Which brand do you think leads in updating smartphone software and security?

While there are tons of Android phone manufacturers, getting them to update your device isn't always easy. Even some of the larger Android manufacturers can sometimes take months to issue an update and this is usually a stat that Apple loves to have a slide on at iOS events.

If you are keen on purchasing an Android phone that gets updated fast, the you should look at Counterpoint Research’s latest white-paper which highlights the top vendors with fastest updates as Nokia, Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei.

Nokia leads the pack with 96% of its smartphones sold since Q3 2018 are running the latest version of Android which is Android Pie. Samsung follows at 89%, Xiaomi at  84% and Huawei at 82%. 

Image Credit: Counterpoint Research

The full Counterpoint Research report can be accessed by clicking here. Interestingly, vendors like OnePlus are missing from this report which, we would assume are amongst the fastest to issue Android updates.

Counterpoint Research’s states that device makers need to step up their efforts to provide regular software and security updates to their users.

Posted in Uncategorised

HP Omen X 2S gaming laptop with dual screens launches in UAE

Showcased back in May this year, the HP Omen X 2S has made its way to the UAE. The striking feature of the Omen X 2S is that it is fitted with two screens which aim to enhance the gameplay experience. We recently also saw Asus unveil their ZenBook Duo lineup at Computex 2019 which also features dual screens. However, it's not a gaming laptop as the Omen X 2S.

Alongside, HP has also refreshed its Omen 15 product range along with announcing a budget gaming laptop in the form of HP Pavilion Gaming 15.

Prices and availability

HP Omen X 2S starts from AED 11,599 and will be available soon via leading offline and online retailers.

The Omen 15 and Omen 17 are available to purchase end of August starting at AED 8,399 and AED 10,999 respectively while the HP Pavilion laptop will be out end of August, starting from AED 3,599 

In addition, HP has also announced the OMEN X Emperium 65 Display at AED 15,299 and the OMEN X 25 Gaming Display at AED 1,899 as well as the OMEN by HP Chair for AED 1,299 and OMEN by HP Mindframe for AED 699

HP Omen X 2S specifications

Touted to be the world's first gaming laptop with dual displays, the Omen X 2S enables the user to multitask without losing any focus. Its 6-inch Full HD secondary display is positioned above the keyboard and uses real-time screen mirroring. There are a bunch of use cases that HP has listed including watching a video while working on the main screen but the one that will excite most gamers is the ability to mirror a game on the smaller display and control it individually to perform specific actions like accessing the map at all times. 

It features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display that has an anti-glare coating. The screen has a 144Hz refresh rate with around 76% screen-to-body ratio. It is crafted out of metal and weighs approximately 2.3kg. The keyboard on the laptop is backlit with 4-zone customization along with a side-mounted touchpad which also supports multiple gestures.

The Omen X 2S is powered by 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H processor clocked at 2.6GHz and up to 4.5GHz with Turbo Boost. An 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or RTX 20280 MaxQ graphics make sure that the laptop can power through popular titles without breaking a sweat. It is paired with 16GB of RAM which can be expanded by up to 32GB and two 256GB M2 SSD as storage drives.

The laptop has dual speakers which have been tuned by Bang & Olufsen along with support for DTS Headphone X. I/O ports includes a single USB Type-C, three USB Type-A ports, Headphone out/Microphone-in jack, one RJ-45 and HDMI ports.

The HP Omen 15 doesn't feature the secondary display, but otherwise, the general specifications remain the same for it as well.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15 specifications

HP Pavilion Gaming 15 features a 15.6-inch Full HD, anti-glare display and can be configured by upto 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti MaxQ graphics. Being an entry level gaming offering, the price of the Pavilion Gaming 15 starts at AED 3,599.

Posted in Uncategorised

Huawei set to launch the 5G version of Mate 20 X in the UAE in July

The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) will be the second 5G phone to go on sale in the UAE after the ZTE Axon 10 Pro. Huawei set the pricing on the phone at AED 3,699 and you'll be able to pre-order it on July 11. Customer who pre-order will get a Huawei Watch GT (2019) for free. The phone will 

The phone will go on general sale on July 18th across Huawei Experience Stores as well as key retailers and online stores. The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G will work on both Etisalat and du's 5G network.

