Xiaomi to officially roll out new MIUI update to remove Mi Browser Pro / Mint Browser

Xiaomi has revealed that it will soon roll out a new update to its range of smartphones and Poco phones that will provide an option to remove Mi Browser Pro or Mint Browser application from the company’s smartphones. 

The Indian government banned Mi Browser Pro and Mint Browser along with 59 other Chinese applications including Mi Community app recently. However, some of the smartphones still came with banned applications. However, the company has revealed that the Mi Browser Pro and Mint Browser can be removed with an incoming update. Furthermore, both the applications have been removed from Play Store as well. 

“The privacy and security of our users is of utmost importance to us, and we assure you that Xiaomi has always, and will continue to adhere to all the data privacy and security requirements under Indian law. We thank you for your incredible support and request you to be patient with us as we work with the Government. Please stay safe!” the company said in a statement.

Read more: Xiaomi to officially roll out new MIUI update to remove Mi Browser Pro / Mint Browser

Now use Google Assistant to send audio messages

There are a handful of ways that Google Assistant can be the utilised fully, thanks to voice control. Now Google through a blog post has announced that it has added functionality of sending voice messages to contacts through Google Assistant.

You can now send audio messages with Google Assistant on Android smartphones without holding down the little mic icon. This feature will be useful to people who don't want to type in the message and can now instead dictate it.

Read More: You can now use Google Assistant to send audio messages to your contacts

Alleged Nokia 7.3 5G smartphone spotted

HMD Global will be launching several Nokia phones later this year. One of them is expected to be the Nokia 7.3 5G, expected to unveil the smartphone in September at IFA Berlin 2020. Now a Nokia phone alleged to be Nokia 7.3 5G has been spotted on the set of the upcoming James Bond movie No Time To Die.

After Nokia 8.3 5G, Nokia 7.3 will be HMD Global’s next 5G phone. It is already known that the Nokia 8.3 5G will appear in the new movie, while reports suggest that the Nokia 5.3 make an appearance too. Both these phones were launched globally in March and the Nokia 5.3 will be launched in India later this month.

As per a report by Nokiamob, a third Nokia phone was spotted on the set of No Time To Die during a tour by Prince Charles. According to tipster Nokia Anew, the device in question is the Nokia 7.3.

Read More: Nokia phone alleged to be Nokia 7.3 spotted on set of next James Bond movie

Epson introduces new range of EcoTank printers in India

Epson has today announced the launch of its new range of EcoTank printers in India. The brand has introduced  L15150 and L15160 printers in the country. The Epson EcoTank L15150 comes with a price tag of Rs 44,999, while the L15160 is priced at Rs 86,999.

The company claims that the new EcoTank printers provide very low print costs, low power consumption, extremely low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). The printers can deliver a high page yield of up to 7,500 pages in black and 6,000 pages in colour (CMY). The new printers are powered by Epson’s proprietary PrecisionCore technology, which helps deliver faster prints.

Read more: Epson introduces new range of EcoTank printers in India

Redmi 9 to launch in India soon

Xiaomi has started teasing the launch of its next smartphone in India. The smartphone will be Redmi 9 which will likely arrive in India later this month and it is expected to be a rebrand of the Redmi 9A or Redmi 9C.

Manu Kumar Jain, the Managing Director of Xiaomi India, on his twitter handle has teased the upcoming launch. The tweet reads " This is how my 2020 looks like: 12th March: #RedmiNote9ProMax & #RedmiNote9Pro 20th July: #RedmiNote9 4th August: #Redmi9Prime XX XXX, 2020: #Redmi _ ? Where is the 9
 Guess what's next? RT & gear up for 9.

Going by the teasers, the next Redmi smartphone in India should be the Redmi 9. His tweet, however, does not reveal an exact launch date.

Read More: Xiaomi teases Redmi 9 launch in India soon

Coronavirus pandemic helped tablet to grow 23 per cent: CMR

The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a growth in the tablet market, which grew 23 per cent QoQ in the Q2 of 2020. As per a report by CMR, the tablet market is witnessing a steep rise during the on-going pandemic. 

The report highlights that the shipments of tablets with WiFi capabilities grew 98 per cent QoQ in the Q2 of 2020. Lenovo was the leader in this segment as it grasped 48 per cent market share in the segment, growing 24 per cent QoQ, and capitalizing on opportunities in the enterprise and consumer verticals. Lenovo M10 (HD & FHD & FHD Plus) series contributed upto 14 per cent of Lenovo’s market share.

Samsung was on the second position with a market share of 29 per cent. The company has witnessed a whopping 143 per cent QoQ growth. Samsung has recently launched new Galaxy S6 Lite Wi-Fi and 4G Variants in Q2 2020. Samsung TAB A series did really well, with the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 LTE & Wi-Fi (2019) series contributing close to 25 per cent of Samsung's market share.

Read More: Coronavirus pandemic helped tablet to grow 23 per cent: CMR

OnePlus rolls out a system update for OnePlus TV Y series

OnePlus has rolled out a system update for OnePlus TV Y series. The company launched the Y Series televisions last month itself. The 32-inch is priced at Rs 12,999 and at Rs 22,999 for the 43-inch variant.

The update for the OnePlus TV Y Series has been announced on the company's official forum, and is rolling out now for both size variants. The update added More skills to Work with Alexa. It Optimized OnePlus Connect experience by offering a better connection between Mobile and TV.

