Samsung's Bada 2.0-based Wave 3 arriving in India next month

Samsung's latest Bada-based smartphone, Wave 3 a.k.a S8600, is reportedly arriving in India in December. The new Samsung smartphone was unveiled along with two other Bada-based phones, Wave Y and Wave M in August earlier this year. Samsung yesterday announced the roll-out of the Wave 3 to countries such as France, Germany and Italy.

The new Samsung smartphone runs on Bada 2.0 operating system and features a 4-inch WVGA super AMOLED screen with 480x800 pixel resolution. The Wave 3 also runs a 1.4GHz processor and has a 5MP rear camera with autofocus and a LED flash along with a VGA resolution front camera. The Samsung Wave 3 comes with various new capabilities which were absent in the previous version, such as multi-tasking, Wi-Fi, and voice recognition software. The device also comes with Samsung’s Social, Music Hub interfaces and newly announced ChatOn feature. For more details of the Samsung Wave 3, refer to our previouscoverage.

 

Samsung has already started the roll-out of the Wave 3 internationally. It is scheduled to arrive first in France followed by Germany, Italy and Russia. The Samsung Wave 3 isreportedly arriving in India by December at an expected price of Rs. 19,600. Meanwhile, check out a video hands on with the new Wave 3.

4.7-inch HTC Sensation XL launched in India, at Rs. 38,799

HTC has launched the HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio in India, pricing it at Rs. 39,990 MRP, and giving it a MOP of Rs. 38,799. The HTC Sensation XL is an Android 2.3 Gingerbread-based device, bearing a massive 4.7-inch display, and of course, the Beats Audio experience including a Beats headset.

Relatively slim at 9.9mm, the HTC Sensation XL differs from the HTC Sensation XE (priced at Rs. 35,490) in many ways, but apart from the larger screen, it has lower-end specs in many aspects, thus we are surprised HTC priced the XL higher. Differences include a 1.5GHz single-core processor instead of a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4.7-inch (480x800 pixel) display instead of a 4.3-inch (960x540 pixel) display, 720p HD video recording instead of 1080p HD, a 1600 mAh battery instead of a 1,730 mAh battery (though battery life figures are better at nearly 12 hours of talktime), and no TV out via MHL like on the Sensation XE.

The XL has some advantages though, with a 1.3MP camera front facing camera instead of the Sensation XE’s VGA one, a pre-installed document editor instead of just a viewer, and 16GB of inbuilt storage instead of 4GB. Common specs include 768MB of RAM, 8MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, HTC Sense 3.5, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, and stereo FM with RDS.

HTC Sensation XL also integrates HTC Watch, an application and service that lets users watch the latest movies and TV shows on their devices. According to HTC, "HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos, and, if purchased, lets customers watch them on up to five different HTC devices."

What do you think of the HTC Sensation XL? Does the larger screen justify the higher price? Or is the Sensation XE just a better proposition? Let us know in the comments section below:

LG confirms Android 4.0 ICS update for its Optimus devices

Days after it announced roll-out of Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for its Optimus devices,LG has divulged some more details about the much-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for its smartphones. LG has confirmed that its high-end smartphones namely Optimus 2X, the Optimus Black, the Optimus 3D and the Optimus LTE will receive the ICS update.

"We are also continuing to evaluate the ICS OS to determine whether it is compatible with the functionality, features and performance of other LG smartphones to make the ICS OS available on as many LG smartphones as possible," the company said on its Facebook page. LG further says it will soon post a schedule of the upgrade and details about other phones that may receive the ICS on its official Facebook page and websites.

The announcement comes weeks after LG denied rumors that it will not be providing the ICS update for the LG Optimus 2X. “These rumors are NOT true. LG is currently in the process of planning the ICS OS update for the LG Optimus 2X as well as other LG high-end smartphones. Detailed information on the ICS OS update schedule for specific models will be announced, once the ICS OS is publicly released by Google,” the company said on its Facebook page.

It may be recalled that Samsung and Sony Ericsson both have announced the ICS update for their Galaxy S II and Xperia devices respectively. However, the first device to receive Ice Cream Sandwich will be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which was released earlier this month. Though there's no official word on the launch date, the device is expected to be launched the U.S. on December 8.

