Tag: igyaan

2013 Range Rover Launched in India

Tata owned Jaguar Land Rover Automobiles have launched the all new 2013 Range Rover in India. The 2013 Range Rover is available in three variants, the Vogue SE is set at Rs 1.72 crore, the all new Autobiography at Rs 1.79 crore and the range topping Autobiography petrol at a mind numbing Rs 1.84 crore ex-showroom-Delhi. According to Jaguar Land Rover, the 2013 Range Rover is the world’s first all-aluminium monocoque and also lays claims to be the largest automotive panel in the world’.

The new Rover has a redesigned body shell, which is lighter by about 400kg and this should contribute to better agility, performance and fuel efficiency.

The 2013 Range Rover also has a larger more spacious wheelbase (40mm more than the previous version), expanding the legroom for the middle row by 118mm.

The Range Rover’s off road capabilities also get a boost thanks to the 18mm increase in ground clearance. The wading depth is also now a claimed 900mm, up from the previous 700mm with an all new Terrain Response 2 system with auto setting and intelligent suspension control based on the terrain. The driver will also have the ability to set from 5 manual options for the ride quality.

The Autobiography Petrol has a 510PS supercharged V8 petrol engine with a response time from 0-100kmph of 5.1 second while the Diesel variants come with 258PS SDV8 which improves acceleration times when compared to the existing outgoing version. While Jaguar has started taking orders for the Super SUVs the delivers are said to begin early 2013

November 30, 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
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
iPad Mini Retina Display Rumors already here

The iPad Mini came to market only a few days ago, but the rumors of the next generation of iPad Mini have already begun. Chinese-language DoNews said in a story dated November 7 that iPad Mini display makerAUO is working on a 2,048×1,536 pixel resolution display for the next iPad Mini Retina.

Boasting the same resolution as the iPad 3 and 4 with Retina display the next iPad Mini’s ppi will end up to be over 300 ppi vs the 264 pixels per inch on the current gen of iPad. Well most would sspeculate these to be wild Industry rumors, it would be only logical for Apple to complete the iOS platform and enable each device on Retina. Especially since Retina has transferred over to the Mac OS based Macbook Pros as well.

The next iPad Mini is supposedly going to be launched next year, either in their Feb-March iPad refresh or their new October announcement schedule. Either way, Apple is still selling out their iPads and expecting to do better this month when the Cellular variants of both the iPad Mini and iPad 4th gen come into sale.

November 8, 2012
Hands On : HTC Desire SV in a Saffron Orange for the Indian Market

HTC has kept it a secret and announced it today, the HTC Desire SV is a phone targeted and designed primarily for the Indian Market . The Desire SV features a Dual Core Qualcomm Processor Clocked at 1 GHz, and in. The phone also has dual sim capabilities and 4.3 inch WVGA 480×800 px SLCD Display. The phone is expected to sell for a price of Rs. 20,000 and runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich along with Sense 4.0.

HTC Desire SV Initial Impressions

The phone resembles the build and design of the One series, with along with the same speaker grills and Beats Audio. The orange color looks bright and nice, however it does not appear to be for everyone. The phone is sleek and the display vivid, the OS seems responsive on the demo unit we handled. You can expect a hands on in a few hours video along with an Unboxing and Review Video in the coming days.

The bigger screen definitely helps the overall look of the phone, adding a full glass front with a tiny display bezel boosts that. The Phone also builds on the Amazing Camera and Authentic Sound with an 8 Megapixel f2.2 camera which has “impressive low light performance”, the Beats audio “ensures the amazing sound” as claims HTC.

[quote]HTC South Asia President, Lennard Hoornik, told us ” The HTC Desire SV is especially deigned and targeted at India and will bring about something that no other manufacturer has been able to deliver, Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound along with the HTC legacy of Build Quality and standards.”[/quote]

The HTC Desire SV is expected to hit the Indian Market in November along with the Windows Phone 8X the Windows Phone 8S and the HTC One X plus.

HTC Desire SV Images

HTC Desire SV Video

November 2, 2012
HTC Will Launch the new portfolio including Windows Phone 8X and 8s for India and Asia Today

We are in Singapore for the launch of the new HTC Windows Phone 8 Devices, including the Windows Phone 8X and the 8S alongside Android devices like the HTC One X Plus. We will get you cover by cover so stay tuned to iGyaan and expect updates on Twitter ( @iGyaan) and Facebook as they happen.

