Moto G5S Plus with dual cameras launches in India for just ₹15,999

Moto G5S Plus introduces a better imaging setup while debuting at the same price point as the G5 Plus.

Following the success of the Moto G5 Plus, Motorola is launching a special edition dubbed the Moto G5S Plus. The highlight of the phone is dual 13MP rear cameras — a standard shooter augmented by a monochrome lens — along with an 8MP front shooter with LED flash. The phone will go up for sale exclusively on Amazon India for ₹15,999, which is ₹1,000 less than the price of the G5 Plus when it debuted earlier this year.

Other specs of the Moto G5S Plus include a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, dual SIM card slots, 4G with VoLTE, water-resistant nano coating, and a 3000mAh battery with TurboPower charging.

Motorola is also launching a Moto G5S with a 5.2-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430, 4GB of RAM, 32GB storage, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera with LED flash, and a 3000mAh battery for ₹13,999. On the software front, both phones run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

As always, Motorola is incentivizing the launch of the Moto G5S Plus with several offers. Customers picking up the device will be eligible to receive 50GB of Jio data, Kindle promotion worth ₹300, and have the chance to pick up Motorola’s sports headphones worth ₹1,599 for just ₹499.

There are no-cost EMI options available as well, and Motorola is throwing in an additional ₹1,000 off if you’re exchanging your older Motorola device for the Moto G5S Plus. A caveat here is that the aforementioned deals are only valid for Moto G5S Plus purchases.

Both the Moto G5S and G5S Plus will go on sale later tonight, with the latter exclusively sold online via Amazon India. Motorola will also make the two phones available for purchase at its Moto Hubs retail stores, and the G5S will be sold at large format retailers across the country.

Motorola absolutely nailed it out of the park with the pricing of the Moto G5S Plus — the phone offers double the storage and twice as many cameras at the back as the G5 Plus, and is more affordable. The G5 Plus continues to be one of the best phones in the budget segment five months after its launch, and the G5S Plus will continue that trend for Motorola.

See at Amazon India

Google offering $20 credit to Project Fi customers affected by Hurricane Harvey

Google is providing additional relief to Project Fi customers affected by Hurricane Harvey.

As Hurricane Harvey wreaks havoc throughout southeastern Texas, carriers are doing their part to ensure that customers in affected areas are able to connect to their loved ones. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint have all announced that they will be waiving overages and fees for customers in the affected regions, and Google has now stated that it will issue a $20 service credit to Project Fi customers in areas impacted by the hurricane.

From the Project Fi sub-reddit:

We understand that many of you may have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Whether you’re searching for resources or reaching out to loved ones, we know it’s critical for you to stay connected.

For those of you whose indicated billing zip codes are part of impacted areas, we’ll be automatically applying a $20 service credit to your account over the next few days.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please know that our support teams stand ready to help and can be reached by dialing 611.

Hurricane Harvey is turning out to be one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent memory, and every little gesture helps in these difficult times, particularly when it comes to keeping families stay connected.

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HTC launches 6GB/128GB U11 in the UK

Pre-orders open today, shipping in September.

HTC has today opened up pre-orders for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage version of its high-end U11 handset in the UK. Previously only available in Asia, the new U11 also comes with dual-SIM functionality and will be available in all four color variants — black, blue, silver and red.

The full retail price is a hefty £699, and this new version of the U11 will only be available to order directly from HTC.com. HTC Club members get a 10%, making the price a slightly less eye-watering £629.10.

Pre-orders are now open, and HTC says the device itself will start shipping in “early September.”

Though it hasn’t received as much fanfare as many rivals, the HTC U11 still ranks among our top Android phones of 2017, thanks to speedy performance, lightweight software and an impressive camera. HTC no doubt will be hoping this new U11 can drum up a little more interest in the device as rivals like Apple, Samsung and LG prepare to launch new flagship phones.

See at HTC

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The Morning After: Tuesday, August 29th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to Tuesday. We’re swapping out trade shows and investigating the case of Japan’s broken internet.

Ten years in the game.Fitbit’s new Ionic smartwatch and Flyer wireless headphones

The first true smartwatch from Fitbit is here, along with a pair of wireless headphones built for working out. Cherlynn Low gave the $300 Ionic a try and found it surprisingly well-rounded. Building on the company’s years of experience with wearables, it has a surprisingly robust OS and battery that goes for days. Unfortunately, the Flyer wireless headphones didn’t have the same impression, failing to justify their relatively high $130 price.

Here’s what stood out at Europe’s biggest gameshow.The hits and misses of Gamescom 2017

Now that the show is over, our editors are ready to share what they liked (The Evil Within 2) and didn’t like (Xbox One X, Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time) at Gamescom.

