Apple's iPhone 5 rumoured to run on Samsung's Exynos 4 processor

The Internet is abuzz with rumours that Apple's next flagship smartphone, dubbed as the iPhone 5, will be powered by a new A6 quad-core processor, based on Samsung's Exynos 4 architecture.

Citing unnamed industry sources, DigiTimes in its report says competition for quad-core smartphones will intensify in Q4 2012 with the upcoming iPhone and other models launching with quad-core chips. So far, only  HTC and Samsung have released their quad-core smartphones, with LG soon to join the list with the Optimus 4X HD. 

With leading chipmaker Qualcomm expected to start volume production of its quad-core integrated platform solutions in second half of the year, vendors will be encouraged to come up with more competitive quad-core models by next year.

It may be recalled that Apple's iPhone 4S, which launched this year, received a major chip upgrade in the form of Apple A5, which was a dual-core 800MHz processor. The processor is said to have boosted the device's power for graphics, photo and video processing.

The recent iPad third generation (read our review) also saw an upgraded chip in the form of dual-core A5X, which brought significant improvements for the Retina Display and its high-resolution graphics, which were futher powered by a quad-core GPU. Interestingly, both the processors are based on Samsung's ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore CPU design.

Moving to quad-core is definitely going to be a huge leap for Apple, but by the time it launches the device, other quad-core phones such the Samsung Galaxy S III (Exynos-based) and HTC One X (Tegra 3-based) will already have enjoyed a fair amount of time in the market. And then it might have to face stiff competition from the Qualcomm processor-based devices. Rumours are the One X will also get a new Qualcomm processor.

There've been multiple rumours about the next iPhone in the recent past, but most of them focussed on the exterior of the smartphone. The previous round of rumours had said the coming iPhone will have an increased size of the touchscreen display, roughly around 4-inches.

First Impressions: Dell Inspiron 14R Special Edition

Dell has recently updated its Inspiron range of laptops, and if you had been following our website closely, you would surely have read the event coverage.

We are happy to report that the Inspiron 14R Special Edition has arrived in our test centre. This is the smaller 14-inch display size sibling of theInspiron 15R SE, which features a 15.6-inch display.

The Specs
Let us run you through the power package of the Inspiron 14R Special Edition. The review unit sent to us is powered by an Intel Core-i7 - 3612QM processor, clocking in at 2.1GHz. Needless to mention, but this is the third gen Core series processor, lovingly known as Ivy Bridge series. The 14R SE features 6GB of RAM, along with Nvidia GT640M (2GB) and Intel HD 4000 graphics, news that will surely warm the hearts of the gamers out there. The goodness doesn’t end there, with a 1TB HDD as well. Dell preloads the machine with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), along with a bunch of Dell branded apps as well as some third party trials.

The Build
Fish it out of the box, and what immediately catches your eye is the anodized aluminum finish. More so, because it looks very similar to the very classy carbon fibre finish we saw on the XPS 13 ultrabook (read our review). The black does have a slightly shiny element to it, but is in no way glossy or potentially maintenance hungry. This finish carries through on the lid as well as the area around the keypad, including the palmrest.

The visual accents don’t end there. On the lid, a silver band frames the black anodized aluminum, and is thicker towards where the lid is supposed to open from - kind of a visual guide, if you may. Mostly because when closed, the Inspiron 14R SE does not give any hints about where the front or the back is. Probably because the display hinges are nicely covered up.

The Dell Inspiron 14R SE carries a very premium build quality throughout. It seems put together quite well, and we didn’t see any rough edges or loose ends anywhere. No matter how hard you type on the keyboard, it just doesn’t dip. No matter how hard you try to flex the lid, it won’t bend more than the most solidly built laptops.

Port Placement
On the right side are the optical drive and a couple of USB 3.0 ports, as well as the Ethernet port. On the left is another USB 3.0 port along with one USB 2.0 port as well. HDMI out sits between the USBs and a pretty large cooling vent. On the front are a bunch of LEDs and the memory card slot. There are no ports on the backside, which is great, as we aren’t fans of poking the backside of our laptops to connect a USB device!

