News Google I/O Update : Google I/O 2017 Is Coming: What To Expect From The Future Of Android And Chrome

Google's annual I/O developer conference kicks off Wednesday, May 17 in California, and continues through the end of the week. We'll be on the ground at the show covering all the breaking news, but before then we're taking a closer look at what we can expect from this year's conference. more

Big products like Android and Chrome will likely get a bulk of the attention, and there will surely be at least a parting note about newer endeavours like virtual reality. So what are we most likely to see at the event? Here's a solid bet.

New details about Android O

It wouldn't be a proper Google I/O conference without an update on one of the company's most popular products, Android. The operating system is due for version 8.0 this year, and Google has already given us a peek of it with the developer preview that launched in March. We know the update will improve battery life on older devices; add picture-in-picture to Android TV products; and let users snooze notifications for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour. We're hoping to learn even more about the update at the show.

Then there's the name. For now, the operating system has been unofficially dubbed Android O, following the company's alphabetical naming scheme. But Google has a history of paring the releases with a tasty dessert to make the name a little catchier. So what will the actual name be? Android Oreo? Mmm, Oreos...

A Google Home and Wi-Fi Router in One

Google debuted its artificially intelligent speaker at Google I/O last year, and rumours indicate that we could be seeing an updated version this year. As we said in our official review, Google Home was better at understanding voice requests than the Amazon Echo, but fell short of our expectations because it couldn't do enough.

We suspect that Google will be adding considerably more skills to the speaker this year, including the ability to make phone calls, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Another rumour we've seen floating around is that Google could debut a new version of the smart speaker that doubles as a mesh Wi-Fi router, according to a CNBC report. The device is rumoured to work exactly like Google Wifi from last year's conference, only this time it would double as a smart speaker.

Chrome gets a major update

A couple of years ago, Chrome was just a tiny blip in the Google universe. Now, it's one of the company's most popular products, and that is in some part due to the increasing popularity of Google Chromebooks.

This year's conference will most likely feature some news about Chrome OS and its ability to run an increasing number of Android apps, at least based on speculation. The expectation for a couple of years now has been that Google will combine Android and Chrome into one operating system unofficially referred to as "Andromeda". One of the key pieces to this is getting more Android apps to work on Chrome.

Nothing about the Pixel 2

Google launched the very first Pixel phone back in October, so it's unlikely that we'll see a new version at Google I/O this year. Google senior vice president of hardware Rick Osterloh has even said in an interview with Android Pit that there will be a second version of the search giant's phone later this year.

The phone "will stay premium" according to Osterloh's interview with Android Pit, and that lines up with other rumours about the device. The most exciting news is Google's recent investment in LG Display, which many believe is an indication the Pixel 2 will have a curved OLED screen. With all of this said, we probably won't learn anything else at the conference.

Google Assistant gets much smarter

Google launched a competitor to Apple's Siri last year called Assistant which we thought was a little too dull to be a truly useful digital assistant at the time. That should change quickly because in April, Google launched a developer preview of Google Assistant SDK, which lets developers build new skills for the platform.

Updates on virtual reality

Google launched its new Daydream VR headset one year ago at Google I/O, so it's unlikely that we'll see any new hardware. Still, it's clear that Google is deeply interested in virtual reality. Since Google Cardboard debuted at the 2014 conference, it's become somewhat customary for Google to update us on where it thinks the future of virtual reality is going.

The company will also likely talk about less exciting products like Hangouts, which recently became an enterprise product. There could also be updates for more consumer-focused Duo and Allo messaging apps, especially since Google just announced it can make custom emojis based on your selfies.

Then there are projects we most certainly won't hear anything exciting about. For example, Android Wear 2 launched at last year's event and is still working its way onto older devices, so we don't expect to hear much news on that front. Also the Chromecast Ultra launched in October, so it's unlikely we'll get any new streaming devices.

We'll be on the ground at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Google's hometown of Mountain View, California on May 17 (May 18 in Australia).

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, May 16, 2017

News Technology Threat Update : Dangerous Backdoor Found In About 3 Million Android Smartphones, BLU Affected The Most

Just a few days ago, a backdoor was discovered in various Android smartphones that was being used to send call logs and text message archives to servers hosted in China. Now, an even more dangerous rootkit has been discovered, with devices from US-based smartphone brand, BLU, being found to be among the most affected.

Security research firm, BitSight has released an advisory about a rootkit found in the Ragentek firmware used in certain Android smartphones, mostly manufactured by Chinese OEMs. The firm carried out extensive tests using a BLU Studio G smartphone, which involved installing a tracking file using the exploit. Since the firmware allows installation of apps with elevated privileges, a compromised device can be used to do a lot of harm.

By monitoring the data transmitted to a couple of domains, BitSight identified nearly 55 smartphone models, which feature the backdoor. Many more devices with unknown identifiers were also discovered. US-based brand, BLU, is the worst-affected with about 26 percent of its smartphones found with this backdoor. The other brands include Chinese vendors such as Doogee, Leagoo and Infinix. BLU is said to be addressing the issue, but no details of the process are available yet.

