iBall Slide 3G 7334Q-10 with 7-inch display, Dual SIM and voice calling launched for Rs. 11499

Slide 3G 7334Q-10 has a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, powered by a quad-core 1.3 GHz processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It comes with a 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera. It has 3G connectivity, dual SIM support, voice calling and FM Radio.

Commenting on the launch, Sandeep Parasrampuria, Director iBall, said,

"iBall Slide is known for performance and we are delighted to present 3G-7334Q-10, one of the very few 7” Quad core tablets available in India. The product is power and feature packed to delight every user!"

iBall Slide 3G 7334Q-10 Specifications

• 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touch screen OGS display
• Dual SIM with dual standby
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
• 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
• 2MP rear camera
• 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 3G HSPA+ (via SIM card slots), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n , Bluetooth, GPS / A-GPS
• 1GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with microSD
• 3000 mAh battery

The iBall Slide 3G 7334Q-10 is priced at an MRP of Rs. 11,499.

HTC Desire 310 with 4.5-inch display, quad-core MediaTek processor announced

HTC has announced the Desire 310, the company’s latest smartphone in the Desire series. It has a 4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.3 GHz Quad-core Mediatek MT6582M processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera without flash and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera.  It also comes with dual SIM support with dual standby and has HTC BlinkFeed home screen .

Rear shells of a mysterious HTC smartphone appeared online recently, which is rumored to be powered by a Octa-Core MediaTek processor, but this phone already has a quad-core chip from MediaTek for the first time. The company’s current mid-range Desire segment uses Snapdragon processors. Will HTC switch to MediaTek for their future Desire phones? Only time will tell.

HTC Desire 310 Specifications

• 4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) touch screen IPS display
• 1.3 GHz Quad-core Mediatek MT6582M processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM support
• 5MP rear camera with 1080p Full HD video recording
• 0.3MP front-facing camera
• 11.25 mm thick and weighs 140 grams
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G (HSDPA: 21 Mbps, HSUPA: 5.76 Mbps), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS, MHL
• 2000 mAh battery

The HTC Desire 310 comes in Black and White colors, but no word on pricing or availability yet.

Oppo introduces N1 phablet in India, costs Rs. 39,999

Oppo, the Chinese manufacturer has officially entered the Indian smartphone market with the introduction of its flagship phablet, the Oppo N1 in the sub-continent.
Oppo unveiled the N1 phablet back in September last year with a 5.9-inch FHD display, a Snapdragon 600 chipset, featuring a quad-core Krait processor clocked at 1.7 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage, 13 megapixel rotatable camera and 3,160mAh battery.

The phablet was also the first device to official support the CyanogenMod 10.2, which is based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and there is also the home-baked ColorOS version that is built on the Android 4.2.
Oppo N1 will come out with ColorOS out of the box in India and there is no official word on the availability of the limited edition CyanogenMod variant in the country. Oppo has priced the 16 GB version of its phablet at INR 39,999 (about $640) and the device will be available in tier-one cities in the coming days.

More Nokia X (Normandy) spy shots emerge

The Nokia X, aka Normandy, is out in the open again – spy shots reveal a device with looks that won't be out of place in the Asha line. That's exactly where the Nokia X is headed allegedly, now that Nokia has sold its smartphone business and the Asha line just can't compete with dirt-cheap Androids.

Nokia X (Normandy) spy shots

The alleged specs for the device are a 4" WVGA screen, dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB RAM, 5MP camera, 4GB of expandable storage and optional dual-SIM. It's essentially an Android rendition of the Lumia 520.
It won't be mainline Android though but rather a Nokia customization with Google's Play services swapped out for Nokia ones. Amazon did it and Nokia already has great maps to replace GMaps, but what of the rest?
Well, Nokia is holding an event on February 24, just before the MWC gets into full swing and we'll know more then.

LG G Pro 2 appears in a couple of leaked images

LG has officially confirmed that the successor of the LG Optimus G Pro will be called LG G Pro 2. Apart from that, the South Korean manufacturer did not reveal any other details regarding the hardware specifications and the overall design of the upcoming phablet.

