Micromax Dual 5 First Impressions

HIGHLIGHTS

• The smartphone will be made available for purchase on April 10
• The Micromax Dual 5 has been priced at Rs. 24,999
• It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC and has 4GB of RAM

Micromax today launched its Dual 5 smartphone in India, priced at Rs. 24,999. The device will be made available for purchase from April 10 through Flipkart and offline stores, but registration for the sale has already opened.

The Micromax Dual 5 smartphone has dual rear cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC and a 5.5-inch full-HD screen. We managed to get our hands on the device and here are our first impressions.

The first thing you will notice about Micromax Dual 5 is its design. The phone has an ergonomic body and has been built with aircraft-grade aluminium. The power button is conveniently located on the right along with a volume rocker, and the fingerprint sensor is at the back. Interestingly, there is a Smart Key on the left to which users can assign any function of their choice. There is a USB type-C port for charging, which is on the bottom along with the speaker grilles. The device weighs in at 164 grams. We found that it fits comfortably in one hand despite its large screen, and has a sturdy, premium feel.

The Dual 5 sports two 13-megapixel cameras on the back. Both have Sony IMX258 sensors; one which captures monochrome data and the other for RGB colour. Both also have f/1.8 apertures. A colour temperature sensor is used to merge the two captured images optimally. The phone is able to create depth-of-field and create a bokeh effect, similar to what the iPhone 7 Plus can do. Apart from this effect, the dual camera setup allows for improved low-light shots as well. The Dual 5 also phone offers standard camera modes including Pano, Pro, Slow Shutter, Anti-Haze, Macro, and Monochrome.

The Micromax Dual 5 features another 13-megapixel camera on its front, with a Sony IMX258 sensor and f/2.0 aperture. There is a soft selfie flash mode for the front camera.

In our short time with the phone so far, we found the quality of images taken with both the front and rear cameras to be satisfactory. However, we did not find the bokeh effect created by the dual rear cameras to be as impressive as the company claims it is. Comparisons with the iPhone 7 Plus would unfair given the price difference between the two, but it is important to point out that you don't get the same effect despite the use of the same name.

The Micromax Dual 5 has a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Super Amoled display with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3. We found the display to be a little oversaturated, as is the case with many Amoled screens. However, quality was overall satisfactory.

The phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC (with four ARM Cortex-A72 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz) coupled with 4GB of RAM. There's 128GB of storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The phone has a hybrid dual-SIM configuration so you can have either a microSD card or a second SIM. It also supports 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi ac, and Bluetooth 4.1. In our time with the device, we didn't face any performance issues or lag while loading applications.

Micromax has focused on security and privacy with the Dual 5. The company says that this phone has an independent chip that stores passwords for the user to ensure security. Further, users can create a private profile that can be kept separate from general profile. Different fingerprints can be assigned to each profile to keep their files and folders secure from other users. Micromax also says that this is the first phone in India to offer EAL 5+ military grade security.

In case it is ever stolen, the Dual 5's anti-theft SafeSwitch feature can be used to lock it and prevent anyone from shutting it down, making it easier to trace. Further, it has a self-destruct feature so you can wipe all data within 60 minutes of it being stolen. The phone will have a Micromax Care app preinstalled, and the company has also announced a 24-hour service promise along with a 1-year replacement warranty.

There is an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, an infrared sensor, and a proximity sensor. The Dual 5 has a 3200mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0 to enable it to be charged up to 95 percent in 45 minutes. Ten minutes of charging is claimed to provide up to 4 hours of usage time. In its price range, Micromax Dual 5 will be competing against the likes of Vivo V5 Plus, Gionee A1, and Oppo F3 Plus. For more details and our full review of this smartphone, stay tuned to Gadgets 360.

iPhone 8 Tipped to Pack 3GB of RAM, Not Sport Curved Edges

HIGHLIGHTS

• iPhone 8 tipped to pack 3GB RAM
• It will not sport curved edges
• The screen real estate will increase

The iPhone 8 leak for the day comes from JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall who has shared a note with his clients revealing price, specification, and design details with them. According to his note, the iPhone 8’s OLED display will not be curved as the Samsung Galaxy S8’s, and won’t have that Infinity Display effect as was reported earlier.