According to BitSight, requests to the remote servers were largely made from phones used in institutions such as banks, hospitals and governments, where these devices probably were deployed in bulk due to low prices. Network admins or enthusiasts can monitor their traffic for requests to the following URLs to find out whether they have any affected devices in their network:

• oyag[.]lhzbdvm[.]com
• oyag[.]prugskh[.]net
• oyag[.]prugskh[.]com

The recent discoveries about backdoors in smartphones coming out of China will surely raise concerns in the global market, where many of these devices are being sold with local branding as in the case of BLU.

Posted by Unknown Sunday, November 20, 2016

News Google Tech Update : Google Launches Allo In The Play Store; Here Is How To Get Started

Image Credit: Google Play Store

Google has finally launched the much anticipated messaging app by the company, Google Allo. It was previously reported that that messaging app would launch today. Allo is the part of communication platform made in conjunction with Google Duo. Duo was released some time back by the company, and it focused on video whereas Google Allo is focused on text communication along with sending media such as photos, audio messages, stickers and locations.

Google Allo main screen

You can start using Allo by going to Google Play Store and installing it on your Android device. The interface is pretty bare bones but quite functional for a messaging app. When you launch the app for the first time, the app asks you to verify your mobile number similar to how things work on Google Duo. The SMS verification servers seem to be in place for Allo verification. After the verification, the app asks you to set a profile picture and name.

Google Assistant

The app interface is reminiscent to how Google Hangout looks like (but without all the features in Hangouts). Nothing has changed since the leaked screenshots for Google Allo in alpha stage. On launching, you get the first (and only) surprise that Google Allo holds, that is “Google Assistant”, the bot by Google while will replace Google Now in the upcoming update, Android Nougat 7.1. It is a vital part of the experience provided by Google Assistant and a step away from how popular messaging apps work. Google Assistant is what Cortana from Microsoft and Siri from Apple are, but inside a chat window currently. The bot is labelled as ‘Preview Edition’ but in the limited tests that we ran, Assistant left us impressed coming from Google Now as the previous native offering in Android.

Sticker Store, Template replies

While diving into the chat experience, Allo does the basics of sending text, photos shot from the front or back camera, pictures from gallery, stickers and location. You can send 20 photos at a time in Allo from the ten photos limited on WhatsApp. Another small change is that in the notifications area, the app shows smart response as a quick reply to contacts who message you. Machine learning is working full time to suggest bubble shape cards in the chat as appropriate message responses to the conversations. Finally, you can search inside your conversations, as against the searchless realm that Google Hangouts are.

 Incognito Chats

There is nothing new when you dive in the Profile section or the General settings menu, and there are just small things like controlling the notifications, sounds, vibration and to download the media when you receive it. There is no status updates or message that you can set for people in your contact list to read. 

Google Allo turns into Snapchat

 

The reason we mentioned that the chatting experience is different from how it is in the conventional messaging is apps is that you can summon Google Assistant in your private conversations to ask questions, play games or device on dinner options or the movie options. This brings a whole different side to the concept of user privacy and the only remedy seen is the use of incognito chat with other users.

Group conversations

Incognito mode features auto-destruct messages just like Snapchat which expire after a fixed amount of time depending on the settings. Infact, you can turn Google Allo into an almost functioning Snapchat clone except Stories or ability to check who saw your stories.

The summon behaviour is consistent across individual as well as group chats where you can call in Google Assistant to ask questions and suggestions on places nearby. However, you can’t tag Google Assistant in incognito chats. Apart from this nothing much stands out in the latest messaging app by Google, Google Allo.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 21, 2016

News Update On Handset : OnePlus X To Be Available Without Invite Via The Ola App On 8 December

Ola and OnePlus announced a first-of-its-kind partnership in India, giving users an opportunity to buy the OnePlus X, on-demand, straight from the Ola app. Consumers can purchase the smartphone without an invite for a day and have it delivered at their doorsteps within 15 minutes of placing the order. The OnePlus X is also exclusively available on Amazon.in.

The partnership of OnePlus fans and Ola users will go live on the Ola mobile app only on December 8, across seven cities in India namely, Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

For those wishing to purchase the OnePlus X can open their Ola app and request a phone, just like they would book a cab, by clicking on the ‘ONEPLUSX’ category icon that will be available on the app between 10AM and 7PM. Once the request is received, an Ola cab will arrive at the customer’s location; along with a representative from OnePlus, with the smartphone. Customers will get a choice of paying for their OnePlus X handsets through cash or credit/debit cards.

The OnePlus X is the first ‘Make in India’ device for which local production will start in Hyderabad. In terms of specifications, the device will sport a 5-inch AMOLED display offering a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. The OnePlux will have 3 GB RAM. It will include an internal storage of 16GB, and can be further expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card.

