Tag: gingerbread

BlackBerry Messenger Now Available For Android 2.3 Gingerbread

BlackBerry shared its plans to bring the BlackBerry Messenger on Android 2.3 Gingerbread on 28th of January 2014. Previously, the application was only available for the Android version Ice Cream Sandwich and above and now starting today BBM is also available for Android 2.3 Gingerbread users.

Ever since the availability of BlackBerry Messenger on other operating systems, the company has seen a tremendous response from the users. Now, after the availability of he BBM app for Gingerbread users, the app will be downloaded by more users. Gingerbread takes 21 percent of over all Android platforms, and BlackBerry mentions in the blog that they are expecting lot of more downloads for the app after it is made available for Gingerbread.

[BlackBerry]

February 19, 2014
Android Gingerbread Users Will Soon be Able to Use BBM App

Blackberry’s Messenger app has been available on Android ever since its dramatic launch. However the BBM application was only available for users on Android Ice Cream Sandwich and above, but Blackberry clearly wants BBM to be used by all so the company decided to make the BBM app available for the Gingerbread Android users.

BlackBerry has just confirmed that the BBM app will also be available on Android Gingerbread in the month of February. Gingerbread takes 21 percent of over all Android platforms, and BlackBerry mentions in the blog that they are expecting lot of more downloads for the app after it is made available for Gingerbread.

[Source]

January 29, 2014
Jelly Bean Now Installed On 45% Of Active Android Devices

After a couple years of handing on by a small percentage, both Eclair and Donut (Android 1.6 and 2.1) have both jumped ship from Google’s monthly Android distribution chart. The main reason for this is the new version of Google’s new Play Store app, which only supports devices running OS 2.2 or higher. Google does note that Eclair and Donut accounted for “about 1% of devices that checked in to Google servers.”

Digging deeper into the the September numbers reveals Jelly Bean is on 45.1% of active devices, up from 40.5% last month. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich dipped by one percent to 21.7%. Missing from the list is the newly released Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but since more devices will become available over the next few weeks we’ll certainly see this flavour make itself known.

Since Honeycomb has all but vanished, with less than 0.1% of devices, it’s safe to say that the remaining festering sore on Android’s record is Gingerbread. Android 2.3 still comprises 30.7% of all active users, with Froyo at a quickly-diminishing 2.4%. Many developers have cut off those pre-ICS Luddites, requiring Android 4.0 and above as a minimum, but until Gingerbread disappears, there will continue to be a division between modern apps — those that take advantage of Android’s newest and most effective APIs, and those that simply cannot. Most devices still running Gingerbread don’t support the newest versions of OpenGL, and lack GPU-based acceleration within apps.

September 5, 2013
Android Jelly Bean Now On 25% Devices As Google Counts Active Users

Every month Google releases stats that give a glimpse into the distribution of the various versions of Android. Like clockwork, the percentages of the older versions (Donut, Eclair or Froyo) tend to trail off, while newer versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean amass greater authority.

Last month’s data

Starting with the release of the new charts, Google has changed the way it collects information for the monthly Dashboard release. Back in the day when Froyo and Eclair were the current builds, Google took information from Android phones each time they checked in to Google servers. Now, the data comes from phones as they visit the Google Play Store. This should result in more accurate information.

Jelly Bean has reached 25 per cent marketshare, but is still not in the lead with the most active users. Android 3.2 Gingerbread, released in 2010, leads with more than 40 percent of users, followed by Ice Cream Sandwich with 29 per cent of users.

Before the change in the way Google counts, Jelly Bean sat at roughly 15 percent marketshare, which makes for a considerable jump. Android has long been blamed for taking longer to seed its latest update to new devices than Apple’s iOS. The new numbers, while aimed at developers, definitely paint a better picture to the public.

At any rate, developers now have a better understanding of who to target their apps to.

April 3, 2013
MTS launches three Android smartphones

MTS India has introduced three latest Android-based smartphones to expand its CDMA smartphone portfolio.

These three smartphone named MTS MTag 351, MTS MTag 352 and MTS MTag 281 are priced in the range of Rs. 5499 to Rs 7499. The MTS smartphone range run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and come bundled with “˜Unlimited’ data plans.

