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 4G | Hands On

Yesterday, Samsung at their annual Forum announced that they will be focusing more on releasing 4G smartphones for the Indian market. Keeping in line with their word, they went forward to announce four 4G devices. The Samsung Galaxy J1, is one of the devices. It was also the cheapest handset announced by the company yesterday.

The Galaxy J1 sports a 4.3-inch WVGA TFT display with 480×800 pixel density. It is equipped with 1.2GHz quad core processor and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. It has an inbuilt memory of 768 MB RAM and 4 GB internal memory, which can be upgraded up to 128 GB via microSD slot.

Samsung has gone for a curvier look with the J1. The design is typical Samsung-style – touch capacitive buttons at the bottom, centre oval shaped home button and the logo placement is kept the same as every other model by the company.

The look and feel of the device is good, however it is slightly on the bulky side, especially when compared to the rest of the sleek devices recently launched by Samsung.

The Galaxy J1 features a 5MP rear shooter with Flash along with 2 MP front camera; the company should’ve considered going for a higher resolution cameras.

The Dual SIM handset gets powered up by a 1,850mAh battery. The device is available in blue, black and white colour variants. The model will come at Rs. 9,900 and will be available in India from the second week of March 2015.

The specifications are mediocre for the amount the company has priced the device. There are several devices in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment, which offer way better specs, some even at lower prices.

SPECS	Samsung Galaxy J1 4G
Operating System	Android OS, v4.4.x (KitKat)
Screen Size	4.3 inch 480×800 pixels
RAM	768 MB
Battery	1850 mAh
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage	4 GB
Expandable Up to	128 GB
Front camera	2 MP
Rear Camera	5 MP
Price	Rs. 9,900

February 17, 2015

Samsung Galaxy A7 | Hands On

Yesterday, Samsung Forum 2015 kicked off in Bangkok Thailand, and the company took the opportunity to announce a couple of devices. One of them was the new Galaxy A7, the slimmest Galaxy smartphone yet, measuring only 6.3 mm. They claimed that the phone has been packaged with premium hardware for a superior social experience. We decided to check the smartphone out for ourselves. Here are our first impressions:

Galaxy A7 vies to expand the services provided by Galaxy A5 and A3. The A7 is exactly like the big brother of the A5. Except that they’ve upped the notch on specifications, the look and feel of the two devices is exactly the same. The use of metal gives this device an extremely premium feel. The device will be appreciated for its classy design.

Samsung Forum 2015 Galaxy A7 9 — The Galaxy A5 and the A7, size comparison.

On the front bottom, below the screen of the device, there are the touch capacitive buttons, and in the centre is the Samsung’s typical oval style Home Button. At the bottom we have the main USB slot/Data synching port and 3.5 mm jack.

The metal handset is equipped with a 5.5 inch, Full HD Super AMOLED display, which is a step ahead of the A5. This one delivers an excellent viewing experience. With the bigger screen and good display, watching videos and browsing the internet was a breeze.

The company has also added Adaptive Display Technology which intelligently optimizes the screen brightness and the color saturation.

Coming to the camera of the device, it is equipped with a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front camera, along with Advanced Selfie features like Ultra Wide Shot, GIF shooting modes and Auto Selfie modes (Palm and Voice Selfie.) We checked out the camera, and it served the purpose well.

It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and comes packed with 2GB of RAM. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-core processor which allows users to easily perform data intensive tasks. On the first go, the UI seemed really fast and responsive.

All in all, with its nice accents of metal, the big brother of A5 is a good addition to Samsung’s portfolio. Priced at Rs. 30,499, it may appear to be expensive but is unique in its own way!

SPECS	Samsung Galaxy A7
Operating System	Android OS, v4.4.x (KitKat)
Screen Size	5.5 inch 1080×1920 pixels
RAM	2 GB
Battery	2600 mAh
Processor	Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615
CPU	Quad-core 1.7 GHz
Internal Storage	16 GB
Expandable Up to	64 GB
Front camera	5 MP
Rear Camera	13 MP
Price	Rs. 30,499

The handset is available online at the company’s official India e-Store in black, white and gold colors.

February 17, 2015

Lava Brings More Fuel With the Budget Iris Fuel 20 Featuring a 4400mAh Battery

Lava has added another smartphone to its fuel range with the launch of the launch of Lava Iris Fuel 20, though this time around at entry level prices. The latest addition to the Fuel series packs a mammoth 4400mAh battery that is claimed to provide a 2G talktime of 42 hours, 13 hours video playback and 35 hours of music playback.

