It seems like Motorola means business these days. The company recently launched the 2nd gen of their blockbuster smartphones, Moto G and Moto X. Now, according to new reports, the company is rolling up its sleeves for a bigger and better device for Google’s new Nexus device.
Motorola is said to be preparing a device codenamed “Shamu” that will serve as Google’s next Nexus phone. The new device is said to be a super-sized, more powerful version of the Moto X. The exact name of Google’s next Android flagship isn’t yet clear; some expect it to be called the Nexus 6, others claim it will be known as the Nexus X.
While there are a lot photos or videos leaked regarding the new Nexus device, the reports illustrate that the appearance of the device is basically going to be a scaled up 2nd generation Moto X with some minor tweaks to make the larger size easier to use.
It’ll have the same aluminum frame, and the company has apparently relocated the phone’s lock and volume buttons down to make them more reachable. In terms of innards, Motorola has packed a QHD display, a Snapdragon 805 processor, and 3GB of RAM into next Nexus device.
It is also said that the Android L OS upgrade will debut along with this device. Google is making some major design changes to Android’s look and feel, and introducing significant improvements to multitasking and notifications. The reports added that the device is likely to launch in November, with an unveiling coming next month. Along with that, Motorola will also be rolling out the smaller 5.2 inch version as well.
With the Xiaomi fever slowly subsiding and people looking back at major manufacturers, Samsung seems ready to give the Indian market some serious consideration. The company is expected to launch the recently unveiled Galaxy Alpha in India on the 27th of September.
Samsung sent out an invite claiming they would be launching “Next Generation Stylephone.” It is assumed that the phone is Galaxy Alpha that Samsung released in the international markets in August. The phone is a metal-bodied device, a rarity in Samsung’s line-up of products.
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 Alpha gets its juice from an 1860 mAh battery. The phone runs Android Kitkat 4.4.4 out of the box.
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. We’ll have to wait till the 27th to see what Samsung is really cooking.
Even though wearables have caused a lot of excitement in the tech scene, there has been barely any competition matching up to Google Glass. And it has been a year since Google Glass was launched. Now Sony will soon launch a device in the market that would be competing with the Google Glass headset.
Sony’s new SmartEyeGlass was first shown off back in January at CES 2014. The device aims to be as versatile as Glass while bettering it in some respects as well. However, Sony has made quite a few changes in the device.
There’s an accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, ambient light sensor, and a 3-megapixel camera. And what sets it apart from the Google Glass is that it comes with a wire connecting it to an external battery pack equipped with an extra touch sensor and microphone.
Sony has released the software development kit (SDK) for SmartEyeGlass yesterday for developers. The company also promised to have hardware kits available for developers to buy by the end of March. Apart from the battery set up the key difference between this heads-up display and Glass is that Sony uses a green monochrome display to overlay information atop the user’s general view.
The Google Glass rival will work in sync with compatible Android smartphones to provide the users with notifications and other useful information like navigation directions.
Apple is rolling out the new iOS 8 update tonight and the iPhone 6 devices are all prepped to be shipped. According to The Verge, the company appears to be expecting that a lot of people will be switching from Samsung, HTC, and other devices to their new iPhone.
To help users switch from Android to Apple devices, the company has provided a handy guide for moving all your digital documents from Android to an iOS device. The guide explains how Android users can transfer their important data including contacts, pictures, music, documents, and calendars from their old device to their new one.
It is said that users can move information over through iTunes and iCloud. However, it seems that the company hasn’t come up with any tools moving data between operating systems. The company also pointed out user ‘probably’ find the apps they like, but they’ll need to head to the Apple’s App Store and find them on their own.
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.
So, we have waited long for the Android One devices. The phones were announced at the Google I/O this year, and they are finally here for the world to see. Today Google launched the three phones that it had announced previously.
The Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V And Spice Dream Uno is the trio that will begin the big Android One experiment. The phones are presently only available online and will be in stores from next month. They went on sale at 3.30PM today.
Canvas win has a recognizable camera design which is the best amongst competitors
As mentioned earlier, Android One is Google providing standard specifications to OEM’s so that they can provide those features to low-cost devices directly. These devices come with the latest Android operating system, i.e., KitKat 4.4. They all have similar specs and are different only in the way they are designed. Out of these three devices, Micromax gets the pole position on the designing front. The Canvas A1 has a beautiful wooden-like platform for the main camera on the back of the device.
