Samsung has already started working on the new Galaxy Note smartphone, expected to launch sometime this fall. Some details about the Galaxy Note 9 have surfaced online and a report by popular leaker Evan Blass reveals the codename the flagship device will carry. According to Blass, the Galaxy Note 9 is said to bear the codename ‘Crown’. The Galaxy Note 9 will succeed the Galaxy Note 8, which made its debut in August last year.

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing that the Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 codename is ‘Crown’. Last year, South Korean site The Investor reported that Samsung was developing the Galaxy Note 9 under the codename ‘Crown’. Samsung is calling the Galaxy Note 9 ‘Crown’ internally, which shows that the company wants to position its next flagship as the best phablet in the market. For example, the Galaxy Note 8 was codenamed ‘Baikal’ and this was used to highlight the phone’s gigantic edge-to-edge display. For those who’re not aware, Baikal is one of the largest lakes in Europe and Russia.

The Galaxy Note 9 will hog all the limelight when it arrives later this year. After all, the flagship is likely going to compete with Apple’s 2018 iPhone X and Huawei’s next Mate smartphone. Expect the Galaxy Note 9 to feature the top-of-the-line spec sheet and features. The handset will use two different processors  – a Snapdragon 845 chipset and Samsung’s own Exynos processor — depending upon the market. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will likely come with a set of dual cameras on the rear. Plus, of course, the Galaxy Note 9 will also feature the S-Pen stylus which can be used to take notes.

Announced last year in September, Jio made headlines for its free offers. All those free offers end now. In other words, Jio will become a paid service from April 1, that is tomorrow, because today Jio Happy New Year offer will end.

So in case you are using Jio SIM cards, what are the options in front of you? A lot has been reported about what happens next, after you take the Prime subscription or if you don't take the Prime subscription. Most of Jio users, by now, know what is Jio Prime and what all it offers. But for, those who still are little confused about Jio Prime postpaid, Jio Prime prepaid, non-prime postpaid plans and similar things, here are some answers.

Take Jio Prime membership: This will get you entry into the Jio special membership club and that will give you access to special Jio plans. Needless to say, this also means you will be able to continue using Jio services. It costs Rs 99 for one year. Once you take Jio Prime membership, you will still have to subscribe to some monthly, weekly or a day plan.Use Jio without Prime: This is also possible but you will pay more for data and services. Plans are explained down in this article.

Don't recharge after Prime subscription: The Jio SIM will continue to work. You will get SMS. You will receive calls. But you won't be able to make calls or send messages. This will work until 90 days. After that your SIM will be deactivated.

No Prime, no recharge: This will mean no service on your Jio SIM. If you don't recharge then after a stipulated period -- possibly 90 days -- your SIM will be deactivated.

Now the plans...
Jio Prime postpaid plans: Reliance Jio offers three recharge plans to its Prime postpaid users. The three plans are- Rs 303, Rs 499 and Rs 999. Under Rs 303, you get unlimited free voice calls and SMSes, unlimited data, 30GB 4G data with 1GB per day limit and subscription to Jio apps. For Rs 499, you get unlimited free voice calls, SMses, 60GB 4G data with 2GB per day FUP. Rs 999 plan will get you unlimited voice calls, SMSes and 60GB 4G data with no FUP limits.

Jio non-Prime postpaid plans: Non-Prime members who have taken postpaid connection will also get the same three prices of plans but with different data limits. Rs 303 gives 2.5GB 4G data, Rs 499 gives 5GB data and finally the Rs 999 plan that offers 12.5GB.

Note for Jio postpaid users: Bill will generated monthly. Also, Jio will keep a refundable amount of Rs 4000 as security deposit for the connection. Applicable taxes will be extra for all Postpaid tariffs plans.

Jio Prime prepaid plans: Jio offers total ten plans to its prepaid customers. However, the prime members have an advantage over the non-prime members. The Prepaid plans for Jio Prime members starts from Rs 19 and goes all the way up to Rs 9,999. Below are the details of these plans:

-- Rs 19 plan: The pans has a 1 day validity and offers unlimited voice calls - 200MB 4G data.

