Author: iGyaan

Specs of Motorola Made Nexus 6 ‘Shamu’ Leaked

Amidst all the confusion about the future of the Nexus line of products, comes a fresh new rumor about the next Nexus smartphone. This time it seems that Motorola is going to be taking the responsibility of crafting the next Nexus, after successful attempts from HTC, Samsung, and LG. A mysterious Motorola device, codenamed ‘Shamu’ (the killer whale), is believed to be at the head of the pack when it comes to potential candidates for the next Nexus. And thanks to benchmarking application AnTuTu, we now have a preliminary spec sheet for Shamu. Prior warning, it’s pretty darn impressive.

So, starting off with the display, the Shamu will indeed go the Quad HD way, boasting of a 2560×1440 pixel display that should provide amazing detail and sharpness.

The Motorola Shamu sure has some impressive specs.

Moving on to the internals, the device will be powered by the next big thing cooked by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 805, with a quad-core Krait 450 processor clocked at 2.65GHz. This will be coupled with the Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM.In the camera department, it will have a 13MP lens on the rear, along with a modest 2.1MP selfie camera on the front.

Lastly, the Shamu will be running the latest Android L, adding more credibility to the rumors pointing towards it being the next Nexus. Specs like these surpass even the greatest of flagships currently offered by HTC, Samsung, Sony, and LG. All of this at the Nexus price point? It sure sounds too good to be true.

One final thing, the AnTuTu database lists this smartphone as the ‘Google Shamu’, which all but confirms that this is going to be the search giant’s next flagship, the Nexus 6.

Hopefully, we’ll see an announcement in the near future. Early rumors also suggest that the Nexus 6 will be announced along the with the long-rumored HTC Nexus 8 tablet at an event in September itself.

The next iPhone, the next Galaxy Note, and now the next Nexus too? With all this excitement waiting for us in the coming month, we are very close to taking a recluse till September comes.

By Pranav Arora

August 14, 2014
Huawei Teases to Reveal a New Device

Huawei has sent out press invites for an event to be held on the 4th of September. The invite features a huge number 7, hinting that the device to be released will either be the Ascend Mate 7 or the Ascend D7.

While the model name might not be known, a few specs are believed to feature in this soon-to-be-released device. The star of the show is believed to be a 6” Quad HD (2560×1440) display. The device might be powered by the company’s own Kirin 920 octa-core chipset and a healthy 3GB of RAM.

The minimalistic Invite doesn’t reveal much.

Huawei also believes that this device will be better than both the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6. Now, those are some hefty claims. If Samsung doesn’t manage to bring in a Quad HD screen soon, Huawei’s claim may become true.

The rumours don’t stop here, however. If leaksters are to be believed, the company is also going to release a second device with a Full HD 1080p display and 2GB of RAM. This by no way is a mid-ranger, but will only be the lower speced sibling of the Quad HD monster to be released by Huawei.

Seems like September is going to be a busy season for the Smartphone moguls. The battle lines are drawn with Samsung set to release the Note 4, which will be followed by Apple’s iPhone 6 release. With Huawei also staking a claim to gadget greatness, things will surely get interesting for the consumers. Now we really can’t wait for September to come.

By Pranav Arora

August 13, 2014
Samsung Claim They’re Still Number One in India

Last week, we heard reports that Micromax had dethroned Samsung to become the Number 1 phone manufacturer for Q2 2014 in terms of units shipped. However, Samsung says this is not the case.

Economic Times talked to Samsung President and Chief Executive for South-West Asia, BD Park. He claims that these reports are false. He admitted that sales had decreased in the past quarter, and that the Galaxy S5 did not sell as well as they had predicted. Nevertheless, the company still met its targets, and according to their internal data, still controls more than 50% of the Indian market with more than double the sales of the alleged market leaders, Micromax.

Park further went on to say that “there was some business motive behind the release of such kind of data”, directly pointing the finger at Micromax for releasing false information as a media stunt to increase sales. These are some very serious allegations, and we will have to wait and see if any of these hold true.

