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Samsung Hits Back at Canalys Report, Says it is Still on Top

Today began with a news that could have been the cause of jubilation at Micromax’s office but would bring gloom to Samsung’s. Research firm Canalys had reported that Samsung was pushed off from the top spot by Micromax in the fourth quarter of 2014. But Samsung has now hit back at the report quoting data from market research organisation Gfk group.

Samsung has said that according to the Gfk data, its volume market share in the October-December 2014 quarter was 34.3% whereas the value market share was 35.8%.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Asim Warsi” author_title=”Vice President, Marketing, Mobile business, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd.”]

In the entire year 2014, we continued to lead the market with innovative and exciting offerings. Our volume market share in the smartphone market in the year was 35.7%, which is more than double than that of the next player, while our value share was 40.2%, which is more than four times the next player. The GfK data is based on actual retail sales in 50,000-plus population cities.

[/quote]

But all of this doesn’t depart from the fact that the company has been losing ground to brands that are offering a lot more features to the consumers. Samsung has to find a silver bullet to return back to the prominent spot it used to at during the start of the smartphone race.

February 4, 2015
Samsung to Introduce Apple Pay-Like Payment System With Galaxy S6

Samsung wants its next flagship Galaxy S6 to overtake all existing records and attain the top spot among the users. The South Korean firm is taking every possible measure to ensure this and according to a Korean media report, the company is geared to launch a new payment system, Samsung Pay, with the Galaxy S6.

The Korean Times stated –

Samsung Electronics’ new smartphone Galaxy S6, set to make its debut at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in Spain next month, will look a lot like Apple’s iPhone 6, sources said Monday

As per the report, the producer has already partnered with VISA as one of the payment partners in the system. The Samsung Payment System will be based on LoopPay technology. Through the new fingerprint sensor embedded on Galaxy S6, users can pay by just touching LoopPay-enabled cards. The rumour going around is that the device will sport a non-swipe fingerprint sensor that requires you to place your finger and hold it for a minute like the iPhone.

Meanwhile, talks have surfaced that LoopPay is working on cases for Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4. These cases would be touch-enabled and will allow making payments through phones like the upcoming Galaxy S6. As of now, there is no information about Samsung Pay coming to Note Edge, but we expect the company will extend support to this device as well.

There are a lot of speculations about the forthcoming flagship by Samsung; as many wait anxiously for its upcoming launch at the MWC. Samsung has used many tactics to market this phone, but only time will tell whether it will live up to its expectation.

February 4, 2015
Google Clears the Air, Uber-Like Competitor is Not in the Cards

Google was in the news yesterday after a Bloomberg report stated that the company would be launching a ride sharing service to take on Uber and Lyft. The story gained a lot of traction. Bloomberg was quoting an unnamed source at Google, but it turns out Google isn’t really keen on the idea. The company tweeted from its official account saying “We think you’ll find Uber and Lyft work quite well. We use them all the time.”

@business We think you’ll find Uber and Lyft work quite well. We use them all the time.

— Google (@google) February 2, 2015

Google was, in fact, one of the early backers for Uber; it backed the company through its venture capital wing. The above tweet is directly targeted at Bloomberg Business that puts an official end to the speculations, though Google’s entry into the field could have been great for the competition.

February 4, 2015
Google Brings Mortgage Calculator into Search for Quick Calculations

Google today launched a new feature that will help new homeowners make quick calculations of their mortgage amount. The internet search giant has added a mortgage calculator in the Google Search that will allow users to adjust interests and check which financial options fit their needs. The option works on both desktop and mobile.

According to the company, users can ask Google questions like “How much can I borrow at $200 a month?” or “At 5% APR how much can I borrow over 10 years?” and Google will answer them instantly, eliminating the need to jump to another website. The company says that users can even adjust the mortgage amount, interest rate, mortgage period and can choose other options that match your interest. You can even take advice if needed. The new feature seems handy and useful.

Along with total mortgage amount, one can also check the monthly payments for the mortgage amount. Meanwhile, this service is only available for UK-based users and there is no information when is it going to launch in other countries.

This small feature eliminates the need to recheck the amount with middlemen. Once again, Google making our lives a little simpler.

