Can’t wait until Black Friday to land a brand new iPhone? Well don’t worry, we’ve found a collection of cheap iPhones that will make it feel like the sales have already kicked in.
Coming from the retailer Fonehouse, these offers cover all of our favourite cheap iPhones including the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. Or for those who like their phones bigger, there are some excellent offers on the Plus models of these devices.
Ready to get your new iPhone deals? You can find all of these affordable offers down below. Or, head on over to our mobile phone deals page to see the rest of the market’s offers.
Still unsure what to go for? Check out our best mobile phone deals to see all of your options across every device.
While 2018 saw some very good smartphones being launched above Rs 30,000, most smartphone makers left the Rs 20-30,000 segment open to be exploited. While the Asus Zenfone 5Z was often available at sub-Rs 25,000 prices, it lost the battle to the highly popular Poco F1.
Seeing the success of the Poco F1, Xiaomi announced the Redmi K20 series, with prices starting at Rs 21,999. This sparked competition in the sub-Rs 25,000 smartphone segment in India.
There are options that offer great value in the segment. If you are finding it difficult to find the best suited phone under Rs 25,000, this list will help.
Don’t need to worry about cost? Check out our best phone list
The Redmi K20, the recently launched mid-range smartphone from Xiaomi’s Redmi brand has been designed keeping in mind the criticisms the company faced with its affordable flagship device, the Poco F1. With the device, the company has offered a premium device at an affordable price to take on the increasing competition in the smartphone segment.
The Redmi K20 features a glass back, a Full HD+ AMOLED display, a triple rear camera setup, a pop-up selfie camera and an under-display fingerprint sensor. The device starts at Rs 21,999 in India and is available in three attractive color options.
You can also score the Redmi K20 Pro under Rs 25,000 during the Diwali with Mi sale.
Xiaomi has dominated the budget and entry-level smartphone segments for a long time now. This is no different this year either – the launch of the Redmi Note 7 Pro changed the market dynamics yet again. Offering a high-resolution, premium-grade 48MP camera at budget prices was the primary clincher for the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
Apart from its imaging capabilities, the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers a great bang for your buck thanks to the great display, a well-balanced chipset and battery life that we’ve all grown to expect from Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series.
Topping it all off is the glass design which gives it a premium look.
It has a great value for money quotient which is why the Redmi Note 7 Pro is the phone to buy.
The Realme X is another device that offers excellent value for money in the sub-Rs 25,000 segment. It features a pop-up selfie camera and comes with a gradient back design. The company has offered a near bezel less display with the device, giving it a premium look.
Along with the pop-up selfie camera, the device also sports an in-display fingerprint sensor, making it one of the most affordable devices to feature these two technologies. It has a starting price tag of Rs 16,999 and is available in three color options.
The Samsung Galaxy A50 has a lot going for it. The device features a glossy finish and sports an attractive display, a triple camera setup that includes a good daylight camera, and decent battery life with fast charging support all make it a phone that’s worth considering when you go out to buy a new smartphone.
While the Galaxy A50 performs well in daylight, its low-light images are not up to the mark. If you are a heavy gamer, you might want to skip this device and look at the other devices mentioned in this list.
The device is available starting at Rs 18,490 in Black, Blue and White color options.
Vivo has upped its game in the budget and mid-range segments over the last few months in India. While a few other smartphones are aimed specifically at a slightly younger audience, Vivo has tried to offer a slightly more rounded package with the Z1 Pro.
The Z1 Pro is also one of the few smartphones in this price range to sport a punch hole notch. If you are looking for a smartphone that offers really long battery life, the Z1 Pro won’t let you down with its massive 5,000mAh battery. The display, camera and the glossy design round off the remaining important aspects.
The Poco F1, the only launch so far from Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco is a feature packed mid-range device. It is the cheapest Snapdragon 845 powered device in India and with the recent price cuts, it offers even more value for your money. While the device’s design is something that the company has compromised on, the Poco F1 is durable with a sturdy plastic build.
If you prefer performance over looks, the Poco F1 is the device for you. It is priced starting at Rs 17,999 in India.
