Author: Deviana

Google Pixel Goes Up for Pre Order in India

As promised the Google Pixel has gone up for Pre-Order in India starting 13th Oct. The Pixel and Pixel XL which are priced between Rs. 57000 and Rs. 76000 are a far cry from the pricing norm surrounding Nexus devices, which the pixel phones are replacing. The Phones will be available online on Flipkart and through several other outlets including Reliance Digital , Tata Croma among others. Flipkart is offering Rs. 27000 Exchange offer for a trade in of your old phone.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are Google’s answer to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus. DXOmark rates the Google Pixel’s camera at 89 a 3 points above the iPhone 7. The camera on the Pixel is a 12.3 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 1.55 micron pixel size. You get HDR Plus, without any shutter lag and smart bursts which select the best shot.

Google Pixel comes with unlimited online storage for Photos and Videos at full quality. The Pixel phones are the latest to run Android Nougat (version 7.1), the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Additionally, with Pixel you also get a customer care on call 24/7 with Google via the settings app. You can also share your screen live with the support agents for troubleshooting. The Pixel will come with a 5 inch display while the Pixel XL comes with a 5.5 inch display. Both have a AMOLED screen. The Pixel and Pixel XL run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with 4GB of RAM. The Pixel will get a 2770 mAh battery while the Pixel XL gets a large 3450 mAh battery.

October 13, 2016
OnePlus 3 Production Run Ended, OnePlus 3 Mini to Launch Soon !

OnePlus may have ended the production for their OnePlus 3 flagship phone, due to which the delivery times for the phone in most countries is between three and four weeks for the OnePlus 3 to ship. In India, however, stocks seem to be aplenty for both the Graphite and Gold colour variant.

OnePlus has faced major problems securing proper supplies of the AMOLED panels which are in short supply due to their popularity. One new news emerging is that the company will be halting production of the current outgoing OnePlus 3 smartphone and replacing it with an upcoming model which will feature an LCD display. The reworked handset is expected to be the OnePlus 3 Plus or the OnePlus 3 Mini which was recently caught on benchmarks with a 4.6 inch 1920 x 1080p display along with Snapdragon 820 and 6 GB of RAM along with 64 GB of storage.

The limited Edition Gold Model Stocks are sold worldwide, however India seems to be the only country with stocks. OnePlus will sell out the Graphite OnePlus 3 for the time being, till the next phone is launched.

October 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S8 May Be Bezel-less And Sport 4K Display

According to reports from Korean publications Samsung is moving hard and fast towards the Samsung Galaxy S8. The upcoming phone will apparently ditch the home button for a full screen experience killing the top and bottom bezel as well.

The full display front will still house a fingerprint scanner, but it will be under the touchscreen OLED Display and not in a button. The display will be a big play for Samsung for the Galaxy S8 launch allowing Samsung to fill the front side of the phone with an edge-to-edge display.

Samsung will keep the Dual Edges seen on the S7 Edge, while rumours in the past have mentioned a 4K display for Samsung’s next years flagship.

Samsung is barely moving on from the Note 7 Explosion fiasco, a launch of its next model flagship may actually save the hugely affected mobile business.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is also expected to appear with a new Exynos chipset for Global markets and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830s Chipset for the US and select other markets. Samsung will launch only one S8 with the edge display removing the non-edge phone from its lineup.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be the first Samsung phone to feature a dual-camera setup on the rear camera. However, unlike Apple iPhone 7 Plus, the 16 megapixels and 8 megapixels sensors will not be used for a zoom feature. Samsung will also jump on the RAM cart with 6 GB of RAM and offer 128 and 256 GB storage options.

October 8, 2016
List of Moto Phones Getting Android Nougat 7.0
Moto has announced that their latest line of Moto phones will be headed for the Android 7.0 update in the coming weeks. The phones include the recently launched Moto Z and Moto Z play.

Here is a quick Look at some of the new features in Android Nougat!

The full list:
1. Moto G4 Plus
2. Moto G4 Play
3. Moto X Pure Edition
4. Moto X Style
5. Moto X Play
6. Moto X Force
7. Moto Z
8. Moto Z Play
9. Nexus 6
10. Moto Z Droid
11. Moto Z Force Droid
12. Moto Z Play Droid
13. Droid Turbo 2
14. Droid Maxx 2
October 6, 2016
Google Launches Pixel for US$ 649

Google at their #madebyGoogle event announced the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The new smartphones come with the Pixel UI.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL will be the first phone that comes with Google Assistant out of the box. The Google Assistant comes with their new machine learning AI which sits right on the Pixel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pxIcH_0MH0

DXOmark rates the Google Pixel’s camera at 89 a 3 points above the iPhone 7. The camera on the Pixel is a 12.3 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 1.55 micron pixel size. You get HDR Plus, without any shutter lag and smart bursts which select the best shot.