The devices will sport a 13MP rear camera along with a 8MP front facing camera. The device’s autofocus allows you to capture your subject in 0.2 seconds. The dual SIM smartphone will include a 2525mAh battery. The OnePlus X will run Oxygen OS based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Sudarshan Gangrade, Vice-President Marketing at Ola said, “We continue to deliver unique experiences to delight our consumers by giving users a chance to buy a smartphone on-demand, straight from the Ola app and get it delivered at their doorstep within minutes. This is a testament to the on-demand nature of the mobility solutions, that the Ola platform offers and takes user engagement to an all-new level! We are thrilled to announce this partnership and take great pride in bringing this exclusive access to all Ola users.”

Announcing this unique initiative, Karan Sarin, Head of Marketing India, OnePlus said, “The enthusiasm from our fans and consumers at large around the country to get our newest smartphone, the OnePlus X, has been unprecedented. People love our products and we are enhancing the experience by making it even more convenient for our fans to get their hands on the OnePlus phone now. In an industry-first partnership with Ola and Amazon.in, we are taking a step towards engaging with consumers wherein they can purchase the OnePlus X phone in three easy steps – Book. Purchase. Delivered.  All from the comfort of their Ola app.”

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, December 08, 2015

New Update On Handset : OnePlus 2 Now Available 'Invite-Free' In India

 

The OnePlus 2 (Review) is now available invite-free in India. While OnePlus India had promised the smartphone will be available invite-free from midnight Friday, the company on Saturday issued a blog post saying the smartphone will only go on sale invite-free in India at 2pm IST on Monday.

OnePlus had last week following its Black Friday open sale announced the OnePlus 2 would be available invite-free forever starting midnight Friday across the world. It turns out that date wasn't applicable for India, with the invite-free status only official from Monday. The smartphone is available exclusively via Amazon India.

To recall, the OnePlus 2 bears the tagline "2016 flagship caller", and sports a 5.5-inch full-HD (1920x1080) display. It is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz and coupled with an Adreno 430 GPU alongside 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB internal storage. It sports dual 4G Nano-SIM cards (dual-SIM dual standby), as well as USB Type-C connectivity (with the cable reversible at both ends).

On the photography front, the handset rocks a 13-megapixel rear-camera, and a 5-megapixel front facing shooter. The dual-SIM capable smartphone supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and other standard connectivity features. It runs Android-powered OxygenOS 2.0, though OxygenOS 2.1.2 is officially available as well.

It is priced at Rs. 24,999, while a 16GB OnePlus 2 variant with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM will be made available at a later date at Rs. 22,999.

To note, the OnePlus 2 has been made available via open sales (not requiring invites) in India on several occasions in the past, with the most recent being in October. OnePlus in October rolled out two smartphone coverage options in the form of B2X Service and B2X Protect for the OnePlus 2 in India.

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, December 08, 2015

News Update On Navigation : Navigation App Waze Gets A Huge Redesign – Now Less Cluttered, But Still Needs Improvement

The Google-owned navigation app Waze has a number of standout features – its ability to alert you to traffic conditions and speed traps, and re-route you around traffic jams, for example – but its user interface was not one of its better qualities. Today, the company is attempting to change that with the rollout of an entirely made-over version of its iOS application that introduces a cleaner, less-cluttered interface designed to simplify accessing Waze’s key features, and speed up the time it takes to report traffic problems.

While traditional mapping applications, like those from Apple and Google, are still the most popular among smartphone users, Waze has a strong following among drivers and commuters thanks to its ability to alert you to traffic conditions. Beyond just telling you that traffic is slow, Waze can tell you why – maybe there’s an accident ahead, or a stalled vehicle. Users also like it for its ability to alert you when cops have been spotted nearby – something that makes Waze something of an alternative to radar detectors.

Plus, its ability to route you around bad traffic in real-time as conditions change is especially helpful, as is its ability to let you add a stop while planning your route.

Today, Waze has over 50 million active users who log into Waze monthly, the company says.

But despite having a collection of useful features, the app’s interface itself has needed work for some time. Instead of a modern, clean aesthetic, Waze previously relied on a couple of menus – one with a cartoon-ish car icon to access the main menu, and the other map pin-shaped icon with an exclamation point in the middle for reporting incidents. And the map itself was messy and cluttered, making it hard to read.

With the new version of the app, Waze offers a de-cluttered map, and it makes the alerting feature more prominent – it’s an orange icon with a rounder pin. Meanwhile, the car icon with access to the menu and other settings has been relocated to the bottom-left. When you’re in a hurry – as drivers are behind the wheel (they’re not supposed to be using the app in-route, but of course they do) – this makes it easier and faster to participate in the Waze community because it’s more obvious which button to press to add a report.

In addition, the updated app now features quick access to a contacts section (as indicated by the mail envelope icon), where you can share directions with your contacts, send your location, and your ETA with a tap.


