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Xiaomi has announced the Redmi 2A smartphone in China to celebrate its 5th anniversary. It is a variant of the Redmi 2 and has the same 4.7-inch HD screen, but this is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Leadcore L1860C processor instead of Snapdragon 410 64-bit SoC. Other specifications are similar, including Android 4.4 (KitKat) with MIUI 6 on top, 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, Dual SIM support and 4G LTE connectivity. It also comes in separate China Unicom and China Telecom variants with support for suitable bands.
Xiaomi Redmi 2A specifications
4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display
1.5 GHz quad-core LCI L1860C processor with Mali T628 dual-core GPU
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, micro SD card up to 32GB
Dual SIM
MIUI v6 on top of Android 4.4 (KitKat)
8MP rear camera with LED Flash, BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture, Omnivision sensor, 1080p video recording
2MP front-facing camera, 720P HD video recording
4G LTE/3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2200mAh battery
The Xiaomi Redmi 2A comes in White, Dark gray, Bright Yellow, Light Green and Pink colors and is priced at 599 Yuan (US$ 97 / 6,049 approx.) originally, but is available at 499 Yuan (US$ 80 / 5,035 approx.) only on April 8th. No details about the global roll out yet.
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Samsung is reportedly thinking of using iris recognition technology for user identification on its smartwatch. A patent filed by the company regarding iris technology in 2014 has been discovered by Patently Apple.
The filed patent, shows iris recognition feature that can be used as user authentication on smartwatch. As per the patents, Samsung refers to user authentication methods as “Biosignal ID,” . As for the authentication, it can be occurred by way of gestures such as “opening a hand, clenching a fist, or rotating a wrist,” or body motions (such as iris glances and heartbeats/heart rate).
Previous reports have stated that Samsung is working on a round dial smartwatch that is called as Orbis. It is said that the smartwatch will be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 processor and support wireless charging. The iris recognition technology will be a new feature if Samsung decides to use it on its upcoming smartwatches.
Xiaomi is expected to launch its cheapest smartphone yet, according to a latest report from My Drivers . The Chinese smartphone maker is said to launch a smartphone for as low as $80 on April 8th.
The smartphone which is unamed currently is said to sport a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 an a quad-core 1.6GHz Leadcore LC 1860 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage along with a microSD slot for external memory. There will be a 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front facing shooter. Runnin Android 4.4.4 it will have Xiaomi's MIUI on top.
Xiaomi recently announced that it aims to sell over 100 million units this year. The company has not yet commented on the launch of this smartphone and we will have to wait and see what it has in for us.
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Earlier this month Sony announced that it has started rolling out Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop) update for the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones starting from Nordics and Baltics. It also promised to offer Lollipop updates for more Xperia Z Series devices in around two weeks. Today the company has announced that it has started rolling out the update for the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones in more regions worldwide. It has also started rolling out the Lollipop update for the Z3 Tablet Compact.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTHvqPVgxpA
Sony Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet would start getting the Lollipop update starting next week. Sony also confirmed that it will offer Lollipop update for both the Xperia C3 and Xperia T2 Ultra smartphones. It will confirm the roll out details for these two smartphones in coming weeks.
New features in Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Sony Xperia Z series
Fresh, streamlined looks – based on Google’s material design, but retaining our minimalistic approach to interface and application design.
New look notifications and lock screen – with fully customizable settings, so you only get the information you really need.
Multi user profiles and guest mode – making it easy for family and friends to use your device, or the creation of ...
Last week, Facebook announced Messenger platform and Businesses on Messenger tools at F8 conference. Today, the social network has released a couple of apps for Messenger platform.
Facebook has launched apps like - Selfied, Shout, Sound Clips, Strobe and Stickered. First up, as the name suggests Selfied will allow you to take multiple shots and assign them to various "moods." Users can add their face to different moods like sad, happy, irritated and so on and use them instead of original emoticons. The second app Shout is does not offer much but it only lets you take your own photos and add text to its along with other emoticons.
