Reliance Jio has taken the lead in broadband connections in the Indian market with market share of 39.36 percent, according to TRAI data for the month of February. The telecom operator – which only provides 4G mobile service as of now – has 102.84 million broadband users. It is followed by Airtel with 46.69 million broadband connections (17.87 percent), Vodafone (32.06 million, 12.27 percent), Idea Cellular (24.31 million, 9.3 percent), and BSNL (20.81 million, 7.69 percent). TRAI defines broadband speeds as 512kbps or above, and includes both wired and mobile connections while compiling data for broadband Internet users in India.
WhatsApp beta for Android gets chat pinning feature
WhatsApp has introduced the option to pin chats in its latest Android beta, which keeps a certain conversation at the very top regardless of all your other interactions. The option is available with WhatsApp beta for Android v2.17.162/ 163, and you can access it by holding down on any chat, and then selecting Pin. The app allows a maximum of three conversations to be pinned, after which it throws up a message that says as much.
Moto C, Moto E4 Plus leaked once again
Two of Lenovo’s Moto-branded phones have had further leaks via two different sources, corroborating to their impending launch. First is the ultra-affordable Moto C-series, which has been spotted on Bluetooth SIG’s website, the body that oversees future development and handles licensing. In line with previous rumours, the phone will have a MediaTek chipset, and is set to be released soon.
The other is the Moto E4 Plus – a premium variant of the E4 – which has been seen in photos obtained by TechDroider. The phone’s back comes off, suggesting a removable battery to boot.
From what we know via earlier leaks, the Moto C-series will have a base model and a Plus model, differing in screen size (5-inch FWVGA vs unknown-size HD), battery (2,300mAh vs 4,000mAh), and rear camera (5-megapixel vs 8-megapixel). Both will run Android 7.0 ‘Nougat’, though.
The Moto E4 Plus, meanwhile, is expected to have 5.5-inch HD display, 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek chipset, 3GB memory, 16GB storage, a 13-megapixel rear sensor and a 5-megapixel front sensor, 5,000mAh battery, and have a price around EUR 190 (around Rs. 13,300).
New iPhone leak hints at vertical dual-camera setup, again
Multiple leaks in the past have hinted at a vertical dual-camera setup for the next iPhone, and a new one from Benjamin Geskin, first given to SlashLeaks, shows that very thing. From three images posted on his Twitter that reveal schematics and a mould, you can see how the rear cameras might pan out, along with the camera bump Apple has been unable to get rid of.
Samsung Galaxy S8 users face random restarts
Samsung has never been known for its software optimisations, and according to some American users, its new pair of flagship phones – Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8+ – are suffering from random restarts. People have complained on the company’s official forum and XDA Developers that their phones kept restarting on their own, even in safe mode. When they contacted Samsung, they were told to send it back and ask for a replacement.
Meanwhile, the phones are expected to begin shipping in India, with the first pre-orders going out May 1 from Samsung’s official store, and May 2 from Flipkart.
SanDisk launches expandable storage for iPhone and iPad
WD has launched its Lightning-based expandable storage for iOS devices in India, SanDisk iXpand Mini Flash Drive. Available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage capacities, exclusively via Flipkart, the new thumb-sized drive costs between Rs. 2,750 and Rs. 7,050. WD says you’ll get transfer speeds of 70Mbps, and has been redesigned to connect to your iPhone or iPad with a case on.
When you plug it in, the iXpand Mini launches its companion app – iXpand Drive – which apart from automatically backing up your camera roll, can also cast your photos and videos to a Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV.
App flaw left Android phones exposed, study suggests
According to a study performed at the University of Michigan, Android apps that opened Wi-Fi ports to connect to PCs were being lazy with security, leaving the devices exposed to hacking. Out of 1,632 apps that the researchers found to be opening ports, 410 apps had very weak to no security protection, and 57 apps specifically left ports completely open for hackers to tinker with.
The biggest offender by far was Wifi File Transfer, an app that has 10 million downloads. Popular file transfer service AirDroid was another culprit, though they immediately fixed the bug once the researchers informed them.
Uber revamps privacy settings look
Over the next few weeks, Uber will roll out a new privacy settings menu for its millions of users, which will be a dedicated section unlike before. It’s meant to give users easier control over their privacy, in the light of fears stroked by lengthy investigations into Uber’s practices, which includes better account deletion, granular control over notifications, and slightly altered location sharing options.
Fitbit says external forces to blame for exploring Flex 2
It never reflects nicely on a tech company when a product explodes, and that’s all the more troubling if you’re in the business of wearables. So, when a Flex 2 exploded on someone’s arm, Fitbit was quick to look into the matter. The company has now said that in collaboration with a third-party expert, they have deemed the Flex 2 didn’t malfunction, but that it was ‘external forces’ that contributed towards the incident. We still don’t know what those are, though.
New HTC U leak suggests performance on par with Galaxy S8
HTC’s new upcoming flagship, HTC U or HTC 11, which can be squeezed to perform certain actions, has leaked on benchmarking site GeekBench, revealing performance capabilities around Samsung’s latest and greatest – the Galaxy S8, and S8+. HTC’s phone – codenamed CBP – gave a score of 1912 in single-core tests, and 6137 in multi-core tests.
By comparison, the S8 was at 1916 and 6011, while the S8+ came in at 1929 and 6084. Quite close, which makes sense considering HTC U is expected to have the Snapdragon 835 chipset as well.
Ola lost Rs. 6 crores a day in 2015
In a filing with Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ola has posted a loss of Rs. 2,311 crores over the 2015-16 fiscal year, which comes to Rs. 6 crores every day. That’s almost three times the figure from 2014-15, around Rs. 796 crores. The main reason for the widening of losses was attributed by Ola to employee-related expenses, which rose from Rs. 85 crores to Rs. 461 crores.
John McAfee’s ‘hack-proof’ phone coming later this year
John McAfee, the man behind the antivirus, has unveiled the plans for what he claims to be the “most hack-proof phone”. Called McAfee Privacy Phone, and made by his security firm MGT, the phone will have physical switches to allow users to disconnect the battery, the antennas for Wi-Fi, the camera, Bluetooth and geolocation, and even the microphone. Those additions come at a cost, it seems, with the phone expected to cost $1,100 (around Rs. 70,700), more than most flagships. It’ll run on Android though, so good luck with being more secure than most other phones out there.
