Asus recently launched its budget friendly range of Zenfone handsets in India. Today, the company has announced that 40,000 units of the smartphones have already been sold within 4 days of the debut in Indian market. Asus launched the Zenfone 4 starting at Rs 5,999, Zenfone 5 starting at Rs 9,999 and Zenfone 6 at Rs. 16,999. The Zenfone series is available online only on Flipkart and through Asus's authorized channels since its launch in India on July 9th.
"We are overwhelmed with the response received within just 4 days of the launch. The reaction from the Indian masses has been astonishing owing to our partnership with Flipkart and our offline channels. It is surprising to see that the product has reached to 300 cities immediately post launch. We believe that we have come much closer to delivering as per our users’ needs and wants. Aesthetically crafted Zenfones have been successful to touch the heart of Indian tech lovers and we are affirmative that we are going to witness greater response in the near future."
said Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager – System Business Group - ASUS India in an official statement.
The Asus Zenfone 4 has a 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive multi touch ...Asus recently launched its budget friendly range of Zenfone handsets in India. Today, the company has announced that 40,000 units of the smartphones have already been sold within 4 days of the debut in Indian market. Asus launched the Zenfone 4 starting at Rs 5,999, Zenfone 5 starting at Rs 9,999 and Zenfone 6 at Rs. 16,999. The Zenfone series is available online only on Flipkart and through Asus's authorized channels since its launch in India on July 9th.
"We are overwhelmed with the response received within just 4 days of the launch. The reaction from the Indian masses has been astonishing owing to our partnership with Flipkart and our offline channels. It is surprising to see that the product has reached to 300 cities immediately post launch. We believe that we have come much closer to delivering as per our users’ needs and wants. Aesthetically crafted Zenfones have been successful to touch the heart of Indian tech lovers and we are affirmative that we are going to witness greater response in the near future."
said Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager – System Business Group - ASUS India in an official statement.
The Asus Zenfone 4 has a 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive multi touch ...
Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 tablet in India at Rs. 44,800 along with the Tab S 8.4. The Indian version is powered by a 1.9 GHz Exynos 5420 Octa ( A15 1.9 GHz ＋ A7 1.3 GHz) processor with ARM Mail T628 GPU, similar to the Tab S 8.4 . It has a 10.5-inch (2560×1600 pixel) WQXGA 16:10 Super AMOLED display and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has 3GB RAM and comes with and voice calling capabilities via SIM card slot. Let’s find out how it performs in a range of synthetic benchmark tests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxC3soZf7oA
Quadrant Benchmark
It scored 21054 points in the Quadrant benchmark.
AnTuTu Benchmark 4
It topped the AnTuTu Benchmark 4 by scoring 35071 points.
Vellamo 2.0 HTML5
It managed to score 1702 in the Vellamo 2 HTML5 browser benchmark and lies just behind the Tab S 8.4.
Vellamo 2.0 Metal
It scored 1183 points in the Vellamo 2 Metal CPU subsystem performance test.
Linpack Single Thread
It clocked around 355.2 MFLOPS in the Linpack single thread benchmarks.
Linpack Multi-Thread
It clocked around 763.1 MFLOPS in the Linpack Multi-Thread benchmark.
NenaMark 2
It clocked 59.8 fps in the NenaMark 2 GPU benchmark.
GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex (On screen)
It managed to clock 14 fps in the GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex OnScreen benchmark.
Basemark X 1.0 HD (Onscreen)
It ...
Samsung is in talks to acquire a smart home automation company SmartThings for $200 million, according to a report from TechCrunch. SmartThings is company that produces home automation products that can be controlled with an Android and iOS smartphone app.
Users can control lights, locks, electronics, appliances and other connected home devices using this platform. Samsung had announced Smart Home at CES in January this year that enables connecting smart devices via single integrated platform. Hence, if it makes the SmartThings acquisition it can get more deeper in the home automation market with its Galaxy line up of devices.
Apple introduced its HomeKit platform at its WWDC keynote last month and Google recently acquired Nest for its smart thermostat. It looks like home automation and smart appliances are going to gradually become an important market.