The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) is almost identical to the Mate 20 X launched towards the end of 2018. The massive 7.2-inch screen is great for gaming and the 5G version supports 40W supercharging which could come in handy depending on what the impact of a 5G network is on the phone. 

Posted in Uncategorised

The Ford Edge now comes with a free Co-Pilot

Speed and tech are both coming to the Middle East models for Ford Edge. 

If you prefer performance, Ford is bringing the new Edge-ST to the region which features a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 335 horsepower and 515 No of torque. That is sure to get the mid-sized SUV noticed amongst the enthusiast segment- but that’s not necesarily our typical viewer. 

For us techies, Ford is adding features previously found on the optional Co-Pilot 360 as standard. Every Ford Edge will now have features such as Post-Collision Braking, Evasive Steering Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane Centring.

These feature make the Ford Edge 2019 model a great car for anyone that values safety. Technologies like Blind Spot Information System, which uses radar to alert drivers of approaching vehicles entering their blind spot by flashing an indicator light, and cross-traffic alert, warning drivers of traffic approaching from the sides when backing out of a parking spot or driveway will help drop the number of accidents on the road. 

Other Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist features include evasive steer assist, providing drivers with steering support to help avoid collisions with a slow or stopped vehicle if a potential accident can’t be mitigated by braking alone. Lane centring technology, which detects lane markings on the road help keep the vehicle centred while adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability allows drivers to set a desired speed and distance between themselves and the vehicle ahead.

Get yourself connected

Wireless charging is becoming a standard feature on high-end phones and the Ford edge has a wireless charging pad nestled in the forward media bin. Also present is a 12-speaker B&O PLAY Premium Audio System by HARMAN which is sure to impress when you play your favorite tunes.

Also present is Ford's SYNC3 system on an 8-inch touchscreen that supports both CarPlay and Andrpid Auto along with its own AppLink, an enhanced voice-recognition communications and entertainment system. This system gives users access to their favourite media content, daily appointments, and the ability to search for nearby points of interest, all from the road.

Inside, a redesigned centre console is accentuated by an all-new rotary gearshift dial that frees up space, allows easier access to the wireless charging pad and enhances the vehicle’s modern, sophisticated feel.

Posted in Uncategorised

It’s Prime time: Amazon Prime launches in the UAE

With barely a month after launch, Amazon is now bringing its gold standard Amazon Prime service to consumers in the UAE. 

The service is priced at AED 16 per month but Amazon is currently running a promotion at AED 12 per month (140 per year) until October 31st. There's also a 30 day free trial to get you started.

Benefits for signing up for Amazon Prime in the UAE include the following:


  • Free Next-Day delivery on all eligible items shipped by Amazon.ae
  • Free international delivery on millions of eligible items and orders over AED 100 from Amazon US when you shop from Amazon.ae
  • Exclusive access to popular and award-winning movies and TV shows with Prime Video
  • Access to a selection of free games every month, free in-game loot, a Twitch channel subscription and more with Twitch Prime
  • 30 minute early access to select deals

Expect Amazon Prime to offer more value over time as new services are added in the UAE such as Prime Music or Alexa skills.

To sign up for a Prime membership, head over to Amazon’s Prime page to start your 30-day free trial of the service. 

Posted in Uncategorised

The iPad Pro might be the ARM-based Mac that we’re waiting for

There’s been plenty of speculation over the past few months on Apple porting MacOS to the ARM platform. Apple’s SoC team has been on fire, producing industry-leading processors for the iPhone and iPad that can match, or even beat Intel’s offerings in certain tasks.  

But with the announcement of iPadOS, I wonder if Apple has now changed directions and instead, is looking to bridge the gap between MacOS and iPadOS. 

Ever since Apple introduced the iPad Pro, I have tried numerous times to replace my MacBook with an iPad when traveling, but that's never worked out. 

