Realme XT Software Update Brings Nightscape Mode for Selfie Camera, November Security Patch and More

A new update is rolling out for the Realme XT bringing the latest November security patch and improvements to the camera and fingerprint reader.

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Redmi Note 8 Pro with Snapdragon 730G SoC rumoured, Redmi K30 confirmed to debut in 2020

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 8 Pro (review) last month, which is powered by MediaTek G90T chipset. Now, according to a leak, the company is working on a new variant of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, which will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chipset instead.

This information comes via leakster Xiaomishka, who shared a post of Twitter on Wednesday. Per his post, two new model numbers have appeared on on China's certification website 3C — M1912G7BE and M1912G7BC – which hints that Xiaomi is working on a new version of the Note 8 Pro with the Snapdragon 730G chipset.

Redmi Note 8 Pro.

In the same tweet, he also revealed that he found another smartphone with model number M1911U2E, which he believes is the Redmi K30. Per the tweet, the smartphone will debut as soon as December this year.

#Xiaomi
Ok, guys I see new model numbers: M1912G7BE M1912G7BC, that appeared at 3C database, and what can I say.
New #Redmi phone is coming! It's #RedmiNote8Pro upgrade version with SD730G.

P.S. #RedmiK30 (M1911U2E) #5G #MTK
The launch should take place in December. 😎

— Xiaomishka (@xiaomishka) November 14, 2019

However, Xiaomi vice president Lu Weibing has shared a post on Weibo, confirming the previously rumoured timeline for Redmi K30's launch in 2020.

Redmi K30 has recently been teased by Xiaomi as well. Last month, Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing teased two posters of the Redmi K30 on Weibo. The porters revealed that the Redmi K30 will sport a dual-punch hole display camera for selfies. The two front cameras are seen horizontally aligned and are placed on the top right of the smartphone.

The teaser also confirmed that the smartphone will have dual-band 5G support. Reportedly, Redmi K30 will have 5G standalone and non-standalone (SA/NSA) sub-6Hz networks. The latter was also confirmed by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun in a separate post on Weibo.

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Twitter Exempts Some 'Cause-Based' Messages on Social, Environmental Issues from Political Ad Ban

Twitter unveiled details of its move to bar all paid political messages, starting November 22, while easing concerns expressed by activists for social causes.

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Apple Music 'Replay' puts together your top songs from each year into playlists

Apple Music has introduced a new feature called "Replay" which will let you look back at your most heard songs, favorite artists or albums from each year. You will see separate playlists for each year starting from the year you joined Apple Music. These playlists can also be added to your library and you can listen to them offline as well.

As reported by TechCrunch, just like songs, you can even share these playlists with your friends or post them on social media.

(Also read: Spotify launches standalone music streaming app for kids with hand picked playlists)

The Apple Replay feature is an answer to Spotify's Wrapped feature that also curates the most heard songs of the year.

This playlist will reportedly update every week so that it can reflect the latest activity of the user in the playlist.

Introducing Apple Music Replay. Your favorite tracks of the year — all in one playlist, updated weekly. See what songs, artists, and albums defined your year in music: https://t.co/YpdjyXnL85 pic.twitter.com/dn4BDApcJX

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) November 14, 2019

This feature is similar to "Wrapped" by Spotify that also gives an annual report card as to what songs did you play on loop, your favourite artists, most played albums and so on. The main difference between Replay and Wrapped is that Replay is updated every week on Sunday but that is not the case with Spotify's Wrapped.

To get started, all you need to do is go to this website, click on "Get your replay mix", log in with your Apple ID and voila! You can enjoy your memory down the lane!

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Android Users Face Trouble With Google Drive Backup

Certain users are reporting that they are unable to back up their data from the smartphone to their Google Drive.

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Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple News+ Could be Bundled Together as Early as 2020

A bundled package will not cost subscribers as much, when compared to the individual cost of Apple News+, Apple Music and Apple TV+.

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OnePlus Rolls-Out OxygenOS 10.0.4 for OnePlus 7T Pro, OxygenOS 10.0.6 for OnePlus 7T

Both OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro are getting new updates that squash certain bugs and add some new features.

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Apple News Plus, Music, TV Plus subscriptions to be bundled in 2020: Report

Apple will reportedly bundle its News+, Apple TV+, and Apple Music subscriptions. It will be called the 'Mega Bundle' and will arrive in 2020.

This was first reported by Bloomberg, which revealed that Apple is planning to bundle all its service subscriptions in one in order to gain more subscribers.

Apple News+. Image: Reuters

However, some believe that selling Apple News+ as part of a broader bundle with TV+ and Apple Music might reduce content owners’ share, because the cost of the news service will likely be reduced. Currently, of the subscription money that Apple charges in total for News+, 50 percent goes to the company and the rest goes to the publishers.

If you see, Apple has already started to experiment with bundling subscriptions. It recently began offering a free Apple TV+ subscription to students who are Apple Music subscribers.

Earlier this month we also learnt that Apple is reportedly working on a similar model for the sale for future iPhones. According to a report by CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently hinted that the company may replace the traditional sale model with a subscription-based model soon. The purported service may be called Apple Prime. Per the report, Apple will bundle all of its services like Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Pay, along with the iPhone for a monthly fee.

 

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Xiaomi Patent Reveals Foldable Phone Inspired by the Moto Razr 2019

The patent shows a clam-shell styled folding phone with an outer display and a tall display on the inside.

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Mark Zuckerberg is Secretely on Chinese Short Video-Sharing App TikTok

The account currently follows 61 celebrities like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, but mostly TikTok superstars like Loren Gray and Jacob Sartorius.

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Fitbit OS 4.1 Update to Bring Enhanced Heart Rate Tracking, On-Device Watch Face Adjustments

A major update for Fitbit smartwatches is expected to arrive in December.

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Apple to Launch New iPad Pro With 3D Sensor Alongside iPhone SE 2 in First Half of 2020

Apple is expected to launch two new products in the first half of 2020 including an improved iPad Pro and a more affordable iPhone SE 2.

