Category: Mobile

Smartphone News and Reviews, Latest Cellphones, Accessories, New Launches, Specifications, Details with Image and Video from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Moto, HTC, Xiaomi, Oneplus, Meizu, Sony, Lava, Micromax Yu Mobile and More.

Can LeEco Make Good on its Promises?

LeTV rebranded itself as LeEco to reflect its new direction forward. The company held an event yesterday in India where it spoke about its new brand, which involves an open ‘ecosystem’ with a connected world. To do this, LeEco is diversifying itself. The company that started with television and content (hence the original name) has moved on to other venues like smart cycles, internet-linked electric cars, and smartphones.

LeEco’s Ecosystem

Yesterday, LeEco launched three new smartphones in India – Le Max, Le 1s and Le Max Sapphire. The first half of the event, however, was used to talk about the brand’s new ideology. The company’s move towards a comprehensive ecosystem incorporate’s four aspects – Culture, Technology, Internet, and Platform. The idea is to have a broad, connected reach. LeEco has already begun this by launching smart accessories, online content, TV, mobile, and electric vehicle by partnering with Faraday Future.

Flash Sale: Can it Deliver the Goods?

Indeed, LeEco wants to be everywhere. But the question is whether the company can deliver. In India, after launching the smartphones yesterday, the company stated that it will hold its first flash sale on Flipkart on the 2nd of February. There are some reasons why customers in India may feel a little hesitant in going with LeEco’s new offerings.

Firstly, one needs to give props to the company in terms of pricing, especially for the Le 1s which is priced at a very impressive Rs 10,999. The company could have easily priced it a few notches higher given the device’s specs and premium look. Now, the Le 1s looks to give devices like the Lenovo K4 Note a run for its money. But will it?

Lenovo has established a good base in India and is one of the more trusted names. The company also held a flash sale recently on Tuesday and Wednesday for the K4 Note. The company also stated that it sold 10,000 units in less than a second. Registrations, however, shot up to 4 lakh. The uncertainty is how much of its K4 Note units Lenovo managed to deliver. Certainly there must have been a lot of disappointed fans.

LeEco sold over 4 million smartphones last year making it the fastest selling newcomer in the market. It beat the likes of Xiaomi, Meizu and OnePlus on that front. For comparison sake, Xiaomi took a year to sell 400,000 units while Meizu sold 600,000 units.

LeEco’s flash sale will put to test just how well its ‘superphones’ will be received in India. The company’s refusal in providing a figure when asked how many units it plans on selling is not a good sign as it does lead one to question if the company is prepared for the Indian market at all.

No Physical Stores Will be a Hindrance

Moreover, without brick and mortar, it’s hard to imagine how LeEco will sustain in the Indian market. On that note as well the company refused to answer when asked when it plans to open up physical stores in India.

Even today, physical stores remain key to sales of smartphones. Companies cannot rely solely on e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon for sustainment. Granted, LeEco is still early in its entry into a myriad of businesses, but the company does have enough financial backing for brick and mortar.

On a number of occasions at yesterday’s event, LeEco did not shy away from taking jabs at Apple. The company not only compared its Le Max to the iPhone 6s, but also criticised Apple’s closed ecosystem. However, one has to wonder that in naming Apple over and over again, isn’t LeEco establishing the Cupertino giant’s dominance?

When it comes to demand and supply, Apple has delivered on units in surplus. LeEco has a tough job ahead if it wants to entry the top three brand in the country as it claimed yesterday. Given its track record in China, LeEco has done exceedingly well. However, without a proper manufacturing base in India it may see some hiccups. While the company begins to establish itself in the country, it needs to be careful on how much it can deliver initially. A disappointing flash sale will in effect damage the company’s image before it even gets started.

[poll id=”39″]

January 21, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Antutu Leak Confirms Hardware

Samsung is being tipped to launch the Galaxy S7 during the Mobile World Congress next month, and as expected the internet has gone into overdrive with rumours and leaks of this upcoming phone. Latest set of leaks about the phone confirm to us the underhood specs of the Galaxy S7.