From a hardware perspective, the iPad has always been ahead of the curve but its iPhone-based operating system has always held it back. That changed with the announcement of iPadOS at WWDC 2019. Maybe that ARM-based Mac that we’ve been hoping for is actually the iPad growing up to become a replacement for some of our Macs.

Limiting factors: Lack of a proper file system and mobile Safari

I’ve had many work-related travels where assets and materials are offered through a USB drive - something that I just couldn’t work with on the iPad previously. I also carry a camera to events and take tons of photos and some video. Bringing those to the iPad has also been challenging. 

With the new iPadOS, Apple is opening up the Files app to access external storage and also allowing third party apps direct access, so you should be able to import images directly to them. 

I’ve tested the USB functionality and it works well, but for apps to have direct access to my SD card, we’ll have to wait till official versions of such apps which will only be released after the iPadOS is released in fall.

The second issue I’ve faced is mobile Safari where I am unable to access many specialized websites such as my bank’s website or the CMS at TechRadar. This is where Chromebook has been more usable than the iPad in the past. 

The web browser is still my most used app on the Mac and while there are some iPad “apps” such as Google Docs etc., they’re usually under-powered versions of web apps. With iPadOS, Apple is trying to get websites to show the full desktop version, and I can confirm some sites that didn’t work well previously are now much better. Also, the iPad now supports downloads in Safari which, along with file management, makes it much closer to a computer.

Prior to WWDC, I had posted a tweet asking for three specific areas that I would love to see on the iPad to make it more Mac like, two of which I’ve stated above. 

Apple is delivering on all three. 

For my last request, Apple has added a new API called BackgroundTasks. I don’t really know how well this will work with third-party apps, so we will have to wait till iPadOS and compatible apps are released to take advantage of this to see any difference. But I’m hopeful this will allow apps such as email clients the ability to sync and download emails, or news readers to download new stories in the background instead of syncing data when the app launches. 

There’s been quite a few other new additions to iPadOS such as widget support on home screen, gestures for copy/paste and undo, and multi-tasking features that improve handling of multiple apps. Also new is the ability to have multiple windows open within one app.

The iPad Pro is the new MacBook

With all of these massive improvements that Apple has made to the iPadOS, it seems obvious that the direction they want the iPad to take is to replace your portable computer - whether that is a Chromebook, a Surface or a MacBook. 

And if that is the case, then why work on porting MacOS to the ARM platform? The new Mac Pro is insanely powerful and based on the x86 architecture, where I think the MacOS platform will continue to stay. 

But for portables such as the MacBook and MacBook Air, I’m not sure I see a bright future. The iPad will be replacing them sooner or later.

Posted in Uncategorised

WWDC 2019 showed Apple in its top form

The 2019 edition of WWDC showed Apple on top of it’s game. It was one of the best presentations I’ve seen from the Cupertino giant in a long while with Apple hitting all the right notes. Updates to tvOS, watchOS and iOS looked great while the introduction of iPadOS was surprising but a very welcome move. Even MacOS is gaining some interesting features and yes, there was new hardware as well with the Mac Pro.

Let’s start with the insanely powerfully but the funny looking Mac Pro. On screen it looks like Apple took the old Mac Pro tower and gave it a cheese grater makeover but it’s really the insides that make an impact. It is insanely powerful as demonstrated by Apple with the hundreds of audio streams in Logic and three simultaneous 8K videos rendering in real time on Final Cut Pro X. It will get professionals excited, although I do think that the Radeon 580X and 256GB SSD as base config at $5,000 is a bad decision. At that price Apple should have equipped a Vega and 512GB of storage. Also, $999 for a monitor stand?

Moving on to MacOS Catalina- the biggest change is the introduction of the Catalyst framework that allows iPad apps to work on MacOS with minimal effort. The third-party apps demoed by Apple show good promise and a huge improvement over the few first-party apps we saw shipped with Mojave. 

Apple is also splitting iTunes into dedicated Music, Podcast and TV apps with iOS devices now appearing in the sidebar instead of iTunes. The ability to use the iPad as a secondary screen with Sidecar will also be helpful to some- there are already some apps already dedicated for this exact scenario but bundling it into the OS could provide a better experience.

