Author: Nitya Uppal

#GOSF2014 : The Best Smartphone Deals in One Place
The Great Online Shopping Festival started today! The season for mega sales is always the best time to invest in new gadgets. This particular festival lacks good offers on smartphones, however we rounded up a few that you should definitely have a look at:

Apple iPhone 5c

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- 8MP primary camera with LED flash, auto focus, geo tagging, face detection, 1.2MP front facing camera with HD video recording and backside illumination sensor
- 4-inch multi-touch retina display with 1136 x 640 pixels resolution
- iOS 7 operating system with 8GB internal memory
- Rechargable battery providing talk-time up to 10 hours on 3G network and standby time up to 250 hours
- 1 year manufacturer warranty for device and in-box accessories including batteries from the date of purchase
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Micromax Canvas Knight A350 (Black-Gold)

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- 16MP primary camera with full HD video recording, flash, auto focus and 8MP front facing camera
- 5-inch IPS Capacitive Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and 16.7M color support
- Android v4.4.2 KitKat operating system with 1.7GHz octa core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and dual SIM (GSM+GSM)
- 2350mAH battery providing talk-time of 7 hours and standby time of 175 hours on 2G networks
- 1 year manufacturer warranty for device and 6 months manufacturer warranty for in-box accessories including batteries from the date of purchase
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Nokia Lumia 625

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- 5MP primary camera with LED flash, full HD video recording, 4x digital zoom and 0.3MP front facing camera
- 4.7-inch WVGA Capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 800 pixels resolution and 16M color support
- Windows 8 (Windows 8.1) with 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor, 512MB RAM and 8GB internal memory expandable up to 64GB
- 2000mAH battery providing talk-time of 23 hours on 2G and 15 hours on 3G networks and standby time of 552 hours on 2G network
- 1 year manufacturer warranty for device and 6 months manufacturer warranty for in-box accessories including batteries from the date of purchase
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Lenovo A526

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- 5MP primary camera with fixed focus and 0.3MP front facing camera
- 4.5-inch FWVGA multi-touch capacitive touchscreen with 854 x 480 pixels resolution
- Android v4.2 Jelly Bean operating system with 1.3GHz quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB and dual SIM (3G+3G) (GSM+GSM)
- 2000mAH battery providing talk-time of 5 hours on 2G, 3 hours on 3G networks, standby time of 396 hours on 2G and 300 hours on 3G networks
- 1 year manufacturer warranty for device and 6 months manufacturer warranty for in-box accessories including batteries from the date of purchase
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December 10, 2014
#GOSF2014 : The Best Laptop Deals in One Place
The Great Online Shopping Festival started today! The season for mega sales is always the best time to invest in new gadgets. With over 400 participating brands, we help you scour through the deals and highlight the top ones.

Dell Inspiron 3541

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- AMD E1-6010 APU with Radeon(TM) R2 Graphics
- 4GB RAM DDR3L 1600MHz
- 500GB 5400 rpm SATA Hard Drive
- AMD Integrated Graphics
- 15.6 inch LED Backlit Display
- Truelife and HD resolution (1366 x 768)
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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch

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- Processor: 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache
- RAM: 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
- HDD: 128GB PCIe-based Solid State Flash Storage
- Display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440×900 native resolution) with Intel HD Graphics 5000
- Operating System: Mac OS x Mavericks
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Asus X550CA-XX545D 15.6-inch Laptop

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- 1.8-GHz Intel Core_i3_3217U Processor
- 2GB DDR3 RAM
- 500GB Hard Disk Size
- 15.6-inch Screen, Intel HD 4000
- DOS operating system
- HD Camera
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Dell Vostro 3546 Laptop with Laptop Bag

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- 1.7 GHz Intel Core i3-4005U 4th Gen Processor
- 4GB RAM
- 500GB Hard Disk
- 15.6 inch Screen
- Linux, Ubuntu Operating System
- Intel HD Graphics 4400
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Dell Inspiron 3542 Laptop (Silver)

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- 1.7 GHz Intel Core i3-4005U 4th Gen Processor
- 4GB RAM
- 500 GB Hard Drive
- 15.6 inch Screen
- Windows 8 Operating System
- Integrated Graphics
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December 10, 2014
Giveaway : 50 India-Specific OnePlus One Invites

The ‘Flagship Killer’ finally arrived in India on 2nd December. Now everyone seems to be asking for invites to this mammoth spec’d phone. Luckily for them, we are giving away 50 India invites to purchase the OnePlus One Smartphone.

Simply enter the sweepstakes below and you stand a chance to win. Follow the Instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as here. This Giveaway is open only for the residents of India.