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Amazon Mi Days sale: Best deals on Redmi 7A, Redmi Y3, Poco F1, Mi A2 and more

Amazon kicked off its Mi Days sale yesterday along with its other two sales — Apple Days sale (13 Nov- 17 Nov) and Oppo Fantastic Days sale(13 Nov-15 Nov). The Amazon Mi Days sale will be live till 18 November.

Another sale that is coinciding with these sales is the Flipkart Mobile Bonanza sale, which will also go on till 18 November.

Here are the best deals on Xiaomi smartphones, available during this sale.

Redmi 7A

Redmi 7A (Review) was launched last year at the starting price of Rs 5,999 for its 2 GB RAM + 16 GB storage variant. This storage variant will now cost you Rs 5,499 and the higher variant will cost you Rs 5,799, down from Rs 6,199.

Redmi 7A is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset

The successor of this smartphone — Redmi 8A (Review) — has also recently launched in India at a starting price of Rs 6,499.

The Redmi 7A comes in three colour variants — Matte Blue, Matte Gold, and Matte Black.

Poco F1

Poco F1 (Review) is selling at a starting price of Rs 15,999 (6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage), down from its launch price Rs 20,999. The higher storage variant of 8 GB RAM + 256 GB internal storage will cost you Rs 18,999.

Poco F1 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 chipset.

The smartphone sells in three colour options — Rosso Red, Steel Blue, and Graphite Black.

Redmi Y3

Redmi Y3 (Review) was launched earlier this year at a starting price of Rs 9,999 for its 3 GB RAM + 32 GB internal storage variant. During this Mi Days sale, it is selling at Rs 7,999. The smartphone comes in Bold Red, Elegant Blue and Prime Black colour variants. 

Redmi Y3 comes in two storage variants — 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage, and 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.

Xiaomi Mi A2

Xiaomi A2 (Review) is now selling at a starting price of Rs 8,499 for its 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage variant. The higher variant of 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage will cost you Rs 12,999, during this sale. The successor of this smartphone — Xiaomi Mi A3 (Review) — was also launched recently in the market.

Mi A2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC.

It is available in black, blue, red, rose gold and gold colour variants.

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Emissions from G20 nations continue undeterred, India among few countries on track to meet 2030 targets

In a progress report of how the world's top 20 economies nations are doing along the road to meet the guidelines set by the Paris Agreement, it seems none of the G20 nations have their emission levels low enough to meet the 2030 targets. Greenhouse gas emissions from India have increased, almost doubled, in the past 25 years, but are still below the G20 average, as per the climate change study. India's emission target appears to be the most ambitious, and closest to the 1.5-degree Celsius limit, the report adds.

The G20 Brown to Green Report 2018 is an annual review — a stock-taking report — of the G20 nations' commitment to climate action. It is largely a compilation of data to "assess the collective progress" towards the Paris Agreement's agreed goals.

Industries are one of several players that the tax is applicable for.

The report factors in both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and decarbonisation measure taken by the G20 nations in areas like energy use, emission intensity or forest loss — both of which are sectors where urgent action is necessary. But apart from establishing the status quo, the indicators have no predictive value.

Of the various emissions that are contributing to global temperature rise and a greenhouse effect — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, and water vapour — carbon dioxide is the largest contributor.

In India, these emissions have more than tripled since 1990. The share of fossil fuels in India’s energy mix has only increased based on recent figures, which reflects a trend away from traditional biomass-burning for energy. While this is a good thing, the speed of the nation's transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources is still far from optimal.

"India has one of the G20’s highest growth rates in energy use per capita (15 percent) between 2012 and 2017, but still the lowest level in the G20," the report reads. Experts have ranked India a "medium" on its national policy framework to address climate change, acknowledging that it has expanded a fair bit of renewable energy capacity in 2018.

That said, the report also highlights that targets to expand the sector even further are not enough. Specifically, they suggest that India's policies lack enough focus on curbing fossil fuel use or the emissions resulting from it. The global scenario isn't vastly different, with 82 percent of the energy supply in the world's 20 largest economies still coming from fossil fuels.

Also read: Can India rise to meet Greta Thunberg’s concerns on the issue of climate change?

Also read: Red deers are evolving to give birth earlier because of warming climate

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Future generations will face greater health problems due to climate change: Health report

Children are growing up in a warmer world that will hit them with more and different health problems than their parents experienced, an international report by doctors said.

With increasing diarrhea diseases, more dangerous heat waves, air pollution and increases in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria, man-made global warming is already harming public health around the world, the annual climate change and health report from the medical journal The Lancet said Wednesday.

But the report and its authors said they worry that the future health of the world’s youngest people will get even grimmer if emissions of heat-trapping gases aren’t curbed.

A young girl with malaria rests in the inpatient ward of the Malualkon Primary Health Care Center in Malualkon, in the South Sudanese state of Northern Bahr el Ghaza. Image credit: Special Report SOUTH-SUDAN/AID REUTERS/Adriane Ohanesian

“A child born today as they go through their lives they are going to be increasingly exposed to more and more harms that I did not experience,” said study co-author Dr Renee Salas, a Boston emergency room physician and professor at Harvard.

“I cannot think of a greater health emergency,” Salas said.

Already, the number of days when conditions are ripe for the spread of the water-borne bacteria Vibrio, a major cause of debilitating diarrhoea, have doubled since 1980 with last year ranking second-highest on record, the report said. Because of the warming climate, 29 percent more of the U.S. coastline is vulnerable to Vibrio. The report also said the cholera version of Vibrio has increased by nearly 10 percent.

Nine of the top 10 years where conditions were most ripe for dengue fever transmission have occurred since 2000, the report said.

Those diseases hit children harder, the report said. And children, the elderly, the poor and the sick are most hurt during extreme heat with dangerous overheating, respiratory disease and kidney problems.

