Asus Vivobook S15 and ZenBook UX430 in India

Taiwanese tech giant Asus has expanded its laptop lineup in India with the launch of two new laptops. The company has launched Vivobook S15 and ZenBook UX430 at Rs 59,990 and Rs 74,990 respectively. While the former will be available starting first eek of Octobe, the latter is already available. Both these laptops will be selling across all online and offline retailers and partners.

The Asus VivoBook S15 features a 15.6-inch a full HD (1920 x 1280) resolution with 178° wide-view technology and NanoEdge display and giving it an 80% screen-to-body ratio. Powered by an 8th Generation quad-core Intel Core i7-8550U and i5-8250U processor with up to 16GB DDR4 2133Hz memory, the laptop has dual storage drives, with a 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). It also houses NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card.

For the purpose of connectivity, it offers a reversible one USB Type-C port, one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. The laptop boasts of a "SuperBattery" technology that is claimed to give it three times the battery lifespan of conventional laptop batteries. The Asus VivoBook S15 measures 361 x 243.5 x 17.9mm and weighs 1.7 kg and has 7.8mm thin bezels.

The ZenBook UX430 is the company's thinnest ever ZenBook with a discrete graphics card. This laptop sports a 14-inch full HD (1080x1920 pixels) also with NanoEdge display. The company says that the canvas is 13-inch but the display it includes is of 14-inches. ZenBook UX430 is powered by Intel 8th Generation Core i7 processor with the main memory of 16GB DDR4 (2133MHz) and up to 512 GB storage. The laptop includes a Type-C USB 3.1 Gen.1 port, Type-A USB 3.1 port, USB 2.0 port, Micro HDMI and a SD card reader.

Oppo F3 Diwali Limited Edition

Chinese Smartphone maker Oppo has launched the 'Diwali Limited Edition' of its F3 Smartphone. The company has priced the handset at Rs 18,990, and will also give a cricket bat signed by the Indian Cricket Team. This new variant will be available from September 29 online exclusively on Amazon India and in Oppo offline stores across India.

The Diwali Limited Edition Oppo F3 has same specs as the original Oppo F3 that was launched back in May.

Oppo F3 comes with a full-metal unibody design. It comes with a 5.5-inch full HD (1080x1920 pixel resolution) In-Cell display and 2.0mm thin screen bezels. It is powered by an octa-core 64-bit processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It features 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card along with dual-selfie cameras.

The 16MP selfie camera comes with 6P lens, f/2.0 aperture and Beautify 4.0 image enhancing technology. Users can also click 120-degree wide angle images using the secondary front-facing camera. The handset will also alert users when they need to use the group-selfie mode instead of the regular mode. There is a 13MP rear camera with PDAF sensor as well. Some of the other camera features include Anti-Shake 2.0, Expert Mode, Ultra HD mode and Palm Shutter.

On the OS side of things, the Oppo F3 runs Color OS 3.0 based on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and also has fast-charging capabilities. The device is backed by a 3200mAh battery and sport a fingerprint sensor as well.

Oppo F3 comes with triple slot card tray enabling the device to use two SIM cards and a microSD card together.

Nokia 8 Smartphone with Dual Rear Cameras in India

HMD Global is all set to launch its Nokia 8 flagship Smartphone of the year in India. The handset maker introduced the device last month at EUR 599 (roughly Rs 45,200).

The Nokia 8 is the fourth 'Nokia' branded Smartphone coming this year after the Nokia 6, 5 and 3. Based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Nokia 8 boasts of a 5.3-inch QHD (2560x1440 pixels) resolution screen with 2.5D curved display along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The processing power of the Smartphone lies with the flagship octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which is complimented by 4GB LPDDR4X RAM.

The Nokia 8 comes with dual rear camera setup powered by 13MP sensors each. The camera lens comes from Carl Zeiss. While the first lens shoots colored shots with OIS, the secondary rear camera shoots in monochrome. The primary camera has an aperture of f/2.0 along with PDAF and dual-tone flash. Nokia 8 is also the company's first to come with Nokia OZO audio, which is a 360-degree audio technology for better multimedia experience. The cameras can also capture videos in 4K resolution. At the front, there is a 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and display flash.

One of the most highlighted features of the device is 'Bothie' or Dual-Sight mode, which makes use of both front and rear cameras to show both angles on the screen. People can use this feature to livestream on YouTube and Facebook Live as well.

The Nokia 8 features 64GB space (UFS 2.1), which can be bumped up to 256GB using a microSD card. There are no other variants of the handset based on RAM and inbuilt storage.

A 3090mAh non-removable battery backs up the device with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 tech. Also supported are Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G VoLTE connectivity, NFC, GPS and dual SIM cards.

For added security, Nokia 8 has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button at the front below the screen. It is also IP54 certified, which makes it water resistant to a certain level.

Asus Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 Gets a Price Cut

Taiwanese Smartphone manufacturer Asus has announced a price cut for its Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 Smartphone. The Smartphone was launched at Rs 14,999 in December 2016. Post a price cut of Rs 2,000, Asus Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 is now available at Rs 12,999.

The Smartphone will be available at its new price across online websites, which includes Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal. The Smartphone can also be bought at its new price from offline retail stores including the company's official stores across India.

