The Real Cost of Apple's iPhone

The Real Cost of Apple's iPhone infographic by The Atlantic.

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Batman Physics

Batman Physics infographic by Dehahs.

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Waiting for the Apple iWatch? Here are some existing smartwatches

Suddenly, the buzzword in the tech industry seems to be “smartwatches”, and we think the only reason for this is the series of speculations and rumours surfacing about the iWatch by Apple. This reminds us of the pre-iPad launch period, when rumours about the Apple tablet were rife and all of a sudden, several renowned manufacturers also started prepping their own version of tablets. Today, tablets are arguably the most celebrated mobile computing devices. However, this isn't the same for  smartwatches. Moreover, we already have a few smartwatches in the market, which makes us wonder what new or different Apple plans to do. We don't know how long we would have to wait for the iWatch, but here are a few smartwatches already available in the market.
A perfect blend of tech and style
Explicitly named I’m Watch, this smartwatch lets you combine superior tech specs with style. It is available in aluminium, titanium and elegant gold/silver options, and straps in different colours to go along with it. Whether you are an iOS or Android user, this smartwatch connects with both to let you use functions like call, SMS, emails and so on.  It runs on a customised Android version dubbed I’m Droid and is compatible with smartphones running on Android 4.0 or above as well as iOS 4.0 or above.  The device has a 1.54-inch display with 240 x 240 resolution (220 ppi) and brings access to a slew of  apps from its I’m Market store. On connecting it via Bluetooth, the watch will allow you to access your phone functions from the watch instead of pulling out the smartphone from your bag. It has a rechargeable battery; the generic usage time is about 5 hours while the standby time is up to 24 hours. One can use its 4GB of internal memory to stock up apps along with the "I'm Cloud" cloud service that the watch supports. The I’m watch is currently being sold for Rs 17,990 as a promotional offer until early next month, after which the price is expected to shoot up to Rs 24,990.

I'm Watch is a blend of style and tech

Sony’s Smartwatch for Android smartphones
Sony already has its Smartwatch on store shelves, which is not limited to use only with Sony smartphones. The Sony Smartwatch – yes, that’s its name too – is compatible with most Android phones from other manufacturers too. The square smooth aluminium body can be paired with straps in multiple colour choice. Using the smartwatch, you can read your messages, social updates from Facebook and Twitter, calendar updates and other notifications from your Android device. Android users have to follow three simple steps to get started with the Sony Smartwatch. You need to download the Liveware manager, connect the watch to the phone via Bluetooth and then download the Smartwatch app. Furthermore, users will be able to use several other apps available on Google Play – by downloading them from within the Smartwatch app or Live manager. All this can be displayed on its 1.3-inch OLED display. Moreover, you can also accept, reject or mute calls from the watch. The smartphone battery will squeeze through a day with heavy usage and 3-4 days on light usage. The Sony Smartwatch is available through online retailers for a price tag of around Rs 7,800.

Smart watch from Sony

Affordable and non-branded
Chinese device makers never cease to surprise or disappoint us. Owing to the hoard of cheaper clones and lookalikes these markets churn out, we have a handful of affordable smartwatches in the market too. One such device is the Watch Mobile Q8 selling for Rs 4,999, a standalone smartwatch that you don't have to connect to any smartphone. This GSM smartwatch supports dual SIM and features a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, 1.2-inch display, FM Radio and support for MP3, MP4. We also came across the XElectron M998 watch cum mobile phone, a standalone smartwatch priced at Rs 3,999. Sporting a 1.3-inch touchscreen display with 640 x 480 resolution, it comes with a meagre in-built memory of 45KB and the expandable memory via microSD card is also limited to 4GB. Its 450 mAh battery allows 2-3 hours of talktime and 2-3 days of standby time. A similar product is the Multimedia watch cum mobile.

Making it affordable

A trendy and successful Kickstarter project
This successful Kickstarter campaign managed to attract several investors and is seemingly going down well with consumers as well. The Pebble is a stylish looking smartwatch that is compatible with devices running Android (v4.0 and above) and iOS (5.0 and above). It's not a standalone smartphone, sadly, but we don't think people are even ready to compromise the superior features of a smartphone or a large screen display for extreme portability. Nevertheless, the Pebble still makes heads turns with its cool looks and set of features. The smartwatch connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth and displays incoming calls, emails, SMS, iMessage for iOS devices, calendar and weather alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages and so on.  The Pebble smartwatch is currently available for pre-order for approximately Rs 7500 (excluding shipping charges).

