The last phone that HTC released was its One M9, and we were expecting it to be called, One M10. But, if reports are to be believed, HTC might change the name of their upcoming smartphone range to O2.
This new handset is said to feature a 6 inch OHD display powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB RAM space. It is said to come in two storage variants – 64GB and 128GB with a 3,500mAh battery. The O2 could be environmentally sealed for water and dust protection.
Rumours also suggest that there might be another O2 model scheduled to release next year. This rumoured device could feature a 5 inch display and the unannounced Snapdragon 82x chipset.
However, these facts have not been confirmed as yet. So watch this space for more updates.
In addition to the much awaited Redmi Note 2 that was only launched in China, Xiaomi also released its OS which is the new version of the company’s Android-based operating system. The MIUI 7 OS was announced in China and the international launch took place today, in India.
We will get to see a lot more features and information on the MIUI 7, this time so before we take a look, let us show you a video that shows the performance of the MIUI 7:
This UI was announced on August 16th 2010, and now has 48 official ROMs by various MIUI developers, and 480 community ROMs.That seems to be substantial growth in the last 5 years as the MUI has over 150 million users today spread across a 156 countries. Naturally then, it has a lot of expectations riding on its back.
Firstly, it has a feature called ‘System UIs’, which is basically a bunch of theme sets that allow you to customise your phone according to your own taste. It has 4 choices; Rose, Pink Blush, Ocean Breeze and High Life.
A second cool feature would be ‘Showtime.’ This allows you to attach animated videos to certain contacts that you’ll be able to view when they call you. Cool, right? The most amazing part is that we don’t need to keep waiting for it either. Contrary to how launches usually work, this time we will get to see this particular feature in India first, and then it will roll out in other areas. Let’s feel special for a moment.
Thirdly, it has a feature called ‘Auto DND’ that can be used in combination with your Mi Band fitness tracker, if you own one, of course. What it does is, if a Mi Band detects you’re sleeping, it will automatically put the device in a Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, and silence your device. Once you wake up, the DND will be disabled. It’s like your personal butler, in a way.
source: Gsmarena
The ‘XXL Text’ is something that most elderly people ought to use. It’s a feature that allows you to apply huge fonts on your smartphone, whilst promising that your Xiaomi UI won’t become dysfunctional. Another feature called The ‘MIUI Data Saver’ is actually powered by Opera Max’s compression tech. This will release worldwide, in a month and will offer you data saving across all apps. Why is this a good thing? Because Opera’s cloud compresses data, and hence can save you a lump sum of cash when it comes to mobile data (up to 50% less data consumption).
The MIUI 7 even has a feature called The ‘Baby Album’ that uses face recognition to identify adorable babies and group their photos with you. And lastly, The ‘Daily Lockscreen’ feature chooses a picture to put on your lockscreen, on a daily basis. Once again, we have the privilege of seeing these features first in India, before they roll out elsewhere.
Thus those are a list of features you should be looking out for, starting 24th August which is when the MIUI 7 update will be available. You’ll get the taste of the new OS on the Redmi 1S, Redmi 2, Mi 3, 4, 4i and Redmi Note 3G/4G.
Xiaomi has announced, as part of its MIUI 7 global launch event in New delhi, that the Mi 4i Limited edition will go on sale on the 25th of August 2015. This new device will come in three variants – pink, blue and yellow. However, the price of this limited edition device has not been announced.
Currently, the Mi 4, launched in June, is available in two variants – white and dark grey and also comes with a 16GB and 32GB storage capacity. They are priced at Rs.12,999 and Rs.14,999 respectively.
The new Mi 4i Limited editions is said to come with a 5 inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) IPS OGS display and comes with a second-generation 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64-bit processor and 2GB of RAM.
On the camera front, it has a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel selfie camera all supported by a 3,120mAh battery with quick charge support. Other connectivity features include dual-SIM card slots, LTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.1, and GPS. On the software front, this device will run on the MIUI 7.
Sony has revealed a number of limited edition Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom pain devices, today. All these devices come with game-themed cases, engravings, sounds and wallpapers. Some of these devices are – The Xperia J1 Compact phone, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z4 Tablet and the Phantom Pain versions of Walkman A16 and audiophile-oriented Walkman ZX2.
