Huawei Confirms Dual-OS Smartphone For Q2 Release

Huawei has confirmed that a dual-OS smartphone will be available in the US in Q2 2014, running Android and Windows Phone operating systems.

Huawei's chief marketing officer, Shao Yang in an interview with TrustedReviews, has shed some light on the company's upcoming smartphone plans.

Yang was quoted as saying, "We are still committed to making Windows Phone devices. Compared with Android, the priority of Windows Phone is much lower but is still one of our choices of OS. We are definitely using a multi OS strategy."

It seems that despite Microsoft's desperate push (evinced by co-marketing reports in the past), device manufacturers like Huawei still consider its Windows Phone OS a secondary option to Google's Android.

Yang further said, "With Windows Phone, one direction for us - and one that we are now following - is dual-OS. Dual-OS as in Android and Windows together."

Yang claimed that the dual-OS device could be a new option of consumers who have been offered Android or Windows Phone on a device, and not both operating systems in a single device.

"If it is Windows only, maybe people will not find it as easy a decision to buy the phone. If they have the Android and Windows together, you can change it as you wish and it is much easier for people to choose Windows Phone," added Yang.

The technical details of the dual-OS implementation are not clear as of now, whether the Android and Windows Phone operating systems would be offered through a dual-boot menu at the start-up of the Huawei smartphone, or if the user would be able to switch between the two operating systems at any point.

Huawei might have confirmed its dual-OS smartphone for this year; however, Asus seems to have cancelled its plans for launching a dual-OS tablet which was expected to be launched this year.

Wall Street Journal in a report has suggested that the Taiwanese manufacturer had to suspend its plan under pressure of Google and Microsoft.

An earlier report had claimed that Microsoft, in an attempt to promote its mobile and tablet ecosystem, was considering offering free versions of Windows Phone and Windows RT to device makers.

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Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet A1000 for Rs. 8,999

Lenovo has launched new Android tablet IdeaPad Tablet A1000 in India. The tablet is available in black colour and is priced at Rs. 8,999 on online stores and carries a 1-year manufacturer warranty.

The Ideapad Tablet A1000 has a 7-inch display with a 1024x600 pixel resolution. It runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek 8317 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The tablet houses 4GB built-in storage expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. The tablet has a 0.3MP front facing camera but no rear-facing camera. The tablet runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

The IdeaTab A1000 is 0.7mm thin and weighs a mere 340 grams. Lenovo claims 8 hours of Wi-Fi browsing on a single battery charge. The tablet also supports dual stereo speakers & Dolby audio enhancement.

Lenovo A1000 specifications

• 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display
• 1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT8317 processor
• Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
• 10.7 mm thick and weighs 340 grams
• Normal SIM card slot, Voice calling
• 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, Front-facing speakers, Dolby Digital Plus
• 2G (EDGE), 3G (via Dongle), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, USB OTG
• 1GB DDR2 RAM, 4GB internal memory , 32GB expandable memory with microSD
• 3500 mAh battery

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Moto X Ready To Launch In India

Late last month, Motorola said that the Moto X was headed to India and Australia within 'next few weeks'. Now, Flipkart, which exclusively launched the Motorola Moto G in India, has confirmed that the 'Moto X is coming soon'. The tweet also promises exciting launch day offers, similar to ones seen with the Moto G India launch in February.

While there is no official word from Flipkart on the exact launch date, Viralrays  has learnt from its sources that the Moto X is likely to go on sale next week, starting 19 March.

Motorola launched the Moto X back in August last as an Android smartphone that users can customise via its website called Moto Maker. Flipkart confirmed in response to a query that users in India will not get a chance to customise their phone, and said the phone "will come with a fixed set of five colours & two wood variants."

Moto X was launched in the US carrying a $579 (Rs. 35,000 approximately), but the price was recently slashed to $399 (Rs. 24,000 approximately). While a sub-Rs. 25,000 price tag in India would be ideal, it's more likely that the phone will be priced around the Rs. 28,000 mark.

The Moto X features a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. It is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960Pro Snapdragon processor along with 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB of inbuilt storage. It also sports a 10-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

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Micromax Canvas Knight A350 Specification Review

Micromax has launched its next flagship dubbed the Canvas Knight A350, for the Indian market. Just like most Micromax devices, it is a budget device with superior features. For Rs 19,999, the spec sheet of the Canvas Knight could put any sub-Rs 20,000 device to shame. Here’s a quick look at its tech specs.

• User Interface – Android 4.2.2

While the hardware appears to be brilliant, the Canvas Knight is disappointing when it comes to the OS running on the device.  The Canvas Knight runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, similar to its previous flagship Canvas Turbo. With the nifty specs the phone holds, it appears to be more than capable of running Android 4.4 KitKat. What we don’t understand is what’s stopping Micromax from launching it with 4.3 at the very least, if not KitKat?

One should also expect pre-loaded apps from the company such as M! Security, M! Live, M! Unlock as well as third party vendors like Spuul, Hike, Opera Mini and more. Micromax had also signed a deal with BlackBerry to preload BBM on its Canvas phones. So, you can expect BBM for Android too. One can also expect Micromax’s software gimmickry like ifloat that serves as a quick launcher for calls, messages, browser, settings, etc. from any screen, blow to unlock, popup video, popup browser, and more.  You will also find Truecaller, GetIt, M!Vault pre-installed along with games such as RealSteel WRB, Where’s My Perry and Where’s My Water.

• Cellular Connectivity – GSM, 3G

The Canvas Knight supports GSM and 3G networks. However, it should be noted that the company has started testing 4G-enabled devices, which are expected to be launched later this year. May be its too early to say, but we could possibly see a 4G variant of the device in the future.