Update: The winners have been announced! Fifteen winners are listed below the rest 35 can be found in the contest box further below . Congratulations! We’ll be getting in touch with you shortly.

Anirban Bluish Dey
Daisy Gupta
Tushar Kanojia
Omkar Aradwad
Akshay Prabhu
Aryan Pathak
Amey Kulkarni
Sahil Shukla
Prateek Singhal
muthu krishna
Siddhartha Nagpal
Paawan Chawla
Rupesh Tayde
Abhas Darnale
Divyakant Thaledi

Also, don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with OnePlus India. We try and get all the important questions answered.

Watch it here:

December 5, 2014

OnePlus Finally Launches the One in India for Rs. 21,999

Chinese Flagship decimator, OnePlus One is finally ready for purchase by the Indian consumers. It has been a long wait for the enthusiasts of the One. The phone’s high specs low price formula has impressed folk’s world over and has caused a virtual stampede of folks trying to buy this exceptional device.

The device has been much talked about, if you are one of the last few who don’t know about the device then let us take the opportunity to blow your mind. The device runs on a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor clocking at 2.5GHz . It comes with 3 GB RAM. The device is available in a 64 GB variant. The device gets its juice from a 3100 mAh battery.

The 5.5 inch Full HD display will make it a multimedia enthusiast’s delight. The device offers a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP Selfie shooter on the front. Coupled with CyanogenMod’s awesome camera features, the phone will deliver great image output.

Running on Cyanogenmod, the phone gives you amazing features in camera and for customization. Unfortunately, Indian consumers will be devoid of the biggest strength of Cynogenmod. The custom ROM is known for regular updates and bug fixes. But the company’s exclusive partnership with Micromax will prevent it from offering updates on the Oneplus device. Though CM11S OS is great in itself and the functionalities it offers will make you fall in love with the device. OnePlus also promises their own firmware in the coming future which will be based on Android Lollipop. This definitely makes the device a future proof purchase.

The device is priced at Rs. 21,999 for the 64 GB variant. The device is truly one of a kind device and we expect them to fly off shelves in moments of its launch. The One has arrived and looks like it will stay for a good while.

The company will continue the invite system for the Indian market and those interested in an invite will be able to get one from oneplus.net/in starting right now.

If you are successful in getting an invite a spanking new OnePlus One will await you at : www.amazon.in/oneplusone on the 2nd of December 2014. Excited yet?

OnePlus One Specifications

Color	Silk White/Sandstone Black
Dimensions	152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight	5.71 ounces (162g)
Operating System	CyanogenMod 11S based on Android 4.4
CPU	Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPUs
GPU	Adreno 330, 578MHz
RAM	3 GB LP-DDR3 @1866MHz
Storage	16/64 GB eMMC 5.0, available capacity varies
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity and Ambient Light
Battery Capacity	Embedded rechargeable 3100 mAh LiPo battery

Display

Size	5.5 inch JDI
Resolution	1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 401 PPI
Type	LTPS IPS with TOL
Protection	Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Cameras

Sensor	13 Megapixel – Sony Exmor IMX 214
Lenses	6 lenses to avoid distortion and color aberration
Flash	Dual-LED
Aperture	f/2.0
Front Camera	5 Megapixel – Distortion free
Video	4K resolution video with stereo recordingSlow Motion: 720p video at 120fps

December 2, 2014

Facebook Brings Out an App for Anonymous Chatting Called ‘Rooms’

Facebook seems to be in the mood for experimenting with mobile applications. After bringing out Mentions, Slingshot, Paper and most recently, their independent messaging app, they’ve now brought out ‘Rooms’. Although they’re sticking to their key philosophy of connecting people, this time they’re going to be keeping their identities discreet.

We had earlier reported that Facebook was working on building a standalone app that will let its users interact and communicate under the cloak of anonymity. This was said to be the outcome of recent criticism for Facebook’s stance on real names. Facebook’s policies require verified email addresses. Those policies clashed with drag queens, some of whom had their profiles removed from Facebook by algorithms.

On the other hand, Rooms doesn’t require the user to reveal any personal information and allows them to create chat rooms based of common interests (think fashion, photography, automobiles, gardering etc.) These chat rooms can be made public or private. The private chat rooms are then made invite only, requiring a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone. These Codes can also be shared on social media or via e-mail. Facebook’s new app doesn’t even allow you to import your contacts, it is entirely independant. Chat room creators or chosen moderators can customize the look, ban people from the room or set the room to be 18+.

Currently the app is free and available on the app store, you can download it here.

October 24, 2014
Apple Event : Yosemite to be Available from Today and iOS 8.1 from Monday.