-- Rs 49 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 600 MB 4G data. Validity is for three days.

-- Rs  96 plan: This is a seven-day pack with free voice callings, SMSes and 7GB data with FUP 1GB per day.

-- Rs 149 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 2GB 4G data for 28 days.

-- Rs 303 plan:This is 28 days valid pack that offers unlimited free voice calls, SMSes and 28GB 4G data with FUP limit of 1GB per day.

-- Rs 499 plan: User gets unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 56GB  with FUP  of 2GB a day for 28 days.

Also Read: Jio Prime offer to expire tomorrow, and here is what you gain or lose from it

-- Rs 999 plan: Under this plan, the prime members get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 60GB 4G data. The plan is valid for 60 days.

-- Rs 1999 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 125GB 4G data with a pack validity of 90 days.

-- Rs 4999 plan: There's unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 350GB 4G data with a validity of 180 days.

-- Rs 9999 plan: Under this plan you get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 750GB 4G data with a pack validity of 360 days.

Jio non-Prime prepaid plans: Non-prime members again get ten packs for their prepaid connection. Here are they:

-- Rs 19 plan: This is the cheapest recharge offered by Jio and comes with a one-day validity. You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 100MB 4G data in this.

-- Rs 49 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 300MB 4G data for three days.

-- Rs 96 plan: This is a seven-day pack with free voice callings, SMSes and 0.6GB 4G data.

-- Rs 149 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 1GB 4G data with this recharge. It has a validity of 28 days.

-- Rs 303 plan: The non-Prime members subscribing to this offer get free voice calling and SMSes  and 2.5GB data. The plan is valid for 28 days.

-- Rs 499 plan: User gets unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 5GB 4G data with this plan. It is valid for 28 days.

-- Rs 999 plan: Under this plan, the non-prime members can enjoy unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 12.5GB 4G data for a month.

-- Rs 1999 plan: You get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 30 GB 4G data for a month with this recharge.

-- Rs 4999 plan: There's unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 100GB 4G data for a month under this plan.

-- Rs 9999 plan: Under this plan you get unlimited free voice calling, SMSes and 200GB 4G data for a month.

Jio Prepaid top up vouchers: There are three top ups available for Jio  prepaid users. Rs 10 which gives a balance of Rs 7.7, Rs 20 that gives a balance amount of Rs 15.39 and Rs 50 will claim you Rs 40.48 balance.

Jio prepaid full talktime: There are nine full talktime recharge options given on Jio.com - Rs 100, Rs 150, Rs 200, Rs 300, Rs 500, Rs 750, Rs 1000, Rs 2000 and Rs 5000.

Note for Jio prepaid users: Prepaid tariffs are inclusive of all applicable taxes.  

Hot on the heels of HTC announcing their new "U" series of smartphones, fresh images of the rumored HTC One X10 have leaked online. A user on the Chinese networking site Weibo has posted images showcasing the front and back of the phone.

The HTC One X 10 is set to be the successor to the One X9, which was launched way back in 2015. The leaked images point towards the device having a metal unibody design, a fingerprint sensor below the centrally located rear camera on the back and capacitive buttons for home, recent apps and back on the front.

According to previous leaks and rumors, the HTC One X 10 is set to come with a 5.5' fullHD display with a resolution of 1080x1920, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, the Mali T860GPU  and the octa-core MediaTek MT6755V/C processor clocked at 1.9Ghz.

On the imaging front, the device is rumored to come with a 16.3MP rear camera and a 7.9MP front camera.

The One X9, in comparsion had a octa-core MT6795 Helio X10 chip clocked at 2.2GHz, a 5.5' fullHD display, 32GB of internal storage, a 3,000mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP sensor at the front for selfies.