•  Display – 5-inch SHARP Full HD

Samsung has retained the 5-inch display size seen in the Turbo as well as the full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, with a pixel count that goes all the way up to 443 ppi. Moreover, it’s the full HD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) IPS display built by SHARP, just like its predecessor. This means, we can expect crisp and clear images.

•  Form-factor– Anodised aluminium body

The official site doesn’t mention the weight or dimensions, but it appears to be pretty slim. In terms of design, it doesn’t follow the Turbo, instead looks like an iPhone. The Canvas Knight gets a brushed metal styling with champagne gold bezels while the rear panel comes with a glass finish. The device is available in three colours – black, white and gold and black and gold.

•  Wi-Fi

The Canvas Turbo supports Wi-Fi, but so far there has been no mention of the connectivity options. There is no word on dual-band support either or if it supports the ‘ac’ draft either.

•  Processor – Mediatek Octa-core , 2GB RAM

The Canvas Knight is first smartphone from Micromax to feature an octa-core processor.  It is powered by a MediaTek MT6592T SoC, that clocks in at 2GHz. It also includes an ARM Mali-450 GPU and 2GB of RAM.  The Canvas Knight joins the Gionee Elife E7 Mini, Intex Aqua Octa and the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N2, which also sport octa-core chipsets.

• Internal storage – 32GB, no room for expansion

While the Canvas Turbo was available with 16GB onboard storage option, the Knight gets a whopping 32GB built-in storage. It doesn’t offer other online storage support or a memory card slot.  However, 32GB storage could suffice your daily storage needs.

•  Camera - 16-megapxiel BSI sensor, 8-megapixel front-facing camera

On the camera front, the Knight comes with major improvement. It gets 16-megapxiel sensor on the rear side with support for auto-focus and flash. The rear shooter is paired with OmniVision’s CameraChip sensor and a new generation M8 Largan Lens, allowing 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second. Users can also control the camera with their voice and the OmniVision CameraChip sensors also enable HD burst mode.

 The device also gets an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The company has included its quirky-named “Camerazzi” camera app that adds several features such as 360 Degree Panorama, Cinemagraph and Object Eraser.

•  Sensors – All the usual suspects

The Canvas Knight won’t disappoint when it comes to sensors. It gets all the usual suspects such as accelerometer, light, gravity, gyroscope, proximity and compass.

•  GPS

The Canvas Knight comes with support for GPS and A-GPS. Though the official site doesn’t mention, we are hoping it also supports GLONASS.

•  Battery – Li-Ion 2350 mAh

Coming to the battery, we get a measly 2350 mAh battery. The rated battery life promised is 175 hours of standby time and 7.5 hours of talk time. Given the specifications of the phone, this could be the Achilles heel of the Knight.

• The bottom line

The Canvas Knight comes with an incredibly powerful specs sheet. It appears to be one of the best value-for-money Android smartphones under Rs 20,000 with an octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera and 32GB onboard storage. The only disappointment so far, is the older Android Jelly version that the device runs on and the tiny battery.  While it all sounds good on paper and has the potential to be one of the best budget smartphone by an Indian brand, we will have to wait and see how well the device performs once we get out hands on it.

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Panasonic P31 Smartphone To Be Launched In India On March First Week

It's been almost a week since Panasonic India started teasing the arrival of its new smartphone P31, and now an official spokesperson from the company informed us that the phone is coming to India on March 6. However, there is no information on its pricing and availability yet.

If rumours are to be believed, the Panasonic P31 will come with a 5-inch display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, an 8 megapixel rear camera, and a 2 megapixel front camera. It will be an Android phone.

The company has also revealed some of its features in the official teaser images. The first teaser image hints at a new way to unlock the phone. The phone is expected to allow users to "draw to unlock" the device.

Another teaser image talks about "Pop-I-Player", which apparently will be a "multi-tasking video application".The phone is also likely to come with a feature that will help you make the most of its battery.

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Nokia Lumia 525 Review

Nokia is trying to be something to everyone with its current lineup of Lumias - they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials and colours. However the nature of Windows Phone as an OS hasn't made it easy for Nokia hit all the right price points. Nokia's devices were either too premium or too weak to capture the interest of buyers in the critical sub-Rs. 10,000 mass market.

That started to change with the introduction of the Lumia 520. With its low price, bright colours and unique design, the Lumia 520 was a breath of fresh air in a dull market segment overflowing with similar-looking Android phones from second-tier brands. According to a recent report, the Lumia 520 accounts for nearly 45 percent of all Windows Phone devices sold in India, and just over 25 percent worldwide.

Even so, there was room for improvement. The Lumia 520 was criticised for coming with only 512MB of RAM and dispensing with a front-facing camera. Honestly, though, the front cameras on phones in this price range are generally so bad that they're unusable anyway, and video chatting isn't popular enough for it to be a significant miss. The low amount of RAM was more of an issue, since people were afraid that heavier apps and games wouldn't run well.

The Lumia 525 is thus a mid-lifecycle update which fixes this problem and leaves pretty much everything else exactly as it was. Nokia has responded to buyers' and reviewers' criticisms and has done what it could without raising costs too drastically. It's good to see that the company is on its toes. Even if this helps sway only a few buyers who were earlier on the fence, every small victory counts.

However, the Lumia 525 is still smaller and weaker than many of the Android options available in its price range. Windows Phone is better than it was, but there's still not guarantee that you'll find all the apps you need or the games you'll see your friends enjoy on their Android phones. Let's see if the Lumia 525 has enough going for it to compensate for these factors.

