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 1S Disappears as Fast as its Bigger Sibling

Another sale and another disappearing act. Xiaomi brought out the Redmi 1S for sale today, and as expected they flew off the virtual shelf within a couple of seconds. And when we say a couple, we mean a couple because, in the third second, the phone went out of stock. This sale will do nothing to calm the folks who missed out on the Mi3, as well as the Redmi 1S sale today. At the risk of sounding pompous, we’d like you to know that we used our tips and they helped us score a Redmi. If you didn’t manage to get your hands on one today, do bookmark the link for next time.

Xiaomi brought a bigger stock when compared to its previous sale standards. The 40,000 devices it brought had 2,50,000 claimants according to Flipkart, but the number is estimated to be around 1,00,000 people. The massive demand for the product saw the device getting sold off instantly. Flipkart has used delayed payment method for the past couple of sales that gave it some breathing space in executing orders. It also helped Flipkart prevent a website crash as had happened on some occasion.

Redmi 1S has the best features in its price bracket. The phone features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 (HD) IPS display and is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with Cortex-A7 core with 1 GB RAM. It has 8 GB of internal memory that is expandable up to 64 GB.

The phone features an 8 MP camera on the back and sports a 1.6 MP camera on the front. With all these specs, it is miles ahead of its competition. It is an obliterator of the segment. The phone is capable of taking on both the reigning champions from Motorola, the Moto E and Moto G.

Today’s sale also proved that Xiaomi is still a hot commodity, and people would still race to get the device. If you were one of the lucky ones who scored the device, congratulations to you and if you did not, don’t worry, just revise our tips and hit the “Buy Now” button hard when you see it the next time.

September 2, 2014
Buy a Redmi 1S Today Using These Tips to Better Your Chances

After the overwhelming success of the Mi3, Xiaomi is now ready to unleash the Xiaomi Redmi 1S in the Indian market. Today, the smartphone, priced at Rs. 5,999, will go on sale at 2pm. Lack of stock, unreliability of Flipkart and the overall disappointing sales of the Xiaomi Mi3 have taught us that we need to be armed and prepared to handle these strategic flash sales better.

Here are our tips and tricks to make sure you get your hands on a Xiaomi Redmi 1S today:

1. Pre Register

Possibly the most obvious tip, you need to have already pre registered to buy the phone. Pre registrations are now closed, so hopefully, you’ve checked this box. Otherwise, remember to set a reminder to be better prepared for next Tuesday.

2. Know the Time

The Xiaomi Redmi 1S will go on sale at precisely 2:00 pm IST on 2nd September, so try and reach the buying page at least an hour earlier, even though it seems like an overkill.

3. Multiple Device logins

Try being online from multiple devices, preferably on different internet connections; in order to have different I.P. addresses accessing the site, this will improve your chances and bring you one step closer to buying a Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

4. Flipkart App

The Flipkart app uses a separate server and has a higher chance of “not failing” at the time of sale. If you want to buy a Xiaomi Redmi, the app might prove to be easier, “might” being the key word.

5. Super Refresh Times 40,000

When the sale starts, most people are struggling to open the webpage, ctrl+R / f5 (refresh)/ Cmd+R (mac), is your best friend. Hit it till you get a page to buy a Xiaomi Redmi 1S. Other people have reported opening several tabs being helpful.

6. Cart it!

If you do get a page loaded, add that phone to the cart like there is no tomorrow, once you have the handset in your cart, your chances have just gone up from 1 in a million to 50:50 in order to buy a Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

7. Patience

Once you have it in your cart, attempt payment by refreshing several times, in most cases you won’t be able to make payments due to overloads on the server so keep trying. Here the app helps too.

Also, if the website fails completely, there is a very high chance that the phone is in your cart when Flipkart comes back online, that’s the perfect moment for you to buy a Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

Once you do get through to the payment section and make your payments in whatever the mode you select, pat yourself on the back sir, you my friend are a lucky owner of the coveted Xiaomi Redmi 1S!

Now, check out our unboxing of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S below.

