party apps. With iOS 12, you'll now be able to use third-party navigation apps with CarPlay, Apple's tool for connecting an iPhone to a car infotainment system. This means that you'll no longer be limited to using only Apple Maps when you connect your iPhone to your car — you'll now have the option to use Google Maps or Waze instead.
Apple will help you combat your smartphone addiction in iOS 12. At Apple's annual developer conference on Monday, Apple unveiled new tools to help you cut back on your screen time, along with new controls for parents. Here's what you'll be able to do now: Do Not Disturb during bedtime. Enabling this feature means you won't see your iPhone notifications until the next morning, just the time on a dark screen. Set an end time for Do Not Disturb. You can do this by force-touching on the button in your control center. Screen time. This feature will provide an activity summary that details how you used your iPhone or iPad over the course of a week. App limits. You'll be able to set time limits for individual apps. New parental controls. Parents will now be able to get notifications about their kids' smartphone use.
Your notifications will now be grouped by app. Apple has historically sorted notifications chronologically, but with iOS 12, notifications will be grouped according to which app they were sent from. It's a change that users have been begging Apple to adopt for years, and is incidentally one area where Android has had a major leg-up. It makes it a lot easier to deal with piles and piles of notifications.
You can add your student ID card to your Apple Wallet, to unlock dorm doors or anything else you'd use it for. This works on Apple Watch, too. It's only coming to a handful of univerisites at first, but expect to see this in more places.
FaceTime will support group chats with up to 32 participants. You'll now be able to video chat with multiple people at once on FaceTime — up to 32 participants, to be exact. You'll be able to add participants at any point in the conversation, or participants can choose to join an active conversation from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or use FaceTime Audio from the Apple Watch.
Apple added Memoji, new Animoji, and different camera effects in iOS 12. Apple is expanding its special effects offerings in iOS 12. The new features include: Memoji. These animated avatar mimic your facial expressions and head movements. Memoji are customizable to look like you — or anyone you want — much like Snap's personalized Bitmoji characters. More Animoji. Apple added four new Animoji to its lineup of animated emoji. The new characters include a tiger, koala, T-rex, and ghost. iMessage and FaceTime will get Memoji and Animoji, too. You'll be able to add new filters, Animoji, and Memoji to your photos and FaceTime video, and you'll now be able to include stickers and text in your iMessage conversations.
With ARKit 2, you'll be able to have shared AR experiences. Apple introduced ARKit 2 at WWDC, its first major update to the augmented reality software it introduced last year. ARKit 2 will offer improved face-tracking, more realistic rendering, support for 3D object detection, and the ability to start an AR experience based on a real-world physical object or space. ARKit 2 will support shared experiences, where two or more people can play AR games together. Apple also announced that it's partnering with computer animation studio Pixar to boost its AR initiative. Together, Apple and Pixar developed a new file format for AR called "USDZ," which lets people share content "while retaining great 3D graphics and even animations."

Among hardcore fans of wither major mobile platform, it seems insane that someone might switch from Android to iOS or vice versa. To these “fanboys,” their platform of choice is leaps and bounds better than the alternative and they simply cannot understand why anyone would choose not to have access to all the amazing features their favorite mobile OS provides. Diehard Apple fans can’t imagine using Android phones that are overcomplicated and riddled with malware. Diehard Android fans can’t imagine using an iPhone that is far too basic and closed, so users have no choice but to play by Apple’s rules.
There’s nothing wrong with either of those stances, of course, but they always seem to feel the need to convince everyone else that their opinion is the only opinion. It’s like watching liberals and conservatives argue over politics. It’s also just as likely to induce nausea among in the more even-keeled among us. Indeed, for the rest of us it’s a different story. Our needs change, our wants change, and we use whichever platform might suit us best. Perhaps we decide to switch from Windows to Mac, for example, and ditching a Samsung smartphone for the iPhone seems like a good idea so we can take advantage of Continuity. And then there are people who simply buy whichever new phone they can get a good deal on when it comes time to upgrade, be it an iPhone or an Android device.
Switching between platforms is still an adjustment though, and there are inevitably features from your old phone that a person will miss having on his or her new phone when switching from one platform to another. Stories shared by people who switch from one mobile platform to another are often quite interesting to read. In fact, they’re on the opposite end of the spectrum as the whiny diatribes we see from fanboys who write about why they would never switch. Some people are curious to learn about the benefits another platform might have over their own, and they also want to know about a rival platform’s shortcomings. Every so often, civil conversations pop up on Reddit that are interesting to see, whether or not you’re actually considering making a switch from one platform to another. One such thread popped up on Sunday in the iPhone subreddit, which is often home to discussions that are far more civil than the ones that take place in the larger Apple subreddit.
This particular thread is titled “iPhone users who’ve used android devices before, what feature did you miss the most and did you regret switching to iOS?” It was posted by a Reddit user who is considering making the switch from the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge to an iPhone 8, and he or she was genuinely curious to hear about the experiences people have had when they made the switch from iPhone to Android. After all, learning about the things other people miss after having switched is a great way to prepare oneself and eliminate some surprises. The iPhone subreddit isn’t anywhere near as big as the Apple subreddit, but plenty of people responded to the user’s question. At the time of this writing, there were nearly 150 comments in the thread. The conversations within the thread remained civil as people discussed the key features from Android that they missed when they switched over to the iPhone. As you might expect, the top-voted and most frequently mentioned feature is the Android notification system.
People continue to complain about Apple’s notifications on iOS devices, mainly because Apple’s notifications on iOS devices are awful. With iOS 12 set to be unveiled on Monday during Apple’s big WWDC 2018 keynote, we may finally see Apple take some steps to fix this issue. An interesting thing multiple switchers miss from Android is a feature that counts down to when an alarm goes off. This is great because if you wake up early for example, you can easily dismiss your wake-up alarm(s) instead of having to stop them once they go off anyway, as is the case on the iPhone. Many users also want home screen widgets on the iPhone, and they wish swipe style typing was available on the native iOS keyboard. Third-party keyboards offer swipe text input, but iOS’s third-party keyboard support is horrible so many people steer clear of installing new keyboards.

