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HTC announced the Desire 500 in Taiwan last month, now the company has unveiled the smartphone in UK. It has a 4.3-inch (480 × 800 pixels) display, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor and runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) with Sense 5. It has an 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash and BSI sensor and a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera with BSI sensor. The phone has BlinkFeed and the Video Highlight software seen first on the HTC One and also comes with Beats Audio support. HTC has also announced that it would come with Dual SIM and NFC support based on the region.
HTC Desire 500 specifications
4.3-inch (480 × 800 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 Processor
Dual SIM (Optional)
8MP Auto Focus rear Camera with LED flash, 1/3.2″ sensor, F 2.0 aprture, BSI Sensor, 720p video recording
1.6MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor
3.5mm audio jack, Beats Audio
3G (HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS, NFC (Optional)
1GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, Expandable memory up to 64GB with micro SD
1800 mAh battery
HTC did not announce the pricing details for the Desire 500 in the UK. It has been priced at 11,900 New Taiwan Dollar (~Rs. 23,755) and went on sale in Taiwan ...
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Twitter just pushed out an update for its iOS and Android applications which primarily adds new security related features. It is now possible to use login verification and approve such requests directly from the phone. Two factor authentication had been added to Twitter web a few months back but the updated version of the app will remove the need for SMS based verification. A push notification will show up on the application that will allow users to approve login attempts. Additionally, it is possible to get a backup code in case you don't have an active data connection on the phone.
Additional features includes a new photo gallery that shows results in a mosaic like grid and lets you see more images in a go. The gallery will also show up under user profiles. An improved search experience is also part of the update which will provide more context and information on people who show up in Twitter searches.
The entire changelog is embedded below
Now you can protect your account with login verification. This is a new form of two-factor authentication that you can turn on and manage directly from your app.
Also in this release:
• View anyone’s photos in a beautiful gallery ...
The Facebook application for BB10 just got a fairly major update that adds some much needed features. Alongside the usual bug fixes that bring quicker newsfeed scrolling, you get a refreshed interface. The biggest addition however has to be Facebook Chat. Like on other platforms, you'll be able to see when a friend is typing a message and search within the chat list.
Version 10.2.1 of the application also lets you easily change your profile and cover photos by choosing an image from the camera or app or from within a Facebook photo album. The update brings new additions to the Page Admin features which includes posting updates, viewing basic stats like seeing the number of people who are talking about the page and have liked the page. The update is rolling out now and should be available globally within the next 24 hours. Complete changelog:
Facebook Chat – Stay up-to-date with your friends using Facebook Chat! See which of your friends are online, start a chat message, send photos in chat messages, and see when your messages are delivered and read. You can also see when a friend is typing a message, search within your chat list to find friends and groups, as ...
WhatsApp has added an interesting new feature to the service in the form of push-to-talk Voice Messaging. You can send and receive voice messages with your contacts on WhatsApp for free.Users must start seeing a microphone icon next to the text input area and you can press and record your voice message and send it. You can play the messages too once they are sent.I'm wondering how operators would react to this considering this might have an impact on traditional calls.
This was first reported by BGR.in according to a reader who had seen this functionality on an iPhone.
WhatsApp has now officially announced the new feature. This comes at a time from the service is facing stiff competition from other similar services such as WeChat , LINE and Hike. This voice messaging feature is already present in WeChat and you might have seen Parineeti Chopra demoing it on screen in the WeChat TV commercials. This update on WhatsApp should be available across all platforms WhatsApp is currently available on including iPhone , Android , BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Interestingly there seems to be no time limit on the length of the audio recording.
Let us know if you have got the update. ...
Ahead of the LG G2's launch in New York, a press render has been leaked by the always reliable @evleaks. The first 'press' shot of the image confirms what has already been known about this well leaked device.
The handset will sport an edge to edge display with a size of 5.2 inches. The resolution like any other respectable flagship will be 1080p. The most striking break from the otherwise traditional design is the volume rocker and power key that resides at the back of the phone under the camera module. The specifications of the handset are right in line with the rest of the upcoming competition and the phone is being powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.3Ghz with an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The rear camera is a 13MP unit while the front is rated at 2.1MP. The phone will sport a nano SIM card slot first seen on the iPhone 5 and more recently on the Moto X. We'll have on the ground coverage from the launch event so don't forget to check back to see hands on images of the handset right here on FoneArena.
[Via - Evleaks] 
The HTC One was released in Silver and Black colors initially. Red colored HTC One was released in China and UK recently. Pocket-Lint reported back in May that the HTC One would Blue color. Now evleaks has posted the press image of the Blue colored HTC One. The HTC One has aluminium construction that makes the device sold in hand. Even though the Red color was dark, but the Blue color looks mild.
