Jio will start a new cashback offer for its Prime subscribers on Friday under which users who purchase recharges of Rs. 399 or more will get benefits worth up to Rs. 2,599. Gadgets 360 has learnt that the offer, which will continue till November 25, will provide with Rs. 400 cashback (eight vouchers of Rs. 50) on purchases made via MyJio app and the official website. Customers who pay using wallet apps will get cashbacks of up to Rs. 300 in the respective wallets too. Along with this, they will get Rs. 1,000 discount on Yatra.com on round trip flights, and Rs. 500 on one-way tickets, Rs. 399 off on Ajio.com (minimum purchase Rs. 1,500), and Rs. 500 discount on Reliancetrends.com (minimum transaction Rs. 1,999).
In other Jio news, the operator is apparently planning to launch a virtual reality (VR) app in 2018, according to Birmingham City University officials. The Head and Creative Director of Jio Studios have visited the university on how VR professionals are being trained, where the institute and the Reliance executives discussed “a number of opportunities for collaboration.”
Flipkart to launch Billion Capture+ smartphone on November 15
Flipkart-owned electronics brand Billion will release its first smartphone on November 15. To be called Billion Capture+, the smartphone will have dual cameras on the back for Bokeh effect. It will also have a ‘Super Night’ mode, fast charging, full-HD display, rounded edges, stock Android Nougat software, and will come with unlimited cloud storage, according to a Flipkart listing for the handset. The e-commerce major has tied up with 130 service centres across 125 cities for after-sale support, the page says.
Oppo F5 4GB RAM variant goes on sale in India
The 4GB RAM variant of Oppo F5 went on sale in India for the first time today. The handset, priced at Rs. 19,990, is exclusively available on Flipkart for now, and will hit offline retail outlets soon. The Oppo handset’s key features are the dual cameras in the front with AI integration, and 6-inch display with bezel-less design and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Android Nougat-based Oppo F5 smartphone is powered by the octa-core MediaTek MT6737 chipset, has 32GB storage, microSD card support up to 128GB, 16-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash, and 3200mAh battery.
OnePlus 5T will not support wireless charging, price leaked
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the OnePlus 5T will not support wireless charging, a feature that many flagship smartphones tout. He said the company decided to stick with the wired option as wireless charging pads currently allow a maximum of 15 watts of power, while its Dash Charge delivers power at 20 watts. Moreover, with wireless charging users must keep their handset on the charging pad for it to charge, which limits them from picking it up to play a game or make a call.
In other OnePlus 5T news, the price of the handset has been leaked, pegging it the same as that of the OnePlus 5. This comes from a report that claims to cite confidential documentation from telecom carrier O2 as the source.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s with iPhone X-like notch leaked
While the world derides the iPhone X’s notch, Xiaomi seems to be embracing the odd design choice, at least going by a new leak. A Weibo user has posted an image of the allegedly upcoming Mi MIX 2s smartphone, which shows Xiaomi’s third-generation bezel-less smartphone sporting a notch that will house the sensors, earpiece and front camera. This is the first leak related to the third Mi MIX smartphone, and does not detail what else can be expected from the handset.
Google Pixel 2 XL screen flash issue reported by users
Another day, another Pixel 2 XL issue. This time, some users have reported that the smartphone’s screen flashes when the handset is unlocked and locked; this happens with both the power button and the fingerprint sensor. One user wrote in the Pixel User Community forum that the screen flashes when the handset is unlocked, when the screen wakes up due to notifications, when the display dims, and when the phone locks. Google has not commented on the issue yet or issued a fix, but some users have commented that turning the Ambient Display off and on again fixes it.
Yet another issue reported by Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL users is the malfunctioning of the mic, which doesn’t pick up the voice while making calls or issuing voice commands. In this case, blowing on the mic fixed it.
Facebook rolls out Disaster Maps feature in India
Data from the Disaster Maps, a Facebook product to that collects de-identified user data in disaster affected areas, will now be available to India’s National Disaster Management Authority. Multiple types of maps will be provided to the government agency to assist in disaster aid, such as Location Density Maps, Movement Maps, and Safety Check Maps. The social media company says it hopes the data will help the agency prepare and respond in areas where natural disasters have struck.
Panasonic Eluga I5 budget smartphone launched in India
Panasonic has launched the Eluga I5 smartphone in India as a Facebook-exclusive, priced at Rs. 6,490 (MRP Rs. 8,990). The budget handset has a 5-inch HD screen, Android Nougat operating system, and octa-core MediaTek MT6737 chipset, and 2GB RAM. Eluga I5 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 5-megapixel front camera, 4G VoLTE support, 2500mAh battery, and microSD card support up to 128GB.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite AR game to be launched next year
Niantic Labs, the studio behind last year’s hit Pokemon Go augmented reality game, will bring J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world to the AR fold next year. Named Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the game will allow players to learn spells, discover and fight magical beasts. The studio is working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Portkey Games, WB Games’ San Francisco-based development team for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, scheduled to appear at some point in 2018 but with no concrete date yet.
Snapchat redesign may be released on December 4
Snapchat will be undergoing a design overhaul next month, with a focus to make the app “easier to use,” according to CEO Evan Spiegel. The redesign will reportedly be released on December 4, featuring a new camera interface, message threads to the left of the camera, and even a Facebook-like feed. However, the update may affect the company’s publishing partners.
China’s Tencent Holdings has taken a 12 percent stake in Snapchat’s parent company Snap Inc., a day after its stock price tanked 16 percent to $12.67 over poor user growth. Tencent said it may be able to help the ephemeral app improve ad sales and publish games on the platform.