Apple has traditionally used its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) to offer a sneak peek into the next version of its major software updates. That time of the year is here again and it starts on Monday. The June 4-8 event at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, however, may spring some surprises as rumours of some hardware launches and upgrades are also making the rounds this year.
Among the biggest announcements at Apple’s WWDC 2018 are expected to be about iOS 12. Given the flurry of issues that iOS 11 raised, the next big iOS update is likely to focus on improving reliability and performance, according to a report from Axios. “From a developer standpoint, the biggest thing we’re looking forward to is being able to build applications for iOS and have them be functional on the MacOS platform,” Michael Facemire, Vice President and Principal Analyst at global market research firm Forrester, said in a statement. Also, transformations in Apple’s voice assistant “Siri” this year, remains a topic of speculation at WWDC 2018.
Launched in 2011 on iPhone 4S, “Siri” is not as evolved as Amazon’s “Alexa” and “Google Assistant,” The Verge reported this week. “Despite Siri’s relative adoption among Apple consumers and more recently with Apple Business Chat, more brands plan to invest in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant than in Apple’s ‘Siri,'” said Thomas Husson, Vice President, Principal Analyst serving chief marketing officers at Forrester.
“Beyond Siri, it is likely Apple will push a lot more innovation, for example by enabling AI features at the camera level, by deepening the integration between ARKit and Maps, or by powering near field communications (NFC) usage beyond payments,” Husson added. Refreshed versions of MacBook Pro with upgraded eighth-generation Intel processors and increased RAM and MacBook Air’s 13-inch model with retina display are being speculated. Expectations are also high about the introduction of iPhone SE 2 at the conference.

Mi 8 was launched on Thursday with an iPhone X-like design. While the new Xiaomi flagship is yet to reach the market, folks at DxOMark have managed to test the Mi 8 camera performance to show what's good (and not so good) about the latest Mi series flagship in terms of optics. The Mi 8 has received an overall score of 99 - surpassing the marks DxOMark Image Labs gave to the iPhone X last year and sharing the fourth place with the Galaxy S9+ that also received an identical overall score back in March this year. The overall score is also notably higher than what the Mi Mix 2S received earlier this year.
As per the result of DxOMark's benchmark tests, the Xiaomi Mi 8 has received a photo score of 105 from the DxOMark team, while its video recording capabilities have got a score of 88. To put that in perspective, overall DxOMark ranking leader Huawei P20 Pro got 114 and 98 respectively, second place HTC U12+ got 106 and 95 respectively, third place Huawei P20 got 107 and 94 respectively, fourth place (tied with Xiaomi Mi 8) Samsung Galaxy S9+ got 104 and 91 respectively, fifth place Google Pixel 2 got 99 and 96 respectively, while the sixth place iPhone X got 101 and 89 respectively. The Xiaomi Mi 8 was found to have some improvements in certain areas over the Mi Mix 2S (eighth place overall). The handset is claimed to capture impressively sharp, highly detailed images, along with accurate exposures and natural colours. Against the Mi Mix 2S, the DxOMark team has spotted that the new Mi handset has a slightly improved dynamic range - records a wide tonal range along with high levels of detail in shadows as well as highlights.
Noise levels on the smartphone are also noted as well-controlled. However, it has been noticed that noise reduction on the handset sometimes losses finer details. In terms of low-light, DxOMark considers the Mi 8 as a good performer in low-light levels. It is said to have accurate exposure control and a decent white balance. The team found a slight yellow-green cast on some occasions, though. Similar is the case with autofocus that is reported to be speedy most of the time but sometimes delays to adjust focus. Still images are also found to have the loss of detail in some cases when the light gets dimmer. The zoom performance of the Xiaomi Mi 8 is better when compared against the Mi Mix 2S as the new handset has improved autofocus establish and a smoother focus action over the previous hardware. But importantly, the 2x magnification is not as good as the flagships featuring a telephoto lens.
Bokeh effect on the Mi 8 has also been noticed to have some visible masking errors. On the video recording front, the DxOMark team has found autofocus as the main strength that is said to be fast, accurate, and offer good tracking capabilities while capturing a movement. Colours in videos are good even in low light though detail preservation isn't much impressive when comparing against other flagships. The dual camera setup of the Xiaomi Mi 8 comprises a 12-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 12-megapixel secondary sensor with an f/2.4 aperture - capable of offering 2x optical zoom. Both sensors support dual pixel PDAF.

