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HTC Introduces the One M9+ in China With a Fingerprint Sensor and a Larger Display

HTC introduced its flagship for 2015, the One M9 at the Mobile World Congres this year. After the launch, a few leaks suggested that HTC might be working on a new, bigger device called the HTC One M9+. Well, HTC confirmed the leaks today by unveiling the device in the Chinese market.

The One M9+ sports a 5.2 inch QHD (2K) display with a pixel density of 534 ppi. It is powered by a 2.2 Ghz, Octa-core, Mediatek MT6795T along with 3 GB RAM. The M9+ offers 32 GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 128 GB. The device is juiced up by a non-removable 2840 mAh battery.

On the camera front, the handset flaunts a 20.7MP + 2.1MP dual camera on the back; we saw the ultra pixel avatar of the dual camera on HTC’s previous flagship, the One M8. On the front, the device offers a 4 MP shooter.

The new addition to this device are the fingerprint sensors that have been previously seen on iPhones and other flagship devices. From the looks of it, the One M9+ looks like a much better competitor to the other flagships in terms of the features offered. But it is not sure as of yet if the company will be bringing the device to markets apart from China. We sure hope it does.

April 8, 2015
Yu Yureka Successor Might Not be as Affordable as the First Phone

Earlier we confirmed that Micromax Yu’s next smartphone, codenamed Project Caesar, will launch in April. Now, we’ve uncovered an important pricing detail about the Yureka successor. We have learnt that the next Yu device might not be as cheap as Yureka and will most likely cost higher than Yu’s present offering. This may be an unfortunate news for many, as Yu’s aggressive price point was considered a major reason for its success.

It is still unknown if the upcoming handset will see a slight price bump or will come with a hefty price tag, but one will need to pay extra bucks to own the currently-untitled ‘Yu 2’.

Meanwhile, recent disclosures reveal ‘Project Caesar’ will boast the Android Lollipop version of Cyanogen OS, making use of its exclusive partnership with Cyanogen. The company has made official some standard features that would be equipped onto the next device such as a 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB onboard memory. Recently, the firm also announced the first ever crowdsourcing campaign #YUNameIt where users were invited to name their device.

The first Yu smartphone has managed to gather a large fan base among the customers. On the March 5 flash sale, 30,000 Yureka units swiped off in just 7 seconds. If the India-based smartphone maker continues to offer high specs at attractive rates, the company could have the chance to beat international companies in its homeground.

April 8, 2015

HTC One M9 Expected in India by End April, Pricing to Rival the Samsung Galaxy S6

HTC kickstarted MWC 2015 by unveiling the HTC One M9. There has been quite a bit of speculations around its release date in India. Now we’ve heard HTC is just about ready to revamp its Indian line-up with the high-end M9. HTC is expected to launch the HTC One M9 in India by the end of this month. According to our sources, HTC is also planning to price the device to fight it out with Samsung’s new Galaxy S6.

From the specs point of view, the display is a 5.1-inch Quad HD. A powerful 64-bit Exynos octa-core processor runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense. Since we expect its price may clash with Samsung Galaxy S6, we pit the two device against each other. Here are the differences:

SPECIFICATIONS	HTC One M9	Samsung Galaxy S6
Display	5-inch Full HD	5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
Processor	64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core	64-bit Exynos octa-core (1.5GHz quad-core Cortex A-53 and 2.1GHz quad-core Cortex A-57)
RAM	3GB	3GB
Internal Memory	32GB	32GB/64GB/128GB
Expandable Up To	128GB	—
Primary Camera	20MP with Auto-focus, BSI sensor	16MP with F1.9 + OIS
Front Camera	HTC UltraPixel	5MP
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Battery	2840mAh	2550mAh
Price	Rs 53,800 (Approx)	Rs. 49,000 (starting price)

You can check out the video below to get a first basis idea of the handset.

To know more about HTC One M9, click here.

April 8, 2015

Snapdeal Buys FreeCharge to Strengthen its Stand in the Mobile Commerce Market

E-commerce website, Snapdeal, is one of the most prominant players in the market along with Flipkart and Amazon. The company has now announced that it has acquired the mobile payment app, Freecharge. With this move the company hopes to gather more users as well as create new services to extend its offerings.

