Mi A2 and A2 Lite Launched - Price, Specifications and Availability

After so many leaks, speculations, statements from the company, Mi has finally launched the Mi A2 and Mi A2 lite - the successor of the last year's Android One Mi A1. This happened even after the company went on to state officially that there is no device as Mi A2 on the cards. But none the less, the device is here finally.

Mi A2



Design
Mi A2 sports an all aluminum body with is curved. The 2.5D curved 5.99" display (with an aspect ratio of 18:9) on the phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and the thickness of the phone is just 7.3mm. There is no headphone jack on the device which is not surprising as the Mi 6X didn't have it too.

Camera
The camera on this generation is a major upgrade from the previous generation. The phone now sports AI Dual Rear Camera. The primary lens is a 12 MP Sony IMX486 sensor and the second lens is a 20MP Sony IMX376 sensor. Both the lens have a wide aperture of f/1.75. The primary lens has a pixel size of 1.25 �m and the second one has a 2 �m 4-in-1 Super-Pixel. This should give a really good low light performance and enhance the depth of field as well. The camera features AI Portrait Mode powered by Machine learning which helps you take better portrait shots even in low light.

The front camera is a 20 MP Sony IMX376 sensor with a 4500k selfie-light which will help capture great selfies at night. This sensor also uses 4-in-1 Super-pixel making the pixel size as large as 2�m. The front camera has the AI Portrait mode as well. It uses advanced algorithms to make the portrait shots even better. The camera has Auto HDR capabilities which give great shots.

Performance
Mi A2 is powered by the QualComm Snapdragon 660 SoC which uses the latest Kryo cores for amazing performance and thermal efficiency. The phone manages to get a good score of 139,208 on the AnTuTu benchmark. It is coupled with upto 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and upto 128GB of eMMC 5.1 in-built storage.
The device uses a 3000mAh battery to power the device and a Type - C connector to charge it.

Software
The phone under the Android One programme comes with Android 8.1 and will be amongst the first few devices to get the Android P officially. Google offers Unlimited storage in the Photos app and some additional features while still keeping the UI minimalistic. Google has also integrated the Google Lens right into the camera app of this phone.

Price and Availability
The device is available in Gold, Blue, and Black color. The phone starts at  �249 (~?20,000) for 4GB + 32GB variant, �279 (~?22,500) for the 4GB + 64GB variant and �349 (~28,000) for the 6GB + 128GB variant.

Mi A2 Lite

Design
The phone comes with an aluminum body design with a 5.84" display. The phone comes with a notch design bumping the aspect ratio to 19:9 giving you a little bit of more screen and less bezels. The antenna lines on this phone are not as immersive as on the A2. They can be seen clearly but still looks good and doesn't hinder the overall design.

Camera
Mi A2 Lite comes with a Dual (12MP + 5MP) rear camera. The primary lens comes with a pixel size of 1.25�m. The front camera on this one is a 5MP shooter but both cameras feature the AI Portrait mode to capture great portrait shots.

Performance
The phone comes with the same QualComm Snapdragon 625 SoC which is quite an old chipset but Xiaomi says it still offers great performance even in 2018 when compared to other chipsets of this range.
A2 Lite is powered by the Android One programme as well and comes with all the features that it includes such as Unlimited storage, Google lens, faster updates.

Battery
Mi A2 Lite sports a bigger 4000mAh battery which coupled with the efficiency of the Snapdragon 625 should give a great battery life. The phone comes with Dual Pyrolytic Graphite Sheets which helps keep the phone cooler up to 2�C.

Availability
The phone will be available in the same Gold, Blue, and Black Color. The prices starts at �179(~?14,500) for the 3GB + 32GB variant and �229 (?18,500) for the 4GB + 64GB variant. One thing to note is that the Mi A2 Lite will not be available in India.

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Quick Tips To Run PUBG Mobile Smoothly On Any Smartphone

PUBG Mobile has become really popular these days. The famous Battle Royale game was very famous among PC gamers but everyone cannot afford a high-end gaming PC or doesn't have the time. PUBG Corporation along with Tencent Games worked that out and brought the famous battle royal to the mobile on both, Android and iOS platforms. The game became very popular in just a few days and moreover, it is free to download, so it helped the corporation to garner more and more users.

