Gadgets

Smartphone

WickedLeak launches Full HD Android Wammy Passion Z+ in India for Rs. 15,990

by Hans Gogia • July 19, 2013

WickedLeak Inc has announced their latest addition to the quad-core category – Wammy Passion Z+ on 16th July 2013. Wammy Passion Z+ is the first smartphone to be out in the market with MediaTek MTK6589T processors that are clocked at 1.5Ghz rather than the previous 1.2GHz series.

Features:

Wammy Passion Z+ sports a Super Clear 5-inch Full HD IPS display with scratch resistant Dragon Trail Glass ( OGS ) with the updated MediaTek MTK6589 Turbo quad-core 1.5GHz processors. It comes with 1GB RAM and dual sim capability with one of the sim having 3G access. It also features a 13MP rear camera with LED flash with BSI sensor and 2MP front facing camera. It has 4GB internal memory which can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD card slot. Wammy Passion Z+ is powered by a 2500 mAh battery to backup this device. It could not be called a phablet because 5inch devices genrally are quoted as smartphones these days.

Specifications at a glance:

Super Clear 5-inch Full HD display
1.5GHz Mediatek Quad-core processor MTK6589 Turbo
1GB RAM
4GB internal memory
13MP rear camera with BSI sensor and 2MP front camera
2500 mAh battery
Android 4.2.2
3G / WiFi / Bluetooth

Wammy Passion Z+ has been priced at ₹15,990. WickedLeak has started taking pre-orders for the device since 16th July 2013 and the expected availability date is 25 July 2013.

Comparison:

At this price point, we think no one is better than Wammy Passion Z+ till now. Reason being it has the 1.5GHz MediaTek Turbo processor and it runs on Android 4.2.2 and it has full HD display with OGS. Nothing can beat that till now. But we still don’t have any takes on performance because we need to test the device before commiting. We have tested Zen Mobiles Ultrafone 701 HD and Lava Iris 504q which gave the best performance at their pricing. If Wammy stands out in this competition it will undoubtedly be the champion until other manufacturers come out with their updated products.

Tablet PC

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Launch In India– Price, Hands On Review And Details

by Rohit Khurana • July 18, 2013

Samsung India has launched the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 in India on 18th July 2013 in a launch event in New Delhi India. The two devices (out of three global models) in the series which have been launched in India are the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 and Galaxy Tab 8.0 both of which come with many software and hardware similarities but they have different specifications and performance levels. The major difference between these two tablets is the display size and processors which power these tablets.

Interestingly, both these tablets run Android Jelly Bean OS like other new Galaxy devices like the S4 and Mega series. There are three models launched, the 7 inch Tab 211 with android 4.1 and 3G + WiFi and two 8 inch models (Tab 310 and Tab 311) which has been launched with a Wifi only and WiFi + 3G model. The Tab 2 have been very popular because of their good value proposition and the Tab 3 is expected to carry the same philosophy forward.

HP Announces Intel and Nvidia Powered New Generation Personal Computers In India

by Hans Gogia • July 17, 2013

Hewlett-Packard today on 17th July 2013 in India announced the launch of six new products which shall form the basis for next generation personal computers. Updated with Intel 4th generation processors and the latest Nvdia Tegra 4 chipsets, HP launched two Android and four Windows 8 running devices to provide mobility without compromising performance.

In the Android category, HP announced the HP SlateBook x2 which is a Android running tablet cum laptop. The SlateBook x2 has a removable screen which gives user an access to tablet and a notebook at the same time. With the advanced magnetic hinges and dual battery system – one in the tablet and one in the base, users can totally rely on this while on the go.

Slatebook is powered by Nvdia Tegra 4 chipset on a 10.1-inch touchscreen display which give users a pleasant experience to work with. The SlateBook x2 also includes up to 64 GB of storage and DTS Sound+ Solution for accessing and enjoying media content. The HP SlateBook x2 shall be available in India at a price of ₹39,990

Another Android powered device is HP Slate ALL-in-One which offers a 21.5inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display with wide viewing angles to enjoy music and videos with family and friends that too with the power of Android applications. HP Slate All-in-One comes with the dual-band technology which makes simultaneous media streaming and browsing at ease. It also has DTS Sound technology built-in which makes this experience joyful. It comes pre-installed with an HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Wireless Direct allowing users to share videos, photos and data between devices without the need for a network connection, and multi-user support with the latest Android OS Jelly Bean 4.2. It too is powered by a Nvdia Tegra 4 chipset maximizing performance with entertainment. HP Slate21 All-in-One is priced at ₹24,990.

Alike the SlateBook x2, HP also announced a similar tablet cum laptop with magnetic hinges and dual battery system but running Windows 8 and powered by Intel 4th generation processors. The HP Split x2 offers an sleek design with a soft-touch coating that provides a comfortable hold without being a fingerprint magnet. It features exclusive HP innovations such as a 2-megapixel HP TrueVision Full HD(2) webcam and the HP ClickPad for precise multifinger and gesture navigation. The base when connected with the tablet not only provides extended battery but also expands the storage capacity. With 13.3 inch HD display and Beats Audio, HP Split x2 gives an ultramobile solution for people on the move. The HP Split x2 is priced at ₹64990.