These devices will reportedly arrive in Japan on the 2nd of September 2015 along with the MGS5. The price of these devices is however unclear, although one can expect around $225 for the Walkman A16 and around $1,125 for the ZX2. No other information regarding its release elsewhere is available, as of now.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is the company’s first big S series phone, as an add-on to the Galaxy S line of devices. Last year the company thought it better to launch an edgier Note in the form of a Note Edge. However, this year Samsung found it more favourable to make a bigger S6 edge.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ also marks a new chapter, one where the line between a smartphone and a phablet is basically blurring out. Samsung has slowly killed the category it created with the Note in 2010. Large screen phones are now mainstream and Samsung is basically reinforcing that with the S6 edge+.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ is designed to one up the iPhone 6 Plus in terms of specifications and hardware. The Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge both had huge success in the global markets and Samsung expects no less from the Galaxy S6 edge+.
The elder and bigger sibling is identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge, so identical that you won’t be able to tell them apart unless you put them together. There is a massive screen size different however a minor change in actual dimensions. The S6 edge+ just like the S6 Edge is flanked on both sides with edge displays.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ does become slightly more difficult to handle, and hence Samsung has added one handed operation and screen size reduction, similar to Apple’s double tap to pull down screen on the iPhone 6 Plus. This feature was also seen on the recent Galaxy A8 from Samsung.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ is actually slimmer at just 6.9mm vs the 7 mm of the Galaxy S6 and the feel in the hand is very premium. Samsung has really done a good job with the design of the S6 Edge and hence they, didn’t change anything, but make the phone bigger with the S6 edge+.
Everything from the display resolution to chipset and cameras are identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge, however thanks to the new large display of the S6 edge+ the pixel density drops to 515 ppi vs the mammoth 577 ppi on the S6 Edge. The Edge Plus variant also sports a larger 3,000 mAh battery to combat the drain from the larger QHD Super AMOLED display. An additional 1 GB of LPDD4 RAM, takes it upto 4 GB on the edge+ however the phone is missing the 128GB storage option as only the 32 and 64 GB variants will go on sale.
The software department on the edge+ too remains same as the S6 and the S6 Edge, with a cleaner and simplified UI and new apps window to the edge display Samsung is trying to leverage the screen real-estate. You will also still get a Flipboard news feed to the left of the home screen and gestures like flipping a ringing phone to mute the call. Double clicking the home button will quickly launch the camera.
You still get the fingerprint scanner and ability to remember internet passwords and Samsung Account details using your fingerprint as a security mechanism.
Some would argue that the Galaxy S6 Edge was the right size handset and that it fit well in almost all departments. Whether you were an executive or college student, the S6 and the edge variant seemed to be the right size for your hands.
With the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ the company is trying to reach to those who liked the iPhone 6 Plus and those who loved the Note category but found it to be a niche. With the S6 edge+ Samsung is trying to make the page size phone more mainstream, and by the looks of it, it seems to be headed in the right direction.
Stay tuned for our Full Review of the Galaxy S6 edge+
The second edition of Silent Circle’s privacy-focused handset, called Blackphone 2 has been made official. This device is now available for pre-order, however, the price has not been announced as yet.
The original Blackphone had been priced at $629 (aprrox Rs.41,044), although this device is said to be far superior than the first edition. It features a 5.5 inch 1080p display and is powered by an octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. This phone is run on an Android-based platform called PrivatOS which includes secure apps, including ones for encrypted messaging and voice calls.
The device is expected to arrive in September, however no further details about this phone are known.
We have been covering Meizu quite regularly here at iGyaan. Today we bring you more updates about this smartphone brand – Meizu has exclusively partnered with Snapdeal for its flagship model, MX5.
You can preorder this smartphone on Snapdeal, however, the price of this product is yet to be announced. The specification of the MX5 include an AMOLED display from Samsung that comes with an infinite contrast range while producing more vivid pictures and clearer text. The mCharge for quick charging, the mTouch 2.0 which makes the identification sensing technology faster, it has a full metal body, 12-gun 3D sand blasting,and comes with a 5 step anodizing process.
It is also powered by the Mediatek Helio X10 is a 64-bit octa-core CPU and a 28nm HPM processor. Other connectivity features include, a dual SIM with dual-standby and dual 4G. On the camera front, it comes with a 20MP camera and a 6P lens. The MX5 runs on the advanced 64-bit Flyme OS 4.5 Popular Flyme system.