As it had been reported for some time now, the S7 would come in two variants, the S7 Edge, and the flat screen S7. The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor with a 5.1-inch QHD screen along with 4 GB of RAM. The other model, the Galaxy S7 will come equipped with a Exynos processor.

All this news comes from Antutu’s Weibo page. The Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F), apart from sporting the new Exynos 8890, will also come with a 5.1″ 1440 x 2560 pixels screen, 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.

As it is visible, the only difference between the S7 and the S7 Edge is the choice of the SoC. Sporting two different processor is not a new strategy for Samsung. The Galaxy flagships have done so in the past, except for last year’s lineup which dropped Snapdragon altogether from the show.

January 21, 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5 Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Xiaomi is exactly a month away from unveiling its newest flagship smartphone, but leaks and rumours over the past few weeks have let little to the imagination. The specifications are all but confirmed and some images and renders of the phone have also told us what the Mi 5 is going to look like. And just because fans cannot have enough of leaked photos, there’s one more that shows the device in its glorious white body.

This new photo shared by Weibo has the Mi 5 lying on its back showing the white frontal glimpse with its 5.2-inch screen and a home button which is likely to house a fingerprint scanner. The image is in line with previous leaks of the handset. The glass top is surrounded by a metal frame, and the headphone jack is placed on top.

Xiaomi has made some obvious changes to the Mi 5 compared to its predecessor. The home button is present now and the device sports a curved look moving away from the box-like design of the Mi 4. Other specs that are hardly a secret now include a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM. The storage is 16GB, though a 64GB option is very likely. The device will run MIUI 7 (based on Android 5.1).

On the camera front, the Mi 5 is set to sport a 16MP camera on the back with dual-LED flash and an 8MP selfie camera. The device is complete with a 3,600mAh battery. The Mi 5 is also a dual-SIM handset, both 4G LTE-enabled.

Pricing of the Mi 5 will be revealed at the launch later in February. Rumours have suggested that the Mi 5 will cost more than its predecessors given the next-gen specs involved. We’ll know more when the device s unveiled on the 21st of February at MWC.

January 21, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J7 Revealed in Benchmark Test

Samsung has been really keeping busy updating its J-series lineup. We’ve already seen the J1 go on sale in Dubai and the J5’s specs listed on GFXBench. Now the Galaxy J7 has been spotted on GFXBench benchmark listing revealing key specs of the upcoming mid-range device.

The 5.5-inch device comes with a Full HD display this time around with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Samsung has updated its RAM from 1.5GB RAM to 3GB while the processor and GPU remain the same at Snapdragon 615 and Adreno 405, respectively.

The camera is the same, at least on paper. The primary shooter is at 13MP while the front is at 5MP. The J7 successor will run on Android 5.1 Lollipop and is likely to be launched in February along with the J5 at the Samsung Forum that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the 4th.

As is the case with the J5, pricing will be key here. We know that Samsung wants to push out devices that fill each and every price range, especially the budget to mid-range categories. Samsung will have to price the updated J series around the same price tag as its predecessors, which means the Galaxy J7 is likely to cost around Rs 15,000 when it hits the Indian market.

January 21, 2016

LeEco Launches Le Max and Le 1s ‘Superphones’ in India

Tin Mok, Asia Pacific CEO, took the stage at LeEco’s (formerly known as LeTV) official event today where the company launched Le Max with the tag-line”Go Big, Go Bold”, and Le 1s, along with revealing the new logo for the company. LeEco established over 1 million fans Facebook fans in barely 63 days. While the Le Max boasts of big specs inside a big frame, the Le 1s is aimed at the mid-range market.

LeEco Logo

Le Max:

The Le Max has dominant hand-settings which cater to the user’s preferred hand -left or right. The UI is faster, convenient and has one-step access. The Le Max features a 6.3-inch screen with 2K display and sports a metal body design with slim bezels. The device is powered by a Qualcomm 64-bit 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM. It is available in 64GB and 128GB storage variants.

On the camera front, the Le Max comes with 21-megapixel and runs on Android 5.1 with custom EUI running on top. The device comes equipped with multiple desktops – Application Desktop, LeView Desktop, Live Desktop -different screens for the phone that makes different applications, live streaming of events and multimedia available to the user conveniently and smoothly.

