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Nexus 9 vs iPad Mini 3: Which One Got it Right?

Apple has finally unveiled the new generation iPads and iMacs. The company had earlier “accidentally” released some information about the new generation products from its stable. Seems like Apple has put some real challenge for Nexus. Both the iPad Mini 3 and the Nexus 9 are priced close to Rs. 24,000 ($400).

Now that we have the knowledge of the juicy bits of these devices that make them tick, we’d like to take them for a spec comparison.

Specs	Nexus 9	iPad Mini Retina
Display	8.9-inch QXGA	7.9?inch Retina display
Processor	2.3GHz, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver	A7 Chip
RAM	2 GB	1 GB
Storage	16/32GB	16/64/128 GB
Expandable Upto	–	–
Main Camera	8 MP	5 MP
Front Camera	1.6 MP	1.2 MP
Battery	6700 mAh	–
Operating System	Android 5.0	iOS 8.0.1

Overall, on the spec sheet, it looks like the Nexus 9 is beating Apple’s latest offering quite easily; Google and HTC together have formed a good device. Apple’s Handoff features though will be truly appreciated by the fans, and thus the device will find many takers. The features can still be up for debate, and we’ll get you the full story once these devices are available.

October 17, 2014

Apple Brings Out the iPad Mini 3 with Touch ID for $399

Apple has confirmed the third generation iPad Mini featuring the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor during an event at its Cupertino headquarters. The device is identical to the latest 7.9-inch tablet and the iPad Mini with Retina Display that was unveiled last year. Apart from the Touch ID, it has the same Retina display with an aluminum coating at the back and will be available in gold, gray and silver colour variants.

It features a 5 megapixel iSight camera and a FaceTime HD camera and carries iOS 8 features such as time-lapse and panorama. This iPad features dual microphones, on the front and back. Instinctively, when you switch cameras from front to back (or vice versa), the microphones switch, too. iPad mini 3 promises lightning-quick Wi-Fi performance using its two antennas and MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology. With dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi and MIMO, download speeds can reach up to 300 Mbps.

It starts at $399 (Rs. 24,574 approx.) for 16GB in Wi-Fi only, while the 128GB + LTE model will cost $729. Pre-orders start tomorrow and shipping starts by the end of next week. Meanwhile, the previous generation iPad mini with Retina display — now called the iPad Mini 2 has received a price cut and can now be bought for as low as $299.

October 17, 2014
It’s Official! The 27-inch iMac with ‘5K’ Retina Display is Here

At a mega event held in Cupertino Apple finally unveiled the long awaited its 27-inch Retina iMac. The event carried several announcements; the company announced the date of the Apple Pay launch, the revealed the new upgraded iPads and finally, then showcased the ‘World’s Highest Resolution Display.’

The Retina iMac features a 5K display, has new Operating System Yosemite, which includes aesthetic changes along with new functionality. This next generation Operating System has enhanced sync abilities with iOS devices.

The new iMac features a 27-inch display with 5210×2880 pixels resolution, which is 14.7 million pixels, which according to Apple, “Is the world’s highest-resolution display”. Seven times more pixels than a Full HD TV, 67 per cent more pixels than 4k. The display is only 5mm thin at the edge. The Oxide TF and a new low-power backlight helps it use 30% less energy despite the large display and heavy resolution.

The base model runs on a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics card, has 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB Fusion drive. The iMacs are priced starting $2499 (Rs. 1,53,913 approx).

October 17, 2014
Apple Unveils the Super Skinny iPad Air 2

It has been a year since the launch of the iPad Air, and now Apple has finally pulled the curtains on the long awaited iPad Air 2 at an event tonight at its Cupertino headquarters.

The new refreshed Air is 18 per cent thinner with a thickness of just 6.1 mm. As expected, it is powered by the new Intel A8x Chip, a 2nd gen 64 bit architecture, which is 12 times faster than the current one. Apple claims that graphics performance of the new iPad Air 2 is 180 times faster, which gives console like gaming experience on the iPad Air 2.

The tablets will feature a fingerprint scanner similar to the one found in the latest iPhones. The sensor enables people to use a fingerprint instead of a passcode to unlock the device, and also can be used to make purchases using Apple Pay.

The new iPad Air 2 houses the 8MP iSight camera on the back with a f/2.4 aperture and supports HD video recording. Along with that there is a front camera which features a new face time HD cam, burst selfie, slo-mo and more. In terms of connectivity it offers faster WiFi, better LTE connectivity of upto 150 Mbps. It can provide a battery back-up of upto 10 hours once fully charged.