It is great to see companies offering different color variants of their flagship devices. The Blue colored variant is also likely to have Black colored border on the sides. HTC unveiled the One mini recently that also comes in Glacial Silver and Stealth Black colors similar to the One. The upcoming HTC One Max is also likely to come in these two colors initially.
Regarding the availability of the Blue HTC One, Evleaks' tweet says 2013, so the phone might launch later this year. HTC is yet to announce the Blue version officially.
Source: evleaks
Xolo is trying to target the mid-range smartphone market and their latest attempt is the gaming powerhouse - Xolo Play T1000 packing a NVidia Tegra 3 SoC. Samsung launched the Galaxy Grand (GT-I9082) way back in January and it has been a huge hit for the company.
The Xolo Play is a quad-core device with a relatively smaller footprint than the dual-core Galaxy Grand. Let's check out how the devices compete against each other.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP5PEgdcXbA
Design and Build Quality
The Xolo Play follows a simple design approach and looks like the Google Nexus 4 while the Galaxy Grand follows Samsung's plastic all body build with the same old design.
The Xolo Play is shorter and wider but thicker and heavier than the Galaxy Grand. On the front, above the display, we have the 2MP camera and the ambient and proximity sensors on both the phones. The earpiece is located along the edge in the Xolo Play while it is located between the display and the top edge on the Galaxy Grand.
Below the display, we have the capacitive touch keys in the Xolo Play while the Galaxy Grand has a physical home button and capacitive back and menu buttons.
On the right side, we have the power button and ...
Flipkart eBooks app is now available for iPhone, iPad and Windows Phone 8 devices. Flipkart launched eBooks services called Flyte back in November last year and launched their Android app along with that. Eventually Flipkart lost the Flyte branding and also shut down the music store recently. The eBooks app for these new platforms offer similar features as the Android app, including, option to preview books to purchase, offline support and personalized reading experience. Flipkart has also released a web app called Web Reader to read the eBooks in your Flipkart library.
Features of FlipkartFlyte eBooks app
Preview up to 10% of a book for free before buying it
Purchase books, add to your library and access it even when you’re offline.
Sync your reading location,bookmarks and annotations across devices
Take notes, highlight text, search, add multiple bookmarks and sync these to multiple devices
Search for keywords and sentences in a book
Adjust the display brightness, Change fonts and enable night mode
Read thousands of free eBooks
Download Flipkart eBooks app - iPhone and iPad | Windows Phone 8 | Android | Web Reader
Lenovo has launched three new Android tablets in India. These tablets were announced earlier at the MWC 2013 and the A1000 went on sale in India from the official Lenovo online store last month. The A1000 has a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) display, powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek MTK8317 processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a SIM card slot with 2G data support, voice calling capabilities and a VGA front-facing camera. The A3000 also has a similar 7-inch display, but it is powered by a quad-core MediaTek 8125 processor. It also supports 3G and voice calling.
The S6000 has a 10-inch (1280 x 800 pixels display) with 178-degree viewing angle a powered by 1.2 GHz quad-core the MediaTek MTK 8389/8125 processor . It also has HDMI port and has up to 8 hours of battery for WiFi web browsing. It is 8.6mm thick and weighs 560 grams. Both the A3000 and the S6000 have a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera.
Lenovo A1000 specifications
7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display
1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT8317 processor
Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
10.7 mm thick and weighs 340 grams
Normal SIM card slot, Voice calling
0.3MP ...
The Nokia Lumia 820 is at the fag end of its life cycle, waiting to be succeeded by a more capable Lumia 825 or something, but it is still present in the hands of lots of people, who unanimously face the single most annoying issue on the 820, the disappointing battery life. I know I face it, because I have been using one for the past 7 months and I can tell you outright that the in-built 1650 mAh battery is bad, period.
Seeking respite from the incessant battery drains, my eyes grew wide when the well known Android "extended battery" maker, Mugen Power Batteries, announced that huge extended batteries for the Lumia 820 are in the works. There were two variants announced, and one of them was the 3600 mAh one with a special battery door. Needless to say, I got the biggest one. What follows is my experience with the accessory over a comfortably long term of 2 months to see if it is really worth it or not.
The Mugen Power 3600 mAh extended battery is made possible thanks to the removable battery cover on the phone. Since the extended battery is so huge, it comes along with a ...
