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Samsung Confesses Galaxy S6 Edge to Face Supply Shortage

The most recent offering of Samsung, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, will be open from today for public across the globe. The South Korean smartphone behemoth expects record shipment of Galaxy S6 handsets, but it has to struggle to meet the demands of the curved screen smartphone. The news surfaced the day before when the company’s Mobile Chief J.K. Shin explained the problem in manufacturing Galaxy S6 Edge screens could lead to the limited supply of the curved edge version.

The statement by Shin about the S6 Edge reads, “We’re working hard to resolve the difficulty in supply” and that the problem could persist “for a while.” This is clearly not a good message by the company at a time when the curvy S6 Edge is ready to retail in different markets across the globe. The company might have to face the frenzy of the audience for not accomplishing its promise on time.

Samsung reported a record pre-order of 20 million Galaxy S6 series smartphones, out of which 15 million were for the standard Galaxy S6 and 5 million orders were placed for its edgier counterpart. The company might be facing a challenge to deliver the 5 million S6 Edge handsets that have already been pre-ordered.

The revolutionary design of the smartphone gave an ‘edge’ to the device. There have been reports by various analysts that potential hiccups in supply could prove to be a roadblock to the success of Samsung.

It would be interesting to observe how Samsung cope up with the manufacturing complexities. Meanwhile, you can watch our hands-on video below:

April 10, 2015
National Roaming Charges Set to Drop From 1st May

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a statement that mobile phone users will be paying 23% less for calls and up to 75% less for sending texts while on roaming. The reduced roaming charges will come to effect on May 1, 2015.

National roaming service lets subscribers to keep using their number while travelling outside the coverage of their home networks. Companies have offered roaming packs in the past which lets users reduce their roaming charges but a government mandated roaming charges will bring relief for all users.

As laid down by TRAI, For outgoing calls on roaming, the present charges of Rs 1 per minute has been slashed down to 80 paise per minute. As for STD calls, the rates has been slashed from Rs 1.50 to Rs 1.15 per minute.

Incoming calls on roaming will now be charged at 45 paise per minute instead of the earlier 75 paise. Local texts will now cost 25 paise while an STD text will be charged at 38 paise.

The rates for national roaming services were last revised in 2013. Telecom companies have been notified to introduce the new roaming tariff’s from May 1. The telecom companies have already been losing revenue to various messaging apps and hence have started attacking net neutrality in India. This order will further cut down their revenue stream. The companies might respond by raising data tariff’s or push for loose net neutrality laws in the country. Though the slash is a good news for the consumers, the developments in the Indian telecom space needs to be watched more vigilantly.

April 10, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6 Comes to India But Where is the Apple Watch?

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S6 is set to hit the Indian and global stores today. The Korean electronic behemoth has grasped the importance of the Indian consumers for the future of the smartphone industry and has been bringing phones almost at the same time as the global market. But the other major force in the tech industry, Apple is still not close to giving India that priority, which is evident by the lack of the country’s name in the release locations for the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch is the company’s newest product family. The wearable is available from $349 for the basic model, the Watch Sport, and the line of offering goes up to $17,000 for the gold plated version called the Watch Edition. People looking forward to owning the device can pre-order it today in the countries where it is offered. But the only piece of information that the Indian Apple fans get is that the Watch will come to the country ‘sometime in 2015’.

Samsung brought the Note 4 to India at the same time as the US.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 was already up for pre-order in India and goes up for sale today. Samsung had also brought its last major launch, the Note 4 to India on 17th October, exactly the same time it came to the United States.

It’s not like Apple has a small market in India. Just in the space of October to December of last year, the company sold 500,000 devices in India, and the number keeps growing. Of course, it is just a tiny fraction of the global sales that have helped the company to have the most profitable quarter in history. A push for the massive Indian population can help the company take the profit higher.

Things do look brighter for the Indian consumers as Apple has plans to set up 500 stores across India. So maybe then the Indian fans would not have to wait impatient hours to buy Apple products.

April 10, 2015
Activision Releases The Teaser For ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’

One of the biggest first person shooting franchise of all times, Call of Duty is all set to make a comeback this month with some incredibly thrilling operations. Activision has teased a video for the third instalment of intense spy thriller adventure. This new sequel is titled “Call of Duty: Black Ops 3”.

