Xiaomi Redmi Y1 with 16MP front camera unveiled in India for ₹8,999

The Redmi Y1 offers an outstanding selfie camera, and the rest of the hardware isn’t all that bad either.

For Xiaomi, the Redmi series is the moneymaker. The manufacturer has focused its attention on the budget segment over the last twelve months, rolling out one hit after another in the Redmi Note 4, Redmi 4A, and the Redmi 4. The Redmi Note 4 turned out to be the best-selling phone in the country this year, followed by the Redmi 4 and the Redmi 4A.

With its latest handset, Xiaomi is looking to keep that momentum going. The Redmi Y1 offers the same great value for money as its siblings, but the defining characteristic of the phone is a 16MP front camera with LED flash. The camera is touted to be one of the best in this segment, and Xiaomi is confident enough in the phone’s abilities that it is branching out the device into its own sub-brand in the Redmi series.

As for the naming convention, Xiaomi says the “Y” in Redmi Y denotes youth, with the phone aimed at a younger audience. The Redmi Y1 is identical to the Redmi Note 5A in a lot of areas, including the design. The phone certainly looks much more upmarket when seen next to the Redmi 4A and the Redmi 4, and is closer to the Redmi Note 4 in terms of the design aesthetic.

The device has a 5.5-inch 720p display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 435 chipset. Specs include 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB storage, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (you’re limited to 2.4GHz), IR blaster, and a 3080mAh battery. There’s also a dedicated slot for a microSD card along with two SIM card slots, so if you’re using two SIM cards and an SD card, you no longer have to choose.

• Xiaomi Redmi Y1 specs
• Xiaomi Redmi Y1 preview

The 16MP front camera on the Redmi Y1 comes with a “LED Selfie” light, which according to Xiaomi mimics natural lighting conditions in low-light scenarios to deliver great selfies.

The Redmi Y1 also has a lot going for it on the software front. The phone is the first to run the global version of MIUI 9 out of the box, and Xiaomi has rolled out a ton of new features.

The Redmi Y1 will be going up for sale starting November 8 for ₹8,999 for the 32GB variant, and ₹10,999 for the model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. Both devices will be exclusively sold online on Amazon, and Xiaomi will also offer them at Reliance Digital stores across the country.

What do you guys think of the device?

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 specs: 16MP front camera with LED flash and Snapdragon 435

The Redmi Y1 brings a great selfie camera to the budget segment.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is now official in India, and like the rest of Xiaomi’s offerings, you get great value for your money. The highlight of the phone is a 16MP front camera, which has an LED flash module that lets you take decent selfies in low-light scenarios.

The rest of the specs are in line with other Redmi devices in this segment: you get 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, along with a decent-sized 3080mAh battery. Xiaomi is also rolling out the global version of MIUI 9 with the device, and there are a lot of new features to look forward to on the software front as well. Here’s a detailed look at the specs on offer with the Redmi Y1:

The Redmi Y1 will be going up for sale in the country for ₹8,999, and ₹10,999 for the 4GB variant with 64GB storage. Interested in knowing more about the device? Read our preview:

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 preview: Another bestseller in the making

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 preview: Another bestseller in the making

Xiaomi is once again delivering incredible value with the Redmi Y1.

Xiaomi has launched six phones in India this year: the Redmi Note 4, the Redmi 4A, Redmi 4, Mi Max 2, the Android One-based Mi A1, and the bezel-less Mi Mix 2. Five out of those six devices are aimed at the sub-₹20,000 segment, and now the company is adding to its ranks with a new sub-brand in the Redmi series.

The Redmi Y1 is positioned between the Redmi 4 and the Redmi Note 4. While the design and specs on offer look similar to what we’ve seen from the manufacturer in recent times, the main differentiator with the phone is a 16MP front camera, which has a “Selfie LED” front-facing flash module.

The Redmi Y1 builds on the design of the Redmi Note 4. You still get the chrome accents at the back, but this time around, the line at the top cuts through the camera sensor and LED module. The gently curving sides and rounded edges make it easier to hold and use the phone one-handed, and the build quality is top-notch.

Up front, you get a 5.5-inch 720p display with sizeable bezels at the top and bottom. Xiaomi has switched to USB-C with the likes of the Mi Max 2, but the Redmi Y1 still relies on a microUSB port for charging. You do, however, get the IR blaster, a mainstay on most Xiaomi phones.

The Redmi Y1 comes with dual SIM card slots along with a dedicated slot for a microSD card. There’s also a 3.5mm jack located next to the IR blaster.