Since the launch of the game, the developers of the game are working hard to bring new maps and features to the game and optimizing it for smooth gameplay. But if you have a budget device, then you might be facing some issues related to the smoothness of the gameplay. You must be wondering why isn't PUBG Mobile gameplay smooth on my phone. You might think that your phone has a hardware that is incapable of handling the game but that isn't true.

See the above picture for example. On the top-right corner, you can see the Frame Rate. I'm running PUBG Mobile on my Xiaomi Mi A1 device which has a good hardware and I'm able to play the game on such high fps. So I'm gonna tell you some tips with the help of which you can play PUBG Mobile smoothly on your device without lagging or heating problem.

1. Understand the Graphics Settings

In the Settings panel of your game, you will find an option to set your preferences for the Graphics and Frame Rate. There are a couple of options there. What most people do wrong is that they try to play on the highest "Graphics" and highest "Frame Rate" available for their device. This will force your SoC to run at its maximum capabilities and as a result, it will start to heat. After a couple of minutes due to thermal throttling, the processor will underclock itself to lower the heat which drops the performance and the game starts to lag. Don't do that.

For a smooth gameplay, you need a high frame rate and not the highest graphics. The graphics add to the detail of the picture but doesn't make it smooth. Choose the "Balanced" Graphics and "Extreme" Frame Rate (chances are that you will not be able to select Extreme or Ultra Frame Rate because the developers have blocked them. There is a workaround for that too). To prove that it works, take a look at the picture below.

As you can clearly see, the fps achieved on "Smooth and Extreme" combination is much higher than the "Balanced and Extreme" combination. Keep the graphics on lowest and the frame rate on highest (the highest your device can handle).

2. Clearing your Memory

Just before you run the game, clear your RAM and reboot your device so that the unwanted processes get killed which are not killed even if you clear your RAM. This will surely boost the performance by a considerable margin if not by a huge margin.

When there were apps running in the background, the average fps was 38fps and the CPU and RAM usage was high too. After the reboot, the average fps increased to 40fps. Also, the CPU and RAM were less loaded this time which will keep the temperature low.

3. Adjust Screen Brightness

Playing any game on maximum brightness or high brightness levels will heat up the screen and other internals as well. Keep your phone's brightness to 50% (or lower) as per the surroundings that you are playing in. This will prevent your device from heating up.

4. Remove The Case

If you have any back cases attached to your phone, remove them when you start gaming. These cases don't allow the heat to dissipate properly and as a result of which the phone takes longer to cool down and becomes very warm.

5. Unlocking Higher Frame Rate

If your phone is capable enough to run higher frame rate but the game doesn't allow you to go beyond Medium or High config, then you can use this method to do that. Please note that if your device has a very low-end SoC such as 425, 430 or others, then increasing the frame rate may not help since the Processor and GPU on these SoCs cannot handle very high graphics demanding processes.

You need an app called GFX Tool which will unlock the high frame rate and graphics for your phone. This app DOES NOT require root access. After you have installed the app from Play Store, configure the app as shown in the images below:

• Select the Game Version which you have installed.
• Go to FPS menu and Select 60 FPS.
• You can choose High graphics as well but I will not recommend that.
• Do not alter any other setting.
• Now click on Accept and it will launch the game.
• Once the game is opened, go to Settings and choose the Frame Rate.

You need to choose a Frame Rate which suits your device best. Play a game and see if its smooth enough and then change it as required.
Note: You need to update the App as well as the game whenever a new update is released and repeat this process.

If you are thinking that this can heat up your device, then check the screenshot attached below.

These are a few things that will surely help you enjoy PUBG Mobile on your device and ensure a smooth gameplay. If you have any doubts or queries, then let me know in the comments below.

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Asus Zenfone 5z Launched Starting ?29,999 - OnePlus Killer?

Earlier today, Asus unveiled it's latest flagship offering, the Asus Zenfone 5z. It is a direct competition to the segment king - OnePlus 6. Asus has launched quite a few phones in this price range in the past but they did not offer a great value for the price. But this time Asus seems to have nailed the flagship game. 

The Zenfone 5z comes with a metal and glass combination design. The glass is 2.5D curved protected by Corning Gorilla and has a glossy look which gives it a premium feel. The front is covered by the 6.2" Super IPS + LCD display with a FHD+ resolution and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The display can get as bright as up to 550 nits which should help you view the display in outdoor lighting conditions. 

