Blog

Nokia Asha 205, Nokia 206 Dual-SIM Launched, Priced At $62

Nokia unveiled on Monday two new cellphone models, the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206, pricing both models at around $62, excluding subsidies and taxes.

The dual-SIM Nokia Asha devices have been unveiled in four countries (Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya and India) today as the Asha series completes one year of launch.

[quote]”Asha is a huge category for us and in Q3, about 6.5 million Asha touch devices were sold, which speaks volumes about the popularity of the device. The new phones are also aimed at giving users a smarter Internet experience at affordable costs,” Nokia India Director (Mobile Phones) Sari Harju told reporters during the launch.[/quote]

The Nokia Asha 205 is a QWERTY device with a 2.4-inch display and a dedicated Facebook button. It comes with 2G connectivity, Bluetooth, VGA camera and a battery that offers 11 hours talk-time. The phone comes with pre-installed apps like eBuddy Chat, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail as well as 40 free games from EA. The Nokia Asha 205 will be available in Cyan, Magenta and Orange colour options.

Nokia 206 is a regular ‘bar’ style feature phone with a 2.4-inch display, 1.3-megapixels camera and 2G + Bluetooth connectivity. It comes with pre-installed apps like eBuddy Chat, WhatsApp and a gift pack of 10 free, premium content items. The Nokia 206 will be available in Cyan, Magenta and Yellow colours.

The Nokia Asha 205 and Nokia 206 are expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2012 for an estimated retail price (excluding taxes) of $62 (Rs. 3,450)

November 26, 2012
Motorola Mobility Indian Website Shut Down

Motorola Mobility has shut down its India-specific product website as part of its global streamlining process.

[quote]“We are streamlining our business and support systems, and unfortunately, we’ll no longer have a dedicated website for India,” a message on Motorola Mobility India’s website said.[/quote]

“Your local support site will remain open well into the future, and we’ll continue to provide support for our existing products,” it added.

This move seems to be a part of the company’s global downsizing process. In August, it had confirmed its decision to cut off 20 percent of work force and shut down operations in many countries.

Motorola Mobility, which is totally independent from Motorola Solutions, had incurred heavy loss last year. Google took over the company for $12.5 billion in May this year. Google had earlier said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company is likely to continue its sales in India till the stocks lessen. It is rumored that India may not see any new products from Motorola. It was reported that the existing customers would continue to get the service centre support.

This move seems to be a part of Motorola’s global downsizing process. In August, Motorola had confirmed its decision to cut off 20 percent of work force and shut down operations in many countries.

Motorola Mobility, which is totally independent from Motorola Solutions, had incurred heavy loss last year. Google took over the company for $12.5 billion in May this year. Google had earlier said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, “These changes are designed to return Motorola’s mobile devices unit to profitability, after it lost money in fourteen of the last sixteen quarters,” as reported by IBN Live.
The company is likely to continue its sales in India till the stocks lessen. It is rumored that India may not see any new products from Motorola. It was reported that the existing customers would continue to get the service centre support.

November 26, 2012
BlackBerry 10-N Series Physical QWERTY Keypad Gets Photographed

The BlackBerry 10 N-Series hasn’t since seen the light of day, until today. Aside from the early marketing video never really meant for public eyes, the N-Series has escaped blurry cams everywhere but purported images of the BlackBerry 10 N-Series Physical QWERTY Keypad have made their way out now.

Taking a look at it shows the similar iconic design that we’re used to seeing in other flagship devices, namely the Bold 9900, but with the upcoming BB 10 it looks like the familiar chrome ‘frets’ will be straight, rather than curved.

The BlackBerry 10 platform and the first two smartphones powered by it will be launched on January 30, and more on the matter will become official at that time.

For BlackBerry users out there, are you likely to go with touchscreen or QWERTY keyboard?

