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Xiaomi Promises to Bring a Larger Stock for the Diwali Season

Just yesterday Xiaomi announced that it will be bringing out the Mi3 again for sale before Diwali. They have now followed it with the news that they will be stocking up big for the festive season.

Xiaomi’s International Vice President, Hugo Barra said that Xiaomi wants to sell 100,000 phones a week in October. The company has chosen the path of flash sales for their smartphones because of short supply and massive demand for their products. The heavy demand for these devices has led to Flipkart’s website crashing down.

Barra said that for the month of October the company will be chartering a plane to bring in the devices to India. The company will be offering the two phones it has already brought in India, the Mi3 and the Redmi 1S.

Xiaomi has now overtaken Samsung to become the biggest smartphone company in China. Starting business in 2010, the company now plans to become the third biggest phone company in the world.

The company is working with local companies and start-ups to build services for phones sold in India. They are also contemplating the possibilities of establishing a manufacturing unit in India. This might send shockwaves across the smartphone segment. Till now Xiaomi was seen as a limited time fad but with its plans to establish permanent shop in India, it can become a formidable force in the business. For the consumers though, Xiaomi’s full time entry would mean Diwali every day.

September 27, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Alpha Launched in India for Rs. 39,990

Today at an event held in Delhi, Samsung unveiled its latest offering, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The smartphone comes in three colour variants: Black, White and Gold.

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.

Bollywood actress Lara Dutta and Asim Warsi, Vice President, Mobile & IT of Samsung India, on stage launching the Samsung Galaxy Alpha.

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 camera has a selective auto focus feature. The Alpha gets its juice from an 1860 mAh battery. The phone runs Android Kitkat 4.4.4 out of the box. The smartphone is priced for Rs. 39.990.

September 27, 2014
Xiaomi Mi3 Coming Back to Market Close to Diwali

Xiaomi never fails to create a buzz. The company which recently postponed the sales of the Mi3, to put focus on the Redmi 1S, has said the blockbuster handset is about to make a comeback.

The Xiaomi Mi3 didn’t just sell like hot cakes, it overshadowed all other smartphone manufacturers. The entry of the Chinese brand was a giant seismic shake for the populated mobile phone market.

Xiaomi plans to have a comeback flash sale for the MI3 around Diwali

The company has said that it plans to bring back its bestseller to the market close to the festival of Diwali. This was announced at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Bangalore by Xiaomi India head of operations Manu Kumar.

Reportedly, Xiaomi is also working on a “priority pass” system which will directly send the device to the carts of folks who have tried ordering and failed previously. Flipkart is currently working on the execution of the priority pass. This plan can be used by e-tail giant for future sales too.

Xiaomi will also be bringing its latest flagship and the successor to the Mi3, the Mi4 somewhere around the end of the year. The sale of Xiaomi’s Mi3 saw immense number of registrations. Although most of them had to return disheartened as the limited handsets weren’t enough for all who waited with baited breath to buy the device.

Currently, Xiaomi has been holding flash sales for Redmi 1S on Flipkart. It has held five flash sales, and the maximum amount of time the phone was on offer was 5.2 seconds. Considering the previous cases, one can easily anticipate a massive stampede to get the device. Also, the news of the launch of Mi4 might dissuade some folks from getting the Mi3. But as the Mi4 is expected to be launched starting at Rs. 22,000, the Mi3 might still be a viable option for people looking for the most bang for their buck.

September 26, 2014
Image of Nexus Device ‘Moto Shamu’ Leaked

Earlier today, we got some news about Motorola’s upcoming Nexus device codenamed ‘Shamu’. The reports illustrated that the new Nexus 6 or Nexus X will 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. The reports also added that 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.

Now, a picture posted on the comment section of Android Police, shows off what is allegedly a massive Motorola handset next to a LG G3. The handset showed in the picture has a Motorola logo and there isn’t any NEXUS labeling on it, unless the logo is super-tiny and under the piece of paper with the words “SHAMU” written on it.

