This week Xiaomi introduced the Mi 8 Pro flagship and Mi 8 Lite smartphones, Nikon launched the Z6 and Z7 full-frame mirrorless cameras, Sony introduced PlayStation Classic mini with 20 games, GoPro launched the HERO7 series of action cameras, and lots more in our weekly roundup.
Xiaomi introduced the Mi 8 Pro with a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor. This only activates the unlocking process once you place your finger on the screen, which is faster and more power-efficient and is 29% faster compared to the in-display fingerprint sensor on the Mi 8.
It comes in Gradient versions with glass back as well as Transparent Titanium version, similar to the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. It has similar specifications as the Mi 8 that was introduced back in May.
It comes in Sunset Gold, Black and Transparent Titanium version, is priced at 3199 yuan (US$ 466 / Rs. 33,945 approx.) for the 6GB RAM with 128GB storage version and the 8GB RAM with 128GB storage version costs 3599 yuan (US$ 525 / Rs. 38,192 approx.) and is available in China.
Xiaomi announced Mi 8 Lite (Youth Edition), a cheaper version of the Mi 8 in China. It has a 6.26-inch FHD+ display with a notch, is powered by Snapdragon 660 AIE with up to 6GB of RAM, runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI top, has a 12-megapixel rear cameras with f/1.9 aperture with AI scene recognition to recognize 238 scenes, along with a 5-megapixel secondary camera for portrait shots. It features a 24-megapixel front camera with AI beautify features.
The phone’s display can light up in different colors to suit different scenarios when taking selfies, intelligently illuminating the face with the right color temperature. It has a glass back with gradient finish, has a fingerprint sensor on the back and packs a 3350mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
It comes in Aurora Blue, Sunset Gold and Midnight Black colors, is priced at 1399 yuan (US$ 204 / Rs. 14,835 approx.) for the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage version, 6GB RAM with 64GB storage version costs 1699 yuan (US$ 248 / Rs. 18,020 approx.), and the top-end 6GB RAM with 128GB storage version costs 1999 yuan (US$ 290 / Rs. 21,200 approx.). It goes on sale from September 25th.
Nikon launched Nikon Z7 and Nikon Z6, as well as NIKKOR Z lenses under the Nikon FX-format mirrorless series in India. The Nikon Z7 features a full-frame 45.7-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with an Expeed 6 image processor. It also comes with an ISO range of 64-25,000, a 493-point autofocus system, 9fps continuous shooting and ability to record 4K UHD videos. Moreover, it has a built-in 5 axis vibration reduction, meaning you can expect a stabilised photo and video shoots.
The Z6 packs a 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor with 100-51,200 native ISO, 12 fps continuous shooting. The camera offers Bluetooth LE and WiFi with SnapBridge/PC support for connectivity. It can also record 10-bit 4K video with Nikon’s N-log color profile via the HDMI port to an Atomos or another recorder.
The Z6 is priced at Rs. 1,69,950 and the Z7 costs Rs. 2,69,950 for body alone.
After 24 years of introduction of the first PlayStation, Sony introduced the PlayStation Classic, a miniaturized version of the PlayStation Classic that comes pre-loaded with 20 classic titles, including Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, R4 Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3 and Wild Arms. It will be available for US $99.99 (Rs. 7,250 approx.) in the U.S / €99.99 (Rs. 8,470 approx.) in Europe on 3rd December, 2018.
GoPro launched the HERO7 series of action cameras in India. The GoPro HERO7 has HyperSmooth, which the company says is the best in-camera video SuperPhotostabilization ever featured in a camera, offering gimbal-like stabilized video without a motorized gimbal. The feature also works underwater and in high-shock and wind situations.
The HERO7 Black costs Rs. 37,000, HERO7 Silver is priced at 28,000 and the HERO7 White costs 19,000. These will be available in India beginning September 27. You can pre-order them from Amazon.in that offers up to Rs. 1500 cashback as Amazon Pay balance, as well as 5% instant discount on ICICI credit and debit cards till 24th September. HERO7 Black pre-orders also get a free Shorty worth Rs. 3900 for free.
Amazon launched new line-up of Echo devices, and an Echo companion device that include: 3rd generation Echo Dot, 2nd generation Echo Plus and new Echo Sub subwoofer for Echo devices in India.
All new Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Sub are available for pre-order on Amazon.in starting at Rs. 4499 . Echo Dot and Echo Plus ships from October 11th, while the Echo Sub will be available from November 14th.
Amazon also announced the second generation Echo Show along with Fire TV Recast, AmazonBasics Microwave with Alexa, Echo Wall Clock, Amazon Smart Plug and more. The second gen Echo Show comes with a massive 10-inch HD display, built-in smart home hub, and an upgraded speaker system that delivers powerful bass and stereo sound. The company is also integrating Hulu, and NBC making on-demand and live streaming possible.
