It’s that time of the year again when Apple finally ships its gadgets all the way to India. The wait is over for iPhone lovers eagerly anticipating the launch of the 6s and 6s Plus in the country. The phones will go on sale on 16th October, according to an official statement.
“Ingram Micro India Pvt. Ltd. will offer iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the most advanced iPhones ever, beginning on 12:01am local time on Friday, October 16th in 2,500+ retail locations across India.”
Post a blingy event in San Francisco earlier this month, Apple faced a series of glitches with its App Store, security, and the basic software and operating system of its newly launched as well as the older devices. However, it is not likely that any of these recent hiccups would bring down the sales of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Time to sit back and let the speculations begin.
We had earlier discussed the possibilty of a smartphone named Yutopia by YU launching in India. Instead the company had gone ahead to launch the low-budget Yunique. Now we’ve got confirmation from the brand that the earlier discussed smartphone would arrive with 4GB RAM in tow.
YU, which is a Micromax-owned smartphone manufacturer based in India, is all set to launch its first high end smartphone next month. YU Yutopia is expected to go on sale next month, being the first of its kind since YU launched its three smartphones, entry level YU Yuphoria, followed by YU Yureka and YU Yureka Plus, all three powered by Cyanogen OS. Let’s see what the upcoming smartphone has to offer.
YU Yutopia
The YU Yutopia will be made available in three colours – white, black and gold. It will boast of a 5.2-inch display, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with an expandable microSD card, along with pre-installed Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and Cyanogen OS on top of Google’s operating system.
The phone would be equipped with 64-bit octa-core processor and a Snapdragon 810 chipset. Dual SIM connectivity and 4G LTE would be some of its other features. As has been the case so far with all other YU phones, Yutopia would be available exclusively in India. Details regarding shipping would be known only after the phone has been officially launched. The Yu Yutopia will come with a price tag of Rs. 21,499.
Apple is all set to create another record with the launch of the iPhone 6s that began on Friday. The sale of the latest device is estimated to fall between 11 to 13 million this weekend. Foursquare and Swarm are working together to find out the foot traffic at Apple retail stores across the world based on the information from their apps.
“Based off of early indicators, we predict that launch day traffic will be about 360 percent higher than preceding weeks. This likely means that iPhone sales will surpass previous records, in the 11 to 13 million range.” A report cited.
Sometimes it takes only one new feature to get Apple loyalists around the world excited about a launch. And the Force Touch feature in the latest iPhone devices is the clear winner. This feature, among others, is set to take the sales of the iPhone to an unprecedented new high. Other features also include iOS 9, hugely improved camera (both front and back), faster processors and better connectivity.
Other than a robot in Sydney, the general crowd lining up are pretty much all human. Meanwhile, Apple stores around the world are readying their shops for the potential crowd lining up outside. Here’s a video of store employees setting up iPhone displays in Japan on Thursday night.
If Apple does manage to sell between 11 to 13 million units this weekend, they would top last year’s iPhone 6 that managed 10 million units in its opening weekend. Furthermore, a 13 million sales weekend would represent a 30% increase in sales.
The pre-orders for the iPhone 6s has already seen a major increase since the last year, with the Rose Gold colour being the most popular choice, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of total units pre-ordered.
Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.computerworld.com/article/2986321/apple-ios/apple-s-iphone-6s-is-setting-new-sales-records.html”]Computer World [/tw-button]
According to emerging reports, Samsung could announce the release of the Galaxy S7 as early as January 2016. The reason behind this unprecedented announcement is not known but presumably the company wants to jump ahead of its competition, especially Apple, that will allow customers to purchase the S7 right away.
Generally, Samsung has followed an April release for its flagship smartphones. The upcoming flagship is being developed either under the codename Project Lucky (it’s the number 7 after all) or Hero and Hero2. It will come in two models with one to feature Qualcomm’s new quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and the other having the octa-core Exynos. While one is said to have a flat display, the other will sport a dual-edge curved display.
Further reports also suggest that Samsung might have found a way to make microSD card slots work in conjunction with UFS 2.0 storage but this is mere speculation at the moment.
