Tuesday 22 April 2014

Sony brings the fight to Moto X: Xperia M2 with 8MP camera arrives in India for ... - Firstpost

Sony has launched its latest smartphone with dual-SIM capability dubbed Xperia M2 and it is priced at Rs 21,990. The phone is available in three colours; White, Black and Purple. Sony Xperia M2 will be available from Friday, April 25.

The smartphone comes with a 4.8-inch qHD display with 540×960 pixel resolution. We would have ideally liked to see a 720p display at this price point. Under its hood lies a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor which has been teamed up with 1GB RAM. The M2 will come with Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) operating system out of the box, but there's no word about a KitKat upgrade.

The primary camera has 8MP resolution and comes with Sony's Exmor sensor and features like Autoscene Recognition and HDR mode. Sony has loaded the phone with camera apps such as Social live, Timeshift burst and Picture Effect. The phone has a VGA front camera, which should be just about enough for your selfies.

sONY

sONY

Connectivity features of the Xperia M2 include Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Micro USB, USB tethering, NFC, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, GPS, GLONASS. Sony has given built-in storage space of 4GB. The storage space can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card for which a slot has been separately provided in the phone. Powering the phone is a 2300 mAh battery with a rated talktime of up to 14 hours and standby time of approximately 693 hours.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 price slashed by Rs 5100 - ABP News

New Delhi: South Korean electronics giant Samsung has slashed the price of its recently launched handset Galaxy S5 by 12 percent to Rs 46,400. Earlier the device was priced at Rs 51, 000. E-commerce sites such as Flipkart, Snapdeal has listed handset with the slashed price while the official e-store still shows the original price.

Reports reveal that the company has decided to drop the price because of its lesser sale or either the launch of new flagship from HTC One M8 at same price with impressive features.

However, if we talk about its specification, the new Galaxy S5 is packed with powerful features too. The handset runs on latest Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat Operating System and is powered by 2.5GHz processor.

The Galaxy S5 sports 16 megapixel primary camera and 2.1 megapixel front facing camera. The handset features 5.10-inch Super AMOLED (1080 X 1920p) display which is believed to be bigger than Galaxy S4.

The handset was launched at March 27 in India.



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Sony brings the fight to Moto X: Xperia M2 with 8MP camera arrives in India for ... - Firstpost

Sony has launched its latest smartphone with dual-SIM capability dubbed Xperia M2 and it is priced at Rs 21,990. The phone is available in three colours; White, Black and Purple. Sony Xperia M2 will be available from Friday, April 25.

The smartphone comes with a 4.8-inch qHD display with 540×960 pixel resolution. We would have ideally liked to see a 720p display at this price point. Under its hood lies a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor which has been teamed up with 1GB RAM. The M2 will come with Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) operating system out of the box, but there's no word about a KitKat upgrade.

The primary camera has 8MP resolution and comes with Sony's Exmor sensor and features like Autoscene Recognition and HDR mode. Sony has loaded the phone with camera apps such as Social live, Timeshift burst and Picture Effect. The phone has a VGA front camera, which should be just about enough for your selfies.

sONY

sONY

Connectivity features of the Xperia M2 include Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Micro USB, USB tethering, NFC, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, GPS, GLONASS. Sony has given built-in storage space of 4GB. The storage space can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card for which a slot has been separately provided in the phone. Powering the phone is a 2300 mAh battery with a rated talktime of up to 14 hours and standby time of approximately 693 hours.

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Yet another phablet! 6-inch Micromax Canvas Doodle 3 launched for Rs 8500 - Firstpost

Just recently Micromax teased us with its upcoming Doodle 3 phablet, and here it arrives. The company has launched the Canvas Doodle 3 at a market operating price of Rs 8,500. It will be available via retail outlets starting April 25. With not-so-impressive specs sheet, the device is probably looking to offer large screen experience to budget users.

