Sony Xperia U launching in India

THE SONY XPERIA U

Sony Xperia U, the company's second Android smartphone after Xperia S, is all set to launch in the Indian market. The smartphone is available for pre-order on some online retail websites like Flipkart and Letsbuy. 

Sony Mobile India had announced the smartphone in the country along with Xperia Sand Xperia P last month. It is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor, has a 3.5-inch display with 854x480p resolution and a 5MP camera. 

Sony Xperia comes with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) onboard, however, the company has promised Android 4.0 update for the smartphone. 

The smartphone is expected to be priced around Rs 17,000. As per web reports, Xperia U is expected to ship sometime this week. 

Key specs: * 1GHz dualcore processor * 5MP rear camera, with auto focus, 16x digital zoom, LED flash * Weight: 110 gram * 8 GB internal storage with 4GB accessible to the user * 512MB RAM * 1320 mAh battery * Available colours: White, black * Screen: 3.5 inch TFT touchscreen, 854 x 480 pixels


Information Courtesy: The Times Of India

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC OneX vs iPhone 4S

 Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC OneX vs iPhone 4S

The unveiling of Samsung Galaxy SIII recently has further fueled the ongoing smartphone war. One of the most-awaited phones of 2012, Samsung Galaxy SIII is designed to take the fight to the new crop of quadcore superphones. 

The smartphone takes on Apple's iPhone 4S and HTC's recently launched quadcore smartphone HTC OneX. Here's how the three compare in specs.


Processor:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: The phone has Samsung's new Arm-based processor Exynos 4 Quad. The 1.4 Ghz quadcore chip is based on ARM Cortex A9 and enables more tasks in a shorter period of time claims the company. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S is powered by dualcore A5 processor. The company claims that two cores in A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and render graphics up to seven times faster than iPhone 4. 

HTC OneX: HTC One X runs on a 1.5GHz Nvidia Tegra3 quadcore chip.

Operating System:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy S-III runs on Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich OS. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S comes pre-loaded with iOS5. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX also runs on the latest Android operating system Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich.

Camera:

THE IPHONE 4S CAMERA

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy S-III boasts of an 8MP rear camera and a 1.9 megapixel front camera. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S has an 8MP camera with back illuminated CMOS sensor, wider aperture and higher quality lens. It also records video in 1080p full HD resolution now. It has a VGA-quality front camera. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has an 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash. There's also a 1.3 MP front camera for video conferencing.


Display:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Galaxy SIII boasts of a 4.8 HD Super AMOLED display, with ultrafast response time. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S retains the same 3.5-inch (diagonal) Retina display as found in iPhone 4. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has a 4.7 inch Super IPS LCD2 screen.


RAM & Storage:
Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy has a 1GB RAM. It comes in three storage capabilities 16, 32 and 64GB. The smartphone weighs 133 gm. 

Apple iPhone 4S: Though Apple did not disclose iPhone 4S RAM, as per teardown tests of the device it is 1GB. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX also has 1GB RAM. The smartphone has internal memory of 32GB. It weighs 130 gm.


Battery:
Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy SIII has a removable 2100mAh battery. 

Apple iPhone 4S: Apple claims iPhone 4S offers battery life offers 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing (9 on WiFi), 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has a non-removable 1,800 mAh battery.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Sony Mobile India rolls out Android 4.0 update

Sony Mobile India has started rolling out Android 4.0 update for select devices in the country. These devices include arc S, neo V and Ray from company's Xperia series. Consumers will have to use the PC Companion or Sony Bridge for MAC software on their computers to upgrade the device.

Sony is the second manufacturer to start the Ice Cream Sandwich update process for its smartphones in India; earlier Samsung released Android 4.0 for the Nexus S phone. Majority of Android consumers in the country are still waiting for the updates, including the owners for popular smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note and Motorola RAZR.

The Ice Cream Sandwich update for Xperia phones brings new lock-screen, smart dialer, resizable widget, face unlock, new task switcher, and performance improvements.

Other smartphones in the Xperia series - Xperia arc, Xperia Play, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman are scheduled to get the update at the end of May or early June.

Courtesy: NDTV GADGETS

Samsung Galaxy S3, next-generation Android smartphone to launch in India soon

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S3

NEW DELHI: Samsung on Thursday unveiled Galaxy S3, its next-generation Android smartphone, at an event in London. The phone is powered by Exynos 4212, a quad-core processor running at 1.4GHz. It is expected to become available in India in the coming weeks.

