SoftBank is currently looking forward to acquire a 20% stake in Micromax, according to a report from Reuters. A group of investors led by Japanese telecom giant will make an investment of $1 billion in the Indian mobile manufacturer Micromax.
If the deal comes through, as per the speculations, Micromax could be valued at $5 billion. The company which is privately held by its founders, counts Sequoia Capital and TA Associates as investors. Founded in 2008, Micromax is known for its affordable smartphone range and giving a tough competition to Samsung. In February, research firm Canalys said Micromax overtook Samsung in the fourth quarter as the leading supplier in India's booming smartphone market, though Samsung later challenged the finding.
Xioami which also been targeting Indian market with its devices raised $1.1 billion at a valuation of $45 billion from investors in December last year. Meanwhile, SoftBank had announced earlier that it will invest about $10 billion in the country's ecommerce sector after it took a strategic stake in online marketplace Snapdeal.
SoftBank eyeing 20% stake in Micromax for almost $1 billion
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Karbonn Sparkle V gets Android 5.1 Lollipop update
After the Spice Dream Uno and the Micromax Canvas A1, the Karbonn Sparkle V Android One smartphone has also received Android 5.1 (Lollipop) over-the-air (OTA) update.
Android Lollipop update brings Material Design with bold, colorful, and responsive UI design, better notifications, battery saver feature, better security including Android Smart Lock, New Quick Settings, Improved network hand offs, flexible sharing, faster, smoother and more powerful experience with ART, 15 new languages and more. The Android 5.1 adds several tweaks and features.
Android 5.1 (Lollipop) update for Karbonn Sparkle V is 409.8MB, similar to the Spice Dream UNO and the Micromax Dream Uno. Since the update will roll out gradually, it might take sometime to reach your smartphone.
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Microsoft acquires Office plug-in maker LiveLoop
Microsoft has scooped up LiveLoop startup, that offers Office collaboration tools, according to a report from Zdnet. LiveLoop’s service will shut down on April 24, as a result of the acquisition.
LiveLoop's first product was a plug-in for PowerPoint that enabled multiple-user collaboration on a particular project, the report stated. The start-up posted a notice to its website that the its website announcing the shut down on April 24. LiveLoop will be deleting all presentations and user data on its platform after that point.
LiveLoop’s technology will be a benefit for Office, at a time when Microsoft is facing increased competition in the productivity space. The deal follows Microsoft’s acquisitions of calendar maker Sunrise and mobile email software builder Acompli, two other startups bought to enhance the company’s Office offerings. Microsoft released a rebranded version of Acompli as Outlook for mobile users, and Sunrise remains available to download as standalone software.
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Celkon Millennia Q450 with 4-inch display, quad-core processor launched for Rs. 4799
Celkon has launched Millennia Q450, the company's latest smartphone in the Millennia series. It has a 4-inch WVGA screen, is powered by a 1.2 quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 3G connectivity and dual SIM support.
Celkon Millennia Q450 specifications
4-inch (800 x 400 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
1.2 GHz quad-core processor
512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Dual SIM
Dimensions: 135 x 67.7 x 9.73 mm; Weight: 147 grams
5MP camera with LED Flash
2MP front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
1800mAh
The Celkon Millennia Q450 comes in Black, White and Gold colors and is priced at Rs. 4,799.
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Airtel launches 4G services in Bathinda, Punjab
Airtel has launched 4G services in Bathinda in Punjab. This become the 12th town in the state to get Airtel 4G services. Airtel had already launched 4G series in Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Kapurthala, Patiala and Moga in Punjab and Haryana circles.
Commenting on the launch, Manu Sood, Hub CEO –Upper North, Bharti Airtel (India) said:
We are delighted to launch 4G in Bathinda and empower customers with a choice to upgrade to cutting edge 4G technology - the most advanced broadband experience available across the globe today. We invite our data savvy customers in the city to enjoy this world class data experience which we are offering at unbeatable prices.