9to5Mac got hold of this report and it claims that while the display will take up most of the space in the front, it won’t have a curved effect, and hence won’t truly be the ‘Infinity Display’ as it is expected to be. Hall also reiterates that the iPhone 8 price could increase $1,000 (roughly Rs. 64,900), and further goes on to say that the average selling price of the entire iPhone line will increase. Hall did not get into the specifics of increase in price though.

Furthermore, the report says that all iPhone models for 2017 will sport 3GB RAM, and that ‘NAND Flash providers and other suppliers are expected to benefit from the potential content increase in the upcoming iPhone’. Lastly, he also predicts shipment to be at 260 million units in 2018.

Hall says in the report, “We have raised our FY18 iPhone forecast to 260mn units (vs. consensus at 225mn) from 245mn units, driven by a strong feature upgrade and robust replacement demand, with the installed base at 1.1bn units. With a ~$1,000 ASP for the OLED model, we also anticipate ASP expansion in the next iPhone cycle.”

A recent leak tipped that the iPhone 8 will sport a fingerprint sensor at the back, instead of underneath the display. It also expected that Apple will call this iPhone – the iPhone Edition.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Facial Recognition Feature Can Reportedly Be Bypassed With a Photo

    

HIGHLIGHTS

• The image was posted by iDeviceHelp on YouTube
• Company pitched the facial recognition as an important security feature
• The company might improve the feature with software updates

After a major smartphone is launched and more people get their hands on the device, interesting bits of information about the device's features start popping up. It has turned out the same way for Samsung's new Galaxy S8 smartphone as the facial recognition feature, an important security element, on the device can reportedly be fooled and bypassed using just the picture of the user.

YouTube account iDeviceHelp has posted a video, sourced by @marcianophone that is claimed to show the Galaxy S8's facial recognition feature can be fooled just by using the image of the user.

In the video, the user simply takes another smartphone with user's picture on it and takes it slowly moves it towards the Galaxy S8 to unlock the device. The ease with which the user was able to unlock the device should pose a concern for the users despite other ways of securing the device.

Even though biometric security features have been found to be vulnerable to hackers earlier as well, Samsung has pitched facial recognition along with the iris scanner as secure authentication features that help you enhance the protection of your device. It true, the video could prove the South Korean company wrong.

As the company has already received relentless criticism for the lack of user safety due to the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung would not want the user security offered by devices to come in question as well. Considering that the product has still not been launched and the company might improve the facial recognition with software updates going ahead, we will have to wait and see how this feature develops going forward.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Here is what’s different

At its Unpacked 2017 event in New York, Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the company’s latest smartphones under its flagship S series. From what’s new to how they compare to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have made their debut today, bringing with them taller displays, all-new design and great specifications.  With the release of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, we can now compare the specifications and features with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Now that we know everything about the Galaxy S8/S8+, here’s how they compare to the last year’s flagship devices.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Design 

The Galaxy S8 series now look ghastly different from its predecessors. There’s a radical change in the design department. While both smartphones stick to the glass and metal combination, the Galaxy S8’s body is actually smaller and lighter, measuring 148.1×68.2x8mm and weighing 155 grams. This means the Galaxy S8 lineup has a lot more screen estate, yet without a drastic change in dimensions.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ sport slimmer top and bottom bezels with no physical home button. This loss of the home button makes the Galaxy S8 a lot different from the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, allowing for a drastic increase in the screen-to-body ratio. As expected, the home button is now pressure sensitive and built into the display.  One the front, they also feature an Iris scanner, borrowed from the Galaxy Note 7. This would make a big change from the Galaxy S7 series. Plus, a fingerprint scanner is now shifted to the back next to the camera lens.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Display

The Galaxy S8 comes with a 5.8-inch dual-edge QHD sAMOLED display, which is quite a big compared to the 5.5-inch on the Galaxy S7 edge. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8+ gets a 6.2-inch QHD sAMOLED display. By now you may have noticed that the Galaxy S8 has a curved display, like the Galaxy S7 edge and Note 7. Moreover, the Galaxy S8 sports an aspect ratio of 18:5:9 instead of the 16:9 as seen on the Galaxy S7/S7 edge. Otherwise, the screen resolution and colours will remain the same as on the Galaxy S7 edge. Mobile HDR Premium technology has been added on the Galaxy S8 series, a technology that was first introduced on the Galaxy Note 7 and more recently on the LG G6 and Galaxy Tab S3.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Hardware and battery