Only time will tell whether or not these rumors are true but for now it looks like Samsung is working on a clock.
The cat is finally out of the bag as Vertu announces its official upgrade to Signature Touch. The smartphone will now sport a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset and a RAM of 4 GB.
Touch will also feature 5.2″ display covered with sapphire crystal and a 1080p resolution. The main camera would be of 21 MP along with 4K video capture, while the selfie camera is a puny 2.1 MP. The internal storage of the phone is 64 GB, expandable up to 2 TB. Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC are the connectivity options packed in this beauty, along with 4G LTE support . The operating system is Android 5.1 Lollipop, and Vertu’s own concierge goodies.
With its release date on the 18th of October, the phone will be available for pre-order in some countries from 28th September to 8th October. Price would be located within the bracket £6,500 (Rs. 6,56,000 approx) – £13,700 (Rs. 13,84,000 approx) depending on the buyer’s choice of the combination of metal and exotic leather. And no, these figures are not typos – just when you thought Apple was stealing the show for the most ridiculously expensive gadgets.
Here’s a spec sheet of all features of Signature Touch:
Specification
Signature Touch
Display
5.2″ display covered by a 5th Generation solid sapphire crystal screen
Over the past few weeks, Xiaomi had been dropping hints in bits and pieces regarding its latest smartphone. Finally, the Mi 4c with a 5 MP front camera and a USB Type-C connector charger has been launched today. It’s priced at around Rs 13,500 for 2GB RAM and 16GB Flash, and around Rs 15,500 for 3GB RAM and 32GB Flash. It will be available in four colours, namely, white, grey, pink, yellow, and blue.
The phone seems to have an edge over its OnePlus counterpart, OnePlus 2 which is priced at Rs. 24, 999. It offers similar, or even better features for a lower price. The specs of the phone are as follows:
Specification
Xiaomi Mi 4c
Display
5-inch
Resolution
1080p
Chipset
64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
Processor
1.4 GHz
RAM
2 GB/3 GB
Storage
16 GB/32 GB
Expandability
N/A
GPU
Adreno 418
Rear Camera
13 megapixel with a dual-tone flash
Front Camera
5 megapixel wide-angle
Battery
3080 mAh
Operating System
MIUI 7.0 based on Android Lollilop
Price
Rs. 13,500 for 2GB RAM and 16GB FlashRs. 15,500 for 3 GB RAM and 32 GB Flash
Mi 4c has a thickness of 7.8 mm and weighs 132 grams. It makes interesting use of different kinds of taps – a single tap clicks a picture whereas a double tap takes you back. The screen wakes up with a double tap.
The Sunlight Display of the phone provides “excellent visibility in bright conditions”, claims the Chinese company. Along with the USB connector which boasts of Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging, the phone is also equipped with 4G Dual Sim. In order to make all micro USB cables compatible with the Type-C port of the Mi 4c, Xiaomi offers a USB Type-C adapter at an estimated price of Rs. 50. If all this wasn’t enough, the phone also has an in-built IR blaster capable of supporting over 2000 appliances including dSLR cameras. Though the current versions of the phone has MIUI 6, Xiaomi ensures buyers that the MIUI 7 update would be made available very soon.
Watch this space for all the latest updates on Xiaomi’s newest addition to the smartphone industry.
We’ve been giving out rumours and hints about Google’s dual Nexus smartphones that will be unveiled on the 29th of September. We also know that one will be by LG and the other by Huawei. Now, we have reports by Droid Life who confirm that the LG device will be called the Nexus 5X while the Huawei will be Nexus 6P.
The LG device is rumoured to have a 5.2-inch display while the Huawei device will sport a 5.7 inch screen. Other features include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, with 3 GB of RAM for the Huawei Nexus 6P, while the LG device will feature a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor with 3 GB of RAM.
Google will also release the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a 2nd Gen Chromecast. Whether or not the new Nexus names will stick till the end of the month is anyone’s guess. Follow this space for more updates on the Google event.
The invitations are out. Google has sent out invitations for the much speculated 29 September event, which is now a fact. Judging by the line “some tasty new treats and much s’more”, Google plans on showcasing some sweet goodies.