Lava launched the XTRON+, the successor of XTRON recently. We brought you the unboxing and the benchmarks of the device last week. Here we have the complete review of the device. The XTRON+ has a 7-inch display and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor similar to the first XTRON tablet that we reviewed earlier this year. Lava has added a HDMI port, a 2-megapixel rear camera in terms of hardware and this one runs on Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). Is the XTRON+ a worthy upgraded ? Let us find out in the review.
Unboxing
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxHls6OKvcc
Box Contents
E-Tab XTRON+ tablet
DC charger
USB Cable
USB OTG Cable
Ear phones
User manual
Warranty card
Leaflets (with special offers and discounts)
Hardware
The 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive multi-touch IPS display is exactly similar to the previous tablet. It bright and has good viewing angles, but it is prone to fingerprints since it is glossy. Since the tablet lacks an ambient light sensor, the auto brightness features is not available. You have to manually adjust the brightness using the slider. Display is hardly visible under direct sunlight. The tablet doesn't have hardware buttons, instead all the actions are carried out using on screen touch buttons. You can hold the tablet comfortably in a single hand.
The tablet has a large bezel ...
Sony Mobile has announced that they have started to roll out an update to the Sony Media apps, WALKMAN, Album and Movies that brings lot of new features including integraded cloud services. Other features include, better playback, Clear Audio+ presents and social features for the WALKMAN app, Recall Playback and Favorites feature in the Album, option to resume playback from the paused location and a revamped UI for the Movies app.
The Sony Media apps update brings:
WALKMAN
Sony’s Music Unlimited integration – with universal search across local and cloud content…
New social features making it easy to discover, play and share tunes on your social channels
Gapless, smooth playback
Album
PlayMemories Online integration – ability to upload to, access, browse your PlayMemories library in the cloud
Recall Playback, that intelligently displays and reminds you of memories, occasions and events
Favourites – let’s you *star* your best snaps, for easy viewing later
Movies
Seamless access to Sony’s Video Unlimited
A revamped UI with a banner video function for trailers and recently played videos
Here is the official video demo that details the new features
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEALgamqJLc
The latest Sony Media apps update is available for the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z (& Xperia Z Ultra) running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Users would automatically get a notification ...
HTC announced the Desire 500 in Taiwan last month, now the company has unveiled the smartphone in UK. It has a 4.3-inch (480 × 800 pixels) display, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor and runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) with Sense 5. It has an 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash and BSI sensor and a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera with BSI sensor. The phone has BlinkFeed and the Video Highlight software seen first on the HTC One and also comes with Beats Audio support. HTC has also announced that it would come with Dual SIM and NFC support based on the region.
HTC Desire 500 specifications
4.3-inch (480 × 800 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 Processor
Dual SIM (Optional)
8MP Auto Focus rear Camera with LED flash, 1/3.2″ sensor, F 2.0 aprture, BSI Sensor, 720p video recording
1.6MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor
3.5mm audio jack, Beats Audio
3G (HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS, NFC (Optional)
1GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, Expandable memory up to 64GB with micro SD
1800 mAh battery
HTC did not announce the pricing details for the Desire 500 in the UK. It has been priced at 11,900 New Taiwan Dollar (~Rs. 23,755) and went on sale in Taiwan ...
LG has just announced its new flagship device at an event in New York. Called the LG G2, it is the first smartphone under the company's new G series of premium devices. The handset combines some of the most cutting technology out there right now with some very intriguing design choices.
The LG G2 places all the buttons on the rear of the device which should make it easier to reach given the size of the device. Moving the main buttons to the back of the phone gave users more control since this place was where individuals’ index fingers are naturally located. Long-pressing on the rear-mounted volume keys allows users to launch QuickMemo and the camera app, making note taking and photo capturing even easier than before. The phone also lets you double tap the display to unlock the phone.
The display is a 5.2 inch Full HD screen and is designed for one handed operation being an edge to edge display. The screen bezel is 2.65mm on either side. Given the quality of displays that LG has used in devices like the G Pro, we expect the G2 to have a stunning display. The LG G2 employs Graphic RAM (GRAM) technology. GRAM reduces the ...
LG launched the G2 their latest flagship Android phone today in New York City in USA. Andre from our US team was there at this launch event and got us these photos of the G2 just for FoneArena readers. The design of the G2 is the worst kept secret and has been leaked a zillion times but then this is the final real device which was announced today.The display is a gorgeous 5.2 inch full HD IPS screen with a very small bezel and there are no physical keys on the front and the Android keys are on screen like on the Nexus 4. It is only the 2nd device featuring the crazy fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.
The display is surely one of the best features of the G2 , look at that awesome picture clarity and really thin bezel. LG have managed to pack a 2.1 MP front facing camera next to the ear piece.
