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.

Xiaomi Redmi Note Launched in Two Variants, To Go on Sale on 2nd December

Xiaomi added the third device to its India portfolio today. The Chinese electronic powerhouse brought two variants of the Redmi Note to India. The devices will go on sale on the 2nd of December.

As reported earlier, the basic 3G variant will carry octa-core 1.7 GHz MediaTek chipset whereas the surprise offering of the 4G version will sport 1.6 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 chipset. The 4G variant is specially made for India, and it has dual-band support for both TDD-LTE 2300 MHz (Band 40) and FDD-LTE 1800 MHz (Band 3).

Being Xiaomi, there was a last-minute surprise in the pricing front. The 3G variant of the phone comes at a price of Rs. 8,999, while the 4G variant will be up for sale at Rs. 9,999. Considering the offering of a superior processor and 4G capability by shelling just a thousand rupees more, it would be advisable to go for the 4G variant.

One bit of spec sheet that will tilt the scales even further towards the 4G variant is the expansion of the memory. While the 3G variant gives an expandability option of 32 GB, the 4G variant lets you increase you memory capacity to 64 GB via external storage. So the 4G variant is definitely more bang for the buck.

The USP of the device is its 5.5-inch 720p IPS display. The massive screen coupled with a good processor will put out some great performance. We can safely assume that Xiaomi is going to repeat a vanishing act soon with its third offering for India.

November 24, 2014
Everything You Wanted to Know About the Upcoming Redmi Note

Xiaomi is about to add a third member to its Indian family. The new device will sit comfortably between the flagship challengers Mi3/Mi4 and the low-end market disrupter Redmi 1S. Xiaomi’s Redmi Note will not be just the third offering from the company; it is also a big screen multimedia lovers delight on a budget. We tell you all that makes the device so unique.

The Specs

Just like Xiaomi’s other offerings, the Redmi Note is good on specs front. It is powered by an octa-core 1.7 GHz processor from MediaTek along with 2 GB RAM. The device gets its juice from a healthy 3100 mAh battery. It has 8 GB of internal memory that is expandable up to 32 GB. The phone is a solid purchase even on the camera front. The main camera is a 13MP shooter, while the front sports a 5MP selfie shooter.

The Display

The huge screen will be appreciated by gamers, readers and multimedia lovers alike.

Redmi Note flaunts a 5.5-inch 720p HD IPS display. This will be a delight for multimedia enthusiasts, e-book readers and gamers alike. With 267ppi, the display of the device has lower pixel count in comparison to the Redmi 1S, so don’t expect the same level of quality. It also doesn’t have the Gorilla Glass protection as is available on the Redmi 1S. So you’d need to spend on a screen protection.

MIUI makes the device unique.

MIUI

The Note, of course, carries Xiaomi’s own MIUI, which is one of the best user interfaces out there. With a slew of regular updates, MIUI is always working towards being bug-free. Xiaomi has released MIUI 6, which is its latest UI buy it is not sure as of yet if the Redmi Note will be getting the update.

Battery Power

The huge battery that powers Redmi Note is one the winning features of the device. The company claims that the phablet can run 14 hours on 3G use, 38 hours on 2G use and offers up to 60 hours on music playback.

Note Cases

Considering the device’s Chinese upbringing, it comes in multiple colour options. These include classy navy blue to hot pink, whatever pleases you.

Overall, this is a great multimedia device on a budget. It has good specs, and the massive screen is its USP. This dual-SIM phablet is the bigger sibling of Xiaomi Redmi 1S and it sure will attract the same kind of attention. The device is expected to be priced at Rs. 9,999 but we will wait till the launch to confirm the same. So keep checking iGyaan for more.

November 24, 2014
OnePlus Founder Explains Why it’s so Hard to Get the One

It would be fair to say that OnePlus One has become a cult smartphone, partly because it is hard to get one. The company has opted quite an unconventional way of selling the exceptional device, the invitation-only system, and not to forget their terribly misguided marketing scheme.

However, at an expected price of Rs. 25,000 for a 64GB variant, the headaches are worth the wait for smartphone enthusiasts. Having had my share of experience with the One while we were reviewing the device, there is no doubt that the company left no stone unturned in delivering top-end specs with a low-end price and a premium design (especially the Sandstone variant).

We gave it an impressive 8.7 score saying ‘it is the best phone for its price’, however, there was one problem and that’s its availability. OnePlus founder Carl Pei in an interview with PC magazine explained why is that so. “We set some goals for this year. Thirty thousand was a realistic goal, 50,000 was a pretty good goal and 100,000 was a stretch goal,” he said. “We now aim to ship a million devices this year, and we’ve already surpassed half a million.”

