Category: Android

LG Optimus G Pro E988 / E985 Launched In India for Rs. 39900 (Hands-On)

LG might be enjoying the success of the Nexus 4 in India, and in order to retain that streak the company has launched the new LG Optimus G Pro E988 in India. The 5.5 inch smartphone from LG falls into the Galaxy Note 2 category of phone sans the stylus.The LG Optimus G Pro has a True Full HD IPS Plus LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels.

The Optimus G Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, which features a 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU and Adreno 320 GPU, a massive 3140 mAh battery and 2GB of RAM.

The LG Optimus G Pro has 16/32 GB storage options along with 64 GB expandability via microSD card. A 13 MP rear camera and a 2.1 MP front camera enable full HD video recording and LG was also the first to show off dual camera features with the LG Optimus G Pro, right before Samsung launched the S4 into the market.

“LG’s Optimus G Pro sets a new benchmark in the over 5-inch display smartphone category which is catching on with consumers everywhere who aren’t interested in owning both a phone and a tablet,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Asian customers are leading many of today’s technology trends and we’re confident Optimus G Pro will find a large following in this region.”

The MRP of the Optimus G Pro is set at Rs. 42500, but the phone goes on sale in the country for a price of Rs. 39900. At this price the phone competes head to head with the likes of the Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the Galaxy Note 2, the three predominant Smartphones in this price range. The LG Optimus G Pro brings the Note 2 screen size and the S4 comparable performance in a single package. The LG Optimus G Pro also has a IR blaster and quick remote app to control your electronics.

Watch our old hands on of the LG Optimus Pro E985 below and stay tuned for an Unboxing and Hands on of the LG Optimus Pro E988.

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July 4, 2013
Bluebox Security Reveals That 99% Android Devices Have Major App Vulnerability

The company Bluebox security, has found a security hole in Android’s operating system. What’s even more scary about this news is the report states that this security hole has been around since Android 1.6 Donut. Apparently what can happen is malicious developers can change the APK of a legitimate company, without any breaks to its cryptographic signature. This basically means that if an app is hacked on Android, the user would not know and could be entering their information and sending it to the malicious hackers unknowingly.

Android apps (packaged as an “APK”) are signed with an encryption key (just like iOS apps) to prevent a malicious party from changing the code. Signed apps are expressly designed to enable the system to detect any tampering or modification.

Since verified apps are granted complete access to the Android system and all applications on a phone, the security weakness is potentially huge, although it remains theoretical since it is unclear how malicious apps and updates would be served to users.

Apps listed on the Google Play store are immune from this tampering, so a hacker would need to lure a user into downloading a malicious version of an app in other ways, perhaps via a third-party app store or fake app links. A phishing email with a link to a fake update for a popular app, for example, might generate some downloads.

If Google has not done anything up to this point, it makes you wonder if they taking this security issue as seriously as they should. Smartphone malware is becoming a huge problem and in order to prevent threats, the security companies along with the OS developers must work together, to stop this ongoing threat.

As SlashGear reports, according to Bluebox, it informed Google of this Android vulnerability in February of this year. To take care of the issue, every device manufacturer will need to create a patch and roll it out to its users, who will then need to install it. The security firm says it will release “tools/material” and more info about this vulnerability during Blackhat USA 2013, which takes place later this month.

[Via]

July 4, 2013
HTC One S Will Not Get Android 4.2 Or Sense 5 Update

The lightweight aluminum construction, distinct design, blazing performance and somewhat affordable price combined to make a mid-range device that was in many ways more desirable and accessible than the One X, the HTC One S didn’t reach the level of success that HTC expected.

Both the HTC One S and One X began their lives with the same Android 4.0.3 software running Sense 4.0. But, as flagship products tend to, the One X got more love from the Taiwanese manufacturer, while the middle child played second fiddle, receiving sporadic updates that finally petered out.

While the HTC One S was updated to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean beginning in February, the company has decided that it will not be updated to Android 4.2 like its One X counterpart.