“Children are the most vulnerable. They will bear the vast majority of the burden of climate change,’’ said Dr Nick Watts, an Australian emergency room physician and the lead author of the global report. “Their health will be hit by climate change in a profoundly different way.”

While medicine and public health have improved over the decades, allowing people to live longer, climate change “threatens to undermine all of the gains we’ve had,” Salas said.

Dr Cindy Parker, an environmental health professor at Johns Hopkins University, praised the peer-reviewed report, which she wasn’t part of, but she worried that focusing on the health effects that have already happened lessens the urgency of the future.

A relative embraces a young patient receiving treatment for dengue at the University School Hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Image credit: AP

“Climate change is a risk amplifier,” Parker said in an email. So as bad as the health problems are, add in water and food shortages caused by climate change and there will be more social unrest and conflict around the world that will still hit the United States in indirect ways, she said.

As an emergency room doctor, Salas said diseases that spread farther because of a changing climate, such as Lyme Disease, are something she has to consider when she treats patients.

During an emergency room shift in July, Salas saw an elderly man during a heatwave with a body temperature of 106 degrees. The ambulance crew said he lived on the top floor of a public housing complex with no air conditioning and when they opened the door “there was this wave of heat that hit them.”

Salas was able to save him. But as a doctor, she struggles with cases where there is no way to treat the patient, such as with devastating bleeding inside the brain. With climate change health problems, she said, the remedy is stopping emissions of heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and gas.

“We can’t ‘doctor’ our way out of this,” said Dr Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, who wasn’t part of the study but praised it. “We must address the root causes of climate change.”

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Apple iPhone SE 2, new iPad Pro on track to release in first half of 2020: Report

Apple is on track to release the low-cost iPhone SE 2 and the new iPad Pro with rear 3D sensing in the first half of 2020, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

This was first reported by MacRumors, that was able to see the research note by Kuo. He says that the iPad Pro 2020 will come with 3D sensing using the rear camera. Apple will likely use a ToF system, which measures the time that it takes for light to bounce off of objects in a room to generate a 3D map.

Apple iPhone SE. Representational Image.

Kuo estimate for the iPhone SE 2 and iPad Pro release are in line with a recent Bloomberg report, which also hinted the launch to be in the first half of next year.

Previously, Kuo also said that the iPhone SE 2 will be released by the end of the first quarter with similar features as the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and Touch ID, but with a faster A13 chip and 3 GB of RAM. He also said that iPhone SE 2 will likely be priced starting $399, and come in space grey, silver, and red colour variants.

Last month, Kuo also predicted that the iPhone SE 2 will have an LCP aka liquid crystal polymer antenna design for improved wireless transmission. He also said that Career Technologies and Murata Manufacturing will begin supplying Apple with antenna components by early 2020 by which time the production of the device will begin to meet its estimated launch time of Q1 2020 end.

Kuo has also said before that the upcoming iPhone SE 2 might not feature the 3D touch functionality. The company has also omitted this one in its recently launched iPhone 11 lineup.

Notably, while the smartphone is being referred to as the iPhone SE 2 for being the next generation low-cost device, but the device is not expected to look anything like the first-gen iPhone SE. It's also likely that the smartphone also has a different name.

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Redmi Note 8 Review: If you're spending 10k, this is the smartphone to buy

A recent report revealed that the Redmi Note 7 Pro was the second most popular phone in India, and with good reason. Xiaomi has made it a point to offer incredible value in every phone it sells, and the Note Pro line consistently hits that sweet spot between value for money and performance. The non pro version of this line is just as good, and offers even better value if you're willing to forego features like a slightly more powerful SoC or camera.

Enter the Redmi Note 8, the Note 8 Pro's lesser sibling which, as usual, drops some features in favour of offering a lot more value.

The Redmi Note 8 has a slightly bulky body with glass on the back panel. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey

The Redmi Note 8 Pro we reviewed earlier packs in a 64 MP rear camera while the Note 8 packs in a 48 MP one. Do note that last year's Note 7 Pro offered a 48 MP camera while the Note 7 came with a 12 MP one. The Note 8 is already a significant upgrade.

Here’s a quick glance at some of the key specs of our Redmi Note 8 review unit:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
• RAM: 6 GB
• Storage: 128 GB
• Display: 6.3 inches (1080 x 2340 pixels) IPS LCD panel
• Rear camera: 48 MP, f/1.8 (primary); 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultra-wide-angle); 2 MP, f/2.4 (macro), 2 MP, f/2.4 (depth)
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0
• 3.5 mm headphone jack: Yes
• Battery capacity: 4,000 mAh (18 W fast charging)
• OS: Android 9 Pie, MIUI 10

Performance: Smooth, but MIUI bloatware is getting annoying

The Snapdragon 665 chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB variant that I tested for over a week showed no signs of stuttering or lag in any of the apps. Unless you're spoiled by the super-smooth UI of OxygenOS, you're going to be satisfied with the fluidity of MIUI 10, and the next version is expected very soon.

That being said, I’ve never been a fan of MIUI (personal preference). The phone is flooded with bloatware and the incessant notifications (read: ads) can get irritating. Whenever I unlock the device, there is at least one notification present from one of the many pre-installed apps. The only way out is to manually disable notifications for each of these apps, something that I would highly recommend if you want to avoid getting bombarded with ads.

There's a tiny notch on the display, which can be hidden. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey

Even if you go with the base variant (4 GB + 64 GB), the hardware is capable of taking on games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile. The phone does get warm when gaming, but not to the extent that you can't hold the device. One annoyance is the vibration motor, which isn't precise. Typing with vibration turned on isn't the most pleasant experience.

The Redmi Note 8 offers a good enough multimedia experience when watching videos. You don’t have stereo speakers, but what you have is loud enough to allow you to comfortably watch movies and TV shows. The notch will get in the way, but you will eventually get used to it. If it still bothers you, MIUI allows you to hide the notch by essentially cropping out the notch area.