February 4, 2015
Micromax Pushes Samsung Off the Pole Position in India

Indian smartphone market saw a lot of action last year. A lot of companies made India a priority market and launched their top flagships in the country. Indians now had a wider choice in smartphones than ever before. All these choices have also led to a major reshuffle in the points tally of top selling companies. Indian smartphone brand, Micromax seems to have kicked global market leader Samsung from the first position on the table.

The report comes from research firm Canalys. According to the report, Micromax accounted for 22 percent sales in the fourth quarter of the year between October and December. Samsung on the other hand managed to score 20 percent of device sales during that period.

The industry, in total, sold over 21.6 million smartphones during the period; a 90 percent increase over the previous year. It is estimated that the Micromax’s lead was fueled by increase in the purchase of devices with a lower price tag as the users actively shift from feature phones to smartphones in that segment.

This dip in standing should be a major concern for Samsung as it has already lost the first position in China to Xiaomi. The company has been on the receiving end of complaints about its lackluster devices with monotonous designs and lack of specs. Apart from some tiny tweaks the company hasn’t really offered anything substantial to the consumers. Samsung has to reconsider its smartphone strategy seriously as it is the company’s most visible product portfolio at the moment or else it wouldn’t be long before it follows in the steps of Blackberry and Nokia.

February 4, 2015
OnePlus to Unveil Lollipop-Based Oxygen OS on 12th February

After a long wait and facing the occasional ban in India, OnePlus is all ready to head strong into the future with its own operating system(OS). The Chinese company just posted a healthy annual report today and will be unveiling its home made OS on February 12th.

This new operating system will be based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company today uploaded a video that shows a OnePlus One device running on Android Lollipop. The description of the video states “OxygenOS is almost here.” From the brief look of the video, it appears that keeping with its traditions, OnePlus hasn’t done any major tweaks to the visual appeal of the operating system. It has kept it close to the stock Android experience.

A few photos have also appeared on the internet which are claimed to be from the upcoming Oxygen OS. Though we don’t vouch for the authenticity of the images, the categorized view of icons sure look appealing. Check out the images below.

In the meanwhile, Cyanogen informed us that the Cyanogen OS 12S is in the final stage of testing and will be provided as an update for global OnePlus devices running Cyanogen 11S.

February 3, 2015
OnePlus Releases its Splendid Annual Report Card for 2014

OnePlus along with its compatriot Xiaomi were the undoubted winners of the smartphone race in 2014. These two budding Chinese companies have created an immense fan base through their innovative devices. OnePlus has released its annual report for the year 2014, and as expected, it would be a cause for celebrations at the OnePlus offices.

According to the numbers, the company sold the maximum number of devices in East Asia followed by Europe and North America (39%, 32%, 22% respectively). The company arrived in India by the end of the year, but still managed to sell 7% of its stocks in the country. The company has also claimed to have garnered a revenue worth $300 Million.

The USP of the OnePlus devices was the Cyanogen OS that powered them. But after facing an unfavorable situation in India, the company proactively pushed for creating its own operating system based on Android 5.0 Lollipop known as Oxygen OS. OnePlus promises that this new OS too will be customizable, and free from bloat and unnecessary features.

The next big release from the company will be the OnePlus Two and India will be one of the first countries to get access to the new device. There will be a lot of expectations from the OnePlus Two and the Oxygen OS as they would have to fill the shoes amazing OnePlus One. The OnePlus Two will be in the top five of our most anticipated list of devices for 2015.

February 3, 2015
Report : Google is Prepping its Own App-Based Cab Service

You can always count on Google to come up with something new and useful. According to reports, the search engine giant might be prepping its own app-based taxi service; going head on against Uber. David Drummond, Google’s Chief Legal Officer and a member of Uber’s board, has revealed Google’s plans of developing an app-based taxi service.

GPS-based cabs have a tracking module installed in them which gives real-time location information to the central computers. This helps the companies keep a play by play track of the movements of their vehicles. When a cab request arrives at the call center, it gets forwarded to the cabs in the area. The driver who can make the trip, replies to the request and the tracking begins till the end of your journey. The trackers are part of the tamper proof meters which can give you a printout of the details of the journey and fare for your records.