The problem is to deliver such a product with high-end specs and low-cost, the company has to cut down margins. And because it makes so little money on each phone, it doesn’t want to make more than it can sell. The OnePlus One hasn’t followed the typical rules of phone demand because it is not a usual phone. Typically, when some phone launches, there’s a strong demand for about two months and then it starts tapering off. But nobody’s been able to match the OnePlus One’s price/performance balance, so demand for the phone has just been rising exponentially with time.

“Sooner or later, it’s going to stop, and we don’t want to be caught with too much inventory. With no margins, we can’t have a situation where we have too many units and we’ll have to discount them. For us, the first year was about survival. We understand it’s been really hard to buy,” Pei said.

There is a lot of traction between the manufacturer and consumers here as the firm sells its products directly (no middleman involved). However, we need to know that what the company is doing is really difficult. The worst case scenario is if the demand dries out, then they’ve got no chance to recoup with what would be nearly 100% loss. The easy answer is to discount the device, but again the margins are already tight.

November 22, 2014
Xiaomi Redmi Note May Come to Indian Shores on 2nd December

It’s been a while since Xiaomi launched a new product in India and as expected, the company has started teasing the India launch of its phablet – the Xiaomi Redmi Note. In addition, a report also claims that the phablet might be available for sale starting 2nd December. The Chinese manufacturer has started a campaign on its Facebook page for the Indian customers which reads, “Want to win a Redmi Note?” The page also says, “Show us your creative side and win a Redmi Note from Mi!”, with he contest deadline being Friday i.e. November 21 till 9:00 PM IST.

Post by Mi India.

Notably, Xiaomi is sending teasers for the launch the same way it did for Mi3 and Redmi 1S. Also, it's worth noting that the company had stopped selling Mi3 in India to focus more on the Redmi 1S.

While the Chinese electronics giant is busy preparing for occasional flash sales and celebrating the new tag of being the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, it seems like the company is heading forward in the Indian market with some new offerings. In a recent post on Facebook, Hugo Barra (Vice President of International for Xiaomi) mentioned that the Redmi Note is finally ready for India.
[caption id="attachment_83382" align="aligncenter" width="650"] With its high specs and big screen, this will be a great device for a multimedia enthusiast on a budget.[/caption]
A good news arriving with the device is its price. The Xiaomi Redmi Note has been priced at just Rs. 9,999. The phone comes with a 5.5-inch 720p IPS display, 1.7 GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor supported by 2 GB of RAM.

The device was expected to launch a month back, however, it didn’t happen. In an interview with a popular publication last month, Barra said that the Redmi Note will come to India in late October or early November. It looks like the early November in the Chinese calendar is here.

November 21, 2014
iPhone 6 Successor Might Feature a ‘DSLR Quality’ Camera

It’s hardly been three months since the launch of the latest flagship from Apple, the iPhone 6. But it’s the next-gen model which is now on everyone’s radar. According to a recent report, the successor of the iPhone 6 might feature a camera that is capable of DSLR level performance. Sources close to the Cupertino giant have revealed in a podcast that the next-gen iPhone will have two lens system. Apple blogger John Gruber, who has a long history with the company, attributes the information.

“The specific thing I heard is that next year’s camera might be the biggest camera jump ever. I don’t even know what sense this makes, but I’ve heard that it’s some kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery,” said Gruber.

But there could be other possibilities that we cannot ignore. For instance, the HTC One M8 has a ‘dual camera’ feature that includes two sensors that work in tandem to produce images. So what exactly this ‘two lens’ system refers to is still unclear.

The iPhone camera is still considered to be one of the best in the industry, adding DSLR quality to it will just put it miles ahead of the competition. Other smartphone manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, etc. use 16-20 megapixels, while iPhone still carries an 8MP resolution sensor.

The first iPhone ever launched came with a 2MP camera, which was upgraded to 3.2 MP in the iPhone 3GS, while iPhone 4 had a 5MP camera. Though, it was in 2011 when the camera was significantly enhanced to 8 MP in the iPhone 4S, and is still stuck with the same.

So, an upgrade to the iPhone camera is certainly long due. We are likely to find out next year if this turns out to be a reality or just one of the many rumors that pop up before every iPhone launch.

