Tech with Prakalp

Spotify Brings Back 3-Month Free Trial, Rs. 699 Annual Premium Subscription

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic tightening purse strings, Spotify is bringing back two offers globally, in a bid to entice users to sign up or renew their lapsed subscriptions. One, Spotify is extending its free trial period from one month to three months for new Premium subscribers. The three-month free Spotify trial is available now through June 30 for individual, student, couple (Duo), and family plans, as and where applicable. Two, Spotify has discounted its annual subscription to Rs. 699, which represents an effective savings of 50 percent for those on monthly billing. As before, this is not applicable on student, couple, and family plans. But wait, there’s a three. Existing subscribers can get three months of Spotify for the price of one.

In India, the two returning Spotify offers — free three-month Premium trial, and a heavily-discounted 12-month individual Premium subscription — were first introduced last year in August and December, respectively. While the former was available for a few months, the latter only stuck around for three weeks. Now, interested consumers can avail the advantages again, or benefit with 3-months-for-one. Moreover, this is a much better time to get on board Spotify, what with the world’s leading subscription-based music streaming service having solved its pending licensing issues in India with both Warner Music Group and Saregama. WMG songs arrived at the start of April, and Saregama kicked in this week.

Spotify’s limited-time three-month trial takes it ahead of YouTube Music’s one-month free trial, though it can’t match Apple Music, which has been offering a six-month free trial since last month. As for its limited-time discount on the annual and three-month Premium subscription, Spotify is once again closer to the annual offerings of its local competition in the country. Both Times Internet-owned Gaana and Reliance Industries-owned JioSaavn cost Rs. 399 for 12 months, while Apple Music comes in at Rs. 999. Others don’t offer annual plans. Gaana offers 3 months for Rs. 199.

Honor X10 5G to Carry Pop-Up Selfie Camera, Honor X10 Pro With Periscope Camera Tipped

Honor X10 5G phone is set to launch on May 20. The Huawei sub-brand Honor recently confirmed that the phone will feature a 90Hz display with 180Hz touch sampling rate. However, ahead of the launch, the phone is up for pre-bookings on Huawei’s official e-store. The website shows the phone with triple rear cameras and a pop-up selfie camera, and lists the processor and camera details. Moreover, an online report is claiming that the Honor X10 5G will be released with a sibling namely, Honor X10 Pro. The Pro variant of the phone is also tipped to come with a triple rear camera setup, however, the camera module allegedly includes a periscope camera.

Starting with the Honor X10 5G, the phone is currently listed on Huawei’s official e-retail site, Vmall. The phone is up for pre-bookings and the website further shows the phone with a pop-up selfie camera. It is also revealed that Honor X10 5G will be powered by HiSilicon Kirin 820 SoC and will include a 40-megapixel main camera on the back.

However, a tipster recently tipped the phone’s price details. According to the tipster, the phone will be released in four variants. The phone will allegedly be priced at CNY 2,299 (roughly Rs. 24,400) for the 4GB + 128GB storage model, at CNY 2,599 (roughly Rs. 27,600) for the 6GB + 128GB storage variant, at CNY 2,899 (roughly Rs. 30,800) for the 8GB + 128GB storage model and lastly, at CNY 3,199 (roughly Rs. 34,000) for top 8GB + 256GB storage option.

Honor X10 5G and Honor X10 Pro specifications (expected)
A report by a Chinese technology website, CNMO citing a tipster claims that the Honor X10 5G will come with a Pro variant namely, Honor X10 Pro.

The report claims that both the vanilla Honor X10 5G and Honor X10 Pro will feature a 6.63-inch LCD display and will be powered by HiSilicon Kirin 820 SoC. It was also added that both the variants will pack 4,200mAh battery that supports 22.5W fast wired charging, however, the Honor X10 Pro is further said to support 20W wireless charging option. Additionally, the vanilla Honor X10 5G is tipped to feature 60Hz refresh rate display while the Honor X10 Pro is said to feature a 90Hz refresh rate display.

Coming to the cameras, the triple rear camera setup on Honor X10 5G will reportedly include a 40-megapixel RYYB sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter along with a “macro-camera.” On the other hand, the Honor X10 Pro is tipped to include a 40-megapixel RYYB sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and an 8-megapixel periscope-style telephoto camera.