MTS MTag 351 features 8.89cms (3.5″) 320X480 (HVGA) pixel display with capacitive touch. The smartphone is powered by 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 Processor and comes with a 1300 mAh battery.

MTag351 features a dual camera with flash (3.0 megapixel back and VGA Front) and will be available for Rs 7499.

MTS MTag 352 has the same features of MTag 351, however, it comes with a large 1400 mAh battery and priced at Rs 6499.

MTS MTag 281 is the cheapest smartphone with a price of Rs 5499. MTag 281 features 7.11 Cm (2.8″) 240X320 (QVGA) pixel display and comes with a 1200 mAh battery.

[quote] “With the launch of these three smartphones, we have now brought four new Android Smartphones in less than two months. MTS now offers a comprehensive range of Android smartphones for discerning, on the move, tech savvy youth,” SSTL Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Leonid Musatov said in a statement.[/quote]

August 23, 2012
Samsung Launches GALAXY Beam Projector Phone For Rs 30,000

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone in India, priced at INR 30,000. The smartphone will enable the users to display and share multimedia content anywhere on a large luminous projector screen or on a clear wall or surface.

The Beam is said to house a 15 lumen bright lamp that is capable of projecting a high definition 50″ wide image at a distance of 2 meters. It comes with a 4″ WVGA multi-touch capacitive LCD screen, and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core CPU. Weighing in at 145 grammes, this phone is just 12.5 mm (0.5″) thick, with the rest of the dimensions being 123.9 mm (l) x 64.2 mm (w).

Other specs include a 5 MP snapper capable of 720p video capture, a front 1.3 mp camera for video chat, and 8 GB of internal storage that’s expandable up to 32 GB via microSD. According to the spec sheet, a pair of 2000 mAh battery packs offer up to 20 hours of talktime. However, it’s wise to take this claim with a pinch of salt, as the figure seems a little too far-fetched to be true. In addition to a wide range of apps available through Google Play, the smartphone comes bundled with a drawing tool for presentations, which is touted to aid in drawing viewers’ attention without the need for a laser pointer.

However, we feel that the phone might not be able to outshine its competitors based on its Projector feature alone.

July 19, 2012
Micromax launches Superfone A80 Infinity for INR 8490

Micromax has launched another Android smartphone in the Indian market, Superfone A80 Infinity. This handset is targeted at the heavy users as it comes with a 2500mAh Li-ion battery that provides a standby time of up to 288 hours and a talk time of 7 long hours from a single charge.

Micromax A80 Infinity is a dual-SIM smartphone with features like 3.8-inch display and Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread). There is a 5.0 megapixel rear camera with flash and 0.3 megapixel front camera. Other features include 800 MHz processor, Wi-Fi, 3G and expandable memory of up to 32 GB.

Priced at Rs. 8,490, it also comes pre-loaded with voice recognition tool AISHA, which stands for Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant. It is a Siri like voice assistant that helps users to update social networking sites, figure out phone status, know horoscopes, make language translations, inquire weather conditions etc.

Check out the press release below :

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Micromax now solves the battery woes of Smartphone users

Introducing the new Superfone – A80 Infinity

?     A80 Infinity provides talk time of 7 hours and Standby Time up to 12 days!

New Delhi, July 10^th, 2012: Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the World (According to Global Handset Vendor Market share report from Strategy Analytics) today announced the launch of A80 Infinity recreating the magic of long lasting battery.

Micromax had created a new category of phones with powerful battery backup when it launched its first phone X1i with marathon battery which standby time lasted over a month in the year 2008. With A80, Micromax again recreates that magic in its Superfone portfolio introducing A80 Infinity.

Today’s youth demand an all-in one device which integrates their communication needs. With the Smartphone evolution, mobile phones are no longer a device that is just used for calling or texting or data usage but has diverse usage. The mobile phone has evolved into a multi-functional device that is used for getting directions, social networking, finding places, checking mails and much more and so long battery life holds a great importance to provide anytime anywhere connectivity and service.

Micromax A80 is specifically designed for those Smartphone users who often complain of running out of battery juice due to heavy usage.

A80 Infinity features a 9.525cm full touch screen and runs on Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread). Users can enjoy undisrupted calling experience with the device which is equipped with a 2500mAh Li-ion battery thus providing a standby time of 288 hours and a talk time of 7 long hours from a single charge. This dual SIM phone is powered with an 800 MHz processor.

