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.

Redmi 2 Vs Redmi 1s : What is the Real Difference?

Today, Xiaomi expanded its smartphone lineup in India with the launch of the new Redmi 2, the successor of Redmi 1s. Along with that, the firm brought to India its first tablet, the Mi Pad.

Now, shifting the attention back to the new smartphone, the Redmi 2 is another pocket-friendly device by the Chinese electronics brand. From the overall look, the Redmi 2 may look familiar with its predecessor, but its specifications are what makes it stand apart. With a revamped processor, front camera, GPU, battery, RAM, and many more things, the phone stands above the other devices in the same price bracket.

Have a look at the major tweaks done on the new phone:

Specs	Redmi 1S	Redmi 2
Display	4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi	4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi
Processor	1.6 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 400	1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
GPU	Adreno 305	Adreno 306
RAM	1GB	1GB
In-Build Meory	8GB	8GB
Expandable Up to	32GB	32GB
Rear Camera	8MP	8MP
Front Camera	1.6MP	2MP
Operating System	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI 5.0	Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI 6.0
Battery	2000mAh	2200mAh
Price	Rs. 5,999	Rs. 6,999

Registration for the handsets will start today at 6pm and the phone will be available on March 24 through flash sale model.

March 12, 2015

Xiaomi Redmi 2 Launched in India, Priced to Compete With Moto E (Gen 2)

Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi, has today launched the new Redmi 2, a successor to the popular Redmi 1S. The smartphone packs some amazing specifications and is a budget superhero with a price tag of Rs. 6,999.

The Redmi 2 sports a 4.7 inch (720×1280 ppi) resolution display just like its predecessor. The device runs on MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4 KitKat. Powered by a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor, the handset comes with 1 GB RAM. the phone has 8GB of internal memory storage, which is expandable up to 32GB.

On the camera front, the device sports an 8 MP rear snapper on the back and a 2 MP selfie shooter on the front. The phone gets its juice from the 2200mAh battery.

The company is holding the first flash sale on 24^th of this month and registrations for the sale begins today from 6pm onwards. Xiaomi hasn’t introduced the coloured variants and the device will be available only in white and grey colour options in India.

Just like last year, the Redmi 2 is directed towards capturing the Motorola’s budget market. Xiaomi has priced the new device at par with the new Moto E(Gen 2). The arrival of the Redmi 2 has raised the stakes in the brutal affordable smartphone landscape and poses a serious challenge to its competition.

March 12, 2015
Leaked Photos Suggest the Upcoming LG G4 is All About the Curves

The Korean smartphone producer LG was amongst the few major smartphone vendors that skipped the Mobile World Congress 2015. Samsung, Huawei and HTC came out with their best offerings. On the other hand, very less is known about the forthcoming flagship from the tech giant LG, the G4.

Some images are making the rounds on Twitter, which claim to be early press renders of the unannounced phone. These pictures depict very much about the forthcoming device, and as we can see in the images, the new phone features a curved body just like LG Magna and LG G Flex 2. The device looks bigger in size and sleeker from all areas.

If you look at the backside of the device, the curve is clearly noticeable. Also, one can spot the tweaked power key and camera button. The camera lens is significantly bumped up and on its right is a dual-LED flash.

At a closer look at its side, you will notice a divot indicating that the back lid can be removed. That means the battery of the device is detachable, and the memory can be expanded through a slot.

The front is a full glass display from top to bottom, and the top of the screen houses a front-facing camera and earpiece strip. The bezel of the device has been reduced to a minimum, but nothing can be said about the display dimensions.

Putting together the innards of LG G4, the phone is anticipated to equip a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, QHD display, 16MP rear shooter and a 5MP secondary camera. The device is speculated to arrive in May this year.

March 12, 2015
Upcoming HTC E9 Specs Leaked, Sports 3GB RAM and Bigger Camera

HTC recently unveiled their flagship or the year 2015 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The device was an upgrade over the previous generation devices and addressed the criticisms against the earlier device. HTC is now reportedly about to launch the One E9, which will be a successor to the E8 launched last year.