Recently, app-based services have managed to gain massive popularity, which can be credited to their easy accessibility. Popular services in India include Uber and Ola. This move from Google may jeopardize Uber’s reliance on Google, as the cab service’s smartphone apps for drivers and customers heavily relies on Google Maps.

February 3, 2015
Apple to Spend $2 Billion to Turn the Sapphire Glass Plant Into a Data Center

One of the most anticipated features of the new iPhones was the sapphire glass screen that would have made it practically scratch proof. But after facing multiple issues, the plan was scrapped. Apple was setting up a sapphire glass plant in the US state of Arizona, but its partner filed for bankruptcy in October last year. Now Apple plans to pump in heavy investments to convert the facility into a data center.

Apple had partnered with GT Advanced Technologies Inc in 2013 to manufacture the scratch resistant sapphire glass screens. The plans were dropped later, and the new iPhones came with hardened glass instead.

Now the failed plant will be renovated into a data center that will assist Apple with its various services. The multibillion-dollar project is one of the largest investments made by Apple; the Cupertino-based giant is known for being conservative with its spending.

The data center will act as a command center for Apple’s other data centers and networks and will handle services like iTunes, iCloud, Siri, etc. Apple plans to stretch its $2 billion investment up to ten years with a further commitment of 30 years. The center is expected to be powered by solar energy which is appreciable as data centers are extremely power intensive buildings.

February 3, 2015
Samsung Sends Out Invites For a Probable S6 Unpacked Event on 1st March

Samsung may be all set to bring out the next version of its S line of devices. If reports are to be believed than the Korean electronics giant is about to bring a completely redesigned device.

The invite sent out by the company for the unpacked event simply shows a curved edge of a device with the title “What’s Next.” The device is widely expected to be the upcoming S6 and is said to come with a curved display.

The Galaxy S6 is expected to flaunt an Ultra HD 4k display with 4GB RAM and a 20MP camera. The device is expected to be powered by a 64-bit Exynos 7420 and Broadcom’s new sensor chip. Samsung was previously working with the Snapdragon 810 processor but faced overheating issues. The company will now deploy Exynos 7 with LTE while Qualcomm has said that it will be reworking the Snapdragon 810 chipset for Samsung’s flagship devices.

…#GalaxyS6?… :) pic.twitter.com/2VUrPOcwsb

— Antonio Monaco (@Cinquetacche) January 31, 2015

A leaked render from a journalist named Antonio Monaco shows a device with slight curves on the edges. The render was confirmed by Sammobile to be authentic. The render shows the usual Samsung design features including the physical button. Samsung had said previously that it would be redesigning its product line to keep with the times. But if this render is what they have in store for us then it isn’t exactly a departure from the design philosophy that it has gone with in past five years.

February 3, 2015
Lollipop 5.0.2 Slowly Rolls Out for 2012 and 2013 Cellular Nexus 7 Devices

Slowly but steadily, all Nexus devices are getting the latest Lollipop 5.0.2 update. Back in November, Google released the newest version of Lollipop for Wi-Fi only devices, and now the company has started releasing the same update for the cellular variants of the Asus Google Nexus 7 (both 2012 and 2013). Google has posted factory images on its official Developers page.

Users can download and install the update from the Google Developers > Nexus Factory Image.

The recent upgrade comes with build number LRX22G on the Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013) tablets. The company has directly jumped from Android 4.4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, skipping Lollipop 5.0 and 5.0.1.

There is yet no information about the OTA (over-the-air) update and but users can keep a check on it by clicking Settings > System Update. The OTA update is expected to roll out soon.

February 2, 2015
LG’s Next Flagship Expected to Come With an Impressive Spec Sheet

LG’s last year’s releases LG G3 and G Pro 2 were received well by both the users and critics. The company is now apparently gearing up to unveil its next flagship LG G4. But as the launch date approaches, speculations are rife about the phone boasting some top-notch specs.

If we believe the rumours to be true, then the next LG G4 would be one beast of a device. Packing a display of 5.3 inches, the device will be powered by the latest 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with impressive 4 GB of RAM. The G4 will run on Android 5.0 Lollipop and will sport a 16MP wide-angle camera.

