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.

Galaxy S6 Expected to Sport Full Metal Body, Curved Screen and Front Speakers

A lot is riding on Samsung’s upcoming flagship, the Galaxy S6. The device is supposed to redefine Samsung’s approach to design. The Korean electronics giant has really come to struggle in the market in the past couple of years and is in desperate need to bring out an exceptional device. The rumors of the upcoming S6 has been encouraging, and a new teaser by T-mobile may give up the first look at the new device.

The Galaxy S6 will be unveiled by the company at the Mobile World Congress 2015 (MWC) in Barcelona. Samsung has said that the device is designed under its project zero initiative to build the device from scratch. The teaser image was tweeted out by T-mobile CEO John Legere.

Was there even a question? Of course @TMobile will carry The Next Big Thing! http://t.co/st6K7weXXz

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) February 23, 2015

The picture titled “SIX APPEAL” clearly shows a Note Edge like device. Samsung had hinted before that the S6 will have a curved screen, and the image gives a clear view of the curved display. As anticipated, the grey metal body is also visible on the display, and it makes the device look robust and sturdy.

In another leak by Sammobile, it is being reported that the Galaxy S6 might also sport dual front speakers like the HTC Boomsound or the Moto devices. They also hinted at a three-sided display on the device, but it sounds like a stretch as of now.

The leaked specs and images do present a pleasant image of the device, but it doesn’t feel game-changing yet. The phone launches in about a week so we’ll hold on to our judgements till then. We do hope that the company with the biggest R&D capabilities will do a better job than they did with their previous generation Galaxy S5.

February 23, 2015
LG Teases Four Budget Smartphones Ahead of MWC 2015

The long awaited event, Mobile World Conference (MWC) is just around the corner and LG Electronics couldn’t resist teasing some of its offerings beforehand. A few days back the company unveiled that it will be using the MWC stage to launch its next-gen classy smartwatch called LG Watch Urbane. Now as per the recent disclosure, LG will launch four “Mid-Range” smartphones in the upcoming show in Barcelona, namely – Magna, Spirit, Leon and Joy.

The new lineup of smartphones by the company is available in both LTE and 3G versions, and is 4 to 5-inch in size. The LG Magna and LG Spirit are distinctive from the other two, and boast a slightly curved display and rounded back for better grip. Both are devices hold in-cell tech technology that offers improved sensitivity with faster touch recognition, better outdoor visibility and crisper images.

Starting with LG Magna, the device sports a 5.0-inch HD (294 ppi) along with a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core chipset. It has an 8MP rear snapper and a 5MP front camera. The phone holds a removable battery of 2,540mAh. The LG Spirit, on the other hand, is 4.7-inch handset with identical 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core chipset. The other device, LG Leon, features a 4.5-inch screen, while LG Joy packs a handy 4-inch screen, which can easily fit in one’s palm. All the phones run on Android 5.0 Lollipop, except LG Joy.

The company is infusing popular UX features onto the phones like Gesture Shot and Glass View, which are otherwise a part of high-end devices only. Further details about the gadgets have been kept under wraps and pricing has been kept secretive as of now. The phones will roll out in select markets this week.

February 23, 2015
Xiaomi Sues Website For Illegally Selling Its Products

Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi, will be taking legal action against websites who are selling its phones illegally in India and infringing on the company’s trademark. The issue came into prominence when Ericsson alleged that Xiaomi was selling it’s products illegally through third party websites. The company is going through a patent dispute with equipment maker Ericsson.

Ericsson had alleged earlier this month that Xiaomi was selling Mediatek chipset powered smartphones through the site Xiaomishop.com. Ericcson claimed is it as a violation of the interim order of the Delhi High Court that allowed the company to sell only Qualcomm chipset based smartphones. Xiaomi, in turn, told the court that the site was not an authorised seller of its products.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Manu Jain” author_title=”Head of India Operations at Xiaomi”]

They’re infringing on trademarks and they’re making the world believe that it’s a genuine Xiaomi site, which it is not. The products sold on these websites are not meant for India and are sold at significantly higher price points. We have written to them multiple times, and we will be taking legal action against them.

[/quote]

Jain added that though Xiaomishop.com site is not functional anymore, the company will still proceed with legal action against it and four to five other sites, which were selling Xiaomi products illegally.

As of now, the only authorized Xiaomi sellers in India are Flipkart and Airtel. Xiaomi is also in talks with manufacturing partners Foxconn and Inventec to set up a proper manufacturing base in India following the Indian law. India is the company’s second-largest base after China.