Google Pixel comes with unlimited online storage for Photos and Videos at full quality. The Pixel phones are the latest to run Android Nougat (version 7.1), the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Additionally, with Pixel you also get a customer care on call 24/7 with Google via the settings app. You can also share your screen live with the support agents for troubleshooting.

The Pixel will come with a 5 inch display while the Pixel XL comes with a 5.5 inch display. Both have a AMOLED screen. The Pixel and Pixel XL run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with 4GB of RAM. The Pixel will get a 2770 mAh battery while the Pixel XL gets a large 3450 mAh battery.

Both phones come with two storage options at 32 GB and 128 GB and three colour options subtle named Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue.

Both the Google Pixel and Pixel XL come with USB Type C port, still retaining the 3.5mm headphone jack and the same cameras. Pixel is available for pre-order today in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany and the U.K. — India coming soon with pre orders starting 13th Oct. In India the Pixel will sell on Flipkart, Reliance Digital and Tata Croma stores.

October 4, 2016

Moto Z and Moto Z Play Launched in India

Moto’s Flagship series the Moto Z and Moto Z play with modular capability have been launched in India. Both the Moto Z and Moto Z play will go on Sale on 17th October on Amazon and Flipkart. The Moto Z runs a Qualcomm snapdragon 820 with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM and is only 5.4 mm thin with a 2600 mAh battery. The Moto Z has been launched for Rs. 39,999 in India and features a 5 MP front facing camera along with front led flash. The 13 MP main camera has OIS and Laser AF.

The Moto Z Play on the other hand is a slightly larger and more affordable handset launched at Rs. 24999 with a massive 45 hour battery life. Snapdragon 625, Adreno 506 along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 Gb storage make up the Z play’s innards. You also get a large 3510 mAh battery. The main camera is a 16 MP, f/2.0 sensor while on the front you get a 5 MP camera with a front flash. The Moto Z play is also made in India and retains the 3.5 mm headphone port, while the Moto Z is too slim to have a headphone port.

The phones come a few weeks after the global launch of the Moto Z series. The Moto Z force with the shatter-shield tech has not been launched in India and remains a US Verizon exclusive. The biggest feature of the Moto Z and Moto Z play is the capability to add mods that simply snap onto the back of the handsets. Mods include the JBL soundboost speaker for Rs 6,999, Moto insta-share projector mod for Rs 19,999, HasselBlad truezoom camera for Rs 19,999 and Incipio offGRID Power Pack Rs 5,999. You can also add shells to the mix including Wood & Ballistic Nylon – Rs 1099 and Leather for Rs 1599.

Moto Mods	Pricing	Launch Bundle pricing:
JBL® SoundBoost Speaker	INR 6999	INR 5999
Hasselblad True Zoom Camera	NR 19999	NR 14999
Instashare Projector	INR 19999	INR 15999
Incipio offGRID^tm Power Pack	INR 5999	INR 4999
Style Shells: Wood and ballistic nylon Leather	INR 1099 INR 1599	INR 899 INR 1299

Check out our unboxing and Hands on with the Moto Z along with Mods below.

October 4, 2016

Nokia D1C To Be One Of the Company’s Comeback Android Phones

Nokia has already announced it’s comeback to the market, this time with Android as their main operating platform. A new Nokia phone dubbed the “D1C” has been spotted son benchmark website GeekBench.

According to the information the D1C will use the new mid-tier, octa-core Snapdragon 430 SoC, with each core clocked at 1.4GHz. This will be backed up with 3GB of RAM, and run Android 7.0 Nougat. The phone is expected to be one of the devices from it’s budget lineup, with the name being a prototyping name.

The budget coming Nokia D1c scored 656 to 667 in single-core performance, while scores for multi-core performance ranged from 3,120 to 3,229

In May Nokia granted HMD Global a 10-year license to produce tablets and smartphones under the brand Nokia which will be manufactured in China by Foxconn. However, Nokia is believed to be working on two flagships for an End of year release which will run the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, feature 4 to 6GB RAM and upto 256 GB storage. Nokia will also be adding their PureView camera tech to the flagship phones they launch here on out.