All in all, the HTC One X 10 seems to be a minor update over its predecessor, with only the front and rear camera seeing substantial updates. The One X10 is most likely to be unvelied later this month at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

HTC recently announced the U Play and U Ultra smartphones, with the latter launching in India on February  21. The HTC U Ultra comes with an all new curved design, a 2' secondary display and HTC's trademark BoomSound speakers.

Apple has finally released its much awaited iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in India just in time for the festive season. There have been mixed reactions regarding the pricing strategy Apple has gone ahead with. Considering this is the ‘s’ variant of the iPhone, you will barely see any design changes on the outside, but there are a lot of architectural improvements under the hood.

Apple has released its phones at a time when the market is flooded with flagship phones from its Android competition. Although that is not such a concern for Apple as we have seen over the years from its sales numbers, the offerings from Samsung, Sony and even the Nexus line are nothing to scoff at. So let us check out the Apple iPhone 6s Plus 128GB variant and see if this is the flagship phone to go for.
The first thing that strikes you as you hold the iPhone 6s Plus in your hands is that it doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, the iPhone 6 Plus. Considering this is the ‘s’ variant of the iPhone release cycle, external changes are minimal. This time however, Apple has released a Rose Gold variant of the iPhone 6s Plus which we got for testing. For all practical purposes, this is a pink phone with a fancy name.

Thanks to the taptic engine housed inside the phone for the 3D touch interface on the display, the iPhone 6s Plus is slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus. It weighs around 192 grams and is 7.3mm thick. This is the only differentiating element as far as design is concerned from the previous generation.

Alcatel has launched the successor to OneTouch Flash, Onetouch Flash 2 in India. The smartphone will be available starting October 20 exclusively on Flipkart but there's no word on the pricing.
The phone sports a 5-inch (720X1280p) IPS HD display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz octa-core processor and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and supports microSD card slots of up to 128GB for expansion. The phone has a 3,000mAh battery and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

OneTouch Flash 2 sports a 13MP rear camera with auto-focus and a 5MP front-facing camera.

In terms of connectivity, the dual-sim phone offers 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.

The iPhone 6 has been more successful than previous versions of the smartphone at drawing Android users away from Google’s mobile platform, and Apple wants to capitalize on that with a new app that makes it easier for them to make the switch.

Later this year, a new “Move to iOS” app will wirelessly transfer a user’s “contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books” from an Android phone to their new iPhone.

The switching process will also suggest that they install free apps from their Android device that are also available on Apple’s App Store, so switchers can quickly get back on their feet with their favorite apps like Facebook and Twitter. Paid apps that they have on Android with iOS versions available will be added to a user’s wish list in the iOS App Store.
According to Apple, the whole process will be handled “securely” so that a user’s personal information doesn’t get exposed. It’s not clear exactly how the process works yet, and how aggressive Apple will be when it comes to migrating users away from Google’s services. For example, it’s possible that the process will move all of the contacts a user has stored with Google over to iCloud—Apple hasn’t said one way or another.

Once the process is done, the Android app will helpfully prompt users to recycle their Android phone, just to keep them from going back to Google’s mobile platform unless they buy a new phone.

The app wasn’t announced on stage Monday morning during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, but it appeared on the promotional page the company created to show off its new mobile operating system ahead of its launch later this year.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi announced on Saturday that its popular Mi 3 flagship will go on sale in India on on Monday, or Republic Day. The company notes that limited units are available, on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Part of the firm's Republic Day offers (which includes the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G being made available without registration this long holiday weekend - from January 24 to January 26), the Xiaomi Mi 3 will be available to customers who register their interest before 2pm IST on Monday.

To purchase the Mi 3, customers are asked to like the Mi India Facebook announcement post and share it with at least 3 friends, and then visit the dedicated promotion page on the company's India site at 12pm IST on Monday, and then enter the email address associated with their Flipkart account to register.

