XOLO X900, First Smartphone with Intel Inside Launches in India Market

 Intel Corporation and Lava International Ltd., one of India’s fastest-growing mobile handset companies, announced the general availability of the XOLO X900, the first smartphone with Intel inside. The device is already available to customers for purchase at a best-buy street price of approximately INR 22000.

Lava also announced its long-term partnership with Croma, a national chain of mega stores of consumer electronics and durables, for promotion and sale of the XOLO X900.

The partnership between Intel and Lava was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. The XOLO X900 is based on Intel’s smartphone reference design featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 with Intel® Hyper Threading Technology and supporting HSPA+ 3G connectivity.

The high-performance 1.6 GHz Atom™ processor with Hyper Threading Technology brings speed and multi-tasking performance to consumers’ fingertips. The leading-edge 400 MHz graphics clock and the full 1080p HD video encoding and playback make this phone a perfect entertainment device, providing users with an immersive gaming and video experience. It also features an 8-megapixel camera delivering advanced imaging capabilities including burst mode that allows 10 pictures to be captured in under a second.

The XOLO X900 is housed in a sleek design with a 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen for crisp text and vibrant images. At launch, the X900 will run on Android Gingerbread*, with a planned over-the -air software upgrade to Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich* platform shortly thereafter. Intel’s technology enables a high-performance user experience, all while maintaining great battery life – up to 5 hours of 3G browsing, 45 hours of audio and 8 hours of talk time¹.

“Through XOLO X900, we are happy to bring to the Indian market a device that addresses the needs of those for whom speed and performance matters. After our success in feature phones with over 10 million happy customers in under 3 years, XOLO will be a differentiated player in the fast-growing smartphone segment. The initial reviews of XOLO X900 have been very positive and independent benchmarks clearly point to the fact that when it comes to speed and performance, XOLO X900 is the gold standard,” said Vishal Sehgal, co-founder and director, Lava International.

“The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers,” said Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group. “The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what’s still to come.”

Commenting on the long-term strategic partnership with Lava, Ajit Joshi, MD and CEO, Infiniti Retail Limited, said “We at Croma are extremely pleased to collaborate with Intel and Lava to get this exciting new product into the market. We always endeavor to get the latest and best products first to our consumers and this is a step in that direction. We are very optimistic about the prospects of this exciting new product.”

Samsung Galaxy S III Features, Specifications & Price in India

Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone has finally arrived in India. Needless to say, it's arguably the hottest smartphone in the market. Building on the success of feature rich Galaxy series, Samsung Galaxy S III price in India is for online portals is Rs. 38500 (best price online). Samsung Galaxy S III launch in India is took places in the month of May-June 2012. Samsung Galaxy S III price in India will be in line with Samsung Galaxy S II and Note smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S III features Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 which comes with free access to 1000s of free apps. Samsung Galaxy S III will be show cased at MWC 2012.

Samsung Galaxy S III Features and Specifications

Loaded with latest and most powerful features, Samsung Galaxy S III will have dual core Nvidia 1.8 GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM which can assure you best performance for any type of application. Also Samsung Galaxy S III features 10MP camera in rear end which is much above than any other smartphone or even Tablets in market. Samsung Galaxy S III features inbuilt memory of 32GB which can be expanded up to 64GB using microSD card.

Samsung Galaxy S III Features List

• Mobile Network Band: 2G, GSM and HSDPA
• Operating System: Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, latest in the market
• Smartphone Processor: NVidia’s Kal-El
• Processor Type: dual core
• Processor capacity: 1.8 GHz
• Inbuilt RAM: 1.5GB
• Screen Size: 4.62"
• Wide screen with personalized menu items
• Quick contacts on home screen
• Stylish design
• Screen Type: Super AMOLED 3D
• Screen Resolution: 1280 x 1024 Pixels
• Primary Camera Size: 10MP
• Video Recording: 1080p with 60 fps
• Secondary Camera type: VGA
• Inbuilt Internal Memory: 32GB
• Expandable memory with microSD card: 64GB with microSD card
• TouchWiz 5 UI
• Media file fomart supported:
• Multi Format Audio file
• Multi format Video player
• Keypad type: Virtual QWERTY
• Entertainment: Stereo FM Radio
• Special feature: Built-in NFC
• Audio jack size: 3.5 mm
• Thickness: 9mm only
• Available colors: Black
• Connectivity:
• Bluetooth
• MicroUSB
• 3G HSDPA
• WiFi
• USB
• Ring Tone support
• Vibration
• Polyphonic
• MP3
• WAV
• Communication
• Call
• SMS
• MMS
• Email
• Push Mail
• IM
• Social networking
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Battery Type: 2250 mAh Li-Ion
• Battery life on stand by: Long
• Battery life in usage: up to 12 hours