In Bathinda, Airtel customers can access 4G on dongles and Wi-Fi CPEs (Customer Premise Equipment/ routers). Home Wi-Fi CPEs costs Rs. 2500 and comes bundled with a host of affordable 4G packs/plans.
Special demo zones and kiosk have been installed at the Airtel Store, near Power House Chowk, 100 ft Road, Bathinda for customers to experience LIVE demos and get started on 4G.
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OnePlus One OxygenOS release delayed due to extra quality control
OnePlus promised to release OxygenOS ROM for the OnePlus One smartphone before March 27th, today, but it didn't happen. Now the company says that the reason for the delay is due to extra quality control. The company also said that it will share even the small progress before the OxygenOS is officially release.
Regarding the delay of OxygenOS, OnePlus on their official forum, said:
The ROM is fully functional and we have quite a few people in the office running it on their own devices without any issues. The delay is caused by extra quality control. We want to make sure that OxygenOS passes Google certification, that all future updates can be OTA'ed properly, and that users from all over the world are able to use OxygenOS in the language of their choice.
It has announced five winners of 64GB OnePlus One devices, as it has promised, since it has missed the deadline. It has no details about the CM12 roll out, and it just says that the update should be available as soon as possible.
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Xiaomi partners with The Mobile Store to sell its smartphones offline
Xiaomi entered India last year with online-only model partnering with Flipkart to sell its smartphones and accessories. It started selling its accessories on its own website in India recently, now the company has partnered with The Mobile Store to sell its smartphones thorough these offline retail stores, according to a report from ET.
According to the report, relatively lower number of Mi 4 and Redmi Note 4G smartphones will be available at The Mobile Store across 55 stores in Delhi NCR, from Saturday. These smartphones will sell at Rs 19,999 and Rs 9,999, respectively, similar to the online rates on Flipkart. The Mobile Store shops will also act as service centers, the company's chief executive Himanshu Chakrawarti said to ET.
Xiaomi tied up with Airtel to sell the Redmi Note 4G smartphone back in December though Airtel Stores across India. Xiaomi will continue to sell the smartphones though Flipkart.
Manu Jain, head of India operations at Xiaomi, said to ET:
This will be the first time that we're getting into offline trade in India. In China, about 20-30% of total sales through come from telecom operators stores while the rest comes from our online store.
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YotaPhone gets a price cut in India again, now available for Rs. 8999
YotaPhone with dual displays has got another price cut in India Rs. 8,999. It was launched in India on Flipkart back in October last year at a price tag of Rs. 23,499. It has got a huge price cut to Rs. 17,999 in one month after the release. Earlier this year it received a price cut to Rs. 12,999, now the smartphone is available on Flipkart for Rs. 8999. Since the release the YotaPhone's price has dropped by Rs. 14,500.
The YotaPhone has a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) LCD multi-touch main screen and a 4.3-inch (360×640 pixels) E-Ink rear screen. The phone also has special YotaPhone gestures and Put2Back applications for the back screen.
YotaPhone specifications
4.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) LCD capacitive multi-touch main display
4.3-inch (360×640 pixels) EPD rear screen, 16 grayscale; capacitive touch zone below the EPD for gesture controls
Android 4.2.2 ( Jelly Bean)
1.7 GHz Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 processor
2GB RAM, 32GB Internal memory
13MP auto focus rear camera with LED flash, 1080p full HD video recording
1MP front-facing camera
Dimensions – 133.6 x 67 x 9.99mm; Weight – 146g
Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor,
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS w/A-GPS + GLONASS
1800mAh battery
YotaPhone 2 is already ...
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Vine gets support for 720p HD videos
Twitter has finally improved the video quality of Vine from 480p to 720p, offering a better video quality. You will automatically see the quality improvements when you are watching Vines on our iOS and Android apps and also on the web. This is rolling out over the coming days, said the company.
