February 4, 2015, 4:52 am
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Press images and specifications of the HTC Desire 626 smartphone leaked few weeks back, now the smartphone has been certified in China on TENAA with model number D626w. According to the listing the smartphone has a 5-inch HD display, 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has a 1.7GHz Octa-Core processor but comes only with 1GB RAM and 8GB RAM, unlike 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage as rumored earlier.
According to earlier rumored, it will get the Android 5.0 (Lollipop) update after the release and also come in 3G variant with quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor.
HTC Desire 626 rumored specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.7GHz Octa-Core MediaTek processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 4.4 with HTC Sense UI
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.19; Weight: 135 grams
HTC BoomSound, Dual front-facing stereo speakers
4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS
2000 mAh battery
Via
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February 4, 2015, 5:53 am
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Gionee has announced that it will unveil new ultra-slim smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona next month. It unveiled the Elife S5.5 that was 5.5mm thick and introduced the Elife S5.1 that even entered into the Guinness book of world records in September since it was the slimmest smartphone at that time at just 5.1mm. The company haven't announced how thin its upcoming smartphones would be.
Gionee says that some other manufacturers who followed them and are pushing the limits on slimness of smartphones to make smartphones with several compromises such as no headphone jack, a protruding rear camera, less battery life and a thin frame resulting in heating issues and a bad signal. "Going so slim is actually not benefiting user experience without the performance to back it up," said by Oliver Sha, head of global marketing of Gionee.
Regarding their upcoming slim smartphones, Gionne said:
With smartphone manufacturers racing to launch models that can turn heads, this year at MWC, Gionee is looking at a new wave of slim phones that can be elevated to the next level, bringing its latest slim smartphone that's more than beyond slim, without compromising on performance and a focus on delivering a superior user experience, whether in ...
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February 4, 2015, 8:27 pm
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Google Play Music has been updated with a couple of features and redesigned UI. The latest revamp comes months after it first received Material Design features in October.
Updated to version 5.8.1809, the Play Music now gets a new full-page slideout navigation drawer that reaches the top of the screen. Prior to this, the navigation drawer would slide out under the action bar up top. Moving on, Google has redesigned the artist, genre, and album pages with addition of bio and history. The side drawer has also been changed and gets new tabs such as instant mixes, shop and download only. There are even minor tweaks to the way artist info and album artwork are displayed.
Moreover, the orange background at the top of the page has also been extended downward slightly replacing the gray tab from previous version. Now users can listen to previous song thanks to the addition of back arrow on the notification screen itself. Earlier you could only listed to the next song. These are a couple of handy additions and Google has started rolling out the update which will gradually hit the Android devices.
Play Link - Google Play Music
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February 4, 2015, 10:35 pm
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Twitter and Google have signed a deal to ensure that tweets now appear in Google search, according to a latest report from Bloomberg. The deal has been signed but is still not officially announced by both the companies, added the report.
Tweets will be visible in Google search results as soon as they are posted, starting during the first half of the year. The move comes from Twitter as it strives hard to increase user engagement on its platform. Another aim of the deal is to bring the data from Twitter to non Twitter users up front. This in turn would help generate more ad revenue for the company.
As a result of the deal, Google will get access to all the content from more than 284 million users of Twitter. This isn’t the first time, of course, that tweets have been included in Google’s search results. This deal is similar to the one the duo entered in 2009 but it expired in 2011. Latest terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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February 4, 2015, 10:56 pm
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Microsoft has scooped up mobile calendar app maker Sunrise, according to a report from TechCrunch. The latest deal is said to be worth more than $100M.
Sunrise integrates with Google Calendar, iCloud, and Microsoft Exchange as well as apps like Evernote, Foursquare, LinkedIn and Github to fill out events with more information than other calendar apps. The app source your tasks and events from a variety of providers, including Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, iCloud as well as social media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare. Present on iOS, Mac, Android and Chrome, the app also had built-in support for reminders that sync along with the calendars.
Microsoft acquired email app Acompli for more than $200 million in December. Last month, the company also launched new Outlook apps for iOS and Android that is powered by Acompli's technology. The report added that Microsoft is keeping the app alive and it might use its technology in future products.
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February 4, 2015, 11:16 pm
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Sony Corporation has reported its revenues for third quarter of the financial year 2014 that ended December 31st. Sales increased to 2,557.8 billion yen ( US$ 21,139 million), an increase of 6.1%. It shipped 11.9 million smartphone in the quarter, compared to 9.9 million the previous quarter and 10.7 the same quarter the previous year, which is a 11% increase. The mobile communications division has reported sales of 429 billion yen (US$ 3,545 million) for the quarter, a 28.7% increase year-on-year and income of 9.3 billion yen ( US$76 million U.S. dollars).
