Nokia branded smartphones returned to the market just over a year ago, after being discontinued by Microsoft in 2014. HMD Global a company from Finland was tasked with the responsibility to resurrect Nokia brand.
The first Nokia branded device to hit the market was Nokia 6. It was launched in China at the beginning of this year on January, 8, 2017 running stock Android software, and made its global debut in March at MWC, 2017. Since then HMD has launched Nokia 2, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 7 and the premium flagship, Nokia 8, making it a total of six Android smartphones to choose from at various price brackets. It also launched a couple of feature phones as well including a refreshed version of the iconic Nokia 3310. Except the Nokia 7 (China exclusive), the rest of the phones are available world-wide.
And to no surprise it appears that consumers have welcomed the Nokia branded handsets with open arms.
According to a report from research firm Counterpoint Research HMD Global has shipped over 16 million units of Nokia devices in the third quarter 2017. These include 2.8 million Nokia Android smartphones and 13.5 million feature phones. The latest numbers put Nokia in the third position in the feature phone market and 16th position in the smartphone market.
Previously HMD Global managed to ship only 1.5 million smartphone in the first half of 2017, according to IDC. Interestingly the company was able to sell almost double the amount of smartphones in Q3 2017 compared to Q1 & Q2, 2017 together. This shows the demand for Nokia smartphones is growing stronger, and we can expect the demand to grow further in Q4, 2017 due to festive season.
"With in quarters of its re-entry in the market Nokia HMD quickly graduated to the 3rd spot in the feature phone segment. Nokia's smartphones have also been well received in the market making it grow rapidly in recent quarters. The brands sentimental value within dealers and customers paired with quality smartphone launches is helping Nokia gain further market share," Counterpoint Research was quoted as saying.
The best thing about Nokia phones is its sturdy build quality and software updates. HMD has been rolling out monthly security update for its devices without fail. Moreover it has already updated one of its devices, the Nokia 8 to Oreo, and beta testing the same software for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. Others will get the Oreo beta soon. Most importantly, HMD has also promised Android P for its entire portfolio of Android devices as well.
Yes, the company should work on improving the pricing strategy and specifications of Nokia smartphone in order to aggressively compete with popular brands like Xiaomi, Motorola and Honor.
What's next for Nokia? Rumor has it that HMD is planning to unveil two Nokia smartphones in January, one will be the successor of Nokia 6, and the other will be the company's most premium offering till date, the Nokia 9. Both phones will reportedly flaunt full screen display, which means the front panel will have extremely thin bezels. It is also being rumored that HMD will relaunch the keyboard toting Nokia E71, which will be a 4G feature phone running KaiOS. This is the same operating system that runs on JioPhone.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see what surprises Nokia has in store for us in 2018.
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At the beginning of this year on January 8, 2017, HMD Global brought the Nokia brand back to life with the Android powered Nokia 6. It was initially launched in China and at MWC 2017 was announced for the global market.
And now almost a year later, details about its successor has hit the interweb. The Nokia 6's successor was spotted on TENAA recently with the model number TA-1054, and the certification website has posted the phone's render.
As seen in the render, the Nokia 6 (2018) will have a new modern design, that's being followed by most of the smartphone maker this year. This phone will have minimal bezels on the sides, and top and bottom part, indicating a full screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio.
And since the bezels on the lower chin is slimmer, the phone will ditch the capacitive keys and the home button, which houses the fingerprint scanner. Instead, the Nokia 6 (2018) will have on-screen button, while the fingerprint scanner will located located at the back. The rear camera is still a single unit.
As for the specifications, rumors has it that Nokia 6 (2018) will have 6-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 630/660 chip, 3GB or 4GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB storage. And just lke the predecessor, it will ship with stock Android and support dual-SIMs and 4G LTE.
It is not yet known when HMD plans to launch the new Nokia 6 model. But as mentioned earlier the Nokia 6 was unveiled in the first week of January 2017, so we can expect a similar time frame.
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HMD recently rolled out Oreo beta for the Nokia 5 which along with native features included Android December security patch. But, those who did not opt for the beta build are still on November security patch.
Having said that, December security update is now rolling out for Nokia 5 units running Android Nougat.
The update weighs around 122.6MB in size, and includes Android December security patch that brings fixes for vulnerabilities along with improved system stability and user interface enhancements.