September 2, 2014
Xiaomi Redmi 1S Exclusive Sale for Flipkart First Subscribers Today

Xiaomi Redmi 1S is going on an early sale today exclusively for Flipkart First subscribers. Starting at 2PM, first 2000 subscribers, who registered to buy the handset, can get their hands on the device ahead of the first flash sale for registered users on Tuesday.

It is said that Flipkart will add the smartphone automatically to the cart of the first two thousand Flipkart first customers who registered for the handset’s flash sale on Tuesday. And the E-commerce website will inform the lucky subscribers through emails about their eligibility for early access.

Due to the limited stocks available, Flipkart has also announced that it will limit orders to one phone per registered email id. “Since stocks would be limited, we recommend you to login & buy immediately 2pm onwards. To ensure that all our customers can get their hands on Redmi 1S, we are limiting orders to one phone per registered email id.” Flipkart mailed the registered users.

Xiaomi is continuing the trend of Tuesday flash sale which was started with the launch of Xiaomi Mi3. The company has claimed that more than 1,00,000 users have applied for Redmi 1S sale. Xiaomi also referred as ‘Apple of China’ has been criticised for the limited availability of the Mi3 smartphone. It is yet to be seen how Flipkart and Xiaomi handle the Redmi 1S flash sales.

Redmi 1S priced at Rs. 5,999 will be competing with likes of Asus Zenphone A450 and Moto E, which are also exclusively sold on Flipkart. The Xiaomi Redmi 1s comes with 2 Micro Sim to Regular Sim adapters in the box for the dual sim device. The phone will run one card on 3G GSM while one on 2G GSM. The Redmi 1S is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Chipset running at 1.6 GHz on Quad Cores and the Adreno 305 GPU. It accepts micro SD cards unto 32 GB and comes with an inbuilt storage of 8 GB and has 1 GB RAM.

Check out our unboxing and of Xiaomi Redmi 1S below.

September 1, 2014
These Are The Best Upcoming Smartphones of Q4 2014

The year 2014 has been action packed for the tech world, especially the smartphones market. We saw big-ticket brands like Samsung, LG and HTC bringing out their flagships. Then there were the showstoppers like the Xiaomi Mi3, OnePlus One who took on those flagships head-on and created a lot of waves amongst budget shoppers by giving them flagship smartphone performance in an affordable price.

Now there are only four months left in this year, and it still has a lot of action left in it, especially in the month of September. So we decided to give you a handy checklist that you can use to keep track of the arrival of most awaited phones. Bookmark this page and we’ll keep updating it as we get to know the dates of some of the devices.

Apple:

1. iPhone 6

Expected Date: September 9

The Big daddy of smartphones will see its 6th edition releasing this year, and Apple is going for something big. The iPhone 6 will come with a bigger 4.7 inch display which was the need of the hour as a 4 inch screen was just not cutting it anymore. The phone has a redesigned charger which will help to charge the device faster, and it also has a bigger battery, thanks to the size increase. It is also expected to get a faster processor from Apple and a faster 4g radio.

2. iPhone 6L

Expected Date: December

This is the first of its kind from Apple. The iPhone 6L will come with a huge 5.5 inch screen. This will be loved by multimedia enthusiasts and Apple fans who wanted pocket size device that gives an exception entertainment experience. Its release date is not known yet as Apple has been facing some production issues with the phone.

The iPhones are supposedly going to get a tough Sapphire glass; we just need to wait till September 9 to know which phones will feature the unbreakable screen. The entry level devices will have internal storage of 32 GB, which is welcome.

Samsung:

1. Galaxy Note 4

Expected Date: September 3rd

The Note 4 has been the Samsung phone that people have been waiting for this year. This phone will take a departure from plastic materials and will showcase new design features. This will be the first globally released phone with QHD display. Samsung had brought the QHD screen on the S5 LTE but with this, Samsung is ready to take on its compatriot LG. The phone will release in a pre-IFA event in Germany. Lots to look forward in this one.