HTC Windows Phone 8X will Be HTC’s flagship running Windows Phone 8 operating system, which was officially released on the 29th of October. It features a completely new approach to Windows Phone 8 Devices with a new polycarbonate unibody design and a list of new bright colors. The HTC Windows Phone 8X features a 1.5 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.3 inch display, 16GB of inbuilt storage and 1GB of RAM. WiFi a/b/g/n, NFC and an integrated 1,800mAh Li-ion battery. There’s also quadband radio support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSPA/WCDMA (850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz) and LTE where available.

The HTC Windows Phone 8S also features similar builds but has a dual tone look. The display is a rather sharp 4-inch, 720p screen. For memory there’s 1GB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage, with room for an additional 32GB via microSD expansion. That actually puts it above the 8X, which is stuck at 16GB of space thanks to its lack of expandable memory support.

The HTC One X+ (plus) will come with a faster 1.7GHz Tegra 3 CPU, larger 2,100mAh battery, expanded 64GB of storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4+ onboard. The One X+ is targeted to replace the One X as a new flagship for Android.

No information on pricing, but all of the above are pegged at a pre Diwali availability. Stay tuned for more information.

November 2, 2012
Breaking : iPhone 5 Price for India confirmed Rs. 45,500 for 16GB, Rs 52,500 for 32 GB
The iPhone 5 has not officially been announced, but we have been tracking its progress from the day it was announced in the US. The iPhone 5 is arriving at stores on the 28th of Oct and may go on sale as early as the same day. Some stores, including iStore (Reliance-Apple tie up) is saying that they will be allowed to sell the phones only on the 2nd of November. Most third party retailers known to iGyaan are sticking with the Oct 28th delivery dates.

The iPhone 5 price has been finalized at the earlier speculated Rs.45,500 for 16 GB with only one year warranty as always and not the Rs. 47,999 price mark (supposedly including the 2 year warranty). Apple is expecting big sales with the iPhone 5 in India, and claims that they will sell atleast double of what they sold last year with the iPhone 4S.

Apple is also pegging big on iPhone and iPod sales this year, and has also enabled localization of apps in the App Store to show prices in Rupees instead of US dollars. The nano sims that will work with the new iPhone 5 are already at network providers and Vodafone has confirmed that they are ready with sim cards in major metropolitan cities for the iPhone 5 influx.

iPhone 5 Price in India
- 16 GB : Rs 45,500
- 32 GB : Rs 52,500
- 64 GB : Rs 59,500
The above prices are also close to the Rs 8000 incremental prices suggested by iGyaan during Laucnh of the iPhone 5.

You can also book your phone like we did from the below number :

Gizmolution +91 9560061018

(We are not in any way affiliated to the above retailer, and the number is for information only)
October 26, 2012
Exclusive : iPhone 5 in India, Buy from your Favorite Retailer starting Sunday Oct 28th.

iPhone 5 India launch details were earlier reported on the Oct 11th on iGyaan. Continuing on that, Apple has taken orders from retailers to deliver iPhone 5 in India for stocking and will give confirmed stock deliveries by Sunday the 28th of October. While we are still awaiting an official announcement from the fruit company for the iPhone 5 India, we have already booked units from our known retailer.

Apple will launch the iPhone 5 in India upwards of the Rs. 46999 price expected, for around 47999, unfortunately there is no further news on the 2 year warranty being bundled at launch. While we are digging further into this, expect an official announcement soon. We are also sure of there being no carrier tie ups for the iPhone 5 in India, unlike previous iPhones that were distributed by Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel and the likes.

The nano sims are already at network providers and Vodafone has confirmed that they are ready with sim cards in major metropolitan cities for the iPhone 5 influx. Apple expects to do doubly well in India compared to the launch of the iPhone 4s which received mammoth demand. According to Apple they have already received hundreds of thousands of requests for the iPhone 5 in India.

If you are in South Delhi and would like to Pre Order your iPhone you can do it from the retailers number listed below. We are in no way tied with them, but have pre-ordered our iPhone 5 from them.

