Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Sony launches Xperia Z Ultra in India for INR 46,990

Sony India has officially launched its Xperia Z Ultra phablet in the country today. Unveiled at a press event in New Delhi, the device will be available for INR 46,990. It is already being sold at some online retail stores for around INR 44,990, however according to the company, the sales begin August 2.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the first smartphone to reach India with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor. It features a 6.4-inch full HD TRILUMINOS display, Android 4.2 and 2GB of RAM. The phone also packs 3,000 mAh battery, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and 16GB of internal storage.

Micromax Bling 3 A86 now available for Rs. 9599

Micromax has started selling the third Bling phone in the Indian market today. The Bling 3 is the 3rd phone in the Bling series Bling phone that was launched back in 2010 and Bling 2 A55 that was launched in 2011. The Bling 3 has  Swarovski Zirconia crystals similar to the other Bling phones. It has 4-inch touchscreen display, powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Still no details about the display resolution, RAM and Internal memory.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Nexus 7 on Amazon India for just INR 11,999


Google might have already launched Nexus 7 (2013) but the original Nexus 7 continues to be a great tablet. It has already been updated to Android 4.3 and packs capable hardware for all your tablet needs.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Coming soon, an Android smartphone for Narendra Modi fans

Rejoice, Modi fans! Soon, it seems, there will be an Android phone dedicated to Narendra Modi.

According to reports, Smart Namo, an independent body formed by Modi fans, has announced it will soon launch a mobile phone by the same name.

The official website for the device says, the Android phone will be the group members’ way of showing their dedication and respect to Modi.

“We are from land of Gujarat and in electronic smartphone business in China. NAMO stands for Narendra Modi and Next Generation Android Mobile Odyssey,” says the description of the website.

Saavn Pro launched on Android

Saavn (South Asian Audio Video Network), a US-based Indian digital music service, has updated its Android app and introduced its premium subscription service Saavn Pro on it.

Saavn Pro, available for $3.99 (in US) and Rs 220 a month (in India) is an ad-free service and it allows users to cache and save the songs they like and listen them offline. In Saavn Pro, they can save music up to 3GB. Considering a song on an average could be anywhere between 5MB and 10 MB, 3GB would mean users can store anywhere between 400 and 450 songs for offline listening. Users can sync these songs across five devices. Saavn Pro is also available for a 30-day trial before users begin the subscription. When it was launched earlier this year on iOS, Saavn Pro received around 10,000 sign-ups within the first 48 hours of early interest registration.

Groupon App now available on Android

Groupon India, a leading player in the daily deals segment today launched the app on Android platform as well. The Android App will be available on Google Play for download and will allow users to browse through hundreds of deals from an array of selections ranging from local, travel to shopping and offer suggestions on best things to do, see, eat, and buy. By a mere touch or press of a button, Android users will now be able to use their smartphones as a "Groupon wallet".
The feature-rich app is devised not only to deepen engagement with regular Groupon users, but also to reach out to a larger audience through the fastest growing platform.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Android 4.2-powered Cloud X3 at INR 3,790 launched from Intex

Indian computer peripherals maker Intex has announced the launch of a new budget Android smartphone in the country today. Dubbed as Intex Cloud X3, the phone has been priced at INR 3,790.

Cloud X3 features 1GHz dual-core processor, 256MB RAM, Android 4.2, and 115MB internal storage. We are no sure how the Android 4.2 is going to perform with just 256MB RAM in the phone.

Other features include 3.5- inch HVGA display, dual-SIM support and 1450 mAh battery.

New features in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Google has announced the roll out of the next iteration of its Android operating system, dubbed as version 4.3, with the launch of its new Nexus 7 tablet. The new version will be called 'Jelly Bean' and would actually be the third version to carry the same tag after Android 4.1 and Android 4.2. The latest update comes about nine months after Google introduced Android 4.2.
However as suggested by previous leaks, the new Android version doesn't bring a big makeover and comes with a few major features. The new OS is being rolled out first to Google's Nexus range of devices including the original Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 10 tablet and will ship with the new Nexus 7. We take a look at its new features.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Google introduces Chromecast: A dongle to stream content to TV

Along with new Nexus 7 and Android 4.3, Google also took the wraps off Chromecast today. Running on
simplified Chrome OS version, Chromecast aims to be your go-to device for streaming video and audio content from computing devices to television.