FreeCharge lets users pay for their mobile recharges, DTH and utility for multiple service providers. Every day 75 million mobile recharges are done in India out of which only 3 Million are done online, so it is definitely a massive market to have captured. While the service providers do provide online payment options, there has been a growth in the number of payment apps in the market.

Speaking on the acquisition, Snapdeal founder, Kunal Bahl said, “The age of monolithic e-commerce platforms is over; it is now time to build an impactful digital commerce ecosystem in India that is multidimensional and inclusive…At Snapdeal we are building an ecosystem that powers billions of digital commerce transactions in the country in the coming years. “

FreeCharge’s founder, Kunal Shah said that their service is at the forefront of the mobile commerce revolution in India. He added that 85% of our transactions originate from mobile, and the user retention of the service is really high.

Following this deal, FreeCharge will continue to operate as an independent service. Snapdeal says that it will collaborate with its new partner to offer innovative services to the users. We’ll get to know more about how Snapdeal will benefit from this deal in the near future.

April 8, 2015
OnePlus One Retains Original Price Point in India Despite Increased Custom Duty

With the unveiling of Union Budget 2015-2016, the Indian government made clear that importing mobile devices is not going to remain cheap anymore. The Government of India increased the exercise duty to double and made it 12.5 percent on imported mobile devices; raising the prices of popular phones. However, the flagship killer of 2014 will continue to sell at the same price as OnePlus sent us a message which reads “No Price Hike” for the One devices in India.

Users can still buy OnePlus One at the original cost of Rs. 21,999 for 64GB model and Rs. 18,999 for the 16GB variant. The General Manager of OnePlus India, Vikas Agarwal, commented on this development –

In line with our #NeverSettle philosophy and long term commitment to the Indian market, we assure our users that we are constantly evaluating what works best for them; part of that is to continue to make the One available at an attractive price point.

He further added to his comments, “It is an ambitious step for a young startup, but for us, it’s about returning maximum value to our users by offering them great products and unique experiences.”

OnePlus One has seen a price hike in Europe, but it seems like the tough competition in the Indian market with homegrown makers (such as Micromax) has forced the Chinese firm to stick to the initial rates. The device is available in Sandstone Black and Silk White colour options and can be ordered online via Amazon India, that is if you have an invite. Both the 64GB and 16GB variants hold similar specification and differ only in internal storage space.

Watch our review here:

April 8, 2015
Apple Registers 40% Increase in India Revenue, Hits $1 Billion Mark in FY 2015

We’re sure Apple wouldn’t have thought that the Indian market, which was at the bottom of their priority list, could help increase the revenue of the company to such an extent. The Cupertino-based tech giant has recorded a whopping revenue of $1 billion in India in the fiscal year 2015. The present earning of the firm is 40 percent more than Rs. 4,500 crore of returns registered last year, and is three folds of the what was reported in 2011-12.

Apple hasn’t filed its final revenue details until now, but according to a source at Times of India, the firm can log the same with Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) anytime soon. Experts unfolded that the latest devices, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, have contributed largely to the sales income. With access to unit sales figures over the year and experts remark, Apple’s India revenue is computable. As per an analysis by Cybermedia Research, Apple has sold 1.3 million phones in the fiscal year 2015. Considering the high price of the latest models, it is evident that the company has made a total revenue of over $1 billion in the India market.

At a time when Apple is witnessing increased sales, Samsung is steadily losing its hold over different markets. The Korean electronics giant released a performance report of the last three months, which shows 30.5 percent dip in the profits. This was Samsung’s sixth consecutive year-over-year fall in quarterly profit, where it registered 60% fall in profits over the last quarter.

India is emerging as one of the fastest growing tech markets and a battleground for many top smartphone leaders. Such examples will only encourage tech enterprises to conquer our nation’s market and establish themselves on the Indian soil. Meanwhile, many Chinese firms spread over US and UK are now citing the Indian sub-continent as profitable marketplace for investment, and plan to enter the country soon.

April 8, 2015
4000 People Will Get a Chance To Test Out the LG G4 Before Launch

LG is all set to bring out its new flagship that will take on the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Apple’s iPhone 6. The LG G4 is expected to come out by the end of this month. Previously the device was expected to come out at the MWC 2015 but LG decided to work a bit longer on the handset to bring out a real competitor. LG has now announced that it will let 4000 people test out their new top-end device.