Motorola:

1. Moto X+1

Expected date: September 4th

Motorola’s comeback has been exceptional. Not only did it reinvent itself it did it in style, and the Moto X was one of the most innovative devices from the brand. However, its now time for the next generation of the device to come into the world. According to the leaks, this new phone is expected to get a 5.2 inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolutions. It will run on Android 4.4.3 and powered by a Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The camera is expected to be 12MP shooter, and there might be a built-in pedometer.

2. Moto G2

Expected Date: September 4th

The Moto G was one remarkable phone when it released last year. The Moto G2 is expected to take that legacy forward. The G2 is expected to get a 5 inch IPS LCD display with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It will still come with 1 GB RAM and 8 and 16 GB variants. This time though, some leaks speculate the inclusion of an expandable memory slot, which will only help increase its fan base.

3. Nexus 6

Expected Date: October

Features: Google has chosen Motorola for this year’s Nexus Smartphone, and it seems like Motorola is in no mood to disappoint us. The Nexus 6 aka Nexus X is expected to get a stunning 5.2 inch QHD(2560x1440p) display. It will run on the Snapdragon 805 and will have 3 GB of RAM. The phone is expected to come in 32 and 64 GB variants.

Xiaomi:

1. Mi 4

Expected Date: Post October

Xiaomi’s Flagship Killer, the Mi 3 has seen an unconventional success in an overcrowded market. The feature-laden phones flew off the shelves as soon as they were launched. Now the next generation of the phone is out, and it will try to outdo the last one. The Mi 4 comes with a 2.5 GHz, Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB RAM. This is one selfie friendly phone as it comes with an 8 MP front shooter.

LG:

1. LG G3 Stylus

Expected Date: October

LG tries to take on Samsung with this one. The LG G3 caused a lot of furor because of its superior build and a brilliant 2K display. Now its sibling, the G3 Stylus will try to keep the limelight brought on by the G3. The device, unfortunately, loses the USP of the product, the 2K display. The G3 stylus comes with a 5.5 inch display. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz processor and comes with 1GB RAM. This phone will of course have a cheaper price tag than the G3, but it will be interesting to see how folks react to it.

September 1, 2014
Oppo Launches Neo 3 For Rs. 10,990 on Flipkart

Oppo launched a new budget-friendly smartphone, the Neo 3 today in India aimed at the budget segment of the Indian market. It is available via Flipkart (its recently announced retail partner), as well as via retail stores across the country, priced at Rs. 10,990.

The dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) Oppo Neo 3 is similar the Oppo Neo in some departments. The camera megapixel count, the processor, display size and resolution are identical to the Neo. It features a 4.5-inch display with a FWVGA (480×854 pixel) resolution, which sounds decent, but there are phones with much higher resolution display in this price range these days like the Xiaomi Redmi 1S, which goes on sale on Tuesday.

The Oppo Neo successor was announced in India by the company via the Oppo Mobile India Facebook page, with caption “In stores now Oppo Neo 3, another gem in out portfolio.”

A dual-core 1.3GHz processor powers the device and there’s 1GB RAM on board. This combination will power Oppo’s custom UI running on top of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The device is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash along with a a 2-megapixel secondary camera.

On the connectivity front, the Oppo Neo 3 includes 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, GPRS/ EDGE, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, OTG, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth 2.1. The smartphone packs a 1900mAh battery.Also, Oppo Neo 3 has a technology called HotKnot, which allows it to “share anything simply by touching another mobile screen with your.”

Oppo’s proprietary ColorOS is slightly better than what Gionee has to offer, but its not all that different in terms of functionality. There’s 4GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via a microSD card to up to 32GB.

The device is a bit low on the spec sheet. Considering the arrival of some pioneering devices like the Zenfone from Asus and Xiaomi’s line-up, Oppo should have tried a bit harder with the phone. The price too is on the higher end and they should plan to reduce if it wants to gain some market.

August 30, 2014
ZTE to Tie up with Snapdeal for New Launch on 2nd Sept

Chinese phone manufacturers ZTE are about to bring a new device to the Indian market next week. The launch will take place on 2^nd September, Tuesday. We have received word that the phone will be sold exclusively through Snapdeal and the invites of the event have been sent out.