Moving on Sound Clips as the name says enables users to send various sound clips to whoever they are chatting with thereby enhancing the overall chatting experience. They can select from dozens of categorized pre-recorded sound clips like crowd cheering, baby laughing, yahoo and so on. Next up is Strobe which is a GIF creator allowing you to create GIF images and share them with friends. Finally, Facebook is banking on one the important aspect of mobile messaging these days by launching Stickered. The app lets you stick a bunch of clip art onto ...
Micromax Bolt S300, the company’s latest entry-level smartphone in the Bolt series is now available from d2hshop. It has a 4-inch WVGA screen, is powered by a 1GHz processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 03-megapixel VGA rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. It has 3G connectivity and dual SIM support. It also becomes one of the cheapest smartphones with 4-inch display, Android Kitkat, 512MB RAM and 3G support.
It comes pre-loaded with M! Live, Housing, Reverie, Snapdeal, Chaatz, Newshunt, Paytm, Quikr and more apps.
Micromax Bolt S300 specifications
4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) TN display
1GHz Spreadtrum SC7715 processor with Mali 400 GPU
512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 4.4.3 (KitKat) OS
Dual SIM
0.3MP (VGA) rear camera with LED Flash
0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G HSPA+,WiFi 802.11 b/g/n,Bluetooth 2.1, aGPS
1200mAh battery
The Micromax Bolt S300 comes in Black color and is priced at Rs. 3,300. According to Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom, the smartphone's MRP is Rs. 3,899.
Microsoft is bringing its Windows 10 Technical Preview to more Windows Phone devices. The company released the first test build of Windows 10 Mobile in February with only a bunch of Lumia devices – 630, 635, 636, 638, 730 and 830.
Now, Microsoft has announced that it will add a number of devices that will be able to run the next build of Windows 10 Technical Preview. Here is the list -
Lumia 1020
Lumia 1320
Lumia 1520
Lumia 520
Lumia 525
Lumia 526
Lumia 530
Lumia 530 Dual Sim
Lumia 535
Lumia 620
Lumia 625
Lumia 630
Lumia 630 Dual Sim
Lumia 635
Lumia 636
Lumia 638
Lumia 720
Lumia 730
Lumia 730 Dual SIM
Lumia 735
Lumia 810
Lumia 820
Lumia 822
Lumia 830
Lumia 920
Lumia 925
Lumia 928
Lumia ICON
Microsoft Lumia 430
Microsoft Lumia 435
Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM
Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM DTV
Microsoft Lumia 532
Microsoft Lumia 532 Dual SIM
Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM
Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM
"The latest build for PCs is the first build that we’ve delivered on that new cadence. We expect the same principles to hold for phones as well as PCs, but the first step for us was to get partition stitching done so that we could unlock a much larger set of phones for you to use for Windows 10 technical previews".
posted Microsoft in a blog.
Microsoft announced in February that the ...
The International Data Corporation (IDC) has released a new forecast that reveals the expected wearable device shipments in this year as 45.7 million unit, up 133.4% from the 19.6 million units shipped in 2014. It will reach 126.1 million units by 2019, up 45.1%, says IDC. The total volume of smart wearables will reach 25.7 million units in 2015, up a 510.9% from the 4.2 million units shipped in 2014, it adds.
These smart wearables are devices that run third-party apps, and wearable that do not run third party applications will grow reach 20 million units, up 30% YoY from 15.4 million in 2015, it says. Wrist-worn wearables, including bands, bracelets, and watches, will account for more than 80% of all wearable device shipments in 2015. The main reason of this is the price, which has come down so significantly in some markets.
Wearables in the form of Modular devices and Clothing will also increase. Clothing is expected to grow the fastest as companies embed items like shirts, socks, hats, and other products with computing power. Eyewear will catch on among enterprise users within select vertical markets and will comprise a small part of the overall market as earphones expand from audio to include health and fitness features, says IDC. Check out ...