The successful Kickstarter campaign

With an athletic streak
Motorola also has its smartwatch targeting fitness and sports freaks. The company has limited it as a fitness tracker and smart MP3 player. Now, we know there are several other sports watches which use sensor-based technology to track your exercise and sports routine.  However, this smartwatch is Wi-Fi enabled to sync with Motorola MotoActv portal and also connects to Motorola smartphones using the MotoActv app. It uses the Accusense technology along with GPS to track your workout data like time, distance, speed, calories burned and heart rate; it also monitors your performance while you engage in different sports activities. Available in 8GB and 16GB options, it has a 1.6-inch display with a scratchproof Gorilla glass. The 8GB model is available online for Rs 14,999.

The sporty one

Besides, there’s the Neptune Pine, a standalone smartwatch with a 2.5-inch display and a 1GHz single-core ARM Cortex A9 processor. It has a decent spec sheet with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G and 5MP camera. Another company offering smartwatch is Meta Watch, which was previously a division of Fossil. It is prepping up the Metawatch smartwatch, which compatible with iOS and Android.

A standalone, feature-loaded smartwatch

Even Samsung has confirmed that it is working on a smartwatch, not surprising us by an inkling. However, it hasn't divulged any information about the features, launch time or price. Meanwhile, ateam of 100 members is working on the Apple iWatch. This means, very  soon there will be a slew of smartwatches from every nook and corner of the tech stream, and lets not forget the cheaper Chinese markets. Do you believe smartwatches are the next hot trend in technology?

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BlackBerry reports surprise Q4 profit; 1 million Z10s sold

BlackBerry announced better than expected Q4 results and a return to profitability on Thursday, driven by demand for its new touchscreen Z10 device, which the company had hoped would hold the key to a successful turnaround for the smartphone maker. The company said it had sold about 1 million of the new Z10 device and shipped roughly 6 million smartphones in the quarter ended March 2. Net income in the quarter was $98 million, or 19 cents a share, compared with profit of $9 million, or 2 cents a share, a year earlier. The company had earlier said it expects to break even in the current quarter despite increasing spending on marketing.

"To say it was a very challenging environment to deliver improved financial results could well be the understatement of the year," Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said during a conference call with analysts. Heins said more than half of the people buying the touch-screen Z10 were switching from rival systems.

At the BlackBerry Z10 launch

"I thought they were dead. This is a huge turnaround," Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said from New York. The company has credited higher average selling prices and higher margins for devices."This is a really, really good result," Misek added. "It's off to a good start." Eric Jackson, founder and managing partner, Ironfire Capital LLC, which owns BlackBerry shares, said "All in all I'm happy because I think the majority seemed to be expecting the world to cave in on them and that didn't happen. They blew away expectations on the bottom line. They're pretty good at managing their business and grinding all the profits out of it that they can. They probably underestimated the impact the core cost reduction program was going to have on the business."

The Z10 is critically important to the survival of BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion. The device and its underlying BB10 operating system are intended to compete with modern touch-based smartphones such as the iPhone and various models based on Google Inc's Android operating system. BlackBerry's own keyboard-based smartphones and previous versions of its software have steadily fallen out of favour with buyers.  The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and phone calls. RIM faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system with the BlackBerry 10. During that time, it had to cut more than 5,000 jobs and saw shareholder wealth decline by more than $70 billion.

The BlackBerry Z10 in black and white.

The 1 million Z10 phones were above the 915,000 that analysts had been expecting. Details on U.S. sales are not part of the fiscal fourth quarter's financial results because the Z10 just became available there last week. The Z10 has received mostly favorable reviews since its release, but the launch in the critical U.S. market was delayed until late this month.  A version with a physical keyboard, called the Q10, won't be released in the U.S. for two or three more months. The delay in selling the Q10 complicates RIM's efforts to hang on to customers tempted by the iPhone and a range of Android devices. Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over a touch screen. Heins said the Q10 will sell well among the existing BlackBerry user base. It's expected in some markets in April, but not in the U.S. until May or June.

