Idea unveils 'Whiz' 3G dual-core Android smartphone

Idea has unveiled a new 3G Android smartphone called the Whiz. Priced at Rs. 7850, the Idea Whiz is a dual-SIM phone (GSM + GSM), running Android 4.0 ICS and powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor.

The Idea Whiz has a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen with 800 X 480 pixels resolution. The smartphone has 4GB of ROM (1.5GB user available) and 512MB of RAM. The Whiz comes with a 5MP rear camera and a VGA secondary camera.

For connectivity, the Idea Whiz supports EDGE, GPRS, WLAN, USB 2.0, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and 3G. The smartphone comes with a 1500 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver talktime up to 12.5 hours on 2G and 8.5 hours on 3G.

Idea is also offering bundled plans with the new Whiz smartphone. The company is offering free 3G data and Idea TV subscriptions for the first three months.

For prepaid customers, Idea offers a Rs 259/Rs. 261 recharge option, which includes 1.6 GB per month for 3 months on 3G, unlimited data on 2G for first 3 months, and Idea TV Rs. 150 pack p.m. free of charge for 3 months.

Postpaid customers can SMS ACTIDEA260 to 12345(tollfree) or request for pack of 260/199 through call center to avail the offer. Against one time rental, Idea offers 1.6GB 3G data per bill cycle for 90 days, unlimited 2G data per bill cycle for 90 days, Idea TV Rs. 150 pack p.m. free of charge for 3 months.

Technical Specifications

General
2G Network	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network	UMTS 900/2100
Display
Type	TFT, 16 M Colours
Size	800 X 480 pixels, 4 inches
Features	Capacitive touch, G sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor
Memory
Phonebook	Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photo call
Call records	Practically unlimited
Internal	ROM is 4GB (1.5 GB available for end user) & RAM is 512 MB
Card Slot	Expandable upto 32GB;
Data
GPRS	Class 12
EDGE	Class 12
WLAN	Yes
USB	v2.0 microUSB
Bluetooth	v4.0 with A2DP
3G	HSDPA 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Camera
Primary	5MP Auto Focus with Flash
Video	3GP/MPEG 4, 30fps
Secondary	VGA
Video Calling
Sound
Alert Type	Vibration; MP3, MP4, midi ringtones
Loudspeaker
3.5mm jack	Yes
Features
Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email
Browser	Android
Java	Via Java MIDP emulator
Color	Black & White
Battery
Capacity	Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh
Stand by time
Talk Time	Up to 12.5 hours (2G)/ 8.5 hours (3G)

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Google X smartphone with Android 5.0.1 appears in benchmarks

It seems like the Motorola X smartphone should be hitting the market very soon and will be dubbed Google X.

This revelation is based on a report by Android Headlines via a Japanese blog Rbmen. This report suggests that Motorola X smartphone has made an appearance on the AnTuTu Benchmark results. This smartphone carries the name Google X, which is very similar to Motorola X and hence making the blog believe that these two may actually be the same smartphone.

Another interesting fact that has been unearthed through AnTuTu Benchmark result is that this Google X smartphone will run on Android 5.0.1 (aka Android Key Lime Pie). This means that Google's next version of Android could well be in Beta stages and on track to be launched at the Google I/O, which will be taking place in the month of May.

The alleged Google X smartphone is also reported to run on a processor that clocks up to 1.5GHz. However, it is difficult at this stage to predict whether it is Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, Snapdragon 800 or Tegra 4 that has been deployed in this smartphone. However earlier rumours had suggested that Motorola X smartphone will clock speed to the tunes of 2GHz and have a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

Given that Google X has already started popping in benchmark results is also indication that the smartphone might be launched in the near future.

As per past rumours, Motorola X smartphone will be highly customisable, will have a 4,000mAh battery and might be a water-proof device.

Earlier in the month, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt had shared that the smartphones coming up at Motorola are "very, very impressive." Schmidt had also remarked that, the new set of products will be phenomenal and these smartphones should not be termed as just phones, but "Phones-plus".

While Jim Wicks, Design Chief at Motorola was heard saying that "if you like smaller form-factor devices or stock Android, you're going to be excited."

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Lava to launch tablet running Android Jelly Bean 4.2, claims to be India’s first

Lava has announced it will be launching what it claims to be India’s first Android Jelly Bean 4.2 tablet. The tablet will be available in the first week of May and will be priced under Rs 10,000.

As for the specifications, the yet unnamed tablet will sport a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. It will also feature 2-magapixel rear and VGA front cameras and an HDMI port. Unlike the recently launched Etab Connect, this tablet will be Wi-Fi only and not have any cellular connectivity. It will also have a 3,700 mAh battery.

The specifications seem very similar to the Etab Xtron, which was launched in February this year. We won’t be surprised if it is launched as a part of the same series. Lava has been pretty aggressive lately, launching one product every weekend.

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Samsung set to launch a rugged Galaxy S 4, an 8-inch tablet and the Galaxy S 4 mini this year: Report

It has been barely a day since Samsung launched the Galaxy S 4 in India, and already the Internet is abuzz with news about products the South Korean company has in its pipeline. According to a report on WSJ, Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a rugged version of the Galaxy S 4, a 4.3-inch version of the Galaxy S 4 and an 8-inch Galaxy Tab. 