Source:TechCrunch
In a bid to improve your search result on mobile, Google has added a new feature. The latest update will now alert users if a certain website is not compatible with their Android smartphone or tablet.
Google said that, although most sites can be visited on Chrome, it is possible that there are some of them that are not suitable for mobile viewing and hence might occur some issue.
"Starting today, we will indicate to searchers when our algorithms detect pages that may not work on their devices. For example, Adobe Flash is not supported on iOS devices or on Android versions 4.1 and higher, and a page whose contents are mostly Flash may be noted"
said Google in a company blog post.
Google will now add a reference in a search result if a page uses Flash along with a note stating that it may not work on their device. The company said they want to encourage website creators to make pages that work on all types of devices and that HTML5 is an example of a platform that does just that.
via:TechCrunch
Logitech has launched new Big Bang rugged case for Apple iPad Air and iPad mini and Ultrathin folio for Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1.The Logitech Big Bang for iPad Air and iPad mini not only provides military class protection and has a versatile design that lets you adjust the tablet in different comfortable viewing angles. The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 has a sleek keyboard that features Android shortcut keys for added convenience for a better typing experience.
Back in December last year Logitech launched a range of accessories for the iPad Air and iPad mini in India.
Features of Logitech Big Bang Case for iPad Air and iPad Mini
Ultra-protective case for iPad Air and iPad Mini: Essential Protection System helps safeguard iPad Air from accidental drops, screen impact, bumps, scratches and spills
Exceeds Military Drop Standard (MIL STD 810 G): Tested for drop protection from up to 1.4m height
Thin and light design: Rugged impact protection yet only 16mm thick
Versatile viewing stand: Place iPad Air / iPad Mini at a wide range of comfortable viewing angles
Auto wake and sleep: Wakes iPad Air / iPad Mini when you open the cover, puts it to sleep when you close it
Features of Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio ...
LG G3 Beat that surfaced in China last month has gone official. It has a 5-inch HD display with a screen-to-body ratio of 74.1%, powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) with new flat UI. It comes with a 8-megapixel rear camera with single LED flash and Laser AF that should provide fast focus, even in low light conditions. It has a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.
It has a similar Floating Arc Design and metallic design as seen on LG G3. It comes with Smart keyboard, QuickMemo+ and more features similar to LG G3.
LG G3 Beat specifications
5.5-inch (1280 × 720 pixels) HD IPS display
1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU
Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
8MP rear camera with LED Flash, Laser Auto Focus
1.3MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3mm; Weight: 134 g
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.0 , GPS / GLONAS, NFC
2,540mAh (removable) battery
The LG G3 Beat comes in Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold. It will go on sale in South Korea starting from July 18th and would roll out in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in coming weeks, where it'll be called ...
It's been Chinese manufacturers that have been making the most noise in the Indian market in the past few weeks. More recently, it was Xiaomi which announced the uber-affordable Mi3 smartphone for the Indian market, something which resulted in a lot of hype and talk.
Earlier today, the Huawei Mediapad 7 Youth2 was found to be listed online on major e-commerce portals in India. The large phablet/small tablet (pick one) was launched earlier this year, and this is the first time that the device landed on Indian shores.
The device comes with a mild specs set and, thanks to a 7-inch screen, is suited for those who're looking for a large screen device for activities such as web browsing, multimedia, etc.
Specifications
7-inch 1024 x 600p display
1.2GHz quad-core CPU
1GB RAM
4GB on-board ROM
3 mega-pixel rear camera
VGA front facing camera
4100mAh battery
Android v4.3
Voice calling
The device has been priced at 10,999 INR, which means the Mediapad 7 Youth2 isn't going to be the most affordable 7-incher. What's interesting though, is that it comes with voice calling so you can not only use the device to surf the web while on the go, but can also make and receive calls.
Indian retailers in Amazon, Infibeam and Flipkart are currently ...
Although most Chinese manufacturers have been trying to shed their traditional image of clone makers, there are still a few who thrive in the business in the same old manner. One such maker is GooPhone, notorious for their innumerable Samsung and iPhone clones.