Brian Colello, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said "I think the encouraging thing is that BlackBerry was still able to sell a good portion of older models [and] generate solid service revenue during the transition. I think that will be important in terms of cash balance and profitability."

However, revenue fell 36 percent to $2.7 billion, from $4.2 billion. Analysts had expected $2.82 billion. Despite the BlackBerry 10 sales, RIM lost about 3 million subscribers to end the quarter with 76 million. Bill Kreyer, a tech analyst for Edward Jones, called the subscriber decline "pretty alarming." The company also announced that co-founder Mike Lazaridis will retire as vice chairman and director.

Agencies

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Rumour: Micromax A120 Canvas Pro HD with 1080p display coming soon

Update: We have received word from Micromax that the information received by us is false and that there is no Canvas Pro HD in the works.

A few months ago, when the Micromax A116 Canvas HD was launched, we wondered what else the company had in store for us. At the time, we speculated based on what the MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor supports in terms of hardware. 

So what were the specs we expected to be featured in the Canvas 3? We speculated that it could have a 1080p display and a camera with a better sensor, besides a 3D display and 3D-capable camera. Of course, the latter two are just "fantasy" features. But guess what? Micromax actually is working on a handset that boasts a full HD display and a 13 megapixel camera.

Canvas HD, the current Micromax flagship

Word about the Micromax A120 Canvas Pro HD (Canvas 3 is so much easier, Micromax) was passed on to us by an anonymous tipster. He also revealed specs of the device and said that the smartphone will be released soon. This information passed on to us by the source is unverified. 

According to the rumour, the Micromax Canvas Pro HD will be powered by a quad-core Cortex-A7 processor clocked at 2.0 GHz. However, we were not told the maker of the CPU. We would venture a guess that it’s MediaTek’s next-gen CPU or a highly overclocked version of its MT6589 CPU. As for the GPU, the Canvas Pro HD will have a PowerVR Series 5XT GPU with hyper threading technology and there will be 2GB of RAM. 

According to the source, the Canvas Pro HD will feature a 5.5-inch full HD display and will be protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. The primary camera will be a 13 megapixel unit with dual-LED flash. Up front will be a 3.2 megapixel snapper, which is one of the highest resolutions we have seen on the front-facing camera. 

The Pro HD will be a dual-SIM phone and will have 8GB of internal memory, of which 6GB will be user-accessible. The microSD card slot will support cards up to 64GB. Running Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, the next-gen flagship will have a massive 3000 mAh battery, which sounds more than sufficient for the quoted specs. We also know that the MediaTek processor has in-built support for Miracast technology, which is great for seamless content sharing on multiple screens. It also has a pre-integrated connectivity combo, which supports 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. All these could be bundled into the Canvas Pro HD.

Here are the key specs of the device from what we know:

• 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass
• Dual-SIM, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth, GPS
• 13 megapixel primary camera and 3.2 megapixel front-facing camera
• 8GB of internal memory with microSD card slot for expansion up to 64GB

As a Micromax handset, we cannot expect the price to be sky-high, but as we had suspected, the company will release the Canvas Pro HD between Rs 18,000 and 20,000.

From the looks of it, Micromax has covered all bases and is ready for the onslaught of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. But is there something more that you want to see in the Canvas Pro HD? Let us know in the comments.

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Google Babble to launch as Babel; coming to Android, Chrome, iOS, G+ and Gmail

We have been hearing about a possible unified messaging service by Google, but till now it was assumed the service would only hit Google’s Android and Chrome OS platform. 

The service has been rumoured to be called Babble in the past and will reportedly merge Voice, Talk, and Google+ Messenger into a cross-platform chat solution. However, Droid Lifereports that the actual name of the new Google messenger service will be "Babel" rather than Babble.

All under one roof

According to the website’s sources, Babel will give users a seamless messenger experience across not just Android and Chrome OS, but also on rival platform iOS, besides making an appearance on the popular Google+ and Gmail. There is no mention of Google Voice, but there is a possibility that voice services will be merged into Babel. Currently, Babel is being tested internally at Mountain View as a cross-platform service through those five platforms. 