November 26, 2012
Video Of Nokia Lumia 510 Running Windows Phone 7.8 Surfaces Online

After the Windows Phone 7.8-powerd Nokia Lumia 900 spotted in China earlier this month, a new device has been caught on camera running the unannounced operating system, the Lumia 510.

A new video, presumably from Winp.cn, shows the current build of Windows Phone 7.8 (8858) in action on the Nokia Lumia 510. Actually, it’s less action and more of a nice, soothing stroll on some of the more superficial changes coming in the OS update. The new tiles are shown off and we even see the Bing lockscreen wallpaper working.

A new rumour states that Windows Phone 7.8 will launch as early as Wednesday of this week, though in what capacity we don’t know. We may get a roll-out schedule in the very least, though even that is up in the air.

There have been several leaks that indicate Nokia is actively working on a new major Windows Phone update for its first generation Lumia handsets, though there has been no word on availability.

One nice feature exclusive, it seems, to Nokia phones is the ability to keep WiFi on in the background when the screen is off. This may seem trivial to most smartphone users but amazingly the functionality is not currently present in Windows Phone as we know it.

We still expect WP 7.8 to come out sometime early 2013.

November 26, 2012
Apple iPad Mini coming soon Starting Rs. 21,900, Online retailers list SKUs

Several online retailers have started listing the iPad Mini on their websites as “coming soon”, this indicates a pending soon launch. The iPad Mini was originally though to be introduced a week after the iPhone 5 launch in India. But, due to the high demand by the iPhone buyers, Apple possibly wants to be prepared when they launch the iPad Mini in India.

The 16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi only version will be priced at Rs 21,900, while the 32GB will cost 27,900 and 64GB versions will be available for R Rs 33,900. The iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular version will supposedly come with a price of 28,900 for the 16GB variant, keeping in the trend of iPhone 5 pricing.

The Flagship iPad mini, the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version, will sell for Rs 41,900. However one has to consider the fact, that a flagship iPad 9.7 inch with retina display will be available for a mere 4 thousand more, then why would one buy the iPad Mini?

Funnily enough Apple is also planning to launch the new generation of iPod Touch at a price of Rs. 23,900 for the 32 GB and a price of Rs. 29,900 for the 64 GB, which just seems strange, because one would definitely choose the iPad mini vs the iPod Touch or even a full fledged iPad for the same price. even more so, a 16 GB iPhone 4 can be had for around the 26 thousand price.

Apple seems to be defeating its own market in India with the pricing of their products. Unless a better more competitive pricing is adhered to, the iPad Mini and the new iPod Touch may never say the beaming numbers of the iPhone 5 or what the iPad 3 had.

November 26, 2012
Galaxy Note 2 Sales Hit 5 Million

It was just three week ago that Samsung declared Galaxy Note 2 sales reached the 3 million milestone in 37 days. Now, according to a post on SammyHub, the 5.5-inch phone/tablet has reportedly crossed over the 5 million mark in global sales in just 2-months – something that the original Note took 5 months to accomplish.

It features a 5.55? HD Super AMOLED display along with 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and 3100mAh battery.

The Note 2 is 9.4mm thick, has a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz. In terms of design it follows along the Galaxy S3 while retaining the feel of the original Note. Samsung has been smart enough to launch the phone with Jelly Bean and their new Touchwiz UI. The Note 2 also features a new S-Pen that adds a lot of functionality to the device.

November 25, 2012
Crystal Dynamics Reveal Tomb Raider Gameplay Length

Crystal Dynamics, the development team behind the new Tomb Raider reboot, took to answering some late night questions about the game in a short Q&A with fans. Although the one-hour segment didn’t go into great details about the game, a few small facts did arise.

The answers came from Karl Stewart, the Global Brand Director, who took to Twitter for one-hour in a lightning round of Tomb Raider trivia. We will skip some of the lame questions and head right to the good ones in order to save you some time.

One of the best questions asked was how long will the gameplay be, to that question Karl stated, “12 to 15 + depending on your play style”. When asked if Lara could swim, the answer was a touch odd; “Lara can swim, but just not in this game” Karl said. This hopefully will quell any ideas of underwater levels… we hope.