Users will have until 2pm IST on Monday to register with their Flipkart account's email address, and if they were fast enough (with only a limited number of Mi 3 smartphone units available), they will find the Mi 3 smartphone in their Flipkart cart at 5pm IST. Users can then proceed to check out the smartphone to complete the purchase.
The company is calling the sale the last chance customers will have to purchase the Mi 3 in India. The last time Xiaomi made the Mi 3 available for purchase in India was back in October, with 25,000 units made available to those users who had registered for at least five of the six Mi 3 flash sales held by the firm in India, but were unable to purchase the handset.

To be noted is that Xiaomi's 2014 flagship smartphone, the Mi 4, is scheduled to finally launch in India on Wednesday. For now, pricing and availability details of the Xiaomi Mi 4 smartphone in India are not known, however, following previous launches by the company, it is expected to be made available the following week on Tuesday - or February 3.

To refresh your memory, the Xiaomi Mi 3 is priced at Rs. 13,999 and runs a highly tweaked version of Android 4.4 KitKat, with the company's MIUI 5 skin on top. It features a 5-inch full-HD LCD display (1080x1920 pixels) offering a pixel density of 441ppi; a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8274AB) processor; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; 16GB of inbuilt storage; a 13-megapixel rear camera; a 2-megapixel camera, and a 3050mAh battery.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi says it will fully comply with the Delhi high Court order asking it to stop sales of its smatphones in the country, Manu Jain, head of the company's India operations, told ET. Xiaomi, the third largest smartphone maker in the world, had earlier suspended the upcoming flash sale of its Red Mi 1S and Red Mi Note smartphones.

"We have not been served the notice till now, but we know about the issue. If the court has asked us not to do it, we won't do it," Jain said referring to the high court order barring Xiaomi from selling, importing or advertising mobile phones in India until February 5, the next date of hearing. "We would want to be 100% compliant with Indian rules and regulations."

The order, which followed telecom equipment maker Ericsson's plea that Xiaomi was infringing on its patents, leaves its future flash sales and business prospects in ambiguity even as the fast growing smartphone maker is trying to work out legally to resolve this issue in a critical market for the company. "We will explore all options including legal options on what can be done. Our lawyers and legal teams are working on it but we don't know how this will proceed.
We will communicate and explain very openly to our users about what the order says, once we get it," Jain added. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday had asked Xiaomi and its exclusive partner Flipkart to stop selling and importing phones in India until February 5 on Ericsson's allegations that Xiaomi infringed eight of its registered standard essential patents.

Hugo Barra, head of international operations at Xiaomi, apologised to enthusiasts on Facebook on Thursday night while informing them about the company's decision to suspend sales. He added however, that the company 'firmly' intends to continue operations in India.

The technology giant, Apple, has launched two latest gadgets – the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. Both the devices are now available for pre-order on e-commerce portals in India.
Both devices are available in two variants – iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi and Cellular, and iPad Mini 3 Wi-Fi and Cellular. Though iPad Air 2 has got thinner display, it is better. It creates astonishingly thin silhouette of this product. For iPad Air 2, Apple has designed a new chip A8X, that provides better CPU and graphics performance than its predecessor. The devices comes with a breakthrough technology of Touch ID, which gives extraordinary security because it recognizes your fingerprint. One of the exciting things to do with iPad Air 2 is to click photos with its iSight camera, which is geared with advanced optics, an improved sensor and a powerful image signal processor. One more glaring feature is Wi-Fi on iPad Air 2, which is faster than previous generation; this makes downloading and streaming visual content faster than ever. It is loaded with cool Apps, which enable you to do your every tasks like surfing web, checking emails, editing movies and photos, writing reports and reading books easy. Its powerful iOS 8 is much more advanced and is designed to work seamlessly with iPad Air 2.

Another device iPad Mini 3 is packed with many innovations. The iPad Mini 3 also boasts Touch ID technology, which provides better security of the device. At the same time, a single touch allows you to access your iPad Mini 3.

