Techhourbuzz

Amazon's Echo smart speakers already support a variety of music services, including Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. And  starting on December 17 , Apple Music will join this little cohort. Apple Music users will be able to ask Alexa to play their favourite songs, artists and albums as well as any of the streaming service's curated playlists and radio stations. Echo owners will simply need to enable the Apple Music skill in the Alexa app, link their account and they'll be good to go. Making Apple Music available on Echo devices might seem like it's running counter to Apple's usual strategy of using services as qlure for hardware (and vice versa), but the company can apparently see the sense of making its streaming service available on the most popular home speaker platform out there. It also to be happier about appearing on Amazon's platform recently. Earlier this month, it struck a new deal with the e-commerce gaint to sell iPhones, iPads and ot...

OnePlus is announcing a special edition 6T in cooperation with McLaren on December 11. The partnership was revealed a couple of days ago, but no details about the smartphone have been outed on that occasion. Now a new  report  says we should expect a OnePlus 6T with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to be that McLaren edition device. That would make it King of RAM in the smartphone space, since not one other device has so far gone beyond the McLaren logo on the back, to set itself apart from the other 6T variants. The OnePlus 6T McLaren edition will be introduced in India on December 12 the day after the London event. Expect this to be a limited edition product, so if you're interested in the bragging rights that come owning a smartphone with 10GB of RAM, make sure you'll be ready to purchase one as soon as it drops.

Honor 8C Honor 8C was first lauched in China last month. Now, Honor 8C has been launched  in India. The new budget smartphone by the Huawei's sub-brand Honor features a 19:9 display panel with a traditional notch. It is also powered by an all-new Snapdragon 632 SoC. The smartphone has a face unlock feature that uses the frontal camera sensor along with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to recognise facial features of users. Gradient colour options are also available on the Honor 8C that brings it against other Honor smartphone. Honor 8C Specifications The Honor 8C runs EMUI 8.2 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and features a 6.26-inch HD+ (720x1520 pixels) TFT IPS LCD panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, there is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC, coupled with Adreno 506 GPU. It has 4GB of RAM. The Honor 8C has 32GB and 64GB of onboard storage options that both are expandable upto 256GB via microSD card. In the camera department, the smartphone sports ...

Xiaomi's Mi A2 Lite is part of the Android One program and launched this  summer running Android 8.1 Oreo, but a beta build of Android 9 Pie was made available by the company a couple of weeks ago. It looks like there weren't any huge issues with it, because now the stable update to Pie is rolling out to some Mi A2 Lite units in the wild.  XDA Developers reports that one user in Poland has shared screenshots proving he got the update and you can see below. The Android 9 Pie update for the Mi A2 Lite comes as a 1GB download and brings with it FM radio functionality, adaptive battery and brightness, as well as recommended apps and actions based on your context. Of course since this is Android One you can also expect all the other improvements that Google announced to be baked in. Additionally, you're getting the November 5, 2018 security patch level. It's unclear at the moment if the update is going out in every market where Mi A2 Lite is offered, but eve...

Moto G7 Play Moto G7 Play will be the Lenovo-owned Motorola's budget smartphone in its upcoming Moto G series refresh sometime in next year. The smartphone has now been spotted on the FCC (US telecommunications certification website), where the most of the specficaspecif and design have been leaked well before the official unveiling, the date for which is yet to be confirmed. As per the spotted listing, the Moto G7 Play might get a significantly underpowered compared to its predecessor. Let's have a look at what all we can expect from Moto's next budget offering. Moto G7 Play will be powered by the Snapdragon 632 SoC, alongside the Adreno 506 GPU With launch expectedly nearing for the Moto G7 smartphone series, the most affordable of the lot - Moto G7 Play - has been spotted on FCC in the US. The listing  reveals  key specifications of the smartphone. An upgrade from the Snapdragon 400 series, the Moto G7 Play will be powered by the new Snapdragon 632 SoC, alo...