It seems Lara will be using the regenerative life-meter in this game and will be forgoing the traditional ‘life-bar’. Karl stated on Twitter that Lara will have “regenerative” health and will have “no need for items” in that respect in this iteration of Tomb Raider.

It seems that Square Enix may be planning a few midnight releases for the game as well, Karl confirmed that “it will” when asked, but would only say “more on that soon” at this time. For fans hoping that this will begin a new franchise, Karl had this to say about a possible sequel if the game is successful, “why of course” he simply stated. We couldn’t have stated it better ourselves.

One question we really enjoyed was asked by @ZenonSamuels who stated, “Will the combat system be better than TR:Underworld?”. Karl’s response was simply, “haha…….OHHHH YEEEESS it will!!”.

Karl promised much more information about the title would be released in December.

[Gaming Examiner]

November 25, 2012
Volvo V40 Launching March 2013; Priced at Rs 25 lakhs

Luxury car major Volvo would launch its new car in Indian market by the end of March 2013, a top company official has said.

The car ‘V40-Cross Country,’ is already on road in Frankfurt and would hit the Indian market, which is a potential market for the company, Tomas Ernburg, Managing Director, Volvo India, told PTI on Friday.

n India, Volvo V40 will compete with the Mercedes Benz A Class and B Class, and BMW 1 Series hatchback. Tomas Ernburg told PTI earlier this Friday that India is a very big market. “Volvo India wants to be No.1 in India in the luxury segment and aims to capture 15% market share by 2020 and would sell 20,000 cars then. It would gradually increase to 30,000 in 2025,” he said.

Tomas revealed these details in Coimbatore, where he was present to open one of the Volvo showrooms in the country. Other cities that have Volvo showrooms include, Chnadigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Pune.

Volvo will increase their production sites to 43 by 2020, from current 12 by 2020 in order to capture the luxury car market by 2020. Volvo would commence operations at their plant in China next year and plans of building a plant in India are gaining momentum.

November 25, 2012
Pantel WS802C-2G Penta T-Pad Tablet Launched For Rs 8299

Pantel Technologies has launched its 8 inch WS802C 2G Penta T-Pad for Rs. 8,299.

The Penta T-Pad comes with an inbuilt SIM slot, enabling users to access 2G data as well as make calls. It also features Wi-Fi connectivity and 3G USB dongle support. Under the hood, a 1.2GHz processor and 1GB DDR3 RAM power the device. It has 8GB of built-inl storage, expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. It also boasts of a 5,000 mAh battery and 3D graphics accelerator.

[quote]At the launch of the tablet, Vijender Singh, MD, Pantel Technologies, said, “This latest product, introduced in India for the first time, the Penta T-Pad WS802C Voice calling tablet PC, with a unique accessory and multiple connectivity options at an affordable price of Rs 8,299, is an initiative to bring more excitement and enhanced capability for our customers in this ever evolving market-place.”[/quote]

There’s also a keyboard with an inbuilt stereo-phonic speaker system available for the device. The price for that is Rs 1,499. The Penta T-Pad WS802C-2G comes pre-loaded with Facebook, Skype, and Angry Birds.

November 25, 2012
Bose Solo TV Sound System Launched At INR 25,673

Bose has introduced the Solo TV Sound System, an unobtrusive, single speaker for TV. Bose claims the system “dramatically improves the dialogue, music, action and sound effects from everyday programming.” The device uses a single cable connection to the TV and fits under many TVs.

[quote]”The Bose Solo TV sound system was developed for the love of TV — for people who don’t want a home theatre system. It delivers detailed sound at any volume, without the complications or intrusions of multiple components. One listen, and you’ll realise how much you’ve been missing in your favorite shows,” said Ratish Pandey, Director Bose India.[/quote]

This is Bose’s second launch this week after it unveiled the AirPlay-enabled SoundLink Air Digital Music System on Tuesday.