November 19, 2014
Falling Sales Lead Samsung to Decrease its Smartphone Portfolio By 25-30 Percent

Things haven’t been great for Samsung lately. The company’s phones are being berated for their generic designs and offering low specs at high price. It is also facing a profit margin that is lower than before it unveiled the Galaxy line of phones. Looking at the numbers, it can be said that the company is going on a reinvention drive.

It was reported just a few days back that the company was launching ‘Project Zero’ to reinvent its next flagship from scratch. This model will be an inspiration that can be later carried down the food chain. But apart from creating a new product, the South Korean giant will shelve as much as a quarter of its devices.

Head of Investor Relations Robert Yi has said that the cuts in the portfolio can be up to 25 to 30 percent. Presently, Samsung’s margins from its mobile and information technology business squeezed to just 7% in the third quarter that ended September. It is at the lowest level since the end of 2008, before it launched its first Galaxy smartphone. This should be worrisome as the mobile business has almost become the face of the company, and a loss would severely affect the company’s perception in the eyes of its consumers.

Samsung is also getting beat by brands like Xiaomi, Motorola and local brands who are rapidly clearing the dominance of Samsung devices in the market. The company got a massive jolt this year when it dropped to second spot in India and China. This must have finally led the company to see the light and create a new strategy.

It’s not sure as of yet as to what devices will get the boot but considering the massive stock of the Grands and Primes and Autobots and Decepticons, there is a scope for decreasing the number of devices in the portfolio. The company is also targeting the mid and lower segment of the market where the maximum volume of the sales takes place.

Samsung has the potential and resources for beating Xiaomi at its own game. It even has enough financial cushioning to take some unwanted hits. So, it would be advisable to Samsung to take on some more serious risks and give the consumers an offering that will actually be aspirational.

November 19, 2014
Micromax Launches Cyanogen-Powered Brand ‘Yu’ for Advanced Users

Micromax, the second biggest smartphone company in India, has some great plans for the upcoming future. Now with the intention of providing a unique user experience, the company unveiled their new brand called Yu.

According to the company’s Yu Televentures, will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Micromax Informatics. It’s the offspring of a tie-up between Micromax and Cyanogen. Cyanogen is, of course, known world over for making one of the best custom ROM’s for Android smartphones. So this tie-up will surely mean good things for the Indian consumers.

Micromax co-founder Rahul Sharma said “This will be a game changer, not just in India, but globally too. Yu has been envisioned for building an ecosystem of connected devices and offer customized experience to users.”

Considering the use for a device with heavy customizability is for advanced users, the products of the brand Yu will be sold online. The company is currently in talks with e-commerce companies to pave a path for the roll out of these devices. The first device from this brand will be introduced next month.

In line with the open source nature of Cyanogen, Yu will be setting up a forum where the users can contribute with ideas and tweaks for the operating system. The suggestions from this forum might get incorporated in the fortnightly updates. For folks who complain about the unavailability of updates on Indian manufacturers, this should be welcoming news.

November 18, 2014
Flipkart Tempts Buyers with a Rs.10,000 Off on the New Nexus 6

We reported earlier today that the new Motorola-build Google Nexus 6 has gone up for pre-orders at the popular e-commerce website Flipkart, with an interesting proposition of Rs. 10,000 cashback if you replace it with the new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. However, the device is still appearing with a ‘Coming Soon’ tag on the ‘Device’ section of the Google Play Store.

Google had already confirmed the pricing of the Nexus 6 for India through the Google Play Store listing. According to the listing, Nexus 6 32GB version will retail for Rs. 44,000, while the 64 GB version is priced at Rs. 49,000. The phone will be released in two colour options in the country – midnight blue and cloud white. Last month, Google launched the new smartphone Nexus 6 in the country, along with Nexus 9 tablet, Nexus Player and Android 5.0.

Flipkart’s pricing for the 32 GB and 64 GB variants are the same as the official Google Play prices of the Nexus 6, at Rs. 44,000 and Rs. 49,000 respectively.

The company has introduced an exchange offer under which customers will be given a cashback of Rs. 10,000 on both the versions of the Nexus 6 smartphone. Interestingly, Flipkart is offering Rs. 10,000 cash back if you exchange your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with the new Nexus 6. If anyone is rethinking their recent purchase of Apple’s latest flagship, they can opt for this offer.

Along with that, there are other offers as well like a free three-month subscription to Flipkart First, a cashback of Rs. 1,500 on the purchase of various monthly EMI’s via HDFC/ICICI bank and free pre-selected eBooks worth Rs. 2,100.

