Aaron Finch Backs Marnus Labuschagne for Upcoming ODI’s against India

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Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has thrown his weight behind Marnus Labuschagne’s potential, and the possibility of the 25-year-old carrying forward his domestic form into the upcoming ODI tour of India, starting January 14.

Labuschagne has hardly put a foot wrong since coming on as a concussion substitute – the first-ever one in Tests – for Steven Smith in the Ashes Test at Lord’s. He’s played eight Tests since then, scoring 1190 runs at an average of 85.00, and finished 2019 at the top of the batting charts in the longest format.

Labuschagne has not just been among the runs for Australia in whites. He’s also put stellar performances for Queensland in the Marsh Cup, which he finished as the Joint Player of the Tournament – with teammate Usman Khawaja.

While Labuschagne has made it to the limited-overs squad for the first time on the back of incredible performances in Tests as well as the domestic circuit, Australia chose to leave out Glenn Maxwell from the tour even as the all-rounder made himself available after taking a mental health-related break towards the end of last year.

Since his six-week hiatus, Maxwell has made a strong return, leading his BBL side Melbourne Stars to the top of the points table after seven league games. Finch talked up Maxwell’s most recent performance – a match-winning 59* off 37 against Sydney Thunder – to suggest that the all-rounder’s ODI future is not up in the air as yet.

Maxwell’s return has not just coincided with a flying start, form-wise, but also in a big payday at the IPL auction. Good form in the next couple of IPLs can still earn him back a place in the ODI side considering the next 50-over World Cup will be held in India. Though the door is left ajar for the all-rounder to try and break back in, Finch reckoned it will be down to being ‘at the right place, at the right time’.

Clinical West Indies down Ireland with all-round outing

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Clinical West Indies downed Ireland with an all-round performance to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series in Barbados with a five-wicket win. It wasn’t that Ireland didn’t show glimpses of promise, but their batting needs to improve if they are to challenge the West Indies in their backyard. After keeping Ireland to a below-par total, West Indies were led by Evin Lewis’s unbeaten 99 to take them across the line on Tuesday (January 7).

Newly-appointed Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and elected to bat, but none of the top four could convert their sedate starts to even go past the 20-run mark to play the anchor. Wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker (31) and Mark Adair (29) kept West Indies’ bowlers at bay during their 54-run stand before the latter fell. Alzarri Joseph picked up his fourth wicket with some nippy bowling when he got Tucker as Ireland slipped to 150/9. Tail-enders Barry McCarthy and Boyd Rankin added 30 for the final wicket stretching Ireland’s total to 180 before being bowled out in 46.1 overs, which was still well below par.

Lewis attacked Ireland’s bowlers on the onset in typical fashion. He went after anything short or overpitched with runs coming all around the park. His half-century came in 46 balls but fell a run short eventually of what would’ve been a deserved century. He remained unbeaten on 99 off as many in a knock that comprised of 13 boundaries and two sixes. While Lewis teed off at the other end, West Indies lost three wickets in quick succession. However, West Indies were well ahead of the required run-rate and Lewis and Roston Chase ensured they didn’t break a sweat more than they needed to complete the chase in 33.2 overs.

Brief scores: Ireland 180 in 46.1 overs (Lorcan Tucker 31, Mark Adair 29; Alzarri Joseph 4-32) lost to West Indies 184/5 in 33.2 overs (Evin Lewis 99*; Simi Singh 2-44) by five wickets.

Chris Green suspended from bowling after action found illegal

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Chris Green, Sydney Thunder’s offspinner, was suspended due to illegal bowling action on Wednesday (January 8). As a result, he was withdrawn from Thunder’s squad for the Big Bash League game tonight.

Green was reported by umpires on-field umpires Nathan Johnstone, Mike Graham-Smith and third umpire Paul Wilson after the match between Thunder and Melbourne Stars on January 2. He then underwent testing at the National Cricket Centre on January 5 as per protocol. The results from the test showed Green to have an illegal bowling action.

Green, who was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL auctions, will not be able to bowl for a minimum period of 90 days in any Cricket Australia-run competitions with immediate effect, after which he will be eligible to retake the test and attempt to return to bowling. However, should Thunder or New South Wales opt to play him solely as a batsman, it will be permitted. He can bowl in premier cricket though, under the supervision, and with the consent of Cricket NSW during his suspension.

Asaduddin Owaisi slams Cyberabad Police for tweet on ‘Jihadis’ in IT firms

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AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday took to Twitter to slam Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar for his controversial reply to a tweet about alleged ”Jihadis” working in software companies.