Motorola unveils new Android-based smartphone, XT615

Days after the launch of the Droid Razr a.k.a Razr XT910, Motorola has unveiled another Android-based smartphone called 'XT615'. Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, the Motorola XT615 features a new Moto Switch user interface.

The new Motorola device features a 4-inch touchscreen display with 480 x 854 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera and 1390mAh battery. The Motorola XT615 is powered by an 800MHz processor and has a 512MB of RAM. The internal storage of the device can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. For connectivity, the XT615 supports 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The most notable feature of the Motorola XT615 is its width, which is just 9.8 mm. The Motorola XT615 is available in two party-ready colors – licorice and ultra white. Read more details of the XT615 here.

 

The new Motorola device will first arrive in China starting December. According to The Mobile Indian report, the new XT615 will hit the Indian shores by January next year at an expected price of Rs 17,500.

Microsoft, AgreeYa deal makes apps accessible on major platforms

AReuters report confirms that software giant, Microsoft has entered into a deal with AgreeYa Mobility, a U.S-based mobile engineering firm. The clauses of the deal make for quite an interesting read. Reportedly, with the deal coming through, those with smartphones and tablets, and this may include both corporations, as well as the lay user powered by Android, iOS, among others will be able to avail Microsoft's services. The agreement allows AgreeYa to produce a software suite, which will operate together with a host of Microsoft applications and services.

Allows access to applications across platforms

Although the financial details of the deal haven't been disclosed, yet, it has been learnt that the two companies will formalize their launch in March, next year. The signing ceremony, itself, however was conducted in Beijing, reportedly with an aim to bring the project to the attention to the market biggies, many of who are based in China. According to a quote by Sandy Gupta, Marketing General Manager for Microsoft's Open Solutions Group, "The partnership, which the companies plan to launch formally in March, is intended to expand Microsoft applications for enterprises, such as companies, universities and government agencies, across a wide range of mobile devices, primarily smartphones and tablet computers."

One last Adobe Flash Player in the works, for Android Ice Cream Sandwich

After Adobe’s latest, expected, but still shocking announcement about its imminent closure of Flash Player development, we certainly were not expecting another iteration to be heading out of the company. That is the case however, with Adobe confirming it would be releasing one more version of the Flash Player for mobile browsing, aimed specifically atAndroid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Along with the new Flash Player for Android 4.0 ICS, Adobe will finish developing its Flash Linux Porting Kit – with both due to be ready by the end of year. “After that time,” Adobe’s Greg DeMichillie told eWeek, “Adobe will continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates."

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the platform lead device for Ice Cream Sandwich, is expected to release by mid-December. Some speculate that a delay in Flash Player development for ICS was the reason for the tardy launch of the Galaxy Nexus, but we think that’s unlikely.

However, when all the development work is done, Adobe’s Interactive Development team will begin making software kits for the industry’s new web standard – HTML5. The company seems quite dedicated to the task, with Adobe’s Danny Winokur spelling out the HTML5 path for the company:

"HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms. We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers."

According to eWeek, Google, though an initial supporter of Adobe during the whole Apple versus Flash debate, is also happily ready to embrace HTML5, and that the online giant had been reworking several of its most important web apps for HTML5 for quite a while now.

Next-Gen Kinect Will Read Lips, Says Sources

Kinect 2 will be so accurate, it will read your lips and determine if you're angry.

The next version of Kinect will reportedly be so accurate, that it will be able to read lips. At least, that's what "sources" have told Eurogamer.

According to the report, Microsoft's Kinect 2 will offer improved motion sensing and voice recognition over the current model including the ability to determine which direction they are facing. It will track the pitch and volume of player voices, and even track facial characteristics to measure different emotional states, including anger. Data will likely be sent via a charge-coupled device to avoid the bottleneck caused by using a USB controller interface and multiple USB-based devices.

"It can be cabled straight through on any number of technologies that just take phenomenally high res data straight to the main processor and straight to the main RAM and ask, what do you want to do with it?" an unnamed source told Eurogamer.

