Redmi Y1 and Y1 Light Selfie Centric Smartphones Launched in India

Xiaomi launched it’s first selfie centric smartphone in India, which is known as the Redmi Y1. This sevice is priced at Rs 8,999 for the 32GB variant and Rs 10,999 for the 64GB variant. 

The smartphone will be going on sale from November 8 on Amazon India and mi.com. It will also be available via offline channels. The key feature of the new smartphone is its 16-megapixel front camera, which comes with its own soft lamp flash. 
In essence, it appeals to smartphone buyers that are looking for a more than capable front camera for selfies. The phone comes in two color options of gold and dark grey.

The Redmi Y1 Sports a 5.5-inch HD screen. Under the hood is the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 435 SoC. The device also includes the powerful Adreno 505 GPU. The Redmi Y1 comes in two variants,  3GB RAM+ 32GB ROM and 4GB RAM +64GB ROM, which is expandable up to 128GB on both variants. The device comes with dual-SIM connectivity with 4G and VoLTE enabled, and a dedicated slot for storage expansion through a microSD card; which is a bliss. It is backed by a 3,080mAh battery. 

On the software front, the device runs on Android Nougat wrapped under the latest MIUI 9.  The Fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device. We also get an IR blaster, kudos to Xiaomi to still add that sensor!

Moving to the camera, The Redmi Y1 sports a 13MP Primary PDAF camera with f/2.2 aperture and a whopping 16MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture accompanied with soft lamp flash for selfie lovers.

After testing the cameras on the Xiaomi Redmi Y1, we can safely say that it is indeed a good selfie-centric smartphone. The front camera works well but could use some optimization. The inbuilt filters are also smooth and the camera picks them up well.

There is no heating or battery drain during camera usage as well, which means the phone handles heating efficiently. The only downside we found in the Redmi Y1 is the rear camera. The rear camera is not as polished as the front and lacks detail even in images captured in daylight. We can certainly expect future optimizations to make it a better camera.

Xiaomi also launched the Redmi Y1 Lite is powered by a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. The budget device comes with decent specifications for its price and offers a decent camera experience.

Redmi 5A With ‘8-Day Battery Life’, Snapdragon 425 Launched in China

Redmi 5A, the follow-up to the Redmi 4A, has been launched by the Chinese brand in its home country. The new Redmi 5A has a metal-like matte texture that, according to Xiaomi, is “much lighter than the metal.” For those curious, the handset weighs 137 grams. Another highlight of the Redmi 5A is its battery, which the company says will deliver eight days of juice. Like its predecessor, the MIUI 9-based smartphones does not have a fingerprint sensor, but sports some design changes, such as rounded corners for a comfortable grip.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A Price

Xiaomi Redmi 5A price has been set as CNY 599 (roughly Rs. 6,000), and the handset will be available for pre-orders starting Monday in China. It will be available via the company’s official site as well as other popular e-commerce sites in China.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A Specifications

In terms of specifications, the all-new Redmi 5A doesn’t bring massive upgrades when compared to the Redmi 4A. The Redmi 5A features a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) display with a pixel density of 296ppi. Much like the Redmi 4A, the successor is also powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC, clocked at 1.4GHz, and coupled with 2GB of RAM. There’s only one storage model announced at launch as of now but we can expect more variants in future. It comes with 16GB inbuilt storage which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The dual-SIM Redmi 5A packs a 3000mAh battery which seems to be a downgrade when compared to the Redmi 4A.

The handset sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, burst mode, panorama mode, HDR mode, and more. It comes with a 5-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture lens. It supports 1080p and 720p video recording. Connectivity options on the Redmi 5A include 4G with VoLTE, 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Micro-USB. It comes with a hybrid SIM slot.

The Redmi 5A will run MIUI 9 out-of-the-box which means that the handset will come with all bells and whistles of the new MIUI version. The new MIUI 9 features include Smart assistant, Smart app launcher, Image search, Quick reply and notification management, new Home screen enhancements, Lock screen enhancements, and split screen multitasking among others.

OnePlus 5: Another Flagship Killer?