The Hyderabad MP asked the police official to clarify his reply to a tweet by a man, who remarked that many wannabe ”Jihadis” work for American software companies in Hyderabad. Referring to Iran”s threat to hit US assets, Suresh Kochattil wanted to know if Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police did a background check of ”these peaceful”.

“Yes, sir… We have specialized wings for collection of advance intel and our teams are on the job 24X7. Thanks for alerting us. Please keep us updated if you find anything suspicious,” replied Cyberabad Police Commissioner.

Taking exception to Sajjanar”s reply, Owaisi sought a clarification. “Sir, you say “yes sir”. Please enlighten how many such “jihadis” are working in software companies, kindly give a number, if not, please clarify what you exactly meant. Will you reply to an MP or only to a Bhakt?,” tweeted Owaisi. Owaisi told the police chief that terrorism has no religion and mentioned Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathu Ram Godse. The MP also advised Sajjanar not to resort to killings in the name of the encounter. “Whatever you do but no killings in the name of “encounter” at 5 am please if possible arrest & as accepted 3rd degree will be given but pls no cartoons in the stomach,” said Owaisi in an obvious reference to the killing of four accused in the rape and murder case by Cyberabad police last month. All four accused were killed by police in an alleged exchange of fire at Shadnagar near Hyderabad on December 6.

Jos Buttler Sparks Outrage After Expletive-Laden Rant At Vernon Philander

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Jos Buttler could be in for some trouble with the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a video of his x-rated rant at South African cricketer Vernon Philander went viral on Twitter. On a tense final day during the second Test between hosts South Africa and England, the stump mic picked up Buttler launching an angry tirade at the South African after he appeared to get in the way of a throw to the English wicketkeeper. Social media was buzzing with many slamming the Englishman for his foul-mouthed rant but former England batsman Kevin Pietersen jumped to the defense of Buttler.

“Get out the f*****g way,” said Buttler, prompting Philander to stare back at him. Buttler, though, didn’t stop and continued his abusive tirade.

Ben Stokes, who was stationed at first slip, also joined him, saying: “Don’t stare him out. He’s got a point, mate.”

Pietersen attached the video of the incident and called for Buttler to be left alone, saying “this is Test Cricket and believe me, this is nothing compared to lots that goes on, on the field”.

https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1214788530322444288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1214788530322444288&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.ndtv.com%2Fcricket%2Fsouth-africa-vs-england-jos-buttler-sparks-outrage-after-expletive-laden-rant-at-vernon-philander-2160654

Google Assistant Gets New Features such as Scheduled Actions, Screen Reading

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At CES 2020, Google has made several announcements regarding the Google Assistant. The company says that it is now available on more than 1 billion devices, and is used by more than 500 million people every month. The voice-based assistant is active on several devices – smart speakers, phones, TVs, cars, smart displays, and more. Google introduced new features related to Google Assistant at CES this year, the key ones being the ability to schedule actions for later, the ability to read articles out loud in a more natural-sounding manner and over 42 languages, and easy access to privacy settings. The tech giant also expanded its Interpreter Mode feature to new places like airports, banks, and more hotels. Here’s a rundown all the new features coming to Google Assistant this year:

Scheduled actions:

This feature will essentially let you order Assistant to do a task in the future, offering more granular control. You can ask Google Assistant to turn on/ off or start/ stop a compatible device at the time of your choosing. For instance, you can say, “Hey Google, run the coffee maker at 6 am” and the connected smart device should do the task at the mentioned time. You can control more than 20 new devices, including AC units, air purifiers, bathtubs, coffee makers, vacuums and more, from the Google Home app. This Scheduled Actions feature is rolling out later this year.

Screen reading:

Google previewed the ability to read long-form articles out loud using Google Assistant. An Android user can say “Hey Google, read it” or “Hey Google, read this page” when you’re viewing an article, and the Assistant should read it out loud to you.

Furthermore, the company says that this content can also be translated into 42 languages, such as Hindi, German or Spanish. Google just previewed the feature at CES, and it will be available on Android phones later this year on Android version 5 and above. The company is also working on additional features like auto-scroll and text highlighting capabilities that help users read the text as it’s being read aloud.

Galaxy S10 Lite Price in India Leaked Ahead of Anticipated February Launch

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Taking big on OnePlus, South Korean giant Samsung is all set to launch its next flagship Galaxy, S10 Lite, with Snapdragon 855 SoC in India next month, as per industry sources quoted by IANS, in the accessible price range of Rs. 40,000 – Rs. 45,000. According to industry sources, Galaxy S10 Lite will go on sale in the country in the first week of February.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will reportedly be sold through online retail major Flipkart and launch deals are likely to bring prices closer to Rs. 40,000, the sources told IANS on Wednesday.