Of course, the Galaxy S8 series is faster than the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. As announced by Samsung at the launch event, the Galaxy S8 gets a Snapdragon 835 as well as Exynos 8995 processors. The Galaxy S7/S7 edge came with either the Snapdragon 820 or the Exynos 8890 chipsets. Both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge came with 4G RAM and either 32GB or 64GB storage capacities. In case of the Galaxy S8/S8+, the devices ship with 64GB, both of which have a microSD card slot. As for battery life, the Galaxy S8 (3000mAh)  can make through a full day on a single charge. For those who are getting the S8/S8+ with a Snapdragon 835 then Qualcomm’s Quick Charging 4.0 tech will be available.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Camera

Both the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge already have impressive cameras with Dual Pixel focus system. The Galaxy S8, once again, features a 12-megapixel rear camera with an f1.7 aperture.  Like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the S8 will shoot up to 4K resolution video. Around the front of the Galaxy S8 you’ll find an improved 8-megapixel selfie camera, which can shoot photos in low light with an aplomb.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Software 

Both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ run Android Nougat with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI over the top, whereas the Galaxy S7  edge/S7 came with Android Marshmallow. But that is not at all. One of the most hyped features of the Galaxy S8 is Bixby, a virtual assistant to rival Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. Samsung’s Bixby is based on recently acquired Viv’s AI technology. The virtual assistant will be able to control apps, search images and conduct mobile payments.

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus vs Galaxy S7, S7 edge: Price and availability

In the US, the Galaxy S8 will cost $724.99 (or approx Rs. 47033.65). Speaking about the Galaxy S8+, the 6.2-inch model costs $824.99 (or approx Rs. 53521.14). The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be available starting on April 21, and will be offered in a slew of colour options including Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold. Unfortunately, Samsung is yet to reveal the launch plans as far as the Indian market is concerned.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A review: A good budget phone for its price

Redmi 4A, that’s Xiaomi’s latest phone for India. After selling over one million Redmi Note 4 phones, the company’s back with another phone for India. It also says this one is ‘Made in India’, whether that will mean a lot more units for the sale, remains to be seen. Like with other Redmi phones, Xiaomi’s focus is on budget pricing and offering good specifications, something you won’t always find at this price point.

Redmi 4A is priced at Rs 5,999 and will come in only one RAM+ Storage option: 2GB+16GB. There are three colours being introduced with Redmi 4A in India: Gold, Rose Gold and Dark Grey. However, if you’re wondering about the ‘Rose Gold,’ Xiaomi is only releasing that on April 3.

Xiaomi is now the number two smartphone vendor in India, and a lot of the credit goes to the Redmi smartphones. The Redmi 3S, 3S Prime were priced under Rs 10,000 and helped boost the company’s sales in the last quarter in 2016. The battery, design and overall performance ensured a lot of interest in these phones.

Strictly speaking though, Redmi 4A is not a successor to the Redmi 3S, especially if you compare the specifications and overall build. However, this is a budget phone, at a price point where volumes are still big. So does Xiaomi have another winner on its hands with the Redmi 4A? Here’s our review.

Specifications of Redmi 4A: 5-inch HD LCD IPS display (720p resolution | Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor at 1.4Ghz, Adreno 308 GPU | 2GB RAM + 16GB storage (expandable to 128GB)| 13MP rear camera + 5MP front camera | 3120 mAh battery | Android 6.0 with MIUI 8 |

Price: Rs 5,999

Redmi 4A

Now at first glance Redmi 4A looks like a lot of the other Redmi phones out there in the market. I got the ‘Dark Grey’ version for review, and the 5-inch display means it is a more compact phone. The phone sports a plastic unibody design and I can’t help compare it to Redmi 3S, which had a metal unibody at Rs 6,999.

Still the Redmi 4A offers a good grip, and is designed well; there’s a 13MP rear camera on the back, and the speakers are at the back of the device like it was with the Redmi Note 3. Redmi 4A relies on a micro-USB port for charging. There’s also an IR blaster on the front along with the 5MP camera; the IR blaster means you can use this smartphone to control compatible home devices like set-up boxes, air conditioners, fans, television sets, etc. This is a pretty neat feature to include on a budget phone.