February 21, 2015
2014 saw a 74% Increase in Mobile Data Traffic in India

A new report says that there has been a 74% increase in the mobile data traffic in India, generated by 2G and 3G mobile data connections till the end of 2014, as compared to the beginning of the same year. This rise is primarily driven by the 114% growth in 3G traffic and a 41% growth in 2G traffic.

As per a Nokia Networks report on mobile broadband performance in India, 3G consumption was a 52% of the total data consumption in December 2014 as compared to 42% in January. 3G users surpassed 2G users in September of 2014 and their data usage increased to 688 MB per month on an average, indicating a 29% jump when compared to 2013. Also, a 3G data user uses approximately 3.2 times more data than a 2G user in 2014.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Sandeep Girotra” author_title=”Vice President and Head of India Region, Nokia Networks”]

The 2014 study results clearly show the strong momentum of 3G in India, which has been the primary driver for the data traffic growth. A surge in 3G and 4G compatible Smartphone use underlines the greater need for operators to expand the 3G network coverage and selectively rollout 4G services for higher speeds across all the circles while modernising the existing 2G networks.

[/quote]

There are a very few circles where 4G connectivity is already live, but the numbers of cities with 4G access are growing. According to the reports, out of a total of 5.5 million LTE capable devices available, only around 85,000 are subscribed to LTE.

All the aforementioned details are the part of the Nokia Networks’ Mbit Index study which is an annual report that measures the growth and performances of mobile broadband services throughout the year.

February 20, 2015

Microsoft Lumia 532 | Hands On

Microsoft yesterday launched the Lumia 532 in India targeted at the affordable segment of the market. The phone runs on Windows Phone 8.1 OS and will be getting the Windows 10 update. Microsoft launched the devices with multiple offers like data connection and premium access to Truecaller for six months. But what has it really got to offer for its price tag of Rs.6,499, let’s have a look.

The Lumia 532 comes from the Nokia inventory of devices that now feature a Microsoft logo. The phone is fairly fast and responsive. It features a 1 GB RAM and a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 200 processor. You get a 5 MP shooter at the back and a VGA camera on the front that lets you make Skype calls from the device. This dual-sim, 3G device gets its power from a 1560 mAh battery.

Microsoft has said that the device will always get the latest operating system(OS) updates and will be getting the Denim update soon. Microsoft’s next major OS update is Windows 10, and the Lumia 532 will be getting it too.

Coming to build quality, the device does impress you with its exteriors. It carries on the legacy of the Nokia’s strong build, for which it is still appreciated (*Nokia 3310 memes). It has a robust, matte finish, polycarbonate back panel along with a strengthened front glass. The sides of the device have been given a glossy finish which is unique offering from Microsoft. It might be a bit tough to get the back panel out initially, but it will get easier once you understand the technique to open it.

The physical controls and ports are easy to access too. On the right side, you have the volume rockers and the power buttons. On the bottom, you get the microUSB port for charging and data syncing. On the top is a 3.5 mm jack for hands-free. The phone lets you expand storage to up to 128 GB which will be appreciated by multimedia hoarders.

Windows phones are known to be fast and responsive, and so is this device. The UI is really responsive, and the 1 GB helps you to get your tasks done with ease. You can customize the size of your live tiles just by holding them out and then selecting what size you want. You can also move the tiles as you desire. The device lets you change the basic color of the device, and you can get a back panel with the same color too. So this will be loved by the young folks. There is also a new predictive keyboard that will make it a lot easier to type messages.

So the device overall offers some good features for its price tag of Rs. 6,499. The device will always be updated and has a lot of colors and customization features that will impress the youth market. We will bring out a full review out soon and if you have any questions and queries regarding the device then post it in the comment section below and we’ll try to address them in our review. Keep checking iGyaan for more.

SPECS	Microsoft Lumia 532
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1
Screen Size	4 inch 480 x 800 pixels
RAM	1 GB
Battery	1560 mAh
Processor	Snapdragon 200
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage	8 GB
Expandable Up to	128 GB
Front camera	VGA
Rear Camera	5 MP
Price	Rs. 6,499

February 20, 2015

Samsung Z1 Successor Running on Tizen is Reportedly in Works

Clad in a plastic body and embedded with Tizen OS, Samsung Z1 was barely unique and failed to find a space for itself in the brutal smartphone marketplace. However, the Korean electronics giant seems to be standing firmly behind its operating system and is reportedly working on expanding its smartphone portfolio running on the Tizen OS.

