![]()
Micromax has launched Canvas Fire 4, the company’s latest budget smartphone in the Canvas Fire series. Since it belongs to the Canvas Fire series, it has dual front firing speakers and Cirrus Logic Wolfsan Stereo DAC (WM8918) digital analogue converter offering the best audio. It has a 4.5-inch FWVGA screen, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad core processor and runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop).
It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and a 2-megapixel VGA front-facing camera. It has Dual SIM support similar to other Micromax smartphones and also has 3G connectivity. It comes pre-loaded with Clean Master, App Center, Dr. safety, Snapdeal, Saavn, Ask me, Chaatz, Newshunt, Paytm, Quickr, MAD and more.
Micromax Canvas Fire 4 specifications
4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.3 GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM with dual standby
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash
2MP front-facing camera
Dual front firing speakers, Cirrus Logic Wolfsan Stereo DAC (WM8918)
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2000mAh battery
The Micromax Canvas Fire 4 comes in Black and Silver colors and is priced at Rs. 6,999. It would be available across online and offline stores ...
Huawei took wraps of latest Android Wear smartwatch at its MWC 2015 press event in Barcelona. The wrist gear from Huawei is a direct competition to LG’s Urbane, but is more compact and has bigger, sharper screen. We had a chance to spend some time with the Huawei Watch and here’s our hands-on report.
Huawei is using cold-forged stainless steel to build its smartwatch. The device has a compact 42mm in diameter casing and is about 11.3mm thick. The wearable is quite light when compared to a regular watch. We are happy to report that there’s no gap between and wrist band and the body unlike the LG Watch Urbane. Huawei says that its watch can be worn on either hand.
The Huawei Watch sports a perfectly round 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 400 x 400 pixels. The sharpness of the panel is quite impressive and the screen is legible all the time. Furthermore, the good news is that the Huawei Watch has a scratch-resistant sapphire glass.
Huawei has included a heart rate monitor in its smartwatch and it works flawlessly with the custom application from the company. You can track your health and fitness using the built-in function. The Watch ...
Qualcomm has announced its new Zeroth Platform at the MWC 2015. It is optimized for premium mobile devices based on Snapdragon 820 processor. It uses custom 64-bit CPU architecture in their own ARMv8-based Qualcomm Kryo CPU. It will be based on FinFET process node, but currently it is not clear if it will be based on 16nm or 14nm process.
The Zeroth platform is composed of new hardware and software innovations that benefit from Qualcomm Technologies’ heterogeneous processing and most advanced LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. It also offers natural device interactions that lets devices to personalize and adapt interactions by recognizing gestures, expressions, and faces.
The Snapdragon 820 processor will be available for sampling in the second half of 2015, devices based on Snapdragon 820 is not expected until the end this year or early 2016.
Lenovo announced the Vibe Shot today at MWC 2015. The camera-centric smartphone has several pro shooting modes. We went hands on with the phone at the event so lets take a look at the hardware of the phone.
Vibe Shot sports a 5 inch Full HD 1080p IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor clocked at 1.7GHz. Running Android 5.0 Lollipop, it has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage which can be expanded by up to 128GB using a microSD card slot. At the front the phone has earpiece and 8MP camera.
On the right side the phone has power button, volume rockers, camera shutter button and a key to switch between smart and pro shooting mode.
On the left side the phone has nano SIM card slot and micro SD card slot.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY3sRLUtSt4
The 3.5mm audio jack is on the top and a microphone. It is 7.3mm thin and weighs in at 145g.
The micro USB port and loud speaker grill is present at the bottom.
The main feature of the phone is the 16MP rear autofocus camera with tricolor flash. It comes with a six-piece lens, Optical Image Stabilisation and a Backside Illuminated sensor.
The Vibe Shot is ...
Micromax has launched Canvas Fire 4, the company’s latest budget smartphone in the Canvas Fire series. Since it belongs to the Canvas Fire series, it has dual front firing speakers and Cirrus Logic Wolfsan Stereo DAC (WM8918) digital analogue converter offering the best audio. It has a 4.5-inch FWVGA screen, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad core processor and runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop).