The device is backed by the latest QualComm Snapdragon 845 and LPDDR4X RAM upto 8 GB and UFS 2.1 storage upto 256 GB. The phone also supports Micro SD cards (upto 2 TB) through the hybrid sim slot it offers. Asus has gone ahead and put in all flagship grade hardware so that the user gets the best possible experience. The phone runs ZenUI 5.0 built on top of Android Oreo 8.0.0

Zenfone 5z comes with a Dual 12MP + 8MP rear camera setup. The primary 12MP shooter comes with an aperture of f/1.8 with a pixel size of 1.4um which will help you capture in low light. The camera can shoot 4K videos at 60fps and is stabilized Optically (4 axis OIS) as well as electronically (EIS). The secondary 8MP camera is a 120 wide angle lens which can shoot upto 200% wider shots and amazing bokeh effect shots as well. The selfie shooter on this phone is an 8MP sensor which can shoot 1080p video and supports EIS too. The camera is backed by the QualComm AI Engine which can detect upto 16 different scenes and help improve the photo quality to a different level. 

The phone is powered by a 3300mAh non-removable battery which supports QualComm Quick Charge 3.0. The phone gets an AI charging feature which automatically adjusts the charging voltage based on when you require the phone to be fully charged which improves the battery life. It comes with a Type-C charging port and an 18W fast charger bundled in the box.

Asus has also worked hard in improving the audio experience on the phone. The in-call speaker doubles up as a normal speaker while playing music or watching videos which give a stereo sound audio experience. The bottom firing speaker is a 5-magnet speaker which will get louder when you're in high noise environments. The 3.5mm audio jack on this phone supports High-Res Audio and comes with Dolby and AptX sound improvements. Asus has also bundled a High-Res In-Ear earphones with the device.

The Asus Zenfone 5z is available in 3 variants - 6/64GB, 6/128GB and 8/256GB. The starting variant is priced at ?29,999 and goes upto ?36,999 for the top variant. The phone is exclusively available online via Flipkart starting 9th of July. The Zenfone 5z launch offers include ?3,000 off on ICICI Cards, Additional data for Jio customers, No Cost EMIs and Flipkart's Complete Protection Plan.

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OnePlus Maintenance Schedule With 3 Years of Software Support Announced

OnePlus has always been fast enough in providing latest updates for their phones. The OxygenOS is a great OS which is close to stock and still packs some really cool features. This helps them push the updates much faster. 

The OnePlus 3/3T was launched with Android Marshmallow and are running Android Oreo as of now. That's how good OnePlus has been with updates. Recently, OnePlus announced the Software Maintenance Schedule which is nothing less than a boon for the users.

According to this schedule, OnePlus has extended Software Support for all their devices starting OnePlus 3/3T and thereafter. Earlier, OnePlus used to provide full software support for up to 2 years which included bi-monthly security patches and Android Version upgrades, which means 2 major Android Version upgrades. Now, they have extended it even further. After the initial 2 years of launch, the device will get bi-monthly security patch updates for one more year. How cool!

What's even cooler is that the 2 years will be counted from the release date of the T variant. That means if you bought the OnePlus 6, then your device will get support for 3 years from the release date of OnePlus 6T. That's a few more extra months for the early birds out there.

This is a great move by OnePlus at a time when some manufacturers don't even provide proper security patch updates, they are providing 3 years of software support for all their devices standing true to their tagline of "Never Settle!".

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Stock ROM vs Custom ROM - The Battle of ROMs

There are two types of Android users out there - the one who use it as it is and the one who go out and mod every possible thing in their phone. Some people argue that modding isn't safe but that's a myth. Sticking to the stock ROM provided by the OEM doesn't do justice to the Android platform. So let's take a look at which one is better for you and why you should choose it.

INTERFACE

The interface is the first thing that you come across in any ROM in a device. While Stock Android ROMs provided by OEMs such as OnePlus, Nokia, Moto and Custom ROMs run on the stock interface, this isn't same with the skinned Android ROMs such as EMUI or MIUI. These ROMs are heavily skinned and have their own interface. It depends on user-to-user that what kind of interface they like or prefer. Although the stock Android interface is much cleaner and smooth, but it lacks some functionalities that the custom interfaces offer.