The device details seem pretty vague. The phone has a 5 inch HD display with a 13 MP camera in the back and a 5 MP camera in the front. It is powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor. By the looks of it the device most probably is the ZTE Nubia 5 and we have had a look at the device during our trip to CES 2014.

The device looks good and has minimal curves. It has a circle capacitive button which looks like a tron light disk and is realy eye appealing. On the back you get dual speakers placed with a little space between them.

Here is one more Chinese phone manufacturer taking a dip in the overcrowded Indian market. ZTE has been in India for a while and this time with exclusive partnership with Snapdeal they hope to attract more attention to the devices. So now we’ll just wait till Tuesday to check out what ZTE has really got to offer.

The device on the invite looks similar to the ZTE device we saw at CES

August 30, 2014

Xiaomi Redmi 1S Vs Moto E Vs Moto G Specs Comparison

After the achievement of its Mi 3, Xiaomi is rolling out yet another affordable smartphone in India, exclusively through Flipkart. The company is all set to formally uncover the Redmi 1S valued at Rs 5,999. All things considered, as budget-friendly devices to come in this comparative price bracket and expect to contend with the ruling budget Android, the Moto E and Moto G which are sold at the price of 6,999 and Rs. 10,499.

In terms of display, the Redmi 1S comes with a 4.7 inch display which has a 720 x 1280 resolution, giving it a total pixel density of 312 PPI. The Motorola Moto E come with a 4.3 inch which is not a IPS display and has a 960 x 540 resolution giving it 256 ppi, which is much lower than the Redmi 1S. On the other hand Moto has a 4.5 IPS display which has a 720 x 1280 resolution, same as the Redmi. However, the Moto G is at power here with 326 PPI.

Moto G also has a Corning Gorilla glass, so does the Moto E, but Xiaomi Redmi 1S lacks it and has Dragontrail instead. All three devices i.e. Moto E, Moto G and Xiaomi Redmi 1S are Dual Sim GSM devices. So, they will work on 3G and 2G GSM networks.

On the hardware side, Redmi 1S comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 on quad-cores at 1.6 GHz. Which is mighty impressive for the price bracket and compared to Moto E’s Snapdragon 200 at dual-core 1.2GHZ processor. Where as, Moto G packs a snapdragon 400 which is quad-code at 1.2 GHz. Having said that, Redmi 1S is undoubtedly leads the two Motorola handsets as far as the processor is concerned.

All three have 1GB of RAM, and while the Redmi 1S along with Moto G has 8GB of Internal storage, Moto E lacks behind with 4Gb of internal storage. Also, the Redmi 1S does accept a micro-SD cards up to 64GB, while the Moto E accepts upto 32 GB micro-SD cards. The Moto G, despite being the most expensive handset in the lot, does not.

As far as the battery is concerned, Redmi 1S sports 2050 mAh battery, the Moto E comes with comes with 1980 mAh battery and Moto G comes with 2070 mAh battery. So, there not a considerable difference between the batteries of the three handsets.

The cameras of the devices are varied, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S fashions an 8MP primary camera that supports 1080p video shooting and the secondary camera of 1.6MP which supports 720p video shooting. Moto E disappoints us with no secondary camera and the main camera of 5MP with only 480p video capability. On the other hand Moto G has a similar 5 Mp camera but only does 720p videos along with a 1.3Mp secondary shooter. Moto E also lacks a flash light unlike other two devices. In terms of the camera and video quality Redmi 1S beats both the Motorola devices.

Motorola’s devices take lead in one of the most important specs of any smartphone- OS and updates. Motorola devices comes with Android 4.4 out of the box where as redimi 1s comes with Android 4.3 out of the box with a promised upgrade soon. Moto E as well as Moto G are going to be one of the first devices to get Android LMP update after the Nexus devices.

With respect to the specifications, pricing and overall usability of the device, we feel the Xiaomi Redmi 1S seems to be a value for money package. But with the limited 40,000 units going on sale on 2nd Sept, a lot of buyers and re-sellers are going to be in line to get their hands on the device, so be sure register first and wait for the device.