MediaTek recently announced its new chips for high-end smartphones under the new name Helio. The Helio X is aimed at top-end smartphones promising extreme performance and the Helio P series means premium performance, says MediaTek. The Helio X10 (MT6795W) is the first SoC in the X series, offering True Octa Core experience at 2.2GHz per core. It uses 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores and also has integrated LTE. No details about the Helio P chips yet.
Features of Helio X10
MiraVision - A high-performance, real-time pixel processing engine which dynamically controls sharpness, contrast and color, to enhance picture quality.
SmartScreen –An algorithm/pixel engine that compresses and enhances individual pixels, in real-time, to make the screen brighter, allowing users to experience TV-like quality using significantly less power.
120Hz display in mobile devices - 120Hz refresh rates will create a crisper, smoother image quality when moving a document or text around, i.e., a map.
H.265 Ultra HD (4K2K) video record & playback
Super slow-motion –A camera capturing 480 frames per second (fps) for 1080p Full HD videos, with playback at 1/16 speed.
InstantFocus – Reduces focus time by 1.5 seconds. Improves tracking to ensure you always get a clear photo and never miss a shot.
MediaTek will release new high-end Helio X series SoCs using 20nm ...
LG has started sending press invites for the launch of its next flagship G series smartphone next month. The invite just says See the Great. Feel the Great with G highlighted using LG's logo used for G series smartphones. There are several events worldwide, similar to LG G3 launch events. The event takes place in New York, London and Paris simultaneously on April 28th, Tuesday and events in Seoul, Singapore and Istanbul are scheduled for Wednesday, April 29th.
Last year's LG G3 invite had a brushed aluminium background for its metal-like plastic back, but this time it has a leather-like design, which could mean that the LG G4 could feature leather back or a faux leather, event though some leaks revealed the same metal-like back. It is also likely to feature rear power and volume buttons like the G3. Even the LG G4 Note with a stylus is also expected at the event or sometime in future.
According to GFX Bench listing the LG G4 is rumored to come with a 5.5-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD display, Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with new UX, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core SoC (4 x ARM Cortex-A53 and 2 x ARM Cortex-A57) with Adreno 418 GPU, 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 8-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB DDR3 ...
Google has updated Gmail for Android with an important feature that will help users organize their email accounts. The latest update adds "All Inboxes", smart search and better Drive integration.
First up, Gmail is adding the ability for users to view emails from all your different accounts in one spot with a new “All inboxes” option. This lets you respond to all of your emails without needing to manually switch between accounts and it does not matter if its a Gmail account as the feature works for non-Gmail accounts as well.
Moving on, the latest update also adds Conversation View feature for email services beyond Gmail like Yahoo, Outlook.com and other IMAP/POP accounts. All the emails will be displayed in a "neatly stacked as one conversation." The new Gmail for Android update will even include improved auto-complete feature when searching for keywords, which will allow you to find the correct email even faster. Finally, users can now see larger previews of attachments, and the ability to save emails to Google Drive with just a single tap.
Google said that the latest Android update will come to Google Play Store soon however, it did not say when will it bring the feature to iOS.
Play Link - Gmail
Microsoft has launched a new Windows 10 preview for PCs and this one comes with companies much talked about Project Spartan browser. The browser will ship with the latest Windows 10 version on smartphones, tablets and PCs.
Project Spartan, the Internet Explorer successor, is touted as a browser that is made for easy sharing, reading, discovery and getting things done online.” The latest build number is 10049 and includes a preview version of the new browser. Project Spartan comes with Cortana, the company’s digital assistant that lives in both current builds of Windows Phone and Windows 10. The browser includes ink support, reading list/reading view and the new Spartan rendering engine.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5ZXWTIlHw
Other features of the browser are Web Note, which will let users write or type directly on web pages and then share them with other people. Microsoft says Project Spartan’s latest design is “puts the focus on the page, not the browser.” You can write or type directly on to a webpage, and share the comments through email, social networks, or through OneDrive. Today’s update bumps the Windows 10 build number from 10041 to build 10049. Windows 10 testers can now download the latest build.