The update is rolling out over-the-air in phases globally including India, so it will take some time to reach all Nokia 5 units. If the update is available for your device, you'll be notified to download it and install. You can also check for it manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
To recap the specs, the Nokia 5 features 5.2-inch HD display, Snapdragon 430 chip, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 13MP/8MP camera and 3000mAh battery. It is available in India via offline stores for Rs. 12,499 in Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper colors. There's also a 3GB RAM model priced at Rs. 13,499. It is available exclusively on Flipkart in Matte Black and Tempered Blue color.
Apart from Nokia 3, HMD has already updated the Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 with the Android December security patch. We can expect the update to hit Nokia 2 soon.
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December Android security update is hitting a couple of more devices from Sony (left) and Nokia (right).
Starting with Sony, the new update arrives as build number 47.1.A.8.49 for the Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia XZ Premium. And as mentioned earlier includes December 2017 Android security patches. All these devices run the latest Android Oreo.
Moving on to the Nokia 8, the phone picked up the Oreo update last month along with November security patch. But now it is also receiving the December Android security update. The update weighs at 87MB, and is currently rolling out for models TA-1052 and TA-1012.
If you happen to own any of the aforementioned device, you will be notified to download the update and install it, or you can check for it manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
List of Sony and Nokia devices that have already received December Security patch are listed below:
- HMD Global: Nokia 3, Nokia 5 (Oreo beta build units), Nokia 6 and Nokia 8
- Sony: Xperia X, Xperia X Compact, Xperia XZ, Xperia XZs, Xperia XZ Performance, Speria XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia XZ Premium.
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A week ago, HMD rolled out Android Oreo beta for the Nokia 5, and as promised it has now released the beta update to Nokia 6 as well. HMD CPO Juho Sarvikas has confirmed this by taking to twitter.
Nokia 6 users can now sign up for the Nokia beta labs program (Link) and enter the device details. Once enrolled you will get access to the Oreo preview.
The official Oreo rollout can be expected next month for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. The Nokia 8 was HMD's first device to get Oreo.
As a reminder, Android Oreo brings new features like Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, notification channels, adaptive icons, notification dots, smart text selection, Autofill API and more.
The Nokia 6 was the first ever Android smartphone from the resurrected Nokia brand. It features 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 16MP/8MP cameras, 3000mAh battery and fingerprint scanner. It originally shipped with Android 7.1.2 Nougat, and has since regularly picked up monthly Android security patches. Apart from Oreo, the Nokia 6 is also confirmed to get Android P as well.
Next the Nokia 2 or Nokia 3 will make it to the Oreo beta testing program.
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Sony Mobiles and HMD Global (parent company of Nokia) have been regularly pushing the latest security update for their devices. HMD recently rolled out December security patch for Nokia 3, while Sony also rolled out the December security update to Xperia X and Xperia X Compact. Now more devices are joining the list.
Sony is now rolling out a new update to Xperia XZ, XZs and X Performance. The update carries build number 41.3.A.2.24 and includes November Android security patch. All these phones are running on the latest Android Oreo.
HMD Global on the other hand, has also rolled out December security update for the mid-range Nokia 6. The update arrives as build number 00CN_3_31G and weighs at 111MB. It is currently available for the TA-1000 and TA-1003 models. The phone currently runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat, and will soon receive Oreo beta.
If you happen to own any of the aforementioned device, you will be notified to download the update and install it, or you can check for it manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
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HMD introduced Nokia Phone beta labs to test latest Android software on their devices. The company kicked off the beta program for Oreo starting with Nokia 8, and after successful test, rolled out the update after a month. At that time it promise Oreo beta testing for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.
Now keeping its promise, HMD has started rolling out Android Oreo beta for Nokia 5. The update will let you enjoy new features introduced with Oreo such as Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, notification channels, adaptive icons, notification dots, smart text selection, Autofill API and more. In addition the update also brings December Android security patch.
To get started, you'll have to sign up for HMD's beta labs program (Link) and enter your device details. Once enrolled, your device will pick the beta update.
The official Android Oreo roll out for Nokia 5 is likely to happen early next year. To remind you for Nokia 8 the beta program lasted for a month, so it is safe to assume a similar time frame for the Nokia 5. As for the Nokia 6, HMD says the Oreo beta will arrive soon.
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Google released December Android security patch earlier this week, and already a handful of phones are picking up the patch.
Now HMD Global has started pushing December security update to its devices globally starting with Nokia 3 that brings many fixes for vulnerabilities. The update is rolling out over-the-air and weighs at 345.4MB in size.
Along with the December Android Security patch, the update brings improved system stability and user interface enhancements, according to the change log.