Other specs include a Snapdragon 435, 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, and a 3080mAh battery. The battery is conservative when you consider the fact that the Redmi 4 features a 4100mAh unit, but it should be more than enough to last a day on a full charge.

The Redmi Y1 marries decent hardware with a class-leading front camera.

The phone is the first in the country to run the global version of MIUI 9 out of the box, bringing with it a slew of under-the-hood changes that make the user interface feel significantly smoother. There’s also a Google Now-style dashboard that takes up the leftmost home screen, giving you easy access to frequently used apps, contacts, notes, and more.

I’ve been using the phone for just over two days now, and the front camera is certainly better than previous Redmi devices. The LED flash makes a lot of difference when taking selfies in low-light conditions. The flash automatically kicks in when it detects low levels of ambient light, and you can also toggle the LED manually.

The rear camera, meanwhile, is average. It takes a lot of time to dial in on a subject, particularly if you’re using HDR. It also takes a few seconds to save images to the gallery. With the Redmi Y1, it’s clear that the focus is on the front camera.

OPPO and Vivo have built up their brands by offering great selfie cameras, and Xiaomi is targeting that audience with the Redmi Y1. The only difference is that while OPPO and Vivo cater to the mid-range segment, Xiaomi is offering a similar experience for half the price.

It’s easy to see why Xiaomi is setting its sights on the sub-₹10,000 segment. A bulk of phone sales in India are budget devices, and by offering a variety of phones with differentiated features, Xiaomi is looking to reach a broad audience. If you want a phone with two-day battery life, the Redmi 4 is the obvious choice. For those on a tight budget, the Redmi 4A is the ideal device. The Redmi Y1 is now available for those looking for a great front camera.

One out of every four devices sold in India this year had a selfie-centric camera, so there’s a huge potential for a phone like the Redmi Y1. Furthermore, Xiaomi is getting serious about the offline sector, with 20% of the brand’s sales from the last quarter coming from retail stores.

And after relying on word-of-mouth advertising for much of its existence, Xiaomi is now aggressively marketing its devices in India. That includes bringing in Bollywood A-listers, setting up a retail distribution network, and launching Mi Home stores across the country. All of these add considerably to the overhead, so it’ll be interesting to see if Xiaomi can continue offering its devices at such affordable prices in the future.

For now, though, the Redmi Y1 is a great addition to the Redmi lineup. The phone will be available in the country for ₹8,999. There’s also a variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage that will be sold for ₹10,999.

The HTC U11 Life crams flagship features into a cheaper body

HTC’s U11 was proof that the company still has some fight left in it, and now it’s building new phones to pick up where the U11 left off earlier this year. The sweet new U11+ sadly isn’t coming to the US, but its smaller sibling, the $349 U11 Life, is set to land here this Friday. Now, HTC’s more modest devices have had a hard time finding their footing in America, but the surprisingly capable U11 Life just might help with that.

When it comes to looks, the U11 Life is exactly what you’d expect: a shrunken version of the original. That’s no small feat considering how much work HTC sank into getting these mirror-like, IP67 water resistant bodies just right. As a result, we’re left with a reasonably priced smartphone that feels more expensive than it is. Some of the changes HTC made in shrinking the phone may actually improve the U11 design, too. Instead of glass, the U11 Life’s back is covered in acrylic — hopefully that means it won’t crack as easily as the original U11 did.

Beyond that, there’s a perfectly serviceable 5.2-inch full HD LCD screen, and it’s flanked by the same big bezels that we saw on the U11. (If you were hoping HTC would cut back on the empty space around its screens, you’ll need to check out the new U11+.) Colors on the display are bright and viewing angles are good as well; it’s generally a good panel for the price.

Same goes for the phone’s performance — it uses a Snapdragon 630 chipset and 3GB of RAM to keep things running smoothly. Sure, you can throw the Life for a loop by playing some games with graphical settings cranked all the way, but so far it’s been adept at answering Slack messages, triaging emails and playing Digimon Links. I haven’t spent much time playing with either of the U11 Life’s 16-megapixel cameras, though, so stay tuned for more on those.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

All of the U11’s gimmicks are here as well. In addition to Google’s Assistant and the occasionally helpful Sense Companion, the U11 Life is one of the few phones that uses Alexa as a virtual concierge of sorts. You can launch it with a quick squeeze, too, since the U11 Life also has HTC’s Edge Sense. Once enabled, the phone’s pressure-sensitive sides can be used to launch apps and even perform specific actions inside of them. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s much, much more flexible than Google’s implementation in its new Pixels — there, you can only use it to fire up Google Assistant.