Apple iPhone X's 'notch display' seems to have become the hot favourite of Android smartphone companies. Though introduced by Essential Phone in March 2017, the notch (a cutout in the display) became widely popular after it came on Apple's tenth-anniversary iPhone. In fact, research company Counterpoint has forecasted that approximately 300 million smartphones sporting the notch will be launched in the year 2018. Of these 300 million smartphones, 55% will be Android phones and the remaining 45% will be from Apple. Here are 6 Android smartphones currently available in India that are iPhone X 'look-alikes' as well as the ones that are set to launch in the country in the coming days.
1. OnePlus 6 (starting Rs Rs 34,999) : The latest smartphone to sport the 'much-famed' notch is OnePlus 6 (review). The device offers a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. OnePlus 6 runs on Qualcomm's latest flagship processor Snapdragon 845 and Adreno 630 GPU. For imaging duties, the OnePlus 6 offers a 16MP primary camera with Sony IMX519 sensor with a 1.22-micron pixel size and f/1.7 aperture. The secondary camera is 20MP with Sony IM376K sensor. On the front, there's a a 16-megapixel with a Sony IMX371 sensor and f/2.0 aperture. OnePlus 6 comes in two variants based on RAM and internal storage capacity, 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage priced at Rs 34,999 and Rs 39,999 respectively.
2. Oppo F7 (starting Rs Rs 21,990) : Oppo's flagship smartphone too comes with an iPhone X-like display. It features a 6.23-inch full-HD+ display with 1080x2280 pixel resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. Oppo F7 (review) has an iPhone X-like notch on the top. Powered by an 64-bit octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor, it comes in two storage options -- 4GB of RAM with 64GB ROM and 6GB of RAM and 128GB ROM. Oppo F7 boasts of the AI Beauty 2.0-powered 25-megapixel front-facing camera and a 16-megapixel camera with LED flash. The Oppo F7 is priced at Rs 21,990, for the 4GB RAM variant and Rs 26,990, for the 6GB RAM variant.
3. Huawei P20 Pro (Rs 64,999) : World's first smartphone with a triple rear camera, Huawei P20 Pro (review) too has notch like iPhone X on its 6.1-inch full HD+ OLED display. Backed by a 4000mAh battery, the device is powered by an octa-core Kirin 970 processor and offers 6GB RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage. The triple rear camera setup includes a 20MP monochrome sensor with f/1.6 aperture, 40MP RGB camera with f/1.8 aperture and an 8MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture. The Huawei P20 Pro is priced at Rs 64,999.
4. Vivo V9 (Rs 23,990) : Vivo's flagship smartphone Vivo V9 (review) too has iPhone X-like 'notch display'. Priced at Rs 22,990 ,it has a 6.3-inch IPS LCD ‘FullView’ display with 2280 x 1080 pixels resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. In other specs, Vivo V9 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage. It features a 24MP selfie camera along with f/2.0 aperture and a dual rear camera setup of 16MP (f/2.0 aperture) and a 5MP (f/2.2 aperture).
5. Honor 10 (Rs 32,999) : Huawei's sub-brand Honor 10 features a 5.84-inch full HD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and the notch. It is powered by the latest octa-core company's own Kirin 970 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and offers 128 GB of internal storage. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI 8.1 interface and is powered by a 3400mAh battery with support for Fast Charging.
6. Huawei P20 Lite (Rs 19,999) : The other Huawei smartphone with the notch is the P20 Lite. As the name suggests, it is the toned down version of the P20 Pro. The device has a 5.8-inch TFT LCD full HD+ display. It is powered by an octa-core Kirin 659 processor and has 4GB of RAM along with 64GB inbuilt storage. Backed by a 3,000mAh battery, it offers a dual rear camera setup that includes a 16MP and a 2MP sensors at f/2.2 aperture. On the front, there is a 16MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture.
7. Soon to be launched: Asus Zenfone 5Z : The flagship smartphone from Asus was first launched at the Mobile World Congress 2018, and is soon expected to launch in India. The iPhone X-like notch marks a major design change for the Zenfone series smartphone. In terms of specs, the handset has a 6.2-inch full HD+ IPS display with 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB inbuilt storage.
8. Soon to be launched: Asus Zenfone 5 : Launched along with the Zenfone 5Z at MWC 2018, Asus Zenfone 5 has the same notch and a vertically-placed dual rear camera setup. The handset runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, clubbed with 4GB RAM or 6GB RAM and 64GB in-built storage. Other specifications of the ZenFone 5 match those of the ZenFone 5Z, with the primary differences seen in the processor, RAM, and storage sections.
9. Likely to be launched soon: Nokia X6 : Nokia's first smartphone to sport the notch, Nokia X6, is also expected to launch in India soon. It is not as premium as the Nokia 8 Sirocco based on the specifications and price and can be placed in the mid-range segment. It offers a 5.8-inch FHD+ display of 2280x1080 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 19:9. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, the smartphone comes in two storage options -- 4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage. On the camera front, the Nokia X6 has a dual rear camera setup that includes a 16MP autofocus sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP monochrome sensor with f/2.2 aperture. At the front there is a 16MP camera with f/2.0 aperture.
10. Likely to be launched soon: LG G7 ThinQ, G7+ ThinQ : Both the latest handsets from South Korean tech giant also feature the iPhone X-like notch. With most of the specs same, the LG G7 ThinQ, G7+ ThinQ smartphones differ in terms of RAM and internal storage. The G7 ThinQ has 4GB RAM with 64GB inbuilt storage, the LG G7+ ThinQ has 6GB RAM with 128GB inbuilt storage. Rest stays common. Both handsets feature a a 6.1-inch QHD+ FullVision display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. They have dual rear camera setup of two 16MP sensors. At the front, there is an 8MP camera. Both smartphones are backed by a 3000mAh battery that also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 tech. There is no confirmation about the India launch of both LG handsets, but they are expected to hit the market soon.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ launched about two months ago. The OnePlus 6 began shipping earlier this week, and the LG G7 ThinQ is set to hit store shelves next week. The Galaxy Note 9 is on the horizon, and HTC just unveiled its intriguing new U12+. And yet despite the fact that there are so many impressive flagship phones out there right now and even more coming over the course of the next few months, Apple’s next-generation iPhone X successors still manage to soak up most of the attention and anticipation.
We’re about four months away from the releases of the next-generation iPhone X, the larger “iPhone X Plus,” and a brand new addition to the iPhone lineup. Four months tends to feel like a lifetime for smartphone fans, and yet Apple’s upcoming new iPhones are still dominating the tech news cycle. The biggest report of the day yesterday was news that Apple’s new A12 processor for its 2018 iPhone models has entered mass production, and in the process we got confirmation that it’s going to wipe the floor with the Snapdragon chip that powers this year’s Android flagships. Apple’s upcoming new iPhones are set to be the biggest story of the day once again on Thursday, and this time around it’s because of what might be the first major leak to include a photo of key 2018 iPhone components.
Today’s big next-generation iPhone leak is a bit murky. On one hand, it comes from a source with a good track record. He calls himself Mr. White on Twitter, and he has leaked accurate info and images in the past. But there’s a big problem with the tweet he posted early Thursday morning, and Apple fans who pay attention to the rumor mill will notice it right away. Did you catch it? If not, we’ll bring you up to speed. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the former KGI Securities analyst who is by far the most accurate Apple insider out there, Apple plans to launch three new iPhones this September.
One will be a straight iPhone X successor with a 5.8-inch OLED display, and the second will be a larger “iPhone X Plus” with a 6.5-inch OLED display. The third new iPhone model we’re expecting is a mid-range iPhone with a 6.1-inch display and a price tag that could start as low as $549. The image above supposedly shows the 6.1-inch screens from that third new iPhone model, so what’s the problem? The problem is that this new mid-range iPhone supposedly keeps the price down by including less RAM, dropping 3D Touch support, using aluminum instead of stainless steel, and ditching the pricey OLED display in favor of a much less expensive LCD screen. In other words, there is no 6.1-inch OLED screen, if Ming-Chi Kuo is correct.
And Ming-Chi Kuo is almost always correct. Now, it’s still entirely possible that Mr. White’s leak is legitimate. He may have just made an error and we could be looking at 6.1-inch LCD screens destined for Apple’s new mid-range iPhone X successor. He also might have mistyped the size, and these could be 6.5-inch OLED panels headed to the “iPhone X Plus.” It’s unclear, but again, he has a good track record so it’s certainly not out of the realm of reason that this could be our first real look at display panels destined for one of Apple’s 2018 iPhone models.