Meizu announced the 16X, the company’s latest mid-range smartphone in China, after it got certified last month. It packs a 6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 90.62% screen-body ratio, is powered by Snapdragon 710 with 6GB of RAM and runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) with Flyme OS. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX380 sensor, 1.55μm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture along with a 20-megapixel secondary telephoto lens with Sony IMX350 sensor for portrait shots and 3x loss-less zoom and a 20-megapixel front facing camera with AI beauty recognition and Face unlock, similar to the Meizu 16. It packs a 3100mAh battery with mCharge flash charging.
The Meizu 16X comes in Black, White and Gold colors, is priced at 2098 yuan (US$ 206 / Rs. 22,285 approx.) for the 64GB storage version and the 128GB storage version costs 2398 yuan (US$ 349 / Rs. 25,470 approx.). It goes on sale from September 26 in China.
It also introduced the 8X with the same Snapdragon 710 SoC, however this packs a 6.2-inch Full HD+ 18.5:9 aspect ratio LCD screen with 89.6% aspect ratio, 1.7mm ultra narrow bezels on the sides and 4.8mm bottom bezels. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash along with a 5-megapixel secondary camera for portrait shots.
It has a 20-megapixel front camera with AI face unlock, glass back with fingerprint sensor, metal frame and packs a 3210mAh battery with support for mCharge fast charging. It comes in Black, Blue and White colors and will go on sale in China starting from October 15th from 1598 yuan (US$ 230 / Rs. 16,985 approx.).
It also announced V8 and V8 Pro smartphones in China, both with 5.7-inch HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio displays. Both these run Android Oreo. The V8 Pro is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P22 12nm SoC and have 12-megapixel rear camera along with a secondary 5-megapixel camera for portrait shots, while the V8 is powered by a quad-core Quad-Core MediaTek MT6739 SoC and 13-megapixel single rear camera. Both these have a fingerprint sensor on the back and have a metal design.
The Meizu V8 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at 799 yuan (US$ 116 / Rs. 8,460 approx.). The Meizu V8 Pro comes in Black and Gold colors and is priced at 1098 yuan (US$ 160 / Rs. 11,620 approx.). Both these will go on sale in China from September 26th.
Meizu also introduced the EP52 Lite earphones targeted at runners and outdoor users under the EP series as well as 10000mAh Power Bank 3 with two-way fast charging technology. The Meizu EP52 Lite earphones come in Blue, Gray and White colors and costs at 129 yuan (US$ 18.8 / Rs. 1,370 approx). The Meizu Power Bank 3 10,000mAh power bank comes in White and Black colors, costs 79 yuan (US$ 11.5 / Rs. 840 approx.).
Sony launched the BRAVIA A9F 4K HDR OLED TV series in 65″ and 55″ models in India. The MASTER Series model comes equipped with a newly developed, next-generation Picture Processor X1 Ultimate delivering high-quality picture. It intelligently detect and analyze each object in the picture through Sony’s new Object-based Super Resolution for exceptional accuracy and detail.
The Sony A9F BRAVIA OLED 55-inch and 65-inch OLED TVs are priced at Rs. 3,99,990 and Rs. 5,59,990, respectively and will be available across all retail stores.
iVOOMi launched iPro, the company’s latest budget smartphone with 4.95-inch FWVGA+ 18:9 aspect ratio shatterproof display. It is powered by a quad-core MediaTek SoC with 1GB of RAM, runs Android Oreo (Go Edition) but it still has Smart Me OS 3.0. It has a 5-megapixel front and rear cameras. It doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, but comes with face unlock.
It comes in Platinum Gold, Indie Blue, Matte Red colors and is available exclusively from Flipkart for Rs. 3,999.
Samsung announced the Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+smartphones with Infinity displays after the listing surfaced online. Both the smartphones have 6-inch HD+ Infinity displays, Quad-Core SoC, which could be Snapdragon 425 as rumored earlier, but the company says that the SoC differs depending on the region. These run Android 8.1 (Oreo) and pack a 3300mAh battery. The J6+ will feature a fingerprint sensor on the right frame as well as dual rear cameras, which the J4+ lacks.
The Samsung Galaxy J6+ comes in Gray, Black and Red colors and the Galaxy J4+ will comes in Black, Gold and Pink colors. We should know the price when the phones go official next week in India.
Samsung also announced the Galaxy A7 (SM-A750F), the company’s latest mid-range smartphone with has triple rear cameras. The main 24-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture, secondary 8-megapixel 120° Ultra Wide Lens for wide-angle photos and the third 5-megapixel camera to capture depth information for portrait shots.
It also has a 24-megapixel front camera with that automatically lets more light in by combining four pixels into one pixel in low light conditions. It has a 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen, is powered by a 2.2GHz Octa-Core processor, has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, supports Dolby Atmos and packs a 3300mAh battery.
It comes in Blue, Black, Gold and Pink colors, starts at €349 (US$ 407 / Rs. 29,385 approx.) and will roll out in select European and Asian markets starting from October.