“To help make it easy to bring your favorite online entertainment to the biggest screen in your house—the TV—we’re introducing Chromecast. Chromecast is a small and affordable ($35) device that you simply plug in to your high-definition (HD) TV and it allows you to use your phone, tablet or laptop to “cast” online content to your TV screen,” Google’s Sundar Pichai writes in a blog post.

Sony confirms Android 4.3 upgrade plans for selected Xperia Devices

Xperia Z, ZL, ZR, Tablet Z, SP and Z Ultra to get 4.3 upgrade; some 4.1 devices could jump straight to 4.3

Sony is the first Android OEM to commit to device updates to Android 4.3, less than a day after Google unveiled the new version of Android in San Francisco. The Japanese company says it can confirm that the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP and Xperia Z Ultra will all get upgrades to Android 4.3, though no specific update timetable is offered.

In addition, Sony says it's looking at upgrading some of its Android 4.1 devices directly to 4.3, leapfrogging 4.2 entirely. (It wouldn't be the first we've heard of a manufacturer possibly jumping straight from 4.1 to 4.3.) Again, Sony's not committing to any timeframes, but says it'll share more details when it's able.


Meanwhile, the Android 4.2 updates will continue rolling out for existing Sony devices. The manufacturer says the Xperia ZR and Tablet Z will start seeing 4.2 push out from early August.

Source : Android Central

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Android 4.3 release date and features announced

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean has been officially announced alongside the Nexus 7 2 at Google’s San Francisco event.

Android 4.3 has been rumoured for quite a while and although there aren’t many front-end changes, the added back-end features should enable some very interesting experiences on Android handsets – especially if you're an avid gamer or parent.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Galaxy S4 zoom up for pre-order on Samsung India website for Rs 29,390


The Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom smartphone is finally up for pre-order on the Samsung India website for Rs 29,390 – the smartphone was launched at Rs 29,900. After officially announcing it last month, Samsung Electronics finally launched the Galaxy S4 zoom smartphone in India this month alongside the Galaxy S4 mini.

Monday, July 22, 2013

iBall launched Andi 4Di budget Android phone for INR 5,995

Indian computer peripherals maker iBall has announced the launch of a new budget Android smartphone in country today. Dubbed as Andi 4Di, the smartphone has been powered by Android 4.0.

iBall Andi 4Di features 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, VGA front camera and 5MP rear camera. The phone also comes with 4-inch WVGA display, 1700 mAh battery and dual-SIM support.

Considering the on-paper specifications, the phone seems to be decent but the real-life performance will matter the most.

Sony Xperia ZU could be available in India by July 31

Last month, Sony unveiled the Xperia ZU 6.4-inch phablet globally and now it appears that the product could be available in India by July 31 itself. An e-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.

New Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Release Date Hints, Leaked For Galaxy S4 Google Edition

Google has been maintaining a studied silence about its Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update which is expected to be released any time now. However, while that is awaited, we have been treated with several leaks of the said version in the past. The latest addition to this saga is the Build JWR66V which has been picked up by the inquisitive guys at Android Central from XDA Developers. The update is meant for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Also, what seems likely is that the latest update will only be compliant with the GSM versions of the Galaxy S4 in the US and Canada though the latter bit is mere speculation as of now.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sony offers 5K discount on Xperia Z/ZL for your old smartphone

Sony has started exchange offer for its flagship Xperia Z and ZL smartphones. The company is giving an assured discount of INR 5,000 if you trade-in your old phone. We don’t have a list of eligible phone for trade-in right now but we will update the post as soon as we get hold of it, till then you can visit you nearest retailer to learn if your old phone is eligible for Sony’s Big Xperia Xchange offer or not.
Sony is also bundling a free case worth INR 1,990 with every Xperia Z purchase and snap-on cover worth INR 1490 with Xperia ZL.  This is not all; the company is offering 12 or 6 months EMI plans for these phones without any processing fee at select stores.

