Apple has filed a third challenge against HTC on June 4th claiming claims HTC is still violating patents with their new One series devices. If this case goes anywhere near success, Apple would slap down 29 devices including the new One Series, the One X, the One V and the One S. A full list of implicated handsets is in the source link below.
The latest suit contains a quote by Steve Jobs.
[quote]We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it, We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours. [/quote]
Micromax’s newest offering to the entry-level Android smartphones, the A45 “punk”, was made available for purchase on Wednesday at a price tag of Rs 5,499. The device, like it’s predecessor the A50 “Ninja”, comes pre-loaded with Micromax’s voice assistant “AISHA” which helps you with simple tasks such as finding the nearest restaurants and weather forecasts and is mainly a music phone.
The A45 Punk runs Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread), and comes engineered with a 650 MHz processor, a 8.89 cm full touch capacitive screen with a resolution of 320 X 480 pixel. The phone reportedly provides a talk time of 4.5 hours powered by a 1300mAh Li-ion battery. It is a dual SIM phone, and sports a 2 megapixel camera, with a memory is expandable up to 32GB. The device offers a new way to explore, discover and enjoy music and thus revamp your music listening experience through a set of funky looking headphones (with HD surround), provided along with the handset. It comes with all essential apps such as Facebook, Whatsapp etc and the rest are available for download from the Play store.
The pricing makes this device a value-for-money deal and is expected to challenge Samung’s Galaxy Y.
Spice has just launched their new MI 425 in the market. The device is powered by a 1GHz processor, and a promised upgrade to ICS Android 4.0. The device is well designed and feels good in the hand at first go. The rounded edges fit the device comfortably in the hand and the soft touch matte pearl white back is nice and grippy.
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Display
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Screen :Comes up in 4 inches TFT LCD Capacitive Touchscreen display
Screen resolution : 480 x 800 pixels resolution,262K Colors
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Operating system and Processor
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Run on Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system but upgradable to latest Android v4.0 ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS.
Processor: 1 GHz single core processor
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Camera
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Primary Camera : This phone having 5 Megapixel rear camera of 2592 x 1944 pixels resolution with Digital Zoom
Secondary Camera : 0.3 megapixel front facing camera having resolution of 640 x 480 Pixels.
Camera features :LED flash,Geo-tagging,
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Memory and Storage
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Internal memory :140 MB internal storage
Memory can be expended up to 32 GB with the help of Micro SD card
Micromax is working on an upgrade to the A50 with AISHA, called the A52 , the new smartphone will feature a 1GHz processor with dual sim capabilities. The phone will be available in Yellow, White & Black and will have a 3.2 inch capacitive LCD. The price is expected to be around Rs. 6,000 which would make this an exclusive product in this price range with such features.
Sources reveal that the phone will be launched within days with a marketing campaign based around AISHA and 1 GHz chipset, just as we saw for the A50. The phone will come with Gingerbread , with a supposed update to ICS available soon. If the device truly launches for 6k it might just make our list of best phone to buy.
Wait for more information and see our unboxing of A50 below.
Sony has launched their new smartphone the “Sola” in the Market, and we go unboxing and hands-on, iGyaan Style. The new smartphone has a different build as far as all Xperia net devices are concerned.
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Main
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3.7 inch scratch-resistant TFT touchscreen
16 million colours, 854 x 480 pixels
Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
(Upgrade to Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich, planned in Quarter 2 2012)
For all those android users using a CyanogenMod 9 or AOKP ROM (Oh yes, we know), who want their phones to run HTC’s beautiful Sense 4.0 UI, here comes the app that you’d been waiting for! This theme from BlackDub imitates the new streamlined and functional interface to perfection. A must have for spicing up your phone.
The HTC Sense UI 4.0
JetAudio Basic (Free)
This is an app worthy of replacing the default music player on your Android Smartphones.
It comes with 32 equalizer presets that will provide a wide array of listening experience. For those who would like to customize their own sound experience, it also allows 10 bands graphic equalizer and other advanced playback functions including playback speed control, crossfading, AGC and much more. It’s available for free on the Play Store.
There are multiple Presets and equalizer options.
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SkyDrive (Free)
It comes as a shock, but Microsoft online storage service has been available for iOS users. The latest release adds a couple of new features such as support for Retina displays on the new share of apple devices. Features such as the option to upload multiple pictures and videos, sharing of these files via e-mail or web link help it to be the app of the week. The SkyDrive app also lets the user open files uploaded to SkyDrive using other iOS apps. So, if you fancy additional-based cloud storage, head to the iTunes store for the latest version.
Music Unlimited (Free Trial + subscription)
Yet another music streaming service, but this time, from Sony. It’s biggest advantage is that it is offered across a ton of Sony hardware-Android, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and Sony TVs and Blu-ray players. It also boasts music from all the major labels, not just Sony’s own music division. If you’re interested, you can get a free 30-day trial.
The interface is smooth and flowing.
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WizTiles
This app makes it into the list because it brings the much needed option of customizing your home screen. You can choose from images and other themes to make your home screen more lively. It is available for download in the Windows Market Place.
