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Saturday, January 26, 2013

4-inch Xolo A500 launched with Android 4.0, dual-core processor at Rs. 6,999

xolo500-635.jpg
Lava International has quietly rolled out another smartphone as part of its Xolo A-series. Dubbed as the Xolo A500, it comes with 4-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen and has a resolution of 480X800 Pixels. It is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor along with 512MB RAM. Xolo A500 comes with 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card, 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera.

It is a dual-SIM smartphone (GSM+GSM) and supports 3G on the primary SIM. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with a 1,500 mAh, which the company claims to give 9 hours of talk time on 2G and a standby time of 310 hours. Xolo A500 is available in the market for Rs. 6,999.

The company is currently offering four smartphones under the Xolo brand and the price range varies between Rs. 6,999 to Rs. 17,500. The first device in this series was the Intel-powered Xolo X900, which was launched in April 2012 and is now retailing for Rs. 17,500. 

The company also recently launched the Xolo A700 and Xolo A800. 

Lava International has quietly rolled out another smartphone as part of its Xolo A-series. Dubbed as the Xolo A500, it comes with 4-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen and has a resolution of 480X800 Pixels. It is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor along with 512MB RAM. Xolo A500 comes with 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card, 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera.

It is a dual-SIM smartphone (GSM+GSM) and supports 3G on the primary SIM. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with a 1,500 mAh, which the company claims to give 9 hours of talk time on 2G and a standby time of 310 hours. Xolo A500 is available in the market for Rs. 6,999.

The company is currently offering four smartphones under the Xolo brand and the price range varies between Rs. 6,999 to Rs. 17,500. The first device in this series was the Intel-powered Xolo X900, which was launched in April 2012 and is now retailing for Rs. 17,500. 

The company also recently launched the Xolo A700 and Xolo A800.

Xolo X500, second Intel-powered smartphone officially launched for Rs. 8,999

Xolo-X500.jpg
Lava International has launched the second smartphone based on Intel's new Lexington chips called the Xolo X500. We had recently done an exclusive, which mentioned that the Xolo X500 will be available in India for Rs. 8,999 and it has indeed been listed at the same price.
The Xolo X500 features an Atom Z2420 processor, which has a clock speed of 1.2GHz and combines Intel's hyper-threading technology. It is a dual-SIM smartphone, which runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The device has a 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 480X320. It in 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It has a 1,500mAh battery.
The Xolo X500 comes with a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera that can click seven images in the burst mode at 6 fps (frames per second).TheXolo X900 was the first device in the Xolo series in April 2012. This was also the first smartphone in the world to come with an 'Intel Inside' tag. With the Xolo X500 the company is now looking at addressing its price conscious consumers.
With the addition of the Xolo X500, the company is now offering five smartphones under the Xolo brand which range between Rs. 6,999 to Rs. 17, 500. The company is bullish about the affordable smartphone market in India and will be looking at offering some more new products by the end of the financial year.
Lava has also launched its Xolo A500, which comes with a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen and has a resolution of 480X800 pixels. It is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor accompanied by 512MB RAM.
The Xolo A500 comes with 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card, 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and is available in the market for Rs. 6,999.
Key specifications of the XOLO X500
  • 3.5-inch TFT display with 480X320 pixel resolution
  • 1.2GHz processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
  • 5-megapixel camera
  • 1,500mAh battery
  • Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

HTC unveils 4-inch Desire U with Android 4.0, 1GHz processor

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HTC has announced a new 4-inch device in its home country dubbed as the Desire U. The device is expected to retail for 7990 New Taiwan Dollar (about $274) or at NT$ 291 per month on contract from Chunghwa Telecom. Launch details for other regions remain unknown at the moment.

Specs wise, the Desire U doesn't have much to show off. At 9.32mm thick and weighing 119g, the smartphone sports a 4-inch capacitive touch display (800x480) and runs on Android 4.0 with the company's Sense UI atop. It comes with a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash.

Internally, the device is powered by a 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM and has 4GB of internal storage with expansion options upto 32GB via microSD cards. The smartphone comes with a 1,650mAh battery.

