All you need to know about the world’s coolest Nokia Lumia 1020 infographic

 

Today’s the day when lucky Americans get the chance to buy the world’s most amazing camera smartphone. Yes, it’s Nokia Lumia 1020 sales launch time! To celebrate this, and to showcase the stunning tech inside this imaging masterpiece, we commissioned designer Jing Zhang to create a Nokia Lumia 1020 infographic.



But it’s not just any infographic, it’s one of her much loved Imaginary Factory series. To see for yourself why they’re so popular, click here to get a closer look out her latest work below and discovery 41 reasons why nothing comes close to the Nokia Lumia 1020.

We love this infographic almost as much as the Nokia Lumia 1020 itself, so to find out more about it’s creator and how she works her magic, we hooked up with Jing Zhang in London. Here’s what she had to say

You’ve been an illustrator/typographer/designer for last five years? How did you get into this field and what do you like best about your work?

I settled in London in 2007 with the initial intention to pursue a glamorous career in Fashion Design. Unfortunately, there was a recession after my graduation in 2008. But thanks to support from my family and my then boyfriend (now husband) I was able to work as an unpaid graphic design intern in a small company. During this difficult time, I got commissioned by Computer Arts magazine to work on a cover. For many graduates, it was more like a gift from heaven rather than a job. It also reinforced my determination of becoming an illustrator, which is what I do now.

Your Imaginary Factory collection of infographics looks great and is lots of fun. What inspired you to start creating them?

 Thank you very much. When I was a child, I always liked a toy called ‘Polly Pocket’. It’s a pocket-sized case which becomes a house when it’s open. There were several ‘characters’ living inside. It was the miniature world that fascinated me. You can find the same sort of influence from my other projects too, such as the Resort type.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra with 6.4-inch full-HD display now available online for Rs. 44,990

 

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone, which had been listed as 'coming soon' on online store Saholic, a day back, has now got a price tag of Rs. 44,990.

The listing promises a delivery time of 7 days for Delhi PIN-codes, so it's likely that Sony might make an official announcement within this week. It also bundles a 16GB memory card with the phone.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra sports a sleek look with a thickness of 6.5mm, and weighs 212 grams. It features a 6.4-inch full-HD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and boasts of Sony's proprietary BRAVIA Engine 2. It is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. It offers 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD card. The Xperia Z Ultra sports an 8-megapixel Exmor RS rear camera and a 2-megapixel front facing camera. The device includes LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, 3G, DLNA and Bluetooth connectivity options. It has a 3000mAh battery that Sony claims could deliver up to 14 hours of talktime and 768 hours of standby time.

Just like the Xperia Z and Xperia Z Tablet, the Xperia Z Ultra is also dust and water proof and comes with IP55 and IP58 certification. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra comes with handwriting recognition support and the device's screen can work with a pencil or a stylus/ pen that has a tip of more than 1mm(in diameter). It also comes with new and updated Sony Media Applications that include apps like Walkman, Movies and Album.

Last month, the company announced the Xperia Z Ultra for select markets and it was expected that the phone would be globally launched in Q3, 2013.

HTC Desire 500 likely to be prices at Rs.24,000

The HTC Desire 500 which was launched in Taiwan on Tuesday is likely to be priced at Rs.24,000. Although the company has yet to reveal its market price but according to gadget experts and the standard product pricing, its pricing is expected to be close to Rs.24,000.

 

The biggest strength of HTC Desire 500 is its Sense 5 and what it has missed out from the earlier One is BoomSound. For the company, the logic is clear. It wants to add more visual treat than the audio pleasure.

 

It was only last week when the company had launched HTC One mini which was well received by the market. The smartphone is expected to be available in India only after September, although it will make its foray into selected market from August itself.

 

The mid-ranged smartphone is mainly meant for the youngsters and the office-goers. It has incorporated most of the features needed for fun and work both. Powered by 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon200 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, its performance is as good as any brand's smartphone.