Twitter released the Vine app for iPhone first, back in 2013. This lets you upload a video clip up to 6 seconds directly from the phone. It was released on Android in June 2013 and it arrived for Windows Phone few months later. Twitter recently released Vine Kids, a standalone app for iOS aimed at children that allows children to watch 6 second videos that are appropriate for their age.
Uploading Vine in 720p HD format is now available for iPhone and will roll out for Android devices soon.
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LG Watch Urbane launching 27th April for £269.99
LG is considered one of the pioneers of the Android Wear smartwatch market and earlier this year, they introduced the new LG Watch Urbane which aims to offer the Android Wear experience in a design resembling a premium quartz watch. Today, UK retailer Clove have announced the Watch Urbane is launching on April 27th and will cost £269.99.
httpv://youtu.be/A5hHlaDlmPg
The price puts it at a similar price to the equally-premium Huawei Watch but still cheaper than the Apple Watch which launches three days earlier (April 24). The Watch Urbane has many of the same features found on the G Watch R in a design that firmly places the wearable in the premium smartwatch category.
As we covered in our Watch Urbane hands on at MWC 2015, the Watch Urbane has a 1.3 inch (320 x 320 pixels) P-OLED display with a traditional round dial which is located at around 35 degrees. Notable features include a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, a 410 mAh battery, a heart rate monitor, IP67 Dust and Water resistance and 22mm changeable watch straps.
In their blog post, Clove said the silver Watch Urbane will be available for £269.99 including VAT and will launch on April 27th. The retailer also said ...
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LG Magna, Spirit, Leon and Joy global roll out begins
LG has announced that it has started rolling out its Magna, Spirit, Leon and Joy mid-range smartphones globally. These smartphones were announced ahead of MWC, run on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and come with LTE and 3G versions depending on the market. All these except the entry-level LG Joy have G3-like rear buttons for power and volume controls and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for better selfies.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndPrL9zohuA
LG Magna specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.2 GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB Internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
8MP or 5MP rear camera with LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 139.7 x 69.9 x 10.2mm
4G LTE / 3G (HSPA+21Mbps), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
2,540mAh (removable) battery
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2QRi0eEyIY
LG Spirit specifications
4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.2 GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB Internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
8MP or 5MP rear camera with LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 133.3 x 66.1 x 9.9mm
4G LTE / 3G (HSPA+21Mbps), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
2,100mAh (removable) battery
LG Leon specifications
4.5-inch (854 x 400 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
1.2 GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB Internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
8MP or 5MP rear camera with LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 129.9 x 64.9 x 10.9mm
4G LTE / 3G (HSPA+21Mbps), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
1,900mAh (removable) battery
LG Joy specifications
4-inch ...
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LG Spirit with 4.7-inch HD display, Android 5.0 launching in India soon for Rs. 13690
LG unveiled Spirit, a mid-range smartphone ahead of MWC. The smartphone has appeared on the LG India website. The Indian 3G variant of the Spirit (LG-H422) has a 4.7-inch HD in-cell touch display, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor (probably MediaTek), has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 1-megapixel front-facing camera/
It also comes with dual SIM support and runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop). It has curved design and G3-like rear buttons for power and volume controls.
LG Spirit specifications
4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.3GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB Internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM
8MP rear camera with LED flash
1MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 133.3 x 66.1 x 9.9mm
3G (HSPA+21Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2,100mAh (removable) battery
The LG Spirit comes in Black and Gold colors and is priced at Rs. 14,250 (MRP), but the MOP will be Rs. 13,690, according to Mumbai-based retailer MaheshTelecom. We went hands on with the LG Spirit at the MWC, check out the hands-on.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2QRi0eEyIY
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HTC One E9+ with 5.5-inch Quad HD display, Octa-Core 64-bit processor official
HTC One E9 got certified in China recently, now the HTC One E9+ has appeared on the official website in China. According to the listing, the One E9+ comes with a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, is powered by a 2GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6795M processor and runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with Sense UI on top. It has a 20-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and an ultrapixel front-facing camera.
