ZTE unveils CES lineup, Grand S II leads the charge

CES officially starts next week but manufacturers are already unveiling new devices or rather pre-unveiling. ZTE showed five new pocketables and one wearable, plus a couple of miscellaneous devices, though details are scarce at the moment.

ZTE Grand S II

The ZTE Grand S II phablet has leaked on several occasions and is certainly the most interesting device in the roster. Unfortunately it's also the one with the fewest official details. The company advertises the phablet's three mics and noise cancellation tech, but that's it.

Rumored specs include a 5.5" 1080p screen and Snapdragon 800 chipset, but we'll have to wait a few more days for official confirmation on that. There was also info of a dual-SIM version.

ZTE Nubia 5S and Nubia 5S mini

The Nubia 5S is a 5" phone, while the Nubia 5S mini is only a tad smaller at 4.7". Both use Sharp IGZO displays and at least the big 5S has 1080p resolution (no info on the mini). Both use quad-core Snapdragon chipsets, but other that "screaming-fast" we have no technical details.

The ZTE Nubia 5S features a 13MP camera with a Sony Exmor RS sensor and a f/2.0 aperture. The camera can record UHD video too.

ZTE Iconic Phablet

The ZTE Iconic Phablet packs a 5.7" HD screen (presumably 720p) protected with Gorilla Glass. It's powered by a quad-core processor and can run two apps side by side on the screen. There's also Dolby Digital and wireless charging.

ZTE Sonata 4G

ZTE Sonata 4G is a phone for Aio Wireless with a 4" screen, Snapdragon 400 chipset with a dual-core processor at 1.4GHz and 1GB RAM and a 5MP camera with 720p video capture. The Sonata 4G packs a 1,780mAh battery.

ZTE BlueWatch

ZTE is also jumping on the smartwatch bandwagon with the BlueWatch. The watch hooks up to a smartphone via Bluetooth and can control calls, display Facebook and Twitter updates, control photography (not clear if it has a camera or just serves as a remote shutter.

It also features a pedometer to help you exercise and collects additional data for “quantified self” information like body fat percentage.

Others

ZTE also unveiled the Projector Hotspot – a 2-in-1 mini projector and 4G Wi-Fi hotspot. There's also the AT&T Wireless Home Base.

Hopefully, ZTE will release more details and images of the new devices soon.

Source | Via

}

Modi eyes majority in Parliament with mobile application

Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party, has now launched a mobile application. The app, called as India272+ Volunteer, is available for free on Google Play store for Android users. Of course the move is to reach out to the young voters across the country.

The application allows users to participate and share thoughts in its forum. You can share your ideas for Modi's next speech. One can also share latest updates via Facebook, Twitter, as well as Whatsapp.

Modi has earlier used the Facebook platform to reach out to young voters across the country so such an application was quite expected. Infact, several applications dedicated to Narendra Modi is there in Google Play store; perhaps this is just a coincidence!

Uninspiring HTC M8 preliminary specs surface

Preliminary specifications of the upcoming HTC M8 smartphone have leaked courtesy of evleaks giving us a better idea of what the Taiwanese are up to with their HTC One successor.

In a previous leak of his, evleaks suggested the codenamed M8 phone relies on a Snapdragon 800 chipset and today he confirms this, specifying HTC has chosen the MSM8974 model. While not providing further information, an educated guess would be the quad-core Krait CPU will run at 2.2-2.3GHz. Sadly, the latest leak suggests the M8 will tout 2GB of RAM instead of 3GB as earlier purported.

We've already caught a glimpse of what the HTC M8 is capable of in a leaked AnTuTu score. It manages to beat the Galaxy Note 3, the Sony Xperia Z1 as well as the LG G2.

HTC seems keen on using its UltraPixel camera technology, and the M8 will feature one at its back as well. There's no information wether it'll be the a 4MP one just yet. At the front, there'll be a 2.1MP snapper, probably the same as the one on the HTC One'. Below it will sit a 5" display of full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 441 ppi. It won't be of much surprise if HTC bets on Super LCD3 technology for the M8's display.

In addition to the Wi-Fi module supporting the latest 802.11ac standard, the HTC M8 will run Android 4.4 KitKat garnished with Sense 6.0.

As suggested by leaked photos of the HTC M8, it's going to tout an aluminum unibody construction, which closely resembles that of the HTC One. The back is going to be very similar as well with the exact same camera and LED flash location. Furthermore, it's going to be a lot slimmer than the One, if the leaked photos are anything to go by.

In 2013, HTC released its flagship range consisting of the One, One Max and One mini, but the latter was haunted by difficulties in its production and couldn't meet consumer and carrier demand. The HTC One experienced a similar issue back in April last year, but HTC swiftly managed to get around the problem.

Nevertheless, Q3 2013 financial results weren't so rosy for the Taiwanese, who experienced their first quarterly loss ever. The last quarter of 2013 will probably be equally grim with HTC forecasting $1.4-1.5 billion in revenue with a gross margin of around 20%. HTC made $2 billion in revenue during 2012's Q4.

The company can't allow for any more mistakes to happen and its CEO Peter Chou knows the HTC M8's supply chain, production and marketing have to be impeccable in order for HTC to catch a breath of fresh air.

Source

}

15 Micromax smartphones to get Android KitKat-Report

Micromax will soon release the Android 4.4 KitKat version for 10 of its smartphones, according to the latest tweet of MMXnewscaster.