The earlier reports were prepared by Hong-Kong based independent firm called Counterpoint Technology Market Research, allegedly being based on “thorough channel checks in terms of sales.” However, CyberMedia Research (CMR) said that while the Korean company was still the leader, the gap between the two had narrowed sharply.

By Pranav Arora

August 13, 2014
Rumor Roundup : All That We Know About the Moto 360

The most hotly anticipated wearable of the year, the Moto 360 smartwatch, couldn’t come soon enough. Announced way back in March, the device hasn’t exactly been Moto’s secret project with multiple demos and hands-on videos at this Google I/O this year.

But do we really know every detail about the smart watch? Here’s a rumor roundup to sum up everything we know other than the official information on Motorola’s website.

Use of Premium Materials

As Motorola and Google have made sure to point out several times now, the Moto 360, unlike its Android Wear siblings, the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, will be crafted of premium materials, namely glass and metal. Yes, no cheap plastics here.

But is this really true? A Chinese website, G for Games, recently made claims that the Moto 360 would actually be made of plastics that mimic metal. Now, before you start frowning, we should point out that a lot of tech reviewers are claiming these rumours to be fake. But we can’t be certain until the watch officially releases.

Standard Dimensions

Ever since the announcement, Motorola has made a big deal out of how the Moto 360 will look and feel just like a regular watch. It will have a regular 44mm round dial and a leather strap that can be switched with any other strap.

However, another rumor recently surfaced that Motorola will have to increase the thickness to 13.5mm to incorporate wireless charging into the watch. This will make it considerably thicker than either of it’s siblings, the G Watch and the Gear Live, who stand at 9.95mm and 8.9mm thick, respective

Wireless Charging

In the past couple of months, this has been one of the most consistent rumors. If the Moto 360 manages to support any Qi Wireless Charger, this will be a major accomplishment for the smart watch as it will eliminate the need for proprietary charging docks.

Water Resistant

It has been confirmed by Motorola that the watch will be water resistant. However, no comment has been made on whether it will be IP67 rated or not.

Leaked Images from Mistergadget.net

Optical Heart Rate Sensor

Recent leaked pictures by Italian website Mister Gadget show the Moto 360 flaunting an optical heart rate sensor on its back. We are yet to find out how it will be implemented.

Release Date

Finally, the Moto 360 is believed to be be launching by the end of this summer. This is exciting news, as summer is just coming to an end, and we should expect the watch to be launched at an event in the near future. A very recent rumor is floating that the watch will be released this September. We wish this stands true.

The Moto 360 has definitely managed to become one of the most hotly anticipated gadgets of the year. While we all wait with baited breath for the launch event, if you haven’t already, check out this video by Motorola:

By Pranav Arora

August 7, 2014
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro with 6-inch Quad HD Display Officially Launched

After weeks of rumours and leaks, Lenovo has finally made the Vibe Z2 Pro official. This is the latest flagship from the Chinese manufacturer, and carries all high-end specs you would expect from a flagship. The star of the show is definitely the 6” Quad HD (2560×1440) IPS display, that is capable of outputting 500-nits of brightness.

The rest of the specs are equally impressive. The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro will come with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat pre-installed. Under the hood, the device will contain Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 801 chipset with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU. This will be paired with the Adreno 330 GPU, making sure that the device can handle all your processing needs.

It will come with 32 GB of in-built storage, however there will be no microSD card slot for expansion. The rear camera will be 16 megapixels, a BIS sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation, dual LED flash and 4K video recording. The phablet will also feature dual-SIM capabilities, with two micro-SIM card slots.

All of this goodness will be encased in a premium unibody metal body that measures only 7.7mm in thickness. The body will weigh 179 grams. Now, some people may not like the sheer size and heft of the phablet, but that size allows the manufacturer to fit in a larger than normal 4,000 mAh battery.

The device is set to release in September, in black, white and gold colours.