Taking continuity to the next level. Apple definitely is the first company to benefit from this because of its enormous hardware ecosystem. OS X Yosemite is the upcoming eleventh major release of OS X, Apple Inc.’s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers and it will be available from today. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for Free.

Yosemite gives you mirrored access across all Apple platforms for instant access. For example, the iPad recognizes what you’ve been working on and prompts you about it. You can stop working on the Mac, pick up your iPad and start working on your project right way without a second of lag. There is no need for third party apps. There is no need to open a cloud app and download the file, it’s always there.

Along with Yosemite, Apple is bring out the updated version of iOS. They’ve spent time and effort taking in user feedback and have updated the problem-prone update. iOS 8.1 brings the Camera Roll and iCloud Photo Library in beta, a feature that allows you to store all of your photos from all your devices in the cloud.

October 16, 2014
Apple Pay to Launch on 20th October

Apple Pay, Apple’s NFC and Touch ID-based mobile payment solution, might arrive sooner than anyone expected. Apple had announced its first mobile payment system will launch this month. Today at the mega event, Apple confirmed it will begin rolling out the service next week on 20th October.

With the new iPhones, Apple introduces the NFC radio on their phones. With Apple Pay all you need to do for paying at stores is bring your phone near the payment sensor, and that’s it, your payment is done. Apple pay is available on both, the iPhone 6 as well as the iPhone 6 Plus. It uses the Touch id for secure payment.

The company has inducted a security chip called the Secure Elements on the phones. Not just that, with this new technology, even your name and purchase details remain hidden from the cashiers at the store. You simply pay by keeping your thumb on the touch ID sensor.

Apple has also take special care that your financial data such as Credit card and account details from falling into the wrong hands. All your credit cards are stored in the Passbook app that doesn’t store any physical data on the device like credit card number and the CVV number. Instead, what you get is a One Time Payment(OTP) number for every transaction that gets transferred to the bank, so neither Apple nor the merchant gets to know your details.

October 16, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Gear S Hands On

Samsung unveiled its latest phablet Galaxy Note 4 in India at the price of Rs.61,500. This new addition to Note series, was first unveiled a month back at this year’s IFA Berlin. It has finally arrived in India and will go on sale at midnight on October 17th. Along with that, the company announced the partnership with Vodafone to give 2GB Data free for the users for 2 months.

Galaxy Note 4 is now the company’s flagship phablet, which comes with a 5.7 inch QHD display. Samsung claims that despite the higher resolution, the Galaxy Note 4 will deliver 7.5% more battery life; it features a 3220 mAh battery with fast charging technology. Meanwhile, under the hood, the Galaxy Note 4 is powered by quad core, Snapdragon 805 chipset clocked at 2.7 GHz, It comes coupled with 3GB RAM. It offers 32GB internal memory with support for expanding the memory to upto 64GB.

Along with smartphone today, Samsung also launched Gear S for a price of Rs. 29,000. The Gear S features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display with a 360×480 pixel resolution. It comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage and is backed by a 3000mAh Li-ion battery, rated to deliver 2 days of charge with typical usage.

The IP67-certified dust and water resistant Gear S shows notifications from text messages, social networks, calendars and other applications independently without the need to access the smartphone.

October 15, 2014
Diwali Giveaway : Asus Zenfone 4 and Xiaomi In-Ear Earphones

Consider this the beginning of many exciting giveaways to come for this festive season. With this giveaway, we give you the chance to win a pair of these sleek earphones by Xiaomi and the Asus Zenfone 4. Simply enter the sweepstakes below.

Follow the instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as given here. This Giveaway is open only for residents of India.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Watch our unboxing and hands on video with the Asus Zenfone 4 here:

October 7, 2014
Giveaway : Xiaomi In-Ear Earphones

As promised we’re starting our next giveaway today. So here’s your chance to win a pair of these sleek earphones by Xiaomi. Simply enter the sweepstakes below.

Follow the instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as given here. This Giveaway is open only for residents of India.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We recently reviewed the earphones, check out the full video below:

September 29, 2014
Xiaomi Promises to Bring a Larger Stock for the Diwali Season

Just yesterday Xiaomi announced that it will be bringing out the Mi3 again for sale before Diwali. They have now followed it with the news that they will be stocking up big for the festive season.

Xiaomi’s International Vice President, Hugo Barra said that Xiaomi wants to sell 100,000 phones a week in October. The company has chosen the path of flash sales for their smartphones because of short supply and massive demand for their products. The heavy demand for these devices has led to Flipkart’s website crashing down.