The iPhone 5 is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Apple and released on September 21, 2012. It is the sixth iteration in the iPhone series succeeding the iPhone 4S. The phone is a slimmer, lighter model that introduces a higher-resolution, 4-inch screen to the series and is the first to support a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Other new features include a custom-designed ARMv7 processor called the Apple A6, an update to Apple’s mobile operating system known as iOS 6, and support for LTE. (Info via WiKi)

Gizmolution +91 9560061018

(We are not in any way affiliated to the above retailer, and the number is for information only)

October 25, 2012
Exclusive : Apple iPad Mini may launch in India as early as first week of November

Take this one with a pinch of salt! Apple’s new iPad Mini may not have been announced yet, but it is to make a debut on the 23rd of October 2012. Apple resources and one Apple Distributor close to iGyaan have informed us that stocks for the new iPad Mini may be available as soon as 1st week of November.

Apple is pegging big on their new mini iPad and expect it to sell well during what is the festive season of the Indian subcontinent. Apple’s iPad Mini has been long rumored, in fact Apple is supposedly working on the iPad mini for several years. Leaked images and casings along with camera modules, back panels and even displays of the supposed iPad have been found before the actual release.

If Apple does infact release an iPad Mini on the 23rd Oct event, the pricing will determine its final market worth and also will determine how well it will do in India, provided the above speculation is true.

The current leaked pricing of the iPad Mini starts at Euro 249 for the basic variant which should peg it between Rs 15000-20000 in India.

Apple iPad Mini will supposedly sport a 7.85 inch Retina display, along with new gen chipsets, will run on iOS 6 and will be available in both WiFi only and with a cellular option. Apple is holding the special event on the 23rd of October to announce not only the new iPad Mini, but will also launch upgraded Mac Minis and new iMacs and Retina Macbook Pro 13 inch versions. Apple Cinema displays are also long overdue for an upgrade, which might happen on the 23rd event too.

October 22, 2012
Edit : Vodafone : Happy to Help!

I don’t think most will disagree when I say that the state of mobile network infrastructure in the country is really poor. Post the 3G era most have struggled to make phone calls let alone get impressive data speeds.

We recall the time of 2G, where the network bars were always at full and there was little or no dropped calls.We can safely recall what a challenge it was when we shifted from 2G to 3G last year to enjoy the so called “high speed access on our Smartphones”.

I personally have been a Vodafone user for as far back as I can remember ( Vodafone was called Hutch prior to this and Essar before that) and I never really had a complaint with the services provided. I usually fully exploit warranties and customer care of every product and service to their fullest, to ensure that guidelines of quality of any product or service bought by me are met.

[pullquote_right] the past year had been pure turmoil[/pullquote_right]Vodafone was good to me, their network was strong and at one point of time they even had this wonderful Rs. 1899 plan where there was no limit calling and data usage (2G). However, the past year had been pure turmoil, not only at home but for everyone at the office. With no signal in a place like my bedroom, or my office, making a phone call was like fighting a war on the battle field. I literally can remember twisting and turning my phone to get a good reception, peeping out the window and even jumping out to the balcony for hours to be on conference calls. The call drop numbers were phenomenal, in August itself I had more than 800 calls that lasted no longer than 4 seconds = dropped calls apart from other call drops that happened during a conversation. Not only was it inconvenient it was frustrating.

Although, most of the members in my house use either Airtel and or services like Dolphin (MTNL), I was not keen on switching over my main Vodafone number to another network. But this time around the water had gone through the roof, if that may be a correct term. I was unable to make a sustained phone call on my main number affecting not only personal but work connections as well.

[pullquote_left]MNP came to the rescue[/pullquote_left]Since I need multiple sims for reviews,MNP came to the rescue I switched over one of our numbers to Dolphin and another to Airtel to see any changes in network. After the 10-14 day process I was shocked to see there was really no improvement. Infact it was so bad that Dolphin’s 3G network would disappear while I was getting a call, resulting in a phone crash on the ringer screen.

This is where iGyaan instincts kicked in and I found it as a great opportunity to test the customer service of all three of these network providers. Here is how it all happened in a matter of two months.

