Here are the top news of the day.
Today’s day started off with yet another leak about the upcoming OnePlus 5T. We also saw Xiaomi dropping the price of its most shipped smartphone, the Redmi Note 4. Moreover, the day also witnessed the official launch of Motorola’s Moto X4 smartphone in India. The day also saw Uber approving SoftBank’s $10 billion investment offer. Here’s a closer look at these news stories.
Moto X4 launch
Lenovo-backed Motorola launched the Moto X4 in India today. The smartphone is available in two variants – 32GB with 3GB RAM priced at Rs 20,999 and 64GB with 4GB RAM priced at Rs 22,999. The smartphone comes with a dual-camera setup with a combination of a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel f/2.0 aperture sensor, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens of f/2.2 aperture. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel camera with LED flash. The smartphone also features a front fingerprint sensor and IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The Moto X4 will go on sale tonight at 11.59PM via Flipkart.
- Moto X4 to go on sale tonight at 11:59PM via Flipkart: Launch offers and more
- Moto X4 First Impressions: Mid-ranger with flagship offerings
OnePlus 5T unboxing video
OnePlus 5T is inching closer to its official launch, and there is hardly anything we don’t know about the phone. While last week the smartphone was spotted on a benchmarking website, alleged live photos too were spotted recently. Today, an alleged hands-on video of the smartphone surfaced online leaving very little to the imagination. The latest leak confirms that the OnePlus 5T will feature an edge-to-edge display with thin bezels at the top and bottom. The video further confirms the presence of dual-camera module and also a 3,300mAh battery. On the software front, the smartphone will run OxygenOS based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box.
- OnePlus 5T video reveals edge-to-edge display, iPhone X-like Face ID feature
- OnePlus 5T with Snapdragon 835 SoC, 8GB RAM spotted on Geekbench, real-life photos leaked too
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 price drop
The Redmi Note 4 is Xiaomi’s most shipped smartphone, and today the company has permanently slashed its price by Rs 1,000. The revised price of the smartphone now stands at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999 for the 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM variant respectively. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is available at the reduced price on Flipkart and mi.com.
Qualcomm to reject Broadcom’s $103 billion offer
US chipmaker Qualcomm today rejected rival Broadcom’s $103 billion bid. Broadcom offered $60 a share in cash, and $10 in stock for Qualcomm – a 28 percent premium over the company’s share price making it the largest tech deal ever. Broadcom is also readying to submit its selection of directors for Qualcomm’s board. Qualcomm, however, is preparing a “resistance” to the current price. The offer also comes at a time when Qualcomm is trying to close its pending $38-billion acquisition of automotive chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV. Broadcom has indicated it is willing to buy Qualcomm irrespective of whether it closes the NXP deal.
Uber approves SoftBank’s $10 billion investment offer
SoftBank will finally be buying into Uber. Uber today confirmed the $10 billion deal with SoftBank. Under the agreement, a consortium of investors led by SoftBank will buy at least 14 percent of Uber. With $1 billion being pumped directly and $9 billion by buying existing shares. The total ownership by Softbank and Dragoneer is believed to be 14 percent. However, the valuation of which these shares are being bought is unknown. Uber’s current valuation is close to $60 billion.