The Korean electronics giant will be working with 4000 people in 15 markets to take the G4 on a test ride. LG says that its intention is to let the users have first-hand experience of the device instead of depending on reported spec-sheets, benchmarks and speed tests to judge the new device. The program has already started in Korea on Wednesday, and will soon be brought to Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Turkey, the UK and US.

The LG G4 is expected to come out by April 28. The company hopes to generate buzz for the smartphone through social media initiatives through which they will find the 4000 potential testers of the new device. It will lead to tons of information and views before the launch, but it shows that LG is confident in their product to discard the secrecy that is usually maintained before the launch of any device. Let’s hope the LG G4 comes out as a challenging competitor to Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6; competition is always good for the consumer.

April 8, 2015
Philips Brings the Ultra-Slim 4K HD TV With Ambilight Technology to India

Philips made a stride into the Indian 4K television market with the launch of the Ambilight 4K Ultra HD LED TV. The recent 8600 series is the first 4K Ultra HD television range featuring Ambilight technology and provides customers with an immersive and cinematic TV viewing experience. The product comes in three screen sizes, 50-inch, 58-inch and 65-inch, and is priced between Rs. 1,55,000 to Rs. 3,72,500.

The Ambilight technology projects light from the television’s back panel that keeps on changing depending on the content. Also, it widens the field of view by throwing extra light to the surrounding wall from the sides of the television. This gives viewers an interesting viewing experience. The ultra-slim device is also said to minimize eye-strain during long viewing hours.

The new Ultra HD TV is powered by Pixel Plus Ultra HD. The device equips 20W sound, 4 HDMI input ports and 2 USB ports. The product offers 400Hz motion rate which, according to the company, ensures a smooth experience for fast moving images and is perfect for gaming. It supports full HD inputs of 1920x1080p up to 60Hz and is Wi-Fi compatible. Customers can browse the internet and access social networking sites like YouTube and Vimeo, along with a host of applications.

The Ambilight 4K TV will be retailed in partnership with the new official business unit of the company PE Electronics. The product is not accessible in stores as of now, but will soon be made available at Philips stores and other retail outlets.

April 8, 2015
Stanford University Scientists Invent Batteries Which Can Fully Charge Your Device Within a Minute

Scientists at Stanford University have invented an aluminium battery that could potentially allow smartphones to charge within a minute. This battery, according to its inventors, is so powerful that it could revolutionise the industry. The new battery is claimed to go from flat to full within a minute and pulls in enough electricity to fully charge a phone, a laptop or a tablet.

The Apple iPhone takes around two hours to completely charge its inbuilt battery. But if it were fitted with the aluminium power source, it would completely top up within 60 seconds. Though the invention is still in its infant stage, scientists claim that the aluminium battery can withstand more than seven times of charging cycles than traditional battery. If a traditional battery can be recharged around 1,000 times, then the aluminium battery can withstand 7,500 cycles.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Hongjie Dai” author_title=”Professor of chemistry at Stanford University”]

Otherwise, our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life. We have developed a rechargeable aluminium battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It’s quite exciting.

[/quote]

As of now, the aluminium battery cannot produce more than half the voltage of a lithium battery, scientists are confident they will improve the output within the next few years. Another feature of aluminium batteries is that these can be bent or folded, and can be used in flexible electric devices and are also cheaper than lithium. Aluminium batteries are safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries used in millions of laptops and cell phones today, Hongjie Dai added.

April 8, 2015
John Oliver Makes it Easy to Understand the Problems With Government Surveillance

Wikileaks, Julian Assange, NSA, Edward Snowden, all of these names have become buzzwords for the technology community. Security analysts and experts have constantly criticised the massive collection of data by the US government. Activists world over have been trying to help people understand the threats posed by mass scale surveillance of the general public in the name of anti-terrorism initiatives.

John Oliver, known for his quirky humour and giving a new life to objective reporting, has now taken up the cause. He went to Russia for an interview Edward Snowden, the man who showed us how the National Security Agency (NSA) of America and GCHQ from the UK were snooping on all internet communication. This was called as a massive breach of the privacy of world citizens, but the common public didn’t really appeared concerned with the significance of these revelations.

So John gave a simple analogy for everyone to understand; “the government is stealing your dick-pics”. With the help of the technical expertise of Edward Snowden, John shows how the government can snoop in and steal private data (including intimate pictures and videos) of the general public. This revelation will come as a shock to many viewers but it will allow them to have a more informed discussion on topic of government surveillance.