A bottom menu also slides up when tapped to offer you easy access to things like alternate routes, the “add a stop” feature, as well as a shortcut to sending your ETA to a friend or family member.

Nearly everything you do in Waze now takes fewer taps, which is another one of the bigger improvements over the prior version. And the menus themselves have been redesigned, too, to be quicker to use. For instance, the reporting menu now uses big, brightly-colored, round buttons for things like reporting accidents, road hazards, police, and more.

Waze 4.0 also lets you sync your Calendar to the app so you can receive alerts reminding you when to leave, based on traffic conditions. The company says it has made other improvements, too, like better battery life.
Waze Still Needs Work

Unfortunately, the new app still relies on its bubbly, cartoon-ish icons. This is a personal preference, of course, but I think it’s time to move away from this sort of juvenile look. It’s frankly just sort of silly to see cars with bows on their head, or pacifiers in their mouth, or wearing little crowns in an app aimed at adults old enough to drive a car.

The new design is certainly an improvement, but Waze still hasn’t delivered a truly sleek look-and-feel. Even now, there’s too much to look at on the screen.

Because Waze already shows things other mapping apps don’t have – like the other cars and graphics like ads for business as little road signs  – it needs to be even more careful about what other buttons should appear. Now it features an orange reporting button, a MPH indicator, the time, ETA, and distance, and a big button for finding your current geo-location. This latter item is positioned to the left and sort of up near the middle of the screen, though Apple and Google Maps put this feature closer to the bottom of the screen.

Plus, when you tap on the screen, tons of other buttons appear, including the compass, sound toggle, zooming feature, and when at a particular zoom level, your location finder. Combined with all the car icons and icons of signs, alert icons, and more, Waze still struggles with offering a truly clean-looking map.

Off the top of my head, I can still spot a number of things I’d change. For starters, Waze needs to ditch the MPH button entirely – drivers look at this on their car’s dashboard anyway. The geo-location feature needs to be much smaller and closer to the bottom of the screen.The bottom of the screen doesn’t need a greeting (e.g. “Good Afternoon”) when no route is in progress. And there’s no need to flag how many new messages you have and add a red dot to indicate you have unread mail – this could all be handled with a push notification and red icon badge on your iOS homescreen.

That said, Waze certainly looks better than before, if not great.
The updated app, Waze 4.0, is live on the iTunes Store now with an Android release soon to follow.

Posted by Unknown Friday, October 23, 2015

News Update Hands On : Getting To Know The Nexus 5 And Nexus 6

Google's new Nexus phones are here -- and they make quite the first impression.

It's that time, Android fans -- yes, oh, yes: Time to get to know Google's newest Nexus devices.

This year, we've got not one but two saucy seductresses competing for our affection: the smaller and more modest LG-made Nexus 5X and the larger and more premium Huawei-made Nexus 6P. The devices have a fair amount in common, to be sure, but they also have their own unique flourishes and personalities.

Nexus phones are not the kind of devices you take lightly, so I'll be taking my time and spending several days with both of these beauts before reaching any conclusions. (Like most reviewers, I received the two devices together Friday morning.) For now, here are the first things I've noticed as I've been getting to know the Nexii o' 2015:

The size:

It may seem obvious, but size is a huge factor (so to speak) with both the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P -- and it's going to be an enormously important variable for anyone deliberating between these devices.

In fact, size was the very first thing that crossed my mind when I pulled the Nexus 5X out of its box. In what's becoming an increasingly rare phenomenon with smartphones these days, the phone is actually really comfortable to hold -- no asterisks, rationalizations, or "not that bad, considering..."-style statements required. It's just a sensible size that fits naturally in your hand. It's also surprisingly light.

The Nexus 6P -- well, it falls into that "not that bad, considering..." category. It's not as comfy or ergonomic as the 5X, but as far as plus-sized smartphones go, it's -- you know, really not that bad. I'm able to get used to it pretty quickly. For perspective, the 6P is relatively close in size to Samsung's Galaxy Note 5, only about a quarter of an inch taller, a hair wider, and a quarter of an ounce heavier.

As for how the two fare in different types of real-world use -- glamorous situations like trying to use them single-handedly while carrying a flailing baby or seeing how they feel in your pocket while flailing your own limbs at the gym -- that's precisely the kind of thing I'll be thinking about as I carry each one around over the coming days.

The materials:

No two ways about it: The Nexus 6P is one nice phone. It has an aluminum (or aluminium, if you prefer) body and strong textured buttons on its side. Whereas size was the first thing that struck me upon handling the 5X, quality is what jumped out at me as soon as I grabbed the 6P out of its packaging. This thing looks and feels premium through and through.

The Nexus 5X certainly doesn't seem cheap at first impression -- far from it -- but it does come across as noticeably more mundane in construction. Its plastic back looks nice and has a pleasant warm feel in the hand, but "premium" probably isn't the word you'd use to describe it. The same goes for details like the side buttons, which are somewhat recessed and noticeably less firm-feeling than the ones on the 6P.