The increase in mobile sale in the quarter was primarily due to an improvement in product mix and the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates. The devices sector saw an increase of 38.6% year-on-year to 292.9 billion yen (US$ 2,421 million). This significant increase was primarily due to a significant increase in sales of image sensors reflecting higher demand for mobile products, said Sony.
Regarding the outlook for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, the mobile sales are expected to be below the October forecast primarily due to an expected decrease in unit sales of smartphones mainly in the Asia Pacific region, partially offset by the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates, said the company. Operating loss is also expected to be larger than the October forecast primarily ...
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February 4, 2015, 11:35 pm
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OnePlus has partnered with popular keyboard app creator SwiftKey to integrate SwiftKey keyboard with the upcoming CyanogenMod 11S update later this month. This enables users to switch to Swiftkey keyboard easily without the need to download. Swiftkey lets you type in up to three languages at once without switching settings and it even has new material design keyboard themes.
Commenting on the partnership, Helen Li, Head of Product, Mobile at OnePlus, said:
We always look to improve user experience by working with partners who share our vision of great products and sensible innovation. SwiftKey improves the keyboard experience for our global user base with support for 81 languages.
Eric Collins, SwiftKey’s head of distribution, said:
We want OnePlus customers to enjoy all the fun of faster, easier typing from a keyboard that learns from them. It’s our mission to make it easier for everyone to type and communicate on mobile, and we’re proud to partner with an industry disruptor to bring our innovative smart keyboard to more people around the world.
Swifkey went free last year, launched on iOS along with the iOS 8 few months back and is one of the top keyboard apps on Android and iOS.
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February 4, 2015, 11:38 pm
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Google has acquired Launchpad Toys, a kids storytelling app maker for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2010, Launchpad Toys makes popular mobile apps for children including an augmented reality app called TeleStory.
"We’re proud to announce that our little toy company is pairing up with a great big team of tinkerers to empower GAJILLIONS of playful storytellers around the world. Launchpad Toys is joining Google to create even more amazing creativity tools for kids."
Launchpad announced via company blog.
Launchpad Toys is famous for its well known animation storytelling app called Toontastic. Designed specially for Apple's iPad, the app allows kids to create their own cartoons and tell a story. As a result of the acquisition, Launchpad Toys has made Toontastic app free that was a paid one earlier. In addition, the company is also making its “digital toys and tools” available for free. Both the companies have not disclosed their future plans. Last week, Vine launched Vine Kids app on iOS that allows children to watch 6 second videos that are appropriate for their age.
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February 5, 2015, 12:29 am
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Samsung launched the Galaxy A3 (SM-A300H/DS) smartphone for Rs. 20,500 in India last month along with the Galaxy A5. Even the Galaxy A3 has a metallic body. Let us check out the unboxing of the smartphone.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnNE-KQva04
Box Contents
Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone in Pearl White
In-ear earphone with microphone and earbuds
SIM ejector tool
2-pin wall charger
micro USB cable
Quick Start Guide and warranty information
The Galaxy A3 has a 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display, slightly smaller the Galaxy A5. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, runs on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) out of the box and has a 5MP front-facing camera, which is common in all the A and E smartphones. It has dual nano SIM slots in which the secondary SIM slot can also be used as a microSD slot when required.
The Galaxy A3 is 6.9mm thick, slightly thicker than the Galaxy A5, but it weighs just 110.3 grams. It has a 8MP rear camera with LED flash, instead of 13MP camera on the A5. The uni-body design and the solid build quality are similar to the Galaxy A5. The A3 comes with 3G support in India, unlike the Galaxy A5 that has 4G LTE connectivity, this also has a smaller 1900 mAh built-in battery. We will be ...
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February 5, 2015, 12:52 am
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Spice has announced that it has launched its Android One smartphone in Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka today in association with Google. It has launched its Android One smartphone under the brand name Nexian Journey One which runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). The Lollipop update offers improved battery life, enhanced security features and smarter notifications.
The specification of the Spice Android One is similar to the one that was launched in India last year that includes a 4.5-inch FWVGA screen, 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, dual SIM support, 1GB RAM and a 1700mAh battery.
Commenting on the announcement, Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility Ltd, said
We are delighted to expand our reach into international markets of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal with the revolutionary Android One smartphones. We are pleased with the customer response towards the Android One phone in India and are confident that the product will be equally successful in these markets as well, enabling us to strengthen our position in the international mobile market.
Spice Mobility recently announced an investment of Rs 500 crores to set up a local manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. Google recently announced that the Android One smartphones in India will get the Android ...
