News

Xiaomi’s new Redmi Note 4 sets another budget benchmark

Published

August 25, 2016

Marvin Velasco

Within less than a year of releasing the Redmi Note 3 and considering it a resounding success, Xiaomi decided to go ahead and launch the successor, the Redmi Note 4, in China. As you’d expect, the short time gap didn’t allow a lot of revolutionary features to be developed in time for the new model, but the minor changes seem to be worth the effort.

Not to be confused with the Redmi Note 4G from 2014, the new Redmi Note 4 continues Xiaomi’s philosophy of cramming as many features as possible in a cost-effective assembly. And like the Redmi Note 3, the smartphone we have now pushes what’s possible in an entry-level product by offering a metal unibody and fingerprint scanner, two features exclusive to midrange and high-end flagships just over a year ago. Similarities between the Redmi Note 3 and Note 4 extend to the 5.5-inch LCD screen with a Full HD 1080p resolution.

Of course, what really matter in a successor are the upgrades. The Redmi Note 4 is naturally expected to be a lot faster thanks to a MediaTek Helio X20 processor on the inside and Xiaomi’s latest Android interface, MIUI 8, handling the software. It’s unlikely we’ll see Android 7.0 Nougat on this handset for now, but the beauty of MIUI is in its update frequency that’s independent of Android’s slow rollouts.

The rest of the specs are incremental upgrades: We now have a slightly larger 4,100mAh battery, a 64GB storage option (the previous high was 32GB), the choice of expanding the internal storage using a microSD card in place of a second SIM card, and a marginally better 13-megapixel main camera.

The quick release might sound a little desperate after news broke out about Xiaomi dropping in market share ranks both globally and in its homeland of China last quarter, but the manufacturer insists that they’re still in the game, having also released a one-of-a-kind budget phone with a dual-camera setup, the company’s largest smartphone to date, and its first highly affordable MacBook clone.

Xiaomi is now in a good position to undercut the competition like it has before, especially now that the likes of ASUS and Samsung are focusing on the midrange segment. But this is assuming the Redmi Note 4 has a global launch. As of writing, the handset will only be available in China, and it’ll begin tomorrow, August 26. The 16GB storage variant will retail for CNY 899 (approximately $135), while the more generous 64GB version will cost CNY 1,199 (around $180). You’ll have the colors gold, gray, and silver to choose from.

[irp posts=”9920″ name=”Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime Review”]

Related Topics:MIUI 8 Xiaomi Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Gaming

Grand Theft Auto VI gets its first-ever trailer

Coming in 2025

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Sometimes, Christmas comes early. Despite scheduling its release for December 5, Rockstar Games has uploaded the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI more than 12 hours earlier than expected.

Available now through its official platforms, the first trailer reveals our first official look at the next major entry in the legendary Grand Theft Auto franchise. As expected, the sixth title will be set in the sunny shores of Vice City, a locale that hasn’t seen a revival in major platforms yet. Whereas the fifth game’s setting was a version of California, Vice City will take on modern-day Florida and all its various hijinks.

As was spoiled through major leaks in the past, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature two main protagonists, Lucia (the franchise’s first female lead) and Jason. The trailer focuses mostly on Lucia who ends up in prison at the start of the trailer. Based on the depictions in the trailer, the game will focus on the duo’s chase for the better life (through illegal ways, of course) in Vice City.

Besides the duo, Vice City will have sunny beaches, swamps, bike gang, mud clubs, hot cars, and crazy animals. It’s a departure from the Miami-Vice-like depiction in the original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Instead, it will represent the city in a more contemporary fashion. Social media seems to be a prime focus, too; various fictional video platforms are in the spotlight in the trailer.

And now for the meaty part. The trailer ends with a release window (finally): 2025. Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive, at least, on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S. A PC version is still unconfirmed, but it’s likely arriving on the platform, too.

Apps

Facebook, Instagram will lose cross-platform messaging this month

For an unknown reason

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Over the past few years, Meta started integrating its various platforms into one ecosystem. Right now, Facebook and Instagram users can chat with each other on their respective apps. Unfortunately for fans of the cross-communication between the two platforms, Meta is taking the feature away this month.

Through a new support page, Instagram has announced that chatting between the two platforms will no longer be available starting in mid-December. The exact date of the removal is currently unknown, though.

When the undisclosed date arrives, Instagram users cannot start new conversations with Facebook users anymore. Additionally, all existing chats between the two platforms will become read-only, meaning users can’t add new messages to the conversation anymore.

On the flipside, Facebook users will stop seeing the Activity Status of Instagram users from their platform. Cross-platform conversations will not appear on Messenger, either.

Though the support page is conclusive against the feature, Meta has not explicitly explained why Meta changed its current cross-platform plans. It’s still possible that the company will implement a better solution in the future. As it stands, the European Union’s GDPR regulations require large companies to main interoperability between different platforms. Meta is an undeniable example of such a large company.

Apps

Strava is getting a much-requested chatting feature

Individual and group chats

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

What is your fitness app of choice? Though there are a lot of options available now for enthusiasts, it’s undeniable that Strava is making one hell of an impact lately. If you’re a fan of the social fitness app, you’re getting a new feature to boost the social part of Strava.

Today, Strava is getting a substantial messaging feature for users. In the new update, users can start chats with other users in single or group conversations.

It’s a comprehensive feature, too. Chats will include likes and GIF reactions. Additionally, users can configure their options to accept messages only from mutuals or only after they messaged the other person first. Additionally, group chat creators can manage the participants included in the chat.

When compared to other fitness apps today, Strava is arguably leaning more towards the social aspect of the experience. The app allows users to run and hike together as a community. Now, despite how social the core of the app is, it never really allowed users to communicate directly with one another. Users had to rely on external messaging apps just to coordinate with one another.

As of late, Strava continues to pile on more features and integrations with other apps. Earlier this year, the app started allowing users to integrate with Spotify.