Google Nexus 5 launched; coming to India

Google has unveiled the curtains from its much speculated Nexus 5 smartphone. LG, which had manufactured the Nexus 4, has again been roped in by Google to manufacture the Nexus 5. Available in black and white, the 16GB Nexus 5 has been priced for Rs 28,999 whereas the 32GB can be purchased for Rs 32,999; both the versions have been listed on Google Play store as coming soon.

The Google Nexus 5 comes with a 4.95 inch full HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The smartphone also introduced the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

Besides, the Google LG Nexus 5 has 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, Aderno 330 GPU, 8 megapixel rear camera, and a 1.3 megapixel front camera.

The 130 grams weighing LG nexus 5 is 8.59 mm thick and has a 2300 mAh battery that is said to provide 17 hours of talktime and 300 hours of standby. As said above, it comes in 16 GB and 32 GB versions and like older Nexus models has no expandable storage slot. It has huge 2 GB RAM.

RCom to offer iPhone 5c for Rs 2,500 per month-Report

RCom will offer 16 GB version of iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s for Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,800 per month with unlimited data, calls and SMS , according to media reports. As per the reports, the operator will though put a 24 month lock in period with these handsets during which you cannot switch to other operators.

However, it is not clear whether RCom will put a fair usage policy on the unlimited calls, SMS, and data offer or not.

Apple is set to officially launch the handsets in India today. The 16 GB and 32 GB versions of iPhone 5c is to be priced at Rs 41,900 and Rs 53,500 respectively while the 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB of iPhone 5s will be available for Rs 53,500, Rs 62,500 and Rs 71,500 respectively.

So this means, if you buy the iPhone 5c from RCom under this reported offer, so you will end up paying Rs 60,000 for the 16 GB version of iPhone 5c which will cost you just Rs 41,900 in the market.

Phones that are better than Apple iPhone 5c

iPhone 5c is all set to make its debut in India. The 16 GB version of the handset is to be available for Rs 41,900 while the 32 GB version is to cost Rs 53,500 in India. Though there is no such thing as an affordable iPhone, the pricing of Apple iPhone 5c puts it directly in the top league of smartphones in India.

But is it worth that price? We have sorted out a few handsets that are better than the Apple iPhone 5c; of course this suggestion is not for die hard Apple fans.

But before we discuss its competitors here is a brief summary of features of the Apple iPhone 5c. It has a 4 inch display with 1136 x 640 pixel resolution. The A6 chipset based handset has iOS 6 operating system, an 8 megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel front camera, and memory depending on the model you buy (32 GB or 16 GB as stated above).

Apple to launch iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s in India today

Apple will formally launch its iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s in India today. The handsets are already available in the market.

The 16 GB and 32 GB versions of iPhone 5c are available for Rs 41,900 and Rs 53,500 respectively while the 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB of iPhone 5s are available for Rs 53,500, Rs 62,500 and Rs 71,500 respectively.

Apple iPhone 5s arrives with a new light and thin design bearing a 4 inch Retina IPS LCD display. It has an A7 SoC with 64-bit support. Apple has included an 8 megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash, and Touch ID as well.

iPhone 5c features a new polycarbonate body and is powered by the Apple A6 mobile SoC that was used in the iPhone 5. Even iPhone 5c has an 8 megapixel iSight camera. Both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c models will come preloaded with the new iOS 7 software update.

Apart from that iPhone 5s cases will be sold in beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and red for a maximum retail price of Rs 3,200. iPhone 5c cases will come in blue, green, pink, yellow, black and white for an mrp of Rs 2,300. All prices quoted for the iPhone and cases are inclusive of VAT and apply at Apple Authorised Resellers.

Alleged image of Motorola Moto G leaks out on Twitter

After appearing alongside the Moto X on Motorola’s website the other day, the yet to be announced Moto G showed up yet again. This time, an image of the smartphone, along with some alleged specs made the rounds on Twitter.