When Google completed a $151 million acquisition ofrestaurant rating firm Zagat in September it was seen as an attempt to compete with Yelp’s popular online rating service and it was only a matter of time before they integrated the service into their products. On Wednesday, Google Maps for Android was updated to prominently feature Zagat-based reviews on many restaurants around the world. The changes announced on Wednesday, a video on youtube by googlemaps, eliminates an annual $25 subscription fee that Zagat had been charging for online access to its surveys of diners. Those diners have rated about 35,000 restaurants in more than 100 cities around the world.
This integration is part of a larger rollout called Google+ Local, on which you can get personalized recommendations from people in your Google+ Circles. According to Google’s Lat-Long Blog,[quote] Each place you see in Google+ Local will now be scored using Zagat’s 30 point scale, which tells you all about the various aspects of a place so you can make the best decisions. For example, a restaurant that has great food but not great decor might be 4 stars, but with Zagat you’d see a 26 in Food and an 8 in Decor, and know that it might not be the best place for date night.[/quote]
Zagat uses a 30 point rating system which includes everything, from food to the ambiance.
Google’s check-in services have never really taken off, so Local’s renewed focus on personalized recommendations goes a long way to making Places relevant again.
The update for Google maps was made available in the play store on Wednesday.
Just days after Oppo announced its new phone, Finder, which took the crown of the world’s thinnest phone from Huawei’s Ascend P1 S by a mere 0.03mm, Chinese mobile company ZTE has announced that they will be coming out with a new handset, called ‘Athena’, which at just 6.2mm would become the thinnest android smartphone in the market. The device may not leave Chinese shores, but it’s an amazing feat considering all the technology inside of it. The phone will reportedly featurea 720p display, Cortex-A15 chip (most probably multi-core) and up to 64GB of internal storage, as well as a Miflavor UI, ZTE’s custom ROM that runs over Android 4.0 ICS.
The "Athena" next to an iPhone.
To throw In a few numbers, the iPhone is 9.30mm ‘thick’, the Galaxy S II is 8.45mm thick and the RAZR is 7.10mm thick. From the current generation of quad-core phones, the HTC One X is 8.9mm thick, while Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S III measures in at 8.6mm.
The Athena is rumoured to be available in a black Kevlar coating, the same as that used on the Motorola RAZR. But the main question is – Would a phone this slim be prone to reduced battery life and heating problems? We’ll have to wait and see! More to come on this handset soon, we hope.
Sony is just about ready to launch their new unibody marvel into the market, and we go unboxing and hands-on, iGyaan Style. The new smart phone has an amazing unibody construction with the top part as a plastic shield to allow network connections.
HTC has confirmed the launch of the HTC one S in India, claiming that the “One X equivalent – smartphone” will launch in India on the 5th of June for a price of Rs. 32,198. The One S was supposed to be launched with the One X and One V on 2nd April but was delayed.
Everyone looking forward to the device should be aware that the block color suffers from the micro arc oxidation problem and therefore, may not be the best choice for color.
Specs Include:
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Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4
4.3-inch with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels
1.5 GHz dual-core processor
8MP camera with AF, LED flash, BSI sensor and 1080p HD video recording
Sony is working on a device that is codenamed the Hayabusa, also the LT29i, its turns out to be the international version of the Xperia GX. The GX has interesting specs :
4.6-inch Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine
1.5GHz dual-core processor
16GB internal flash storage.
13MP camera with Sony Exmor R for mobile, HD video recording
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
It appears that similar specs will be used for the Hayabusa alongside a high cap 1700mah battery pack. No details on pricing or availability but we will keep you posted.
Sony Mobile’s much awaited Xperia P mobile phone has been deemed to be available starting May 25th for a price Rs. 24999. The Xperia P is a slightly lower version of the Xperia S and will feature a 4-inch Reality Display that Sony claims is the brightest on any screen, so far.
This 120gm phone also has impressive music, it includes xLoud, Clear Bass and 3D surround. It comes with Android 2.3 installed and a Android 4.0 promise.
The one factor that puts it above the Xperia S is Aluminum unibody construction. And as far as internals are concerned its powered by a 1Ghz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and internal storage of 16GB. The Camera also bears the grunt of downsizing to 8MP vs the 12 on the Xperia S
Samsung Galaxy SIII, the device recently launched in London with a worldwide announcement of features, has received over 9 million pre-orders worldwide according to the Korea Economic Daily. If these numbers are to be believed, then Samsung is almost close to the half of the 20 million SIIs they sold overall till FEB 2012.
According to a separate report by Reuters, the company’s factories are producing 5 million units monthly, so it does not seem like stocks should be an issue once the device does get launched.
Sony is just about to release the Xperia U in the Indian market, for a price of Rs. 17,000/-. For that price we believe the Xperia U has a lot to offer.
The first thing that comes to attention as soon as you handle the device is different light bar at the bottom of the phone. The bar is identical to the one on the Xperia S but with one major difference. It can change colors according to the theme selected. Not only the light bar, but also a small cover at the bottom of the device can be changed to match the theme of the phone’s screen.
In terms of build quality the phone is really solid, and feels really sleek and comfortable in the hand. It is fairly thick at 12 mm and has a light weight of 110 grams. It currently runs Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) (Upgrade to Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich, planned in Quarter 2 2012) ,which is beautifully skinned with their Timescape UI, on top of a 1 GHz STE U8500 Dual Core processor. On the back it has a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and will be available in two colors black and White, with several replaceable bottom caps.
Check out our hands on images below and stay tuned for the video.