• Look and feel

There's no mistaking Nokia's visual identity. The use of bright-coloured polycarbonate was a risky choice, but it's paid off. You might not want to own a bright cyan, magenta or yellow phone, and for that reason they're also available in at least black or white, but you'll always know that these phones are Nokias.

Our review unit had a bright, glossy, almost-fluorescent yellow shell that was sometimes too overpowering to look at. Even when the review unit was lying on its back on a table the side panel was eye-catching enough to be distracting. When viewed head-on, there's about a half-mm border of yellow plastic around the front panel, and that was distracting too! Thankfully, Nokia sells replacement shells in white, orange and yellow, so if you buy this colour only to find it a bit much for your taste later on, you can swap it out.

If you've ever used a Lumia 520, you'll find the 525 identical in terms of dimensions and weight. It's easy enough to hold and use in one hand, and is actually quite small by today's standards. The back is curved nicely, although the front corners are a bit sharp.

Nokia's habit of placing all buttons on the right edge has become a bit of a Lumia trademark: you'll find the volume rocker, standby button and camera shortcut all in a row. It makes sense to have the power button on the side of larger phones, but on this one it winds up being awkwardly out of reach.

You'll find the standard Windows Phone Back, Home and Search buttons below the screen, and nothing but an earpiece and Nokia logo above it. As mentioned already, there's no front-facing camera. There are two sensor cutouts, but they're completely invisible. If it wasn't for the garish colour, we'd actually say this phone looks simple and understated.

All you'll see on the back is the camera lens, a faint Nokia logo, and a small cutout for the loudspeaker. There's no flash, and the lens doesn't need to bulge out either. The shell is highly glossy and rather flat in the middle, so it's likely to get scuffed up over time as you use it.

The shell pops off without too much trouble, but it's too easy to end up pushing the camera lens down for leverage, which leaves it smudged. Underneath, you'll see a traditional removable battery and slots for a single Micro-SIM card and a microSD card positioned such that you'll need to take the battery out to get to them. We noticed that it was necessary to put the shell back on carefully, to make sure the plastic buttons on the shell lined up properly with the contact points on the phone itself.

Nokia's recent phones have shipped with chargers that for some reason have a plastic earthing pin. Phone chargers don't need to be earthed, so the only purpose this could serve would be to open the shutters on modern three-pin sockets. The plastic pin slides inwards so the charger itself isn't much more bulky than usual, but it means you won't be able to use two-pin sockets. The Lumia 525's charger also has a fixed wire, unlike almost every other phone on the market today. For PC syncing there's a separate, but much shorter USB cable.

• Features, specifications and software

Apart from the doubled amount of RAM, the Lumia 525 is internally identical to the 520. It's powered by a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus, with integrated Adreno 305 graphics. The S4 Plus is acceptable for such a low-end device, but there are quad-core Android models on the market in this price range now. The lone camera can take 5-megapixel stills and 720p videos, but there's no flash.

The screen resolution is 480x800 which was common in the early days of Windows Phone, and now feels about right for a 4-inch screen on a low-end phone. The screen isn't nearly as sharp or accurate as we'd like. There's 8GB of built-in storage and the microSD slot will accept cards up to 64GB in capacity. Nokia has given the Lumia 525 a relatively small 1430mAh battery which is adequate considering that none of the internal components are particularly power-hungry.

A quick dip into the phone's info screen told us that it was running Lumia Black, the latest version of Windows Phone with Nokia's customisations baked in. However, many of the useful little tweaks that we saw on Nokia's higher-end Lumia 1320 and 1520 are missing here: there's no Glance screen and no shortcuts like double-tap-to-wake. You'll also get the less capable Nokia Drive app, rather than Drive+. The difference is that you get navigation and turn-by-turn directions only in India rather than full international coverage.

Nokia Smart Cam lets you take bursts of photos and then either pick the best one or combine them all into an action sequence. You can also blur backgrounds to emphasise motion, merge shots to make sure everyone in a group is smiling, and remove unwanted moving objects. As we've seen even on more capable hardware, it's possible to get good results with the tricks that merge multiple shots, but you'll have to try a few times to make sure people or objects are moving at just the right speed, with just the right background.

There isn't much else to say about the Lumia 525's software. Nokia preloads Zinio, a news aggregation and magazine reader app; Bigflix, for streaming Indian movies; Flipkart's ebook reader; and Nokia Beamer, which lets you stream your screen's contents to a Web browser via the Internet. Of course you get Microsoft Office, Xbox Games and SkyDrive (soon to be renamed to OneDrive) as well.

• Camera

We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of images captured by the Lumia 525. The only complaint we had with photos taken in daylight was that they tended to be a bit overexposed, thus making colours appear washed out. The level of detail captured, even when focusing on grass, is amazing considering this phone's entry-level status.

With no flash to help out at night, it seems that Nokia has developed a way to make low-light shots brighter. When taking photos, we were surprised by how they made rooms look lit up even when the only light was coming from outside. This comes at the cost of clarity and detail, and you'll notice a lot of noise and speckling when looking at these photos at 100 percent zoom.

• Performance

We were happy enough with the Lumia 525's performance when it came to navigating through the interface. The phone took a bit of time to load some apps, but things were otherwise smooth. We noticed some graphical glitches in Temple Run 2, which really shouldn't have put that much stress on the phone. With that in mind, it would seem that high-end games are totally out of the question.

Benchmark scores came in at roughly half as much as the Lumia 1320's, which in turn were roughly half as good as the Lumia 1520's. It's clear that you get what you pay for, and so Nokia's new entry-level Lumia remains exactly where the 520 was in terms of both performance and value. We'll have to wait for the next generation to see Nokia up the ante.