Samsung launched Galaxy Watch at in India this week. It comes in 46mm version and 42mm options with 1.3-inch and 1.2-inch (360×360 pixels) Circular Super AMOLED Always On Display with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ protection and has rotating bezel. These run Tizen- Based Wearable Platform 4.0. It has 5ATM + IP68 ratings for water resistance, certified for military-level durability, comes with NFC and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) support for mobile payments using Samsung Pay, built-in speaker for activate voice messaging and music listening, and GPS.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm version silver with Matt Black Bezel costs Rs. 29,990 and the 42mm option in full body Midnight Black and Rose Gold colors is priced at Rs. 24,990.
Samsung India announced the launch of World’s first ‘LED for Home’ in India. It can also be called as the ‘Active LED’ which is the first-of-its-kind LED designed exclusively for Home and is expected to revolutionize the in-home entertainment space by providing intense visual experience to the consumers.
The series includes 110-inch FHD, 130-inch FHD, 220-inch UHD, and 260-inch UHD. The company claims that it has a lifespan of 100,000+ hours. The new ‘LED for Home’ series of home screens ranges from Rs. 1 crore to 3.5 crore depending on the size.
iVoomi’s sub-brand Innelo launched Innelo 1. It packs a 5.86-inch HD+ 19:9 aspect ratio 2.5D curved glass display with 80% screen-to-body ratio, is powered by MediaTek MT6737H processor with 2GB of RAM, runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) OS, has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera with face unlock, portrait and beauty modes.
It has a fingerprint sensor on the back, has dual 4G VoLTE support and packs a 3000mAh battery. It comes in Midnight Black, Platinum Gold, Pacific Blue and Persian Red colors, priced at Rs. 7,499 and is available exclusively from Amazon.in.
Xiaomi’s eco system company Huami introduced new products – Verge smartwatch, Health Band 1S and its first Huangshan No. 1 SoC for wearable devices. Both the smartwatch and smart band are water resistant, and have continuous heart rate monitoring. The band also comes with ECG sensor to gather ECG data to identify health risks. The smartwatch has NFC support for payments. The Amazfit Verge and Health Band 1S are priced at 799 yuan (US$ 116 / Rs. 8,430 approx.) and 699 yuan(US$ 101 / Rs. 7,370 approx.), respectively.
Fujifilm India launched the X-T3 camera in the X Series mirrorless camera range. The X-T3 features the new X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 image processing engine. It is a compact mirrorless camera that features newly-developed back-illuminated 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor.
The Fujifilm X-T3 body-only is priced at Rs. 1,17,999, while the 18-55mm lens kit is priced at Rs. 1,49,999, and the X-T3 battery grip is priced at Rs.25,999 and will be made available in Black and Silver color variants in the country.
Garmin India launched fēnix 5X Plus Multisport rugged watch targeted at athletes and outdoor adventurers. The fēnix 5X Plus is the first wearable device that has a wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor to track blood oxygen saturation awareness at higher altitudes, says the company. It is priced at Rs. 79,990 and available at web stores and select offline stores.
iFFALCON, smart TV brand from TCL introduced the world’s First 32-inch (32F2A), HD-ready, Google-certified Android TV with AI assistant in India. The iFFALCON 32F2A has Micro Dimming and white LED HD backlight features to enhance the colour gamut to provide more dynamic and vibrant contrast. It runs Android 8.0 (Oreo) with in-built Google Assistant to easily access entertainment, search for information, and control other connected devices across your home with voice. It also has Dolby audio, similar to the company’s 32-inch 32F2 model.
Saregama launched its new Carvaan premium variant and a notable addition is the companion app compatible iOS and Android, that allows users to choose the song they want to hear or create their own playlist on Carvaan’s premium variant. It also packs additional benefit such as AM Radio besides FM Radio, Aux-In port allowing one to plug in their portable music devices or laptops or mobile phones, in addition to Bluetooth playback. It is available in a Royal blue color and is price Rs.7390.
Portronics launched the ‘Bounce‘ Portable Bluetooth speaker with a powerful sound output. It packs 5W speaker that can play crisp, rich sound up to five hours on a single charge. The speaker comes with a smooth and strong silicon body. The new Portronics Bounce will be available in Black and Blue colors at Rs.1,299 from both online and offline stores.
Intex Technologies launched two new channel speakers XH Bomb SUFB (2.1 and 4.1). The company says that these new speakers pack interesting design, excellent sound quality with a strong base and punch. These are priced at Rs.4,450 and Rs.5,100, respectively.
iBall launched the Glitterati with glittering effects on both ear-cups. It connects to devices via Bluetooth and houses enhanced LED light effects on both its ear-cups rendering an eye-catching party look. The company claims that it can last up to 8 hours on a single charge. It is available at all leading retail stores, across India at Rs. 2,499.
Intex launched STAARi 11, the company’s latest budget smartphone with dual front cameras. It has an 8-megapixel front camera along with a secondary 2-megapixel camera for portrait selfies. It also has an 8-megapixel camera on the back. Both the cameras have LED flash. Other camera features include, Background Change, Night Shot, Face Beauty, and Burst Mode. It has a 5-inch HD 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by a 1.3 GHz Quad Core Processor with 2GB of RAM and a 2400mAh battery.
It comes in Champagne and Black colors, is priced at Rs. 4499 and is available exclusively on Snapdeal.