LeEco has also tied up with Yupp TV, which offers over 250 channels across 12 languages that can be accessed through the smartphone. The company has further partnered with Eros International to make Bollywood films available to users. Users wouldn’t have to look for content or download multiple apps -the content would be simply available along with a year’s premium subscription of Eros to consumers.

With an AnTuTu score of 83851, Le Max beats Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One A9. World’s first bezel-less ID, full floating glass design, 0.8mm display border and no heating issues are some of its other highlights.

Additionally, the Le Max includes Smart PA-SPK box speakers, full-metal unibody, and is available in two colours -Gold with 128 GB and Silver with 64 GB. The phone further has a Type-C USB port and a hypersensitive fingerprint sensor

Le 1s:

The Le 1s sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display and is powered by a MediaTek’s Helio X10 processor. It features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The smartphone will run on Android 5.1 with custom EUI on top. It is a Dual-SIM device with an AnTuTu score of 55844, beating HTC One M9.It has a type-C USB port which ensures 3.5 hours of usage in 5 minutes of charging, along with a double chamber, symmetrical design, and super-slim, full-metal body with 7.5 mm of thickness. The finger-print scanner of the device called LeTouch, is mirror-surfaced with 99.3% accuracy and .15 seconds flash recognization.

Find below the specs of Le Max and Le 1s.

Specs	Le Max	Le 1S
Le Display	6.33-inch, Gorilla Glass 3, 2K Sharp display	5.5-inch Full HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 resolution (464ppi)	1920 X 1080 (403 ppi)
Processor	64 bit octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810	2.2 GHz MediaTek’s Helio X10
GPU	Adreno 430	VR G6200
RAM	4 GB	3 GB
Storage	64GB/ 128GB	32 GB
Rear Camera	21 MP OIS, Sony Imx 230 sensor, 6P lens, 6 layers, 2K resolution, Dual 14 bit ISP image processor, HDR more vivid than standard HDR, Dual tone flash	13 MP, High-Definition, f2.0 aperture, ISOCELL technology, PDAF, 4K video
Front Camera	4 MP ultra pixel 5p, f2.0 aperture	5 MP
Expandability	No	No
Battery	3,400 mAh	3,000 mAh
Connectivity	4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G	dual SIM slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G
OS	Android 5.1 with custom EUI running on top	Android 5.1 with custom EUI running on top
Price	Rs. 32,999 for the 64 GB variant	Rs. 10, 999 for 32 GB variant

LeEco also launched what it calls its “ultimate flagship”, the Le Max Sapphire today. The device is pink in colour and has a sapphire crystal display. It’s priced at Rs. 69,999 for the 128 GB variant.

The devices will be available on Flipkart with 10% cash-back for Axis Bank users as part of the opening day deal. The registrations for the device start today, till 11 am on 2nd Feb with the first round of flash sales for Le 1s on 2n February, and for Le Max on 16th February. The company also offers free home pick-up and drop-off services should the consumer need any.

January 20, 2016

New Moto X Force Teaser Takes a Dig at Samsung This Time

Motorola has come out with yet another teaser for its latest device, the ‘shatter-proof’ Moto X Force. Following suit with the previous teaser which mocked iPhone 6s for its delicate body, the new one takes a dig at Samsung Galaxy S6.

https://youtu.be/BDRGaGvFekI

Though the new teaser isn’t as witty as its predecessor, the message is just as clear. Moving away from Cupertino, Motorola has now taken the challenge to the Korean tech-giant.

The highlight of the device is its super-hardy screen. Motorola claims to have integrated a ‘Moto Shattershield’ technology in the display of Moto Force which, it says, is the first shatterproof screen in a phone ever. The company feels confident enough to affirm the screen would stay intact for up to four years, owing to the multiple layers of different materials used in making it capable of absorbing shock and providing protection against cracking. The phone also boasts of two touchscreen layers, which make sure that the smartphone can be used even if one of the layers is cracked.

Needless to say, Motorola cannot stop talking about its first ever shatter-proof phone in the world. Let’s see if Moto X Force manages to live up to all the expectations. Watch this space for all the updates

January 20, 2016
Huawei P9 Will Reportedly Have Multiple Variants

For the past couple of days the crowded corridors of social media have been abuzz with leaks, and news about Huawei’s next flagship, the P9, and adding to it, more information has surfaced on the internet regarding this phone.