The clone maker today launched the GooPhone i6, which as you'd have guessed, takes inspiration (putting it mildly) from leaked models and design of the upcoming iPhone 6. As you are already aware, Apple is expected to launch the next iPhone in two avatars, one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.5-inch one. GooPhone have chosen to replicate the smaller of the two, i.e., the 4.7-inch version.
Specifications
4.7-inch 960 x 540p display
1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 CPU
1GB RAM
8GB on-board ROM
13 mega-pixel rear camera
5 mega-pixel front camera
The specs set doesn't really match up to what the iPhone 6 is expected to come with, but so does the price tag; the GooPhone i6 is set to go on sale 1st August with a price tag of around $150.
Have you ever owned a cloned device? If yes, which? Trust us, we won't judge you!
Source
Yesterday there was a report that Celkon and Intex are the new handset partners for Google's Android One project. Now, fresh reports are stating that Google will subsidize the handsets to give them a price tag below $100 (Rs 6000).
Aimed at emerging markets starting with India, the Android One program involves Google supplying reference hardware to handset makers, who can use the guidelines to manufacture smartphones that will retail for $100 or less. Initial partners of the Android One project are Micromax, Karbonn and Spice.
Micromax and Karbonn account for approximately 25% of smartphone shipments in India, trailing behind market leader Samsung, which has maintained a roughly 35% share. Google showed off Micromax's first device Android One with a 4.5″ screen, Dual SIM functionality, FM radio and SD card support at the I/O developer conference.
The Android One project is a move from Google to urge people to make a shift from feature phones to smartphones and hence has decided to keep the price tag low. Earlier this week there were reports that Google will spend more than Rs. 100 crore with its partners on advertising and marketing for the $100 smartphone.
Via:Gigaom
Sony has started rolling out Android KitKat 4.4.2 update to Xperia T2 Ultra and T2 Ultra Dual. The update will be released over the coming weeks in markets across the globe. Both the devices were launched earlier this year with Android Jelly Bean 4.3.
The update brings UI tweaks along with performance improvements. Sony has enhanced the Status Bar and Quick Settings to make it more intuitive and customisable to show the notifications you really need. It has also added animation and livewallpaper to the new UI from the PlayStation 4.
Moving on Android 4.4.2 update brings additions to Sony's native apps like Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select, Smart Social Camera. In addition, Walkman, Movies and Albums have also been given a makeover with intuitive UI, better download speeds and Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration. The new software makes the Xperia T2 Ultra compatible with Sony's SmartBand and its companion Lifelog app.
The Xperia T2 Ultra Android 4.4 KitKat update is being rolled out in stages, which means that some of you might not be able to download and install it right away. Sony also revealed that they are planning to bring the new Android 4.4 KitKat update to the Xperia E1, Xperia M2, and Xperia ...
Xiaomi is being talked about all over the online and offline media, and rightly so. Not only did the China based firm announce a flagship-esque phone for a budget price, but it also has been teasing its upcoming handset, believed to be the next-in-line flagship Xiaomi Mi4.
Besides that, something that caught our attention earlier today were images of LTE enabled Redmi phones from the company. While Xiaomi has announced the Redmi 1S and Redmi Note for India, neither of the two come with on-board LTE. This means that the company could be up to something more than just the Mi4 for the launch event scheduled for the 22nd of this month.
However, the Redmi that we spotted at the certification database appears to be the original, MediaTek powered version and not the Snapdragon 400 powered Redmi 1S that launched in India. If that is the case, we have good reason to believe that Xiaomi would be using the MT6582 + MT6290 (LTE chip) combo that has lately found a lot of takers.
Given the poor penetration of LTE networks in India, we wouldn't be surprised if the company doesn't launch these LTE variants in the country. In fact, it could well be ...
Following the footsteps of Apple, Google and Windows, BlackBerry has announced its own digital voice assistant. Dubbed simply as 'BlackBerry Assistant', the company has introduced it for BB 10.3 OS. The voice assistant will debut on BlackBerry Passport that was announced recently.