So what’s good?

For a lot of people, the key with the Redmi 4A will be the specifications being offered at this price point, and these add up to quite a nice overall package. The 5-inch HD display is actually pretty good, and Xiaomi hasn’t reduced the resolution simply because this phone is priced lower. The viewing angles are good, you can use this display easily in the sunlight, though I kept the brightness at full. If your main usage is social media, watching videos on YouTube, this display does the job.

SpaceX poised to launch first recycled rocket

SpaceX is poised to launch its first recycled rocket today, using a booster that sent food and supplies to the astronauts living at the International Space Station in April. The goal of the launch, scheduled for 6:27 pm from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is to send a communications satellite for Luxembourg-based company SES into a distant orbit.

Standing tall at the NASA launchpad, the white Falcon 9 rocket contains a tall, column-like portion known as the first stage, or booster, that propelled the unmanned Dragon cargo ship to space last year, then returned to an upright landing on an ocean platform.

SpaceX, the California-based company headed by internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, has for years been honing the technology of powering its boosters back to careful Earth landings on solid ground and in the water. So far it has successfully landed eight — five on so-called “drone ships” floating in the ocean, and three on land. The goal, Musk has said, is to make rocket parts just as reusable as cars, planes or bicycles. Currently, millions of dollars worth of rocket parts are jettisoned after each launch.

paceX officials have said that reusing hardware could slash costs — with each Falcon 9 launch costing over $61 million — by about 30 per cent. While generating plenty of buzz, the novel process still raises concerns for both customers and SpaceX. They include “worries about it failing, insurance implications, retrofitting turnaround, building up a critical mass of reused first stages in the warehouse,” said the global investment banking firm Jefferies International in an April report. “But the direction of travel is clear.”

SpaceX competitor Blue Origin, run by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, has also successfully landed its New Shepard booster after launch, by powering its engines to guide it down for a controlled, upright landing.

“Reusability allows us to fly the system again and again,” said a statement on Blue Origin’s website. “With each flight, we’ll continuously improve the affordability of space exploration and research, opening space for all.” As for the cost of today’s launch, Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer at SES, has declined to say publicly the exact amount.

However, he dismissed “naysayers” this week and stressed the historic nature of the launch on what he has described as a “flight-proven” rocket. “I think we are on the edge of quite a significant bit of history here,” he told a press conference. “Now we are here to be the first ever mission to fly on a pre-flown booster,” he said. “This is obviously hugely exciting.”

Microsoft Rolls Back Docs.com's Search Feature After Complaints of Exposed Sensitive Files ..

HIGHLIGHTS

• The search feature has been removed after several complaints
• It exposed several files with sensitive information
• Microsoft said it is helping users protect their data

In a new development, Microsoft has rolled back a feature that allowed users to search for millions of public documents on its document sharing site Docs.com, without any restriction. This feature has been around for long, and it enabled users to access sensitive information of any user without any permission or request.

This was done after many users took to Twitter to complain about this slip-up that allowed anyone to search through millions of documents on the site easily. Search results on Docs.com "included password lists, job acceptance letters, investment portfolios, divorce settlement agreements, and credit card statements - some of which contained Social Security and driving license numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email and postal addresses," ZDNet reports.

Microsoft has quietly pulled the search feature down from the site without any notice, making it more look like it's a slip-up on the Redmond giant's part. A Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet that the company was "taking steps to help those who may have inadvertently published documents with sensitive information."

The report also states that the files were still cached in Google and Bing's search results for everyone to see. There has been no breach on Docs.com, but the worst part is that perpetrators did not even need to hack Docs.com to gain sensitive information, as it was easily accessible through the search feature.

While Microsoft should have had a more stringent search feature in place at first, the users at their end also mistakenly published documents without having realised that they have gone public. The Docs.com's default setting is to make the file public, unless the user sets it specifically as private. Microsoft should have reversed the default setting keeping privacy as top priority. For now, we recommend users to head to their account and update the privacy setting immediately.

Apple Wins Patent Dispute in China That Saw a Ban on iPhone 6 Sales

A Chinese court has ruled in favour of Apple in design patent disputes between the Cupertino, California company and a domestic phone-maker, overturning a ban on selling iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones in China, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last May, a Beijing patent regulator ordered Apple's Chinese subsidiary and a local retailer Zoomflight to stop selling the iPhones after Shenzhen Baili Marketing Services lodged a complaint, claiming that the patent for the design of its mobile phone 100c was being infringed by the iPhone sales.