Now you can perform all your desk top tasks on iPad Mini 3, which is powered by A7 chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture. Kick start your clicking-spree with FaceTime HD and iSight camera of iPad Mini 3, with which you can capture crisp, clear and vibrant videos and photos. Its advanced wireless allows you to do more in more places. iPad Mini 3 keeps you connected in all locations. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model supports fast mobile networks everywhere on the globe. The App Store has some of the excellent applications with which you can manage everything – from photography to gaming, from travelling to your finances.

Philips Mobile Monday launched a new feature phone for senior citizens featuring a large font size, long battery life and SOS function, priced at Rs 3,800.

Senior citizens are often inconvenienced by the standard phones available in the market due to their small font size, short battery life and fragility, Philips said in a statement.

  According to Pew Research Internet Group, elderly citizens face several difficulties while adopting new technologies.

Two in five elderly citizens indicated that they have a "physical or health condition that makes reading difficult or challenging" or a "disability, handicap, or chronic disease that prevents them from fully participating in many common daily activities", it added.
        
The phone makes use of large font sizes on a 2.4-inch screen to enable easy reading and the keypad also makes use of larger keys for comfortable viewing.

It comes with a 1630mAh Li-ion battery capacity and Xenium power saving technology that offers users up to 1,128 hours standby time and up to 24 hours talking time.

The handset also comes with SOS function that allows users to set three 'emergency' or SOS numbers.

In case of an emergency, users can press the SOS button hidden under the flashlight to dial out the pre-set SOS numbers. The phone will automatically connect to these numbers until the call gets answered by any one of the parties. It also has a flashlight that can be used even when the phone power is switched off.

"With changing lifestyles in metros in India and increasing incident of elderly abuse, senior citizens areoften left to support themselves by choice or otherwise. We specially designed this phone to make technology more accessible to and user-friendly for the elderly with minimum intervention from others," Sangfei Mobility Country Manager SAARC S S Bassi said.         

Sang Fei is a subsidiary of China Electronics Corporation (CEC) that owns the exclusive global licence to market and sell mobile phones under the 'Philips' brand.

Sony has launched its latest flagship smartphones in India.

Sony has officially announced the launch of its Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact smartphones in India. The smartphones are priced at Rs. 51,999 and Rs. 44.990 respectively. Sony also announced plans to launch the Smartband talk and Smartwatch 3 in December.

The Xperia Z3 is the latest flagship from Sony. Successor to the Xperia Z2, the new Sony smartphone has 5.2-inch full HD display. It is powered by 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset along with 3GB RAM.
The smartphone has 20.7MP camera with 1/2.3-type EXMOR-RS CMOS with G Lens, CMOS image, BIONZ for mobile -4K video capture (3840×2160 pixels/30p) with SteadyShot image stabilization, and 2.1MP front camera. The Xperia Z3 is water and dust proof with IP68 certification.  Check out our detailed Sony Xperia Z3 Review

The Xperia Z3 Compact has a 4.6-inch 720p display. The smartphone is powered by a 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset along with 3GB RAM. The smartphone has 20.7MP camera with 1/2.3-type EXMOR-RS CMOS with G Lens, CMOS image, BIONZ for mobile -4K video capture (3840×2160 pixels/30p) with SteadyShot image stabilization, and 2.1MP front camera.

“The launch of the Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact reinforces Sony’s commitment to offer the latest cutting-edge technology to our customers. With the two size options, customers now have the option of choosing the form factor that fits their individual requirement, without compromising on either technology or design. We are very encouraged with the response to Sony Xperia smartphones in India, and are targeting 40% contribution from Xperia sales to our sales turnover of FY14. We are expanding our distribution to 10,000 retail touch-points including 250 exclusive Xperia Stores in FY14," says Mr. Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India

Samsung has launched its new Galaxy Alpha with a metal frame, in a bid to boost sales after the plastic design of its smartphones has been blamed for the company’s recent struggles.

The Wednesday launch of the latest Galaxy smartphone comes after a difficult second quarter for Samsung. While overall smartphones sales grew by almost 27 percent, Samsung’s shipments dropped. In May, the company also appointed a new head of its design team.