It comes with MIUI 10 out-of-the-box. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey

As with the Note 8 Pro, this device has a cooler colour temperature on its display. Switching to the ‘warm’ colour mode doesn't help. However, MIUI lets you play around with the temperature and tint to tune the display to your liking. The contrast is average and the colour balance is neutral enough.

The phone supports 18 W fast charging and with its 4,000 mAh battery capacity, the phone lasted for more than a day with regular usage. When I'd taken the phone out to click photos while heavily using social media and answering emails, the device still had around 20 percent of charge remaining at the end of the day.

Camera: Detailed shots in daylight, decent selfies

You can capture beautiful shots in daylight with the quad rear camera system. The primary 48 MP camera is capable of clicking detailed shots in natural light. When it comes to skin tones, the colours are highly dependant on the intensity of light. Under direct sunlight, skin tones appear brighter and a bit unnatural. When there’s soft light, say at dusk, the skin tone is closer to natural, although slightly saturated.

The rear camera system has a 48 MP primary sensor. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey

While regular shots manage good contrast, the HDR mode will let you take some impressive shots. Shadows and highlights are well-balanced. You will be able to capture nice pictures of clouds and buildings in this mode.

The flexibility of the four different lenses also works out well and the UI lets you seamlessly switch between them. White balance on the different cameras are maintained and it doesn't drastically change in the same lighting conditions. I also tried out a few macro shots and I was able to capture fairly detailed images, even though images weren't too sharp. Do remember, you will need some good lighting for such shots.

In low-lighting conditions, the camera struggles to capture details. While the images aren't terrible, you will need a suitable amount of light for good photos. There is a night mode in the camera, but I'd avoid it since it adds too much noise while trying to increase the exposure of the image.

Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro: Differences

The biggest differences between the Note 8 and Note 8 Pro are the chipset and camera. While the Note 8 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, the Note 8 Pro is powered by the Mediatek Helio G90T. There isn’t a stark difference in performance and it’s only noticeable while switching apps or when you’re opening them. However, because of the extra performance on the Note 8 Pro, it should run smoothly over multiple Android version updates until the hardware starts becoming a bottleneck.

Coming to the camera, there is clearly a big difference in image quality. The Note 8 Pro performs better in low light and it captures a more natural skin tone. Images are oversaturated at times as the colours look extra punchy when compared to those from the Note 8.

You can capture better selfies with the Note 8 Pro, in terms of colours and details.

The camera system on both devices is almost the same, except for the front and primary rear camera.

The Note 8 comes with a USB-C port. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey

In terms of pricing, the Note 8 is much cheaper than the Pro. The base model Note 8 (4/64 GB) is available at Rs 9,999, while the base Pro (6/64 GB), is available at Rs 14,999. The top end Note 8 (6 GB + 128 GB) is available at Rs 12,999, however. The latter pricing can put some users in a quandary. If you are in that situation, I think it's worth spending that little bit more for the Pro. It is more powerful and the camera is better. At Rs 9,999, however, the Note 8 is a fantastic deal.

Verdict: Yet another winner, as expected

The Redmi Note 8 offers impressive and unmatched value for money if you’re looking for a phone under 10k. It heavily competes against the Realme 5 but the latter's 12 MP camera is easily eclipsed by the 48 MP rear camera on the Note 8. The Realme also offers a lower resolution display and no fast charging, making the Redmi Note 8 an easy choice for anyone looking for a phone in the 10k range.

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Nokia smart TV equipped with JBL audio might debut in India next month: Report

After Motorola and OnePlus showcased their first TVs this year, Nokia is believed to also jump on the bandwagon. The company has reportedly announced its collaboration with the e-commerce platform Flipkart, for its upcoming Nokia TV.

As per a report by Times of India, Nokia might manufacture its smart TV in India itself and is likely to limit its presence in the market only. The purported TV by the Finnish company is believed to be launched as soon as next month.

The upcoming Nokia TV is expected to feature a 55 inch 4K Ultra HD panel with JBL audio support. As per the report, the product has already got the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)  certification.

The smart TV is likely to run on Android 9 Pie and might come with Play Stire pre-installed. It is also expected to feature an Intelligent Dimming technology that will give "better contrasts and deep black levels".

The Nokia smart TV is likely to run on Android 9 Pie and might come with Play Stire pre-installed.Representational image.

No price details have been revealed as of now.

Prior to this, brands like Motorola and OnePlus also debuted in the TV segment this year. Motorola launched its 32-inch smart TV at a starting price of Rs 13,999. The Motorola smart TVs are powered by Mali 450 GPU, 2.25 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal memory. For audio experience, the TVs will feature a 30 W front-firing speaker which has DTS Tru Sound support along with Dolby Audio.

On the other hand, OnePlus unveiled its 55 inch OnePlus TV Q1 at a starting price of Rs 69,900 and OnePlus TV Q1 Pro at Rs 99,900. The only difference between the two is that the Pro has a sliding soundbar with 8 speakers while the standard model has only 4 speakers sans the soundbar.

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Instagram says it is now testing hiding likes and views with select users globally

Instagram has announced that it is starting to test hiding likes and views globally now.

Instagram will be testing this with a select number of users, so you may or may not see the likes counter disappear. Instagram began to test this globally on 14 November. If you’re a part of the test, you will no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos posted to Feed, unless they’re your own.

Representational Image.

Users who are part of the test will be notified in their Feed.

Starting today, we’re expanding our test of private like counts globally. If you’re in the test, you’ll no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos posted to Feed unless they’re your own. pic.twitter.com/DztSH0xiq2

— Instagram (@instagram) November 14, 2019

Instagram was first reported to be working on removing likes from its platform in April. In July, Instagram had officially come out to say that it's "running a test that hides the total number of likes and video views for some people" in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. Last week, it also started testing in the US.

When Instagram first announced about removing likes from the platform, a spokesperson from the company had said in a statement, "We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get."

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WhatsApp Getting New Facebook Branding; But Still no Dark Mode For The Rest of us

It was only recently, Facebook had unveiled the new corporate branding.

