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Get your daily of salts ready, the Internet is quoting anonymous sources for cheaper, colourful and bigger Apple iPhones again. No, seriously, the cheaper iPhone especially has been a long time coming, right since the iPhone 4S, but it didn't materialize because it never made business sense for Apple. But we are now seeing Apple lose its dominance and coolness, with the latest iOS 7 re-haul being the latest effort to being cool again. Apple also knows that there is a huge demand for big screened phones, popularized by Samsung and colours, popularized by Nokia.
And if the sources of Reuters are to be believed, which is quite questionable considering their track record, Apple is planning to launch bigger 4.7 inch and 5.7 inch phones with colours as options, and also is pitching a ridiculously low $99 price point for its cheaper iPhone model. We would rather take this with a good amount of salt, because one, Apple is not a company usually known to succumb to demand, but we did see them releasing a slightly bigger iPhone with the iPhone 5, but will they go even further and increase the next iteration screen size to 4.7 inches, or even 5.7 ...
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Sony Mobile has started sending press invite in France for an event on July 4th. Last week the company had announced an event in Germany on June 25th. The translation reads "Sony Mobile reserves a big surprise for you" and "Do not forget to mark your calendars!" part is shown written using a stylus. Looks like it might come with a stylus. It also shows the side part of the device which is pretty sleek with a new power button similar to the latest Xperia devices, 3.5mm audio jack, volume rocker and a dedicated camera button.
This might be the rumored Sony Togari or Xperia Z Ultra. According to the previous leaks, the device is expected to come with a 6.4-inch 1080p Triluminos with X-Reality for Mobile display, Android 4.2 OS, 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, microSD memory card slot, 8MP camera with LED flash and 2.2MP front-facing camera. It is expected to have a thin 6.5mm body and weigh 212 grams.
Details about the battery capacity is not available yet, we will get to know when Sony unveils the device in few weeks.
Via: Xperiablog.net
Get your daily of salts ready, the Internet is quoting anonymous sources for cheaper, colourful and bigger Apple iPhones again. No, seriously, the cheaper iPhone especially has been a long time coming, right since the iPhone 4S, but it didn't materialize because it never made business sense for Apple. But we are now seeing Apple lose its dominance and coolness, with the latest iOS 7 re-haul being the latest effort to being cool again. Apple also knows that there is a huge demand for big screened phones, popularized by Samsung and colours, popularized by Nokia.
And if the sources of Reuters are to be believed, which is quite questionable considering their track record, Apple is planning to launch bigger 4.7 inch and 5.7 inch phones with colours as options, and also is pitching a ridiculously low $99 price point for its cheaper iPhone model. We would rather take this with a good amount of salt, because one, Apple is not a company usually known to succumb to demand, but we did see them releasing a slightly bigger iPhone with the iPhone 5, but will they go even further and increase the next iteration screen size to 4.7 inches, or even 5.7 ...
Specifications of the HTC One mini (M4) surfaced first in February earlier this year. Press image of the device surfaced back in May along with the rumored specs. It was caught on camera earlier this month that showed the chin and the bottom part of the device, now the whole front part of the device have been revealed in an image from Engadget. It confirms that the device is indeed the M4 and would come with a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display and powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor.
This would come with a metallic body, Beats Audio, BoomSound similar to the HTC One. The device pictured runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Sense UI and BlinkFeed on board, but this might change at the launch.
The report did not confirm the UltraPixel camera but it confirms the full HD video recording and HTC Zoe image capture. Earlier this week Bloomberg confirmed that the device will go on sale by August, this report says it is expected sometime in Q3.
Source: Engadget
Whatsapp, the ubiquitous instant messaging service, has hit a new record - a whopping 27 billion messages processed in a day. They tweeted out this announcement by explaining the split between outbound and inbound messages over a period of 24 hours. By comparison, Apple's iMessage service processes around 1 billion messages a day which is a far cry from Whatsapp's numbers. Having used the innovative form of tying up the service with a phone number, Whatsapp skyrocketed to popularity especially in India as it was basically used as a free SMS service when SMS rates were high and notorious in public holidays.
With most of the growth in emerging markets, Whatsapp found its way onto cheaper non-smartphones such as the Nokia Asha devices, establishing a presence and even acting as an enabler for sales. Having decided to reside on as many devices as possible, Whatsapp has established superiority and used its first mover advantage really well. All these factors have enabled Whatsapp to jump from 18 billion messages just six months back to 27 billion now, which means that the growth rate is astounding for an internet service. Not many companies can quote this kind of a growth.
Having said that, Whatsapp ...
