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.

Lava Officially Brings Out a New Budget Smartphone, The Iris X8

Indian mobile phone brand Lava was all ready to unveil its brand new device to take on the likes of the Redmi Note and the Yureka. On its website, it only posted the number 8 with the tagline “Get Ready to do more!” calling it their latest flagship offering. Now the company has officially launched the device and its called the Lava Iris X8.

Earlier Flipkart had mistakenly leaked the specs of the device. The listing was later removed, but it did flaunt off some impressive specs which got folks excited for the device.

The Website listing for the Lava Iris X8

The Iris X8 sports a 5.0 inch, 1280×720 IPS HD display. The display will be protected with Asahi Dragontrail glass. The device is powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core MediaTek processor along with 2 GB RAM. It has 16 GB internal storage that is expandable up to 32 GB.

On the camera front, the Iris X8 packs an 8 MP camera on the back along with dual LED flash, while a 3 MP selfie camera sits on the front. The device is powered by a 2500 mAh battery. It also offers features like Smart Wake-up and Gesture controls.

The Iris X8 comes with Android KitkKat 4.4 out of the box and is apparently upgradeable to Lollipop. Lava has also tied up with Airtel to provide 500 MB of bundled 3G data per month for two months.

By the looks of it, the X8 seems like a great device for anyone who doesn’t want to wait in line for the YU Yureka or the Redmi Note. With a price tag of Rs. 8,999, the device has good enough features to compete efficiently in the sub-Rs.10,000 market. Wait for the hands-on and full review of the Lava Iris X8 on iGyaan, coming up soon.

February 6, 2015

Unboxing | Samsung Galaxy A3 | Hands On

Samsung has been expanding the new metal frame design in its product portfolio. They recently unveiled low-cost Tizen based Z1 also flaunted the new design element. The company has launched two new mid-range devices called the Galaxy A3 and A5 that take the classy metal-based design forward.

On the looks front, the device looks classy and has a pocket-friendly size. The 6.9 mm thickness of the device coupled with metal frame makes it feel robust, slim and outdoorsy. The placement of the headphone jack and the microUSB port on the lower end might feel troublesome to a few users. The main camera has a prominent bulge on the back. The design features do seem reminiscent of iPhone 5S kind of styling.

The display of the device is quite a disappointment for its price. It has a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels with a pixel density of 245 PPI. At a time when sub-Rs.10,000 devices are featuring 720p HD displays, the A3’s display is definitely a downer.

In the box you get:

The Galaxy A3
Earphones
Charger + Cable
SIM Removal Tool
Information Booklet

In terms of performance, you get almost the same output as the Galaxy A5. The TouchWiz UI running on the device is a simplified version so you won’t get the Flipboard application on the left of the home screen. Samsung has also kept away bloatwares from the device which is a plus for the device.

<br />

At the price of Rs.20,500 the low resolution display and low specs does make this device feel overpriced. We’ll delve in deeper into the Galaxy A3 and its bigger sibling the Galaxy A5 in our upcoming full review, keep checking iGyaan for more.

Specs	Samsung Galaxy A3
Operating System	Android 4.4.4
Screen Size	4.5 inches Super AMOLED 540 x 960 pixels
RAM	1.5 GB
Battery	1990 mAh
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306
Front camera	5 MP
Rear Camera	8 MP
Price	Rs. 20,500

At 4.5 inches the Galaxy A3 is pocket friendly.

February 5, 2015

Unboxing | Samsung Galaxy A5 | Hands On

With the launch of the Galaxy Alpha last year, Samsung attempted a new metal frame based design philosophy that also influenced their last major flagship, the Note 4. Samsung recently launched the A3 and A5, which are based on the same design elements, but come with a mid-range price tag. We unbox and take a look at the new Galaxy A5 from Samsung.

Except for their display sizes, both the A3 and A5 look identical. There is nothing on the top as both the microUSB slot and 3.5 mm jack are placed on the lower end. On the right, you have the power button along with two SIM slots out of which the bigger slot can be used as a microSD card slot. On the left, you have the volume rockers and staying true its, ‘Samsungness’, the main button sits at the center below the display along with the capacitive touch buttons. The pearl white color of the device is fantastic.

