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Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

Qualcomm Introduces Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC Boasting 4x Better AI Performance And Better Graphics Rendering.

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On Wednesday, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 as its new 5G mobile platform for next-generation flagship Android phones at the annual Snapdragon Tech Summit. The chip is the first to feature the new Snapdragon branding, which was introduced after Qualcomm’s 17 Snapdragon 800-series system-on-chip (SoC) models were released. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is said to have four times the performance of last year’s Snapdragon 888 SoC in terms of artificial intelligence (AI). Furthermore, Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the world’s first 5G modem-RF solution capable of 10 Gigabit download speeds on a compatible network.

Specifications And Features

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will come with Qualcomm’s 7th Gen AI Engine, which is said to have two times the shared memory and a two-times faster tensor accelerator than the Snapdragon 888’s 6th Gen AI Engine, resulting in better per-watt performance. The new chip will also be manufactured using a 4nm process. This is an improvement over the Snapdragon 888’s 5nm process technology from last year.
The exact names of the Kryo CPU and Adreno GPU on Qualcomm’s new chip have yet to be revealed. The Kryo CPU, on the other hand, has Arm Cortex-X2 cores that can run at up to 3GHz. The CPU is said to be 20 percent faster and uses 30 percent less power than the Snapdragon 888’s counterpart. In comparison to its predecessor, the new Adreno GPU is expected to deliver a 30% increase in graphics rendering and a 25% reduction in power consumption.
It includes a Qualcomm Hexagon processor as part of the AI Engine for a better artificial intelligence (AI) experience. The chip also has Leica Leitz Look filters built-in for a better bokeh effect. Hugging Face, a machine learning community, has also developed AI-based natural language processing. By analyzing and prioritizing your notifications, it is claimed to enable a unique personal assistance experience.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 has over 50 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features to help provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience, as well as color-rich HDR scenes. According to the company, a Variable Rate Shading Pro feature has been integrated to provide a desktop-level volumetric rendering for realistic fog, smoke, and particle effects.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Image source: www.zdnet.com

A dedicated Trust Management Engine is also included in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 for enhanced security. This is also said to provide the root of trust for all installed apps and services. In addition, the new Snapdragon chip supports the Android Ready SE standard, which allows users to use digital car keys and driver’s licenses.
The Qualcomm Secure Processing Unit with support for integrated SIM is built into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to help people connect to cellular networks without using a SIM card (iSIM).
Snapdragon Sight Technology, the first 18-bit image signal processor, is another notable addition to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. (ISP). At speeds of up to 3.2 gigapixels per second, this camera is said to capture over 4,000 times more camera data than its predecessor for high dynamic range, color, and sharpness. The new ISP also supports the premium HDR10+ format for 8K HDR video recording. A dedicated Bokeh Engine is also available for adding soft backgrounds to videos. There’s also an Always-on ISP, which allows for always-on face unlocking without draining the battery.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s other specifications and features are largely similar to those of its predecessor. Support for up to 4K and QHD+ displays with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, LPDDR5 RAM with a frequency of up to 3200MHz and a density of up to 16GB, and Quick Charge 5 fast charging are among the features.
Qualcomm announced a partnership with Google Cloud to boost neural network development and build as well as optimize AI models at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2021, alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. Qualcomm Neural Processing SDK will be able to integrate Google Cloud Vertex AI NAS as a result of the collaboration.
The new experience will debut on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 first, before being rolled out across Qualcomm’s portfolio. As a result of its partnership with Google, Qualcomm said that its Snapdragon mobile, ACPC and XR, Snapdragon Ride Platform, and IoT platforms will be able to use Google Cloud Vertex AI Neural Architecture Search with the Qualcomm AI Engine.

Availability Timeline

Qualcomm reports that many global smartphone vendors will use Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in phones such as Black Shark, Honor, iQoo, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, Realme, Redmi, Sharp, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The company estimates that phones based on the new chip will be available by the end of 2021.

Realme GT Master Explorer

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition And Master Edition With Qualcomm Socs Now Available: Check Price And Specifications.