Measuring 7cms high x 52.5cms wide x 30.4cms deep, the Bose Solo TV sound is designed to fit under flat-panel televisions that have a base up to 101cms wide and 26.6 cms deep – requirements met by TVs with screens up to 32-inch and many 40-inch to 42-inch televisions.

The Bose Solo TV system connects to a television with just one cable and one plug to the wall. No additional equipment, wiring or adjustment is required. A remote control is included, and the system can also be operated by most universal remotes. The system uses proprietary Bose digital signal processing and Bose speaker array technology to deliver the typical Bose experience.

The Bose Solo TV system will be available for Rs 25,673.

November 24, 2012
HTC Deluxe Coming Soon, Press Shots Appear

We’re eagerly anticipating the launch of the HTC Deluxe, the international version of the recently-launched Droid DNA.

The device, presuming its hardware is identical to its U.S. counterpart, the HTC Deluxe have a 5-inch 1080p Super LCD3 screen, 2GB of RAM, 16-32GB of internal storage, an 8MP camera with ImageSense, LTE connectivity, a 2020mAh battery and, of course, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4+.

While these new press shots expose the multi-colour scheme of the upcoming device, it does little to further our knowledge of when, and for how much, the HTC Deluxe will be available.

That being said, we know of at least one other 5-inch 1080p device coming in the coming months, specifically Sony’s Yuga.

November 24, 2012
Samsung Premium Suite Coming To Galaxy Note 10.1 in JB Update

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1’s software is about to get a lot more useful, thanks to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the company’s “Premium Suite” of apps.

The original Galaxy Note got the same boost when it was updated to Ice Cream Sandwich from Gingerbread earlier this year, and the upcoming Galaxy Note 10.1 update promises truly useful inclusions.

Perhaps most importantly, the two-window multitasking, which wasn’t multitasking at all but merely two apps loaded side-by-side, will be changed to Samsung’s Multi Window feature. This allows up to 16 separate apps to be open at the same time (remember, the Note 10.1 has 2GB of RAM), each of which can be resized and pinned to a side of the tablet. This allows for real multitasking, something we’ve yet to see on a tablet.

Samsung is also bringing its S Pen preview feature, Air View, to the Galaxy Note 10.1 with Jelly Bean. This allows users to hover above a photo album and preview its contents or, better yet, check ahead in a video clip without interrupting it.

Premium Suite will also include Adobe’s Photoshop Touch, as well as existing S Pen-based tools such as Knowledge Search, Easy Clip, Colour Picker as well as Shape and Formula Match.

November 24, 2012
Samsung Will Launch the Galaxy Camera Today
Samsung will Launch the Galaxy Camera in the country today the 23rd Nov 2012. The Camera, which we first saw back at IFA in berlin, was launched alongside the Galaxy Note 2 and Ativ Tablets. The Galaxy Camera runs on Jelly bean and is powered by a Quad Core Processor. It has a touch-enabled viewfinder and a few hardware buttons on board, including a flash release (incase it doesn’t automatically pop up), a power button, zoom toggle and shutter release

The Samsung Galaxy Camera features a 16 million pixel 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor along with an f/2.8 21x optical zoom lens which starts at 23mm (35mm equivalent).

Android Jelly Bean 4.1 is available on the camera, meaning a wide range of apps, including Instagram and Facebook are available to download and use on the camera. Integrated Wi-Fi is also included to download apps, as well as send and share images via social networking sites and email. An internal 8GB memory is included, along with a slot for a micro SD card. On the back of a camera is a large 4.77 inch HD Super Clear Touch Display LCD screen.

With the Auto mode, you’ll have access to a touch-to-focus system while leaving the rest of the computing to the camera. Other camera features include 10 smart pro features, auto cloud back-up, smart content manager, photo wizard, movie wizard, voice control and connectivity to Drop Box. In addition, Samsung supplies its own Photo Wizard and Video Wizard software and another tool designed to get good group shots. Google Mobile services such as Search, Maps, Gmail, Google Plus, YouTube and Google Chrome Browser can all be used from the camera interface. GPS navigation is also included.

