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Earlier this month Samsung started rolling out the Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) update for the Galaxy S3, directly from Android 4.1.2, skipping the Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) update. Few week after the roll out, Samsung has temporarily suspended the roll out globally to investigate software issues, reports SamMobile. This update bring Galaxy Gear support, improved Samsung Keyboard, new GPU drivers, New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4) and lots. According to the report Samsung would also introduce KNOX security feature for the phone, when they resumes the roll out.
Major issues faced by the the users include, Wake up lag, Random Freezing, Huge battery drain, Bluetooth Audio issues during playback in car, Stuttering music playback with stock Samsung music app, Device freezes as soon a call is received (Black screen issue), Poor RAM management, Wi-Fi issues and more.
In a statement to SamMobile, Samsung Mobile UK said
As we are currently investigating the reported issues with Galaxy S3 4.3 Jelly Bean update, the upgrading service has been temporarily suspended. We are committed to providing customers with the best possible mobile experience, and will ensure to resume the upgrading service at the earliest possibility.
The Android 4.3 update (I9300XXUGMG9) has been pulled from FOTA and Samsung Kies. It is not clear when Samsung plans to continue the roll out.
Xolo Q2000 is a dual SIMphone with a massive real estate of 5.5 inch touch screen. Quad-core 1.2 GHz processor powers the phone. Here's a black Xolo Q2000. The Phablet is priced at Rupees 14,999 and was launched earlier this month. Check out the unboxing below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXKiUiYCxMY
Let's see what else comes in the box. A basic white box with a slide out tray for the large phone. Backside highlights key features of the phone like 2600mAh battery, large screen size, screen resolution 1280 x 720 pixels.
First impression of Xolo Q2000 is surprisingly good. Looks smart with a glossy polycarbonate framing for the screen and a matte finish back cover. The 13 Mp camera stands out with a single LED light.
There are several extra inbox accessories.
An extra screen protection stick on cover.
There is a flip cover of the same polycarbonate material. Looks exactly like the back cover of the phone. But this cover does not fit onto the phone. Instead, it replaces the cover and becomes a part of the phone body.
It's a smart accessory. Does not add to the thickness of the phone. However, flap hinge doesn't appear to be of quality that will let the cover last long. So much for freebies.
A rather ...
Huawei Ascend P6, the company's latest flagship smartphone that was launched in India last month featured an 1.5 GHz quad-core Huawei K3V2 processor. Now the company's president has revealed on Weibo that it is planning to release the Ascend P6S with an Octa-Core K3V2+ processor. Smartphone with a model number P6 S-U06 appeared on a benchmarking website last month.
MediaTek would also launch their first Octa-Core chip MT6592 globally later this week, and Indian smartphone maker Intex has already announced their upcoming smartphone would feature the Octa-Core MediaTek chip. The Huawei president has also confirmed that the phone would also feature an integrated 3G chip and would be optimized for extended battery life. Other features are rumored to be similar to the Ascend P6.
Huawei has also confirmed the Android 4.4 KitKat for the Ascend P6, which is expected to roll out starting from January 2014, at least in China. So the Ascend P6S might run on Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, or get the update soon after the launch.
Source | Via
After some digging and going though a lot of paid apps to share WIFI hotspot, I have stumbled upon a very simple way to share your Laptop WIFI as ad hoc (Infrastructure mode) and use it on any Android phone without having to root and install a custom ROM that supports ad hoc like CyanogenMOD.
Usually out of the box, Android doesn't support Ad-hoc unlike iOS and Windows Phone (due to unknown reasons) and will require you to either root the phone and edit the build.prop file or install a custom ROM. As we know these are absolutely not for beginners (atleast for now. Wait for the full CM installer).
So for the time being, follow these steps to create a WPA connection just using your cmd (Command prompt)
1. Start > Right click on My Computer > Manage > Services and Application > Services > and turn on Internet Connection Sharing (Will be set to manual, change it to automatic)
2. Right click on the network icon on the taskbar > open network and sharing center > Change Adapter settings > Find the current internet running adapter (For eg. if its the Ethernet, select the Ethernet adapter) > properties > sharing > allow sharing
3. ...