Vivo Y95 Vivo launched its Y95 smartphone in India which is the latest offering in the mid-range category. The Vivo Y95 was first lauched in China earlier this month. The Vivo Y95 sports FullView display and a waterdrop-style notch. It is powered by Snapdragon 439 SoC. The smartphone features dual rear camera setup and a single front-facing camera. It has a 4,030mAh battery. The smartphone is available in Nebula Purple and Starry Night colour variants. Vivo Y95 Specifications The Vivo Y95 runs Funtouch OS 4.5 on top of Android 8.1 Oreo and sports 6.22-inch HD+(720x1520 pixels) full-in cell Halo FullView display with 19:9 aspect ratio thanks to a waterdrop-style notch. It has a 2.5D curved glass on top. The Vivo Y95 is powered by octa-core Snapdragon 439 SoC coupled with Adreno 605 GPU. The smartphone has 4GB of RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage. Storage is expandable upto 256GB via microSD card. In the camera department, the Vivo Y95 bears dual rear camera with a 13-megapixel sens...

As per current info, the next Qualcomm mobile flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8150 will be unveiled on December 4. It has already flexed its muscles quite a bit in early benchmarks, including AnTuTu, Geekbench and ai-benchmark with its trendy workloads. Besides performance improvements, it also promises a 20% bump in overall efficiency ( presumably compared to the Snapdragon 845) and will most-likely include 5G connectivity.  The Qualcomm Invitation That pretty much sums up everything most users will need to know about the chip. However, for the more technically-inclined, a fresh new leak, courtesy of  Universe Ice , does bring about yet another confirmation of the previously rumoured tri-cluster CPU design.  As per the info, the Snapdragon 8150 will have four low-power Kryo Silver cores, with 128KB L2 cache each, running at roughly 1.8GHz Max in one cluster, then a trio of Kryo Gold ones, with 256KB L2 cache, per core and a max frequency of 2.419GH...

 Google Pixel 3 Lite Although it has past said it's only focusing on the high end of the marketplace with its smartphones, Google is now working on mid-range Pixel 3 version. This device, codenamed Sargo, has been leaked a week ago for the first time and since then we've also  seen purported camera samples . Today Sargo (which is going to be called Google Pixel 3 Lite) leaks again, this time in a shot in which it's right next to a Pixel 3.  If the similarities between these two handsets are confusing you, note that the Lite model on the left, the Pixel 3 on the right. The Lite's screen is marginally taller than the Pixel 3's, as it has a 5.56" diagonal (compared to 5.5") and an aspect ratio of 18:5:9, not 18:9.  The Pixel 3 Lite is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 670 SoC and 4 GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (though hopefully this is just the base model and you'll be able to buy a model with 64GB too) and a   2,915 mAh battery Incidentally, th...

We all know a bit about Samsung and Huawei's attempts to develop a foldable phone. However, LG's plans have been flying under the radar. So far we have heard very little about the device, which makes three recent LG trademarks that appear to relate to foldable phone all the more exciting.  As spotted by  LetsGoDigital  (via  Engadget ), the company has applied to trademark the names Flex, Foldi and Duplex. LG made the applications on November 21 at the European Union Intellectual Property Office.  We don't know for sure if these names relate to foldable phones, though the category LG made fillings includes smartphones. Considering we know LG is developing a foldable phone, it seems pretty likely that this is what the trademarks related to.  Of course, even if the names do relate to phones, it doesn't mean one of them will be used for final device ( if that were the case, we'd all be familiar with the LG G Edge phone and its Super Edge display by now)...

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro was unveiled earlier this year. Now, Xiaomi  Redmi Note 6 Pro has been launched in India as the successor to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The smartphone comes with minimal upgades in terms of specifications and design elements. It has 19:9 display with notch. Redmi Note 6 Pro features quad cameras with AI, is powered by the Snapdragon 636 SoC and is backed by a large 4000mAh battery. It also features P2i water repellent nanotechnology. Redmi Note 6 Pro runs on MIUI 10 out-of-the-box. Redmi Note 6 is available in Black, Blue, Red and Rose Gold colour options. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Specifications The dual-SIM (Nano) dual-4G VoLTE Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro runs MIUI 10 on top of Android 8.1 Oreo and sports a 6.26-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) display with 19:9 aspect ratio and PPI of 403. The display has 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass and rounded corners. The display panel has brightness of 500 nits and a contrast ratio of 1500:1. The s...