The phone has a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 720P, 1GB RAM, 16/32GB storage with a slot for microSD card, 8MP camera with burst mode, zero shutter lag and backlit sensor, 2,100mAh battery, Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth. The phone weighs 133 grams and has a thickness of 8.6mm.

One of the unique features in Galaxy S3 is its ability to track the eye movement of the user. Samsung calls the feature SmartStay and claims it will make using Galaxy S3 more intuitive. The phone also has S Voice, a feature similar to Siri on iPhone, that will help users in doing several tasks through voice commands.

Galaxy S3 runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android operating software. However, the default user interface of the OS is TouchWiz Nature UX, a custom skin prepared by Samsung.

Galaxy S3 is one of the most anticipated phones of the year so far. It succeeds Galaxy S2. In February, Samsung had said that it had sold over 20 million units of Galaxy S2 since introducing it in the market in April last year.

Samsung's official Twitter account said on Wednesday that the company would not launch Galaxy Nexus India but consumers should not feel dejected because new and better phone would be arriving soon, hinting at S3 launch here in May.

Samsung, which started selling Galaxy range of phones in 2010, has emerged as the biggest Android phone maker. In fact, helped by the sale of Galaxy Note and Galaxy S2, the firm recently became the largest phone vendor in the world, ending Nokia's 14 years reign at the top. According to IDC, a market research firm, Samsung shipped 93.8 million phones in Q1, 2012 compared to 82.7 million phones shipped by Nokia.

In smartphone category, the firm ousted Apple from the top position. It shipped 42.2 million smartphones compared to Apple's 35.1 million iPhones. Apple, however, continues to be the world's biggest smartphone maker in terms of profit.


Information Courtesy: Gadgets @ Times Of India

Review: Idea 3G smartphone Blade

NEW DELHI: Android-based phones have ushered in a revolution of sorts in past one year. Even those who could not dream of asmartphone until recently now carry an

Android phone, thanks to a plethora of manufacturers making them at all price points to suit all pockets. To follow up on its pan-India 3G launch, the third largest cellular service provider Idea Cellular launched two entry-level Android handsets in collaboration with two Chinese firms, ZTE and Huawei.

Priced at Rs 7,992 and Rs 5,850, the two phones are good value for money and compete with many other budget smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy Y Series and those from domestic firms Spice Mobiles and Micromax.

And the most pleasant surprise: Despite having been launched by Idea, Blade is not an operator-locked phone. The users of other networks can also use this ZTE phone, launched by Idea. Moreover, Idea Blade sports decent specs for the price tag it carries.

Display
Blade has a 3.5-inch capacitive screen and is encased in a plastic body with external buttons for Menu, Home, Cancel, volume control and power. It has an acceptable screen resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. Once you have unlocked the home screen, you see a typical Android user interface (UI) with a Google search bar and then the apps below it.

At the bottom of the screen are the three buttons for call, menu and browser.

And now on to the biggest disappointment of the phone: Despite the phone having a capacitive screen, its touch response is poor and the user may have to swipe a few times to open an app, answer a call, or to perform any other task

OS
It runs on Google's older, second generation Android 2.2 ( Froyo) operating system. Hence, you will encounter the standard, rather dated Android interface as on any other earlier generation Android device. The company has promised an upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread but when and weather the phone will support it fully remains to be seen.

Processor and RAM
The handset is powered by a 600 MHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor with 256MB RAM which is just about enough to keep the basic functions running. A bigger problem is that even the basic apps like What'sApp, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox that range from 9MB to 12MB and occupy considerable space on the RAM, cannot be shifted to the SD card.

Though Blade's memory is expandable up to 32GB, adding even a 4 GB card slows down the phone's response to a near still.

Since many downloaded apps go and reside on the on-board memory, it is a big minus for any phone. Google Play Store continuously offers updates to the apps and every update make the apps heavier, so to avoid slowing down of the phone, you must use task manger or app killer to keep sufficient free space on the RAM to save the battery life.

Camera
Idea Blade sports a 3.2 megapixel rear camera which clicks quite decent pictures under test conditions and videos at 10 frames per second (fps), but under low-light conditions the picture gets pixilated and blurred. Though zoom and brightness can be adjusted manually, the difference is very marginal. But unlike its competitors like HTC Explorer which has a 3MP primary rear camera and Samsung Galaxy Y series smartphones which only have a 2MP camera, Idea Blade clicks clearer pictures.

Battery
Blade has a lower 1250mAH Li-ion battery that can last a day only if you are using the phone for making calls or text messages. In case, you are using the phone for listening music, playing games or browsing internet, the battery drains out very quickly. But since it has a mini USB, it can be recharged using any mini USB cable.

