Tag: launch

Samsung Gear VR Headset Launches in India

The Samsung Gear VR Headset, alongside the Gear S2, and Gear S2 Classic Smartwatch launches for a price of Rs 8,200 today to eager Indian customers. The product will be available through the company’s retail stores, as well as through Flipkart.

The focus on virtual reality is growing with every passing day. As more and more important names from the tech industry are coming forward with their products, Samsung too has decided to jump into the fray with its new VR offering for its millions of fans around the globe.

The Gear VR Headset features a wide interface, ergonomic design and a large touchpad. Gear VR promises convenient and accurate control to enjoy games and videos. At the launch the company stressed that Gear VR Headset works seamlessly with Galaxy smartphones. As of now, the Gear VR supports the latest high-end Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung also added the recently unveiled Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM to the compatible devices list.

Samsung stresses that the new Samsung Gear VR Headset is 19 percent lighter compared to the previous model. The new VR Headset features a large touchpad for control. It will weigh 318 grams and measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm. The Gear VR comes with an impressive field of view of 96 degrees. It also houses back, volume, and focus adjustment wheel button for controls.

Samsung’s new offering packs sensors such as gyro, accelerometer, and proximity, and the device will support Micro-USB charging. The Gear VR comes with soft, flexible cushioning material, and also features adjustable straps for ease use of use.The Gear VR Headset will also support 360-degree videos.

Announcing the product Manu Sharma, Director, Marketing said, “Gear VR presents the unique opportunity for consumers to get an immersive virtual reality experience. Samsung will be at the forefront of this exciting revolution to create further ‘wow’ moments in our consumer lives.”

Specs	Samsung Gear VR Headset
Dimension/ Weight	201.9×116.4×92.6mm/ 318 grams
Sensor	Accelerometor, Gyrometer, Proximity ( Mount/Unmount detection)
Field of View	96 degrees
IPD Coverage	54-70mm (Fixed Lenses)
Color	Frost White
Compatibility	Micro-USB Connection to Galaxy Note 5, Note 5 Dual Sim, S6,S6 edge+, S6 edge

January 21, 2016

Samsung Launches Gear S2 in India

Samsung unveiled the Gear S2 at IFA Berlin last year. The smartwatch has been launched slowly in select countries for the past few months and has now launched the smartwatch in India along with the Gear VR headset.

The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch screen with a 360x360resolution (302ppi). To power the device, Samsung has used 1GHz dual-core processor and provided the option of 3G Connectivity. The Gear S2 runs on the company’s very own Tizen OS and uses a rotating bezel, along with the Home and Back buttons, for navigation. Samsung has also added NFC for mobile payments.

Perhaps, the highlight of the device would be the fact that the company claims it lasts upto 2-3 days on a single charge. Since a wearable is an extra ‘smart’ device that you need to carry around, a long-lasting battery is a necessity. You can rotate the bezel to navigate through the device.

One of the exciting announcements is that the smartwatch has been announced in two variants – Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. Other than the design, the only major difference between the two is their size. The Classic has been built smaller and lighter than the Gear S2.Titanium and Rose Gold version for S2 Classic will be available later on. For its timeless design, we’re leaning towards the Classic which comes with a black dial and a leather band.

Furthermore, The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.

Specs	Samsung Gear S2
Display	1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor	Dual-core 1.0 GHz
OS	Tizen-based wearable platform
Storage Memory	4GB Internal Memory
RAM	512MB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.1, NFC
Battery	250mAh Li-ion
Misc	IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant, Wireless Charging
Price	Rs. 24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic

The pricing is Rs.24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic, and they are available on Flipkart as well as in offline retail stores like those of Chroma and Reliance.

January 21, 2016

Vodafone to Start Roll-Out of 4G Ready SIMs in Delhi & NCR

After treating its loyal customers in Australia with the news of 5G launch in the country by 2020, Vodafone brings some much-needed love to its customers here in India. Vodafone India has revealed that it will from today start the upgrade of SIMs to the next generation 4G ready SIMs in Delhi.