According to various rumors, the HTC One E9 will be a major upgrade over the last year’s version and will be competing in the market as a phablet. The device is expected to be launched in the mid to high range segments.

The reported image of the new HTC One E9.

The E9 is touted to sport a 5.5 inch Quad HD display which would make it the first HTC device to feature the ultra high definition display. Even HTC’s latest flagship, the One M9 sported a Full HD display.

The biggest change is HTC’s bet on MediaTek 64-bit 8-core processor for the new device instead of the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon line of chipsets. The E8 flaunted a Snapdragon 801 chipset. The handset is also expected to feature 3 GB RAM, 32 GB of storage with expandable storage and will be juiced up by a 2800 mAh battery.

On the camera front, the E9 is said to sport the 20 MP shooter we saw on the new M9. According to the leaked image, the device now features a massive camera on the back. For the front camera, it is said that the standard model of the device will house a 13 MP shooter on the front while a premium version of the E9 will sport a 4 MP ultrapixel camera.

Now these reports are still based on rumours so we cannot confirm the authenticity of these reports. The E9 does look like a considerable upgrade over the One E8, but we have to wait for official confirmations to be sure. Overall, like e8 was a stripped down version of the M8, the E9 seems like the slightly pocket-friendly version of the One M9.

March 11, 2015
Xiaomi Officially Confirms, Redmi 2 is Arriving in India on March 12

Every time you think the Xiaomi mania has cooled down, the Chinese smartphone powerhouse drops a new product in the market that restarts the waiting line. Xiaomi is expected to launch the successor to its budget superhero, Redmi 1S in India. The company has sent out the invitation to the launch event of a new device scheduled on March 12, 2015.

The device is named Redmi 2 and was launched at CES this year. The device has a 4.7 inch 720p HD display like its predecessor and is now protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The device runs on MIUI 6 which is based on Android 4.4 Kitkat.

Redmi 2 is powered by a 1.2 GHz, Snapdragon 410 processor. In some markets it is available in two variants, one with 8 GB memory and 1 GB RAM whereas the other variant flaunts 16 GB internal memory and 2 GB RAM. It is not sure of yet if Xiaomi will be bringing both the variants in the Indian market, but the options do sound great.

On the camera front, the device still sports an 8 MP camera on the back while the front camera is updated to 2 MP. The battery also gets bigger at 2200 mAh.

It is an exciting device and considering the success of the Redmi 1S, you can expect the handset to find a lot of takers. The pricing of the device would be essential in taking on the competition as the market has many contenders in the budget segment such as the Lenovo A6000 and the Moto E (Gen 2).

We’ll get you hands-on and full review of Xiaomi’s latest offering for India soon, keep checking back with iGyaan for more.

March 11, 2015
Report : Next iPhone to Come in a Pink Colour Variant and Feature Force Touch

The Apple event on Monday saw the introduction of new Force Touch technology on the MacBook. The revolutionary tool is incorporated on the Apple Watch and the new 12-inch MacBook, that looks insanely sleek and light. The tech giant has plans to expand the responsive touch technology to the iPhone lineup and according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, users may see the new Force Touch in the next iPhone.

Force Touch uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls. This new addition brings the possibility to spawn fresh applications to the device.

The news of Force Touch inclusion on the next-gen smartphone is not much a surprise as the company has followed the same approach for multi-touch display debuted in 2007. Post the launch of multi-touch technology on iPhone, MacBook joined the league to enclose the same mechanism.

The international publishing daily also mentioned the new colour option Apple may be offering with the next-gen iPhone. The report stated that users may choose a pink iPhone this time, but it is presently in testing mode.

