Nokia Lumia 920 pricing revealed; higher than the Samsung Galaxy S III

Pricing for the soon to be released Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone has been revealed for the selected European markets. The company published the pricing data on its local websites on Thursday, with Lumia being cheaper than the Apple's iPhone 5, but more expensive than Samsung's Galaxy S III smartphone.

According to a Reuters report, the Nokia Lumia 920 32GB variant will be sold at around 5,700 Swedish Crowns, which is around Rs. 46,116. It's notable the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S III in the country is around 4,515 Crowns, while the 32GB iPhone 5 is due to sell 6,995 Crowns.

In Italy, the Lumia 920 has been priced at 599 Euros (Rs. 40,925 approximately), against the 16GB Samsung S III's 529 Euros. In Germany, the Nokia Lumia 920 for 649 Euros (Rs. 44,352 approx.). It sells the iPhone for 820 Euros, the 32GB Galaxy S III for 740 Euros and the 16GB Galaxy for 530 Euros.

Nokia has pinned its turnaround hopes on its new Lumia series smartphones, featuring Windows Phone 8. However, experts believe the high pricing for the Windows Phone 8-based Nokia Lumia 920 could jeopardise the company's efforts to catch up with the competitors. Experts suggest the pricing of the Lumia 920, which is 10 to 25 percent higher than Samsung's Galaxy S III, also risks a consumer backlash.

Reuters quoted Ovum analyst, Nick Dillon elaborating: "Hardware-wise they are pretty similar, it would be hard for Nokia to justify that extra cost to consumers. Windows Phone is still largely an unknown to consumers - they would probably expect to pay less if they are taking a risk."

"Nokia will find it difficult to command a premium over Samsung's Galaxy S III which is the pricing benchmark for a non-Apple flagship smartphone," says Ben Wood, head of research at British consultancy CCS Insight.

The pricing of the Lumia 920 puts the device in direct competition against high-end smartphones such as the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III. However, the S III has been in the market for quite sometime now, while the iPhone 5 will be rolling out in different markets very soon.

As far as the Indian market goes, the high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II,HTC One X and Apple's iPhone 4S are priced between Rs. 30,000 Rs. 45,000. If reports are to believed, the iPhone 5 will also fall under the same price range. The Indian market has been traditionally price sensitive, even for the premium devices. Nokia, on the other hand, has a reputation of giving out affordable devices to the Indian consumers. However, it is a little unlikely that the Indian consumers will be willing to shell out more money the Lumia series, unless the Windows Phone 8 platform proves to much more compelling than Android and iOS.

What do you think of the Nokia Lumia 920's pricing? Has Nokia made a mistake? Will it correct it before launch? Let us know in the comments section below:

BSNL, WishTel to launch IRA ICON 3G tablet for Rs. 10,500

Bharat Sanchar Nagar Limited (BSNL) and WishTel have teamed up to launch a new Android-based tablet called ‘IRA ICON’. Scheduled to be officially released on October 1, the IRA ICON is priced at Rs. 10,500.

The IRA ICON runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and is powered by 1.2 GHz processor. The device, also dubbed as the Triple Play tablet, has a 1GB of RAM. It has a 7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen with 800X400 pixel resolution, 0.3MP front camera, 2MP rear camera, 4GB internal storage and microSD card slot that supports storage up to 32GB. The IRA ICON comes with a massive 4,000 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver browsing time of about 4-5 hours. The device comes with built-in stereo speakers and a microphone as well.

For connectivity, the IRA ICON supports voice calls (SIM slot), Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), 3G, GPS, WI-Fi, Bluetooth, mini HDMI, 3.5mm jack and USB. The IRA ICON comes preloaded with a wide range of applications such as Wish Learning, Wish Studio, Wish TV, Wish News, Wish video calling, Skype, Photo Viewer, Games , Gtalk,  Google play.

BSNL is offering a 3G SIM and free 3G data of 2GB for two months for the IRA ICON customers. The state-run telecom operator also provides a wide range of BSNL 3G plans or customised plans for the tablet.

The IRA ICON is available in two colours - black and white.

“The 7-inch Triple play tablet PC has been designed to best suit the needs of avid tech – savy youngsters, business environments, multi-tasking homemakers and the student fraternity alike. The BSNL Value added services like Video streaming, Mobile TV and various other applications under BSNL LIVE shall be extended to our valued customers in an increased screen at a very affordable price,” says R K Upadhyay, Chied Managing Director of BSNL while speaking of the partnership with WishTel.