Oh, and the U11 Life comes with HTC’s uSonic earbuds, which adjust how audio sounds based on the shape of your ear and also draws power for its noise cancellation straight from the phone. It certainly helps that the Life also supports 24-bit high-res audio, a relative rarity for a device in this price range.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

Building a $349 mid-range phone as nice as this is a big point of pride for the company, whose spokespeople admit to me that devices like the One A9 were too expensive for what they were. Not every decision the company made sits right with me, though. While there’s a spot for a microSD card, it would’ve been nice to have more than 32GB of built-in storage. And here’s the really strange bit: Here in the States, we’ll get a version of the U11 Life running HTC’s familiar Sense interface on top of Android Nougat. Everywhere else, the U11 Life will run a clean version of Oreo as specified by Google’s Android One program. In other words, we’re sort of getting shafted on software.

HTC representatives say the decision was ultimately all about timing; the company couldn’t bake the Android One build into the US version of the U11 Life without delaying its launch, and I get the impression that HTC really wanted to get this thing out the door. There’s no official word on whether the phone will ever be available in the US with stock Android, but hey, one can hope.

We’re a little more curious about HTC’s next big thing — the U11+ doesn’t count — but the Life is an intriguing option for smartphone shoppers on a budget. It’s not quite a flagship, but it’s much closer than we had expected for the price.

Source: HTC

HTC’s U11+ is a more elegant reimagining of its predecessor

With the U11, HTC showed it hasn’t completely lost its mojo. A pair of great cameras, a playful and premium glass design and pressure-sensitive sides that enable new features proved the company still has what it takes to hang with the big boys. Understandably, HTC is keen to keep riding this wave and leveraging the U11 pedigree to put its phones into more people’s hands. That’s manifested itself in two new devices: The mid-range U11 Life and a sequel of sorts, the U11+. As with any “plus” handset, you’ve no doubt deduced what the main upgrade is already. Yep, it’s got a larger display, but as a whole, the increase in handset size is practically imperceptible. If anything, the U11+ is just more refined, and that, by design, makes room for a bigger screen. Perhaps, then, it’s what the U11 could’ve, or should’ve been.

Let’s get the most obvious change out of the way. The 5.5-inch, Quad HD display of the U11 has been usurped by a 6-inch Super LCD 6 number with a Quad HD+ resolution (2,880 x 1,440). That’s an 18:9 aspect ratio, if you were wondering, and HDR10 support will arrive via a software update before the end of the year. Only, listing out the specifications doesn’t tell the whole tale. With the bigger screen comes a notably slicker design.

The U11+ measures up at 158.5 x 74.9 x 8.5mm, or roughly 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches. That makes it slightly taller and thicker than the U11, and actually a bit narrower. It’s also a hair heavier at 188g (around 6.6 ounces) compared with the U11’s weight of 169g (just under 6 ounces). None of these differences mean much, though, as they feel nigh identical in-hand. So how has HTC achieved this and still managed to squeeze an extra 0.5 inches of display into the thing? By jumping on the bandwagon of most manufacturers — from Samsung to Apple to LG and more — and eliminating as much bezel as humanly possible.

To do this, HTC had to move the fingerprint sensor from the front of the U11 to the back of the U11+, freeing up that area to accommodate more display, and then shaving millimeters of bezel wherever viable. The result is a seriously slick-looking machine that stands proudly beside the flagship devices already rocking this trend. And that’s the main takeaway right there. Forget the bigger screen: The U11+ is primarily just a neater, prettier U11.

If there’s one trade-off, it’s that the U11+ only comes in the one color. A safe, deep black; no dynamic, light-catching blue or red options like the U11. The color’s officially called “Ceramic Black,” but this has nothing to do with actual ceramic. The black model still looks luxurious thanks to its “3D liquid glass” back — though this material has proven to be quite fragile (the rear of our U11 review unit cracked after receiving the most minor of knocks). Well, it looks great until you put your hands on it anyway, after which it’s more like a glass table that’s been attacked by a toddler’s greasy mitts that’ve just rifled through a bag of sticky sweets.

Truth be told there is a translucent, almost retro model that shows off the device’s NFC coil and a few other internal components. But contrary to rumor, this is a prototype that HTC may or may not decide to put into production at some point next year.

