In pics-Intex Aqua Octa

Intex Aqua Octa comes with a 6 inch display with High Definition resolution. But most importantly, it is the first smartphone to be launched by an Indian company with an octa core processor - a 1.7 GHz clockspeed based processor.

Apple denies working with the NSA

One of the big issues of 2013 was digital surveillance by the NSA – many tech companies were affected, including Apple as German magazine Der Spiegel reported just recently. Apple responded to the allegations saying the company has never worked with the NSA and knew nothing of this.

The company is promising to investigate any reports on vulnerabilities of its devices and to protect its customers from attacks "regardless of who’s behind them".

Here's the full Apple statement:

Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone. Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products. We care deeply about our customers’ privacy and security. Our team is continuously working to make our products even more secure, and we make it easy for customers to keep their software up to date with the latest advancements. Whenever we hear about attempts to undermine Apple’s industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers. We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who’s behind them.

The easy software updates are one of Apple's central points when it comes to security and that's solid advice – running the latest software usually means known security holes have been plugged. This makes Apple's statistics of quick adoption of iOS 7 all the more important.

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Is Xolo Q3000 good buy at Rs 20,999?

Xolo Q3000 has been officially launched in India for Rs 20,999. It comes with a 5.7 inch display with full HD resolution, 1.5 GHz Mediatek quad core processor, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, 32 GB micro SD card slot, 13 megapixel rear auto focus camera with BSI sensor, LED flash, and a 5 megapixel front camera. Besides, the Xolo Q3000 has dual SIM and a 4000 mAh battery that promises 21 hours of 3G talktime. The 8.9 mm thick smartphone comes with WiFi , Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5 mm jack, and GPS as well.

But is it a good buy at Rs 20,999? To answer the question, we have identified some key competitors of the phone and here we have elaborated their features which would help you get the answer of the question posed above.

Vs LG G Pro Lite:

LG G Pro Lite was launched in India in October this year. It comes with a 5.5 inch display but has qHD resolution against full HD of Q3000. Also, it has a dual core processor. Memory wise it is way behind the Q3000 with its 8 GB internal storage, 32 GB micro SD card slot, and 1 GB RAM. It has also only 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera.

This 9.48 thick handset has a smaller 3140 mAh battery too. However, it comes with dual SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and DLNA .

Karbonn Titanium S4 listed at Rs 15,990 to arrive soon

Karbonn will soon introduce a quad core Titantium S4 smartphone. Online retailer Flipkart has listed the Karbonn Titanium S4 smartphone for Rs 15,990 but does not share its date of availability. The Titanium S4 precedes the S5. Karbonn has packed a 4.7 inch AMOLED display in the S4 and powered it using a quad core mobile processor.

The Karbonn Titanium S4 smartphone features a 4.7 inch AMOLED display with 720p HD resolution. The display supports multitouch. Karbonn has powered the smartphone with a 1.2 GHz Mediatek mobile processor with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB on-board storage. The smartphone runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and supports dual SIM configuration - one 3G SIM and the other 2G. There is a memory card slot that can support up to a 32 GB microSD card.

At the back, the Titanium S4 has a 13 megapixel camera, which is a bit more protruding than the usual models. In the front lies a 2 megapixel camera for video calls. Other features include Bluetooth and WiFi support for wireless connectivity options. Karbonn has packed an 1800 mAh battery inside this smartphone and we believe it would not be enough to keep it running for a long time.

The introductory price of the Titanium S4 is too steep even with the AMOLED display. If it comes to around the sub-Rs.10,000 mark, then it can give decent competition to large screen phablets and devices with quad ore mobile processors.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo with 5" display gets tipped

A word got out that Samsung will release another version of the popular and affordable Galaxy Grand. Dubbed Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo, the handset is said to sit below the Galaxy Grand 2 in the company’s smartphone range.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo is tipped to have a 1.2GHz quad-core A7 CPU and 5” WVGA display. The smartphone is said to boot TouchWiz-ed Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. There is no further info on the handset’s specifications for the time being.

Given Samsung's proclivity for releasing multiple iterations of the same device, it's easy to believe that these rumors will turn out true. Expect the design of the Grand Neo to be in line with that of the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2.

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Samsung launching metal Galaxy F along with S5

Do you love your Galaxy S4, but are envious of the HTC One's aluminum body? Well you're in luck, because Korean outlet, ETNews reported that Samsung plans to make a high end metal smartphone: the Galaxy F. The phone will be decked out with a metal exterior, and should be launched around the same time as the highly awaited Galaxy S5.

This is supported by earlier reports that a production line in Vietnam was created for making metal casings for the Galaxy S5. We also previously reported that Samsung had plans for a metal clad, premium line of smartphones, which will carry the model number SM-G900F, giving more and more credence to the phone's rumored release.

The Galaxy F is purported to be Samsung's newest top-of-the line handset, but we don't know if this "premium" approach extends to the device's technical specs. There's been rumors that in addition to the metal body of the Galaxy F, the phone will sport an awe inspiring QHD 2K display (2,560x1,600 pixels). However, these rumors are unsubstantiated. We will keep you up to date with any further developments on the Galaxy F.

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Moto X gets permanently priced at $399 off contract

After getting treated to a couple of substantial discounts recently, the Moto X received a permanent off contract price cut. The characterful Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone is now available for $399 for 16GB version without any carrier obligations.

A Moto X with 32GB of built-in memory now costs $449. The new pricing for the Moto X includes customized devices from Moto Maker, and is available on all carriers in the United States. Interest-free financing is also on offer, allowing customers to pay off their Moto X over 6, 12, or 18 months.

Motorola's aggressive off contract price tag falls in line with a recent shift in service princing by the carriers in the United States. Cheaper, contract-free plans which don't charge customers for device subsidies are quickly gaining popularity on the US market.

Despite its brand new price tag, the Moto X is not the cheapest smartphone Motorola has to offer. This privilege goes to the Moto G, whose starting price of $179 makes it a downright impulse buy in the US.

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