TCL’s 4K Android TVs are up to $300 off across size variants

TCL is participating in this Black Friday sale season by offering up to $300 off across its 4K Android TVs. The deals extend to the 50″, 55″, and 75″ TVs. Curiously, it’s the 55″ TV that is the cheapest of the lot, while the 75″ understandably brings along the most discount. Essentially, you are getting the 50″ TV for $230 instead of $350, the 55″ TV for $200 instead of $400, and the 75″ TV for $500 instead of $800. Check out all the deals at Best Buy!

TCL 50 inch 4K LED TV

The TCL 50inch 4K LED TV is a good option for those looking for a basic TV at this size, since this size is not a very popular option among OEMs. Check it out!

$230 at Best Buy

TCL 55 inch 4K LED TV

The TCL 55inch 4K LED TV is a good option for those looking for a basic TV, but it competes against the vast sea of options at the 55 inch front. You rightfully get the most discount.

$200 at Best Buy

TCL 75 inch 4K LED TV

The TCL 75inch 4K LED TV is a good option for those looking for a big TV, with a competitive price tag and features that make it worth consideration.

$500 at Best Buy

All three of these smart TVs are part of TCL’s 4-series of Android TVs, featuring 4K UHD resolution panels across different sizes, namely 50″, 55″, and 75″. For reasons we can’t quite comprehend, TCL is offering the middle 55″ for the lowest price, ensuring that this becomes the pick for most users. Unless you have an acute space constraint that restricts you from opting for anything above 50″, you will be getting a lower price and a better deal with the 55″ variant.

Other than the sizing, all three of these TVs have largely similar specifications and features. You get decent clarity and detail, as well as access to the familiar repository of Android TV apps ad support for Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in. The TCL 4K Android TV within the 4 series also offers HDR support for enhanced clarity and detail across compatible content. These also come with a voice remote, 3x HDMI ports (1x ARC), and dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet support.

Keep in mind that these TVs are not the best options around if you intend to game heavily with the Xbox Series X or the Sony Playstation 5. For these new consoles, you need a TV with HDMI 2.1 that can deliver 4K 120fps gameplay, which these TVs cannot. However, this support comes at a price premium, so do assess if your budget can accommodate the same. Our top pick for gaming use is the Sony Bravia X900H, which you can snag up for $1000 during this Black Friday sale season.

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The Hisense 65″ 4K LED Android TV can be yours for just $250!

Looking to upgrade your TV but don’t have that high of a budget? Hisense has sensed your needs. The Hisense 65″ 4K LED Smart Android TV is on sale this Black Friday, and Best Buy is giving you the opportunity to own this big TV for just $250, a good 50% off the usual $500 selling price!

Hisense 65 4K LED Android TV

The Hisense Smart Android TV is a great option for those on a tight budget, offering a no-frills experience at a price that is hard to match this sale season!

$250 at Best Buy

The Hisense 65″ 4K LED TV is your standard Android TV. There aren’t too many bells and whistles to it, and that’s precisely what makes it so great. Because the TV focuses on providing a great viewing experience on a budget, it manages to achieve this goal without any distractions along the way. With this TV, you get a 4K panel with HDR (as well as HDR 10, Dolby Vision, HLG) on a 65″ screen diagonal. The frame rate on the TV is 60Hz, so don’t expect to enjoy the 4K 120fps gaming experience from the likes of the Xbox Series X and the Sony Playstation 5. But that’s alright, since TVs that do offer those, like the Sony Bravia X900H, are available for at least $1000 after a discount. This TV, on the other hand, is a quarter of that price, making it perfect for those use cases that do not involve frequent gaming.

With the HiSense 65″ 4K LED Android TV, you get the standard set of features such as Bluetooth audio connectivity, Google Assistant capabilities, built-in Chromecast, and more. As long as you know what you are getting at this price, you will not be disappointed with your purchase. If you have the budget to splurge, the aforementioned Sony Bravia X900H is a great choice thanks to HDMI 2.1, and if you can afford to go even higher, the Sony Bravia A8H lets you venture into the world of OLED Android TVs, though at a rightful premium. And if you want to go big, Samsung has something in store for you, too.

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Grabbed an Xbox Series X? Get a Wireless Controller for just $40 during Black Friday deals!