The Nokia D1C is expected to be a phone in the Nokia 5310 lineage with the branding ok Nokia 5320, as the name was spotted last month. The Nokia D1C is expected to launch for less than US $ 150 while in India the D1C should be priced around Rs. 8999.

October 3, 2016
Best Phone Deal : LeMax 2 with SD820, 4GB RAM, 32GB Storage and QHD Display for Rs. 17999

This is possibly the best deal for a powerhouse phone for an excellent price. If you head over to lemall.com and buy the LeMax 2, you can buy the 4GB variant which would typically sell for Rs. 22999 is now available for Rs. 17999.

That is a steal price for this phone and definitely a good deal. The Lenovo Z2 plus launched earlier this week also comes at a similar price however the LeMax 2 does include better features. Firstly you get a 5.7inch QHD or 2K resolution display that is vivid and bright. It also includes CDLA audio for a great music listening experience. The LeMax 2 also features a 21 MP main camera with an 8MP front camera.

The price will get you the 4GB variant and make it one hell of a mid range priced powerhouse. Get it while stocks last!

Also on a side not you get an additional 10% cashback on ICICI debit and credit cards making the price a great Rs. 16199.

You can check out our hands on video along with comparison with OnePlus 3 below.

October 2, 2016
OnePlus 3 Soft Gold Colour Now For Sale In India Rs 27999

OnePlus has been teasing the golden colour of the OnePlus 3 since launch, and while the unit was launched a month back in many parts of the world, India finally gets the golden child. If you read our review of the OnePlus 3, the real difference in the OnePlus 3 grey and soft gold colour is basically the colour.

Amazon will start selling the unit tomorrow onwards and the OnePlus 3 will come with 12 months of accidental damage protection, 12 months of double data on Idea network and Rs. 500 of kindle credit. Specs wise the OnePlus 3 runs on the Snapdragon 820 chipset with 6 GB of RAM and comes with 64 GB of storage. The 3000 mAh battery supports Dash-Charge and the front houses a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080p optic-AMOLED display.

October 1, 2016
Lenovo and Moto Bring Back Hello Moto

Lenovo may have fully acquired and integrated with Moto (previously Motorola), but it appears the chinese parent wants to keep the heritage of the Moto brand alive. What appears to be a reimagined sound for the original “hello moto” slogan was now tweeted by Moto and you can find the tweet below.

This also just comes shy of the 4th October launch of the Moto Z and Z Play in India. The company wants to build the brand around the new logo language and you may see excessive use of the #hellomoto branding hashtag. Either way, it does bring back some exciting memories of the Moto Razr, which we though Moto will release, but they won’t. So the “Hello Moto” jingle works for the time being.

New. fresh. and full of all the things you love. say hello to the all-new moto. #hellomoto #differentisbetter pic.twitter.com/0oW1JYcuXO

— Moto India (@Moto_IND) September 29, 2016

September 29, 2016
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Pre-Orders Start Tonight on Flipkart

Flipkart is the official India partner for the sale of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India and pre-orders start tonight, 29th Sept just a minute short of midnight at 23:59 hours .

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be sold on Flipkart’s special page here and will be available in limited quantities. You can check out the full list of specifications and options for pricing by clicking here.

The iPhone 7 will go on sale with a starting price of Rs. 60,000 for the 32 GB variant, while the iPhone 7 plus begins at Rs. 72000. Officially the iPhone 7 series hits the stores on October 7, pre-ordering will secure a spot.

The most coveted jet-black colour will have very limited quantities and reports say, that it may not appear for pre-order at all.

September 29, 2016
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Emits Smoke On Indigo Flight, No Damage

Looks like that break Samsung needs, is still a far distance away. Aboard an Indigo flight, a Samsung Note 2, started to emit smoke while in the overhead baggage bin. A passenger spotted the smoke and alerted the cabin crew, who then took remedial action. Although, no harm was done and the flight reached it’s destination safely, Samsung phones seem to be under scrutiny.

Samsung has already faced a global down play with the Galaxy Note 7 Recall, the company has lost billion on the market value and bad news continues to pour in.

The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has called in the Samsung top brass in for a meeting on Monday. If the DGCA decides to ban Samsung phone aboard airlines, it may set the fate of Samsung phones permanently in India.

Samsung in their typical “no responsibility” manner have issued a statement :

We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority. We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information, and are looking into the matter.