According to GSMArena, LG G4 might pack a 3K display of 1620×2880 resolution. If this turns out to be true, the G4 will be the first ever phone to feature such a high-quality screen. There are also talks that the next flagship from LG will not come with a stylus. The South Korean giant has recently filed a patent for another handset called LG G4 Stylus, which would be the successor to the mid range LG G3 Stylus handset.

All the rumoured specs seem top notch, but if the phone houses a 3K display, 4 GB RAM and the speedy Qualcomm 810 processor, it would definitely not be pocket-friendly.

The much-awaited phone is expected to arrive in the second quarter of this year.

February 2, 2015
Microsoft Launches 500GB Xbox 360 with CoD, Other Variants Face Price Cuts

A little too late or right on time, Microsoft has announced the launch of its Xbox 360 500 GB bundle for the Indian market priced at Rs.19,990. The bundle includes two popular Call of Duty titles – Black Ops and Ghosts. The bundle also includes a one month Xbox Live Gold membership.

In addition, prices of other variants of the Xbox 360 have been slashed. The 4GB standalone version is now priced at Rs. 12,990, which gets a price cut of Rs 3,000. The 250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect now gets a price tag of Rs 29,990, while its earlier price tag was Rs. 31,990. The 4GB Xbox with Kinect price has been slashed to Rs 21,990 from Rs. 26,990.

Xbox Variant New Price Old Price

4GB standalone Xbox 360 Rs.12,990 Rs. 15,990

250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect Rs.29,990 Rs.31,990

4GB xBOX 360 with Kinect Rs. 21,990 Rs.26,990

Meanwhile in November, Microsoft announced a new exclusive Xbox One Assassin’s Creed bundle with Kinect featuring Assassin’s Creed Unity.

February 2, 2015
Fresh Round of Rumours Emerge About Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Plus

Seeing users’ inclination towards large screen sizes, Apple is adopting the new trend and will soon launch a 12.9-inch iPad. The MacBook Air-sized iPad is named as iPad Plus. The iPad Plus was expected to debut last year alongside the iPad Air 2, but the company called off its release in view of production issues.

The online Chinese website Weibo has revealed the features of the forthcoming Apple tablet saying that the 12.9-inch iPad Plus will feature a 2K display. The device is expected to be extremely light, less than 700 grams, and as thin as 7mm.

The iPad Plus is said to have a mammoth battery of 11,000mAh, which would be 50% more capable than the iPad Air 2.

The source also remarked that that the Cupertino-based firm may halt the sales of iPad Mini 3 for people to focus on iPad Mini 4, whereas the iPad Mini 2 will continue to sell in the market.

February 2, 2015
Specs of HTC’s Next Desire Series Smartphone A55 Leaked

With HTC’s next flagship One M9 aka Hima lined up for release, HTC is not planning on releasing any more flagships this year. According to reports, another high-end device by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing firm is in the making and it is not a flagship. The upcoming phone, titled A55, falls under the Desire series and boasts impressive specs, just like any other high-end phones.

If the rumours are to be believed, then the A55 will sport a 5.5-inch QHD display. The device will be powered by the 64-bit octa-core MediaTek MT6795 chipset, along with 3 GB of RAM. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company Sense 7.0 UI on top, the phone will house an internal storage capacity of 32 GB.

On the camera front, the A55 is expected to flaunt a robust rear camera of 20MP, together with 13MP front shooter or 4MP UltraPixel Front Camera. The BoomSound speakers infused on the handset will give users a sound quality that is loud and clear. The A55 is supposed to have Bluetooth 4.1 as the connectivity option and a battery of 3,000mAh.

The A55 will release in two variants: Single SIM for EMEA markets (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and dual SIM for Asian markets. The device will be available in three colour options – White Rose Gold, Gray, and Brown Gold. There is no information about its price yet.

February 2, 2015

Xbox Variant	New Price	Old Price
4GB standalone Xbox 360	Rs.12,990	Rs. 15,990
250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect	Rs.29,990	Rs.31,990
4GB xBOX 360 with Kinect	Rs. 21,990	Rs.26,990