It should come as no surprise that the Lumia 525 struggled to play HD videos. Simple AVI files worked fine, but anything encoded at a heavy bit-rate should be avoided. The built-in speaker is loud enough, but sounds a bit hollow and tends to distort sound at if the volume is set higher than halfway up.

Our battery life loop test took 7 hours, 17 minutes to kill the Lumia 525 with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switched off and the screen brightness set to Medium. That's a pretty decent figure, and you should be able to get through a full day of calls, texts, music and simple Web browsing.

• Verdict

The Lumia 525 is a small, affordable phone with a surprisingly decent camera and plenty of attitude, but not much else going for it. When held up to similarly priced Android phones, it's hard to make a case in favour of Windows Phone, which is why Nokia has capitalised on looks and ease of use.

If you're looking for the most powerful phone available for around Rs. 10,000, this is not it. You'd be better off with Lenovo's A706, for example. However there is one very clear market for the Lumia 525: first-time smartphone users. If you're graduating from feature phone (Nokia or otherwise) and are looking for a phone that will let you browse the Web, take good photos and use Facebook or WhatsApp easily and in style, this phone is a pretty decent option.

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Samsung Unveils Galaxy S5 Smartphone

Samsung sought Monday to frame its new Galaxy S5 smartphone as a lifestyle product, as it emphasized a built-in heart-rate sensor and improved camera features over its slightly larger size.

One of the main appeals of Samsung phones has been their size. The screen has steadily increased since the 4 inches  on the original S from 2010, while the iPhone made that jump to 4 inches only in 2012 and has stayed that way since.

But the S5 pushes the screen to only 5.1 inches measured diagonally, from 5 inches  in last year's model. Instead of size, Samsung touted the new phone's ability to adapt its screen to changing external conditions and to dim it to avoid disturbing others nearby.

The phone has a 16 megapixel camera, sharper than the 13 megapixels in its predecessor. It promises faster auto focus and the ability to blur the foreground or background of an image to emphasize a subject.

Samsung Electronics Co. made the latest announcement during the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain.

The new phone will go on sale worldwide on April 11. The company didn't announce a price; its predecessor sold for about $600 without phone subsidies or a contract.

The S5 has a fingerprint sensor to use in place of a passcode to unlock the phone or make payments through PayPal. It's a feature still rare in phones, though Apple introduced it in last fall's iPhone 5s.

Samsung's Galaxy S series has emerged as one of the strongest challengers to Apple's iPhones and has helped the Korean company surpass Apple as the world's largest smartphone maker. According to Gartner, Samsung's smartphones had a worldwide market share of 31 per cent last year, compared with 16 per cent for Apple's iPhones.Samsung showed restraint this time.

"Samsung is betting big on wellness, fingerprint reading and camera autofocus, while keeping a very similar look and feel for its hardware and software," said Nick Dillon, a senior analyst at the research firm Ovum. "The updates are so minor that on first glance most consumers would be hard pressed to notice that it has changed from the previous version."

But he said that is to be expected "given the maturity of the smartphone market and the pressure on the Samsung not to mess with its winning formula.''

The heart-rate sensor on the S5 can be used before and after exercise to measure fitness activities. It's not meant for continuous tracking. Samsung also unveiled a fitness band, Gear Fit, to complement two new computerized watches announced Sunday. Those will be available April 11 as well. 

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Nokia Launches Its First Android Based Budget Phones

Nokia introduced a new family of smartphones, the Nokia X series of phones. The first three phones in the family - the Nokia X, X+ and XL - run on the new Nokia X software platform, that is based on Google's Android.

The phones under the Nokia X family are not pure Android phones; these phones instead run a forked variant of Android, similar to the way Amazon does for its Kindle Fire lineup. Nokia has taken the open-source elements of Android and has pulled in other elements of Asha and Windows Phone to offer users a different experience.

The downside here is that Nokia X users can't have access to the Google Play Store for apps. However, the phone will run Android apps, but Nokia will curate a list of such apps. A recommended source for the apps is the Nokia store, says the company. In other words, the new platform, Nokia X, is based on the Android Open Source project .

Nokia ditches many of the Google services that come with Android, which Google lets phone makers customise at will. Instead, the new Nokia X phone announced will emphasise Microsoft services such as Bing search, Skype communications and OneDrive file storage. Its home screen sports larger, resizable tiles resembling those on Windows phone.

Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL form a new family of Nokia's affordable smartphones. The Nokia X is the entry-level model in the family, will cost 89 euros, and will be available immediately in select markets. The Nokia X+ offers more memory and storage. It's priced at 99 euros and will be available in early Q2 2014. Finally, the Nokia XL packs a 5-inch screen, 5 megapixel rear-facing and 2 megapixel front-facing camera. It will be priced at 109 euros and be available in early Q2 2014.

These phones feature a brand new, tile-based home screen. The new OS also reintroduces a redesigned version of its Fastlane notifications centre - a second Home screen if you like - from the latest Asha devices.

"The X family boasts Nokia's exciting, high quality hardware design and a range of bright colours. The brand new, tile-based Home screen offers you a simple, elegant way to manage your apps and phone functions and also reintroduces a redesigned version of the enormously popular Fastlane notifications centre - a second Home screen if you like - from the latest Asha devices," said Nokia.

Here Maps with turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are also included. Free cloud storage from Microsoft OneDrive with 7GB of space for free is included out of the box. There's also access to Outlook.com as your email service. And there's Skype with a month's free calls to international landlines in selected markets.