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In China, Realme GT Master Explorer Edition has been released along with Realme GT Master Edition. The phones were designed in partnership with the renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa. The Master Explorer Edition features both Android 11 and a leather back panel in suitcase style. They feature three rear camera configurations and each with a hole-punch cut-out. Both models are equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs and are supported with a 65W quick charge.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition: Specifications

Realme GT Master Edition is running Android 11, Realme UI 2.0 at the top. It has a full HD + Super AMOLED Display with a refreshing rate of 6.55 inches and a sampling rate of 480 Hz. The DC-Dimming and 100% coverage of DCI-P3 color space are also supported with 1,100 nits highest brightness. It is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC and a maximum Ram 12GB and a maximum storage volume of 256GB.
Realme GT Master Explorer Edition comes with a three-way back camera configuration including a 50-megapixel primary sensor from Sony IMX766, a 16-megapixel Sony IMX481 sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a macro shooter. On the front, there is a Sony IMX615 32-megapixel selfie and video calling sensor in a punch cutout in the top left corner of the display.
A 4500mAh battery supporting 65W fast charging is packed in the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. The mobile phone is also supplied with steam chamber cooling, Dolby Atmos dual speakers, and audio support for Hi-Res. A 4D touch engine for improved vibration and NFC connectivity is available. The mobile phone weighs 183 grams and is 8mm thick.

Realme GT Master Explorer
Image source: fdn.gsmarena.com

Realme GT Master Edition: Specifications

The Realme GT Master Edition runs the Realme UI 2.0 Android 11. This display has a 6.43 inch fully HD+ Super AMOLED 120 Hz refresh rate, a sample spectrum of 360 Hz touch, DCI-P3 coverage of 100 percent, and DC Dimming function. It has an 8GB of Ram and up to 256GB of stock-powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 SoC.
The phone comes with a 3-pin rear camera setup with a 64-megapixel f/1.8 primary sensor, an 8 megapixel f/2, 2-pixel macro shooter with a 2-megapixel aperture for photos and videos. The 32-megapixel Selfie shooter with F/2.5 aperture is also on the front of the Realme GT Master Edition.
The phone is backed by a battery of 4,300mAh that is able to charge 65W quickly. Also available in the Realme GT Master Edition with the technology of vapor cooling.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition, Realme GT Master Edition: Price, Availability

For 8GB +128GB storage configuration the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition prices for the 12GB +256GB storage models are CNY 2,899 (RS. 33,400) and CNY 3,199 (around RS. 36,900). It is available in suitcase Apricot and suitcase Grey colors.
A 8GB + 128GB storage model and an 8GB + 256GB variant are available in the Realme GT Master Edition. The CNY 2,399 (approximately 27,700) price for 128GB of storage, and the CNY 2,599 for the 256GB storage model (roughly Rs. 30,00). It can be found in the colors Dawn and Snow Mountain.
Realme GT Master Series is on sale in China for pre-order starting from 29 July. On the matter of international accessibility, there is no word yet.

Oppo A16

Oppo A16 with MediaTek Helio G35 SoC and Triple Rear Cameras Released: Price, Specs

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The OPPO A16 was released quietly. It is the successor to the OPPO A15, which debuted last year. It has a more advanced processor, a larger battery, and a better front camera than the predecessor model. The A16 has a waterdrop display on the front and a threefold camera unit within the rectangular module. Here are all of the specifications, features, and pricing information for the OPPO A16.

Specifications for Oppo A16

Oppo A16 is based mainly on ColorOS 11.1 and runs Android 11. The display functions as a 6.52-inch HD+ display with 60 Hz refresh speed, a speed of 60 Hz contact, a density of 269 pixels, and a high luminosity of 480 nits. The ratio of screen to the body is 88.7% and the ratio is 1.500:1. The Oppo A16 is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G35 SoC, coupled with IMG GE8320 GPU, LPDDR4x RAM 3GB, and a MicroSD card expandable 32GB eMMC 5.1 storage.
For photos and videos, the phone comes with a triple setup of a 13-megapixel primary sensor, an f/2.2 lens, a 2-megapixel f/2.4 aperture macro shooter, and an f/2.4 lens mono 2-megapixel sensor. On the front, Oppo A16 offers an 8-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calls with an f/2.0 lens.

Oppo A16
Image Source: indianlekhak.com


The alternative connectivity is 4G, Wi-Fi dual-band, Bluetooth v5, and GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a charging USB Type C port. Geomagnetic sensors, mild ambient sensors, proximity sensors, accelerometers, and gravity sensors comprise Oppo A16’s onboard sensors. In addition to the face release support, there is a side-installed fingerprint scanner. With the help of a 5,000mAh battery, the phone is supported. Oppo A16 is 163.8×75.6×8.4mm long with a weight of 190 grams.