In the box you get:

The Galaxy A3
Earphones
Charger + Cable
SIM Removal Tool
Information Booklet

The devices are marketed as selfie and camera friendly and hence provide instant access to the camera from the lock screen. The touch felt responsive, and there were minimal lags in the time of use. The Galaxy A5 has a 1280×720 display which is a dissapointment as Samsung could have easily provided a Full HD display at the price.

The Galaxy A5 comes for a price of Rs. 25,500 and has more to offer than its younger sibling; the Galaxy A3. Stay tuned for the full review of the devices only on iGyaan.in.

Specs	Samsung Galaxy A5
Operating System	Android 4.4.4
Screen Size	5.0 inch HD Super AMOLED 1280×720 pixels
RAM	2 GB
Battery	2300 mAh
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306
Front camera	5 MP
Rear Camera	13 MP
Price	Rs. 25,500

Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 1 — The A3 and the A5 Compared : The A5 being the larger variant

February 5, 2015

Samsung Hits Back at Canalys Report, Says it is Still on Top

Today began with a news that could have been the cause of jubilation at Micromax’s office but would bring gloom to Samsung’s. Research firm Canalys had reported that Samsung was pushed off from the top spot by Micromax in the fourth quarter of 2014. But Samsung has now hit back at the report quoting data from market research organisation Gfk group.

Samsung has said that according to the Gfk data, its volume market share in the October-December 2014 quarter was 34.3% whereas the value market share was 35.8%.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Asim Warsi” author_title=”Vice President, Marketing, Mobile business, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd.”]

In the entire year 2014, we continued to lead the market with innovative and exciting offerings. Our volume market share in the smartphone market in the year was 35.7%, which is more than double than that of the next player, while our value share was 40.2%, which is more than four times the next player. The GfK data is based on actual retail sales in 50,000-plus population cities.

[/quote]

But all of this doesn’t depart from the fact that the company has been losing ground to brands that are offering a lot more features to the consumers. Samsung has to find a silver bullet to return back to the prominent spot it used to at during the start of the smartphone race.

February 4, 2015
Micromax Pushes Samsung Off the Pole Position in India

Indian smartphone market saw a lot of action last year. A lot of companies made India a priority market and launched their top flagships in the country. Indians now had a wider choice in smartphones than ever before. All these choices have also led to a major reshuffle in the points tally of top selling companies. Indian smartphone brand, Micromax seems to have kicked global market leader Samsung from the first position on the table.

The report comes from research firm Canalys. According to the report, Micromax accounted for 22 percent sales in the fourth quarter of the year between October and December. Samsung on the other hand managed to score 20 percent of device sales during that period.

The industry, in total, sold over 21.6 million smartphones during the period; a 90 percent increase over the previous year. It is estimated that the Micromax’s lead was fueled by increase in the purchase of devices with a lower price tag as the users actively shift from feature phones to smartphones in that segment.

This dip in standing should be a major concern for Samsung as it has already lost the first position in China to Xiaomi. The company has been on the receiving end of complaints about its lackluster devices with monotonous designs and lack of specs. Apart from some tiny tweaks the company hasn’t really offered anything substantial to the consumers. Samsung has to reconsider its smartphone strategy seriously as it is the company’s most visible product portfolio at the moment or else it wouldn’t be long before it follows in the steps of Blackberry and Nokia.

February 4, 2015
Intex Unveils Aqua Power HD, Budget Smartphone With a 4000mAh Battery

It seems smartphones sporting beefier battery units is the new mantra for success, as Intex has brought out its new smartphone; the Intex Aqua Power HD which packs a massive 4000mAh battery. The company claims that the phone’s battery will provide a talk time of up to 20 hours along with a standby time of 500 hours.