Get smart.What to expect at IFA 2017

Gamescom ends and IFA begins. The big European electronics show kicks off in just a few days, so we’ll get you up to speed on what to expect. Phones, watches, speakers — they’re all getting smarter and more connected, and we’ll find out exactly how, in Berlin.

Oops?Google accidentally broke Japan’s internet

A mistake on Google’s end caused ISPs like Verizon to send traffic headed for Japan to its network instead. It was fixed within an hour, but on Friday afternoon nearly half the country experienced connection problems.

Take a peek at what might have been.NVIDIA Shield 2 prototype shows up in a Canadian pawn shop

A Redditor found the unreleased follow-up for NVIDIA’s Shield handheld in a strange place.

For collectors only.Nintendo launches special ‘Pokémon’ and ‘Fire Emblem’ bundles

Nintendo has just announced a special FE Warriors edition for the Switch and a Veteran Trainer’s dual pack that includes both new Pokémon games.

But wait, there’s more…

• Canon’s mirrorless M100 gets a big sensor upgrade
• The NYPD is already replacing its Windows phones — with iPhones
• Amazon sets up Echo sales stands at Whole Foods
• ‘Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle’ tempers insanity with charm
• Dell’s latest Inspiron PCs include the first 17-inch 2-in-1
• ‘Biliscreen’ app detects pancreatic cancer from the whites of your eyes

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

Ocado’s Alexa skill lets you call out your shopping list

With Amazon now a major player in the UK grocery market, supermarkets have been forced to adapt or risk losing some of that all important market share. Some have mimicked their rival by offering one-hour deliveries, while others have attempted to match the online retailer’s technological prowess. Already a pioneer of grocery-sorting robots and autonomous deliveries, Ocado has stepped things up a notch, today becoming the first UK supermarket to launch a dedicated Amazon Alexa skill.

As you’d expect, the Ocado skill focuses mainly on getting the right products in your basket. But be aware: it’s currently not capable of starting a new order, it can only add items to an existing one. A simple “Alexa, ask Ocado to add milk” will drop fresh dairy into your basket, while “Alexa, ask Ocado what’s in season” can deliver some much needed cooking inspiration. The app also provides the ability to edit orders, check whether a delivery on time and query what you’ve already added.

For Ocado, the Alexa skill is merely an extension of its existing apps, which are already available on iOS, watchOS and Android. While it might be the first to provide a dedicated Alexa offering, Tesco was the first to trial voice ordering on the Amazon Echo, thanks to its clever IFTTT recipes.

While you won’t be able to see what you’re ordering, the company says it’ll use its understanding of customer preferences and previous orders to ensure it suggests the most appropriate items — at least in theory.

Source: Ocado (Amazon UK)

An autonomous Ford Fusion will deliver Domino’s in Michigan

Domino’s has been experimenting with high-tech delivery methods for years, from UAVs to drones with wheels. This time, the pizza chain might send a self-driving Ford Fusion to deliver your food if you’re in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Domino’s has teamed up with the automaker to test people’s response to an autonomous delivery car. They’ll use one Fusion equipped with all the trappings of a self-driving vehicle, including Ford’s full suite of cameras, sensors, radar and LIDAR, to deliver pizza for the month-long test.

Despite the full equipment, a human engineer will be behind the wheel, since the test is all about observing customers’ reactions. He’ll be hidden behind tinted windows, though, and won’t be ringing anybody’s doorbell. Customers who agree to be part of the trial will get a text when their order arrives. They’ll then have to walk out, meet the car, punch in the last four digits of their phone number on a touchscreen display installed at the rear passenger-side window and take out the pizza from a warming oven inside.

The partners will be keeping an eye on whether customers are willing to meet the self-driving car at the curb or if they want it to park in their driveway. They’ll observe how long it takes for people to punch in their codes and to take out their pizza from the oven. Most importantly, the test will help them determine if people are inclined to touch the car’s pricey LIDAR system spinning atop the vehicle. Ford will tweak the self-driving Fusion based on the trial’s results — we’ll bet the LIDAR system will end up hidden inside a tough casing if customers can’t stop themselves from touching.

The trial is a perfect fit for the automaker’s vision for its self-driving vehicles. Like many other companies working on autonomous vehicles, Ford aims to develop a self-driving car with no steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedals. The automaker plans to use them for ride-sharing fleets, but it believes the vehicle has many other potential applications, including delivery. Sherif Marakby, Ford VP of autonomous and electric vehicles, said:

“It’s not just ride-sharing and ride-moving or people moving, but it’s also moving the goods. We develop the plan to go to market as we develop the tech. We work with partners (and) this is one example. There will be more in the future.”