1st call Standard customer care numbers:

Vodafone : “We are sorry for the issues faced we will arrange a call back from our network team”

Airtel : “We have not received any other such complaint! please try changing your phone, if the problem persists visit Airtel store to change your SIM”

Dolphin : “Aisa hi hai network sabka kya karein” (Everyone is facing network issues, what can we do ?) [pullquote_right]”Aisa hi hai network sabka kya karein”[/pullquote_right]

While Dolphin’s response was truly expected, Airtel’s was not, especially because their landline customer support is simply awesome.

Two days later on the Vodafone Number I got a call from the network engineer who said : “we are facing major network issues in the area you stay in, and unluckily in your office area as well”. He added “we are trying to set up the tower to fix your home network area, but the office area wouldn’t be fixed by the end of the year”.

As I was not expecting any calls from the other two parties, I decided to make my second call:

Vodafone :”Our engineers have confirmed that your areas are affected by poor networks and our teams are working to fix them soon” He added “the only solution I can offer is that we can send you a replacement SIM card, which might improve your network till this problem is resolved”

Airtel : “If you have changed your SIM and tried another phone I will ask a senior to call you back”

Dolphin : “Sanchaar hut mein ja ke written mein complain kar di-jiye ” (Please visit the MTNL Sanchaar Hut and give a written complaint)

I opted for the replacement SIM card from Vodafone, asked Airtel to arrange a call back and submitted a written complaint at the area’s “Sanchaar Hut” for Dolphin. While Vodafone sent a replacement SIM the very next day, I never got a call back from Airtel. Surprisingly, I did get a call from a Dolphin manager a couple of days later, and he claimed that if I opt for a 2G SIM vs a 3G SIM (since I don’t use data on that number) my network would improve considerably. But, since MTNL is now purely selling 3G sims, he said he might be able to arrange one 2G SIM for me within a week.

[pullquote_left]didn’t expect a new SIM to work[/pullquote_left]Fifteen days later, there was no improvement in the Vodafone Network ( I didn’t expect a new SIM to work anyway) and no call back from Airtel or Dolphin, I decided to make final contact, But this time to Nodal offices of all three.

I wrote up a crisp mail, added all the issues and communications along with my case ID’s and sent individual mails to all three Nodal Offices of the networks. I also marked the Airtel’s mail to their 121 email id.

This is where the picture began to clear up, Vodafone nodal office replied immediately as if it was an automated reply, but it was personal and included all relevant details along with a promise of a call back with a resolution.

Airtel 121 replied stating, that they will look into the matter and come out with a resolution soon enough. There was no reply from Dolphin, and honestly I didn’t expect one either.

Vodafone had escalated my complaint to the Appellate office where a lady named Shweta called me back and offered a resolution : ” We can provide you with a personal network booster which will connect to you cell phone improving the network of your device” she explained. I informed her that many people in our office use Vodafone numbers and we cannot all be linked to multiple of these antennas, and besides I do not wish to convert my cell phone into a land line phone by linking it to a wire.

She then explained that she would speak within the office and try and arrange for a Vodafone Mobile booster for the Home as well as the Office affected. Then began the process of multiple mails between Vodafone and me. Throughout this whole process I was updated of the status of my case, via email or or on the phone by professional people, who spoke well and to the point with accurate information. Soon after the exchanges, a network engineer visited both locations and a week later the installation team came with all the equipment, assembled it at our locations and got the booster running. The booster consists of a antenna on the roof, a network amplifier and indoor antennas which enhance the indoor signal.

[pullquote_right]Professionally wired, carefully cladded and tagged the boosters were installed [/pullquote_right] Professionally wired, carefully cladded and tagged the boosters were installed without affecting the aesthetics of my home or my office. Funnily enough even after all this, there was no improvement in the signal. The Vodafone engineer who came for the installation explained : ” Sir aap do din use karo yeh network pakad lega” (Sir use it for two days, it will automatically register to the network). While I smirked at the thought of the amplifier taking two days to “catch the signal”, I agreed to wait for the said time.

It has effectively been 2 weeks since the Vodafone boosters were installed at our locations, and I can safely say that I have had, but one dropped call. The booster did start to work within two days and has improved the signal to the extent that there are no more choppy calls or “called failed” messages on my Vodafone phone.