The phone sports a 5.0MP camera with Flash users could also share these pictures through Bluetooth connectivity or instantly upload them on social networking apps or through Wi-Fi connectivity. A80 comes with multiple camera settings such as night vision setting, multi shot option, camera censor and multiple video recording formats. The phone also sports a 0.3MP front facing camera which can be efficiently used for a video calling as the device allows 3G connectivity too. Users can store images, videos, mp3 in the phone’s memory which could also expanded up to 32GB.

Micromax A80 comes with voice recognition tool AISHA which helps users to update social networking sites, figure out phone status, operate functions of the device, find locations, know horoscopes, make language translations, view recipes, inquire date and time, weather conditions, and pose knowledge questions and a number of jobs to count on. Get live news feed through apps such as TOI. A80 provides the users with access to a plethora of apps such as Mibuddy, Mstore, What’s app and other apps from Google Play store.

Superfone A80 Infinity is available at Rs. 8490/- This model will be available across all leading retail outlets across India.

For more information, please visit www.micromaxsuperfone.com

About Micromax:

Micromax is the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the World (According to Global Handset Vendor Market share report from Strategy Analytics). The Indian brand is reaching out to the global frontier with innovative products that challenge the status quo that Innovation comes with a price. Micromax has sales presence across India and global presence in Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Maldives, UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Afghanistan and Brazil.

* Micromax holds the 3^rd position amongst the handset manufacturers in India as pre revenue with a market share of 6.9% for the FY 2011. (Source: V&D report)

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July 11, 2012
Ice Cream Sandwich is on 1 of 10 Android Phones

While Android fragmentation continues with Jelly Bean being announced just 6 months away from the ICS update. Android owners have started to shift to ICs with most companies now offering ICS updates for the devices.

While Gingerbread still remains at the top with 64 % of the Android base. GFroyo follows by 17.3 %, and Google’s recently announced Jelly Bean update was not included in this stat.

[Android Developer]

July 4, 2012
Micromax launches Siri competitor “AISHA” and A50 Superfone Ninja (PR)
Micromax is trying to settle in the entry level segment with its own version of Siri, called AISHA it stands for Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant. In Micromax’s own words :

Through the voice recognition tool, Users can initiate a Google search, view stock market details, Know phone status, movie reviews, make calls, read news of desired locations, know horoscopes, make language translations and also view recipes through AISHA. This is not just enough, AISHA helps you to inquire your missed calls, send message, inquire date and time, weather conditions, pose knowledge questions and a number of jobs to count on.AISHA is an application that translates words into action. By simply speaking to the phone, the users can connect with the people, businesses and activities that are important to you. With AISHA if the users need to check the weather conditions they just need to say ‘What is the weather in Delhi’ and AISHA will respond saying “The weather will be sunny”.

Along with this unique assistant, Micromax has also launched a budget friendly A50 Superfone which will come with AISHA preloaded. A50 runs on Android version 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) with a processor speed of 650 MHz, and a 7.9 cm (3.11inch) touchscreen display. Apart from all the above the device is also a dual sim 3G phone which has standard Wifi and Bluetooth. The phone features a 2.0 MP camera and a price of just Rs. 4999/-

Superfone Ninja is equipped with the power of AISHA, an intelligent and interactive which responds to user’s voice commands. To start using AISHA, an internet connection and a Google account is required. Once the Internet connection has been configured on the phone, just tap on Aisha to bring up the Aisha interactive screen and users can start issuing their voice commands. Aisha is continuously updated with new things for the users to enjoy. Just tap ‘What is new option’to find out the new things in Aisha.

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Micromax launches “AISHA” with A50 Superfone Ninja
New Delhi, April 26^th, 2012: Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the World (According toGlobal Handset Vendor Market share report from Strategy Analytics) today announced the launch of A50 Ninja, which comes with an Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant, “AISHA”.

Priced at Rs. 4,999/- the Micromax A50 Ninja makes an effort to provide an affordable smartphone solution for the masses who have longed for a phone which is not just smart but an intelligent device. In succession to A85, A75, A73 and A78, Micromax intensifies its Superfone portfolio by introducing A50 and thus offering handsets ranging from Rs. 4,999 to Rs. 12, 500.