We can confirm that the HTC One S will not receive further Android OS updates and will remain on the current version of Android and HTC Sense. We realize this news will be met with disappointment by some, but our customers should feel confident that we have designed the HTC One S to be optimized with our amazing camera and audio experiences.

Yes, HTC, this will be met with disappointment. There is no reason whatsoever the One S should be cast aside while the One X should continue to thrive.

Not only is the HTC One S still a solid handset in its own right, but we can also imagine that the device will receive further updates going forward via custom ROMs from the developer community. After all, if the HTC G1 can rock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in any facet, you can bet that the HTC One S will be in good hands.

Any HTC One S owners looking to flash a custom ROM going forward or are you happy with it as it is?

July 3, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 Review – iGyaan
Samsung in the recent times has bombarded the market with phones of all sizes, but mostly of the same shape. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a blown up Galaxy Grand and it appears to behave in a similar manner. Lets see if the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is really the value for money smartphone that Samsung claims it to be.

Build Quality and Design

[pullquote_left]It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.[/pullquote_left]

The Galaxy Mega will remind you of every other Samsung phone till date, maybe even many other Samsung phones to come. Built with the same plastic as seen on many-a-Samsung device, the Galaxy Grand fails to impress. First impression of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will show you either a larger S4, a Galaxy Grand, or a slightly different Note 2, so for innovative new design points; Samsung gets a big zero.

The problem with the design is that despite being old, it still works. People still love the shape and the handleability of the phone, and the first look creates a instant connect with the brand, making this design an identifier, or even a statement for some.

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Hardware

Samsung has truly disappointed us with the hardware on the Galaxy Mega 5.8, not that it is really old, considering that the Galaxy Grand was launched in February 2013. Today a few months is as good as a year, even more if you compare it to 2 years ago. The Broadcom chipset still holds its ground and the benchmark performance is not all that bad, the CPU is Dual-core clocked at 1.4 GHz. The Galaxy Mega adds a bit of RAM to reach the 1.5 GB mark and retains the 8 GB capacity. The cameras are also a stark reminder with the 8 MP main and the 1.9 MP secondary. What is different is the large 5.8 inch capacitive touch screen, with its 540 x 960 px resolution gives a bare 190 ppi, which on parer sounds really low for today. The display however is great and we will explain that in the next segment.

The Battery on the Mega 5.8 is a 2600 mAh cell and for some reason it seems Samsung has managed to manage it quite well, there is a significant improvement in battery life.

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Display and Multimedia

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 as the name suggests has a Mega display, a 5.8 inch smartphone is not really a divine though. In the early days the idea was to make phones smaller and more compact. Today as smartphones begin to replace basic forms of computing screens are getting bigger and bigger. The Galaxy Mega’s 5.8 inch display is still smaller than its 6.3 inch sibling, but is quite an interesting display. For one, it does not appear to be much larger than the Note 2 thanks to the design strategy employed by Samsung. The display is also bright and crisp despite its low ppi. This may be because of sheer size of the screen, you tend to hold it further than you would a traditional smartphone, say 3.5-4.5 inch. The screen however uses what Samsung calls a “display enhancement engine” that reduces the noise and pixellation on the display as it does in their televisions, this seems to work well on the Mega 5.8.

The speakerphone on the Mega is fantastic, it is really loud, but not in a painfully distorted way, it sounds good through videos, music and even games. It does not however compete with HTC One’s Boomsound which has a more direct sound delivery approach. The sheer size of the screen makes consuming media enjoyable and almost stress free, and the chipset is more than capable of handling HD video playback and streaming.

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Camera and Interface

The camera app on the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 has been brought down from the Galaxy S4 which is initially inspired from the Galaxy Camera. With multiple shooting modes the camera app gives a lot of versatility to the user. Interesting shooting modes like “Best Photo”, “Best Face” and “Sound and Shot” worked really well on the S4, and they work just as great on the Galaxy Mega 5.8 .