Other specs on the phone include a 5-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM along with dual-SIM support. In terms of optics, it comes with a 13MP rear snapper along with a 5MP front cam. Under the hood, the Aqua Power HD is fuelled by a 1.4GHz octa-core chipset, and includes 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card slot, 3G compatibility and Android 4.4.2. The company also promises a Lollipop update sometime in the future, but hasn’t specified any time line.

The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 9,444 and is expected to go on sale shortly. The Intex Aqua Power HD will also be available in White, Black, Blue and Grey colour options.

February 3, 2015
OnePlus to Unveil Lollipop-Based Oxygen OS on 12th February

After a long wait and facing the occasional ban in India, OnePlus is all ready to head strong into the future with its own operating system(OS). The Chinese company just posted a healthy annual report today and will be unveiling its home made OS on February 12th.

This new operating system will be based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company today uploaded a video that shows a OnePlus One device running on Android Lollipop. The description of the video states “OxygenOS is almost here.” From the brief look of the video, it appears that keeping with its traditions, OnePlus hasn’t done any major tweaks to the visual appeal of the operating system. It has kept it close to the stock Android experience.

A few photos have also appeared on the internet which are claimed to be from the upcoming Oxygen OS. Though we don’t vouch for the authenticity of the images, the categorized view of icons sure look appealing. Check out the images below.

In the meanwhile, Cyanogen informed us that the Cyanogen OS 12S is in the final stage of testing and will be provided as an update for global OnePlus devices running Cyanogen 11S.

February 3, 2015
OnePlus Releases its Splendid Annual Report Card for 2014

OnePlus along with its compatriot Xiaomi were the undoubted winners of the smartphone race in 2014. These two budding Chinese companies have created an immense fan base through their innovative devices. OnePlus has released its annual report for the year 2014, and as expected, it would be a cause for celebrations at the OnePlus offices.

According to the numbers, the company sold the maximum number of devices in East Asia followed by Europe and North America (39%, 32%, 22% respectively). The company arrived in India by the end of the year, but still managed to sell 7% of its stocks in the country. The company has also claimed to have garnered a revenue worth $300 Million.

The USP of the OnePlus devices was the Cyanogen OS that powered them. But after facing an unfavorable situation in India, the company proactively pushed for creating its own operating system based on Android 5.0 Lollipop known as Oxygen OS. OnePlus promises that this new OS too will be customizable, and free from bloat and unnecessary features.

The next big release from the company will be the OnePlus Two and India will be one of the first countries to get access to the new device. There will be a lot of expectations from the OnePlus Two and the Oxygen OS as they would have to fill the shoes amazing OnePlus One. The OnePlus Two will be in the top five of our most anticipated list of devices for 2015.

February 3, 2015
Samsung Sends Out Invites For a Probable S6 Unpacked Event on 1st March

Samsung may be all set to bring out the next version of its S line of devices. If reports are to be believed than the Korean electronics giant is about to bring a completely redesigned device.

The invite sent out by the company for the unpacked event simply shows a curved edge of a device with the title “What’s Next.” The device is widely expected to be the upcoming S6 and is said to come with a curved display.

The Galaxy S6 is expected to flaunt an Ultra HD 4k display with 4GB RAM and a 20MP camera. The device is expected to be powered by a 64-bit Exynos 7420 and Broadcom’s new sensor chip. Samsung was previously working with the Snapdragon 810 processor but faced overheating issues. The company will now deploy Exynos 7 with LTE while Qualcomm has said that it will be reworking the Snapdragon 810 chipset for Samsung’s flagship devices.

…#GalaxyS6?… :) pic.twitter.com/2VUrPOcwsb

— Antonio Monaco (@Cinquetacche) January 31, 2015

A leaked render from a journalist named Antonio Monaco shows a device with slight curves on the edges. The render was confirmed by Sammobile to be authentic. The render shows the usual Samsung design features including the physical button. Samsung had said previously that it would be redesigning its product line to keep with the times. But if this render is what they have in store for us then it isn’t exactly a departure from the design philosophy that it has gone with in past five years.