While the Doodle 2 was fitted with a 5.7-inch display, the Doodle 3 sports a slightly larger 6-inch FWVGA display. The device runs on rather older Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Under the hood, it comes powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor coupled with 512MB RAM.

The device is fuelled by a 2500mAh battery that promises time up to 9 hours of talk time. On the camera front, one can expect a 5-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, but there is no word on 3G. The 4GB onboard storage is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.

The M!Doodle application allows users to doodle chats, animate, scribble smileys and write text over clicked pictures. The in-box contents also include an active sensor magnetic flip cover to protect the screen from dust and scratches. The company has also packed interactive features and applications such as Kingsoft Office to create and edit documents, Opera Mini Browser, pre-loaded games, M!live to download unlimited content and Getit that helps search restaurants, ATMs, movie theatres etc.

Commenting on the launch, Shubhodip Pal, CMO Micromax said, Micromax said, "The Canvas Doodle 3 further reinforces our commitment to empower our consumers with larger screen to help them express their imagination in a more creative way like never before. This is complemented by an entire eco-system of applications. With our foray in Russia and SAARC countries, we have charted a successful journey to become the first Indian hardware brand to go global."

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HTC One M8′s 'special price' could have Samsung, Apple worried in India - Indian Express

HTC One (M8) Images (8) The HTC One M8

Summary

At Rs 49,900, the HTC One M8 is cheaper than the Samsng Galaxy S5 and just a bit more expensive than the iPhone 5s

The upper crest of smartphones seems to be hotting up. Weeks after Samsung launched the Galaxy S5 in India, HTC has brought in its new HTC One M8 at a price lower than the former. To its advantage, the HTC One M8 at the moment seems like a far more innovative phone than the latest Samsung flagship.

In a couple of weeks, the HTC One M8 will start selling for Rs 49,900. Compare that to the Rs 51,500 price tag of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Rs 47,000 you would have to pay for the Apple iPhone 5s, which is already starting to seem like an old phone. The HTC One M8 has some new features that none of the others rival can offer like the dual camera and the DotView flip cover.

ALSO READ: HTC One M8 shows how simple design can pip gimmickry

The company also launched two other phones, the mid-level HTC Desire 816 and the entry-level HTC Desire 210, both priced competitively for their price segments. The Desire 816, which has a 5.5-inch screen, has been priced at Rs 23,990, while the Desire 210 has been priced at Rs 8,700.

Speaking to IndianExpress.com, HTC South Asia president Jack Yang said India was one of the key markets for the company and the pricing strategy has been arrived at in consultation with the all stakeholders.

"We view India as one of our key strategic market and want it to take it to the next level here. So the pricing in India will be different from the rest of the world. There will be some commonalities too, but we will try and leverage the local conditions," said Yang. He said HTC did not believe in dropping a global pricing in a price sensitive market like India.

In the US, the HTC One M8 is priced at $699, which works out to around Rs 43,000.

The company also wants to become relevant across price points and not be seen as a top-end player. To this effect HTC on Monday did the global unveiling of its new Desire 210 entry-level Android phone from New Delhi. Wiith the phone's price, HTC thinks a lot of buyers who would otherwise have picked up an Indian brand would be swayed to look at its new offering.

The Desire 816 will also try and cash in on this. "This was one of the most discussed phones at the Mobile World Congress, but we have priced it in the mid-segment for India," added Yang.

"Technological leaps and innovations will continue to be the key driver for us. From a supply chain standpoint we will continue to adjust price points based on what we see is the value in the market," he added.

The HTC One M8 and HTC Desire 816 will be available in India around May 8, while the HTC Desire 210 will start selling a week earlier.



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HTC says its considering buying Nokia Chennai plant as Microsoft deal almost ... - Firstpost

Nokia said on Monday that it expects the EUR 5.44 billion deal with Microsoft for sale of its Devices & Services to conclude on April 25 and expressed the hope it would continue to operate the disputed Chennai plant under a service agreement.