Realme Watch Officially Teased, Expected to Launch in India Soon

Realme Watch is coming soon as the Chinese company has started teasing its impending arrival. The new development comes just days after some renders of the Realme Watch surfaced online. The smartwatch by the Chinese company is rumoured to have an IP68-certified build with dust and water resistance and include a 1.4-inch display. Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth told Gadgets 360 earlier this year that the company had plans to enter the market of smartwatches this year. The Realme Watch will sit alongside the company’s existing fitness-tracking Realme Band.

The official Realme account on Twitter has shared a teaser video posted by the Realme Link handle that highlights the impending launch of the Realme Watch. The video has also separately been shared by Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth. The executive also hinted at its imminent launch by asking Twitteratis, “Our next AIoT [Artificial Intelligence of Things] products are on the way?”

As per the teaser video, the Realme Watch will come with a square-shaped curved display. The video also confirms that the smartwatch will be called Realme Watch.

Realme Watch specifications (rumoured)

The Realme Watch is rumoured to have a 1.4-inch TFT display with 320×320 pixels resolution. It could offer 24-hour heart rate monitoring and include a 160mAh battery. Further, the smartwatch is said to have the IP68-certified build and run on a proprietary operating system. It is also claimed to deliver up to seven days of battery life on a single charge, even when using heart rate monitoring on a daily basis.

Microsoft to Stop Releasing 32-Bit Windows 10 Versions to Favour 64-Bit Architecture

Microsoft is set to no longer release 32-bit versions of Windows 10 starting the release of Windows 10 version 2004. The new change doesn’t mean that Windows 10 will not be supported on existing 32-bit PCs. However, it does state the fact that after Apple and Google, the Redmond company has started favouring 64-bit architecture and is ultimately pushing users to move on from 32-bit hardware. The upcoming Windows 10 version that will bring the new update into action is currently available with PC vendors and developers worldwide.

“Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required to use 64-bit builds and Microsoft will no longer release 32-bit builds for OEM distribution,” the company notes in an updated minimum hardware requirements documentation.

The change, as initially reported by technology blog Neowin, doesn’t bring any updates to existing 32-bit Windows 10 users. Also, it won’t introduce any change if you have a 32-bit system at present. Microsoft, in fact, says in its documentation that it “remains committed to providing feature and security updates” to 32-bit systems and offer “continued 32-bit media availability in non-OEM channels to support various upgrade installation scenarios.”

Having said that, the latest move by Microsoft is the first major step towards ditching 32-bit Windows 10 versions. It will also result in the expansion of Windows machines based on 64-bit hardware and software.

New PCs will debut with 64-bit Windows
Microsoft’s decision to stop releasing 32-bit versions of Windows 10 means that manufacturers will be able to build new PCs and laptops with only 64-bit Windows versions. This will also convince chipmakers to leave support for 32-bit CPUs and eventually make 64-bit architecture as the only option in the market.

In January last year, Google announced that it would no longer host 32-bit apps on the Play store starting 2021. The Android maker also asked app developers to move their legacy apps towards a 64-bit ecosystem. Similar to Google, Apple also dropped support for 32-bit apps in macOS Catalina last year.

Vivo V19 vs Oppo Reno 3 Pro: Price in India, Specifications Compared

Vivo V19 recently made its India debut after the global launch early last month. The phone’s key features include a dual selfie camera setup, Snapdragon 712 SoC, and 4500mAh battery. With the launch of this phone in the country, Vivo will be a giving tough competition to the likes of Oppo Reno 3 Pro that was launched in early-March. Both the phones offer similar features, however, the starting price of Vivo V19 is roughly Rs. 4,100 cheaper than the starting price of Oppo Reno 3 Pro.

So, in case you’re wondering how the Vivo V19 stacks up against the Oppo Reno 3 Pro, at least on paper, here’s a look at what sets the two phones apart.

Vivo V19 vs Oppo Reno 3 Pro: Price in India
The Vivo V19 comes in two variants, 8GB + 128GB storage as well as 8GB + 256GB storage. The 128GB model is priced at Rs. 27,990 while the 256GB model costs Rs. 31,990. Both the variants of the smartphone are offered in two colour options namely, Mystic Silver and Piano Black.

On the other hand, Oppo Reno 3 Pro current price starts at Rs. 31,990 for the 8GB + 128GB storage variant. The Oppo phone also has a 256GB variant that was launched in India at Rs. 32,990. However, Oppo in April revised the prices of several Oppo smartphones and currently, there’s no information available about the new price of 256GB variant. The Reno 3 Pro is offered in Auroral Blue, Midnight Black, and Sky White colour options.

