smartphone Archives - Exhibit Tech

POCO F4 – Is the Legendary Series Back With a Bang?

POCO is back with its disruptive F series with an addition of POCO F4. Here I have a 6.67-inch F4 smartphone which comes under the category of budget smartphone, and I used this device for quite some time to have a say on it, so here we go.

On the front, you get a 120Hz Super AMOLED display with corning gorilla glass 5 protection. The colour contrast is lovely, and the image reproduction is impressive compared to other AMOLED display phones. Poco F4 has a glass back, and for the ports and buttons, you have speakers on both ends, a type-c charging port, a sim card tray and no headphone jack. Also, you get an IR blaster, which works as a universal remote.

Getting to the technical stuff, this one has a 12GB RAM plus 3 GB expandable, with a 256Gb storage space and runs on Android 12. Poco F4 packs a Snapdragon 870 octa-core processor, so it’s quite good for heavy gaming. I played BGMI on this, and I have no complaints at all. It runs without lags and gives minimum heating issues. You can play BGMI at the highest setting, i.e. HDR with extreme frame rates. This is one of the best phones for gaming at this price range, hands down.

The camera has a triple camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor and a 20Mp front camera. You can record 4K videos at 60fps, which is quite incredible. The camera setup is very similar to Redmi Note 11T pro plus, which was launched in China.

The battery of the Poco F4 is a bit average at 4500mAh, but the 67W fast charging makes up for it. The battery will last long for a day with a single charge if you’re using it for calling and social media.

Overall, F4 is a performance-oriented smartphone that does not disappoint. It will be priced below 30,000. Games are good, the camera is good, performance is good. For a detailed review, you have to read our magazine. Yes, please switch to Exhibit Magazine and know tech closely.

First Impressions – OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G & OnePlus Nord Buds

One should learn marketing and advertising techniques from the guys who work at OnePlus. The company has launched 3-smartphones in a span of 4-weeks, which justifies its slogan “Never Settle”. On 28th April, OnePlus India launched a premium smartphone – OnePlus 10 R 5G, a mid-range smartphone – OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite and budget earbuds – OnePlus Nord Buds.

The Status Quo

The Nord Duo of OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite and OnePlus Nord Buds is budget-friendly and work best when clubbed together. The price of the smartphone starts from ₹19,999, while the earbuds are currently priced at ₹2,799. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite appears classy, but once you dive deep, it shows the real mid-range colours, while the earbuds are pretty adequate for the price point.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite is available in two colours – blue tide and black dusk. The blue tide colour looks classy, while the black dusk colour seems somewhat dank and ordinary. The IP55 dust and water resistance earbuds look dapper and offer ultra-fast charging (10 minutes for 5-hours). They are available in two colours: white marble and black slate.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

The OnePlus Nord 2 CE 2 Lite boasts a 6.59” IPS LCD display and is loaded with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 5,000 mAh battery, 3.5 mm headphone jack, 64-megapixel primary sensor, and 33W fast charging. The watered-down version of the OnePlus Nord 2 CE runs on the Android 12 Operating System with custom OxygenOS 12.1 skin and is a value-for-money deal.

The plastic-made OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite is the first smartphone from the house of OnePlus, which features a 120Hz IPS screen and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which also functions as a power button. The display of the Nord CE 2 Lite offers a lot of screen space, thanks to the thin bezels. The display also has superb colour reproduction, one of the top necessary things for gamers and binge-lovers.

The OnePlus Nord 2 CE Lite is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset paired with Adreno 619 graphics unit and is available in two RAM options, 6GB and 8GB. The smartphone is power-packed with a mammoth 5000mAh battery which comes with a 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging. The Nord 2 CE Lite is excellent for gaming and runs well for a long period without any hiccup.

OnePlus Nord Buds

The OnePlus Nord Buds are well-built, value for money and probably one of the best budget earbuds in the current market. They offer about 7-hours of listening once charged fully and have AI Noise reduction, which helps you have better calls. The Nord buds have a gigantic pair of audio drivers and a smooth equalizer to make you dance.

The earbuds feature a big 12.4 mm Titanium Audio Driver and Dolby Atmos support for deeper bass and crisp sound. The lightweight earbuds are pretty suitable for outdoors as they have a tight grip and hold. The serenade composition mode offers one of the best vocals, and the ergonomic design makes sure to offer all the comfort you want.

