Tag: official launch

Google Launches The Pixel 2 For US$649

Google has launched the new iteration of the Pixel 2016, the Pixel 2 during its launch event at Google HQ. The Pixel 2 is priced at Rs 61000 for the 64GB variant. Google will also bundle a Google Home Mini with every order of a Pixel 2 for a limited time.

Following the design language of last year’s Pixel phones, the smartphone features a 5 inch 1920 x 1080 px OLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. Powering the device is a 2700 mAh battery and it runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. As is with with every Google phone, the new Pixel 2 will be first in line to receive Android P update in 2018. Under the hood, the device has typical 2017 flagship specifications. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa core processor, Adreno 540, 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device but, this time around the “glass window” is smaller. The two-tone colour of the phone is also reminiscent of the original Pixel from 2016. Google claims that the fingerprint sensor is the fastest on a smartphone. The Pixel 2 is water resistant as well.

A new addition is front-firing dual stereo speakers. The big omission is the much talked about 3.5 headphone jack. The Pixel 2 also has an always on display for better accessibility. Another feature is the Active Edge feature which lets you squeeze the frame of the phone to launch the Google Assistant. Google has also made some minor changes to the phone’s home screen. The most notable change is that there’s now a search box at the very bottom of the screen. Up top, there’s now an “at a glance” widget, which displays your upcoming meetings, as well as the date and temperature.

On the camera front, Google has decided to go for a single camera setup similar to last year’s Pixel phones. The rear-facing camera is a 12.2 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Google has introduced new features in the camera department like the addition of AR. You’ll be able to add 3D characters and emoji into photos and videos and see them move around as you’re capturing the scene. That includes things like a sleepy coffee cup, but also some recognisable characters. Google is going to be partnering with third parties to add in some famous faces. This year, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL use a technology called “dual-pixel” which divides every pixel into two. DXOmark has given the cameras of the Pixel 2 a score of 98, highest ever for a smartphone. Google says Pixel 2 has greater high dynamic range, optical image stabilisation, and a portrait mode that doesn’t use a second camera but dual-sensor image technology. The Pixel 2 XL uses both OIS and EIS simultaneously for better clarity and stable images and videos. The portrait mode works on both rear and font facing cameras, just like the new iPhones.

The Pixel 2 will be available online on Flipkart exclusively and at select offline retail outlets. As far as pricing is concerned, the Pixel 2 64GB is priced at Rs 61,000, the 128GB variant at Rs 70,000, the Pixel 2 XL 64GB is priced at Rs 73,000, and the 128GB at Rs 82,000. Pre-orders in India begin from 26th October 2017, the Pixel 2 will be available for sale from November 1 and the Pixel 2 XL from 15th November.

October 4, 2017
Honor Holly 4 Launched In India

Honor has launched the Holly 4 in India and is targeted at the offline consumer market.

The Holly 4 has a 5 inch 1280 x 720 px display. Powering the device is a 3020 mAh battery and it runs Android 7.1 Nougat with Honor’s custom EMUI 5.1 on top. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset, 1.4GHz octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device just below the camera and flash. At the front of the device, there are no buttons, meaning the phone will have onscreen navigation buttons.

In terms of optics, the smartphone has a rear-facing 13MP camera with dual-LED flash and PDAF. The front of the device houses a 5MP camera.

The Holly 4 is priced at Rs 11999 in India and will be available offline only in three colour variants – Black, Gold and Silver. Honor has launched the device in the festive season to give consumers another option in the budget smartphone category. If the recent Amazon and Flipkart sales are anything to go by, it is certain that Indians like buying smartphones during the festive season. P Sanjeev, Vice President – Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group India, commented on the launch:

Holly 4 is part of our festive offering to consumers wanting to buy a great device in a budget. Sporting a sleek, elegant metallic design with a fast fingerprint sensor we are confident that this smartphone will be a big winner.

The Holly 4 will be up against the likes Of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Lenovo K8 Note, Lenovo K8 Plus and even the Moto G5 Plus in the budget category. With its concentration solely on the offline market, it will be interesting to see how the Honor Holly 4 performs with the festivities at bay.