Last week, we saw leaked schematics, and Antutu benchmarks of the P9 and today sources have revealed that this much-awaited phone will come in multiple variants. What is expected is that Huawei besides launching its top of the line P9, will also come out with a cheaper P9 Lite, and a phablet the P9 MAX. The last variant which Huawei plans to bring to the market as a treat for all its fans will be a beefed up variant of the P9, and will come with premium features.

The fourth model is set to offer a display whose size would lie between the P9, and the P9 MAX, with QHD resolution output. It will also feature additional RAM and storage. The fourth variant on top of this will feature an improved camera: a dual lens, dual (12 MP) sensor configuration described as a second-generation technology.

In a move to give itself more time to perfect the upcoming devices, it is believed the company has also decided to launch these devices at separate events after the MWC where a lot of its big name competitors are expected to parade their fancy arsenal to eager eyes.

Source

January 20, 2016
Samsung Forum 2016: What to Expect

Samsung is all set to host its annual two-day SEA Forum starting from the 4th of February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Forum will see the Korean giant launch some new products across various categories from smartphones to televisions to home appliances. The products showcased at the Forum are India-bound, which means that their arrival in India will be shortly expected after.

Last year at the Forum which was held in Bankok, Thailand, Samsung had unveiled a number of 4G-enabed smartphones like the Galaxy J1 along with Galaxy A7 smartphone and Galaxy Tab Active.

Although the products have been kept under wraps, we expect to see the new Galaxy J5 and A8 smartphones to be launched for the Indian market. The new J5 successor that was spotted on GFXBench just today is likely to sport a 5.2-inch screen with 720p resolution, a 12 or 13 MP (most likely 13MP) rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset, which comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and will run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Meanwhile, the massive new Galaxy A9 that was launched in China last month is also likely to be launched for the Indian market at the Samsung Forum. The 6-inch device sports a Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 652 (earlier named 620) chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device features a 13 MP primary camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, and an 8 MP front. The Galaxy A9 also packs a massive 4,000mAh battery with QuickCharge support.

While these are the likely phone launches expected at the Forum, Samsung may also give an early sneak peek at the upcoming S7 flagship smartphone. Furthermore, the Forum will also see some products that were unveiled at CES 2016 such as the KS9500 series SUHD TV – available in 65-,77-, and 88-inch sizes – that come with the thinnest bezels you’ve ever seen and a smart fridge that comes with a giant 21-inch touchscreen display. The smart fridge is part of Samsung’s ‘Family Hub’ lineup of home appliances.

iGyaan will be on the ground at the Samsung Forum and will bring you all the latest launches that are set to take place.

January 19, 2016
BlackBerry Priv to Launch in India on January 28

BlackBerry today has sent out invites of a launch event for its first Android OS based device in India. The Canadian company has scheduled this event for 28th January, in Delhi, and at the event it has promised to launch to its patient Indian customers the BlackBerry Priv.

The Priv, which was first unveiled in October is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs.
BlackBerry in its previous interactions with the media had also hinted the company may soon unveil another Android phone this year.

In terms of specs, this offering from the Candian company comes loaded with decent firepower. The Priv on the outside has a 5.4-inch dual-curved Plastic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (540ppi). Under its beautiful display, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit processor with an Adreno 418 GPU clocked at 600 MHz.

Blackberry Priv further boasts of 3GB low powered RAM and internal storage of up to 32 GB, which is expandable up to an impressive 2 TB. The battery pack that makes this device run is rated at 3410 mAh. It is also equipped with an 18 MP dual-flash Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera to click amazing pictures.

Blackberry which has dubbed the Priv as the ” secure smartphone powered by Android” is going to roll out the smartphone ‘pre-loaded with the brand new BlackBerry DTEK application, designed to help you manage and protect your privacy.’ Blackberry claims that the DTEK app will tell you which apps access your personal data and shows the overall security assessment of your device.