Samsung has pitched the Galaxy Alpha with its metal frame as a new start, and the design as something “entirely new” compared to the design of its existing products, which have been justifiably criticized for looking cheap irrespective of what they cost.

However, in reality the shape of the home button still makes it look very much like a Samsung smartphone, and the plastic back has inherited the dimpled design of the Galaxy S5. For some, the changes Samsung has made aren’t nearly big enough.

“Overall it’s a good phone but I was disappointed with the design, even with the metal frame it feels too plastic,” said Francisco Jeronimo, research director for European mobile devices at IDC.

Samsung has also decided to make the Galaxy Alpha thin and light: it weighs just 115 grams and is 6.7 millimeters thick.

Under the hood, the smartphone is based on Android 4.4.4 and powered by an Exynos processor with four ARM Cortex-A15 cores running at 1.8GHz and four Cortex-A7 cores running at 1.3GHz. The screen measures 4.7 inches and has a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution.

The smartphone also has a 12-megapixel camera on the back and a 2.1-megapixel front camera. It has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of integrated storage, but no microSD card slot. The LTE connection supports download speeds up to 300Mbps, as long as there is a network that can handle it as well.

ASUS will most likely release its ZenFone series of phones in India on July 9 according to sources. The ZenFone series was first announced way back in January 2014 at CES. The ZenFone series comprises 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch handsets with most of them being priced aggressively under Rs 25,000.


The ASUS Zenfones are named Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6, where the number corresponds to the screen size. All the phones have an IPS display and each of them comes in five different colours. The Zenfone 4 has a 5MP camera, the Zenfone 5 sports and 8MP camera and the flagship Zenfone 6 houses a 13MP shooter with an aperture of f/2.0. Each of these phones come with ASUS’s proprietary PixelMaster technology.
Zenfone 6 is the flagship 6-inch phone which sports a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture
Zenfone 6 is the flagship 6-inch phone which sports a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture


All the ZenFone series phones sport an Intel Atom processors, with the ZenFone 4 sporting the 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2520 CPU (quad-core with hyper-threading technology) whereas the ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 have the 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 CPU (quad-core with hyper-threading technology). The other major specifications of all the phones are as under.


Zenfone 4 Specs
- 4inch WVGA 800 x 480-pixel display
- 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2520 CPU with Quad-Thread Hyper-Threading Technology
- Android 4.3 (will update to Android 4.4 KitKat)
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE; WCDMA/HSPA+
- DC-HSPA+ (DL/UL): 42/5.76 Mbps
- Integrated 802.11b/g/n; Wi-Fi Direct
- 5-megapixel rear camera
- 0.3-megapixel front camera
- 1GB RAM
- 1170mAh battery
- Up to 64GB micro SD card
- 124.4 x 61.4 x 11.2-6.3mm
- 115g
- Price at launch: $99 or pprox Rs 6000
ASUS Zenfone 5 sports an Intel Atom Z2580 processor clocked at 2GHz
ASUS Zenfone 5 sports an Intel Atom Z2580 processor clocked at 2GHz

Zenfone 5 specs
- 5inch HD 1280 x 720-pixel IPS display
- 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 CPU with Quad-Thread Hyper-Threading Technology
- Android 4.3 (will update to Android 4.4 KitKat)
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE; WCDMA/HSPA+
- DC-HSPA+ (DL/UL): 42/5.76 Mbps
- Integrated 802.11b/g/n; Wi-Fi Direct
- 8-megapixel rear camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- 1GB RAM
- 2050mAh battery
- Up to 64GB micro SD card
- 148.2 x 72.8 x 10.3-5.5mm
- 140g
- Price at launch: $149 or approx Rs 9000
Zenfone 6 specs
- 6inch HD 1280 x 720-pixel IPS display
- 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 CPU with Quad-Thread Hyper-Threading Technology
- Android 4.3 (will update to Android 4.4 KitKat)
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE; WCDMA/HSPA+
- DC-HSPA+ (DL/UL): 42/5.76 Mbps
- Integrated 802.11b/g/n; Wi-Fi Direct
-13-megapixel rear camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- 1GB RAM
- 3230mAh battery
- Up to 64GB micro SD card
- 166.9 x 84.3 x 9.9-5.5mm
- 200g
- Price at launch: $199 or approx Rs 12,000

 However, the prices mentioned above are exclusive of taxes and duties which will be levied on the devices eventually. So please note that the final prices will only be revealed on the launch date.