The report further states that with Babel users will have access to the same conversation list from anywhere and any device. There will be a new UI on offer, which will be heavily conversation-based and with advanced group conversations. Babel will also allow users to send pictures among other files. Google also claims Babel will ship with improved notifications across devices, according to the source. 

Talks about a unified messaging system have been doing the rounds for a while now. The several Google communications platforms don’t interact very well with each other, but theoretically could, as Google handles the development of all these services. These include Google Talk, Hangout, Voice, Google + Messenger, Chat for Drive collaboration, and the Google + chat client, but they do not work in synch. A cross platform solution would help Google compete with the likes of iMessage and BBM, while also delivering a key piece of technology for Android. 

Babel is intended to function as one overarching client that will combine the unique feature sets of each of Google’s existing offerings into one package. Right now, if users want to share photos over a Google messaging service, they have to choose the G+ Messenger, whereas video chat is handled by the Hangout component. With Babel, all these functions would be possible through one app and conversations will be threaded across all the existing services. 

Individual services are expected to be pushed onto the single Babel platform and users can access the same chat window across all of Google’s products with the features and functionality not different anywhere.

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High-speed Internet plans in India

In today’s digital age, a good Internet connection is a must. In fact, many countries have made Internet connectivity a legal right. The Indian government hasn’t made any such provision, but it is keen to get the last mile of the country connected; one of its initiatives dubbed National Optic Fibre Network is a step in that direction. A report by the TRAI last year indicated that the number of broadband subscribers in India was 13.54 million as of February 2012. We are quite sure that the figure would have improved over the past year. In fact, there are severalgovernment and private organisations striving to connect the entire country. While connectivity is being taken care of, dismal speeds are still the bane of Internet users all over the country.

The recent successful implementation of Google Fiber in Kansas City, US, which provides blazing fast Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second, that too at a modest cost of $70 (approximately Rs 3,800) per month, has certainly pushed the envelope for ISPs in the States. For those of us still making do with paltry 1Mbps sonnections, Google Fiber seems like a fantasy straight out of a sci-fi movie. Today, it is quite rare to find someone who is satisfied with the quality of his/her home Internet service. People might choose the best plan provided by the ISP, but their experience will be compromised because of FUP (fair usage policy), downtime, inconsistent speeds and high price. While it may take several years before Google Fiber reaches our shores (if it ever does), we still have some hope thanks to a few ISPs who are now offering Internet speeds over 10Mbps even to home consumers.    

Steep price
Sensing a growing opportunity, several ISPs have started offering high-speed plans to home users. Sandeep Donde, Managing Director, Vovinet, says “With more than one fourth of the Internet-using population in India having speeds below 512Kbps and a minor percentage with more than 5Mbps plans, the Internet speed usage in India is low. Also, the average Internet plan is less than 1Mbps in Mumbai. This provides  tremendous potential for providing high speed Internet across the country. In today’s world, there is an increase in the number of devices at home (laptops, mobile phones, tablets etc.) and a desire to continually stay online on social networking sites, among other things. This results in a demand for high speed plans for home users.”

1Mbps Internet plans are popular

Typically, the most popular Internet plan today is 1Mbps, which costs roughly between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000, depending on the ISP. While there is a demand for high-speed Internet plans and there are a few players offering them, the adoption has been rather slow owing to the steep pricing. Matthew Carley, who set up Hayai, reveals “You can get 100mbit/s from a couple of providers, but the prices and restrictions on the services are very unfavourable. For instance, a certain ISP offers 100mbit/s in some parts of South Mumbai, but the limits on the connection don't make it very good proposal and even the upload speeds aren’t up to the mark. Moreover, the pricing doesn't make sense, why would a consumer pay double the price for the same amount of data at a higher speed? A few hundred rupees more, maybe, but not double the price. In case of a certain "unlimited" plan advertised by an ISP,  the price per unit goes up from Rs 42/GB to Rs 66/GB. This doesn't make sense; as I am effectively buying in bulk, shouldn't I get a discount on the unit price?”

Carley raises a valid point, however, with deeper Internet penetration, the demand for high-speed plans is bound to grow. As Donde reasons, “As the Internet user market matures further, there will certainly be a demand for higher speed Internet plans and a price reduction will be inevitable. The ARPU (average rate per unit) may stay the same, but the speed requirement would increase.” So while the prices might not go down drastically, what we can expect is higher speeds and higher download limits offered within similar price brackets as we see today.