The iPad Air 2 runs on the latest iOS 8.1 and features a LCD layer on the display along with an anti reflective coating, reducing reflection by upto 56 per cent. The iPads are priced starting $499 (16GB). The 64GB version is available for $599 and the 128GB for $699.

October 16, 2014
Apple Event : Yosemite to be Available from Today and iOS 8.1 from Monday.

Taking continuity to the next level. Apple definitely is the first company to benefit from this because of its enormous hardware ecosystem. OS X Yosemite is the upcoming eleventh major release of OS X, Apple Inc.’s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers and it will be available from today. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for Free.

Yosemite gives you mirrored access across all Apple platforms for instant access. For example, the iPad recognizes what you’ve been working on and prompts you about it. You can stop working on the Mac, pick up your iPad and start working on your project right way without a second of lag. There is no need for third party apps. There is no need to open a cloud app and download the file, it’s always there.

Along with Yosemite, Apple is bring out the updated version of iOS. They’ve spent time and effort taking in user feedback and have updated the problem-prone update. iOS 8.1 brings the Camera Roll and iCloud Photo Library in beta, a feature that allows you to store all of your photos from all your devices in the cloud.

October 16, 2014
Apple Pay to Launch on 20th October

Apple Pay, Apple’s NFC and Touch ID-based mobile payment solution, might arrive sooner than anyone expected. Apple had announced its first mobile payment system will launch this month. Today at the mega event, Apple confirmed it will begin rolling out the service next week on 20th October.

With the new iPhones, Apple introduces the NFC radio on their phones. With Apple Pay all you need to do for paying at stores is bring your phone near the payment sensor, and that’s it, your payment is done. Apple pay is available on both, the iPhone 6 as well as the iPhone 6 Plus. It uses the Touch id for secure payment.

The company has inducted a security chip called the Secure Elements on the phones. Not just that, with this new technology, even your name and purchase details remain hidden from the cashiers at the store. You simply pay by keeping your thumb on the touch ID sensor.

Apple has also take special care that your financial data such as Credit card and account details from falling into the wrong hands. All your credit cards are stored in the Passbook app that doesn’t store any physical data on the device like credit card number and the CVV number. Instead, what you get is a One Time Payment(OTP) number for every transaction that gets transferred to the bank, so neither Apple nor the merchant gets to know your details.

October 16, 2014

Tablet Spec Battle: Nexus 9 vs Galaxy Tab S vs iPad Mini vs Z3 Tablet

Tablets have in recent past gone from an aspirational device to a second fiddle to the desktop and smartphone. With more and more phones going big screen, it seems like the tablet market is being pushed back. But that hasn’t stopped the makers from introducing new generation tablets with evolved features. Tablets are also great portable multimedia devices, and the tablet market has become more interesting this year.

Google has unveiled its latest tablet offering, the Nexus 9, made in collaboration with HTC. The tablet flaunts some impressive features at a comparatively low price and is touted to give the other giants a run for their money. So we put it to test and see where the tablet stands out amongst the current players in the market.

Specs	Nexus 9	Galaxy Tab S	iPad Mini Retina	Z3 Tablet Compact
Display	8.9″ QXGA	8.4 inches WQXGA	7.9 inches	8.0 inches Full HD
Processor	2.3GHz, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver	2.3 GHz, Quad-core Snapdragon 800	1.3 GHz, Dual-core Apple A7	2.5 GHz, Quad-core Snapdragon 801
RAM	2 GB	3 GB RAM	1 GB	3 GB
Storage	16GB & 32GB	16/32 GB	16/32/64/128 GB	16 GB
Expandable Upto	–	128 GB	–	128 GB
Main Camera	8 MP	8 MP	5 MP	8.1 MP
Front Camera	1.6 MP	2.1 MP	1.2 MP	2.2 MP
Battery	6700 mAh	4900 mAh	6470 mAh	4500 mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0	Android 4.4.2	iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 8.0.2	Android 4.4.2

Nexus 9 surely flexes its muscle on paper as its specs are impressive. Though what really lacks is the absence of expandable storage. With a good display and a strong processor such as this one, expandable storage would have made it more appealing. Now that Apple is ready to launch the 3rd-gen iPad Mini tonight, we’ll get to see how Apple manages to take on Google’s native tablet. The game is still on.