All three devices are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor and are dual-SIM phones. A range of third-party apps comes pre-installed, including BBM, Plants vs Zombies 2, Viber, Vine and Twitter.

At launch, leading global apps will be available for the Nokia X family of devices, including Facebook, LINE Free Voice and Messages, LINE Camera, LINE Bubble, Picsart, Plants vs Zombies 2, Real Football 2014, Skype, Spotify, Swiftkey, Twitter, Viber, Vine and WeChat, among others. And in a first for Nokia customers around the world, BBM will also be available on the Nokia X family of devices in addition to Windows Phone.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 To Be Unveiled Today

Samsung Electronics will unveil its highly-anticipated Galaxy S5 at the event scheduled at the Mobile World Congress on Monday in Barcelona.

The Galaxy S5 is variously rumoured to have a fingerprint scanner on the home button; a 5.24-inch, full high-definition display; a water and dust-proof case, possibly metallic, and a 16 megapixel camera.

Samsung has already sent out invitations for "Samsung unPacked 5" event on February 24 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The world's biggest smartphone maker is bracing for its weakest mobile annual profit growth in seven years amid fierce competition from Apple Inc and Chinese vendors, and as growth for high-end smartphones eases due to near saturation in many markets.

The launch at the annual industry gathering is set to reflect a new emphasis on costs, marking a departure from the glitzy marketing Samsung has deployed in the past, including the use of actors and a full live orchestra to launch the S4 at New York's Radio City Music Hall last year.

Meanwhile, Samsung has launched Sunday a new smart watch, the Gear 2, after a first version won over few critics, adding new features and ditching Google`s Android in favour of its own operating system.

Besides an array of features including sports tracking software and a heart rate monitor, the Gear 2 marks an important and widely rumoured step towards independence from Android.

The watch, available in two models -- the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, which has no camera -- will be powered by the Tizen operating system developed by Samsung with various partners to break free of the Android dominance.

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Samsung Unveils Galaxy Core 4G LTE

Samsung has added its fourth new variant for its existing Galaxy Core smartphone dubbed as Samsung Galaxy Core 4G, which will now be able to support 4G LTE networks.

The Samsung Galaxy Core 4G's price has not yet been revealed, though Samsung did announce the smartphone will soon be available in Europe, Russia and some parts in Asia.

Featuring the model number SM-G386F, the Galaxy Core 4G runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS out-of-the-box with no word on where it will receive an Android 4.4 KitKat update. The smartphone's screen size and quality, as compared to its first-gen Galaxy Core handset, is bumped up from 4.3-inch display with WVGA resolution to 4.5-inch PLS display with qHD resolution.

The Galaxy Core 4G is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM. The camera connectivity options include a 5-meapixel rear and a VGA front-facing camera. With a built-in 8GB storage, users can expand it up to 64GB via microSD card.

The handset, besides LTE connectivity, will also support, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 and NFC. The Galaxy Core LTE will be backed by a 2,100mAh battery and will be available in Black and White. The device will also feature Samsung's Motion UI, Google+, Google Talk, Google Maps and the firm's native ChatOn messaging service.

The Galaxy Core 4G is sized at 132.9 x 66.3 x 9.8 mm in dimensions, which makes it slightly thicker than the first-gen Galaxy Core (129.30 x 67.60 x 8.95).

Before the introduction of Galaxy Core 4G, the Korean tech firm has also introduced Galaxy Core, Galaxy Core Advance and Galaxy Core Plus.

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Nokia Lumia 1320 Review

Design and Build

One glance at the Nokia Lumia 1320 and it’s easy to mistake it for the 625. That’s because it has the same curvy design and interchangeable back panel as the old one. The Lumia 625 made quite a bit of noise when it launched since it was the largest Lumia at that time that was relatively inexpensive. The 1320 follows in its footsteps by offering an even larger 6-inch display. Thankfully, Nokia has upgraded the resolution as well to 1280 x 720, so text and images are a bit crisper. Also, thanks to the addition of a ClearBlack display (which was absent in the 625), the colours are more punchy and blacks are deeper. Sunlight legibility has also improved. Needless to say, the phone feels monstrous in your hand and you can forget about single-handed use. It’s a bit heavy at 220g but manages to stay quite slim at just 9.8mm. The capacitive buttons aren’t backlit for some reason as it seems Nokia is randomly adding this in some models. The matte finish cover snaps off pretty easily and underneath, we have the fixed 3400mAh battery and microSIM and microSD card slots. There’s also a dedicated camera shutter button. Overall, the Lumia 1320 is well built and feels sturdy to hold. However, it’s quite heavy and it’s simple too large to be used comfortably every day.

Features

The Nokia 1320 comes with the Lumia Black update out of the box and is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC, running at 1.7GHz. The biggest change however, is the inclusion of 1GB RAM, which opens doors to all the apps in the store. Thanks to the speedier chipset, games and apps run smoothly without a hitch. The Black update all lets you install most of the custom Nokia apps like the Nokia Camera, although some apps like Refocus is still restricted to PureView devices. The Lumia 1320 also comes with a bunch of bundled apps like free global HERE Maps, Nokia Sotoryteller, Office, Evernote, Vimeo, Flipkart, Adidas miCoach, InNote and a couple more.

Media

The extra-large screen is great for watching videos. Colours are punchy and viewing angles are very good. The same goes for the audio quality through the speakers and earphones. There’s also FM Radio to keep you company when local music is unavailable. The 1320 also features Dolby Headphone enhancement, which adds a nice punch to your audio. There’s 8GB of internal memory which can be expanded by 64GB.