Samsung Galaxy A8s with Infinity-O Display Samsung is expected to launch its Galaxy A8s in next few days, which will most likely be its first one to sport Infinity-O Display design bringing a small circular cut-out for the selfie camera. The design of the upcoming Galaxy A8s has now been leaked in certain renders showing the presence of triple rear camera setup and a rear-mounted physical fingerprint sensor. Additionally, some images of the new Infinity-O Display panels have surfaced online that give us a real-world look at the cut-out of the selfie camera on the panel.  Teased at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A6s and Galaxy A9s, the Galaxy will be launched by the South Korean giant shortly. The hole on the front is expected to house the selfie camera as well as crucial sensors like the proximity sensor and ambient light sensor. According to a report by  AllaboutSamsung  (a German blog), the upcoming Galaxy A8s will sport an almost-bezel-free panel with a ...

Samsung Galaxy A9 Samsung Galaxy A9 is the world's "first quad rear camera" smartphone, was launched in India on Tuesday. The smartphone sports four separate rear cameras with a setup featuring telephoto, ultra-wide and depth sensors. There is also a 24-megapixel camera at the front that supports handful of beauty features as well as software-backed Face Unlock functionality. Apart from the optics, the Galaxy A9 features a full-HD+ Infinity Display panel with an 18:5:9 aspect ratio and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The smartphone also has upto 8GB of RAM and sports a 3D Glass curved back.  Additionally, it comes with preloaded Bixby voice assistant as well as Samsung Pay and Samsung Health.  Samsung Galaxy A9 Specifications Samsung Galaxy A9 sports daul-SIM (Nano) and runs Android 8.0 Oreo-based Samsung Experience UX and features 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080x2220 pixels) Infinity Display that has a Super AMOLED panel and an 18:5:9 aspect...

Sure, the OnePlus 6T is already out, but the OnePlus 6 has the Honor of being the last smartphone with 3.5mm headphone jack and notification LED. It is also powered by same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC as its successor. Now you can get a $100 discount on the OnePlus 6, as a part of the company's early black Friday sale. Act fast, though, for supplies may be limited. The deal seems to only be available in the US and it will make the OnePlus 6 (6GB/ 64GB) variant starts at $429. The 8GB/ 128GB variant would be $479, while the 8GB/ 256GB variant has been out of stock for a while and you shouldn't expect it to come back. It's very rare for OnePlus to discount its smartphones, so if you've been antsy about buying the OnePlus 6 because of its price, this deal makes it much more affordable and a much better buy than OnePlus 6T.

Oppo A7 Oppo has launched its new smartphone Oppo A7 in China. The Oppo A7 is priced at 1599 CNY (approx. Rs. 16,540) and is now available for pre-order. It will go on sale in China from November 22. The Oppo A7 comes in Fresh Pink, Lake Green and Amber Gold colour options. Oppo A7 Specifications Oppo A7 features a 6.2-inch HD+ IPS LCD waterdrop notch display with a resolution of 1520x720 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC and paired with Adreno 506 GPU. The Oppo A7 comes in 3GB/ 4GB RAM with 32GB/ 64GB storage variants and expendable upto 256GB via microSD card.  In the camera, the Oppo A7 is equipped with a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual rear camera with a f/2.2 aperture, f/2.4 aperture and a LED flash. It has 16-megapixel front facing camera with a f/2.0 aperture. The oppo A7 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with the company's own ColorOS 5.2 skin on top and is backed up with a 4,230mAh battery. It also features a fingerprint sensor at the back. ...

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is a successor for its predecessor.  Asus has already confirmed the smartphone and the launch event is set for December 11. Asus  tweeted a teaser  for the launch date and based on the caption, it appears to be an affordable gaming smartphone. The tweet also reveals that Asus will be live streaming the event. Now, a rende r of the front panel has also surfaced on XDA Developers and it reveals  an edge-to-edge display with a notch on top. Also, based on the leak that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 will bear a model number ASUS_X01BD_1/ZB631KL and it will come with upgraded hardware and features. Rumored Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Specifications Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC and have Adreno 512 GPU. Leak has also revealed that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 will be offered in 4GB / 6GB RAM options and 64GB / 128GB storage options. The display will be a 6-inch with full HD+ resolution...