According to the company, the exchange offer, which went live on July 15, is valid until August 15, 2013. After getting discount as a part of exchange offer, you will able to get new Sony Xperia Z for INR 33,790 or lower (depending on your old phone) and Sony Xperia ZL for INR 30,690 or lower.To remind you, Sony Xperia Z and ZL were released in the country earlier this year and come with 5-inch full HD display, quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 13MP rear camera and 2GB of RAM.

Google Play Store Reaches 50 Billion Downloads a Year Faster Than The App Store

CEO of Google Inc. Larry Page announced that the Google Play store, the equivalent of Apple's App Store, has seen users download more than 50 billion apps. The announcement was made Thursday during the second quarter earnings call.

Apple recently hit the same milestone of 50 billion unique downloads from its App Store. However, what Apple took five years to accomplish has only taken Google four. It was only in May that Google announced at its I/O developers conference that people had downloaded 48 billion apps on the marketplace designed for Android users. Meanwhile Apple announced its 50 billion milestone. While everyone took it as a win for Apple, the speed with which it achieved this goal compared to Google was glacial.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Rovio account now available worldwide on Android and iOS

Rovio Account is now available for iOS and Android devices globally – a step further in the company’s gradual rollout plans for the new feature.

Released this year, Rovio Account lets players save their game progress and continue playing on another device. The feature was introduced after Rovio fans began asking the company for a way to play their game across devices without losing their progress. As it stands now, Rovio Account is available on the original Angry Birds game and The Croods, and will be rolled out to other Angry Birds and non Angry Birds titles in the future.

HP Slate 7 Android tablet coming to India

HP unveiled a series of devices yesterday at an event held in Delhi – Slatebook 10 X2, Split X2, Envy Rove 20, Pavillion 11 TouchSmart and Envy TouchSmart 14. These devices come with screens ranging from 10 inches to 21 inches. This doesn't mean the company has given the sought after 7-inch tablet segment a miss in India. It will soon launch its Slate 7 for the Indian market. Ketan Patel, Director Consumer Product Category, HP PPS India, said that the 7-inch tablet, which is launched worldwide, has been included in HP roadmap for India as well. He further added that the device will be reaching the Indian audiences very soon.


With a series of devices, HP plans to target various Indian price segments with different needs pertaining to computing and portability. HP will enter the 7-inch tablet segment, which is dominated by budget Android tablets and the iPad mini. However, he hasn't mentioned any exact launch date and there is no word on the price either. Recently, the price of the HP Slate was slashed to $140 in the US, which amounts to approximately Rs 8,340. But the question is: at what price will the device be made available in India? With the likes of the Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211, the price of the device could play a crucial role.

The Slatebook 10 X2 is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 with 1GB RAM and runs on Android OS v4.1. The screen features 170 ppi pixel density, which is slightly higher than the iPad mini.

Specifications:

  • 7-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 600 x 1024 pixels
  • Wi-Fi, DLNA
  • Bluetooth v2.0
  • 3.15MP rear camera, front-facing VGA camera
  • 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB
Source : Tech2

Hands-on with Android 4.3 on the Nexus 4

Friday, July 19, 2013

HTC One Android 4.2.2 update now available in India

HTC has finally started rolling out the Android 4.2.2 update for HTC One smartphone in the Indian market. The update is now available over-the-air and you will automatically get a notification on your phone as soon as the update is ready for your device.

Reliance Slashed 3G Data Tariff by 50%

Reliance Communications has slashed its 3G rates under a new plan, bringing it on par with 2G data services, under the new 3G data plan, users can access 3G services at Rs 123 for 1 GB, Rs 246 for 2 GB and Rs 492 for 4 GB. Even Reliance has updated its portal with a ticker for the big launch about this plan.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 3


Electronics major Samsung today unveiled the much awaited Galaxy Tab 3 range of tablets.

The sleek Galaxy Tab 3, which will hit retail stores next week, is available in two variants -- voice & data and Wifi.

The Galaxy Tab 3 (311) boasts of an 8-inch screen with WXGA display. It runs on the latest Android Jellybean 4.2 OS and sports a 1.5 GHz dual core processor with 1.5 GB RAM.