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Vodafone is offering 100 cashback on unlimited recharge plans, rivaling Jios Diwali offer

Vodafone is rivaling Reliance Jio’s Diwali offer of 100 percent cashback. with its own lucrative plans. Vodafone is offering subscribers  100 cash back on recharges as well, but it isn’t nation-wide like Jio’s. The 100 percent cashback offer can be availed from the My Vodafone app which will be doled out in the form of Rs 50 vouchers. Only three unlimited prepaid recharge plans are eligible for the offer — Rs 399, Rs 458 and Rs 509. The unlimited plans offer unlimited local and STD calling and unlimited roaming along with a cap of 100 SMS daily. Each plan also offers 1.4GB of 3G/4G data. The difference is only in validity. The Rs 399 plan has a validity of 70 days while the Rs 458 plan lasts for 84 days and the Rs 504 plan has 90 days validity. The Rs 50 vouchers that the 100 percent cash back is being offered in, can be used for making another recharge. The voucher can only be used for the phone number the recharge was done on. You cannot use the coupon to recharge another number. The Rs 399 plan will give you eight Rs 50 vouchers in all circles. However, Chennai circle will not have Rs 509 recharge while Bihar and Jharkhand circles won’t have the Rs 409 plan. Users in Himachal Pradesh won’t get the Rs 509 and Rs 399 recharge. Further, in circles like Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand does not have 4G coverage and the plan prices also differ.
You may soon be able to leave comments on Google search results

Google might be working on making Search more engaging with support for comments. While Google+ is being shuttered after a privacy flaw was made public, it’s social-features might live on. Folks over at 9To5Google has discovered the feature in-testing. The feature was discovered while tearing down Google app version 8.55 on Android where there is a page noting reviews and comments for search results. It’s only limited to live sports matches for now and will have filters to separate chatter from verified outlets and viewers. The comments section will also be moderated. There will be spam filters and highlighted comments. The report also said Google has been working on a section called “Your contributions” in search results. The latest beta version has the URL for the feature live in the form of reviews and comments. Google’s dream of rivaling Facebook was publicly admitted to be a failure. But that doesn’t mean Google is not interested in social anymore. Google Maps was updated with the ability to message stores directly and follow them on the platform. Searches about books, movies and TV series has a separate Reviews section which offers comments and reviews from both trusted sources and crowdsourced opinions. With support for live sports events, it means Google will further expand the social features for the sundry searches we all do, possibly including a way to rate particular search results.
MediaTek Helio P70 to debut in Realme U-series smartphone, teaser poster confirms

At the Indian Mobile Congress 2018, Realme announced it will be the first to use the MediaTek Helio P70 SoC chipset. The Helio P70 will succeed the Helio P60 and now, Realme has officially confirmed that it’s upcoming U-series smartphones will be powered by the new mid-range chipset. The teaser poster released by Realme on social channels reveal only the fact that it will be powered by the new chipset. The Helio P70 has four cortex A73  performance cores and four low-powered Cortex A53 cores, clocked at 2.1GHz. It has also has a dedicated AI co-processor. The chipset is built using TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process promising higher power efficiency. It’s faster than the earlier Helio P60 but doesn’t trump the Snapdragon 660 in terms of clock speed. The teaser poster confirms an earlier report that the company is working on the U-series phone that will be targeted at selfie enthusiasts and as confirmed by CEO Madhav Seth, will be powered by the Helio P70. Earlier, a geekbench listing revealed the company is working on a phone powered once again by the Helio P60 running on Android 8.1 Oreo with 4GB RAM. The brand Realme was launched by Oppo to take on Xiaomi in the mid-range and budget segments. Now operating independently, the brand launched four phones — Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro and the Realme C1 in 2018, each rivalling and sometimes leading the spec-sheets in their respective price ranges.
Patent leak reveals possible design of the Samsung Galaxy S10