October 16, 2014

Apple Stocks Up 55,000 iPhone 6 Units for Tonight’s Midnight Launch in India

In order to ensure adequate supplies in the first batch, Apple has reportedly shipped around 55,000 iPhone 6 units to India for tonight’s midnight launch. The report, published by Economic Times, says that the handsets will be available beginning tomorrow and there is anticipation of high demand for the Indian market. The first lot of shipment should be sufficient to meet the demand, as there have been over 21,000 pre-orders for the device.

This initial supply is way much better compared to last year’s iPhone 5s and 5c launch where only around a mere 20,00 units were shipped in the first phase, which created excess demand, particularly in the case of the iPhone 5S. All top retailers and Apple stores across India will launch the new iPhone 6 today at midnight and will be given only to customers who have placed pre-orders, while regular sales begin tomorrow morning.

Samsung will also take on Apple head on with the launch of their flagship Galaxy Note 4 tomorrow. Check out our first impressions of the Galaxy Note 4.

October 16, 2014
Exclusive: Google Nexus 9 to Launch in India by December for Rs. 24,999

After the release of all the big ticket devices from the big brands, Google has unveiled its home grown beasts. The company unveiled the long awaited and tremendously speced Nexus 6. With the launch of this phone, the Nexus brand has moved to the top of the food chain. Along with Nexus 6 came Google’s new tablet, the Nexus 9, which was developed by Google in collaboration with HTC. Now according to insider sources, the company will be bringing the Nexus 9 to India by the 2nd week of December.

Nexus 9 is a slim, sleek and sexy looking tablet. Its processing might is taken care by a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver processor clocked at 2.3GHz. It comes with 2GB RAM and is available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. The device has an 8.9 inch IPS LCD display with 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 2048×1536 and is covered in Gorrila Glass 3.

The specs on the camera of the device are also great. It comes with an 8MP rear camera with an aperture of f/2.4. For the selfie enthusiasts, the device offers a 1.6MP front camera but with an iris of f/2.4 you can expect some good selfies even in low light scenarios.

Nexus 9 is also a great device for the multimedia enthusiasts. While its big portable screen will be great for watching video content, the front facing HTC Boomsound will enhance the multimedia experience.

The device is one of the first devices to run the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS along with the Nexus 6. According to insider sources, it will arrive in India for a price of Rs.24,999 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi only model. This is one tablet we’d love to take for a spin.

Update: Newer details and full information here.

October 16, 2014
Galaxy Note Edge Expected to Arrive in India this Year

Following up the launch of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note 4 in India, new reports have emerged suggesting that the Galaxy Note Edge featuring a curved display will be arrive in India before the end of the calender year.

The unique feature of the Galaxy Note Edge is its flexible display panel around the right side, which is a separate display panel alongside the primary display panel. Apart from the curved display, the phablet is more or less identical to the Galaxy Note 4 when it comes to features and peripherals.

The Galaxy Note Edge flaunts a 5.6-inch Super AMOLED display, with a QHD resolution, adding an extra 160 pixels on the third side of the display. It is powered by a 2.7Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor or an Exynos 5433 octa-core processor (1.9GHz quad-core+1.3GHz quad-core), depending on the region. The one with the Snapdragon variant of the Galaxy Note 4 was launched in India, and we expect that same would be the case with Galaxy Note Edge as well.

It has a 16MP rear shooter with OIS, along with a 3.7 MP front camera, massive 32GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, and a 3,000mAh battery. The phablet runs on the latest Android KitKat atop with TouchWiz UI.

As of now, there is no word regarding its price, but we can expect it to cost a bomb, as the Galaxy Note 4 is priced at a staggering Rs.58,300. Samsung has also revealed that the Galaxy Note Edge will be a limited edition phablet and won’t be produced in large stocks.

October 16, 2014
Apple Leaks the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 just ahead of Tomorrows Launch

Call it a co-incidence, a mistake or a planned move, but just after Google’s hot Nexus 9 announcement, Apple’s updated User Guide for iOS 8.1 has leaked and in it are details of the next iPads. Yes the new iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3, but no, you do not get any juicy information except the fact that both the new tablets will get a tTouchID sensor in place of the home button and thats about all the information you get in this leak.

Everything else is just a bunch of screenshots showing of the OS, and the new improved features. However you put it, in an attempt to out do each other, Google announced the Nexus line up a day earlier to the big Apple announcement, and Apple leaked the documents right after the launches. The tech giants need to curb their enthusiasm if they want our brains to rest easy.

The Book has been pulled from the App Store (See source link), but not before some folks downloaded it, and the website link below still has the screens.