OnePlus released the OnePlus 5 amongst much fanfare on June 27^th in India. The phone has been a rage since then and is now the highest revenue-grossing smartphone on Amazon.in.

The main highlight of this phone as touted by OnePlus is its dual camera capabilities. OnePlus has partnered with DxO for upping its camera game in this phone.

The phone has been launched at a base price of ₹32999 which is 3k costlier than the 6-month old OnePlus 3T and almost 6k costlier than the OnePlus 3. Let’s find out if OnePlus justifies its price increase or not.  

Display

The phone uses an optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels or about 401 ppi pixel density. The display is great, with superior viewing angles and great outdoor visibility. Opting for a Full HD display instead of a QHD also helps the OnePlus device conserve a lot of battery juice.

Is the OnePlus 5 a flagship killer in the display department? No.

Don’t get me wrong, OnePlus 5 has an amazing display but when directly compared with the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Google Pixel you immediately feel the difference in resolution. The displays in those 2 phones pop out like no other and the Samsung Galaxy S8 ups the game with an even better infinity display with a stellar screen to body ratio.

Hardware & Performance

OnePlus 5 comes in 2 variants: 64GB storage/6GB Ram and a 128GB Storage/8GB Ram version. Frankly, 8GB is an overkill but at the same time helps in future proofing your device. Both the versions have a Snapdragon 835 chipset clocked in at 2.4 GHz and an Adreno 540 GPU.

The performance of the OnePlus 5 is GODLY! The phone is buttery smooth and can handle any number of apps you throw at it with ease. The software optimizations in the Oxygen OS help the OnePlus 5 to glide through the stuff easily. 10 on 10 to OnePlus here.

Also, just like the Galaxy S8 the OnePlus 5 comes with Bluetooth 5.0.

Is the OnePlus 5 a flagship killer in the hardware & performance department? A big yes!

The OnePlus 5 is not only at par but also beats many flagship devices out there in the specs department. The small but nifty customizations made to Android Nougat in the Oxygen OS help the user in getting the best out of their smartphones without having the bloatware that many OEMs add(*Cough Samsung cough*)

Battery Life

The OnePlus 5 comes with a 3300mAh battery which is about 100mAh less than the previous generation OnePlus 3T.

Even though the battery lasts the whole day easily on moderate use, I don’t agree with OnePlus’ decision to decrease the battery capacity of the phone just to make it a tad slimmer.

DASH charging is still probably one of my favorite features of the phone! It is blazing fast and doesn’t heat up the device even while using the phone.

So is the OnePlus 5 a flagship killer in the battery department? Kind of.

Even though the battery life of the OnePlus 5 isn’t something extraordinary it still has the edge over other flagship devices when it comes to charging speeds.

Camera

Here, things get a bit complicated.

The dual camera OnePlus 5 features a 16mp sensor with a 24mm f/1.7 lens as its primary camera, together with a second 20Mp sensor and 36mm f/2.6 lens to offer additional features.

On the front, it has a 16MP front camera with a f/2.0 lens.

OnePlus hyped its camera ALOTTTTT. Saying that OnePlus advertised its camera is an understatement - whether it’s an announcement, the box, or OnePlus’ own home page, the OnePlus 5’s dual-camera sensor is front and center.

According to the DxOMark review, the OnePlus 5 has scored 87 which is no doubt a high score in terms of smartphone camera performance. The photos from the back camera are great with super accurate white balance and vivid colors. The camera has a fast autofocus and manages to preserve the details of the scene in bright outdoor lighting.

Although in indoor lighting the camera is inconsistent and is unable to conserve the details of the scene.

The bokeh effect in OnePlus 5 just like the one on the iPhone 7 Plus, uses the secondary camera to blur the background and focus on the subject. It works well but still isn’t perfect. Although it can be perfected with future updates.

Video shooting on the OnePlus 5 is another story altogether.

The camera is capable of shooting 4K videos at 30fps, 1080p videos at 60fps and 30fps. Along with that you can also capture slow-motion video at 720p/ 120fps and make some time-lapse videos as well.