If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then the Samsung Galaxy S10 will have a drastically different design when compared to the S8 and S9 family of devices. Rumours circulating the internet suggest that the upcoming smartphone from Samsung will have a hole cutout in the display for the camera instead of a notch. During a presentation at the Samsung OLED forum, the company reportedly detailed a roadmap for smartphone design in 2019. Looking ahead, Samsung said that it is working on under-screen sensors, which include fingerprint as well as camera sensors. Yes, Samsung is looking to place the front-facing camera under the display, and it could be the company’s way of avoiding the notch completely in a bid to go bezel-less. It looks like the S10 could be the first device to have the camera hole cut out to avoid the notch. There are several designs with a camera cutout in the upper-left corner of the scree. It is possible that we might expect this in the final S10 product. Samsung usually announces its flagship smartphones around MWC. If the design is not finalized yet, it is possible that the S10 will launch later in the year. However, all this is speculation and we will wait for an official statement or information from Samsung directly. In other information about the Galaxy S10, Samsung has unveiled its newest flagship-grade Exynos SoC that will power its next generation of flagship smartphones. Called the Exynos 9820, the chipset will power the upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship from the company. The new SoC features fourth-generation custom CPU cores as well as a 2Gbps LTE Advanced Pro Modem. It also comes with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), similar to what Huawei offers in the Kirin 970 and Kirin 980 chipsets. The chipset is manufactured using an 8nm LPP (Low Power Plus) FinFET process, which the company says can reduce power consumption by up to 10% as compared to 10nm LPP process. The Exynos 9820 chipset is expected to be in mass production by the end of this year. You can read more about the chip here. Speaking of the camera on the S10, the smartphone is expected to have a triple camera setup at the back. The smartphone is expected to have a regular lens, an ultra-wide-angle sensor and a third Telephoto lens. The main camera seems to retain the regular 12MP sensor that the company has been incorporating in its previous flagship devices. The 12MP lens is expecte
Microsoft to launch discless console in 2019: Report

If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then Microsoft is working on a discless console. This console is expected to be the Xbox One S without a disc drive. This is in a move to reduce the cost of the console. It is expected that the discless console will be priced under $200 (Rs 14,000 approx. directly converted). Microsoft is also said to be working with certain retailers in the US to let gamers trade in their discs for digital downloads. This discless console will be in addition to a cheaper version of the Xbox One S with a disc drive. In the US, the One S sells for about $299 (Rs 22,000 approx. directly converted). It is expected that Microsoft is working on a cheaper Xbox One S with a disc drive as well. In the past we have seen console makers move components around, reduce the const of manufacturing and more during the life of a console to make it cheaper. In India, the 1TB version of the Xbox One S is priced at about Rs 25,000. Microsoft is also working on a streaming service for games as well as the next generation of Xbox consoles. The company announced this at E3 2018. It is expected that Microsoft will shed light on its next generation consoles at E3 2019. Speaking of E3 2019, Sony has officially said that the company will not be present at the gaming convention. Sony has also cancelled its annual gaming convention, PSX which usually takes place in December. Information circulating the internet suggests that Sony will launch its next generation console, the PS5 in 2019. It is expected that Sony will have a grand event in 2019 to unveil all details about its upcoming console. You can read more about Sony skipping E3 2019 here. 
Sony will not be present at E3 2019 with its PlayStation offerings

Sony has officially announced that it will not be present at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019. E3 is considered as the worlds largest gaming event. In the past it has been home to some major console and games announcements. In a statement, Sony has said, “As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community. PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and can’t wait to share our plans with you.” Since the inception of E3, Sony has always had presence at the gaming convention. This will be the first time that Sony has said it will not partake in the gaming show. Speculations circulating the internet suggest that Sony has very little to show in terms of first party content. The company gave detailed demoes of Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, Death Stranding and the Last of Us Part II at E3 2018 and it is possible that none of these games are launching any time soon (Except Days Gone which has a release date). Because of the lack of content to show off, Sony has also decided to skip its annual conference, PlayStation Experience in 2018. PSX usually takes place in December. More speculations circulating the internet suggest that this is the calm before the storm. Sony is expected to unveil its next generation gaming console, the PS5 in 2019. Speculations suggest that Sony will go guns blazing at whatever gaming event they undertake in 2019. Microsoft on the other hand is excited for its E3 2019 presence. At E3 2018, the company confirmed that it is working on multiple consoles for the next generation. Codenamed Scarlet, the new family of Xbox consoles will focus on streaming as well as next generation hardware. A recent rumour circulating the internet suggests that a discless console is in the works by Microsoft. Information suggests that this console will not be a part of the ‘next generation’ but will be a replacement for the Xbox One console. The absence of a disc drive will reduce the cost of the console and it is possible that the console will support Microsoft’s upcoming streaming service. 
Oppo A7 with waterdrop notch display, 4230mAh battery launched in China

Oppo has unveiled a new budget device in China called the Oppo A7. The device features a 6.1-inch HD+ display  and a ‘waterdrop’ notch display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The phone offers 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage and is currently available for pre-order in China for CNY 1599, which is roughly equal to Rs 16,500. The phone features a ‘3D heat-curved grating pattern’ on the back with a mirrored texture. It is available in two colour variants, Glaze Blue and Glaring Gold.  The Oppo A7 packs a large 4230mAh battery which the company claims is enough to offer up to 8 hours of gaming on the phone. Speaking of gaming, the phone also comes with the company’s new HyperBoost technology. The new tech was developed a competitor to the Huawei’s GPUTurbo technology and helps to optimise performance while gaming. As for the cameras, the phone comes with a 16MP front camera with support for AR stickers. At the back is a dual-rear camera setup, but the company has not mentioned its sensors yet.  It is not yet known if or when company plans to launch the Oppo A7 in India.
Moto G7, Moto G7 Plus renders hint at waterdrop notch design, dual-rear cameras