Samsung Galaxy S III Price India
Samsung Galaxy S III Price in India is Rs. 38,900 though selected stores are selling at Rs. 38,500 also.

Viewsonic To Launch 2 New Android Phones In India

 Viewsonic has plans to launch two Android phones in India in the near future. According to some credible sources, the new phones are--the V350, which includes support for dual-SIM and the ViewPad4 sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm processor and a new Viewsonic UI. Sources claim that these phones will be officially launched in the next week. The company refrains from revealing anything officially on this.

The Viewsonic V350 is slated to be an active dual-SIM phone having a 8.9-cm (3.5”) TFT capacitive touchscreen, a 600MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB RAM and a 5MP camera with autofocus. The phone is rumoured to be running the Android Froyo OS, which is outdated now. 
These current launches seem to be an upgrade from the earlier ViewPad7 and ViewPad10 tablets, launched in December last year.

On the other hand, the ViewPad4 will run the Gingerbread OS; it sports a 10.4-cm (4.1-inch) WVGA capacitive touch screen, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 processor and a 5MP camera with the ability to record 720p video. Earlier reports suggested that it would be a tablet but it seems, Viewsonic has reworked their strategy and are launching it as a device that will offer both phone and tablet functionalities. 

No updates about the prices of the two phones could be gathered as of now. 

Micromax A70 debuts in India

Micromax has released Android powered A70 in India today. Micromax A70 is a budget Android smartphone with pretty decent specifications.  It features Android 2.2, 600 MHz processor and 3.2 inch display. Price has not been officially announced,

Apple Files A Fresh Lawsuit Against HTC

Apple had recently filed a lawsuit against Samsung, which led to both the companies pointing fingers at each other. However, the Korean conglomerate withdrew one of the lawsuits against the iPhone maker just a few days ago, even though the company still continues to fight the legal battle. It should be noted that Apple had also filed a lawsuit againstHTC in March 2010, accusing the company of patent infringement. The Cupertino-based company went to the ITC(International Trade Commission), asking them to ban the selling of HTC products in the U.S. However, the ITC ruled in favour of HTC in April. Apple has now filed another fresh complaint against HTC with the Trade Commission, seeking compensation in the same dispute.

Not long ago, Apple was simultaneously fighting another legal battle with Nokia, which ended in the court handing the verdict in favour of the Finnish mobile maker. This resulted in Apple being ordered to pay a huge sum of money with royalties for each iPhone sold. That being said, Nokia is better equipped in the patent wars unlike HTC, which does not hold as many patents as Nokia does.

The ITC usually gives the verdict in about a month's time and hence companies prefer this over normal courts which usually take longer. As far as Apple's second patent is concerned, it seems like a desperate second attempt to prove its point. However, a final verdict on the first case will be given on the 5th of August, where the judges could side by Apple. Interestingly, HTC acquired the S3 firm last week, which could bring some patents to their kitty. Apple's list of HTC devices that infringe on its patents include the HTC Desire, Hero, Aria, Wildfire, and other U.S. exclusive handsets plus the HTC Flyer. All eyes would be focussed on Apple and HTC on the 5th of next month to learn about the latest developments in the patent wars.