Other specs of the Iris Fuel 20 include a 5-inch FWVGA 850×480 resolution. The smartphone sports a 1.3 GHz Dual-Core processor coupled with 512 MB of RAM, while the OS on-board is Android 4.4 KitKat. Optics on the phone include a 5MP rear camera bundled with LED flash, along with a VGA front-facing cam. The Iris Fuel 20 is also claimed to support HD video playback.

Coming to connectivity options, it supports 2G connectivity, microUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v4.0 and Wi-Fi. On the memory front, the smartphone comes with 4GB in-built storage expandable upto 32GB.

The Iris Fuel 20 will be available in white and metallic grey colour options in in retail outlets across India and leading e-commerce portals at Rs. 5,399 from next week.

February 16, 2015
New Additions to Samsung’s 4G Portfolio, Galaxy Grand Prime and Galaxy Core Prime

Today, at the Samsung forum 2015, held in Bangkok, Thailand India Head Asim Warsi announced that Samsung is now focusing on releasing 4G-friendly smartphones. He also mentioned 4G internet in India is expected at the same price bands as of 3G today.

Keeping in line with its promise, Samsung introduced three 4G enabled smartphones; swelling the spectrum to nine 4G devices in total. Apart from Galaxy J1 4G and Galaxy A7 announced earlier today, the company added Galaxy Grand Prime 4G and Galaxy Core Prime 4G in its 4G smartphone portfolio. Both the handsets encompass a comparatively larger screen and pack a decent set of specs.

The Galaxy Grand Prime 4G boasts a 5-inch TFT (960x540p) display and is infused with 1.2GHz quad-core processor. The device runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and is dual SIM. Holding an 8 GB ROM and 1 GB RAM, the memory of the Galaxy Grand Prime 4G is expandable up to 64 GB. It comes with a 8MP rear camera and 5MP front snapper. With 2,600mAh battery, the Galaxy Grand Prime 4G has connectivity options like Bluetooth, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi and NFC.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Core Prime 4G features a 4.5-inch WVGA TFT (480x800p) screen. The gadget is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 1 GB RAM. Running on Android 4.4 KitKat, the device has 8 GB internal memory which can be expanded up to 64 GB. The camera is restricted to 5MP rear and 2MP front. The dual-SIM handset gets its juice from the 2,000mAh battery.

The company hasn’t given a word about the price of both the devices, and how they are planning to retail them.

Stay tuned, hands-on coming up soon!

February 16, 2015
Samsung Forum 2015 : Super-Slim Galaxy A7 Goes on Sale, Priced at Rs. 30,499

You’ll be hearing a lot of news about Samsung today. The reason is the Samsung Forum 2015 which kicked off today in Bangkok Thailand. The company, today, unveiled the new Galaxy A7, the slimmest Galaxy smartphone, measuring only 6.3 mm. It has been packaged with premium hardware for a superior social experience, claims the company. It aims to provide powerful multi-tasking performance with classy design, the Galaxy A7 vies to expand the popular services provided by the Galaxy A5 and A3.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Mr. Asim Warsi” author_title=”Vice President, Marketing, Mobile and IT at Samsung India.”]

Galaxy A7 is a combination of stylish metallic unibody design with powerful performance and premium user experience. Keeping the modern design philosophy in mind, we have designed Galaxy A7 to empower consumers to enjoy the iconic design and flagship features with an assortment of appealing colors. This is another step towards our efforts to offer premium devices to a broad range of consumers which will further drive our market leadership.

[/quote]

The finely crafted metal handset is equipped with a 5.5 inch, Full HD Super AMOLED display to deliver better viewing experience while watching videos or browsing the internet. The Adaptive Display Technology intelligently optimizes the screen brightness and the color saturation. It is also equipped with a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front camera, along with Advanced Selfie features like Ultra Wide Shot, GIF shooting modes and Auto Selfie modes (Palm and Voice Selfie.) The handset offers Private Mode, which adds extra security for important files and documents. In addition, the A7 also has Multi Screen app function capability.

It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and comes packed with 2GB of RAM. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-core processor which allows users to easily perform data intensive tasks. It is backed by a 2,600mAh battery.

The handset is priced at Rs. 30,499 and is available online at the company’s official India e-Store in black, white and gold colors.

February 16, 2015
Samsung Forum 2015: Samsung Brings Out Galaxy J1 4G, Priced at Rs. 9900

Samsung launched the Galaxy J1 at the ongoing Samsung Forum 2015 in Thailand. We’re currently on the ground covering the event, bringing the latest news. The new version is LTE and is different from the one released a few days back. The model will come at Rs. 9,900 and will be available in India from the second week of March 2015.

