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.

Samsung Galaxy J1 Successor to Have Three Colour Variants

Here’s the latest dope on the Samsung Galaxy J successor, which should also be called Galaxy J1 (2016), as reported by @evleaks. It will be available in three colour variants -black, white and gold. Just a couple of days ago, we had talked about a leaked image of the device that had surfaced online, along with speculated specifications.

Samsung Galaxy J1 Black

According to these speculations, the phone is expected to have a 4.5 inch display, which is slightly larger than the current J1’s 4.3 inches, with 480×800 pixel resolution. The phone will be powered by Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Samsung Galaxy J1 White

Though the FCC certificate does not reveal any specifications for the handset, although a siting on GFXBench can throw some light on it. The SM-J120F (the model number of J1’s successor) is expected to arrive with a dual SIM variant which will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 3475 chipset with quad-core 1.3 GHz CPU and will come with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory.

Samsung-Galaxy J1 Gold

On the camera front, one can expect a 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera. The phone will be a budget phone arriving at close to Rs. 7,000. We can expect the J1 to be launched this month, let’s see when it hits the Indian markets.

Source

January 12, 2016
All Moto Devices to Feature Fingerprint Scanners in 2016

Motorola (and this might be the last time we use the name) has been the name attached to the advent of the phone back in the 90s, and even fingerprint sensors back in 2011 with the Atrix 4G, much before Apple did it with the iPhone 5s. However, Motorola was still behind in including the feature to many of its devices in the past few years, especially last year’s Moto X Style and Play, while other brands have largely embraced the feature.

Speaking of fingerprint sensors then, Lenovo has stated that all of its Moto devices this yer will feature fingerprint scanners. Chen Xudong, SVP of Lenovo and president for Lenovo China and Asia Pacific, has revealed that all Moto-branded handsets launching this year will have fingerprint sensors. One can’t help but feel that Lenovo is ready to make some big changes to the Moto lineup after it officially kills off Motorola this year.

Lenovo Vibe P1 with fingerprint sensor

Additionally, Lenovo has also stated that there will be no more devices with screen size under 5-inches, which, if one cares to venture, could mean the end of the Moto E line. Lenovo’s plan looks pretty straightforward – the Moto devices will be launched aimed at the high-end market, while budget devices will bear the ‘Vibe’ moniker. Between the two, Lenovo plans to launch no more than 15 devices this year.

Lastly, Chen also stated that Google Play Store will launch in China, which is likely to give a stiff competition to many of the local app stores for Android in the country. In fact, Google was supposed to announce a China-only version of the Play Store last year along with the launch of the Nexus devices, but that did not happen.

January 12, 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5 Could Arrive in Two Versions

It’s not uncommon at all for OEMs to release more than one options for flagship devices. Samsung, Apple, and Sony, among others, have been doing that for a while now, and if latest rumors are to be believed, Xiaomi is planning to do the same with its upcoming Mi 5 flagship smartphone.

A mobile industry insider let it slip that Xiaomi could have two variants for the Mi 5 up its sleeve. While one will sport a 2.5D curved glass for the front and back with a metal fame, the other will be a more premium version with an all-metal body. Furthermore, the former is said to have a 1080p resolution, while the latter (pricier) variant will sport a QHD resolution display.

However, the size of both the variants will remain the same. If this new rumor is true, Xiaomi is likely to offer the glass version with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage, and the full-metal handset with 4 GB and 64 GB storage. Meanwhile, yesterday’s leak also confirms a black color variant for the device.

Just a refresher, the Mi 5 is slated to feature a 5.2-inch display with Quad HD resolution. The handset is confirmed to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other rumored specs include 3GB or 4GB RAM, with a minimum of 32GB internal storage. The camera on the device is expected to be a 16-megapixel at the back, and an equally impressive 13-megapixel snapper at the front.

This power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3600 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21.

January 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs Listed on AnTuTu

The launch of Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices is a month or two away. As is always the case when it comes to big launches such as this, leaks and rumors are always in plenty. Today, we have one that possibly confirms what we have come to know about the S7, at least specification wise. AnTuTu posted on Weibo the specs of the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 device.

It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, and AnTuTu confirms the same. Other specs listed include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow ( no surprises there).

There have been a lot of rumors and speculation around the camera of the S7. The newest rumors suggested that Samsung will in fact downgrade to 12 MP camera and focus more on improving low-light imaging and wider dynamic range. To do this, Samsung is making taking help of the new BRITECELL setup. AnTuTu 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.