AT&T & HTC announce ‘Status’ in United States

HTC has released ChaCha as Status on AT&T in US.  Revealed first time at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, ChaCha aka Status is a Facebook centric Android smartphone with a dedicated FB button.
“HTC Status brings a Facebook experience to people who want to share their experiences with their friends faster and easier than ever before,” said Jason Mackenzie, President, HTC Americas. “With a dedicated Facebook share button combined with the hallmark HTC Sense experience, HTC Status makes it easy for people to stay connected to the things that are important to them.”
HTC Status Features:

• Android™ 2.3 + HTC Sense
• 2.6-inch touch screen with 480 x 320 resolution
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900
• 512 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
• MSM7227, 800 MHz
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 1250 mAh
• 5 MP main camera with autofocus, VGA  front-facing camera

Availability: Status is coming exclusively to AT&T this summer. Pricing will be revealed closer to launch

Samsung going to launch entry-level Android with 1GHz processor in US

Samsung is soon going to release an Android device, which is being termed as an entry-level smartphone, but sports some pretty decent internals. We are talking about Samsung SPH-D600. This smartphone is going to be launched on Sprint in US and will support telecom operator’s WiMax network.

It is expected to feature a 1 GHz processor, 3.5 inch 480 x 320 resolution display, 3.2 MP rear camera with a front cam and Android 2.3.3.

There is no word on the pricing or availability right now, but we will share the information as soon as we get it. Till then enjoy the following leaked pics of the smartphone. 

Gold-Plated Luxury Smartphone From Nokia

Nokia unveils its first ever premium touch smartphone , the gold-plated Nokia Oro. This beast of a phone is a treat for the eyes, and will please the techie-minds as well.

The bling Nokia smartphone, a luxury version of the highly customised Nokia C7 smartphone , has been bathed in gold, and studded with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal front keys.

The back cover is covered by finest quality Bridge of Weir leather, which is actually the best leather material available in market. The 18k gold frame comes along with Corning Gorilla Glass, which makes it stylish as well as tough. Along with the liberal use of gold, Nokia also offers a fancy-looking Nokia J Bluetooth headset, which too has been dipped in 18k gold.

From the technical view, the Oro features an 8MP camera with dual led flash and HD video recording. It comes pre-loaded with Symbian Anna, the latest Nokia OS and has a generous 8GB of internal storage capacity. Extendable memory up to 32GB can be upgraded via a microSD card.

Nokia Oro also comes with the basic packs of WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB, a 3.5 mm audio jack, along with a t 3.5" AMOLED display. Priced at of $1,126 (Rs 50,990), the Nokia Oro will mostly hit the markets in Europe and Asia in the third quarter of this year.

Samsung Galaxy S II to Launch In India On June 3

The Samsung Galaxy S II has managed to blow us all away by its sheer brilliance and hardware capabilities. We got our first glimpse of the device during the Mobile World Congress in February. It has been touted as one of the best Android smartphones in the market; needless to say expectations were generally high. And now this beast of a handset is India-bound, courtesy of Vodafone. The handset will be launched via Vodafone on June 3.  Vodafone will sell the handset for Rs.32,890 which isn't much considering that the entry-level iPhone 4 to be launched in India will cost about Rs.2000 more.Interested buyers may also pre-order their phones via Samsung's website from May 26 onwards for Rs.1000. It seems like Vodafone customers will have the privilege of getting the device first, followed by other Samsung retail outlets in India where the device will be available from June 9. Vodafone users will also be offered 6 GB of free data usage (1 GB per month for a span of 6 months).

This handset is the successor to the equally popular Samsung Galaxy S, which sold around 10 million units worldwide. Something similar can be expected from the Galaxy S II, and with the device that the Galaxy S II is, we don't think that should be too difficult. The Indian markets will be getting the 16 GB variant of the Galaxy S II.

Specifications:
The Galaxy S II will feature a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, an 8 Megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p Full HD video, a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the latest iteration of Samsung's TouchWiz i.e. the TouchWiz 4.0.

Micromax Launches Bling-2 Android Phone

After the resounding success of the Q55 Bling phone, Micromax Informatics Limited has launched the A55 Bling-2, which is the second model in its Bling series of phones designed for the fashion-savvy woman. True to its name, this trendy mobile phone sports a glossy finish frame made with Swarovski Zirconia and comes with a white leather carry case enclosed with a compact mirror and special pouch to keep your lip gloss, making it easy for you to retouch your makeup anytime and anywhere. Then there is also the Swarovski encrusted Home button adding a touch of style.