Related Stories:

Android KitKat features

The devices that are said to get the update include Micromax Canvas Turbo A250, Canvas Doodle 2 A240, Canvas 4 A210, Canvas HD A116, Canvas HD A116i, Canvas Doodle A111, Canvas 2 A110, and Canvas 2 Plus A110Q. There is an yet-to-be-announced model as well, which is identified as Canvas A200. Note that this model was recently in the news; many reports claimed that Micromax will release the A200 with 4.7 inch display and quad core processor.

Micromax Canvas A117 Magnus, A115 Canvas 3D, Canvas 2.2 A114, Canvas A113 Ego, A101 Superfone, and Superfone Canvas A100 are also said to get the latest Android version. However, the report has not said anything about the exact timeline of the update.

None of the Indian device maker have released the new Android version for their devices. The Android KitKat comes with a more polished design, improved performance, and new features. The latest Android version optimises memory and improves the touchscreen response. It brings a new contacts application that automatically prioritises contacts based on whom you call the most. It also has a better book reading app that hides everything else like navigation bar and the menu at the bottom of the screen so that you can only see the contents of your e-book.

Archos unveils a duo of affordable Helium series smartphones

Archos took the wraps off a duo of affordable Android smartphones. The Archos 50 Helium 4G and 45 Helium 4G both offer Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and LTE connectivity on the cheap.

Design-wise, the 50 and 45 Helium are nearly identical. Under the hood, the two devices feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipsets with quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex A7 CPUs, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB of RAM, micro SD card slots, and quad-band 4G/LTE radios.

Archos 50 Helium 4G official photos

The biggest difference between the two devices has to do with their displays. The 50 Helium 4G packs a 5" 720p screen, while the 45 sports a 4.5" WVGA unit.

Archos 45 Helium 4G official photos

Furthermore, the Helium 50 also comes with 8GB of internal memory, as opposed to the 4GB for its smaller sibling, though both feature microSD card slots. The Helium 50 unsurprisingly has a larger battery too: 2,000mAh versus 1,700mAh for the Helium 45.

The Helium 50 has an edge over its relative in the camera department as well. It sports a duo of 8MP and 2MP cameras, compared to a 5MP and VGA back and front-facing units for the Helium 45.

The Archos 50 Helium 50 4G and 45 Helium 4G are priced at $249.99 and $199.99 respectively. The duo of smartphones will be showcased at CES 2014 in Las Vegas next week.

Source

}

Micromax A350 spotted; Is it the answer to Intex Aqua Core?

After Intex announced its octa core processor based smartphone, all eyes are now on Micromax to announce a similar product. But Micromax has till now not uttered any word in this regard yet. But The Mobile Indian has stumbled upon a yet-to-be-announced Micromax model on Antutu benchmark. The phone, which carries the model no Micromax A350, has Antutu benchmark score of 26886 which is even better than that of Samsung Galaxy S4 (26147) and the HTC One (26556).

But this is not an isolated finding. Earlier, a website claimed that Micromax is all set to launch a phone with the same model name (A350) with an octa core processor. It went on to add that the phone will be named as Micromax Canvas 5 A350 and it will have 2 GB RAM and a full HD resolution bearing display. In another instance, the website said that the phone will be launched in January and will be branded as "Hero Phones”.

Related Stories:

India's first octa core tab

Intex Aqua Octa

Upcoming octa core phones

We have tried to verify these with Micromax but our repeated calls went unanswered.

Yesterday, Intex announced its first octa core phone, which is named as Intex Aqua Octa. The handset comes with a 6 inch display with HD resolution, 2 GB RAM, Mediatek's octa core processor, 16 GB internal memory, 13 megapixel rear camera, and a 5 megapixel front camera. Besides, it has dual SIM , Bluetooth , WiFi , and a 2300 mAh battery.

Gionee, a Chinese handset player, has recently announced its octa core phone for India as well which is named as Gionee E7 Mini . Besides, Karbonn, WickedLeak, Smart Namo too have expressed their desire to launch octa core phones in the past.

Top 5 Android tablets between Rs 10,000 - Rs 20,000

Google Nexus 7 tablet certainly reigns in the affordable tablet segment, but other device makers have taken up the challenge of competing with it. Several tablet models have been made available in the mid-tier segment; while LG has no plans to introduce an affordable device.

Apart from the new Nexus 7 there are some tablets worth checking out if your budget is around Rs 20, 000. We have focused on decent performance and expandable storage while Android update availability is still ambiguous. Nevertheless, these tablets promise a decent multimedia experience.

Google Nexus 7 (2013)

Google introduced the new Nexus 7 (2013) tablet a couple of weeks ago and the tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat update. Nexus 7 (2013) features a 7 inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution. This high resolution display is made using scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass technology. The Nexus 7 (2013) is powered by a quad core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro mobile processor with Adreno 320 GPU and 2 GB RAM. The first model supports 16 GB RAM and is priced just around Rs 20,000 if you can manage to use a coupon or specific bank's credit card. Made by Asus, the Nexus 7 (2013) has a 5 megapixel camera at the back with auto focus for imaging, and a 1.2 megapixel camera in the front for video calls.

Since this is a WiFi only model, it does not support SIM based voice calling. Though it packs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box, the Android 4.4 Jelly Bean update can be downloaded by connecting the tablet to a WiFi network. Nexus 7 (2013) has dual stereo surround sound speakers by Fraunhofer. There is a standard audio connector to hook your favorite pair of headphones. The Nexus 7 (2013) packs a 3950 mAh battery to offer about 9 hours of multimedia entertainment. The reason this tablet tops our list is because it offers a pure Nexus experience without much custom skin.