Something strange is happening right now in the smartphone market: Apple no longer makes the most powerful smartphone in the world. Well actually, we should amend that statement a bit. The A11 Bionic processor that powers Apple’s iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 8 indeed outperforms every other smartphone that’s currently available. Each of Apple’s three flagship iPhones score over 4200 on GeekBench’s single-core test, while the top-performing Android phone only managed a score of 3400. Apple’s 2017 iPhones also crush the competition in the multi-core test, with scores reaching as high as nearly 10200. Meanwhile, only one Android phone has managed to break 9000 so far. The iPhone X and Apple’s other current-generation flagship phones pack plenty of power. Power has never been Apple’s problem. The problem recently has been iOS, or more specifically, iOS 11. It has been plagued by bugs, security holes, RAM management problems, and other issues since the day it was released in September 2017.
Things have certainly gotten better over time as Apple continued to release software updates, and the current version — iOS 11.3.1 — offers big improvements compared to last year’s initial release. But there are still lingering issues that hinder performance, and there is still plenty of work to be done before iOS is back up to snuff. Of course, all this isn’t to say that the burden lies squarely on Apple and Qualcomm’s current generation of Snapdragon chips are unimpressive. The Snapdragon 845 that powers the current flock of Android flagships brings impressive performance and efficiency gains. Coupled with gobs of RAM, as is the case on new Android phones like the OnePlus 6, the Snapdragon 845 processor soars. OnePlus’ new flagship phone blew past the Galaxy S9, and therefor iPhone X, in the kind of real-world speed test that Apple used to dominate. But Apple’s A11 Bionic is still the more powerful chipset — and in 2018, it sounds like Apple is set to retake the throne. A new report from Bloomberg on Wednesday morning states that Apple’s chip fabrication partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has begun mass production of the next-generation processors that will power Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup. Apple is expected to release three new iPhone models this coming September, including an iPhone X successor, an “iPhone X Plus” with a larger OLED display, and a mid-range iPhone with an LCD screen sized between the two. All three new iPhone models should be powered by the same A12 processor that TSMC just began producing. As we’ve heard a number of times in the past, Bloomberg reiterates that the A12 will be based on a 7-nanometer process. The Snapdragon 845 chipset that powers all of this year’s Android flagships is based on a 10-nanometer process, which is what Apple’s A11 Bionic chip used for last year’s iPhones. Apple’s 7-nanometer chips will be smaller, faster, and more efficient than the current crop of 10-nanometer chips, offering big performance gains in Apple’s upcoming 2018 iPhone lineup.
But that’s only half of the equation. Apple’s WWDC 2018 conference kicks off in less than two weeks on June 4th, which is when the company will host its big keynote presentation. The star of the show at this year’s WWDC keynote will be iOS 12, of course. Apple reportedly had big plans for iOS 12, but then it decided to strip out some of the new features the company had been prepping. Why? To focus on improving performance and ironing out the bugs that have marred the iOS 11 user experience. So what can we expect from Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup? We already know all about Apple’s new designs and basic specs thanks to former KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which are shown in the graphic above. As we can see, Apple’s iPhone X update and the larger “iPhone X Plus” will pack the most RAM Apple has ever included in an iPhone. We also know that Apple is laser focused on bringing big performance improvements to iOS 12, and now we can state with near certainty that the upcoming new A12 chipset is based on a 7-nanometer process. All this adds up to Apple’s 2018 iPhone models turning out to be the most powerful and efficient smartphones the world has ever seen, and we’ll almost certainly see them crush every Android phone out there once again in performance and speed tests.

Like most other smartphone vendors out there, OnePlus has a history of copying Apple’s iPhone designs. The notion of Android vendors copying Apple’s iPhone designs is obviously nothing new. But last year’s OnePlus 5 is notable because it was one of the most blatant iPhone copies we had seen in quite some time. In a nutshell, the OnePlus 5 was an iPhone 7 Plus that ran Android. I mean, look at this thing. Not only did it sport the same design, OnePlus even copied elements of Apple’s software design, such as the camera UI. That was particularly ironic, because the OnePlus 5 also copied the iPhone 7 Plus’ dual-lens rear camera and used the second lens for the exact same features as Apple’s iPhone: Optical zoom and a portrait mode effect. In 2018, OnePlus dialed things back a bit. Sort of. Yes, one of the first things you’ll notice about the newly announced OnePlus 6 is that it has a notch cut out of the top of the display, and it’s shaped just like the one on the iPhone X.
The OnePlus 6 is one of dozens of Android phones that copy the iPhone X’s display design, though — you can see 20 Android-powered iPhone X copycats all in one place right here. There are a few other ways the OnePlus 6 takes inspiration from Apple, but there’s also one important way that this phone improves upon Apple’s iPhone X design. For the first time ever, we found a group of people who love Apple’s iPhone design even more than Apple fanboys: Android phone designers. In 2018, Android handset designers around the world apparently decided to take the year off.
Why bother putting all that time, effort, and money into designing your own phone when Apple can do all the heavy lifting for you? We’ve seen countless iPhone copycats over the years, but we’ve never seen quite so many Android phone makers all copy Apple at once. The new OnePlus 6 wouldn’t have a notch in its display had it not been for Apple’s iPhone X. That said, we’ve seen some Android phones out there that are complete iPhone X copycats from top to bottom. The OnePlus 6 might have the iPhone X’s notch, but it’s one of the tamest examples we’ve seen among Android phones that swiped Apple’s display design. The rest of the phone doesn’t look like the iPhone X at all. Actually, it sort of looks like someone slapped the front of the iPhone X onto the back of the LG G7 ThinQ… which is a phone that also stole Apple’s iPhone X display design, so I suppose one might say the OnePlus 6 simply looks like an LG G7 ThinQ. There is one other way OnePlus might have taken inspiration from Apple, actually, and it’s a bit bizarre. Smartphones with glass backs have existed for years, but Apple didn’t switch to a design with an all-glass back until 2017 when it added wireless charging support to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
This was a design decision born of necessity since current wireless charging technology doesn’t work efficiently through aluminum. Purely by coincidence, I’m sure, OnePlus decided to adopt a new design for the OnePlus 6 this year that also uses a glass back. What’s so bizarre about that? Well, OnePlus decided to switch from a metal back to a more fragile glass back on the OnePlus 6… but it didn’t add wireless charging support to the phone. That particular decision was a bit odd, sure, but the end result is a new flagship smartphone that looks fantastic. And there’s one thing in particular about the OnePlus 6’s design that I actually believe to be a big improvement over Apple’s iPhone X. It’s something I’ve discussed several times in the past here on the site: The size. The 5.8 inch display measurement on the iPhone X is somewhat misleading. Yes, the phone’s beautiful OLED does in fact measure 5.8 inches diagonally. But the iPhone X’s excessively narrow aspect ratio of 19.5:9 means the total surface area of the display isn’t very large at all. In fact, the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus actually has a bigger display than the 5.8-inch iPhone X. OnePlus’ display on the OnePlus 6 measures 6.28 inches diagonally, and it’s sooooo much better.
The aspect ratio is about the same at 19:9, but the added size makes all the difference in the world. The iPhone X can feel a bit cramped at times, and fonts can be a bit small on some pages. Meanwhile, everything is crystal clear on the OnePlus 6’s nice big display. As I’ve mentioned a few times on the site — most recently in a post titled “2018 might be the first year I don’t buy a flagship iPhone” — this is going to be a tricky year for me and countless other iPhone users out there who are in the same boat. Finding the right balance between screen size and overall phone size is tough. Apple’s upcoming “iPhone X Plus” is expected to have a 6.5-inch screen, and I think that’s going to make the phone too large to be used comfortably with one hand. There will supposedly be a 6.1-inch iPhone model as well, and it might end up being the perfect size. But that model will have an LCD screen instead of OLED, less impressive specs, and maybe even a “chin” bezel at the bottom (which would be a deal-breaker). The OnePlus 6 is a great size with its 6.28-inch display. It’s narrower and a bit shorter than the iPhone 8 Plus, so it’s a bit more comfortable to use with one hand. I still wouldn’t mind a phone that’s a tiny bit narrower though, and the 6.1-inch iPhone will likely fit the bill. Now it’s just a matter of waiting to find out exactly what the tradeoffs will be for people who opt for Apple’s upcoming mid-range iPhone model.