January 19, 2016
HTC Reported to Launch Two Nexus Phones This Year

In latest news from the land of leaks and rumours, fresh reports suggest not just one, but two Nexus handsets from HTC this year. This revelation comes courtesy of a post on Weibo. The rumour is that there will be two Nexus smartphones just like last year, but unlike 2015, this time we will see the burden of both these being handled by HTC.

The rumour also claims that these smartphones will come in two display sizes 5-inch and a 5.5-inch. The decision to bring HTC back for both these phones means they could be similar to the Nexus 5X, fueling rumours of similar looking phones for the Nexus lineup this year. Much like what Apple does with its iPhones, and Plus range.

Considering that HTC is going through a bit of rough patch, if it indeed is true, this partnership will be great news for the Taiwanese company, though it is still unclear as to why this decision did not go Huawei’s way after its stellar work with the 6P.

January 19, 2016

Yu Yutopia Review : Too Much Hype

The Yu Yutopia as a handset from the company YU was much awaited, and there is an excellent reason for that. The company tried to create a lot of hype for the product, and everyone had high expectations from the Yutopia.

Does the Yu Yutopia live up to expectations, or does it end up being an expensive handset with too much hype. Let’s find out.

Build Quality and Design

The YU Yutopia is not the prettiest handset out there. In fact out of all the possible purchases that you can make in this price bracket, the YU Yutopia is the least inviting as far as design is concerned.

The design is based on the basic design of their Yuphoria/Yunique handset which is a big let down from an aesthetics point of view. It does have a lot of rounded edges that from an in-hands perspective are really comfortable.

Build Quality otherwise is great, aircraft grade aluminium, which means we get strength while keeping the overall weight of the Yutopia low at 155 grams. The 7.2 mm thickness is also appealing from a build point of view. The phone is pretty slim yet robust and lightweight. The front glass is now a CORNING CONCORE GLASS that is pre-fused with the display made by Sharp, and the capability of Concore is considered the same as Gorilla Glass 3.

The YU Yutopia will handle drops and dings with ease since the phone is metal, it will get dents and may get scratched too, but will not break or shatter easily.
<br />

With no removable back, Yu managed to stuff the cards in a ridiculously sized card tray. This tray is inconvenient and impractical, over time you swap memory cards your network SIM card comes out as well.

Hardware

The specs of the Yutopia are the strongest point for the device. The Yutopia beats all in the segment with hardware on paper; you have an SD810 chipset packed in with a 2K QHD display, alongside an amazing 21 MP camera. 32 GIGS of onboard storage and massive 4 GB of RAM.

Specification	YU Yutopia
Display	5.2 -inch Sharp WQHD IPS display, 2K
Resolution	2560×1440 pixels, 567 Ppi
Chipset	64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
CPU	2.0 GHz Octa-core
GPU	Adreno 430
RAM	4 GB
Front Camera	8 MP FF
Rear Camera	21MP AF camera, 4K video recording
Storage	32 GB
Expandability	Using Micro SD card 128 GB
Battery	3,000 mAh battery with 2.0 Quick Charge
Operating System	Android Lollipop 5.1 with Cyanogen OS 12.1
Price	Rs. 24,999

Performance and Gaming

Whatever the specs on paper, Yu may have underclocked the chipset and the hardware quite a lot. Performance is mediocre, to say the least, and benchmarks tend to underwhelming results. Running Cyanogen helps the YUtopia get past day to day activities with ease and the 4GB of RAM is more than ample for the daily process.

However tests and benchmarks speak a different language, and in their language, the Yutopia performs just about average.

Gaming is pretty good, but when compared to devices with a full HD display seems to be a little laggy. The 2k display seems to be causing the slowdown of the processing power, letting the phone get its primary workload performance only at average quality.

YU has kept its temperatures down despite using an SD 810 chipset that only goes to show that an OS feature governs the chipset, hence causing a slowdown in performance.

The great thing about the YU Yutopia running Cyanogen, however, is the fact that once can quickly install a speed governor and overclock the handset. Rooting is fairly easy and is done by a single third party app.

Camera and Multimedia

The 21 MP camera with a Sony sensor is the big highlight of the YUtopia, with images coming out crisp and full of juicy megapixels, no one will complain. The camera is quick to boot and click and focuses easily too.