An interesting addition to the phone's design is the micro-drilled cover art on the back panel. The HTC logo is engraved in the centre and like most other HTC device. It features Beats Audio integration. Connectivity protocols include Wi-Fi 820.11 b/g/n, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX and GPS. The device will come in black and white colour options.

Previously rumoured specifications for the device indicate a 4.7-inch full-HD display, making it an incredible 468ppi. Other alleged specs include a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 2GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 12-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel one in the front.

HTC Desire U key specifications
  • 4-inch (800x480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
  • 1 GHz processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD
  • 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash
  • 3G, Wi-Fi 820.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS
  • 1,650mAh battery
  • Android 4.0 with HTC Sense UI
  • 9.32mm thick
  • Weighs 119 grams

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Micromax A116 Canvas HD v/s Samsung Galaxy S3: Battling the premium phones


With Micromax pulling out their big guns, smartphone manufacturers should have more to worry about especially when their entire sub-15k market is literally being eaten out by the host of Indian manufacturers. Here comes Micromax’s latest A116 Canvas HD. Let’s see how it stacks up against a high end premium phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 itself. We are not trying to prove that the Canvas HD is better or worse than the S3, but to show how close these two smartphones come to despite the Canvas HD being HALF the price.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD

A quick run down with the specifications of the Canvas HD.
Micromax A116 Canvas HD Specifications
  • MediaTek MT6589 chipset
  • 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 CPU
  • PowerVR SGX544 GPU
  • 1 GB of RAM
  • 5″ HD (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS (16.7 million colors) display
  • 8MP rear camera with LED Flash
  • VGA front facing camera
  • 4 GB of internal storage
  • up to 32 GB expandable memory via microSD card
  • 2,100 mAh battery
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is Samsung’s current flagship smartphone. Released nearly 8 months ago, the Galaxy S3 is one of the most popular smartphones (and wildly sold) in the planet. Despite receiving reviews such as not-so-amazing plastic build and so, the Galaxy S3 is an excellent piece of hardware.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Specifications
  • Exynos 4412 Quad chipset
  • 1.4 GHz quad core ARM Cortex A9 CPU
  • ARM Mali400 MP4 quad core GPU
  • 1 GB of RAM
  • 4.8″ HD (1280 x 720) Super AMOLED display
  • 8 MP rear camera, 1080p video @ 30 fps
  • 1.9 MP front cam, 720p video @ 30 fps
  • 16 / 32 / 64 GB internal storage
  • expandable storage up to 64 GB via MicroSD card
  • 8.6 mm thick, 133 grams weight
  • 2,100 mAH Li-Ion battery
  • Android 4.0 ICS, update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

Micromax A116 Canvas HD v/s Samsung Galaxy S3

Micromax A116 vs Samsung Galaxy S3


Chipset (CPU, GPU & RAM)

First up is the chipset. The Micromax A116 Canvas HD has a Mediatek MT 6589 chipset which packs 4 x 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A7 cores. The Galaxy S3 has the more powerful 4x 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores. While the Galaxy S3 wins in RAW power, the Micromax A116 has a far more power efficient architecture.
The GPU is PowerVR SGX544 v/s ARM Mali400 MP4. Both GPUs go head to head. Both are really powerful. Until benchmarks we can’t say anything definite.
Both devices have 1 GB of RAM.

Design, Multimedia & Display

The Micromax A116 is a plastic build, same as the Galaxy S3. The A116 has thin bezel and wastes very little space at the top or bottom with it’s 3 capacitive buttons (no hardware keys). The Galaxy S3 has one soft key, just like the A110 has (Canvas 2).
Both phones have 8 MP cameras. Although the chipset in the A116 is capable of 1080p video recording, we don’t know if it’s enabled in the A116. The S3 meanwhile has an excellent camera.
Both devices have HD resolution (1280 x 720 pixels) display. However the Micromax A116 has a bigger 5″ IPS display while the Galaxy S3 uses a 4.8″ Super AMOLED display. Both LCD and AMOLED have their own pros and cons.