According to a report  from  Thurrot , Microsoft has been working on a new console in the Xbox One family. This cheaper model could play regular Xbox One games, but there would be no Blu-Ray drive. This move would lower the price of the entry-level Xbox One. An Xbox One S officially starts at $299 but you can currently find it for around $250 on Amazon. The disc-less Xbox One could start at $199. Back when Microsoft first  unveiled the Xbox One in 2013, the company wanted to make a big push toward digital games. The original plan was that you would associate your physical games with your Xbox account. After that, you could play the game even without inserting the disc. Microsoft also planned a way to lend a digital game to a friend for 30 days. After some backlash, Microsoft gave up on this plan and switched back to a more traditional system. But it’s been five years, digital games are more popular than ever and internet connections are faster than ever. Micr...

Image/ Microsoft Microsoft has launched a free Windows app that uses machine learning to guess the facial expression you’re making when imitating an emoji. Called  Emoji8 ,  the app gives you a score for how well you recreate the emoji and it’s mostly meant to show off the capabilities of this brand of artificial intelligence in an accessible way. The app serves up an emoji for you to mimic, analyzes the video feed from your computer’s webcam, then tells you your percentage of accuracy. Then oddly, it gives you the option of creating a gif with some of your “craziest facial expressions” to share on Twitter. On Microsoft’s end, Emoji8 is supposed to show how quick and flexible its machine learning prowess is. From a user end, it’s a bit weird to show off how you 90 percent matched a crying emoji to your friends. If you do feel like seeing if you can nail a surprised look according to the app,  Emoji8 is free  in the Microsoft Store.

We've heard of the possibility of Google announcing a mid-range Pixel device but we weren't really sure when. There were a couple of codenames (Sargo and Bonito) that were mentioned in an APK teardown .  Today's new leak reveals much more about a mid-range Google phone thanks to some new leaked photos released by Rozetked. The photos reveal that Google's new mid-range smartphone will have a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a design similar to  the Google Pixel 2 . Otherwise, the  photos show the phone to have a glossy frame, which means it might be made of plastic. The white model that was photographed has a neon green power key and otherwise looks just like a Pixel 2 with a headphone jack and a taller display. The phone was also run through GeekBench (unofficially confirming the Sargo codename) and a couple of other benchmarking apps so there are a bunch of new purported specs:  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 + Adreno 615  • 4GB of RAM + 32GB of Storage...

Xiaomi’s Black Shark sub-brand makes its Western debut today with the  eponymous Black Shark gaming phone in Europe  The phone is officially priced at £439 / €499 (approx. Rs. 40,652) for a 6GB RAM / 64GB of storage model, going up to £479 / €549 (approx. Rs. 44,733) for 8GB / 128GB. For a limited time, however, UK pricing will be £409 / £449 (approx. Rs. 37,690 - Rs. 41,381) and European prices will be €469 / €519 (approx. Rs 38,197 - Rs. 42,269). Despite Xiaomi's seemingly well-timed launch in the UK  last week, Black Shark says the phone will only be available through the sub-brand’s own website for now. The Black Shark is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, Adreno 630 GPU, and it comes with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It has 20 megapixel + 12 megapixel dual camera. It also has a 4,000mAh battery and a 1080p 21:9 display. First impression of Black Shark gaming phone posted on  The Verge , there isn't the full review of the phone yet. Sam Byford h...

The Samsung Galaxy S10 will be a drastically different device from the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9. The phone has been rumored for months and we’ve only heard that Samsung’s next flagship smartphone might have a hole cut-out for a selfie camera. Today, a patent from Samsung depicts possible designs for future models that all adopt the Infinity O model  that Samsung announced during its recent developer conference, this model is a full display with rounded corners and a single circular cut-out to let the camera see through the glass. The patent was filed with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). Source: LetsGoDigital Models A and B are the only two designs that feature a lock-screen rendered in color. Model A’s corners are more like the Galaxy Note9’s squarer corners while Model B’s are much closer to the Galaxy S9 corners. Other models like C, E, F, and J have curved glass at different edges and configurations.   But whichever design Samsung goes for...