Aside from a fresh design, there are a handful of other improvements the U11+ brings, including a bigger batter capacity (3,930mAh, up from 3,000mAh on the U11). Some of this extra juice will be eliminated by the larger display, of course, so don’t go thinking you’ll get a ton of extra use out of the thing before it demands a recharge. With the U11+ being taller, the acoustics of the frame are different. HTC says this has led to a 30 percent increase in the max volume of the device’s BoomSound speakers, and the company chucked in a slightly better subwoofer for good measure, too.

Whereas the U11 boasted an IP67 dust- and water-resistant rating, the U11+ surpasses that with an IP68 certification. In simple terms, it’s slightly more resilient to water damage. The U11+ also ships with Android 8.0 Oreo (with a layer of HTC Sense paint on top and Bluetooth 5.0 support), which hasn’t reached the U11 yet. Being, in theory, a bigger handset, HTC has added some software features to improve the one-handed experience. You can swipe down anywhere on the home screen to bring down the notification drawer, for example, or give the pressure-sensitive sides a quick squeeze to bring up a special app launcher. This wheel is customizable and has tons of slots available for easy-to-reach app shortcuts, but neither of these features really eradicate the need to use both hands in the majority of scenarios.

It’s also worth noting that the “Edge Sense” sides of the U11 and U11+ have become much more useful since the former was launched. Squeezing them in different ways doesn’t just launch the front-facing camera or summon an assistant. It’s more a remappable button these days that offers bespoke functionality in a number of apps. You can use the gesture to zoom in on Google Maps, say, or turn the pages in the Kindle app, with more actions being added all the time.

Under the hood, the U11+ is almost carbon copy of the well-equipped U11. We’re talking a beefy octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and 128 gigs of expandable storage. This is the configuration the majority of Europe will receive, anyway, with a down-sized 4/64GB version coming to other markets. The U11’s excellent 12-megapixel primary camera has made the transition faithfully, and HTC says it’s actually a little better on the U11+ thanks to some fresh software optimization. The front-facing camera, on the other hand, has taken a hit.

Where the U11’s 16MP selfie-cam sits, the U11+ has an 8MP shooter, but still with a wide field of view. You gotta think something had to give in trimming the fat from the top bezel. Otherwise, you still have your choice between HTC’s Sense Companion, the Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, and a pair of USonic noise-cancelling USB-C earbuds included in the box.

If all this sounds pretty tempting, hold your horses. There are no plans as yet to bring the U11+ to the US, and in most markets the device will only be sold online by HTC, meaning you have to pay for the thing outright. And it’s not exactly cheap. Pre-orders of the new handset will start on November 20th, and in the UK it’ll cost £699 (nearly $927). That’s £100 more than the U11, and puts the U11+ in the same territory as the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8. Still, there are more than a few even pricier handsets out there, making the U11+ a seriously competitive option if you’re into the slick new look and other upgrades.

Xbox One X will support 1440p monitors

With less than a week to go until its release, more details are emerging about the Xbox One X. We’ve known all along that Microsoft’s all-powerful console would output at native 4K on a 4K TV or display. And, if a 1080p screen was connected it would supersample games — rendering them at a higher resolution before dropping them back down to 1080p. But, what about all the gamers with 1440p monitors? If you thought your display would end up with the same scaled-down image, you’re wrong. According to Xbox group program manager Kevin Gammill, the console will output to native 1440p on a supported monitor. So, you can stop fretting about the picture getting upscaled from 1080p.

I *knew* you were going to ask that, just ran out of space. On X, we will effectively output native over HDMI in this case at 1440p.

— Kevin Gammill (@CmdrDesslock) November 1, 2017

Since its unveiling in June, Microsoft has been dropping tidbits about its meaty gaming machine at regular intervals. Aside from all the games getting 4K upgrades, we’ve learned that (along with the Xbox One) the console packs tech that will be a boon for hard drive space. And, there was the fun discovery that a Master Chief is lurking within it. There’s also the chance that we’ll hear even more info (including news of actual exclusive titles) over the coming months.

Source: Kevin Gammill (Twitter)

Lenovo buys a controlling stake in Fujitsu’s PC business

Lenovo has posted the biggest quarterly rise in revenue since 2015, and it has marked the occasion with the revelation that it’s buying 51 percent of Fujitsu’s PC biz. Fujitsu spun out its laptop and desktop division two years ago to get rid of parts of the company that weren’t making money. Now, the Chinese PC-maker is snapping up over half that division for $157 million in cash. It will add between $22 million and $112 million based on performance until 2020 on top of that.