Details and Pricing

A single 3GB RAM and 32 GB storage setup is possible with the OPPO A16 mobile phone. The price for this device in Indonesia is approximately IDR 1,999,000 (Rs 10,288). The OPPO A16 can be purchased in the color options Pearl Blue, Space Silver, and Crystal Black.

About the Company

Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd is a Chinese cellular and electronic purchaser based in Dongguan, Guangdong. The OPPO company operates as a company. Smartphones, smart devices, audio devices, power banks, Blu-ray players, and various digital products are all key product strains.
The “Oppo” brand name was registered in China in 2001 and published in 2004. They have since grown to more than 40 countries. In June 2016, OPPO became China’s largest telephone producer, promoting over 200,000 telephones at retail outlets. In 2019 OPPO became China’s pinnacle telephone brand and worldwide ranked No 5 on the market.

The Oppo A Series

The phone offers you the greater of all of it so that you could make life extra capable. OPPO A-Series offers existence to your world. OPPO Any image you dream of maybe taken via way of means of the AI triple rear camera series. The 13MP main lens keeps clarity, the 2MP macro goal captures the best details intently and the 2MP depth lens perfects each picture. Even in backlighting, whilst additionally preserving the background detail, HDR can maintain you clearly. Hardware-level bokeh blurring distinguishes your subject, which evidently reasons the background to blur. Say goodbye to useless waiting or interruptions with an effective octa-core processor whilst you in the end have time to look at the long-awaited video.
Stay on the grid with the use of the Super Power Saving Mode and extend your energy via way of means of optimizing your sleep. Stay in contact even withinside the darkest hours of your phone. 3-D audio, furnished through their stereo speakers. Sit down, loosen up and revel in the tune using Dirac’s computerized audio optimization.

Tecno Camon 17 Pro

Tecno Camon 17 Pro and Tecno Camon 17 With 64-Megapixel Quad Cameras Are Now Available in India: Price and Specifications

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Tecno Camon 17 Pro and Tecno Camon 17 phones have been released in the Indian Market. Both phones are designed with a 64-megapixel quad-camera setup on the back. The Techno Camon 17 Pro comes with a 48-megapixel front camera. On the other hand, the Techno Camon 17 comes with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. Both phones offer a hole-punch display with the cutout positioned at the top in the center. The Pro version is powered by an Helio G95 SoC while the basic version is powered by an Helio G85 SoC.


Pricing of Tecno Camon And Tecno Camon 17 Pro


For the sole 8GB RAM + 128GB, the brand new Tecno Camon 17 Pro is priced at Rs. 16,999, in India. It is available in a single color alternative Arctic Down. The launch offers encompass free Buds 1,999 and an immediate discount of 10 percent on HDFC debit and credit card transactions, consisting of EMIs.
For the single 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model, Tecno Camon 17 is priced at Rs. 12,999 in India. It is available in 3 colors — Frost Silver, Spruce Green, and Magnet Black. Included in Launch offers is a 10% instant HDFC debit and credit card bargain consisting of EMI transactions. On July 26th, i.e. the beginning of Amazon Prime Day, the sale of each phone starts.

Tecno Camon 17 Pro
Image source: www.91-cdn.com


Specifications of the Tecno Camon 17 Pro


The Tecno Camon 17 Pro runs on the idea of Android 11 on the HiOS v7.6 with a 6.8-inch full-HD+ display (1.080 x 2.460 pixel) with top lighting of 500 nits, a refresh rate of 90Hz, a sampling rate for 180Hz touches, and an aspect ratio of 20.5:9. It is powered through an 8GB RAM mixed MediaTek Helio G95 SoC. The internal storage is 128GB, which may be in addition elevated with a microSD card (as much as 256GB).
The Tecno Camon 17 Pro features a quad digicam setup that includes a 64-megapixel fundamental sensor with an aperture of 1.79 ft, a wide-angled 8-megapixel sensor, and two-megapixel extra sensors. For selfies and video calling, there’s a 48-megapixel front digicam (F/2.2 opening). Tecno additionally supports dual flash.
With a 33W rapid recharge support, Tecno Camon 17 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery. It is pronounced to be functional for as many as 37 days. The telephone has a fingerprint sensor on its side and a twin SIM (Nano + Nano) slot is provided. Includes 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v5, GPS, and more. The phone measures 168.89×76.98×8.95mm.