Remember, though: The 5X starts at $379 off-contract. The 6P starts at $499. These phones are in different classes by design.

The software :

More than anything, Nexus devices are designed to showcase the software -- and there's a reason: A pure Google Android setup really is a treat to use, more so than ever with the shiny new Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS that ships on both the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. You're getting Google's unadulterated vision of how Android should look and work -- and that truly makes you appreciate just how great the OS has become when you don't have manufacturers and carriers meddling around and (more often than not) mucking things up.

And while Nexus phones are typically less loaded with features than other Android devices, Google has started to implement its own versions of some of the more useful enhancements -- like a quick way to get to the camera (double-tapping the power button) and a Moto Display-reminiscent system for seeing notifications at a glance (much more on that soon).

That's just the start :

Man, there's a lot to discuss with these new Nexus devices. From how their under-the-hood differences affect day-to-day use to how their very different displays stack up in various conditions -- not to mention the all-important question of how well they both fare with photography, especially given Google's grand promises in that department -- we've got plenty to consider.

The big question, of course, is how all the qualities come together and what each phone is like to use in regular life. More than anything, that's what I'll be working to answer as I live with these bad boys over the coming days.

Both devices make fantastic first impressions. Now the true test begins. Lots more thoughts and impressions -- and my full real-world review -- are on the way.

Posted by Unknown Monday, October 19, 2015

News Update On Gionee Handset Release : Gionee Elife E8 First Impressions: 6-Inch Flagship With Great Feature Set; Could Compete With Moto X Style

Gionee announced its flagship phone the Elife E8 at an event in New Delhi today. The Elife E8 will be successor to the Elife E7 which was launched in 2013. The Elife E8 is priced at Rs 34,999 and will be selling on Snapdeal from 12 October. Post the launch event we spent some time with the device and here are our first impressions.

Build and Design
The Gionee Elife E8 is quite a handful at its 6-inch form factor. While the bezels are thin, using the phone one handed is out of question, unless you have unnaturally large hands. The phone comes with a metallic edge which is complemented by a plastic rear cover which has a slight curvature, reminiscent of that seen on the Elife E7. The metallic edges give the phone an elegant look. The back cover is removable, but the battery is not.

The left hand side is clean whereas on the right hand side you have the volume rocker button, power/standby button and a dedicated camera shutter button. A 3.5mm audio jack graces the top edge and there’s the microUSB charging and data transfer port on the base.

On the rear side, you have a circular finger print scanner placed just below the 24MP camera. On the front, you have a 6-inch Quad HD display. There aren’t any physical buttons on the front portion of the Elife E8. The menu soft buttons are sadly, not backlit.

The phone will require two handed use for most users. Due to the smooth rear cover, the grip is a bit slippery.

Display
QuadHD displays have become a standard with most flagship phones these days and the Elife E8 is no different. It sports a 6-inch 2560×1440 pixel AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The colours appear vibrant and the text is sharp. But we will have to check the legibility in sunlight and video playback quality, which we will, once we get the review unit.

Chipset, RAM, Storage
The Elife E8 houses the MediaTek Helios X10 (MT6795) system on chip which houses a 2.0GHz octa core processor. This is paired with 3GB of RAM. The phone comes with 64GB of on board storage and you have the option to expand it to 128GB via a microSD card.

OS, Connectivity
The Gionee Elife E8 comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop and as is the case with most Gionee phones, there is the Amigo 3.1 user interface skin atop the Android OS. Gionee will be working with its Indian research team to add on more India specific features on the Amigo 3.1 UI. It will come with support for 9 Indian languages out of the box. The user interface on the Elife E8 felt really smooth as compared to what we had seen on the Elife E7 when it had launched. But we will need to use it more extensively to give a proper verdict.

The Elife E8 has a dual microSIM card configuration and it will support 4G SIM cards as well. It supports WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with A-GPS, FM and so on.

Camera
Gionee flagship phones have had good cameras and we were impressed with the 16MP shooter on the Elife E7. With the Elife E8, Gionee has gone a step further and added on a 24MP rear camera. This is complemented with an 8MP front-facing camera.

The 24MP camera on the rear side has a true tone dual LED flash unit. The camera user interface is quite intuitive. The Gionee Elife E8 comes with phase detect AF feature to help with faster focusing. But thanks to the poor lighting in the demo zone, we couldn’t try it out. The camera comes with many specialty modes such as Professional mode, Real HDR, Real Night, Magic Focus 2.0 and so on. The UltraPixel mode let’s you shoot an almost 120MP image by stitching around 5 images. The video camera is capable of shooting 4K videos as well.

We will need to use the phone’s camera extensively to be able to talk about the performance, as on paper it certainly ticks off all the right boxes, including a dedicated camera shutter button which will be appreciated by photography enthusiasts.