October 3, 2017
GoPro Hero 6 Black Launched For US$499

GoPro has launched its latest iteration of the flagship camera, the Hero 6 Black at an event in San Fransisco. The GoPro Hero 6 Black is on sale in North America at a price of US$499. From the outside, the Hero 6 Black retains the design of the Hero 5, but, you’re paying an extra $100 for increased frame rates, better overall image quality and speed, thanks to a new and custom processor.

The new GoPro Hero 6 Black will shoot 12MP photos, in JPG or RAW, and GoPro’s Wide Dynamic Range mode. But it will supposedly perform better in low light than the Hero 5 Black and offer better image quality in all situations. The GoPro Hero 6 Black will shoot 3840 x 2160 px videos at 60fps. Higher frame rates offer a smoother look and more importantly, they make it possible to create slow-motion footage. There’s also a better Wi-Fi radio inside that triples the transfer speeds of the last generation Hero, so you can get your footage into the GoPro app on your phone three times faster than previous generation GoPro camera. The camera will shoot 2.7K videos at 120fps and super slo-mo 1080P videos at 240fps.

The Hero 6 Black’s improved performance, imaging tricks and new video taking capabilities are powered by GoPro’s new custom processor, the GP1. This is GoPro’s first custom chip, and it’s an important move for the manufacturer as it prepares to differentiate itself from the growing market of imitators. By building a camera around its own chip, GoPro can add features that are difficult for competitors to copy. The GoPro has GPS, a 2-inch LCD touchscreen on the back, voice controls, and some instant-editing features for when you’re on the move. The new camera is rugged as usual and is waterproof to 33-feet.

The GoPro Hero 6 Black is priced at Rs 45000 in India and is available to buy here.

September 29, 2017
HMD Global Launches The Nokia 8 In India At A Price Of Rs 36999

HMD Global has launched the Nokia 8 in India at a price of Rs 36999. HMD global held a launch event in New Delhi on September 26th and unveiled the first-ever Android flagship with Nokia branding in India. The flagship will be up against the likes of LG G6, OnePlus 5 and the Honor 8 Pro as far as the price of the phone is concerned.

The Nokia 8 has a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. The smartphone has an aluminum unibody design and an IP54 rating for splash resistance. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside a physical home button which sits between two navigation touch capacitive buttons below the screen. Powering the device is a 3090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support via USB Type-C port. The Nokia 8 runs stock Android 7.1.1 OS and the company has promised monthly security updates and yearly Android updates. Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The smartphone will be available in Tempered Blue, Polished Blue, Steel colour variants at the time of the launch and the Copper Gold colour variant will be available after a few weeks.

In terms of optics, the Nokia 8 is the first Nokia Android device to feature Carl Zeiss optics. In a very 2017 move, the Nokia 8 boasts a Zeiss powered dual camera setup at the rear – a primary 13MP RGB (colour) sensor with optical image stabilisation paired with a 13MP secondary monochrome (black and white) sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of recording videos in 4K at 30 FPS and has a portrait mode for bokeh effect. On the front is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture which can also record 4K videos at 30FPS.

One feature that HMD Global has concentrated on in the Nokia 8 is Bothie. The company claims that the Nokia 8 is the first smartphone in the world which allows ‘Dual-Sight’ video to be live streamed natively and in real-time to social feeds such as YouTube and Facebook. Dual-Sight allows you to use the front and rear camera at the same time in a split screen view. Another feature that the smartphone boasts is called OZO Audio in which the smartphone’s three microphones and Nokia’s acoustic algorithms allow you to capture 360-degree spatial surround sound. You can also share 4K videos with OZO audio with anyone – binaural codecs ensure high fidelity playback even on devices without OZO Audio.

The Nokia 8 will go on sale in India on October 14th and will be available online on Amazon exclusively and offline retail stores. Nokia also announced that in top 50 cities in the country, there will be a concierge service, wherein a company representative will come to the consumer’s house and pick up the phone for any repairs.