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus finally launched its much-teased flagship smartphone OnePlus 6 globally at an event in London. The smartphone packs the latest processor and comes with the iPhone X like notch screen feature. It sports a dual rear camera setup and fast charging support (courtesy Dash Charge technology). Wondering how the smartphone competes with the other flagship devices available in market? We have done a spec-by-spec comparison of the OnePlus 6 with Samsung Galaxy S9+ and the iPhone X to see the difference between the smartphones.
Display OnePlus 6 comes with a 6.28-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with 1080x2260 pixel resolution. The display is protected with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass and has 19:9 aspect ratio. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ features a QHD+ Curved Super AMOLED with 18.5:9 aspect ratio and 1440x2960 pixels resolution, while the Apple iPhone X sports a 5.8-inch Super Retina display with 1125x2436 pixel resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
Operating system Talking about the operating system, both OnePlus 6 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ runs on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. However, OnePlus 6 runs Android 8.1, while the Samsung Galaxy S9+ runs Android 8.0. On the other hand, the iPhone X runs iOS 11.2 operating system out-of-the-box.
Processor The OnePlus 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 processor, while the Samsung Galaxy S9+ packs the company’s own octa-core Exynos 9810 SoC. Apple also use its own chipsets in its devices and the iPhone X is powered by A11 Bionic chipset.
RAM and storage OnePlus 6 comes in two RAM and three storage versions. The smartphone offers 6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage. While the Samsung Galaxy S9+ comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage. On the other hand, iPhone X offers 3GB of RAM and 64GB/256GB internal storage.
Camera On the camera front, all the three smartphones come with dual rear camera setup. OnePlus 6 features a 16MP primary and 20MP secondary camera modules. The 16MP module consists of the Sony IMX519 sensor and f/1.7 aperture, while the 20MP module has same aperture and Sony IM376K sensor. On the front, the device houses a 16MP shooter with Sony IMX371 sensor. The Samsung Galaxy S9 sports two 12MP modules out of which one is a telephoto lens and other is a wide angle lens. This one also comes with an 8MP front snapper. Apple iPhone X boasts of two 12MP sensors with optical image stabalisation and a 7MP FaceTime HD camera to facilitate video calling and selfies.
Battery In terms of battery capacity, the OnePlus 6 is backed by a 3300mAh battery with Dash Charge fast-charging support. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ houses a 3500mAh battery with fast-charging and the iPhone X packs a 2716mAh battery with wireless charging support. Price The company has not yet announced the price of OnePlus 6, but going by its past trends it is expected that the smartphone will come with a starting price tag of Rs 37,999. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ comes with a starting price tag of Rs 61,799 and the price of iPhone X starts at Rs 83,999.

After the notch display trend, it seems that the next focus of the smartphone makers is on the triple camera setup. Recently, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei launched its flagship smartphone Huawei P20 Pro with triple camera and now Apple is also planning to join the same bandwagon. The Cupertino-based tech giant is said to launch one iPhone model with triple camera lens in the second half of next year. Citing a research note from Yuanta Securities analyst Jeff Pu, the Taipei Times reported that Apple is planning to introduce triple rear camera iPhone in 2019.
On the other hand, in a different report by Economic Daily News, the camera is expected to have a 6P lens design with up to 5x zoom and at least one 12MP module. In addition to this, the third lens might support 3x optical zoom. This will be first time when an iPhone will come with 3X optical zoom as iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all come with 2x optical zoom. It is also expected that the triple lens rear camera will be introduced only in the high-end iPhone, this means that the third-generation iPhone X or the iPhone X Plus will sport three cameras.
Talking about the 2018 lineup of iPhones, the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that this year the company will not be making any major upgrades to the present dual rear camera setup of the iPhone X. Recently, it was reported that Apple has rolled out a new support document for authorised retail stores, mentioning a ‘new’ way to fix the iPhone X FaceID issues if they ever come across one. The support document, obtained by 9to5Mac interestingly talks about fixing the iPhone X’s rear camera in order to get FaceID working.

A report from a solid source that just hit the wire on Friday morning suggests that Samsung may finally have a launch schedule in place for its mysterious new Galaxy X. The company first confirmed that it was working on a smartphone with a foldable display back in 2017. At the time, a Samsung executive said that the company was targeting 2018 for the phone’s release, but numerous reports have since stated that the phone’s debut has bene pushed back to 2019. Honestly, that’s a very good thing, and it’s uncharacteristic for Samsung. The company has been known to rush out new products long before they’re ready for primetime, so it’s refreshing to see Samsung take a step back and make sure it gets things right before releasing the Galaxy X. According to this new report, the phone will have a 3.5-inch screen on the outside and the approximate equivalent of two 3.5-inch displays on the inside. When it folds open, its total screen area will be in the high 6-inch range. It’s a nifty idea and the Galaxy X could be truly impressive if Samsung manages to use a folding OLED panel so there’s no seam where the hinge is placed. But to be frank, it’s really not all that appealing to me. The device is bound to be awkwardly thick, and I’m not sure gaining a diagonal inch is worth dealing with the large size, the inevitable hit to battery life, or the weird aspect ratio.
As it turns out, Samsung is in the early stages of working on a radical new smartphone design that would be completely unlike anything we’ve seen before. Did you catch that part that began at the 57 second mark? Panasonic demoed a television with a display that is completely transparent when it’s turned off. It’s absolutely incredible, and I need 10 of them right now. If you go back a bit to the 37 second mark, you can see another awesome design that puts a transparent display on the front of a wine cooler, but this time Panasonic only lights up part of the screen at a time. This way, the panel can display information but you can still see the wine inside the cooler. By now you probably see where we’re going with this. What would happen if Samsung took these technologies and shrunk them down so they could fit in your pocket? Well, you would end up with one of the most exciting and novel new smartphone designs the world has ever seen. The regulatory filing hawks over at Patently Mobile just dug up a pair of patents that were awarded to Samsung this week by the Unites States Patent and Trademark Office. As illustrated in the technical drawing above, the patents cover a smartphone with a transparent design. That would be… awesome.
As you might have surmised after watching the video above, a Samsung phone with a transparent display could light up the entire screen and be used just like a regular smartphone. But portions of the display could show graphics while other portions remain transparent, resulting in an augmented reality experience the likes of which the world has never seen on a smartphone. Samsung first showed off fully functional transparent displays all the way back in 2015, so the company has been working on this technology for quite a while now. Of course, that doesn’t mean a smartphone with a transparent display will launch anytime soon. In fact, even with these new patents brought to light, Samsung may never launch a phone with a transparent display. Companies constantly work on new technologies that never see the light of day — bet let’s hope that’s not the case here, because this device could be the most exciting smartphone the world has ever seen.

