Reliance Lyf Phone Allegedly Explodes, Nokia Android Phone's Image Leaked, and More: Your 360 Daily

In today's big tech news, Reliance Retail's Lyf smartphone allegedly exploded, BlackBerry launched 'secure Android smartphones' in India, and Samsung revealed its new AI-powered virtual assistant's capabilities. Check out your 360 Daily for these and other biggest tech news of the day.

Reliance Lyf smartphone allegedly explodes
Reliance Retail's Lyf brand of smartphone joined the list of exploding handsets with a buyer saying on Twitter that his device caught on fire. The customer, Tanvir Sadiq, also posted a picture of the alleged burnt phone and warned people from using Lyf smartphones. In response, the company promised to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter.

BlackBerry launches 'secure' Android smartphones in India
BlackBerry on Monday launched the DTEK50 and DTEK60, which the company is promoting as 'secure Android smartphones', in India at Rs. 21,990 and Rs. 46,990. Both are single-SIM (Micro-SIM) smartphones and run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with custom BlackBerry skin on top, feature BlackBerry Enterprise services, and the DTEK by BlackBerry app, which lend them the title of the 'world's most secure Android smartphones'. The two handsets are also compatible with Enterprise Mobility Managements solutions for ready enterprise adoption.

The DTEK50 sports a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone also has 16GB inbuilt storage, microSD card support up to 2TB, 13-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, and a 2610mAh battery with fast-charging.

BlackBerry DTEK60 has a 5.5-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) display and runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 32GB storage, microSD card support up to 2TB, 21-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, 3000mAh battery with fast-charging, and a fingerprint scanner.

Nokia D1C Android smartphone's images leaked
Contradicting earlier reports that the often leaked Nokia D1C is a tablet, a new leak has given us the first glimpse at the Finnish company's upcoming Android smartphone. The leaked images, courtesy Weibo, show that the smartphone has rounded metal edges, with the 3.5mm audio jack on top, and the USB port and microphone at the bottom edge. The back casing is seemingly made of glass, and the volume and power buttons are on the right edge.

The Nokia D1C Android smartphone is expected to come in Gold, White, and Black colour variants. Only the Gold colour option is expected to sport a fingerprint scanner (integrated in the Home Button below the screen). The other two models are said to have only capacitive buttons in the front instead. Previous leaks have suggested that the smartphone 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, 2K display resolution, and 32GB inbuilt storage.

Samsung dishes out details of AI-powered digital assistant
Samsung, after teasing the AI-powered digital assistant for Galaxy S8, has revealed more details about its upcoming rival to Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. The Galaxy S8 virtual assistant, likely to be powered by Viv Labs, will let users order food or perform other tasks without going through a third-party application but by simply asking the digital helper. The artificial intelligence service will also be made available in Samsung's other consumer electronics products, such as refrigerators.

Apple may not update iPhone SE in 2017
iPhone SE, the only small-screen smartphone in Apple's current portfolio, may not get an update next year, according to the most well-informed analyst covering the company. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple will not unveil the update to iPhone SE (Review), released in March 2016, as it does not want a new model to cannibalise the sales of the iPhone 8, which is supposedly a major upgrade over the current flagship.

Xiaomi launches splash-resistant Bluetooth headset
Xiaomi has launched the Mi Sports Bluetooth Headset which can be used while performing physical activities like running, jogging, or while at gym. The headset has in-ear design, is splash-resistant, can be connected simultaneously with two devices, weighs 17.8 grams, and has a 110mAh battery that is rated to last 7 hours. The headset has been priced at CNY 149 (roughly Rs. 1,500) and will be available for purchase from November 11.

WhatsApp for iPhone gets full-fledged GIF support
WhatsApp for iPhone has got full-blown animated GIF image sharing support via the version 2.16.15 update. Now users will be able to send, create, and receive animated GIF images on the messaging platform. You need to record a video (up to a maximum of 6-second) and a new toggle switch will appear on the top right edge with the option of rendering it in normal video or GIF format. Selecting the GIF option will allow users to create a loop GIF and send it to a WhatsApp user as desired. This feature is still in beta mode for Android users.