 

The dimension of the HTC One is 131.8x66.9x9.9mm and it weighs 123g. Both the parameters meet the standard requirements of its fee-good handling. Its 4GB internal storage can be further expanded up to 64GB with a microSD card.

 

A 4.3-inch WVGA display which provides a resolution of 480x800 pixels would offer quite a good eye-pleasing experience. The 8-megapixel rear camera which is accompanied by an LED flash and a 1.6-megapixel front camera are capable of capturing good resolution photographs.

Dual-SIM, Android Karbonn A29 with 4.7-inch display up for grab online for Rs. 8,990

 

The mobile handsets now-a-days are routinely appearing on the e-commerce portal before they are officially launched by the company. In line with the same practice, Karbonn A29 has appeared on retailer Saholic’ website at Rs 8,990.

 

The Karbonn A29 comes with a 4.7-inch qHD display with a resolution of 540x960 pixels. It runs on Android 4.1. and powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It comes with an 8.0-megapixel rear auto-focus camera with LED flash and a 2.0-megapixel front camera for self-portrait shots.

 

The dual SIM (GSM+GSM) device comes with a 4GB internal storage which can be expanded up to up to 32GB. It comes with dual standby support. It also has features like FM Radio and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, GPRS and EDGE as connectivity options. It comes with a 2,000mAh battery.

 

Like Micromax, Karbonn is also launching smarphones with greater frequency. Earlier this month it launched 3G enabled Karbonn Titanium S9 smartphone with a price tag of Rs Rs 19,900.

Dual-SIM Titanium S9 runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2 operating system. It comes with a 2600 mAh battery, 16 GB internal memory and 1 GB RAM.

It has a 5.5'' HD IPS capacitive screen with high-definition 720p display. It sports a 13 MP rear camera and a 5MP front-camera for video chats.

Karbonn’s Titanium series of smartphones have evoked good response in India. In May Karbonn launched Titanium S5 at 11990. The S5 is a Dual SIM phone and it comes with a5-Inch QHD Multi Touch Capacitive Screen. It is powered by a1.2GHz Quad Core Processorand runs on Android 4.1(Jelly Bean) operating system.

iBall Andi 4Di pops up for Rs 5,999 in India

A new affordable Android smartphone dubbed the iBall Andi 4Di has hit India for a price just a touch below the Rs 6,000 mark. If you don’t really care for Galaxy Note lookalikes, then it’s a comparatively much better deal than the iBall Andi 5L (priced at Rs 12,999) which can claim to be superior to this latest introduction only at a couple of levels.

 

The iBall Andi 4Di has a 4-inch, 480 x 800p resolution capacitive touch display with IPS technology to offer wide viewing angles. It is driven by a 1GHz Cortex A9 chip and 512MB of RAM. The onboard memory reads at a mere 512MB (only 150MB being user accessible), something which is compensated for by the embedded microSD card slot that allows for an additional 32GB of hoarding space.

 

Android v4.0 powers the phone and there’s no mention of an upgrade to Jelly Bean. Just look for 3G HSUPA, HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS GSM 900/1800MHz and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g if you want to know about the specific networks the handset is capable of latching on to. Sticking to what appears to be the current dual SIM norm for low- to mid-range handsets, there are two integrated slots for accommodating SIM cards.

 

Lastly, the device also features a 1700mAh battery, 5MP main camera with LED flash and VGA front lens. As for the 5L we mentioned earlier, it works on Android Ice Cream Sandwich too and sports a 5-inch touchscreen. A dual core 1GHz Cortex A9 processor, 8MP camera, basic secondary sensor, 1800mAh battery, 512MB RAM, 4GB onboard storage and 32GB memory expandability are noted as its key specs.

 

The Andi 4Di carries a price tag of Rs 5,999 in India.

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini goes dual SIM worldwide

While here in India, we got to witness the dual SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini since its launch, various parts of the world received its single SIM variant at first. And now, it’s time for the other variant to hit these parts of the globe. It is being reported that the I9192 model from Samsung which bears two SIM card slots, has landed in various stores across the world.