The one minute seven seconds teaser depicts random numbers and codes moving around to give a blurred impression of a man. An important detail is imparted through the teaser that the modern combaters don’t need any weapons; looks like the game is going to be far more interesting. The video ends up with a quote, “How far are we willing to go?” The teaser doesn’t give away much about the game but it does builds up the excitement. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will release on April 26 this year.

Check out the ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’ teaser titled “Back in Black” below:

April 10, 2015

Hands On | Lava Icon

Yesterday, Indian smartphone vendor Lava expanded its smartphone portfolio with the release of a new device – the Icon. With a price tag of Rs. 11,990, the device stands against some current offerings in the market like Micromax Canvas Nitro and Huawei Ascend P6. Meanwhile, we got an opportunity to get our hands on the latest device and here is our experience with the new smartphone.

The Icon is 7.7 mm thick and has a sleek finish. It touts a silver metal frame, while its back panel is a shiny black with a glass finish. The glass back does add to the aesthetic of the device, though we have to admit it seemed prone to scratches. The handset feels nice in hand, though we won’t vouch for its overall sturdiness.

The device features a 5-inch HD IPS 720p display with 550 Cd/m2 brightness, which the company claims is one of the highest in the industry. The display of the handset is protected with Asahi Dragon-Trail glass that offers resistance against scratches. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM. The onboard storage space is 16GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card slot up to 32GB.

The front of the phone has an earpiece at the top, along with a 5MP camera. The front camera comes with Omni vision sensor and BSI-II sensor with blue glass filter, which is said to protect the image sensor against overexposure in the infrared wavelength range.

Lava Icon runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has the company’s Star UI on top. The user interface provides a variety of customizable gesture controls. The back of the phone has 2500mAh battery, which is decent for a phone of this size and resolution. The primary camera is 13 MP with dual-LED flash and Sony Exmor sensor. We tried our hand at the camera, and were left unimpressed.

The dual-SIM handset offers connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Micro-USB. Overall, we’d say it has a premium design, however it feels extremely delicate. Lava Icon is available at select retails stores in India and will also be available online via exclusive online partner Snapdeal.com. The e-commerce website is making the deal sweeter by offering a free selfie stick with Lava Icon.

Here’s a brief at its specs:

specs	lava icon
Display	5-inch HD IPS 720p
Processor	1.3GHz quad-core
RAM	2GB
Memory	16GB/32GB
Rear/Front Camera	13MP/5MP
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat
Battery	2500mAh
Price	Rs. 11,990

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April 10, 2015

Mobile Websites or Apps, Shouldn’t the Choice Be Ours?

Fashion e-commerce store, Myntra recently made headlines when it announced that it will be shutting down their website and will be solely an app-based business. Myntra and its parent company, Flipkart have already shut down their mobile websites and are only accessible through their apps. This exclusive app based model raises several questions, most important of which is; why are we being forced to download more apps, has the smartphone consumer base grown strong enough to support the app-only business model?

The switching of Myntra to an app-only business entity might make sense to the e-tailor. The company claims to make 85 percent of all visits from its smartphone app and 63 percent of all purchases on their websites from apps. But this inclination to mobile platform has ceased the freedom from millions of users the choice between a desktop website or a mobile app. It’s not only the case with Myntra, but many other e-commerce giants are forcing customers to switch to their respective mobile applications.

It’s hard not to notice Flipkart, Zomato, Make My Trip and many more, flooding our lives with ads and other such promotional activities, egging us to opt for their app. And when we visit an online website to shop or to book movie tickets, the first thing that appears before us is the advertising of their app. Sometimes, we can’t get away unless we download it.

Yes Zomato, we’re quite happy living in the Browser Age.

These retailers also announce exciting offers after regular intervals which are only applicable to apps and cannot be availed through the website. It’s an unethical force trade practice to make things work in their favour. While it may make things much easier for retailers to handle, it erodes the convenience that a user is entitled to. Everyday, they seem to find innovate ways to bombard consumers with reasons to add an extra widget to their handsets.

One such “subtle” example of an ad:

Big online stores should keep in mind that apps are just an extension to the website, and have an existence as long as they have a presence on the web. The desktop sites add appeal when looking for clothing, footwear, and places, and applications can’t substitute them. When you’re deciding if you should invest in a pair of jeans, not even the massive 5.5-inch of the iPhone 6 Plus replicate the seamless experience of a website.