It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and a 2-megapixel VGA front-facing camera. It has Dual SIM support similar to other Micromax smartphones and also has 3G connectivity. It comes pre-loaded with Clean Master, App Center, Dr. safety, Snapdeal, Saavn, Ask me, Chaatz, Newshunt, Paytm, Quickr, MAD and more.
Micromax Canvas Fire 4 specifications
4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.3 GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Dual SIM with dual standby
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash
2MP front-facing camera
Dual front firing speakers, Cirrus Logic Wolfsan Stereo DAC (WM8918)
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2000mAh battery
The Micromax Canvas Fire 4 comes in Black and Silver colors and is priced at Rs. 6,999. It would be available across online and offline stores ...
Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6 was officially unveiled at the on-going Mobile World Congress 2015. Soon after the announcement, we had a chance to play with the device for some time and here’s our hands-on story.
Samsung has finally heard to its consumer’s plea and has significantly re-designed its newest Galaxy S smartphone. The sixth generation Galaxy S device now feels impressive in the hands – thanks to the combination of glass and metal that it comes with.
Samsung Galaxy S6 measures 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm and weighs about 138 grams.
The Galaxy S5 sports a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display and right outset the screen looks gorgeous and the colors are vibrant. The panel offers great viewing angles and the galactic contrast.
[gallery ids="133297,133300,133298"]
Samsung Galaxy S6 packs a punch with its 64-bit Exynos 7420 chipset with quad-core 2.1GHz and quad-core 1.5GHz CPU. The 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM meant that the multi-tasking was hassle free and we can confirm that. The unit that we handled was a 32GB model, but there’s also a 64GB and 128GB variants.
The rear of the phone features a 16 megapixel f/1.9 camera and it has the ability to record 4K videos. The snapper has optical image ...
Lenovo announced the Pocket Projector today at MWC 2015. The mini projector pairs with phones and allows to beam the content and is suitable for on the go travel. We went hands on with the phone at the event so lets take a look at the hardware.
The rotating projector allows you to project the display at any angle up to 90°. It supports an output display up to 110 inches in both 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios and offers a native output resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. It plays MP4, MP3, AVI and JPEG files. There are control buttons on the projector at the front.
The projector measures 104mm (w) x 25mm (h) x 100mm in dimension and weighs about 170g.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX25OUlRb8k
Present on the back of the projector is power button, 3.5mm headphone jack and micro USB port.
Lenovo's projector has a microSD slot that supports 32 GB cards for media storage . It has two built-in 0.5W speakers, one on each side. It can last up to 2.5 hours on a charge. The Lenovo Pocket Projector will cost $199 (approximately Rs.12,260) when it launches globally in June.
Images by Sandeep
Sneha Bokil-Paranjape contributed to this post.
Gionee has announced Elife S7, the company's latest smartphone in the S series. It is not the company’s thinnest smartphone, but it has magnesium alloy frame. It has a 5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The back cover is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6752 64-bit processor and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Amigo 3.0 UI on top.
It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera with wide-angle lens. It packs 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It has support for 24-bit 192 kHz Hi-Fi quality audio codec.
Gionee Elife S7 specifications
5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.7 GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory
Amigo 3.0 (based on Android 5.0 Lollipop)
Dimensions: 139.8x67.4x5.5mm; Weight: 126g
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED flash, Sony IMX214 sensor
8MP front-facing camera
4G LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB OTG, GPS
2750mAh built-in battery
The Gionee Elife S7 comes in White, Black and Blue and Pink colors and is priced at 399 Euros (US$ 448 / Rs. 27, 730 approx). It will launch in India on April 3rd.
Acer announced the Liquid Z220 budget Android smartphone in the Z series at MWC 2015. The phone is company's first one to run on Android 5.0 Lollipop. We went hands on with the phone at the event and here is the walkthrough at the hardware.