"Nokia today announced that it expects the transaction whereby the company will sell substantially all of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft to close on April 25, 2014. The transaction is now subject only to certain customary closing conditions," Nokia said in a statement.

The future of Chennai plant, which employs 6,600 people and is entangled in tax disputes with Indian authorities, is uncertain. "With Chennai, it is worth remembering that we have said we will consider a services agreement with Microsoft should our Indian assets not be able to transfer at the close of the global deal," a Nokia spokesperson said.

A Nokia official told PTI the company is still exploring the option of operating the plant by getting into a services agreement, which would allow it to continue as a contract manufacturer for other companies. "The situation is a complicated one, and Nokia is continuing to weigh its options. As there is still time before the closing of the deal, we cannot speculate on possible outcomes at this point," the spokesperson added.

In March, the Tamil Nadu government had slammed a Rs. 2,400 crore notice on Nokia, saying the company had been selling products from Chennai plant in domestic market instead of shipping overseas.

In what could be an interesting turn of events Taiwanese handset maker HTC's CFO Chia-Lin Chang told the Economic Times that the company could consider purchasing the Chennai plant in a bid to better serve its interests in the Indian market. This after the company launched new products in three price points in India yesterday.  "I am happy to look into it, because the overall preparation, exploration hinges upon if it will serve consumers better. If [the plant] will do that, then we would be happy to look further into it," he told the paper, which also quoted a source as saying that the plant may be losing its importance for Microsoft, due to the ongoing case.

On March 14, the Supreme Court ordered Nokia India to give Rs. 3,500 crore as guarantee before it transfers the plant to Microsoft. Last September, Nokia had announced it would sell a substantial part of its devices and services (D&S) business, including assets in India, to Microsoft by March 2014. The handset and other asset components under the deal will be handed over to Microsoft's Finnish entity Microsoft Mobile Oy.

The company has often indicated that the transfer of the Chennai plant may be adversely impacted if the tax dispute remains unresolved. According to Nokia India Employees Union Honorary President, A Soundararajan, the Chennai plant, which was producing about 1 million mobile handsets per day, witnessed a steep decline and production now stands at just 0.4 million handsets.

Recently, the company offered a voluntary retirement scheme to its employees in Chennai and about 700 trainees are learnt to have opted for it. The spokesperson declined to confirm the number.

Meanwhile, employees at the Chennai plant have started boycotting canteen services from Monday in protest against the recently announced voluntary retirement scheme, which they allege is being forced on them.

Meanwhile, union President M Saravana Kumar said nearly 2,500 employees in one shift resorted to a 'hunger strike' at the factory by boycotting the canteen services. "About 10 employees fainted and were administered first aid. We will continue our protest in other shifts but we will continue to work as usual", he said.

The Union would decide its future course of action within the next two days, he said.

 

With inputs from PTI

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Google Hangouts for Android merges conversations - PCWorld

PCWorld News

The new Android version of Google communication tool Hangouts will allow users to merge SMS and Hangout conversations.

Hangouts conversations include instant messaging and audio chats as well as video conferencing.

In the new Hangouts 2.1 for Android, SMS and Hangout conversations with the same recipient are combined into a single conversation, Mike Dodd, an Android software developer wrote in Google+ post Monday.

Users can control if they want to send a message via SMS or Hangouts with the flip of a switch, he said, adding that different message types will be easy to tell apart in the conversation. Conversations can always be unmerged and merged, he added.

Other new features include a simplified contact list that arranges contacts into Hangout and phone contacts, which makes it easier to use for SMS, Dodd wrote. A new homescreen widget allows for quick access to recent conversations, and there are several performance improvements, including better quality video calls, he added.

The new Hangouts app for Android will be rolled out on the Play Store in the next few days.

Loek Essers Amsterdam correspondent for IDG News Service, IDG News Service

Loek Essers focuses on online privacy, intellectual property, open-source and online payment issues.
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