Connectivity

The Lumia 1320 supports LTE, quad-band 3G and GSM networks. Also present are Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v4.0, GLONASS and USB 2.0. There’s no wireless charging or NFC present as well. We didn’t have any trouble with call quality however as the earpiece is loud enough even for noisy environments. The mono speaker in the rear is decently loud for alerts but can get muffled easily when you hold it.

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Dell Unveils Android, Windows 8 Tablets

PC maker Dell announced its first major launch with the introduction of 'Venue' line up of Android and Windows-based devices in India, one of its top 10 markets globally.

In September last year, founder of the US-based computer maker Michael Dell had announced the decision to make the firm private as it focussed on changing technology trends and emphasis on mobility and virtualisation.

The company, which is trying to make inroads in the Indian tablet market, will also add 40 exclusive Dell stores by February-end to expand its retail presence in the country.

"India is one of our top 10 markets and it was important that we bring our latest offering here. With our versatile range of tablets, we want to be a leading player in this market, which is witnessing strong growth," Dell India Executive Director and GM P Krishnakumar told media.

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Nokia Lumia 920

Detailed specifications for the Nokia Lumia 920

Main camera sensor: 8.7 MP PureView

Display size: 11.43cm

Processor name: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4

Talk time (3G): 10.8h

Standby time (3G): 460h

Music playback time: 74h

• Dimensions

Height: 130.3 mm

Width: 70.8 mm

Thickness2: 10.7 mm

Weight: 185 g

Volume: 99 cm³

• Display and User Interface

Display size: 11.43 cm

Display resolution: WXGA (1280 x 768)

Display features: PureMotion HD+, ClearBlack, Polarization filter, Brightness control, Corning Gorilla Glass, Orientation sensor, Low power mode, High brightness mode, RGB Stripe, Color boosting, Refresh rate 60 Hz, Ambient light sensor, Sculpted glass, Easy to clean, Content adaptive backlight, Sunlight readability enhancements

Display colors: TrueColor (24-bit/16M)

Aspect ratio: 15:9

Pixel density: 332 ppi

Display height: 97 mm

Display width: 58 mm

Touch screen technology: Super-sensitive touch

Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Magnetometer

• Keys and Input Methods

User Input: Touch

Operating keys: Volume keys, Camera key, Power/Lock key

• Connectivity

Dual SIM: No

Charging connectors: Micro-USB

AV connectors: 3.5 mm audio connector

System connectors: Micro-USB-B

USB: USB 2.0

Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0

Bluetooth profiles: Object Push profile (OPP) 1.1, Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.5, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.4, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) 1.1

Wi-Fi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n

Wi-Fi security modes: WPA2 (AES/TKIP), WPA, WPA-Personal, WEP, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, PEAP-MSCHAPv2, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA

NFC: Secure NFC for payment, Sharing, Pairing, Tagging

Other wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi Channel bonding

• Data Network

Data bearers3: HSPA+ (3G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G), HSUPA (3G), GSM (2G), HSDPA (3G), WCDMA (3G)

WCDMA network: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 1900 MHz, 850 MHz

WCDMA max data speed UL: HSUPA - 5.76 Mbps

GSM network: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz

GSM max data speed DL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps

GSM max data speed UL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps

• Operating Frequency

Frequency bands: GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, WCDMA Band V (850), WCDMA Band VIII (900), WCDMA Band II (1900), WCDMA Band I (2100)

• Power Management

Battery model: BP-4GW

Battery capacity: 2000 mAh

Battery voltage: 3.7 V

Removable battery: No

Standby time (2G): 460 h

Maximum standby time: 19 days

Talk time (2G): 18.6 h

Standby time (3G): 460 h

Talk time (3G): 10.8 h

Music playback time: 74 h

Video playback time: 6 h

Maximum Wi-Fi network browsing time: 9 h

Wireless charging: Yes

• Processor

Processor name: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4

Processor type: Dual-core 1.5 GHz Dual-core 1.5 GHz

• Memory

User data storage: In device, SkyDrive cloud storage

RAM: 1 GB

Mass memory: 32 GB

Free cloud storage: 7 GB

• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Processor

Performance

Do more. Wait less: Tap into faster performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor CPU cores enable extra performance when you need it and puts you in charge of running the most demanding applications, including gaming, photography, as well as business and personal productivity.

Power consumption

Less charging. More doing: The Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor unique asynchronous technology enables each core to power up and power down independently, resulting in maximizing core performance level without wasting battery power.

Technology

Beyond mobile. And beyond all expectations: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 processor is a highly integrated, mobile-optimized system on a chip that delivers dynamic, immersive experiences and powerful, battery-friendly performance that can put new possibilities in your hands.

Software and applications

Productivity features

Personal information management features: Calculator, Clock, Calendar, Phonebook, Notes, Reminders, To-do list, Social networks in Phonebook, OneNote, Wallet, Family Room, Kid's Corner

Business apps: Adobe acrobat reader free download, Lync (Corporate IM) free download, SkyDrive storage for documents and notes, Company Hub for enterprise applications, Office apps: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, OneNote

Document formats supported: Excel, PDF, Word, OneNote, Powerpoint

Sync type: Exchange ActiveSync, Windows companion app, Mac companion app

Sync content: Calendar, Video, Pictures, Music, Contacts

Other Applications

Game features: DirectX 11, Touch UI, XBox-Live Hub

Graphics format: JPEG

Software platform & User Interface

SW Platform: Windows Phone

Software release: Windows Phone 8

Communications

Email and Messaging

Email clients: Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook Mobile, Gmail, Office 365, Nokia Mail, Windows Live / Hotmail / Outlook.com, MS Exchange Active Sync