The phone has the same metal structure as of the Moto X and also presumably will have the same strength. The button locations are the same, and thanks to the minimal bezel design, the Nexus 6 looks a lot less big.

The smartphone features a 5.96-inch Quad-HD AMOLED display, 2.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32/64 GB of internal storage and 3220 mAh battery with wireless charging support.

November 18, 2014
OnePlus Promises After-Sales Service to Indians on Units Purchased Globally

It’s just a few days left for the roll out of OnePlus in India. The Chinese company has won millions of hearts with this amazing device that gives a whole new meaning to all in one. Now, it has taken a while to come to India, but the fans of the device have purchased it from the outside market. For such ardent fans, the company has a gift to express its gratitude.

OnePlus has announced in a forum post that if users have bought their device from official channels, they’ll be eligible for warranty coverage in India. The company will cover the after-sales services of these devices’ owners. The catch is that the users will be able to get the warranty locally and so will have to wait till the company’s customer support is all setup in the country. The terms of service will also be based on local warranty terms.

The company is in its setting up mode and is hiring people. The China-based manufacturer is calling folks to check out their Careers page. This would also be a good opportunity for people to work with a fast growing company and with cutting edge technology. Most of the opportunities are in China, so it would also be a good chance for folks who want to experience new cultures.

It is always good to hear that a company cares about its after-sales service. It is a field in which Indian companies are still lagging behind, leaving the consumers to suffer. After-sales service is an important aspect of a device’s sale, and the companies which provide quality service will see a better future in the market. We hope that other Indian brands will take a clue from OnePlus and would work towards making their product better.

November 18, 2014
Google Nexus 6 Pre-Orders to Start Today in India

Google’s flagship device Nexus 6 has been listed on Flipkart for a while now. However, the listing is going to drop the ‘Coming Soon’ tag as the new Nexus will be up for pre-orders in India today.

Presently, Flipkart’s Google Nexus 6 page mentions that there are ‘0 days to go for the Nexus 6’. Earlier, we surfaced the news that the 32 GB variant will be available at a price of Rs. 42,999. Google officially confirmed the pricing of the Nexus 6 in India by listing it on the Google Play store earlier this month.

According to the listing, Nexus 6 32GB version will retail for Rs. 44,000, while the 64 GB version is priced at Rs. 49,000. The phone is expected to release in two colour options in the country – midnight blue and cloud white. Last month, Google launched the new smartphone Nexus 6 in the country, along with Nexus 9 tablet, Nexus Player and Android 5.0.

The phone has the same metal structure of the Moto X and also presumably will have the same strength. The button locations are the same, and thanks to the minimal bezel design, the Nexus 6 looks a lot less big.

The smartphone features a 5.96-inch Quad-HD AMOLED display, 2.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32/64 GB of internal storage and 3220 mAh battery with wireless charging support. Nexus 9, which is also listed as ‘Coming soon’ on the Play store, powers Android 5.0 Lollipop, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver processor clocked at 2.3 GHz.

November 18, 2014
T-Series’ First Smartphone Intends to Take on Redmi’s Market with a Lacklustre Device

Remember T-series? If you are from the 90s, the name brings in the memory of religious cassettes that parodied Bollywood numbers. Well, times have changed, and the company has become a major force in the Indian entertainment industry. The company has now introduced their first attempt in the smartphone industry with a device that doesn’t have much appeal on the spec sheet.

The phone is called SS909 has been created in association with Shachii Gizmo Ltd which is its mobile subsidiary. The processor on the device is a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor along with a 512 MB RAM, which is really limited in times when 1GB RAM is fast becoming the norm. The device has 4 GB internal memory; expandable up to 32 GB and runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat.

The display on the device is a 4.5 inch IPS display. The main camera is an 8 MP shooter whereas the front camera is 2 MP. The cameras are the only arena where the camera matches the Redmi on the spec list, but the quality of the images is still unknown. The SS909 gets its juice from a measly 1600 mAh battery.

The device is 3G capable and is available on Snapdeal for Rs. 5799 and comes with a free flip cover. The device is a decent budget purchase. Don’t expect exceptional gaming performance or high-quality video playback. This can be a device for someone looking for their first smartphone after a shift from feature devices. It can also be a pride purchase for someone wanting to buy locally made devices.

November 17, 2014
Microsoft is Offering Lumia Smartphones for a Free Two-Week Trial

Microsoft is giving its consumers a chance to try out Lumia smartphones for free on a trial basis. After ending the Nokia brand, the Redmond based giant is attempting to increase the popularity of its devices by giving customers a free two-week trial of its Lumia range.

