Foxconn Looking to Produce High-End iPhone Models in India: Report

Foxconn is reportedly looking towards India as a possible base for assembling the high-end iPhone models, a report claimed Tuesday, citing people familiar with the development. The latest report comes less than a month after two separate reports had claimed the same, indicating that the Taiwanese contract manufacturer is indeed serious about expanding its Indian facilities. The company currently assembles smartphones for firms like Xiaomi in the country. With a trade war between China and United States not close to a proper resolution, more companies with manufacturing facilities in China and customers in the United States are looking to diversify their supply chains.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, Foxconn is mulling producing "higher-end, pricier" iPhone models in India, including models with OLED displays. The contract manufacturer is currently studying whether to include possible India expansion in its budget plans, noted the report citing an unnamed person familiar with Foxconn's plans. The company is also said to be considering Vietnam as it looks to diversify its manufacturing bases, but India has a better chance of seeing a Foxconn factory churning out new iPhone models thanks to its larger growth potential, the report added. A bigger local presence should also allow Apple to better target the market.

If Foxconn goes ahead with its plans to assemble high-end iPhone models in India, it is likely to help Apple in keeping the prices of its smartphones down in the country. Right now, the Indian government charges as much as 20 percent tariff on any phones imported from outside. After the increased tariffs over the last couple of years, several smartphone manufacturers have set up bases in the country to assemble phones. Expanded business in India will certainly help the Cupertino-based company is shedding the reliance over China for growth as the smartphone market has stagnated in most of the western countries.

Another Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron was recently reported to be considering expanding its India operations. In a filing on Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), the company has noted that it has increased the authorised capital of its Indian subsidiary to Rs. 3,000 crores for the same. Apple has been assembling a couple of its low-end iPhone models in India for some time now. Wistron has plant in Peenya industrial area of Bengaluru city, where the contract manufacturer assembles the iPhone SE ₹ 17,199 and iPhone 6S ₹ 27,999 units for the country.

Late last month, a report from Indian daily The Hindu had claimed that a Foxconn unit in Sriperumbudur, a town panchayat in Chennai Metropolitan Area, will start manufacturing iPhone models from 2019. The daily had cited a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami over the matter. Apparently, Foxconn has already created a separate manufacturing unit in its existing Sriperumbudur factory.

A report from news agency Reuters reiterated the Hindu report, citing its own source. It added that Foxconn will invest Rs. 25 billion ($356 million) to expand the Sriperumbudur plant.

How your smart TV is spying on every other gadget in your home

Smart-home gadgets are quietly sweeping through homes across the United States. Whether it’s a Google Home on your kitchen counter, an internet-connected door lock, or a robotic vacuum that talks to your phone, it’s hard to buy a home appliance these days without the option of tying it in to your home Wi-Fi network.

One of the first things to be swept up by our always-connected overlords were TVs, since people enjoy watching YouTube and Netflix without needing a separate box. But as a new report from the New York Times points out, smart TVs are collecting far more data than we probably realize.

The report looks at one provider of smart TV tracking services called Samba TV. It puts tracking software on smart TVs from Sony, Sharp, TCL and Philips, among others. It’s an opt-in service, but like most things, it seems that people just click OK to enabling it during the set-up process, as the company says that 90 percent of people choose to opt in, and its software runs on 13.5 million smart TVs in the US alone.

For consumers, Samba TV tracks on-screen content and uses that to recommend new content, apps, or better-targeted adverts. But for marketers, it scoops up far more data:

( The big draw for advertisers — which have included Citi and JetBlue in the past, and now Expedia — is that Samba TV can also identify other devices in the home that share the TV’s internet connection.

Samba TV, which says it has adhered to privacy guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), does not directly sell its data. Instead, advertisers can pay the company to direct ads to other gadgets in a home after their TV commercials play, or one from a rival airs. Advertisers can also add to their websites a tag from Samba TV that lets them determine if people visit after watching one of their commercials. )


In practice, this is like the real-world version of cookies that track users’ browsing habits from one website to the next. It means that rather than treating your smart TV as a standalone device, it sees it as part of a wider network of smart home devices, and enables companies to track you from your TV to your iPad to your Google Home, making the arm of the digital advertiser just that little bit longer.

Android One Smartphone with Nougat 7, General Mobile GM 5

Google’s Android One program has been pretty quiet over the past couple months. The last device released, the Sharp 507SH , landed in Japan but with Android Marshmallow out of the box. Since then Nougat has been released and now General Mobile has announced the GM 5 , the first Android One device to launch with the latest version of Google’s mobile OS.