Check out how John Oliver manages to convey complicated technological information in terms that will get everybody to stand up and take notice.

April 7, 2015
Samsung Registers 30 Percent Dip in Profits in its Latest Quarter

Samsung’s profits have seen a steady drop in the past few quarters. The Korean electronic giant has released the figures for the period from January to March, and there is a 30.5 percent dip in the profits for the company. But the executives at Samsung might be satisfied with the results as the dip is lower than previous quarters.

Samsung said that it expected an earning of 5.9 trillion Korean won ($5.4 billion) in operating profits for the quarter that ended on March 31. The year 2014 was perhaps the worst year for Samsung where the company saw a fall of about 60% in profits over the last quarter of the year.

The Newest Samsung on the Block, the S6 Edge

This is Samsung’s sixth consecutive year-over-year fall in quarterly profit. The smartphone business was the major driver of growth for the company but due to lack of innovation and a barrage of competition, Samsung has steadily lost ground in the business. Industry analysts are predicting better performance in the future following the launch of new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

Taking into consideration the heavy criticism for its lackluster products, Samsung has decided to bring metal frame designs that began with the Galaxy Alpha to more of its products. While the design is just one aspect of things, Samsung should also offer better specs to its customers for the price tag. Companies like Xiaomi, Lenovo, Asus and others have shown that it’s possible to offer great specs at lower prices and the consumers are demanding the same from the bigger companies.

April 7, 2015
Decoded : Snapchat’s Recent “Emoji” Update
Snapchat has launched a key update that allows you to recognize your closest friends based on a complex tier system of emojis. Previously, anyone could visit your Snapchat profile and check out who you sent the most number of snaps to. Hence, friendships would be questioned if a person did not appear in the ‘Best Friend’ list.

The app ditched the Best Friend feature in January, and now they are back with a new personal way to see who you’re closest to. The new Friend Emojis on your screen of incoming snaps will only be visible to you. Next to some of your Snapchat friends’ names, you will see an emoji that indicates the status of your photo-sharing friendship. Here is how the new Snapchat emoji looks like:
- Gold Heart: You are the #1 Best Friend. This is the person to whom you send the most number of snaps, and they snap back at you the most too.
- Grimace/Grit Teeth: A Mutual #1 Best Friend: You send the most snaps to the same person that they do.
- Smile: One of your Best Friends: One of the people to whom you exchange snaps the most after your Best Friend.
- Sunglasses: One of your best friends is one of their best friends: One person to whom you snap the most is also the person another friend snaps the most.
- Smirk: You are their Best Friend but they are not yours: You don’t send them many snaps, but they send you a lot.
- Fire: You two are on a Snapstreak: You have snapped this person every day, and they have snapped you back. Increases with number of consecutive days.
Snapchat has also bought in some technical changes that include a new low-light mode for your phone camera, simply by clicking on the Moon icon on the top of the screen. Also, a new bracket has been added- friends who have not snapped in a while will fall under the category of ‘Needs Love’.
April 7, 2015
LG Teases its Upcoming Flagship in a New Video, Reveals Crucial Camera Detail

Amid all the speculations about the upcoming LG flagship, the Korean electronics titan has made public a new teaser video. The 42 second video clip doesn’t let slip much about the device, however it reveals one important detail. The LG G4 will feature a standalone f/1.8 camera aperture, giving it a (very) slight edge over the Samsung Galaxy S6. The firm has yet again used the video to reiterate the launch date of LG G4 as April 28.

This time, LG is not relying on leakers and the company itself is teasing LG G4’s features bit by bit. Before this, LG announced that the device will boast a Quad HD display and few days later, a video sharing little details of the fresh user interface UX 4.0. The latter one gave a fair idea of the upcoming elements and its smartness.

As the video announces, the LG G4 features an aperture of f/1.8, which means that aperture opening is wide enough for more light to reach the sensor. The teased aperture puts back many high-end smartphones like Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, iPhone 6 and Sony Xperia Z3, whose camera aperture size is smaller than the G4. Along with that, the video demonstrates the same camera module as found on the previous iteration.

The smartphone is expected to sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage space. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the device flaunts a new interface, UX 4.0, that gives an all new appeal to the handset. It is said to pack a 15MP rear shooter and a 7MP camera upfront.