Alleged photo of the Moto G (click to enlarge)

Reportedly, the Moto G will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with 1.5GHz quad-core CPU. The display is said to be a 4.7” 720p unit. An 8MP camera, 8 or 16GB of built-in memory, and an LG-made 1,950mAh battery complete the list of leaked specs.

The Moto G is said to start for free on contract when available.

Source

}

Android 4.4 KitKat official, aims to reach 1 billion users

Android 4.4 KitKat has been officially announced and as usual, the latest version of the Android OS debuts alongside the a new Nexus, the Nexus 5. So, what's new? Well, the 4.4 KitKat aims to reach the next 1 billion users and it will scale automatically to fit on the devices with as little as 512 MB of RAM.

The design of the OS has been polished and it looks better than ever. Android 4.4 brings a new phone app, which now helps you search across your contacts, nearby places or even through any other Google app accounts, right from your dialler app.

Google's new Hangout app comes out of the box on Android 4.4. It puts all your SMS and MMS under one roof along with other conversations and video calls so that you don't miss messages regard;ess of how they are sent.

The lock screen now has a camera shortcut and there is an option to rearrange the home screens to match your requirements. All devices without hardware keys now get extra room as the navigation interface disappears as soon as an app is launched.

As one can expect, the newest Android version brings a whole lot of new features for Google's search platform. You can now activate search with keywords and the speech recognition engine is about 25 percent more accurate than before, according to Google.

You can use the hotwords to launch voice search with the Google Now, send a text, get directions or even play a song. The upcoming version of the Google Now will bring new card types that keep you updated with contextual topics of interest to you.

Android 4.4's new framework allows you to AirPrint (a feature similar to wireless printing), which is however limited to HP printers only for now. The OS now supports third-party cloud storage in the Gallery app

Google aims to make Android accessible to everyone, even people with low-end hardware. In the past, due to the memory constraints, some lower-end smartphones couldn't get a taste of the newer Android versions, but with KitKat that's about to change. Android 4.4 KitKat removes unnecessary background services and reduces the memory consumption to a large extent, which now allows the OS to run smoothly even on devices with 512MB RAM. Ironically, the Galaxy Nexus with 1GB RAM will not get KitKat.

Google has also managed to enhance the battery performance through its sensor batching, which reduces the data requests. Lastly, Android 4.4 comes with under the hood tweaks and changes to enhance the overall performance of the OS.

Android 4.4 KitKat will be powering the newly launched Google Nexus 5 out of the box, while the roll out for the other Nexus devices will begin in the coming days.

Source 1 | Source 2

}

LG Nexus 5 is official, runs Android 4.4 KitKat

The leak storm is finally over, Google has just made the Nexus 5 official. The latest Nexus smartphone is manufactured by LG. It rocks a 4.95" LCD display with 1080p resolution, which adds up to a pixel density of 445 ppi. The good news keeps on coming with the addition of Gorilla Glass 3 for enhanced screen protection.

Inside the Nexus 5 is a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with four Krait 400 cores and Adreno 330 GPU. It's definitely not a slouch with 2GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat at the driver's seat.

In a traditional Google manner, internal storage options are either 16GB or 32GB with no microSD card slot to be found. Below the back cover sits a 2,300mAh battery, which isn't exactly the largest we've seen on a 5" smartphone. However, it does support wireless charging, which is cool.

At the back, there's an 8MP with OIS and LED flash. The camera uses a 1/3.2" sensor and an f/2.4 aperture. The camera module protrudes a bit from the rear casing with a LED flash below it. At the front, there's a 1.3MP camera for video calling, too.

The LG Nexus 5 measures 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59mm and weighs just 130g.

On the connectivity side, the LG Nexus 5 has it all - penta-band 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, A-GPS, NFC and even.

The Nexus 5 will be available in the US and Canada in North America, the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy in Europe, plus Australia, Japan and Korea (and coming soon to India).

The 16GB version of the Nexus 5 is priced at $349/€349. Sales start tomorrow, November 1 from the Google Play Store. Other than the Play Store, you'll be able to grab one from Sprint, T-Mobile, Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack.