Of course, there’s also the possibility the above photo was somehow faked. Either way, we’d take this whole thing with a grain of salt for now. 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.

September 26, 2014
iPad Pro to Come with A8X Processor and 2GB RAM

The iPad Pro will be the newest product in Apple’s tablet lineup and it is rumored to release it next year. However, amidst the iPhone 6 launch madness, the news about this new device slowed down. Now, recent reports have revealed a crucial specification about the forthcoming tablet.

According to Taiwanese tech blog TechNews, the iPad Pro will be powered by an A8X processor paired with 2GB of RAM. The A8X chip will be an upgrade to the A8 processor that currently powers the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The reports added that, TSMC, which is a major manufacturer of the A8 chipsets, will also be making the A8X chip.

Furthermore, the device is also expected to come with 2GB of RAM, which is double when compared to iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display, which was launched last year. According to a report from earlier this week, the iPad Pro, as well as the next generation Retina iPad Mini will be released sometime next year.

Other than that, the company is hosting an event on October 21, where it is expected to launch the next-generation iPad Air tablet. The new tablet is expected to be powered by an A8 processor, will come with Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and an improved camera. Some reports also suggested that the new iPad Air could come with 2GB of RAM, an anti-reflective screen coating, and come in different color options, much like the iPhones.

September 26, 2014
Next Nexus Might be a Super-Sized Moto X

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.

September 26, 2014

Battle of the Compacts: Z3 Compact vs S5 Mini vs HTC One Mini vs LG G3 Beat

A recent trend from the major smartphone companies is to release a mini variant of their popular high-end phones to create a namesake device. These devices come at diminished features and price.

Samsung was one of those who began the trend with the S3 Mini. This year saw the emergence of the Galaxy S5 Mini, HTC One mini, LG G3 Beat. These devices are now joined by Sony’s Z3 compact which comes with some impressive specs.

So we decided to have a spec battle of these mini/compact devices to check out how they stand against each other.

Specs	Xperia Z3 Compact	Galaxy S5 Mini	HTC One Mini	LG G3 Beat.
Display	4.6 inch, 720p HD (319 ppi)	4.5-inch, 720p (328 ppi)	4.3 inch, 720p (342 ppi)	5.0 inches, 720p (294 ppi)
Processor	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801	1.4 GHz, quad core	1.4 GHz Dual-core Snapdragon 400	1.2 GHz quad core, Snapdragon 400
RAM	2GB	1.5GB	1 GB	1 GB
Internal Storage	16 GB	16GB	16 GB	8 GB
Expandable up to	128 GB	64 GB	–	64 GB
Main Camera	20.7 MP	8.0 MP	4 MP	8 MP
Front Camera	2.2 MP	2.1MP	1.6 MP	1.3 MP
Battery	Non-removable 2600 mAh	Removable 2100mAh	Non-removable 1800 mAh	removable 2540 mAh
Operating System	Android Kitkat v4.4.4	Android Kitkat 4.4.2	Android Kitkat 4.4.2	Android Kitkat 4.4.2
Price	Rs. 44,999	Rs 26,499	Rs. 29,500	Rs. 25000

Well as we can see, Sony’s Z3 Compact clearly washes all others in the battle. But, of course, this wasn’t a level playing field. The Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact are rather like the new iPhones where the only major difference lies in screen sizes. Sony seems to have a great device and by losing some of that bulky price tag the device will be able to find a lot of new customers.

September 25, 2014

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

After a less than satisfactory year, Sony recently launched the Xperia Z3, the Z3 Compact and the Z3 Compact Tablet at IFA in Berlin. Today, Sony launched these devices in India.

The Japanese consumer electronics giant had recently brought the Xperia E3 for India. It was a budget device priced at Rs. 11,990 for the single-SIM version and Rs. 12,990 for the dual-SIM variant. Now it is bringing in its big guns.