The Xbox Series X is one of the hottest next-gen consoles right now together with the PlayStation 5. Since both consoles have been suffering from stock issues as well as an unprecedented demand, you might not have been able to get your hands on a console just yet. If you did, however, then you’re probably enjoying your next-gen experience to the fullest. If you grabbed an Xbox Series X and you’re looking for an extra controller, or even if you have an Xbox One and want a new controller for it, then we have you covered. Best Buy is currently selling the Xbox Wireless Controller for just $40, down from the usual retail price of $60.

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller

The Xbox wireless controller is compatible with the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S, and the Xbox One lineup of consoles, as well as PCs and Android devices, and you can grab one right now for just $40.

$40 at Best Buy

The Xbox Wireless Controller is actually the model that comes with both the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X, which is why we’re putting a lot of emphasis on those particular models, but it’s also fully compatible with the older Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X consoles, as it’s the standard Xbox controller that works with both generations of consoles. This means that you get the updated d-pad and the cleaner design that comes with the newer model.

Of course, the Xbox controller is also notable for being compatible with PCs, so you can also get this if you’re a PC gamer and you want a controller that does the job instead of just using the keyboard and mouse (some games are way more comfortable to play on a controller).

Both the black and white colorways of the Xbox controller are now retailing for $40, while the “Shock Blue” model is ever-so-slightly more expensive at $45. All of them are considerably more affordable than the previous retail price of $60, and they’re amazing controllers even if you don’t have an Xbox, so act now while stocks last.

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How to use WhatsApp Pay for sending and receiving money

Earlier this month, WhatsApp officially announced the rollout of WhatsApp Pay in India. Built upon the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform, WhatsApp Pay joins a growing list of UPI-powered payments services — which include Google Pay, Flipkart’s PhonePe, PayTM, and dozen more — to allow users to send and receive money between two bank accounts free of charge in a fast and secure way. Although service is limited to a fraction of WhatsApp’s user base, for now, it marks a big step forward for the Facebook-owned company as it looks to expand beyond its messaging capabilities and prepares to tap into e-commerce opportunities.

Background — A Long Quest

WhatsApp’s quest to launch its payments service in India dates back to 2018. In February 2018, WhatsApp obtained approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to beta test its payments service, which saw the company rolling out the service to 1 million users.

But what seemed like smooth sailing soon came to a sudden halt as the company engaged in a lengthy regulatory battle, which stretched for two years. One of the demands put forward by regulators was compliance with Reserve Bank of India’s data storage guidelines, which mandate all Payments Service Providers (PSP) to store financial data of users within the Indian territory.

RBI asked NPCI to hold the full-scale rollout of WhatsApp Pay until the company fulfilled these requirements. WhatsApp initially resisted the compliance but realizing there was no way around it, the company agreed to abide by the data localization requirements needed to receive a green light for the rollout.

WhatsApp appointed Deloitte, a third-party CERT-In auditor, to audit its compliance, which submitted its report to NPCI on May 29th, 2020, citing WhatsApp to be fully compliant with RBI’s data localization norms.

Satisfied with the report, NPCI then gave formal approval to WhatsApp and its Payments Service Provider, ICICI Bank, to go live on UPI in a phased manner, with the feature being made available to a maximum of 20 million users in the first wave.

But WhatsApp Pay is not available for everyone, yet

WhatsApp Pay has gone live for several users in India. Even though it’s only available for 20 million subscribers now, it will gradually be rolling out to more users over time under the strict vigilance of NPCI.

That brings us to the next question: Why is WhatsApp Pay not available for all users yet? NPCI, the body that operates the UPI, this month announced a 30% cap on the total volume of UPI transactions processed by Third Party App Providers. This 30% limit, the body argues, is to prevent big tech companies such as Google and Flipkart’s PhonePe from monopolizing the market and hurting the small players.

According to the latest numbers released in October 2020, Google Pay and PhonePe alone accounted for 83% of the market share while PayTM, Mobikwik, Amazon UPI, and others held measly 17%.

WhatsApp has more than 400 million users in India. With such an enormous reach, it could potentially disrupt the market dynamics and wreak havoc on infrastructure if it were to roll out UPI functionality on such a massive scale overnight.

The 30% cap comes into effect from January 2021 for new entrants and will be calculated based on the total number of UPI transactions processed within the preceding three months. The existing players will have a period of two years to comply. So while WhatsApp has not officially mentioned any reason for its limited rollout, we reckon its this limit that keeps the service cautious about running too fast right from the start.