Lenovo likely saw buying the 51 percent stake as a chance to grow its own PC division. According to Bloomberg, Lenovo Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing is taking costs out of the company’s mobile business, which still hasn’t gone anywhere despite acquiring Motorola from Google in 2014. The Chinese tech titan is more known for its computers than its phones, after all. And even though PC shipments have grown by 17 percent from the past quarter, the market is still struggling in the era of smartphones.

Earlier this year, HP overtook the Beijing-based corporation to become the biggest PC maker in the world, thanks to its excellent performance in North America. Depending on how Lenovo plays its cards, this purchase could help it retake the throne it sat on for years.

Source: Reuters, Bloomberg, Lenovo

‘Descent’ revival is coming to PS4 and Xbox One

The classic zero-G shooter Descent may have been born on PC, but its revival won’t be limited to one platform. Descendent Studios has announced that Little Orbit is porting Descent: Underground to the PS4 and Xbox One. While it’s not certain what the console versions will bring to the table or when they’ll arrive, there are promises of an announcement at a “big” 2018 convention. As it stands, the platform expansion is really part of a larger alliance that’s giving Underground a lifeline.

To put it bluntly, Descendent has been struggling. It offereda a test version of Underground through Steam Early Access, but had to pull back after realizing that supporting the Early Access release meant gigantic delays — think 2 or 3 years. The studio was already stretching its budget (staff members have been going without pay), and that wasn’t going to be helped by extending the development time.

Little Orbit, however, has the resources to not only finish the game in a relatively timely manner, but flesh it out with console support, better graphics and other tweaks to provide that “AAA experience.” Although this won’t make you feel too much better if you’ve been waiting for Underground since the 2015 crowdfunding campaign, it beats the uncertainty that has been hovering over the title in recent months.

Via: Brutal Gamer

Source: Descendent Studios

Jellyfish-inspired e-skin glows when it’s in ‘pain’

Artificial skin stands to have a variety uses, with potential applications in everything from robots to prosthetics. And in recent years, researchers have been able to instill sensory perception, like touch and pressure, into artificial skin. However, while those sorts of senses will be incredibly important in engineered skin, they’ve so far been rather limited. For example, while current versions can be quite sensitive to light touch, they don’t fare so well with high pressures that could cause damage. So researchers at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China set out to fix that problem and they drew their inspiration from jellyfish.

The Atolla jellyfish can sense pressure in its surroundings and emits bright flashes of light when attacked. To mimic that and combine visual signals with pressure sensing, the researchers placed small silver wires within a stretchy material, which was able to produce electrical signals when light pressure was applied to it. In between two layers of that material, the researchers added an additional layer, which was embedded with phosphors — particles that can luminesce — that lit up when strong pressure was applied. As increasing amounts of pressure were applied to the layered electronic skin, the phosphors lit up more and more and overall the skin was able to register a much wider range of pressure than other versions have been able to achieve. In the image below, you can see the phosphors light up when a transparent “W”-shaped slab is pressed into the activated electronic skin.

The high pressures registered by the phosphors are around the levels that become painful to humans, meaning the luminescent material can play the role of pain sensors found in real human skin and create a visual representation of “pain.” Further, the full range of pressure that this skin can sense more closely matches what real human skin can feel. And as the researchers point out, this capability makes this particular electronic skin a promising potential component to human-machine interfaces and intelligent robots. The work was recently published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Image: American Chemical Society

Source: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Ford’s expands its $500 monthly car subscription car service to LA

The car subscription service Canvas is expanding from its founding city, San Francisco, down south to Los Angeles. It’s the first new area for the company, which was bought by Ford late last year.

We’re in TechCrunch this morning! Check it out. https://t.co/oxtD7pMGPk

— Canvas (@drivecanvas) November 1, 2017

Specifically, Canvas has expanded its delivery options to West Los Angeles in a small area from Santa Monica east to Culver City, according to its website. The subscription car company essentially offers super-lightweight leases: Users rent vehicles on a month-to-month basis with a single payment that includes maintenance, insurance and features like roadside assistance.

Canvas isn’t the only car subscription service, but at $400 to $500 per month to rent various Ford models, it’s much more affordable than similar monthly-rental options that Cadillac ($1500) and Porsche ($2000) have recently announced. Canvas claims that it has ‘hundreds’ of customers in the Bay, according to TechCrunch. Obviously, LA has more of a car culture than San Francisco, and could be fertile ground for the service. Regardless, Canvas is planning more California expansions.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Canvas