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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

Intel Launches First 8-Core Desktop Processor With X99 Chipset

Intel has just brought out a solution to all the worries of a Power PC user. The processor manufacturing giant unveiled its first 8-core processed which comes with 16 threads. The new processor is called the Intel® Core i7-5960X processor Extreme Edition and was previously known as Haswell-E.

The Processor was previously called the Haswell-E

The processor has been specially developed for the folks who demand excruciating performance from their systems. Intel says the new processors offer the speed, cores, overclocking and platform capabilities that the users had been demanding from them. They say this is the beginning to the ‘reimagination of the desktop.’ These processors are expected to churn out faster speeds on cooler temperatures.”

As you must have probably realized by now, the Core i7-5960X is not light on specs. It is combined with the new Intel® X99 Chipset and is the first Intel desktop platform to support DDR4 memory. It offers a massive 16-thread performance and quad-channel memory for content creation, gaming and multitasking. That is some serious machinery right there.

One of the first systems going for this processor is the amazing and uniquely styled Alienware Area-51, which comes with some imposing exteriors that truly stands up to the Alienware brand. Alienware’s general manager Frank Azor said “It was an easy decision to work with Intel to bring its new eight-core extreme processor to our new flagship gaming desktop, the Alienware Area-51. Using new overclocking and monitoring features in Alienware Command Center 4.0, we’ve been able to really push the processors to the fullest extent and are seeing impressive overclocking headroom. This new Intel processor lineup is the perfect choice for gamers who demand the absolute best performance from their systems.”

Intel has been working with industry partners to take advantage of this new platform. Key OEMs, memory vendors, motherboard vendors and graphics partners will help grow this enthusiast centric ecosystem. These Extreme Edition-based systems are the ultimate dream-come-true for any enthusiast looking for a high def, lagless performance.

The X-99 chipset is capable of some insane performance delivery

Many of these new platforms based on the Intel X99 Chipset are also Thunderbolt Ready. When paired with a Thunderbolt 2 add-in card, a blazing-fast connection to your PC at 20 Gbps is enabled. Data intensive tasks such as 4K video editing, 3-D rendering and game development all strongly benefit from the performance of Thunderbolt 2.

Intel will launch three new SKUs that will be available next week ranging from six to eight cores and will be priced from $389 to $999. The processors are priced on the higher end which is a given considering its massive performance and the convenience it provides in undertaking high-intensity projects with ease. Hope we get our hands on this soon and go for some insane gaming weekends.

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
REVIEW: Sandisk Ultra Dual On-The-Go Pendrive
Ever since the inception of multimedia enabled phones, one question that has bothered the users is the storage space of these devices. Listening to the complaints, many companies have added the expandable storage feature, which is without a doubt, one of the most important feature of the phones. With the companies providing easy accessibility in terms of storing data as well as installing app data on the SD card, some of those issues are addressed. But what about devices which only have limited storage options like the blockbuster MOTO G which only comes in an 8 or 16 GB option. And what if you are a multimedia hoarder and even with expandable memory, you are not satisfied with the storage space. Here the SanDisk Ultra 16GB Micro USB 2.0 OTG Pen Drive
will come for your rescue.

The Sandisk Ultra is a boon for OTG devices with limited storage

The Sandisk On-The-Go Pendrive is a tiny dual sided flash drive that comes with a USB 2.0 jack on one end and a micro USB slot on the other end. It is available in 16,32 and 64 GB variants starting at Rs. 629. The drive attaches to your OTG enabled phones and is recognized easily on the phones we tested the drive on.

On the design front, this drive has a protective casing for both USB ends. The casing clicks when it completely covers the USB to secure the ends. But while dropping it head on to the ground for testing we found that the micro USB side would slide back on impact, exposing the head, which is a bit of a worry. The micro USB end is also a bit tiny so you may have to take off the protective casing on your phone to connect the device. The middle portion with is sturdy and easy to hold.