A50 runs on Android version 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) with a processor speed of 650 MHz .The phone features a 7.9 cms multi touch capacitive screen to provide ease to the users. It’s another dual SIM Android powered offering from Micromax. However, with A50 Micromax offers a new innovation to the user in form of AISHA. Through the voice recognition tool, Users can initiate a Google search, view stock market details, Know phone status, movie reviews, make calls, read news of desired locations, know horoscopes, make language translations and also view recipes through AISHA. This is not just enough, AISHA helps you to inquire your missed calls, send message, inquire date and time, weather conditions, pose knowledge questions and a number of jobs to count on.

AISHA is an application that translates words into action. By simply speaking to the phone, the users can connect with the people, businesses and activities that are important to you. With AISHA if the users need to check the weather conditions they just need to say ‘What is the weather in Delhi’ and AISHA will respond saying “The weather will be sunny”.

For the smooth functioning of AISHA to provide an intelligent and immediate response, Micromax has back-end tie up with Indian portals such as Timesjob.com, Simplymarry.com etc

Through AISHA, the users can update their status on Facebook and Twitter. A50 comes on the Gingerbread platform and the users can discover a hub of apps that awaits them at the Google Play Store ranging from entertainment to music apps. Micromax A50 sports a 2.0 MP camera.

Superfone A50 Ninja is available at an attractive price of Rs. 4,999. This model will be available across all leading retail outlets in India. For more information, please visit

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April 28, 2012
Motorola Atrix 2 Full Review + Video + Images

Often, in terms of technology, new products are launched worldwide. Some make it to our fair nation and some completely neglect its existence. The Motorola Brand is one of those companies that dares to beat the odds and infiltrate our market. Late more than ever, some of their products do reach us and the Motorola Atrix 2 did come to India, Although, much later than we wanted it to.

After using it for donkeys days we realized that it actually was stiff competition to the likes of Samsung and HTC in the Android sector and blew away by proportions the iOS of this range namely 3Gs.

Here is our low down, dirty and in-depth review of the Moto Atrix Deux (2)

Build Quality

The Atrix two has a slightly understated build, the company does not do a good job of marketing their product in India. The back of the Atrix 2 has rubber, the kind that does not attract dust a lot, but has a wonderful texture that allows it to be grippy. The back also kind of prevents your phone from going into a panic shock (only if dropped on the back). The Atrix 2 has a nice shiny bezel that has a chrome undertone – more dark chrome titanium esque – and a wonderful display with Corning Gorilla Glass, that gives it the protection it deserves in the front, making it scratch and impact resistant.

Specs

The Display, Camera and Multimedia

Most of these sections are related hence they are all in one sub, The display on the Atrix 2 is a brilliant 4.3 incher with a qHD resolution of 540×960 making it a rich 256 pixels per inch. The only back draw is the level of black is not as intense/deep as we’d like it to be, seemingly also the only thing that is bad with the display of the Atrix 2. The clors are bright and vibrant, brightness levels are excellent.

The Camera is a wonderful snapper, don’t go on comparing it to the super fps of the One X, it captures 264×2448 px images at its max. The camera is fast and has good light capture, it also does full hd video at 1080p. The front camera is a VGA, but should suffice for Skype and Facebook DP images, there is no 3G video calling unfortunately.

Multimedia involves, excellent video playback on the qHD display this is beautifully played thanks to the juice in the processor. The Audio quality is excellent aswell, plug in your headphones to get a great mix of software enhancements. Overall the 3 segments of the Atrix 2 are impressive leaving only did-bits to desire.

Phone, Network and Data

The phone calling capability is robust, with a great earpiece and a receptive mic, there is also noise cancellation to better the overall experience. The network remained solid in our tests with little or no dropped calls, quite good.

Data browsing is fast and 3G connectivity was quite stable in our unstable 3G nation. No flickering between networks meant that we also saved a whole lot of juice and time while trying to access the internet or using connected apps. The online experience on the Atrix 2 is what Android was built for, according to us anyway. Its a pity that we haven’t seen such performance on any other device, the tweaks by Motorola really set the online capability of the Atrix 2 apart.

Moto Mix

Motorola also added a ton of features, including 10 free games from EA and a lot of connected apps that have now started to work in India (most of them anyway). In our opinion with a few limitations, the Moto Blur experience only stands behind the likes of TouchWiz and TimeScape.