The camera will be available in a series of colours and with many accessories, including a waterproof case.
- 1/2.33-inch BSI CMOS sensor
- 16-megapixel
- 21x, f/2.8-5.9, 23-480mm lens
- WiFi with 3G and 4G connectivity
- micro-SIM
- microSD card
- 1,650 mAh battery (seven hours of battery life)
Hands on Video
November 23, 2012
Hands On : Sony Vaio Duo 11

We were really excited about Sony’s entrant into the Hybrid Tablet-PC market this year the Vaio Duo 11. An 11.6 inch screen marks the front of the the Hybrid Laptop with a resolution of 1920×1080, the screen is also a Multi-touchscreen. The Display is quite impressive as it is responsive, which is propped up by a hinge mechanism, similar to the one seen on some smartphones.

The Body of the Vaio Duo 11 is made majorly of Plastic and sports a Gunmetal colour. The Vaio Duo 11 is powered by an Third Gen Intel Core i5 chipset and Intel HD 4000 graphics. you have 128 GB of Solid State Hard with roughly under 80 GB available to the end user, after Windows, and Sony’s softwares. The ram is 4 GB non expandable as it is soldered directly onto the board.

The Vaio Duo 11 is fairly lightweight, but may not be as portable as just simply carrying around a tablet.

The Machine seemed responsive at first look and the bundled noise cancelling headphones work great , but the headphones are powered by the earphone jack on the Duo 11 so the noise cancellation will not work with any other device.

The Keyboard is nicely back-lit and has a touch ball just like the ones seen on Blackberry phones, which makes traditional non touch navigation possible. The Vaio Duo 11 also has mouse buttons just under the spacebar for easy click actions.

We did see some software issues and glitches, as Sony told us that the Vaio Duo 11 being shown to us was not the final product but pre production marketing samples. The Vaio Duo 11 also has an inbuilt accelerometer and conveniently placed screen rotation lock button. The release of the Duo 11 marks the entry of convertible tablets in the market, with many other companies already promising similar specs.

November 23, 2012
Sony launches Vaio Duo 11 Hybrid Convertible Ultrabook for Rs. 89,990 (PR)
Sony has just Launched their Vaio Duo 11 Hybrid Convertible Ultrabook in India for a price of Rs. 89,990/-. The Tablet cum PC Hybrid, Vaio Duo 11, features a Core i5 Ivy Bridge Processor with a battery life rated at 4.5 Hours.

The Vaio Duo 11 features a 11.6 inch Full HD capacitive Touchscreen and Slide-Hinge mechanism to prop up the LCD in-one single motion to expose the backlit Keyboard. The Operating system of choice is Windows 8 Consumer ( non – pro) and the weight of the machine is 1.3 KG. The storage is on a 128 GB SSD drive which is swappable for a higher capacity drive, however the RAM is kept at 4GB which is onboard and non-expandable.

The Vaio Duo 11 features 2 x USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI and a LAN port, along with a VGA out and SD Card – Memory Stick Duo Card Slot. The Vaio Duo 11 features 2 Cameras both 2.02 MP Exmor-R with 1080p video capabilities. Sony is bundling noise cancelling headphones with the Duo 11 to make the deal a little sweeter.

The Vaio Duo is Expected to hit shelves in Holiday season in December 2012.

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Touch, write and go with slim new VAIO™ Duo 11

Hybrid Ultrabook from Sony combines fully-featured PC productivity with tablet convenience
- Surf Slider™ design transforms full-function Ultrabook™ PC into tablet operating mode for on-the-go computing
- Slim and light: weighs approximately 1.3kg and 17.85mm thin
- 29.4cm (11.6”) wide view Full HD Touch Screen
- Comfortable and precise hand-writing experience
- Headphone with Digital Noise Cancellation
New Delhi, 22^nd November, 2012: Sony India today unveiled the next generation of Hybrid Ultrabook PC- VAIO^TM Duo 11; the PC from Sony that also turns into a smart, intuitive touchscreen tablet.

