Smartphone

Lumia 920 with Windows Phone 8.1 screenshots leak showing new features

by Rohit Khurana • June 10, 2013

With all the excitement building up towards the June 26 launch of the preview build of the Windows 8.1 aka Blue update, a developer has got a little too careless with his Lumia 920. The phone allegedly running a developer build of Windows Phone 8.1 OS, or Windows Phone Blue has been spotted revealing most of the new features.

Reddit user, Chinaman28 purchased a Lumia 920 only to find that he had received a smartphone running a somewhat different version of Windows Phone 8. He posted screenshots of the new features and was soon tracked by Microsoft, who requested him to return the phone. However, the company has refunded the money the Reddit user had spent on the Lumia 920, along with giving him a brand new unit of the phone as well.

According to TheVerge the screenshots posted, the Lumia 920 ran Windows Phone 8.1 with a notification centre, something that many users have been wanting for a while. Along with that, the new OS also apparently allows you to close apps right from the multi-tasking window.

There is also an option to sort apps by frequency of use and this should come as a great respite to those who are always scrolling up and down to find their right apps. Microsoft will also be introducing Data Sense, a utility that monitors data usage, both mobile and Wi-Fi and should come in really handy for those who have smaller data caps than others.

Microsoft has clarified that the build shown on this developer phone is a much earlier one, and that the OS has undergone various iterations since then. The notification centre, before being pulled out of the update, was made a part of something called Peoples Hub. The update is expected to hit the download queue later this year, but there is no confirmed word on a release timeline yet.

Smartphone

[Winner Announced] Samsung Galaxy S4 Giveaway By Intellect Digest– “Why you deserve the best smartphone?”

by Rohit Khurana • June 7, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 launched in India in April 2013 is one of the most talked about and phones and has sold over 10 million units in a couple of months from the launch. The S4 offers a lot of features, innovative gesture controls and superb graphics performance packaged in a slim and sleek form factor. You can check out our Samsung Galaxy S4 review and video coverage here. We have tested this phone for some weeks and have been impressed with the features and camera options that we found on this phone.

Today we announce Samsung Galaxy S4 Giveaway giveaway on Intellect Digest. In this giveaway, we will be giving away a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 as a prize to one of the selected winners. You can participate in the giveaway and stand a chance to win a Galaxy S4. Check out the contest rules and terms in the section below.

Intex Cloud Z5: Yet Another Dual SIM Android Phablet Launched Online at Rs 6,899

by Rohit Khurana • June 6, 2013

Intex Cloud Z5, the company’s latest mid-range Android smartphone with a large 5-inch display is now available from online retailer Snapdeal. It has a 5-inch 480×800 pixel capacitive touch screen display and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor. Running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Cloud Z5 comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Further, with dual SIM and dual standby support, the phablet is priced at Rs 6,899.

Intex Cloud Z5 specifications

5-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 800×480 pixels
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS
1GHz dual-core processor
5-megapixel with autofocus and LED flash
1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
2G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
512MB RAM, 107MB user memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD
2,100 mAh battery

Competition

Priced at Rs 6,899, the Intex Cloud Z5 will definitely be a stiff competitor to the other budget phablets such as Micromax A72 Canvas Viva and the newly launched Karbonn A25 with almost similar features and price point.

Canvas Viva A72 houses a 5 inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, 1GHz single core processor, Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread OS, dual SIM support, 256MB RAM, 110MB internal storage, micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB additional storage, 3MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3 and a 2,000 mAh Li-Ion battery offering 280 hours standby and 7 hours talk time.

On the other hand, Karbonn A25 comes with a 5 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, dual SIM support, 5MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, VGA front camera for video calling, 2G, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, micro USB, 512MB RAM, 512MB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with microSD and a 2,000 mAh battery.

Smartphone

BlackBerry Q10 Launched in India at Rs 44,999: Can the Expensive QWERTY Phone Attract Buyers?

by Rohit Khurana • June 6, 2013

Canadian smartphone maker – BlackBerry launched the much awaited QWERTY smartphone Q10 in India today. BlackBerry Q10 is priced at Rs 44,990, almost Rs 2,000 more than its touch screen sibling Z10 which is currently selling for Rs 42,490. The price of the new phone seems too exorbitant in a price-sensitive market like India, but the recently launched EMI scheme by the company is sure to come in handy for thrift buyers.

Online shopping mart Saholic has already begun selling the QWERTY phone for Rs 44,999 with a free gift voucher worth Rs 1000. The smartphone is expected to be zvailable in retail stores from Friday, June 7, 2013 in major cities across India. Alongside India, BlackBerry Q10 will also set foot in the US market today.

BlackBerry Q10 sports a 3.1-inch super AMOLED touchscreen. It also comes with a physical QWERTY keyboard, which has been associated with BlackBerry devices since the company started offering smartphones. There is an 8-megapixel rear camera on-board and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G and NFC. BlackBerry Q10 also packs in 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2,100mAh battery.

According to a report by Wall Street Journal, the Q10 with a price of Rs 44,999 is the company’s second costliest smartphone after Porsche P9981 priced at Rs 1,39,000. The report notes that the buyers may find its difficult to purchase the Q10 as per analysts. The arrival of Q10 comes on the heels of Nexus 4 and Panasonic P51 launch and, also Lenovo has announced six new smartphones on Wednesday. Hence, there is a lot for BlackBerry to fight with in India.