Earlier leaks hinted at the launch of two new Nexus flagships running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. One will be produced by LG and the other by Huawei. While there are no details on what other devices Google plans to unveil at the event, reports suggest that Google may just come out with a successor to Chromecast, the media streaming device, which is said to include some new features such as customizable feeds on the home screen, improved Wi-Fi performance, and a new feature called ‘Fast Play.
Seeing that Apple and Amazon debuted new devices for the TV this month, Google could also have something along this line up their sleeves. At this point, anything is possible. The event will begin at 12PM ET / 9AM PT on September 29th. Follow this space for more on the event.
The Chinese vendors have been super proactive this year. OnePlus took the lead in producing a USB Type C supported smartphone – OnePlus 2. This time it’s Xiaomi who’s challenging that product with its own variation of the Mi 4c that will now support a USB Type C. The smartphone will launch on the 22nd of September 2015.
The Mi 4c is a new phone in the Mi 4 line up and will come in two variants – a 16GB one with 2GB of RAM and 32GB with 3GB of RAM space. It is expected to have a 5-inch full HD display and will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 SoC with a hexa-core processor.
On the camera front, it might come with a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera, while the entire phone will be fueled by a 3,080mAh battery. The expected dimensions are 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 mm and 130 grams. The connectivity according to leaks, suggest that it will come with a 3G, GPRS/ EDGE and 4G LTE support.
The Mi 4c could be priced at around Rs.15,500 for the 16GB variant, while the 32GB variant will obviously be higher.
We have been mentioning Qualcomm’s upcoming processor called the Snapdragon 820 for a while now. A couple of devices that are expected to come with the new processor are – Xiaomi’s Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus, the Nexus 5 and 6 etc. Now, what is different in this version of the processor as compared to its predecessor? Or what is new about the Snapdragon 820?
At today’s unveiling event in China, Qualcomm revealed that the Snapdragon 820 will come with a mobile data bandwidth of up to, wait-for-it, 600Mbps downstream and 150Mbps up over LTE-Advanced (X12 LTE). That is saying quite a bit for just mobile data and streaming. But then again, smartphones have taken over so much of our lives, that we need faster internet on it than on our laptops. Furthermore on the internet connectivity front, it will also come with a Wi-Fi 802.11ad.
Moving on to more technical details, it will use four custom 64-bit Kryo cores instead of the usual Cortex. The new Kyro processor is said to have been created in a way that would make it easy on the battery instead of draining its life source. They claim that the new processor will be 40% more advanced in performance and will have a 40% cut in power usage.
Wait, there’s some more technical details. So, basically this new chipset comes integrated with the Adreno 530 GPU and the Hexagon 680 DSP. The GPU is said to support an HDMI 2.0 and up to 4K at 60fps output. Well, that’s that, but along with the 820, Qualcomm also revealed two new chipset processors – Snapdragon 617 and 430.
Below are images of their specifications:
Because, one is never enough. Now all we have to do is wait and see how well these processors work on their devices. Hang on tight till then.
Some new information on the planned HTC One A9 (Hima Aero) release has emerged. According to latest leaks by @evleaks, the mid-range smartphone is set to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset.
We had earlier mentioned about rumors about HTC’s ‘dual-flagship’ launch on the 29th of September, and had revealed rumored specs on both the HTC One A9 and the HTC Butterfly 3. New rumors on the HTC One A9 specs, however, seem to suggest that the smartphone will most likely battle the OnePlus 2 and Zenfone 2 rather than Samsung and Apple.
Earlier in the month some big specs were floating about suggesting that the HTC One A9 will feature a 5.5-inch QuadHD display, MediaTek Helio 10-core X20 processor, and 4GB of RAM. While some remain true as of today, new rumors suggest that the smartphone will now have a 5-inch FHD AMOLED display, and 2GB of RAM instead.
Other features leaked by Blass include 16GB of expandable storage, 13-megapixel camera (4 UltraPixel front), 2150mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, and a metal design. It is also revealed by @LlabTooFer that the phone will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with custom UI Sense v7.0 out-of-the-box.
With the launch rumored to be pushed to November, we’ll have to wait and see if HTC can bounce back with its mid-range smartphone. Follow this space for more on the HTC event.