The Acer Z220 sports a 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) WVGA display and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor. Running Android 5.0 Lollipop it has 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD. It has a 2MP front facing camera, earpiece and Acer logo at the front and three capacitive buttons are present below the display.
The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side of the phone.
There are no keys on the left side but the phone has metallic band around the phone.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHNN2_XS_fY
The micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack are present on the top.
A microphone is present below. The phone measures 126 x 65 x 9.8mm.
The phone has a 5MP rear camera with LED Flash, 89-degree wide-angle lens and Acer branding at the center. It has 1300mAh battery and supports connectivity options like 3G HSPA+,WiFi 802.11 b/g/n,Bluetooth, GPS. The phone is available in Black and White variants and will start at 89 Euros (US$ 99 / Rs. ...
Intel has announced the a updated line up of processors at MWC 2015. The chipmaker has launched Atom x3, x5 and x7 chips for smartphones and tablets.
The Intel Atom x3 integrated system on chip (SoC), codenamed Sofia, is the first of its kind to integrate cellular communications via an integrated modem that supports 3G and 4G LTE networks. This new 64-bit chipset is designed to support everything a decent smartphone needs, including 1.4GHz quad core designs, high end cameras, NFC, eMMC 4.51 storage, and a Mali T720 MP2 GPU on the high end of the x3 lineup.Three Atom x3 versions have been announced; the x3-C3130 is a 1GHz dual-core part with 3G modem, while the x3-C3230RK is a 1.2GHz quad-core chip also with 3G, and the x3-C3440 is a 1.4GHz quad-core processor with 4G LTE capability up to Cat 6, making it theoretically capable of speeds up to 300Mbps.
The Atom x5 and x7 are the Cherry Trail successors to the existing Bay Trail Atom platform. Aimed at more powerful devices running full versions of Windows and Android, the x5 and x7 are the first Intel Atom SoCs on 14nm, featuring next-generation 64-bit microarchitecture and Intel Gen 8 integrated graphics. They ...
Sony announced the Xperia Z4 tablet today at MWC 2015. The 10.1 inch tablet is touted to be one of the slimmest and lightest tablet in the current tablet market. We went hands on with the tablet at the event and here is the look at the hardware.
The Xperia Z4 tablet sports a 10.1-inch, 2k display and is powered by 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64 bit processor. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, it has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage expandable upto 128GB via micro SD card slot. The tablet has power button and volume rocker on the right side. Also, the 5MP wide-angle front shooter is present at the front along with Sony logo.
The Z4 tablet which is a succssor to the Xperia Z3 has 3.5mm audio jack, micro SIM and micro SD card slots on the top.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-YzG6AkkHE
The micro USB port is present on the right side. There are no keys present at the bottom.
The tablet which has a matte plastic back has a rear 8MP Sony ExmorRS camera. Also seen is the Sony and Xperia branding along with the NFC logo.
A Bluetooth keyboard can also be added to the Xperia Z4 tablet that will offer an PC experience to users.
The ...
Sony announced the Xperia E4g budget smartphones with 4G connectivity last week. We went hands on with the phone at onogoing MWC 2015 so lets take a look at the hardware of the device.
Sonny Xperia E4g sports a 4.7-inch qHD IPS display and are powered by a faster 1.5 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6732 64-bit SoC. Running Android 4.4 KitKat, it has a 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD. The phone has a 2MP front facing camera along with earpiece and Sony logo at the front.
The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side.
The micro USB port is seen on the left side.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4adyxKCDjZM
On top is seen the 3.5mm audio jack.
There is nothing present at the bottom. The phone measures 133x71x10.8 mm and weighs 135g.
At the back the phone has a 5MP camera with LED flash. Also present is the NFC logo, Sony branding at the center whereas loudspeaker grill at lower end. The phone has a 2300 mAh battery with Battery STAMINA Mode promises 2 days of battery life. Connectivity options on the phone include 4G, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, NFC.