The app is a simply the Cyanogen camera app with the usual features, including filters and slow mo video. The more you play with it, the more pictures you will click. Close up shots are not that crisp, and the camera does not focus up close.

4k / UHD content will playback easily on the handset. However, it will be downscaled to fit the screen resolution. The speaker is loud and will make you happy with the outcome. Overall the Yutopia serves well as a multimedia and entertainment device, letting down on gameplay graphics and overall performance. Video playback and audio is great.

Phone, Networks and Battery

The network runs smooth and supports all the main Indian bands including those for LTE. 4G was tested on Airtel in New Delhi, and speeds of up to 50Mbps were achieved. With the situation of networks in the country fairly weak, it ‘s hard to point to either the network provider or the manufacturer for network issues. The Yutopia managed to get the same amount of Signal -DB when compared to popular products from the likes of Motorola, Samsung and even on the iPhone.

The lack of separate trays makes the swapping of SIM cards, or memory cards a tedious process, and hopefully, Yu will not repeat the mistake again.

Battery life is better than expected, with the processor governed and the heat under control, the battery life is much better in this case, but since the reports are erratic, it is unclear as to how many people will have a consistent experience.

Talk Time: 6 hours

Internet Browsing: 6-8 hours

Gaming: 4 Hours

Video: 5- 6 Hours

Cyanogen and Other Features

The YU Yutopia features excellent hardware on paper and great software too. A lot of people like Cyanogen, and it works well for YU. The remanufactured build of Android works great and for the tweak hurry nerd is a playground in paradise. There are some issues, and they would warrant the use of stock Android to Cyanogen.

Cyanogen was one of the quickest to jump to the latest version of Android. That is no longer the case, with more than half a year gone by, Cyanogen still rocks 5.1.1 hence YUtopia does the same. While a marshmallow build is, supposedly, “around the corner” the high wait time is no longer fun. Cyanogen has a significant and large support community of which YU users enjoy the spoils.

The UI is fast and responsive, highly customizable and intuitive to the needs of the user. Allowing users to skin various elements of the OS. You can also add and remove tweaks to enhance the OS.

The fingerprint scanner has received many complaints, and it requires the same finger to be scanned from various angles many times to get the issue resolved. It does work but misses the unlock target at times, frustrating the user.

Conclusion

While YU is looking at a lot of firsts with the YUtopia, the phone may not be “all that”. It has fantastic specs, and an excellent build quality, a great OS experience, and a good camera. However, it is priced higher than one would want to spend for a category two phone. Hardware wise the price matches, things like the camera and the display itself warrant the price.

Performance is on the low side, and honestly, the phone is excellent on paper but is not a good looking phone in the hand. While looks may be perceived differently by each user, the general look of the phone is bland, and the design refuses to find a balance between a rough exterior look and a polished premium look.

There are many smartphone options, in the price bracket, that offer an excellent package, but none that give everything that is available in this phone. For the pure hardware enthusiast, this is a gem of a phone. For those looking to flaunt may have to look elsewhere, as the YUtopia is an underdog when it comes to looks.

As far as the price is concerned, the company is expected to launch a slightly cheaper variant of the YUtopia around the 16-17 thousand rupee mark to compete with the likes of the One Plus X, later this year.
<br />

The included Marley earphones are a great addon, but are very generic earphones, which sound just “ok”. Price could have been lowered by simply including cheap earphones, or no earphones at all.

January 19, 2016

Motorola India ‘Shatters’ iPhone 6s in New Teaser

Motorola India yesterday launched a teaser for its upcoming Moto X Force smartphone. The device’s major highlight is its shatter-proof display which is gloriously demoed in this teaser while taking a jibe at some other well-known smartphones out there including the iPhone.

Today it has taken the fight directly to Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple. In a new video shared through Motorola India’s YouTube channel, the company takes a jibe at the iPhone mocking it for the infamous “bend-gate” situation that iPhone 6 users had to face. It further shows an iPhone 6s being dropped from an unspecified height (we’re guessing 10 feet) and switching to the next shot to reveal that the iPhone’s display has succumbed to a gruesome end.