Battery
The Gionee Elife E8 houses a 3,520mAh Li-ion non-removable battery. Gionee claims that you can get up to two days of regular use with the E8, but we will hold back on that till we test the device.

Gallery

Conclusion
Gionee has upgraded its flagship after two years and it has put in a good overall feature set. The Helios X10 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 64GB storage, a 24MP shooter, fingerprint reader, 3,520mAh battery with fast charging technology are high end specifications. We will have to see how it comes together as an everyday phone, when we review it.

The Gionee Elife E8 is priced at Rs 34,999 and going by Gionee’s history, their flagship phone pricing has been premium since the launch of Elife E6. But this time around, Gionee has partnered with Snapdeal to sell the E8 online. This brings with it the hassles of registration. Considering this is a premium device, one should not be concerned about phone selling out within seconds as Gionee has promised a limited, although good volumes of phone for online sales.

At Rs 34,999, the Gionee Elife E8 will certainly have some good competition in the form of Samsung Galaxy A8, the just launched Motorola Moto X Style, and others phones such as the OnePlus One, Huawei Honor 7 and so on.

Do check back for the full review of the Elife E8 soon. In the meantime, do let us know your thoughts on the product, its feature set, price point in the comments section.

Posted by Unknown Thursday, October 08, 2015

News Update On Samsung Smartphones : Is Samsung Coming Out With A Amartphone That Folds In Half?

It could be the flip phone for the smartphone generation.

According to Samsung rumor blog SamMobile.com, Samsung is readying to release its first smartphone with a foldable screen in January.

Samsung, which released the first phone with a display that curves on both sides, the Galaxy S6 Edge, in March, showed off a prototype for a phone that opens into a tablet in 2013. As you can see in the (oddly suggestive) promo video below, the fold-a-phablet concept device hinges in the middle, giving it the screen of a tablet with the profile of a regular-sized phone.

SamMobile reports that a source in China "who claims to have in-depth knowledge and an early scoop on Project Valley," the codename for Samsung's foldable phone project, said it is "currently undergoing testing" and is heading for a January 2016 is launch.

The site posits, however, that it could be released only in South Korea.

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 17, 2015

News Update On BlackBerry Handset : BlackBerry's New Android Slider Gets An Unofficial Close-Up In Nnew Leaked Images

The Blackberry 'Venice' has been teased for quite some time with a lucky few Mobile World Congress attendees getting a first glimpse of the device in early 2015. While we have previously seen a few images and renders of the device, the newly leaked images are probably the clearest and most detailed to date.

BlackBerry has experimented with this type of design before. The upcoming slider looks modern, polished and is reminiscent of Dell's long-forgotten Windows Phone 7 handset, the 'Venue Pro'. If BlackBerry's previous devices are any indication, the 'Venice' should be a solid piece of hardware.

The 'Venice' will be a flagship device for BlackBerry, with specs rumored to include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM, Quad-HD display, 18MP camera and 5MP front-facing camera. The device will be a monumental release for BlackBerry, mainly due to it not running the company's own Blackberry OS. Instead, the device will be running Google's Android OS.

Currently, there is no official word from BlackBerry regarding the 'Venice'. The device is expected to be released sometime before the end of the year, with some reports indicating that it may arrive in November.

Posted by Unknown Sunday, August 30, 2015

News Update On Sony New Handset : Xperia Z5 And The Curious Case Of Sony's Flagship Phones

Could Sony make a comeback with fingerprint scanners, great cameras and a 4K phablet at IFA next week?

Sony's last flagship was the Xperia Z3 and their next is expected to be the Z5. This is because the Z4 was only released in Japan and was also called the Z3+ (pictured). Confused? You're not alone. Photo: Sony

Rumours and speculation have been bubbling for months online about the new phones Sony is expected to unveil in September, although if you've only been paying to the mainstream zeitgeist you'd be forgiven for thinking the Japanese company had stopped making phones entirely.

After a big splash with the waterproof, two-day-battery-toting Xperia Z2 in early 2014, Sony refined and improved its design with the Z3, set a high bar for small phones with the powerful Z3 Compact, and in the year since has struggled to hold the attention of the masses with its erratic release schedule and obtuse naming conventions.

An Xperia Z4 released in Japan was so similar to the Z3 that Sony didn't dare bring it to any other shores (in some regions it was later released as the Z3+). Australia in particular has seen a confusing bevy of new phones announced from the selfie-focused C3, C4 and striking phablet C5 Ultra to the budget E4 and the waterproof M4 and M5.

Next week at the IFA conference in Berlin, so say the rumours, Sony will return to the Z line and attempt to claw back some mindshare with a device packed with latest in Sony-made screen and camera tech, the newest Android software, impressive specs and a now ubiquitous fingerprint sensor. It's widely assumed to be called the Xperia Z5.
Familiar design, new features

Earlier this month a series of images from Twitter user "ViziLeaks" appeared to show an Xperia Z5 and the smaller Z5 Compact. The phones in the pictures follow the flat, monolithic glass 'omnibalance' design seen on all Z devices to date, although both appear to feature the kind of grippy edges and padded corners seen on the Z3 Compact.