As per Tizen Indonesia blog post, Samsung is working on the successor of Z1 that would run on the company’s Tizen OS. Rumour mills suggest that the iteration (temporarily titled Z2) would have a slightly higher display resolution of 540x960p which is a qHD display. The presently available Z1 features a 480×800 WVGA display.

Samsung claims most of the major apps are available on Tizen OS

Tizen OS was criticized for being an Android clone. In spite of the unfavorable reviews for Tizen based Z1, Samsung made a marginal profit by selling 100,000 units in India in just one month and sold 20,000 handsets in less than 30 days in Bangladesh. The reason may be the low-price device and the much hyped new operating system from a major company that led people to give it a try.

There are no more speculations about the Z2, but it will surely stand close in specs with the Z1 which has a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB RAM, 4 GB inbuilt storage, and 1500 mAh battery. Samsung can probably attract more audience if it adds some unique features instead of just emulating Android. The consumers have embraced new operating systems like the MIUI and Cyanogen for their varied appeal. Being Samsung, the company can afford to take a risk here as it desperately needs a popular device in the affordable segment of smartphones which is currently dominated by Indian and other Asian brands.

February 19, 2015
Microsoft Brings the Lumia 532 to India

Microsoft has today launched two new devices for the affordable segment of the Indian smartphone market. The company launched the Lumia 435 and the Lumia 532 here in Indian capital today. Lumia 532 is a dual sim device with a price tag of Rs. 6,499.

Microsoft Lumia 532 has a 4 inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and a pixel density of 233 PPI. It gets its processing might from a Quad-core 1.2 GHz, Snapdragon 200 processor along with 1 GB RAM. The internal storage of the device stands at 8 GB and can be expanded through a MicroSD card to up to 128 GB. Apart from that you also get 30 GB of free OneDrive cloud storage.

On the camera front, the device sports a 5 MP camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front. It is juiced up through a 1560 mAh. The device runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and will receive the upcoming Windows 10 upgrade.

As with its younger sibling the Lumia 435, the company is also offering free 500 MB data connection from Airtel for a duration of 7 months. A 6-month Truecaller premium subscription worth Rs. 360 is also added for free with this device.

Overall, looking at the spec sheet it seems like Microsoft is trying to clear out the inventory of the devices it inherited from Nokia. There is a plus side to these devices too. As Microsoft is working towards creating a unified ecosystem with Windows 10, you can expect easier interaction between your Windows Phone and your Windows 10 based computers. But it does seem like you would have to overlook the competition that offers more features at present for a unified Microsoft ecosystem of the future.

February 19, 2015
Microsoft Launches the Affordable Lumia 435 in India For Rs.5,999

Microsoft is a giving a push to its smartphone business in the affordable segment of the market. The company has launched the Lumia 435 in India to strengthen its portfolio at the lower end of the smartphone market.

The Lumia 435 sports a 4 inch display with a resolution of 480×800 pixels with a pixel density of 233 PPI. It is powered by a Dual-core 1.2 GHz, Snapdragon 200 processor along with 1 GB RAM. It has 8 GB internal storage but can be expanded up to a massive 128 GB that is great for a budget device.

This device has a 2 MP camera on the back and a VGA camera at the front. It gets its juice from a 1560 mAh battery. The device runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 and will be upgraded to Windows 10 in the coming future.

To attract the customers to its ecosystem, Microsoft is offering a 500 MB data connection from Airtel for 7 months. Along with the data connection, the company is also offering a 6 months premium package of Truecaller.

The device is priced at Rs. 5,999 which is identical pricing for the Moto E, which offers a 4.3 inch qHD ( 540 x 960) display and will also be getting the latest Android Lollipop update soon. The 435’a expandable storage and the free data plans are its only attractive features, so it remains to be seen how many takers it manages to find in the Indian market.

February 19, 2015
OnePlus Finally Brings the 16GB Variant of the One to India

OnePlus has announced that the 16GB Silk White variant of the OnePlus One will be go up on sale in India by next week. Though, the exact date or day of the release and the price is still unknown, the company has opened up a contest for first invites for the smartphone which would require the buyers to fill in a form and answer a question. The winners of the contest will receive their invites on February 23^rd, which may indicate the approximate date of arrival of the device.

16GB Silk White is coming soon to @amazonIN! Enter our contest to win invites: http://t.co/0R97pAlmb5 pic.twitter.com/pjI4xtv4Tc

— OnePlus (@oneplus) February 19, 2015

The OnePlus One 16GB variant will be put up against the Xiaomi Mi4 16GB, which was launched in India for Rs 19,999.