Milind Shah, WishTel’s CEO, says, “With our partnership with India’s largest PSU telco operator, BSNL for the launch of IRA ICON Triple Play Tablet, WishTel continues to offer enhanced technologies that help Android business users experience the performance and productivity offered by tablet PCs.”

Prior to partnership with WishTel, BSNL in collaboration with Pantel Technologies has launched budget tablets namely T-Pad WS802C and T-Pad IS701C. WishTel has also launched quite a few budget tablets as part of its IRA-Series. The company recently launched 10.1-inch ICS-based tablet, called the IRA Comet HD at Rs. 9,999. Read more about the device here. In the meanwhile, also check out our latest coverage on the budget tablets here.

AMD HD 8000 specs leak, point to major performance boost

Last week, spec sheets on AMD’s Radeon HD 8000 series leaked out to the press. The chart shows the two upcoming graphics cards that would theoretically replace AMD’s HD 7870 and 7850. The new HD 8000 family, codenamed Sea Islands, will be AMD’s first major refresh of its GCN (Graphics Core Next) architecture that debuted last year. The two cards we have information on are based on the Oland GPU, and would replace the Pitcairn family. Like the 7870/7850, the new GPU is built on a 28nm process at TSMC.

With leaks like this, there’s always the question of whether or not the data is valid. We’ve gone through and crunched some numbers, and figured out a few metrics that the original table doesn’t show. Here’s the original first, without any additional data.

Chart courtesy of Videocardz

These improvements align nearly perfectly with what we’d expect a next-gen architecture to deliver in the same price bracket. Memory bandwidth bumps upwards thanks to the use of faster GDDR5 RAM, pixel fillrates are up slightly, texture fillrates improve significantly. Since we know how many Render Output Units (ROPs) and Texture Mapping Units (TMUs) are in the 7870, we can extrapolate what the 8870 is packing in those departments.

We’ve added data from the HD 7950 Boost Edition and included current prices for Radeon cards as seen on Newegg. Columns labeled in orange reflect our extrapolations on the new core. The math fits, perfectly, in every example. The Radeon HD 8870 is built like a Radeon 7950.

Note that I said “built like,” not “equivalent to.” The current Radeon HD 7950 is a cut down Radeon 7970; AMD and Nvidia both improve yields by selling cards with certain function blocks disabled. This allows them to recoup a return on products that aren’t quite perfect, rather than tossing them on the slag heap. As a result, the 7950′s die is the same size as the 7970′s, despite the disparity in core count.

This data suggests that AMD felt the 7950 presented an ideal performance balance for a midrange card and opted to scale the chip downwards with a few changes made to decrease die size. The 384-bit memory bus is gone, though the faster GDDR5 memory compensates well for this. On the whole, the 8870 should be faster than the 7950 it replaces thanks to a higher core clock.

There are other reasons why this shift makes sense. Transistor densities across AMD and Nvidia are typically quite similar when comparing them at the same node.

Oland’s 3.4B and 270mm sq die size are right where we’d expect them to be.

Just because the Radeon 8870 is specced like a 7950 doesn’t mean it’ll perform like one. AMD will have tweaked the architecture to improve performance and power efficiency; the lower TDP is proof enough of that. This data suggests that AMD is pursuing an evolutionary strategy with the HD 8K GPU. When the company built the HD 6000-era Barts and Turks chips, they were a continuation and enhancement of the highly successful HD 5000 core. Cayman, the chip at the heart of the HD 6900 family, was the new architecture.

AMD could be planning to open a major new front with the high-end HD 8900 parts, but we’ll have to wait and see. GCN remains an excellent architecture, and AMD has enough on its plate trying to deal with bringing new SoCs to market — the company may have chosen a single GPU strategy to divert engineering resources where they’re needed most.

LG Optimus Vu 2 officially announced

The much awaited smartphone-tablet hybrid LG Optimus 2 arrives with a 5 inch IPS 720p HD display, dual core Qualcomm processor, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

LG has finally announced the second generation smartphone-tablet hybrid device-Optimus Vu 2. The new Optimus Vu 2 features a 5 inch True HD IPS panel display and will house a dual core Qualcomm mobile processor. Packing 2 GB of RAM to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich it will also support Voice over LTE. The Optimus Vu 2 will be made available in a couple of months from now.

While Samsung has recently announced its second generation Samsung Galaxy Note for the masses, the Korean giant also follows the league. LG has announced the new Optimus Vu 2 smartphone-tablet hybrid device for the masses.

The new LG Optimus Vu 2 has a 5 inch IPS display with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution natively and it has 4:3 aspect ratio. Under the hood rests a dual core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 mobile chipset coupled with 2 GB of RAM. With such a configuration the Optimus Vu 2 can easily run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich along with the new user experience dubbed UX Dagger.