Karbonn Sparkle V comes in many color options.
All these devices have a 4.5 inch FWVGA (854 x 480 Pixels) displays and are powered by a 1700 mAh battery. The processor on the devices is a MediaTek SoC with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and Mali 400 GPU paired with 1GB of RAM. On the back, the devices have a 5 MP camera with LED Flash. For selfie convenience, the phone provides a 2 MP camera.
It can be observed that the specifications on these devices seem limited in comparison to devices like the Moto E and the Redmi 1S. The advantage these devices have is automatic updates from Google, which keep them up-to-date. This can be a great device for people wanting a stock Android experience.
The companies have chosen different online retail partners for their devices. While Micromax chose Amazon as their exclusive Android One partner, Spice and Karbonn chose Flipkart and Snapdeal respectively. You can expect some competition amongst these e-tail giants too.
This is just the beginning for Android One. Google plans to involve new partners. It has announced that Acer, Alcatel, ASUS, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic and Xolo will soon be launching smartphones under the Android One program.
These phones are pocket friendly and will encourage others to make similar devices
On the price front, the Karbonn Sparkle V is priced at Rs.6399. The Micromax Canvas gets a price tag of Rs. 6499, while the Spice Dream Uno is the cheapest with a tag of Rs. 6299.
As expected, the phones come with 6-month free update and app download package from Airtel. In a press statement, the Chief Product Officer of Bharti Airtel, Anand Chandrasekaran said, “Android One customers on Airtel will be able to stay updated on the latest Android version and update all their apps at no additional data charges. Customers can enjoy 100 MB of data per month for 6 months for software updates and 200 MB per month for 6 months for app downloads and updates on the first prepaid active Airtel SIM inserted in the Android One device.”
The phones come with 6 month data plans from Airtel
Overall, the Android One line of devices seem like Google’s direct link to the lower-end consumers. The biggest issue with Android platform is high levels of fragmentation, devices running older versions of the OS are still available for sale in the market. With the lessons learnt by this initiative, the Android team may be able to provide a better integration of its OS across devices.
It will be interesting to see how this experiment pans out in India as Google intends to expand the initiative to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014. It also plans to take to more countries in 2015. It seems the end of woes of lower-end Android customers is close to being over.
Google has unveiled the first Android One phone in India. The phone will come from the Indian Phone company, Karbonn and will be called the Sparkle V.
The Karbonn Sparkle V is a Dual Sim phone. It comes with Android Kitkat 4.4 out of the box. It has a 4.5 inch FWVGA (480×854) display. The device carries 1 GB RAM and is powered by a 1700 mAh battery.
The internal memory on the device is 4 GB and is expandable up to 32 GB. Sparkle V has a 5 Megapixel camera on the back and a 2 MP camera on the front. It also comes with sensors such as G-Sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor, E-Compass and Gyro Sensor.
The phone is future proof as it will automatically update to the next available version of operating system. The makers claim that the phone is capable of handling HD games and provides smooth multi-tasking ability. The phone offers users a variety of applications and features which are pre-loaded in the phone.
Android One is an initiative by Google to bring a standard Android experience across all Android devices. They want to decrease the burden of R&D on small smartphone companies by providing them with standard hardware options for their devices.
Google has been bringing its devices in partnership with various companies. For its Nexus lineup of devices Google had partnered with the likes of Samsung, LG, Asus and others. Now for its affordable line-up of devices the company will be partnering with some prominent Indian brands such as Micromax, Karbon and Spice. But how does this matter to the average smartphone buyer? Well, here is how.
1. Quality Control
Through this project Google can make sure the end customer is getting the same experience that it had intended. The phones will be marketed at a price of Rs.6000 but will not be light on features as it will have Google approved hardware.
2. Specifications
The phones are expected to feature the standard set of features such dual-core chip, 5MP camera, removable SD card, 4.5 inch display and Media Tek processor. Further specs will be cleared after the launch.
3. Full Android Experience
Services such as Google Play are absent from some low-cost devices which make it hard for users to get access to important services. With Android One, this problem goes out of the window. Google will ensure full functionality of these devices.