I still have not received any calls from Airtel or even a response from Dolphin for my complaints. While the booster has improved Dolphin’s network as well, Airtel remains unaffected, possibly due to different frequencies.

[pullquote_left]Never intended to be a review[/pullquote_left]At the end, this was never intended to be a review, or a bias of any sort. I have hated 3G services from Vodafone and they are still as bad, even with the booster installed. This is because the booster only boosts voice networks and not data, and Shweta informed me that there is no data booster available at Vodafone, else they would have installed that for us aswell. No other provider stepped forward to offer a resolution where as Vodafone installed multiple boosters costing great amounts each, at both our locations. They didn’t charge us a penny and the voice network is now excellent.

For that we rate Vodafone’s Customer Care an A+.

And for our scenario at least – They were really happy to help!

Have a similar story? Share it below.

Photo Credit

October 15, 2012
Rumor : Apple to Launch iPhone 5 in India with Two Year Warranty

Looks like more Apple iPhone 5 news just flew in. Apple is planning on launching the iPhone 5 in India with two year warranty considering the price factor. iGyaan had earlier reported that Apple is planning on special pricing of Apple care for iPhones in India. According to sources, the iPhone 5 will be priced slightly higher than previously mentioned. Rs. 46999 price bracket for 16 GB, but will come with 2 year warranty instead of 1 year. While we tried to approach Apple with this rumor, it appears no one is available on Saturday.

We will get you more information as we get it….

The iPhone 5 is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Apple and released on September 21, 2012. It is the sixth iteration in the iPhone series succeeding the iPhone 4S. The phone is a slimmer, lighter model that introduces a higher-resolution, 4-inch screen to the series and is the first to support a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Other new features include a custom-designed ARMv7 processor called the Apple A6, an update to Apple’s mobile operating system known as iOS 6, and support for LTE. (Info via Wiki)

October 13, 2012
Micromax Launches updated A110,Dual Core, 8MP camera,5 inch IPS for Rs 11995/-

Like iGyaan had earlier reported, Micromax has launched the new A110, an updated version of the highly popular Micromax A100 Canvas.

The new phone has impressive specs starting with a 5 inch IPS display and Android 4.0.4 ICS out of the box. The phone also features an upped 8 MP camera along with a front facing shooter as well.

The phone is priced at Rs. 11995 so expect a full iGyaan style lineup soon.

October 12, 2012
Sony Launches 84-inch Bravia TV, Personal 3D Viewer, A99 Camera Amidst Other Things
At an event here in New Delhi, Sony India launched products cutting across product categories such as Television, Digital Imaging and IT products, during this festive season in the Indian market.

[quote]Extending warm festive greetings, Mr. Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India, said, “Diwali is one of the biggest and most celebrated festivals in India and Sony plans to make this Diwali even bigger and brighter. We are pleased to offer our customers a premium collection of innovative products, that would enrich their experience to a whole new level, and festive offers that will cater to their distinct preferences in a country as diverse as India. This festive season with our revolutionary product portfolio and compelling offers, we are confident of achieving 50% increase over our last year’s festive season sales, taking it to Rs. 2,850 crores (Sep – Nov ’12 period) this year”.[/quote]

The biggest attraction (pun intended) was the BRAVIA KD-84X9000. Sony launched India’s first ever 4K technology enabled 84” 4K BRAVIA LCD TV. This TV is equipped with 4K resolution which gives four times the resolution of Full HD, so customers can see the world reproduced in a way impossible for traditional TVs.

Its “4K X-Reality PRO” Picture Engine is capable of up-scaling any HD content to 4K, so customers can seamlessly enjoy up-scaled 2K content at any time. It has a 10 unit Live Speaker side speaker system built into a rigid aluminium speaker housing, thus delivering powerful, three-dimensional sound from a TV contributing to the ultimate, immersive viewing experience. The TV is priced at Rs 16,99,900 and will be available by the end of November.

Next in line was the Personal 3D Viewer HMZ-T2 which was showcased at IFA earlier this year! The all-new Personal 3D Viewer from Sony is a head-mounted, High Definition 2D and 3D personal display with virtual 5.1 surround sound. It has two OLED screens for each eye, which eliminates crosstalk, making it ideal for both film enthusiasts and solid gamers. The HMZ-T2 is priced at Rs 69,990.