The back is where the innovation is according to LG and look at what the G2 has to offer. No other phone till date has had volume keys at the back.This is crazy but still interesting considering no other manufacturer has tried it till now. ...
Instagram for Android and iPhone got a huge update back in June that brought video support. Last month Instagram for iPhone was updated with landscape mode. Now version 4.1 update for both the Android and iPhone brings option to import your videos from the phone library, just like you do for photos. You get a new library icon next to the video to import videos, however it supports only selected video formats. This update also brings video recording support for ICS devices and automatic straightening for iPhone that corrects the photo when you tap the new Straighten icon. The straightening tool also includes a slider to rotate and adjust any photo.
New features in Instagram 4.1 for Android and iPhone
Share videos from your photo library
Recording video is now also supported for all devices running ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Instantly and automatically straighten your photos when you take them with the Instagram camera on iPhone
Download Instagram from the Google Play Store for Android and for the iPhone from the Apple iTunes Store for free, if you don’t have them yet.
Last week, Google announced that it would be rolling out a service enabling the Android users to track their phone in realtime and keeping the data inside safe and secure. Today, Google's Android Device Manager has started rolling out and it comes just as a web app.
The various things that you can do with Android Device Manager are
Track your phone
Remotely delete all your data from the phone
Make your phone ring so that you can find it when misplaced
Opening the Android Device Manager, you get a Google Maps page with couple of card styled boxes on the left side. The top box lets you select a phone associated with your Google account. Then below it, you get the location info of the phone. Data settings must be switched on in the phone for this to work. The accuracy of the location is quite good and can be quite useful to track your phone. Below the address, you get the option to make your phone ring and as soon as you click the Ring option, your phone starts ringing at full volume until you press the power button. This feature works even when the phone is in silent mode and can be ...
Huawei is all set to release the Ascend P1 in India. The smartphone that was announced back in January 2012 at the CES along with the Ascend P1 S, is now available for pre-order in India from online retailer Flipkart. It has a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels) Super AMOLED display with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla glass protection, powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It has has a 8 megapixel auto focus camera with dual LED flash, full HD video recording and a 1.3MP front-facing camera.
It has Dolby Surround Sound technology that provides crystal clear sound for music and movies. The Ascend P1 S was touted as the world's thinnest smartphone at 6.68mm last year, but the Ascend P1 is 7.69mm thick.
Huawei Ascend P1 specifications
4.3-inch (960 × 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display
1.5 GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash
1.3MP front-facing camera
7.69 mm thick and weighs 110 grams
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
1GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSD
3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v 3.0, GPS
1670mAh battery
The Huawei Ascend P1 is priced at Rs. 12,990 and is now available for pre-order from Flipkart. It is expected to ...
Samsung released the Galaxy Grand Duos (GT-I9082) in India back in January. It was released in Elegant White and Metallic Blue colors initially. Now Samsung has released the Grand Duos in two new colors, Luxury Brown and Wine Red. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos is one of the popular mid-range smartphone in the India market, these two new colors would improve the sales of the device. We reviewed the device earlier this year.
Now Samsung offers two flip covers with the device. You need to pay Rs. 19,990, which is the standard price of the device and get one flip cover for free. You also get an additional flip cover when you pay Rs. 20,800 for the device. The Galaxy Grand Duos packs a 5-inch (800 x 480 Pixels) capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).
Other features include, 8MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, 1080p video recording and 2MP secondary camera, 1GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSD and a 2100 mAh battery.
The Galaxy Grand Duos is now available in Luxury Brown and Wine Red from the official Samsung India eStore.
Last quarter, we saw how Windows Phone marketshare finally leaped ahead of BlackBerry, and the trend seems to continue here. In the second quarter of 2013, Windows Phone has posted the fastest growth amongst the top 5 smartphone OSes with 8.7 million units shipped, according to IDC, which lines up with growth expectations from other analysts. While the growth percentage is less than what Windows Phone had last quarter(133% - Q1, 77.6% - Q2), it is certainly good news for Windows Phone's uptake as an operating system. On the other hand, Android shows no signs of slowing down while it is the exact opposite for Apple which has its marketshare reduced from 16.6% to 13.2% while growing slower than the market at 20%.
Android comfortably leads the table with 79.3% marketshare, a record high since posting 75% last quarter. When vendors are taken into consideration, it is obvious that operating systems decided the volume of shipments for the mobile giants. For Android, Samsung is the leader, with LG, Lenovo, ZTE and Huawei tailing behind and for Windows Phone, Nokia is the only dominant player in the Windows Phone scene with 7.2 million shipments with Samsung tailing behind at 1 million, which ...