Read More: OnePlus TV Y Series receive OTA2 update in India

OnePlus Scout, a unified search engine, rolls out in India

OnePlus has started rolling out a new feature to its range of OnePlus smartphones in India. The company has introduced a new OnePlus Scout feature in the country with the latest update.

The latest feature has been rolled out to OnePlus smartphones with version number v4.7.2_200818175549, reports Gadgets360. The update brings the ability to search for locations, restaurants, places nearby and more with the universal search option. Furthermore, the feature allows users to look for contacts, files, music and more with the unified search bar.

Read more: OnePlus Scout, a unified search engine, rolls out in India

Gionee Max launching in India on August 25 for under Rs 6000

Gionee has announced that it will launch a new Gionee Max budget smartphone in India on August 25. The phone will be available on Flipkart and will be priced under Rs 6,000.

As per the teaser image on Flipkart, Gionee Max will feature a water drop notch screen with large bottom bezels. It is likely to come with an HD+ screen. The Gionee Max is teased to launch with a large battery and the company said that it will have over 4500mAh battery. The company will be revealing more details including the battery in the coming days.

The upcoming Gionee smartphone will be launched at 2 PM IST on August 25. Flipkart will be revealing more Gionee Max specifications in the coming days.

Read More: Gionee Max to launch in India on August 25, to be priced under Rs 6000

Asus Zenfone 7 teased

Asus Zenfone 7 series which is likely to include Zenfone 7 and 7 Pro smartphones will be launched in Taiwan on August 26. Now the company has started teasing the upcoming launch.

Asus via its official Deutschland (@asusde) Twitter handle has posted a teaser video that reveals the design of the upcoming smartphone. Zenfone 7 will carry over Zenfone 6's flip camera design, where the dual rear camera could be flipped to act as a front camera.

Read More: Asus ZenFone 7 teased with flip cameras like ZenFone 6

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro will be priced at Rs 50,000?

Asus is going to launch Zenfone 7 series on August 26 in Taiwan. As per the leaks, the company will launch two smartphones one with the Snapdragon 865 and one with the 865+. Leakster Roland Quandth has tweeted that Asus Zenfone 7 Pro will be priced at €550 ( Rs 50,000). It will be based on Snapdragon 865+ and paired with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage.

Reliance Buys Majority Stake in Netmeds

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has today announced that its subsidiary Reliance Retail Ventures Limited has acquired a majority equity stake in Vitalic Health Pvt. Ltd. and its subsidiaries  which is collectively known as ‘Netmeds’ for approximately Rs 620 crores.

This investment represents about 60% holding in the equity share capital of Vitalic and 100% direct equity ownership of its subsidiaries - Tresara Health Private Limited, Netmeds Market Place Limited and Dadha Pharma Distribution Pvt Limited.

Read More: Reliance buys majority stake in online pharmacy Netmeds

'Lenovo, Samsung, Apple : Top 3 in Tablet PC in Q2'

The Tablet PC market in India grew 23%  in quarter 2 of 2020 as compared to the previous quarter as a report by market analysis firm CMR. Lenovo with a 48% market share was the leader followed by Samsung and Apple. Korean handset maker Samsung garnered a 29% market share and Apple secured a 12% market share.

Truecaller gets tough on Spammers

Truecaller has rolled out the Spam Activity Indicator for Android users. This feature will provide detailed statistics on the spammer when a user taps on the spammer’s profile image in the true caller app.

Currently, there are three important trends: spam reports, call activity and peak calling hours will be shown. Spam Reports showcases how many times a Truecaller user has marked a specific number as spam (it also indicates by percentage if it is increasing or decreasing according to the reports). Call Activity shows you the number of calls the number has made recently, potentially indicating how much of a spammer the number is. And finally, Peak Calling Hours is a time chart that identifies when the spammer is most active.

Read More: Truecaller announces Spam Activity Indicator to users on Android

Samsung announces offer for consumers with broken smartphones

Samsung India has announced an offer for consumers with broken smartphones. The company is announcing an upgrade bonus of up to Rs 5000 for consumers that have smartphones with cracked screens.  

The Upgrade Offer is applicable on all models including Samsung and other smartphones and is valid till August 31, 2020.

Consumers pre-booking the newly-launched Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G will also be eligible for this attractive upgrade. The upgrade offer on Galaxy Note 20 comes in addition to the existing pre-booking offers on Galaxy Note 20 flagship series.

Read More: Samsung announces bonus of Rs 5000 on your smartphone with cracked screen if prebooking Galaxy Note 20 series

Microsoft 365 apps will not get support on Internet Explorer from next year

Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support Internet Explorer 11 from August year.  The reason being, Microsoft wants to push the revamped Chromium-based Edge browser. Teh company said ina statement, " Beginning November 30 this year, Microsoft Teams web app will no longer support IE 11 and the remaining Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support IE 11 from August 2021..'

Redmi Note 9 Pro Max: Sale today

Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is all set to go on sale once again in India today. The 6GB + 128GB storage option is priced at Rs 18,499, while the 8GB + 128GB models priced at Rs 19,999.  It will go on sale via Amazon.in and Mi.com in the country today at 12pm (noon). Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC, 5,020mAh battery and a  quad-camera setup at the back with a 64-megapixel main camera.