While the specs are pretty much out and about now, there’s still some surprises to expect on the design front. It is also unknown how Samsung plans on distributing the Snapdragon 820 and Exynos chipsets among the 5.1-inch, 5.5-inch, and 6-inch variants.

January 11, 2016
Pictures of a Nokia Handset Prototype Appear Online

Nokia seems to be everyone’s favourite under-dog these days. So obviously, when pictures of a potential Nokia prototype appear online, we cannot help but talk about them.

Images of an unknown handset has appeared online which seems to be Nokia-branded. It appears to be a prototype handset, and a closer look at the images does not reveal any doctoring. It sports a camera on the back with an LED flash along with suggestions of an antenna design on the body of the phone.

Additionally, the images do not show a smartphone, but a feature phone. It is complete with a keypad and a non-touch display. This could be either an old prototype which couldn’t be launched before Microsoft took over Nokia, and then got shoved under the carpet, or it could be a future device.

Even though Nokia is not allowed to use its brand on feature phones until 2024, as part of the deal with Microsoft, who knows what this device holds for the future? Watch this space for more scoop on Nokia and its upcoming plans.

January 11, 2016
Xiaomi Mi5 Round-Up: Everything We Know So Far

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 3 in China on Monday morning, but the company isn’t done yet. Next up is the launch of the much awaited Mi 5 this month. This is what we know about the device so far:

3D Touch3D Touch is the new cool thing in town and everyone wants to have a piece of it. Reports emerging from China tell us that Xiaomi too is interested in having this technology for its future flagship devices. This could be one of the reasons the expected Mi 5 announcement has been delayed. January will see the first set of phones to arrive with the new processors including the Mi5 and (perhaps) Galaxy S7.

CameraWe have heard several rumours about the camera of the Mi5. The latest one suggests that the phone will sport a 16 MP rear camera with dual LED flash. The front camera will be marked at 8 MP.

ChipsetXiaomi’s Mi5 will be among the first devices to sport the newest chipset, Snapdragon 820. Earlier, single-core score of the Snapdragon 820 was placed at 2162, which was quite underwhelming give that the latest A9 chipset from Apple has a score close to 2500. However, a new score of 2300 points was revealed by a popular leakster. Though it is still not on par with Apple, it is still a better score and keeps hopes alive for better performing devices next year.

Battery, Storage and Other DetailsThis power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3,030 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. A fingerprint sensor can also be expected as many new devices are now coming out with it. Other features expected to be part of Mi5 include 4GB RAM and 16/64GB of Internal storage. Other rumored specs include 3 GB or 4 GB RAM, with a minimum of 32 GB internal storage. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Design and Display:Earlier today, Weibo posted some images of the Mi5 in its black variant which has since been removed.The images concur with past renders of the device. The 5.2-inch QHD (1440×2560) AMOLED display of the device is also expected sports a slimming frame and a wide display, and a thick lower bezel.

Price and LaunchThe expected price of the Mi5 is around 1,999 Yuan (Rs. 20,500 approx.) Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21st.

January 11, 2016

Lenovo Launches A7000 Turbo in India with 4G Support

After launching the K4 Note in India just last week, Lenovo launched its second new handset of the year, the A7000 Turbo. The smartphone is similar to the popular K3 Note in terms of specs and features.

The 5.5-inch A7000 Turbocomes with a full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) IPS display and a pixel density of 401ppi. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM.

On the camera front, the device sports a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and a 5MP front sensor. It also comes with an internal storage of 16 GB, expandable up to 32 GB. The device comes with the usual connectivity options as well as 4G LTE. A battery capacity of 2,900mAh gives the handset plenty of juice through the day. Lenovo promises up to 16 hours of talk time on 3G and 11 days standby.

While the K4 Note is priced at Rs. 11,999, the A7000 Turbo (with specs similar to the K3 Note) is available at a price of Rs. 10,999 and is offered in matte black. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI 2.0 and will start shipping from today.

Specs	Lenovo A7000 Turbo
Display	5.5-inch Full HD IPS display
Resolution	1080×1920 pixels, 401 ppi
Processor	1.7 GHz 8-core Cortex-A53 (MediaTek MT6752 64-bit)
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP f/2.0, dual-LED flash
Front Camera	5 MP f/2.2
Expandability	32 GB
Battery	2,900mAh battery
Connectivity	4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, GPS/ A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, and Micro-USB.
OS	Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI 2.0
Price	Rs. 10,999

January 11, 2016

Xiaomi Launches Redmi 3 With a Massive 4,100 mAh Battery

In an official teaser released earlier, Xiaomi had mentioned 12th January as the official date for the global release of Xiaomi Redmi 3. As for China, the phone was launched there on Monday morning.