4. Updates
Android updates are a giant pain. The large variation of devices makes it difficult to provide updates for each specific phone. The Android One phones are expected to get regular updates. The updates will help fix various bugs that diminished the performance of the devices over time.
5. Free Data Services
Google says that it has partnered with networks to provide free access to updates. It means that the users wouldn’t have to wait for access to Wi-Fi hotspots to get system updates. How this works, would be made clear at the launch.
If the Android One devices are successful, Google will be able to easily maintain its lead in the mobile OS game. Android has already percolated to various devices. Google can concentrate on making Android more desirable on device apart from smartphones, thereby giving a standard, recognizable operating system that will bring an ease in dealing with multiple devices.
There is a lot hanging on the success of Android One. The initiative has already attracted a lot of attention from the competitors. The launch today will clear if Google’s latest experiment is appreciable or just a marketing gimmick. Keep checking this spot for more.
Google will uncover the first of its series of budget smartphones under the much anticipated Android One today. This initiative gives a key set of references for hardwares to help phone manufacturers make minimal cost smartphones. The phones will be unveiled by Sundar Pichai, Google’s SVP of Android, Chrome & Apps in New Delhi.
Google is expected to launch a range of Android One smartphones, mostly priced under Rs 6,000, via domestic online stores. These have been developed in partnership with local mobile phone manufacturers such as Micromax, Karbonn and Spice. These smartphones are expected to be loaded with top-end features such as dual core chip, 5 MP camera and 4.5-inch display.
Indian tech market has been ruled by budget friendly and value for money devices. The company first unveiled the Android one initiative in June this year at Google’s annual I/O conference as a move to take the platform to markets where low-priced phones with fewer features and less memory are in high demand.
By modifying the working framework, some programming and packaging it with Google’s own service, its web search tool, Android One will help scale up the business for Google.
Android One is tipped to be a game changer in the smartphone market, delivering a better experience to users. The race to make the least expensive smartphone pressed with specs is just going to get bigger as more companies are looking at the budget segment of the Indian market.
Google’s Play Store return policy is one of the best feature the company provides. It has been appreciated by Android community a great deal. The service offers you the option of returning an app you’ve just paid for and downloaded. You can do this by simply heading back into the Google’s store, hit the refund tab, and you’re done.
Obviously, there is a time limit for the refund policy which has been fluctuating since it started because of the reluctant developers who were worried about the loss. Earlier, when the service started Google offered 24 hours to initiate a refund which was bit extreme according to the developers. Then the company pulled down the timeframe to 15 mins where it stood until now.
Google has once again changed its refund policy and increased the return window to a fair 2 hours timeframe. The new 2-hour window strikes a happy medium between the old 24 hours options, giving you a decent length of time to try out an app but not so much that you’d be able to fully utilize an app or finish a game and then return it.
Windows Phone lets willing developers give users a trial period for apps before purchase but mostly you don’t get to play with all the features of the app which defeats the point all together. Apple’s App store in comparison, offers no refund or trial options for the apps and games. Guess it’s time to get apps from Google directly instead of looking for APK files from untrustworthy websites.
The Smartwatch market is heating up with the big brand such as Samsung, LG, Motorola and Asus bringing their versions of the wearable. Now using the open source awesomeness of the Android Wear operating system an indiegogo campaign is trying to bring its version of a powerful smartwatch. The Com1 has some competitive specs, and it can actually pose some serious challenge to its competition.
The Com1 has a squared clock face and as mentioned earlier is powered by the Android Wear OS. It gets its processing might from a 1GHz XBurst-based Ingenic JZ4775 processor. It has a Dedicated 2D graphics engine and is capable of playing 720p videos at 30 fps.
The Smartwatch also has massive 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC internal storage. It also offers a wide array of connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM and NFC.
The display on the device is a LED Backlit, 1.6,” 240 x 240 TFT LCD screen. It also has multiple sensors including 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer with pressure, humidity and temperature sensors.It has a thickness of just 8mm.
The Com1 is IP67 certified
Like the Moto 360, Com1 comes with IP67 rating that certifies its water resistance. With this, you can go ahead with your daily tasks without worrying about the complicated electronics on your wrists getting affected by random splashes of water. It is waterproof up to 1m of water.