Keyboard
The keyboard does not have a dedicated number pad, acceptable considering this is a 14-inch display, and doesn’t have the space luxury of a 15.6-inch one. Resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels. While it does seem to have the brightness punch and decent colour reproduction, the only niggle is with the reflective nature of the screen. Turn the brightness down, and visibility will be affected a certain bit. Turn up the brightness, and that may just make using it a bit stressful in the long run.

Weighty Matters
The weight scales tip at 2.38kg, which technically isn’t very heavy. But the 14R Special Edition feels heavier than this, probably because the thickness is quite profound – probably to pack in the powerful configuration. Rest assured however, that the 14R SE remains very much portable without any issues. However, the thickness could have been slimmed a bit to make it look less bulky than what it does at the moment.

Price
The specification we have received is listed on Dell’s website at Rs. 61,275. At this price with this configuration, we expect this to go to the top of our laptop score-sheet without a shadow of a doubt.

We will be lining up a review of the Dell Inspiron 14R Special Edition very soon. Do stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can enjoy the photo-gallery of the laptop.

Unfortunately, the display is quite reflective, taking some sheen away from an otherwise excellent panel.

The evident thickness, but as we said, with the weight, it doesn’t hamper portability.

With not many shortcut keys, the look is quite clean

The dash of silver around the sides teams well with the black elsewhere.

Generous cooling vents. Certainly needed, considering the power that is packed inside.

Just three shortcut keys above the keyboard.

Prominent Inspiron branding!

There are lots of USB 3.0 ports on the 14R SE.

More ports on the 14R SE.

With not many shortcut keys, the look is quite clean

Aluminum that looks like carbon fibre!

Extremely elegant poise of the Inspiron 14R Special Edition.

Nokia Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition launched in India

It has been a busy day today, with Nokia announcing the launch of two phones in India. Along with the Nokia Lumia 610, the Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition phone has also been launched, and should be available in markets from tomorrow.

The Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises phone will truly be limited edition, with Nokia announcing that only 200 units will be available. So, we suggest that if you want one, hurry and grab one now!

This edition of the phone will carry forward the same unibody build as seen on Lumia 800 (read our review) phones, but the black colour will be accompanied by a laser etched Batman logo on the back, to make it stand out in a crowd.

“A truly global initiative, the Nokia Lumia Dark Knight Rises campaign is an exciting new initiative for our Lumia customers, that will recreate the movie’s unique experience, right on the consumer’s devices”, said Vipul Mehrotra, Director – Smart Devices, Nokia India.

Buyers will get access to a whole host of exclusive stuff. First off, the phone will be loaded with the Dark Knight Rises app, with exclusive trailers, photo galleries, integration with Maps to list where the movie theaters premiering the movie are, as well as a game that has been introduced in a tie up with Foursquare.

Buyers will also get exclusive collectibles like bags, caps and projector pens, all bearing the DKR branding with the phone, along with the chance to win a movie theater screening for your friends.

Nokia have slapped a Best Buy price of Rs. 24,999 on this phone. Interestingly, Nokia has also said that the Lumia 900 will be arriving in India in Q3, 2012. No price info as yet, but do stay updated for the sam

 

Nokia Lumia 610 arrives in India, along with special edition Lumia 800

Nokia has announced the addition of a third phone to the Windows Phone series – the Lumia 610. This is the third Lumia phone to be launched in India as well, with Nokia saying that they are targeting the “youthful audience” with this device.

The Lumia 610 is powered by an 800MHz Snapdragon processor along an Adreno 200 GPU and 256MB of RAM. It also bears a 3.7-inch 800x480 pixel display, apart from a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, and 8GB built-in storage. The phone will come with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango out of the box, and will get the 7.8 update will be arriving on this phone soon.

Other specifications of the Nokia Lumia 610 include a weight of 131.5 grams, a thickness of 12mm, as well as such connectivity options as 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and EDR, stereo FM radio with RDS, GPS with A-GPS support, and microUSB v2.0. It bears a 1,300 mAh battery, rated to deliver up to 10.5 hours of talktime, 670 hours of standby time, and 35 hours of continuous music playback. Surprisingly, it only supportsMicro SIM cards.