The specs of the phone include a 5 inch display with 1280 X 720 resolution, as had been revealed by the teaser earlier. It’s powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, along with four cores marked at 1.2 GHz, and another four cores at 1.5 GHz.

Redmi 3 further has 16 GB of in-built storage expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card. The highlight of the device is its massive 4,100 mAh non-removable battery. It runs on MIUI 7 with no news about the Android version of the phone.

Redmi 3 has a 13 MP main camera with LED flash and 1080p full-HD video recording, and a 5 MP front camera also capable of full-HD recording. The phone is a dual SIM device capable of supporting one Micro-SIM and one Nano-SIM along with a microSD card; with an all-metal body, Redmi has a plaid design on the back and is priced at CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000).

Specs	Xiaomi Redmi 3
Display	5-inch IPS LCD
Resolution	1280 X 720 (294 ppi)
Processor	octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
GPU	Adreno 405
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP, f/2.2, LED flash
Front Camera	5 MP, f/2.2
Expandability	128 GB
Battery	Non-removable 4,100 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, microUSB v2.0
OS	MIUI 7
Price	CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000), Price in India unannounced

January 11, 2016

Xiaomi Mi 5 Leak Reveals Black Variant Design

We’re all eagerly awaiting the launch of Xiaomi’s Mi 5 flagship smartphone. It’s only normal for alleged images and specs to surface prior to a launch. Earlier today, Weibo posted some images of the Mi 5 in its black variant which has since been removed.

The images concur with past renders of the device. The 5.2-inch QHD device sports a slimming frame and a wide display. The handset also comes with a thick lower bezel.

The Mi 5 is slated to feature a 5.2-inch display with Quad HD resolution. The handset is confirmed to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other rumored specs include 3GB or 4GB RAM, with a minimum of 32GB internal storage. The camera on the device is expected to be a 16-megapixel at the back, and an equally impressive 13-megapixel snapper at the front.

This power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3600 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21.

January 11, 2016
BlackBerry Confirms Security Updates for BB 10, New Android Device for 2016

BlackBerry has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past couple of months. From being one of the most popular mobile brands at one time with its innovative BlackBerry Messenger to becoming a company struggling to keep itself on its feet -it has seen it all.

We recently heard rumours about how BlackBerry might be letting go of its operating system BB 10. However, these rumours have been proven false by a post on the official BlackBerry blog. John Chen, the company’s CEO revealed that the operating system is “far from” dead and that BlackBerry devices like Passport, Classic and other phones by the company running on BB 10 would receive updates for the operating system soon.

There will be security and privacy updates for BB 10 this year, along with an enhanced 10.3.4 version of the OS slated to arrive later this year with more security and privacy related features.

Additionally, BlackBerry which is all set to bring out more of its own Android devices in the future also confirmed that 2016 will see the launch of only one such device. Would you be willing to put your trust in BlackBerry’s Android devices?

Source

January 9, 2016
Microsoft Lumia 650 Gets FCC Approval, Design Confirmed

Just yesterday, rumors about Microsoft’s Lumia 650 had emerged with a leaked image and some specs. Today, the alleged handset had passed the FCC hurdle, which means a launch is imminent. The leaked live image of the device also confirm a metal frame for a more premium finish.

The 5-inch 720p display device is likely to come bearing the Snapdragon 210 chipset clocking at 1.1GHz. A 2,000mAh battery pack in the 650 is small, especially when compared to the Lumia 640 (2,500mAh) and the Lumia 550 (2,100mAh).

Furthermore, it is the single-SIM variant that has been cleared by FCC with the model number RM-1152 suggesting the device will first launch in the United States. Microsoft will also offer a dual-SIM variant for the device.

From what the specs tell us, and this is yet unconfirmed, the Lumia 650 lacks both juice and power, but does well with the exterior design, and a pricing of under Rs. 10,000 (similar to the Lumia 550) will be needed for this device to tempt the masses.

January 9, 2016
HTC Launches Desire 728 Dual Sim in India

After the launch of the HTC Desire 828 Dual SIM and HTC One A9 in India last month, HTC today has launched the Desire 728 Dual SIM in India – priced at Rs. 17,990.The phone will be made available for purchase only through major offline retailers starting next next week and will have two color options -White Luxury and Purple Myst.

The Desire 728 runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with HTC Sense and features a 5.5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IPS display. It packs a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a 5- megapixel front facing shooter. Also, the handset is powered by a Octa-core MediaTek MT6753 SoC (clocked at 1.3GHz) and 2GB of RAM.