The Com1 has a 400 mAh Battery that the company claims will last for two days. It can be charged using the USB port on the watch.
There are multiple strap options to choose from.
To make the device more appealing to varied ages the makers also provide a selection of watch straps. The options available are; Black, White Brown Leather and Stainless Steel Strap. This will surely sweeten the deal for a person going on a lookout for a Smartwatch.
Google Now works on the device and so does all the Android Wear apps, after all it has some great RAM under the hood. The usual apps such as Music, Maps, Fitness, Hangouts, Google Keep and Calendar work automatically on the device.
These stylish devices can pose some serious threat to the big brand devices.
Overall this device does deserve a chance. If you are as impressed with the device as we are, you can pledge to the project at Indiegogo. With 28 days left, the company has got 6% of its required pledges. The company’s stretch goals of $80000 would bring Moto 360 like wireless charging on this device. With all the good specs and design features, the smartwatch is one of the cheapest out there. The company is giving out the early bird pledges at $125, and its most expensive watch costs $170 which is fairly cheap for what it offers. It will be shipped out in January 2015.
We hope to see this succeed to see some real competition to the giants. Devices like these will encourage the big name brands to make their devices better, so it will be a win-win for all. In its present state, the Com1 does show the potential of becoming the OnePlus One of the smartwatch market. We’ll know in 28 days if the hard work of the developers is realized.
Fiction has influenced technology many a time. Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea inspired the invention of Submarines that opened a whole new world to us which was previously hidden in deep waters. Recently Captain Kirk’s handheld communicator from Star Trek inspired the Mobile Phones, which have completely changed the way we communicate.
Now Motorola has something in its kitty that promises to give you the feel of actually interacting with your phone without the need of any physical interface. This seems as if inspired by Spike Jones’ ‘Her’. The device in question is the Moto Hint. It even looks like a more practical version of the device that the protagonist wore to interact with Samantha (the AI assistant.)
The Moto Hint looks like a practical version of the device from the movie Her
The Moto Hint is a peanut-sized Bluetooth headset that lets you do a lot more than what a usual Bluetooth hands-free device does. Perhaps this is the reason folks at Motorola prefer to call it wireless earbud or an “earable,” which doesn’t really sound appealing to the ears. The Hint does, in fact, give a hint of what the future of wearable headsets is going to look like.
Using the Moto Hint you can literally control the most important features of a smartphone using just your voice. You can read and write messages, get navigation assistance, post on social media and much more. Motorola has the distinction of superior voice interaction on its devices starting with the previous generation Moto X. The new Moto X takes that ability further and brings in custom phrasing that lets you make your own custom phrase instead of the usual ‘OK Google’ phrase on Android.
Moto hint offers 3.3 hours of battery back-up that is good for a start. It is compatible with any Bluetooth enabled phone. A sensor on the device detects when it is in the ear and it automatically powers on. Now as it’s powered through Google, it will still just reply to the query. Hopefully, Motorola will bring an anthropomorphized voice assistant like the Cortana and Siri to make it feel like a two-way interaction.
This device will also rekindle the Bluetooth era that had just recently lost steam. If the Moto Hint works as it’s advertised, we will again have people all around us who seem like they’re talking to us but they’re actually posting a twitter update. Hopefully using hashtags vocally will make them realize how stupid they sound, and that will bring them back to the typing interface. The Moto Hint still deserves a chance for its innovation, and we’ll wait for it to come to our shores. The Moto Hint is priced at $149.99 (roughly Rs. 9,000), while its powerbank, the Power Pack Micro is available for $39.99 (roughly Rs. 2,400).
Samsung has brought out a slew of devices at IFA Berlin this year. The major ones of course were the Galaxy Note 4, the Note Edge, Gear S and the Gear VR, but apart from these there are also some other innovative products brought by the company. One of them is an Android powered printer.
Printers have come a long way, but they still have the usual connectivity issues. In the age of mobility and instant access we don’t want to deal with the whole PC to printer connectivity scenario. This is where Samsung’s Smart MultiXpress printers come in handy.
Samsung has released 10 Smart MultiXpress models, and these are designed to work without being setup through a PC. They have a 10.1 inch touchscreen to help you navigate through the printer. You can search and print documents from web browsers, emails, maps, images and other types of content.