The news follows previous reports that Microsoft may launch two models of its next-generation Xbox console in 2013: a cheap "set-top box" version acting as a Kinect-themed gaming portal, and a fully-featured machine packed with an optical drive, a hard drive and backwards compatibility for a higher price point. Kinect 2 will reportedly come bundled with all future Xbox consoles.

Last week also brought reports that Microsoft is currently working on a new version of Kinect for Windows PC. Yet there's a slight possibility that it's the same Kinect 2 device reported by Eurogamer, as the motion-sensing device described in Microsoft's blog will feature firmware allowing the depth camera to see objects as close as 50 centimeters in front of the device without losing accuracy or precision.

"We have optimized certain hardware components and made firmware adjustments which better enable PC-centric scenarios," said Kinect for Windows general manager Craig Eiser. "Coupled with the numerous upgrades and improvements our team is making to the Software Development Kit (SDK) and runtime, the new hardware delivers features and functionality that Windows developers and Microsoft customers have been asking for."

Looking back, the team stated that "there will be new Kinect hardware especially for Windows," and that it will build on "the existing Kinect for Xbox 360 device." Given that the next Xbox console will be based on Windows 8, and that the next Kinect device will likely launch around the time Windows 8 arrives on the market, there's a good chance this device and Kinect 2 are one and the same.

Microsoft is expected to reveal the next Xbox console during 2012.

Report: iPad 3 to get Retina Displays Supplied by Sharp

Apple's rumored Retina display for the next iPad was granted an upgrade as the wall Street Journal reports that Sharp will be supplying high-resolution displays for the tablet.

According to the newspaper's sources, Sharp's Kameyama 2 plant is manufacturing the touch screens. Sharp already supplies the displays for the iPhone 4S. Apparently, Apple is investing in Sharp's LCD production in Japan to make sure it can support the demand for its smartphones and tablets.

The analyst consensus suggests that Apple will be quadrupling the resolution of the iPad display from 1024x768 to 2048x1536 pixels, which would put the new iPad far ahead of its Android competition that generally offers 1280x800 pixels. Current 10.1-inch Android displays usually offer about 150 ppi, while a 2048x1536 pixel display on the iPad's 9.7-inch screen would be 264 ppi. Keep in mind that the iPhone 4S display would still be ahead with its 326 ppi and 960x640 pixels, as would all the new 720p Android phones on the horizon.

Analysts also tend to agree that the iPad 3 will be released sometime in 2012. If we had to take a guess, we would say that H1 2012 is more likely than H2 2012.

Top 5 Wi-Fi plus 3G phones under Rs.10,000

With 3G penetrating all major parts of the country and Wi-Fi slowly becoming a common household sight, these days, having a Wi-Fi and 3G capable handset can finally be put to some good use, although we still have to find some use for that front facing camera. Till a couple years ago, you’d have to shell out quite a bit of money if you wanted both these features. Today, however, you can grab a 3G plus Wi-Fi enabled phone for well under Rs.10,000. While there are a whole bunch of them in this price bracket, we’ve picked the top 5 that we’ve tested and know for a fact are worth a look.

Micromax Q80 - Rs.4,900 (View Stores)
The Q80 might not be a smartphone, but it’s a marked improvement over the Q75 and with added 3G and Wi-Fi support for almost the same price, offers really good value. The Java-based phone comes with a host of built-in apps like Nimbuzz, Newshunt, Ngpay and Bloomberg.

Feature rich budget phone

The keypad is fairly comfortable to type on and the optical trackpad is a welcome change from the trackball used in the Q75. Overall it’s a good phone for the price with plenty of features to boot. Here are some of the highlights of the Q80:

• 2.4-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• Bluetooth and USB 2.0

• 3 megapixel camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• VGA resolution secondary camera

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 8GB

Micromax A70 - Rs,6,200 (View Stores)
Next up is another offering from Micromax, but this one’s a proper smartphone, and a rather good one, too. On paper, the A70 might seem a little weak with just a 600MHz processor, but don’t let that put you off, since the phone is actually pretty quick and fluid to use. The handset is comfortable to use, doesn’t heat up too much and sports a decent 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen that responds well to touch. We also found the battery life to be really good, despite the phone still running on Froyo.