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February 5, 2015, 1:10 am
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Swipe Technologies has announced that it has partnered with with Haptik Inc. to introduce first of it’s kind in-built Chat Solution to Swipe customers with a simple message on AssistX powered by Haptik. Swipe Telecom is also the first ever company to enable Cash On Delivery purchases of their phones/tablets with a simple message on Haptik itself, said the company.
Haptik Inc enables customers to get information and support for over 200 companies in a real time, private, asynchronous way. The app allows customers to chat with a certified Haptik expert for queries, information and almost anything else, guaranteeing a response within 5 minutes.
Commenting on the new partnership and new initiative, Shripal Gandhi, Founder & CEO, Swipe Technologies, said:
Swipe Technologies is pleased to partner with like-minded, innovative and cutting-edge technology mobile application platform Haptik Inc. Thanks to Haptik’s mobile app, Swipe customers will be able to resolve their queries within 5 minutes. Customer behavior patterns have confirmed sharp shift from voice to texting preference for a variety of reasons. Swipe has a huge customer support center and Haptik – that is communication by way of touching the mobile screen – will further aid that process.
Aakrit Vaish, Co-founder & CEO, Haptik Inc, said:
Mobile messaging is a new ...
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February 5, 2015, 1:12 am
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Apple is looking forward to launch a music streaming service that is powered by Beats, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The service which is currently has no name yet, is also said to be coming to iTunes and Apple TV.
Surprisngly, the Beats music service is also said to be coming to Android. The new service will allow you to search for content on iTunes/Beats catalog. Users will be able to stream music from their personal catalogs and add songs to their personal libraries. The service will also reportedly offer Beats' library of human-curated playlists designed to fit various activities. It will also have some social-networking features so you can follow other users and artists.
As per the report, Apple has given the user interface a complete makeover. For starters, the black-and-red Beats Music color scheme is gone and Beats Music accounts will be merged with Apple ID profiles. As for the price of the streaming service, the report states that Apple could charge the service $7.99 a month, which would undercut the $9.99 price charge by Spotify, Google Play Music, and Rdio.
Previous reports had stated that Apple will integrate Beats Music into iTunes and make it as a paid service. The new service ...
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February 5, 2015, 2:04 am
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Huawei today announced that it has launched its new Research & Development center in Whitefield, Bangalore. The one million sq. ft. campus built on a 20 acre land will accommodate up to 5,000 engineers and includes an R&D Block, customer experience center, large cafeteria, multilevel car park and residential block for expat employees, said the company. Huawei has invested over US$ 170 million (Rs. 1051 crores approx.) in building the new campus in Bangalore.
It's first overseas research and development center being set up in Bangalore in 1999. Today it has over 2700 engineers, out of which more than 98% are local employees including leadership roles. It is also the largest and the most important R&D center of Huawei, outside of China. It also celebrates 15 years of operation in India and has launched Huawei – 15 years of enabling digital India campaign. Huawei is partnering with leading mobile service provider in India to build India’s 1st 4G LTE commercial network.
The India R&D center plays a key role in component development and delivery center of Huawei for the global markets and has ownership of almost all software platforms, components and products being developed in India. India R&D center is engaged in ...
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February 5, 2015, 3:16 am
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Yesterday, Canalys report stated that Micromax pipped Samsung to become India's top smartphone vendor. However, a latest report from Counterpoint is stating that Samsung is still the top smartphone maker in the country for Q4, 2014.
The report revealed that Samsung tops the Indian charts with a market share of 27.4 percent. Micromax came in second with 19.4 percent market share. The report said that the homegrown smartphone makers shipments grew 75% Y-o-Y but declined sequentially. Intex took the third spot with a 6.5 percent share, followed by Lava with 5.1 percent and Lenovo at number 5, thanks to the Motorola acquisition. The data for is Q4, 2014 from October to December. Xiaomi smartphone shipments grew almost 250% Q-o-Q but the vendor failed to make it to the Top five smartphone vendors during the quarter
Overall smartphone shipments stood close to 22 million during the fourth quarter, reaching a record level crossing 80 million units for the first time and contributing close to 32% of the overall shipments in the calendar year 2014. India is the third largest smartphone market in the world, shipping almost twice as many smartphones shipped in Japan in 2014.
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February 5, 2015, 4:33 am
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ASUS has introduced ZenPower, the company's first 9600mAh portable power bank in Taiwan. It was originally introduced at the CES last month only to selected media and competes with Xiaomi's 10400mAh power bank. It even looks similar to the Xiaomi Mi power bank. It weighs 215 grams and is 18mm thick, slightly lighter and thinner than the Mi 10400mAh power bank that weighs 250g and is 21.6mm thick. Other dimensions are almost similar.