Although there could be many factors for e-commerce dealers in terms of profit and traffic, the option of selection should not be taken away from the customers. Choosing between a website and an app should be the sole choice of the customer, a practice followed by e-commerce majors globally.

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April 9, 2015
In 12 Hours, Xiaomi Sold Over 2 Million Smartphones Across Seven Asian Countries

On the occasion of completing five years on 8^th April, Xiaomi had decided to give the public something worthwhile. Hence, the Chinese firm staged a 12-hour ‘fan festival’ across seven Asian countries. This event saw a total sale of 2.12 million smartphones, more than 38,000 Mi TVs and over 770,000 smart appliances, amounting to a revenue of RMB 2.08 billion ($335 million).

In the words of Xiaomi, the company has truly established itself as an Internet company, with e-commerce proving to be the best way to reach its customers. In 2014 alone, Xiaomi sold over 61 million handsets worldwide and are aiming to complete a 100 million by the end of this year. This feat has landed them as the third largest mobile manufacturer in the world. The company has been on a tear lately, quadrupling its valuation while other established handset makers, including smartphone giant Samsung, have stumbled.

Xiaomi will soon be launching its Mi.com online store in US and Europe, although this store will only be selling accessories like the Mi band and the ridiculously cheap power banks.

Xiaomi has been grabbing headlines in the Indian market too with the release of the Red Mi, Mi Pad and many other products. You can read more about it here.

April 9, 2015
LAVA Launches the ‘Icon’ with 5-inch HD Display and 13MP Camera

Today, LAVA introduced a new smartphone in the Indian market. The latest offering, ‘Icon’ packs specifications to rival many present high-end handsets and comes at a price of Rs. 11,990.

LAVA Icon sports a premium metal look and holds a thickness of 7.7 mm. The homegrown smartphone firm says that it has been designed to provide comfortable handling, which makes it less prone to damage.

The device features a 5-inch HD IPS display with 550 Cd/m2 brightness, which the company claims is one of the highest in the industry. The display of the handset is protected with Asahi Dragon-Trail glass that offers resistance against scratches. A 1.3GHz quad-core processor powers the device along with 2GB RAM. It offers 16GB internal memory storage which can be expanded up to 32GB.

The Icon runs on LAVA’s Star OS built on Android platform, which provides users with a variety of customizable gesture controls. A 13MP rear camera with Sony Exmor sensor is installed on the handset that features a F2.0 aperture and 5P lens for low light photography. The front has a 5MP shooter with Omni vision sensor. A 2500mAh battery is equipped with the phone to keep it running all day long. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB and Bluetooth.

The phone is available at select retails stores in India and will also be available online via exclusive online partner Snapdeal.com. The e-commerce website is making the deal sweeter by offering a free selfie stick with LAVA Icon. The sale starts today from 1 pm onwards.

April 9, 2015
Facebook Launches WhatsApp Web-like Desktop Version of the Messenger

Facebook has launched a desktop based chat interface for its Facebook Messenger users worldwide. It is available right now for its English users, with more languages to follow in the next few weeks. It is accessible at Messenger.com where users can chat with their friends from their Web browser. A user would require a Facebook account to access the service.

Just like Whatsapp for Web, the Messenger site features the list of chat threads on the left with a large white chat interface on the right. Most of the mobile app features can be accessed here, like audio and video calls, photos and stickers.

At present, Messenger for Web lacks the ability to send photos, audio messages, or use the new Messenger platform content sharing apps. But, Facebook can add those features later as the service matures. Users also have an option of enabling a desktop notification; small pop-up is overlayed on the computer screen the alerts the users for incoming messages.

So how is the new service different than the regular Facebook chat box? Well, Facebook says Messenger.com could become an instant hit among busy users, who just use Facebook to talk with their friends and are looking to avoid the social content of the main site, like wall posts or notifications.

April 9, 2015
Meet Phantom 3, The Newest Drone in the DJI Family

DJI has just announced its latest camera-equipped quad-copter, the DJI Phantom 3. The drone, which is capable of an autonomous flight, has more upgrades than its predecessor. The Phantom 2 is more powerful, lasts longer, takes better quality pictures and videos and has a new remote and a revamped app.

The most important part of the drone is the camera. There are two versions of the Phantom 3: the Professional version that takes 12MP and 4K video, and the other, the Advanced version, that takes 12MP and 1080p video. The 4K video records in 24, 25 and 30FPS while the 1080p goes up to 60FPS. Both ditched the distorted fish-eye images to give proper flat images in DNG RAW or JPG format.