Google has created a new Wi-Fi router called OnHub that promises to “end your Wi-Fi headaches for good.”
This router has been designed in partnership with TP-LINK and features:
“a unique antenna design and smart software” that “keeps working in the background, automatically adjusting OnHub to avoid interference and keep your network at peak performance.”
It also has the ability to scan available airwaves and find the best congestion while allowing you to prioritize some devices in a way that you can pick certain apps over others that are running in the background.
Reports also suggest, that OnHub can be managed via a smartphone app and can also tell you how much bandwidth your devices are using, allows you to run a network check and in case there is a problem with your network, it offers you suggestions to help.
One can order the OnHub router on Amazon, however it will be available at select retail stores in the coming weeks.
Apple Music was set to become the next big thing.The thought of having millions of tracks available to stream, and that could be saved online, seemed like a recipe for success. However, a recent survey conducted by The New York Post showed that nearly half of the iOS users that enthusiastically downloaded the trial version of Apple Music have shockingly, stopped using it even before their trial period gets over.
The stats revealed that 48% of early Apple Music users have given up on the service while 52% are still using it. Of those 52%, nearly two-thirds said they were “extremely or very likely” to start paying for the service once it starts charging them money. This survey was conducted by MusicWatch and if we do assume that those 52% are going to stick to their word then Apple Music should have 3.8 million subscribers once the free trial ends.
Not bad right? But MusicWatch managing partner Russ Crupnick said that it should’ve had a larger user base considering how many Apple loyalists there are, all over the world.
“In terms of benchmarking Apple Music, 40 percent of iOS users are buying digital downloads from iTunes, suggesting trial of Apple Music could be higher,” he explained.
However, Apple lashed back at these statistics via The Verge, saying that 79% of the people who’ve signed up for the service, actually use it on a weekly basis. While we would like to believe them, lets hope that their retention rate converts into actual paid subscribers, proving that Apple Music won’t be an epic fail, after all.
Panasonic has announced three new 4G LTE enabled smartphones today – the Eluga I2, Eluga L2, and T45 4G . All four phones are supported by the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and priced at Rs. 8290, 9,990, and Rs. 6,990 respectively.
The Eluga models support a dual 8MP LED flash camera and a 2MP front facing camera. It also comes with an Oncell Touch panel and is powered by a 2500mAh battery and a 2000mAh battery in the L2 and I2 models, respectively.
The L2 comes with a 5.5 inch display and comes in a gray moondust or black leatherette finish while the I2 comes with a 5 inch display and come in a gold, silver or gray metallic glaze. All three models – the Eluga I2, Eluga L2, and T45 4G, come with a 1GHz Quad Core processer and offer 1GB RAM with 8GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB.
“The Panasonic smartphone range has become synonymous with innovation and foresight in India. We always keep a track of tech trends and advancement in the mobile market. With the launch of three additional gadgets in the 4G space, we will continue to expand our product offerings with the aim to provide an uncompromised smartphone experience, at very competitive prices.” – Mr. Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India
The display also comes in a true-colour IPS resolution, while the T45 4G is equipped with a full connectivity package – Dual SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS – and is qualified with 21 regional languages to advance 4G LTE technology across India.
The phone will be available at all stores across the nation.
As we get closer to the release date of Apple’s newest iPhone, there are several speculative reports suggesting the tentative day we might be able to get our hands on the smartphone. A recent report suggests that major German carriers are planning to launch the iPhone 6s on September 18th 2015. However, the companies have not been identified yet, though it is known that O2, Vodafone and T-Mobile already carry the iPhone 6.
This indicates that people living in first-tier launch countries will be able to purchase the phone from stores on 18th September. While the announcement event of the phone remains unchanged for 9th September.
According to previous reports, Apple is expected to reveal two iPhones on the 9th of September 2015 and then ship them later that month. The phone will be shipped to Apple’s ‘first-tier’ countries – Germany, Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S, and mainland China.
As a small recap – the device is rumoured to have a Force Touch display, an “A9” processor, and 2 GB of RAM. Watch this space for more updates.
New research from GfK suggests that the smartphones prices in India may fall by 11% in 2015 with the demand for 4G devices capturing 6% of the smartphone unit demand. This research also says that India would soon become the largest smartphone market, globally.