The Xperia Z3 is a bumped up successor of the Z2, that was launched in February this year. This is the first time a company has brought the mini variant of their high-end phone along with the flagship.

Specs	Xperia Z3	Xperia Z3 Compact
Display	5.2 inch Full HD (424 ppi)	4.6 inch 720p HD (319 ppi)
Processor	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801
RAM	3 GB	2GB
Storage	16/32 GB	16 GB
Expandable up to	128 GB	128 GB
Main Camera	20.7 MP	20.7 MP
Back Camera	2.2 MP	2.2 MP
Battery	Non-removable 3100 mAh	Non-removable 2600 mAh
Operating System	Android Kitkat 4.4.4	Android Kitkat v4.4.4
Miscellaneous	Great Battery Backup, Waterproof	Waterproof

The phones don’t come cheap. The Xperia Z3 is priced at Rs. 51,999 while the Xperia Z3 Compact at Rs. 44,999. These are sone of the best devices from Sony and might just give them the ground it was trying to regain.

September 25, 2014

Sony Brings Out the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, We Unbox Them!

Today Sony launched its latest flagship, the Xperia Z3 and its mini version, the Xperia Z3 Compact in India. The handsets were recently unveiled at IFA 2014, held in Berlin. The Sony Xperia z3 is priced for Rs. 51,990, while the smaller variant is available for Rs. 44,990.

This time Sony has focused on design, with the new smartphones being thinner and lighter than its predecessors. The smartphone comes in two stylish colour options. They have a curvier aluminium frame, which makes it easier to hold and use.

Sony Xperia Z3 comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display which Sony claims is the world’s brightest display of all the leading premium smartphones. Other specs for the devices include a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The main difference between the Xperia Z3 and the Z3 Compact is the size of the display — the Z3 Compact features a 720p 4.6-inch screen. Other than minute differences, it’s nearly identical to the flagship. Both smartphones also have the same 20.7 MP front camera, and the 2.2 MP frontal camera.

Also, in terms of battery, the Xperia Z3 is packed with a non-removable 3,100 mAh whereas the Xperia Z3 Compact comes with a non-removable 2,600 mAh capacity. Without compromising on specifications, Sony has built two variations of a single smartphone in order capture a wider market base.

Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly. Watch the Unboxing video below.

September 25, 2014
Unboxing : iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 is finally in our studio and we get our dirty hands with the next generation of Apple phone. The iPhone 6 is going on sale in India on the 17th of October for an expected price of Rs. 48,500 for the 16GB variant, whereas the big brother, the 6 Plus, will be available for Rs. 54,500 for the 16 GB as per information available to us.

The box of the iPhone is no different than the previous generations, and you can expect to find the same things in the box, including a cable, a wall charger, Apple EarPods, along with some basic paperwork.

The phone is light out of the box, which may be the biggest reason behind #bendgate. It feels light and nimble although the front display is big and beautiful which immediately captures your eye.

The rounded edges sit very comfortably in your hands, many times better than the previous gen, which without a case was slightly sharp in the hand.

You see a boost in the performance out of the box. The iPhone is much smoother and the rounded display gives it a natural feel when sliding between pages. Websites look much better on the large display, which is bright and super crisp.

Apple has put in a lot of new hardware into the new iPhone since it was a number change edition Apple A8 chipset with 64 bit Architecture along with a hexa core GPU. Ram wise you still get 1 GB but that seems more than sufficient for the phone. Storage is dependent on what model you buy and cameras have not been bumped up in specs but in tech, adding phase detection, autofocus along with improved pixel capture. Slow motion video at 240 fps on a 720p resolution is really impressive.

This time around the iPhone 6 has a 1810 mAh bumping up from the 1560 of the iPhone 5s. Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly.

