For a long time, Android users have been waiting to enjoy video calling facility on WhatsApp just like Windows phone users. And it seems that their wait has finally come to an end, hinted WABetaInfo. It tweeted: “I received a report about video calls on WhatsApp for Android (NO ROOT). Are they finalizing the server to enable video calls? On October 20, OneWindows.es, a Spanish website, has reported that many Windows Phone users can now see the option to make video calls in WhatsApp beta app. The website also cited that the users did not have to re-install the application for using the video calling option as there was a server-side change.
In September 2016, the WhatsApp Android Beta version introduced several new features to customize images like Snapchat, i.e., by adding stickers and drawing to add more fun. The users could write a message and add emojis atop the photos and videos. This information was revealed by Android Police. Besides WhatsApp, Facebook has also initiated steps to improve its FB Messenger app for Windows 10. Users will now be able to make video and voice calls using the Windows 10 app. Earlier, the users had to actually leave the app and use this feature from the web version of Facebook in a web browser.
According to VentureBeat, “Just like on Messenger for Android and iOS, the phone icon in the top right corner of the screen in the Windows 10 app during a chat glows green when the other person is currently active, so you know you can reach them immediately. So if you are a Windows user and you can use this new feature of video calling on your handset, do let us know your experience in the
Motorola is usually fast with updating its phones to the latest Android version; basically, it uses almost stock Android. Hence it doesn’t need to add touch-ups to the OS, unlike Samsung, Xiaomi, or other companies. Nougat has already reached some Nexus phones, Android One phones, and LG’s V20; Motorola has announced the list of phones that will get the latest Android 7.0 Nougat. Earlier, a report had said that Motorola would roll out the Nougat update starting with Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, and its latest Moto Z line of smartphones. Motorola’s announcement confirms that report as well.
We’re happy to confirm Android 7.0 Nougat is on its way to a lot of our smartphones; we’ll be starting in Q4 with Moto Z and Moto G (4th Gen),” said the company in a blog post. Going by the announcement, the Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, and the Moto Z phones should be running Android Nougat by the end of this year. Motorola launched the Moto Z and Moto Z Play in India earlier this week; the phone at the sale will come with Android Marshmallow. Here’s the full list of the phones that will receive Android Nougat update; the list also includes Droid phones which are not available in India:
Moto G (4th Gen)
Moto G Plus (4th Gen)
Moto G Play (4th Gen)
Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen)
Moto X Style
Moto X Play
Moto X-Force
Droid Turbo 2
Droid Maxx 2
Moto Z
Moto Z-Droid
Moto Z Force Droid
Moto Z Play
Moto Z Play Droid
Nexus 6
Android Nougat update will add more efficient notification controls, improved battery and data saver features. It also promises to offer better security options along with custom quick setting features.
After not so successful device IM5, the photography company Kodak will launch its new device Ektra — a smartphone aimed at shutterbugs — that looks like a camera. Named after its 1941 rangefinder (and the 1970s 110 film camera range), the handset’s back is wrapped in “leatherette” with a slightly curved grip on one side, and a dedicated shutter button on top, Engadget reported.
To be available in Britain from December for 450 pounds ($550), the smartphone has a large, protruding lens that pokes out the back and a 21MP Sony sensor (IMX230) under the hood and is photographer-friendly. Kodak has recruited Bullitt, a phone manufacturer, to make the device. The camera app on the smartphone has a digital “Scene Selection Dial” that lets you access different shooting modes.
Bullitt has also made Snapseed the default photo-editing app, believing it is one of the best options on the Play Store. The phone is powered by a deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor and 3GB of RAM. It comes with 32GB of internal storage, which you can supplement with a MicroSD card of up to 128GB and a 3000mAh battery that supports “Pump Express” quick charging. The 5-inch 1080p display has a stock version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Chinese company Meizu on Tuesday launched its budget smartphone M3s in India in exclusive partnership with Snapdeal at a price of Rs.7,999. The Meizu M3s comes with a 5-inch FullHD screen with a 720X1280 pixel resolution. Meizu’s M3s is powered by a 1GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor. The handset comes in two variants like 2 GB RAM & 16 GB ROM and 3 GB RAM & 32 GB ROM. The smartphone is backed by a 3020 mAh non-removable battery and several features like a gravity sensor, ambient light sensor, capacitive touch screen, 24GHz dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and digital compass.
The dual SIM M3s come with a 13-megapixel camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel at the front. The phone like most of the Meizu’s flagship phones, such as M3 Note and MX5, boats of an all-metal body and is available in three colours- Grey, Silver, and Gold. M3s generated quite a buzz among our target audience. Since the dynamics of the Indian market are similar to any other successful market in the world, it encouraged us to roll out this stunning device here as well. Undoubtedly, we at Meizu always tend to introduce our best-in-class products here on priority. We firmly believe the level of acceptability m3s would get from Indian consumers will bolster our future growth plans, ” the company said in a statement.