Earlier this week HTC announced that they are planning to launch the Butterfly S in Taiwan on June 19th. Now the images of the Butterfly S has surfaced from a Chinese website VR-Zone. This reveals a simlar HTC Butterfly Design, but this one has dual front-facing stereo speakers similar to the HTC One and the Desire 600 with BoomSound. According to earlier rumors the Butterfly S is likely to come with 5-icnh 1080p full HD display, Android Jelly Bean OS with Sense 5, Ultrapixel camera and features like HTC Zoe and Blinkfeed.
It is also expected to come with a faster Snapdragon 600 processor and a micro SD card slot. The back of the phone has similar camera and flash placement, HTC branding and a Beats audio logo. We have to wait till next week to find out more about the device.
On a related note, Focus Taiwan reports that HTC is planning to release the Butterfly 2 in the fourth quarter of 2013. Details about the Butterfly 2 is not available yet, hope we can expect a larger display and a faster processor.
Source: VR-Zone | Via: Android Beat
IRCTC has announced that SMS-based ticket booking on July 1st. IRCTC would also launch the USSD (Unstructured supplementary data) based booking soon. The designated number for booking would be unveiled later. For the SMS-based ticket service, customers need to register with their banks (26 banks are supported) to generate a Mobile Money Identifier (MMID) and a one-time password (OTP). For the menu-based USSD system, the payment can be authorized through a mobile wallet which requires mPIN. 6 tickets can be booked in a single transaction similar to the online booking.
The SMS registration is a two-SMS process that costs Rs. 3 per SMS, reports The Hindu. It adds that the revenue for the mobile service providers come from these SMS and no other extra charge will be deducted. Banks will charge payment gateway at Rs. 5 for any transaction below Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10 for an amount that exceeds it.
A confirmation SMS would be sent after the successful transaction. IRTC has mobile website irctc.co.in/mobile that would let you book tickets from internet-enabled phones. The SMS booking facility would definitely be great advantage for the passengers since everything can be carried out on a basic phone.
Via: TOI
Yahoo has announced that they have acquired GhostBird Software, creators of popular iOS photography apps KitCam and PhotoForge2. GhostBird Software has shut down their official website including their iOS apps that would no longer be available for purchase from the iTunes App Store. Those who downloaded the app can still use it, but it can't be downloaded again. Yahoo introduced a redesigned Flickr app last month and offered 1 terabyte of free storage for all.
Regarding the deal, GhostBird Software said
We are long-time admirers of Flickr, and we’re thrilled to be able to bring our technology and passion for beautiful photos to the Flickr team. There has been so much exciting progress at Yahoo! as they re-imagine their most-loved products for mobile, including the awesome new Flickr apps for iOS and Android.
In a tweet Yahoo hinted "Get ready to see your mobile photos in a whole new light!" Hope we can see new features to the Flickr app such as lenses, filters and more editing features.
Source: GhostBird Software
Google has released Cloud Print app for Android. This lets you send a picture or a document from your Android device to a cloud print-connected printer. You can also track the status of your print jobs from the app easily. Google Chrome for iPhone and iPad were updated recently with Cloud Print features. Google Print is already available for Chrome for Android, Google Drive for Android, Gmail Mobile app.
Features of Google Cloud Print for Android
Print from any compatible Android device to any Google Cloud Print connected printer
Share a picture or a document from apps like Gallery directly to Cloud Print
Track the status of your print jobs
You need to setup Cloud Print feature that uses Chrome browser on your PC. It takes few seconds to set it up and print from your Android device. You can read more about the procedure to set Cloud Print here. Download Google Cloud Print Beta from the Google Play Store for free.
Google has updated the official Blogger app to version 2.0.41 that brings support for Android tablets finally. The Blogger Android app was released back in February 2011. The app had seen several changes since the launch, but it took more than 2 years for Google to bring the tablet support. This update also brings improved compose screen with WYSIWYG editor for existing posts that was introduced for the iOS app in version 2.1.7.1. Blogger for iOS got iPad support back in November last year.
The blogger app lets you compose a post, draft it or immediately publish, switch account/blog if you have more than one, embed an image from the gallery, or take an image, add location information and lots more. This update also includes performance improvements and minor bug fixes.
Download Blogger for Android from the Google Play Store for free, if you don't have it yet.
Broadcom has announced their first qaud-core chip that is aimed at entry-level mass market customers. The Broadcom BCM23550 would directly compete with MediaTek MT6589 that is being used on most of the affordable Android smartphones. Broadcom signed up for ARMv7 and ARMv8 Architecture licenses earlier this year. The new chip uses Broadcom’s own VideoCore IV technology with support for OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing, that is used in most of their chips including the BCM28155 on the Galaxy Grand Duos.