Fortunately, we now have a duo of leaked images, of the G Pro 2 to fill in some of the blanks. The live images suggest that he device will sport a design quite similar to the company's current flagship smartphone, the LG G2. The phablet will feature buttons at the back and its functionality is said to remain largely similar to the G2.

LG G Pro 2 is rumored to sport a 6-inch Full HD display and is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset. If the rumors are to be trusted, the phablet will feature many home-baked software goodies such as Knock, Guest Mode and QSlide.
LG has designed the G Pro 2 to rub its shoulders against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in an attempt to establish its maker as a major player in the phablet market. LG says the announcement is coming at the Mobile World Congress, which kicks off at the end of February.

Lenovo acquires Motorola Mobility from Google for $3 billion

Google announced that it has reached an agreement to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo. The Chinese electronics giant will pay approximately $2.91 billion for the smartphones business with $1.41 billion due at the deal’s closing in cash and ordinary shares, and the remaining $1.5 billion as a three-year promissory note.

As part of the deal, Google will retain the bulk of Motorola’s massive patent portfolio, including current applications and invention disclosures. Lenovo will acquire about 2,000 patents alongside the Motorola Mobility brand and its trademarks. The Chinese company will receive a license for the remainder of Motorola’s portfolio which will remain at Mountain View.

After acquiring Motorola for $12.5 billion in 2012, Google raised the company’s profile last year with the launch of the characterful Moto X and Moto G duo of smartphones. Despite its efforts however, Motorola Mobility continued losing money each quarter.
Motorola’s acquisition will give Lenovo a much needed presence on the lucrative smartphone market in the United States (Motorola is currently number 3 smartphone manufactuer in the United States). It will also help the company counter the slumping sales of personal computers by expanding its focus on mobile devices.
Furthermore, the deal marks the acquisition of another legendary American technology brand by Lenovo. Back in 2005, the company bought the venerable ThinkPad division from IBM.
The transaction between the two companies is subject to regulatory approvals in both the United States and China.

Geeksphone offers two different OS' on one phone

The Geeksphone revolution made its news debut a little over a month ago, and not much was known about the device, except that it would offer multiple operating systems on a single handset.

True,Geeksphone offers both Android and an "alternative os", but don't think that you'll be able to use Windows Phone or iOS as that alternative. Also the base OS of the phone is Android, with the “alternative OS” being the auxiliary one you'll have to select to dual-boot into.
For now, the most prominent alternative OS option will be Firefox. You'll be able to boot into it using Boot2Gecko, and it will receive OTA updates, as will any other alternative OS options that you select. What are the other options? Geeksphone only refers to "any other community supported OS" being loaded onto the device.
There's no word on the versions of Android that the Geeksphone will be rocking, but we do know the specs: a 4.7” 960x540 display, 1GB RAM, dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, and an 8mp camera.

A release date hasn't been set nor has a price, which will probably be the most deciding factor for this nifty little piece of tech. Any curious readers plan on buying this?

First leaked pictures of Windows Phone 8.1 notification center

It's no secret Microsoft is working on the Windows Phone 8.1 update that is supposed to bring notification center and intelligent voice assistant among other features. We've heard rumors and seen lots of alleged shots before, but today we finally get a glimpse of the real deal.
The leaked photos show the settings of the upcoming notification center and are from an early test build of the WP 8.1

Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center settings
As you can see you can assign four quick toggles (Cellular data, Brightness, Wi-Fi, Airplane mode are the ones on the shot). There is also a checkbox for access the notification center from the lockscreen. Then there are the notification services you want to enable - emails, messages, etc.
It seems Microsoft is going to put everything the modern droids have in the notification center, instead of bringing it feature by feature as some of the competitors did.
Windows Phone 8.1 is expected to be unveiled at the annual BUILD conference in April and released soon after on all WP8-running devices.

Celkon S1 with 5-inch 1080p display, 13MP camera launched for Rs. 14999

Celkon has launched the Celkon S1, the company’s latest flagship smartphone. It has a 5.0-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display based on one-glass-solution technology, powered by 1.5 GHz Quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 13-megapixel auto focus rear camera with dual LED Flash and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone is very sleek at just 6.5mm. It packs 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and packs a 2300 mAh battery.