Let’s move on to iPadOS which I found the most exciting announcement from WWDC2019. Out of the three things I really wanted, Apple is delivering on two- a more accessible file system and desktop Safari. These two editions will make the iPad a lot more productive for many more people- including myself. 

I have tried to leave my MacBook behind and use the iPad many times but have almost always found myself wishing I hadn’t. For example, I can’t quite use the full functionality of the TechRadar CMS on an iPad currently. The new iPadOS gives me hope that I just might finally be able to do this.

The ability to access SD cards and thumb drives directly should allow one to easily work with external assets on the go. I do hope that multiple file types such as docs and PDFs are supported and this is not just restricted to images and videos. 

I am also excited about Safari not rendering websites in mobile view and being able to download files from websites easily. Last and certainly not the least, is the ability to work with more than one window per app which makes using the iPad more like a computer. 

Multitasking between app windows or other apps also looks like it’s handled well. And yay to the new home screen that makes the large display of the iPad more useful with widgets as well as improved text editing. Apple is also improving the responsiveness of Apple Pencil- though I’m not a heavy user of the Pencil. 

Moving to iOS on the iPhone, the dark mode certainly got the attention of the crowd. It’s cool but using dark mode on other Android phones or the Mac hasn’t made me aconvert. I prefer the lighter side of apps but will give it a shot on iOS 13. 

Improvement to Photos app look great though I’m not sure if they’re enough to make me switch over from Google Photos. Maps update also looks great but Apple hasn’t made Maps available to Middle East users yet. Show us some love Apple with Maps and News+ apps!

What I am excited about is the sign in with Apple feature. The fact that it can create random email addresses on the fly instead of providing your real address to apps is genius! I’ve seen third party apps do that but being part of Apple gives me more comfort. The reminders app has also been redone and maybe I’ll finally start using it,

The new watchOS is making the Apple Watch rely less on your iPhone allowing you to install apps and OS updates directly on the watch. Apple is also updating watch faces with some pretty new ones. Voice notes on the watch seem like a natural fit and we should also probably see better audio apps moving forward.

Last but not the least if the update to tvOS - again a pretty good update brining support for multiple users as well as game controllers from Microsoft and Sony. This could potentially make Apple TV a much better gaming platform, especially with the Arcade service launching in fall. Apple TV has tried gaming in the past but hasn’t had much success. This new update could finally give it the right push.

That, is a summary of some of the things I found most interesting at WWDC 2019. I haven’t been this excited about Apple updates in a while and it may bring me back to using Apple products all the way from my desktop and backpack to my pocket and wrist. And my living room.

Posted in Uncategorised

WhatsApp slides onto the Nokia 8110

The Nokia 8110 4G, affectionately known as the banana phone is getting one of the most popular applications released for it. Users of this KaiOS based phones will finally be able to WhatsApp using the enigmatic yellow phone.

Announced during MWC 2018, the comeback of the Nokia 8110 4G certainly created some noise. Mostly targeted as a secondary phone, the 8110 appealed to an older crowd for nostalgic reasons.

However, the functionality of the 8110 4G was limited due to the lack of apps commonly found on iOS and Android platforms. This, could also be considered as a selling point for the banana phone, giving the hyper-connected user a break. 

But WhatsApp is a key requirement for many- like phone calls and text messages. And those users can now put their main smartphone away during times they don't want to be bombarded with data and carry on with the Nokia 8110.

Other apps already available on KaiOS include Google Maps, Facebook and Twitter. WhatsApp can be downloaded from the KaiOS store on your Nokia 8110. While text messaging and sending photos/videos works well with it, it currently does not support voice messaging or calls.

Posted in Uncategorised

Huawei Mate 20 Pro makes a comeback on Google’s Android Q beta program

When Google officially announced the Android Q beta program at Google IO 2019 in early May, it revealed 21 handsets that were part of the beta program. 

One of those handsets was Huawei's Mate 20 Pro, however, when the US Government put Huawei on the entity list, Huawei's products disappeared from the Android Enterprise program and the list of devices eligible for Android Q beta.

However, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro has reappeared on the Android Q beta program, as spotted by Android Police.