A progressive journey from phones to smartphones is on a turbocharger !

With the world finally picking up the pace postpandemic, a lot of hustle-bustle has begun. We started travelling full-fledged and tried to pack in
as much as we had missed it during the lockdown. Though our travelling never stopped with automobiles & Topgear required us to be on roads all the time. We are in full swing to host the Exhibit Tech Awards next month, and with a lot of things happening simultaneously, we managed to catch hold on a lot of stuff that you will encounter in this issue. With segmenting the categories to finalizing the jury panel, this issue will give you a sneak peek into all the nomination categories. Don’t forget to vote for your favourite gadgets while you can at www. exhibit.tech/awards21.

This issue majorly talks about the history & evolution in various tech domains. Be it phones, gaming consoles, in-car infotainment systems, we have tried to cater for a number of topics for you to indulge into. On the automotive front, we got our hands on the future of electric mobility in India. We drove the all-new Audi E-Tron GT, and god !, it was an exhilarating experience. We were pretty sure that if the future looks like this, we are in good hands. The all-new Maruti Suzuki Celerio took us around the city of Udaipur, with much contentment and confidence of its own. It is with the time that we will see if it actually delivers the claimed fuel economy in real-world driving.

The Swedish automakers are not falling behind either. With the Volvo XC60 making its entry with a facelift that saved it from mid-life crises, is here to take on the likes of its German competitors. It is a sharp looker, and with all the added tech and driving aids, we are sure it is one of the safest cars to be driving around in.

And we had some crazy boy moments while rocketing the Mercedes Benz AMG GLE 63 S coupe at Asia’s longest high-speed test track NATRAX. It is (A)ggressive, (M)ean and (G)olliath and has got every character an AMG must-have.

The lines between technology and automobiles have been fast blurring and a progressive journey from phones to smartphones has been on the rise. Crypto is forever exciting and remains volatile, one significant news from anywhere can create havoc in all crypto exchanges. On that
note, we have rounded up crypto exchanges and all their founders – meet them on the following pages. And to sign off we got Bollywood playback sensation Armaan Malik who could have also been a successful actor owing to his chiselled looks makes his debut with us for our cover story with the realme GT Neo 2. It’s an exciting issue and definitely an exciting month next one which marks our 16th anniversary. Stay tuned and stay safe.

How to Find Your Lost Android Smartphone & Wipe Data Remotely?

We often lose our phones within our homes/offices and forget where we kept them exactly, but in such situations, we have an option to make a call and track down our phones. However, when we misplace phones at unknown places or when our phones get stolen, during such instances, we can not track down our lost phone that easily, and we will surely need more help to get back our lost phone.

Previously, people used to file a police complaint and used to wait for days, sometimes weeks, even months, to get back their lost phones, and in a large number of cases, in the end, all they got was frustration and lifelong disappointment. Fortunately, in the past few years, we have entered a more secure tech world, and we can now easily track down and locate our lost phones, lock them, and even wipe all data remotely.

Life without a smartphone is unimaginable, and life with a lost smartphone is almost a tragedy as it contains so much personal data, login credentials and other vital details. In this article, we are going to guide you on how to find your lost Android smartphone and wipe data remotely, but the following steps only work if you have enabled or turned on a few necessary features/options before losing your Android smartphone.

Step 1: Head to android.com/find or head over to Google’s Find My Device website on a separate phone or a laptop and sign in to your Google account with proper login credentials.

Step 2: Once logged in, the website will search for your last used device linked to the account. The page will show you details regarding battery life and the last online status.

Step 3: Click on the refresh button on the right side of the lost phone image, and the page will send a notification to your lost smartphone.

Step 4: As soon as the phone receives a notification, you will be able to see its last known location (approximate), if available.

Step 5: If the shown location is nearby, you can go to the given location and select the Play Sound option to make your phone ring for continuous five minutes. The phone will ring non-stop even if it is set on silent.

Step 6: If the shown location is unknown to you, please try to get help from law enforcement instead of risking visiting by yourself.

Step 7: If you wish to lock the screen, select the Secure Device feature, which will let you lock the device, and sign out of your Google account. The feature will also show a message and your phone number on the lock screen for the finder to get in touch with you.

Step 8: After trying two of these options, if you’re still not sure of getting your smartphone back, then tap on the Erase Device option, located under the device name and details. The option will erase all your data permanently, and after wiping data, the Find My Device feature will stop working for the device.