With its premium Surf Slider™ design, the powerful VAIO™ Duo 11 PC switches smoothly between Tablet to PC modes to give the best computing experience – wherever you are and whatever you’re doing.

Pick up VAIO™ Duo 11 in one hand and use in tablet mode to browse the web or enjoy music and videos while you’re travelling. In the office, slide out the keyboard and maximise your productivity with a fully-featured PC powered by latest-generation Intel® Core™ processor.

VAIO™ Duo 11 puts touch and handwriting right at the heart of your Windows 8 computing experience. Write and interact with media and applications on the responsive, touch capable, super-bright Full HD OptiContrast™ Panel. It gives the satisfying, expressive feel of handwriting directly on the touchscreen, with the touch of your finger. Make notes, sketch diagrams or ring key points on your presentation with supple responses and imperceptible latency. Smart text recognition even lets you quickly convert handwritten notes to text for easy archiving and searches.

Sharing photos and videos is a pleasure on the super-bright 29.4cm (11.6”) Full HD OptiContrast™ Panel. Friends and family will enjoy detail-packed, high contrast pictures with a wide viewing angle – even if you’re outdoors in bright daylight.

Don’t let your PC slow things down when you’re in a hurry. Quick Boot gets you up and running in seconds. When you need a break, VAIO powers down into a deep energy-saving Sleep mode, keeping your documents safe. With RapidWake + Eco, everything’s ready for instant wake-up, just as you left off.

Optional Sheet-type battery extends battery life.

Despite its slim size, VAIO™ Duo 11 is ready for business with a full complement of ports and interfaces including Bluetooth® Smart Ready, USB 3.0, USB Sleep Charge to charge your USB charging devices like mobiles or music players on the go; even when the PC power is off, HDMI, Ethernet and VGA video ports. You don’t need extra dongles or adapters to hook up a projector or secondary screen: everything’s on board.

VAIO™ Duo 11 gives you life like sound experience, even at noisy places with its unique headphone which comes with Digital noise cancelling feature. Now be in Train, Flight or at office, you can enjoy clear music.

VAIO™ Duo 11 also provides rich networked entertainment experiences.

Expand your entertainment experience even further with three new apps by Sony that are available for free download.

The ‘Music’ application lets you enjoy your music collection with superb quality thanks to xLoud and ClearPhase.

The ‘Album’ application makes viewing, sorting or sharing pictures and videos fun intuitive.

Both applications let you ‘throw’ or stream personal photos, video and music content to enjoy on DLNA compatible large screen TV and audio systems.

Optional accessories include a screen protection cover and carrying case that protects VAIO™ Duo 11 while you’re travelling.

VAIO™ Duo 11 hybrid Ultrabook PC will be available in India across Sony Centers, VAIO flagship stores and other major electronic and IT stores.

Model

Colour

Price

Availability

SVD11213CNB

Gun Metal

Rs. 89,990

End of Dec’12

About Sony India Pvt. Ltd.

Sony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country, with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service. In India, Sony has its footprint across all major towns and cities in the country through a distribution network comprising of over 10,400 dealers and distributors, 270 exclusive Sony outlets and 23 direct branch locations. Sony India also has a strong service presence across the country with 255 service outlets. Manned by customer friendly and informed sales persons, Sony’s exclusive stores ‘Sony Center’ are fast becoming the most visible face of the company in India. A distinctive feature of Sony’s service is their highly motivated and well-trained staff that provides the kind of attentive and sensitive service that is rare today.

For more details, please visit: www.sony.co.in

Follow us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonyIndia

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/sonyindia

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sony_india

[/toggle_box]
November 23, 2012