Video is captured at Full HD and employs anti-shake if you need it from the main UI, the front camera however- captures 720p video. You can also add some effects to your pictures in the Auto Mode.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 runs on Android 4.2.2 and slaps on a large lump of their popular Touchwiz UI. The interface brings many elements to make this device larger than life. For starters you have smart features, Smart Stay : Keeps your display on as long as you stare at the device. You do have motion gestures ; Screenshots by a palm swipe and muting the device by simply moving your hand on top of the phone.

[pullquote_left]E.T. fingers are a must[/pullquote_left]

The old elements of the TouchWiz UI are intact too, with features like Direct call (lift the phone from within a message to call), Smart Alert, tilting to zoom into pictures or gallery. Pan device to move the Icons or browse a zoomed in Image and even Flipping the device to Mute or pause.

The One handed use feature borrowed from the Galaxy Note 2, makes it slightly easier to dial on the Galaxy Mega 5.8, and also use the calculator. What we find funnily missing however is this feature in the main keyboard. You simply cannot use the keyboard with the same hand you are holding the phone with, unless you have gigantic E.T. fingers.

The Touchwiz UI adds more to the experience, a nice notification panel with scrollable toggles, a task manger and even “S-Voice” (Samsung’s long ignored voice assistant). Samsung often ignores required features in these phones, for example a phone of this size would do wonderfully well as a remote, but since the hardware is absent there is really no point.

Phone, Networks and Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a dual sim smartphone (micro Sim), while the technology to have two sim cards running in the same device may exist, Samsung chooses to not employ it in their latest iteration of the big phone. Phone call handling is easy and simple, and once you get the hang of it you become a master of the device.

The network is solid and we faced almost zero to none dropped calls. We saw a frequent full signal bar, whether in software or in reality the network performance on the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is excellent. Voice is clear through and through, and while both ends of the phone call get clear and crisp audio streams. The speakerphone also keeps up with its name and is sufficiently loud for hands free voice calls.

Battery life is great on the Galaxy Mega and despite the fact that it has a mere 200 mAh increase from the Galaxy Grand’s 2400 mAh, and taking into consideration the increase in display size, the battery performance is far superior.
Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is no magical innovation and does not really create a wow statement, except probably “Wow its Big!”, which actually may be good enough for a lot of people. The blown up version of the Galaxy Grand actually improves on many things, including a larger yet better display, an improved battery life and a great camera. The price difference however seems a bit much for these.

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a phone that might as well be the next big thing, but, the problem here may be that its just too big to be an everyday phone. All size judgements aside Samsung has really managed to increase their portfolio across different price segments, but here a Galaxy S3 for Rs. 27,000 seems a lot more promising and portable. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 also does not have multi-window a feature which now comes out of the box on the Galaxy S3.

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July 2, 2013
Skype For Android Gets New Design

Skype has pushed out a major redesign of their Android app today – now looking very Metro, or what their design team is calling a “modern design.” Updated to version 4.0, the app was completely rebuilt and is ’faster and more reliable,’ aiming for improved stability, performance, and loading times. Key to this version is the focus on conversations and having the ability to quickly access your contacts and video calling.

Earlier versions of Skype for Android loaded a very simple screen at launch, with big buttons for Contacts, recent messages, a dialer, and your profile.

With Skype 4.0, you get more information right away by taking you straight to your Recent view. You can swipe to move to People or Favorite tabs, and you can tap a dialer button from any screen to launch a voice or video call. The new app has also reportedly been rebuilt “from the ground up” to be more responsive.

There’s no word on when this redesign will come to iOS, but as for future upgrades to Android, Skype stated that “This release is just the beginning. We have more updates in the coming months and year ahead to make Skype for Android even more reliable, reachable, and mobile-friendly.” Skype for Android tablets will see an update “just around the corner.”

Skype for Android has recently crossed the 100 million user milestone.

July 2, 2013
Sony Xperia ZR Unboxing

The Sony Xperia ZR is a small brother of the Xperia Z with a major differences in design and hardware. The one thing that remains common is the water resistance and dust proof nature of the phone.

Inside the box of the Xperia ZR you will get the standard set of accessories, including a wall charger, the USB to micro USB cable and in ear headset along with documentation.