Source

}

The US gets the pink Galaxy Note 3 on November 11

It seems Samsung has already manufactured enough pink Galaxy Note 3 units and it's ready to launch it across the globe. Earlier today we saw Phones 4U announcing the start of the UK sales of the third color option and now Newegg in the United States are joining the funk.

A pink version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is available on pre-order through Newegg's website. It costs $749 and will ship on November 11.

It's interesting to note that the pink edition of the Note 3 Newegg has listed is about the N9000 Note 3 model powered by the octa-core Exynos 5420 chipset. It lacks LTE and 4K video recording and it tends to score a little lower than the Snapdragon version on the benchmarks we ran.

We couldn't locate another US retailer to offer the pink Samsung Galaxy Note 3 just yet, but if you manage to find one drop us a line in the comments.

Source | Via

}

Nexus 5 torn down in front of a camera

Here is another Google Nexus 5 leak. In case you aren't tired of seeing the smartphone leaking from pretty much every corner of the universe, here we have yet another set of pictures for you.

This time the Nexus 5 poses in front of a camera with an opened battery cover. You'll get to see the 2,300 mAh battery, the alleged OIS camera, plus the round earpiece.

LG Nexus 5

There are a few high-res photos of the Nexus 5 itself.

LG Nexus 5

We already know everything there is to know about the LG-made Google Nexus 5. You can check its specs here if you think you've missed something.

We expect Nexus 5 to go official any moment now. It's about time really, because we are all getting really tired of this leak marathon.

Source | Via

}

Pink Samsung Galaxy Note 3 goes on sale in the UK

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was announced in three flavors - black, white and pink. The black and white Note 3 are already available globally, while the pink is yet to hit the shelves.

It seems UK is the first market to get the pink Galaxy Note 3. It will be available tomorrow exclusively via Phones 4U. You can get the phablet for free with a 2-year contract on various plans starting at £43. If you need a cheaper contract - you can get the phablet on £40/month deal, but you will have to pay £100 upfront.

If you get the pink Galaxy Note 3 on a 4G tariff, you get a free wireless speaker worth £120. What’s more, anyone upgrading to the new smartphone on a Vodafone 4G ready plan will gets Sky Sports Mobile or Spotify Premium included for no extra charge.

The Phones 4U exclusivity will last until the end of November. After that the pink Galaxy Note 3 will become across the UK.

There is no info on when other markets will be getting the pink edition.

}

Nokia seeks to ban import of One smartphones in UK

Nokia has scored an important victory in its legal crusade against HTC. The Patents Court in London has found that the Taiwanese company infringes on one of Nokia's patents. The Finns will now try and leverage on the decision and pursue an import ban of the One smartphones as well as seeking compensation of undisclosed amount.

The Finnish company is displeased with HTC for using its patent for a "modulator, equipment used by phones to transmit data". The Taiwanese manufacturer has argued that the technology in question is found in Qualcomm chips it purchases for its One smartphone, and it's up to the chip maker to negotiate the licenses. That's why HTC feels the court has taken the wrong decition and has expressed its plans to appeal.

It seems the essence of the argument is very similar to the one that occurred in April in the Netherlands. Then, Nokia won a short ban against the HTC One sales over a violation of a patent regarding the use of a proprietary microphone. It turned out that ST Microelectronics, which had signed a deal with Nokia to exclusively manufacture it for its Lumia devices, slipped up and allowed HTC to use it too.

In the end, the ban was lifted from the Hague after it ruled out that HTC was not at fault.

By the look of things, HTC is going to employ the same strategy here to try and lift the ban on the One sales in the UK. The Taiwanese highlighted that Nokia had signed an agreement in the US not to sue Qualcomm over the matter, so going after HTC doesn't make sense.

Nokia expressed its satisfaction with the decision and has released the following statement:

"This is the third court this year to find that HTC infringes Nokia patents, bringing the number of patents found infringed to four," said a spokesman for the European company.