One major advantage that Motorola devices bring, is that they are now readily available and also the company has an impressive service network along with good customer service support. This can’t be said for the Xiaomi at the moment because they are struggling with their service support which is kept down to low number of service centre and replacements offered by Flipkart.

Key Specs-

Specs/Devices	Motorola Moto G	Motorola Moto E	Xiaomi Redmi 1S
Dimensions (mm)	129.90 x 65.90 x 11.60	124.80 x 64.80 x 12.30	137.00 x 69.00 x 9.90
Weight (g)	143.00	142.00	158.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	2070, Non-removable	1980, Non-removable	2050, removable
Display	4.5 Inch 720x1280px 329PPI	4.3 inch 540x960px 256PPI	4.7 inch 720x1280px 312PPI
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz quad-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 1.2GHz dual-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.6GHz quad-core
RAM	1GB	1GB	1GB
Internal storage	8GB	4GB expandable upto 32GB	8GB expandable upto 64 GB
Rear camera	5-megapixel	5-megapixel	8-megapixel
Flash	Yes	No	Yes
Front camera	1.3-megapixel	No	1.6-megapixel
Operating System	Android 4.3	Android 4.4	Android 4.3 MIUI version 5

August 30, 2014

Oneplus to End the Invite System By October

It’s no secret that Chinese phone manufacturer OnePlus is coming to India soon. Their phenomenal product, the OnePlus One is a flagship killer that brings top level specs in affordable pricing encased in eye appealing exteriors. The phones have been built in limited quantities because of the manufacturing restrictions of the company that led it to sell the phones through an invite system.

The invite system has been the company’s business strategy since they started. Customers who aspired for the products had to get the time limited invites to be able to buy the phones. But this system caused a lot of heartaches amongst the potential customers who couldn’t get an invite. (Play in our Invite Giveaway Here)

Interestingly OnePlus is going to do away with the invite system altogether. In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) the representative had this to say; “We are working on a pre-orders system, we were initially aiming for September but it’s been slightly delayed, hopefully we’ll be ready to launch it in October.”

Now they haven’t mentioned as to what this new pre-order system would look like, but it sure will make a lot of folks in India happy as the company plans to bring the One to India, most probably by the end of this year.

The phone will also offer some great back panels and accessories

OnePlus One’s specs help make it the only phone capable of taking on the Xiaomi Mi 3. Its interiors are made of Snapdragon™ 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPUs, 3 GB RAM and runs Android 4.4 based Cynogenmod. One the exteriors the device has a 5.5 inch full HD display with a 13 MP camera on the back and a 5 MP camera at the front. Not just that, the device also offers a good number of accessories like back panels and flip cases.

The fall of the invitation system will be rejoiced by the folks waiting to land the device for themselves. With its high specs, the phone is future proof for at least the immediate future. Considering its closest competitor, Xiaomi also facing stocks shortages; OnePlus is pretty safe in its market for now. Hopefully, the new pre-order system would cause a lot less heartburn and bring a powerful mobile experience to the folks who’ve been waiting for it for a long while.

August 30, 2014
Apple Sends September 9th Invites Saying ‘Wish We Could Say More’

Apple has sent out the press invites for the much awaited September 9th press event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California.

Invitation mentions the September 9th date and a cryptic statement ‘ wish we could say more’ in the typical Apple style. The Flint Center for the Performing Arts is the same venue where Apple debuted the Macintosh computer in 1984, 30 years ago. Perhaps, the venue is chosen to pay a homage to the company’s first big achievement with another groundbreaking device, iWatch.

Details on the iWatch hardware are much more scarce. Many reports points extensively on the device’s rich health and fitness capabilities, with Apple having hired many high-profile people for the project.

Apple has constructed a ‘three-story structure’ at the site, which may be used as the hands-on area after the presentation is over. The event will come 3 months after Apple’s developer conference WWDC and an year after the launch of iPhone 5S and 5C.