Apple and Zoomflight took the Beijing Intellectual Property Office's ban to court.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court on Friday revoked the ban, saying Apple and 

Zoomflight did not violate Shenzhen Baili's design patent for 100c phones.

The court ruled that the regulator did not follow due procedures in ordering the ban while

 there was no sufficient proof to claim the designs constituted a violation of intellectual

 property rights.

Representatives of Beijing Intellectual Property Office and Shenzhen Baili said they 

would take time to decide whether to appeal the ruling, according to Xinhua.

In a related ruling, the same court denied a request by Apple to demand stripping

 Shenzhen Baili of its design patent for 100c phones.

Apple first filed the request to the Patent Reexamination Board of State Intellectual

 Property Office. The board rejected the request, but Apple lodged a lawsuit against 

the rejection.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court on Friday ruled to maintain the board's decision. 

It is unclear if Apple will appeal.

'Railwire Saathi' Wi-Fi Kiosks to Offer E-Services on Remote Railway Stations

Aiming to provide connectivity in remote areas, Railways will set up Wi-Fi hotspot kiosk

s at about 500 stations and help people access an array of online services, including 

various government schemes.

Christened as Railwire Saathi, the Wi-Fi kiosks will function like a PCO for Digital India

 and enable people to use services like e-commerce, online banking, offer them access

 to open school/university and insurance schemes, e-ticketing for train and bus services

 among others.

Automated form filling, mobile and DTH recharge are other services which the Railwire

 Saathi is expected to provide in areas with limited connectivity.

The Railwire Saathi aims to provide connectivity to the unconnected and at the same

 time offer jobs opportunities in rural areas, a senior Railway Ministry official said.

While Railways is equipping about 400 stations with free Wi-Fi service in association 

with Google, this scheme has dual aim - providing jobs as well as connectivity.

He said the scheme is expected to be operational by May.

The Railwire Saathi is a Wi-Fi entrepreneurship model where unemployed youths, preferably women, can be trained and supported to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot and provide a platform to online services which will make the business sustainable, he said.

RailTel, the telecom arm of railways, would execute the scheme across the country.

Though there are various schemes for minorities, farmers, common man and many

 avenues for completing education, people in remote areas are generally not aware

 of them or find it difficult to access them, said the official.

Unemployed youth who wants to be RailWire Saathi would have to contact RailTel

for necessary training.

The training course will be approved by National Skill Development Council (NSDC)

. After being trained by RailTel, the youth will get certificate which can be used to 

get loan under the Mudra scheme, he said.

Using the loan money, they will install and manage the Wi-Fi hotspots as per 

design provide by RailTel.

Railwire Saathi will help in disseminating information about various government 

schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna, 

Pradhan Mantri Atal Pension Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Beema Yojna and 

Pradhan Mantri Surakhya Beema Yojna among others.

Apple's India Manufacturing Demands Will Be Looked at After GST Rollout: Sitharaman

Commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said Amercian 

phone-maker Apple's demand for tax incentives to set up a manufacturing unit in 

the country will have to be looked at after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is 

rolled out.

"GST will be coming soon. So, tax-related incentives demanded by Apple will 

have to be looked from a different angle," Sitharaman told PTI on the 

sidelines of Chemexcil function in Mumbai.

he government has not accepted most of the demands of the iPhone maker,

 she added.

Apple plans to set up a manufacturing unit in Bengaluru this year, where

 it will assemble its products, probably only iPhone 6 and 6s models,

 according to reports in a section of the media.

The American tech giant has sought various concessions on taxation 

and import of components for setting up the unit.

The Cupertino-based technology giant currently manufactures in

 China and Brazil.

Apart from tax sops, Apple also wants relaxation in the mandated 

30 percent local sourcing of components. Earlier reports had said the 

company would be importing all its components on the grounds 

that it is bringing in cutting-edge technology to the country.

Apple also wants to open a fully-owned retail outlets in the country.

In January, Apple had indicated to the government that it was ready 

with a blueprint to begin manufacturing iPhones, but wants fiscal 

concessions, including Customs duty waiver on imported components.