Phantom 3’s Predecessor, came with a more powerful battery.

As for the quad-copter, DJI says they have upgraded the Phantom 3 by adding more efficient and powerful motors that can accelerate or decelerate faster than the Phantom 2. Spec sheets read that it can travel up to 58 kmph with a maximum ascent speed of 21 kmph and a maximum decent speed of 6 kmph. It weighs 1280g and its only drawback is that it comes with a less powerful battery (4480mAh, as compared to 5200mAh of the Phantom 2). Although the company claims that it manages to offer the same flight time of 23 minutes.

GPS-assisted features include the IOC (Intelligent Orientation Control) that allows continuous transmission to the pilot regardless of the direction the drone is pointing at, automatic Return Home or the Panic button which allows the craft to return if the communication is lost. The ability to hover at a fixed point is a crucial feature for aerial filmmaking. Phantom has also introduced the Optical Flow Sensor, inspired by the Inspire 1, which combines a ground-facing camera that takes sonar photographs whenever it is too close to the ground or if the GPS is lost. This prevents it from getting crushed.

The Advance DJI Phantom 3 is priced at $999 (Rs. 62,167), and the Professional DJI Phantom 3 is priced at $1,259 (Rs. 78,347). Its availability has not been confirmed yet but according to Engadget, the drone will be released within the next few weeks.

April 9, 2015
HTC One M9 is Arriving in India on 14th April

HTC launched its new flagship device at MWC this year with much fanfare. The company now seems to be ready to bring it to India. The company has sent out invites for the One M9 launch in India scheduled for the 14th April. It has been said that this device addresses all the shortfalls of the last HTC flagship, the One M8.

Throwing some light on its specifications – the HTC One M9 is powered by an all new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a 64 bit SOC, with an Octa core 2.0 GHz CPU. It offers 3GB of RAM and 32 GB storage which is expandable upto 128 GB. The company also provides 115 GB of Google Drive. The device runs Android Lollipop out of the box and is juiced up by a 2800 mAh battery. It also offers features like quick charge which improves the charge times.

The most stand out improvement of this device is the camera. This new handset offers a 20 MP shooter with a sapphire lens cover. And on the front, is the ultrapixel camera for your selfie needs.

So if you are a fan of HTC’s designing superiority and were waiting for the One M9 to make a landfall in India, well your wait is about to end. Read and watch our hands on review of the new HTC One M9 right here.

April 9, 2015
Micromax YU Announces the Name of its Next Smartphone

Since YU threw the decision ball to name its next device in the consumers’ court, the company generated a lot of fanfare across social media platforms. Over 1,00,000 entries made it to the first crowd-sourcing campaign #YUNameIt and out of those, one entry has been chosen as the moniker of the second YU smartphone. Recognized till date as Project Caesar, the phone will now be known as “Yuphoria”.

According to YU, “Yuphoria represents zeal, enthusiasm and passion which reflects what YU is committed to bringing to the consumers through innovating and reinventing technology.”

From more than 1,00,000 entries, the five submissions that reached the voting stage were Yuphoria, Yuknight, Yunicorn, Yunity, and Youth. Consumers’ votes favoured Yuphoria, which was then chosen as the identity for Project Caesar. As promised, five randomly selected lucky winners from the entries for Yuphoria will win the next YU smartphone. The company claims that participants have also won Amazon Gift Cards worth Rs. 1 lakh.

Recalling the scarce details we’ve heard about the device, Yuphoria will be equipped with a 64-bit processor along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage support. The handset will boast Cyanogen OS 12 based on Android Lollipop. The upcoming handset is also expected to cost higher than the first phone.

Micromax-owned subsidiary YU hasn’t disclosed the release date of its next device. Precise details will be made available at its launch. Keep checking back for more updates on Yu Yuphoria.

April 9, 2015
Canon Officially Delivers the Powerful Canon EOS C300 Mark II with Built-in 4K

Yesterday we had heard that Canon was extremely close to releasing its new addition to the C300 lineup, and now the company has officially confirmed the same. Canon has announced the successor of the immensely popular C300, an autofocus digital photographic and cinematographic SLR with mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system – the Canon C300 Mark II.