The Galaxy J1 has a conventional specs sheet. It sports a 4.3-inch WVGA TFT display with 480×800 pixel density. It is equipped with 1.2GHz quad core processor and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. The inbuilt memory specifications include 768 MB RAM and 4 GB ROM, which can be upgraded up to 128 GB via microSD slot.

Considering the camera, the Galaxy J1 features a 5MP rear shooter with Flash along with 2 MP front snapper. Connectivity options include MicroUSB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC and USB 2.0. The Dual SIM handset gets pepped up from the 1,850mAh battery. The device is available in blue, black and white colour variants.

Hands on coming up soon. Keep checking iGyaan for updates.

February 16, 2015
Here is Samsung’s First Trailer Teasing the Galaxy S6

Samsung’s next in Galaxy S series has already been a subject of a lot of speculation and hype. The prospects of a full metal based device have enticed the audience. Samsung has also said that they have worked from scratch on the device, and the market is looking forward to seeing how Samsung takes on this challenge. The Korean electronic giant has just unveiled the first teaser for this new flagship from its stable.

Samsung will be holding an unpacked event on the 1st of March. The company has posted a brief 17 second teaser video on Twitter with the hashtag The Next Galaxy. The video talks about a great vision and unique view and ends with a graphic of the main camera along with the line I am #thenextgalaxy.

I am #TheNextGalaxy. Be inspired by my vision at #Unpacked. https://t.co/Qu3e4L2DEg

— SamsungMobile (@SamsungMobile) February 13, 2015

The Galaxy S6 is reported to sport a Quad HD(2K) display and will most probably be powered by Samsung’s own 64 bit Exynos processor. It will run Android Lollipop and might have up to 128 GB internal storage options. Samsung is supposedly including a 20 MP, intelligent main camera that might address the focus on the camera in the teaser. There are also talks of payment system called Samsung Pay to be launched along with the device.

Samsung has managed to answer its design critics over the last year with the launch of the Galaxy Alpha and the Note 4. It is yet to be seen if Samsung manages to launch a new cutting edge design that could reach the lower segment of its devices or just a simple rehash with minimal tweaks and bumped up specs. A lot is riding on Samsung, and it needs to get it right this time.

February 14, 2015
iPhone 6 Plus Uses Twice as Much Data as the iPhone 6

Apple fans had to wait for a long while before they got a big screen. Their request was finally answered by Apple last year when they finally launched the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with bigger displays. These displays are great for multimedia consumption, but apparently they will also cause your data bills to skyrocket.

In a research paper submitted by Citrix, it claims that iPhone 6 Plus uses almost twice as much data as the iPhone 6. Interestingly it was also found that the bigger iPhone slurps out ten times more data than the iPhone 3Gs.

One of the major reasons cited for this heavy data usage is the increased multimedia content accessed through the devices. The bigger screen makes it easier for the users to watch heavy data intensive content like streaming videos.

This revelation may not be as worrisome to an Apple user because if you can afford an iPhone, then you might easily handle the additional data charge. iPhone users have got the pleasure of the big screen display just a few months back, so it’s obvious that they are making the most of it.

February 13, 2015
Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Preview for Phones; Here is How You Can Install it
Redmond giant Microsoft has released the first preview of Windows 10 for phones. Lumia owners can now install the preview and check out what the new OS has to offer. Several prominent Windows 10 features will be available in the preview, including the new UI, new action center, custom background images on the start screen and better voice dictation.

In a blog post, Microsoft’s Gabe Aul says the company is looking for feedback.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Gabe Aul” author_title=”Microsoft”]

This preview is still very much under development and you’re going to see some rough edges. We’re sharing it with you so you can be with us at every step, and provide your feedback to help make this the best release ever.

[/quote]

Though the preview does not get the new universal apps, the new Office apps, the Spartan browser, Xbox integration, Skype in Messaging and Cortana, among other things.