The Asus ZenPower has three 3200mAh batteries, compared to four 2600mAh batteries on the Mi 10400mAh pwer bank. It has 11 layers of protection, compared to 9 layers on Xiaomi's Mi power bank. It has a full USB port with 5V/2.4V output, a micro USB slot for charging, a power button and four LED lights.
The Asus ZenPower comes in black, white, gold, blue and pink matte metallic colors with rubber sleeves in black, gray, red, yellow and green colors. No details about the pricing or global roll out yet.
Source
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February 5, 2015, 4:42 am
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Celkon has launched Millennia ME Q54, the company's latest smartphone in the Millennia series with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, targeted at selfie market. It has a 5-inch FWVGA screen, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash as well. It comes with dual SIM support and 3G connectivity.
Commenting on the launch, Y Guru Chairman and Managing Director - Celkon Mobiles, said:
We have started the New Year on a very positive note and this is our 2nd offering this year. We will continue to grow manifolds with many such value-for-money offerings in the pipeline.
Murali Retineni, Executive Director-Celkon Mobiles said:
We at Celkon believe in products which are packed with cutting edge features and are affordable to all. In continuation of that, we are today pleased to announce the launch of yet another powerful and latest feature loaded model Millennia ME Q54. This phone provides a unique take-away for all categories of people. Gaming aficionados can revel in their experience with the gravity sensors while selfie lovers can take best selfies with the 5MP front camera. We hope this all-in-one model will be most suitable for customers who do not want to ...
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February 5, 2015, 5:46 am
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Lava Iris X8, the company's upcoming smartphone in the Iris X series has been listed on Flipkart. It has 5-inch HD screen, is powered by a 1.4 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and a 3-megapixel front-facing camera. The front camera doesn't have LED flash like the Iris X5 that was launched last year. The design of the smartphone is similar to earlier Iris X series smartphones.
It has dual SIM support and 3G connectivity, similar to other smartphones in the Lava smartphones. It packs 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage with expansion slot and a 2500mAh battery.
Lava Iris X8 specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Asahi Dragontrail glass protection
1.4 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592M processor
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat), upgradable to Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash, BSI 3 Sensor
3MP front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Dimensions: 70.9x143.4x8.6mm; Weight: 160g
3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2500 mAh battery
The Lava Iris X8 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 8,999. Lava has started teasing the smartphone on the website, so the launch might be few ...
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February 5, 2015, 7:22 am
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During last night's 100 days of Honor event in London, the company introduced the Huawei Honor Holly smartphone to the European market. With the event focused around Honor fans, the company announced the handset is launching with a retail price of £109.99 but fans have the chance to reduce the price through the unique "price hacker" promotion.
The price hacker promotion is really simple - the more users who make non-binding registration for the handset, the lower the price drops. The promotion lasts for twenty days at www.hihonor.com/pricehacker and lasts for 20 days before the final price is set on 23rd February; following the announcement of the price, a limited number of units will go on sale for four days at that price on a first-come first-served basis. Once the four-day sale ends, the handset will raise in price but the firm's UK PR told us last night that the final price is still likely to be less than the £109.99 starting price.
Honor Executive Vice President for Europe, Lars-Christian Weisswange, said at the launch:
"We want to be the leading Android brand and offer the best user experience. Whether its health or e-commerce, we want our devices to meet the customer requirements."
"Honor ...
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February 5, 2015, 6:35 pm
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Three UK already confirmed to be stocking the Galaxy A3 and now the network has revealed they will also be selling its bigger sibling, the Galaxy A5, on pay monthly contracts and pay as you go in the UK. Both the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 are part of Samsung's new A series which gains inspiration from the Galaxy Alpha and brings an all-metal clad body.
The Galaxy A5 sports a 5 inch 720p Super AMOLED display offering 294 pixels per inch density and is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. Like other Samsung devices, the storage can be expanded by up to 64GB thanks to the built-in microSD card slot.
On the back is a 13MP autofocus camera with LED flash which can shoot Full HD 1080p video whilst the front facing 5MP snapper should be good for selfie-lovers. Naturally the Galaxy A5 is a connectivity-laden handset sporting LTE Cat 4 (offering 150Mbps download speeds), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band Wi-Fi and an FM radio. The whole package is powered by a 2300 mAh battery that Samsung claim offers up to 15 hours talk time and all of this is based inside a handset weighing ...
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February 5, 2015, 7:33 pm
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Samsung launched the Galaxy A3 smartphone in India last month for Rs 20,500 along with the Galaxy A5. The phone sports a full metallic unibody design. We have seen the unboxing of the phone now lets take a look at the hardware in this photo gallery.
The Samsung Galaxy A3 has a 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor. Running on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) out of the box, the phone has 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSD.
It has a 5MP front facing camera along with the proximity and ambient light sensors and earpiece.