Celkon S1 specifications

• 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS display based on OGS technology
• 1.5 GHz quad-core processor
• Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 13MP auto focus camera with dual LED Flash
• 8MP front-facing camera
• 6.5mm thick and weighs 137 grams
• 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, aGPS
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Gyroscope Sensor
• 1GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory
• 2300 mAh battery

The Celkon S1 comes in Black color and is priced at Rs. 14,999.

Rumour: Apple iPhone 6 may come without a physical home button

In order to keep the phone size compact and increase the display size at the same time, Apple might come out with a home button-less iPhone 6.

 

We are familiar with rumors of Apple releasing two iPhones this year with larger displays. Other rumors have included a Sapphire display and solar charging. While most of us wait for the phones to arrive, a new pre-release rumor is already around the corner. Apple might come out with a phone which might be without the trademark home button.

Similar rumors also made rounds just before the release of iPhone 5S. Extra-hard Sapphire Crystal glass could help iPhone keep the Touch-ID capabilities and also get rid of the physical home button.
It is being said that Apple, which is looking to produce larger screen phones, is trying to keep the size of the phone compact by getting rid of the home button. By getting rid of the physical user space, the phone will have more room to fill the display.
Some hackers have already made it possible by changing their home button to only require a touch rather than a button press.

Lava Iris Pro 30 Benchmarks

Lava launched the Iris Pro 30, the company’s first smartphone in the Iris Pro earlier this month for Rs. 15,999. We already brought you the hands-on and the photo gallery of the Iris Pro 30 from the launch event and brought you the unboxing earlier today, here we have the benchmarks of the smartphone. It has a 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek 6589 processor with PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU and runs on Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean).  We had already seen several smartphones with an HD screen and a similar quad-core processor. Let’s find out how this competes with other devices in range of synthetic benchmark tests.



Quadrant Benchmark


It managed to score over 4000 points in the Quadrant benchmark.

AnTuTu Benchmark 4


In the AnTuTu Benchmark, it scored just 13541 points.

Vellamo 2.0 HTML5


It scored 1455 points in the Vellamo 2 HTML5 browser benchmark.

Vellamo 2.0 Metal


It scored 446 points in the Vellamo 2 Metal CPU subsystem test.

Linpack Single Thread


It clocked around 37.2 MFLOPS in the Linpack Single Thread benchmark.

Linpack Multi-Thread


In the Linpack multi-thread benchmark, it clocked around 113.19 MFLOPS.

NenaMark 2


It clocked 45.7 fps in the NenaMark 2 GPU benchmark.

GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex (On screen)


In GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex, it clocked 4.9 fps, similar to most of the smartphones in this range.

Basemark X HD (Onscreen)


It clocked around 4.3 fps in the Basemark X HD OnScreen benchmark.

Basemark X HD (Offscreen)


In the Basemark X OffScreen benchmark, it managed to clock around 2.27 fps.

Karbonn A91 with 3.9-inch display

Karbonn A91, the company’s new enty-level smartphone. It has a 3.9-inch (480 x 800 pixels) display, powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 3.2 rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) front-facing camera. It has dual SIM support and has 2G (EDGE) connectivity.
Since there are a lot of smartphones in the market with similar specifications and similar price range with 3G support, lack of 3G is a bit disappointing.

Karbonn A91 specifications

• 3.9-inch (480 x 800 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
• 1.3 GHz dual-core processor
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
• 3.2MP rear camera
• 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 2G (EDGE), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth with A2DP
• 256 MB RAM, 512 Internal memory, Expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD
• 1500 mAh battery

The Karbonn A91 comes in Black, White and Red colors and is priced at Rs. 4,490.