The new camera uses a new high-bitrate codec called XF-AVC with up to 410Mbps (4K). The recording mode has been shifted from CF cards to CFast 2.0 cards, which gives it a better speed. High-speed recording, which has been a point where Canon was lacking in, has been improved significantly. It offers the ability to record to the internal memory card 4K footage in 10-bit (4: 2: 2) with up to 410 Mbps or alternatively 2K / Full-HD material in 10/12 bit ( 4:4:4), with a dynamic range of up to 15 panels. Thus, the EOS C300 Mark II delivers sharp images across the entire color spectrum with minimized color fringing that is suitable even for extensive editing in post production. Though it is not much as impressive as Sony FS7’s 180fps, but it is a huge improvement from C300’s original 60fps in 720p.

The body is very much similar to the old C300 but has a new, sturdy OLED screen which, the company promises, will deliver rich blacks and accurate colours. There has also been a slight tweaking of the button layout, with a large red Start/Stop button being placed low on the left side (operator’s side) of the camera. Other features include a Dual Pixel CMOS AF and a 4-channel audio in 16 or 24 bit and 48kHz. The sensor read-out is twice the speed than its predecessor, the C300 with less rolling shutter. The new C300 Mark II is priced at $15,999 (approx Rs. 9,97,144).

Also, Canon has confirmed about another 4K video recording camera, Canon XC10.

Specs of this camera include a 1-inch sensor with a max ISO sensitivity of 20,000 and will provide 12 stops of dynamic range while capturing 305Mbps 4K videos or 12-megapixel still photographs.the fixed lens is a 24-240mm f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens. Also attached is a microphone socket, headphone jack, HDMI 1.4 port, DC power and a built-in neutral density filter along with USB and Wi-Fi connectivity.

April 9, 2015
TRAI Recommends an American 911-like One Stop Emergency Number For India

“911 how may I help you?” This sentence is perhaps the most popular reference to the American government’s one-stop emergency number for all kinds of public discomfort. By dialling this one number, the citizens can get access to emergency services like police, fire department ambulance and disaster management organizations. Now TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has recommended that Indians should get a similar service and for this purpose they want to assign the telephone number, “112.”

Currently, the various emergency services have different contacts; citizens have to dial 100 for police, 101 for fire, 102 for ambulance and 108 for emergency disaster management. TRAI says that this move will allow users to save critical seconds during an emergency and will be able to alert the authorities immediately.

This move will be appreciated by the citizens who had to fumble previously with various number during emergency situations. TRAI has also proposed to keep the present number as a backup or secondary contact numbers. Even when the users make a call on those numbers, they will be re-routed to 112.

To add even more convenience during an emergency and offer ease of access, TRAI has asked that the calls to 112 be allowed even if the outgoing facility on the phones have been debarred or the temporarily suspended. There is also a proposal to allow access to emergency services through SMS.

TRAI has recommended the establishment of specialised call centers called the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). It will be manned by professionals trained in handling calls of distress. This is a fantastic move by the regulator and though the service should have been instituted long back, but all we’ll say is, better late than never.

April 9, 2015
ASUS ZenFone 2 with 4GB RAM to Arrive in India on 23rd April

Finally, ASUS has put an end to all the speculations about the release of its next flagship in India. The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer has sent out media invites for the launch of ZenFone 2, that will take place on April 23 in New Delhi. The smartphone was first showcased at the extravagant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year.

As notified before, the device will launch in three variants in India. The dual-SIM handset stuffs 4G RAM, and unlike other handsets, ZenFone 2 offers an additional memory card support in spite of coming in three storage variants, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

The device flaunts an original ergonomic design and features a 5.5-inch Full HD (1280x1920p) IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 coating. A 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor Z3580 with PowerVR G6430 GPU is fitted to the device to give it a faster processing speed. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop OS with custom Zen UI on top. The smartphone features a 13MP “Pixelmaster” rear camera along with a 5MP selfie snapper.

On the connectivity side, ZenFone 2 comes with 4G/LTE support that offers faster data speed, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The device comes with Dual Active mode that allows users to have two active phone lines at the same time.

ZenFone 2 equips a powerful battery of 3000mAh and comes in five different colour options: Osmium Black, Sheer Gold, Glacier Gray, Glamor Red and Ceramic White. Meanwhile, there is no information about its pricing. More details will be unveiled at the launch event itself. And as always, we’ll be bringing you the latest updates.

April 8, 2015