Take a look at the video and tell us what you think.

By Pranav Arora

August 6, 2014
Oppo Teases the Indian Market With the Hint Of N1 Mini

Remember the Oppo N1? Announced way back in September last year, the device featured a unique rotating camera at the top, giving you the capability of taking your selfies in ultra-sharp 13 megapixel quality.

Now, Oppo is teasing the launch of it’s younger sibling, the Oppo N1 Mini, in India. The company on Sunday tweeted an image of the Mini with the text “Revolutionary 24 Mega Pixels Ultra HD Camera, Coming Soon!”. The picture carries the caption “Mini in size, Max on fun”.

If you missed the official launch of the N1 Mini back in June, we don’t blame you. It was a silent affair, with no extravagant event or hype. However, it did manage to tell us the official launch specs that the device will carry.

The N1 Mini sports a 5” HD (1280×720) display. Under the hood, it comes with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 305 GPU paired with a healthy 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB of non-expandable storage available. Similar to its bigger brother, it features a 13-megapixel ‘swivel’ camera with LED flash.

The battery capacity is 2140mAh. The body is 9.2mm thick, and weighs 150 grams. It comes in White, Blue and Yellow colour options. The Oppo N1 recently received a price cut in India, bringing it down from Rs. 39,999 to 32,990. So if Oppo learn from their mistakes and price the N1 Mini competitively, they could have a winner on their hands.

By Pranav Arora

August 6, 2014
Console Hit ‘Bioshock’ Comes to the iOS App Store Soon

Game Publishers 2K Games today announced that they would be releasing the original BioShock game in the iOS App Store before the end of this summer. The franchise has gained worldwide acclaim on its console version ever since video game developers Irrational Games released it for the PlayStation and Xbox platforms way back in 2007.

Bioshock will be available on select iOS devices

Irrational and 2K confirmed that this mobile version will feature all of the first-person shooter action found in the original title. Gamers will play through the game in the underwater city of Rapture, and the story will be the same as the original. BioShock’s mobile implementation will sport an iOS-tuned control scheme, and the graphics have been tweaked to run smoothly on iOS devices, according to Polygon.

BioShock isn’t the first video game franchise that is porting their game to mobile devices. The likes of EA Sports, Rockstar Games and other famed developers have also released mobile version of their popular titles like FIFA, Madden, GTA and others.

As with other recent console ports, the shooter will ship with support for iOS-connected game controllers that support Apple’s “Made for iPhone” scheme.

BioShock will be available in Apple’s App Store this summer. 2K Games did not give an exact price for the title but said it will be a “premium priced mobile game.” It will be compatible with the iPad Air, iPad Mini with Retina Display, iPad 4th generation, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, and iPhone 5. The game will not work on earlier Apple devices.

By Pranav Arora

August 6, 2014
Samsung Sends Out Press Invites For Galaxy Note 4 Unpacked Event

It’s that time of the year again. September is fast approaching, and it is bringing with it Samsung’s latest flagship phablet. Yes, Samsung is once again ready to release the next-generation Galaxy Note, and they have sent out invites for the launch event scheduled to take place on the 3rd of September.

Although Samsung hasn’t officially mentioned that the event will feature the launch of the Galaxy Note 4, it’s a pretty safe bet, considering how it’s been Samsung’s tradition to release their latest Note flagship at IFA in Berlin every September.

The Galaxy Alpha, Samsung’s supposed ‘premium built’ phone, may also feature in the event seeing that it’s been making rounds at the rumour mill since a long time. Along with the above two phones, it is also possible that Samsung may also announce some smartwatches which have also had their fair share of rumours and leaks. Another wearable that may be announced is a Samsung virtual reality headset, which will be very similar to the uber-cool Oculus Rift.

Samsung will have to catch up to competition with the next edition of the Note phablet

However, it is very likely that none of these devices are announced at that event, as Samsung would want to keep the spotlight towards the Galaxy Note 4 and nothing else.