Even though the specs page shows 5.5-inhc 1080p screen and a 13-megapixel rear camera, the main page is clear. It is expected to come with 3GB RAM and 16 or 32GB of internal storage with expansion slot.
HTC One E9+ specifications
5.5-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD display
2GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6795M 64-bit processor with PowerVR G6200 GPU
3GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with Sense 7.0 UI
20MP rear camera with LED Flash
Ultrapixel front-facing camera
Dual nano SIM
Dimensions: 156.5×76.5×7.54mm; Weight: 150g
3.5 mm headset jack, Dual front-facing BoomSound speakers with Dolby Audio
4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS with GLONASS
2800mAh battery
HTC should unveil the One E9+ at its event on April 8th in Beijing along with the One M9+ that will come with dual rear cameras and a fingerprint sensor on the ...
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Pebble Time’s Kickstarter ends with over $20 million in funding
Pebble Time has been the most successful crowdfunded campaign on Kickstarter. The smartwatch with e-ink display from the company closed a funding of more than $20 million.
The funding period for the Pebble Time ended on March 28th, raising $20,338,986 from 78,471 backers. Pebble can begin mass production on Pebble Time, with shipping expected in May and June. Pebble Time’s campaign broke two Kickstarter records; the first on the launch day for becoming the fastest project to raise $1 million in just 49 minutes and the second the following week when it became Kickstarter’s most-funded campaign.
"We cannot thank the Pebble community enough for their monumental support. We continue to listen to and be inspired by the backers who believed in us and supported our vision from day one."
Eric Migicovsky, Pebble CEO, said in a statement.
Pebble Time watch is 9.5mm thick, making it 20% thinner than the original Pebble. It also has smart accessory port, enabling hardware developers to build sensors and smart straps that connect directly to the watch. Priced at $159, the watch retains the four physical buttons from the first two watches. It has a new timeline interface that lists notifications, news, reminders and event in chronological order instead of being trapped inside separate.
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Yahoo and Microsoft extends search deal deadline by 30 days
Yahoo and Microsoft are re-negotiating on search alliance agreement signed in 2010. The duo have agreed to push back the deadline for renewing their Web search alliance another month.
The ten year deal includes Yahoo Inc to use Microsoft Bing’s search technology replacing their own search engine and Yahoo’s search-based advertising system were powered by Microsoft. The agreement did allow for the two companies to make changes to the contract, or even end it, after five years. Under the terms of the deal, the companies had 30 days to make changes following Feb. 23. The amendment the two companies entered into would give Yahoo until April 24 to break off the alliance.
The report stated that Yahoo and Microsoft mutually agreed to extend that deadline to a 60-day period following Feb. 23, as per a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Google still continues to be the leader when in comes to US search market and while Microsoft and Yahoo's combined share of the market is essentially unchanged at roughly 30%.
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Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos surfaces in live photo
A live photo of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos has been leaked giving the first look of the phone. The dual SIM variant of the flagship Galaxy S6 will be released only in certain markets.
As per the leaked photo, the Galaxy S6 Duos has dual nano sim tray instead of micro SIM. The device looks same as the Galalxy S6 and will most likely have all the same specs like a 5.1-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) 577 PPI Super AMOLED displays, Octa-Core ( Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5GHz) Exynos processor, Android 5.0 (Lollipop), 3GB DDR4 RAM, 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, OIS and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, Cat.6 LTE support and a 2,550mAh battery.
The Galaxy S6 Duos will likely be available in Russia along with parts of Asia and other countries where dual-SIM setups are common. Earlier this month Samsung revealed Dubai prices of the Galaxy S6 Duos 32GB at AED 2699 (US$ 735 / Rs. 45,940 approx.) and the 64GB will cost AED 2999 (US$ 816 / Rs. 51,017 approx.)