This year, the company also launched M3 Note, a strong competitor against Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 3. The M3 Note comes with a 5.5-inch FullHD screen with a 1080×1920 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor coupled with Mali T860MP2 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It comes with 32GB of internal memory, further expandable by up to 128GB via a hybrid microSD card slot. The phone costs Rs 9,999 to its buyers.
Tuesday, when Google launched Pixel phones, it seemingly left out a minor — albeit important — detail from the announcement, probably because there were bigger things to talk about. It didn’t reveal for how long the phone would be supported in terms of software and security updates, an issue that plagued Android phones. But now, India Today Tech can confirm that Pixel and Pixel XL will be different when it comes to updates than Android phones. According to Google, these phones will be supported for at least 2 years after their launch in software updates and at least 3 years for the necessary security updates.
This is an improvement over the Nexus phones, which are given official support for software updates like the next version of Android for 18 months. But at the same time, it falls short of the high standard set by Apple, which typically supports the iPhone for 4 years. (For Pixel phones) we provide software and security updates for 2 and 3 years, respectively,” a Google spokesperson told India Today Tech. “We provide warranty support for the life of the warranty — 1 year in the US and typically 2 years for the rest of the world, although there are exceptions.
The two years, although it sounds low compared to what Apple offers with the iPhone, seems fairly decent in the world of Android, where most phones never get a software update. The security updates are not rare, especially for the high-end Android phones from big manufacturers like Samsung. The mainstream and low-end phones do not get the updates all that frequently. The updates, software, or security are also infrequent six months after the phone launch.
In fact, prompt updates were one of the big attractions of Nexus phones. They were the most affordable option for consumers wanting to get direct and prompt Android software updates from Google. Although after the launch of Pixel, now that the Nexus product line has ended, even the Nexus phone users seem to be getting a raw deal. Unlike the pre-Pixel world, when Nexus phones were first to get the latest Android features, now the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P will have to wait at least a couple of months before they get some of the Android 7.1 features that Pixel phones have at the moment.
Interesting as it may sound, the truth is that Google, the company that is behind Android, has not made an Android phone. At least not in the way Apple makes the iPhone. This is changing now. Several days ago, on October 4, Google announced Pixel and Pixel XL. According to Google, the Pixel phones are the first phones that it has engineered and developed completely in-house. Although technically Motorola phones, when Motorola was a Google-owned company, were also Google official phones, and so are the Nexus devices, the Pixel phones are indeed slightly different. Although Google has sold phones using its Play store earlier, this is the first time it takes full ownership of the phones.
In the coming days, Pixel and Pixel XL will reach shops in India. Pre-orders have already started, and Google has already started reaching out to prospective consumers, telling them all about the virtues, as it sees them, of the Pixel phones. Here at India Today Tech, we will take a better look at the Pixel phones in the coming days. But for now, based on a day I have spent with the Pixel XL, there are some quick thoughts on what I make of the Pixels XL (and, up to an extent, Pixel).
Design from HTC
Although the Pixel XL is a Google phone, it unmistakably looks like an HTC phone. Well, there is a reason for that. The Pixel XL is a phone manufactured by HTC, even though it carries the Big G logo of Google. And its design is a mishmash of HTC phones, primarily the HTC 10 and the HTC A9. As you expect from a mishmash, the design will leave a user with mixed emotions. It is not a bad design. But it is not great either.
The Pixel XL uses an aluminum metal shell with the left and the right edges carved with clean straight lines, which we have seen earlier on the HTC 10. On the other hand, its curved corners reminded me of the HTC A9 and the iPhone 6. This is a familiar design, and we have seen it again and again on high-end — and now mainstream — phones. However, the unique bits to the Pixel design come from the glass portion on the rear and fingerprint scanner. The phone has a conveniently located –, and I must add a high-speed — fingerprint sensor on the rear cover. Android in the Pixel XL seems fast and quite beautiful with its clean, flat layer-based user interface. There are no unwanted apps here unless you count some of the Google apps as unwanted.
All in all, my impression of the Pixel XL in terms of design is that this is a very utilitarian design and somewhat boring for a phone that costs Rs 67,000. The bezels are thick, and various design elements give a fairly generic look. Although with a slim profile and a 5.5-inch phone, a compact enough frame also means that you can use Pixel single-handedly. Well, most of the time. Compared to a phone like the Galaxy S7 Edge, the Pixel XL doesn’t look good. But it sure is more convenient to use compared to the iPhone 7 Plus.
Google’s Android and possibly a killer camera
The big story with the Pixel XL is not its design. It is the software inside it. With Pixel phones, Google is taking charge of Android back from the phone makers in China and Korea, and instead of trying to give users a version of Android that will fast, good-looking, and feature-rich. The company is also promising timely updates to Pixel users.