How to use WhatsApp Pay

Requirements for using WhatsApp Pay are pretty basic: you need the latest version of WhatsApp and some luck — there’s no other way to force the feature. If you’re already running the newest version of the app and want to try out the feature, luck permitting, here are the steps to start sending and receiving payments on WhatsApp:

• Make sure you’re on the latest beta version of WhatsApp. We got this feature working on the latest WhatsApp Beta. In the future, we reckon the feature will be rolled out to stable users, but for now, you need to be on the Beta.
• From within the app, tap on the three-dot menu from the upper right corner and look for the Payments option. If you can’t spot it, which was the case on my mom’s account, the feature isn’t available for you yet. We also observed that older accounts are more likely to receive the payments feature in the first phase than the relatively new accounts.
• Even if you see the Payments option in the menu, it’s still not guaranteed the feature is activated for your account. You might either be greeted with the “You can’t set up payments in WhatsApp right now.” error or get a screen that looks like this (in which case congratulations, the feature is available for you):

• The onboarding process is very straightforward. Tap on the “Add payment method” and select your bank from the list.

• WhatsApp will try to find and link your bank account associated with your mobile number. You might be asked to verify your phone number via SMS — a common ritual among UPI apps when setting up the account for the first time.

• If the linking process went smooth, you should now have everything in place to start sending and receiving money through WhatsApp Pay.

The WhatsApp Pay Experience

Using WhatsApp Pay is very similar to using any other UPI app, but since the service is integrated right into the WhatsApp app, it makes for a much more simplified and less cluttered experience. The UI is refreshingly clean and intuitive, with the main emphasis on peer-to-peer transactions. You also have the option to scan QR codes for paying at merchants and businesses. It doesn’t replace a full-fledged app like Google Pay — you can’t pay your bills or electricity, for example — but for just sending and receiving money, it gets the job done fairly well.

If the recipient has set up WhatsApp Pay, sending money is as simple as selecting the contact number, entering the amount, and punching in your UPI PIN. In case the other party doesn’t have the payments feature yet, you have the fallback option in the form of sending money to their other UPI ID — assuming they use something like Google Pay or PhonePe, or any UPI, for that matter. Just ask them to share their UPI ID — which should look something like 91XXXXXXXX@okicici or <username>@<bankupi> — and complete the transaction. Similarly, you can also receive money onto your own WhatsApp Pay UPI ID from other service providers by providing your own ID. But the ID that WhatsApp generates looks like <Your Phone Number>.wa.xes@icici, which isn’t as intuitive as other username based UPI IDs. So the soft “requirement” for both the sender and receiver having WhatsApp Pay is to simplify the username sharing process and take the thinking out.

The Road Ahead

With more than a dozen UPI apps floating around in India, it won’t be easy for WhatsApp to convince people to switch over to its own flavor of UPI overnight — irrespective of the merits it might hold in the way of ease of use and simplicity. The 30% volume cap and phased rollout certainly don’t help either. But there’s no doubt that WhatsApp Pay holds the potential to become one of India’s leading payment platforms. It also paves the way for e-commerce opportunities that Facebook has been eyeing for years, as well as a viable way to monetize the instant messaging platform.

WhatsApp has the natural advantage of being a household name in India. Unlike other UPI apps, it won’t have to go on a hunt for new users, nor will it have to beg people to install yet another UPI app on their phone. The app is already present on more than 400 million devices, so the company’s task is reduced to figuring out how to nudge those users to get in the habit of using WhatsApp Pay.

WhatsApp Pay will be pivotal in shaping Facebook’s broader strategy to integrate WhatsApp Business more tightly and provide a full-fledged e-commerce experience right within the app.

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The Samsung Crystal 85″ 4K HDR TV has a $400 discount, this Black Friday

When it comes to TVs, “go big or go home” is quite true. The experience from a giant TV is unparalleled, and if you have the budget and space for one, it is a no brainer that you should try and go as large as comfortably possible. If you happen to be looking for a giant TV, Samsung’s Crystal 85″ 4K HDR TV has a cool $400 discount, bringing its price down to $1,300 this Black Friday.

Samsung Crystal 85 inch 4K HDR TV

The Samsung Crystal 85 inch 4K HDR TV is a good choice for users who want a giant TV with great picture quality without breaking the proverbial bank. It isn't the best option for console gamers, but movie buffs should have no complains on its immersion.

$1,300 at Samsung

This Samsung Crystal 85″ 4K HDR TV is from the Class 6 lineup, with TU6950 as its specific model number. This series from Samsung is known for its picture quality in its price range, and the 85″ diagonal is just unbelievable immersive when you experience it in front of you. The TV is powered by the Crystal processor, and it runs on Samsung’s Tizen-based OS for its smart TV lineup. The TV is an LED TV with 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160), is HDR capable, and comes with support for Bixby, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant for voice control.