October 15, 2014
Exclusive: Google Nexus 6 Will Launch in India End 2014 for Rs. 42,999

This will be a shocker of mammoth proportions, especially for those waiting for this handset. Agreed that on paper, and mostly in reality, the Nexus 6 is expected to be a monster, but this will be Google’s most expensive handset yet.

According to our source at Motorola, the Google Nexus branded Moto phone will be available later this year for a whopping price of Rs 42999 for the 32 GB variant. The Nexus 6 is also expected to go on sale by the 11th of December, however with the past track record of Nexus devices in India we can’t be too sure. Granted that for a QuadHD display and Snapdragon 805 one would be willing to shed out that much, the Nexus 6 however has not been Google’s best attempt at making a budget flagship. Which was the case with devices like the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 5, which were essentially cheaper variants of their expensive counterparts, i.e. the LG Optimus G and the LG G2.

This is the first time the Nexus device is actually more expensive than the device it is based on, and that due to mostly the bumped up specs, and Motorola’s already tight margins.

Motorola in India may not have the right alignment for the Nexus 6, however it may be a great opportunity for the company to initiate tie-ups or payment schemes to help users buy this device. This could also be a great opportunity to talk network tie-ups and contracts in India, which might become a big thing starting 2015.

Either way you look at it, the Nexus 6 will miss out most of its prospective buyers in India, and Google may need to work really hard to sell the one the the very price conscious Indian audience.

The Nexus 6 was announced along side the Nexus 9 and Android 5.0 Lollipop and features a 5.96” 1440×2560 display (493 ppi) a 3220 mAh battery. Camera is a 13MP rear-facing with optical image stabilization and a 2MP front-facing. The Nexus 6 runs a CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 – Quad Core 2.7 GHz processor along with GPU: Adreno 420 and the storage options are 32 GB and 64 GB.

October 15, 2014
Google’s Nexus Player , Plays Games and Runs Apps for US $99

Google has announced the Nexus player along with its launch of the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Apple TV-esque box is a lot more. It handles streaming, games and run Android apps all for US $99 as the price tag.

The gaming controller however, is an extra $39 at the time of purchase, and a must for any and all gaming fans. Just like the chrome cast , the Nexus Player can stream and function with Android devices, however you can also load apps and the player will natively work with Google’s Android TV. For options you get Netflix, Hulu, Food Network, Travel Channel and few more, however Sports Packages and HBO Go have been left out. What this also means is that most con tries apart from the US and UK may not get the Android Player.

The device goes for pre-order on the 17th of OCT, however will not be available until November 3rd. Stay tuned for India bound news.

October 15, 2014
Android 5.0 is Lollipop

After monte of initial release the Android 5.0 version has been made official and its called Lollipop (sorry not ladoo). The OS was mostly known as Android L since its announcement and now it has finally been named along with the launch of the three flagship products, the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 and a $99 Nexus player.

Google has been kind to confirm that Android 5.0 Lollipop is coming to the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 along with Google Play edition devices, in the coming weeks.

Motorola gets dibs on first lineup, as Motorola’s most new launches will get Lollipop almost as soon as Nexus devices.these include both generations of the Moto X and Moto G (including the US LTE model), Moto E, and US based Droid Maxx, Droid Mini and Droid Ultra.

Expect to hear from other companies in a while, although HTC’s new launches including the HTC Desire 820, new Desire Eye will ship with Android L out of the box later this month, hence the delay in launch.

October 15, 2014
Nexus 9 Goes Live, HTC Made, Steel Frame Tegra K1 Tablet

Google and HTC have finally announced the new Nexus 9 tablet. Just like the rumors, it is a 8.9 inch tablet with a Nvidia Tegra K1 chip on the inside. The Nexus 9 is superbly well made, which became evident with a few minutes of hands on time wis had with the device.

It features a stainless steel frame and robust finish, a beautiful example of HTC’s craftsmanship and also their welcome back into the tablet world. You get a 16 and 32 GB variant along with a LTE based 32 Gb variant, along with 2 GB RAM in all units.

The camera at the rear will not do 4K video because it is just an 8 MP snapper, but its a wide lens and a great module and clicks great pictures. The aperture is f 2.4 and the sensor is a BSI sensor.

For power you get a 6700 mAh battery that should last you through the day and then some. The Tegra K1 chipset has 2 x 2.4 GHz cores on 64 bit architecture. The front has a 8.9 inch display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 px giving it a 4:3 aspect ratio.

It weighs only 425 gm for the Wifi only and 436 for the LTE variant, keeping it light and extremely portable. The tablet is easily held with one hand and the back panel feels great as well.

October 15, 2014