At the bottom, the phone has a the traditional home button that is seen on Samsung devices along with the capacitive touch buttons on either sides.
At the back, the phone has 8MP camera with LED flash on the left and loudspeaker grill on the right side. The Duos branding is also seen at below.
The volume rockers are present on the left side. The phone measures 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9mm and weighs 110.3 grams.
On the right side of the phone there are primary nano SIM slot, a hybrid SIM / microSD slot ...
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Press images and specifications of the HTC Desire 626 smartphone leaked few weeks back, now the smartphone has been certified in China on TENAA with model number D626w. According to the listing the smartphone has a 5-inch HD display, 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has a 1.7GHz Octa-Core processor but comes only with 1GB RAM and 8GB RAM, unlike 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage as rumored earlier.
According to earlier rumored, it will get the Android 5.0 (Lollipop) update after the release and also come in 3G variant with quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor.
HTC Desire 626 rumored specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.7GHz Octa-Core MediaTek processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 4.4 with HTC Sense UI
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.19; Weight: 135 grams
HTC BoomSound, Dual front-facing stereo speakers
4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, GPS
2000 mAh battery
Via
Gionee has announced that it will unveil new ultra-slim smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona next month. It unveiled the Elife S5.5 that was 5.5mm thick and introduced the Elife S5.1 that even entered into the Guinness book of world records in September since it was the slimmest smartphone at that time at just 5.1mm. The company haven't announced how thin its upcoming smartphones would be.
Gionee says that some other manufacturers who followed them and are pushing the limits on slimness of smartphones to make smartphones with several compromises such as no headphone jack, a protruding rear camera, less battery life and a thin frame resulting in heating issues and a bad signal. "Going so slim is actually not benefiting user experience without the performance to back it up," said by Oliver Sha, head of global marketing of Gionee.
Regarding their upcoming slim smartphones, Gionne said:
With smartphone manufacturers racing to launch models that can turn heads, this year at MWC, Gionee is looking at a new wave of slim phones that can be elevated to the next level, bringing its latest slim smartphone that's more than beyond slim, without compromising on performance and a focus on delivering a superior user experience, whether in ...
Google Play Music has been updated with a couple of features and redesigned UI. The latest revamp comes months after it first received Material Design features in October.
Updated to version 5.8.1809, the Play Music now gets a new full-page slideout navigation drawer that reaches the top of the screen. Prior to this, the navigation drawer would slide out under the action bar up top. Moving on, Google has redesigned the artist, genre, and album pages with addition of bio and history. The side drawer has also been changed and gets new tabs such as instant mixes, shop and download only. There are even minor tweaks to the way artist info and album artwork are displayed.
Moreover, the orange background at the top of the page has also been extended downward slightly replacing the gray tab from previous version. Now users can listen to previous song thanks to the addition of back arrow on the notification screen itself. Earlier you could only listed to the next song. These are a couple of handy additions and Google has started rolling out the update which will gradually hit the Android devices.
Play Link - Google Play Music
via
Twitter and Google have signed a deal to ensure that tweets now appear in Google search, according to a latest report from Bloomberg. The deal has been signed but is still not officially announced by both the companies, added the report.
Tweets will be visible in Google search results as soon as they are posted, starting during the first half of the year. The move comes from Twitter as it strives hard to increase user engagement on its platform. Another aim of the deal is to bring the data from Twitter to non Twitter users up front. This in turn would help generate more ad revenue for the company.
As a result of the deal, Google will get access to all the content from more than 284 million users of Twitter. This isn’t the first time, of course, that tweets have been included in Google’s search results. This deal is similar to the one the duo entered in 2009 but it expired in 2011. Latest terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Microsoft has scooped up mobile calendar app maker Sunrise, according to a report from TechCrunch. The latest deal is said to be worth more than $100M.
Sunrise integrates with Google Calendar, iCloud, and Microsoft Exchange as well as apps like Evernote, Foursquare, LinkedIn and Github to fill out events with more information than other calendar apps. The app source your tasks and events from a variety of providers, including Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, iCloud as well as social media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare. Present on iOS, Mac, Android and Chrome, the app also had built-in support for reminders that sync along with the calendars.
Microsoft acquired email app Acompli for more than $200 million in December. Last month, the company also launched new Outlook apps for iOS and Android that is powered by Acompli's technology. The report added that Microsoft is keeping the app alive and it might use its technology in future products.
Sony Corporation has reported its revenues for third quarter of the financial year 2014 that ended December 31st. Sales increased to 2,557.8 billion yen ( US$ 21,139 million), an increase of 6.1%. It shipped 11.9 million smartphone in the quarter, compared to 9.9 million the previous quarter and 10.7 the same quarter the previous year, which is a 11% increase. The mobile communications division has reported sales of 429 billion yen (US$ 3,545 million) for the quarter, a 28.7% increase year-on-year and income of 9.3 billion yen ( US$76 million U.S. dollars).