It's not yet known what the outcome of the case would be, but Nokia we are certainly hoping the two companies will find a solution that doesn't involve sales bans. After all limiting the choice for end-users is hardly the point of the patent system.

Source

}

Sony loses money in Q2, smartphone sales improving

Sony has been inching its way back to its former glory, but its return to profitability hit a snag in the quarter that ended this September. The company posted a loss of $197 million from a small profit the previous quarter.

The good news is that the Mobile Products & Communication – the division responsible for phones, tablets and computers – showed the biggest increase. Sales were up 39.3% year on year and operating income increased by $2.25 billion, but the division still ended the quarter $9 million in the red. Still, it's better than the $235 million operating loss from the same quarter last year.

It seems that smartphone sales improved – more units were sold at a higher average selling price (ASP) – but the PC market dragged the division down. Favorable exchange rates also helped.

The Xperia Z was in the Top 3 in revenue in 20 countries and Sony sold 10 million Xperias during the quarter. The company will continue its focus on premium devices and expects sales to remain strong going forward.

The Game division of Sony reports a 5.1% increase in sales, a total of $1.6 billion, but an operating loss of $8 million. PS2 and PS3 sales are declining (the PS2 was discontinued, the PS3 is about to be replaced by the PS4). PSP and PS Vita sales also took a hit, partly due to a price cut on the Vita.

The Imaging Products & Solutions division continues to slide, it's down -6.9% in sales and posted an operating loss of $24 million. This is attributed to a "significant decrease" in sales of digital cameras and video cameras.

Home Entertainment & Sound is also in trouble with decreasing LCD TV unit sales, but revenues increased 11.8% thanks to favorable currency exchange rates and the operating loss declined to $123 million.

Sony Pictures is in the red, Music made some cash ($99 million) and once again Financial Services was the best division of the company bringing in $400 million, a 25.7% improvement in operating income.

Check out Sony's press release for more details (note: PDF). You can also find presentation slides here.

Source

}

Nexus 5 hands-on video leaks, again

This is getting embarrassing – the Nexus 5 has leaked all over the place, even gone on preorder, and yet Google still hasn't officially announced it. Well, you might not be getting the official info on the Nexus 5 yet, but here's a lengthy hands-on video in case there was something about the phone that wasn’t known yet.

The About screen on the device reports it as the Nexus 5 running Android Key Lime Pie, which means it was probably running old software. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset and has around 12GB user-available storage, which means 16GB total storage.

The video shows off some of the apps – Chrome, Camera, Calendar, YouTube, Keep, Google Earth, but doesn’t, for example, show the new Hangouts that is supposed to come out soon.

Come on Google, just announce the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat already.

Source

}

ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T review: Full throttle

GSMArena team, 31 October 2013.

Introduction

From the makers of the Nexus 7, which pretty much got Android back in the tablet game, a convertible 10.1" slate is ready to step out of the living room and shake off the stay-at-home, only-good-for-media-consumption image of ten-inchers.

Fourth generation into it, the Transformer Pad lineup aims to offer a solution for both home and office. ASUS is unafraid to see Android as an environment where actual work can be done, and challenge the likes of the Microsoft Surface and the Lumia 2520.

Asus Transformer Pad TF701T official photos

Meet the ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T, the Android tablet that's not afraid to take anything you throw at it. Don't be afraid to come closer, it won't bite. But make no mistake about it, the Transformer Pad is one tough tablet and we're not just saying that because of its aluminum build.

See what we're on about.