Video recording is up to the mark with fast autofocus when kept at 1080p. Things start to go downhill when we switch to 4K recording on the device. OnePlus didn’t include Optical Image Stabilization so the device solely relies on Electronic Image Stabilization which works well while recording in 1080p but just doesn’t seem to work while recording in 4K.

Also, did I tell you? OnePlus shamelessly copied Apple’s camera app in aesthetics but added a slew of important features such as the Pro Mode to tweak almost all the settings of the camera and the ability to shoot RAW footage.

 

Is the OnePlus 5 a flagship killer in the camera department? Not really but definitely is at par.

Closing Words:

OnePlus 5 with a sandstone case on.

As you must have gauged by now the OnePlus 5 isn’t an absolute flagship killer but does give you a great package at a great price.

Is OnePlus able to justify its decision to increase the price? Definitely! It is far lower than other flagship phones in the market and also gives you the hardware features and software performance that you have come to expect from a flagship device.  

Go for it if it fits your budget, you won’t be disappointed!






Image Courtesy- CNET

iOS 11 Wish-List : 11 features/changes we really want!

It's WWDC 2017 time folks! WWDC is the place where Apple releases it's newest software and this year the developer conference is starting from June 5th. Apple has already issued press invites for the keynote on the first day of WWDC and boy we are excited!

As the date comes closer and closer it is difficult to not wonder what new features will Apple bring to its software.



So here is a list of 11 features/changes we want Apple to include in iOS 11:

1. Design Overhaul!

The last time iOS got a new paint job was back in 2013 when iOS 7 was released. It's been 4 long years since Apple updated the overall look of its mobile operating software and the design really seems monotonous now.


It's high time Apple brought a fresh look and even minor changes such as new iconography would also make a huge difference!




2. Dark Mode


This is something that Apple fans have been asking for years now! iOS really needs a dark mode for people who don't want the super white settings menu, the calendar or even the music app.

Looking at those white backgrounds gets even more difficult during the night when there's not much light in the room.

Please Apple, we need this! :(

A dark music app would be so cool.

Using a dark themed iMessage at night would be such a breather.

3. Customizable Control Centre

Control centre brought the ability to toggle settings directly from anywhere without opening the settings app in iOS. As much as we love the control centre, our inability to change the icons and toggles available in it is a major handicap.

The ability to change the toggles in the control centre would be such a bliss (I have always wanted a mobile data toggle in it). Ability to change those default apps at the bottom of the control centre would also be a welcome addition.

4. Improved Keyboard

Even though Apple has provided the option to add a third party keyboard in iOS, I still prefer to use the default Apple keyboard just because it works so much better than the others.

A few vital additions such as a swipe keyboard and haptic feedback are important for the default Apple keyboard to come at par with the others. And imagine a dark themed Apple keyboard!😍😍

5. Place icons anywhere/More live icons

Right now we can only place icons in a perfectly rectangular grid. Ability to place icons anywhere on your home screen would be appreciated by everyone.

Also, letting third party developers add live icons to their applications would bring life to the home screen.

6. Volume HUD needs to go

We have been struggling with this for years now. Every time we decrease or increase the volume, the volume HUD obstructs the screen view for a few seconds which is highly irritating. Apple really needs to come up with a new animation for it.

7. Ability to set default apps

Here in India, Apple Maps simply sucks. It just doesn't match the functionality provided by Google Maps.

Clicking on an address and directly opening Google Maps for directions or clicking on a link to open any browser instead of the Safari app would let users to use apps they prefer without wasting their time in switching between the apps they want to use and the apps Apple wants them to use.

8. Notifications overhaul

Notifications are better on Android hands down. Apple really needs to learn a lesson or two from Android on how to manage notifications.

Learning how to group notifications from the same app should be number on the list. Remember the time when you posted a new photo on Instagram and you got 50 different notifications for 50 different people who liked your photo? Viewing so many different notifications gets so annoying. 

9. Better Siri

Siri was amazing when it was launched in 2011. It amazed all of us, including the Apple haters.