Lava Iris Pro 30 Unboxing

Lava Iris Pro 30 Key Specs-

• - 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
• - 1GB RAM
• - Dual SIM Support
• - 4GB On-Board Storage
• - 4.7 Inch HD Display
• - 8MP Camera With Dual LED Flash
• - 3MP Front Facing Camera
• - 2000 MAh Battery
• - Android 4.2.2

Lava launched its latest flagship device, the Iris Pro 30 in India at a launch event on January 17th. It was announced for a price of Rs. 15,999 and the company prided itself on having designed the product in-house, in India. Made of quality materials like magnesium alloy, the phone comes in at just 7.5mm thickness and 114g of weight, a far cry from hefty phones we have been seeing in this price range


Unlike many other phones in this price range, the box contents are not packed to the brim and are just basic -

Box Contents-

• Lava Iris Pro 30 in black
• 2 pin 0.3A USB charger
• Micro USB cable
• In-ear earphones with mic
• User manual and information booklet

The design of this device looks a lot like the iPhone. There is not doubt about that, but when it comes to the actual quality of materials and the display, the device clearly stands out at this price range. The display, especially, which is a Sharp-made OGS LCD panel, has insane viewing angles and colour reproduction, with deep blacks seen only on really few devices. The 720p panel is bright and beautiful and we think that would be one really strong selling point of the Lava Iris Pro 30, despite the last-year specifications for the internals.



The back, which also features a premium soft touch plastic material, is surprisingly good in the hands. Underneath the cover, we have the micro SIM and normal SIM slots with the micro SD card slot and a non removable battery. We think the inclusion of a non removable battery is plainly due to the thinness of the phone. Being one of the few premium light weight devices in this price range, we will definitely bring you more coverage, like benchmarks, gaming and so forth, so stay tuned to our blog for more on the Lava Iris Pro 30. Until then, here are some more pictures of the box contents -

Nokia X (Normandy) specs include a dual-core processor and 4" display

The Nokia X, a.k.a. Nokia Normandy, has been talked about for some time now. The latest information regarding Nokia's first ever Android smartphone comes again from evleaks, who has provided some of the key specs of the device.

One of the leaked specifications is a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Exact SoC is unknown but previous reports had suggested the Snapdragon 200 8225Q, although that is a quad-core chip. The phone will also have 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage memory.
Other specs include a 4.0-inch, WVGA (800 x 480) display, 5 megapixel camera, dual-SIM support and a 1,500mAh battery. If there was ever doubt that this is going to be a low-end device, this should take care of it.
The Nokia X will have Nokia's own application store on board, just like Amazon has on its Kindle Fire devices but you will also be able to install third party apps by sideloading them. The phone will allegedly be available in six colors.

Oppo to kickstart Indian operations on January 30th with the launch of N1

Oppo, the Chinese consumer electronics company, known for its popular smartphones like the Find 5 and the N1, has just sent out invites for an event where it will kickstart its Indian operations – Oppo Mobile India Private Limited, with the launch of its flagship device – the Oppo N1. While the invite doesn’t mention the launch of N1, FoneArena has confirmed that the company is indeed launching the device at the event. It is also really interesting to note that Oppo has courted Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor for increasing brand awareness in the country. Almost all the mobile phone companies have courted stars from Bollywood and Cricket to promote their brands and Oppo is no exception.

The company is also expected to unveil its strategy for the Indian market, from which we hope to learn what Oppo has in store, for a price sensitive local market. As the trend of Chinese companies establishing their operations in India continues, we will be seeing more competition in the second fastest growing Smartphone market in the world. Oppo’s portfolio is a growing list of Android devices, which now covers a range of price points. After the introduction of the N1, we expect the company to introduce more devices like the R819, which might suit the market more.

On a side note, Oppo is all set to unveil its first 2K smartphone with the Find 7, and with the announcement of Indian operations, we are optimistic that the company will bring the Find 7 to the country soon.

GTA: San Andreas hits Windows Phone

Rockstar had launched the mobile version of its critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game on iOS and Android platforms a while ago and now, the gaming firm has released the action packed title for Windows Phone.