Key features

• 10.1" LED-backlit IGZO Super IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16M colors, 300ppi pixel density


• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box


• 1.9 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU, 72-core ULP GeForce GPU, 2GB of RAM, Nvidia Tegra 4 T40X chipset


• Docking station with a full QWERTY keyboard, 4170 mAh battery


• 5 MP autofocus camera with face detection, f/2.4 aperture; 1080p video recording @ 30fps


• 1.2MP front-facing camera


• 32/64GB internal storage, microSD card slot in tablet; full-size SDXC in dock


• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support


• NFC connectivity


• GPS with A-GPS connectivity


• Bluetooth v3.0


• microUSB port with USB host and TV-out (1080p) support, MHL, charging


• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor


• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack


• Built-in stereo speakers


• 7,820 mAh battery


• Thin and light construction; solid build quality


• Dimensions: 263 x 180.8 x 8.9mm, 585g


• Dock dimensions: 263 x 180.8 x 7mm, 570g

Main disadvantages

• No 3G, LTE


• Mobile dock feels a bit flimsy


• Bigger and heavier than its rivals


• Proprietary 32-pin connector


• Disappointing audio quality

Mouthwatering specs and premium build quality are just a part of the story. Remember, this is a Transformer, so its mobile dock is a major element of the experience. Happily, ASUS have paid due attention to this part of the equation. It does not have the aluminum finish of the actual tablet, but we don't mind as it certainly helps keep both weight and price in check.

ASUS has partnered with Sharp to catch up with Samsung and Apple and put forward a high-resolution display of its own. The 2560 x 1600 IPS screen of the Transformer Pad is going after the Samsung Note 10.1 2014 edition and the Apple iPad 4.

With the Tegra 4 chipset featuring a quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU, the Transformer Pad has the processing power and future-proofing covered. The latest and greatest from Nvidia is eager to make up for lost time and this latest Transformer is its perfect playground.

ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T live photos

There's more than meets the eye with the ASUS Transformer Pad and we've yet to delve into what this slate is really capable of. Not before a proper warm-up though - follow us on our usual hardware tour.

}

Vodafone reduces mobile internet tariff by 80 percent

Vodafone has announced a massive 80 per cent price cut in charges for its mobile internet customers across the country, from 10 paisa per 10 KB to 2 paisa per 10 KB. This rate would be applicable from November 1, 2013 for all pre-paid and post-paid customers on 2G on a 'Pay as you Go' basis.

Post the successful pilot launch in 3 circles - Karnataka, UP West and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, in mid-June, this mobile internet charge is now being rolled out pan India.

Additionally, when a mobile internet customer roams anywhere in India on Vodafone, he/she is charged like home rates for mobile internet.

Vivek Mathur, chief commercial officer, Vodafone India said, "This 80 percent reduction in mobile internet charges for customers using 2G is an important step in our strategy to drive mobile internet and we are confident that this move will facilitate in faster adoption and better usage."

Nokia 515 for Rs 10,500? You got to be kidding

How much would you pay for a Nokia handset with 64 MB RAM, 64 MB internal storage, and a 2.4 inch display? One friend of mine said it should not be more than Rs 3,000. But he was wrong like many. Nokia is offering its new Nokia 515 handset with such specification for Rs 10,500!

So what's special about it?

The Nokia 515 comes with a sand-blasted aluminium for a classy matt finish. It has a curved display and a full focus 5 megapixel camera along with an LED flash. It has even claimed to have a good camera app. But apart from that the Nokia 515 has no noticeable features. It has an average 1200 mAh battery which claims to provide 5 hours of 3G talktime and 10 hours of 3G talktime - very common to most 3G handsets available in the market today. Also, like most handsets these days, it has 32 GB expandable storage slot. It has a Series 40 operating system which is a version of Java and that does not make it a smartphone. There is no front camera either in this handset. Its 64 MB RAM and 64 MB internal storage further dims it's whatever shine left behind.

No doubt a user commented on an online retailer's website, on Nokia 515, saying, "You got to be kidding me...if you are standing with this cell in an open street and someone asks the price, will they not laugh if they hear it's worth 10K? Hell I would laugh at the buyer."

As Nokia said, it has been "designed to impress" but Nokia clearly forgot to price it right to impress. Hope, the Nokia 515 has much more than what its feature suggests.

Jabra Solemate Mini launched for Rs 4,999

While festivals and holidays are around the corner, Jabra has announced the launch of its new ultra-portable Solemate Mini speakers.

According to Jabra, Solemate Mini comes with front-facing speakers "to ensure optimal performance with super bass response, and the choice of both wired and wireless mode"”.