Samsung has more or less made itself relevant again in the highly competitive budget segment with the launch of the Galaxy M series earlier this year. The Galaxy M30s takes this forward with refreshed design and updated hardware.
The biggest takeaway from the Galaxy M30s is its massive 6,000mAh battery that should easily last you an entire day’s worth of usage. For some users, it should be possible to extend the Galaxy M30s’ battery life to two days of usage.
Coupled with the vibrant Super AMOLED display, ample storage and a triple camera setup on the back, Samsung might have another winner in the M30s.
Realme has been making a splash since its debut last year. Over the last few months, the company has aggressively expanded its portfolio of smartphones right from the entry-level to the budget segment. The Realme XT is the latest in this line, and offers a versatile camera experience coupled with a vibrant display and a big battery.
The design of the Realme XT is also noteworthy, although it could be slightly over the top for people who prefer sticking to neat lines and patterns. Nevertheless, the Realme XT is a very good option in its segment.
Many of us have probably heard the phrase “real gamer” before, often used by one segment of the gaming population to dismiss some other portion. And, with video games proliferating as they reach more and more devices and surge in retail, the question of who qualifies as a “real gamer” will persist.
The thing is, real gamers come in all types. The Entertainment Software Association has found large percentages of the population gaming, including Baby Boomers in the US. And, that range covers everything from young gamers duking it out in online battle royale games to older gamers playing poker alone on their computers.
With all this in mind, we’ve set out to show that PC gaming is full of players who aren’t always what we’d think of when the words “PC gamer” come up. It’s not all belligerent teens sitting at a desk with a $2,000 PC below and 2 liters of Mountain Dew on top.
Here are just a few examples of real PC gamers that show how broad the culture really is.
Shirley Curry, the ‘Skyrim Grandma.’
The famous Shirley Curry
One of the most colorful pieces of evidence that anyone can be a gamer is Shirley Curry, perhaps better known as “Skyrim Grandma.” Curry is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother living in Virginia, USA, and she loves playing Skyrim.
She’s a true YouTube celebrity with over 748,000 subscribers and over 14 million views at the time of writing. She’s so legit, she has the YouTube Verified checkmark. (Something I don’t have, and I do this for a living!) Curry regularly shares her video game adventures, often adventuring through the almost endless world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. She’s had enough of an impact that Bethesda is even going to include an NPC of Curry in The Elder Scrolls 6
So you know she’s the real deal, Curry even includes her system specs in the description of her videos:
To top it off, she also lists the Skyrim game mods she has installed.. Every now and then, you can catch Curry checking out other games as well, like Call of Cthulu and Deliver Us the Moon.
Jack Black, or otherwise today known as ‘Jablinski’.
Celebs have gaming hobbies, too
A few years ago, the world got to see the widely beloved Terry Crews join the PC gaming fray when he publicly announced that he was building a gaming PC. Crews has a long career split between his stint in the National Football League as a defensive end and linebacker in the ‘90s, and his ongoing acting career.
Beyond his celebrity, Crews still has a family life, and he decided to build a gaming PC to share the hobby with his son. He picked up an X99 motherboard to slot in an Intel Core i7-6800K and 32GB of RAM. He didn’t include the graphics card in his livestream, but he picked up an HTC Vive to dive into virtual reality with his rig. He later confirmed that he got the rig up and running.
Crews isn’t alone either. Jack Black has also tipped his hat to the gaming world when he announced in late 2018 that he’d start a YouTube gaming channel. Over the ensuing year, his channel didn’t do much to produce gaming content, with one focused more on old arcade games and one pretending to stream but admitting he hadn’t figured out the El Gato game capture device. Eventually, Black did upload a Lego Star Wars video as well as a stream with PewdiePie playing Minecraft.
Regardless of whether they play publicly, we can count many celebrities as PC gamers.
Farming Simulator 2019 in action.
Gamers reliving reality
Skyrim Grandma and Terry Crews might be more high profile when it comes to the sorts of people you wouldn’t expect to be PC gamers, but there are still others out there silently enjoying PC games on their own. We’re talking about the simulation players.