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TRAI releases consultation paper to regulate OTT services like WhatsApp, Skype and others
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finally released consultation paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services seeking comments of all stakeholders. After reports that TRAI is planning to implement charges for over-the-top (OTT) players of apps like WhatsApp, Viber, Skype etc. it rejected the proposal of carriers to make OTT players that offer these services share part of their revenue with them or the government. Airtel announced VoIP packs for Skype, Viber and others back in December, but it decided not to implement it soon after.
Regarding the consulting paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services, TRAI said:
OTT providers make use of the TSPs' infrastructure to reach their customers and offer products/services that not only make money for them but also compete with the traditional services offered by TSPs. Leave aside TSPs, these apps also compete with brick and mortar rivals e.g. e- commerce sites, banking etc.Today, users can directly access these applications online from any place, at any time, using a variety of internet connected consumer devices.
Digitalization of content has reduced conservation, reproduction and distribution costs, which, in turn, has promoted the explosive growth in the supply of online content. Paradoxically, the broadband networks provided by incumbent TSPs are used as a platform by the OTT ...
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Lava Iris 444 now available for Rs. 3199, NKS 101 tablet coming soon
Lava Iris 444, the latest smartphone in the Iris series is now available from Flipkart. It has a 4-inch WVGA display, is powered by a 1GHz processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. Lava NKS 101 is a variant of the XTRON MEGA that surfaced last month with the same 10.1-inch HD display, but it has a larger 7200mAh battery.
Lava Iris 444 specifications
4-inch (800 × 480 pixels) touch screen display
1GHz Cortex A7 processor
256 MB RAM, 512MB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Dual SIM with Dual Standby
2MP rear camera with LED flash
0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
Dimensions: 63.2x123x11mm; Weight: 116g
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
2G (EDGE), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
1400 mAh battery
Lava NKS 101 specifications
10.1-inch (1280 x 800 Pixels) Multi Touch IPS display
1.6 GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB internal memory
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
2MP rear camera
2MP front-facing camera
WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI, micro USB
7200mAh battery
The Lava Iris 444 is now available for Rs. 3,199 and the Lava NKS 101 tablet should go on sale soon.
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HTC One M9+ press renders surface ahead of launch
HTC recently announced the More than One event in China on April 8th, where it is expected to announced the One M9+ smartphone. Dummy and unofficial render of the smartphone surfaced last month, now @upleaks has leaked new press shots of the smartphone. As you see, the design of the smartphone is similar to the One M9, but it will feature a physical home button that also act as a fingerprint sensor. It also has a secondary rear camera along with a 20.7-megapixel rear camera to capture depth information.
HTC One M9+ rumored specifications
5.2-inch (1440 x 2560 pixels) Quad HD display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 or MediaTek MT6795 Octa-Core SoC (depending on the market)
3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7.0 UI
20.7MP rear camera with dual LED flash
2.1MP Secondary rear camera to capture depth information
13MP or ultra-pixel front-facing camera
Dual BoomSound speakers
4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth with aptX codec and GPS with GLONASS
2840mAh battery
We should know more about the HTC One M9+ at the launch event next week. HTC is also expected to reveal more details about the One E9 and the One E9+ smartphones at the event.
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Asus Zenfone 2 launching in India in the last week of April
Asus has finally announced that the company's most expected Zenfone 2 smartphone will be available in India in the last week of April. It has not announced if it is bringing all the Zenfone 2 variants to India. There are three variants of the Zenfone 2 - ZE500CL and ZE550ML have HD displays and 2GB RAM. while the ZE551ML model comes with 5.5-inch 1080p display and 2GB or 4GB RAM.
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500CL specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) display with Corning gorilla glass 3 protection
1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 64GB via micro SD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
8MP rear camera with LED flash
2MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 148.1 x 71.5 x 10.9mm; weight 155g
4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2500 mAh battery
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML specifications
5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) display with Corning gorilla glass 3 protection
1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 with PowerVR G6430 GPU
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 64GB via micro SD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, Real Tone flash
5MP front-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture
Dimensions: 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9mm; weight 170g
4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
3000mAh battery
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML specifications
5.5-inch ( ...
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