At a time when new players in the Indian smartphone market are opting for and finding success in the e-commerce route, Obi Mobile, which will launch its first devices in the country this June, has decided to take a multi-channel approach.

Ajay Sharma, CEO of the company which came into limelight for being promoted by former Apple CEO John Sculley’s Inflexionpoint, told indianexpress.com that they would go across channels to sell the new range of phones.

“We are talking about pop and mom stores, mobile stores, regional stores and online. We plan to have a larger width of channel and touch all the distribution points available,” he said. The strategy is in complete contrast to new players like Motorola and Alcatel which are selling only through e-tailers like Flipkart. “We can’t afford to pick just one channel. Some specific models could be launched through individual channels later, but not now.”

“We were first planning to bring in just three devices, but as our launch has got delayed we should be coming in with about 5-6 devices in the R5,000 to R15,000 price bracket. Most of the devices will be priced under R10,000, that is the sweet spot,” he said.

Sharma said they are looking at a 360-degree campaign on TV, online and print to make people aware of the brand. “We also plan to give the customer an experience at the store level to convert the enquiries into sales,” he said, adding that Obi Mobile will, however, have a pan India strategy covering 50 cities initially. The company already has a headstart with distribution as Iris Computers, also owned by Inflexionpoint, has warehouses and offices in 23 Indian cities.

“We will not compete on price. What we will offer the customer is a unique looking device with differentiation and we are working with many design houses on the same,” he said, adding that user experience will also different.

The company plans to offer stock Android at the entry level, some user interface differentiation at the middle range and a completely different UI at the high end. “We are working with companies to offer content on our phones to add value to the user... We really need to help customers access content,” added Sharma, who has worked with companies like HTC and Micromax before.

Lenovo has announced a price cut for the mid-range Vibe X smartphone, which will now be available at Rs. 22,999.
The Lenovo Vibe X was launched at Rs. 25,999 (translating to a Rs. 3,000 price cut) December last year as the first Vibe smartphone to reach the Indian market.

The smartphone has a premium polycarbonate body and an advanced mould, laser-engraved 3D tactile finish. One of the highlights of the device is its super thin frame measuring 6.9mm. It weighs 121 grams. The Vibe X at launch ran Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.

The Vibe X sports a 5-inch full-HD display that has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and a pixel density of 440ppi, sitting under a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen bevelled at the edges. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek (MTK 6589T) processor, has 2GB of RAM, and offers 16GB of inbuilt storage.

The Lenovo Vibe X features a 13-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera with a back-illuminated sensor and an LED flash. The phone also features a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that comes with a wide-angle 84 degree lens. It includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AGPS and 3G connectivity options. The Vibe X is backed by a 2,000mAh battery. The smartphone supports Micro-SIM, instead of regular SIM size, and measures 144x74x6.9mm in dimensions.

On Tuesday, Lenovo also announced Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the Vibe X and the Vibe Z smartphones. The Chinese handset maker revealed that the update for both smartphones would be rolled out in a phased manner starting from the last week of May.

The Android 4.4 KitKat update for Vibe X brings security enhancements and bug fixes, and a revamped UI with lesser icons and new incoming call interface. It also brings various camera fixes such as efficient auto focus and white balance capabilities for clearer and sharper images. The company has also claimed that the update will boost the Vibe X's power management for improved battery utilisation.

After a string of teasers, Panasonic has finally pulled the wraps off its newest smartphone dubbed P81. The Panasonic P81 is company’s first octa-core priced at Rs 18,990. The device is now available for Rs 17,999  via  Snapdeal. The online retailer promises to ship the device in two business days.