Even though, Apple hasn’t mentioned any details about the September 9 event. The company is expected to launch two new-generation iPhones, a 4.7 inch variant and a larger 5.5 inch variant which is expected to tagged as iPhone 6L.

The new iPhones are expected to come with a higher price tag which is a courtesy of all new Sapphire screen instead of the regular glass one which will make its screen more scratch resistant. It is said that company faced some problems with the display of the glass which may limit the number of iPhones initially available to consumers.

Also, iOS 8 is slated to launch at this event, it was shown off WWDC back in June. The updated version include new keyboards for typing, a battery usage indicator, impressive new camera features like time-lapse capture for video, interactive notifications, TouchID for apps and also new and improved Siri.

Apple is also rumored to introduce the reversible lightning connector with iPhone 6 that allows you to plug it into USB ports from either end.

August 29, 2014
Gionee Brings The GPAD G5 With Hexa Core Processor to India

Chinese phone makers Gionee today brought the GPAD G5 to India. The phone follows an edgy design pattern and is quite a looker. Gionee sure knows how to make their phones look good.

The GPAD G5 gets its processing might from a 1.5 GHz Hexa Core processor. It is running on Android 4.4. The device comes with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory which is expandable up to 32 GB. The device has a 5.5 inch IPS HD display with a Dragontrail screen. Dragontails are made of thin glass without the fragility and have high scratch resistance.

The phone’s edgy design sure is appealing to look at.

The camera on the back of the device is an 8MP shooter while the front sports 2 MP selfie camera. Considering Gionee’s history, the camera should have great clarity and feature which we’ll confirm when we get our hands on the device.

The device gets its juice from a 2400 mAh battery which sounds less when considering the 5.5 Inch screen and the Hexa core processor. But Gionee has managed some good OS optimization which leads to a good battery back-up, we’ll check out how the phone manages its juice later.

The GPAD G5 has some decent mid segment specs and is priced at Rs. 14,999 which is a good price when compared to every brand except Gionee’s compatriot, Xiaomi.

August 28, 2014
Xiaomi Mi 4 Coming to India This December In Two Variants

We have received exclusive word from Xiaomi that the Mi 4 will be making the journey to the Indian shores. The devices are expected to come in two variants. The phones haven’t yet been manufactured as they need to be calibrated to India specific conditions. They will be made TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE compatible for India. The devices are expected to be priced at Rs. 22,000 and Rs. 25,000. Considering the miniscule price difference between the two variants it will be interesting to see what Xiaomi has in store for India.

This phone will be the fourth offering from Xiaomi in India following the Mi 3, the Redmi 1S and the soon to come Redmi Note. The phone will release soon after the launch of the OnePlus One in India. The OnePlus One has already created a lot buzz around the world because of its incomparable specs encased in classy, visually appealing exteriors, it is seen as the only competitor to Xiaomi. (We are Giving away OnePlus One Invites Here)

The features on the Mi 4 will bring a thousand tears to Flagship makers

The features on the Mi 4 are as impressive and aspirational as its predecessor. The phone runs on Android Kitkat 4.4.3 based MIUI 5 and might be upgraded to MIUI 6 by the time it comes to India. It is powered by a Snapdragon 801 chipset which is clocked at 2.5 GHz. It holds 3 GB of RAM, which is a lot of RAM for the price point, and comes in 16 and 64 GB variants. The display on the device is a full HD 5 inch screen with a pixel density of 441 ppi. It houses a 13 MP camera on the back and an 8 MP camera on the front. All that feature for the price almost makes you feel guilty about paying too less for all that awesomeness.

The Mi 4 is expected to make a landing in India by the end of December. So if you were one of the unlucky one’s who couldn’t score a Mi3, you need not worry, a slightly expensive but bigger beast lies in wait for you. Just make sure you save enough cash for the moment of arrival of Mi 4 because as you know, those bad boys fly of the shelf incredibly fast.