Xperia ZR Initial Impressions

The Xperia ZR is water resistant to the point where you can go swimming with it, but the build is slightly different than the Xperia Z. The back panel is made up of a rubber coating vs a glass back on the Xperia Z. The Xperia ZR has a 4.55 inch 1280 x 720p display which makes it 323 ppi .

The back of the Xperia ZR has a 13 MP camera, but it appears that the company held back with the front camera which is a VGA camera. The phone is also slightly thicker at 10.5 mm and also shorter thanks to the size of the display, which makes the overall device more compact and slightly more portable.

Sony has really gained popularity with its Xperia series thanks to the right mix of Hardware design and build quality and the Xperia ZR is not behind in this trend. Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064 1.5 GHz Quad core Krait chipset the phone also has the might Adreno 320 GPU. The whole mix is powered by a 2300 mAh battery and has 8 GB of storage along with 2GB of RAM.

You do have storage expandability in the Xperia ZR but only to 32GB vs the 64GB offered by many. Sony has also shipped this handset with Android 4.1.2 while many companies are now offering Android 4.2.2 out of the box.

Check out our images and video and stay tuned for the followup, iGyaan style.

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June 30, 2013
Micromax Canvas Lite A92 launched at Rs. 8499

While many are awaiting the new Micromax Canvas 4 A210, the company is not shy of releasing more handsets. Micromax has today launched the new A92 Canvas Lite for a price of Rs. 8499. The specifications of the Micromax Canvas Lite A92 match those of the original Canvas A100 with a 5 inch 480 x 800 px display, A Mediatek 6577 Dual Core 1 Ghz Chipset. The Micromax Canvas Lite A92 will also have 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD and 512 MB of RAM.

The Canvas Lite A92 also has the same set of cameras as seen on the Canvas A100, a 5 MP main shooter along with a front facing camera (0.3 MP). While the company has phased out the A100, this is a great way for the company to relaunch older hardware with a new name. For the price the specifications are quite okay, but considering that with a couple thousand more nowadays you can get a Quad Core chipset and a 720p display. Would you be interested in buying a Micromax Canvas Lite A92?

June 29, 2013
Report : Micromax Canvas 4 A210 to launch for Rs. 16,900

Although many websites are reporting that the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 will launch for upwards of 24 thousand Rupees, the truth is far from the rumors. Micromax is all set to officially announce and launch the Canvas 4 at an event being held on 8th of July. The event will showcase the product and will also announce official pricing. According to sources close to iGyaan, the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 will launch at a price under Rs. 20,000/-. While the market price will be Rs. 16,999/- at the beginning.

Micromax has also initiated this phone, with its key feature being a blow to unlock software, and a 5 MP camera in the front ensuring that the users have nothing to complain about lack of basic features. The main camera is a 13 MP autofocus camera and the back panel is glazed just like on Samsung Galaxy phones.

Micromax is also planning to launch the Canvas 4 A210 in White and Black colors, with a graphic texture back panel. The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is expected to be under 9 mm in thickness, where the 8.9mm standard may come into play. The 5 inch 1280 x 720 p display indicates that the phone will be at-least 144 mm high (5.67 inches ) and 76 mm wide (2.87 inches).

We will get you more details when available, and you can expect iGyaan style videos to follow suit.

June 29, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Core i8262 up for sale Rs 15,350, 4.3 inch Display, Dual Core and 1 GB RAM

Samsung India has put their upcoming Galaxy Core up for pre-order for a price of Rs. 15,350. But if you cant wait, you can head on over to any retailer and grab the phone for a price of Rs. 15,200 in both white and blue colors.

The phone features a lot of the usual features, but interestingly is only slightly cheaper than the Galaxy Grand Quattro which is priced at Rs.16300. The Samsung Galaxy Core features a dual core 1.2 GHz chipset with an unnamed GPU (we are inclined towards the Broadcom chipset), owners will get 8 GB storage, 1 GB RAM and a set of cameras, including a 5 MP main snapper and a VGA front facing shooter.