As brought to our notice by GSMArena, Amazon US is now selling the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini dual SIM variant at $483 and $489 in its black mist and white frost colors, respectively. And then there are other retailers like Cells4U, which is stocking the black mist variant with a tag of $470. Techno Trading House has it listed at $515, whereas Negri Electronics is offering the phone at $520. And Overseas Electronics is selling the device at $580.



Availability of the dual SIM version is also being reported from Egypt and Mexico. And as far as Europe is concerned, a carrier named Movistar from Spain will be seen dishing it out on contract at €35 per month, but it’s not available yet. Launched earlier this year, this trimmed down edition of the South Korean company’s flagship gadget bears a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, and it runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2. It is powered by a dual core processor clocked at 1.7GHz, whereas 1.5GB worth of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an 8MP camera, a 1.9MP webcam, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and all other such essentials have also been imbibed into this device.


As mentioned above, the Galaxy S4 mini has been made available worldwide in its dual SIM form. As far as India is concerned this variant was the only one that was brought out over here, and so it can be purchased now at a price of Rs 27,990.

New Nexus 7 press images surface online

 

Purported press images of the next generation Asus-Google tablet - Nexus 7 surface online to flaunt the new slimmer design.

 

Google and Asus have teamed up again to launch the second generation 7-inch tablet - Nexus 7. While the specifications have been speculated for a while on the web, the press images of these devices now have surfaced online. Popular Twitter account EVLeaks shared the press images of the new Nexus 7 tablet. The new Asus made Google Nexus 7 tablet will be offered in 16 GB and 32 GB versions.

 

Google is expected to unveil the new Nexus 7 tablet at a special press conference scheduled on July 24. The new Nexus 7 tablet features the same 7-inch display but likely to be higher pixel density and resolution.

 

Under the slimmer chassis, new Nexus 7 will house a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 mobile processor and 1 GB RAM. Google is also expected to announce the new Android 4.3 Jelly Bean MR2 update which will be available for the Google Nexus experience devices first and then to other Android models eventually.

 

The press images of the new Nexus 7 features a 5 megapixel camera at the back but there will be no LED Flash. There is a speaker mesh on the top at the back side. Google's Nexus logo is carved out vertically this time. There is a SIM card slot clearly visible at the backside.

 

Currently, the Nexus 7 tablet starts at $199 from the Google Play Store but the new Nexus 7 is rumored to start pricing at $249 (Rs 15000) for 16 GB model. There are no details on the 4G LTE supporting Nexus 7 models.

Sony Xperia ZU could be available in India by July 31

The Xperia ZU is Sony's flagship product and it will be the first product in India to ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz.

 

commerce website has indicated that the product will start shipping from July 31 onwards. Giving more credibility to this is the fact that Sony has slashed the prices of the Xperia Z and ZL smartphones, which could only mean that the company is planning to launch a new flagship product.

 

The Xperia ZU is Sony’s flagship product and it will be the first product in India to ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz. It is also the first Sony mobile product to be equipped with a TRILUMINUS display, something which the company uses in its high-end HDTVs.

 

In addition to this, the phablet has an 8-megapixel rear camera, 16GB of internal memory and 2GB of RAM. For memory expansion it will support 64GB microSD cards. Like the Xperia Z, it is also waterproof and dust resistant. Sony also claims it to be the slimmest smartphone as it is measures in at a svelte 6.5mm.

 

Sony is pitching this product to be a rival to Samsung’s yet to be announced Galaxy Note III. As one already knows, Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of devices have defined the phablet category and Sony surely this time around has a product that at least on the basis of core specs has what it takes to give the next generation Galaxy Note a tough fight.

 

While the Xperia ZU does not come with a stylus like the Galaxy Note, it will be able to compete in this regard as well. According to Sony, one can write and sketch on its screen with a pencil, pen or a capacitive stylus that has a tip of over 1mm in diameter.