September 26, 2017
Sony Launches Xperia XZ1 In India For Rs. 44990

After unveiling the Sony Xperia XZ1 at IFA 2017 in Berlin, the Japanese tech giant has launched the new phone in India. The highlights of the launch was that the phone will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and the 3D scanning camera. A noticeable omission is that of the Xperia XZ1 Compact which was launched globally along with the XZ1. Sony also recently launched the Xperia XA1 Plus in India at a price of Rs. 24990.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. The design of the phone is reminiscent of a lot of previous Sony flagships, dating back to 2013’s Xperia Z. The device runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and is powered by a 2700 mAh battery, which is considerably smaller than a lot of smartphones in the market. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, similar to the one found in XZ Premium, 4GB RAM, and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.

Sony has used its “Motion Eye” camera system in the XZ1. According to Sony, “Motion Eye” system uses a 1GB memory-stacked camera which has five times faster image processing than other smartphones. Ditching the trend of the dual camera setup, Sony went with a single camera at the back with a 19MP 1/2.3? Sony IMX400 camera lens with an f/2.0 aperture. Sony has pointed out that the phone’s 3D scanning capability is one of its highlights. The camera app includes features like Predictive Capture which will click the picture seconds before you actually hit the shutter button. Sony has used SteadyShot electronic stabilization for video instead of optical image stabilization for images. The primary camera can also record super slow motion 720p video at 960fps in addition to recording 4K videos at 30fps. On the front, the XZ1 has a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and 22mm wide-angle lens.

Sony has claimed that the Xperia XZ1 is the first smartphone featuring real time 3D capture:

High quality 3D scans of objects can be rendered in just a minute using four scan modes; head scan, face scan, food scan and freeform scan. Scanned objects can then be shared on messenger apps using 3D stickers or uploaded to 3D communities such as Sketchfab. The 3D Creator app also sports a ‘Find More’ option that provides access to a growing 3D ecosystem via Google Play.

The Xperia XZ1 is priced at Rs. 44990 and will go on sale September 25 through both offline and online channels. The smartphone will be available only in the Black colour variant unlike its global variant which is available in Snow Silver, Horizon Blue, and Twilight Pink as well. For the launch offers, Sony is bundling a Quick Charge 3.0 charger in the box for a limited time while the buyers can purchase the Sony Style Stand Cover for Rs 2,490 which costs Rs 3490 originally along with the device. HDFC credit/debit card holders and ICICI credit card holders can also avail a 5 per cent cash back on purchase.

September 25, 2017
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus Launched In India For Rs 24990

Sony unveiled the Xperia XA1 Plus at the IFA 2017 in Berlin and has now launched the smartphone in India. The Xperia XA1 Plus will be available in all Sony Center outlets and major electronic stores across India in Black, Blue, and Gold colour variants for a price of Rs 24990.

In terms of design, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus inherits the traditional all metal, thick bezel design as seen in its earlier variants. The smartphone’s power button on the right-hand side also houses the fingerprint sensor. The XA1 Plus features a 5.5-inch 1920×1080 px display, whereas the earlier models, the Xperia XA1 and the XA1 Ultra featured a 5-inch display and a 6-inch display, respectively.

The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus has the same MediaTek Helio P20 chipset with Mali T-880 GPU used in the XA1 and the XA1 Ultra, 4GB RAM, and 32 GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 256 GB via a microSD card. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat, unlike the newly launched Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 compact, which run the latest Android 8.0 Oreo. The Xperia XA1 Plus is powered by a 3430 mAh battery and comes with Qnovo adaptive charging and Pump Express+ 2.0 quick charging support.

On the camera front, the XA1 Plus features Sony’s 23MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture, same as the one found on its XA1 siblings. On the front, the smartphone has an 8 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The Xperia XA1 Plus enters the Indian market were the sub-25K category is dominated by Xiaomi and Motorola. There is no word on it online availability yet, but, the smartphone’s widespread offline presence may play role in its success

September 21, 2017
LG Q6+ Launched In India At A Price Of Rs. 17990

LG has launched a new variant of the LG Q6, the LG Q6+ in India. The new smartphone looks identical to the LG Q6 and is priced at Rs 17990. The LG Q6+ will be available across retail outlets, while the LG Q6 will remain an Amazon exclusive and retail for a price of Rs 14990.