Over the past few months, Oppo has come up as one of the most notable smartphone brands emerging out of China. The company had trumpeted their appreciation for CyanogenMod and made it easy for users to shift to the third party ROM on their phones. However it looks like the company's VP Pete Lau will be leaving Oppo to launch a new brand in association with Cyanogen's Steve Kondik. The two are all set to create a new smartphone that will be powered by the CyanogenMod ROM and have high end specifications.
Lau wrote on Sina Weibo that the duo will create something that could change the world of Android. While we'll take that as cautious optimism, the phone is believed to be powered by the MSM8974AC variant of the Snapdragon 800 chip that is expected to run at 2.5Ghz. This same chip will also make its way to the Gionee Elife E7 and all indications suggest that the chipset will be exceptionally powerful. While Lau will be creating a new brand, it might be linked to Oppo to share resources. It is however too early to say how this develops. We'll keep an eye out for any news and will be ...
Lenovo P780 was launched recently and you can check out our unboxing post here. Lenovo P780 belongs to the class of MediaTek MT6589 powered 5inch phablets with HD displays. What sets it apart from the other phones with similar features is its solid metal build quality and its huge 4000mAh battery(its steep price too).
As I have mentioned before, the phone stands out because of its solid build quality but is on the heavier side. On the front, we have the stylish earpiece above the display and three capacitive touch keys below the display. The front and back material are fused together by a silver colored metal ring that houses the 3.5mm audio jack and the power lock button on the top and the volume rocker on the right side.
On the back of the phone, you get a solid metal material at the center that can be removed. Removing the metal cover, you can see the non user removable 4000mAh battery above which we have a couple of slots of SIM cards and a microSD card slot.
The phone looks gorgeous, but feels heavy and you will know more in our complete review which we will be putting up soon. Meanwhile, you can ...
Xolo launched the Play Tab 7.0, the company's first tablet powered by a NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip last month for Rs. 12,999. We already brought you the unboxing of the device last week. Here we have the benchmarks of the tablet. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor with 12 Core NVIDIA ULP GeForce GPU and runs on Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 7-inch (1280 x 800 pixels) multi-touch IPS display. Let’s find out how the device stacks up with other tablets.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJIZAH0FME
Quadrant Benchmark
The Xolo Play Tab 7.0 scores 4234 points and grabs the second spot.
AnTuTu Benchmark 3.3
In the AnTuTu Benchmark 3.3, the Tab grabs the second spot again by scoring 12304 points. We also tested the AnTuTu 4 Benchmarks, In which it scored 13821 points.
Vellamo 2.0 HTML5
It tops the Vellamo 2 HTML5 browser benchmark with 1639 points.
Vellamo 2.0 Metal
The Xolo Play 7.0 tab managed to score 408 points in the Vellamo 2 Metal CPU subsystem performance test.
Linpack Single Thread
It managed to clock around 47 MFLOPS in the Linpack single thread benchmark.
Linpack Multi-Thread
It clocks close to 130 MFLOPS and tops the Linpack multi-thread benchmark.
NenaMark 2
The Xolo Play 7.0 Tab clocks 55 fps in the NenaMark 2 GPU benchmark.
GFXBench ...
Earlier this month Samsung started rolling out the Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) update for the Galaxy S3, directly from Android 4.1.2, skipping the Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) update. Few week after the roll out, Samsung has temporarily suspended the roll out globally to investigate software issues, reports SamMobile. This update bring Galaxy Gear support, improved Samsung Keyboard, new GPU drivers, New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4) and lots. According to the report Samsung would also introduce KNOX security feature for the phone, when they resumes the roll out.
Major issues faced by the the users include, Wake up lag, Random Freezing, Huge battery drain, Bluetooth Audio issues during playback in car, Stuttering music playback with stock Samsung music app, Device freezes as soon a call is received (Black screen issue), Poor RAM management, Wi-Fi issues and more.
In a statement to SamMobile, Samsung Mobile UK said
As we are currently investigating the reported issues with Galaxy S3 4.3 Jelly Bean update, the upgrading service has been temporarily suspended. We are committed to providing customers with the best possible mobile experience, and will ensure to resume the upgrading service at the earliest possibility.
The Android 4.3 update (I9300XXUGMG9) has been pulled from FOTA and Samsung Kies. It is not clear when Samsung plans to continue the roll out.