The drive’s read and write performance though are not satisfactory. In our test we found the reading speed was 16.86 MB/s whereas the writing speed was 10.75 MB/s, which is almost a third of the USB 2.0 speeds. But with the convenience it offers, some may overlook the low transfer speeds.

SanDisk provides a downloadable app, Memory Zone. This sleek looking app has a user friendly interface and allows you to password-protect your content. It also lets you sync your data with cloud storage options like Dropbox, Google Drive or Box.

Overall the tiny, one of a kind device is functional with some flaws. Considering its price and what it offers it can also be considered a value for money. Sandisk needs to work on the speeds of the device, immediately and make the casings better so they don’t expose the Micro-USB end.

 

[tw-column width=”one-half”]

GOOD THINGS
- Convenience
- Portability
- One of a kind
[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS
- Poor speeds
- Build quality of micro USB casing
[/tw-column]
August 29, 2014
Anymote Home: Convert Any Phone Or Tablet Into A Universal Remote

Home automation is a tech segment that is attracting a lot of attention from the big brands such as Samsung, Apple and others. Living in an automated home actually feels like living in the future that Sci-fi writers from back in the day envisioned. Now the technology exists but is still away from the reaches of regular folks, but you can get a taste of the future using Anymote Home.

Anymote is a universal remote, which the makers claim is capable of controlling over 800,000+ devices, which is a big claim. It is not one of your conventional universal remotes; this baby lets you convert your smartphone or tablet into a fully functional, Bluetooth connected device. This will also save the money that you would spend on a high priced flagship phone with IR blaster. One more advantage of Anymote is that it can be used from anywhere in the house so you don’t need to be physically present to control your device.

The device gives you immense convenience to control your house and give it a futuristic feel

This tiny, semi cone shaped device is capable of bringing immense convenience to your life. It gets its juice from a 2000 mAh battery. There are no cables here, and as the device blasts the signals in a 360-degree range, you can place it anywhere in the room.
The device is compatible with iOS and Android systems. It goes symbiotically with your smartphone usage. It lets you control almost anything that can be controlled through a remote in your house, from TV’s, Home theatres, Air conditioners to even remote controlled lights in your house.

The device has Sonos system that makes it an intelligent home control system. To give you added convenience, Anymote can mute or pause your TV or music system when you are getting a call. Its movie mode can dim the lights for you. It can set up the home temperature depending on when you arrive and when you leave. Also to truly make you enjoy your home, it recognizes when you have arrived home and cues music to welcome you, it’s almost Jarvis without the snarky voice.

The Smart IR app is the control station for the entire house.

The device is developed by a start-up called Color Tiger who has listed the device on Kickstarter. At the time of writing this article, Anymote is fast closing in on its required pledge of $50,000 with 42 days to spare. Manufacture and shipping will take some time though. If the early birds listings on the page are to be believed, the device is expected to be priced at $50-70 which is fairly cheap when considering the possibilities it offers. Color Tiger expects to ship the device by May 2015. But if you have a phone with IR blaster and don’t want to wait till next year for the device, you can get the Smart IR Remote app from Google Play.

So if you want to get rid of the frustrating number of remotes while bringing in a futuristic appeal to your house, the Anymote is what you were looking for. This truly is a couch potato’s dream come true.

August 29, 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
Top 5 Android Games that you Should Download Right Away

Android app market (Play Store) is flooded with both paid and free game apps. Whether you want games that will last the length of a commute, or want to be lost in a port of GTA where you spend hours mowing down pedestrians and making money out of murder, there is a game on here for you. In the recent time most of the apps that are free usually feature in-app purchases adding premium offerings, which in some cases are not half bad e.g. Smash it!

We are listing top 5 Android games that you should download right away.