Vodafone which has already launched its high-speed 4G services in Kerala on a trial basis, will continue to roll out 4G services to major metros by March 2016. As Vodafone India enters the final stages of bringing 4G network to the country’s capital, it announced the availability of 4G SIMs for its customers at Vodafone stores across the city.

Adding incentive to the already sweet deal, Vodafone has informed that customers who are upgrading to 4G-Ready SIMs will be rewarded with free 1GB 4G internet, at the time of launch. All they need to do is send a short SMS “GO4G” to 199.

Needless to say, to make the magic work, customers will need a 4G ready phone along with a 4G SIM at the time of the launch.

This upgrade before the launch is being done to ensure a smooth, seamless and hassle-free transition from older generation tech to 4G when the service finally arrives in the market. A formal announcement regarding the launch, which is expected soon, will be made in due course.

“Before we step into the next generation of telecommunications, we want to make the transition to 4G to be smooth and seamless for our 10 million customers in Delhi & NCR. We want them to be 4G-ready so that they can start experiencing the benefits of high-speed mobile internet services as soon as they are launched commercially. Hence, this facility to upgrade to 4G-ready SIMs in advance. We are excited and fully geared up to launch our 4G services on the superior 1800 MHz band in Delhi & NCR very soon,” said Apoorva Mehrotra, Business Head–Delhi & NCR, Vodafone India.

Along the lines of what it had earlier promised to customers in Mumbai, Vodafone is also making arrangements for home delivery of 4G-ready SIMs to its premium customers across Delhi & NCR region. A formal communication is being sent out to all these customers with details of the initiative

January 21, 2016
BlackBerry Priv to Launch in India on January 28

BlackBerry today has sent out invites of a launch event for its first Android OS based device in India. The Canadian company has scheduled this event for 28th January, in Delhi, and at the event it has promised to launch to its patient Indian customers the BlackBerry Priv.

The Priv, which was first unveiled in October is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs.
BlackBerry in its previous interactions with the media had also hinted the company may soon unveil another Android phone this year.

In terms of specs, this offering from the Candian company comes loaded with decent firepower. The Priv on the outside has a 5.4-inch dual-curved Plastic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (540ppi). Under its beautiful display, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit processor with an Adreno 418 GPU clocked at 600 MHz.

Blackberry Priv further boasts of 3GB low powered RAM and internal storage of up to 32 GB, which is expandable up to an impressive 2 TB. The battery pack that makes this device run is rated at 3410 mAh. It is also equipped with an 18 MP dual-flash Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera to click amazing pictures.

Blackberry which has dubbed the Priv as the ” secure smartphone powered by Android” is going to roll out the smartphone ‘pre-loaded with the brand new BlackBerry DTEK application, designed to help you manage and protect your privacy.’ Blackberry claims that the DTEK app will tell you which apps access your personal data and shows the overall security assessment of your device.

January 19, 2016
ZTE Nubia Prague S Unveiled

The chinese smartphone company, ZTE, today launched the Prague S, under the branding of its premiuim Nubia range. The chinese smartphone maker revealed that this new handset from the company will be available for pre-order in China starting from 23rd January priced at $380( Approx Rs 25,000). The smartphone will come in Silver and Rose Gold colour options.

The ZTE Nubia Prague S features a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920×1080 pixels resolution. The display is scratch resistant with a coating of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top. The device is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, paired with 3GB of RAM. The internal storage of the smartphone is 64GB which can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.

The ZTE Nubia Prague S comes equipped with a 13.0-megapxiel rear camera with LED flash and an 8.0-megapxiel front facing camera. On the connectivity front the smartphone includes 4G, LTE, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS chips and all of this juiced by a rather meek 2200 mAh battery.

On the outside the smartphone flaunts an aluminium frame body and it also houses an Eyeprint ID scanner. It also comes equipped with Dolby audio and Dolby decoder for a rich audio experience.

January 18, 2016

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Dual-SIM Variant Launches in India

The dual-SIM variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has arrived in India today. The phone is priced at Rs. 51,400 and is available on the official Samsung India’s e-store.