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NASA warned to keep astronaut's safety as top priority during their crewed spaceflights

NASA auditors warned Thursday the space agency faces “significant safety and technical challenges” that need to be solved before astronauts fly in private capsules.

In its report, NASA’s inspector general office noted Boeing and SpaceX are several years late in transporting crews to the International Space Station. The private capsules likely won’t be certified before next summer, according to the report, and NASA should set a realistic timetable to avoid compromising safety.

NASA officials concurred with this and most of the other recommendations in the 53-page audit.

Astronauts standing in front of mockups of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsules at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. Image credit: NASA/AP

The auditors reported, meanwhile, that NASA overpaid Boeing $287.2 million to keep the company moving forward. Most of this overcharge was unnecessary, they said, a point with which NASA disagreed.

The report shows, on average, a seat on Boeing’s Starliner capsule will cost $90 million, almost double the price of a ride on SpaceX’s crew Dragon, at $55 million. That’s based on a crew of four flying one or two times a year.

In case of further delays by Boeing and SpaceX, NASA is seeking to buy extra seats on Russian rockets in 2020 and 2021, another recommendation of the auditors. NASA has been paying Russia to ferry astronauts to the space station since the shuttles stopped flying in 2011; the most recent price was about $82 million a seat.

SpaceX test-fired the launch escape engines on one of its capsules Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, an apparent success. Last April, the same test resulted in the destruction of the capsule.

Next up for SpaceX — possibly next month — is a test of the emergency escape system during an actual launch. That would be the last major flight hurdle for SpaceX before launching a pair of NASA astronauts to the space station sometime next year.

Boeing completed its launch abort test last week in New Mexico. Only two of the three parachutes deployed, but the empty capsule still landed safely.

Boeing aims to launch a Starliner — minus a crew — to the space station in mid-December. SpaceX conducted a similar test flight in March.

During a visit to NASA’s Ames Research Center in Northern California on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence said astronauts would be launching again from Cape Canaveral by spring. He did not indicate which company might be first.

Boeing and SpaceX have made significant progress during these past eight years, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin and his auditors concluded in Thursday’s report.

“However, after more than 2 years of delays both contractors will miss the current schedule to begin crewed test flights in late 2019,” they wrote. “Addressing outstanding technical challenges, safety and performance testing, and verification of the contractors’ requirements, hazards, and safety concerns likely will take significant time to complete.”

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China successfully tests its lander in preparation for its Mars 2020 mission

China showed off its Mars spacecraft during a landing test Thursday as the country pushes for inclusion in more global space projects.

The demonstration of hovering, obstacle avoidance and deceleration capabilities was conducted at a site outside Beijing simulating conditions on the red planet, where the pull of gravity is about one-third that of Earth.

China plans to launch a lander and rover to Mars next year to explore parts of the planet, one of four scheduled missions. The U.S. and Europe are also sending rovers to Mars next year, and the United Arab Emirates plans to launch an orbiter.

A lander is lifted during a test of hovering, obstacle avoidance and deceleration capabilities at a facility in Huailai in China's Hebei province. Image credit: AP

China’s burgeoning space program achieved a lunar milestone earlier this year by landing a spacecraft on the mysterious far side of the moon.

It has developed rapidly, especially since it conducted its first crewed mission in 2003, and has sought cooperation with space agencies from Europe and elsewhere.

The U.S., however, has banned most space cooperation with China out of national security concerns, keeping China from participating in the International Space Station.

Despite that, China’s ambitions continue to grow as it seeks to rival the U.S., Russia and Europe in space and cement its position as a regional and global power. It is gradually constructing its own larger, more permanent space station in which it has invited foreign participation.

The lander on Thursday successfully avoided ground obstacles during a simulated low-gravity descent, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Chinese space program’s main contractor.

The refrigerator-sized craft was lowered gently on 36 cables through the air for about a minute and used onboard jets spraying rust-coloured fumes to alter its downward course.

China plans to launch a lander and rover to Mars next year to explore parts of Mars. Image credit: AP

“After the probe is launched, it will take about seven months to reach Mars, and the final procedure of landing will only last about seven minutes, which is the most difficult and the most risky part of the whole mission,” said the Mars mission’s chief designer, Zhang Rongqiao, standing before the 140-mete -tall testing facility.

Many Mars-bound spacecraft launched by the U.S., Russia and other countries have been lost or destroyed over the years. Only the U.S. has pulled it off and has made eight successful landings.

The remote test site lies an hour north of the Great Wall from Beijing.

Guests at Thursday’s event came from 19 countries and included the ambassadors of Brazil, France and Italy.

“This event is the first public appearance of China’s Mars exploration mission, also an important measure for China to pragmatically carry out space international exchanges and cooperation,” the China National Space Administration said in a statement.

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Instagram Takes Hide Likes Test Global; Influencers Must be on The Verge of Tears?

Neither will you be able to see how many likes posts by others are registering, and neither will anyone else see that counter on your posts too.

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Apple launches new Research app that lets users to anonymously participate in medical studies

After Apple announced the Research app at the iPhone launch event in September, the app is now available to download for iPhones and Apple Watch. The availability of the app, however, is only limited to users in the US. The app weighs in at 38.4 MB and can be downloaded for free. According to the App Store listing, the app requires iOS 13.2 and watchOS 6.1 or later to run.

Apple Research app

In a tweet yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the app "a game changer". Cook said that the app could help "the medical community and help millions lead healthier lives".

The Research app is a game changer. Participants now have the opportunity to securely contribute to research that could lead to new discoveries for the medical community and help millions lead healthier lives. https://t.co/lpa5Al62xE

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 14, 2019

Currently, users in the US can sign up to be part of three health studies: Women’s Health, Heart and Movement, and the Hearing Study.

The Women’s Health study uses data from the Cycle Tracking app on watchOS 6. It is aimed to improve the scientific understanding of menstrual cycles. The Heart and Movement Study uses the watch to read movement and health rate information. The Hearing Study, however, examines the impact of sound exposure on hearing health and stress levels.