If the update is available for your Nokia 3 unit, you will be notified to download and install it, or you can check for it manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
In related news, HMD recently confirmed that Nokia 3 will be skipping Android 7.1.2 and will directly update to Android Oreo.
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After teaming up with the likes of HMD Global, Samsung, Xiaomi, Asus, Oppo, vivo, Intex and others, Reliance Jio has now announed its partnership with Infinix to bundle additional data benefits with the recently launched Infinix Zero 5/Zero 5 Pro handsets.
Additionally, other smartphones including Nokia 6, Nokia 2, Nokia 3, vivo V7 and vivo V7+ are now included in the list of Jio's additional data offer.
Infinix Zero 5 & Zero 5 Pro
Owners of Infinix 5/Zero 5 Pro will get up to 100GB additional data for 10 months, given that they activate Jio 4G SIM after November 22, 2017 and make a recharge of Rs. 309 every month for 10 months. Customers will get the extra 10GB data per month (10GB x 10 month) in the form of voucher, and they can continue receiving the additional data until October 18, 2018. The voucher will expire one year from the date of crediting into the Jio account.
Nokia 2, Nokia 3 and Nokia 6
Last month Reliance Jio offered additional data for Nokia 5 and Nokia 8 users. Now the benefits has extended to Nokia 2, Nokia 3 and Nokia 6 users.
Nokia 2 and Nokia 3 users will get additional 5GB data every month for the next nine months, for a total of 45GB. Nokia 6 users owners one the other hand will also get additional 5GB data every month, but for the next 10 months, which makes it 50GB data during the offer period. The offer period is applicable from November 24, 2017 and users can continue receiving extra data until August 2018.
Vivo V7 and Vivo V7+
Customers who have purchased the vivo V7/V7+ and activated Jio SIM on or after September, 7, 2017 are eligible to get 10GB data per month from Reliance Jio for 10 months, which takes the total to 100GB 4G data. The offer is valid till May 31, 2018.
General Terms and conditions
To avail the extra data benefits, customers should perform a monthly recharge of Rs. 309 or above during the offer period. The additional data will be credited to the customer's Jio account with 48 hours from the recharge time.
To activate the additional data voucher and avail the offer, eligible customer have to open MyJio app on his/her device and follow the following steps: Open My Jio App -> My Vouchers -> View Voucher -> Recharge my number -> Confirm Recharge-> Successful Recharge Notification. Thereafter the extra data voucher will reflect under the My Plans section.
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Most of the Android powered Nokia phone are currently running Android 7.1.2 (Nokia 5,6,7) with the exception of Nokia 2, Nokia 3 and Nokia 8. While Nokia 8 recently got upgraded to Oreo, the Nokia 2 and Nokia 3 runs Android 7.1.1.
The Nokia 3 was supposed to get Android 7.1.2, but was delayed because the software was still being tested for MediaTek chip. Last month Google announced partnership with MediaTek for the GMS express program, under which device makers would be able to provide faster updates to their products.
However, now HMD CPO Juho Sarvikas via Twitter has informed that Nokia 3 will be skipping Android 7.1.2 and directly update the device to Android Oreo.
The Nokia 3 will first get Android Oreo Beta via Nokia Beta Labs, before the official OTA update. But that will happen only after Oreo beta testing for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 ends. The company recently rolled out Android Oreo for Nokia 8, which along with native features also brings Pixel-exclusive Night Light feature.
As a reminder, Android Oreo brings new features like Picture-in-Picture (PiP), notification channels, adaptive icons, notification dots, smart text selection, Autofill API and more.
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A few days ago, the Nokia 6 received November security update including the Indian variant, and now it is already picking up new minor update.
The latest update arrives as version 00WW_3_72A with a size of 149.3MB, but does not bring any new feature. According to the changelog, the update includes enhancements to the user interface and improvements to stability. The Android Security patch level stays at November 6, 2017.
The update is seeding over-the-air, and may take some time to reach all Nokia 6 units. If you've not been notified about the update yet, you can check for it manually by going to Settings > Other > Software Update.
The next major update to hit Nokia 6 is Android Oreo. HMD has already confirmed that Oreo beta testing will begin soon.
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The Nokia 2 went on sale in India on Friday, November 24, for Rs. 6,999, and the phone is already picking up a cumulative system update when you boot it the first time.