It is noted that in order to compete with heavyweights like Samsung, BlackBerry needs to have a wide variety of inexpensive handsets to attract buyers rather than launching only expensive devices.

Smartphone

Lenovo Launches K900, A706, A390, P780, S820 and S920 Smartphones in India, Price Starting from Rs 8,689

by Rohit Khurana • June 5, 2013

Lenovo has launched its flagship Android smartphone, the K900 in the Indian market at a price point of Rs. 32,999. Alongside the K900, Lenovo has also launched five other Android smartphones, namely A706, A390, P780, S820 and S920. While the K900 will be made available in July, the other smartphones will be released in the coming weeks.

Talking about specifications, K900 sports 5.5-inch Full HD IPS capacitive touchscreen display protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and 1920×1080 pixel resolution. The handset is powered by 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 Clover Trail+ dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB inbuilt memory, expandable to up to 32GB, 13-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera. Also, the K900 comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and 3G and is fueled with a juicy 2,500 mAh battery.

Lenovo S920 features 5.3-inch 720p display, 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, 8MP camera, 1GB RAM, dual-SIM support and Android 4.2. It has been priced at Rs 26,399. And, Lenovo P780 comes with a 5-inch 720p HD display, 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, dual-SIM support, Android 4.2, 8MP camera and a huge 4.000mAh battery. The phone will be available for Rs 22,529.

Coming to Lenovo S820, the phone sports 4.7-inch 720p display and features 1GB RAM, 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, dual-SIM support and Android 4.2. It will be sold for around Rs 19,599. Also, Lenovo A706 comes with 4.5-inch FWVGA display, 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 1GB RAM, 2000 mAh battery, dual-SIM support and Android 4.1. According to Lenovo, it has been priced at Rs 15,949.

Lastly, Lenovo A390 is the cheapest of the bunch. It has been priced at just Rs 8,689. It packs 4-inch WVGA display, 1GHz dual-core MediaTek processor, 5MP rear camera, 512MB RAM, 1400 mAh battery and Android 4.0. It also comes with dual-SIM support.

Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: Rugged Smartphone with 5-Inch 1080p Display and Quad-Core CPU Goes Official

by Rohit Khurana • June 5, 2013

The rumors mills have been abuzz in the last month or so with images and videos leaking of an alleged rugged version of the Galaxy S4, called the Galaxy S4 Active. Today, Samsung has announced a new variant of its Galaxy S4 – Galaxy S4 Active more suited to the great outdoors.

The smartphone has a high degree of dust and water protection (IP67), allowing it to be submerged in water up to a meter deep for up to 30 minutes. Inside, it has the same 1.9GHz quad-core processor and 2,600mAh battery, nestled behind the same 5.0-inch 1080p LCD screen as its less robust cousin.

Speaking of specifications, Galaxy S4 Active flaunts a 5-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and 443 ppi pixel density. Also, it features the Samsung’s Glove Touch technology, which allows one to use the display even when wearing gloves.

Galaxy S4 Active is powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and includes features like an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel secondary camera, 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 64GB using a microSD card and a 2,600mAh battery.

Connectivity-wise, the device supports 3G and includes features like Wi-Fi, IrDA, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0. On the software front, the smartphone runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean topped with Touch-Wiz Nature UX interface and comes pre-loaded with Samsung unique software seen on the Galaxy S4 like S Travel, S Translator, Group Play, Samsung Smart Pause, Air View and Air Gesture among others.

The USP of Galaxy S4 Active is ruggedness and to help it survive in the wild, the device is water and dust resistant and the camera also has an Aqua mode which helps in clicking enhanced underwater photos.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Specs

5-inch full HD TFT LCD display
1.9GHz quad-core processor
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
8MP rear camera with LED flash
2MP front-facing camera
Dust and Water Resistant (IP67)
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory (11.25GB user memory), expandable memory up to 64GB
IR LED, 4G /3G, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n ac, WiFi Direct, GPS, NFC
2,600 mAh battery

The Galaxy S4 Active comes in Urban Grey, Dive Blue and Orange Flare and would go on sale this summer starting from U.S. and Sweden. It would be showcased at the Samsung Premier 2013 event in London on June 20, 2013 alongside Galaxy S4 mini.

Smartphone

HTC Desire U, Desire XDS: Dual SIM Android ICS Smartphones Launched at Rs 13,499 and Rs 16,089

by Rohit Khurana • June 5, 2013

HTC seems to be in a rage to gain enough market share in Indian smartphone space as the vendor is coming up with dual SIM entry-level and mid-range smartphones.

In a recent development, HTC Desire U and Desire XDS – dual SIM Android ICS smartphones have been spotted on online retailers. The Desire U, which was launched in Taiwan, has now come to India at Rs 13,499 and later, the Desire XDS, the dual SIM variant of Desire X is available at Rs 16,089.

Both are flavored with Android ICS operating system and come with basic specifications alongside the Beats Audio integration.

HTC Desire U Specifications