If you’re anything like me, you’re going to have a hell of a time choosing your next iPhone when September rolls around. On one hand, you’ve got a new first-of-its-kind mid-range iPhone coming that’ll feature the same design as the flagships, similar specs, and a price tag that could start at just $550. If rumors from the world’s most accurate Apple insider pan out, it’ll feature an LCD display instead of an OLED screen, an aluminum midframe instead of stainless steel, and no 3D Touch support. But seriously, who cares about 3D Touch support and stainless steel? The LCD display is doable considering how great Apple’s LCDs are, and any performance hit resulting from less RAM should be more than offset by the $400 or so that one stands to save by choosing this model over a flagship 2018 iPhone. On top of all that, it looks like this new mid-tier iPhone model is going to be the perfect size.
Then, on the other hand, you’ve got the upcoming iPhone X Plus. This new phone — which definitely won’t be called the “iPhone X Plus,” by the way — will be just like Apple’s current iPhone X, but larger. Rumor has it that in addition to a next-generation A series processor and all the upgraded internal components, the iPhone X Plus will feature a nice big 6.5-inch OLED screen. It’ll also feature a nice big price tag that climbs well over $1,000 for the model with the most storage. Decisions, decisions! The prospect of saving $500 when I buy my next iPhone is obviously quite enticing. I also think the mid-range model’s 6.1-inch display will make it the perfect size. Apple’s current iPhone X is a bit too small for my taste. Since the phone’s 5.8-inch OLED screen has such a narrow aspect ratio of 19.5:9, the screen really isn’t that big at all. In fact, the iPhone 8 Plus’ 5.5-inch display actually has more real estate than the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch screen.
Is 2018 really going to be the first year since 2006 that I don’t buy a flagship iPhone? A new set of renders from graphic designer Martin Hajek just served as a painful reminder that I’m probably going to cough up twice the cash and spring for the iPhone X Plus. In a post on his blog, Hajek showed us just how gorgeous the supersized iPhone X will turn out to be. Hajek might not be great at rendering the human hand — seriously, the thumb in that image above is going to haunt my nightmares — but he’s basically a wizard when it comes to rendering smartphones. Hajek’s imagining of what Apple’s new iPhone X Plus will look like this year is likely almost perfectly accurate. I say “almost” because Hajek decided to imagine what an iPhone with a triple-lens camera a la Huawei’s P20 Pro might look like.
It’s a neat idea, and Huawei’s new flagship phone does have the best camera in the business right now, but there is absolutely no chance the iPhone X Plus packs in three camera sensors on the back. Apple might release an iPhone with a triple-lens camera at some point, but it won’t be this year. Beyond rendering the hot upcoming iPhone X Plus itself, Hajek also imagined what the plus-sized 2018 iPhone will look like next to the 5.8-inch iPhone X and Apple’s rumored iPhone SE 2, which should be announced in the coming months. The iPhone SE 2 is expected to feature a design much like the current model, but with upgraded internal components and a glass back for wireless charging. Check out the rest of the renders on Hajek’s blog, but remember that I warned you about that bizarre alien hand.

We have already seen some of the major smartphone launches of the year. However, there are many that still remain. While some of the big names have already entered India such as Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro and more, the popular budget handsets such as Moto G6 series, Honor 10 and others are likely to enter the Indian market in the coming weeks. So here are 14 smartphones that are expected to show up in the Indian shelves in or before the end of June quarter.
1. OnePlus 6 : The wait is almost over for OnePlus fans. OnePlus 6 has already been confirmed by the company and the India launch dates too are out. The smartphone will be arriving in India on May 17. There is no word on the pricing yet. The device, like last time, will be exclusively available on Amazon India's website. Some of the expected features include Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, display with ‘Notch’, similar back panel as OnePlus 5T and dual rear cameras among others.
2. Oppo ‘Realme’ phones : Oppo has confirmed that it will soon be launching a new ‘online-only’ smartphone brand in India with the name ‘Realme’. This series is said to come with handsets that will aim to undercut the market captured by the likes of Xiaomi and Motorola.
3. Apple iPhone SE 2 : Apple iPhone SE 2 is one of the widely rumoured smartphones that is said to launch in June at the company's annual developers event WWDC 2018. Few reports suggest that the smartphone will sport a glass back and will essentially come with a similar design as its predecessor. However, some reports also indicate it to feature a ‘Notch’ like with the iPhone X.
4. Honor 10 : Honor 10 has been officially confirmed to arrive in India soon. The Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has been running teasers of the smartphone since past few days. The smartphone has already been launched in China so the specifications are out in the open. Some of the key specs included are 5.84-inch FHD+, Kirin 970 processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 24MP+16MP rear camera, 24MP front camera and 3400mAh battery.
5. Asus Zenfone 5, Zenfone 5Z : Asus Zenfone 5 has already been launched in India but is still to go on sale. The smartphone comes with the famed Apple iPhone X-like ‘Notch’ design and top-of-the-line specifications. The series includes the Zenfone 5 and the Zenfone 5Z. The Zenfone 5Z includes a 6.2-inch FullHD+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 8GB RAM, dual rear cameras and 8MP front camera.
6. Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play : Moto G6 smartphones are already out in select markets outside India. The series includes G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play. The G6 includes 5.7-inch fullHD screen, 12MP+5MP rear cameras, 8MP front camera, 32GB inbuilt storage, 3000mh battery. The other two handsets come with a slightly different set of specifications.
7. Moto E5, E5 Plus and E5 Play : Like Moto G6 series, Moto E5 series could also launch on or before June this year. The list includes the Moto E5, E5 Plus and E5 Play. Moto E5 features a 6-inch HD+, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5000mAh battery, 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. Other variants feature slightly different specifications.
8. Xiaomi A2 (Mi 6X) : Xiaomi is also expected to launch its Mi 6X smartphone in India soon as the Mi A2. The A2 is likely to run on stock Android OS. The smartphone is already out in China and features a 5.9-inch full HD+, octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC, 4GB/6GB RAM, 12MP+20MP rear cameras, 20MP front camera and 3010mAh battery.
9. Samsung Galaxy A6, A6+ : Samsung has just launched its Galaxy A6 and the Galaxy A6+ smartphones with ‘Infinity Display’. The company has not yet confirmed when these will come to India but has mentioned that the two smartphones will reach Europe, Asia and Latin America in early May. Some of the key features of the smartphone 5.6-inch HD+ octa-core processor, 3GB/4GB RAM, 3000mAh battery, 16MP rear and front camera.