Xolo announced their Xolo Play earlier this year which was the first device by an Indian manufacturer to sport the NVidia Tegra 3 chipset. The Xolo Play was all about gaming and Xolo decided to make it bigger and hence we have the Xolo Play Tab 7.0. The Xolo Play Tab 7.0 is the Xolo Play T1000 with a larger 7inch display. In terms of specifications, it is on par with Google Nexus 7 that was released last year.
Xolo Play Tab may be quite close to the Google Nexus 7 in terms of internal specs, but is completely different on the outside. Most of the body is dominated by aluminum which makes the device look and feel quite premium.
On the front, we have the 7inch display that has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The bezels are quite big on all sides and though it kind of looks awkward, it lets you grip the tablet quite well. The back is dominated by aluminum and that gives the device a solid feel. However, there is some textured plastic on both the sides of the aluminum. On the top, we have the 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port and an uncovered microSD card slot. ...
ZTE has launched two new Android smartphones, nubia Z5S and nubia Z5S mini and their LTE variants as we reported last week. The nubia Z5S has a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) full HD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) IPS display at 440 ppi with 2.67mm thin bezel, powered by a 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 800 processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). The nubia Z5S mini has a 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IGZO display, powered by a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Both these smartphones have a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash, full HD video recording and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
Both these devices are just 7.6mm thin and weigh around 120 grams. These devices also have NeoVision Camera and Dolby Digital with DTS capabilities.
ZTE nubia 5S specifications
5.0-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) display with Corning Gorilla glass protection
2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS with Mifavour UI 2.0
13MP auto focus camera with LED Flash, 1080p HD video recording
5MP front-facing camera
7.6mm thick and weighs 126 grams
2GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB internal memory
3G HSPA+, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (Dual Band), GPS/aGPS
2300 mAh battery
Colors: Black and White
ZTE nubia ...
Viber cross-platform VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) app is finally available for select Nokia Asha devices, Asha 308, Asha 310 and Asha 311. In addition to voice calls over 3G or WiFi, the app also lets you send messages, photos, location and also supports groups. It also offers notifications for new incoming messages. The app was released for iPhone, and was released for Android in 2011. It was updated to version 4.0 for both Android and iPhone last week that brought Sticker Market, Android Tablet support and more.
Features of Viber for Nokia Asha devices
Make International calls or send messages over 3G or Wi-Fi
Limited groups support
Send photos to your friends
Attach your location to messages
Automatically syncs your contacts from your phonebook
Call your friends who are using Viber and also invite other friends from your phone contacts
Receive notifications for new incoming messages
It is not clear when the app would be available for Asha 501 or new devices based on Swipe UI.
Download Viber (Free) - Nokia Asha 308,310 and 311
Via
Samsung has finally started rolling out the Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) update for the Galaxy Note 2 (GT-N7100) users in India. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was the first device in India to get the Android 4.3 update in India last month. The Galaxy Note 2 was launched in India back in September last year running on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It got the Android 4.1.2 update back in December 2012 that brought customizable Notification Panel, new Notification Toggles, new keyboard with gesture typing and more. Samsung has decided to update the phone directly to Android 4.3, skipping the Android 4.2 update, just like the Galaxy S3.
The Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) update brings Restricted Profiles , Bluetooth 4.0 low energy support , OpenGL ES 3.0, support and more. There are a lot of Samsung Galaxy Note 3-specific features including performance, user interface and stability improvements. Here is the official change log that appears before you install the update.
OS upgrade (Android 4.3)
Added new feature (Knox for consumer, etc.)
Compatibility with Galaxy Gear
Improved performance (Graphics, Multimedia, Bluetooth, etc.)
Improved user interface and stability
User interface adjustment (icon change etc.)
Security Enhancements
The Android 4.3 update for the Galaxy Note 2 (GT-N7100) is 700 MB . It is available Over-the-Air (OTA) and via Kies ...
Demystifying the Google Nexus 5's HDR+ mode, what does it actually do?
The Google Nexus 5's 8 megapixel camera has been a hot topic of discussion ever since it made its way into the market. With people getting their hands on it the day after it released, various reports came in. Some said the camera was average, some said the camera was great, and some said one must always use the in-built HDR mode for the best pictures. It definitely got us intrigued, especially with Google promoting the HDR+ mode one its Nexus 5 product page as "With HDR+, create vivid photos by day and sharper photos by night." Technically, HDR directly means "Higher dynamic range" which will fuse multiple exposures and output a single photo that is equally exposed, but that doesn't seem right in line with Google's description, does it? Well, we set to find out exactly what it does, and the results are quite interesting, to say the least.