"Its all-round rubber protection design makes it durable enough to handle regular scratches and makes it resistant to sweat, dust and splashes. With a long playback time and battery life of up to 8 hours, the Solemate Mini speakers can be easily paired using Bluetooth or NFC and wirelessly controlled from across the room," Jabra further claims.

Available in red, yellow, blue and black, the Jabra Solemate Mini is priced at Rs 4,999.

Top 5 camera apps for Android this Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights and firecrackers, but you could do much more to multiply the fun if you have an Android smartphone with the camera applications mentioned below.

Line Camera

The traditional camera application of an Android smartphone is not much use. That's why you should go for a third party app which will enable you to play around with the images you click and will give you elbow room to click pictures in different themes.

Though there are several camera applications on Google Play Store, you can try the new free Line Camera application, which has 5000 stamps, 100 frames, 20 unique filters, and 200 brushes. Further, you can share the pictures using this application over Facebook, Line messaging app, Flickr, Twitter and many other social websites. Its popularity is palpable from the fact that it has already been given five stars by over 1 lakh of its approx 1.5 lakh total users.

Intel's holdout against making ARM chips comes to an end

Unable to break through with its own mobile Atom chipset, it seems that Intel finally raised the white flag and has decided to begin manufacturing 64-bit ARM chips of its own.

The ARM architecture's supremacy in the mobile market has been a result of the varied and competitive core licensing terms provided by ARM Holdings. This has allowed a variety of manufacturers - including Samsung, Apple, Nvidia and many more - to use ARM's core designs to create integrated SoC's of their own. In 2010 alone, an incredible 95% of smartphones shipped with ARM-based CPU's.

It was obviously in Intel's best interest to stop resisting the adaptation of ARM in the mobile realm, and its decision to enter into the fray against other semiconductor foundries (most notably Samsung and TSMC) brings up some interesting permutations.

First, will Intel's historic rival chipset manufacturers like Nvidia and Qualcomm be willing to do business with it over rival foundries? Second, what sort of advantages will Intel's 64-bit architecture offer?

This also opens up some interesting possibilities for Apple, who would love to be able to break ties with Samsung as the primary supplier of the ARM-based Ax SoC found in its iPhone smartphones and Apple tablets (including the upcoming A8 chip). It's a process that's been hinted at in the past, and estimated to take as long as a year and a half and cost Apple between $1 - 3 billion.

Intel's potential ability to make high quality 64-bit ARM CPU's may be enough to entice Apple into taking the plunge, and perhaps even get an exclusivity agreement in the meantime.

Source

}

ZTE unveils a trio of Blade Q smartphones

ZTE has announced three affordable smartphones for the European market, which it hopes will help it grow its market share on the Old Continent.

The three new additions to the ZTE lineup are the 4.0" WVGA Blade Q Mini, the 4.5" FWVGA Blade Q and the 5.0" FWVGA Blade Q Maxi.

All three phones share similar internals. They are all powered by the MT6572 chipset with a dual-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-400 graphics and 1GB of RAM. The trio also comes with 5MP rear cameras capable of 720p video recording, VGA front snappers, 4GB expandable internal storage, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in charge of operations.

ZTE Blade Q Mini • ZTE Blade Q • ZTE Blade Q Maxi

The connectivity options for Blade Q Mini, Blade Q and Blade Q Maxi are also identical - you get 3G with HSPA support, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and FM radio.

ZTE Blade Q Mini, being the smallest of the trio, has a 4.0" TFT display with 480x800px resolution. It comes with the smallest battery too - a 1500 mAh unit.

The ZTE Blade Q has a 4.5" TFT screen with 480x854px resolution and 1,800 mAh battery.

Finally, the ZTE Blade Q Maxi packs a 5.0" TFT display with 480x854px resolution and has the biggest 2,000 mAh battery inside.

The pricing and availability of ZTE Blade Q Mini, Blade Q and Blade Q Maxi is yet to be detailed.

Source

}