5. The Room Two ( Rs. 190)

The Room Two, a sumptuously strange but an amazing puzzle game. You spend minutes at a time examining a series of locked boxes, hunting for keys and mechanisms, deciphering puzzles, searching for signs through your sinister revelatory eyeglass. When you find the right one and put it in the right place, what follows is gorgeously rewarding: keys turn, doors unlock, boxes impossibly unpack themselves and become different, weirder boxes, always with the exact perfect sounds for the movements as they happen. This is a game of incredible polish wonderfully suspenseful sound and graphic design.

4. Injustice : God Among Us (Free)

Not every type of game can make the seamless transition from a console or computer onto the touch screen of your Android device. Injustice: Gods Among Us being no exception to this. However, if you compare it with other android games, it is one of the best game out there. The graphics of Injustce: Gods Among Us are, without doubt, quite stunning. The characters are the highlight of the game. It’s amazing to get to fight with some of your favorite superheroes (and villains).

3. Apparatus (Free)

It is one of the most addictive game you will ever play. Developers have done a good job by providing the Android world with such a creative and addictive game. You can create a complex structure from small parts and build a machine which can outclass other competitors in every respective field. Once you get hold of this game you won’t be able to put down your phone even for a second.

2. Chaos Rings II (Rs. 750)

An amazingly beautiful fantastical world where life is at the brink of destruction, as usual, and the chosen one has to kill five people to save the world, and one of the five is an innocent child. Whether this hero can carry out his duty is the decision that lies in your hands. It is an exhilarating adventure ample for players of all ages who are devotees of science fiction and futuristic scenery. The game requires 1 GB of memory, so make sure you have it available before proceeding to download.

1 Modern Combat 5: Blackout (Rs. 390)

Modern Combat 5: Blackout is the best first-person shooter on smartphones and tablets. You can create a squad, add your friends and test your individual and team skills against other squads in dynamic multiplayer warfare. Modern Combat 5 steals the show when it come to customization. Before a fight, or after dying, you can choose from Assault, Sniper, Heavy Assault, or Recon. Each of the classes has a number of weapons and accessories you can unlock by playing the game and gaining experience.

August 29, 2014
Microsoft will ship Standalone Xbox One Kinect with One Bonus Game

Microsoft’s standalone sensor for the Xbox One increased the console’s price to an unreasonable level, prompting Microsoft to drop it and make it an optional purchase. Now Microsoft gives you an option to buy a standalone Kinect.

Microsoft announced that it will ship a standalone Kinect sensor for the Xbox One on Oct. 7 at $150. However, to make the deal little sweeter they have added a free game with its Dance Central Spotlight, the latest in the dance series from developer Harmonix, which will be available as a digital download.

The standalone Kinect sensor follows Microsoft’s decision to make it an optional peripheral, releasing the Xbox One on its own, without the sensor, earlier this year with an RRP of $599. According to Microsoft, the unbundled console saw Xbox One sales double in the United States.

Buying the complete Xbox One bundle is still the cheapest way to get the console and Kinect sensor, but the standalone Kinect gives people the option of getting the base console and then adding the sensor at a later date if they so desire.

In April, Microsoft said it had sold 5 million Xbox One consoles to retailers, while Sony said it had sold 7 million PlayStation 4 units to consumers. Earlier this month, Sony said it had sold 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles to consumers. Microsoft has not released an Xbox One sales figure since April.

Microsoft has already made a series of price cuts, including bundling top games and Xbox Live Gold membership into the price of its console. Then in June, Microsoft unbundled the console and sensor, selling the Xbox One without Kinect for $399. Sales of Xbox One more than doubled in the U.S. after Microsoft unbundled that console and sensor, the company said in July.

The Kinect sensors allows users to control their Xbox One consoles and play games using voice and gesture commands. Microsoft earlier this month announced India availability of the Xbox One console on September 23, and made it available for pre-order it Rs. 39,990 without Kinect, and Rs. 45,990 with Kinect.