Limited reach
Apart from price, most of these high-speed Internet plans are currently available only in limited areas where the ISP has a presence. While most of these ISPs offer leased lines to customers residing in areas they do not cater to, the cost of setup to be borne by the customer is quite high. A way out for them is to tie up with other ISPs or local cable operators. But the unorganised nature of the cable industry poses a challenge, as ISPs then have to cater to the whims and fancies of the operators. Carley adds “Cable operators are very territorial and don't like new entrants, so there is the situation where a cable operator might offer ISP A but not ISP B or ISP C. Nobody has ubiquitous coverage and we have a similar situation to what's in the USA—no real competition. The cable operators take a significant chunk of the revenue, in some cases as much as 80 percent of the plan price, which makes it very difficult for an ISP to provide a good service even at a low speed. These revenue sharing issues need to be tackled and something needs to be done about the operators. Either they should be gotten rid of or forced to merge. Only then can the ISPs provide better services, where they would actually have to compete on quality of service rather than who offers a given speed for 10 rupees cheaper than the other guy.”

Does your Internet speed feel like this?

Another possibility is open access networks, something which Gurgaon-based telecom infrastructure firm Radius Infratel is attempting. Radius is implementing Neutral Access Network Operations (NANO) technology, whereby any number of service providers can simultaneously provide any number of services through a single fibre without losing their individual identities. According to news reports, they have partnered with real estate developers including DLF, Emaar MGF, Paramount and Unitech to be a part of the fibre optic network, which will enable them to provide high-speed Internet services in the projects being developed by them. Courtesy their fibre optic network, ISPs can provide Internet speeds up to 1Gbps. While the firm claimed that the network is already available in over 300,000 homes in Delhi and its neighbouring areas of Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad, they weren’t forthcoming about the details of the service providers. They also plan to expand services to other cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Chandigarh.  

Players and plans
Despite a decent number of players in the Indian market offering high-speed Internet plans today, the average Internet speed in the country remains roughly around 1Mbps. We asked a random sample of Mumbai residents about their Internet speed, and most of them seemed content with their 1 or 2Mbps plans at roughly Rs 1,000 per month. This doesn't mean there is a dearth of high-speed plans, but they are too expensive for many to consider seriously. Here are some of the high-speed plans offered by popular players in Mumbai.

The table shows high-speed plans in India

To begin with, MTNL offers several high-speed Internet plans. The 10Mbps Fiber Thrill unlimited plans range from Rs 790 to Rs 2,290 per month. The price varies depending on the data consumed due to the fair usage policy. The lowest of these plans costs Rs 790 per month (or fixed yearly charges of Rs. 8,690) for 10Mbps down and 5Mbps up speeds up to 12GB. Thereafter, download and upload speeds are capped at 512Kbps. On the higher end, you will have to pay Rs 2,290 for 10Mbps down and 5Mbps up speeds up to 150GB, with downloads capped at 1Mbps and uploads at 512Kbps thereafter. It also has a 20Mbps Fiber Thrill plan that offers 20Mbps downloads and 10Mbps uploads up to 150GB, with the download speed set at 1.344Mbps and upload speed at 1Mbps beyond that. Click here for the complete list of FTTH (Fiber to the Home) plans by MTNL.

Another major player is Tata Docomo, with unlimited plans ranging from 10Mbps up to 100Mbps. Its 10Mbps plan priced at Rs 1,699 has a 50GB FUP limit. It provides a download speed of 10Mbps and upload speed of 1Mbps (post FUP the download speed is reduced to 512Kbps). It also has a variation of this plan priced at a whopping Rs 3,333 per month with a 50GB data limit and every additional MB charged at 20 paise. Here’s the complete list. 

Tata Indicom also offers Lightning and Lightning Plus high-speed Internet plans of 10Mbps, 20Mbps and 100Mbps. The 10Mbps plan has a 10GB usage limit, 10Mbps download speed, 2Mbps upload speed and costs Rs 1,950. On the other hand, the Lightening 10Mbps Plus plan offers 10Mbps downloads, 1Mbps uploads and 50GB of bandwidth for Rs 3,500. However, users will be charged 40 paise per MB post the FUP limit. Take a look at the Lightning plans here.