Vivo V19 vs Oppo Reno 3 Pro: Specifications
Coming to the specifications, the dual-SIM (Nano) Vivo V19 runs Funtouch OS 10, based on Android 10, while the dual-SIM (Nano) Oppo Reno 3 Pro runs ColorOS 7, based on Android 10. Vivo V19 features a 6.44-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) Super AMOLED display and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM. On the other hand, Oppo Reno 3 Pro features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) Super AMOLED display and is powered by MediaTek Helio P95 SoC, paired with 8GB RAM. Both the smartphones are equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor.

In terms of the cameras, both the smartphones have quad cameras at the back and dual cameras on the front. The quad rear camera setup on Vivo V19 includes a 48-megapixel primary camera along with an 8-megapixel camera and two 2-megapixel cameras. On the front, the phone has a 32-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel shooter. Oppo Reno 3 Pro includes a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 13-megapixel secondary camera, an 8-megapixel tertiary and lastly a 2-megapixel camera on the back. Additionally, there’s a 44-megapixel camera accompanied by a 2-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and video calling.

Moreover, both Vivo V19 and Oppo Reno 3 Pro come with up to 256GB of onboard storage. Connectivity options on Vivo V19 include dual-band Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth v5.0, and a USB Type-C port for charging. Oppo Reno 3 Pro comes with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, and a USB Type-C port. The Vivo V19’s 4,500mAh battery supports 33W fast charging, while Oppo Reno 3 Pro packs a 4,025mAh battery that works with 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 technology to provide fast charging.

Dell XPS 15 (2020), XPS 17 (2020) With 10th Gen Intel Core Processors, Up to 2TB Storage Launched

Dell has expanded its notebook portfolio by launching the anticipated XPS 15 9500 (aka XPS 15 2020) and XPS 17 9700 (aka XPS 17 2020) models. The updated XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops come with a new design and have the 10th-generation Intel Core processors. You’ll also get larger 16:10 displays and up-firing speakers along with Waves Nx 3D audio technology. Further, the laptops have increased fan airflow to dissipate more heat and provide an enhanced performance. Dell also claims that the new XPS 15 and XPS 17 models are capable of delivering up to 25 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Dell XPS 15 9500, XPS 17 9700 price, availability details
The Dell XPS 15 9500 price starts at $1,299.99 (roughly Rs. 98,200), while the Dell XPS 17 9700 price begins at $1,499.99 (roughly Rs. 1,14,000). To move data from your existing Windows-based PC, Dell has also offered the Dell Migrate tool at $39 (roughly Rs. 2,900).

On the availability front, the XPS 15 9500 is available for purchase in Canada and the US starting today. It will also hit markets in Asian and European later this week. The XPS 17 9700, on the other hand, will be available in Canada and the US alongside some Asian and European markets later this summer. Details about the India launch of the new XPS models are yet to be revealed.

Dell XPS 15 9500 specifications, features
The Dell XPS 15 9500 runs Windows 10 Home and features a 15.6-inch InfinityEdge display that has a 16:10 aspect ratio. The laptop comes in 4K UHD+ (3840×2400 pixels) touchscreen and full-HD+ (1920×1200 pixels) non-touchscreen options. Under the hood, it has 10th-generation Intel Core i5-10300H on the base variant that goes up to the 10th-generation Intel Core i9-10885H, along with up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU and up to 32GB of DDR4 SDRAM. Dell has provided up to 1TB of PCIe 3 SSD storage on the new XPS 15 model, though customers can also get 256GB or 512GB storage option — depending upon their requirements.

One of the major upgrades from the existing XPS 15 model in the new offering is the new speaker placement that is just on the dock, alongside the keyboard. It is likely to help deliver a better audio experience over the predecessors that had speakers underneath the keyboard. The new machine also has Waves Nx 3D audio tuned by Grammy Award winning producer Jack Joseph Puig. The built-in technology can track head movements while wearing headphones to align the direction of sound to your visual point-of-view. It also uses headtracking through the speakers to uplift the audio.