Galaxy S10 Lite will give a renewed push to Samsung’s strategy in the premium segment (priced above Rs. 30,000), where its flagship smartphones Galaxy S and Note series have traditionally done very well.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite houses a 48-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ‘Ultra Wide’ and 5-megapixel ‘Macro’ sensors alongside the new ‘Super Steady OIS’ tech. The smartphone features a 32-megapixel selfie camera. It bears a 6.7-inch Infinity-O display, a large 4,500mAh battery with fast charging support, and Samsung’s ecosystem of apps and services, including Samsung Pay.

Samsung announced a new Galaxy S10 Lite along with another flagship Galaxy Note 10 Lite smartphones earlier this month.

Ala Vaikunthapuramulo: Butta Bomma Song Teaser Is Out

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Allu Arjun starrer ‘Ala Vaikunthapuramulo…’ is ready to hit the screens on 12th January 2020. As the release date is only a few days away, the makers are in full swing when it comes to promotions. As all the lyrical videos of songs are released, they have bagged millions of views and made this movie stand as the biggest musical hit of the year. Today, the makers have released the song promo of “Butta Bomma…” song. Here is the post for you… Have a look!

Ala Vaikunthapuramuloo is Pongal special movie which is directed by Trivikram. Having a star cast of Tabu, Vennela Kishore, Sushanth, Navdeep Tanikella Bharani and Sachin Khedkar, this movie is a complete entertainer.

MediaTek Dimensity 800 Series 5G SoCs Announced for Mid-Rangers

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Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company MediaTek on Tuesday launched Dimensity 800 Series chips for the premium yet mid-price range 5G smartphones. The Dimensity 800 5G chipset family offers powerful system-on-chips (SoCs) with integrated 5G modems, the company announced at the CES 2020.

As per the company, the Dimensity 800 series integrates MediaTek’s 5G modem in one compact design, delivering significant platform power savings compared to two-chip alternatives. It is designed to support both standalone and non-standalone sub-6GHz networks, apart from two carrier aggregation (2CC CA), and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS).

The Dimensity 800 Series is an octa-core SoC featuring four ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked up to 2GHz, and four ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked up to the same frequency. It also bears four Dimensity 1000-class GPU IP cores, combined with the company’s HyperEngine gaming tech.

The APU 3.0 unit on board is meant to process AI-specific tasks, while the SoC supports up to 64-megapixel camera sensors, and large multi-camera options such as 32-megapixel + 16-megapixel dual cameras. MediaTek is also touting multi-frame 4K video HDR capabilities, and support for up to 90Hz full-HD resolution displays.

AP Government to ask Public Opinion before increasing Electricity Charges

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The Andhra Pradesh government likely to increased electricity rates in the state after the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission announced its retail distribution tariff order for the year 2020- 21. The government seems to receive the opinions from the public from tomorrow on the proposal to increase the current tariff in 2020-21.

AP South Regional Electricity Distribution (APSPDCL) CMD H Haranatha Rao said that a public referendum will be held on 9th, 10th, and 11th of this month. He said that they will gather opinions from the public at Tummalapalli Kalakshetra Campus in Vijayawada on 9th, the Kadapa District Parishad Hall on the 10th and the Tirupati SPDCL office on the 10th. The meeting will be held from 10 am to 4.30 pm.

This had raised the curiosity among as it is the first time the charges are going to hike after YCP has come to power. DISCOMs have stated in the Annual Revenue Requirement Report (ARR) about the need for Rs 44,840.86 crore for the next fiscal. The financial situation, the cost of operations and the deficit are included in the report.

Bharat Bandh: Banking Services to be affected

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Ten trade unions called for a nationwide strike or Bharat Bandh on Wednesday, as a protest against the “anti-people” policies of this government, as they term it. The unions behind the strike call are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, LPF, and UTUC apart from other independent federations.

All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), BEFI, INBEF, INBOC and Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh (BKSM) are set to participate in the strike which would have its impact on banking services such as deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearing and instrument issuance. ATM services could also be impacted by the strike. The bank employees have joined the strike against banking reforms and mega-merger of nationalized banks. They are also demanding a pay hike in addition to a uniform five-day week.

There were reports of protesters blocking the movement of trains in Howrah and 24 Parganas of West Bengal. The joint statement issued by the 10 organizations claims that 25 crore people would be participating in the nationwide strike beginning at 6.00 am on Wednesday.