“The Lumia 610 will introduce Windows Phone to a new generation of smartphone users, offering something very different to the monochromatic smartphones filling shelves today. It is designed to appeal to a more youthful audience purchasing their first smartphone and motivated by the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and all the latest information.”, says Vipul Mehrotra, Director – Smart Devices, Nokia India.

The Lumia 610 comes with a best buy price of Rs. 12,990, and will be available in stores from July 7, 2012. It will also feature the regular Nokia value-added services, such as Nokia Music,Nokia Mix Radio, and Nokia Location Services.

Fans of the Dark Knight franchise will be excited to hear that Nokia is also bringing the Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises limited edition to India. This one will have a black finish, with the laser etched Batman logo and some exclusive apps, content and goodies. This has been given a best buy price of Rs. 24,999. This phone will be limited to 200 units only. The Lumia 900 is also expected to be launched in India, sometime in Q3 2012.

First Impressions: Nokia Lumia 610

So, it is finally here! A Windows Phone 7.5 device that is aimed at the same demographic that would otherwise be looking at the likes of the HTC Explorer, Samsung Galaxy Ace and the LG Optimus Hub.

However, while your choices until now were restricted to Android, Symbian and Blackberry in this price bracket, the arrival of the Nokia Lumia 610 does change things quite a bit – introducing alow-cost Windows Phone offering.

We had a chance to play around with the Lumia 610 at the launch event, and this is what we came up with.

1. The build quality of the Lumia 610 is just brilliant. It does not feel like a Rs. 13,000 phone, like most others in this price category do. This can easily be explained with the comparison with its elder, and considerably more expensive sibling - the Lumia 710 (read our review). The Lumia 710 felt plastic-like and cheap, and you knew it was a phone on a budget. With the Lumia 610, there is a classiness found on phones that are considerably more expensive.
2. The 3.7-inch display with a 480x800 pixel resolution is absolutely brilliant. As expected, Nokia has also given this the ClearBlack goodness, but the real kicker is that this is a natively bright display and very good text crispness. While reading a mail on this, you will surely not crave a phone with a bigger display. On the flipside though, the colours are not very vivid, and even look washed out at times.
3. The 800MHz processor will hold out well, but just 256MB of RAM is literally unforgivable, if you will be using it with multiple apps at the same time. The Lumia 610 can only be loaded with so much for the power package to handle, and that is a limitation you should be well aware of, before splashing the cash.
4. As expected, the Lumia 610 will come with the navigation apps – Drive, Maps and Transport.
5. The camera has been given some additional features – Panorama mode, self-timer, action detection shot and a burst mode for the best group photo. You can also edit the photographs on the device itself, before sharing. Neat features, but most of these capabilities have been on cameraphones for quite a while now. It also makes us wonder why these aren’t a part of the Nokia 808 PureView’s camera!
6. Nokia is also introducing the Mix Radio app – the music streaming service that works offline as well. Some really neat features allowing for customization your own radio stations and an offline mode as well. But how well it works for you will depend on what connection you use – Wi-Fi, Edge or 3G.

At this price (Rs. 12,990), we feel the Lumia 610 will do well. Mostly because it feels like it is built more expensively that it actually is, and more and more consumers may want to try out a new OS.

We will have a detailed review of the Lumia 610 soon. In the meantime, you check out some product shots:

Camera interface

Relatively similar looks to the Lumia 710, but feels a lot better.

The 3.5mm and the micro USB port on the top - just be careful about scratching the chrome.

The 3.7-inch display is natively quite bright.

The Dark Knight Rises exclusive content on the phone.

The phone does fit very well in the hand.

The rubberized feel on the back is classy, and we like the conventional position of the camera - will not get in the way at all.

The rubberized finish to the rear, with a chrome frame running around the phone.

Three touch sensitive keys below the display, and the chrome strip running below them acts as a visual guide.