 

August 28, 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
LG Officially Reveals G Watch R with Circular P-OLED Display

It is a good day for smart watch lovers; Following the unveiling of Samsung Gear S and Gear Circle, LG announced its new G Watch R smartwatch, and it’s one of the most elegantly designed smartwatches we have seen.

The LG G Watch R is said to be the world’s first watch-style wearable device to feature a circular Plastic OLED (P-OLED) display. It utilises 100 per cent of its watch face unlike Moto 360 which has flat bezel in the bottom of the screen.

Like LG’s G Watch, the G Watch R runs on Google’s Android Wear operating system, but that’s by far is the only similarity between the two watches. The G Watch R’s circular touchscreen measures 1.3 inches versus the G Watch’s rectangular 1.65-inch screen. The G Watch R’s display has a higher resolution (320 × 320 pixels) compared with the G Watch’s (280 × 280 pixels).

LG claims that it’s viewable in sunlight and clear from any angle, and the plastic also comes with some durability benefits. The screen rests in a stainless steel frame, and comes with an interchangeable calf skin leather strap.

LG G Watch R packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC with 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM. The rest of the device’s specs include 4GB of built-in memory, 410mAh battery, and the usual sensors (gyro, accelerometer, compass, barometer).

The G Watch, which sells for $229, took heavy criticism for not including a heart-rate monitor which the company has included in the new G Watch R. It is said that the new device will give tough competition to the much popular Moto 360 which turned lot of heads around during its unveiling at this years Google I/O.

LG G Watch R is already a crowd favorite with its retro-style analog watchfaces, which show sweeping second hands and a set of internal dials that look like a classic watch. There’s even a classic watch crown on the side, which is likely the power button disguised in style.

The sophisticated looking G Watch R come only in black. The Android Gear powered device will run all compatible apps available in the Google Play Store and with an Ingress Protection Rating of IP67, the LG G Watch R is designed to run for up to 30 minutes in one metre of water too. Talk about durability.

The LG G Watch R is said to available in market sometime around this year’s Q4. Prices and details of availability will be announced at the time of local launches. The watch will be on display at IFA 2014 in Berlin next week.

August 28, 2014
Samsung Targets Watch Lovers With The Gear S Smart Watch

Samsung has launched yet another smartwatch called Samsung Gear S (not Solo). The new Tizen based smartwatch is going to be shown off at IFA next week and also at Samsung’s IFA press conference on September 3rd. The company is trying to one up the circular smart watches expected in the near future from Motorola and LG, and is also aiming to lure the more traditional watch lovers.

Gear S will be the first smartwatch from Samsung with built-in 3G connectivity, and have ability to connect to 3G and 2G networks on its own, meaning users won’t need to keep it wirelessly connected to a smartphone in order to get notifications or make calls.

The Samsung Gear S has a 2-inch curved AMOLED display. It is topped with dual-core 1GHz CPU inside along with GPS, heart rate and motion sensors. It is powered by a 300mAh battery which Samsung says can last up to two days. It runs Tizen instead of Android Wear, with pedestrian navigation available from from Nokia’s HERE and support for Facebook.

It also lets you reply to incoming messages using the onscreen keyboard, or S Voice functionality to complete your tasks. You can also make and receive calls directly from your wrist, or get calls forwarded from your smartphone.

The 2-inch curved AMOLED display is kept at a 360 x 480px resolution, which comes out to a fairly impressive 300 pixels per inch. The smart watch does not sport a camera, and unlike Samsung’s other Tizen-based Gear watches, it has a standalone music player.

Along with Gear S, the company also announced the Gear Circle headset; a ring-style headphone that connects via Bluetooth and features a magnetic lock that clasps around the users’ neck when it’s not being used. It can also vibrate to give the user notifications and let you hear notifications, use voice commands or listen to music through the earbuds.

The company has not revealed any pricing details about either of the products, but Samsung said that the Gear S will go on sale this October.

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