August 27, 2014
Unboxing : Redmi 1S And First Impressions

Xiaomi has really taken the Indian market seriously and has made products available quite promptly. With the new Xiaomi Redmi 1S, the company has broken the price barrier at Rs. 5999 and basically beat the Moto E and Asus Zenphone A450 by exactly Rs. 1000. The Phone will follow the same sale pattern as before , often referred to as #FailSale but, the company claims that the strategy is really working for them.

The Xiaomi Redmi 1s will come with 2 Micro Sim to Regular Sim adapters in the box for the dual sim device. The phone will run one card on 3G GSM while one on 2G GSM. The Redmi 1S is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Chipset running at 1.6 GHz on Quad Cores and the Adreno 305 GPU. It accepts micro SD cards unto 32 GB and comes with an inbuilt storage of 8 GB and has 1 GB RAM.

For the Price it is an amazing value, and definitely beats down the competition. The juicy bits include a 1280 x 720 px 4.7 inch IPS LCD Display along with an 8MP camera which can shoot 1080p footage and a front facing 1.6MP camera capable of 720p video.

Xiaomi has started accepting registrations for the sale set to being on 2nd Sept on Flipkart here. The company claims that it has had no issues regarding service, and urges people to use the included sim adapters to tackle the sim card related problems. For the first flash sale of the Redmi 1S, Xiaomi will bring 40,000 units, which from the point of demand is still a meager stock.

The Phone will be made available along side a bunch of accessories including a screen protector, a gel case and a PU leather cover as well. Stay tuned for our review.

Buying Options

August 27, 2014
New Leak Confirms Nexus X Specs and Reveals an Important Detail about Android L

We’ve already established the fact that Google’s upcoming Nexus device will not be called Nexus 6. Also, at this point we’re pretty certain that the device will be brought to us by Motorola. Now, popular tech blog TKTechNews has leaked some interesting information about the upcoming Nexus X. The leaked images show several AnTuTu benchmark screenshots for the handset, which also seem to reveal an important new detail about Android L.

The screenshot reveals the hardware details about the device. The leaked information is in line with the previous reports, which includes a 2K display, 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and 13-megapixel camera. As mentioned earlier, the AnTuTu app refers the device as Nexus X and the device scored 35,430 in the test.

What’s interesting is that the leaked images of the benchmark lists Android version as ‘5.0’. However, in contrast, other recent leaks had suggested that the new updated version of Android will be called LMP or Lemon Meringue Pie.

The company is yet to confirm what will be the name of the new version of Android once it will be officially launched. Considering that these images are true, this Nexus X benchmark seems to confirm what every Android fan has been waiting for Google to reveal. Android will upgrade itself from Android 4.x (used since Ice Cream Sandwich) to Android 5.x.

Another rumor surrounding the Google’s Nexus X had surfaced recently. According to the leaked Best Buy listing, the Nexus X will be available on Sprint networks for $500 with a two-year contract. The listing for the Nexus X claims that the device has a 5.9-inch Quad-HD display that has a resolution of 1440×2560, a 2.7GHz quad-core processor and the Android L operating system. Google Nexus devices were expected to get an Andoird L update sometime in October followed by Motorola handsets.

August 27, 2014
5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Buying a Windows Phone

The Windows Phone is making a comeback. This time the operating system has found a home in one of the most appreciated smartphones in the business. The new HTC One M8 with Windows has given a fresh new breath of life to the Windows Phone 8.1 and given users a chance to experience the operating system on a brilliantly designed phone. The success of this phone will definitely encourage other manufacturers to bring out Windows variants in their flagship space.

So we dug deep, scoured through and looked into the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system. With this new Windows Phone 8.1 update the OS is catching up to the giants. We check out how a Windows phone can score over the champions of the smartphone game, Android and iOS.

With the HTC One M8 running Windows Phone 8.1, the OS is back in view

5. Its Customizability

Windows phone 8 didn’t have many customizability features but much has changed since. The Windows phones of course don’t have as many customizability features as Android but it surely has more than the iOS. The ‘Start background’ lets you personalize the homepage. The homegrown apps on the Windows Phone 8.1 are ready to take on the world and the OS is as competitive as others.