The images show regular micro USB ports as opposed to the previously rumoured USB C, but confirm another rumour: that the Z5 devices will come with a built-in fingerprint scanner. Unlike that found on Apple and Samsung devices, Sony's supposed scanner is mounted on the side of the device, doubling as the power button. You can see the long, white scanner in the tweets below.

 

 

Mobile photography fans will be pleased to see that the devices retain the hardware shutter button for snapping steady pics without needing to touch the screen.
 

Go big or go home :

To date, the only big screen Z series phone was released in July 2013. Even risk-averse Apple fully committed to the phablet craze with the iPhone 6 Plus, but Sony's kept the bigger phones for its lesser product lines, like the media-focused T and selfie-focused M.

That could all change next week, with bloggers uncovering a user agent profile for a supersized Z5 (which means someone somewhere is using the phone to access websites) indicating some cutting edge specs, chief among them a 4K resolution screen.

The current high bar for phone screens is Quad HD, and while the two standards are frequently confused, 4K actually has a much higher pixel count (3840 x 2160, as opposed to Quad HD which is 2560 x 1440).

Assuming the Z5 phablet has a screen of 5.5 inches, a 4K screen would give it an astonishing pixel density of 801 pixels per inch (PPI). For comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus has an identically-sized screen and a pixel density of 401 PPI.

Sony was one of the first companies to champion the format for televisions, so it's believable it could bring its software and expertise to help it shine on a phone. It remains to be seen whether a 4K resolution on a screen so small would offer any advantage over Quad HD, but it's certainly a talking point.

Some sites have supposed the Z5 phablet to be called the "Xperia Z5 Plus", but given it already used 'plus' in an attempt to cover up its Z4 blunder, I think this would be too confusing even for Sony. "Z5 Ultra" seems more likely. Images apparently leaked from an internal slideshow seem to confirm the existence of the phablet.
 

A focus on the camera:

As with its fancy screen technology, cameras are an area you expect Sony to be on top of. After all, this is a company that not only makes sensors for its own high-end cameras, but also for its smartphone competitors at Apple and Samsung.

Despite this, the camera hardware on Z phones has been identical since the Z2. It seems a big change is coming in terms of imaging, and this tidbit is actually from Sony itself, or at least one of its European bureaus:

he shape and size of the phone in the picture makes it unlikely this is a flagship Xperia Z5, although it could easily be the Z5 Compact (or, if Sony hasn't learnt its lesson, something completely different).

There are countless other bits and pieces that point to what Sony could be cooking up (for example it launched a quiet test of a new "stripped back" Android skin in July, could it be looking to ditch the bloatware?), but the most convincing rumours point to a trio of high-end phones that update the Z3 in predictable but powerful ways.

The landmark in the teaser image above is the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and the date points to a couple of days before IFA gets underway in that city, so it's clear we don't have long to wait to find out if Sony has the goods to get it back out of the shadows.

Posted by Unknown Thursday, August 27, 2015

News Handset Launch Update : Oppo R5s With 4.85mm Thickness, 3GB RAM Launched

Chinese manufacturer Oppo has just unveiled its latest mid-size device, the R5s, an update of last year’s R5. That being said the R5s does inherit same niggles from its predecessor, which includes the need to carry a USB to 3.5mm Audio jack adapter. The Oppo R5s is an upgrade to the previously launched R5 and the new variant comes with a couple of new features and hardware improvements.

The Oppo R5s hasn’t received an official announcement, but it is now listed on the company’s official European website.

The 6-inch Oppo R7 Plus is a capable device, with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (expandable via microSD memory cards), a 13-megapixel camera and a fingerprint reader. The phone’s design allowed the camera to be turned from the back to the front, and to various angles as well.

Coming to the detailed specifications, the display screen is 5.2 inch full HD (1080X1920 pixels) with a pixel density of 423 ppi. The camera department is handled by a 13-Megapixel primary Sony IMX214 sensor and a 5-Megapixel secondary sensor with a 83-degree wide angled lens.

The smartphone also supports 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Global Positioning System and could be priced in the range of Rs 20,000-25,000.

It runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat which is layered with the company’s proprietary ColorOS 2.0.1.

The R7 Plus also features Oppo’s VOOC fast-charging technology, which – according to the specs – gets you two hours of conversation after five minutes of charging. The Oppo R5s measures 148.9×74.5×4.85mm and weighs 155 gram.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, August 26, 2015

News Handset Launch Update : Next-Gen Android One Phone Launches In India For $176

The Lava Pixel V1 offers a solid value for the price, combining mid-range hardware with the latest Android software updates from Google.

