Motorola was expected to re-launch a beefed up version of the Xoom Tablet (which failed to do well), especially since its epic takeover news first hit us. The new versions of the Tablet have been roaming around on the iter-webs for sometime. But now, folks from engadget have got their hands on some real interesting images that suggest that there are, not one but two Xoom Tablets all set to be released.
The devices are presumably as thin as the iPhone 4 at just 9.3mm, the devices will come equipped to handle next-gen LTE networks. Android 3.2 and five-megapixel HD cameras on the rear.
The highly awaited sequel of the HTC Sensation, the HTC Sensation XE is all set to launch in the UK on the 7th of October 2011. It seems like the company is eager to push out its revamped device to the users/consumers, just before the next Apple device can launch.
Sources close to iGyaan have told us that the company plans a launch of the devices in Europe including UK and Asia including India in the first ten days of October 2011. The revamped handset boasts a bunch of improvements over the original Sensation including a faster processor.
Price for the UK remains at £410 (£492 inc. VAT) and the device is expected to HIt India at the 32,500/- Rupees price mark with a significant decrease to 28,500/- within 15-20 days of launch. The box of the Sensation XE will come bundled with urBeats in-ear headphones from Monster Cable (part of Beats by Dre)
The Complete Spec List Includes :
CPU Processing Speed
1.5 GHz, dual core
Storage
Total storage : 4 GB
Available storage : up to 1 GB
RAM : 768 MB
Connectors
3.5 mm stereo audio jack
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection
(Special cable required for HDMI connection.)
Sensors
Gyro sensor
G-Sensor
Digital compass
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor
Multimedia
Gallery, Music, and FM Radio
Beats Audio™
DLNA for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to your TV or computer
We have got some exclusive news for those hoping to get in on the HTC Rhyme action (launched earlier today in the US). We have got exclusive inside new that the device will launch in India as early as November 1st week and latest by end November – no confirmed dates yet.
But one thing we have heard since the past 5 hours is the price : we are hearing a 14,599 price at launch ( sounds brilliant for the device.) along with additional 499, 1899, and 2099 for the charm, bluetooth headset and desktop speaker respectively.
Thats more information than we expected at this stage anyway, This info also comes from a very reliable source who has snitched to us since the launch of the Desire HD last year.
Not only is is an iPhone 4S but its a white iPhone 4S. Thats right a new SKU has been found on the AT&T employee database in the US. ATT&T is the primary partner since the initial launch of the iPhone back in 2007. An employee found the AT&T’s internal system, listing the “iPhone 4s White” along with the usual Apple devices.
The interesting part of this whole mystery is that a black version is nowhere to be found. Does that mean – Apple is taking out a Special edition iPhone 4 which will be available in white only. Or does it mean that the next budget iPhone 4 will also be available in white from launch.
Update: we have confirmed new that this device is now called the Micromax A85 , the specs remain final.
Whats up butterflies of the inter-webs, we have exclusive news for you folks. Micromax is working on a dual core smartphone for the Indian Market. Currently dubbed “PowerPhone” expect a “Poseidon”, “Titan” or “Hercules” type of name on launch.
The new device will be based around a phone made in the depths of Chinese Manufactories. Micromax will add its design hues but more or less the specs will remain the same.
Rumored Specs will include:
A Tegra 2 Processor with Geforce8
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
1 GHZ dual core – 2 x Arm Cortex A9 processors
512 MB RAM- 8 Gb onboard storage
3.8 inch screen with 480×800 pixel resolution
Capacitive Touch Screen with 4 Multitouch points
5 Megapixel camera with tap focus and intelligent illumination
Rumors point to a possible drop of the onboard storage to make the device affordable. There is also a front facing camera and a 1650mah battery.
Whatever may be the case the device is set to launch later this year with a price tag of less than Rs. 18,000/-
Hold on while we try to get an official word on this, so to happen Rumor!
Update: we have confirmed new that this device is now called the Micromax A85 , the specs remain final.
Remember we dropped first information on this device back in June!
Thanks to a leaked image of a Best Buy staff memo, it has been made clear that Preorders of the iPhone 5 will begin soon enough. The memo explained that the iPhone 5 Launch will happen in the 1st week of October and Sprint (US) is getting the iPhone as-well. That means unlocked CDMA /GSM variant or Dual band iPhones from the US. Either way, if the launch is happening during the 1st week of next month, Apple should be prepping a press invite as you read this.
We got our hands on the brother of DV6 6017 tx that we Unboxed and Reviewed earlier. The HP DV6 6121TX adds few major upgrades and does not affect the price of the computer.