 

Recent leaks have suggested that the Galaxy Note III could have a 5.7-inch display and have a 13-megapixel camera with a Xenon flash. Samsung has also teased the possible launch of an upgraded version of its Exynos 5 Octa CPU, which will likely power the next generation Galaxy Note.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini now available in India for Rs 27,990

Samsung's much anticipated Galaxy S4 Mini is now available for purchase in India for Rs 27,990 at an online shopping portal, two days before its official launch as reported by The Mobile Indian.

 

Both the black and white versions of the smartphone are available on Saholic.

 

The white version would take five business days to get delivered while the black variant will take seven days to get delivered.

 

The Galaxy S4 Mini features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 960x540 pixel resolution. This display is powered by a dual-core 1.7 GHz mobile processor and 1.5 GB RAM. It comes pre-loaded with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Nature UX user interface.

 

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features an 8 megapixel camera at the back along with a 1.9 megapixel camera in the front for HD quality video chatting. There is 1900 mAh battery in the S4 Mini.

 

In the connectivity front, S4 Mini will support WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS with GLONASS support. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has an 8 GB on-board memory out of which 5 GB is available for the users and one can add up to 64 GB micro SD card.

Lenovo’s 7-inch tablet with calling @ Rs 8,990

Lenovo has started taking orders for its IdeaTab A1000 tablet in India on its official website. The Chinese manufacturer has placed this device in the budget segment and has priced it at Rs 8,990. It will compete against the likes of Acer Iconia B1, Asus MemoPad and Micromax Funbook Talk in the market.

 

Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February this year, Lenovo IdeaTabA1000 has a 7-inch TFT screen with 1024x600p resolution. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system and is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Mediatek processor. It also has 4GB internal storage, 1GB RAM and microSD support of up to 32GB.

 

For connectivity, Lenovo IdeaTabA1000 has features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB and can be used for voice calling. It has a VGA camera in front for video calling and a 3,500mAh battery.

 

Lenovo also offers IdeaTabA2107 and IdeaTab 3000 in the Indian market. Other tablets in the country with voice calling functionality include Asus FonePad and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, though these are priced higher than the new Lenovo device.
 

HTC Butterfly S goes official on India website

 

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has listed its Butterfly S smartphone on its India website. The phone was globally announced last month and features technologies that were showcased earlier in its flagship handset HTC One. The company has not revealed the price of the phone, along with an official launch date. The listing of the phone in the country before its global launch has given rise to speculation that India will be among the first markets to get this handset.


The all-new Butterfly S has a 5-inch screen with 1920x1080p resolution and 441ppi pixel density. The phone runs on the 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 processor (that powers the Samsung Galaxy S4) and comes with 2GB RAM. This device packs 16GB onboard storage and supports expansion up to 64GB via microSD cards. HTC also offers 25GB of free Dropbox storage with the phone.



HTC has included its UltraPixel technology in the 4MP rear camera of Butterfly S; the front camera of this handset has resolution of 2.1MP and a LED flash is placed on the back. Connectivity options in the phone include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC. The phone runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), topped with the manufacturer's proprietary Sense user interface.


HTC Butterfly S will compete against the new crop of phones with full HD screens, including Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z, LG Optimus G Pro and its sibling HTC One. Other rivals are Apple iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 925 and BlackBerry Z10. Its predecessor, Butterfly, remains the most expensive Android phone in India at Rs 45,500.


 

Mobile Review: BlackBerry's new Q5 is smart and capable

 

Why is this handset a big deal? Because BlackBerry's revival rested on its all-new BB 10 software - but the only two BB 10 handsets that have been launched so far have been priced too high to make a difference to markets such as India. The Z10 came in at Rs.43k, and the keyboard-equipped Q10, at a staggering Rs.45k price that was universally criticized.

 

So while much of the world didn't get very excited about the Q5, India's mobile market has been very curious about it.