The unions have demanded a rollback of what they see as “anti-working class, anti-people and the anti-national policies” of the Central government. Meanwhile, Bhumeen Adhikar Andolan has reportedly declared its intention to block highways and movement of trains through Rasta Roko and Rail Roko.

Transgender commits suicide over love failure in Tamil Nadu

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In an incident, a transgender has committed suicide by hanging herself near Erode in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The deceased identified as Murugesan alias Sushmita (22), belongs to Vinayaka temple street in Moolapalayam.

Sushmita made friendship with a 25-year-old young man of Veerappanchatram area in Erode, which later developed into a love affair. Then she started to pressure him to marry her. But he rejected her proposal. Over this, Sushmita became very upset and committed suicide by hanging herself to the fan, when there was no one in the house.

The family members noticed her and immediately rushed to the government hospital, where the doctors confirmed brought dead.

Tom Latham is the Latest to get Injured with broken finger

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The latest New Zealander to join the list of injured is Tom Latham, who suffered a broken pinky finger in the third Test against Australia. Latham, who was the stand-in captain in Sydney, is now ruled out for approximately four weeks, picking up the injury while taking the final catch of the Australian innings before the declaration on Day 4. He will miss the five-match T20I series against India due to begin on January 24 in Auckland.

The opener should be fit for India’s upcoming two-test series starting late February and is targeting a return during the three-match ODI series. Latham joins a list of injured players from New Zealand that left them a weakened side against mighty Australia at home. For the final Sydney Test, New Zealand were forced to make as many as five changes to their playing XI due to injuries and illness striking various members in their squad, including regular captain Kane Williamson.

Head coach, Gary Stead, provided an update on the state of his squad: “Lockie Ferguson (right calf strain) has returned to running and performing bowling drills. He’ll continue to progress over the next couple of weeks with the potential to return to domestic cricket early next month,” he said on Wednesday (January 8).

New Zealand’s squad for the T20I series against India will be named late next week.

Sharwanand and Sai Dharam Tej said No to World Famous Lover: Reports

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Young heroes Sharwanand and Sai Dharam Tej are currently in great form in their careers now. The latest interesting reports in the film Nagar reveal that both these heroes rejected a script that Vijay Devarakonda finally took up. The project in the discussions is World Famous Lover, directed by Kranthi Madhav.

Kranthi Madhav who earlier worked with Sharwanand in Malli Malli Idhi Rani Roju narrated World Famous Lover script to the same hero but Sharwa is said to have rejected the project. And then, Kranthi Madhav narrated it to Sai Dharam Tej who showed no interest in the film. Finally, Vijay stepped in.

Those who have watched the trailer expressed an opinion that Vijay could have avoided doing the movie as it reminds us of Arjun Reddy but we have to wait for the film’s release to understand the thought process of Vijay which made him do the film.

SA Vs ENG: Pieter Malan holds South Africa at Lunch

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In what turned out to be an attritional session, South Africa’s batsmen led by Pieter Malan (83*) tried to stonewall England. However, the visitors chipped away by taking a couple of scalps as the home side slipped to 170 for 4, still needing 268 for an unlikely win at the Lunch break.

As the final day commenced, James Anderson continued to find a hint of old-ball swing to put the duo of Malan and nightwatchman Keshav Maharaj under pressure. After a loud appeal for caught behind against Malan was rightly turned down, he dismissed Maharaj with the inswinger. He also troubled Faf du Plessis, the South African skipper, and could have dismissed him in the 67th over LBW. The umpire adjudged it as two runs, but replays suggested it was pad first and the impact was right in the line of off-stump.

Ben Stokes, who replaced Anderson, and Dom Bess, the off-spinner, bowled incisively but Malan, in particular, showed excellent defense and temperament to get through a tricky phase. The way he rocked back and cut Bess in the 75th over gave a glimpse of his ability to use the crease. Unfortunately for the home side, du Plessis lost his concentration and swept Bess straight into the hands of the fielder in front of square on the on-side.

Malan and Rassie van der Dussen then ensured South Africa wouldn’t lose another wicket in the session. With a few cracks around, there is some variable bounce on offer, but the track is still playing reasonably well. So, the home side has a decent chance of eking out a draw.

Brief scores: England 269 (O Pope 61; K Rabada 3-68) and 391/8 decl. (D Sibley 133*, J Root 61; A Nortje 3-61) lead South Africa 223 (D Elgar 88, R Dussen 68; J Anderson 5-40) and 170/4 (P Malan 83*; J Anderson 2-23) by 268 runs.