Renders of the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus have leaked out and it looks like both the phones may features a ‘waterdrop’ notch design. According to renders of the two phones shared by mrgizmo.com, the two phones might look every similar to each other with dual-rear cameras for both. The report notes that the Moto G7 may features a 6-inch Full HD+ display and may be powered by a Snapdragon 660 SoC. The phone is tipped to offer 4GB RAM with 64GB of storage. It is also expected to pack a 3500mAh battery. At the back, the phone is expected to offer a dual-rear camera setup with 16MP+5MP combination, while at the front, it may features a 12MP unit.  The Moto G7 Plus is expected to feature a larger 6.4-inch Full HD+ display and may be powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset. It is also expected to offer up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Thanks to its bigger size, it is also expected to offer a larger battery. In terms of camera however, it is expected to offer the same setup as its smaller sibling. Both devices are tipped to launch early next year running Android 9 Pie out of the box. Speaking of Android 9 Pie, Motorola recently started rolling out the update to its first Android One Powered smartphone in India, the Motorola One Power. The company claims that the update offered improved battery life, a new UI and more.
Google Pixel 3 Lite with Snapdragon 670 and 35mm audio jack leaks online

Do you (like me) simply adore the new Pixel 3 smartphones but hesitate to go anywhere near that ‘Add to Cart’ button because they cost an arm and a leg? Do you keep wondering when that much-rumoured Lite version of the Pixel will land in India? Well, it seems we’re one step closer to seeing that happen because the Russian bloggers who covered the Pixel 3 XL in great detail before its launch are back with new leaks of a smaller Pixel device. Images posted by XDA Developers yesterday reveal a Pixel-like smartphone with a single camera on the back, a Type-C port at the bottom, and—wait for it—a 3.5mm audio jack on top. On the face of it, the idea to include the 3.5mm audio jack seems strange because Google was all for getting rid of it on past Pixel models. But stepping back and considering the target audience and the expected price of the new Pixel smartphone, it makes sense. The rumoured new Pixel 3 Lite is said to sport a 5.56-inch LCD IPS display with a resolution of 2220 × 1080, which should translate to a healthy pixel density. Luckily we see no notch on the top. It’s expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and a 2,915mAh battery. Storage on-board is expected to be a non-expandable 32GB. For optics, the smartphone should come with a single 12-megapixel rear camera and a single 8-megapixel front camera. Though only one in number on each side, the camera on the Pixel 3 Lite is expected to be good, given how much attention Google generally pays to the optics of its Pixel smartphones. The Pixel 3 Lite, if that’s what it will finally be called, should run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box and be one of the first models to receive future software updates directly from Google. There’s no word yet on when the Pixel 3 Lite will release or how much it will cost in the market but we expect to know more in the coming months. Inline images courtesy: rozetked.me
PUBG Mobile wins Best Mobile Game Award at 2018 Golden Joystick Awards

PUBG Mobile has won the Best Mobile Game Award at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards held in Las Angeles, California. “The team is honored and thrilled that PUBG MOBILE has been recognized by 2018 Golden Joystick Awards,” said Vincent Wang, General Manager, PUBG MOBILE Global Publishing Team in a statement released to the press. “The response to the game from fans has energized everyone at the team as we are heads down working on new, exciting updates and contents for PUBG MOBILE.” PUBG Mobile has also been nominated for the Google Play Awards under the ‘Fan Favourite Game of 2018’ category. The Fan Favourite category allows Android users to vote for their favourite apps and games of the year. Voting ends on November 26, and winners will be announced on December 3. PUBG Mobile was launched on Android and iOS as a free-to-play game and Tencent claims that it has surpassed 20 million concurrent users with over 100 million downloads. Even the Indian cricket team is not immune to the allure of the game.  In related news, PUBG Mobile will be updated to version 0.9.5 next week along with Royale Pass Season 4. Royale Pass will allow players to complete a certain number of missions every week and win additional creates and currency. The new season will also bring in more firearm finishes, rare outfits, new character faces and hairstyles. The current season, Season 3, will officially end on November 18.    pic.twitter.com/4WyXlTIVcE — PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) November 16, 2018