The gameplay remains largely similar to that of the already existing iOS and Android versions with minor changes in graphics and controls.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is currently available for Nokia Lumia 1520, 1320, 822, 820, 810 and HTC 8XT. However, the game is expected to support more devices in the coming weeks.
It has to be noted that the game requires 2.5 GB download. So, we suggest you find a Wi-Fi network for hassle-free download.
If you have any of the above mentioned devices, then you can download the GTA: San Andreas on your Windows Phone from the source link below for a price tag of $6.99
Source

Nokia Normandy listed on a Vietnamese retailer's website

Nokia's Android budget phone codenamed Normandy has leaked yet again. This time around we found the phone listed on the biggest Vietnamese online retailer's website.
The listing shows an official picture with Nokia's proprietary Android skin we've already seen. The specs once again get confirmed too - a 4" WVGA display, a dual-core 1GHz processor (Snapdragon 200 chipset), a 5MP rear camera, dual-SIM capabilities and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The retailer also claims the phone will support all Google services, but we can't be sure until Normandy goes official. Unfortunately, despite this being an official retailer, we got no pricing info or release date for the upcoming smartphone.
Meanwhile, @evleaks has delivered yet another rumor for the Normandy - he claims the phone's official name will be Nokia X. With each passing leak the the chances that Normandy actually materializes are increasing. Looking forward to it?

Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 with 4.7-inch HD display now available for Rs. 14490

Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 that was spotted online recently, is now available from Flipkart. It has a 4.69-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) display, powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, Camerazzi Camera app similar to the Canvas Turbo that lets you create GIF Cinemagraph and remove unwanted objects with Object Eraser.
It has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby and packs a 1800 mAh battery. It comes with M! Live, Kingsoft, Hike and Opera Mini apps and games such as bubble X Slice and Catch a Mouse.

 Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 specifications

• 4.69-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD capacitive touch screen display
• 1.3 GHz  quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with dual standby
• 8MP rear camera with LED Flash
• 5MP front-facing camera
• 7.9mm thick
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
• 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
• 1800 mAh battery

The Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 comes in White and Blue colors and is priced at Rs. 14,490. Only the Blue variant is on sale now.

Nokia Lumia 1520 mini emerges in a duo of leaked photos

The yet to be announced Nokia Lumia 1520v appeared in a duo of live photos. Also known as Nokia Lumia 1520 mini, the device is expected to bring the top-shelf specs of Nokia’s flagship phablet in a more compact for factor.

The duo of leaked images showcase the Nokia Lumia 1520v sized up against its bigger brother and what appears to be an Apple iPhone. Unsurprisingly, in line with its name, the Nokia Lumia 1520v sports the same looks as the 1520 phablet in a significantly smaller form factor.

Alleged specs of the Nokia Lumia 1520v include a 4.45” display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels (not a 4.3” 1080p unit as initially thought) and 2,370mAh battery. The camera of the Lumia 1520 mini is expected to be a 14MP unit.
All in all, should current rumors pan out to be the real deal, the Nokia Lumia 1520 mini will make for a nice replacement of the Nokia Lumia 925. Nokia Lumia 1020 will likely retain its spot as the company’s imaging powerhouse for a little more time to come.
The Nokia Lumia 1520 mini is tipped for an April release. However, we won’t be surprised if we see the device go official during Nokia’s MWC press event next month in Barcelona.

LG G Pro 2 announcement and name get confirmed

LG spilled the beans on the announcement and the name of the successor of the LG Optimus G Pro. The upcoming phablet will go official in February (MWC in Barcelona is likely) as the LG G Pro 2.

Unsurprisingly, LG removed the ‘Optimus’ moniker from the name of the yet to be seen handset. Like the latest batch of high-end smartphones from the Korean manufacturer, the device will launch as simply a member of the 'G' lineup.
In case revealing only the name of an upcoming device appears to be an odd move by LG, we must point that this isn’t the first time the company pulls such a trick. Last year, the manufactuer revealed the name of its current flagship, the LG G2 in a similar fashion.

Colorful octa-core HTC Desire surfaces

According to the latest reports coming from China, HTC is preparing a mid-range Desire smartphone based on the latest MediaTek platform (with true octa-core Cortex-A7 CPU). The device somewhat reminds of the iPhone 5C because of its bright colors.

The mysterious HTC Desire

As the rumor has it, the leaked Desire smartphone will come with a 5" 720p display, 8MP camera and 1.5GB RAM in addition to the MediaTek's octa-core platform. The device should be available in yellow, orange, red and blue flavors and will supposedly run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Sense 5.5 UI.
There is nothing on the release date or market availability, but the rumored retail price is CNY 2,000 or about €240.