Similar to most of the voice assistants present, the BlackBerry Assistant has the ability to read emails, changing notification settings, setting reminders, and typing commands in the app. In addition, it can perform some more tasks like sending BBM messages, topics trending on Twitter and so on. It also can modify notifications based on calendar appointments and meeting schedules. BlackBerry said that as you use Assistant, it adapts to your needs and becomes more accurate with query results.
"If I’m driving and I ask it to read my latest email message to me, it does so. I can then ask it to “Mark Unread” without having to enter the BlackBerry Hub. If I’m in a meeting and I type “Remind me to follow up with Matt about our whiteboard session,” it builds me a reminder note that I can save without leaving the Assistant"
Donny Halliwell, social media marketing lead at BlackBerry, wrote in a company blog post
The move from BlackBerry ...
Obi Mobiles has launched Octopus S520, the company's first smartphone since it announced its entry into the Indian market back in April. It has a 5-inch (1280 x 720) HD display, powered by a 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
It has dual SIM support, 3G connectivity, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage with expansion slot. This would face a tough competition from several Indian companies, including the recent entrant Xiaomi that would start selling its Redmi Note with Octa-Core SoC soon.
Commenting on the new launch, Ajay Sharma, CEO, Obi Mobiles said,
S520 is a beautifully designed product. It is engineered to highest quality specifications to reliably deliver a superior performance. This flagship device is an affirmation of our stated commitment to extend the best in class smartphone experience. From hardware specifications to the quality of accessories there are no compromises whatsoever, because we know our young customers conduct their lives around their smartphones.
Obi Octopus S520 specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
1.7 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6592 processor
8MP rear camera with LED Flash and 1080p video recording
2MP front-facing camera
Dual SIM (Standard + Micro)
8.4 mm thick
3.5mm ...
Google Wallet has updated its mobile apps for Android and iOS with several features. For starters, users can now manage gift cards and redeem them. They can can store their gift cards within the app simply by taking a photo of the barcode or typing the info in. The app already did the same thing for loyalty cards.
In addition, Google Wallet now adds the ability to request money from family and friends. They will receive a notification as soon as you send them a request with an attached message. Finally, the app now supports to send money with a debit card for free. Spanish language support has also been added to the app. It must be noted that Google Wallet app is available in the US only.
Google says that this Wallet update will be rolling out to Android and iOS users this week.
Sony Xperia Z3 surfaced online via leaks earlier this week. Now, the handset which has not been made official by Sony as yet, has passed the FCC in the US.
The Z3 is set to replace Sony's Xperia Z2 flagship phone that was released at the start of the year. It is listed at the FCC under the IDs PM-0800 and PM-0801, which stand for model names D6603 and D6616 respectively. The FCC filing also revealed that the device has LTE connectivity on 2, 4, 5, 7, 13, and 17 bands, along with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and an IR blaster.
Unfortunately the FCC filing did not reveal any more specifications on the new Sony Xperia Z3, but it is speculated that the handset would come with a 5.2 inch display with a Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Other specifications rumored include 20.7MP camera, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, 16GB of storage, and 2GB of RAM. It must be noted that it not clear that the device spotted at FCC is the Xperis Z3 but it is alleged to be.
Via
BlackBerry launched the BlackBerry Z3 in India recently. It is the company's first smartphone as the result of its 5-year Foxconn partnership. After the BlackBerry Z10 and the Z30, this is the third full touch BlackBerry 10 smartphone. The BlackBerry Z10 that was launched for Rs. 43490 in India last year got a price cut to Rs. 17,990 earlier this year, which made more people try out the BlackBerry 10 platform. Priced at Rs. 15,990, the BlackBerry Z3 has a large screen, more RAM and a slightly larger battery compared to the BlackBerry Z10. Is it worth the price? Let us find out in the complete review.
Unboxing
We unboxed the BlackBerry Z3 earlier the month, check out the unboxing below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDb9gKqtyIg
Box Contents
The box contents include,
BlackBerry Z3 smartphone in black with built-in 2500 mAh battery
micro USB cable
2-pin charger (5V-850mA)
Earphone with mic
User manual
Hardware and Design
The phone has a 5-inch IPS display with a pixel resolution of 960 by 540 with a pixel density of 220 PPI. The display is bright, has good viewing angles, but it is too glossy and is prone to fingerprints. It has an ambient light sensor, but it doesn't have auto brightness option, hence the sunlight legibility is not the best. Display ...