The P81 poses a sleek at 7.9mm profile and follows the phablet trend with a 5.5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution. Just like most of the mid-range smartphones entering the Indian market, it comes with dual SIM functionality. It comes powered by an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.7GHz coupled with 1GB RAM. The chipset isn’t specified, but considering the price point and octa-core capability, it could be Mediatek.

On the camera front, one can expect a 13-megapixel rear snapper with auto-focus and LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It gets 8GB onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot. The device runs on older 4.2.2 Jelly Bean flavor of Android, and also gets a layer of Play Life UI.

Other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP. The device will also support FM radio. All of this will be fuelled by a 2500mAh battery.

The device comes packed with app freebies worth Rs 9,900, and accessories worth Rs 2000 along with a leatherette design.

In a grim incident, a Class 12 student of a public school in Gurgaon was found dead in the institution's premises.
The deceased, a Commerce student, was found hanging from the washroom ceiling of her school in Sector 23, Gurgaon, said police.
Investigation has revealed that the student was pulled up by a teacher for using mobile phone in the school premises. The teacher had even threatened to call her parents.

Apple has offered to replace faulty on-off buttons on the iPhone 5, a rare glitch which it admitted affected “a small percentage” of the previous-generation smartphones.

Apple said on its user-support page that “iPhone 5 models manufactured through March 2013 may be affected by this issue,” in which the button, also known as a sleep/wake mechanism, stops functioning or works only intermittently.

 It did not say how many phones were shipped with the faulty mechanism. Owners can type in their iPhone serial numbers on Apple’s website to see if their phones qualify for a fix, then either take their gadgets to a store or mail them in to be repaired.
“Apple will offer the service free of charge to iPhone 5 customers with models that exhibit this issue and have a qualifying serial number,” spokeswoman Teresa Brewer said in a statement on Friday.

 Apple rarely initiates large-scale repair programs for its products, and iPhone glitches are rare. The company prides itself on hardware engineering and design, particularly for a flagship phone that yields more than half its revenue.

In a 2010 incident dubbed “Antennagate,” the company famously admitted that its iPhone 4 may experience signal loss when handled a certain way. The company subsequently offered free phone casings to correct the issue.

Apple began selling the iPhone 5S and the cheaper 5C in late 2013. In the first quarter, it moved a better-than-expected 43.7 million phones, helped by the gadget’s increasing popularity in markets like Japan and China.

BlackBerry flagship smartphone, the Z10, is now available as a limited period offer of Rs 17,990. That is almost a 60 per cent cut on its launch price and the second price cut in recent months. The offer is open for the next 60 days.
Running the latest BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1 and with the best touch keyboard in the market, the Z10 is a good buy at this price. But you will have to live without the popular apps on other platforms, BlackBerry’s biggest pain point.
However, with the new OS you have the option of sideloading any Android app. So look at this phone as a top-end Android phone a mid-level price, with the added security and mail features of the Blackberry. Yes, this could be one of the best smartphone deals in the market at the moment.

Announcing the price cut, BlackBerry India MD Sunil Lalvani said:  “BlackBerry has a vast and loyal user base in India and we’re keen to provide these consumers with the unique communication experience that BlackBerry 10 offers. This commemorative offer puts the BlackBerry Z10 at Rs 17,990 and will ensure users are able to enjoy the cutting edge experience of a full-touch device combined with a revolutionary operating system – all at an attractive price point.”
The BlackBerry Z10 has the latest BlackBerry 10 atOS version 10.2.1, that supports Hinglish and Hindi typing and Android apps. it runs on 3G and 2G plans without a special BlackBerry Plan.  The phone has a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32GB of additional storage. Plus, there is a superb screen, NFC (near field communications) and BBM service voice and video chats. Now get that in an Android phone for Rs 18,000.
The beleaguered Canadian smartphone company must be hoping that a lot of its loyal user will upgrade to the new phone with this offer.