Apple’s Tool to Tackle Child Sex Abuse Cases

Coincidences matter. Coincidences do occur. And, some coincidences happened recently. Just a few days before, the Cabinet decided to extend the timeline of POCSO fast track courts. And, now Apple has decided to bring more compliance in child sex abuse regulation. Child sex abuse is one of the burning topics which has increased in current times. Just file an RTI application from the Ministry of Women & Child Development or check the National Criminal Records Bureau portal to know how many child sex abuse cases get registered in a year. Figures are disturbing. But, with this update, Apple is displaying its firm intent to mitigate such instances. Let’s know more about this news in detail from this Exhibit blog.

Apple’s Tool for Child Sex Abuse

A report is out where there is information available that Apple is working to develop a tool that can scan child sex abuse images. This report thoroughly talks about how Apple is working towards child safety and other measures that can reduce the frequency in such cases. Apple will bring this tool with its flagship OS-based products, including iOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. Apple has also announced that they are enhancing the utility of their default message application to tackle this issue.

How will this tool work?

If it’s about the Message app, the essential element that will help to scan such incidents through rich libraries is NLP (Natural Language Processing). Whenever any message comes, it will try to detect keywords like ‘child,’ ‘sex,’ or something quite relevant to this domain and understand what the sender or receiver tries to express. Once understood, it will send the notification for the same to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a regulatory agency in the USA. This apple tool will also scan images and comparing same with the large data set on child sex abuse. If your child thinks about seeing sensitive images, this tool has the power to send notifications to you.

Potential of Apple’s Tool

The new Apple tool has immense potential to reduce child sex instances to a greater extent. Apple should think about collaborating with other social media messaging apps to read messages or request those app-based companies to send a red alert by using the tool without storing it somewhere (hence, it will keep privacy intact). Even in India, both MoWCD and MHA should talk about this tool that can help their law enforcement agencies catch culprits.

Final Word

Apple has taken a giant step to bring betterment to society. It will be great to see other smartphone makers take the same type of measures by building such tools to make humanity feel safer, especially for your kids.

Oppo Will Release Smartphones with Under-Screen Camera

COVID-19 has added several terminologies. One of them was ‘new normal.’ Adopting the new norms of life has become a core issue when it comes to getting back to what you were living before a virus came to disturb human existence. This new normal has brought several changes. Even technology witnessed some mutation, forget about mutants that are creating a catastrophe. And, currently, some technical advancement has given space to this new normal. Under-Screen Camera is becoming the new normal of cellular technology. Oppo is coming up with its new generation cameras with its next series of smartphones. For a tech geek like, here we are at Exhibit, appearing again to unmask the facets of this latest update.

Techie Masala

As per Oppo, this new development will create that perfect balance that smartphone users like you always demand between camera image quality and consistent screen quality. When Oppo came out with this announcement, they also shared a prototype for the same to ensure some people can feel it properly. Oppo was working on this for the past few times to devise a solution by removing the notch and hole punch in the selfie camera. Under-screen cameras somewhere are like a solution when it comes to reducing the weight and realizing a dust-free camera capture experience. Hence, Oppo coming on this front will surely give a push to a new set of competition. ZTE already has opened gates for this domain.

Pros and Cons of Under-Screen Camera Technology

There is an assurance that the lens gets inserted into the smartphone’s body with under-screen camera technology. Hence, the screen-to-body ratio will increase for you, giving you a better visibility experience. This lens getting inside also reduces the probability of wear and tear of the motor (for smartphones that have a pop-up camera design). Thus, you add the durability quotient with this feature. But, this comes with a cost. And, that cost is the cost of the smartphone itself. Yeah, such technology gives space to the new design on which the smartphone industry has to work. Body design will change as chips, and other electronics parts will have complete integration. The question can also arise on the image quality front. It is because, with such technology, the camera converts analog signals into digital. Hence, there can be some sort of detailing loss.

Final Word

Look, I can understand that you are feeling like getting into awestruck mode. But, you need to know that USC technology can give you a hit on the cost and quality domain. So, it’s better to allow Oppo to come up with accurate configurations and information with the smartphones in which they are bringing it.