Spice retail launched the Spice Smart Pulse M-9010, a smartwatch with dual SIM support and voice calling capabilities, priced at just Rs. 3,999 (MOP). Other than voice calling and messaging, it has a 1.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, audio and video player, microSD expansion slot and even a VGA camera with LED flash. It has menu, home and back buttons that are usually seen on Android devices, but this runs on proprietary Java-based OS. Check out the unboxing below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSF9GZaoJgA
Box Contents
The small box is filled with lots of accessories. The box contents include,
Spice Smart Pulse M-9010 smartwatch
2-pin charger
USB charger cable (to charge the Bluetooth headset)
micro USB cable
Earphone with microphone (Connects via micro USB)
420mAh battery
User manual and after sales service centre list
Bluetooth headset
2 wrist bands in yellow and blue colors
The bundled Bluetooth headset can be charged using the same charger, but it uses a different cable with a proprietary connector instead of micro USB used for the smartwatch.
Spice Smart Pulse M-9010 specifications
1.5-inch (240 x 320 pixels) touchscreen display
Audio and video player
Dual SIM (2G + 2G)
Digital camera
Make and Receive calls
Phonebook capacity: 300 + storage on SIM cards
Expandable memory up to 8GB
Supports English and Hindi languages
FM Radio
2G (EDGE), Bluetooth
420 mAh battery with up to 180 minutes talk time and ...
Google has released Chrome 36 for Android with several features along with some improvements. The update brings better text rendering for non mobile optimized sites. Also, Chrome for Android now gets display doodles on new tab pages.
In addition it gets bug fixes and performance improvements. Moreover, a couple of security fixes have been made in this update, which includes a URL spoofing fix, as well as an origin policy bypass fix.
The bug fixing update also includes fixes to address issues from OpenSSL 1.0.1h, an Undo tab close option, full-screen video playback with subtitles and HTML5 controls, and support for multi-window and Chromecast.
The update is expected to roll out from all the Android users through Google Play Store in few days.
Asus launched all the Zenfone smartphones in India last week starting at a price tag of just Rs. 5,999. The Zenfone 6, top-end model in the series with a 6-inch IPS display is priced at Rs. 16,999. We have a different variant of the smartphone that is powered by a 2 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 processor and single SIM support. The Indian variant (A600CG / A601CG) has a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor and dual SIM support. Check out the unboxing below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAEQfU7E6dE
Box Contents
ASUS Zenfone 6 in black color
Micro USB cable
2-pin charger
Headphones with mic and extra sets of ear buds
Information booklet
6-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) capacitive multi touch display with Corning Gorilla glass 3 protection. The display looks good and has great viewing angles. There are the usual capacitive touch buttons below the screen. It has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with custom Zen UI on top. Asus has promised to offer Android 4.4 (KitKat) update for the smartphone in future.
The Zenfone 6 comes in Charcoal Black, Pearl White , Cherry Red and Champagne Gold colors. Here we have the Black variant. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with single LED flash. The removable back cover has smooth matte ...
iPhone 6 rumors have been looming around for quiet some time now. Today, a new one has added the lot saying that it will feature Sony's IMX220 Exmor camera sensor. This means that iPhone 6 will boast of 13 MP and a 1/2.3″ sensor, capable of recording 1080p videos.
If this is true it will be an upgrade from the current iPhone 5S which has 8-megapixel and 1/3.2'' sensor. The iPhone 4s and 5 used Sony Exmor IMX145 sensor. A latest rumor this month stated that the Apple iPhone 6 will launch in early September. Apple is expected to release a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6; however, it is unclear if both devices will launch simultaneously.
Last month a report noted that an optical image stabilization system will be exclusively featured in the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, while the smaller 4.7-inch version utilizes an improved lens module.
Meanwhile, this week a report stated that Apple A8 (Apple’s customized SoC) that might feature on one/both of these models will have a 2GHz clock, quite a jump from 1.3GHz on the current Apple A7 SoC that sits in iPhone 5S.
Via:Macrumors