It’s likely that the tech giant will tease more features of the smartphone ahead of the official launch. Keep checking back for updates on the LG G4.

https://youtu.be/yZdWPqpVbEk

April 7, 2015

Microsoft Brings the Lumia 640 and 640 XL to India

Microsoft has been proactively working to expand its smartphone product portfolio in the Indian market. The company has launched two new devices in the country, the Lumia 640 and 640 XL.

Lumia 640 sports a 5.0 inch, 720 x 1280 pixel display with a pixel density of 294 ppi. It is powered by a Quad-core 1.2 Ghz, Snapdragon 400 processor along with 1 GB RAM. It offers 8 GB RAM that is expandable up to 128 GB. It runs Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim and will be updated to Windows 10 when the new OS is launched. The phone is juiced up by a 2500 mAh battery. It offers an 8 MP main camera and a 1 MP selfie shooter on the front.

The Lumia 640 XL, as the name suggests is the bigger of the two siblings. It sports a 5.7 inch, 720 x 1280 pixel display with a density of 259 PPI and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Just like its smaller sibling, it is powered by a Quad-core 1.2 Ghz, Snapdragon 400 processor along with 1 GB RAM. The 640 XL flaunts a 13 MP camera on the back and offers a 5 MP camera on the front for your selfie considerations. The device incorporates a 3000 mAh battery to take care of its XL needs.

The two devices look better than the recent launches from the company that were targeted at the lower end of the market. These devices will be strengthen the affordable segment of Windows Phone offerings. The Lumia 640 is priced at Rs. 11,999 and the Lumia 640 XL is priced at Rs. 15,799. Microsoft is offering a one-year free subscription to Microsoft Office 365 and 1 TB of OneDrive storage with both the devices. While the Lumia 640 will be available exclusively on Flipkart, the 640 XL will be available for purchase everywhere.

Specifications	Lumia 640	Lumia 640 XL
Display	5.0 inch, 720 x 1280 HD 294 PPI.	5.7 inch, 720 x 1280 HD 259 PPI.
Processor	1.2 Ghz, Quad-core Snapdragon 400	1.2 Ghz, Quad-core Snapdragon 400
RAM	1 GB	1 GB
Internal Memory	8 GB	8 GB
Expandable Memory	128 GB	128 GB
Main Camera	8 MP	13 MP
Front Camera	1 MP	5 MP
Battery	2500 mAh	3000 mAh
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim	Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim

April 7, 2015

Xiaomi No Longer Exclusive With Flipkart; Partners with Snapdeal and Amazon

On the occasion of completing five years Xiaomi announced that it will be joining hands with Snapdeal and Amazon as the company’s distribution partners. This means that along with Flipkart, the Mobile Store and the Bharti Airtel stores, Xiaomi products will soon be available on Snapdeal and Amazon too. We currently don’t have any information about if they’re going to stop the flash sale system just yet, though one thing is for certain – Xiaomi is here to stay.

Manu Jain, India Head of Xiaomi, confirmed the same via a tweet –

1) To mark this special occasion, we are announcing two new partnerships with @Snapdeal n @amazonIN :) #MiFanFest

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 7, 2015

Xiaomi entered the Indian market with the Xiaomi Mi3, which was launched on Flipkart in July 2014. Since then, the company has been releasing several handsets via Flipkart through the flash sales.

The company has also come up with a range of offers for its customers in India which will be valid only for a day, i.e., April 8th, from 12 noon to 12 midnight. As per the offers, the Xiaomi Mi 4 will get a price cut of Rs 2,000 on both, the 16GB and the 64GB variant. Buyers who purchase the Redmi Note 4G from online partners, Flipkart, Snapdeal or Amazon, will receive a Mi in-ear headphones for free. If the same is purchased from the Airtel or The Mobile Store, the buyer will receive a 5,200mAh Mi Power Bank for free.

For Snapdeal, this will be a major upgrade as they have lagged behind in bagging exclusive partnerships with major tech brand. Meanwhile, Flipkart already enjoys the exclusive partner status with several smartphones like Motorola, Huawei (Honor series), Lenovo, etc. and Amazon is the exclusive seller of Micromax, Yu Yureka and OnePlus One.

April 7, 2015

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Specifications

Lumia 640

Lumia 640 XL