 

The Q5 is a much cheaper Q10. At just over half the price, it gives you almost a Q10-like experience: the same software, in a cheaper package. Where the Q10 felt premium and heavy, with aluminium touches, the all-plastic Q5 is lighter, but feels sturdy - and is in fact easier to hold than the Q10.

 

In deference to its much lower price, BlackBerry worked hard at distinguishing the Q5, starting with the keypad. It borrows the old Curve model's smaller but more-spaced-out keypad, making the Q5 look older than the Q10. Unlike other reviewers, though, I find I'm typing faster on the Q5's keypad.

 

The Q5's touch-screen has the same 3.1" square size and 720x720 pixel resolution as the Q10's, but uses LCD (instead of the Q10's more modern AMOLED), making it whiter if mildly less capable in bright sunlight. Yet I found the Q5 touchscreen easier to use, for there's more space under the screen, making it easier to swipe up - an action you use often, to get out of an app.

 

So the two are well matched. The Q5 is slightly slower, but doesn't feel sluggish. Both use dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and 2 GB of memory, but the Q5 runs at 1.2 GHz against the Q10's 1.5 GHz. However, I didn't really load it with apps (there aren't that many BlackBerry 10 apps yet, anyway). Web browser performance on both handsets is terrible.

 

My one real disappointment with the Q5 is the 5 Mp (megapixel) camera, down from the Q10's 8 Mp. The resolution doesn't really matter, but the Q5 clearly has a cheaper sensor. Outdoor daylight shots are okay, but indoor or low-light shots are mediocre, noisy. There's poor comparison with, say, the HTC One's brilliant 4 Mp sensor, or even the old Phone 4's 5 Mp sensor.

 

My other disappointment is common to both Q5 and Q10 - the overwhelming touch metaphor. You can't even make or end a call, or speed-dial, without using the touch screen - which makes it a pain to call or answer when driving. The old "call end" button was a great way to exit apps, but now it's all touch. There's no "BlackBerry" key either, to give you quick, context-sensitive menu options on everything - for instance to quickly forward an SMS as an email.

 

Overall, though, the BlackBerry Q5 is very capable, and, compared to the Q10, very good value. It matches the Q10 on many counts, and if you can live with sacrificing the Q10's cooler look and feel, is the handset to buy. If you want to buy a BlackBerry!

 

And therein lies the rub. There aren't all that many BlackBerry loyalists. The Q5 isn't sexy enough to make users switch from Android or iPhone. It isn't cheap enough to get low-end-BB users to upgrade from their older Curve.

Panasonic P51 smartphone Rs.21,999

Panasonic launched P51 smartphone in India priced at Rs.21,999. The new device has a 5 inch screen with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The P51 is powered by a Quad Core 1.2 GHz processor and running on Android 4.2 (jelly bean).

Spice Pinnacle FHD smartphone launched at Rs 16,990

 

Spice Telecom on Thursday launched the 5" full HD Spice Pinnacle FHD smartphone, priced at Rs 16,990.

Spice Pinnacle FHD is powered by a1.5 GHz Quad Core processor and runs in Android Jelly Bean 4.2 operating system.

 

Enabled with 1 GB RAM, it has an internal memory of 8GB which can be expanded up to 32GB through a micro SD card.

The device has an 8 megapixel auto focus rear camera along with dual LED flash and a 2 MP front camera.

 

The smartphone comes with a large 12.7 cm display and 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Packed with a 2100mAh Li-on polymer battery, Spice Pinnacle FHD also includes other common features like Bluetooth 4.0, Proximity sensor, G-sensor, Light sensor, Intelligent Answer, Flip to Mute, Direct Call and GPS/AGPS among others.

 

This 3G dual sim smartphone also gives access to Spice Cloud that enables the users to access data on multiple devices.