All of this sounds very promising, and Pixel XL does highlight some of the better aspects of Android. It comes inbuilt with Google Assistant. It seems very smart, smarter than Siri, although I need to spend more time with it. Then there is a new app drawer — swipe up from the bottom edge — and it looks better than the app drawer out there by default in the Android 7, aka Nougat. The Pixel XL runs a more recent version of Android — Android 7.1 — and has the exclusive Pixel launcher that Google has created.
In the Android 7.1 on Pixel XL, Google has added a couple of more unique features. The most intriguing of these seems to be the shortcuts. You long-press on an app, and it shows a shortcut. For example, a long press on the Chrome app shows a shortcut for opening a tab or opening an incognito tab. This is very neat.
Overall, Android in the Pixel XL seems fast and quite beautiful with its clean flat layer-based user interface. There are no unwanted apps here unless you count some of the Google apps as unwanted. And there are no tacky animations or colors, which we often see on phones made by China-based companies.
It also helps that Pixel XL has pretty good hardware inside it. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and has 4GB RAM. It also has 32GB of internal storage. The AMOLED screen of the phone, at first glance, looks beautiful as it shows rich and deep colors. It also seems to be a very bright and vibrant screen, although this will be tested properly once the phone is used outdoors in bright sunlight.
iPhone 7 Plus vs. Pixel XL: On the left is an image by iPhone. On the right the photo by Pixel. The iPhone exposed the image better and has accurate colors. Pixel image has more details, richer colors. Talking of hardware, probably the best part of the phone seems to be the camera. We haven’t yet really put the phone’s camera through its paces, but it seems to capture images with great detail and extremely punchy colors. Although speed-wise — focus and processing — it does seem slower than the camera in the iPhone 7 Plus, or for that matter, the camera in the Galaxy S7.
Summing it up
In the coming days, I will take a better look at Pixel XL, see how well its battery holds up, whether the phone heats or not, whether its software has bugs or not, and most importantly, see how well it works with the Jio network. You guys do want to know how well it works with Jio. But all of that is for later. For now, my impression of the Pixel XL is mostly positive, although the design could have been better. For example, it doesn’t have water and dust-resistant body, which is kind of a big miss at a time when both Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7 have it. Similarly.
The glass panel on the back cover looks tacky and useless. But then there is the software and features. The Android 7.1 Nougat inside the Pixel XL looks fantastic and seems to work very, very well. It is the kind of software that is going to make you fall in love with Android. And although the software is not everything, it matters a lot in a “smartphone.”
Samsung India Electronics will make all the future launches, including entry-level smartphones, with 4G facilities. It expects to gain the market share in the current year on the back of new launches, a top company official said on Thursday. There is a huge conversion happening from feature phones to smartphones at the entry-level. This migration will continue. All the future launches, including the entry-level segment, will have 4G facilities and sell 4G devices. But at the same time, there will be a certain set of feature phone users because of price points,” said the company’s Vice President (Mobile Business), Manu Sharma Yarlesac.
He also said the mobile maker has experienced sales this year but declined to give details of sales figures. We expect that the company will gain its market share on the back of new launches,” he said. According to the latest data, in the smartphone market, the mobile maker has a 48.7 percent share in value. peaking on the Galaxy Note 7, he confirmed that the company would refund consumers who bought the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones outside the country. “They can go to a service center and get it refunded,” he said, adding that it did not sell” the device in India. Instead of the Galaxy Note 7 pre-book offer, the company has offered Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, he added.
Go and update your Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus to Android 7.0 Nougat today!
India Mobile Diwali or IMD, a one of its kind event, is going to be held in New Delhi from 22 October to 24 October at Pragati Maidan. Keeping the upcoming festive season and Indian tradition of buying new products including electronic gadgets during Diwali in mind, around 200 mobile phone brands from China and India are expected to participate in the 3-day fair. Some of the brands who are participating in the fair include Techno, Gionee, Coolpad, Holitech, Micromax, Lava, Videocon, G’Five, Karbonn, Spice, Vodafone, Intex Galaxy Core, Poxiao, Vivo, Sprocomm, Nubia, ZTE, Meizu, Water World, Miki, Acer, Essline, Nuwei, Ramos and Huawei.
The organizers including China’s Shoujibao claim the event is being conducted with the support of Indian government.
“Chinese companies are excited to be a part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign and establish mobile handset & component manufacturing facilities in India. I’m sure that IMD will open ample opportunities to network and join hands and further strengthen investments in India.” said Lingyun Wu, CEO, Mobile World (Shoujibao), Shenzhen & Organizers of India Mobile Diwali Do Some Work Do Some Work.