The Samsung Crystal TV also packs in a neat trick for a clean showcase, allowing users to route the cable through the TV stand, giving you a much cleaner, clutter-free, and more immersive experience. One downside with the TV is the remote, which is full of buttons and looks to be a bit clunky — but if you are someone who prefers having your shortcuts and controls laid out in front of you at all times, then this ould work out in your favor. Nonetheless, just having a giant 85″ 4K HDR TV present in front of you, and at a relatively cheap $1,300 is a deal that should not be missed. However, if you are big on gaming, keep in mind that the TV specifications make no mention of HDMI 2.1, so you are unlikely to get that sweet 4K 120fps gaming experience from the Xbox Series X and the Sony Playstation 5. If you want something for that purpose, you can explore the Sony Bravia X900H series on sale, but keep in mind that the 85″ version costs a cool $2,000.

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One UI 3.0 beta begins rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 in Korea

2020 has been one of the greatest years for Samsung foldables. The latest iteration of the Galaxy Fold lineup turned out better than the first generation model, and the Korean OEM received mostly positive feedback on the Galaxy Z Flip. More importantly for us, the software update part isn’t being ignored. The addition of the Android 11/One UI 3.0 beta program just makes things even better. Now, it looks like One UI 3.0 beta has begun rolling out to the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 XDA Forums

Today, Samsung made available the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 public beta build for the 5G variant of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (model number SM-F916N) in Korea. The update comes in with build number F916NKSU1ZTKD and the November 2020 security patches. Of course, this build includes the bevy of new features and revamped components of the One UI skin on top of the usual Android 11 goodies.

Thanks to Samsung Korea Community user 너도밤나무 for the screenshot!

The standard disclaimer for all betas apply here too, namely that beta software tends to contain bugs. If you are looking for a stable OS for your shiny new Galaxy Z Fold 2 that serves all your needs flawlessly, you should stay away from beta programs. Samsung’s public beta builds are usually more polished than the internal test firmware packages, but there is still a possibility that something crucial is broken.

In case you have an eligible device like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 but you haven’t rolled into the One UI 3.0 beta program yet, you’ll have to do so in the Samsung Members app. While you’re inside the app, you should see an option for enrolling in the beta program after tapping the “Notices” button. On the following screen, tap on the enroll button and then wait a few minutes for the app to process your enrollment. After that, head over to the Software update page on your device and tap on check for updates to download the open beta release.

Samsung Members (Free, Google Play) →

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The ASUS TUF VG249Q 144Hz monitor is now just $170 for Black Friday

Black Friday is an awesome time for everyone, and if you’re a gamer, then it’s even more amazing. There are just so many good technology deals this week that we absolutely can’t pass on them. As a gamer, you probably want to treat your eyes with buttery smooth frame rates as well as an excellent resolution and decent color reproduction. So, where do you go from here? Monitors that support those kinds of features are pretty expensive, right? Well, they don’t have to be. ASUS under their budget-oriented TUF Gaming sub-brand has launched the VG249Q monitor, which can be yours today for the low price of $170, down from the $250 it usually costs.

ASUS TUF VG249Q 144Hz Monitor

The ASUS TUF VG249Q monitor features a 1080p display with a 1920x1080 resolution and a 23.8 inch display size, and comes at a relatively cheap $170 for Black Friday.

$170 at Best Buy

The ASUS TUF VG249Q is a very decent panel all-in-all. It features a 144Hz buttery smooth refresh rate so that your games run with lifelike smoothness, and the monitor itself is a 23.8-inch panel; far from the biggest thing out there, but still very decently sized compared to other options in that same price range. It has a 1920x1080p resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the monitor itself supports features such as AMD’s FreeSync for better variable refresh rate support. It also has a 1ms response time, so latency shouldn’t be an issue with this monitor either.

Other features included with this monitor include a contrast of 1000:1 and support for different connections such as DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI. And it’s just too good of a deal to pass on if you need a gaming-oriented monitor that gets the basics right and ticks boxes such as a high refresh rate, big size, and decent resolution. It’s not going to blow you off your seat like other monitors with 1440p or 4K displays and up to a 360Hz refresh rate, but it is more than enough for playing all of your favorite titles in full HD. If you have a modest gaming rig, this will fit in perfectly.

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