Commenting on the launch, T M Ramakrishnan, CEO (devices), S Mobility Ltd, said: "The 1.5GHz Quad Core coupled with Full HD resolution is an industry redefining feature for the affordable segment." Spice Pinnacle FHD is available for pre-booking exclusively on www.saholic.com from today while the product will be available across India through all major retail stores from July 20.The deliveries for pre-booking start from July 20.

Nokia Asha 501 review

Nokia recently announced the dual-SIM Asha 501 smartphone with a fresh single-Swipe user interface. The monoblock touchscreen device brings a new Asha software platform to the users and developers. The Asha 501 will be offered on dual-SIM model option as of now for Rs 5,199. Here is our take on the smartphone.

Nokia Asha 501 is meant for the youth and first time internet users. The device comes in candy bar form factor with monoblock design. There are no keys peeking out or crevices for dust to get collected in the keys. Nokia's budget phones are known for being strong and survive great falls. The back panel hugs to the body in such a way that even when the phone accidentally slips from your hand, it doesn't come out easily along with the battery. Nokia has used slightly stronger than the regular plastic material with the device.

The back panel has bit of glossy finish which makes it easy to slip out of hands. It measures 12.1 mm thick and the phone is deceptively lighter at 100 grams than it appears. Nokia has placed the volume keys on the right side of the phone with the Power/Sleep key is located just under it.There is just one hard button under the display. Surprisingly, it is a Back key instead of the typical Home button.Nokia offers Asha 501 in six funky colors - Bright Red, Bright Green, Yellow, White, Black and Cyan. 

Micromax Canvas 4 loses the specs battle to iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1

 

New Delhi: The veil from the Micromax Canvas 4 was just lifted and a strong contender has already emerged. The iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1, that will be available for pre-order starting July 13, trumps the much hyped Canvas 4 on the specifications front.

While specifications are not the only measurement of the performance of a phone, it is the overall user experience that matters more, nevertheless on paper it is the Rs 18,000 iBerry smartphone that seems to pack in more punch than the similarly priced device from Micromax. We had a hands-on experience with the Canvas 4, but are yet to get a grip on the Auxus Nuclea N1.

While the Micromax Canvas 4 has a 5-inch 720p display, the Auxus Nuclea N1, according to the spec sheet released by iBerry, will come with a 5-inch full HD (1080p) display. Before the Canvas 4 release on July 8, there were expectations that the company would introduce the Canvas 4 with a full HD display, but it was not to be.

While both phones have a 13 megapixel rear cameras, the Auxus Nuclea N1 has a higher resolution front camera than the Canvas 4. The Canvas 4 is equipped with a 5 megapixel front camera, while iBerry's Auxus Nuclea N1 has an 8 megapixel front camera.

Both phones are powered by quad-core processors, but the Auxus Nuclea N1 outstrips the Canvas 4 with a faster clock speed. The Nuclea N1 has 1.5GHz quad-core processor, while the Canvas 4 has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor.

At 8.9 mm the Canvas 4 is a little slimmer than the 9.6 mm Auxus Nuclea N1, but it is 37.3 grams heavier. Also, the Auxus Nuclea N1 has a more powerful battery than the Canvas 4.

Both phones carry the same price tag, but iBerry gives users a chance to grab the phone for Rs 15,990. Auxus Nuclea N1 will have this introductory offer over a 10-day pre-booking period beginning July 13 following which it will be priced at Rs 18,000.

As there is no word on the Auxus Nuclea N1's internal storage, expandable memory and RAM yet, it is a little difficult to announce the clear winner, but the major specifications suggest that the Auxus Nuclea N1 has the potential to outperform the Canvas 4.

Dual-SIM, Quad-core Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 up for grab online for Rs 9,499

Spice Mobile has added one more device to its Coolpad series of smartphones after launching 5 inch Quad Core Jelly Bean smartphone Spice Coolpad MI-515 last month. Now, it has launched Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 with a price tag of Rs 9,499.

Spice which has partnered with Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad has one again relied on the quad-core processor to launch this latest device on e-commerce portal Saholic.