Android Smartphone Data Recovery Using DroidKit

Imagine you are using your smartphone. And, suddenly, there comes a technical snub due to which you lose all your contacts and data. What will be your first reaction? Well, there’s no way to blame Thomas Gabriel as that was a fictional character in Die Hard 4 (Live Free or Die Hard). So, before taking out your list of curses and slang languages, all you need is some resilient solutions or a way out through which you can restore and recover the lost data. A person claiming all these statements can get a tag of being insane from you, but hey, wait! It’s possible. If it’s Android Smartphone, you can stretch your legs and get back into your peace mode without taking any antidepressants pills. This Exhibit article is all about Android smartphone data recovery using iMobie’s DroidKit.

Don’t let the serotonin in your body go down. Just download the DroidKit application and regain your lost data.

How can iMobie DroidKit recover lost data?

DroidKit is the last resort or automated external defibrillator for Android smartphone users that can even bring dead phones to life. DroidKit is a software application that scans your device and virtually connects to your smartphone. When it comes to data recovery, DroidKit has a solution named the Quick Recovery technique. Next, it tries to assess what could be the important data that you want to retrieve. Through this, there’s an assurance that you can get back 13 types of data. These data can be in the form of WhatsApp chat, pictures, phone contacts, messages, and many others.

Step-by-Step Guide for Android Smartphone Data Recovery

Through your PC, launch a web browser.
On the address bar, click on the link – https://www.imobie.com/droidkit/.
Select the Free Download option to download the DroidKit setup.
Once downloaded, run the setup file for installation (ensure that an application icon gets created on the Desktop).
After the installation gets completed, double-click on the DroidKit icon to start the application.
Connect your Android smartphone using a USB cable.
After DroidKit finds your data, go to the menu section present on the left side of the application and select the option “Recover Lost Data” or “Extract Needed Data.”
Give permissions that DroidKit asks for and let it make a recovery for you.

Benefits

The best part about iMobie’s DroidKit Android tool is that it does it in an organized manner when it starts extracting lost data. Hence, you don’t need to go for any kind of arrangement or ordered formation as it eases the entire process. DroidKit can help you retrieve data from crashed phones and SD cards that got formatted due to any mistake. So, if you just met an accident with your smartphone completely in a tarnished stage, don’t panic. Apart from this, DroidKit lets you have a deep recovery mode. This methodology is based on NO-DATA-LOSS technology, where there is a high success probability to regain lost data. So, next time if you want to go for Android smartphone data recovery, all you need is DroidKit.

Flemish Scrollers Tracks Parliamentarians’ Smartphones Usage

Frank Underwood always used to have files on politicians on his Mac. But what if he gets to know that someone is tracking him. Well, one cannot change the storyline of “House of Cards,” but the way artificial intelligence is expanding its horizon, politicians do need to be scared. An AI model has come to the floor that can assess how anyone (especially politicians) is using their smartphones in the middle of the sessions. If you think you want privacy in the public domain, think again. Because AI can bamboozle your privacy for sure. So, next time be aware and vigilant in the meetings like the one who presides and convenes them can provide remarks for the same. This Exhibit article will satisfy the geek in you and let you know what artificial intelligence tool Flemish Scrollers is all about.

Artificial Intelligence Tool Flemish Scrollers

Italy may have broken many Belgian hearts in the Euro 2020, but Belgians never stop producing something that can be worth it. Flemish Scrollers is an artificial intelligence tool developed by a Belgian Developer, Dries Depoorter. This technique checks how much time a politician gets distracted by their small but most usable gadget – smartphone. The language used to make this methodology is Python. The tool, when it came live, has started to attract many eyes. The news about the same came out through Twitter, where it showcased a video of one of their parliamentarians, Bart Somers, thought to use in the middle of the session.

How does this tool work?

A nerd Python developer might have understood how things are going on. But if you don’t even know the ‘P’ of Python, here’s a chance for you to have a nag for technology and understand in the most layman manner. Basically, Senaat (Belgian Parliament) goes live on YouTube. Now, the Flemish Scrollers (a Python application) has inducted a YouTube API code. Through this code it tries to assess the live video feeds through small buffers. During this, this tool tries to track face recognition and hand movements. After training the tool for a long time, this AI model has learned what is in the hands of legislators. The amount of time of the video feed in which the legislators’ hands on their smartphones gets collected. Once evaluated, it can provide the time in percentage about the person who was using their smartphone.