Source: Ford Motor Company, The Detroit News, Bloomberg

Amazon Offers Price Cuts to Eligible Students for its Music Unlimited Service

Amazon cut the price of its Music Unlimited subscription service for U.S. students on Tuesday, matching a similar deal available for Apple Music (via TechCrunch).

For students who are non-Prime customers, Amazon Music Unlimited will now cost $4.99 per month, which is the same amount of money Apple charges students for its streaming service. For existing Prime Student members, however, Amazon is offering a six-month subscription option for just $6.

The student prices represent a decent discount for eligible students, given that Amazon usually prices its Music Unlimited service at $7.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 for non-Prime customers. The service includes a free 30-day trial and students can cancel at any time. Users must be enrolled at a degree-granting college or university to qualify.

In addition, Amazon is offering the same deal for U.K. students – although simply swapping out the dollar sign for a pound sign makes it a little less affordable.

Amazon is also touting the benefits of Alexa voice controls, which come included in the service for students. Users can ask Alexa to play music for studying, for example, or request that songs be played from a specific decade and only by a certain artist.

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MediaTek’s Helio P23 and Helio P30 are two new chips for mid-range smartphones

Why it matters to you

If you’re in the market for a budget smartphone, good news: MediaTek’s new chips could bring dual cameras and high-speed processing to cheaper phones.

If you used a budget smartphone in the last five years, chances are it packed a MediaTek chip. The firm shipped hundreds of millions of processors, modems, and wireless radios to device makers in the past year alone and it is adding two new chips to its arsenal: The Helio P23 and Helio P30.

The Helio P23 and P30 are what is known as SoCs — industry parlance for “systems on a chip.” They are packed to the brim with every component necessary to power a smartphone, like support for dual SIM cards and dual 4G LTE radios. But there is more to them than meets the eye.

The P23 and P30 are both octa-core processors built on 2.3GHz Arm Cortex-A53 cores and the Mali G71 MP2 GPU and they have MediaTek’s CorePilot technology onboard. CorePilot 4.0, the newest generation, monitors the chips’ temperatures to ensure a “high-performance” and “reliably consistent” user experience, according to MediaTek.

On the photography end of things, the P23 and P30 can power dual cameras up to 16 megapixels in resolution (13 megapixels in the P23’s case). And they ship with MediaTek’s Imagiq 2.0 technology suite, which helps minimize aliasing (the wavy lines on background patterns), reduce chromatic aberration (the fringes around the edges of photos), and eliminate grain and noise in pics and selfies.

Those are not the only photo-snapping tricks up the chips’ sleeves. A new dedicated camera control unit (CCU) boasts an “auto exposure convergence speed” that is up to twice as fast as the competition, and a vision processing unit (VPU) reduces the load on the phones’ GPU and CPU at a tenth of the power usage.

The P23 and P30 are no slouches when it comes to wireless, either. MediaTek claims the P23 is the first in the world with dual SIM, dual  4G VoLTE (voice over LTE) support, and both chips come with the latest generation of 4G LTE WorldMode modem, which supports speeds up to 300Mbps download and 150Mbps upload. Another feature, TAS 2.0, intelligently switches between antennas to optimize signal quality.

“Reaching the mid market means bringing people affordable devices that power and perform with the latest features, like dual cameras and 4G LTE connectivity,” TL Lee, general manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communication business unit, said in a statement. “In the rapidly growing arena of new premium mid-range devices, mobile technology innovators know that they need to stand out in a crowded field — P23 and P30 enable them to do that.”

The Helio P23 and P30 come to market later this year. The P30 will be available globally starting in the third quarter of 2017 and the P30 will launch first in China.

MediaTek’s Helio P23 and Helio P30 are two new chips for mid-range smartphones

Why it matters to you

If you’re in the market for a budget smartphone, good news: MediaTek’s new chips could bring dual cameras and high-speed processing to cheaper phones.

If you used a budget smartphone in the last five years, chances are it packed a MediaTek chip. The firm shipped hundreds of millions of processors, modems, and wireless radios to device makers in the past year alone and it is adding two new chips to its arsenal: The Helio P23 and Helio P30.

The Helio P23 and P30 are what is known as SoCs — industry parlance for “systems on a chip.” They are packed to the brim with every component necessary to power a smartphone, like support for dual SIM cards and dual 4G LTE radios. But there is more to them than meets the eye.

The P23 and P30 are both octa-core processors built on 2.3GHz Arm Cortex-A53 cores and the Mali G71 MP2 GPU and they have MediaTek’s CorePilot technology onboard. CorePilot 4.0, the newest generation, monitors the chips’ temperatures to ensure a “high-performance” and “reliably consistent” user experience, according to MediaTek.