Airtel, on the other hand, is offering 8Mbps plans starting at Rs 1,599. This plan has an FUP limit of 30GB, beyond which the speed will be reduced to 512Kbps. The same plan with an FUP limit of 80GB costs Rs 2,099. You can look up the various plans here. Reliance has listed its unlimited high-speed plan as Broadband Freedom and offers 12Mbps for Rs 999 with a 25GB FUP limit. After the limit has been crossed, the speed will be downgraded to 512Kbps.

Besides these, there are other players who are offering uber-high-speed Internet connections. One such private service provider is YouBroadband, with plans ranging from 12Mbps to 25Mbps in some areas of some cities. Their 12Mbps plan starts at Rs 1,212 per month with an FUP of 25GB. Another private player, Vovinet, offers 8Mbps and 16Mbps plans with and without FUP. Its cheapest 16Mbps plan has a 40GB FUP limit (with speed capped at 2Mbps thereafter) is priced at Rs 1,700, whereas the 16Mbps unlimited plan without FUP will cost Rs 3,300.

Then there’s Joister, which is offering 16Mbps and 20Mbps FTTH (Fiber to the home) connections for Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 per month respectively. And what's more, these are unlimited plans without any FUP limit. They cover most areas of the western, central and harbour lines of Mumbai. Another player, Hayai, also provides FTTH connections starting at 25Mbps for Rs 4,007 per month, going all the way up to 1,000Mbps for Rs 9,736 per month. Hayai emphasises that customers must choose plans based on their actual data usage and not simply opt for the cheapest plan—unlike other providers, Hayai does not reduce users' speeds but warns them as they reach their thresholds. Users will be then asked to restrict their usage or upgrade to a higher data plan.

What do you think about the current Internet scenario in India? Have you been using any of these high-speed Internet plans? Do let us know about your experiences in the comments section below.

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Top 5 Budget Quad-Core Android Phones Under Rs 15,000

When it comes to CPU cores, most people tend to believe in more the merrier ideology. Whether it's useful or not, people want quad-core chips in their mobile phones. This is one of the major reasons behind the success of most Android flagship phones. If you too fancy a powerful phone, but cannot shell out over Rs 30,000 for the likes of the GALAXY Note II or S III, don't lose heart just yet. Domestic brands in collaboration with the Chinese manufacturers offer plenty of budget alternatives. Although these devices aren't a true match for Samsung's cutting-edge AMOLED screens, camera, and numerous software tweaks, they offer great value nonetheless. Now without further ado, what follows is a list of pocked-friendly quad-core smartphones you can buy without crossing the Rs 15,000 mark.

Karbonn Titanium S1
Priced at Rs 10,300, the Titanium S1 is one of the cheapest quad-core phones officially available in India. Despite being affordable though, the phone offers 4.5" IPS capacitive touchscreen display with pixel dimensions of 960x540. It's powered by a 1.2 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor, and has 1 GB of RAM. I guess that should be enough to handle Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Other features include an 5 megapixel auto focus camera, 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi, and 1600 mAh battery.

 

Karbonn Titanium S5
The elder sibling of Titanium S1 comes with a 5" IPS screen with 960x540. The phone offers 1.2 GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. Apart from that, there's an 8 megapixel auto-focus camera, dual-SIM functionality, 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi, dual-SIM functionality, and 2000 mAh battery. The smartphone runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Available for Rs 12,000, it gives the Micromax A116 Canvas HD a run for its money.

 

XOLO Q800
Unveiled a couple of weeks ago, the Q800 sports a 4.5" IPS screen with 960x540 pixel dimension. It draws power from a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, coupled with PowerVR SGX544 GPU. According to XOLO, the 8 megapixel rear camera backed by a BSI sensor offers great low-light photography. Other specs include 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB internal memory, micro-SD card slot, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, Wi-Fi, 2100 mAh battery, and micro-USB for connectivity. The phone is only available in black, and is priced at Rs 12,500.