The increase in mobile sale in the quarter was primarily due to an improvement in product mix and the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates. The devices sector saw an increase of 38.6% year-on-year to 292.9 billion yen (US$ 2,421 million). This significant increase was primarily due to a significant increase in sales of image sensors reflecting higher demand for mobile products, said Sony.
Regarding the outlook for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, the mobile sales are expected to be below the October forecast primarily due to an expected decrease in unit sales of smartphones mainly in the Asia Pacific region, partially offset by the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates, said the company. Operating loss is also expected to be larger than the October forecast primarily ...
OnePlus has partnered with popular keyboard app creator SwiftKey to integrate SwiftKey keyboard with the upcoming CyanogenMod 11S update later this month. This enables users to switch to Swiftkey keyboard easily without the need to download. Swiftkey lets you type in up to three languages at once without switching settings and it even has new material design keyboard themes.
Commenting on the partnership, Helen Li, Head of Product, Mobile at OnePlus, said:
We always look to improve user experience by working with partners who share our vision of great products and sensible innovation. SwiftKey improves the keyboard experience for our global user base with support for 81 languages.
Eric Collins, SwiftKey’s head of distribution, said:
We want OnePlus customers to enjoy all the fun of faster, easier typing from a keyboard that learns from them. It’s our mission to make it easier for everyone to type and communicate on mobile, and we’re proud to partner with an industry disruptor to bring our innovative smart keyboard to more people around the world.
Swifkey went free last year, launched on iOS along with the iOS 8 few months back and is one of the top keyboard apps on Android and iOS.
Google has acquired Launchpad Toys, a kids storytelling app maker for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2010, Launchpad Toys makes popular mobile apps for children including an augmented reality app called TeleStory.
"We’re proud to announce that our little toy company is pairing up with a great big team of tinkerers to empower GAJILLIONS of playful storytellers around the world. Launchpad Toys is joining Google to create even more amazing creativity tools for kids."
Launchpad announced via company blog.
Launchpad Toys is famous for its well known animation storytelling app called Toontastic. Designed specially for Apple's iPad, the app allows kids to create their own cartoons and tell a story. As a result of the acquisition, Launchpad Toys has made Toontastic app free that was a paid one earlier. In addition, the company is also making its “digital toys and tools” available for free. Both the companies have not disclosed their future plans. Last week, Vine launched Vine Kids app on iOS that allows children to watch 6 second videos that are appropriate for their age.
Samsung launched the Galaxy A3 (SM-A300H/DS) smartphone for Rs. 20,500 in India last month along with the Galaxy A5. Even the Galaxy A3 has a metallic body. Let us check out the unboxing of the smartphone.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnNE-KQva04
Box Contents
Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone in Pearl White
In-ear earphone with microphone and earbuds
SIM ejector tool
2-pin wall charger
micro USB cable
Quick Start Guide and warranty information
The Galaxy A3 has a 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display, slightly smaller the Galaxy A5. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, runs on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) out of the box and has a 5MP front-facing camera, which is common in all the A and E smartphones. It has dual nano SIM slots in which the secondary SIM slot can also be used as a microSD slot when required.
The Galaxy A3 is 6.9mm thick, slightly thicker than the Galaxy A5, but it weighs just 110.3 grams. It has a 8MP rear camera with LED flash, instead of 13MP camera on the A5. The uni-body design and the solid build quality are similar to the Galaxy A5. The A3 comes with 3G support in India, unlike the Galaxy A5 that has 4G LTE connectivity, this also has a smaller 1900 mAh built-in battery. We will be ...
Spice has announced that it has launched its Android One smartphone in Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka today in association with Google. It has launched its Android One smartphone under the brand name Nexian Journey One which runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). The Lollipop update offers improved battery life, enhanced security features and smarter notifications.
The specification of the Spice Android One is similar to the one that was launched in India last year that includes a 4.5-inch FWVGA screen, 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, dual SIM support, 1GB RAM and a 1700mAh battery.
Commenting on the announcement, Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility Ltd, said
We are delighted to expand our reach into international markets of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal with the revolutionary Android One smartphones. We are pleased with the customer response towards the Android One phone in India and are confident that the product will be equally successful in these markets as well, enabling us to strengthen our position in the international mobile market.
Spice Mobility recently announced an investment of Rs 500 crores to set up a local manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. Google recently announced that the Android One smartphones in India will get the Android ...