Google's Android One hardware partners are beginning stage two of the low-cost phone strategy: Say hello to the Lava Pixel V1.

The Android One handset launched online in India on Monday for ₹11,350, which works out to $176.71. And for under two-hundred dollars the Pixel V1 in some ways rivals smartphones that arrived just two years ago for much more money.

Running Android 5.1 Lollipop, the dual-SIM 3G Pixel V1 is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core chip made by MediaTek and is paired with 2 GB of memory. There's 32 GB of on-board storage and the capacity can be expanded by another 32 GB with a microSD card.

Lava says even though the Pixel V1 has 5.5-inch display, the phone feels like a model with a 5-inch screen because it's not very wide. Don't expect a full HD screen though: At this price, you're looking at 1280 x 720 resolution.

There's also some compromise on the camera sensors. Lava advertises the phone as having a 13 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front camera but those numbers are boosted by software enhancements; the actual sensors are 8 and 5 megapixel models. The rear sensor does have an f/2.0 aperture and 1.4 micron pixels, however, which should allow for solid low-light photos.

Aside from the hardware and appealing off-contract price, the software has a key benefit. Since the phone is certified for the Android One program, software updates are directly controlled by Google, similar to the company's Nexus line of phones. That means there's no or little waiting to get the latest version of Android installed.

Having launched last September, Google's Android One program hasn't yet made a major impact on the smartphone market.

The strategy, however, is sound: Work with hardware partners in upcoming and emerging markets to offer high-value handsets that aren't saddled with carrier control. It's too soon to say if the approach is going to be a success but Google and its partners are on the right track.

Other Android partners can surely offer less expensive phones that have more capabilities, but none of them can provide the software update benefits of Android One.

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, August 11, 2015

News Samsung Update : Almost Every Single Detail About Samsung's Next Giant Galaxy Phones Has Reportedly Leaked

Imgur

Samsung is rumored to be announcing two new phones later this week, but we may already have a clear idea of what to expect thanks to a new leak.

A Reddit user that goes by the alias "joelrtaveras" said a Samsung representative stopped by the retail location he or she works at with both phones. The user posted a rundown of initial impressions on the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, revealing almost every single detail about both phones. A bunch of photos of the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ also appeared on Imgur, and several reports seem to indicate that they were published by the same person behind the Reddit post.

Here's a photo that reportedly shows what looks like the rumored Galaxy Note 5 alongside the iPhone 6 Plus.

And here's the back of the phone.

Imgur

You can see the edges are made of metal, and the author writes that the S Pen is "spring loaded" so it sits flush with the bezel of the phone.

Imgur

And now here's the reported Galaxy S6 Edge+ alongside the iPhone 6 Plus.

Imgur

Here's a side view of the Galaxy Note 5 (left) and Galaxy S6 Edge+ (right). You'll notice the phone on the right is slightly curved just like the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Imgur

Several details about Samsung's new phones have leaked over the past several months, but these new photos provide the clearest depiction we've seen so far. It's the first set of images that compares both phones to the iPhone, which provides a size comparison.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the Reddit post:

• The Note 5 has a tapered back, and it's slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 Plus.
• The Note 5 won't have an SD card slot and the base model has 32GB of storage.
• The S Pen for the Note 5 has a "push to pop" mechanism for getting the pen out of its holster.
• The Super AMOLED screen "looked great," but especially so on the S6 Edge+'s curved screen.
• The S6 Edge+ comes with a feature called Apps Edge, which allows you to swipe from the right to view app shortcuts. This sounds like the feature Samsung debuted with the Galaxy Note Edge last year.

It's also important to note that both phones were running software that wasn't finalized, so there might be some changes on the final version. We're expecting Samsung to announce both phones at its Unpacked event on Thursday.

Posted by Unknown Monday, August 10, 2015

News Samsung Galaxy Handsets Update : Samsung Galaxy Note 5 And S6 Edge+ Photos Leak Iin Full

 Samsung is readying two new phones for its Unpacked event later this week. Now we've seen the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ leak out it's almost certain these two phones are set to feature.

Sources speaking to Chinese website Digi-Wo have now shared leaks of what are allegedly the two new phones.

The leak suggests the Galaxy Note 5 is set to run on the Exynos 7420 - not the 7422 as some of the previous rumours suggested. It looks like the microSD card slot has been dropped, like it was on the Galaxy S6.

Big phones everywhere :

It could be a SIM and microSD combo tray slot this time around, but it's more likely Samsung has just decided to drop it.

It's also not clear from the photos how the S Pen pops out of the phone - rumours built up around a new technology developed to get it out quicker.

There's even a shot of the phone in all its packaging.

As for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, it's pictured yet again but there isn't a lot to show. It's just a bigger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Be sure to take this news with a pinch of salt though, this could end up being a really elaborate hoax, but we'll know for sure come the official event on Thursday.

Posted by Unknown Monday, August 10, 2015