 

Micromax A116 Canvas HD
The successor of the highly popular A110 was the one that triggered the budget Quad Core battle. The dual-SIM handset features a 5" screen with pixel dimensions of 1280x720. It is this HD display that sets it apart from other contenders in this list. It's powered by a 1.2 GHz Quad core MediaTek MT6589 chipset, and has 1 GB of RAM. Apart from that, you get an 8 megapixel camera, 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, and 2000 mAh battery. The A116 features Android Jelly Bean and is priced at Rs 14,000. There have been rumours that the price of the Canvas HD has jumped up to Rs 16,000 given the supposed high demand and low supply. Now, with competition heating up, we believe the price will quietly slip back to something under 15K.

 

WickedLeak Wammy Titan 2
After making its presence felt in the tablets market, WickedLeak has also started making its mark in the smartphone segment. If you're blessed with huge hands or simply love big screens, you'll appreciate the Titan 2's 5.3" IPS display with 960x540 pixels. It features a 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor, which is exactly what you get in the A116 Canvas HD. In photography department, it claims to sport a 12 megapixel main and 5 megapixel front-facing camera. The Titan 2 comes with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with a mention of a probable upgrade to version 4.2 in the future. It is priced at Rs 14,000.

Specs comparison table:

Click to enlarge the image.

We intend to review each of these handsets and provide you with a detailed analysis of their performance shortly. If you're a brand concious person, check out our list of similarly priced handsets from the world's leading brands.

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Nimbuzz Ties Up With Aircel For Free Data Plan In Jammu And Kashmir

Aircel, one of India’s leading mobile service provider, today joined hands with Nimbuzz for making data communications affordable in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Aircel has launched a plan that provides free data for all Aircel J&K subscribers. This plan can be used anywhere in India over a period of 30 days.

Under this plan, Aircel would send an SMS to its J&K subscriber base for downloading Nimbuzz from a fixed URL, and 40 MB data transfer would be allowed to the users who download the app and sign in within 24 hours of activation. The aim is to explore data-based communication behavioural pattern of J&K consumers.

Nimbuzz, which is one of India's leading IM (Instant Messsaging) service, recently recorded a global user base of more than 150 million in 200 countries of the world, according to a report published in Telecom Tiger. Now, with Nimbuzz joining hands with Aircel, new users from J&K can be expected to add up to Nimbuzz's overall users base.

Vikas Saxena, CEO, Nimbuzz, said "We have always been committed towards the cause of taking mobile communication to every citizen in the country. We are thankful to Aircel for making an effort towards taking mobile communication to the masses with its newly launched Aircel-Nimbuzz data plan. We look forward to their continued support and we are confident that such initiatives will boost internet penetration in the country and bring an aggressive revenue stream for the mobile operators."

Sundeep Talwar, Chief Operations Head, Aircel J&K said, "Technology today has an intrinsic role to play in people's life and it is really interesting to see the revolution in terms of using applications like Nimbuzz. Seeing the growth in data, we would like to have the first-mover advantage in partnering instant messaging platform to leverage this growing revenue stream. Nimbuzz, with its user acceptability and reach, has become the priority partner for us in this new communication-based data plan and we are confident that this plan would not only gain preference in the market and would benefit the growing customers of Aircel in J&K."

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Sony Xperia E, Xperia E Dual Now Available Online

Sony's Xperia E and its dual-SIM variant Xperia E Dual smartphones are finally available for purchase (after a 3-month wait since the announcement since the announcement back in December 2012). These entry-level smartphones have been listed on Flipkart and Infibeam.

People can buy the Xperia E in various color variants such as White, Pink, Black and Champagne for a price of Rs 9,990 (champagne color variant is priced at Rs 10,990). The Xperia E Dual is available in Champagne and Black color variants for a price of Rs 10,990.

Both the entry-level smartphones have similar tech specs, except that Sony Xperia E runs Android 4.1 out of the box, whereas Xperia E Dual comes with the older Android 4.0 ICS (although upgradable to 4.1). Here's the list of known specifications:

• 3.5" HVGA multi-touch screen with scratch-resistant glass and pixel dimensions of 320x480 (262,000 colours TFT).
• Quad-band 2G (GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); Quad-band 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz).
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) (on Xperia E); Android 4.0 upgradable to Android 4.1 (on Xperia E dual).
• 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7227A CPU, 512 MB RAM.
• 3.2 megapixel camera, 4x digital zoom, Geotagging, Touch capture.
• 4 GB internal storage (up to 2.2 GB user-accessible); 32 GB microSD card slot.
• 4.5" (l) x 2.3" (w) x 0.4" (11.0 mm) (d); weighs 115.7 grams.
• A-GPS, Bluetooth, DLNA Certified, Wi-Fi.
• 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro-USB port, USB 2.0.
• Accelerometer, Proximity sensor.
• 1500 mAh battery with claimed talk time of roughly 6 hours, standby time of 22 days, 33 hours of music, and 8 hours of video playback.
• Package Contents: Handset, Battery, Charger, Stereo Headset MH410c, Micro-USB cable, User documentation.
• Available Colours: Xperia E – Black, Pink, White; Xperia E dual – Gold, Black.