Swipe Technologies has announced that it has partnered with with Haptik Inc. to introduce first of it’s kind in-built Chat Solution to Swipe customers with a simple message on AssistX powered by Haptik. Swipe Telecom is also the first ever company to enable Cash On Delivery purchases of their phones/tablets with a simple message on Haptik itself, said the company.
Haptik Inc enables customers to get information and support for over 200 companies in a real time, private, asynchronous way. The app allows customers to chat with a certified Haptik expert for queries, information and almost anything else, guaranteeing a response within 5 minutes.
Commenting on the new partnership and new initiative, Shripal Gandhi, Founder & CEO, Swipe Technologies, said:
Swipe Technologies is pleased to partner with like-minded, innovative and cutting-edge technology mobile application platform Haptik Inc. Thanks to Haptik’s mobile app, Swipe customers will be able to resolve their queries within 5 minutes. Customer behavior patterns have confirmed sharp shift from voice to texting preference for a variety of reasons. Swipe has a huge customer support center and Haptik – that is communication by way of touching the mobile screen – will further aid that process.
Aakrit Vaish, Co-founder & CEO, Haptik Inc, said:
Mobile messaging is a new ...
Apple is looking forward to launch a music streaming service that is powered by Beats, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The service which is currently has no name yet, is also said to be coming to iTunes and Apple TV.
Surprisngly, the Beats music service is also said to be coming to Android. The new service will allow you to search for content on iTunes/Beats catalog. Users will be able to stream music from their personal catalogs and add songs to their personal libraries. The service will also reportedly offer Beats' library of human-curated playlists designed to fit various activities. It will also have some social-networking features so you can follow other users and artists.
As per the report, Apple has given the user interface a complete makeover. For starters, the black-and-red Beats Music color scheme is gone and Beats Music accounts will be merged with Apple ID profiles. As for the price of the streaming service, the report states that Apple could charge the service $7.99 a month, which would undercut the $9.99 price charge by Spotify, Google Play Music, and Rdio.
Previous reports had stated that Apple will integrate Beats Music into iTunes and make it as a paid service. The new service ...
Huawei today announced that it has launched its new Research & Development center in Whitefield, Bangalore. The one million sq. ft. campus built on a 20 acre land will accommodate up to 5,000 engineers and includes an R&D Block, customer experience center, large cafeteria, multilevel car park and residential block for expat employees, said the company. Huawei has invested over US$ 170 million (Rs. 1051 crores approx.) in building the new campus in Bangalore.
It's first overseas research and development center being set up in Bangalore in 1999. Today it has over 2700 engineers, out of which more than 98% are local employees including leadership roles. It is also the largest and the most important R&D center of Huawei, outside of China. It also celebrates 15 years of operation in India and has launched Huawei – 15 years of enabling digital India campaign. Huawei is partnering with leading mobile service provider in India to build India’s 1st 4G LTE commercial network.
The India R&D center plays a key role in component development and delivery center of Huawei for the global markets and has ownership of almost all software platforms, components and products being developed in India. India R&D center is engaged in ...
Yesterday, Canalys report stated that Micromax pipped Samsung to become India's top smartphone vendor. However, a latest report from Counterpoint is stating that Samsung is still the top smartphone maker in the country for Q4, 2014.
The report revealed that Samsung tops the Indian charts with a market share of 27.4 percent. Micromax came in second with 19.4 percent market share. The report said that the homegrown smartphone makers shipments grew 75% Y-o-Y but declined sequentially. Intex took the third spot with a 6.5 percent share, followed by Lava with 5.1 percent and Lenovo at number 5, thanks to the Motorola acquisition. The data for is Q4, 2014 from October to December. Xiaomi smartphone shipments grew almost 250% Q-o-Q but the vendor failed to make it to the Top five smartphone vendors during the quarter
Overall smartphone shipments stood close to 22 million during the fourth quarter, reaching a record level crossing 80 million units for the first time and contributing close to 32% of the overall shipments in the calendar year 2014. India is the third largest smartphone market in the world, shipping almost twice as many smartphones shipped in Japan in 2014.
ASUS has introduced ZenPower, the company's first 9600mAh portable power bank in Taiwan. It was originally introduced at the CES last month only to selected media and competes with Xiaomi's 10400mAh power bank. It even looks similar to the Xiaomi Mi power bank. It weighs 215 grams and is 18mm thick, slightly lighter and thinner than the Mi 10400mAh power bank that weighs 250g and is 21.6mm thick. Other dimensions are almost similar.
The Asus ZenPower has three 3200mAh batteries, compared to four 2600mAh batteries on the Mi 10400mAh pwer bank. It has 11 layers of protection, compared to 9 layers on Xiaomi's Mi power bank. It has a full USB port with 5V/2.4V output, a micro USB slot for charging, a power button and four LED lights.