Of late, other Indian handset lmakesr such as Micromax, Karbonn, Lava and others have also launched smartphones with qua-core processor. Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 is another addition to the quad-core smartphones and could give a tough competition to these brands.

With a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 540X960pixels Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and is powered by  powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor.

Xolo Play with Tegra 3 processor to launch July 15 for Rs. 15,999

 

Xolo is all set to launch a smartphone with Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. The smartphone is dubbed Xolo Play and will be available starting July 15, 2013 for Rs. 15,999.

The smartphone will have 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 720X1280 pixels and pixel density of 312ppi. Xolo Play will be powered by 1.5GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor with 416MHz 12 Core Nvidia ULP GeForce GPU. Internally, the smartphone will have 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded by up to 32GB through a microSD card.

Xolo Play will run on Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). For camera, there is an 8-megapixel rear camera with BSI sensor and a 2-megapixel front snapper. The smartphones comes with a 2,000mAh battery on board. The rear camera also supports 1080pixel video recording.

Xolo Play will be a single SIM smartphone and will support 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS/ aGPS.

The company is already promoting Xolo Play on its Facebook page, as the "next big thing in gaming". Xolo Play will support Nvidia Tegra games through Nvidia TegraZone.

It is noteworthy, that Xolo is already offering smartphones with MediaTek processors under its 'A' series and 'Q' Series. It is also offering smartphones running on Intel processor under 'X' series.

HTC One getting Android 4.2, updated version of Sense UI

HTC is now rolling out the much awaited Android 4.2.2 update to its flagship smartphone, HTC One.

According to Android Central, the update can be downloaded over the air and is starting to roll out to HTC One phones in some European countries, so it's likely that it will be rolled out in other regions in the next few weeks. There's no definite time frame for the update to reach HTC One phones in India.

The update, in addition to bringing standard Android 4.2 Jelly Bean features like the Daydream screensaver/ picture frame mode,  quick settings toggles and lock screen widgets, also revamps Sense 5, HTC's user interface layer on top of the OS.

HTC has added support for Instagram feed in its BlinkFeed service that pulls updates from news and social networking services and brings them to the user's lock screen. Following the update, the redundant Menu bar present on the phone, has also been removed. This bar occupies a large part of the screen real estate showing up in apps when the same purpose is served by soft buttons integrated in apps.

The update also adds a new swipe up Home button gesture for launching Google Now, Google's voice driven intelligent assistant.

Nokia unveils 3G-enabled feature phones, 207 & 208

 

Nokia today unveiled three 3G-enabled phones, named 207, 208 and 208 dual-sim.

 

The three feature phones sport candybar shape and have bright coloured back covers, similar to the Lumia range and the new Asha 501.

The new Nokia 207, 208 and 208 dual-sim feature a 2.4-inch display and are water resistant. Connectivity options in the three phones include 2G, 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and microUSB.

 

Nokia 208 and 208 dual-sim will sport a 1.3MP rear camera with features like panorama, voice-guided self portrait and sequential shot. However, the 207 will not come with a camera on the back.

Nokia has added its Xpress Browser, Mail for Exchange, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in all three handsets.

 

The Finnish manufacturer has also included WhatsApp in the single-sim variant of 208, but it will not be available in the dual-sim version as well as 207 "initially."

 

The phones will be compatible with the new Transfer app, which assists in importing contacts from Windows Phone and Android smartphones.

The two phones will be priced at $68, before carrier subsidies and local taxes, and will hit the stores in the third quarter of the year. Powered by a 1020mAh battery, the three handsets will be available in red, cyan, white and black colours.

"Nokia 207 and 208 are designed for people who like a classic phone and traditional keypad but don't want to miss out on smartphone experiences, like staying connected to social media and accessing the internet," said TimoToikkanen, executive vice president, mobile phones, Nokia."As our most affordable 3G devices yet, the Nokia 207 and 208 offer a perfect balance of performance, features and quality."