Specifications of Tecno Camon 17


Tecno Camon 17 runs additionally on HiOS v7.6 primarily based on Android 11 with a complete HD+ 6.8 inch (1.080×2.460 pixels) IPS display at most of 500 nits brightness, a refresh rate of 90Hz, a sampling rate of 180 Hz, in addition to the 20.5:9 look-up ratio. The energy comes from a MediaTek G85 SoC, mixed with a RAM of 6GB. The internal storage is 128GB, which may be in addition improved with a microSD card (as much as 256GB).
Techno Camon 17 comes with a set up of a quad-camera with a 64-megapixel predominant sensor (aperture F/1,79) and 3 different 2-megapixel sensors. For selfies and video calls, there may be a 16-megapixel front camera (f/2.2 opening). Here too, Tecno offers twin flash support.
With 18W rapid charging power, the Tecno Camon 17 packs a battery of 5,000mAh. It consists of a fingerprint sensor on its side and has a double SIM (Nano + Nano) slot. Includes 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v5, GPS, and more. The phone measures 168.67×76.44×8.82.

Google Pixel

A Quick Look at the New Features Coming to Android Devices Like Google Pixel

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Google recently announced its December update for its Pixel devices. Several updates and features that have been added to this roll-out will also be available for other Android devices, such as the Pixel 3. However, some of the features have been introduced exclusively for the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. Since Indians have access only to the Pixel 4a, enthusiasts have been patiently awaiting this announcement to see what new features they will be gaining next year. Let us now take a look at all the new features announced and what value it adds to smartphone users in India.

Google Pixel Features Galore

Some of the new features that have been added to the Android devices include Extreme Battery Saver, Contextual translation, and Home Screen Customisation. All these features will be available on the Pixel 4, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 3, all of which are sold in India. Let us now take a closer look at all the features announced by Google.

Google Pixel
Image Source: robertschlatter.com

Extreme Battery Saver: Helps by limiting the usage of battery to only a few handfuls of essential apps. The feature will enable the device’s battery to last longer than ever imagined before helping users who always run out of power mid-meeting.

Duo Screen Share: This feature is an absolute necessity during this COVID-19 pandemic, wherein people are conducting all business meetings online. It allows users to share their screens and windows while taking Duo calls, helping make meetings a lot more organized and coordinated.

Enhanced Google Lens: The Google Lens update allows it to help users by translating to their native language if needed. All users have to do is take a screenshot of whatever they need to translate by swing up to the recent app’s overview, making traveling a lot easier than ever before.

Playlist Export: This interesting new feature will allow you to store the tracks you listen to while driving or waiting in line in the supermarket. Since Google Music will soon become obsolete, the device will allow users to export their Now Playing playlist to YouTube music, helping make all our lives easier.

Home Screen Customisation: A prominent Android feature, such high levels of customization allow users to make their device a true expression of themselves. The new update enables users to change their icon shapes, app shapes, and grid views. It also introduces new wallpapers through Google Arts and Culture. Pixel devices will also have a slew of new and original Mandalorian wallpapers which all Star Wars fans will appreciate and truly enjoy.

Hold for Me

The new Hold for Me feature allows users to enable the Google Assistant to stay on the line when they are busy with other calls. The Assistant stays on the line patiently and informs the other person when someone is ready to take the call and talk. This feature can be quite useful to entrepreneurs who have to take hundreds of business calls every day. However, this feature will be limited to devices sold and used in the USA.

Android Updates to Watch Out For

Some of the other features that all Android users will be able to enjoy after the December update are as follows;

  1. The Emoji Kitchen is getting a major revamp and will now feature over 14,000 unique designs. Users will now have the option of tapping on two emojis and creating a slew of different combinations. The Gboard will display suggestions of combinations or extreme versions when users either tag or double-tap a particular emoji. This feature will be available on all devices that have Android 6 or higher and unique holiday season stickers will soon go live on Google Play.
  2. To assist the differently-abled, the Voice Access will feature new commands. Some of the new actions include ones to open Photos, start a Search, or open your Map among others. The feature is expected to help make navigation more comfortable than ever before and will run on all devices that have Android 6 or higher.
  3. Google Maps will now allow users to pin their favorite destinations and routes with the new Go tab. Hence, all users can now receive real-time Estimated Time of Arrivals to their favorite coffee shop or office at all times. The feature will extend to public transport services and will feature multiple routes to all destinations, and will also be available on iOS devices.