Like other Android One devices , the GM 5 runs stock Android with updates direct from Google. As for specs, this device brings a 5-inch 720p display with Gorilla Glass 4, quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot, a 13MP rear camera, and a 5MP front-facing shooter.
The phone weighs in at 160g — by comparison,

the 5-inch Pixel weighs 143g — and packs a 2,500 mAh battery. The GM 5 will be available in Space Grey, Gold, and Black.
The GM 5 is designed for international markets including Azerbaijan, Albania, Afghanistan, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Kenya, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Pakistan, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Pricing has not been announced yet, but we should hear more soon since the phone
goes on sale this month .

Also worth noting is that this is not directly related to the GM 5 Plus which was released earlier this year. Despite that phone also being in the Android One program, it isn’t the same as it brings higher-end specifications and a price tag which is presumably much higher.

Much Awaited Nokia Android Smartphones to be available only in 2017

Ever since the first of Nokia Android smartphones were spotted on the benchmarking websites, Nokia fanboys and prospective smartphone buyers have been eagerly awaiting the erstwhile feature phone king to launch its first Android smartphone.

After it was confirmed that the first of Nokia Android device, Nokia D1C was, in fact, a 13.8-inch tablet running on Android 7.0 Nougat , Nokia fans were awaiting the release of the tablet and other Nokia Android smartphones during the busy holiday season of 2016. However, new reports indicate that Nokia’s four Android devices (1 Android Tablet and 3 Android smartphones) will be available only in the first half of 2017.

The news was confirmed after a company called HMD Global purchased the rights to manufacture, sell and advertise all Nokia smartphones. According to a new report on
Adweek, HMD Global will kick off a huge marketing campaign for the four Nokia smartphones only in early 2017. This means that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer plans to launch its first Android smartphone only next year.

In fact, HMD Global has chosen the famous ad agency, Mother as its lead global agency to make advertisements for Nokia Android smartphones. Both companies have already confirmed the deal and offered comments on the matter.

“ Nokia is a truly iconic, globally recognized and trusted brand. As the exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for mobile phones and tablets, our ambition was to find a like-minded agency who grasped both the opportunity and responsibility in bringing a new product range to market. We are confident that in Mother we have found a partner who can help us do so for a new generation of consumers around the world ,” said HMD Global CMO Pekka Rantala stated.

Rumors suggest that the Nokia Android smartphones will feature QHD displays, metal shells 22.6MP camera and top of the class batteries like the old Nokia feature phones. Also, Nokia smartphones are speculated to feature high-end Snapdragon 820 processors together with water and dust resistance features.

From the above news, it is confirmed that the first of Nokia Android smartphones will only be available to buyers in the first half of 2017. Those buyers who had been putting off buying new Android smartphones till the holiday season in expectation of buying Nokia’s first Android offerings will have to put off their buying plans till 2017.

Their patience would be well worth it provided Nokia comes out with quality Android smartphones like the rugged and long lasting Nokia 1100 and 3100 phones it is remembered for.

The World’s First Tango Smartphone Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is now Available to Buy

Lenovo has finally made Phab 2 Pro world’s first Tango smartphone available to Buy. Earlier in June Lenovo has launched it in their Tech World event. It was first supposed to be released in September then it was delayed and now finally it is available to buy from the official website of the company.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro features a high performance octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB internal memory with microSD card slot, tucked behind a huge 6.4-inch QHD (2560×1400) display. The Phab 2 Pro also comes with a 4,050mAh battery, Quick Charge technology, and a fingerprint scanner on the back. It is packed with 16-megapixel rear camera, which among other things includes a depth sensor to aid the Tango experience, while the front-facing camera is an 8-megapixel offering. Phab 2 Pro runs on the Android 6.0 marshmallow out of the box.

Google’s project Tango Team has worked on apps and develop some apps with real time capabilities. Company has make special Tango App store in which there are 35 apps at present and that will increase up to 100 by the end of this year. Lenovo Phab 2 Pro users can also easily download the Tango app to see all available experiences.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is available to Buy on their Official Website and it will cost you $499.99.

Kodak's new 21 Megapixel Smartphone ' EKTRA '

Kodak, a company whose fall from grace can be traced back to the iPhone ushering in the modern-day smartphone era, has decided to enter the smartphone market. Joining forces with the Bullitt Gruop, Kodak is releasing a new Android-powered smartphone designed specifically for photographers.

Dubbed the Kodak Ektra, Kodak’s new smartphone features a 21 megapixel camera sensor on the back and an impressive 13-megapixel sensor on the front of the device. Geared towards photogrpahy enthusiasts, the Ektra boasts an optical image stabilization feature, an f2.0 aperture, and a number of easy-to-adjust manual modes, including portrait, sports, bokeh, macro and more. As one would expect, users will also be able to manually adjust any number of settings, including ISO, white balance, shutter speed and more.