Battery

This is our most loved aspect of the Atrix 2, we don’t know what Motorola has done, But seriously, companies should replicate it, license it, steal it or whatever it takes to get the battery performance from their Android devices. The Atrix 2 went on and on, with no special settings changes, we did not turn off the data, or location services or any other connected app.

Standby times were phenomenal, with the device staying connected , receiving notifications for upto 5 days. Talk time over 3G was an outstanding 6-7 hours with an hour increase with 2G mode.

Similar was the experience with 3G web browsing, ranging from 6-10 hours. Battery on the Atrix 2 is Moto Wow!

Conclusion

The Atrix 2 is priced right, comes with Android 2.3 , but will definitely get ICS, performance and battery life is phenomenal. Multimedia and gaming is good, with it being an excellent phone with solid networks and a brilliant battery life. Moto also packs in multiple games for the buyer to entice him/her. You can’t go wrong with this, except it does have a slightly washed out black level, limited connectivity to Motorola blur add ons, and well it has less clout value in the market. Hopefully some of those can be fixed with a software update.

Best Price : Rs. 21,500/- USD : 409.

We Rate It: 4.25/5

Videos

Images

April 3, 2012
Intex Launches 8 inch iTab for Rs. 11990

Intex has just launched their new iTab (names don’t get any better than this). The new iTab priced at Rs. 11990 features a ~~poor~~ capacitive two point touch, with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which appears to be customized in the images.

Under the hood is a 1 GHz cortex A8 core processor, an 8GB internal memory , Wi-Fi, GPS, 360 degree G-Sensor and a 5000 mAh battery. You can get 3G using the Intex 3G dongle on the USB 2.0 port. Apps like Word, Excel and Power Point viewer, Adobe Reader, Android Market, Angry Birds, Solitaire and Talking Tom are preloaded.

The product is already available throughout the country via the Intex dealers, Intex plans to launch new tablets with in-built 3G in 7-inch and 10-inch flavors. We don’t know if can can arrange a review unit, we will try none the less.

March 21, 2012
Samsung Galaxy Y Duos GT S6102 Unboxing and Hands on Video

Nothing better than a quick video from Bharat in the morning to spur up the senses. iGyaan goes hands on with the new Galaxy Y Duos, the Dual Sim brother of the widely popular Galaxy Y.

Check out the video and stay tuned for the full review.

March 14, 2012
New YouTube Android App brings HD Streams to your Old Androids

Still rocking Froyo or Gingerbread devices that fail to stream in HD? Fret no more, the new app update from YouTube will bring HD res YouTube streams to all those devices. Although Honeycomb and ICS devices have been rocking this for some time now, the new app now allows streaming on all those devices that were left out.

Still not all devices will be able to enjoy this app as the update is dependent on screen size and resolution. Alternatively you can find the .apk online and install it! which may or may not work for you.

[Android Market]

March 4, 2012
First Intel Powered Android Phone comes to Europe : Orange Santa Clara

Mobile network carrier Orange will be the first to offer an Intel Medfield powered Android phone to Europe. Codenamed Santa Clara, the 4-inch 600 x 1024 display device will release this summer. The device has an impressive 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video and burst capture of up to 10 shots within a second.

The “Santa Clara” (not final name) runs on Intel’s Atom Z2460 processor, clocked at 1.6GHz. Running on Android 2.3 with a promised ICS update, from Orange. HSPA speeds of 21.1Mbps down and 5.6Mbps up, and an MHL port that also has HDMI out.

Other things for Europe include NFC and Orange voice features and gesture navigation, the talk time is touted at 8 hours of 3g and 14 days of standby, wow.

February 27, 2012
Samsung announces the Galaxy S Player Wifi 4.2 at MWC 2012

Samsung has added yet another device to their Android lineup this year, the 4.2-inch WVGA (480 x 800) screen touting Galaxy S Player , runs Gingerbread 2.3 and has dual cameras 2Mp + VGA. It also has Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and WiFI 802.11 b/g/n along with a 1,500mAh battery. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit comes free with the device and is pre-installed.

Two Variants of 8GB and 16GB wifi only along with 32GB MicroSD expandability, priced under the 250$ mark for the basic version, expect it to become available starting next months.

February 27, 2012