A 4.3 inch WVGA display completes the front and a 1800 mAh battery with a claimed talk time of 8 Hours powers the handset. The Samsung Galaxy Core will come with Android 4.1 along with TouchWiz out of the box, where Samsung has also included the tradition set of features and apps, including the Social Hub, Smart Stay and Motion etc.

Samsung has recently become very aggressive with the market launching several phones each month. With the mega success of their Galaxy Grand series Samsung also launched the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3 to win over the “phablet market”. Samsung is said to announce over a hundred new handsets in 2013 with their major focus on mid range handsets.

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June 23, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 Unboxing and Hands on
Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 at an event in New Delhi, the phones building on the success of the Galaxy note and the Grand build on the success of Phone – Tablet hybrids in the market or better known as “phablets”. Priced at Rs. 25,999/ the Galaxy Mega 5.8 essentially is a bigger Galaxy Grand, but there is something slightly different about the phone.

Galaxy Mega 5.8 Box Contents

The Samsung Galaxy Mega comes with the standard list of Box contents;
Galaxy Mega 5.8 Initial Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a large device, but clearly is not as large as its big brother the Mega 6.3, next to the Galaxy S4 the Mega 5.8 simply dwarfs the current flagship from the Korean Manufacturer. The display is a 540 x 960 px capacitive touchscreen, and despite a lowly 190 ppi the screen is really sharp and great to look at. The screen is also extremely bright, fairly visible outdoors and has good viewing angles.

The Galaxy Mega features a dual core 1.4 GHz chipset which is the same chipset seen on the Galaxy Grand, which was pretty good at handling gaming on the smaller variant, but may not deliver on a larger screen with a higher resolution. The phone also has 8 GB storage and 1.5GB of RAM, along with expandability upto 64 GB via microSD.

The phone is also capable of handling two sim cards at the same time with Samsung’s new dual sim smart active mode with active forwarding to your numbers.

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 has dual cameras, an 8MP main shooter and a secondary 1.9 MP camera, both of which capture video at 1080p. The phone also comes with Android 4.2.2 out of the box slapped on with a generous dose of Touchwiz, with many of the UI elements inspired from the S4.

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 appears to be big but is easily handleable and is not that bigger than the Galaxy Note 2. The phone will fit into regular denim pockets, but may cause issues if you are one of those skinny fit lovers.

The UI seems fast and responsive and the handset seems to be holding up well, stay tuned for a barrage of videos iGyaan Style.

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June 23, 2013
Next Optimus G To Use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 Processor

LG’s next-generation Optimus G will take advantage of Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 800 silicon, according to a joint press release.

The upcoming chip promises speeds up to 75% faster than that of the Snapdragon S4 Pro, which the 2012 Optimus G was one of the first phones to integrate. Snapdragon 800 boasts four Krait 400 cores alongside a new Adreno 330 GPU, both of which are more than just incremental speed upgrades from the current flagship Snapdragon 600.

Anandtech recently took a look at Qualcomm’s Mobile Development Phone and Tablet equipped with the MSM8974 and found that the system-on-a-chip is not only faster than any current-generation ARM-based combo, but approaches some of Intel’s x86-based internal graphics capabilities, albeit from previous hardware generations.

It may appear strange for a hardware manufacturer like LG to pre-announce the existence of a smartphone, but in many ways it’s the only method of keeping the customer excited in the lulling months before the actual unveiling. Since LG only plans to release one flagship non-phablet smartphone a year, the Optimus G brand must survive on the promise of its hardware; the Korean company doesn’t hold users’ anticipation in its hands like Samsung or Apple.

This is also LG flexing the muscle of its considerably potent partnership with Qualcomm, with whom they’ve struck an unspoken deal to debut new silicon. The Optimus G was one of the first widely-released devices with a Snapdragon S4 Pro, while the Optimus G Pro was similarly one of the first to boast a Snapdragon 600.

Snapdragon 800 will support Category 4 LTE speeds up to 150Mbps by using asynchronous carrier aggregation techniques. Unlike Dual-Carrier HSPA+, this allows network providers to take advantage of extra spectrum that does not need to be paired, or parallel. It also promises 4K video playback and multichannel DTS-HD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding.