Windows 8 without touch is not Windows 8 and that’s why HP build an intuitive touch experience in its new product lineup.
HP announced two more Windows 8 products namely HP ENVY Rove, HP Pavillion 11 TouchSmart Notebook and HP ENVY TouchSmart 14 Ultrabook.

HP ENVY Rove All-in-One PC is the company’s first of its kind. ENVY Rove features a 20-inch IPS HD+ (1600×900) LED backlit touchscreen display with wide-viewing angles and crisp graphics. It can easily move from upright to completely horizontal for a tabletop entertainment experience. HP ENVY Rove is powered by 4th Generation Intel core processors with Intel HD Graphics and Beats Audio providing a rich immersive experience to play with. It is priced at ₹69,990.

Another entrant to this new generation lineup is the HP Pavillion 11 TouchSmart Notebook. It is HP’s one of the affordable touch notebook till now priced at ₹31,990. It features a 11.6inch capacitive touch screen display with powerful quad-core processor and graphics keeping it thin and light keeping portability in mind. It binds sophistication and style with its two-tone look that features an Ano silver lid finish which opens to reveal a midnight black metal interior.

Lastly, the HP ENVY TouchSmart 14 Ultrabook that features power with style. HP ENVY TouchSmart 14 is designed for the providing best audio output available on a PC with dual speakers, and a subwoofer. People can get upto 9 hours of battery life with incredible graphics by NVIDIA and 2GB of video memory. The product is priced at ₹64,990.

Smartphone

BlackBerry launches Q5 in India for 24,990INR

by Hans Gogia • July 16, 2013

BlackBerry the king of qwerty handsets today on 16th July 2013 launched their latest entrant to the BlackBerry 10 smartphone series and the budget friendly – BlackBerry Q5 at an event in New Delhi. Q5 is the cheapest BB10 running handset available out there which provides an awesome qwerty experience as is the best alternative to Q10, company’s high profile smartphone.

BlackBerry Q5 features an awesome qwerty keyboard which provides one of the best typing experience with an youthful design. It also has a 3.1 inches touchscreen display which makes it for the BB10 gestures and provide best of both worlds in one device. BlackBerry Q5 comes with the BlackBerry 10.1 software upgrade pre-installed with all the BB10 features like Time Shift, BlackBerry Hub, Story Maker, BBM and the other 120,000 applications from the BlackBerry World which shall be compatible with the Q5 as well.

BlackBerry aims this model especially to the youth who want BBM, qwerty keyboard with some really cool colors. Q5 will be available in Pure Black, Pure White and Pure Red color options for 24,990 from authorized retailers in India from 20th July 2013.

After Z10 and the Q10 and their highly incorrect pricing, we think though BlackBerry managed to go down but still Q5 is pricey. Something kind of 9220 here could have done the magic but sigh they lost it once again. BlackBerry Q5 no doubt is a good smartphone which even though being at the lower end feels premium but 25k for this hardware and software combo is too vague for targeting the youth. At a similar price point, we can have some top notch Android smartphones which could be a better value for money for example even today S3 not to forget which was smartphone of the year 2012 comes for about this much price can be a better deal.
In the same price window we can get Huawei Ascend Mate the 6.1 inch Android running phablet with powerful specification packed inside for 25 grands to combine performance, design and size if one is looking for such handsets. Other than this we have the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 for ₹23,699 or the Nokia Lumia 820 for 21k running the Windows Phone 8.

Smartphone

Xolo Play T1000 Powered By Nvdia Tegra 3 Processor launched In India For 15,999INR

by Hans Gogia • July 15, 2013

After some rumors Xolo finally unveiled its plan for a gaming smartphone powered by a Tegra 3 processor which we expected to arrive sometime this quarter but not this soon. Earlier this month following the rumor Xolo started the pre-bookings of the handset in association with an e-commerce portal. It was declared that the smartphone shall be launched on 15 July and here it is for ₹15,999.

Xolo Play T1000 is the company’s first Nvdia powered Tegra 3 processor smartphone aimed to provide its patrons with mobile gaming experience at an affordable price point. Xolo Play sports a 4.7-inch HD capacitive touch screen IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution based on one glass solution (OGS) technology. It features a 1.5 GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor with 416 MHz 12 Core NVIDIA ULP GeForce GPU and runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system. It has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory with an expandable option up to 32 GB via a microSD card slot. It comes with a 8MP BSI sensor primary camera with LED flash and 2MP front-facing secondary camera and runs on a 2000 mAh battery. On the connectivity front the device features single-SIM card slot with 3G , Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS/ AGPS support.

The smartphone having Tegra processor comes bundled with an application by Nvidia itself which is the Tegra Zone that would let users search and install Tegra optimized games on their Android. Tegra processor and battery issues though run hand-in hand but Xolo Play shall give 11.2 hours of talk time on 2G and up to 9 hours on 3G under nominal usage conditions.

Xolo Play T1000 is available for purchase online via xolo.in and other retailing web-sites and shall hit the shelves soon across the country.