Email protocols: SMTP, IMAP4, POP3

Email features: Viewing and editing of email attachments, Always up to date, Multiple simultaneous email accounts, Text-to-speech message reader, Email attachments, Conversational view on email, Linking multiple inboxes to one, Inbox filtering, HTML viewer

Supported instant messaging services: Google Talk, Twitter, LinkedIn, Windows Live Messenger, WhatsApp, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype IM, Facebook

Messaging features: Integrated text messaging and chat, Instant messaging, Concatenated SMS for long messages, Multiple SMS deletion, List of recently used numbers, Audio messaging, Text-to-speech message reader, Text messaging, Number screening for messaging, Unified MMS/SMS editor, Automatic resizing of images for MMS, Distribution lists for messaging, Multimedia messaging, Conversational chat style SMS, Unified inbox for SMS and MMS

• Call management

Call management features: Voice commands, Call waiting, Voice mail, Integrated hands-free speakers, Call forwarding, Call logs: dialled, received and missed, HD audio, Call history, Voice dial, Conference call, Skype voice call

Video call features: Skype video call

Supported amount of phonebooks: One integrated phonebook

Supports amount of contacts: Unlimited

Ringtones: Downloadable ringtones, MP3 ringtones

Noise cancellation: Multimicrophone uplink noise cancellation

Speech codecs: AMR-WB, GSM FR, AMR-NB, GSM HR, EFR, GSM EFR

• Device security

Security

Enterprise security features: Remote security policy enforcement

General Security features: Remote device locking via Internet, Secure NFC, Track and Protect via internet, Firmware update, Remote wipe of user data via Internet, Device lock, Device passcode, PIN code, Firmware and OS integrity check, Secure device start-up, Application sandboxing and integrity check

Advance security features: Lost device tracking, Browser integrated anti-phishing

Data encryption: User data encryption for device

• Sharing and Internet

Browsing and Internet

Internet browser capabilities: Internet Explorer 10

Social apps: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Photo sharing: Share over Bluetooth, Facebook, Flickr, Send as email attachment, SkyDrive

Video sharing: Video sharing with NFC, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Video sharing to social network and internet, Facebook, SkyDrive

Location sharing: WP location sharing, Foursquare

Wi-Fi hotspot: Up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devices

• Navigation

GPS and navigation

Location and navigation apps: HERE Maps, HERE Transit, HERE City Lens, HERE Drive+

Navigation features: Pin places to Start screen, Public transportation routing guidance, Reveal the surrounding places, Reviews, info and photos for places, Routing options, Save favourite destinations, Call, share and get directions to places, Free maps, Find upcoming departure times, See places through the camera viewfinder, Live traffic information, Free voice guided turn-by-turn walk navigation, Automatic day/night view switching, Venue maps - shopping and transport centers, Free voice guided turn-by-turn drive navigation, Offline maps, Online and offline favourites, Speed limit warnings

Location technologies: Magnetometer, A-GPS, Cellular and Wi-Fi network positioning, A-GLONASS

• Photography

Main camera

Main camera sensor: 8.7 MP PureView

Camera resolution: 3264 x 2448

Main camera focus type: Auto focus with two-stage capture key

Camera digital zoom: 4 x

Carl Zeiss Tessar lens: Yes

Sensor size: 1/3.2 inch

Main camera f-number/aperture: f/2.0

Camera focal length: 26 mm

Camera minimum focus range: 8 cm

Camera image formats: JPEG/Exif

Flash type: Short pulse high power dual LED

Flash operating range: 3.0 m

Flash modes: Off, Automatic, On

Main camera features

Main camera - other features: Touch focus, Landscape orientation, Exposure compensation, Auto and manual exposure, Auto and manual white balance, Still image editor, Face recognition, Full screen viewfinder, Automatic motion blur reduction, Center weighted auto exposure, Geotagging, Optical image stabilization, True 16:9 sensor, PureView, Backside-illuminated image sensor, Automatic photo upload to web services, Full resolution photo and video upload, Creative Studio

Digital camera add-ons: Cinemagraph lens, Smart Shoot lens, Panorama lens, Bing vision

Image capturing

Capture modes: Panorama, Video, Still

Scene modes: Automatic, Night Portrait, Sports, Night, Close-up, Backlight

White balance modes: Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, Automatic

Light sensitivity: Automatic, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800

Photos viewed by: Camera Roll, Timeline, Photo editor, Favorites, Album, Photos from social networks

Secondary camera

Secondary camera resolution: 1280 x 960  pixels

Secondary camera f-number/aperture: f/2.4

Secondary camera - other features: Video recording, Still image capture, Video call

Music and Audio

Music

Music apps: Nokia Music, Mix Radio

DRM support: PlayReady

Audio features: Music recommender in Music player, Album graphics display in Music player, Playlists in Music player, Selection criterion in Music player, Audio Streaming, Dolby Headphone, Music Player, Cloud music offline playback, Media Player, Graphical equalizer, Podcasts, Cloud music playback

Music format

Codecs: MP3, QCELP, AMR-WB, AMR-NB, WMA 10 Pro, WMA 9, G.711, AAC LC, AAC+/HEAAC, eAAC+/HEAACv2

Audio playback file formats: ASF, MP4, AAC, AMR, MP3, M4A, WMA, 3GP, 3G2

Voice and audio recording

Audio recording file formats: AMR

Audio recording codecs: AMR-NB, AAC LC

Audio recording features: High dynamics recording

• Video

Main video camera

Camera video resolution: 1080p (Full HD, 1920 x 1080)