Apart from the glamour of the phone, it runs Android 2.2 Froyo and you can therefore install different apps from the Market to make the phone more useful. There are also built-in apps such as MiRoamer- Mobile radio, Saavn- Music on Demand, Mosho- Mobile shopping, Mundu Live TV (1 month free trial) and Whatsapp- a messenger that works across platforms (VAS) to meet the demand of today's demanding women.

On the hardware front, this phone is powered by a 600 Mhz processor and sports a 7.1 cm capacitive touchscreen. Capable of 2G as well as 3G, the phone supports quad-band GSM networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and WCDMA (2100 MHz) technology. It also features Mi-Fi pocket wireless internet feature, which turns the phone into your personal Wi-Fi hotspot on the move. A 3.0 Megapixel camera is also present with lens framed in Swarovski Zirconia. Phone memory can be expanded up to 32 GB with microSD memory card. Thanks to the 3.5 mm headphone jack, you can plug in any standard headphones to listen to your favourite music. The phone also features Bluetooth for wireless file transfer and audio, and GPS to aid in navigation.

Micromax Bling-2 (A55) is available at an M.O.P. of Rs.8,999, which is a bit expensive for the hardware that is included, but then it is the "bling-factor" for which you are paying the premium.

HTC officially launches Wildfire S in India for INR 13,999

HTC India today officially launched Gingerbread powered Wildfire S in India. The smartphone has been on preorder at various online stores for last two days. Company has priced it at INR 14,700 and it is now available for purchase at all the major retail stores.
HTC Wildfire S is the third device of the series of Android devices unveiled at Mobile World Congress. Other devices which are still waiting to be released are HTC Chacha, Salsa and Flyer.
You can check more on the specifications of HTC Wildfire here or the HTC website.

Sony Ericsson Cybershot Android Phone

We have been hearing rumors of Sony Ericsson coming with a Cybershot Android smartphone. While the first leaked shot was a hoax, we might have real renders this time. Nothing confirmed still but Cybershot series of Android phone might be a reality after all.
There is no word on the specs, but it looks to have 3.7 inch display, Android 2.3, 16MP camera and front camera.

Dell launches Android powered Venue in Singapore

Dell has finally launched Venue in Singapore. It is being sold for a recommended price of S$738. Coming in the era of dual core smartphones, Dell Venue sports a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4.1 inch AMOLED display and Android 2.2.
There is no word on whether Dell Venue will ever receive Gingerbread goodness. Other features of Venue include the Dell Stage UI, 8MP camera and pre-installed Swype.

Spice Mi 410 to be Launched in June

Spice mobile plans to launch its latest smartphone - Spice Mi 410 - in the first week of June this year, according to a report on The Mobile Indian. This phone will run Android 2.2, and will be an upgrade to the Spice Mi 310.

The Spice Mi 410 will sport a 4.1-inch capacitive touchscreen display as against the 3.15 inch of the Mi 310. It will be powered by a Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, while its predecessor has a Qualcomm MSM7227 600 MHz processor. Similarly, the camera has also been upgraded to a solid 5 megapixel from a paltry 2 megapixel.

Connectivity options include 3.5G, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, quad-band, UMTS 2100 MHz, and Wi-Fi, along with Bluetooth 2.1. The phone can work as a Wi-Fi hotspot, supporting up to five connected Wi-Fi devices. USB tethering support allows you to use it as a modem to access the internet when you connect it to your computer or laptop. It also has GPS with AGPS to access location-based services. Since it runs Android 2.2, you can always enhance its productivity by downloading apps from the Android Market. The 1GHz Snapdragon processor makes sure that the apps won't slow down, while the 4.1 inch screen with 480x800 pixel resolution will actually allow you to view the apps in their full glory, which is usually unlikely on the smaller screens of comparatively inexpensive Android phones.

The Spice Mi 410 will come preloaded with a host of free applications, including one from Indian Railways. It will be available exclusively at Spice Hotspots across the country at Rs.15,000, which is almost twice as expensive as the Mi 310.

