Oppo N1 Mini to feature Super Zoom feature

While the Oppo N1 Mini (really, not so mini as this handset has a 5' screen. Paired with the rather-big bezels, this phone is not small at all and is actually the same size as the 5.5' LG G3 dimensions-wise) has been released a while ago, it didn't launch yet and so we have yet to get full details concerning the software of it, something Oppo changed with a Facebook post.

In the post, we got a good picture of the upcoming N1 Mini (not that we were lacking), and Oppo Mobile India teased a "Revolutionary 24 Mega Pixels Ultra HD Camera, Coming Soon!". Since the N1 Mini only features a 13 MP camera, which serves both the back and the front, we would assume they're talking about a feature similar to the Find 7, which takes ten consecutive shots to produce an all-together 50 MP picture. (That mode might actually be better than a regular 50 MP camera, since you aren't sacrificing pixel size for the extra pixels, so you pretty much get the best of both worlds). So, we would say a similar feature is on the N1 Mini, this time enabling 24 MP shots. 

Additionally, the N1 Mini features a 5' 720p display, octa-core MediaTek Chip paired with 1 GB of RAM, 2,140 mAh battery and all that running the not-latest Android 4.3. 

While we didn't get a launch date nor a price yet, this phone isn't too promising since on the one hand it isn't mini at all, quite big actually, and on the other hand the specs aren't anything to be proud of. Unless the price is in the $200-250 range, we would suggest to pass on this one.

Source: Oppo Mobile India Facebook

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Messenger to be required for sending/receiving messages on Facebook

Although Facebook has made the purchase of Whatsapp for $16 billion, it seems keen on keeping Messenger by itself, and is even planning to separate it from the regular Facebook, a move which will be effective beginning this week.

Starting this week, whoever wants to message his friends on Facebook will have to do it via the dedicated Messenger app. That means you will no longer be able to message people straight from Facebook, and will have to download the 30+ MB, running in the background app.

Why would Facebook make such a move? While it's obvious it wants people to be hooked into Messenger, and having them do it only via the app will surely keep them more engaged, it wouldn't hurt to leave the option on the regular website, as in my experience the apps tends to waste some RAM in the background and weights around 30 MB. 

Facebook's official reason was that on Facebook, users tend to reply 20% faster. Hmmmmm. Hardly sufficient, but whatever. Whether you like it or not, that's reality beginning next week, and in case you want to, and have yet to download the Messenger app, you can get it right here:

Facebook Messenger (Playboard) | Facebook Messenger (Play Store)

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Facebook Messenger to start making money, unclear exactly how

When Facebook hired PayPal president David Marcus a couple months ago, to serrve as the company's Messaging unit's VP, it was clear it had some plans in the future to turn Messenger to a profitable application, after for all its existence it has so far been pure and ad-free. 

According to Mark Zuckerberg's past statement, the plan was to get 100 million users and afterwards begin cashing in. Well, they now hold by themselves over 200 million users, and when you include the newly-acquired WhatsApp and its half a billion active users, you are already cruising past Zuckerberg's plans.

This might especially worry Whatsapp users who were worried by the potential of the Facebook acquisition turning it to an ad-ridden platform, and might not justify themselves. Well, according to Zuckerberg, who addressed the matter in the Q2 Facebook conference call, it will be a very though out process, and is still in early stages. According to him, it will be directed at the long-term, without any eye-popping ads, but rather something more sophisticated and less disturbing.

Will they stay true to their word?

Since it won't be happening anytime soon, no reason to worry yet. Anyways, keep in mind these companies do need to turn a profit somehow, so if he makes a sort of intelligent ads, that might not be too bad and perhaps necessary. What do you think? Are your nightmares coming true, or is this not such-big-of-a-deal? Tell us below! 

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