Additionally, the Nearby Share feature will allow users to share their apps with devices without Wi-Fi or cellular data. All users have to do is click on Share Apps via My Apps and Games and then choose the apps they wish to share. Once the receiver taps on Accept, they will receive all the apps selected. Most of these features will be available to most Pixel models including;

  1. Pixel 3
  2. Pixel 3 XL
  3. Pixel 3a
  4. Pixel 3a XL
  5. Pixel 4
  6. Pixel 4 XL
  7. Pixel 4a
  8. Pixel 4a 5G
  9. Pixel 5

It will be interesting to see when these new features will drop, and how fans will rate them based on functionality and ease of use.

whatsapp

Whatsapp Aims to Improve Its Interface with New Beta Version for Android

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Whatsapp is coming out with a new beta version for Android that has some new updates and features. The latest update which came out today features a new group call ringtone and also has new sticker animation features. Furthermore, the update, which is Version v2.20.198.11 is a significant sign that the messaging app is working on improving its intuitiveness and interface with regards to calling. Here’s a look at the significant additions and updates that the beta version brings with it.

New Update of Whatsapp

If anything, this new version is proof that the voice, video and text messaging application is looking to improve user experience. The beta version also tests out a new Call UI which will feature all buttons at the screen’s bottom. Moreover, WhatsApp’s beta version has some significant tweaks for animated stickers. While animations of shorter duration will now loop for a maximum of eight times, longer animations will have shorter loop cycles or iterations. Since the animation feature is a recent roll-out by Whatsapp, the new update will try to make the experience smoother for users. The recently launched animated stickers have been quite a hit with users, and the update will only help them grow in popularity. Hence, sticker users will laud the update for making their experience better. The same change will feature in WhatsApp v2.20.198.11 beta, and experts expect these versions to become stable in the coming weeks.

Better UI for Calls

Furthermore, v2.20.198.11 beta also features new ringtones for group calls and will help differentiate between private, and group calls on WhatsApp. All these new changes will go a long way in assisting WhatsApp to improve its user interface for calls. The shifting of buttons to the bottom of the screen will make it easier for users to control the application while on a call. Screenshots released by beta testers show the screen having five buttons at the bottom. The five buttons displayed include information, audio, video, messaging and camera switch buttons. However, since this feature is still in development, it is not a part of the newest beta released by WhatsApp. 

Disappearing Texts

WABetaInfo, a website that follows feature updates for WhatsApp, also reported that the new update features the ability to disappear texts after a preset time. This new feature has been much talked about by fans, as it resembles a texting option that Instagram offers. As per their reports, the new feature will allow users to send text messages that disappear after a while. However, they also state that users have not received any information regarding this feature, making a few believe that it will not be a part of the new update.

Further Changes

Also, the new update sees WhatsApp making the camera shortcut available to users. The messaging application has brought the camera icon in place of the Rooms shortcut, helping make it easier to access. As a result, the new update will feature Camera, Audio, Contacts, Gallery, Audio, Room, Location and Document shortcuts. Such an update follows WhatsApp’s advanced search characteristic. The new search feature makes it easier for people to search for items within the app by filtering various kinds of media. It also allows users to search for documents and links. However, users must note that all these features are a part of the beta version of the application. The company will continue to work on them and refine them before they make them a part of the actual app. While experts expect the stable version to drop within a few weeks, some of these features might not make it in time for the launch. In such cases, we will have to wait for the next update to use them.

WhatsApp keeps releasing beta versions to test new features and improve user experience. Over the years, they have rolled out several important updates that added a sleuth of new features to the application. The messaging application, therefore, takes an active effort to provide users with a seamless and well-integrated user experience. Also, since the company has not officially released a statement regarding the features to expect, it is safe to assume that a few are still under development. While official reports have not hit the news yet, experts do believe that most of these features will find a place for themselves in the new update. The advanced search option, new ringtone and animation features along with a better UI for calls will ensure that users stay satisfied with their experience using the application.