UI & Storage

Micromax is going for Stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with subtle additions which is excellent and bloatfree. Samsung uses the TouchWiz UI which is a hit and miss. Some like it, some don’t (at all).
The A116 has only 4 GB of internal storage, while the S3 comes in flavors starting at 16 GB. Both devices have expandable storage.

Battery & OS

The A116 has a 2,100 mAh battery which is the same as the Galaxy S3. Pretty impressive. We think the A116 might actually last longer thanks to it’s power efficient cores.

PRICE

The Micromax A116 will cost less than Rs. 15,000 while the Galaxy S3 as of today costs Rs. 30,000. The Micromax A116 canvas HD packs a lot of features for a phone which will cost less than half the price of the Galaxy S3. Pretty impressive specifications and Value for Money as well!

Micromax A116 Canvas HD listed on Saholic


Micromax’s latest and greatest has caught the attention of pretty much everyone. In the past two days, the web has been buzzing with activity all asking the same question, just how good will the Micromax A116 HD be? Initial impressions are making us believe that Micromax has got it right. For now, we have a listing on Saholic.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD listed on Saholic

Micromax Canvas HD has been listed on Saholic.
Micromax A116 Canvas HD quad core Jelly Bean

Micromax A116 Canvas HD “coming soon” – Saholic

Saholic is known to price their products cheaper compared to other sellers. In addition, Micromax might just reshape their gun into a dual barrel shotgun and make this phone available for something as low as Rs. 12,999 itself (killer!).
Whatever happens, the final price shall be unveiled real soon. Keep checking our website as well as the Saholic listing for all the latest information.

Micromax to announce 30 smartphones in 2013


Indian mobile maker Micromax today proposed its plan to launch 30 smartphones in the year 2013 in a bid to expand the company’s product portfolio in the high end  mobile and the new tablet PC segment.
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Micromax CEO Deepak Mehrotra had this to say, ”We have a strong portfolio of products in the smart devices category, which contributes about 40-45 per cent of our revenues. We are looking at bringing in 30 new smartphones this year across price categories and take up market leadership position”.
Micromax A116 Canvas HD quad core Jelly Bean
The new Micromax A116 Canvas HD
Presently Micromax has 12 smartphones and according to CEO Deepak Mehrotra the company will launch around 4 smartphones in the next four to six weeks priced between Rs. 10000 – Rs. 15000 along with two new budget handsets in the price range of Rs 5000 – 8000. This could possibly help Micromax overtake its rival Samsung in becoming the no.2 brand in the Indian mobile market. Micromax could also be introducing higher end smartphones above the Rs.18000 mark in the future.
Just today Micromax launched its A116 Canvas HD in the ‘Phablet’ category, its latest addition to Canvas series after the success of the canvas 2 A110 last year.
Currently all of its smartphones operate on the Android OS but the company has been dropping hints on coming up with a new operating system for its future smartphones.
With all of this, one thing’s for sure.  That everybody is just waiting to be surprised with all that Micromax has to offer.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD quad core Android 4.1 Jelly Bean announced


Micromax is working on a quad core smartphone, “No shit Sherlock!”. Well up until now we have only believing in our beliefs as well as a small statement by Micromax that they are indeed working on a quad core smartphone with a newer Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. Wait no longer folks, Micromax has announced their next iteration of their uber popular Canvas series of smartphones (you must have heard of the Micromax A110 Canvas 2 of course!), the Micromax A116 Canvas HD. Well, have a look then!

Micromax A116 Canvas HD

Without any further ado, I present to you the Micromax A116 Canvas HD. Behold!
Micromax A116 Canvas HD quad core Jelly Bean
Well, the phone is a beauty. Clearly Micromax has improved much on the A110 design with thinner bezel, as well as losing that Samsung Galaxy S3 ish look as well. Finally, a true identity for this well deserved upcoming smartphone. And after that, aren’t you itching to get a closer look at it’s internal specifications? Well your wait has been cut short!
Micromax A116 Canvas HD Specifications
  • MediaTek MT6589 chipset
  • 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 CPU
  • PowerVR SGX544 GPU
  • 1 GB of RAM
  • 5″ HD (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS (16.7 million colors) display
  • 8MP rear camera with LED Flash
  • VGA front facing camera
  • 4 GB of internal storage
  • up to 32 GB expandable memory via microSD card
  • 2,100 mAh battery
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

