TecQ is The Quint’s weekly round-up of tech stories.
1. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Prices in India Start at Rs 67,900
Samsung has finally unveiled the much anticipated Galaxy Note 9 with a bunch of smart gizmos the company showcased at the event.
Kicking off the campaign was the South Korean tech giant’s boss DJ Koh who unveiled the Galaxy Note 9. Later in the evening it was followed by other new Samsung gadgets.
(Click here to know what else Samsung unveiled with the Note 9, and for more on Samsung’s flagship phone.)
2. Xiaomi Launched Its 2nd Android One Powered Phone Mi A2: Should You Upgrade?
Xiaomi, on 8 August launched the Mi A2, the second version of its Android One powered smartphone Mi A1. Although the Mi A1 was a decent smartphone that offered a stock Android experience, rather than the not-so-intuitive MIUI, it did not garner much attention in the market.
With the Mi A2, Xiaomi is looking for more buyers for its Android One devices.
Although not much has changed in terms of specifications, the Mi A2 comes with a few new features, improved camera and an all new design.
(Click here to find out how different the Mi A2 is from Xiaomi's first Android One device.)
3. Will LG’s Flagship G7+ ThinQ Beat Market Leader OnePlus 6?
LG is back in the smartphone market in India, with its latest G7+ ThinQ that’ll be available for Rs 39,990 from next week onwards.
It’s interesting to see that LG is pitting its high-end phone with other devices like the OnePlus 6 and Huawei Nova 3 in the sub Rs 40,000 bracket. LG phones have found the competition tough, but with the G7+ ThinQ, the South Korean giant could be looking to make amends.
(Click here to take a look at our first impressions of the phone.)
4. Fortnite is Here for Android: Initial Samsung Exclusive & All You Need to Know
Fortnite, the open-world online game that has taken the world by storm, has finally made it to the Android platform.
At Samsung's Unpacked event in New York on Thursday, Fortnite makers revealed the game's entry into the Android platform along with the unveiling of Samsung's flagship phone Galaxy Note 9, with an early exclusive access for Samsung users.
However, the exclusive is only for a few days and will end well before the launch of the Galaxy Note 9.
(Click here to know how you can play the game on your Android device.)
5. Microsoft Launches Surface Book 2 to Challenge MacBook Pro: Who Makes the Cut?
Apple finally has some company in the premium laptop segment in India with the Microsoft Surface Book 2 finally reaching our shores. The MacBook holds the laurel for being a high-end product that caters to niche consumers, and now we have the Surface Book 2 joining the ranks.
Both these products are priced in the mid-1 lakh bracket, which isn’t a hot-selling segment for buyers in India. But it’s fair to say that if people are willing to shell out over a lakh on the iPhone X, then surely laptops at such price points are likely to find buyers.
Which is why, we’ve decided to compare the two high-end products from Apple and Microsoft that are available in the market. So the question is, if you have a budget of over 1 lakh for a laptop, which of these should you buy?
(For help in making a better decision, click here.)
6. Here’s a Piece of the Google Pie or Rather Android 9
Google on Monday, finally gave out the name and official roll out of Android 9. Called Android Pie, the latest update of the Google OS works towards improved AI and better battery life to make your device more personalised.
Android 9 uses Artificial Intelligence to make the phone faster, smarter and adapt to usage. The AI integration learns how you use your phone so that services you don't use much don't drain your battery. The phone, running on Android Pie will also learn how you like to set your brightness and will automatically adjust it for you.
(To know more about the latest Android version, click here.)
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