Internet and connectivity
The phone has pre-installed Opera Mini and internet browsers. It supports EDGE, 7.2 mbps HSDPA and Wi-Fi. But here's the catch: As a special introductory offer, Idea is offering data services worth Rs 3,500 with Rs 259 plan but users of other telcos cannot use their 3G plans on Idea Blade and for them it works only as a 2G phone. Its Bluetooth, tethering, USB and GPS are other options for connectivity which function fairly well.

Apps and other features
Despite such a frugal RAM, the phone comes pre-installed with Gmail, Opera browser, live TV service called IdeaTV, Gravity sensor, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Places, document reader which reads word documents pretty well, FM radio and a music player that plays most audio files formats. It also has a 3.5mm audio jack.

On the whole, Idea Blade is a good value-for-money Android smartphone. Though it may not be the best at this price (and there are misses too), but considering that all this comes at Rs 7,992, Idea Blade is worth a look-in.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

NationalMobileReview is now MobileRide.in

Hello Sir,
               We are glad to announce that NationalMobileReview is now MobileRide.in. We promise to continue to bring you the best and reliable updates about gadgets from round the world. Trust us, for we are inspired by our senior, The Times Of India, the Indian National Daily. Them being the best, we too are the best!
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Sony launches first ultrabooks, VAIO T series

SONY VAIO T SERIES

Sony is finally joining the ultrabooks fray. The company has launched its first ultrabook series dubbed VAIO T. 

VAIO T series will come in two sizes -- 11" and 13.3" -- and is powered by Intel's ultra-low voltage i3 Sandy Bridge processors. The ultrabooks have a 17.8mm thick brushed aluminum body and up to 9 hours of battery life. 

Other features include 4GB of DDR3 memory as standard, and 320GB hard drive with a second 32GB SSD. VAIO T Series sports comes HDMI, VGA and RJ45 network ports, plus an SD/MMC media slot and an 1.3 megapixel "Exmor for PC" HD web camera. xLOUDTM and Clear Phase technologies are for sound. 

The company hasn't revealed the pricing. 

Key specs: 

* Intel Core-i3 2367M processor * Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit * 4GB DDR3 RAM * 320GB HDD * Intel HD Graphics 3000 * Bundles Adobe Acrobat X Standard


Courtesy: Gadgets Special, Times Of India

Review: Huawei Honor

NEW DELHI: The name Huawei may not ring a bell for most phone buyers in India, but it is a huge multinational firm. The company is among the leading manufacturers of telecom equipment in the world and in the recent years has become a big player in phone and tablet market. 

Gartner, a market research firm, said in February that Huawei had 2.3% share in 2011 in smartphone market worldwide. This put it marginally ahead of Motorola and Sony Ericsson. 

After some success in its home country - China - the firm has started expanding operations abroad. Due to similarities in Indian and Chinese phone market - both are developing countries and price sensitive - consumers here are obvious targets for Huawei. Last year, it had tested the waters here with Ideos range of phones. This year it is more assertive. It has already launched Honor, a mid-range Android phone, and plans to bring Ascend D, the flagship device, soon. 

We have Honor with us today. With this phone, Huawei promises consumers best-in-class features at most competitive price. Not an easy promise to fulfill, we know. Let's find out if Honor can take on the competition in mid-range smartphone market. 

Looks good on paper Honor may not have superstar looks but it's not shabby either. The design is classic candy bar. It has a plastic body with two buttons - power and volume rocker - given chrome finish. Under the 4-inches screen, which has a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, there are four touch buttons for Options, Home, Back and Search. The back cover, which has a textured finish, can be removed to access SIM slot and battery. 

With a thickness of 11mm and a weight of 140grams, there is nothing striking about Honor. But at the same time, it is functional design, which makes using the device very easy. 

Honor is powered by a single-core 1.4Ghz processor. It has 512MB RAM and 4GB storage, with option to add a micro SD card. The highlight of the device is 8MP primary camera with a LED flash. The phone can record videos in up to 720P resolution. A 2MP camera is provided for video chats. 

User experience
In terms of hardware, Honor is better many mid-range phone. But after using it for weeks, we feel that the hardware advantage has not translated into the user experience that can put Honor ahead of the pack. Let us elaborate. 