The update weighs in at 440MB in size, and according to changelog includes November Android security patch along with UI and performance improvements. You'll be notified about the update, when you boot the device and are connected to a WiFi network, if not you can manually check for it by heading to Settings > About phone > System updates.
As a reminder, the Nokia 2 features 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 212 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, 8MP/5MP rear & front cameras, dual-SIM slots, 4G VoLTE and 4100mAh battery.
With this Nokia has completed rolling out November security update for all of its devices including Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6, Nokia 7 and Nokia 8. Also, the Nokia 8 just recently received the Oreo update as well. Next Nokia will be beta testing Oreo for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 very soon.
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Reliance Jio has been partnering with various smartphone brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, Asus, Oppo, vivo, Intex among others to offer additional data benefits on recharges made. Joining the list is Nokia.
Under the offer, customers purchasing Nokia 8 and Nokia 5 will get up to 100GB and 50GB additional data respectively. Sadly, the Nokia 2, Nokia 3 and Nokia 6 is not part of the offer yet.
To avail the 100GB data, Nokia 8 users will have to make a recharge of Rs. 309 to get 10GB data of data every month for 10 months, whereas in the case of Nokia 5, users have to make a recharge of the same Rs. 309 and above. Users will have to make the recharge 10 times, and each recharge will give 5GB of additional data. Customers will get free data for ten months until August 31, 2018.
The additional data will be credited to your Jio account within 48 hours from the time of recharge. Also Jio SIM used to recharge on Nokia 8 and Nokia 5 should be activated after October 14, 2017 and November 1, 2017 respectively.
If your are an eligible customer and received the additional data voucher, you need to go to the MyJio app on your Nokia 5 or 8 phone, and follow steps ― MyJio > My Vouchers > View Voucher > Recharge > Recharge my Number > Confirm Recharge to activiate the voucher. Then the additional data vouchers will be reflected under the My Plans section.
As a reminder the Nokia 8 is currently available online on Amazon India, as well as offline stores at Rs. 36,999, while the Nokia 5 2GB model is available offline for Rs. 12,899. There's also a 3GB Nokia 5 model exclusive to Flipkart, and it costs Rs. 13,499.
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HMD's most affordable Android offering, the Nokia 2 went on sale in India today for Rs. 6,999 through offline mobile stores. In addition, the company also announced that the Nokia 6 will be available in offline market starting today.
To remind you, the Nokia 6 launched in India as an online exclusive on Amazon India, and went on sale in August for Rs. 14,999. However, now the phone is available online as well as in the offline market. Thankfully, the price remains the same at Rs. 14,999.
With this move, all the Nokia branded smartphone launched by HMD including, Nokia 2, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 are available in the offline market.
As a reminder, the Nokia 6 features 5.5-inch Full HD IPS Gorilla Glass display, Snapdragon 430 chip, 3GB RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, 16MP f/2.0 PDAF rear camera, 8MP f/2.0 84-degree wide-angle front camera, fingerprint scanner, 4G VoLTE, NFC and 3000mAh battery. It runs Android Nougat out of the box, and will soon get Oreo.
In related news, HMD has started rolling out Android Oreo for the Nokia 8. It also said that beta testing for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will begin soon.
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Just recently HMD Global rolled out November security update for the flagship Nokia 8. But now Nokia 8 owners are in for a treat, with the latest update. HMD has announced that it has started the process of rolling out Android Oreo for the Nokia 8.
HMD Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas took to Twitter to make the announcement. He tweeted "Ok, here we go, Reviewed you feedback, Everything is polished, official update rolling out today"
As a reminder, Android Oreo brings new features like Picture-in-Picture (PiP), notification channels, adaptive icons, circular dot, along with bug fixes, security improvement and enhancements to improve the device's performance.
The update will be rolled out over-the-air in a phased manner, so it will take some time to reach all Nokia 8 unit. You'll be notified if the update is available for your device, or else, you can check for it manually by heading to Settings>About Phone>System Update.
Sarvikas also added that it will start beta testing Oreo for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 soon.
HMD Global has finally launched Nokia 2, its most affordable Android smartphone offering till date in India. The phone was unveiled last month, and is already available in select markets including Russia, South Africa, UAE and the U.S ($99.99).
In India the Nokia 2 has been priced at Rs. 6,999 and will be available via major retail stores across the country starting tomorrow, November 24 in Copper Black, Pewter Black and Pewter White.
There are also launch offers as well including additional 45GB of 4G data for Reliance Jio users and a complimentary 12-month accidental damage insurance by Servify on opening a Kotak 811 savings bank account and activating it with an initial deposit of Rs. 1,000.