The Grand first edition of ‘India Mobile Diwali’ is an annual gathering of India and China’s mobile industry with international influence, ‘Rooted in India’, radiated to South East Asia and oriented to the globe. One of the key highlights of ‘India Mobile Diwali’ will be the public voting for ‘India’s most popular mobile brand’ followed by a spectacular award ceremony. Indian government leaders, officials of Chinese Embassy in India and heads of more than 200 popular mobile brands will also gather to witness the glorious moments in the mobile industry.
Meanwhile, ‘The Second India-China Mobile Phone and Its Accessories Manufacturing Summit’, ‘The First India-China Mobile Phone Industry Investment Forum’ and the award ceremony of ‘The most popular mobile phone brand awards ceremony’ will also be held during this period. We hope both India and China’s mobile enterprises may enjoy a good communication in this ‘India Mobile Diwali’, acquire more opportunities in business and investment cooperation, and promote jointly the development of India’s mobile industry,” organizers of India Mobile Diwali said in a statement.
Android utility app suite SooperMo, operated by Gurgaon-based SooperMo App studio Pte Ltd, has raised $100,000 (Rs 67 lakh) in seed funding from Dubai-based entrepreneur Lalit Vase. The vase is Red Entertainment Distribution FZCO, a distributor of interactive entertainment software in the Middle East region. The startup plans to use the capital raised to launch the beta version of its utility apps in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, and co-founder Pushkar Sinha told Techcircle.
The apps suite is expected to hit the Google Play Store in the first week of November.
Launched earlier this year by Sinha and Tapan Pandey, SooperMo is a single package of utilities that includes disk and battery optimization, clean-up, privacy control, SPAM SMS blocker, and malware app, checker. The apps suite comes bundled with a brand engagement module that will reward users for engaging with the app daily. The apps will come in a freemium model.
Both Sinha and Pandey previously worked with desktop-based utility companies Disk Doctor Labs Inc. and Remo Software. Earlier this year, the company raised its first round of funding led by Raj Hajela, the founder and director of mobile e-commerce company Estel Technologies. In addition, Estel’s chief operating officer Deepak Luthra also participated in the round. With a majority stakeholding in SooperMo, Hajela undertakes an advisory role in the startup.
SooperMo competes with global brands such as Clean Master and CC Cleaner, among others.
In India, AppsDaily Solutions Pvt. Ltd develops products that include mobile anti-virus, mobile insurance, backup solutions, mobile privacy, SOS, mobile utilities, and games. The company raised $2 million (around Rs 13.5 crore) in a bridge round of funding in July this year from Kalaari Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Russian venture capital fund run-Net, and Zodius Technology Opportunities Fund. AppsDaily had previously raised $26 million in funding.
India Mobile Diwali or IMD, a one of its kind event, is going to be held in New Delhi from 22 October to 24 October at Pragati Maidan. Keeping the upcoming festive season and Indian tradition of buying new products including electronic gadgets during Diwali in mind, around 200 mobile phone brands from China and India are expected to participate in the three-day fair, Some of the brands who are participating in the fair include Techno, Gionee, Coolpad, Holitech, Micromax, Lava, Videocon, G’Five, Karbonn, Spice, Vodafone, Intex Galaxy Core, Poxiao, Vivo, Sprocomm, Nubia, ZTE, Meizu, Water World, Miki, Acer, Essline, Nuwei, Ramos and Huawei.
The organisers including China’s Shoujibao claim the event is being conducted with the support of Indian government.
“Chinese companies are excited to be a part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign and establish mobile handset & component manufacturing facilities in India. I’m sure that IMD will open ample opportunities to network and join hands and further strengthen investments in India.” said Lingyun Wu, CEO, Mobile World (Shoujibao), Shenzhen & Organizers of India Mobile Diwali Do Enjoy Life.
The Grand first edition of ‘India Mobile Diwali’ is an annual gathering of India and China’s mobile industry with international influence, ‘Rooted in India’, radiated to South East Asia and oriented to the globe. One of the key highlights of ‘India Mobile Diwali’ will be the public voting for ‘India’s most popular mobile brand’ followed by a spectacular award ceremony. Indian government leaders, officials of Chinese Embassy in India and heads of more than 200 popular mobile brands will also gather to witness the glorious moments in the mobile industry.
Meanwhile, ‘The Second India China Mobile Phone and Its Accessories Manufacturing Summit’, ‘The First India China Mobile Phone Industry Investment Forum’ and the award ceremony of ‘The most popular mobile phone brand awards ceremony’ will also be held during this period. We hope both India and China’s mobile enterprises may enjoy a good communication in this ‘India Mobile Diwali’, acquire more opportunities in business and investment cooperation, and promote jointly the development of India’s mobile industry,” organisers of India Mobile Diwali said in a statement.