When we started using the camera, we immediately found the Nexus 5 to take slightly sharper and better photos using the HDR+ mode, but there is a lot more to it than what we could notice. Lets take an example ...
Google launched their latest flagship smartphone - Google Nexus 5 and like most flagships of the later half of 2013, it is equipped with a Full HD display and is powered by Snapdragon 800 SoC. The 720p HD display on the yesteryear flagship - Google Nexus 4 definitely wasn't the best display we have seen and we are going to see if things got better atleast in the Google Nexus 5. Google Nexus 4 was made by LG and it was based on their Optimus G smartphone and the trend continued this year as Google Nexus 5 is based on LG G2 and is manufactured by LG.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq1qngTKQB4
Full HD 1080p displays have become a common thing in the Android market as almost every manufacturer has a Full HD flagship and today we are going to compare the displays of - Samsung Galaxy Note 3, HTC One, LG G2 and Google Nexus 5. HTC One was the first device to be announced among the four products that we have and it comes with a Full HD 4.7inch SLCD3 display and has the highest pixel density of 469ppi among the four products. LG G2 was announced at the starting of August by LG ...
BlackBerry might be having a lot of trouble selling their existing line of BlackBerry OS10 based products but that hasn't stopped them from teaming up with Porsche to create a high end luxury variant. The all touch BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 smartphone features high end materials including a stainless steel satin frame and a hand wrapped Italian leather back door. As with other limited edition variants, the BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 will ship with a special series of PIN numbers.
Apart from external design, the core software will be the standard BlackBerry OS 10.2 with some customizations in the theme, a new Apps for Porsche center in the BlackBerry World storefront that will include a list of curated apps for owners of the Porsche Design device. Inside the box of the phone, buyers will find a 'premium stereo headset', polishing cloth to keep the stainless steel shiny, a USB cable for transferring data and an international charging kit which'll essentially contain converter pins so that you can use your phone anywhere around the world. A range of alternate back covers will also be available with the same Italian leather in alternate colors. A limited edition variant of the phone will be available with ...
At the long awaited extraordinary meeting in Helsinki today, shareholders have approved the deal that will allow the sale of Nokia's Devices and Services unit to Microsoft. The deal was met with near unanimous approval with close to 99.7 percent of holders agreeing with the sale. The sale represents four-fifths of Nokia's shares and the deal is worth around $7.2 billion.
Nokia Chairman Siilasmaa delivered a presentation at the shareholder meeting wherein the Board unanimously recommended the sale to Microsoft. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will return to Microsoft early next year where he will head the devices and services team.
The dialogue between Redmond and Finland's most iconic company is said to have started back at Mobile World Congress when Steve Ballmer initiated talks regarding the sale of Nokia's Devices and Services division to Microsoft. This was after both companies agreed that Windows Phone wasn't achieving the success they had anticipated. After the transition, CEO Stephen Elop will receive a $25.4 million pay off including 18 months of salary, short term cash incentive and shares worth $19.7 million.Will Windows Phone be able to prosper with hardware and software consolidated under a single roof ? Only time will tell.
[Via -Financial Times]
Given the strained relationship between Google and Microsoft's Windows Phone smartphone OS, we're pleasantly surprised to report that the official search app on the platform just got a pretty major update. The search app which till now essentially let you use Google Search on a Windows Phone device has been updated to support sign ins with your Google account. More importantly, voice commands are now instantly displayed on the screen.
Google reports an improved image viewing experience in the latest version of the application. In addition to these feature additions, there have been a lot of bug fixes and enhancements to resolution as well. This last bit is important given the upcoming range of Full HD Windows Phone 8 based handsets. Google has so far shied away from developing official apps for Microsoft's smartphone platform citing minimal market share as the reason. Indeed, the company has tried to make matters as tough as possible for Google services users on the Windows Platform by temporarily blocking Maps access in the browser, blocking the release of Youtube apps. The updated search app gives users hope that the search giant might eventually release official applications for its services on Redmond's floundering platform.
[Via - ...
