Gionee has unveiled as many as eight new smartphones with FullView displays at its winter launch event in China. The new entrants to the company’s portfolio include the Gionee S11, S11S, F6, F205, M7 Mini, M7 Plus, M7 Mini; the last device in the list is the M7 Power, which was launched in India earlier this month at Rs. 16,999. Of the new handsets unveiled in China, Gionee S11 – priced at CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs. 17,500) has been confirmed to be coming to India in the next couple of months. The specifications of the Android 7.1 Nougat-based phone include 5.99-inch full-HD+ display, 2.5GHz Helio P23 SoC, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, 16-megapixel + 8-megapuixel front cameras, 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel rear cameras, and a 3410mAh battery.
Oppo F5 6GB RAM variant now up for pre-orders in India
The Oppo F5 variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage is now available for pre-bookings in India. Priced at Rs. 24,990, the smartphone can be pre-ordered from Flipkart, and it goes on sale on December 1. Other than the extra system memory and storage, the new variant of Oppo F5 (Review) is identical to its 4GB RAM sibling. We can expect the new model to hit offline stores soon after its online release. Key features of the handset include 6-inch full-HD+ display, 20-megapixel front camera, 16-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, 3200mAh battery, fingerprint sensor, and facial unlock.
In other Oppo news today, the company released the F5 Youth smartphone – which is slated to be launched in India next month – in the Philippines, and the A79 smartphone in China. Both smartphones feature displays with 18:9 aspect ratio and run on Android 7.1 Nougat software; they are priced at PHP 13,990 (approximately Rs. 17,900), and CNY 2,399 (roughly Rs. 23,500), respectively. The Oppo F5 Youth has a 6-inch screen, octa-core Helio P23 processor, 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 16-megapixel front camera. Key specifications of Oppo A79 include 6-inch AMOLED screen, 4GB RAM, 16-megapixel cameras on the front and back, and 64GB internal storage.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) with bezel-less design leaked
A new leak has given us a look at the front panel of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018), suggesting it will feature the Infinity display design as well dual camera setup in front. While there’s not much else to the leak, it comes soon after leaks around the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) surfaced online, so their launches may not be too far. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and its siblings are expected to launch in January next year.
OnePlus 5 Android Oreo beta build now available
OnePlus 5 users can now flash the Android Oreo Open Beta build to give their handsets the first taste of Google’s latest mobile OS. But be forewarned – this build will be buggy considering its beta nature; for the final update, you will have to wait till early 2018. Among the new features that will be released with this build are Picture-in-Picture, Auto-fill, Smart text selection, and a new Quick Settings design. Separately, the yet-to-be-announced Android Oreo Open Beta 2 for OnePlus 5 has been spotted online too, showing Face Unlock as part of the new features coming to the erstwhile flagship.
Sony Xperia XZ and Xperia XZs are also receiving the Android 8.0 Oreo update right now, though this is the public version and not beta. The OTA update is being rolled out in phases. Among the new features the two smartphones have got with this firmware update are prompts to complete unfinished tasks, new actions on long-pressing icons, new gaming and community features, text autofill, notification dots, Picture-in-Picture, new Quick Settings menu, and Google Play Protect integration.
Nokia 5, Nokia 6 getting Android Oreo beta builds soon
Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will soon join the ranks of Nokia 8 as HMD Global smartphones getting Android Oreo. The two smartphones will soon receive the Oreo beta build, revealed HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas in a tweet. If the company sticks to the pattern it followed with it current flagship, the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will get the public Oreo build before the year ends. As both smartphone run stock Android software, we can expect the upcoming beta to bring features such as Picture-in-Picture mode, notification dots, smart text selection, and Google Play Protect integration to them as well.
Honor V10 may launch in India in January
A new report says the upcoming Honor V10 flagship smartphone with AI integration and dual rear camera will be launched in India in January. That’s just a month after it will launch the Honor 7X smartphone in the country. The Honor V10 will launch in the China market on Tuesday, while the global launch of V10 is scheduled for an event in London on December 5. According to the report, the Honor V10 will have 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel rear cameras and 13-megapixel front camera. It is said to sport a 5.99-inch display, Android 8.0 Oreo-based custom UI, and 3750mAh battery. While the Honor V10 price in India is not yet known, the report claims it will be available via either Flipkart or Amazon.
Government waiting for formal proposal on India manufacturing operations from Apple
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said the government is awaiting a formal proposal from Apple for its India manufacturing plans. He said the Centre will support the iPhone maker in setting up manufacturing unit in the country once it gets “a good proposal” from the company. He said, “We are willing to find out if there is any difficulty they may face. We will be more than happy to resolve that difficulty,” adding that the government is willing to call state Chief Ministers who are willing to give Apple the best deal.
Previously, the government had not accepted most of Apple’s demands; the company has asked for duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years.
Amazon Prime, Netflix announce exclusive deals in India
Amazon Prime Video members will have exclusive access to the upcoming Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar-starrer 2.0. The film is the sequel to 2010’s Enthiran, and will be available to watch on Prime Video in multiple languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Considered the country’s most expensive film yet, 2.0 is made at a budget of Rs. 450 crores and is expected to hit the theatres in January.
But rival Netflix is not far behind either, as the world’s biggest streaming service acquired its first Indian original movie. Named Love Per Square Foot, the movie is being made by Ronnie Screwvala’s independent production house and is described as a quirky romantic comedy about a man and a woman who enter a marriage of convenience to buy an apartment in Mumbai. The deal makes Love Per Square Foot the first movie going directly to Netflix, without a theatre release. It is slated to become available for streaming in early 2018, reportedly in April.