Camera video frame rate: 30 fps

Camera video zoom: 4 x

Video playback frame rate: 30 fps

Video playback codecs: VC-1, Windows video, H.264/AVC, H.263, MPEG-4

Video playback file formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, MOV

Video recording formats: MP4/H.264, MP4/MPEG-4

Video white balance modes: Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Automatic, Daylight

Main video camera features

Video streaming: YouTube browsing and video streaming, Progressive video download, Streaming from video services and internet

Video recording features: Video light, Video zoom, Optical image stabilization, Continuous autofocus

Secondary video camera

Secondary video camera resolution: 720p (HD, 1280 x 720)

Secondary camera video recording format: MP4/H.264

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iphone 5

So much more than before&so much less too

A remarkably slim design that still makes room for a larger display and a faster chip. Ultra-fast wireless that doesn’t sacrifice battery life. And all-new headphones designed to sound great and fit comfortably. So much went into this iPhone. So you could get even more out of it.

Buy iphone

All new design

thinnest,lightest&fastest

Thin, sleek and very capable.

It’s hard to believe a phone so thin could offer so many features: a larger display, a faster chip, the latest wireless technology, an 8MP iSight camera and more. All in a beautiful aluminium body designed and made with an unprecedented level of precision. iPhone 5 measures a mere 7.6 millimetres thin and weighs just 112 grams.1 That’s 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than iPhone 4S. The only way to achieve a design like this is by relentlessly considering (and reconsidering) every single detail — including the details you don’t see.

4 inch retina display

More display means more to see.

Anyone can make a larger smartphone 

display. But if you go large for large’s sake, you end up with a phone that feels oversized, awkward and hard to use. iPhone 5 features a 4-inch display designed the right way: it’s bigger, but it’s the same width as iPhone 4S. So everything you’ve always done with one hand — typing on the keyboard, for instance — you can still do with one hand. On a larger canvas that lets you see more of every web page. More of your inbox. More events on your calendar. Even more apps on your Home screen.

It’s more vibrant too.

This isn’t just a larger display. It’s a larger Retina display. At 326 pixels per inch, it has a pixel density so high, your eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. And as stunning as the Retina display is on the iPhone 4S, this one gives you 18 per cent more pixels for an impressive 1136x640 resolution. Colours get a boost too, with colour saturation that’s 44 per cent greater 

than before. So with iPhone 5, the games you 

play, the words you read, the images you see 

and the apps you love look and feel incredibly

 vivid and lifelike. For big-time entertainment,

 iPhone 5 lets you watch widescreen HD video 

in all its glory — without letterboxing.

A 6 chip

Faster CPU performance.

With the new A6 chip, just about everything you do on iPhone 5 is noticeably faster — up to twice as fast compared with the A5 chip. So apps launch, web pages load and email attachments appear almost instantly.

Faster graphics.

The A6 chip also offers graphics performance that’s up to twice as fast as the A5. So you can power through graphics-intensive apps and games. And enjoy higher frame rates for smoother, more realistic gameplay.

Even better battery life.

Not only is the A6 chip custom designed to be fast, it’s custom designed to work with iOS 6 to be extremely power efficient. So even at its accelerated speed, iPhone 5 has more than enough battery power to last throughout the day — up to 8 hours of browsing on a mobile data connection, up to 8 hours of talk time and up to 10 hours of video playback time.

Built- in apps from the app store

iPhone 5 is a remarkable device. The same goes for the apps that come with it. Because they achieve the perfect balance of everything you need to do with everything you want to do — from emailing your boss to filming your road trip — on the large, 4-inch Retina display.

                     

There are over 900,000 apps available from the App Store — many of them free — to make iPhone more capable, more indispensable and more fun.7 Sign in to the App Store with your Apple ID, browse lots of categories and download any app you want.





                                               

Specifications

• Colour

                                       Black & Slate                                      White & Silver

• Capacity

16 gb,32gb,64gb

• Size & weight

Height: 123.8 mm (4.87 inches)

Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)

Depth: 7.6 mm (0.30 inches)

Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces)

• 3G AND WIRELESS

GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE** (Bands 2, 4, 5, 17)

CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE** (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)

GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE** (Bands 1, 3, 5)

802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)

Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

• LOCATION

Assisted GPS and GLONASS

Digital compass

Wi-Fi

3G

• DISPLAY

Retina display

4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display

1136x640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi

800:1 contrast ratio (typical)

500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)

Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front

Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

• CAMERA

8-megapixel iSight camera

Panorama

Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio

FaceTime HD camera with 1.2MP photos and HD video (720p) up to 30 frames per second

Autofocus

Tap to focus video or still images

Face detection in video or still images

LED flash

Improved video stabilisation

Photo and video geotagging

• EXTERNAL BUTTONS&CONNECTORS

           BUTTONS&CONTROLS                                  CONNECTORS AND INPUT OUTPUT

• POWER & BATTERY

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter

Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G

Standby time: Up to 225 hours

Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi

Video playback: Up to 10 hours

Audio playback: Up to 40 hours

• AUDIO PLAYBACK

Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV

User-configurable maximum volume limit

• TV & VIDEO

AirPlay mirroring and video out to Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation)

Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p through Lightning Digital AV Adapter and Lightning to VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately)

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640x480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280x720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

• HEADPHONES                          
  

Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic

Storage and travel case

• SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Apple ID (required for some features)

Internet access4

Syncing with iTunes on a Mac or PC requires:

     Mac: OS X v10.6.8 or later

     PC: Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later

     iTunes 10.7 or later (free download from apple

• IN THE BOX

iPhone 5

Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic

Lightning to USB Cable

USB Power Adapter

Documentation

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