Additionally, the previous single-SIM versions have undergone a price-cut. Though the devices were originally priced at Rs. 53,900 for the 32 GB variant and Rs. 59,990 for the 64 GB variant, they are now priced at Rs. 47,900 and Rs. 53,900 respectively. For a better look at Note 5, check out our hands-on video below.

The Note 5 runs on the Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop) with an Exynos 7420 chipset, a Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 CPU and a Mali-T760MP8 GPU. As far as storage capacity is concerned, this handset comes in two variants – 32 and 64 GB along with 4GB of RAM. However, it does not have an expandable microSD card slot.

Find below the complete specs of the device.

Specification	Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Display	5.7 inches, Gorilla Glass 4 Super Amoled
Resolution	1440 x 2560 pixels , 518 ppi
Chipset	Samsung Exynos 7420
Processor	Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm process
GPU	Mali-T760MP8
RAM	4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	32/64 GB
Expandability	N/A
Rear Camera	16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus
Rear Camera Video	2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps,
Front Camera	5 MP
Front Camera Video	1080p at 30fps
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
Operating System	Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Connectivity	SIM: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, NFC Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor, S- PEN stylus, Dual-SIM
Price	Rs.47,900 for the 32GB variant; Rs 53,900 for the 64GB variant, Rs. 51,400 for the 32GB dual-SIM variant

January 18, 2016

YouTube Urdu Launched in Pakistan

Google has unveiled a new Urdu language variant of YouTube in Pakistan. Users from the country will be redirected to the new web address YouTube.com.pk which will be a repository of local Urdu language videos from the country.

The launch of this new site is regarded as a step in the right direction to get the ban on the website revoked which has been in place since 2012. The new homepage, YouTube.com.pk, will boast of local language and content, but is presently not accessible within Pakistan. The blockade could be lifted in the coming weeks as the country’s Supreme Court is expected to come up with a decision whether YouTube should be accessible again or not.

Goutam Anand, Director of Operations and Content, YouTube Asia Pacific, had this to say about the launch, “With these launches, we hope to pave the way for the work of more local creators, personalities and musicians to shine on the world’s largest and most vibrant video community. To all our YouTube viewers and creators from South Asia and around the world, we can’t wait to see what you share.”

January 16, 2016
Fixstars Launches 13000M : World’s Biggest SSD

While the personal computer industry is still trying to make the massive transition from mechanical Hard Drives to Solid State Drives, a new entrant has jumped into the fray to tilt the balance towards the newer technology’s favour.

For years now, SSDs have lurked in the shadows, and because of technological constraints have trailed HDD’s in terms of storage space, but all of this is about to change now. Meet Fixstars SSD-13000M.

This dull looking SSD from Fixstars comes with a massive 13TB of NAND-based flash memory, and is the biggest SSD so far. Put that in context with the fact that the biggest 2.5 Inch HDD available in the market is a 10 TB storage device by Seagate, you understand how impressive the tech behind this piece of computer hardware is.

But as with most good things, this SSD also comes at a cost, and I’m not talking about the interesting price tag of $13000( approx Rs 8,50,000) that it comes at. According to Fixstars own benchmarks, SSD-13000M because of its size loses out a bit on the speed. The company here has decided to go for steady performance instead of speed.

This device is not focused at home users, and as such the steady performance at the exorbitant price does end up making sense. Considering that it’s no trivial task to combine, and validate so much NAND per drive, such pricing for the device can be considered acceptable.

The Fixstars 13000M uses a specialized disk controller designed by the company and 15nm Toshiba MLC NAND memory. Sequential speed is listed as 580MB/s, sequential write is 540MB/s. Power consumption is listed to be 3W at idle and up to 6.5W under load.

It can be years before NAND Technology becomes cheap enough for such applications to make its way into our homes, but for enterprise users with cash to burn, this offering from Fixstars does make a compelling argument in its favour.

January 15, 2016
Mid-Range Asus Live is Now Official in Three Colour Variants

Asus has come out with a new mid-ranger, Asus Live. It has been launched in Brazil with its specs reminding us a lot of the Zenfone Go.