It comes with 16GB in-built storage which is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB). Connectivity options on the handset include Wi-Fi, FM radio, Bluetooth, GPRS/ EDGE, GPS/ A-GPS, 3G and Micro-USB and 4G LTE TDD connectivity with support for Indian networks.

According to official listing of the HTC Desire 728 Dual SIM, the handset is backed by a 2800 mAh battery that can offer up to 21 hours of talk time and up to 485 hours of standby time in 3G. The dimensions are 157.9×77.84×7.87mm and it weighs at a measly 153 grams. It also comes with HTC proprietary BooMSound Technology, and Dolby audio for all audiophiles in the market.

January 8, 2016
CES 2016: Lenovo Smartphone the First to Implement Google’s Project Tango

Third day of the Consumer Electronic Show 2016 has seen Google and Lenovo announce plans of a partnership to build, and sell the first smartphone that can make use of the former’s take on 3-D Augmented Reality technology. Google likes to call this tech fondly as ‘Project Tango.’

This tech will help support smart devices figure out space and motion just like humans do, allowing the devices to understand their surroundings in a 3-D view, and track their path as they move through them. Using ‘Project Tango’, a device can map the dimensions of the room, essentially projecting it on the screen in a 3-D form.

Project Tango Development Kits were earlier launched to help developers create apps to better use this technology. Future uses of Tango could be apps that use 3-D augmented reality technology to help you decide how a piece of furniture will look in your room. Several interactive games could also be made using ‘Project Tango’. Possibilities, in all honesty, are endless.

The Lenovo smartphone that will be the first to do the ‘Tango’ with Google’s latest tech, is going to be priced at $500(approx Rs 35,000), and will be out sometime during the “Summer of 2016″. Not much has been disclosed in terms of specs, but the phone will be powered by a Qualcomm processor, sport three cameras (RGB, Fisheye, and Depth) for it’s 3-D mapping needs, and could have a display as big as 6-6.5 inches.

Vice President of Lenovo, Jeff Meridith stressed at the event that this will not be a niche product, but a device for the masses He stressed,” We locked arms with Google to bring out a consumer device based on Tango. The goal here was to create a mainstream device. We don’t want this to be a niche technology. Lenovo is extremely proud of where we are at this stage of the effort.”

January 8, 2016
You Can Now Buy the Galaxy S5 for Rs. 17999

If you’re looking to buy a Samsung phone, now is the time. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available in a sale at a price of Rs. 17,999. This price is for the Charcoal Black, Electric Blue and Copper Gold variants of the phone that can be purchased via the Flipkart app for mobile phones.

Rs. 17,999 is an excellent price for the 2014 flagship device of Samsung. The device is water resistant, among other cool specs that it includes.Galaxy S5 features a 5.1 inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, a 2 MP selfie camera capable of Full HD video recording and a 16 MP ISOCELL main camera with autofocus and LED flash.

Samsung Galaxy On5

On5 has seen a fall in prices too. All these devices can be purchased off Flipkart while the offers last. The On5 is priced at Rs. 7,990 from its initial Rs. 8,990. On5 is one Samsung’s first devices of the On-series.

The device sports a 5-inch (126.7mm) HD touchscreen display, and is equipped with a 5 MP front camera and an 8 MP main camera. It has 8 GB of internal storage and a 1.3GHz quad-core processor.

January 8, 2016
iPhone of the Future To Be Self Healing

According to reports, Apple Inc, has pretty interesting, and possibly ground breaking plans in works for its future iPhones. The Cupertino based tech giant, famous for its innovation, and creativity, has been granted patents for some really cool ideas.

Apple, has plans of bringing to life what seem to be iPhones that could heal, and clean themselves while you sleep peacefully in your bed.The newly granted patents reveal a system to fix dead pixels on a screen, and even dry the handset’s speaker and internal components all without human intervention.

The idea is for the phone to run an automatic, screen diagnostic overnight which last a couple of hours while you sleep to help fix issues of dead pixels. The smartphone will also run other diagnostics while you sleep, like testing the camera, as well as checking on the handset’s components to make sure your phone is able to connect to the internet properly, make calls and send texts.

The patent also has information on how the phone will deal with a situation in which it has been accidentally dunked in a drink. Showcasing intelligence beyond its processing power, the future iPhone would wait until you take it somewhere loud, like a concert, and then play a special tone that would expel the water stuck in the speaker grill.

Such fancy ideas by Apple would only result in greater customer satisfaction, and hence increased sales. After-all, none of us like the dreaded visit to the repair centre. Do we?

January 8, 2016