Our favourite product was the ?99 Full-Frame DSLR camera, its flagship model. With Translucent Mirror Technology and newly developed 24.3 effective megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor, customers can enjoy crisp, sharp and perfectly-focused images.

It also features the world’s first Dual AF system and by maximizing the strength of both the sensors, it vastly improves subject tracking performance as well as focussing precision. It also has other benefits such as quick and continuous focus in full HD video shooting and quick shooting while using live view screen in this camera and with its professional sound quality system, users can achieve versatile, high-quality sound expression that is suitable for full-frame movie quality. At around Rs 1,80,000, the Alpha 99 will be among the select full-frame options available in the market along with the Nikon D600.

The VAIO ultrabooks also witnesses an up-gradation to Windows 8 with the launch of touch-screen enabled VAIO models namely, VAIO E14P Series and Ultrabook, VAIO T Series.

Check out the Press Release below :

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

Sony introduces new and innovative products this festive season

Sony launches India’s first-ever, the biggest screen size 84” BRAVIA 4K LCD TV, the first ever Personal 3D Viewer – Head Mounted Display HMZ-T2, the first touch-screen VAIO with Windows 8, the new flagship Full-Frame ?99 interchangeable lens camera and Cyber-shot RX100, the professional compact camera with big sensor

New Delhi, October 11^th, 2012: Sony India launches never-seen-before innovative products cutting across product categories such as Television, Digital Imaging and IT products, during this festive season in the Indian market. India, one of the fast growing markets for Sony, currently stands at 6^th position in contribution to global sales and plans to gain the 5^th position by end of Financial Year 2012 (1^st Apr ‘12 – 31^st Mar ‘13). Living up to the brand equity that Sony enjoys in India, it is indeed important for Sony to launch its most innovative products in this market. Hence, Sony is pleased to announce the launch of a very premium product gamut, as below:
- BRAVIA KD-84X9000: Sony launches India’s first ever 4K technology enabled 84” 4K BRAVIA LCD TV. This TV is equipped with 4K resolution which gives four times the resolution of Full HD, so customers can see the world reproduced in a way impossible for traditional TVs. Its “4K X-Reality PRO” Picture Engine is capable of up-scaling any HD content to 4K, so customers can seamlessly enjoy up-scaled 2K content at any time. It has a “10 unit Live Speaker” side speaker system built into a rigid aluminium speaker housing, thus delivering powerful, three-dimensional sound from a TV contributing to the ultimate, immersive viewing experience.
- Personal 3D Viewer HMZ-T2: Empowering the company’s strong lineage of device technology and innovation, the all-new Personal 3D Viewer from Sony is a head-mounted, High Definition 2D and 3D personal display with virtual 5.1 surround sound, now even more light and comfortable. It is indisputably, the best 3D experience in the world with two OLED screens for each eye, which eliminates crosstalk, making it ideal for both film enthusiasts and solid gamers.
- ?99: Sony India introduces the next generation of DSLR camera, Full-Frame ?99, its flagship model. With Translucent Mirror Technology and newly developed 24.3 effective megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor, customers can enjoy crisp, sharp and perfectly-focused images. It also features the world’s first Dual AF system and by maximizing the strength of both the sensors, it vastly improves subject tracking performance as well as focussing precision. It also has other benefits such as quick and continuous focus in full HD video shooting and quick shooting while using live view screen in this camera and with its professional sound quality system, users can achieve versatile, high-quality sound expression that is suitable for full-frame movie quality.
- DSC-RX100: At the heart of the Cyber-shot RX100 is the world’s first 1.0-type Exmor CMOS sensor with a resolution of 20.2 effective megapixels. DSC RX100’s sensor has an area that’s around four times larger than the 1/2.3-type imager in regular point-and-shoot cameras. Capturing far more light than small-sensor cameras, it’s the key to beautiful, detail- packed images and Full HD movie clips with very low noise.
- VAIO with Touch-screen: VAIO witnesses an up-gradation to Windows 8 with the launch of touch-screen enabled VAIO models namely, VAIO E14P Series and Ultrabook, VAIO T Series.
On top of this, Sony India with the integration of Sony Mobile, is now enjoying the success of its recently launched Sony Xperia Smartphone, Tipo. Sony’s first Sub-10k price product in the Indian market, Tipo is available in single-sim and dual-sim version at the price of Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 10,449 respectively.