The Xperia E and Xperia E Dual are clearly just entry-level smartphones from a high-end brand. Smartphones with similar tech specs would otherwise sell at far lower prices. If you can spend one grand more, you'd get this well-specced yet affordable smartphone - the Karbonn S1 Titanium which is priced at Rs 10,200 (online retailer price) and offers a quad-core processor and a 4.5 inch IPS display.

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Corsair Vengeance K70 Gaming Keyboard Launched

Corsair has announced theVengeance K70 fully mechanical gaming keyboard. It is built on rugged, brushed, aluminum chassis and features highly responsive Cherry MX Red mechanical switches under every key. The high performance switches combined with the keyboard's 100% anti-ghosted matrix, 20-key rollover and 1000Hz reporting rate provide fast, accurate input for gaming.

The Corsair Vengeance K70 gaming keyboards are available in two color schemes: silver aluminum with blue backlighting, and anodized black with deep red backlighting. Overall backlighting can be adjusted to four levels of intensity and each key is individually backlit, enabling the lighting for each key to be independently enabled or disabled. The key-by-key lighting customization allows users to highlight just the keys they need to emphasize and then save the setting directly to the K70's onboard memory. In addition, the Vengeance K70 comes with alternate colored, contoured keycaps for the WASD and 1-6 keycaps to allow additional customization.

The Vengeance K70 also features dedicated multimedia controls to allow users to play, stop, pause, skip tracks and adjust volume. An extra USB connector is provided for attaching to USB devices such as a Vengeance gaming mouse or headset. A removable soft-touch wrist rest provides comfort for long gaming or typing sessions.

This product is not available in India until April, so Corsair's media representatives weren't able to offer price and warranty information.

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Microsoft Windows 8 Core Apps Updated For March 2013

Microsoft has rolled out updates to the core apps that run in the tiled Modern UI of Windows 8 - Mail, Calendar, and People app. These updates, also available from theWindows Store, have started rolling out globally to users of Windows 8 (x86) based computers and Surface RT tablets as well.

These updated apps bring a host of enhancements:

Improvements to Windows 8 Mail app:


The app is now updated to provide flagging, junk mail and folder support. The updated Mail app allows users to view all of email accounts and toggle between them.


Improvements to Calendar app:


Windows 8 Calendar app is now easier to read with the earlier solid blocks of colours being featured in a small bar on the left of each appointment. Calendar app also gets the new "Work View" option. Apart from this, the app also has a scheduling assistant for accounts making use of Microsoft Exchange. Google Calendar support is lost, as Google does not support ActiveSync anymore.

Improvements to People App:


People App now incorporates swipe from top option through which users can open up app commands. A new filter enables users to regulate content of "what's new feed", and at the same time post tweets/status updates. "What's new" feed can also be filtered by social network.

Here are some more apps that have been updated:
Xbox Games - Game alerts have been introduced, the last game you played through the week will be displayed, communication features have been enhanced, besides unspecified "performance enhancements and feature updates".
Xbox Music - Now offers a separate volume control for music, options to have all songs added to Xbox Music available across your devices, add matched songs to your cloud collection, a new "Now Playing" interface, and speeds up app on Surface RT.
Games - Solitaire Collection, Mahjong and Minesweeper now offer the option to eliminate banner ads, through in-app payments.

Users need to click on the "Updates" link that appears in the top right-hand corner of the Windows Store to install these updates.

Some core apps of Windows 8 are yet to receive an update for March 2013 - Bing Maps, News, Finance, Travel, Weather and Sports. Apparently, there are plans to update the Reader, Camera, Photos, Xbox Live Games and SkyDrive apps as well, over the next few days.

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