Sony Xperia's next flagship phone Xperia Z4 has been leaked in GFX benchmark. The listing shows specs of the Xperia Z4 that is code named as Sony E6553.
As per the benchmark, the Xperia Z4 will sport a 5.1-inch (1080 x 1920) display with Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset (1.9GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 430 graphics). It will come with 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a 20.7MP rear camera and 5 MP front shooter. The Z4 will run Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. Last month screenshots of the Xperia Z4 Dual SIM were leaked that showed of the UI of the phone.
Sony is expected to launch the Xperia Z4 this year.
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If there is one major concern with selfies, it's trying to look good in them. In our video earlier, we showed you how front facing cameras these days are now almost on par with the main cameras, with the example being the Micromax Canvas Selfie. The Canvas Selfie has the same 13 megapixel camera unit at the front and at the back, so the earlier problem of having better detail is now solved, but again, with it comes the concern of too much detail. You might have noticed the auto-beautification features in a lot of phones, which apply some post-processing after face detection, but with Micromax outright calling it a Canvas "Selfie", these features are built right into the camera UI. Let's take a look at them.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg4R7y9ZoFQ
There are 7 tools to help you take a cleaner selfie, by using face detection features. It recognizes your eyes, so you'll be able to whiten them, make them larger and sharper, with the first tool. The second tool helps thinning your face, by distorting it a little. The next tool is something that a lot of photoshop users use, smoothen, which is basically spot healing applied to the skin.
The next one is for ...
Google has announced an update under which all the photos and videos on Google+ will be be available on Google Drive. One of the main aim of the integration is to make the platform more seamless.
"While you may snap all sorts of images, your experience across Google should be seamless and consistent. That’s why starting today, the photos and videos you keep in Google+ Photos will also be available in Google Drive."
posted Josh Hudgins, Product Manager, Google Drive, on a company blog.
As a result of the integration you will see "Google Photo" menu on Google Drive that will lets you manage your photos and videos alongside all your other files.. The update is rolling out to Android, iOS and Web. Full archives will be available in Drive in coming weeks.Google notes that Google+ Photos will still be available for storing your photos.
Huawei recently announced an event on April 15, where it will unveil its flagship Ascend P8 smartphone. The company already confirmed the arrival of Ascend P8 in April. Now the smartphone has been certified on TENAA in several variants - HUAWEI ALE-TL00, HUAWEI GRA-UL00, HUAWEI GRA-UL10, HUAWEI GRA-CL10, HUAWEI GRA-TL00, HUAWEI GRA-CL00. This shows the smartphone with metal build and dual SIM support.
Earlier rumors hinted at ceramic unibody build. Check out the rumored specifications of the smartphone.
Huawei Ascend P8 rumored specifications
5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) HD display
2.0 GHz Kirin 930 64 bit octa-core processor
3GB RAM,32GB built-in memory
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
13MP rear camera with dual tone flash
8MP front-facing camera
2,600 mAh battery
Huawei will announce all the details of the Ascend P8 at the launch on April 15th, which is just two weeks away.
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Intex Aqua HD 5.0, the company's latest smartphone in the Aqua series is now available from Flipkart. It has a 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display, is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Most of the specifications of the smartphone are similar to the Intex Aqua Star HD that was launched last year.
Intex Aqua Star HD specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS OGS display
1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582V/X processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Dimensions: 68.2x134x9.9 mm
3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2300mAh battery
The Intex Aqua Y2 1GB, an ehnaced variant of the the Aqua Y2 with 1GB RAM has been listed on the Intex website. It has a 4-inch WVGA screen, is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat).
Intex Aqua Y2 1GB specifications
4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) WVGA IPS display
1.2 GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC7731 processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Dual SIM
8MP rear camera with LED Flash
2MP front-facing ...