In 2017, Looking at Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana or Google Assistant (which by the way launched on iOS yesterday) helps us realize how Apple has completely forgotten Siri.

The level of functionality that the other virtual assistants provide with their supreme machine learning and AI algorithms is simply just unmatchable for Siri in its current state.

Take a note Apple, high time you updated our beloved Siri.

10. App lock with fingerprints

This is something that everybody would love having on their phones! Handing out your phone to someone else and fearing that they don't check out your photos or your private texts is a situation which almost everyone would connect to.

Adding the ability to lock specific apps with your fingerprint would take app security and privacy to the next level. 

11. Don't let phone calls hijack the screen

Last but not the least, don't let phone calls hijack the whole screen Apple! 

Everyone goes through this: you're writing an important mail or you're going through some website or you're watching a video and suddenly the whole screen turns into an incoming call. You're forced to stop doing whatever you are doing to attend that call, no matter how important or unimportant it is.

This really needs to change. Android has taken a notification like approach to incoming calls while the phone is unlocked and we think Apple should apply it too. Let the call drop from the top of the screen, just like a notification and then let the user decide if the call is important enough to stop whatever he/she currently is doing or not.

To think that Apple would listen to us and apply all these changes in iOS 11 would be foolish but let's hope Apple takes a note or two and gives us some of these features. We won't need to wait too long to find out...June 5th is almost here. 

Until next time folks!

Thanks to YouTuber 'EverythingApplePro' and Jacek Zieba for all the amazing concept pictures that are shown in this article :)

iPhone 8 - What we know so far!

It has been almost 8 months since the iPhone 7 launched and everybody is waiting to see what Apple has got up it's sleeve for the 10th Anniversary iPhone.

The rumor has it that Apple will launch three iPhones this year, successors to the iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus and a third iPhone with an OLED display.

Several Apple analysts including Ming Chi Kuo from KGI Securities who has an impeccable track record when it comes to leaking out details about the upcoming Apple products, have published various reports regarding what to expect from the 10th Anniversary iPhone.

Here are the all but confirmed top 6 rumors about the iPhone 8 :

1. An edge to edge, all glass design

Rumors suggest the iPhone 8 will feature a radical redesign, with an edge-to-edge display that does away with the top and bottom bezels. The phone is believed to have glass on the back and front with a stainless steel chassis.

Apple has previously used this glass-sandwich design in iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S before.

2. No Home Button

You read that right! It is believed that Apple will be removing the home button from the iPhone to have a better screen to body ratio. Now this news is huge as home button has been an integral part of the iOS user interface since day one. How will Apple manage to compensate for the loss of the home button is something we are dying to see.

3. Touch ID integrated into the display

Since the home button will be gone, Apple plans to integrate the Touch ID sensor into the display itself. If Apple is able to do this, the 10th Anniversary iPhone will be the first phone in the world with this nascent technology.

It is believed that the engineering challenges involved in this are the reasons for the rumored delay in the release of the iPhone 8.

Few renders on how the next version of iOS may look like on the iPhone 8

4. 5.8inch OLED Display

Yes! Apple is believed to be finally making the switch to the OLED displays and with an edge-to-edge design, the iPhone 8 may be similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone, but with a display the size of 5.8-inch with 5.15 inches of usable area, with the rest dedicated to virtual buttons that will replace the existing Home button.

5. Vertical camera set up

The iPhone 8 is believed to come with the same dual camera set up that we saw in the iPhone 7 Plus but in a vertical orientation.

Rumors suggest that Apple is going for the vertical camera set-up to help with the AR technologies that it is believed to be incorporating in the next generation iPhone. Hell we are excited for that!

6. Wireless charging

Early iPhone 8 rumors suggested Apple was working on long-range wireless charging technology but more recent leaks suggest that instead of long-range wireless charging techniques, Apple will instead use the more common inductive-style wireless charging solution.


With the all glass design that Apple is believed to adopt for the iPhone 8, wireless charging seems almost certain. FINALLY!

I'll keep updating this post with more rumors as they keep emerging, until then have a look at Everything Apple Pro's video depicting what the next iPhone could look like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djB7ODdkpNQ