Xiaomi Redmi 4A, Samsung's S9 Facial Recogination, OnePlus 5T Impressions, Apple Homepod

Xiaomi Redmi 4A gets MIUI 9 Beta ROM update based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat

While most of the high-end and premium smartphone models are awaiting the rollout of the Android Oreo update, the budget and mid-range smartphones are getting the Android Nougat update.

Earlier today, we saw that the Samsung Galaxy C7 is getting the Android 7.0 Nougat update. Now, it is the Xiaomi Redmi 4A, one of the bestselling smartphones in the Indian market. This budget smartphone that was launched in March this year came with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow topped with MIUI 8. Now, the device seems to have received the Android 7.1.2 Nougat topped with MIUI Global Beta 7.11.16.

The MIUI Global Beta 7.11.16 ROM based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat brings the October security patch and other updates to the smartphone.

This is the MIUI beta update and the stable ROM might be rolled out in a month or two. If you are impatient to try your hands on this update, then you can download the recovery ROM and flash it manually on your Redmi 4A smartphone or download the fastboot ROM and flash it using the fastboot method.

Going by the information revealed by the official Mi forums, the Redmi 4A update will bring several new features and improvements. It will bring new app vault features such as calendar, cricket, events, brief notes, and shortcuts. Also, there will be changes to the status bar, notification bar, and lockscreen. There will be a new content provider for Wallpaper Carousel - Glance. There will be a fix to the landscape mode issues those were existent earlier. Also, there will be a fix to the settings FC when changing the region.

The Redmi 4A will get a fix to the system launcher that keeps stopping when adding or opening a widget after receiving the update to 7.11.10. There will also be a fix to Gallery only on showing documents after resetting all the default app settings. There will also be a fix to the issue when the gallery cannot be accessed by pressing the button directly from the camera app. The mail message page layout that will be displayed incorrectly has also been fixed.

Samsung's Galaxy S9 Could Feature 3D Facial Recognition Technology Like iPhone X

Well friends, now it's time we get over Apple's iPhone X or Google's new Pixel devices and let's start to look at the rumor mills surfacing about Samsung's Galaxy S9.

Samsung could release the Galaxy S9 a little earlier than expected, according to a reliable tipster, who expects it to be possibly unveiled at the Consumers Electronics Show (CES) 2018 or maybe few weeks ahead of Mobile World Congress(MWC) in February 2018.

The same tipster also noted that Samsung has borrowed some of the iPhone X's "tricks" (features) for the Galaxy S9. While it exactly didn't mention what those features might be, we can guess that it has something to do with a complex face recognition feature also known as Face ID in iPhone X .

Further, the source also mentioned that Galaxy S9 will feature a dual camera system, that was previously introduced by Samsung in Galaxy Note 8 this year.

According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy S9 will have a "3D sensor front camera," which would basically be Samsung's version of a TrueDepth camera and sensor array.

Unlike its competitor, Apple who has given up on fingerprint scanner entirely in the new iPhone X in favor of its new Face ID, Samsung has decided not to follow suit. We had earlier reported how Samsung was finding it difficult to implement the in-display fingerprint scanner under the screen of Galaxy S9 and S9 smartphones due to technical complications and as a result, decided not to dump the idea.

However, there is no official announcement or news from the Korean tech giant on Galaxy S9. As with any rumor, this should be taken with a pinch of salt for now, but you can expect there to be plenty more rumors between now and then.

One Plus 5T first impressions: No more bezels, bigger screen, and better cameras

The new OnePlus 5T was launched worldwide on November 16, 2017. Possibly the most anticipated phone of the year now has an 'edge to edge' display and a bigger emphasis on user experience than even the iPhone.

The OnePlus 5T has a 6 inch AMOLED display, slightly bigger than the 5.5 inch of the OnePlus 5 and has an almost feather-touch sensor which makes navigation smoother for the user. The display is in the 18:9 ratio with a never seen before 1080×2160 pixels resolution.

The device also has a unique 'gaming dnd' feature that allows a user to postpone notifications without having to pause or stop the game.