CUSTOMISATIONS

The stock Android refrains to a limited number of customisation options. There is not much you can customise on a phone which is running on stock Android OS. Whereas, the skinned OS offers a host of customisation options like Themes, Gestures, various usability shortcuts but due to these options, the updates often get delayed. On the other hand, the Custom ROMs pack a plethora of customisation options. You can change anything and everything that you see on your phone. A custom ROM like RR OS offers a ton of customisation options, so much so that you will get lost in the customisation menu.

UPDATES

This is an important aspect of any Android device. If your phone isn't running on the latest Android version or security patch, then you may miss out on some cool features provided by Google. For eg. The latest MIUI 10 will bring Android P like Volume controls, the Status bar on most of the Mi devices regardless of the Android Version they are running. That's a good thing surely but the API level will be the same, hence the features supported in those APIs won't be supported by the OS.

The devices running Stock Android such as Moto, Nokia (Android One) and other get faster updates than a device running skinned OS such as MIUI. But even then, these devices stop receiving updates after a year or 2 mostly and run on the old Android versions. Whereas, the custom ROMs support a large number of devices and older devices as well. The Android version on these devices is always the latest and even the security patch is updated monthly.

Let's take a few examples. Redmi Note 4, which was launched in January 2017, runs on MIUI 9.5 based on Android 7.1. Whereas, the Lineage OS build available for the same device is based on the latest Android 8.1. Another example is the Moto G4 Plus, which runs Stock Android. The device is running Android Nougat whereas the custom ROM build for the same device is based on Android Oreo 8.1.

TREBLE SUPPORT

Google introduced the Project Treble last year with the launch of Android Oreo. The phones launched with Android Oreo or later will support Project Treble, i.e., the updates will be much faster in those phones. Although the new phones do support Treble, the old ones don't. But there are custom ROM available for some devices which don't support Treble on the stock ROM but the custom ROMs can enable the support for those devices.

SECURITY

Many people think that modding their device will hinder the security of their phone. That's true to some extent but not completely. The custom ROMs run the latest security patches provided by the Google, which means they are much safer than a device running months old security patch on stock ROM. The only risk involved with custom ROMs is that you need to be familiar with the process. It is not everyone's cup of tea and hence one should be really careful, especially the first time.

VERDICT

Neither ROM is perfect for all. It comes down to personal preferences, some people want customisations, some want latest updates while some are happy even with whatever the device manufacturer has provided. But if you are willing to spend a little time and put in some efforts, then you should definitely try out a custom ROM. Once you use one, there's no going back. 

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How To Install MIUI 10 Global Beta On Redmi Note 5 Pro

Xiaomi unveiled the latest version of MIUI earlier this month along with the launch of the new Redmi Y2 smartphone. The new version of MIUI, i.e. MIUI 10 is a major upgrade over the previous MIUI 9. It gets some really cool features inspired by Android P, some native Android O features which were missing in MIUI 9 and really cool gestures. Currently, the MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM is released for only a few devices. If you have Mi Mix 2S or Redmi Note 5 Pro, then you can get your hands on the latest MIUI ROM and enjoy the features.

In this article, we're going to tell you how you can install MIUI 10 Global BETA on your Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Prerequisites: Unlocked Bootloader, TWRP Recovery installed (follow this procedure and don't flash Magisk), Beta ROM File, Backup your device.

Now let's begin.

1. Download and keep the zip file that you downloaded in the Internal storage of your phone. Backup your device to be on a safer side. (You can also use TWRP for backup.)

2. Now power off your device. Once it is off, press and hold the Vol Up + Power key to enter the Recovery mode.

The phone will boot into the TWRP recovery. You can take a Nandroid backup here (recommended)

3. Now go back to the main menu of TWRP. Choose Wipe - Advanced Wipe. Select Dalvik/ART Cache, Cache, Data and System from that menu and deselect any other (if chosen). Then choose the swipe to wipe option. 

This will wipe your current ROM, all the apps from your device.

4. Once done, return to the main menu. Now go to Install - Choose the zip file from the Internal storage and Swipe to Confirm Flash.

Now the new MIUI 10 ROM will get installed in your device. It may take 5-7 minutes for the process to complete.

5. Once the ROM flash successful message appears, choose "Wipe Dalvik/Cache" and then choose "Reboot System".

It will take a few minutes to boot your device. You will need to set up a few things before you can start using this ROM. Once done, you're good to go.