Expect the next-gen Optimus G, as well as the Snapdragon 800, to debut in August.

[Via]

June 22, 2013
Hands On with the Lava Iris 504Q at Launch in India (PR)

Lava and Xolo are essentially the same company, and traditionally Xolo was formed by the company to take care of smartphone needs of the market and Lava remained focused on the feature phone market. As the market transitions from a feature phone to a smartphone market. Lava has also transitioned into the smartphone market with the new iris 504q, and the company says it is happy competing within the organization, even if it has to.

Lava on Friday launched the Iris 504Q, a smartphone targeted at the likes of Micromax and Karbonn with their Canvas and Titanium series. Powered by a Mediatek Processor (6589) the company is trying to differentiate the product from the mass of multiple devices in the market with features like gesture control and software enhancements.

Lava iris 504Q Initial Impressions

The handset is manufactured well and almost resembles the HTC Butterfly from a distance, thanks to the resemblance to the earpiece grill. The back of the Lava iris 504Q is a soft touch plastic, that almost feels rubberized for added grip. Lava has managed to get a good balance of subtle branding and design to ensure the phone does not look overly flash and cheap.

The hardware list on the Lava iris 504Q is also pretty common on the market, a 5 inch 1280 x 720p screen, quad core processor , a mix of 8 MP and 2 MP cameras, 1 Gig of RAM and a 4 GB storage. Lava is trying various software tweaks to appeal to the market like gestures for the image gallery and clicking pictures. This will definitely attract buyers who were influenced by these features in the Galaxy S4, but the it does not work that well.

The Lava Iris 504Q is also fairly slim at just 8.4mm and fits well in the hand. For a price of Rs.13499/- in the market Lava has added yet another competitor in the Quad Core dual sim market.

Check out the images below.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]New Delhi, June 15, 2013: LAVA International Limited, a fast growing company in the mobile handset industry, today announced its entry into the high-end smartphone category with its new flagship smartphone, Lava Iris504q. The phone boasts of technologically advanced gesture motion control that reinvents the mobile experience and set a new standard for smartphones in its category. Lava Iris504q is designed to address a large and important segment of the smartphone market where customers are looking to upgrade to an affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and technologically competitive smartphone.

The Lava Iris 504q is a high-end Android smartphone with 8.4mm thickness that makes it the slimmest in its category. It brings HD experience to a 5 inch IPS screen with OGS display technology and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The new gesture motion feature allows the users to interact with the phone with just a swipe of the hand in the air. The gesture control feature can be used for clicking photos, changing tracks on the music player and video player, tuning FM channels and browsing entertainment gallery on the smartphone.

Powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Iris 504q comes with an intelligent flip cover, offering comfort and convenience to the consumer. This device sports an 8MP camera (rear auto-focus with in-built flash and BSI sensor) that provides multiple camera options to capture stunning photographs and a 2 MP front camera for 3G video calling. .

Lava Iris 504q also packs in 1GB RAM and an internal memory of 4 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB,
giving users enough space to store their multimedia content. A large 2,000-mAh battery provides ample back up for multimedia, stand by and talk time.

Lava has also partnered with Hungama to provide seamless entertainment experience and various VAS initiatives latest being integration of Hungama’s Music Application and ‘LavaZone’ the storefront (Powered by Hungama.com) on Iris 504Q . With this user gets access to over 2 million pieces of content across genres and languages, in the form of music tracks, music videos , trailers & dialogues; mobile content such as ringtones & wallpapers.Iris504q comes with some preloaded apps such as Opera web browser, Hungama Music App and Moden Combat HD from gameloft, making it a smart choice for the smartphone buyers.

Mr. Hari Om Rai, Co-Founder & Director, Lava International Ltd., said, “Lava believes in enhancing consumer experience while assisting efficiency and helping consumers to enjoy products that meet their needs. Our innovative products are a result of careful planning, intense R&D and listening to the needs of our consumers. We are proud to announce the launch of our flagship and the much awaited, Lava Iris 504q – a technologically competitive product, with superior features and high quality, available to our discerning customers at a smart price.”