Good bang for buck

Finally, it features expandable memory up to 32GB, and has a front facing camera. It comes pre-loaded with a bunch of useful apps. Here are some of the highlights of the phone:

• 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel autofocus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• VGA resolution secondary camera

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 32GB

Lava S12 - Rs.9,999 (View Stores) Lava may not be a brand on the top of your shopping list, but the S12 is certainly worth a look. The phone sports a unique design and texture, not often seen on Android phones. Despite only having a 600MHz processor and running a fancy 3D UI, the interface is pretty slick and not sluggish. Jumping between homescreens engages cool 3D transition effects that add to the visual appeal. The phone also comes pre-loaded with India specific apps like SAAVN and Times of India news app, among many others. It even has a decent camera, even though it lacks auto-focus. A good option under 10K The most impressive bit, though is the battery life, the S12 will easily last you two days without a charge, which is very good in the work of Android. Below are some of the highlights of the phone: 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity GPS with A-GPS support Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution 3.5mm earphone socket Expandable memory up to 32GB Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670 - Rs.9,100 (View Stores) The Galaxy Fit from Samsung is another good contender with a slightly larger screen and Android 2.2. The bundled music player features DNSe sound enhancements along with SWYPE pre-installed. The phone also features a 5MP auto-focus camera with plenty of settings to choose from like Shot Mode, Photo Effects Smile Detection, etc. Fit enough to make the list Samsung has also thrown in their TouchWiz 3.0 UI, which makes the phone simpler to use with plenty of shortcuts and tweaks. Below are some of the main features of the Fit: 3.3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity GPS with A-GPS support Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, video capture up to 320 x 240 resolution 3.5mm earphone socket Expandable memory up to 32GB Nokia E5 - Rs.8,700 (View Stores) The Nokia E5 may have launched about a year back, but it’s still one of the best phones under 10K and fits our needs perfectly. With both 3G and Wi-Fi support onboard, the Symbian v9.3 running smartphone sports a very comfortable QWERTY keypad and a simple, yet functional design. Still going strong Some of the standout features include the audio quality, which is crisp and loud, a good selection of productivity apps right from MS Office to a PDF and ZIP file reader and a very good battery life that seems to resonate with most Nokia handsets. Other features include: 2.3-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi GPS with A-GPS support Bluetooth v2 with A2DP and USB 2.0 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution 3.5mm earphone socket Expandable memory up to 32GB You may notice that some of the newer phones did not make it to our list, like the Samsung Galaxy Y for instance and that’s only because we haven’t had a chance to review it yet. Many times, a phone may look like a winner on paper, but in reality, it doesn’t really come together always. The Motorola Fire and Fire XT is one such example. So, let us know what you think and feel free to discuss this further in our forums.

Motorola Droid 4 adds a 5-line QWERTY keypad to the new RAZR

Seemingly official renders of an as-yet-unheard-of Motorola Droid 4 have surfaced, gifting us with a glimpse of what Motorola might have up its sleeve for a December launch forVerizon Wireless, a popular U.S. carrier.

The blog Droid Life managed to pick up the renders, and boy does the Droid 4 look good. The Droid 3, released back in July, has been a relatively popular device in the States, but unfortunately, as with most Droid offerings, it never made it to most international shores, including India.

With the Motorola RAZR a.k.a Droid RAZR having been launched in India however, just ashort while after its U.S. launch, we might not be too unreasonable in hoping that Motorola brings the Droid 4 to India in some form, with or without 4G connectivity. Perhaps it will be called the RAZR Pro?

Looking at the images below, it is easy to see why the device might actually turn out to be called a variant of the RAZR outside of the U.S., they are essentially identical devices, with a very similar design, except that the Droid 4 is thicker – owing to its massive horizontal sliding 5-row QWERTY keyboard of course – and, it has a smaller display.

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Specifications for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread-based Motorola Droid 4 include a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A9 CPU with a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, on the TI OMAP 4430 chipset. It has a 4.0-inch qHD display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 1,785 mAh battery to run it all.

So, those of you who are seriously excited about the RAZR, and not just because of its slimness, might want to wait a bit on the off chance the Droid 4 gets a global edition.

Images courtesy: Droid Life

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