The Dell XPS 15 9500 also has a dual microphone array. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.0, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a USB Type-C 3.1 with power delivery and DisplayPort support. The laptop also has a 3.5mm headphone jack. Besides, it packs a 56Whr battery on the non-touch version and an 86Whr battery on the touchscreen model.

Dimensions of the new Dell XPS 15 are 344.72×230.14x18mm. Also, the machine weighs up to 2.05 kilograms.

Dell XPS 17 9700 specifications, features
Hardware-wise, the Dell XPS 17 9700 has some similarities with the new XPS 15 model. You’ll, however, get a 17-inch InfinityEdge display with Dolby Vision support and 94 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut. The display panel has 4K UHD+ touchscreen and full-HD+ non-touch options. There is up to 10th-generation Intel Core i9-10885H processor options, paired with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics and up to 64GB of DDR4 SDRAM. The machine comes with a maximum of 2TB PCIe 3 SSD storage.

The Dell XPS 17 9700 has two 1.5W tweeters and two 2.5W woofers. It is also tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Waves Nx 3D audio technologies.

Samsung Galaxy A21s Price, Specifications, Renders Leaked Ahead of Rumoured May-End Availability

Samsung Galaxy A21s has leaked on several occasions in the past, and now a fresh leak brings multiple renders that suggest colour options and design details. The price of the Galaxy A21s has also been tipped, alongside its possible availability details. The leak suggests that the Samsung Galaxy A21s may carry a hole-punch display with the cutout placed on the top-left corner of the screen. There will be four cameras at the back alongside a fingerprint sensor.

Samsung Galaxy A21s price, availability (expected)
According to a report by WinFuture, Samsung Galaxy A21s will be priced starting at EUR 199 (roughly Rs. 16,200) or EUR 209 (roughly Rs. 17,100). The storage models are said start at 32GB, and availability is expected sometime around end of this month itself. The publication has also shared multiple renders of the phone in white, black, and blue colours. The leaked renders show a gradient back panel finish and volume and power buttons are placed on the right edge of the screen. The four cameras at the back are placed in an L-shaped manner inside a rectangular-shaped camera module positioned in the top-left corner of the back panel.

Samsung Galaxy A21s specifications (expected)
As for specifications, the Samsung Galaxy A21s is tipped to run on Android 10 and feature a 6.5-inch HD+ (720×1,600 pixels) PLS TFT display. It is reported to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 850 octa-core SoC, paired with 3GB RAM. Internal storage options may include 32GB and 64GB with the option to expand storage further using a microSD card.

The quad camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy A21s is expected to include a 48-megapixel main camera with f/2.0 aperture, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera with f/2.0 aperture. The specifications of the other two sensors are not known. Up front, the phone may house a 13-megapixel selfie camera inside the display cutout.

The Samsung Galaxy A21s is reported to pack a large 5,000mAh battery, and connectivity options are said to include headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.0, USB port, and NFC. The Samsung Galaxy A21s is said to lack 5G support, and may feature a rear fingerprint sensor. It is also tipped to be 8.9mm thick, and weigh about 191 grams.

Oppo Find X2 Series To Launch in India Soon, Company Teases

The Oppo Find X2 could be coming to India soon, according to teasers from Oppo. We’ve had quite a few significant flagships launch in India in the past few months. First it was the OnePlus 8 series, followed by the Mi 10 from Xiaomi, and now, the Find X2 series. The company has put up a teaser on Twitter saying it’s “coming soon” and it also has a teaser page on Amazon India. The Oppo Find X2 and Find X2 Pro were announced in early March of this year, both of which are flagships models powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC and feature 120Hz displays, and 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging. It’s still unclear if Oppo will launch both models in India or just the Find X2 Pro.

We’ve been hearing rumours since March that the Find X2 series would be making its way to India in Oppo’s second wave of launches. Now, a tweet from the official Oppo India Twitter handle confirms this. The tweet mentions the Find X2 ‘Series’ so it’s possible we’ll see both phones launch. Oppo also has a teaser page up on Amazon India for the Find X2, which talks about some of its key features. Here it mentions the amount of RAM and storage being 12GB and 512GB respectively, which hints at it being the Find X2 Pro.

We do hope that Oppo can do something about the pricing considering what it costs in other countries. The Find X2 Pro is priced at EUR 1,199 (roughly Rs. 1,00,100) for the 12GB + 512GB variant, while the Find X2’s 12GB + 256GB variant costs EUR 999 (roughly Rs. 83,400).