If you haven’t heard the rumours, the Note 4 is believed to revolve around the following specs – a 5.7” Quad HD (2560×1440) display, a Snapdragon 805 (Exynos 5433 for some markets, including India) chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 16-megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization, a so-called ‘ultraviolet’ sensor, and Android 4.4 KitKat. The remaining specs should be similar to the Note’s smaller sized sibling, the Galaxy S5. The phone might also come with a biometric sensor in the form of an eye sensor

The event will take place on September 3 at 2 p.m. Berlin time. That’s almost a month away, and we should see many more rumours and leaks confirming those specifications. As has been with every flagship these days, we’ll probably know each and every detail about the phablet before the announcement actually takes place. Boy, August is going to be an exciting month.

By Pranav Arora

August 5, 2014
Hp’s Premium Smartwatch Brings Beauty and Geek Together

What does it take to put smartwatches on the wrists of the masses? Well, HP seems to believe a premium design is the answer. That is why they are teaming up with designer Michael Bastian and US-based premium retailer Gilt, to create a smartwatch that does not immediately shout ‘geek’ when worn on your wrist.

HP is going to take care of the internals on this timepiece, and it will have all the basic functions and capabilities of a smartwatch. These include notifications for all calls, text messages and emails, along with user controls for applications like the music player. HP is said to be building all the software that runs on this watch, so it is highly unlikely that it will run the Android Wear platform when it finally releases. The watch will be iOS and Android compatible. Functionality wise, it is highly reminiscent of the Pebble Smartwatch, the watch that many believe ushered in the wearable revolution.

Michael Bastian released sketches of the upcoming watches

Michael Bastian is going to take care of the design aspect of the smart watch, which will feature a circular 44mm stainless steel case. It will also have options for various interchangeable bands made of leather, rubber, or nylon. Bastian says the design cues came from luxury automobiles, namely interior features like the dashboard and trim.

The watch will be exclusively available on premium online retailer Gilt’s website, and is pinned for a release this fall. It is very likely going to carry a premium price tag to match that premium design.

The Gilt website provides very little detail on the actual smart watch, as it is simply labeled ‘A Michael Bastian Smartwatch’ and features a black body and a round, blueish dial. Perhaps a better idea is provided by these separate sketches prepared by Bastian himself, giving us a better look at what the timepiece might look like when it is finally released.

This is not the first time a manufacturer has tried to create a fashionable smart watch, as the Moto 360 has already wooed a fair share of the audience with its beautiful design. Even the recent Pebble Steel smart watch follows this mantra. But will HP’s effort have an added advantage due to it’s cross-platform compatibility? We’ll have to wait till this fall to find out.

By Pranav Arora

August 2, 2014
Cortana Humiliates Siri in a New Commercial

Microsoft today launched a new commercial flaunting the power of their new virtual assistant Cortana by pitching it against Apple’s renowned Siri. The commercial cleverly demonstrates Cortana’s functionality while taking advantage of Siri’s shortcomings.

Titled ‘Happy Anniversary’, it shows a narrator giving certain commands to a Nokia 635 (with Windows Phone 8.1) running Cortana, and an Apple iPhone 5S running Siri. The narrator first asks the phones to remind him to wish his wife a happy anniversary the next time she calls, for which Cortana schedules an event-based reminder. He then asks both virtual assistants to remind him to buy roses the next time he comes near a flower shop, for which Cortana again schedules a reminder. Siri is unable to complete either of these tasks, as event-based reminders are still not part of Siri’s vast feature list.

Cortana’s voice interations are better than Siri and Google Now

Lastly, Cortana automatically provides the narrator with a traffic update, prompting him to leave if he wants to reach his destination on time. Again, Siri lacks this kind of functionality.

Siri ends the video by saying “Now that’s a real smartphone”. Ouch.

Microsoft will be introducing Cortana along with their Windows Phone 8.1 update. While it has been years since Apple and Google introduced their Siri and Google Now offerings respectively, Microsoft believes Cortana has some major advantages over the two. Microsoft also said this when they were releasing the Zune, hopefully Cortana would help Microsoft correct that error.