Watch the Unboxing video below:

September 25, 2014
Apple Races to Fix the Bug Laden iOS 8.0.1 Update

The customers of Apple are not having a good time lately. The company that recently launched its latest flagship, the iPhone 6 has been mired in consumer complaints. One major complaint is that the screen bends in tight back pockets. Now the company is also rushing to fix the iOS 8.0.1 update whose bugs have caused multiple issues for customers who bought it.

The folks who updated their phone soon found out that the phones had lost cell service and the Touch ID. The Cupertino-based tech giant apologized for the error and pulled back the update stating that they will be bringing out a fix in the next few days.

The recently released update shut down cell service and Touch ID on the new iPhones

Apple had released the update to fix minor bugs and some bugs in the Health App. But it, unfortunately, caused major headaches to new iPhone buyers. The older phones on which the update was installed didn’t have any such problems though.

For people who have already updated to the faulty update, Apple is offering a simple workaround. It is asking the users to reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes. This will however make the Health apps nonfunctional, which the company says will be fixed in an upcoming update.

Apple is no stranger to bad response from consumers, it has faced several major complaints in the past. After the iPhone 4 launch, it was observed that the faulty antennae design led to dropped signals. In 2012, the Apple Maps was the cause of a lot of furore. Recently during the launch of the iPhones, the live stream debacle caused a lot of heartbreaks for folks who had been waiting for the show for a long while.

The iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus are still Apple’s best phone outing, and we’d all be waiting to see how the fix works out for the folks who raided their pockets to buy the device.

September 25, 2014
Blackberry Bets Big With the New High Specced Passport

A while back, Blackberry was synonymous with smartphones. It is common knowledge that on Secret Service’s direction, President Obama had to take the tough decision of quitting his Blackberry when he came to office. But now the company has lost that edge. iPhones and Android smartphones have taken over the market leaving just a tiny gap for others to squeeze through. Blackberry is now taking a major chance with the new Passport, which it hopes will bring back the lost glory of the company.

The 4.5-inch square-shaped Blackberry Passport is the company’s first major release in over two years. The square shaped screen with QWERTY keyboard is an attempt by the company to bring back corporate and government consumers. The phone was released simultaneously in Toronto, London and Dubai.

The Passport’s 4.5 inch screen has a resolution of 1440×1440 with a pixel density of 453 ppi, which sounds like an excellent display. It features 10 points multi-touch and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Its processing capabilities are handled by a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800, quad-core processor. The device has 3 GB RAM, equivalent of the Note 4. The internal memory stands at 32 GB and is expandable up to 128 GB. The device also has NFC for mobile payment and file transfer.

The phone looks classy on the back.

The main camera on the Passport is a 13 MP shooter while the front camera is a 2MP shooter. It comes with a massive battery of 3450 mAh which will probably keep it going for a couple of days, thereby being a good companion for the executive on the move.

Blackberry claims the physical keyboard gives users more typing accuracy and is also touch-enabled. It’s responsive to touch so the user can scroll web pages, flick to type or slide along the keys to move the cursor.

The Passport will cost $599 (about Rs. 36,400) without a contract. If they plan on bringing it to India, it will be at least a Rs. 40,000 plus device. At the price, it will still be cheaper than most of the flagships in the market.

Overall the passport sounds like a great device on paper but we are a little suspicious of the square display. While widescreen is the norm of the day, it will be interesting to see how this crucial bet by Blackberry pays off.

September 25, 2014
Dropbox Update Fixes iOS 8 Issues and Adds New Features

Dropbox has updated its iOS app to fix a number of issues which arose with the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. The file-sharing application has rolled out its iOS 8 upgrade, which now includes a new Notification Center widget of its own, offering a quick overview of your files and recent changes.

The problem was spotted just before the release of iOS 8. There was a bug in the operating system that broke Dropbox’s automatic backup of photos and videos. The compatibility issue led to the feature being temporarily put down for iOS, but Dropbox swiftly fixed this backup problem.