Tentatively titled ‘iPhone 6s’ is anticipated to house the same features found in the other ‘s’ iterations. It will sport an upgraded 2GB RAM and will be shipped with an Apple SIM. With revamped features and improved tools, the next smartphone can establish as a milestone for Apple just like iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

March 11, 2015
Exclusive Leak : LG is Reworking the G4 Design to Take on Samsung Galaxy S6

The Mobile World Congress 2015 became the spectator of the recently unveiled flagships from Samsung. The two phones launched by Samsung tried to address the concerns raised by the critics and they were well received by the industry. But the other major Korean manufacturer, LG, is yet to reveal its cards. Rumors have been whirling about LG’s next flagship, the G4. This new device is expected to trump over the G3 with a revamped design and upgraded specs. However, with Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 making records within a week of its launch, there’s mounting pressure on LG to pack the G4 with invincible specs and features. We have received exclusive information that LG is taking “inspiration” from Samsung’s flagship for its new handset to bring out a worth challenger in the market.

As per exclusive information, LG is planning to transform the G4 on the lines of the Galaxy S6.

According to a reliable source close to iGyaan, the Korean producer is ditching plastic and metal body plans in favour of an all metal design with strengthed glass protection. The new LG G4 will come in a bold metallic casing, which will guard the phone against accidental drops. Besides the layout, the battery capacity and camera of the upcoming LG flagship will also be overhauled so as to give a tough competition to the Galaxy S6. For the camera, LG G4 will tie in the already existing laser autofocus with improved optics for better shooting capabilities.

The LG G4 is expected to launch in the second quarter this year, and our sources have confirmed that the roll out of the device will begin much later after its unveiling. LG has time to remodel its top segment device by estimating the responses for HTC One M9 and Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. But it should make a quick and smart move so that it can bring a worthy competitor in the market to challenge the flagships from Samsung and HTC.

March 10, 2015
Huawei’s Forthcoming Flagship Officially Teased, Likely to Feature a Massive Battery

Chinese manufacturer Huawei is all set to announce its next flaghsip the Ascend P8. The company has officially released a teaser image of the upcoming flagship, which primarily focuses on the smartphone’s battery.

The teaser image was posted on Huawei’s Weibo account, with the battery icon appearing within the numeric ‘8’ itself. However, we’ve seen super sleek flagships from Huawei in the past, hence the P8 featuring a colossal battery unit is highly unlikely.

Though going by the teaser, we can expect the P8 to get something big in terms of battery and power saving features. It could be that Huawei has managed to fit in a huge battery unit in a relatively slim device.

Official sponsors for the North London football club Arsenal, the Huawei P8 will be unveiled in London on April 15th, while rumour mill suggests that the phone will get a 5.2-inch Full-HD display, an octa-core Kirin 930 processor bundled with 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and OIS.

March 9, 2015
Micromax Teases Lollipop for Yu Yureka, Devices to Receive Update Shortly

The Yu Yureka smartphone will soon be getting the Android Lollipop 5.0 update, as the company has posted a Lollipop teaser on its Facebook page. This could only indicate that the devices will be receiving the update in the next few days. The handset was launched with Android 4.4 KitKat based CynagoenOS 11, and with the new firmware update it will get CyanogenOS 12.

Meanwhile, the company has assured that the Yu Yureka will be the first handset to get Lollipop based Cyanogen update. The new update should bring with it a plethora of new features and customisation options. Owners of Yu Yureka can expect usual software updates from Google, but we’re sure it’s the updated CyanogenMod features that everyone would be looking forward to.

Yu Yureka’s Lollipop teaser on its official Facebook page

The image uses a dot-to-dot game to tease the update, with the numbers ending at ’26’. Does this indicate that the update starts rolling out on March 26? We have a feeling that we’ll know sooner than later.

The device already boasts an impressive set of specs at a very attractive price point, and the latest software update should attract more customers to an already great performing device.