You may think more about the gamers playing intense shooters where insane reaction speeds are a necessity. But, plenty of PC gamers enjoy a calmer experience that lets them live a small slice of reality they might otherwise not have access to. Think of Flight Simulator, Train Simulator or Farming Simulator. All of these put players into a unique position to dive into realistic experiences that still take them out of their day-to-day life.
Games like SimCity or Cities: Skylines let gamers design their own worlds and simulate reality from a bird’s-eye view. And, given that many of these simulation franchises launch new games on an annual basis, it’s safe to say there are plenty of PC gamers enjoying these. And, let’s not forget how many people are still building their ideal homes and lives in The Sims.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in action.
The faithful modders
Shirley Curry is actually a great example of another type of gamer: the long-term, faithful gamer who sticks with one game for a long time, using mods to keep the game fresh. Some games strike a deep note with players and offer enough to do to keep them around for years. Massive open worlds, like Skyrim, often manage this level of retention.
But, even a game that offers hundreds of hours of content can only hold the hearts of gamers for so long in its vanilla form. That’s where gamers who truly love their game turn to mods. The gamers who use mods can add entire new worlds to their games, add new weapons and equipment, and change the way the game world works to open up new playful possibilities.
Some mods even allow gamers to add everything from new quests to entire voice-acted storylines. There are also mods that can overhaul the sound and graphics for almost every asset in the game, breathing new life into it even as the graphics of the vanilla version age. The use of mods can let these gamers stick with one game, steering clear of the latest fads, as they simply occupy the game world they love or wait ages for the next one to arrive (as many are doing for The Elder Scrolls 6).
FarmVille 2 is one of the most popular browser games to date.
The overlooked browser gamers
One thing most would assume is essential to PC gaming is a gaming PC. But, there are so many games available to gamers that require little more than an internet connection and modest hardware. Browser games make the hobby accessible to many gamers, and they can even entice users who would otherwise have little to do with games.
It doesn’t take much work to see just how popular browser games still our. We took a quick peek at Armorgames and Newgrounds, sites we visited plenty over a decade ago, and we can see they’re still living. Games like Sonny 2 rank among the best browser games, with lengthy stories and compelling gameplay. Armorgames lists Sonny 2 as having over 25 million plays since it launched in 2009 (I personally put probably as many hours into this game as I put into any turn-based RPG in the past decade). And, newer games are still getting millions of plays. Some browser games even serve as a starting point for franchises, such as Meat Boy and N.
Kids can jump online to play a bit of Agar.io while adults hop on for some card games in the browser. (This writer’s father hasn’t had much involvement with video games since his days as a Dig Dug player in the arcades, but he recently got into a browser-based golf game.) And, these PC gamers are so easy to overlook, as they may well be playing quietly in the library or on a laptop while waiting for their flight at the airport.
And, lastly, let’s not forget there is even a select mass of PC gamers out there who actually prefer to have Motion Blur turned on in their games. If there weren’t, why would game developers keep offering the feature and setting it on by default? Ugh.
Welcome to TechRadar’s PC Gaming Week 2019. We’re celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place.
Walk around any office or work environment and you’ll see a huge number of mobile devices. Each person might have multiple devices in their possession or direct use. It wasn’t always like this and now, the growing number of smart devices is making things more complex from the perspective of Wi-Fi troubleshooting. For the sake of the IT team’s workload and the company’s overall bottom line, something must give if businesses want to create and maintain functional Wi-Fi networks in a device-centric era.
It can often seem like trying to hit a moving target when remediating Wi-Fi network issues. Many wireless problems are ephemeral, disappearing shortly after they arise based on changing user and environmental conditions. Sending techs onsite to reproduce the problem can be expensive, and often yields lacklustre results as the data needed to reproduce and resolve an issue can be long gone.
What’s more, many problems attributed to the wireless network could actually be the fault of so many other things, such as an issue with DNS, DHCP or authentication servers.
The benefits of machine learning
Thanks to machine learning and other AI technologies, it is finally possible to address these issues in a seamless and scalable manner. You’ll be able to spot causes of problems more easily, predict problems before they happen, and also set, monitor and enforce user service levels. That’s all thanks to AI-driven WLANs, delivering a better wireless experience for IT administrators, which translates to an amazing Wi-Fi experience for mobile users.