The Sony Xperia E4g come in black and white colors. These are priced at 129 Euros (US$ 146 / Rs. ...
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft announced the next generation of mid range products in the form of the Lumia 640 & 640 XL. Part of the strategy to boost sales and gain consumers in the mid-range, the phones focus on providing a compelling experience with value for money specifications. We spent some time with both the devices. Here's our hands on and first impressions of the smaller of the lot, the Lumia 640.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnwhcH362Zs
You'll notice the design similarities to the Lumia 630 the moment you set sight on it and for good reason. The 640 is an evolutionary product that adds to the feature set, bumps up the specs and tries to be an overall better handset. The front of the phone has a 5 inch 720p display. We found the display to be reasonably good. Black levels are decent though not the best. We found the contrast ratio to be fairly decent though viewing angles were somewhat disappointing. The phone does not have capacitive buttons and opts for on-screen controls instead all in the name of cost savings.
[gallery ids="133386,133384,133383"]
The right side of the phone sports the power button and the volume rocker. This is a single button ...
HTC announced the Grip wearable fitness tracking device yesterday at MWC 2015. It is the first product from HTC under the partnership with Under Armour. We went hands on with the device at the event and now lets take a look at hardware in this post.
The HTC Grip sports a 1.8 inch curved PMOLED display that allows users to check, time, distance and notifications. It is compatible with iOS (iOS 7 and above) and Android (4.3 and above) and Bluetooth enabled accessories.
The power/home button is seen at the top. Grip is targeted at professional athletes rather than common users and offers professional workouts. It uses UA Record system to track runs and other workouts and offer additional performance data to the Under Armour Connected FitnessTM platform. It also connects to an assortment of external heart rate monitors, including the Under Armour A39.
The Grip can be accessed by swiping on the touch screen and the navigation is possible with left right and top scrolling. There is also support for apps like calender, music and so on.
The fitness tracker is waterproof and has IP57 certification and can be immersible in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. It has a 100mAh battery that lasts upto 2.5 ...
At the Mobile World Congress, Microsoft revealed two new mid range handsets. The Lumia 640 and 640 XL are two variants of practically the same phone with the key difference being the size and we feel that this is a very wise move. But are the differences as superficial as they seem? We find that out in our hands on of the Lumia 640 XL.
On the face of it, the Lumia 640XL really does seem like an overblown Lumia 640 which in itself is just a slight improvement over the 630 in terms of aesthetics. You get a large 5.7 inch 720p panel which is a welcome departure from the rather outlandish 6inch displays that were doing the rounds a while back. We found the size to be a nice middle ground between usability and size though there's no doubt at all that the Lumia 640 XL is certainly an extra large device. The screen looks decent enough though the colors are slightly muted. An odd issue that we feel might have to do with the prototype hardware was that the whites appeared to have a pinkish hue. Viewing angles are better than that on the Lumia 640 but still ...
Cyanogen Inc. and Qualcomm have announced a new partnership at the Mobile World Congress. Cyanogen Operating System will run on certain Qualcomm Snapdragon processors on upcoming Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD). This Cyanogen OS release will be based on Android 5.0 (Lollipop).
It will available for Qualcomm Snapdragon processors in the 200, 400 and 600 series. New Cyanogen features such as the new Launcher will also be available for the QRD program across these tiers of Snapdragon processors. Qualcomm's reference design program makes it so these manufacturers can make and sell a device in just 60 days, instead of the several months, right from-scratch hardware launch takes.
Cyanogen will be adding exciting new features and services in future releases as the company continues to drive advancements in mobile computing across a range of devices that incorporate Snapdragon processors, said the company. Cyanogen also unveiled its new branding that replaces all the mascot with just the Cyanogen name. It also has a new website.
Huawei has announced a 4G LTE wireless service that turns your car into a WiFi hotspot. Dubbed as CarFi, it is similar to cellular hotspot devices, but it plugs directly into the DC port found in most cars.