As far as hardware is concerned, the device itself boasts a Helo X-20 Decacore processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

Software wise, the device is powered by Android Marshmallow comes with Snapseed functionality built in, thereby enabling users to edit their photos on the fly. Additionally, the new Ektra smartphone makes it easy to post photos to social networks and to use Kodak’s own services to have images of your choice delivered straight to your door.

The device’s 4K camera seems particularly intriguing, with Kodak noting that users can “experiment with classic Kodak film grains, vignettes and Super 8 filters.”

From what we can gather, it appears that the device will be available exclusively in Europe later this year, though it remains to be seen if a North American launch is in the cards later on down the line. You can view images of the device over here at Kodak’s online product gallery.

Google Pixel XL, The Best Android Smartphone So Far

Google Pixel XL Android smartphone is announced last October in the same year, 2016. Google Pixel and Pixel XL are said to be the Android phones that will beat the Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Many gadget reviewers said that the smartphones from Google is the best Android Smartphone so far and because of the fact that it is not too expensive and not too premium, these phones can really beat the other company's flagships.

The Outside Design

Pixel XL is a phone that uses various design elements we have seen in the phones in the last few years such as Apple, Samsung and HTC. Google is proud of the fact that it designed everything in-house and only used HTC as a manufacturer . But other than that, nothing really very strong design will attract you when you look at it.

It has front glass with a lot of space above and below the screen. The spec sheet lists 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4, but curvature at the edges is extremely slight. There is no other use of the glass top. But it doesn't work that well. The glass part not only looks tacky but is also a fingerprint and smudges magnet.

The back casing is made from two materials, and with a dual color combination. The top half is a bit heavy and is covered by glass which hosts the camera without any bump, the flash, and a couple of other sensors, along with the fingerprint reader which is called Pixel Imprint. The bottom half of the back comprises brushed silver-coloured metal casing that is easy to grip.

The edge designs are a bit sharp. They are easy enough to hold. Pixel XL's design might not be the best for a phone, but it is unique. The phone stands out in a crowd when all smartphone designs are to compare.

The Screen

As reported by the India Today , the Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch screen that uses AMOLED panel. This is a brilliant screen when you use it indoor or outdoor. It shows rich colors and with resolution of 1440p. It is sharp enough to show clear text and without any fuzzy edges.
It is also, just like other good AMOLED screens, is very bright and contrasty. This helps when you are using the phone in bright sunlight. But this can be adjustable whenever.

The Software

The latest Android 7.0 is Nougat is already the world's best mobile operating system. It is better than iOS 10, which powers the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The Android keyboard is better. The Google Assistant is so much more smarter than Siri. The way apps are installed are also better compared to iOS.

The Camera

The camera in the Pixel XL is one of its top features. It has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. This rear camera is paired with an F2.0 lens and electronics image stabilisation. But the reason why it is so good is its large Sony-made IMX 378 image sensor. This sensor, due to its large pixel size and relatively large physical size, captures lot more data and light.
The video is also clear and sharp, with smooth motion at various resolutions and frame rates. One of the problems with recording 4K video is the amount of space they consume, but Google offers free unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos in their original sizes, including 4K.

Verdict

According to Gadgets 360 , it is clear that even though the style, design, and other features are borrowed from Microsoft and its Surface products, the Pixel XL are competing for the iPhone 7 Plus. You get exactly the same storage capacity at the same prices, but at least no features have been reserved for the more expensive model. Now, Apple fans have the most iPhone-like Android phone alternative. It might convince some to switch over.

Android 7.0 Nougat Rolling Out To Nexus Devices

Google has started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat toi the Nexus Devices. The rumor of he 22nd 23rd has gone right and Nougat is here. The Huawei Nexus 6P, LG Nexus 5X, Motorola Nexus 6, HTC Nexus 9, Asus Nexus Player, Google Pixel C, and General Mobile 4G are receiving the update.

Exactly After the rollout of the final build of Android N Developer Preveiw about months ago, finally, Google is here at your doorsteps of Nexus devices with Android 7.0 Nougat.

There are lot of changes that have been done in the Android Nougat. It brings the ability to set multiple locales and languages, 72 new emoji, multi-window functionality, a way to quickly switch to the previous app , the Vulkan graphics API, a dedicated VR mode, Doze on the Go for even better battery life when you’re on the move, custom Quick Settings, direct replies from notifications, bundled notifications, a built-in mobile data saver, file-based encryption, and much more.

You can check all the features of the Android 7.0 Nougat here. Also LG V20 is going to be the first device, excepting Nexus devices to get Android Nougat.