Micromax Bling 2 Android phone appears on official website

Micromax has released the official micro-site of Bling 2 Android smartphone. Targeted to women, this device will be available in the market sometime this month.

For interested folks, Micromax is even pre-booking the device on their website right now.  Bling 2 features Android 2.2, 2.8 inch display, 3MP camera, 32GB microSD card support and WiFi along with the usual GPS, Bluetooth and 3.5 mm headset jack.

Sony lets loose pair of Xperia Mini smartphones

Sony's gaming division may be working tirelessly to sew up the loose ends of its PlayStation Network, but Sony Ericsson, the company's smartphone branch, is having no such woes. Today they unveiled a pair of brand new Android smartphones to join the company's Xperia handset line. The Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro bring a decidedly diminutive touch to Sony's handset offerings — much like the Veer has done for HP.

Both the standard Mini and Mini Pro will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the gate, a notable feature considering much of the Android market is still using version 2.2 Froyo. The phones sport 3" touch displays, 720p HD video recording capability, integrated Facebook features, and Sony's DLNA connection technology that allows users to toss media from the phone to compatible Bravia TVs.

The Pro model ups the ante and adds slide-out "Smart Keyboard" which automatically predicts what you want to use it for. For example, if you're surfing the web and slide open the keyboard the cursor automatically jumps to the search or address bar. No word on a specific launch date was given, but Sony expects to release the new pair in the fall.

iPhone 4 to Launch in India on May 12

Airtel & Aircel may launch it in black and white color.

Last month, two Indian Mobile Operators - Airtel and Aircel promised to introduce Apple iPhone 4 "in coming months" for India. As per the recent rumors from "insider sources", Indians can expect to see iPhone 4 in Black as well as White colors on May 12. There's no official confirmation on this information and hence we take this information with a grain of salt.

Officially, Airtel and Aircel would be introducing  iPhone 4 for India which would be available as both carrier locked and unlocked, hopefully. Apparently, Airtel has starting registration for iPhone 4. So far, from the details what we could infer from a Twitter update by user named Sunny Chahal. Further he added that the information was limited only to GSM handsets and no word was out on CDMA version of iPhone 4.

Sony Ericsson releases another Walkman Android phone Next month in China

Sony Ericsson today launched another Walkman series Android device. The phone sporting Chinese version of Android OPhone 2.5 will be available with China Mobile shortly.

The phone will support all the Android app runs compatible with Android 2.2. Dubbed as WT18i, this smartphone features 3MP camera, Marvell PXA920 806MHz processor, 3.2 inch HVGA display, 150MB of internal memory, GPS, FM Tuner, and microSDHC slot.

China Mobile has not announced a specific availability date or pricing as of now.

Sony Ericsson Acro debuts in Japan

Sony Ericsson announced a tweaked version of Xperia Arc for Japan – Xperia Acro.  Designed for Japanese market, Acro comes with infrared port, mobile wallet, and mobile TV functionality.
It comes with other features similar to Xperia Arc like 1 GHz processor, Android 2.3, 4.2 inch display, 8.1 megapixel camera. Acro will start shipping in Japan starting this summer in Black and White colors.
We are delighted to be introducing this flagship model to Japan. In this sophisticated market, we are listening to consumers and are happy to adapt our products to fit in with requirements which they believe to be an essential part of the mobile experience. We expect that they will be pleased to have such a uniquely adept premium smartphone and look forward to a new wave of consumers experiencing the world of Xperia.

Nexus One gets Android 2.3.4 update; manually update now

 

Google has released the Android 2.3.4 update for Nexus One too. Due to the lack of front cam, Google has not pushed the new Gtalk client to the device, not even the voice chat feature.
So, if you were waiting for new Gtalk, you are out of luck. But, you can always update your Nexus One to get the latest bug-fixes. The update is being rolled out over the air and you will soon get the update notification on your N1.

How to manually update your Nexus One:

• Download the update file from Google.
• Rename it to Update.zip
• Move the file to your phone SD card.
• Switch Off, and reboot in Bootloader using Vol Up and Power button
• Choose recovery and when the triangle with exclamation mark appears, press power and vol up button at the same time
• Select “Apply Update.zip from SD card”
• Reboot and enjoy.