February 3, 2015
LG’s Next Flagship Expected to Come With an Impressive Spec Sheet

LG’s last year’s releases LG G3 and G Pro 2 were received well by both the users and critics. The company is now apparently gearing up to unveil its next flagship LG G4. But as the launch date approaches, speculations are rife about the phone boasting some top-notch specs.

If we believe the rumours to be true, then the next LG G4 would be one beast of a device. Packing a display of 5.3 inches, the device will be powered by the latest 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with impressive 4 GB of RAM. The G4 will run on Android 5.0 Lollipop and will sport a 16MP wide-angle camera.

According to GSMArena, LG G4 might pack a 3K display of 1620×2880 resolution. If this turns out to be true, the G4 will be the first ever phone to feature such a high-quality screen. There are also talks that the next flagship from LG will not come with a stylus. The South Korean giant has recently filed a patent for another handset called LG G4 Stylus, which would be the successor to the mid range LG G3 Stylus handset.

All the rumoured specs seem top notch, but if the phone houses a 3K display, 4 GB RAM and the speedy Qualcomm 810 processor, it would definitely not be pocket-friendly.

The much-awaited phone is expected to arrive in the second quarter of this year.

February 2, 2015
Specs of HTC’s Next Desire Series Smartphone A55 Leaked

With HTC’s next flagship One M9 aka Hima lined up for release, HTC is not planning on releasing any more flagships this year. According to reports, another high-end device by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing firm is in the making and it is not a flagship. The upcoming phone, titled A55, falls under the Desire series and boasts impressive specs, just like any other high-end phones.

If the rumours are to be believed, then the A55 will sport a 5.5-inch QHD display. The device will be powered by the 64-bit octa-core MediaTek MT6795 chipset, along with 3 GB of RAM. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company Sense 7.0 UI on top, the phone will house an internal storage capacity of 32 GB.

On the camera front, the A55 is expected to flaunt a robust rear camera of 20MP, together with 13MP front shooter or 4MP UltraPixel Front Camera. The BoomSound speakers infused on the handset will give users a sound quality that is loud and clear. The A55 is supposed to have Bluetooth 4.1 as the connectivity option and a battery of 3,000mAh.

The A55 will release in two variants: Single SIM for EMEA markets (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and dual SIM for Asian markets. The device will be available in three colour options – White Rose Gold, Gray, and Brown Gold. There is no information about its price yet.

February 2, 2015
HTC Brings Out an Upgraded Desire 816G with Octa-Core Processor and 16GB Memory

HTC launched the refreshed version of Desire 816G with an upgraded processor and more internal storage space. The phone will now sport a 1.7GHz octa-core processor and 16 GB of internal memory, it was earlier restricted to 1.3GHz quad-core MT6582 processor and 8 GB internal memory. The remodeled device will cost you Rs. 19,990, which is a 1000 Rupees more than the last year’s offering.

The Vice President and Country Head of HTC India, Faisal Siddiqui, commented at the event:

The new offering under the HTC Desire series is our next step towards a power-packed combination of beautiful design and flagship performance all backed by a powerful 1.7GHz octa-core processor. The HTC Desire 816G is the best buy amongst big screen devices, packing a powerful performance and innovative design perfectly at a great price.

Keeping all the other specifications same, the Desire 816G touts a display of 5.5 inches and has 1 GB of RAM. It runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat with HTC Sense UI on top. As mentioned above, the internal memory storage has been doubled to 16 GB, which can be further expanded up to 32 GB via a MicroSD card. Sporting a rear camera of 13 MP and a 5MP front snapper, the camera quality is superior. The battery, also unaltered, stands at 2,600mAh.

With improved processor and memory, the HTC Desire 816G can compete with Huawei Honor 3X that falls in same price bracket.

January 31, 2015
Google Blames Nexus 6’s Supply Drought for its Revenue Dip

Recently a performance report was released by an analysis firm, Strategy Analytics that declared Apple as the top grosser of year 2014. Apple earned the highest revenue that broke records and Google was nowhere to be seen. The company considers imbalance in demand and supply of the Nexus 6 as the reason for the revenue dip.

Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Google Patrick Pichette said that the supply problem with the Nexus 6 hammered the company’s revenue. He also remarked that the demand of Nexus 6 could not be met, as they faced several production issues.

The company doesn’t aim to produce the products to earn revenue from them. In fact, the company manufactures products as a guide to other manufacturers so that they can implement and improve the latest Android OS onto their products.

Less mobile units means less sale, and less sale directly affects the overall revenue. It’s not the mobile division that fetch the company money, but the Nexus 6 problems contributed to the slow growth rate in other sectors too.

Play Store’s earnings also saw a steep decline, which Patrick stated is because of the rising value of the dollar, especially in Japan. The company has stated the reason for the loss, but hasn’t commented what would its next step to fix it would be.

January 30, 2015
Top 5 Smartphones Which Have Style, But No Substance

In this over-crowded smartphone market, there are many low and high-end phones that complement their price. Spending money on such phones is never an issue as they perform the tasks well. But some manufacturers believe in style, no matter if the phones have the required features or not.

Here’s a list of some handsets that do not stand up to the true definition of a smartphone and bear style with no or little features.

Vertu Signature Cobra

This extravagant device is a limited edition phone designed by French jeweller Boucheron. The Vertu Signature Cobra is adorned with two diamonds, two emeralds and 439 rubies and is priced at $310,000. The phone, unlike today’s smartphones, doesn’t pack top-notch features and provides only basic functionality of calling, texting, etc. Released in October 2011, only eight of these phones were produced.

Heart 401AB

Next in the list is the stylish heart-shaped mobile that was announced recently. This weird piece is made for women who want something really extraordinary. But we are a little dubious about its market value in India as it is more of a toy with no camera, a monochrome screen of 0.9-inch, 128x36p resolution and no messaging feature.

Ancord Diamond Crypto

Ancord Diamond Crypto is a massive bling accessory for tech lovers. Designed by Peter Aloisson, this luxury smartphone is one of the most expensive phones out there and is studded with 50 diamonds. The navigation key is made of 18k rose gold, and this piece of jewellery/phone comes at a whopping price of $1.3 million. The phone has a TFT display and features SMS, MMS, E-mail, Internet capability, WAP, JAVA support and a media player, which you can find on any phone of sub-Rs. 5000 range. However, we agree that it was released in 2006 when Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot and 4G capability were not common, but still, it is not worthy of spending $1.3 million on a phone/accessory.

Sony Ericsson Black Diamond

Sony Ericsson has earned a name for good but slightly expensive phones, but this smartphone has broken all price records by the company till date. Costing $300,000, the phone cannot stand next to the devices in sub-Rs. 8000 category. It has an unimpressive 2-inch OLED display, 4 MP camera, 128 MB internal memory and regular connectivity features. The phone was released in 2006 so nothing much to expect in terms of feature.

Buddha Phone 268

Another device that may be impressive through its concept, but will fail to dazzle tech geeks, is the Buddha Phone 268. It’s a gold luxury round mobile and is inspired by the Buddhist design. With a 2-inch LCD display, 1.3 MP camera, and other standard capacities, the phone is below basic.

January 29, 2015
Xiaomi to Setup its First Ever R&D Base in India

Xiaomi, who recently boomed the Indian Market with the MI handsets, is ready to establish its research and development base in Bangalore, India. It will be the first such facility outside China.

India is one of the largest market for Xiaomi. All the three devices by the company, Mi 3, Redmi 1S and Redmi Note, cumulatively sold more than a million devices since it was first launched in 2014.

Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain said-

We have always stated that India is one of our most important markets. We are in process of signing the lease on a facility in Bangalore, which will be our R&D unit. This is the first one outside China, the R&D unit will focus on India-specific products to begin with. We will focus on localization, themes and then India specific features to cater to local requirements here.

He, however, refused to disclose the investment details and the number of people who would employed at the centre.

The company expects the centre to be fully operational in the next few months.

This could be a big step to boost their sales even further espcially with the launch today of the Xiaomi Mi4, which will be available on Flipkart on 19th February, 2015.

January 28, 2015