At the back it has an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash that is capable of recording full HD video. There is also a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front for video chats and calling.

The Optimus Vu 2 has a new user interface and a bunch of new features along with the QMemo feature that allows taking quick notes anywhere on the interface. The Optimus Vu 2 has a QRemote feature that basically turns the phone into a remote to control electrical appliances at home. This is basically an infrared sensor that controls home electronics.

There is also a splitscreen function offering a QSlide feature that lets the user watch a movie and talk to friends on IM on the same large screen by accommodating both apps in two individual windows. The camera makes the best of the QTranslator function that is powered by optical character recognition technology to read and translate up to 44 languages. It will also come with a stylus dubbed as One Key to make the best of the large screen estate.

LG Optimus Vu 2 is set to compete with the freshly announced Samsung Galaxy Note II, priced at Rs 39,900 in India.

First Impressions: Bad Piggies

Rovio has come a long way from its no-name history to being the makers of one of one the most successful mobile and web game franchises ever, Angry Birds.

Angry Birds was quick to gain worldwide fame, getting endorsements from some big-time celebrities and garnering a large number of downloads within the first few weeks of the release. However, the little flying birds seeking vengeance on the pigs soon started losing flavor with the mass audience due to its generally repetitive nature through the various iterations that have come out since. Angry Birds Space, though highly publicized, failed to achieve the success many had assumed it would.

Following the Angry Birds series, Rovio launched Amazing Alex  which moved away from the strategic flinging to systematic placement of objects to achieve goals. It took on a more puzzle-solving approach than the pull-aim-shoot ways of the Birds. Once again, Amazing Alex failed to strike a chord with the gamers.

Rovio has today just launched Bad Piggies, the third game in their portfolio. The game employs the same vibrant colors and physics engine we’ve come to be so familiar with, but instead of taking on the Angry Birds route, it has far more in common with Amazing Alex.

The idea is to get the cute, weird colored little piggy from one point on the map to the finish line while also collecting items spread across the map. Sounds pretty simple don’t it? Well it’s not! The pigs don’t have legs and can only roll around, so the only way they get across the map and to the finish line is using a contraption that must be constructed and here is where the real challenge lies.

The game has 4 “worlds” with 45 levels each. The first two worlds are the only unlocked ones and the latter two must be unlocked by making good progress. The first three or four levels on each world are pretty simple, but collecting the bonuses is always tricky. The levels increase in difficulty pretty quickly, with the terrain becoming trickier and more and more tools becoming available for use.

We spent some time playing the game and noticed that having access to TNT and rocket bottles and fans all in one stage didn’t mean clearing it (forget about clearing it with a good score). The clearing of the stage requires a very precise combination of tools and their positioning. Eventually the game introduces precise timing as a factor too, requiring popping of balloons or starting the rockets at a very precise moment. At any moment, there are only a certain number of tools that can be used to build the pig-transporting contraption, adding to the difficulty of the game.

Our initial impression of the game is that we like it. We like it quite a bit! The Bad Piggies are not bad after all. If you’re the kind of person who is very stubborn and just cannot take failing, then this game is definitely going to keep you occupied. We also must applaud Rovio for including interactive help tips along with a little help icon that explains every aspect of the game, something we found missing in Amazing Alex, making gameplay quite frustrating.

However, seeing how the simplicity of Angry Birds made it a popular hit with the little kids, we feel that the higher level of difficulty might not go down so well with the young ones. Regardless, the game is a classic Rovio product, offering fun and challenges all packaged into a neat little game.

Bad Piggies can be downloaded from here for iOS and from here for Android.

HTC One X+ rumoured with 64GB storage, 1.7GHz quad-core and Jelly Bean

Rumours of the HTC One X+ have once again surfaced. An image purportedly of the HTC One X+ made an appearance on the web, showing complete specs and pricing. According to reports, the One X+ has notable bump in specs as compared to the original HTC One X.

GSM Arena in its report says the HTC One X+ will have a faster quad-core CPU, clocked at 1.7GHz along with 64 GB built-in storage. Running on the latest Android version 4.1, Jelly Bean, the One X+ will come with 25GB of Dropbox storage. Other specifications include 8MP rear camera and Beats Audio integration. The One X+ has been priced $479.99 for the U.K. The device is however expected to be priced much lesser in Asian markets. Here's the alleged image of the One X+ spotted in brochure for UK's wireless carrier O2:

In the meanwhile, another image of the One X+ has surfaced on the web via @evleaks on Twitter:

Earlier rumours had suggested the device would feature a 5-inch HD display, taking on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note II.