As far as the specifications go, the LG Q6+ has the same 5.5 inch 2160 x 1080 px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio found on the LG Q6. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with LG’s custom skin on top of it. The LG Q6+ packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 505 GPU along with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 2TB. The handset lacks a fingerprint sensor but LG has introduced face unlocking feature instead. There is no confirmation on the presence of Corning Gorilla Glass.

The resemblance with the LG Q6 continues, as it also features a single 13MP rear-facing camera with a single LED flash and on the front is a wide-angle 5MP sensor. The rear camera records video at 1920 x 1080 px at 30 FPS. LG also claims that the Q6 has US Military Standard-810G Certified which means that it can survive quite a few drops.

The LG Q6+ brings in an extra 1GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. It will be interesting to see whether the widespread availability will push consumers into splashing an extra Rs 2000 for the LG Q6+ or the LG Q6 will continue being a top seller for LG in this price bracket.

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September 20, 2017
Moto X4 Set For October 3rd Launch In India

Lenovo-owned Motorola launched the Moto X4 at IFA 2017 in Berlin in August. The launch of the Moto X4 will take place in India on October 3rd after the company sent out press invites for an event in New Delhi. The launch of the Moto X4 will be Motorola’s third in quick succession in India after the Moto G5S and G5S Plus were launched in August in the sub 20K category. Motorola has been teasing the launch of the X4 on Twitter and even hosted a giveaway contest.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection. The smartphone runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities. Motorola recently announced that the Moto X4 will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo by the end of the year. The company claims that the 15 mins of charge can give up to 6 hours of talk time. The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The new smartphone will also feature Alexa, the Amazon AI voice assistant. This isn’t the first time that Alexa has made its way onto a smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 was the first smartphone to feature the voice assistant. Since then, we have also seen Alexa make its way to the HTC U11.The 4 in Moto X4 signifies that the new smartphone will be able to share the sound with up to 4 devices, thanks to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0.

The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The Moto X4, is expected to be priced at around Rs 25000 even though its European price is higher. The promotional poster doesn’t give away any other information but, the smartphone is expected to go on sale on Amazon and Motorola’s recently launched Moto Hub retail stores.

September 19, 2017
Bang & Olufsen Launches Truly Wireless Earphones To Rival Apple’s AirPods

Bang & Olufsen has launched its competitor to the Apple AirPods at the IFA 2017 in Berlin. The B&O Beoplay E8 are Bang and Olufsen’s foray into truly wireless earphones and are priced at$299 (Rs 19,000 approx.), which is almost double the cpost of the Apple AirPods.

The B&O Beoplay E8 is built out of aluminium, stainless steel, and textured rubber, while the included carry case is covered in leather. The earphones have Bluetooth 4.2 and weigh 13 grams without the case. The charging and carrying case weighs 45 grams and gives a twice the additional charge for the earbuds. The earbuds last up to 4 hours of playing time at moderate volume on a single charge. They charge through a micro USB cable which comes bundled inside the box. There is a multi function single button on earbud for volume control, play/pause, transparency mode, and calls. The loudspeaker inside the earbuds has an electro-dynamic driver with a 5.7 mm diameter. The Beoplay E8 will be available in two colours, Black and Charcoal Sand and will retail at a price of $299 (Rs 19,000 approx.).

The Beoplay E8 does not offer features such as NFC, and costs significantly more than the Apple AirPods and Sony WF-1000X. There is no word on its availability and price in India as of yet.

September 1, 2017
Motorola Launches The Moto X4 With IP68 and Dual Cameras At IFA 2017

Lenovo-owned Motorola launched the Moto X4 at the IFA 2017 in Berlin with a dual-camera setup at the back and a familiar design.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection. The smartphone runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities. The company claims that the 15 mins of charge can give up to 6 hours of talk time. The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Motorola also announced that Amazon Alexa voice assistant services will make its debut in the Moto X4. This isn’t the first time that Alexa has made its way onto a smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 was the first smartphone to feature the voice assistant. Since then, we have also seen Alexa make its way to the HTC U11. Motorola also states that the Moto X4 will allow you to share the sound from your device with up to 4 different Bluetooth devices at the same time.

The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The smartphone will hit the European markets in September at a price of EUR 399 (Rs 30,000 approx.). There is no official word on its availability in India, yet.

September 1, 2017