Do check out our review of the Yu Yureka below:

March 9, 2015
Moto Turbo Goes Up for Pre-Order on Flipkart; Pricing Revealed

Less than a week back, Motorola India Head confirmed that Moto Turbo will soon be arriving in India and today, the company has officially put the device up for pre-order. The Schaumburg-based telecommunication company released the handset at the online retail website Flipkart for Rs. 41,999, and is taking pre-orders starting today.

The new Moto Turbo sports a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with 565 ppi pixel density. Powered by quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, the device holds Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM. A water-repellent coating is incorporated on the screen that protects the device. The battery support of Moto Turbo is 3,900mAh and it also comes with Motorola’s Turbo Charger feature that powers the device for up to seven hours of usage in just 15 minutes of charging.

The optics of the phone are also top-notch. A 21MP autofocus snapper with dual-LED flash sits at the back along with other features like slow motion video, burst mode, auto HDR, Panorama, and few more. Though the front camera is a conventional 2MP. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and the connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G LTE with LTE Cat 4 and Micro-USB.

Flipkart is trying to lure the potential buyers with few deals like 100% cashback for 25 lucky customers and extra 10% off on Moto Turbo with American Express Cards. The handset is estimated to release in the third week of March.

Click here to pre-order now.

March 9, 2015
Samsung Has Already Received Record Pre-Orders for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

The two newest flagship smartphones by Samsung, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, seems to be the much needed ray of sunlight for the South Korean electronics manufacturer. The company is still to announce its launch date, but the phones have already established a record even before its release. According to The Korea Times, Samsung has received record orders of 20 million for the Galaxy S6 and the curvy Galaxy S6 Edge.

The international publishing daily put forth the detailed pre-order numbers of the two devices saying 15 million of S6 have been booked through mobile carriers and the edgy S6 Edge are demanded as much as 5 million.

The company hasn’t commented anything on the issue, but if the figures are true then the company may soon regain the top position in the smartphone market. The 20 million pre-orders is a good start for the company and it seems like the demand will keep increasing post the launch. However, the handsets have not reached the end consumers until now. Once it rolls out for the buyers, it will then become clear if the demand has matched the supply.

In case you missed the hands-on video of the S6 and S6 Edge, check out the clip below:

March 9, 2015
Hands On | Lenovo A7000

Lenovo had been in the news before MWC 2015 for all the wrong reasons. The revelation of the Superfish bug brought public outrage towards the company along with an incident of their website getting hacked. Well, Lenovo pulled a brave face and introduced the new A7000 that looks like a great multimedia handset that comes with a pocket-friendly price tag.

The Lenovo A7000 is a great handset to look at. It is available in black and white color variant and feels like a premium device. It might feel a bit bulky with its 8 mm thickness, but it makes the device feel robust. The device is comparable with its sibling, the A6000, that the company unveiled at the CES 2015.

The A7000 has a spec sheet that will enthuse any multimedia enthusiast on a budget. It has a 5.5 inch, 720 x 1280 pixel display with a density of 267 ppi. It is powered by a Octa-core, 1.5 GHz Mediatek chipset along with 2 GB RAM. The handset sports 8 GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32 GB. It runs Android 5.0 out of the box and is juiced up by a 2900 mAh.

The A7000 also has some good listing in its camera space. It has an 8 MP main shooter and a 5 MP selfie shooter. The images clicked from the device were found to be crisp but we need to bring the device to test it out thoroughly.

Lenovo’s multimedia credentials are amplified here with the addition of Dolby Atmos audio in the device. When listened to on headphones, the sound from the smartphone feels like it’s coming from all the directions, thereby gives a fuller audio experience. According to Lenovo, the A7000 can enhance sound quality of any content for the pleasure of the user.

For the user interface, the A7000 runs the Vibe UI, which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. It borrows features like multitasking panel from the stock Android but, fortunately, offers capacitive buttons below the display instead of placing it within the UI.