YSRCP writes to President of India to declare Amaravati as unconstitutional

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In the latest development to shift the administrative capital of Andhra Pradesh from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, the YSR Congress party had written to President of India Ramnath Kovind to declare the Amaravati as illegal and unconstitutional.

In his letter to the president of India, former minister and YSRCP MLA have requested to direct the Government of India to recognize that the decision on Amaravati is unconstitutional, illegal. He also brought to the notice of President of India that the capital region Amaravati has not notified either by Gazette or by any Government Order.

Dharmana prasad Rao alleged that the then Andhra Pradesh government headed by Chandrababu Naidu had declared Amaravati as the capital of the State without considering the Sivaramakrishnan committee’s recommendations, which stated that a single large capital city was not a feasible option.

He recalled the Sivaramakrishnan committee’s recommendation against the location of the capital in VGTM ( Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali Mangalagiri) region, which advised the government of Andhra Pradesh to revisit its decision of making Amaravati as the capital as it would affect the best available agriculture lands in the country.

Dharmana asserted that the present government revisiting the decision has appointed the expert committee and BCG committee followed by High Power Committee to study the recommendations considering to distribute various capital functions to all three regions of the State.

India vs Sri Lanka: Rain Unlikely To Play A Part In 2nd T20I

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The second T20 International (T20I) between India and Sri Lanka in Indore is likely to go through without any interference from the weather. According to accuweather.com, Indore will see intermittent clouds between 1 pm and 3 pm and is expected to be partly sunny after that till 5 pm. The sky is predicted to be mostly clear at 6 pm with a slight haze expected to set in after that for the rest of the night. The temperature is likely to be between 22 degrees Celsius at 7 pm when the match starts and then gets gradually cooler.

The precipitation level is predicted to remain at 7% throughout the period of the match.

The first T20I that was scheduled to be held at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, was abandoned due to a damp pitch after rain delayed the match.

That makes the match in Indore even more crucial for the two teams, as a win for either would ensure they do not lose the series.

There will be a lot of focus on Jasprit Bumrah, who is back in the Indian squad after a four-month absence due to a stress fracture. Bumrah had to wait to make his return to the field after the Guwahati T20I was called off and will be raring to go at the Holkar Stadium.

Rory Burns ruled out for four months with ankle injury

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England opening batsman Rory Burns will be out of action for four months after undergoing surgery on ruptured ligaments in his left ankle. He will miss England’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in March.

Burns suffered the injury while playing football in the warm-up before England’s training session at Newlands, the day before the second Test against South Africa. Kent’s young opener Zak Crawley replaced him in the side.

Burns, who has been England’s batting find of the last year and made 84 in the second innings at Centurion, will now undergo a period of rehabilitation in the hope of being fit to play for Surrey at the start of the County Championship season in April.

In response to the injury, England has now banned football from their training sessions.

Huawei Launched Y6s With Helio P35 SoC, 3,020mAh Battery

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Huawei has quietly made the Huawei Y6s phone official. The phone is a different variant of the Huawei Y6 (2019) phone launched in March last year, and it comes with a dewdrop notch and a single rear camera setup at the back. There’s a rear fingerprint sensor as well, and a 3,020mAh battery packed inside. The Huawei Y6s is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC, instead of the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC found on the Huawei Y6 (2019).

Huawei Y6s price, availability:

The company is yet to reveal the pricing and availability of the Huawei Y6s. The phone has been discreetly listed on its US website as of now, and Huawei should reveal sale details soon. The Huawei Y6s is listed in two color options – Orchid Blue and Starry Black.

Huawei Y6s specifications:

On the software side, the Huawei Y6s boots EMUI 9.0 based on Android 9 Pie. Furthermore, the Huawei Y6s packs a 6.09-inch HD+ (720×1560 pixels) TFT IPS display with a dewdrop notch and 283ppi pixel density. There’s a considerable chin seen on the bottom of the display that houses the Huawei logo. The smartphone is powered by the quad-core MediaTek Helio P35 (MTK MT6765) SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. Onboard storage options include 32GB and 64GB, and storage can further be expanded via a microSD card (up to 512GB).

In the imaging department, the Huawei Y6s comes equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and rear LED flash support. On the front is an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus capabilities.

The Huawei Y6s packs a 3,020mAh battery, and connectivity options include 4G LTE, GPS, Glonass, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and 3.5mm ear jack. Onboard sensors include a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, gravity sensor, and fingerprint sensor. The phone measures 156.28×73.5x8mm and weighs 150 grams.