HTC announced the One Max with a 5.9 inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display and a finger print sensor. We already brought you the unboxing of the device, here we have the benchmarks of the device. The phone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.7 GHz with Adreno 320 GPU similar to the HTC One. It runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with the new HTC Sense 5.5 UI. Let's find out how it performs in various synthetic benchmark tests.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oifEGuG7Ec
Quadrant Benchmark
The One Max manages to score 12453 points in the Quadrant benchmark.
AnTuTu Benchmark 3.3
It scored 26150 points in the AnTuTu Benchmark 3.3.
Vellamo 2.0 HTML5
The One Max scored 2549 points, better than the HTC One in the Vellamo 2 HTML5 browser benchmark.
Vellamo 2.0 Metal
It scored 762 points in the Vellamo 2 Metal CPU subsystem performance test.
Linpack Single Thread
It managed to clock around 277 MFLOPS in the Linpack Single Thread benchmark.
Linpack Multi-Thread
It manage to clock 517 MFLOP in the Linpack Multi-Thread benchmark.
NenaMark 2
It tops the NenaMark 2 GPU benchmark by clocking 61.3 fps.
GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex (On screen)
In the GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex benchmark, the One Max clocked 14 FPS, similar to the Oppo N1.
GFXBench 2.5 Egypt HD (On screen)
It clocked 39 FPS, ...
As if Moto G wasn't enough of an indication that Google and its subsidiary Motorola are working closely, today the company announced that its Flagship product - Moto X will be getting an update to Android 4.4 KitKat. This is only for Verizon Wireless customers who have bought the Moto X, but it still is way ahead of the KitKat OTA update that has been evading the Nexus devices so far. The Moto X is a neat little device that runs on stock Android, with a couple of hardware related enhancements like the always listening Google Now and the fact that it is now getting all the Android 4.4 KitKat goodness is a nice gesture from Google/Motorola.
The above list of features are the new additions to Moto X's version of Android 4.4 KitKat. It does have the usual KitKat additions, but we can also see the new Camera app's Focus and Exposure abilities and the new Touchless control command "Find my phone" which will make the phone ring loudly. It's a great addition to an already impressive feature.
That said, it's valid to note that it has started rolling out only for Verizon Wireless customers who have the Moto X, so ...
The Xbox One is all set to release on November 22nd in 13 countries, and as a precursor, Microsoft has unveiled the new Xbox One Smartglass app for Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices. The Smartglass v2 is a massive improvement over the previous version that worked with the Xbox 360. It now talks directly to the console via WiFi Direct, whereas previously, it needed internet and your live ID to talk to the console and there was always a bit of lag sending over commands or executing actions. Now that the latency is massively reduced, the handshake and resuming of connections between the game and the Smartglass app should be very quick and seamless. In case you didn't know, Smartglass is the definitive second screen screen experience for the Xbox, with keyboard input, touch control and second screen apps for games and videos taking center stage.
Here are the features of the Smartglass app -
In the living room:
• Navigate your Xbox One console using your device’s keyboard and touch
• Control your media and set top box with the SmartGlass remote control
• Browse the web on your TV using your mobile device
• Enhance what you are watching or playing with SmartGlass ...
After a very long wait, Google has finally started selling the 2013 edition Nexus 7 tablets in India. The tablets have been priced rather competitively and start at just Rs. 20,999 for the 16GB variant. The 32GB WiFi only model will be available for Rs. 23,999 while stepping up to the LTE variant will bump up costs to Rs. 27,999. Shipping estimates suggest that the tablet would leave the warehouse by 26th November and we're expecting supplies to be a bit limited initially.
We've broken down the pricing structure in an easy to glance format:
16GB WiFi only Nexus 7 - Rs. 20,999
32GB WiFi only Nexus 7 - Rs. 23,999
32GB WiFi + LTE Nexus 7 - Rs. 27,999
Google's Nexus 7 tablet runs a stock build of Android and brings with it the promise of guaranteed updates for at least 18 months. The Nexus 7 has an absolutely stunning 7 inch Full HD display and powering it is a 1.5Ghz APQ8064 Snapdragon processor paired with 2GB of RAM. Given the size and aspect ratio of the tablet, it is particularly well suited for multimedia consumption on the go. In our Nexus 7 review, we found battery life to be less than stellar owing ...