Moto in the video starts by saying” First they bend, then they, break”, and ends it by saying ” and then they choose” followed by the Moto X logo with the words “coming soon” beneath it showing up on screen. Well, if this is what they did to the iPhone, we can only imagine what the marketing team at Motorola has in store for the other big dog in the market, Samsung.

January 19, 2016
Lenovo K4 Note VR Bundle Goes On Flash Sale

Lenovo K4 Note with ANT VR bundle will be available for purchase on its first flash sale today. The much-anticipated flash sale for which 4,80,566 people have registered will go live on Amazon at 2 P.M IST today. The K4 Note VR bundle is priced at an attractive price of Rs 12,499.

Amazon will see another sale go live tomorrow at the same time exclusively for the Lenovo K4 Note. The K4 Note will be up for sale at a discounted price of Rs 11,999. In what will be welcome news for customers who have registered for the VR Bundle, it has been announced that they will be eligible for the 20th, January K4 Note sale as well. For customers who would like to buy just the ANT VR headset, it is also available on Amazon for a reasonable price of Rs 1,299.

For all you curious souls, the Lenovo K4 Note comes to the market with impressive specifications. The phone sports Lenovo sports a 5.5-inch Full HD Display(401 ppi). It comes equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Under the hood, it houses an octa-core 64-bit Mediatek MT6753 processor paired with 3GB RAM. It also comes with internal storage of 16GB which is expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card slot.

The phone on the outside features a curved back, and will be 3.8mm thick. It also includes a fingerprint scanner. The K4 Note is the first smartphone to come with Dolby Atmos sound technology on speakers. It also supports 4G connectivity on both the SIM slots.

For all your photography needs, the device packs a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash. It also features a 5MP front facing camera. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB OTG and A-GPS. The phone gets its juice from a 3300 mAh battery pack.

January 19, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 May be Edge-Only

Sources close to iGyaan have suggested that the much-anticipated Galaxy S7 flagship smartphones will only come in ‘edge’ form. This means that you might not see a flat S7 device at all.

This latest rumour brings in line with what past renders of the S7 have revealed. The 5.1 Galaxy S7 will likely come in the form of last year’s Galaxy Note 5 where the sides curve at the back. Meanwhile, the 5.5-inch S7 Edge will have curved edges at the front and so will the 5.7-inch S7 Edge+. The video of the render shows the front design of the S7 having narrower side bezels, 2.5D glass covering the display and the Home Button.

The move to curved-only smartphones makes sense as Samsung won widespread praise for its design language last year. The Galaxy S7 Edge, Edge+ and Note 5 were among Samsung’s best-looking devices in 2015.

Meanwhile, the specs of the device remain unchanged from past rumors. It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other likely specs include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow (no surprises there).

On the camera front, Samsung is looking to downgrade to 12 MP camera and focus more on improving low-light imaging and wider dynamic range for the upcoming flagship. To do this, Samsung is taking help of the new BRITECELL setup. AnTuTu listing also confirms that the device will sport a 12 MP rear sensor and a 5 MP front. Looks like Samsung is sticking to quality rather than quantity here.

January 19, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J5 Specs Revealed in Benchmark Test

Looks like Samsung is really keen on its budget to mid-range devices, as has been the case for a while now. The Korean giant has been heavily pushing out its ‘J’ and ‘A’ series in the past few weeks with the J1 recently being outed. Now it seems the new Galaxy J5 mid-range smartphone will be out soon too, if the latest benchmarks have anything to say about it.

A benchmark listing posted by GFXBench has been discovered that suggests some key specs of the alleged J5 smartphone.

The device is shown to sport a 5.2-inch screen 720p resolution, a 12 or 13 MP (most likely 13MP) rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset, which comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

According to the listing, the new J5 will come with a slightly bigger screen and memory compared to the previous J5. Nothing has been revealed on the battery front, but its likely to be the same the its predecessor.

Now, pricing will be key to the success of the J5 and since Samsung is launching a slew of devices in the budget to mid-range category, it is important that the J5 be competitively priced. One would expect Samsung to price this slightly updated J5 successor around the same as the previous version, which is Rs. 12,000. We’ll know more when we get closer to the launch of the Galaxy J5.

January 19, 2016