For most parts, Honor acts like a nice mid-range Android phones. This means it may not dazzle you with speed and superfast user interface but for all practical purposes the performance is adequate. Apps open without any lag, casual games like Angry Birds work very well, GPS locks in a snap, browsing experience is pleasant, and call quality is good. Media playback is average with the phone failing to play several file formats, like the ones encoded with DivX, but that is acceptable from a mid-range phone. Honor's speaker, though, is very loud considering its size. 

But there are two aspects that stand out. One for good reasons and another for, well, not being up to the mark. 

Good news first. The 8MP pixels camera in Honor punches above its weight. The photograph taken with it have decent amount of details and balanced colours. It doesn't perform very well in low-light but it is all same with most midrange smartphones. Videos shot in 720P resolution are acceptable. 

Now, the bad news. Honor's 4-inch screen is disappointing. It shows good colours and is sufficiently bright until you are not standing in sunlight. Viewing angles could have been better but they will not be any issue for most buyers. The problem is with the screen's touch sensitivity, which is a tad slow. It is not as slow or bad as what found on sub-10K phones but then Honor is not competing with these phones. While in many tasks - for example web browsing - it doesn't affect the user experience, playing games like Temple Run, which require flawless touch sensitivity, is difficult on Honor. 

Another problem with screen is 'ghosting'. It is especially apparent if you are using a Twitter app. While scrolling through timeline, display pictures of contacts leave traces. Ghosting may not be a problem in most cases but if it occurs - in our case it was during Twitter use - it will bug users. 

Battery life is good. When used for emails, Twitter, some photography, some gaming, some calls and lots of browsing the phone lasted over 10 hours on 3G connection. 

Worth its price
Huawei Honor is a decent phone for its price. Screen could have been better but given its good performance and a decent camera for still pictures, our experience with Honor wasn't bad. At the same time, it is not the kind of experience that can make us give Honor a clear recommendation. The phone has an MRP of Rs 19,999. At this price, its primary competitors are HTC One V,Samsung Galaxy S Plus, Sony Ericsson Neo V and Nokia Lumia 710. 

If you are out in the market, looking for a mid-range smartphone, you should definitely consider Honor. Just that before buying it, make sure you demo it at the store to see if you are comfortable with the touch response or not. 

Pros: Good camera for still photographs, lag-free performance 

Cons: Screen touch sensitivity is not optimum, out-of-box runs on Gingerbread and not Ice cream sandwich, the latest version of Android.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Datawind launches cheapest tablet at Rs 2,999

NEW DELHI: Amidst controveries, tech company Datawind launched Ubislate tablets in India priced at Rs 2,999 and Rs 3,999, respectively for resistive and capacitive screen versions.

Government's Aakash II tablets, expected to be launched this year will carry the same configuration as Ubislate tablets, i.e, a 800 MHz Cortex A8 processors on Android 2.3 platform.

"We have tied up with distributors across India. The tablets will be available by May-end only after we have fulfilled the existing orders," said Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind.

For internet access, Datawind has tied up with Aircel, which will offer an unlimited internet plan at Rs 98 per month on 2G/GPRS for the Ubislate tablets.

The Ubislate7c (capacitive touch) tablets priced at Rs 4000 will carry an internal flash memory of 4GB. The resistive versions will carry internal memory of 2GB and will be priced at Rs 2,999.

The tablets will carry one standard USB port. "Our customers who made pre-payments for earlier version of the tablet will get the upgraded version," Tuli added. He said that a break up with Quad has jeopardised the delivery schedule for the tablets, and he is looking for more suppliers.

For manufacturing the tablets in India, Datawind has tied up with Hyderabad-based VMC Systems after a break-up with Quad.

Aisha is Micromax answer to Apple's Siri

NEW DELHI: Micromax Informatics Limited has expanded its Superfone smartphones portfolio in the country with the addition of another budget phone A50 Ninja. 

A50 runs on Android version 2.3.6(Gingerbread) with a processor speed of 650 MHz .The phone features a 7.9 cms multi-touch capacitive screen. The dual-SIM Micromax A50 sports a 2.0 MP camera. 

Priced at Rs 4,999, Micromax A50 Ninja comes with an Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant (AISHA). AISHA is a voice recognition tool through which users can search on Google, view stock market details, know phone status, movie reviews, make calls, read news of desired locations, know horoscopes etc. 

Key specifications
*7.9 cm capacitive touch screen 

*Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread 

*Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant, AISHA 

*Dual SIM, 3G 

*Wi-Fi, GPRS connectivity, Bluetooth 

*2.0 MP rear camera 

*Gravity Sensor 

*Memory storage expandable Up to 32GB by SD card


Woohoo! Finally!


Courtesy: The Times Of India