This puts it way above the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G, which just launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 49,999. Oppo could potentially bring the price down a bit by releasing variants with lesser RAM and storage for both models. If the India pricing is anything close to its International pricing, then the Oppo Find X2 series will compete against premium flagships such as the iPhone 11 Pro series and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. It’ll be interesting to see how it compares to those heavy-weights.

Oppo Find X2 Pro specifications
The Oppo Find X2 Pro runs ColorOS 7.1, based on Android 10 and features a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1,440×3,168 pixels) Ultra Vision display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pro variant features a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera with a field of view of 120 degrees and a 13-megapixel sensor with a periscope-shaped f/3.0 telephoto lens. This model also gets additional features such as Dual Native ISO, 12-bit True Capture, Ultra Night Mode 3.0, and Ultra Steady Video Pro as well as 4K video recording at up to 60fps.

Oppo Find X2 specifications
Similar to the Find X2 Pro, the Find X2 features the same display, fast charging tech and SoC but differs when it comes to the battery size and camera setup. It has a triple rear camera setup but with 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 13-megapixel telephoto camera. Both models have the same 32-megapixel selfie camera. There’s a 4,200mAh battery here, compared to the slightly larger 4,260mAh battery in the Find X2 Pro.

OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro to Be Available in India by End of May: Company Executive

OnePlus 8 series will likely be available in India by the end of May. According to a report quoting a top OnePlus executive, the new flagship OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 are being manufactured at the company’s factory in Noida and the phones will be available in the Indian market by the end of this month. The latest development comes almost a month after the launch of OnePlus 8 series. Recently, another new OnePlus product, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z headphones went on sale in the country for Rs. 1,999.

As per a report by news agency IANS quoting general manager of OnePlus India, Vikas Agarwal, OnePlus resumed operations in the Noida facility last week and the work process is in line with the health safety regulations laid out by the government amid coronavirus pandemic. Agarwal further told the news agency that the company has resumed its doorstep repair service across six cities – Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai.

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro: Prices

Almost a week after the launch of OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro in April, the company announced the India prices of the smartphones that are touted to be much lower than the prices in the US.

The OnePlus 8 price in India starts at Rs. 41,999 (6GB RAM + 128GB storage), whereas the OnePlus 8 Pro starting price is Rs. 54,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. Additionally, the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model and 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model of OnePlus 8 are priced at Rs. 44,999 and Rs. 49,999, respectively. The 12GB RAM, 256GB storage variant of the OnePlus 8 Pro has been priced at Rs. 59,999.

TCL to Launch 4K, 8K QLED AI Android Smart TV Range With Dolby Vision in India in June

TCL Electronics on Wednesday announced that it is set to launch its 4K and 8K QLED AI Android smart TV range in India in June. The new smart TV models by the Chinese company will be based on the quantum dot display technology and include features such as Dolby Vision as well as IMAX support. TCL in January launched its C8-series 4K AI smart TVs in the country — alongside bringing its AI Ultra-Inverter Air Conditioners. The existing smart TV models by the company come with far-field voice recognition technology.

The new smart TV series by TCL will come in 4K and 8K QLED options and run Google’s Android TV, the company revealed through a press note. The new TV models will have Motion Estimate and Motion Compensation (MEMC) that is touted to enable stable picture quality without any motion blur at 120Hz screen refresh rate. Further, you’ll get the quantum dot display technology to offer a 3D-like depth image experience.

TCL said that the flagship TVs in the new range will include models with a pop-up camera that will allow video calls. This sounds similar to the Honor Vision Pro and Huawei Smart Screen V55i that both have a pop-up camera for video calls.

The upcoming smart TVs will also come with an external soundbar, designed by Onkyo. This soundbar will have Dolby Atmos support to provide a theatre-like sound delivery, the company said. There will also be Dolby Vision support for an enhanced HDR-viewing experience. Further, the new TVs will have artificial intelligence (AI) to customise image results.

‘Intensify the competition’

TCL hasn’t revealed any pricing details of its upcoming 4K and 8K QLED AI Android smart TV series. However, it did mention that the new TV models will “intensify the competition” in the smart TV segment.

To recall, TCL brought its C8-series 4K AI smart TVs in January with a starting price of Rs. 49,990 for the 55-inch option, while it went up to Rs. 69,990 for the 65-inch screen size.