Huawei claims that CarFi delivers a download speed of up to 150 Mbps and connectivity for up to 10 devices. It can be easily transferred from one vehicle to another. Huawei CarFi requires a SIM card that is placed inside to connect to a 4G LTE network. The device even allows users to charge their smartphone via USB port. The CarFi can also be controlled remotely by Android and iOS smartphones using the ‘Huawei Hilink’ application available to download on respective app stores.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX0MLWfKTpY
Huawei CarFi will automatically turn off when no WiFi-compatible device is identified, and can still. The device comes in three color variations, fashion elite black and warm family wood, and dynamic speed red. It be used to charge other electronic devices even when turned off as long as car is in use. Huawei has not yet announced a price tag and availablity for CarFi.
Alcatel One Touch by TCL Communication and Cyanogen, Inc. have partnered to introduce Alcatel One Touch Hero 2+, a variant of Hero 2 that runs on Cyanogen OS. It has the same 6-inch 1080p display and is powered by a 2 GHz Octa-Core processor, but this runs on Cyanogen OS 11 based on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat). It comes with an integrated stylus pen and has optimized handwriting recognition.
Commenting on the partnership, Steve Cistulli, Senior Vice President of North America for ALCATEL ONETOUCH, said:
We promised big things for ALCATEL ONETOUCH in North America for 2015, and with our partnership with Cyanogen and the launch of the HERO 2+, we're delivering on our promise. We will continue to invest in strategic partnerships – like we have with Cyanogen – which not only helps build our brand here in North America, but also helps us challenge expectations when it comes to the devices we bring to market here.
Vikram Natarajan, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Distribution for Cyanogen, said:
We've joined forces with ALCATEL ONETOUCH to push the limits of what a great user experience looks like, beginning with their latest phablet for North America - HERO 2+. Our partnership is reflective of our deep commitment to driving innovation and ...
Google has announced Android distribution numbers for March. As expected Android 5.0 Lollipop adoption has increased from 1.6% in February to 3.3% in March.
Android 4.4 KitKat has slightly increased from 39.7 percent last month to 40.9%. Meanwhile, Jelly Bean (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) is down from 44.5 percent last month to 42.6 percent. Ice Cream Sandwich on Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread holding onto 5.9% and 6.9% of devices respectively and with Froyo still clinging to 0.4 percent of the device share. The increase in Lollipop adoption is due to update of flagship devices like LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S5. Lollipop devices will only multiply further with more and more manufacturers releasing updates to their devices.
Google has updated Inbox app with some features and UI tweaks. The latest update comes a week after Inbox invite program kick started for Google Apps Work.
Android 5.0 Lollipop users will see the change in the color of status bar as now it will automatically change to fit the action bar color. This feature is also available in some custom ROMs like AOSPA. The action bar will now also be covered by the slide-out navigation menu. Inbox now allows users to configure the notification sound and different sounds can be allotted for each account that Inbox has access to. This can be done by going into to Settings -> (account) -> Sound and pick the sound of your choice.
In addiiton, users can easily switch between your accounts by swiping through left to right. The Inbox app is also said to get two shortcut of which one is to open the Compose Message screen, and another to allow users to create a new reminder. Google Inbox that was launched last year only on Android expanded its reach to Android tablets and iPad last month.
Sony announced the 10.1 inch 2k display Xperia Z4 tablet yesterday. Now, the company has released a new accessory for the tablet, a bluetooth keyboard that turns the Android tablet into a laptop.
The Bluetooth Keyboard BKB50 has a docking station for the tablet that allows it to close like a real laptop. The keyboard offers docking detection with on/off switch. It also has a 0-130 degree tilt to find that comfortable viewing angle. The keyboard has an integrated touchpad, NFC for pairing and switches for the power button and Bluetooth.
It comes with a quick launcher feature for apps for easy app access. The tablet has a 430 mAh battery that has a one month battery life. It measures 254x170mm and weighs 383 grams. Here is the hands on of the Sony Xperia Z4 with blueooth keyboard.