We’ll hear more about Windows 10 for phones at Microsoft’s event at MWC on March 2, while the final OS launch is expected this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckzhX1O6Lto

How to Install the Preview
- To get the preview, you’ll need a Lumia 630, Lumia 635, Lumia 636, Lumia 638, Lumia 730, or Lumia 830.
- Make sure you back up your data.
- Go to insider.windows.com and sign up for the Windows Insider program. Then on your PC, go to the this link and click install to send the Windows 10 insider app on your phone.
- When you access the Windows Insider app on your phone, you’ll get two options – ‘fast and ‘slow’ build schedules. Microsoft says the slow schedule has improvements coming less often, hence it’ll be less buggy.
- This will be followed by a series of long downloads and restarts, and you’ll finally be running the Windows 10 Preview for phones.
Users are advised to be patient as the whole process takes a significant amount of time.
February 13, 2015
New Tech We Expect to See at the Mobile World Congress 2015

The Mobile World Congress or the MWC is one of the biggest extravaganzas for the mobile world. It brings together mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world to discuss the future of mobile telephony. This year the conference will be held from 2-5 March in the Spanish city of Barcelona and iGyaan will be reporting right from the ground.

There is a lot of action you can expect from this year’s edition of the MWC. Here it is:

Major Launches

Being the biggest mobile exhibition ground, the MWC attracts some of the biggest releases for the first half of the year. The biggest launches expected from the MWC is the Samsung’s premier Galaxy S6. The Korean electronics giant has promised a reinvention of their device family with this launch, so the expectations are huge with this one.

HTC is also set to unveil its new flagship, the One (M9) at the event that will be a successor to the popular One (M8). This time around it is expected to get a 1440X2560 QHD screen, 3GB of RAM and an Octa-core Snapdragon 810 CPU.

Second-Gen Wearables

The tech industry bet big on wearables last year, and the biggest brands unveiled their offerings throughout the year. The consumers have seen what these devices have to offer and now it’s time for the second-generation wearables to come forward. The devices have shown promise but at the moment they can be best described as glorified remotes for the smartphone. There have been new features added to these devices like the ability to unlock your car and control connected devices in your home. What the consumers are really demanding from them is a longer battery life, something that doesn’t require charging every single day.

Connected Devices

One major trend in electronics market is the focus on interconnected devices. From the announcements at CES 2015 we got an inkling that the companies are proactively pursuing this arena. The smartphone will be at the center of this movement. You can expect to hear about apps and devices that deal with automotive, wearables, and even health.

Keynote Speakers

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and FCC chairman Tom Wheeler will be the top Keynote addresses at the conference. Other major speakers include Brian Krzanich; the CEO of Intel, Sanjay Kapoor; Chairman of Micromax Informatics, Steve Mollenkopf; CEO of Qualcomm. There would also be talks given by heads of other prominent tech companies like Vodafone, Wikipedia, Mozilla, Ericsson and more.

If you love tech and smartphones, you should be getting charged up right about now. In just three weeks, some of the long awaited next generation products will show up, and iGyaan will be right on the ground, so you don’t miss them. Keep checking this spot for all the upcoming excitement.

February 12, 2015
Oppo Mirror 3 Arrives in India, Priced at Rs. 16,990

Oppo today launched its latest smartphone – the Mirror 3 in India. Oppo says that the smartphone is aimed at the mid-range market and is available at a price of Rs. 16,990.

Coming to its specifications, the Oppo Mirror 3 sports a 4.7 inch HD IPS display, and is powered by a 64 bit 1.2Ghz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor bundled with Adreno 306 GPU. It also included 1 GB of RAM, along with 8 GB of internal storage expandable upto 128 GB via microSD slot.

Other specs on the Mirror 3 include an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, 5 MP selfie cam, a 2000mAh battery, along with connectivity options like 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat layered with Color UI.

The newly launched Mirror 3 will go head on against the likes of Motorola Moto G (2014), Micromax Canvas Nitro, and HTC Desire 620G.

February 12, 2015
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Camera Will Be Super Intelligent, Claims Senior VP

The countdown to the MWC is already in full swing, with prominent manufacturers sending out teasers as to what we can expect from one of the biggest mobile conferences of the year.

Much has already been leaked about Samsung’s upcoming 2015 flagship model. Now, in a blog post on Wednesday, Samsung’s Senior VP and Head of Camera R&D Group talked about how they have been constantly working on improving the cameras used on the Galaxy Series. While talking about the camera on Galaxy smartphones, Senior VP DongHoon Jang admitted that a lot of passion and effort has been put for the release of the 2015 flagship model.

[quote text_size=”small” author=” DongHoon Jang” author_title=” Senior VP and Head of Camera R&D Group, Samsung”]

It will be intelligent and do all the thinking for users, allowing them to take amazing pictures under any conditions, without having to worry about anything more than just pressing the shutter button. It will demonstrate just how far Samsung has advanced smartphone cameras, and once again will open the creative side of our users for new ideas and new possibilities.