The 10.1 inch display will let your print documents from the web.
These printers are compatible with Samsung Cloud Print and Samsung’s XOA printing platform. To add even more convenience, the printers are also NFC available. You can easily print your documents remotely.
According to Samsung, the printers are will make business’s more efficient and productive. These devices have faster processors to speed up the printing process. Samsung claims they also offer longer lasting toner and drum technologies thereby bringing down the maintenance costs of running them.
So if you are working in one of those offices which have regular printer issues, Samsung’s Smart MultiXpress Series MFP printers might be the solution you were looking for.
Samsung pulled off a big show yesterday and introduced its star flagship, the Note 4. The device comes with an updated design with a metal frame and sleeker design. It also brings the device in the 2K display race. Along with Samsung came Sony, who brought the Xperia Z3 along with some innovative devices.
So we decided to check out how these new flagships standup against the best flagship performers of this year. We are pitching the Note 4 and the Xperia Z3 against Oneplus One, Xiaomi Mi 3 and the metal-bodied awesomeness of the HTC One M8. Let’s see how they stand up against each other.
Looking at the specs, Note 4 shows the might to take on its competition. It is one mammoth of a device in terms of functionality and is unmatched by any other device in the market. Coming out with just one storage variant of 32 GB is an advantage for the Note 4. It makes no secret that it is a premium device and will be priced as such.
It is expected to come around the first week of October and we can’t wait to get our hands on this package of goodness.
HTC has had a good year. With the success of HTC One M8 and the Desire line-up, things are looking good for the company. Now HTC is about to bring another phone is its Desire line-up called the Desire 820. The phone was announced at the ongoing IFA event.
The phone is a looker and comes with a bold two-tone color scheme that makes the device standout. Even the HTC logo on the back gets a different color treatment for each phone color option. The device is made in a unibody, polycarbonate casing that HTC defines as its “double shot color technology.” The color scheme surely has a youthful appeal and is pleasing to the eyes.
Like the Desire 816 before it, the Desire 820 comes with a 5.5 inch 720p HD screen. The new phone will be one of the first phones to come with a 64 bit Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset. The processor runs on two quad-core chips of 1.5GHz and 1.0GHz. It comes with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage.
The Colors and powerful front camera makes the Desire 820 a youth friendly device.
The main camera on the device is a 13 MP shooter with f/2.2 aperture. Now the shining glory of this phone is the front camera, it packs an 8 MP camera on the front. This can be a selfie hogs’ favorite toy. Unless, of course, you got the money to enjoy the superior selfie and weefie capabilities that were showcased last night on the Note 4.
The device is powered through a 2600 mAh battery. HTC says that the phone will be updated with Android L when it comes out. HTC has been one of the first companies to promise the Android L upgrades for most of its devices. It will also hold HTC’s Dual Boomsound front facing speakers. It will also have its version of the dot view case.
The Desire 820 will come to the markets by the end of September and will be available in glossy and matte colors. This is one colorful treat, and if priced right, it can prove to be some serious competition for others.
IFA is expected to go big on the wearable category. Just like Samsung, LG, Motorola and others, Sony has launch two wearable devices – Sony Smartwatch 3 and SmartBand Talk.
Unlike earlier versions, Sony Smartwatch 3 is based on the Google’s Android Wear. The device sports 1.6-inch 320 x 320 LCD display. It runs on 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and 420mAh battery. And also, following the Sony’s waterproof obsession he SmartWatch 3 comes with IP68 waterproof and dustproof certification.
The company didn’t revealed any pricing details, however, it is expected to be priced around $300 ith an additional watchband priced at $30 per band.
The company announced another wearable, called SmartBand Talk. The company described it as a “powerful lifelogging wearable, with intuitive features” that will cost $200 later this year. The device can run 3 day on a single charge and have built in microphone and loud speaker.
The device lets users record various fitness and health-related activities, while also supporting voice calls when paired with a smartphone. The SmartBand Talk has a 1.4-inch e-ink display, 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 processor, 2MB of internal flash memory, a 70mAh battery, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and microUSB support. The device is also IP68 certified, and is supposed to work with Android devices running KitKat or later courtesy the special Lifelog Android application.