There are four key components to building an AI engine for a WLAN: data, structure and classify, data science and insight. Let’s take a closer look at each.
Start with the right data
You can’t expect a strong AI engine if you don’t have the right raw ingredient – good data. That’s what is initially gathered from the network, applications, devices and users so it needs to be of high quality. And if you want to result in the best insights, you need data in abundance from the various points within the IT ecosystem.
Indeed, good data doesn’t grow on trees, you need to know where to look and how to gather it. When we’re talking about wireless networks the best way is to design purpose-built access points that collect pre- and post-connection states from every wireless device. The information, or metadata, from these access points is sent to the cloud, where the AI engine can then structure and classify this data.
Structure and classify the metadata
Once your data is in place, at this point the AI engine is able to structure and classify the received metadata through a set of AI primitives. By programming the AI engine with relevant wireless network domain knowledge, this metadata can be classified and analysed effectively by the data science toolbox, in order to deliver insights of value straight into the network.
Apply the data science wizardry
Collected, measured the classified the data? This is where the data science comes into its own.
As far as the data science goes, there are different flavors to choose from. So, whether you want to deploy supervised and unsupervised machine learning, data mining, deep learning or mutual information, there are options to investigate depending on the needs of the business.
Take time-series data, for example. This is baselined, and used for anomaly detection. Combine this with event correlation, and you’re more able to effectively understand the origins of issues on the network. Streamlining these techniques with one another helps network administrators reduce to mean-time-to-repair, enhancing end-user satisfaction—and ultimately, saving time and money along the way.
Use insights to solve problems
When a network is essentially able to heal itself, you’ll wonder why you used to carry out so much manual legwork before. But that’s what you will have once you have all your data science ducks in a row. Completing the AI engine is the virtual assistant that delivers insights to the IT administrator, as well as feeds that insight back into the network itself to automate the correction of issues.
A top priority here is the use of a natural language processor. This will make life easier for the administrators who would otherwise have to hunt through dashboards or common language interpreter commands in order to extract the insights from the AI engine. The upshot of using natural language is that it increases the productivity of IT teams while delivering a better user experience for employees and customers.
Look forwards with data science
By incorporating AI and data science with wireless expertise, it puts an end to manual packet sniffing. When a user is experiencing a network anomaly, the WLAN system can automatically detect it and start capturing packets, a concept known as Dynamic PCAP (dPCAP). This process is akin to going into a time machine because it enables you to see what was going on in the Wi-Fi network and the mobile device when the anomaly was detected. That means you won’t have to send boots on the ground to use sniffers to chase problems that might have already long gone.
This network monitoring technology already exists so it’s high time for businesses to shift from reactive to proactive when it comes to solving problems. When you know a problem is likely to occur, you can act quickly before it is able to cause chaos or downtime in the business.
Bringing intelligence and insights into the wireless network, however, takes this a step further. Changes can be automated, and made in real-time, empowering Wi-Fi networks to dynamically and autonomously self-optimise for each connection and environment.
Now more than ever wireless networks are a key cog in the machine for businesses—but with the endless proliferation of new and varied devices, operating systems, and applications, troubleshooting issues can prove challenging. Driving WLANs with artificial intelligence at the core is changing the game though; providing the extra time and resources that today’s organisations need to keep up with today’s connected world.
Jeff Aaron is the VP of Marketing at Mist Systems, a Juniper Company.
If you don’t want to wait for Black Friday to snag a deal on the best-selling Apple Watch, then you’ve come to the right place. Amazon has the Series 4 smartwatch on sale for $349. That’s a $50 discount and the best price we’ve found for the smartwatch. If you’re interested in a bigger display, Amazon also has the 44mm Apple Watch 4 on sale for $349.97.
The Apple Watch 4 is packed with health and fitness features and now includes a built-in ECG that will notify you when a high or low heart rate is detected. The smartwatch tracks popular workouts and calories burned and offers personalized coaching to keep you motivated. The swimproof smartwatch also features a 30% larger display making it easier to see health stats, messages, and notifications. The Series 4 smartwatch provides an impressive 18-hour battery life and includes basic smartwatch features such as the ability to make calls, send messages and receive notifications.