GfK, Germany’s largest market research institute has commented saying:
“4G unit share was 58 percent globally in the second quarter of 2015, up from 26 percent in the second quarter of 2014. This represents a unit growth of 129 percent year-on-year, with China leading the global 4G ramp up,”
As their forecasts suggest – the 4G smartphone sales will continue to grow at the expense of 3G smartphone devices, with GfK director Kevin Walsh stating that, “India is expected to be the largest contributor of absolute smartphone unit growth globally this year.”
They noted a regional difference in 4G take up stating price polarisation in North America, saturation in Western European markets, local brands tackling global players in India and China, and intense price competition in emerging markets.
Apart from this, we have also seen the interest of Chinese vendors in the Indian market, which has intensified the competition between international and local vendors in India.
However, they have mentioned a smartphone average selling price (ASPs) decline of 12% in India in the second quarter of 2015.
Delhi is one of the most polluted states in the world and India has three out of ten such states that contribute to the world’s pollution. In such a situation, the concept of electric cars really does seem like a viable option and is one that should be explored in our country, slowly and steadily. However, England has gone a step ahead, in a direction that can prove to actually solve a lot of environmental problems.
In a report released last night, a trial in England is attempting to boost the range of electric cars by trying to get roads that charge these vehicles as you drive along them.
We all know how tedious charging ones electric cars can be. You have to be either at home or near a charging station and forget abroad, we don’t have such facilities in our country, as yet. Therefore, roads that help you charge your car making it go more than the average 260 miles, that electric cars usually go, sounds ideal.
Highways England has decided to run an 18 month scheme to work on trial charging lanes after completing a feasibility study, of course. (The texting however, won’t be on public roads, yet.) Mashable reported:
Transport minister Andrew Jones said,”the government is already committing £500 million over the next five years to keep Britain at the forefront of this technology.”
How it will work is that, certain electric cars will be fixed with wireless technology and special equipment will be installed under the roads to portray motorway conditions. Through this and electric cables, an electromagnetic force will be generated which will be picked up by a coil, inside the car, thus converting it into electricity.
The trial is set to take place later this year and isn’t the first time something like this is going to be attempted. In South Korea, a 7.5-mile (12 km) stretch of road charges up electric buses as they drive along, via a process called Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR).
If the trial is successful, it will lead to an increase of electric vehicles and a decrease in pollution, which is what the world needs right now. However, some skeptics have spoken against the scheme. Dr Paul Nieuwenhuis, the director of Cardiff Business School’s Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence, told the BBC that “it sounds very ambitious and the cost will be the biggest issue.” He concluded, “I’m not totally convinced it’s worth it.”
While England conducts the trials, we hope that India has similar breakthroughs that make us move towards a greener society. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
New reports suggest, that LG is working on a new Android Wear watch codenamed “Nemo”. And this could be the first Nexus smartwatch. What is known about the smartwatch is that it will have the highest resolution display any Android Wear watch has ever had at 480 x 480 resolution.
The connection that has been made is the due to the codename used. In the past, Nexus devices have used a similar nomenclature. Nexus 6 was codenamed ‘Shamu’, and Nexus 9 was ‘Hammerhead.’
Other rumours suggest that the watch will have a circular 1.3-inch display size with a pixel density of around 340 to 400 ppi. The importance of this pixel density is that it should ideally be able to eliminate readability issues.
With LG catching up in the smartwatch race with the anticipation of its new smartwatch, you can watch this space for more details about this new device.
According to reports, Samsung is currently working on two new smartphones, called the SM-G550 and the SM-G600. These two new devices are said to be released under the new Galaxy O series. Therefore, it has been concluded that SM-G550 will most probably be named the Galaxy O5 and the the SM-G600 will be called the Galaxy O7.
In 2014, Samsung had begun improving their smartphones by grouping all the new launches under different letters of the alphabet such as – Galaxy J, Galaxy E, Galaxy A, Galaxy O, Galaxy S etc. The market is currently flooded with Samsung smartphones available in all sizes and prices. The only unchanged factor amongst the large variety of smartphones is its form factor. It is still to be seen whether the Galaxy O series comes with a new design that would be easier for users to differentiate it from other smartphones made by the company.
Apple on the other hand (Samsung’s direct competitor), has only one solid line of smartphones and more often than not, have higher profits than Samsung. This happens regardless of whether Samsung occupies a larger market share or not.
However, no confirmation about the specification or release date of the devices have been made by the company itself.