Lava Iris 504q is a super slim, fast and easy-to-use smartphone that delivers effortless multitasking, making life easier and hassle-free. Priced at Rs. 13,499 Lava Iris 504q will be available across national retail chain stores, multi-brand outlets across India and online stores beginning 4th week of June.

For more information, please visit www.lavamobiles.com[/toggle]

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June 17, 2013
Micromax Teases Next Canvas : is this the Canvas 4?
Micromax is clearly working on the next version of their popular Canvas series and has already started teasing it on TV. A small teaser caught between morning sessions of cricket tells us that another version of the Canvas is headed our way.

While there is no real news on the “Micromax Canvas 4” (expected name) we expect the following specs :
- 5 inch Full HD 1920 x 1080p Display
- The Mediatek 6589 chipset (Quad core)
- 8 – 16 GB inbuilt storage
- 2 GB RAM
- 13 MP camera
- 2-5 MP front camera
- Dual Sim capability
- Android 4.2.2
But these seem to be only speculations until we get real word from the Indian mobile giant on what they are working on next. Stay tuned for more, till then see an exclusive picture of what the design of the Canvas 4 may be. The phone will be aggressively priced as the company will expect to do large numbers in terms of sale. Micromax presently moves out over 300,000 units of their canvas series on a monthly basis, a device like this priced around the 15,000 Rupee price mark could easily increase that by 50%.

Update : it is now confirmed that the phone will be called Micromax Canvas 4 and will be available June 28th. See below image from Micromax Canvas 4 Facebook Page
June 15, 2013
Leaked Samsung Galaxy NX Mirrorless with Android 4.2

Samsung had recently clarified that the company might be launching Android powered NX cameras, and here is the next logical answer. The Samsung Galaxy NX is Samsung’s answer to a market that does not yet exist; An Inter-changable lens camera with Android 4.2 to boot.

The body and design of the camera is much in line with the company’s existing NX series lineup, except the fact that these have fully equipped smartphones stuck to the back of the lens. You are looking at a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, with ISO from 100 – 25,600 and 1080p video recording.

Is this “big” product what Samsung had in mind when they cooked up the 20th June London event? The Galaxy NX is what the industry was possibly missing, but only if Samsung manages to pull off the execution of the lineup.

[VIA]

June 14, 2013
Samsung Rolling Out New Galaxy S4 Update To Implement Apps To SD Feature

The Galaxy S4 may be on its way to selling 20 million units faster than any other Android device, but it’s not without its issues.

One of the major out-of-box problems with the Samsung Galaxy S4 is something users may not notice until it’s too late: of the 16GB advertised storage, only 9.15GB is available to the user. The rest is used for high-resolution assets, system files and other Samsung necessities, all but ensuring that extra expenditure for a microSD slot.

An upcoming software update, rolling out to users in Germany starting today, addresses that issue by harkening back to Android 2.2 Froyo, adding a “Move to SD Card” button in the App Settings menu of the Galaxy S4. The system update also reclaims 800MB or so for users, bringing the default free space to 9.23GB, but having that option to move individual apps to the SD card could be the difference between playing that big-time 3D game or not.

The main issue here is that Samsung seems unapologetic about its misleading advertising of the Galaxy S4, preferring to resurrect a feature that was a security concern to developers and an annoyance to users rather than releasing a high-end phone with enough storage to satisfy the needs of its buyers.

The update to build I9505XXUBMEA also fixes many performance issues present on the release build, including a graphics bug that made the screen appear like it was tearing when the user scrolled through an app.

The camera app adds a new firmware and the ability to take HDR video, a net positive for users trying to eke that extra bit of dynamic range from uncertain lighting conditions. Users can also toggle Smart Pause in the Expanded Settings portion of the notification shade, but we’ve yet to see whether the software improves the feature itself.

Samsung hasn’t officially mentioned the new software update so there’s no news on availability in other countries. Given the understandable disappointment in free storage for the 16 GB models of the phone, however, we don’t expect Samsung to wait too long to get this update out globally.

[SlashGear]

June 7, 2013