4. Cortana

Cortana has some nice quirky attitude.

This one will definitely be a plus for Microsoft. The digital assistant inspired by the widely acclaimed character from Halo is a lot of fun. Cortana is anthropomorphic which means that you can have a conversation with her and because of this, she wins over the robotic Google Now responses. Cortana is capable of doing what Google Now does but with a quirky attitude that you would love. Cortana’s Notebook is a feature worth mentioning. The user customizable Notebook is used by Cortana to find the best results for you.

3. The Action Centre

Action Center

The only thing missing from the main screen of a Windows phone was a notification menu. It’s here, Microsoft has brought the ‘Action Center’ in Windows Phone 8.1 which makes the OS fully functional now. The Action Center can be accessed by swiping down the screen from top, just like in Android.

2. Integrated Skype

Skype’s Video calling prowess is globally known. On a Windows system, Skype is the default video dialing client on the Windows Phone 8.1. The app is also integrated with Cortana so you can ask Cortana to video call someone from your contacts.

1. Faster Software Updates

Microsoft has said that the cycle of the updates delivery will be sped up to one new update every 6-8 months. The OS upgrade will take place every in one or two years. By speeding up the updates process, the company can generate trust in its consumers of a quality product.

Overall, Windows Phone 8.1 update was one of the most advantageous updates over its predecessors. With Microsoft getting into the mobile game and taking its mobile operating system seriously, it will be interesting to see how the market treats it. With the promise of frequent updates, Windows Phone can surely attract enthusiasts first who are bored of the usual iOS and Android fare. There is a need for a third alternative in the OS market and Windows seems like a good option as it is backed by one of the biggest tech giants. The more attention given to the OS, more the developers will be interested in creating apps for the system.

Now that the update to the Windows Phone 8.1 is days away, we hope to see it grow and give us viable alternatives in the market.

August 27, 2014
Xiaomi Redmi 1S Goes on Sale 2nd September for Rs. 5999, Registrations Start Today

Xiaomi’s Vice President of International, Hugo Barra officially introduced the Xiaomi Redmi 1S in India. The invite for the event was sent out last week. The specs of the device got a lot of folks excited. Some went ahead and called the device the Moto G killer, well the phone is here and it sure looks worth its hype.

The Redmi 1S is a dual SIM phone. Though the device uses standard SIM, it provides adapters for nano SIM to regular SIM and mini SIM to regular SIM. Xiaomi has also brought spare batteries to India. These batteries come with their own charger, so you can be fully packed on juice when you are on the move.

The affordable device takes on the phones in the above Rs 10000 segment too

The Xiaomi Redmi 1S has a 4.7 inch IPS display with 1280×720 pixel resolution. It is powered by a quad-core 1.6 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 mobile chipset. The phone has 1GB RAM and internal storage of 8 GB. The part that will make multimedia enthusiast jump with joy is the fact that Redmi 1S gives you an expandable storage option up to 64 GB. It runs on a version of MIUI that is based on Android 4.3 Jellybean.

The device comes with an 8-megapixel camera with a wide f/2.2 aperture and a LED Flash. It offers burst mode, auto-focus, zero shutter lag, HDR and real-time filters. For the selfie lovers the front sports a 1.6 megapixel camera.

The device has a feature called the ‘Light Mode’ which gives the UI a simple look. The icons are bigger in this view and the phone almost turns into a feature mode. The device gets its juice from a 2000 mAh battery which is perfect for the price.

The Redmi 1S will go on sale on Flipkart on the 2nd of Spetember. The registration for the device will begin at 6 PM today. Xiaomi will also provide accessories for this device like cases and screen protector. While the leather case comes at a price of Rs 599, the screen protector can be bought for Rs. 179.

The icing on the cake was the announcement that the device is a 1000 Rupees cheaper than previously anticipated. Hugo Barra said, “We were able to reduce the price to Rs.5999 by eliminating the marketing budget.” The incredible specs at that price are an amazing deal. Guess Xiaomi wishes to take on both the Motorola champions, the Moto G and E at once.

August 26, 2014