To avail this trial, all you need to do is to fill in your name along with some other details on a web form and mention why you want to try out the device. The devices that are a part of this initiative include Lumia 630, Lumia 735, Lumia 930, Lumia 830, Lumia 1520 and Nokia X (a non-Lumia device and instead runs a forked version of Android.)

The ‘Terms and Conditions’ further states that the devices will be given out on a trial period of two weeks with an age requirement being 16 years or more. To sign up for this trial offer, head over to the Lumia conversations blog and fill in the details provided by the company.

Want to try your luck? You can sign up here.

November 17, 2014
QWERTY Keyboard-Equipped BlackBerry Classic Up For Pre-Orders in the US

BlackBerry is going back to its roots. In the age of generic bar-shaped smartphones, the company is trying to attract users with the good old days feel. With the release of Passport, the company has made it clear that it will give their most successful form factor a second chance. Now the Passport was a unique device with features unheard of before. But BlackBerry’s Classic promises the goods of yesteryear for people who long for a different user experience.

The Classic will remind you of the era of BlackBerry Bold. The phone is now available for pre-orders in America. It is currently priced at $450 for an unlocked version. The shipments are supposed to start by mid-December.

What is really peculiar though is that BlackBerry hasn’t yet released any other information or specs of the device. The company got people excited about the Passport by showing off its unique 1440X1440 resolution square display. This time around, there was no such revelations. Considering it’s trying to make a comeback, BlackBerry should have released some sneak peeks by now. All we know right now is how the phone looks based on a leak on a Chinese website.

It is expected that BlackBerry Classic is expected to be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 2 GB of RAM. To provide the classic appeal, the phone has a 3.5-inch screen coupled with a QWERTY keyboard.

Considering the speed at which BlackBerry brought the Passport to India, you can expect the Classic to show up soon in this part of the world. We’ll let you know of the future plans of BlackBerry right here at iGyaan. Keep checking back.

November 14, 2014
To Strengthen Android Security, Samsung Partners With Blackberry

Smartphones are not just a communication device anymore. They are business gadgets and a storage for tons of personal information. With the number of revelations of hacking and stealing content from users phones and cloud account, security of the smartphones has become an important topic of discussion amongst all stakeholders. Samsung has decided to step up its game on security and has partnered with Blackberry for the effort.

Samsung’s own Knox was reported to have a flaw that apparently left the system ‘completely compromised.’ Here Blackberry can come really useful as it has been unanimously praised for having one of the best enterprise security.

This will also be a good opportunity for Blackberry to share the limelight with the global consumer electronics giant. Blackberry has had serious issues in the recent past with the rapid decline in sales.

Blackberry will provide its expertise to enhance the performance of Samsung’s Knox system. It will integrate its BES12 end-to-end encryption system with Samsung’s Knox. The offspring of this alliance will be introduced early next year.

The security option is essential for corporate and government sectors as they deal in sensitive information. These sectors also consume massive inventories from the companies so it would be important for Samsung to convince them of its security standard.

November 14, 2014
CyanogenMod 11.0 M12 is Now Ready for Download

If you are into installing custom ROMs onto your phones, you definitely know about CyanogenMod. It is also the default OS on the legendary OnePlus One. ROM has one of the best customisation features and is regularly updated. Having said that, CyanogenMod is ready with the next in its line-up (CM 11.0 M12) for supported devices.

CyanogenMod 11.0 M12 has been released for the following devices: HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S4 Mini, Motorola Razr, Sony Xperia Z, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Tablet Z, Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7, HTC One Max, and Nexus 7 Wi-Fi.

The new build brings many new features over its predecessor. 9to5google reports that this new update is based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. They also report that the new update offers “range of bug fixes and improvements: a fix for signal strength on certain devices, updates to frameworks and core apps, a list of devices connected to tethering and more.”

On its Twitter page, Cyanogen teased the new pin scrambling feature. It jumbles the numbers when asking for pin so that the perpetrator would have to work harder to get access to your phone. This seems like a simple, yet elegant solution to pin code theft.

Worry about people catching a glimpse of your PIN code strokes? Check out Scramble PIN Layout feature on Cyanogen OS http://t.co/nqJtPHfhim

— Cyanogen Inc. (@CyanogenInc) November 10, 2014

If you were wondering, then yes, CyanogenMod is already working on the Android Lollipop update for its ROM. All good things ask for patience and for something as sweet as CyanogenMod, the wait has been worth it in the past, so you should do the same this time around.

November 13, 2014