Xiaomi has announced the Redmi 2A smartphone in China to celebrate its 5th anniversary. It is a variant of the Redmi 2 and has the same 4.7-inch HD screen, but this is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Leadcore L1860C processor instead of Snapdragon 410 64-bit SoC. Other specifications are similar, including Android 4.4 (KitKat) with MIUI 6 on top, 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, Dual SIM support and 4G LTE connectivity. It also comes in separate China Unicom and China Telecom variants with support for suitable bands.
Xiaomi Redmi 2A specifications
4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display
1.5 GHz quad-core LCI L1860C processor with Mali T628 dual-core GPU
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, micro SD card up to 32GB
Dual SIM
MIUI v6 on top of Android 4.4 (KitKat)
8MP rear camera with LED Flash, BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture, Omnivision sensor, 1080p video recording
2MP front-facing camera, 720P HD video recording
4G LTE/3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2200mAh battery
The Xiaomi Redmi 2A comes in White, Dark gray, Bright Yellow, Light Green and Pink colors and is priced at 599 Yuan (US$ 97 / 6,049 approx.) originally, but is available at 499 Yuan (US$ 80 / 5,035 approx.) only on April 8th. No details about the global roll out yet.
As reported earlier this month, Apple is expanding its iPhone trade-in-program that will include handsets from other OEMs. The move is coming from Apple to lure other smartphone users to switch to iPhone.
The program started in 2013 was limited to Reuse and Recycle program for iPhones but now it will give a store credit value for other handsets offer that as part of trade-ins. Starting today, consumers can now bring in their non-Apple phones for evaluation at retail locations across the U.S., UK , Italy, France and Canada.
It would work similarly to the way you trade in an iPhone where Apple determines the value of the phone based on what condition it is in and a variety of other factors. In turn they will issue Apple gift cards for them that can be used for the purchase of a new iPhone.Users can trade in their old Samsung, HTC, LG, Nokia, Sony and BlackBerry phone for iPhone 5c, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
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Xiaomi has launched two new smart products on the occasion of its fifth anniversary. The company has unveiled Mi Smart Weight Scale and Mi Smart Plug Board.
First up is the Mi Smart Weight Scale that sports a sleek design with rounded edges. Available in white, the Smart Scale displays weights betweejn 5Kg to 150 Kg in white LED lights. There are 161 LEDs inside the device to show off the weight in pounds as well as kilograms. The Smart Scale can track up to 16 people as you can program it to track each individuals progress.
It will connect to smartphones running Android 4.4 or higher and iOS 7 or higher via Bluetooth. It will be powered by four 1.5V AA sized batteries. The Mi Smart Weight Scale is priced for 99 Yuan ($16 / Rs. 998 approx.) and will be available from April 8.
Xiaomi has also launched Mi Smart Plug Board that comes with 3 USB ports for charging mobile devices and 3 conventional ports. It supports 2A fast charging and the company claims that it has a power conversion rate of 82%, compared to the original charger which makes it more energy efficient. Resembling to that of a pencil box, the Smart Plug ...
Xiaomi has introduced special edition Mi Note smartphone for women in Cherry Pink color for the celebrating its 5th anniversary. This also includes 5000mAh power bank in a pink box that is specially designed for the phone. Color of the smartphone has been achieved using enhanced blasting technology to offer uniform cherry pink color, says Xiaomi. It recently introduced Special Bamboo Edition of Mi Note
All the specifications of the smartphone are similar to the Mi Note that includes a 5.7-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display with 386 PPI resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, MIUI on top of Android 4.4 (KitKat), Dual SIM support, 13MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash, 4K video recording, 4MP front-facing camera, 4G LTE , WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1,GPS and a 3000mAh built-in battery.
The Mi Note Special Cherry Pink Ladies edition is priced at 2499 Chinese Yuan (US$ 403 / Rs. 25,215 approx.) that includes a 5000mAh power bank in the package. It goes on sale on April 8th.