Nokia 2 specs and features
The Nokia 2 sports 6000 series aluminum frame and ploycarbonate body, and is splash proof with IP52 ratings. It packs a beefy 4100mAh battery, that promises up to two days of run time on a single charge.
It features 5-inch HD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 processor backed by Adreno 304 GPU and 1GB RAM. It comes with 8GB internal storage, that expandable via microSD card.
For photography, the Nokia 2 has 8MP rear camera with an LED flash and 5MP front facing camera. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and dedicated slot for dual-SIM and microSD card.
It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with support for Google Assistant, and HMD has promised upgrade to Android Oreo.
When HMD launched the first Android powered Nokia devices globally at MWC 2017, it promised two years of software update and latest security update to its devices. And as promised Nokia has been consistently pushing update to its devices.
Having said that, HMD has already released November security update for the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 7. And now it has started rolling out the same update for the company's flagship Nokia 8 (TA-1012 and TA-1052).
The November security update brings fix for the KRACK WPA2 WiFi vulnerability that affected millions of devices, as well as several other security fixes.
The update weighs at 71MB and is rolling out over-the-air in Middle East and some of the European markets including Netherlands. It is not yet available in India.
If the update is available for your Nokia, you will notified to download and install it, or you can check for it manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
HMD recently announced that Android Oreo beta testing for Nokia 8 is complete, and the company will soon roll out Oreo for all Nokia 8 users.
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The Nokia 2 is HMD Global's most affordable Nokia branded Android phone till date. It was introduced last month for EUR 99 (Rs. 7,500) and is already available in select markets including Russia and South Africa. Now it has reached two more markets: UAE and the U.S.
In UAE, the Nokia 2 is available from online store Souq.com (Link) for 349.00 AED ($95 | Rs. 6,100), whereas in the U.S, Nokia 2 is priced at $99 (Rs. 6,500) and is currently up for pre-order via online stores such as Amazon, B&H and BestBuy, where it is available as an unlocked unit. The Amazon U.S listing mentions that Nokia 2 will support AT&T and T-Mobile mobile networks.
As a reminder, the Nokia 2 features 5-inch HD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, Snapdragon 212 chip, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, 8MP/5MP cameras, 4G VoLTE, IP52 splash-proof rating and a beefy 4100mAh battery. It runs Android Nougat and has separate slots for microSD card and dual-SIMs.
Unfortunately, the Nokia 2 is yet to be launched in India, and HMD is yet to reveal a release date.
HMD is rolling out a new update to the Nokia 3, that includes November 2017 Android security patch. The security patch brings fix for the KRACK WPA2 WiFi vulnerability that was discovered last month, along with several other security fixes.
Nokia deserves a good clap here, since it is one of the few vendor who consistently rolls out latest security update for their device. Recently it pushed the November security update to Nokia 6 (TA-1000/TA-1003) and Nokia 7 as well. Unfortunately, Nokia 3 is yet to receive Android 7.1.2, which was earlier rolled out to Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.
Having said that the November security update weighs at 78MB in size and is available for the Nokia 3 India variant. If the update is available, you will either be notified to download it, or can be checked manually, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.
To recap the specs, the Nokia 3 features 5-inch HD display, quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable storage, 8MP front and rear camera, dual-SIM slot, 4G LTE, 2650mAh battery, and the usual connectivity suite. It is available in India via offline stores at Rs. 9,499.
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Nokia has been quite consistent, when it comes to delivering monthly security and OS updates for its devices. Keeping up the good work Nokia has pushed November security update for Nokia 6 and Nokia 7.
The update for Nokia 6 is rolling out in China (TA-1000) and Hong Kong (TA-1003), and brings fix for KRACK WPA2 WiFi vulnerability that was discovered last month, which affected millions of devices. Roll out for other markets should begin soon.
Speaking of Nokia 7, it was launched last month in China, and is picking its first software update. Along with November security patches, the 172MB software update for Nokia 7 brings improvements to camera performance, system stability, network performance and system stability. The camera improvements include more advance Face recognition, color brightening, reduce in smear and more.
Nokia 6 and Nokia 7 users well be notified to download this update if available, or you can do a manual check by going to Settings > About phone > System updates. As mentioned earlier, the roll out is currently taking place in China, and will expand to other regions soon.
In related news Nokia recently revealed that Oreo beta testing for Nokia 8 has been completed , and a roll out will begin soon. You can read more over here (Link).
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