In terms of hardware, Live is modeled heavily on the same lines as its predecessor. It comes with a 5 inch display with 720p. It has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and is powered by the MediaTek MT6589 SoC. On the camera front, the phone has an 8 MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 2 MP selfie camera. Live is further equipped with Dual SIM support and a 2,070 mAh battery. However, the phone doesn’t offer LTE support.

The dimensions of the device once again remind us of Go. Live measures 144.5 x 71 x 9.98 mm and weighs 140 grams, just a little bit heavier than Go. The new Asus device however has a different colour variants to offer at the time of its launch; they are – Blue, Pink and Yellow. Asus Live is priced at 849 BRL (close to about Rs. 14,000). Let’s see when do we get to see the device in India.

January 14, 2016
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 with Snapdragon SoC Confirmed for India Launch

Xiaomi yesterday through its social media handles teased its loyal fanbase in India with vague communication of an “exciting announcement” for today, and we are glad to say it’s lived up to the said promise. Xiaomi has announced a Redmi Note 3 Explorer contest for 100 lucky winners from the country, effectively confirming that the Redmi Note 3 will make its way to Indian markets soon.

The Redmi Note 3 was launched in China last year with a MediaTek chipset, but Xiaomi is now bringing a new variant to India that is powered by a Snapdragon 650 SoC. No pricing details have been announced, but the 16GB variant will retail in China for RMB 999( approx Rs 10,000). Another 32 GB variant will also be available in the future.

The Redmi Note 3 announced today varies in two ways from the version announced back in November. Firstly, it replaces the Helio X10 chipset with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 64-bit 1.8GHz hexa-core CPU, Adreno 510 GPU, integrated X8 LTE with Cat 7 speeds and support for VoLTE.

Secondly, this refreshed model will feature a 16-MP shooter with f2.0 aperture, and phase detection autofocus. The earlier model only came in with a 13-MP camera on board.

Xiaomi Note 3 that makes it way to India will showcase impressive specs. It will boast of a 5.5-inch 403ppi Full HD display, and come equipped with a dedicated Reading mode. Xiaomi is expected to launch two variants as it has done in China, 16GB storage variant with 2GB of RAM, and 32GB storage variant with 3GB of RAM.

The phone also has a 5 MP front facing camera. It will get the juice it needs from a beefy 4,050 mAh battery, and will feature connectivity options like dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and GPS.

January 14, 2016
Apple Watch 2 Trial Production to Begin This Month

Apple’s second run at striking gold is expected to start sooner than expected. If leaks coming out of China are anything to go by, Apple has decided to start trial productions of the Apple Watch 2 before this month’s end.

The manufacturing of this much awaited second generation smartwatch will be handled by Quanta, the same company which manufactured the Apple Watch last year, but the Cupertino based company is looking at new partners for handling the manufacturing of Apple Watch 2.

Not much is known about the specs of the Apple Watch 2, but rumours suggest the second generation watch could come equipped with a Face Time Camera, different display, and an improved processor. Addition health related features are also being rumoured for the Apple Watch 2.

The product is expected to launch alongside the 4-inch iPhone 5e that has been doing rounds on the Internet sometime in March. Watch this space for latest updates.

January 14, 2016
LG K7 Specifications Revealed

The younger sibling of the LG K10 will hit stores this week. The K7, or LG Tribute 5 depending on the region you buy it from will honour LG’s signature phone design, and will be available to buy starting tomorrow. It will cater to budget concious customers looking for a phone under the Rs 10,000 mark.

This Android phone which will come with Lolipop 5.1 out of the box has a 5-inch 480p display. The phone has a matte peblle curved design, and also features the new 2.5D Arc Glass design. It comes in Titan carbon gray color, and is smaller than the K10 at 143.6 x 72.5 x 8.9mm.

The phone is expected to feature a 1.3Ghz Quad Core Chip in the model that makes it to India. It has 16GB of internal storage onboard with 1.5GB of RAM, another option could also be made available with 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM.