(Also read: Apple Watch Series 5 review: Barring the always-on display, there's little else to talk about)

Apple says it can collect information like movement, heart rate, and noise level data for these studies. Apple also clarifies that the Research app will only share data with the studies that the user explicitly signs up to.

(Also read: Google collects health-related data of millions of Americans for its secret project)

This week, Apple also shared some results of its Heart Study, which found that the Apple Watch could accurately detect atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat.

In related news, earlier this month, Alphabet Inc's Google bought the health tracking company Fitbit for $2.1 billion.

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Record-setting X-ray burst from a pulsar captured by a 'NICE' telescope on the space station

A telescope mounted to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) picked up on a sudden spike of X-rays coming from a distant neutron star on 20 August 2019. While this kind of signal itself isn't a new discovery, the explosion was powerful enough to release, in 20 seconds, the amount of energy our sun releases in 10 days. These highly-energetic X-ray pulses are called "pulsars", which are rapidly spinning neutron stars that beam jets of charged particles from their magnetic poles.

Turns out researchers caught something extra in this particular pulsar — a signature, in the form of a huge thermonuclear flash that astronomers have dubbed 'J1808'. This pulsar, the crushed remains of a star that exploded in a supernova and is 11,400 light-years away and in the same line of sight as the constellations Sagittarius (a.k.a. the Archer) to an observer on Earth.

In the past five decades, scientists have studied these compact, mysterious stellar objects from space using different instruments that can see (and capture) different wavelengths of light, especially sensitive to astronomical phenomena like pulsars, which are far more energetic than the radio waves picked up by a variety of space/ground-based telescopes.

The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer mission (NICER, if you'd rather) is the first mission from NASA devoted to the study of pulsars. The mission also famously observed the first recorded pulsar, known today as PSR B1919+21, in November 1967. NICER was launched to the International Space Station in June 2017 and began its science experiments in July the same year.

X-ray observations made by NICER are a window into some of the lesser-known fundamental forces in the natural universe that may or may not challenge the laws of physics as we understand it. The inner working of a pulsar simply don't exist anywhere else and can't be reproduced in a laboratory as of today, which makes them interesting subjects for astrophysics researchers.

NICER has captured a record setting X-ray burst in November. Image: NASA

"What's inside a pulsar?" is one of many long-standing astrophysics questions about these ultra-dense, fast-spinning, powerfully magnetic objects, according to a NASA press release.

Today, scientists know of over 2,000 pulsars. These rotating “lighthouse” neutron stars begin their lives as stars between about seven and 20 times the mass of our sun. Some are found to spin hundreds of times per second, faster than the blades of a household blender, and they possess enormously strong magnetic fields.

The newly-observed rarity offered some interesting insight about pulsars – there was a brief expansion of its many layers as the intensity was built up and the energy of the blast built up enough to blow the pulsar’s hydrogen layer into space. The flickering of these “burst oscillations” is also interesting to scientists since it appears to rise and fall at the pulsar’s spinning frequency, just like its X-ray signals do. Yet, these happen at different locations on the pulsar's surface than the hotspots associated with its normal X-ray pulses.

A paper describing the findings has been published by The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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Amazon Claims 'Unmistakable Bias' in Pentagon Awarding $10 Billion Contract to Microsoft

Amazon was considered the lead contender to provide technology for JEDI, with its Amazon Web Services (AWS) dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government outfits including the CIA.

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From sci-fi to science lab: Scientists are working on holograms you can 'feel'

Walking, talking holograms have been a staple of sci-fi films since Princess Leia was magically brought to life in "Star Wars".

Now scientists in Britain say they can make even more realistic 3D versions — a butterfly, a globe, an emoji — which can be seen with the naked eye, heard and even felt without the need for any virtual reality systems.

Writing in the journal Nature, a team at the University of Sussex in southern England, said technology currently in use can create 3D images but they are slow, short-lived and "most importantly, rely on operating principles that cannot produce tactile and auditive content as well".

Scientist say they can make holograms that can be seen, heard and felt. Image credit: Flickr/Dominic Alves

To fill in the picture, so to speak, the team created a prototype called Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display (MATD) which "can simultaneously deliver visual, auditory and tactile content".

This uses what is known as "acoustophoresis" — sound waves that move and manipulate an object, in this case particles — to form an image in a small box containing arrays of very small speakers.

"Our system traps a particle acoustically and illuminates it with red, green and blue light to control its colour as it quickly scans the display volume," the team said.

Since the system is based on sound waves, it allows the hologram to be heard and even felt.

One of the scientists, Ryuji Hirayama, explained how this last feature — so crucial to making the object seem real — works.

"Even if not audible to us, ultrasound is still a mechanical wave and it carries energy through the air. Our system directs and focuses this energy, which can then stimulate your skin to feel content," Hirayama told AFP by email. "The feeling of the tactile sensation is like a gently spraying your hand with pressurised air."

The system obviously attracts attention because of the science fiction film backdrop but the team said it could have a wide range of applications, from computing to biomedical procedures.

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BSES Has Launched a Blockchain-Based Platform For Consumers to Trade Power

Consumers with rooftop solar infrastructure can sell their excess solar energy to their neighbours even if they don't have rooftop solar, using the energy trading platform.

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WhatsApp And Privacy: You Must Check Out These Settings on Your Phone

Here are five ways you could try making your WhatsApp conversations a bit more private.

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Climate change poses a lifelong risk to children world over alongside air pollution, extreme weather

Climate change will damage the health of an entire generation unless there are immediate cuts to fossil fuel emissions, from a rise in deadly infectious diseases to surging malnutrition, experts warned Thursday.

Children across the world were already suffering the ill effects of air pollution and extreme weather events, said The Lancet Countdown in its annual report on the impact of climate change on human health. And far worse is to come for future generations, it warned: air-borne diseases, malnutrition due to mass crop failures, and even mental and physical trauma from increased flash flooding and wildfires.