Asus Zenfone 3 Max comes in two variants -- based on screen size, resolution, processor, RAM and camera.

The Smartphone's variant with the model number ZC553KL is more powerful among the two. It features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution display with an inbuilt Bluelight filter. The Smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with Adreno 505. On the storage front, apart from sporting an inbuilt memory capacity of 32GB, the memory can be enhanced up to 128GB with the help of a micro-SD card.

It also includes a 16MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-LED flash, PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), Laser Autofocus, and Electronic Image Stabilization. On the front, there is an 8MP camera for selfies and video chats. The camera includes a host of filters and modes to help users tweak images as required.

The device is backed by a 4,100mAh battery that is rated to deliver about 30 days of standby time and up to 20 hours of talk time on 3G as per the company. The handset also acts as a power bank, and comes with a USB OTG cable to enable users to connect and charge other devices.

The Asus Zenfone Max 3 5.5 runs on Zen UI 3.0 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Apart from supporting 4G LTE, 3G RAM, and a fingerprint sensor, the handset also has 32GB inbuilt storage capacity.

Micromax Selfie 3 is Now Available

The domestic handset maker Micromax has launched Micromax Selfie 3. The handset's USP is its 16MP front camera catering to the needs of the selfie-lovers.

Price and Availability:
 
The Micromax Selfie 3 is priced at Rs 11,999 and will be available across retail stores. At this price, the handset competes with Nubia N2 and Vivo 66, both of which also offer 16MP front camera.

Specifications:
 
The Micromax Selfie 3 features a 5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. The Smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.

The handset is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. The device offers 32GB of internal storage. It is unclear whether users can expand this or not. The Smartphone sports a 16MP front camera with Samsung sensor and a 13MP rear camera with Sony sensor. The front camera comes with a dedicated flash. The camera offers features such as Auto Scene Detection, Portrait mode, HDR Mode and Night Mode.

Backed by a 3000mAh battery, the device offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

Sony Xperia XA1 Plus with 23MP Camera

Japanese Smartphone maker Sony has added yet another Smartphone to its Xperia series. The company has launched Xperia XA1 Plus in India. The USP of the Smartphone is said to be its 23MP rear camera and battery life.

Price and Availability:
 
The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is priced at Rs 24,990 and it will come in Blue, Black and Gold color options. The device will be available across leading online and offline stores in the country. The Smartphone will compete against Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro and Motorola Z2 Play . 

Specifications:

The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus features a 5.5-inch full HD display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. The Smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P20 processor.

The Smartphone comes with dual SIM functionality and offers 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. Users can further expand the storage up to 256GB by adding a microSD card. The device incorporates a fingerprint sensor and is backed by a 3430 mAh battery.

The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus comes with a 23MP rear camera with LED flash and an 8MP front shooter for selfies. The rear camera comes with a 1/2.3" Exmor RS for mobile sensor, bright F2.0 lens and superior lowlight capability. On the other hand, the 8MP 23mm wide-angle lens front camera to give you high quality images that capture all the action, even in a group selfie.

For the purpose of connectivity the Smartphone offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB Type C.

Epson launches PictureMate PM520 in India

Japanese electronics company Epson has launched the successor to the PictureMate PM245 in India. Dubbed as PictureMate PM520, the printer is available at Rs 19,999 and its refill cartridge costs Rs 1,429. The printer comes with a one-year warranty or 13,000 prints, whichever is earlier.

The PictureMate PM520 can produce prints having resolution as high as 5,760x1, 440 dpi. For connectivity, the PM520 offers a 2.7-inch color LCD, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and SD Card.

PictureMate PM520 supports A5, A6, 9 x 13 cm (3.5 x 5 in), 10 x 15 cm (4 x 6 in), 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 in), 16:9 wide paper sizes with a maximum paper size of 136 x 420 mm.

Measuring 265 x 196 x 137 mm and weighing 2.3kg, the printer supports both Windows and Mac OS.

Huawei Honor Play 6 Smartphone in China

Huawei's sub-brand Honor has launched its Honor Play 6 Smartphone in China. Honor 6 Play comes with a 5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. The device is powered by 1.4 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor with Mali-T720 GPU. The Smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system topped with company's own EMUI 4.1.

The Smartphone offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage which can be expanded further by adding a microSD card. The Smartphone comes with dual-SIM functionality and sports an 8MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and f/2.0 aperture. There's also a 5MP front facing shooter with LED flash and wide angle lens.

Measuring 143.8 x 72 x 8.85mm, the Smartphone is backed by a 3,020 mAh battery and offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

The company has priced the device at 599 Yuan, which translates into Rs 5,880.

Oppo A71 Smartphone Launched

Chinese Smartphone maker Oppo has silently launched a new Smartphone for the Pakistan and Malaysian markets. Dubbed as Oppo A71, the Smartphone is listed on the official website at RM 858 which is approximately Rs 13,000.

The Oppo A71 comes with a uni-body design and sports a 5.2-inch screen with full HD display resolution. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor coupled with 3GB RAM. It offers 16GB internal storage and a 3000mAh battery. 

In terms of camera, the device has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. It has a Dual-SIM card functionality and offers Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi as connectivity options.

It is available in Black and Gold color variants and weighs 137g with 148.1x73.8x7.6mm dimensions.