We don't know if there has been any progress on talks between Huawei and Google but this is surely good news for Mate 20 Pro owners that registered to be a part of the Android Q beta program.

Re-instating the beta suggests that Mate 20 Pro will receive updates that Google posts to the Android Q beta program.

Posted in Uncategorised

Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) launches in the UAE with an auto pop-up selfie camera

Huawei has launched the Y9 Prime (2019) in the UAE and comes with an "Ultra-view" display that it free of any notches and punch holes. This is accomplished by adding an "auto pop-up" selfie camera that looks very much like the one seen on the OnePlus 7 Pro recently.

However, the Huawei Y9 Prime is more of a budget device and is based on the Kirin 710F chipset but comes equipped with a rather large 4000mAh battery, and a massive 6.59-inch display.

Pricing is set at AED 949 with the unit hitting store shelves at the end of May 2019. The Huawei Y9 Prime will be available in three colors- Midnight black, Sapphire blue, Emerald green and customers that pre-order will receive the HUAWEI Sandstone cover for free.

Huawei Y9 specifications

The Huawei Y9 Pri, (2019)  runs on EMUI 9 based on Android 9 Pie. As mentioned, it has a 6.59-inch full HD+ display and is powered by the Kirin 710F chipset that comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. 

It has a three cameras on the rear with a 16MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture as well as an 8MP and a 2MP depth sensor with a f/2.4 aperture on the back. For selfies, there is the new hidden auto pop-up 16MP camera that is automatically activated when you want to take a selfie and it rises within one second.

The Huawei Y9 Prim (2019) packs a 4000mAh battery and all the essential connectivity options like Bluetooth, WiFi, micro USB and GPS.

Posted in Uncategorised

Cutting off Huawei’s access to technology is cutting off innovation

I’ve been using mobile phones since the mid-nineties and have seen several companies impact the industry. Motorola and Nokia helped shape much of the earlier years of mobile phones with the latter introducing me to my first “smart” phone with the Communicator. 

Then came BlackBerry that pushed productivity on mobile phones with push email and instant messaging and I was using one all the way till the iPhone grew up. What BlackBerry did for productivity, the iPhone did for touchscreens and that has helped shape the last decade of mobile phones. 

While the iPhone has targeted the premium-end of the market, Android brought smartphone to the masses and the likes of HTC and Samsung allowed Android to compete against the iPhone with premium build quality and new features.

Although I’ve mostly stuck with the iPhone as my primary phone over the last decade, I’ve always had an Android, BlackBerry or Windows phone as a backup. That being said there have been a few times when an Android phone became my primary phone. 

Phones such as the HTC One M8, Sony Xperia Z5 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 have pushed mobile phones beyond what they were capable of and convinced me to use them as my primary device- at least for some period of time. There’s one more phone that did that last year and that was the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.

Image Credit: TechRadar

My introduction to the Huawei brand was about five or six  years back when Huawei set up office in the UAE. When I asked how does one pronounce the name of the company the answer was a very simple reminder about the company’s state with consumers back in day- to remember it as a company that sounded like “Who are we?” 

Although that stuck with me, the devices Huawei was making at that time certainly didn’t and had you asked me about their phones in 2013, I would have just shrugged them off as a brand that almost everyone would never ever hear about.

Huawei certainly proved me wrong! 

The first time I actually took notice of their phone was with the Mate 9 In 2016. It was the right phone at the right time- a large screen device with impressive capabilities released just a bit after Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7

Things had gone terribly wrong for Samsung that year- when large screen phones started becoming the norm and Huawei, with the impressive Mate 9 happily stepped in.

Image Credit: TechRadar

From the Mate 9 to the latest P30 Pro, Huawei has proved itself to be on the forefront of mobile phone technology and has become the second largest phone maker in the world. It reached that level by improving its products at a rate faster than its competitors.

With the move into foldable technology, Huawei was set to lead mobile phones into what could possibly become the next defining form factor for the industry. The only competitor Huawei had to the Mate X was the Samsung Galaxy Fold, another product that hasn’t started on the right foot. 