This has 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor, support for HSPA+ (HSPDA: 21Mbps; HSUPA 5.8 Mbps) connectivity, NFC, 12MP still imaging, Dual SIM support and 1080p HD video capture and playback. It also enables superior voice call quality with support for Wideband-AMR (HD Voice) and advanced voice call quality enhancement technologies, including dual-mic for noise cancellation.
Highlights of the Broadcom BCM23550 quad-core chip
1.2GHz Quad-Core A7 CPU with ARM NEON technology
21 Mbps HSPA+ downstream connectivity, 5.8 Mbps of upstream connectivity
Optimized for the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Dual HD display support with 720p LCD and external HD panel via Wi-Fi Miracast-capable displays
VideoCore IV GPU for enhanced 3D gaming and other graphics-rich applications
Supports up to 12-megapixel camera
High quality H.264 full HD (1080p 30 fps) video recording and playback
HD voice support for high-quality voice ...
Google has pushed out an update for its gesture search application for Android. The application that is available on phones and tablets is now compatible with a larger range of languages. Google's gesture search application provides quick access to oft used applications, contacts, music, settings and bookmarks by allowing users to draw characters on the screen.
The application recognizes 40 languages and can handle transliterations as well and this will be appreciated for those entering characters in China. The application should come in handy to facilitate quick usage on phones. The application received tablet support last year and was initially introduced as a Google Labs project in 2010. Go ahead and give the latest version a spin and let us know if you like it. Follow the source link to download the app.
[Source - Play Store]
Nokia has sent out invites to some media outlets inlcuding Pocket-Lint for an event in New York on July 11th with the tagline "Zoom Reinvented". It is almost certain from the invite that Nokia will launch a camera centric phone. Nokia has already said that it is bringing the Lumia 925 to the US on T-Mobile during the London launch event so it is certainly not got anything to do with the Lumia 925. Could we finally have the true successor to the PureView 808 in the form of the Nokia device codenamed EOS running Windows Phone ? We have seen some recent leaks of that device.
Below is a leaked image from ViziLeaks about the Nokia EOS. May be that camera you see there features some really crazy zoom going by the official invite.
Stay tuned to FoneArena if you are looking forward to this hi-zoom camera phone from Nokia. We are definitely looking forward to July 11th.
Samsung's JK Shin today hinted that the company might be ready to announce an Android powered mirrorless camera soon and right on cue, press images have turned up for the device. The images that first shower up on a Vietnamese gadget site depict the Galaxy NX which has interchangeable lenses and an Android device tacked on at the back.
The device can be seen with a mirrorless mount compatible with a range of NX lenses. From the few images that have turned up, it seems that the camera is fairly bereft of physical controls and will likely make heavy use of that large touchscreen on the rear of the device. Buttons would be limited to a shutter release, video capture button, top-mounted dial and a pop-up flash. Internally you'll find a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor with ISO range that goes up to 25,600. The camera can also shoot video in up to 1080p resolution. The differentiating factor here is of course the Android 4.2.2 running unit at the back of the camera. This should allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of quick post processing and sending off them to multiple destinations conveniently using Android's robust sharing capabilities.
[Via - Tin ...
Huawei Ascend Mate, the company's latest flagship smartphone is now available in India from online retailer Infibeam. It was spotted on Flipkart along with a price tag earlier this week, but the page was removed later. It packs a 6.1-inch 720p display, powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Hi-Silicon K3V2 processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with Huawei’s EmotionUI 1.5 on top. It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, full HD video recording and a 1-megapixel HD front-facing camera. It is 9.9 mm thick and weighs 198 grams.
Huawei Ascend Mate specifications
6.1-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla glass protection
1.5 GHz quad-core Hi-Silicon K3V2 processor with 16-core GPU
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
8MP auto focus rear camera with LED flash, 1080p video recording
1MP HD front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
2GB RAM, 8GB of internal memory, expandable memory card slot
3G, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, dualband WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS
4050 mAh battery
The Ascend Mate has been priced at Rs. 28,900 on Infibeam and is now available for purchase. The official launch is expected in a week.
[Update 14/6/13, 5PM: Infibeam has changed the listing as coming soon]
Source: Infibeam
We were at the AMD India Techno Graffiti event last night, and during the Q&A session we asked the all important question of AMD's future in mobile. The answer first was in the context of mobile being laptops and tablets and how AMD are going for the hybrid nascent segment of low powered computing devices unlike the cheaper small-screened consumption devices. But when asked if Android powered devices are a possibility with AMD chip powering them, the answer was yes. AMD India's head told us that AMD is working on bringing Android powered devices to its portfolio but couldn't say when.
It is a well known fact that AMD became an ARM licensee a good two years back and it was reported that they are bringing those AMD made ARM chips to the enterprise segment with the Opteron processors. That aside, AMD told us that they will be going for an ambidextrous approach, with x86 and ARM simultaneously, further signaling the arrival of ARM powered devices in the market, which will run Android. They also specifically said that the devices will be of all sizes, including smartphones and tablets.