This ROM's version is MIUI 10 Global Beta 8.6.14 and is based on the Android Oreo 8.1. There are hardly any major bugs on the ROM. It is surprisingly very stable for this build. Everything works fine including the Camera and Portrait Mode. For detailed features of this ROM, stay tuned.

NOTE: ROM Flashing and such processes are risky. Please do it at your own risk and follow the steps carefully.

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5 Best MIUI 10 Features

At Xiaomi�s recent event, The company unveils the latest and the upgraded version of MIUI. Yes, I am talk about the MIUI 10 update, which revamped the UI and comes with some amazing new features. It has some amazing features same like the latest Android version, yes I am talking about Android P. So, the new MIUI 10 comes with similar features to the Android P. In this post, I will talk about 5 Best MIUI 10 Features.

Xiaomi also announced the launch dates for the MIUI 10 for different devices. We all can get the MIUI 10 update on our phones till the end of July. Also, on May 24th Xiaomi opens the Beta registrations for MIUI 10 update for all the users but it�s not available yet. 

Phones which Get the MIUI 10 Update

Mi 8, Mi Mix 2S/2, Mi Mix, Mi 6X/6, Mi 5, Mi Note 2, Redmi S2, and Redmi Note 5 smartphones will get the MIUI 10 China Developer ROM, from the 1st June. The public beta has been slated for late-June, with the same eligible devices. The Public beta will made available from end of the June for these devices, Mi Note 3, Mi 5X, Mi 5c, Mi 5s/5s Plus, Mi 4/4c, Mi 4S, Mi Max 2, Mi Max, Redmi 5/5A, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Redmi 4X, Redmi 3S/3X, Redmi Pro, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 4 Qualcomm/ Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 4 (MediaTek), and Redmi Note 3 (Qualcomm).

5 Best MIUI 10 Features

1. Gestures

Gestures are the new in thing in the smartphone world and Xiaomi also tries to put the gestures in their newer MIUI upgrade. Well, It is same as of the MIUI 9.5 update (which is not available in India yet). Also, these are very much similar to the iPhone 10. All the gestures are same, the Swipe Up gestures will show you the list of recent apps, Swipe left, will switch to the current opened app. You can also swipe from right side to go back in any action. You can also access multiple apps with help of these gestures. Though, It�s an beta version so the Gestures on MIUI 10 are very slow.

See Also | How to Unlock Bootloader in Mi A1
2. UI Changes
MIUI 10 also updates the number of changes in UI changes. At first, Xiaomi introduces a new MIUI 10 theme named as, Rhodium which has new wallpapers and icons. Though, we can customize the MIUI Themes by own, this is one of the best thing I loved in MIUI. Also, the Notifications UI and other shades are now changed it looks similar to the Android P. It looks very similar to that. The volume slider also comes to the right hand side. Lastly, MIUI 10 comes with fully changed recent apps screen. You can also tap and hold for dismiss the apps or lock it.

3. AI Features
MIUI 10 also has AI in the main course. AI preload helps MIUI 10 which helps the MIUI to take a deep look to the user experience and preload the most used apps. Also, the AI makes some differences in the camera and makes the pictures more cool with some amazing portrait bokeh shots, both for single lens and dual lens camera. Also, The MIUI 10 comes with built-int preloaded Virtual Assistant, Yes it comes with Xiaomi�s own Assistant. Not with default Google Assistant. But it will only talk in Chinese.

See Also | How to Take Screenshot on Mi A1 4. Improved Screen Recording
We all know MIUI has native screen recorder, but it has some bugs. But Xiaomi fix all these bugs and updates the older recorder. It also able to record the system sounds options in sound recording, which helps you to record audio from games. It�s a very handy feature for all of us when we are recording the screen.

5. New Features in MIUI Lab MIUI Lab is the place where Xiaomi tries out the experiment features on their devices. So, MIUI 10 comes with bunch of new experimental features. Taplus - which helps you to get more options when your are clicking to an image. Super Resolution - This works with help of AI and make your images more crispy. Car Mode - Yes, It comes with Car Mode but works only with Xiaomi�s Assistant.

Well, These are some major features available in MIUI 10 and which comes to your phone within upcoming weeks most probably in July. The most liked feature by me is, UI Changes, which one is your favorite. Let us know in the comment section.

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