I have played with the Huawei Mate X and was very excited about using it as my primary phone. But I don’t know if that would be the case anymore and it would be a shame if all the hard work Huawei has put into this industry comes to an end because of politics. 

Cutting off access to Android and ARM can severely restrict a phone manufacturer and although Huawei is acting calm on the outside, I imagine there is a storm brewing inside the company. Against many odds, Huawei has risen to the top of the smartphone market in recent years and I doubt it would give up that position without putting up a good fight.

Posted in Uncategorised

Amazon officially launches in the UAE

Souq.com delivered its first order in Dubai 13 years back and has evolved into the biggest e-commerce player in the UAE. That attracted he attention of Amazon which bough souq.com and today is finally the day where souq.com closes and amazon.ae launches.

While the transition was very visible over the last few months in the much improved customer service and returns as well as amazon branded packaging and delivery vans, it is now official. 

According to the website, amazon.ae will feature over 30 million products from global sellers- five million of which are from Amazon US. Customers will be able to shop in Arabic as well as English and a regional team of 3,600 people will keep things moving.

Posted in Uncategorised

Samsung’s 8K QLED TV comes to the UAE

Samsung announced that its 8K QLED TV, the Samsung Q900, are now available for in the UAE. Samsung first unveiled its 8K series at IFA 2018, but left us in the dark on its release date and price. 

We now have that for two screen sizes- the 75-inch with the model QA75Q900RBKXZN is for AED 24,999 while the 82-inch with the model QA82Q900RBKXZN will be retailing for AED 31,999.

If you think that's a lot of money, well, there is a 98-inch version for which we haven't gotten the prices just yet but it would probably cost as much as a car. Thankfully, there is a 65-inch model as well which we're hoping is a bit more affordable.


Samsung Q900 8K QLED TV

Features for Samsung 8K TVs

The Samsung Q950R offers an astonishing picture. The highlight is of course native 8K content, and during the demo showcase we saw the screen at, we were blown away by the quality of its color reproduction, brightness and motion processing. 

Using Samsung’s QLED technology, it’s pushing insane brightness levels of up to 4000nits, with a Direct Full Array backlight letting refined brightness and contrast management bring real depth to a scene. 

This year’s model also introduces a new “Ultra Wide Angle” feature that aims to prevent color and contrast drop off if you’re viewing the set at a tighter angle.  However, where the screen definitely shines is in its upscaling using Samsung's Quantum Processor that helps the TV upscale content from any resolution.

There's also Bixby and Samsung SmartThings integration along with Ambient Mode and remote connectivity to your computer. 

There's no doubt the Samsung 900 series is expensive, but being on the bleeding edge of technology – especially display technology – isn't cheap.

Posted in Uncategorised

Samsung lowers prices of Galaxy S10 series ahead of Huawei P30 launch

The Huawei P30 Pro and the Huawei P30 are hitting store shelves today and to welcome these phones to the market, Samsung has reduced the pricing its Galaxy S10 series.

Huawei has priced the P30 Pro at AED 3,399 which is 200 Dirhams cheaper compared to the AED 3,599 launch price of Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. However, Samsung has now dropped the pricing of its flagship phone by 315 Dirhams to AED 3,284 making it cheaper than the Huawei P30 Pro. Keep in mind that the Galaxy S10 Plus comes with 128GB storage vs 256GB storage you get on the Huawei P30 Pro.

Samsung has also cut down the price of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e by 315 Dirhams and 210 Dirhams respectively. The new price for the Galaxy S10 is AED 2,884 while the Galaxy S10e now retails for AED 2,489. Both of these are equipped with 128GB storage. The Huawei P30 is selling for AED 2,599 and is also equipped with 128GB storage.

Igniting a price war

These new lower prices for the Galaxy S10 certainly make it more lucrative. While Huawei has a clear advantage on the camera with the P30, the Galaxy S10 line-up has better screens and a more matured software platform. 

With Samsung lowering the price of the Galaxy S10 series within a couple of months of release, we expect Huawei to do the same with the P30 line-up. The price war between the top two phone makers in the world is on. 

Posted in Uncategorised