The next flagship OnePlus 6 smartphone is all set to launch in India on May 17. The company has confirmed that it will be holding an exclusive OnePlus 6 sale for Amazon Prime members starting from May 21. There’s a lot of hype being generated around the OnePlus 6 launch. Rumours and leaks about the upcoming OnePlus 6 smartphone have been doing rounds on the internet for months now. The company itself has confirmed several specifications of the smartphone via teasers. Some of the OnePlus 6 smartphone features confirmed by the company include Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The company has also confirmed that OnePlus 6 will be water-resistant. This will make it the first OnePlus device to come with water resistant rating. Reports have also claimed that OnePlus will be the company's most-expensive smartphone till date. Having said that the new OnePlus 6 is expected to be priced under Rs 40,000. A new report claims that the OnePlus 6 to be available at Rs 36,999 for the 64GB storage version. So, if you are waiting to buy the upcoming OnePlus 6 smartphone, here are its five biggest rivals under Rs 40,000.
1) Samsung Galaxy A8+ Launched in January 2018 for a price of Rs 32,990, Samsung had pitched the Galaxy A8+ as an affordable version of its older flagship Galaxy S8. The key highlight of the Samsung Galaxy A8+ will be its dual front camera setup. It sports a 16MP primary camera and 8MP secondary camera with f/1.9 aperture each. On the back, the Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 16MP camera with f1.7 aperture. In terms of other specs, the handset features a 6-inch FHD Super AMOLED Infinity Display of 2220 x 1080p resolution. The handset is powered by octa-core Exynos 7885 processor with Mali-G71 GPU. In terms of storage it has 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM, along with microSD card support of up to 256GB. The Galaxy A8+ has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor and IP68 rating, making the device dust and water resistant. Running Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box, the dual-SIM smartphone offers 4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac2.4G+5GHz, VHT80, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GPS, and USB Type-C. The handset is backed by a 3,500mAh battery
2) Nokia 8 Launched for a price of Rs 36,999 in September 2017, the Nokia 8 is now available for as low as Rs 28,499. The Nokia 8 features a 5.3-inch Quad HD display with 1440x2560 pixel resolution. The display is protected with layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top. The smartphone runs Android 8.0 Oreo update and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB by inserting a microSD card. It flaunts a metal unibody design and comes with Nokia OZO audio.
It is a 360-degree audio technology for better multimedia experience. It comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor placed on the front panel and is backed by a 3090mAh battery with Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 support. Measuring 151.5 x 73.7 x 7.9 mm, the smartphone offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-F-, Bluetooth, USB Type C and NFC as connectivity options. The smartphone features two 13MP cameras at the rear end. The primary camera takes coloured shots with OIS, while the secondary one shoots in monochrome. The primary camera comes with aperture of f/2.0 along with PDAF and dual-tone flash. There is also a 13MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture and display flash for taking selfies in low light.
3) Moto Z2 Force Motorola had launched the Moto Z2 Force in February 2018 in India for a price of Rs 34,999. The smartphone’s highlight is its signature ShatterShield display. The Moto Z2 Force is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The Moto Z2 Force comes with a 5.5-inch QuadHD AMOLED touchscreen, which has a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels and a pixel density of around 534ppi. The Z2 Force includes a dual-camera setup at the back. The two 12MP sensors (one RGB and one monochrome) of Moto Z2 Force’s dual-camera system are complemented by laser and phase detection autofocus, two-tone dual-LED flash, and optical image stabilization. At the front is a 5MP selfie shooter, with a two-tone dual-LED flash of its own. Connectivity features include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. There’s a USB Type-C port at the bottom, but unfortunately no 3.5mm audio port. It is backed by a 2,730mAh battery.
4) Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 While we wait for the latest Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S to launch in India, the older Mi Mix 2 competes fiercely in this segment. Priced at Rs 32,999, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 sports a bezel-less 5.99-inch QHD display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and sports 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. On the camera front, Mi Mix 2 has a 12MP Sony IMX382 sensor with a larger pixel size of 1.25um and 4-axis optical image stabilisation. The front camera is 5MP. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is powered by the company's own MIUI 9 based on Google's Android 7 Nougat. As for connectivity, the Mi Mix 2 offers support for LTE 4, dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi, 4G +. In all, it supports 43 bands. The smartphone, however, lacks support for 3.5 mm headphone jack.
5) Apple iPhone 6S The older Apple iPhone 6S is still in demand in India for smartphone buyers with a budget of under Rs 40,000. Launched way back in October 2015, the iPhone 6S is now available for as low as Rs 36,000 for the 32GB storage variant. With a screen size of 4.7-inch, the iPhone 6S features a 3D Touch technology, which allows the screen panel to differentiate between types of touches and taps in preloaded apps as well as on the homescreen. It is powered by the A9 processor with 2GB RAM (reported) and run iOS 9 operating system out-of-the-box.
While the iPhone 6S come in three storage variants - 16, 64, and 128GB, there is no support for microSD cards for storage expansions. There is a 12MP rear camera backed by dual-tone dual-LED flash, while the front camera have a 5MP sensors. The iPhone 6S was the first to come with Live Photos, which can turn photos into short videos. The rear camera has also got 4K recording to capture high-resolution videos. According to Apple, the iPhone 6S delivers up to 14 hours talk time on 3G and up to 10 days standby time. The 6S Plus offers up to 24 hours talk time on 3G and up to 16 days standby time. The new iPhones feature second-generation TouchID sensor and are made of tough aircraft grade aluminium. The phone support 4G LTE.

A few months ago I told you about a nifty little iOS trick that may very well keep some iPhone and iPad users from losing their minds. How annoying is it when you try to move an app icon from a main home screen into a folder? You inevitably miss a few times so the folder hops back and forth on either side of the icon you’re trying to move. And heaven forbid the folder in question is at the end of a row, because you’ll probably end up getting too close to the edge of the screen and flipping to the next page. Apple’s little “jiggle mode” in iOS is cute and iconic, but it’s also infuriating. In that post from a few months ago, I explained that you can simply tap and hold the icon you’re trying to move with one finger and then tap the target folder with a second finger. Voila, the folder is open and you can easily drop the app anywhere you want. It’s a great little trick that I use often, but it turns out there are some additional tricks most people still don’t know about. The concept of using two hands to move app icons opens up a bunch of possibilities that’ll make your life easier.
For example, while holding an app icon with one finger, you can also swipe between home screens with another finger instead of trying to hover at the edge of the display (and accidentally letting go of the icon, of course). You can also tap to open a folder and then swipe between pages in that folder. But there’s another cool trick along the same lines, and I honestly had no idea it existed. It wasn’t until a BGR reader emailed me last night with a link that I discovered it, and I’m glad I did because it’s a big time-saver… if you manage to remember it’s available. The trick was posted a couple of weeks ago on a site called Finer Tech, and it’s great. In a nutshell, you can tap on additional app icons while you’re holding onto one app, and it’ll enable you to move multiple apps at the same time. Then you can relocate all those apps at the same time, and they’ll remain in the same order when you finally drop them on another home screen or inside a folder.