The potential of Flemish Scrollers

In a nutshell, Depoorter’s new artificial intelligence tool, Flemish Scrollers, can become the new norm of working culture soon in the future. Gone were the days when people came out on the roads to ask for rights, among which one was privacy. Little Tommy has to understand that privacy will not be in their hands if this AI tool can enhance its scalability. Many businesses can induct this tool in their ERP and CRM applications to track their workers’ performance. Even during the meetings, this tool will help you to know who is showing that top-notch awareness. Hence, it will be too early to predict what Flemish Scrollers can achieve.

A “Noteworthy” smartphone: The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra reviewed

I have used the Note 10+ and have really loved it until it slipped my hands and the screen developed a crack. This happened twice and the second time with the plastic cover on and both the times a bullet went through my heart. Before we continue, the biggest complaint I had with the Note series had been its delicateness, and since the form factor is bigger than the average making it rests in your palms more than your pocket. Naturally, when I unboxed the Note 20 Ultra the first thing I noticed was the camera bump and the super-premium feels that it gives you top-notch material almost like a Swarovski crystal showpiece. It’s carved to perfection but comes with its share of flaws and its more of a gadget than a smartphone because it is a lot more than just a smartphone.

The Samsung Note 20 Ultra is the most expensive conventional phone that was launched at the galaxy unpacked event. It gets all the bells and whistles that Samsung has to offer, minus a foldable screen. Because a foldable screen this big would mean bent phones everywhere!

The large size is decently complemented by the curved sides otherwise handling the phone would require a bodyguard 24/7. Naturally, It is difficult to fit into your pockets, although its premium feel would make you hold it in your hands and that is a different story. At 208g, the weight is also slightly on the heavier side, though it did not bother me much. I liked the 8.1mm thickness of the phone but the massive camera bump, which also sticks out another 2mm will get some time to get used to. This also prevents from keeping the phone perfectly flat with the screen up and also makes it top-heavy, surprisingly the bump does not come in your way of typing it while placing it on your desk, I was assuming it will wobble but that’s where Samsung engineering kicks in.

The camera bump is not only for size but also comes with a beefed up 108MP primary camera that it has borrowed from the Galaxy S20 Ultra. It offers an amazingly vivid colour spectrum and also clicks clear pictures in low light. Accompanying it is a 12MP ultrawide camera to click huge group selfies, as well as a 12MP periscope telephoto lens, that offers a 5x optical zoom and a 50x hybrid zoom! Well, 50x zoom might not give you the best of pictures, but the quality is still pretty decent up to 20x digital zoom. However, using the 50x zoom might make you feel like you are using binoculars to look far into the horizon, though the future is still not clear with the times we are in. Videomakers will be very happy with the phone’s quality, as it can shoot up videos up to 8K resolution!

Sticking to the Note series culture, the smartphone continues with the S-Pen Stylus, but why it has shifted sides from the note 10 series from right to left is a mystery. Almost 95% of the human population is right-handed, taking the stylus out from the left side will appeal to left-hand side driving. But this is trivia and should in no way come in the way of buying decisions. The gigantic screen, coupled with the latest hardware takes it notches up from being labeled as an understated phone. The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display offers 2K resolution with 496 PPI density. This, coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate offers an experience like driving a Mclaren on a racetrack.

The phone offers a variable refresh rate for the screen, which dynamically scales up to 120Hz but also has the ability to scale down to 30Hz or even 10Hz if it detects purely static content on screen. It is set to run at 1080×2316 resolution by default but also supports HDR10+ display. It also has an optional QHD+ resolution of 1440×3088. In layman terms, the screen quality is extremely crisp, clear and immersive!

The phone runs on an Octacore Exynos 990 processor and gets 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. This lets you run any application or software without much hassle and is mated to a 4500mAh battery, which will last for more than a day with light use but will drain faster as the usage increases.

With that, we come to the part that I don’t like, that is the battery capacity. It should have been 5000MAh, and to make the package wholesome the Samsung buds should have been thrown in.

Only the most serious buyers will make the best use of this phone as the large size and lack of compactness might hinder others. Also, extended usage leads to some heating up of the body, but it is nothing significant. This phone is perfect for those who are accustomed to the size of the Note series or have a clear intention of using all its features, stylus included. Casual buyers will find their money heavily invested in features that they won’t have much use of. As an entrepreneur, this phone was perfect for me as I could share, save, and edit my work flawlessly. If you are someone who cannot choose between taking great pictures on the go and signing and reading documents, then the Note 20 Ultra is your soul mate.