Samsung has just issued us notice that there will be a big announcement on the 1st of september at the IFA in Berlin. While there is speculation of another tablet being introduced by Samsung. fingers point at a 7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution, a 3-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel camera for video chats.
Bu,t look at the videos below and you will remember a 2GHz phone that Samsung talked about in the beginning of 2011. I don’t know about you guys, but we are calling another smartphone announcement, possibly even a 2GHz Dual Core Samsung Galaxy S3, even with a 720p display running Ice Cream Sandwich. The good thing however is that its not too far away and with only weeks to spare, you can bet on the fact that we will cover the event.
Check out the Promo Videos Below
Samsung roadmap
Samsung I9250 (W48) – 4.65 inch Super AMOLED of HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), Android Ice Cream sandwich, 5 MP camera.
The Samsung I9220 (W43) – 4.3-inch Super AMOLED of HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 1.4 Ghz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera.
The Samsung I9210 (W48) – 4.5 inch WVGA Super AMOLED, Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 4G connectivity, 16 GB of memory, 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, 1750 mAh battery.
Samsung P6200 (W44) – 7 inch Super AMOLED of SVGA resolution (1024 x 600 pixels), Android Honeycomb, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, 3 megapixel and 2 megapixel cameras. Samsung P6210 (W44) – Wi-Fi-only version of the P6200.
Samsung S8600 Wave III (W47) – 4″ Super AMOLED, Bada 2.0, 5 megapixel camera, Bleutooth 3.0, 3 GB storage.
Samsung i8350 Omnia W (October) – 3.7 inch WVGA display, Windows Phone 7.1 Mango, 1GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth.
The Micromax Andro A70 was one of the most anticipated phones of this quarter, especially in the sub Rs. 8000 bracket. To be honest, at first we thought of it as just a minor upgrade to the existing Andro A60. But as we reviewed this little marvel we began so see a major change in its operation. Lets see why the Andro A70 is our pick for the price range.
Build Quality and Design
Reminiscent of the Nexus One’s design, the Micromax Andro A70 is built with sturdy plastics. Nice curvaceous ends make it an extremely attractive design, and very comfortable to hold in the hand. The screen on the front is tough and provides the extra protection required for a touch phone of this nature. The buttons are tactile and easy to use, the overall standard of construction is quite impressive.
The front of the display is also glass and not plastic unlike its predecessor, Which makes the overall build of the device impressive. The phone is sturdy and does not make rattling noises even when tossed around.
Hardware
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Camera Primary 5.0 MP Secondary – VGA
600MHz Processor
3.2 inch Multi Touch Capacitive Screen
Mi – apps – application store by Micromax
Full Android Market
WCDMA 2100 MHz
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Mi-Fi Pocket Wireless Internet
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Battery 1450mAh
Proximity Sensor
Gravity Sensor
Camera and Multimedia
A surprisingly interesting 5 MP camera with autofocus that delivers exceptionally good pictures. The camera displays great skill when it comes to auto-focus and cannot be tackled down by any other device in this price range. Although colors appear washed out at first but a little playing around with the settings gives a good picture.
Video on the other hand is simply OK, you cannot expect much from the VGA video capability. A simple tweak, by changing the video quality settings to custom in the camera we were able to get VGA video. If you leave the video quality to high, it captures a much lower resolution video. A sample of the video can be seen in the videos below.
The Front facing camera, is a simple VGA camera and can be used for nothing but clicking self portraits and video. We tried several times to initiate a camera response from Skype /fring etc, but failed to do so.
The screen of the Andro A70 is great for watching videos and browsing the internet. It is also a capacitive 2 point multitouch screen, so pinch to zoom works great and with the 3.2 inch 320x480px screen text is crisp and easily read.
Speakers are loud and clear when it comes to watching videos or simply listening to music. Overall multimedia experience was satisfactory and a lot more than you can expect from a device which costs only 7500 Rs.
Phone and Messaging
No complaints here, the phone call capability was excellent , little or no dropped calls, clear speaker and earpiece. the microphone also pics up sound aptly and delivers to the other side. One thing with mentioning is the number of connection errors faced in process of dialing a number were far more than any other device tested.
Messaging and emailing has also improved vastly over the previous A60 thanks to the inclusion of the capacitive screen. This makes the device almost brilliant, keyboard is nice and spread out and easy to type on even with relatively large fingers. The keyboard can also be easily replaced with customizable keyboards from the Marketplace, including Better Keyboard. Swype however does not work with the Andro A70.