Microsoft says it has designed Cortana to feel more human-like than Google Now or Siri. It is currently the only virtual assistant that allows you to set reminders based on phone calls. A real human like interaction is possible with Cortana and Microsoft believes it is their biggest advantage over the two rivals.

Microsoft is clearly doing a good job building hype around the release of their latest Windows Phone 8.1 update. But is Cortana really better than Siri? Well, you be the judge of that.

By Pranav Arora

July 29, 2014
Panasonic Set to Launch the Eluga Series in India

Panasonic India are all set to launch their Eluga series of smartphones in the country. After a lot of teasing, the company has finally sent out invites for the launch event scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the 30th of July.

It is unclear whether the launch will include any new set of smartphones, or if Panasonic are only reviving the Eluga series that they launched in the European market in 2012. That series included the Eluga DL1 and the Eluga Power. It was later discontinued due to poor response. It is rumoured that this series will include a better chipset (SoC), and a higher quality display.

The company is currently promoting their latest P and T series of smartphones in India. Only last week, the company unleashed a trio of dual-sim smartphones – Panasonic T41, P41 and P61, priced at Rs. 7,990, Rs. 11,990 and Rs. 14,990 respectively.

The T41 features a 4.5” IPS display, with 512MB ram and 4GB inbuilt storage. The P41 features a 5” IPS display, 1GB ram, and 8GB inbuilt storage. Lastly, the P61 features a 6” IPS display, 1GB ram, and 16GB inbuilt storage. All three run on a quad core processor clocked at 1.3GHz.

The invite describes the Eluga series as “Elegance for a new generation”, which doesn’t give us any hint as to what segment Panasonic will be targeting with it. However, if the smartphones are decently specced and reasonably priced, Panasonic could have a winner on its hands. They could steal some valuable market share from renowned competitors at the reasonably priced range. We expect more than one smartphone to be revealed, so they may even target different sections with different markets.

By Pranav Arora

July 29, 2014
Xiaomi Issues MiUi Update to fix some Mi3 Issues

Xiaomi seems to be pumped up about its new Mi3 sales in India, and the company is hell bent on proving that they are here to stay. The new MiUi update comes just days after the initial batch of phones were sold in India. This update addresses some of the crashing issues that people have been facing, along with other bug fixes and add ons.

The new MiUi update adds a new “saver” feature in data usage, which will allow users to possibly save on data costs. The MiUi update also adds a new version of Block and optimises the online music page.

The file is 592 MB in size and will essentially do a software re-flash, so is recommended that you back up your data before you proceed.

The Xiaomi Mi3 competes with the flagships for a price that is considered lower than mid range. The Mi3 is powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset and features a 1920 x 1080p display, has a 3050 mAh battery and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. MiUi comes on top of Android 4.4 Kitkat and hopeful the company will issue the next version of Android, currently known as Android L.

For more details on the Mi3, read our review here.

July 27, 2014
OS X Yosemite Public Beta Released, Here’s How You Can Get it

Apple first showcased their latest version of Mac OS, labeled OS X Yosemite, earlier this year at WWDC. It featured a completely redesigned user interface and better OS X to iOS integration. A lot of users have been waiting patiently to get their hands on it ever since. While developers have had access to the all new versions of Mac OS X ever since the announcement, Apple are finally allowing the general public to get a taste of Yosemite starting Thursday, 24th July.

To know about its various new features and their functionalities, follow this link to read more.

So here’s how it works. All users who signed up with their Apple ID on the beta program website (its still not too late to do so) will get an email with a link and an activation code which will allow them to download the latest build.

Users should keep in mind that this beta build, while fairly stable, might (and will) still contain bugs and errors. Apple clearly states that the software is still in development, which means some applications and services might not function properly. Also, some of those awesome new features require an iOS 8 device, which is not part of the program. The beta version has a built-in Feedback Assistant application, if users want to report any bugs or provide any feedback on the build as they’re using it.