OnePlus One features a 5.5 inch Full HD (1080×1920 pixels) IPS LCD Display and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Processor with 3GB of RAM. For graphics it has Adreno 330 GPU.

It comes with a 13 megapixel Sony IMX214 sensor and f/2.0 aperture rear camera with LED flash. It also comes with a 5 Megapixel front camera. It comes in 16 GB and 64GB variants, but doesn’t have the option of expanding storage via microSD. It packs a 3,000 mAh battery. The 16 GB variant will be exclusive to Amazon and will be sold via India Specific invites only.

February 19, 2015
Moto Maxx Likely to Launch in India Exclusively on Flipkart

Online retailer Flipkart has teased an image which in all probability looks like a new Motorola smartphone launch in India soon. The teaser image doesn’t reveal the name of the smartphone, though it does suggest that it might be a device crammed with high-end specs. While, Flipkart has tweeted the teaser describing it only as a ‘Moto Beast’, it’s safe to assume the upcoming smartphone is likely the Moto Maxx.

There’s a Moto beast coming your way… exclusively on Flipkart. Stay tuned for more details. #MotoOnFlipkart pic.twitter.com/9FHIoJOEZH

— Flipkart (@Flipkart) February 19, 2015

In addition, the teaser image also says “Get Your Life Turbocharged. Accelerate performance, Ballistic Nylon fairing, and revving in soon.” The Moto Maxx is a global variant of the Droid Turbo that comes with a unique back panel which Motorola calls the ‘Ballistic Nylon’.

In addition to the unique back panel, the smartphone also packs a massive 3,900 mAh battery, which is compatible with Motorola’s turbo charger and is claimed to provide 8 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging.

Other specs include a 5.2-inch QHD (2560×1440 pixels) display with a pixel density of 565ppi, and is powered by a 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor paired with 3GB of RAM. While on the software front, it runs on Android KitKat, which has been updated to Lollipop.

In terms of optics, the smartphone has a 21-megapixel rear autofocus camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash, 2-megapixel front camera. The smartphone comes with a massive 64GB internal storage and includes connectivity options LTE support, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0.

February 19, 2015
Qualcomm Brings Out New Processors in the Snapdragon 600 and 400 Series

One of the most trusted makers of smartphone chipsets, Qualcomm has launched four new processors for smartphones. These processors are part of the company’s Snapdragon 600 and 400 series.

Qualcomm launched Snapdragon 620, 618, 425 and the 415

The processors will help to broaden the reach of LTE capabilities of devices in the mid and the affordable range of smartphones. In the 600 series, Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 620 and 618. These chips are integrated with 64-bit ARM Cortex A-72 CPUs and the new X8 LTE modem. The company says that with these launches, the mid-range segment of the handsets will get functionalities that were only available on the top tier 800 series.

Qualcomm has also introduced Snapdragon 425 and 415 in the 400 series. These will be the first octa-core chipsets in the 400 series. The Snapdragon 425 will be clocked at 1.7GHz, whereas the 415 is clocked at 1.4GHz.

These chipsets will provide higher value to the cost-conscious consumers. Qualcomm also says that these processors will offer higher volume. The 415 is expected to show up in the devices launched in the first half of this year, while the rest might be seen in the later part of the year.

February 19, 2015
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G Recieves OTA MIUI 6 Update in India

During the Mi 4 launch event in India last month, Xiaomi India had confirmed that all the Xiaomi smartphones released in India will be receiving the MIUI 6 update in the coming weeks.

Xiaomi’s 2013 flagship phone, the Mi 3, received the MIUI 6 update in January. Now its the turn of the Redmi Note 4G to receive the latest MIUI update. According to user reports, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G has started receiving the MIUI 6 v6.3.5.0 update over-the-air in India and Taiwan, a few days after the first week of February, as promised by the company.

According to TheNextDigit, the MIUI 6 update for the Redmi Note 4G is available for download and is about 577MB in size. This update primarily fixes bugs for the lagging in the camera and music playback issue, plus other performance improvements including enhanced notifications, better security functions, improved email app, upgraded notifications shade and UI improvements.

Considering the fact that Xiaomi is rolling out the MIUI 6 update based on Android KitKat, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update may take some more time to reach the handsets. Redmi 1S and Redmi Note 3G are set to receive the update in early March.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, priced at Rs. 9,999, is available via a flash sale model for online sales of the smartphone in India, and via an offline sales model through exclusive Airtel stores.