We saw the arrival of the awesome Moto X Play that was unveiled yesterday, and now it’s time for more good news. Our readers had asked us when the Style is going to hit Indian markets and we now have an answer.
The Moto X Style is set to test Indian markets by the second week of October, as per reliable sources. No more details about the device have been revealed but if rumours are to be believed, the Style will definitely fit in the same price bracket as the OnePlus 2.
October is just two weeks away so we won’t have to wait long for yet another Motorola phenomena that should hopefully see success, like its counterparts.
Stay tuned for more updates and information about the Moto X Play and Style.
The mid-range Moto X Play has finally arrived in India. Like other Motorola smartphones before, the X Play will be available exclusively on Flipkart starting at Rs 18,499. The Moto range for 2015 includes two variants, the Moto X Play and the Moto X Style which is scheduled to come out later this month.
While the X Style will focus on design, the X Play is built for experience. The Moto X Play will have a 21-megapixel primary camera with dual-LED flash, and a 5-megapixel front camera. The rear camera will have an auto-HDR mode, which means the camera will automatically adapt to the conditions so you won’t have to spend time adjusting the settings manually. The phone will come with a standard HD quality video with 1080p at 30fps.
What the Moto X Play boasts of is its 3630 mAh battery, which will give you plenty of juice between charges. Both the Moto X Play and the X Style will have a microSD slot expandable up to 128 GB. This is welcomed as many smartphones today refuse to come with an SD slot. Other features include a 5.5 inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Snapdragon 615, and an Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU.
In terms of value for money, we think the Moto X Play packs in a lot. The camera and battery life are its main attraction and is a good choice for those who like to play a lot of games on the go and still expect to have enough battery life for the rest of the day.
The design of the X Play is pretty solid with a textured back that has a rubbery finish, which feels comfortable in your hand. The back panel can be swapped for a different coloured one depending on your mood that day. The feisty phone will be available on Flipkart from midnight onwards so the wait isn’t long either.
Watch out for the Moto X Play hands on video and more information about it, today.
The wait is almost over for Apple fanatics in India who have been itching to get their hands on the Apple Watch. The Economic Times reported that the Apple Watch will enter the Indian market next week. Just a few days ago, Apple had launched its new iPhones and iPads as well as an upgraded WatchOS 2 to the Apple Watch.
While the new iPhones are scheduled to come out in mid-October, the Apple Watch will be here before the festive Navratri period which starts in October. The Apple Watch has been introduced in limited countries and the company is also set for the software upgrade. The upgrade will introduce Facebook Messenger and an app called iTranslate.
Apple has tied up with Hermes for brand new bands. But whether the gold and rose gold bands will make it to India next week is still not known, though Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has stated that the new options will be available in all the 24 markets where the watch is currently sold.
The Apple Watch is expected to be priced somewhere in between Rs 25,000-30,000. It will be interesting to see whether the watch will make it big in the Indian market as it has not seen much popularity in wearable technology, yet.
Android Pay, the revamped Google Wallet app, was launched in the US in a number of locations. The Android Pay will be a one-touch payment app much like the Apple Pay, using NFC technology and Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.
Existing Google Wallet customers can update the app and see it morph into the Android Wallet. Google launched a separate app Google Wallet app that focuses on person-to-person payments between friends and family like Square Cash and Venmo.
In their blog Google describes the new app as “easy, fast, and free to send money directly from your bank account, debit card or Wallet Balance. When you receive money through Google Wallet, you can spend it using your Google Wallet Card wherever Debit MasterCard® is accepted in the US, use your Wallet Card to withdraw it from participating ATMs, or cash out to a debit card or linked bank account.”
However, as of now if one tries to download the new app, users will not find it as Android Pay, but rather Google Wallet (New) with its logo similar to the old Google Wallet app but with softer colors much like the recently changed Google logo. This can cause some confusion to users initially. Google will most likely work out the bugs and come out with a separate Android Pay.
The app will be made available in new locations and will support Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards from banks including Bank of America, US Bank, PNC, and others. The app will come pre-loaded on new Android phones. No details on when the app will come to India.