Having the latest OS X Mavericks is a prerequisite for the installation of this build. We also recommend that you first back up your Mac using Time Machine before installing this build. Also, if you have a secondary Mac, you should install the beta onto that, rather than risking your primary machine.

Now, if at any stage, users feel that they do not want to be part of the program, Apple will also give instructions to revert back to OS X Mavericks. So, if you just can’t wait till Apple officially releases the latest Mac OS X this fall, hit this link.

By Pranav Arora

July 25, 2014
Unlock Your Motorola Device With A ‘Digital Tattoo’

This is what we love about wearable technology. They keep on trying to simplify your life even further. This time it’s Motorola’s turn, and they have teamed up with a company called VivaLnk to create a ‘digital tattoo’ that unlocks your phone when you simply tap the phone against it. Yes, it’s that simple.

Tap on the tattoo to unlock your phone without a password

Now Motorola says that an average user unlocks their device 39 times a day. Out of these, 50% find punching in their password/PIN too cumbersome, leaving their data and personal information exposed to theft and other malpractice. This was why they introduced the Motorola Skip last year. The Skip is a small clip that attached to any of your clothing, and unlocked your Moto X with a simple tap. The concept was simple, and it saved the user from the annoyance of typing in the password every time they wanted to use their phone. This ‘digital tattoo’ aims to take it a step further, using the same technology in an even simpler form.

The tattoo, as was the case with the Motorola Skip, uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to interact with your smartphone. The device recognizes it within a second, and forgoes the password entering stage to unlock your smartphone.

So basically put, the ‘digital tattoo’ is an ultra-thin NFC circuit, wrapped up in medical grade 3M adhesive that won’t harm your skin. It is also water resistant, and should be able to survive showers and exercise routines just fine.

A 10 piece pack comes with at a price of $10.

While the $10 asking price for 10 such tattoos sounds like a fair bargain, prospective buyers should keep in mind that a single piece would last you only 5 days on a stretch, so that 10 piece pack optimally lasts you around a month and a half.

Another catch is that the tattoo currently works only with the Moto X. That is understandable, because every niche product is first tested with a limited customer base. If you’ve got any other phone, you’re going to have to wait, and still waste all of 2.3 seconds fumbling in your password each time you want to use your phone.

By Pranav Arora

July 23, 2014
Microsoft Launches Interactive Website For Windows 8.1 Newbies

Windows Phone a bit too confusing for you? Well, in hopes to encourage and increase users, Microsoft has created a new ‘How To’ website for newbies that will teach them tricks to master each and every aspect of its newly released Windows Phone 8.1 software.

This step-by-step guide by Microsoft shows and explains the basic things that Windows Phone is capable of doing. Microsoft has compiled a well thought out and extensive list of all the things a regular user might want to do on his/her Windows Phone and provides the shortest way to complete that task.

It bears a simple design with a list of actions organized neatly into different categories, and a large Windows Phone device (funnily, a Nokia) performing the selected action on the side. The list includes a vast array of operations that users can perform on their phone, like personalizing your home screen, making calls, playing games, working on Microsoft Office, taking pictures, searching for places, protecting personal information, and even using the latest and most awaited feature of Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana. Yes, the site also includes demonstrations of Windows Phone’s own little personal assistant that is soon going to make it’s first appearance worldwide.

This is a pretty good move, as Nokia has just pushed out the Lumia Cyan update for it’s Lumia devices, and Microsoft is almost ready to release Windows Phone 8.1 to a majority of Windows Phone devices. It will also help build up some hype for the release.

Now some of you may feel that they are a bit late to release a ‘How To’ website for an OS that is nearly four years of age, but better late than never right? So for all those users out there who need help completing a normal task on their phone, or those who are just curious as to what all Windows Phone is capable of doing, we encourage you to check out the website.

By: Pranav Aroma

July 21, 2014