With this upgrade, the biggest iteration is that Dropbox can now be added to the iOS 8 Notification Center, providing a view of your most important files, including those associated with business or personal. For those with only either of the two, you’ll just see a single list, instead of three separate tabs which were earlier left empty consuming unnecessary space.

The widget is another major change in the upgraded version. You can track newly added files, as well as changes like renamed files and edits directly from widget. With a tap on a file name, you can quickly launch Dropbox without needing to locate the app on your phone.

Also, the app includes new Shared Folders feature, which can now be created and managed on the go from the Dropbox app on iPhone and iPad. You can also share the link to a folder from an action menu in the app, or invite users to a folder and manage their access levels.

Another feature is that with iOS 8 supports app extensions, so you’ll now be able to import and export files to and from other iOS apps that support Apple’s “Storage Provider App Extensions” functionality. And, for Business or Pro users, the new upgrade enables the users to set and manage read-only permissions on shared folders via the Dropbox app, for control over what’s being shared.

September 24, 2014
Google’s Play Newsstand App Comes to iOS

Today the Google Play Newsstand replaced the iOS app ‘Current’ on the Apple Play Store. If you use the Current app on your iOS device, you’ll be prompted to update to Newsstand.

The app offers a central place for reading articles from select newspapers, magazines, and websites. The offering includes support from hundreds of publishers covering news, sports, business, entertainment, and other topics, and you can also add in RSS feeds for any blogs or sites that don’t yet have a dedicated Newsstand page.

The app also supports video and audio content from some publishers, and you can bookmark it to read later if you don’t have time to finish them on the spot. Essentially Google Play Newsstand is an integrated app that combines the features of Flipboard and Pocket.

The app is amazingly user friendly, running on iPhones as well as iPads with equal efficiency and ease. The Google Play Newsstand is available on iOS App store for free.

September 24, 2014
Moto X (Gen 2) Goes on Sale Tonight Starting at Rs. 31,999

Motorola recently came up with their latest generation of smartphones, the Moto X (Gen 2) and the Moto G (Gen 2). Moto G (Gen 2) is already available in the market for Rs. 12,999, but we had been waiting to get our hands on the new gen Moto X.

Well the wait is over, the company today has revealed the pricing of the Moto X (Gen 2) through their Motorola India Twitter handle. The new handset will be available exclusively on Flipkart from midnight today starting at the price of Rs. Rs. 31,999.

Pure style. Pure performance. The new #MotoX starts at Rs. 31,999. Available only @Flipkart at midnight tonight. pic.twitter.com/WXB1GSdaP8

— Motorola India (@MotorolaIndia) September 24, 2014

The new Moto X is not much bigger than the previous one, with a 5.2 inch AMOLED display. It is still protected by Gorilla Glass. It is about 0.5 inch wider than last year’s X. However, the refreshed model sports a 1080p full HD display instead of a 720p one.

The screen takes almost all the space on the front, leaving the bare minimum for bezels. It measures 72.4mm wide by 140.8mm tall and weighs 144 grams. To give the device a premium feel, the company has added a smooth piece of aluminium wrapping the entire edge of the phone.

At the back, it has an updated 13-megapixel camera lens with 4x zoom and a ring flash. The camera has the ability to capture 4K video instead of just 1080p and it’s also got a new feature called Best Shot.

As far as the hardware is concerned you won’t be disappointed. The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. It is powered by 2,300 mAh battery which Motorola claims will last a full day. The new Moto X has four microphones to help reduce background noise, and comes in a “splash guard” water repellent coating and will be available in both 16GB and 32GB variants.

One the software side, new Moto X comes with hand full of softwares, same as the older Moto X, including Migration tool and some others like Touchless Control, Active Display and Motorola Assist have been renamed in the new Moto X as Moto Actions, Moto Display and Moto Assist respectively. Another great iteration in the new Moto X is that instead of ‘OK Google’ as a voice prompt, you can customize the voice command prompt to anything you like.

September 24, 2014