The statement comes from a “Samsung Spokesperson” at a time when no employee is ready to put a face to the fiasco and step up. Samsung has handled the whole Note 7 recall poorly, and more bad news seems to continue. DGCA made a statement :

We advise flyers to exercise caution while flying with Samsung Note devices . They should either keep these devices switched off or not travel with them”

So did Indigo Airlines:

IndiGo confirms that a few passengers travelling on 6E-054 flight from Singapore to Chennai noticed the smoke smell in the cabin this morning (September 23, 2016) and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board. The crew quickly identified minor smoke coming from the hat-rack of seat 23 C and simultaneously informed the pilot-in-command who further alerted the ATC of the situation on board.Taking precautionary measure, the cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers on other seats, and further observed smoke being emitted from a Samsung note 2 which was placed in the baggage (of a passenger) in the overhead bin. The crew discharged the fire extinguisher which is as per the standard operating procedures prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer, and quickly transferred the Samsung note 2 into a container filled with water in lavatory.

Samsung India Service centres are refusing to replace the Note 7 handsets bought oversees, despite them being flagged as hazardous on Samsung’s own website. As a rule of a Global recall Samsung should recall all phones, whether sold through official or unofficial channels as they pose threat to the well being of human life at this moment.

September 23, 2016
LeEco Le Pro 3 Launched with 128 GB Storage and 6 GB RAM
LeEco’s Le Pro 2 successor has been launched running the Snapdragon 821 chipset. The LeEco Le Pro 3 features a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 p display with a 2.5 d curved glass. The display has a brightness of 500 nits.

Design wise the phone is reminiscent of the the Le 2 and Le Max 2 unibody construction. There are several options for buyers to choose from 4GB RAM option with 32 or 64GB storage and 6GB RAM variant with 64GB or 128GB.

Also like it’s predecessors, the Le Pro 3 will not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack and utilizes the USB Type-C port for CDLA audio.

The phone runs EUI 5.8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.The LeEco Le Pro 3 has a 4,070mAh battery and dual sim capabilities.
- 4GB RAM, 32GB storage: 1799 Yuan ( Rs 18,000)
- 6GB RAM, 64GB storage: 1999 Yuan (Rs 20,000)
- 4GB RAM, 32GB storage special edition: 2499 Yuan ( Rs 25,100)
- 6GB RAM, 128GB storage special edition: 2999 Yuan (Rs 30,100)
September 22, 2016
Mi Air 2 – Air Purifier Launched in India for Rs. 9999
An Air Purifier may not have been a popular product in India. However, with the pollution scare early this year, people are moving more towards adopting this technology.

Xiaomi has launched it’s first home product in India the Mi Air 2. The Air Purifier which is a HEPA filtration based unit also has a carbon filter to remove odour.

The design of the Mi Air 2 is a far cry from most traditional looking units and should go well with any setting in your home or office.

The Mi Home app allows you to activate or deactivate the filter and it also allows you to check the Air Quality index using the sensors inbuilt into the Mi Air 2.

The unit will require replacement filters every few months that cost Rs. 2499. The Mi Air 2 is extremely quiet and many operational modes can be controlled using the App. The Mi Air 2 connects to your local WiFi Network for remote operational capabilities.

The Mi Air 2 will go on Sale Sept 26th on Mi.com and will also be available on Flipkart Oct 2nd onwards.
- Real-time AQI monitoring, Wi-Fi connectivity
- Mi Home app smart controls (Android and iOS)
- Aerodynamic air vortex, up to 37m² (400 sq. ft.) coverage
- 310m³/h Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
- 360° triple-layer filter, removes harmful PM2.5 articles
- 4.8W energy saving, ultra-quiet 30dB noise level
- Compact form factor: 520mm tall and base area smaller than an A4 sheet of paper
- Replacement filter available online at INR 2,499
September 21, 2016
Google to Launch Pixel on Oct. 4 , Phone Leaked Ahead of Launch

The revision to the Google Nexus Phones, the Pixel, is set to launch on Oct 4th 2016, and Alphabet has shared the invite for the same. An interesting taser video of the launch has been put by Google and it shows silhouettes of the handset transforming from a flat line to a smartphone shell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNnCtmyujLA

The event will begin at 9AM in San Francisco according to the company invites. The Pixel and Pixel XL are the two phones that the company is working on launching.

According to rumours the 5-inch model of Pixel smartphone will start from $649, while the Pixel XL will be priced higher. New leaked pictures show that the phones will have a fused metal and plastic chassis, with an aluminium part covering the bottom back. The phones will apparently be made by HTC, but no clear information has leaked on that.

September 20, 2016