The Lancet Countdown is a coalition of 35 institutions including the World Health Organization and the World Bank. Their warning comes as some of Australia's worst wildfires in living memory continue to burn across its eastern seaboard, and after a global youth strike inspired by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg.

People with the Clay and Paper Theatre dance during the Climate Strike in Toronto on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. image credit; THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

August was the hottest month ever recorded and Earth has already warmed one degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) since industrialisation.

The Paris Climate treaty of 2015 enjoins nations to limit temperature rises to 2 C, or preferably to 1.5 C if possible. Yet, emissions continue to rise year on year, putting Earth on a path that could lead to a 4C temperature rise by the end of the century — bringing peril for human health.

Disease, malnutrition, pollution

"A kid born today has an average global life expectancy of 71 years so that brings them to 2090. That means that kid will experience a 4C world," Nick Watts, executive director of The Lancet Countdown, told AFP.

The report, compiled by 120 experts, used the latest available data and climate modelling to predict global health trends as the mercury climbs throughout the decades.

Seven-month-old Rohini who is suffering from malnutrition drinks milk inside a hut in Mumbai July 25, 2007. A government survey released this year however found that 46 percent of children under the age of three years were undernourished. Reuters

In parts of the world already, the health effects from climate change start in the first weeks of a baby's life. In the last 30 years, the global yield potential of staple crops such as maize, winter wheat and rice, have all declined, putting infants and small children at heightened risk of malnutrition.  Infant malnutrition impacts every stage of a child's life, stunting growth, weakening the immune system and throwing up long-term developmental problems.

More children will also be susceptible to infectious disease outbreaks. In three just three decades, the number of days worldwide of prime infectiousness for the Vibrio bacteria — which causes much of child diarrhoeal disease worldwide — has doubled. This not only increases the likelihood of children contracting diseases such as cholera in at-risk regions, it also enlarges their spread.

The report found that mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria were also on the march, putting half of the world's current population at risk.

And people in cities are already suffering premature disease and death from air pollution — coal plants alone contributed a likely one million premature deaths worldwide in 2016.

Delegates from different countries attending a plenary session at the COP24 UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland. Reuters

'Climate change = public health'

Extreme weather events are likely to proliferate as temperatures climb, posing increasingly frequent economic disruption. For example, in 2018, 45 billion hours of work were lost due to extreme heat globally compared with 2000.

"Climate change is not about 2100, climate change is about Wednesday, 13 November 2019," said Watts, speaking on the day. "Populations around the world are migrating, growing and ageing in the areas that are worst affected by climate change."

He said even lawmakers in developed, temperate nations "ought to be already extremely concerned" about heatwaves; temperature records were smashed across Europe this year in a string of deadly heatwaves.

"Speaking about climate change as parts per million of CO2 is impossible to grasp for most people. Health is tangible. We all know what its effects look like," added Watt.

"The more we can think about climate change as a public health issue, the more we can get governments to understand the seriousness of the threat of their health services being overwhelmed."

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Facebook Claims to Have Removed 3.2 Billion Fake Accounts, 11.4 Million Hate Speech Posts

In total, Facebook removed 5.4 billion fake accounts and 15.5 million hate speech posts since January.

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India kicks off USD 43 million project, in three states to boost climate resilience, funded by Green Climate Fund

In a move that may positively impact over 10 million people living on the coastline, India on Wednesday kicked-off a USD 43 million project to boost climate resilience in three coastal states in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund, established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assist developing countries.

The six-year project will build climate-resilient livelihoods for 1.7 million people in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, offset 3.5 million tonnes of carbon, protect vulnerable ecosystems, and benefit another 10 million people with improved shoreline protection, the UNDP said in a statement.

The project will build climate-resilient livelihoods for 1.7 million people.

"India's coastal areas are quite vulnerable to climate change and in the last five years, we have seen increased floods and cyclones in these regions. This pace-setting new initiative will help enhance resilience and adaptability, lead to emissions reductions and support sustainable livelihoods," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, additional secretary in the Environment Ministry.

"It aligns well with the priorities of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, the State Action Plans, and the nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement," he said.

The Indian government will finance an additional USD 86.8 million towards the new project to mainstream and accelerate the impacts of the Green Climate Fund grant.

Shoko Noda, UNDP India Resident Representative, said this initiative will not just build climate resilience among people living on India's coasts, it will also have considerable long-term environmental benefits.

The project will work with communities in restoring ecosystems and promoting climate-resilient livelihood options, such as the sustainable farming of mud crabs.

"It establishes India as a leader on climate action, and marks an essential step for India to reach its goals outlined in the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," the UNDP said.

Through this project over 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be sequestered through restored ecosystems over the next 30 years.

This initiative will particularly address India's strategic plan to achieve its nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement, which focuses on adaptation efforts in vulnerable communities, it said.

"Over 1.7 million people are expected to directly benefit from livelihoods support, with another 10 million indirectly benefitting from improved shoreline protection. The initiative will also focus on providing tangible benefits for vulnerable communities, including women, female-headed households, young people and the elderly, and members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes," the UN body said.

It said through the project, over 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be sequestered through restored ecosystems over the next 30 years.

To protect life on land and below water as outlined in the 2030 Agenda, project activities will focus on restoration and conservation of over 15,000 hectares of mangroves, coral reefs, seagrasses and saltmarshes. Communities, including the local youth, will be trained to work with scientists in monitoring ecosystem health and coastal ecology.

To strengthen climate risk-informed coastal management and infrastructure planning, the innovative project will create an online decision-support tool available via mobile phone for use by government officers, academic institutions, community members and scientists.

The project will also build local knowledge of climate change and the associated risks via training and public education programmes, the UNDP said.

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Disney+ Hits the Right Notes, Rakes in 10 Million Subscribers on Launch Day

Disney+ users collectively spent 1.3 million hours streaming and watching the content available to them on the platform for the first day of release.

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Motorola Razr 2019: The remake of Moto's iconic flip phone is coming to India 'soon'

The coolest flip phone of the 2000s is back! After launching the Motorola Razr in the US on 13 November, the smartphone is now ready to hit the Indian market.