Internet and Portable Hotspot
This section is dedicated to connectivity and utilization of the Internet, Data and WiFi.
The A70 has a very weak WiFi antenna, and mostly requires you to be relatively close to the router to get a decent signal. This was kind of a let down especially after the excellent WiFi antenna on the Andro A60.
The Portable Hotspot also fails throughout the board, dropping WiFi and asking for reactivations several times.
Apart from the above, browsing works great on the A70 especially 3G networks perform as good as high end phones.
Battery Life
We were quite impressed with the battery life on the A70, with over 5 hours of talk time, and a good 7-8 of internet usage, upto 3 days of standby, make it an excellent device in terms of battery life. But with Android as an OS, you never know what app you install, suddenly battery life is critically lower than before. Overall great battery , be sure to inspect your apps if you face battery issues.
Conclusion
While its an extremely awesome device for its price, it definitely has its ups and its down . With limited WiFi range and useless front camera this device lacks little and gives more. Good things include impressive build quality, a great photo camera, Android 2.2, wifi hotspot, easily root-able ( with possibility of custom rome). This device is a little understated by the company. The UI is much improved and a launcher from the market like ADW launcher can make this device a gem with pinch home screens, and smooth scrolling.
The Micromax Andro A70 is a good package for someone who wants to enter the Android ecosystem, or even a good upgrade for an A60 user. This device is also an excellent secondary device for a expensive smartphone.
Looks like news about delayed iPhone launches might not be true after all. Earlier reports had suggested for a September release, but were later superseded by several reports of a October release. Now, Finally there is some sure ground on the iPhone situation.
According to unknown sources known to engadget, Telefonica will scale back the iPhone 4 stock from now up until September 12th. This only and clearly indicates an imminent launch date. According to the source, this three week program is a move that “will of course prepare us for the launch of a new smart phone.”
Like we promised the new Blackberry Bold 9900 touch has gone on sale in India. The price is also the same as we promised INR 32,500. The device can be bought from select retailers.
If you happen to be in Delhi
You can get the device at 31,500/- Limited stock is available.
The launch of the Bold 9900 Touch is set for 18th August.
We we have an exclusive unboxing and hands on coming your way in a bit.
We reported earlier that the Bold 9900 is coming in the second week of August. After a long discussing with Vodafone CMO Kumar Ramanathan, we were able to collect that the device is infact coming in August, but the launch dates have been shifted to either 20th or 25th of August.
All the stock for the Blackberry Devices is already in India and has cleared customs, warehouses are stocking the devices and sale of the device will begin almost immediately after the launch event.
We are really looking forward to the launch of this device, we truly support the fact that it will do magic for our Blackberry Division
He also said that the call centers were gathering record enquiries for the device, some stating the source as our website.
The Bold Touch 9900 will be RIM’s first device to have a qwerty – touchscreen combo in a candybar design, it also has the first 1.2 ghz processor to have ever appeared in a Blackberry device. A 287dpi pixel density means this device is going to be easy on the eyes. At just 10.5mm thick, this device will be the thinnest ever from RIM/blackberry.
The outside shell of the device is made out of machined steel, along with carbon fibre composite for the back panel. The liquid graphics based LCD display has a toughened glass exterior.
Pricing speculation still remains in the Rs 32000 mark, although a couple of iGyaan sources at Blackberry were able to tell us that the company is hard at work trying to get the price around Rs 28,000 during the launch or within a week-ten days from launch time. As always expect full coverage of the device post launch.
HTC chief executive Peter Chou on Tuesday said that the Taiwan-based smartphone vendor is scheduled to launch between six and eight new smartphone models this quarter.
After their immense profit reporting in the last quarter and with over 12.1 Million phones shipped, the Taiwanese giant are planning to up the sales by introducing new units. the expected growth for Q3 is a million , taking total sales to 13 million.
Chou also stated that all of the devices HTC launches in the third quarter will be middle or high-end models, and therefore HTC has no plans to launch low-priced models in the market, uncompromised to price competition.
Here it is, we got over a thousand requests for the Andro A70 Unboxing and Review, while the review process is on, check out the unboxing and hands on below.
The carbon fibre loving, touchscreen boasting, fastest smartphone from Blackberry is coming to India in August. The steel frame device is already set to launch in the UK on 22nd August. The device will initially be available only in the black color , but RIM promises to release a chic white version in October sometime. The device is the biggest upgrade to the Bold lineup from RIM in the longest time since the 9700.
We also have exclusive news that the device will be priced at 32,500/- with a 1.5 year warranty.
The company is also planning to release the Torch 2 sometime later this year.