February 18, 2015
Amazon Launches ‘Golden Ticket’ Sale of Yu Yureka

A good news for the Yu Yureka fans. Amazon India has announced the access to a ‘Golden Ticket Sale’ for select customers who have shown a high levels of interest to buy the Yureka handset but are still unable to avail the phone due to its limited supply.

The ‘Golden Ticket Sale’ will be held on 18^th February, Wednesday, between 2pm-5pm. For this sale, only registered customers who were unable to buy the handset will be eligible to participate and receive a confirmation on email by Amazon

According to the company, the last sale of Yu Yureka witnessed a sale of 25,000 units, all sold out within 4 seconds. The fourth flash sale saw 15,000 units sold off within the same time span. The third sale saw 10,000 phones sold off within 3 seconds.

The sixth Yureka weekly flash sale will go live as planned on February 19th, Thursday, on Amazon from 2 pm onwards for all registered customers for this sale. For a quick recap, the smartphone sports a 5.5 inch HD IPS display, and is powered by a Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core processor, paired along with 2 GB of RAM. It is priced at Rs. 8,999. So if you are one of the few lucky ones to have been selected by YU, this is your chance to get a hold of this awesome device.

February 18, 2015

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime | Hands On

Samsung came out with a plethora of devices at the 2015 Samsung Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand. The newest entrants in the 4G lineup are four handsets – Galaxy J1, Galaxy A7, Galaxy Core Prime and Galaxy Grand Prime. The company looked promising and the India Head of Samsung, Asim Warsi, took to the stage announcing that the firm will focus on bringing out more 4G devices to the market.

Meanwhile, we got an opportunity to get our hands on one of the devices, Galaxy Grand Prime 4G.

The Galaxy Grand Prime, as earlier said, is a 4G capable device and holds two SIM slots. At a thickness of 8.6mm, it couldn’t be considered slim, and the rounded edges give it more bulky look. With a plastic body, the Grand Prime weighs mere 156 grams. The design of the Galaxy Grand Prime is nothing extraordinary and is akin to the other Samsung models with similar key placement and identical build.

The handset comes in two colour options – white and grey.

Talking about the specifications of Galaxy Grand Prime 4G, then the smartphone boasts a 5-inch qHD TFT (960x540p) display and is equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. The device runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI on top, and there’s yet no notification if the device can be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The smartphone sports an internal memory capacity of 8 GB (expandable up to 64 GB) and 1 GB RAM.

The Galaxy Prime Grand features an 8MP snapper at the back with LED flash and speakers. The front sports a good 5MP front camera that sits at the top of the 5-inch screen for clicking selfies. The back of the phone secures a 2,600mAh battery that powers up the device. Connectivity options like Bluetooth, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi and NFC.

Just like any other handset, the Galaxy Grand Prime holds the volume rocker on the left-hand side and power button on the right. The top of the rim has a 3.5mm audio jack and the bottom comprises of a USB slot for charging the device.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 4G support TDD-LTE (2300) 4G network used in India. The 3G variants of the smartphone are already available in the market, but this handset will hit Indian stores in March this year. Meanwhile, the company is tight-lipped about its price but is anticipated to be priced slightly higher than the J1, around Rs. 15,000.

Check out the specs sheet below for details:

SPECS	Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
Operating System	Android OS, v4.4 (KitKat)
Screen Size	5.0-inch, 960×540 pixels
RAM	1 GB
Battery	2600 mAh
Processor	1.2 GHz quad-core
Internal Storage	8 GB
Expandable up to	64 GB
Front camera	5 MP
Rear Camera	8 MP

February 18, 2015

First Look at Toshiba’s First Working Camera Modules for Project Ara

Project Ara is an on-going endeavor by Google to create a modular smartphone for which the user can switch critical components in and out, thus allowing them to build the perfect phone for their specific needs. It seems that one of the third parties working on the modules is Toshiba, which is contributing towards its progress in creating the first swappable camera units.

Toshiba has created one prototype with a 2MP camera which is designed to be placed in front of the camera and 5MP and 13MP camera modules, which is to be placed as the primary camera. All the cameras are within a swappable module, which would allow the user to swap cameras according to their desired shot, or simply purchasing a better camera piece and replacing the existing one.

Toshiba had revealed some of the initial designs at the Modular Phones Forum. As of now, the company is now developing three different modules: a 2MP front camera and 5MP/13MP primary camera.

The video below shows Toshiba’s new 5MP prototype camera module working and capturing images.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4GeSil9fU

February 17, 2015

Category: Mobile

SPECS

Microsoft Lumia 532