Barra said that for the month of October the company will be chartering a plane to bring in the devices to India. The company will be offering the two phones it has already brought in India, the Mi3 and the Redmi 1S.

Xiaomi has now overtaken Samsung to become the biggest smartphone company in China. Starting business in 2010, the company now plans to become the third biggest phone company in the world.

The company is working with local companies and start-ups to build services for phones sold in India. They are also contemplating the possibilities of establishing a manufacturing unit in India. This might send shockwaves across the smartphone segment. Till now Xiaomi was seen as a limited time fad but with its plans to establish permanent shop in India, it can become a formidable force in the business. For the consumers though, Xiaomi’s full time entry would mean Diwali every day.

September 27, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Alpha Launched in India for Rs. 39,990

Today at an event held in Delhi, Samsung unveiled its latest offering, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The smartphone comes in three colour variants: Black, White and Gold.

The Alpha was the first to get the metal frame and was followed by the Note 4. The back cover on the devices are still plastic, but Samsung claims the metal frame provides enhanced safety to the phone.

Bollywood actress Lara Dutta and Asim Warsi, Vice President, Mobile & IT of Samsung India, on stage launching the Samsung Galaxy Alpha.

The Galaxy Alpha is powered by an Exynos 5 Octa 5430 processor (1.8GHz quad-core Cortex A51 + 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A7.) It has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. The device has a 4.7-inch 1280x 720 Super AMOLED display.

The main camera on the device is a 12 MP shooter while the front camera is a 2.1 MP selfie shooter. The camera has a selective auto focus feature. The Alpha gets its juice from an 1860 mAh battery. The phone runs Android Kitkat 4.4.4 out of the box. The smartphone is priced for Rs. 39.990.

September 27, 2014
Sony Brings Out the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, We Unbox Them!

Today Sony launched its latest flagship, the Xperia Z3 and its mini version, the Xperia Z3 Compact in India. The handsets were recently unveiled at IFA 2014, held in Berlin. The Sony Xperia z3 is priced for Rs. 51,990, while the smaller variant is available for Rs. 44,990.

This time Sony has focused on design, with the new smartphones being thinner and lighter than its predecessors. The smartphone comes in two stylish colour options. They have a curvier aluminium frame, which makes it easier to hold and use.

Sony Xperia Z3 comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display which Sony claims is the world’s brightest display of all the leading premium smartphones. Other specs for the devices include a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The main difference between the Xperia Z3 and the Z3 Compact is the size of the display — the Z3 Compact features a 720p 4.6-inch screen. Other than minute differences, it’s nearly identical to the flagship. Both smartphones also have the same 20.7 MP front camera, and the 2.2 MP frontal camera.

Also, in terms of battery, the Xperia Z3 is packed with a non-removable 3,100 mAh whereas the Xperia Z3 Compact comes with a non-removable 2,600 mAh capacity. Without compromising on specifications, Sony has built two variations of a single smartphone in order capture a wider market base.

Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly. Watch the Unboxing video below.

September 25, 2014
Giveaway : Xiaomi Redmi 1S

As promised we are giving away a Xiaomi Redmi 1S. Every Tuesday, the smartphone sells out within mere seconds on Flipkart. So here’s a chance you might win one instead. Simply enter the sweepstakes.

Follow the Instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as given here. This Giveaway is open only for residents of India.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We recently reviewed the Xiaomi Redmi 1s, watch the full video here:

September 17, 2014
Apple Breaks Own Record, 4 Million iPhones Pre-Ordered Within First 24 Hours

The two new phones by Apple – the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, announced last week, went up for pre-order on 12th September. Apple reports that within the first 24 hours they recorded more than 4 million orders. The deliveries of these phones will begin on Friday.

In terms of the previous models, for the iPhone 5, Apple took two million orders when it was first launched in September 2012. However, the company did not reveal the numbers for the editions that came in 2013; the iPhone 5S and 5C.

The new iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, have a 4.7 inch display and a 5.5 inch display respectively. The phones despite being bigger, are lighter and thinner. The iPhone 6 is 6.9 mm and the new iPhone 6 Plus is only 7.1 mm thick. At the mega-event held in Cupertino, Apple also announced that the iPhone 6 is up to 50% more energy efficient. The new A8 chip has up to 25% faster processing power and up to 50% faster graphics.

The major development with these iPhones was that Apple launched a new Apple Pay payment system that uses NFC and Touch ID. Virtual credit cards can be stored in Passbook, without the actual number being stored, for which Apple creates a secure temporary payment ID.

This year, Apple received quite a bit of criticism for slow adaption of technology. Clearly, these numbers speak otherwise. We’ll have to wait till next month to see how the Indian market responds.

September 16, 2014