The K7 will feature a 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera and will come equipped with software features like gesture shot, gesture interval shot and a screen-lit “flash” for front-facing selfies.

January 13, 2016
Possible LG G5 Launch Round the Corner after MWC Event Tease

Mobile World Congress, 2016 is just round the corner and big name brands have already started gearing up to showcase the best they have to eager customers around the globe. Surprisingly, first out of the blocks is South Korean tech giant, LG.

The G5 which has been rumoured to get an earlier than usual launch date is being tipped to be unveiled next month in Barcelona. LG for its part has today only added fuel to fire by sending out invites to the media for an event on February, 21. The invite does not reveal much, but only states, “Play Begins” with a mysterious jack-in-the-box music player in the background. What this could possibly point to is a music focused flagship for this year.

LG on its part has usually unveiled its G series flagship phones later than its competitors Samsung, and HTC, and has lost out in sales numbers because of it. This switch in strategy could well see it substantially increase sales in important markets.

The G5 is rumoured to come equipped with a 5.3-inch QHD display, sporting a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also suggested that LG G5 might include an eye scanner, USB-C connectivity and a fingerprint sensor. Speculation also points to a 21-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing sensor.

There are also whispers suggesting that the device might come with some sort of modular attachment. Well, what that attachment could be is anybody’s guess right now. The stylish addition of leather to the back of the handset could also be seen in the new flagship.

January 13, 2016
Polaroid ModelSmart 250S : 3-D Printer for your Home

Polaroid is a company which became a world-wide hit during the 70’s with its instant photo spitting devices. It’s a brand that invokes nostalgia amongst all who ever held, or saw one of its rainbow striped cameras. Though these devices are no match for today’s digital cameras for features, but in terms of fun, and instant gratification, Polaroid’s instant snappers provided something that no digital camera can match.

At CES, 2016, Polaroid keeping in touch with the core values of its brand launched the Polaroid Snap. The Snap was the evolution of the 70’s Polaroid instant Snapper. This device is a Digital Camera + Bluetooth Instant Printer in one. Suffice to say onlookers were charmed, Polaroid back in the news, but it seems like the Company wasn’t done. Well, not just yet. Enter Polaroid ModelSmart 250S.

Smart 250s is Polaroid’s attempt at testing new waters in 2016. This is Polaroid’s foray into the 3-D printing market. The company will produce this tech in partnership with U.K based Environmental Business Products(EBP).

The printing chamber’s dimensions are 250 x 150 x 150mm (W x H x D), and on the outside the printer bears Polaroid’s iconic color band along with its name at the front. It is a refreshing change from the other dull 3-D printers available in the market.

Polaroid’s machine comes with autocalibration, and 3-D Prep software, and hence only 10 Simple settings for printing. It also is equipped with Wi-Fi enabled camera, and app control so that printing can be done sitting from the users desk. Objects between the size of 50-350 microns can be created with ModelSmart 250.

With the ModelSmart 250S, Polaroid’s come to the market with a simple product aimed at home users, but more likely users of this machine could end up being small businesses, and startups. No pricing information has been announced for the ModelSmart 250S.

January 12, 2016
iPhone 5e to be the Name of the 4-inch iPhone

It’s sort of a tradition now for Apple to release a cheaper variant of its flagship devices. It was the case for the iPhone 5C and so will be the case with the iPhone 6C. For weeks now we have been hearing rumours that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone. The device was initially called iPhone 6c, which later went ahead to be renamed 7c, and now we know it will be called iPhone 5e.

A Chinese analyst has confirmed that the 4-inch iPhone would be called iPhone 5e where ‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’. The phone will be an improved version of the 5s and will support Apple Pay and VoLTE.

Because the phone will be an entry level device, we don’t expect it to feature current-gen processor. Even on the camera front don’t expect a major bump. The iPhone 5e will likely stick with an 8 MP rear from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and might even let go of OIS. It’s expected to be priced around $500 (close to Rs. 33,000) and arrive in March. For a complete round-up of all that we know about the device so far, click here.

January 12, 2016