Micromax A116 Canvas HD Specifications Review

Well, based on the specifications let’s see how well this device really fares.
Chipset & RAM
The quad core ARM Cortex A7 solution is a low power consuming high efficiency chip which shouldn’t sap the battery while providing ample juice for all your needs. The PoweVR SGX544 GPU is top notch, and gaming will be a brilliant experience on this handset.
We are really glad that the phone comes with 1 GB of RAM. Thank god for that. We won’t be running out of memory soon now!
Design, Battery & OS
Well, if you thought the Micromax A110 looks good, the A116 HD takes it one step higher. You simply don’t expect such a good design from a sub 15k price device, but nonetheless here it is! The 2,100 mAh battery should power the device easily for more than a day.
Micromax is using the newer Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. We are truly glad about that part. ICS was kinda running old now.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD Hands-On

Courtest iGyaan.in

Micromax A116 Canvas HD Price in India & Launch

The Micromax A116 Canvas HD is expected to go on sale in the 1st week of February, 2013. The Canvas HD is the first of the wave of 30 smartphones that Micromax plans for 2013.
The Micromax A116 Canvas HD will most probably have a price tag of Rs. 14,999 which is just brilliant!
Courtest gadgetronica.com

Micromax A116 Canvas HD vs Samsung Galaxy Grand – Showdown of two 5-inch phablets


Micromax, today unveiled the A116 Canvas HD with a Quad-core processor, adding one more phone to its Canvas family where it joins the famous A110 Superfone Canvas 2. Micromax has priced this device at Rs.15000.
On the other side of the coin we have Samsung Galaxy Grand which was announced at CES 2013 and is about to arrive in India tomorrow. The company even started a contest to grab one Galaxy Grand.
samsung galaxy  grand vs micromax a116
Here we are comparing these two devices. Let’s see what these devices have to offer the Indian users.
OS: A116  runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) while its rival, Galaxy Grand runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) which is a slightly advanced version of Jelly Bean. Both these phablets enjoy ‘Project Butter’ for better UI.
Processor: A116 has a powerful processor when compared to the Galaxy Grand. A116 packs a Quad-core 1.2 GHz processor whereas the Galaxy Grand runs on a Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor.
Display: A116 wins over Galaxy Grand in terms of display. A116 packs a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 1280 x 720 pixels (HD) resolution whereas Galaxy Grand boasts a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixels resolution.
Camera: Both these phablets have an 8 MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, but Galaxy Grand has a better front camera. At 2 MP, it is much better than A116′s VGA camera.
Memory: Galaxy grand offers a larger in-built memory space of 8 GB when compared to A116. A116 offers only 4 GB of in-built space. Both these phablets support microSD slot for expanding the memory (upto 32 GB) and run on 1 GB of RAM.
In terms of connectivity, both these phablets support 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and microUSB 2.0.
Coming to a final conclusion, Micromax A116 Canvas HD leads the race with some strong features like a Quad-core processor and a 5-inch HD display.

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Grand goes official in India


Samsung Galaxy Grand, which was announced in December 2012, has now received its official announcement in India. The 5" smartphone with dual-SIM functionality has been priced at Rs. 21500 (about $400).


Samsung Galaxy Grand features a 5" WVGA TFT display and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor along with 1 GB of RAM. The smartphone has an 8 MP camera with LED flash at the back and a 2 MP shooter in the front.
The dual-SIM smartphone offers 8GB of storage and supports memory expansion up to 64GB via the microSD card slot. Samsung Galaxy Grand runs on a 2100mAH battery and comes with few cool home-backed features like S Voice, Direct call, Smart alert, Popup play along with the Multi-View functionality, which allows the users to access two apps simultaneously.
Furthermore, the handset's auto forwarding option will automatically divert incoming calls on the other SIM to the primary SIM, if when you are in a call.
We have already got our hands dirty with Galaxy Grand - you can check out what we learned about it in our hands-on.