Xolo Play at this price point will definitely face a huge competition from the budget android market with Canvas 4 and Karbonn Titanium S9 or even Lava Iris 504q from the parent company itself. Most of the features that is quad-core processor, HD display, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 8MP BSI sensor camera are exactly the same with the prominent difference between the SoC used. Though the rest run on MediTek MT6589 SoC and this on Tegra 3 but now the general public knows about the pros and cons of Tegra chipsets which primarily include battery woes, overheating and undoubtedly better gaming experience than MediaTek inbuild GPU. Let’s see how well the market accepts another struggler in this already stagnated scenario.

Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Launched At Rs. 29,900– Is It A Camera Or Phone? Its Both

by Rohit Khurana • July 9, 2013

Samsung India has launched two new devices in the Galaxy S4 range named the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (price and more details here). The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a camera centric phone which is more of a camera than a phone when it comes to the functionality. But the compact form factor and latest Android OS with latest galaxy series features makes it a compelling phone at the same time. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom price is Rs. 29,900 in India. You can buy Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom online from Flipkart.

Galaxy S4 Zoom Camera Features

It has many features which are usually found on high quality point and shoot cameras like the Zoom Ring which can be used for multiple functionalities in the camera more like Zoom and other options selection. When the S4 Zoom is in use like a phone, the same Zoom ring works as a dial to activate features and select options etc.

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini Launched At Rs. 27,900- Details Inside

by Rohit Khurana • July 9, 2013

Updates on 9th July 2013

Samsung has official launched the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini in India at a press event in Mumbai at a price of Rs. 27,990. The phone goes on sale in India in July 2013. It has been launched in two colours- White Frost and Black Mist. More details on the S4 Mini below. You can buy Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini from Flipkart here.

Updated on 30th May 2013

Its not even a day since reports started pouring in about the specifications of the Galaxy S4 mini and so soon the smartphone has been launched in London without much fanfare. Well, global smartphone leader Samsung has announced Galaxy S4 mini, a powerful and compact version of Galaxy S4.

Galaxy S4 mini is claimed to offer superior performance and intuitive user experience, while its sleek design makes it highly portable and compact, thereby making the smartphone an ideal companion for the daily life.

Commenting at the launch, JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communication, Samsung Electronics stated, “We appreciate such unprecedented demands for the GALAXY S4 that we aimed to provide users with life companion for a fuller, richer and simpler life. And now, we want to give people more choices with GALAXY S4 mini, similar look & feel of GALAXY S4 for more compact and practical usages. The new GALAXY S4 mini provides consumers with a new way to enjoy the flagship GALAXY S4 experience.”

Specifications

Coming to the specifications, the Galaxy S4 mini measures only 107 grams in weight, hence it is lightweight and compact and is comfortable to operate with one hand. However, being compact the smartphone does not compromise on performance as it is equipped with superior specifications as mentioned below.

4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 960×540 pixels
1.7GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS
8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front camera
Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, IR, NFC
8GB internal storage of which 5GB is user accessible, micro SD card up to 64GB, 1.5GB RAM
1,900 mAh battery

Availability

There are different variants of Galaxy S4 mini according to the company statement – 4G or 3G or 3G and dual SIM and these are market dependent. Likewise, Galaxy S4, the S4 mini will also come in two color options – Black Mist and White Frost. As of now, there is information on the price or the exact release date of the Galaxy S4 mini.

Moreover, the press release adds some value to the earlier rumored June 20 event in London claiming that the tech media will be invited to experience the Galaxy S4 mini at the Samsung Premiere 2013 event.

Camera Features

Galaxy S4 mini allows users to capture important moments with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel HD front camera. The camera comes with special features such as Sound & Shot, which can record 9 seconds of sound or voice while capturing a still image, S Travel, which provides trip information, local guides and resources and Story Album, with which users can create albums of daily events, keep special moments in one place using a timeline and publish digital albums.

Stay Connected

Galaxy S4 mini allows users to share and build true connections. Users can simultaneously listen to the same music and play the games together with friends using Group Play feature. Also, they can chat with friends, add animations, voice and video recordings to messages using ChatON.

Life Companion

With Galaxy S4 mini, life can be made simple and easy with the features like S Translator, which provides instant text or voice translation, email, text message or ChatON messages. Further, Samsung Hub provides a single entry for Samsung contents and services and users can browse through music, video, books, games and learning content as well as purchase and manage contents easily using a Samsung Account. Also, the users can control their TV, set top box and more using the WatchON IR remote control feature. Samsung Link also enables users to share content across multiple Samsung digital devices, but is available only in selected countries.

Health and Well Being

Galaxy S4 mini empowers users by keeping them up-to-date with personal health and well-being details. The S Health app can be downloaded to enable users to monitor caloric balance and health condition. Also, there are special S Health accessories that help users to calculate daily steps, monitor sleeping patterns, calculate weight and get real-time heart monitoring. Further, Adapt Display provides an optimal viewing experience customized for each type of application and Adapt Sound offers an optimal level and type of sound, personalized for each user.