The battery is a non-removable 3300 mAh dash chargeable one and lasts a day. This is a good improvement considering that 5T has a bigger and brighter screen.

The smartphone uses the Oxygen operating system that works on Nougat.

Talking about the camera, the main front camera is a 16 megapixel one with a Sony IMX sensor. The secondary camera can record video at 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. In fact, one of the best features of the phone is the ability to record time-lapse videos at 720p resolution at 120 frames per second.

Samsung Galaxy S9 might be released in April

The Galaxy S9 and S9 have been making the rounds on speculations since the past few months. We have been hearing that the upcoming flagship smartphones might arrive with the under-display fingerprint sensor. Contradictory to this, there were speculations that it might feature a facial recognition technology as seen on the iPhone X instead of an under-display fingerprint sensor.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is believed to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and there are claims that both Qualcomm and Samsung are discussing about the chipset. Undoubtedly, this smartphone will be the first one to make use of the chipset.

But when the chipmaker will supply the Snapdragon 845 soC and when the smartphone manufacturer will debut the mass production of flagship models remain to be unknown.

We had earlier reported that the Galaxy S9 will be unveiled at MWC 2018 in February next year. The MWC 2018 is said to begin on February 26 in Barcelona, Spain. Now, a GizChina report citing inside sources suggests that the flagship smartphone that will be announced in February will go on sale sometime in April.

In one of the previous reports, we got to see that the mass production of the Galaxy S9 duo will debut sometime in December. Also, it was revealed that the pilot production has been completed. However, it is claimed that there are some issues related to the mass production of the smartphone and these are said to be caused due to the Snapdragon 845 chipset's production.

From the earlier reports, we have got to know that three Galaxy S9 models are in the making. While we already know that two will be the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 , the other one is believed to the 4-inch Galaxy S9 mini. These variants are said to feature 6GB RAM, dual camera setup with 12MP and 16MP sensors and run on Android Oreo.

The OnePlus 5T captures video in 4k resolution and also has Electronic Image Stabilisation which reduces shaking in a video.

OnePlus has directed its focus on low-light photography and portrait photography. And that is why it has a 20-megapixel rear secondary camera with a 16-megapixel main camera.

As to the 5T's spec sheet, it has the Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540 graphics. There is no microSD memory expansion option, but there are two nano-SIM slots. The OnePlus 5T still has a headphone jack.

A brilliant feature added to the 5T is the Face Unlock.

The fact that it is faster and less complex than the iPhone X's face unlocker gives 5T an upper hand. It continues having the fingerprint unlocker but has moved it to the rear, similar to other phones in the market.

The 6gb RAM 64gb 5T costs Rs 32,999, absolutely no change in the pricing from the OnePlus 5 and the 8gb RAM 128gb 5T costs Rs 37,999.

Apple delays HomePod smart speaker, missing holiday season

Apple Inc said its next major new hardware product, the HomePod speaker, is being delayed until early next year, missing the key holiday shopping season.

"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018."

The HomePod, which streams tunes from Apple Music, takes voice commands via Siri, and controls smart home appliances, was originally announced in June at the company's annual developer conference.

It was scheduled to ship in December, Apple said at the time. It will now go on sale in early 2018, Apple said. CNBC reported the delay earlier.

This is the second year in a row that a major new Apple audio product has been delayed. Last year, the AirPods wireless headphones were held back from an October launch until December.

Smart speakers will be a key focus for the holiday shopping season given the influx of devices coming from other players like Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Amazon.com Inc, and Sonos Inc Apple's accessory business, part of its Other Products segment, is minuscule compared to the iPhone and Services businesses, so the delay is unlikely to materially affect Apple's earnings. However, missing out on holiday gift purchases could mean some people opt for speakers from other companies, locking them more tightly into rival digital ecosystems.

Next month, Google's Home Max speaker that likewise focuses on audio quality, and the Amazon Echo Spot, a mini speaker with a screen, go on sale. Earlier this year, Google and Amazon put out a slew of other smart speakers, including a mini version of the Google Home and a model of the Echo with better sound quality.