On the photography end of things, the P23 and P30 can power dual cameras up to 16 megapixels in resolution (13 megapixels in the P23’s case). And they ship with MediaTek’s Imagiq 2.0 technology suite, which helps minimize aliasing (the wavy lines on background patterns), reduce chromatic aberration (the fringes around the edges of photos), and eliminate grain and noise in pics and selfies.

Those are not the only photo-snapping tricks up the chips’ sleeves. A new dedicated camera control unit (CCU) boasts an “auto exposure convergence speed” that is up to twice as fast as the competition, and a vision processing unit (VPU) reduces the load on the phones’ GPU and CPU at a tenth of the power usage.

The P23 and P30 are no slouches when it comes to wireless, either. MediaTek claims the P23 is the first in the world with dual SIM, dual  4G VoLTE (voice over LTE) support, and both chips come with the latest generation of 4G LTE WorldMode modem, which supports speeds up to 300Mbps download and 150Mbps upload. Another feature, TAS 2.0, intelligently switches between antennas to optimize signal quality.

“Reaching the mid market means bringing people affordable devices that power and perform with the latest features, like dual cameras and 4G LTE connectivity,” TL Lee, general manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communication business unit, said in a statement. “In the rapidly growing arena of new premium mid-range devices, mobile technology innovators know that they need to stand out in a crowded field — P23 and P30 enable them to do that.”

The Helio P23 and P30 come to market later this year. The P30 will be available globally starting in the third quarter of 2017 and the P30 will launch first in China.

Xiaomi’s $45 Mi Travel Backpack is the perfect gear bag

The Mi Travel Backpack will fit all your gear with ease.

Xiaomi has been aggressively branching out into lifestyle products, with the manufacturer making everything from smart home lighting to robot vacuums, rice cookers, and even a desk light (which looks really cool).

The common theme among all of Xiaomi’s products in this segment is affordability — the brand rose to fame by effectively undercutting entrenched vendors in the handset segment, and it is following the same strategy in the lifestyle category. The Yeelight, for instance, is an $18 bulb that offers the same set of features as Hue for half the cost, and you don’t even need a hub for the lights to work.

That’s the idea with the Mi Travel Backpack as well. The backpack retails for just $45, which is an absolute steal when you consider what’s on offer.

When looking for a new gear bag, I initially had my eye on the $199 Incase Icon, but it doesn’t deliver to India, and I wasn’t willing to wait. So I looked at products available in this part of the world and landed on Xiaomi’s Mi Travel Backpack, which has a similar design but retails for less than a fourth of the cost of the Incase Icon.

Like the Icon, Xiaomi’s backpack has a lot of compartments where you can slot your gear — 11 in total. The bag itself is lined with polyester, and the outer material is water-resistant. This being monsoon season where I live, I was able to test out Xiaomi’s claims of water resistance. In short, it works. I was out on the road for a few minutes while I was trying to get to my car in torrential rain, and the contents were safe. The backpack has dimensions of 12.8 x 7.09 x 17.52 inches, weighs 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilos) and can hold up to 66 pounds (30 kilos).

Let’s start at the front: the Mi Travel Backpack has a pocket at the front that’s ideal for storing gum, keys, or hand sanitizer (a must if you’re visiting India). Then there are two side pockets — the one on the left has extra lining and makes it a handy location for a power bank, and the right pocket can be used for storing a granola bar or two.

The main compartment has six pockets in total, giving you more than enough room to keep things organized. You get two pockets at the top for storing business cards, small notebooks, or cables. Then there’s a zippered pocket where you can store writing paraphernalia or accessories. There’s also a pocket at the bottom that can be used for chargers or additional cables. The main compartment itself has enough room for a camera and a few lenses. I was able to fit my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Sony MDR-1000X Bluetooth headphone along with its carrying case without any issues.

On the other side of the compartment you get two zippered pockets — the one at the top is lined with suede and is ideal for sunglasses, and the one on the bottom can be used for storing phones.

Round the back, the second compartment is large enough to accommodate a tablet and a 15-inch notebook. I was able to slot in my 13-inch MacBook Pro and a Galaxy Tab S3 with room to spare. And yes, it stands upright when you put it on the floor or on a flat surface.

Another thing I like about the Mi Travel Bag is that it doesn’t have any branding, save for a small Mi tag at the back. The shoulder straps are padded, as is the back. I’ve been using the Mi Travel Backpack for just over a month now, and it has served me very well, particularly when I’m traveling to product launches with a full loadout of gear. The only issue I have with the bag is that it doesn’t have a provision for a water bottle.

Finding a good gear bag isn’t easy, as there are tons of great options available across price segments. You can pick up a Samsonite backpack for as low as $30, and if you’re looking for something fancier, there are bags that easily run into several hundred dollars. Xiaomi’s offering finds a great middle ground — it’s still affordable at $45, but you get a product that’s far superior to anything available in this segment.

See at GearBest