Motorola Razr. Image: Motorola India

Motorola India's official Twitter account just changed its cover image to that of the new Moto Razr. The company also shared a tweet with a little teaser video that shows off the new smartphone, and a caption confirming that the smartphone will soon launch in India.

You’re gonna flip. The all-new #motorolarazr is coming soon to India! Register now and #bethefirst to #feeltheflip of #razr. https://t.co/noQEeXiyoI#razr#feeltheflip#bethefirst#hellomoto#motorolarazr pic.twitter.com/J9pVBwuf97

— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) November 14, 2019

Motorola has also made live a registration page for users in India to track the launch of the smartphone. In case you are interested in the registration, head to this page, you simply need to add your name and share your email address. Motorola will send you timely updates about the smartphone's launch in India.

Motorola Razr: Pricing

Motorola's iconic clamshell Razr phone has come back with a price tag of $1,500 in the US, which converts to Rs 1,08,212.25 as per today's conversion rate. Which means you can expect the smartphone to cost as much of a MacBook Pro in India. In the US, Motorola Razr is exclusive to Verizon. The device will go on sale from 26 December in the country.

Motorola Razr: Design, specifications and features

The new Moto Razr looks like an interesting mixture of the new and old. It has the old clamshell design, with the new foldable screen technology. And that means it's a folding phone design that’s actually decent. The Motorola Razr packs two screens, one is the main display which folds inside, and the other is a small screen on top when the device is folded. The primary display of the Razr has minimal bezels on the sides. The Motorola Razr uses Gorilla Glass on the display for protection.

The primary display is a 6.2-inch pOLED display while the secondary display on the outside of the phone is a 2.7-inch gOLED screen. The secondary display will serve the same purpose as the one on the old Moto Razr did, that is for quick notifications.

For photography, the Motorola Razr features a 16 MP snapper on the lid and a 5 MP camera just above the folding screen.

Under the hood, the Motorola Razr is powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor coupled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The Razr will run on Android 9.0 Pie. Fuelling the phone is a 2,510 mAh battery, which seems a bit tiny in the times of 6,000 mAh batteries, but Motorola claims that the phone should last a day on a single charge.

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Motorola Razr 2019 with foldable display launched at $1,500, will soon land in India

Motorola was working on a foldable display smartphone for a while now. Today the company finally unveiled its much-awaited smartphone — Motorola Razr 2019 at a launch event in Los Angeles.

Motorola is the third mainstream company that has delved into the foldable phone segment. Prior to this, Samsung and Huawei launched their foldable phones, the Galaxy Fold and Mate X.

It appears that the new Razr will soon land in India as the company has started teasing the phone on its Twitter page.

Image: Motorola

Motorola Razr 2019 pricing, availability

Motorola Razr 2019 comes one variant —  6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant — priced at $1,500.

The smartphone will be available for pre-orders on Verizon from 26 December.

Motorola Razr 2019 specifications

Motorola Razr 2019 features a 6.2-inch  OLED screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio. When folded, you will get a 2.7-inch Quick View screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This screen will let you see all your notifications. You will find a fingerprint reader at the bottom of the screen.

In the camera department, the smartphone sports two cameras. One is above the Quick View screen, a 16 MP camera that can be used to click selfies. This camera will work as a rear camera when unfolded. It comes with features like EIS, Night Vision mode, and more. You will also find a 5 MP camera on the main screen that can be used as a more traditional selfie camera when you unfold the phone.

The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset and is equipped with a 2,510 mAh battery that supports 15 W quick charging. Motorola Razr 2019 runs on Android 9 Pie.

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Motorola Razr 2019 to soon launch in India, teased on the official Twitter page

The coolest flip phone of the 2000s is back! After launching the Motorola Razr in the US on 13 November, the smartphone is now ready to hit the Indian market.

Motorola Razr. Image: Motorola India

Motorola India's official Twitter account just changed its cover image to that of the new Moto Razr. The company also shared a tweet with a little teaser video that shows off the new smartphone, and the caption teases that the smartphone will soon launch in India.

You’re gonna flip. The all-new #motorolarazr is coming soon to India! Register now and #bethefirst to #feeltheflip of #razr. https://t.co/noQEeXiyoI#razr#feeltheflip#bethefirst#hellomoto#motorolarazr pic.twitter.com/J9pVBwuf97

— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) November 14, 2019

Motorola has also made live a registration page for users in India to track the launch of the smartphone. In case you are interested in the registration, head to this page, you simply need to add your name and share your email address. Motorola will send you timely updates about the smartphone's launch in India.

Motorola Razr: Pricing

Motorola's iconic clamshell Razr phone has come back with a price tag of $1,500 in the US, which converts to Rs 1,08,212.25 as per today's conversion rate. Which means you can expect the smartphone to cost at least a lakh in India. In the US, Motorola Razr is exclusive to Verizon. The device will go on sale from 26 December in the country.

Motorola Razr: Design, specifications and features

The new Moto Razr looks like a good mixture of the new and old. It has the old clamshell design, with the new foldable screen technology. It's a folding phone design that’s actually decent. The Motorola Razr packs two screens, one is the main display which folds inside, and the other is a small screen on top when the device is folded. The primary display of the Razr has minimal bezels on the sides. The Motorola Razr uses Gorilla Glass on the display for protection.

The primary display is a 6.2-inch pOLED display, while the secondary display on the oustide of the phone is a 2.7-inch gOLED screen. The secondary display will serve the same purpose as the one on the old Moto Razr did, that is for quick notifications.

For photography, the Motorola Razr features a 16 MP snapper on the lid and a 5 MP camera just above the folding screen.

Under the hood, the Motorola Razr is powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor coupled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The Razr will run on Android 9.0 Pie. Fuelling the phone is a 2,510 mAh, which seems a bit tiny in the times of 6,000 mAh batteries, but Motorola claims that the phone should last a day on a single charge.

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