The news of a rugged and more durable version of its flagship model doesn’t come as a surprise, as during the Galaxy S 4 launch in Dubai, President of Samsung Gulf Electronics Young Soo Kim had unintentionally revealed about such a device in the making. Quoting a source familiar with such matters, the WSJ report claims that the device tentatively called the Galaxy S 4 Active, will look and feel just like the Galaxy S 4 but will be water and dust-proof. Samsung claims that the device is designed with a war zone in mind which is an indication that it may be trying to earn government and MNC contracts.

The source also revealed that the South Korean company is readying an 8-inch tablet for launch in June which would join its Galaxy-line of tablets. The source says that the upcoming tablet will be placed between the two existing tablets in Samsung’s Galaxy–line and could very well be the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, which leaked a few days back. According to the leaked specifications, the 8-inch tablet will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and feature a 1280×800 pixels display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel camera at the front and a massive 4,500mAH battery.

In addition to the rugged smartphone and the 8-inch tablet, Samsung is also reportedly planning to launch a smaller 4.3-inch Galaxy S 4 in July. Though the source didn’t reveal a name for the device this could be Galaxy S 4 mini, which leaked online earlier this month. As the earlier report claims, the Galaxy S 4 mini is said to be available in two variants– a dual-SIM with dual-core processor and a single-SIM with quad-core processor. It is also believed to feature a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera and Android version 4.2.2. The smartphone is expected to be launched in Black Mist and White Frost colors.

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Huawei U8860 Honor in Pakistan

Price: Rs. 26,250.00 

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
		HSDPA 850 / 1900 - for AT&T
	SIM	Mini-SIM
	Announced	2011, September
	Status	Available. Released 2011, December

Body	Dimensions	122 x 61 x 11 mm (4.80 x 2.40 x 0.43 in)
	Weight	140 g (4.94 oz)

Display	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	480 x 854 pixels, 4.0 inches (~245 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes

Sound	Alert types	Vibration, MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

Memory	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	1 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB ROM

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	Speed	HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

Camera	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging, HDR
	Video	Yes, 720p@30fps, check quality
	Secondary	Yes, VGA

Features	OS	Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8255T Snapdragon
	CPU	1.4 GHz Scorpion
	GPU	Adreno 205
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
	Browser	HTML, Adobe Flash
	Radio	FM radio
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Glossy Black, Textured Black, Elegant White, Vibrant Yellow, Cherry Blossom Pink, Burgundy
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - SNS integration - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, Talk - MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player - MP4/H.263/H.264 player - Organizer - Document viewer - Photo viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input

Battery		Li-Ion 1930 mAh battery
	Stand-by	Up to 380 h
	Talk time	Up to 6 h 40 min

Tests	Display	Contrast ratio: 770:1 (nominal)
	Loudspeaker	Voice 71dB / Noise 68dB / Ring 75dB
	Camera	Photo / Video

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LG’s flexible OLED smartphone coming this year!

There has been a lot of excitement around flexible displays in phones, especially after Samsung showcased its prototype phone with such a display at this year’s CES. However, it is not Samsung but LG that is planning to launch a smartphone with flexible OLED in the fourth quarter of this year, the WSJ reports.

Yoon Bu-hyun, vice president of LG’s mobile division, disclosed about this first flexible OLED from LG and its possible launch time. He has also been reported to have mentioned that the bendable displays are made by the LG Display itself after a long period of research and development. However, it is not clear how flexible these displays would be or whether the yields are high enough to go into commercial production.

LG announced it shipped 10.3 million smartphones in the March quarter, piggybacking mostly on the success of the Nexus 4, which was sold by Google in multiple countries. A phone with a flexible display could bring back LG into the top smartphone vendors list.

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 launched in India features a 5-inch Super AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera and Exynos Octa 5 8-core processor

After what seems like an eternity for many, Samsung finally launched the Galaxy S 4 in India today. The flagship phone will be available for Rs 41,500 at Samsung’s eStore today followed by select retail stores across the country tomorrow.

The Galaxy S 4 which was first announced at the Mobile Unpacked event back in March wowed the gathered audience with its impressive design, specifications and unique set of features. Starting with the specifications, the flagship phone sports a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080p pixels and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, which makes the screen immune to scratches as proved by an extensive scratch test conducted with pens, knives and other sharp objects. 

Talking of the processor, unlike the US version which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset, the Indian version is powered by a 1.6GHz 8-core Exynos Octa 5 CPU and 2GB of RAM. The phone also includes other features like a 13-megapixel camera with zero shutter lag, a 2-megapixel camera at the front capable of recording videos in Full HD at 30fps, a choice of 16GB/32GB/64GB memory variants with microSD card support. In addition to the above, the phone also includes connectivity options like NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and also includes a 2,600-mAh battery and a built-in IR Blaster. The phone is also the first non-Nexus device to run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean wrapped under the latest version of TouchWiz which sports a much cleaner and minimalist look.

Apart from the impressive list of hardware specifications, the Galaxy S 4 is also crammed with never before seen software features. The phone comes with features that make using your device easy like Air Gesture, Air View, S-Translate, Smart Scroll, Smart Pause, S-Health, S-Travel, Knox and Group Play among others. Unlike cameras on other devices, Samsung has added a lot of software addons, like Dual-Shot, Sound Shot and Drama Shot, to make it easy for a user to click one’s desired photo. 

With the launch of the Galaxy S 4, Samsung has strayed from the norm where it used to have pre-orders and an exclusive window period for its exclusive Samsung stores. You can head over to Samsung’s eStore or visit Reliance Digital tomorrow to buy the phone. Samsung also promised that other retail stores across the country will start selling the flagship device over the weekend. While you wait to get your hands on the device do check out our first impressions of the Galaxy S 4 

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