But the only thing missing from their answer was the timeframe. Considering AMD ...
With the increasing number of devices that we carry, it can become quite a hassle to have a data connection on all. A MiFi comes in pretty handy in such situations allowing you to fire up the data connection on one device and use it across smartphones, tablets and even laptops. Huawei recently launched their latest generation MiFi product in India and we got one in to review. Read on to find out our impressions of the product.
Design
Shaped like a small pebble, the Huawei E5331 feels really nice when held. The smooth white plastics used reek of high quality but the removable back panel feels somewhat flimsy.
Over on the front you'll spot 4 icons that light up with a single button placed next to them. The icons correspond to signal strength, WiFi, battery and SMS. They light up in two colors depending on the signal strength or battery power left.
Under the cover you'll find a battery rated for 4.5 hours of usage. Under fairly heavy usage we were able to get just about 4 hours of usage out of the Huawei E5331 which is quite decent for a product in this category.
A solitary microUSB port can be spotted on the ...
Images of the rumored Sony Xperia Z Ultra or Sony Xperia ZU phablet has surfaced online. Taiwanese website ePrice has posted about the Sony Phablet. The report confirms the 6.4-inch 1080p Triluminos with X-Reality for Mobile display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and stylus support as teased by Sony in the press invite.
From the images, one can infer that the touchscreen of the phone will be super sensitive, as one of the images show that the phone is kept below a paper and drawn on, still the phone captures the image. It might not come with bundled stylus since it supports any pointed object such as pen, pencil etc. The rumor also suggests that it would come with 3000mAh built-in battery with STAMINA mode.
Rumored Sony Xperia ZU specifications
6.4 inch Triluminos Display with X-Reality for Mobiles
1920 x 1080 pixels Full HD resolution with 342ppi pixel density
8MP Primary Camera with 800 Exmos RS sensor
IP58 rating for dust and water resistance
quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM and 16GB ROM
Upto 64GB expandable memory via microSD card
NFC/ Wi-Fi/ Miracast
3000mAh Battery
The Xperia ZU is expected to be announced on June 25th at an event in Germany. It would also be showcased at the ...
Google+ has been updated to version 4.0.1 that brings notification sync that syncs you read and unread notifications across mobile and desktop. This update also bring option to delete photos, new slide-out menu design similar to other Google apps and lots more new features.
New features in Google+ for Android 4.01
When a notification is on one device, it syncs with other devices
Dismissing a notification does so everywhere
A new bell icon (in the Google Bar, and in the mobile apps) that lets you know if anything's waiting for you
An updated notifications tray that separates unread from previously-read items
Option to delete your photos from the Photos view
Tapping into a post shows the number of +1's, comments andreshares
The left-hand menu design is now more consistent with other Google apps
Download Google+ for Android from the Google Play Store for free, if you don't have it yet. Thenotification sync feature would be available for Google+ for iOS soon.
Read
Aircel and Techzone has partnered to bring a new VAS offering called Video Store @ Re. 1. This would let Aircel customers download more than 20,000+ videos across more than 12 languages including English, Hindu, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and more at Re. 1 per video. There are 8 genres including bollywood, Hollywood, realty, lifestyle, music, comedy and more. Airtel launched a similar Re. 1 mobile video download service last month.
To download a videos, Aircel customers need to
SMS VDO to 56060 or dial Toll-free short code 52010
You will receive a WAP link on your mobile
Access the link and browse to your video of choice
Download the video at Re. 1/video
It works on WAP or GPRS/2G/3G enabled handsets. Customers can also share their video preferences on Facebook and Twitter. Techzone aims to add 800-1,000 videos/day to the existing video library.
Microsoft has launched the Office Mobile app for iPhone finally. This app is for Office 365 subscribers and the subscribers access, view and edit your Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint documents from your iPhone. You can also access document stored in the cloud on SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro, or SharePoint. You can edit and view documents offline but you need to be connected to the internet to save the changes on the cloud.httpv://youtu.be/nDR150tAOkk
Features of Microsoft Office Mobile iPhone
Access Office documents that are stored on SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro, or SharePoint.
View and edit Office documents attached to email messages.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint have been optimized for the small screen of the iPhone
Word document from SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro on your phone automatically resumes at the place where you left off reading
The Slide Navigator lets you browse slides faster
Make quick edits to Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.
Formatting and content remain intact when you edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
View and edit recently used documents even while you’re offline.
Review comments that have been made in Word and Excel documents on your phone and add your own comments.
Send the document in email or save it to SkyDrive or SharePoint.
Download Microsoft Office Mobile for iPhone (4, 4S, ...