The A7000 has a good features list, and while we still have to test it out for ourselves, it looks it can take on the likes of Redmi Note and Yu Yureka. A slightly generous expandable storage of at least 64 GB would have done good for the consumers, as well as the company. Lenovo has said that the device will be priced at $160 (approx Rs. 10,400), which is a bit pricier than its competition in the Indian market. But Lenovo can take advantage of the shortage of stocks of the other devices to attract customers to itself.

Update: Lenovo A7000 launches in India, Priced at Rs. 8,999.

March 7, 2015
Hands On : Up Close With the Bigger and Better Moto E (Gen 2)

Less than a week back, Motorola added one more affordable device to its smartphone lineup. The new addition was the 2015 edition of Moto E. The Moto E (Gen 2) arrived and was showcased at the Mobile World Congress. The device is already up for sale in more than 50 countries and comes in two versions – Moto E (Gen 2) and Moto E (Gen 2) LTE.

At MWC 2015, we got a chance to get our hands on the device.

Speaking of the design of the phone, then Moto E 2015 version features the same plastic design. The circular edges, camera and speakers sitting on the device might remind you of the first-gen Moto E, but there are a lot of features in the new handset like Quick Capture, Active Display and more. It has a superb built and is designed to remain unaffected by accidental drops and falls.

Unlike Moto E, users can now personalize their devices. The new interchangeable, colourful bands and grip shells have been introduced that give the phone an appealing look. The bands come in six different shades (Golden Yellow, Turquoise, Blue, Raspberry, Purple, and Red) and for back plates any colour can be chosen from Golden Yellow, Charcoal, Turquoise, Blue, and Raspberry.

Both the 3G and 4G versions of Moto E tout a bigger 4.5-inch qHD (540×960 pixels) screen. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the 3G version is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 bundled with 1 GB RAM and 8GB onboard memory space. The 4G model, on the other hand, is a bit faster with 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor with same 1 GB RAM and 8GB memory. Optics of both the versions is identical at 5MP rear and 0.3MP secondary camera. The smartphone arrives in India on 10th March, priced at Rs. 6,999.

March 6, 2015
OnePlus to Start Shipping to 16 European Countries

OnePlus recently announced they’ll be venturing into a new product category, and now surprisingly the company has announced that it’ll be debuting in more European markets for its One smartphone. No specific launch date or prices have been announced, though they have mentioned countries where the smartphone will be launched which includes 16 European countries.

OnePlus will be holding event an in Warsaw on March 9, followed by Prague on March 10 and finally Budapest on March 12. Meanwhile, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced at MWC 2015 that the company is all set to venture into a new product category next month.

He also said that it’ll neither be a smartwatch or a tablet, while word is that the next OnePlus smartphone is likely to get a metal frame, replacing the polycarbonate body its 2014 One smartphone that was simply avante grade.

In addition, those of you interested to get the OnePlus One without those pain staking invites can buy the device every Tuesday on the company’s official website.

March 5, 2015
30,000 YU Yureka Units Go Out of Stock in 7 Seconds

Micromax subsidiary YU held the eighth flash sale today on Amazon India. Even after months of its launch, it has received an amazing response from the users. The flash sale kicked off today at 2 pm and the flagship killer went out of stock in mere 7 seconds.

Amazon India took to Twitter to confirm the same –

Thank you for your response. #Yureka was sold out in 7 seconds today. #YurekaSale pic.twitter.com/uzvxjve9TC

— YU (@YUplaygod) March 5, 2015

The YU Yureka is an easy favourite since it offers superior specifications at a budget price of Rs. 8,999. The 5.5-inch device runs on Android-based Cyanogen OS 11 and features Cat. 4 4G LTE connectivity. With 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB RAM, and 2500mAh battery, YU Yureka offers a massive rear camera of 13MP.

Meanwhile, the Indian electronics brand has announced the successor of its first smartphone. Codenamed “Project Caesar“, the phone will come with the Android Lollipop version of Cyanogen OS.

March 5, 2015