[/quote]

In the blog, there’s also a chart that shows camera progress over the years on the flagship Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S5.

In addition, Jang also stressed on the importance of the selfie cam, and duly noted that it forms an essential part of the whole eco-system. Meanwhile, a recent report suggested a 20 MP camera sensor along with OIS and a 5 MP front facing shooter on the Galaxy S6 prototype. Both cameras are likely to include sensors from Samsung.

The Korean giant is expected to launch the Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship along with the anticipated curved-display variant, rumoured to be called Galaxy S6 Edge at the Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event scheduled for March 1 in Barcelona.

February 12, 2015
Foldable Smartphones Might Be a Reality Soon

Smartphones come in all shapes and sizes. Now researchers are making headway in creating smartphones that are even easier to carry around and flexible enough to fold and keep in your pocket.

We have heard talks of bendable displays for a long while. Japanese phone maker Kyocera had even showcased prototypes of the device with bendable display called Proteus. It could be used as a bar screen, and the could be wrapped around a wrist or a handlebar. Last year even Apple too patented a design for a flexible device. Later last year Nokia joined in and showcased its foldable displays at the Society for Information Display (SID) 2014 conference.

The researchers used Bismuth Ferrite to enhance electrical capabilities of the flexible displays.

A team of South Korean researchers have been experimenting with bismuth ferrite to bring flexible display to the world. Bismuth Ferrite has electric properties that can be controlled using a magnet. It is being used to create energy efficient electronics. The researchers mixed the material with a polymer solution and the final result impressed them. They found that the electrical and magnetic properties were enhanced. The properties remained stable even when the display was folded into a cylindrical shape.

One major reason flexible devices are hard to manufacture is that the important electronic components are not flexible themselves. As a workaround, the researchers have been using tiny bits of silicon and similar materials and embedding them in flexible plastic displays.

They still need to figure out bits like battery life, storage and more. The 3.5 mm jack that might also become obsolete with flexible displays. These displays would make wearables obsolete as they can be given added features like health sensor. So imagine a display in a near future smartphone that sits on your wrist, and you can unwrap it and use it as a regular phone. Now that sounds fantastic as well as convenient.

February 12, 2015
Samsung Might be Working on a Three-Sided Display Smartphone

Samsung in the recent past has been unanimously berated for the dull design elements of its smartphones. The company responded to complaints by introducing a new line of metal frame based designs that began with the Galaxy Alpha and the Note 4. Samsung also brought an innovative device called the Galaxy Edge with a secondary display on the right side of the main display. Now Bloomberg is reporting that Samsung might be working on a device with three displays.

According to the report the Korean company is expected to release two top tier smartphones soon, one of which most probably is the Galaxy S6. The second device is expected to have a display on three sides. Both these devices will have all-metal bodies as reported by many rumor reports and will be powered by Samsung’s most powerful Exynos chipset.

The devices are being developed under Samsung’s “Project Zero” initiative that intends to recreate the Galaxy S6 from ground up. With these new launches, Samsung would try to take on its biggest adversary, Apple, which is a market leader in terms of designs. Apple’s designs have “inspired” multiple clones in the Android market.

The new device sounds interesting, but we would have to wait and see if it’s an innovative new display or just two-sided edge screen, which could be pretty impractical. Samsung also needs to bring a major design upgrade to its products in the lower segment of the market. Other phone brands are fast capturing Samsung’s share in this segment, and the company needs to buck up its efforts in this arena.

February 11, 2015
ASUS Brings Out Zenfone C Priced at Rs. 5,999 in India

The Taiwanese multinational company ASUS today launched a budget device in the sub-Rs. 6,000 category. The new handset titled ASUS Zenfone C (ZC451CG) is dual SIM and comes at a price of Rs. 5,999. The phone is available on Flipkart today onwards and on ASUS exclusive stores starting 18^th February.

Coming to the specifications of the phone, the Zenfone C sports a 4.5-inch FWVGA (480×854) display. The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor together with Hyper-Threading Technology. The Zenfone C runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with company’s Zen UI on top.

The internal storage capacity of the device is 8 GB, which can be extended up to 64 GB via MicroSD card. The new Zenfone C features a primary shooter of 5 MP with autofocus and flash, along with a 0.3MP snapper at the front for video calling. Connectivity options comprise of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Micro-USB. With 2100mAh battery, the phone can withstand 260 hours on standby.

In this price bracket, the handset faces a tough battle with devices like Iris Win 1, Redmi 1S and the Moto E.

February 11, 2015