With reference to the performance of Sony’s key product categories, BRAVIA, Cyber-shot and VAIO, in the First Quarter of FY12, Sony has achieved quite a significant position in each of them. BRAVIA, with 27.4% market share in Value (as per GFK) and Cyber-shot, with 47% share in Value (as per Import Data) have achieved No. 1 market share in the Flat Panel TV and Compact Camera Market in India. Even VAIO has obtained high market share in the consumer PC segment, with an overwhelmingly strong brand image among customers in India.

Elaborating on the BRAVIA TV line-up; this year, Sony launches BRAVIA TVs powered with new picture settings. It means that BRAVIA TVs are now exclusively designed to cater to versatile demands and preferences of Indian customers for brighter displays and sharper contrast. Last year, Sony engineers personally met a large number of Indian customers to precisely understand their preference in terms of picture quality. As a result, Sony developed new picture settings, which means the brightness and vividness in the BRAVIA TVs is in tune with the taste of the audience in India. This new BRAVIA line-up, which is already available in the market, has been very well accepted in India and Sony is witnessing robust sales since the launch.

In Cyber-shot range, Sony offers the widest variety of compact cameras in the High Zoom range. Sony realized that there has been significant demand for High Zoom in the compact camera segment and now boasts of a very wide product range to cater to this demand. Worth mentioning here, is the launch of Cyber-shot DSC-H100, which again, has been designed as per the taste of Indian customers. Post customer feedback, Sony came up with this product which offers very powerful zoom of 21X in a premium design, with an attractive price point of Rs. 12,990. Not only this, Sony launched Cyber-shot DSC-WX150, which combines high zoom in a compact design, thereby offering a much more value-added product to the customers. Sony expects high sales for this particular model during the festive season.

Moving on to Sony’s marketing initiative for the festive season, Sony has tied-up with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the much awaited James Bond action thriller – Skyfall. The James Bond franchise holds tremendous popularity and power in the Indian market, and with this association, Sony is sure to gain a higher mind share during the festive season. To build on the excitement, Sony introduces an extravagant Lucky Draw for its consumers, namely, ’This Diwali Bond with Sony’. On purchase of Sony products, customers can participate in the lucky draw and stand to win more than 1,800 prizes including 55” BRAVIA TV, the latest personal 3D Viewer, XPERIA™ TABLET and XPERIA™ SMARTPHONE, Tipo.

Extending warm festive greetings, Mr. Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India, said, “Diwali is one of the biggest and most celebrated festivals in India and Sony plans to make this Diwali even bigger and brighter. We are pleased to offer our customers a premium collection of innovative products, that would enrich their experience to a whole new level, and festive offers that will cater to their distinct preferences in a country as diverse as India. This festive season with our revolutionary product portfolio and compelling offers, we are confident of achieving 50% increase over our last year’s festive season sales, taking it to Rs. 2,850 crores (Sep – Nov ’12 period) this year”.

Sony will also have a 360 degree multi-media campaign for BRAVIA, Cyber-shot, Xperia Tipo and Handycam. This will include ATL & BTL activities such as print and television commercial, cinema, outdoor, Web and PR activities. Sony has allocated marketing budget of Rs. 150 crore during October – November period towards the same.

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 its 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

[/toggle_box]
October 11, 2012
iG Exclusive : iPhone 5 being launched in India Internally today – Available Oct 26th Rs.48,000 for 16GB

That’s it folks you heard right Apple is holding a private internal event in NCR to launch the iPhone 5 in India. The Phone which will be next big thing for the diwali season will be launched internally with the product itself hitting shelves on Oct 26th 2012.

The Price of the 16GB version is kept at Rs. 48000 in India, with increments going as high as 8000 per size increase. The new iPhone 5 is expected to do well in the country while Apple will also be launching special Apple care pricing for iPhone for those who want 2 years warranty instead of one.

So hang on to you greens because this s going to be an expensive month.

Update : and its final, the iPhone 5 will arrive Oct 26th for a price of Rs 45,499 for 16GB and Rs 50,999 for 32 GB. Carrier tie-ups and promotions will start early next week.

October 11, 2012