Apple is in the news for all the unwanted stuff these days. The Apple iPhone X isn’t particularly doing well across the world including India, and the company is rumoured to launch a refreshed MacBook Air this year at the WWDC 2018. However, for some unknown reasons, Apple has now informed its supply chain partners a change in the production of the upcoming MacBook Air. That said, Apple did not inform the reason behind the change in schedule to the supply partners, but now it’s unlikely that Apple will unveil the notebook at its Developers Conference in June.
Earlier, it was said that Apple is planning to introduce a MacBook Air refresh in the third quarter of 2018 (at its September event) and this report of pushing back the production falls in-line with the same. “Apple has informed supply chain partners that mass production of its new notebook model for 2018 will not kick off until the second half of the year, yet without explaining the rescheduling move. Some partners speculated that the postponement might be caused by problems with some key components such as processors,” a DigiTimes report stated.
Earlier this month, it was rumoured that Apple would introduce a 2018 version of the MacBook Air at the WWDC 2018 event which is set to kickstart on June 4. The planned MacBook Air 2018 is said to be the first Air model to feature a Retina display that will be produced by South Korean electronics company LG. The new MacBook Air will keep the same form factor and said to arrive with upgraded internals. One of the key highlights of the upcoming MacBook Air will be its price. In the United States, Apple was rumoured to launch the new model at around $899 or even $799 to counter the strong sales of Chromebooks. But this information was given by market observers.
In the past couple of years, the sales of Apple MacBooks have come down drastically, and the cheaper price is expected to boost the sales of MacBooks by over 10% in 2018. The DigiTimes report further claimed that the production of new iPhones would also kick off in the third quarter. Apple might force its EMS plants in China with the additional workforce to meet the sufficient product of 2018 iPhones and MacBook Air devices. During the upcoming Developers Conference event in June, Apple might announce the much-awaited iPhone SE 2 or iPhone SE (2018) with upgraded internals and design compared to the 2016 iPhone SE. The Cupertino-based company will also announce the iOS 12 Beta version at the event.

Apple, apart from launching three new iPhone models later this is, is also expected to launch the second-generation of the iPhone SE called the iPhone SE 2 as its first smartphone of 2018. The phone is speculated to be launched in May or at Apple's WWDC 2018 event on June 4. The handset has been making news for as long as we can remember and it's quite obvious given the fact that it will be the cheapest of the new iPhones that are going to be launched this year. Like its predecessor, the iPhone SE, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to have a good showing in markets like India. And while reports suggest that it will have an iPhone X-inspired edge-to-edge display, there are also some conflicting reports that suggest otherwise.
Some early reports suggested the phone will retain the same 4-inch display size of its predecessor, but that was challenged when an image from Chinese social network Weibo showed up, revealing a radically different iPhone SE 2 with a full-screen notched display and no Home Button like that of the iPhone X. This also indicated that the iPhone SE 2 might not feature Touch ID and shift completely to the iPhone X's Face ID facial recognition for security and authentication. However, later reports suggested that Apple may not include Face ID in the new handset. But we came across a hands-on video of the purported iPhone SE 2 showing an almost unchanged design complete with what seems like a smallish 4-inch display. There's also a home button, unlike what some reports had us believe, and this indicates that the iPhone SE 2 will feature Touch ID. The only changes seen is a glass back panel which is reminiscent of the iPhone 8 family, particularly so with the off-whitish Rose Gold iPhone SE 2 in the video.
The iPhone SE 2's glass back is in line with previous reports that suggest that it may come with wireless charging support like the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. The video also shows a 3.5mm headphone jack on the extreme left on the bottom, contrary to another report that suggested the iPhone SE 2 will follow its elder siblings and ditch the headphone jack completely. Now that we have substantial reports and leaked images and videos, we can safely compile a run-down of the expected feature or a 'what we know so far' about the iPhone SE 2. So let's take a look.
Apple iPhone SE 2: What we know so far Apple is expected to launch the iPhone SE 2 sometime in late May or during the company's annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) event which will begin June 4 and conclude June 8, 2018. The iPhone SE 2 could launch with a not-so-different design which will be quite similar to the iPhone SE and may not feature a radically different iPhone X-ish design. According to multiple reports, the iPhone SE 2 could feature a 4-inch or 4.2-inch display. The iPhone SE 2 will most probably have the same thick bezels that we have seen on the iPhones before the iPhone X happened. The phone will in all likelihood have a Home button with Touch ID, though some early reports said it won't.
A shift to the iPhone X-like Face ID feature will only make the iPhone SE 2 more expensive and it's unlikely that Apple would want that to happen. The iPhone SE 2 could sport a glass back panel like most recent iPhones, with an aluminum frame sandwiched between the display and the glass back. Under the hood, the phone is said to pack Apple' A10 Fusion chip which debuted with the iPhone 7 in 2016. It will have 2GB of RAM and might come in two storage variants 32GB and 128GB. Other speculated specifications include HEIF/HEVC media recording, a headphone jack, and wireless charging support, which doesn't seem unlikely since the phone will sport a glass back.

Recently there were reports that Apple could be letting go of its controversial ‘notch’ design from iPhones in 2019. But for now, if the newest report is to be believed, the company may be ditching 3D Touch feature in one of its upcoming iPhone handsets. The company is said to leave behind the particular display technology from its ‘affordable’ 6.1-inch iPhone that is also rumoured to sport a LCD screen instead of OLED like the other two.
This is said to take place in order to keep the ‘affordable’ price tag. In one of the latest notes by KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi Kuo, it has been mentioned that although there won’t be 3D Touch, the particular model may feature a ‘mysterious’ layer of film sensor layer on the screen.
The details on how it may work are still unknown. Kuo adds that Apple will be using the cover glass sensor (CGS) technology for the 6.1-inch iPhone instead of the in-cell sensor, which integrates the touch layer in the display itself. A couple of advantages Apple may have with CGS is that the panel is more durable and lighter as well. On the other hand, it will be slightly thicker. The mysterious extra screen layer is said to bring a new feature onboard, something that will exist in all 2019 iPhone devices.
Kuo, in previous notes, has also mentioned that the 6.1-inch model might be available in two variants, one that comes with regular single SIM card support and the second with dual-SIM dual standby support. The dual SIM support is also said to arrive in the larger 6.5-inch model but not in the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, which will be the successor to the current gen. iPhone X. Kuo says that the arrival of the dual-SIM supporting iPhone could introduce a completely new price segment for the smartphone series.