The Asus ZenPower comes in black, white, gold, blue and pink matte metallic colors with rubber sleeves in black, gray, red, yellow and green colors. No details about the pricing or global roll out yet.
Source
Celkon has launched Millennia ME Q54, the company's latest smartphone in the Millennia series with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, targeted at selfie market. It has a 5-inch FWVGA screen, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash as well. It comes with dual SIM support and 3G connectivity.
Commenting on the launch, Y Guru Chairman and Managing Director - Celkon Mobiles, said:
We have started the New Year on a very positive note and this is our 2nd offering this year. We will continue to grow manifolds with many such value-for-money offerings in the pipeline.
Murali Retineni, Executive Director-Celkon Mobiles said:
We at Celkon believe in products which are packed with cutting edge features and are affordable to all. In continuation of that, we are today pleased to announce the launch of yet another powerful and latest feature loaded model Millennia ME Q54. This phone provides a unique take-away for all categories of people. Gaming aficionados can revel in their experience with the gravity sensors while selfie lovers can take best selfies with the 5MP front camera. We hope this all-in-one model will be most suitable for customers who do not want to ...
Lava Iris X8, the company's upcoming smartphone in the Iris X series has been listed on Flipkart. It has 5-inch HD screen, is powered by a 1.4 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and a 3-megapixel front-facing camera. The front camera doesn't have LED flash like the Iris X5 that was launched last year. The design of the smartphone is similar to earlier Iris X series smartphones.
It has dual SIM support and 3G connectivity, similar to other smartphones in the Lava smartphones. It packs 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage with expansion slot and a 2500mAh battery.
Lava Iris X8 specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Asahi Dragontrail glass protection
1.4 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592M processor
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat), upgradable to Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash, BSI 3 Sensor
3MP front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Dimensions: 70.9x143.4x8.6mm; Weight: 160g
3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2500 mAh battery
The Lava Iris X8 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 8,999. Lava has started teasing the smartphone on the website, so the launch might be few ...
During last night's 100 days of Honor event in London, the company introduced the Huawei Honor Holly smartphone to the European market. With the event focused around Honor fans, the company announced the handset is launching with a retail price of £109.99 but fans have the chance to reduce the price through the unique "price hacker" promotion.
The price hacker promotion is really simple - the more users who make non-binding registration for the handset, the lower the price drops. The promotion lasts for twenty days at www.hihonor.com/pricehacker and lasts for 20 days before the final price is set on 23rd February; following the announcement of the price, a limited number of units will go on sale for four days at that price on a first-come first-served basis. Once the four-day sale ends, the handset will raise in price but the firm's UK PR told us last night that the final price is still likely to be less than the £109.99 starting price.
Honor Executive Vice President for Europe, Lars-Christian Weisswange, said at the launch:
"We want to be the leading Android brand and offer the best user experience. Whether its health or e-commerce, we want our devices to meet the customer requirements."
"Honor ...
Three UK already confirmed to be stocking the Galaxy A3 and now the network has revealed they will also be selling its bigger sibling, the Galaxy A5, on pay monthly contracts and pay as you go in the UK. Both the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 are part of Samsung's new A series which gains inspiration from the Galaxy Alpha and brings an all-metal clad body.
The Galaxy A5 sports a 5 inch 720p Super AMOLED display offering 294 pixels per inch density and is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. Like other Samsung devices, the storage can be expanded by up to 64GB thanks to the built-in microSD card slot.
On the back is a 13MP autofocus camera with LED flash which can shoot Full HD 1080p video whilst the front facing 5MP snapper should be good for selfie-lovers. Naturally the Galaxy A5 is a connectivity-laden handset sporting LTE Cat 4 (offering 150Mbps download speeds), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band Wi-Fi and an FM radio. The whole package is powered by a 2300 mAh battery that Samsung claim offers up to 15 hours talk time and all of this is based inside a handset weighing ...
Samsung launched the Galaxy A3 smartphone in India last month for Rs 20,500 along with the Galaxy A5. The phone sports a full metallic unibody design. We have seen the unboxing of the phone now lets take a look at the hardware in this photo gallery.
The Samsung Galaxy A3 has a 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor. Running on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) out of the box, the phone has 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSD.
It has a 5MP front facing camera along with the proximity and ambient light sensors and earpiece.
At the bottom, the phone has a the traditional home button that is seen on Samsung devices along with the capacitive touch buttons on either sides.
At the back, the phone has 8MP camera with LED flash on the left and loudspeaker grill on the right side. The Duos branding is also seen at below.
The volume rockers are present on the left side. The phone measures 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9mm and weighs 110.3 grams.
On the right side of the phone there are primary nano SIM slot, a hybrid SIM / microSD slot ...