The recently released Apple Watch 5 currently retails for $384 and offers upgraded location and health features and includes an Always-On Retina display. If these additions don’t matter to you, then it’s best to stick with the Apple Watch 4 and take advantage of this discount while you can.
We’ve found these deals from various retailers – in some cases you can buy with a few clicks, while for others, such as the Dell and Alienware laptops, you’ll need to enter a code to get the discount.
If you’re in the mood for more bargains, make sure you check out our pick of the best Black Friday laptop deals that have already gone live.
Dell is offering 14% off a load of its gaming laptops, so make sure you visit its site and apply the AW14 code if you want to snag yourself a brilliant deal on some incredible gaming laptops.
PlayStation Now slashed its asking price in half earlier this week, and it appears to have been enough of an incentive to make Sony’s own President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, sign up and check the service out for himself. We’re sort of surprised that one of PlayStation’s most recognisable faces wasn’t already a member of the streaming service, but still, it’s nice to know that figureheads are indeed engaging with their own products.
Revealed in a tweet, Yoshida states that he thought about downloading some PlayStation 4 games, presumably in order to grow his backlog, but instead he ended up streaming the remaster of the PS2 classic ICO. We don’t blame him for sampling the service by playing one of the greatest games of all time, especially so when it turns out he’s paying for the service himself.
If you’re a fan of popular service-based titles such as Overwatch, For Honor, and Rainbow Six: Siege, you probably know that this time of year means there’s a Halloween themed event just around the corner. As many Games as a Service decorate their hubs with pumpkins, bats, and witches, however, the Bloodborne community over on Reddit is feeling a little bit left out. It wants a taste of the frightening action too since From Software has very much moved on from the 2014 title, and so a handful of dedicated fans have come together to create an event themselves.
Dubbed Return to Yharnam, the celebration kicks off tomorrow and asks participants to create a new character and invade or summon as many “Hoonters” as possible. Recognising each other via a specific costume worn in-game, the month-long event will change and develop as it progresses with community voting used to determine the next set of rules or armour to be worn next. With the main post currently sitting at close to 2000 upvotes, it seems set to be an event that those still interestered in playing Bloodborne will take to rather positively.
Hey Alpha ring users! Today’s Xbox Insider Release Notes highlight the latest fixes, known issues, and features coming to your console. Starting at 2:00 p.m. PT today, users will receive the latest 1911 Xbox One system update (build: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_191118363.8072.190930-1945). Keep reading for more details.
System Update Details:
OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_191118363.8072.190930-1945
Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – October 2, 2019
Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – October 3, 2019
Fixes for Alpha
We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 1911 build:
Home
Various fixes to improve the performance of Home on console boot.
Parties
Fixed an issue where some users would not be able chat in parties after joining.
Known Issues for Alpha
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!
Audio
Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
Dolby Access
Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
Are you not seeing your issue listed above? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!
Hey Alpha Skip Ahead ring users! Today’s Xbox Insider Release Notes highlight the latest fixes, known issues, and features coming to your console. Starting at 2:00 p.m. PT today, users will receive the latest 2004 Xbox One system update (build: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_200418995.1200.190930-1920). Keep reading for more details.
System Update Details:
OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_200418995.1200.190930-1920
Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – October 2, 2019
Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – October 3, 2019
Fixes for Alpha Skip Ahead
We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 2004 build:
Groups
Fixed an issue when launching games & apps via pins.
Home
Various fixes to improve the performance of Home on console boot.
Parties
Fixed an issue where some users would not be able chat in parties after joining.
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
Known Issues for Alpha Skip Ahead
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!
Audio
Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
Dolby Access
Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones
Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.
My Games & Apps
Users have reported seeing an “Xbox Events” app in their collection.
Note: This app will be used to experiment with a new Events experience to showcase in-game events. We’ll have more to share when the feature is ready for Preview.
System
Some users have reported the console shutting down unexpectedly while using Netflix.
Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually. There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.
Some users have reported the console shutting down while playing games.
Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually. There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.
Users are reporting that the Idle Screen is activating when watching streaming content on the console.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
Are you not seeing your issue listed above? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!