First Impressions: Sony Xperia Tipo

The Xperia Tipo is the first Xperia smartphone to be launched in the entry-level category.

The Xperia Tipo is retailing now in stores for around Rs. 9,449, and is aimed at the young demographic, with the majority buyers getting their first smartphone experience.

Here are some initial impressions of the phone, and we must say, we are quite impressed with what we have seen.

• The Xperia Tipo is available in two versions – single SIM and dual-SIM. There is approximately Rs. 1,000 price difference between the two versions, with the dual SIM one being more expensive.
• Both phones come with Android 4.0.4 preloaded. Not many phones in this price bracket offer that.
• There is a single-core 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor powering the Xperia Tipo. From what we experienced, this phone's UI is slightly slicker than the Samsung Galaxy Y – that has an 832MHz processor but comes with Android 2.3 out of the box.
• The Timescape UI is exactly the same as what we saw on the much more expensive Xperia Ion recently, albeit this is fit into a smaller display size. The range of widgets is impressive, but still doesn’t match the variety that HTC throws along with the Sense UI. The most important part is that it seems very well optimized with the hardware and the slickness while using it is a testament to that fact.
• The 3.2-inch display does give the phone rather compact dimensions. The quality of the display is satisfactory. Quite bright, and colour depth is adequate. The crispness is slightly off, and certain smaller text (like app names) can seem a little off.
• The build quality is much better than expected. On the front are three touch sensitive keys below the display, and below it starts the colour line. The front and part of the sides have the enamel finish, while the battery cover has a plain matte finish. This isn’t the slimmest phone around, but even with the battery inserted, feels very light.

We will run this phone through the regular benchmarks and test processes, and will have a detailed review of this phone very soon.

In the meantime, you can check out some images of the Xperia Tipo.

Very elegant design, which looks sporty while being minimalist. There are four colour options to choose from, white, red, blue and black.

Top down, rear side. You see the camera and the 3.5mm jack.

Three touch sensitive keys below the display.

The widgets across all screens.

The swipe to type feature is carried down from the more expensive phones, and that is a real value addition for someone who will text a lot.

The right spine with the volume rocker. They have the same colour as the rst of the battery cover.

The micro USB port on the left spine. Notice the curve on the top and the bottom, We feel this lends it a more sporty look.

The battery cover has a plain matte finish. The opening mechanism is not the most elegant one, prise out with nails!.

Surprisingly, the on-screen keypad is a delight to use. It isn't cramped, as most are on small displays.

Smaller text, like the app labels do seem have lost out on the crispness though.

No Mobile Bravia engine, as seen on the more expensive siblings.

Comes with Android ICS out of the box. Did someone just say Jelly Bean_ Expecting too much, eh!.

Basic specs for the display, but does well in terms of brightness and colour depth..

Apple iPhone 5 sees heavy demand in India, ahead of launch

Despite the Apple iPhone 5 not being officially available in India, there are reports that online retailers and the grey market are seeing a lot of demand for the new smartphone from the fruity giant, despite the hefty premium being levied.

One of these retailers, Bhaap.com, will start selling the iPhone 5 in India from Friday, September 28. The site will make the smartphone available to customers for Rs 71,995. The deal on the website opens at 10:00 am and will only be available for 24-hours or until the very limited stocks last!

The price of Rs. 71,995 is for the 16GB version. No pricing details about the 32GB or the 64GB variant of the smartphones are known for Bhaap.com.

At eBay.in, the price of the iPhone 5 16GB is Rs. 79,900 and the 32GB is selling for Rs. 90,750. You can take a look at the eBay listing of the iPhone 5 here.

Apple hasn't announced the iPhone 5 officially in India but speculations on the Internet suggest that it will be available towards the end of October or early November.

If you are one who can’t wait for Apple to officially launch the iPhone in India, you can pick one up from the grey market today. The first iPhone 5 was sold in Khan Market, New Delhi for a whopping 1.35 lakhs a few days ago. In the grey market in India, the prices of the three variants of the iPhone 5 is as follows:

• 16GB: Rs. 76,000
• 32GB: Rs. 85,000
• 64GB: RS. 1,00,000

(Prices are approximate)

Apple’s 6th generation iPhone has a 4-inch Retina Display and runs on the all-new iOS 6. Under the hood, the A6 chipset powers it. You can read details about Apple’s latest beauty here.

Hybrid devices, such as phablets seem popular in the Indian market

Smartphone-tablet hybrids made it big with the Galaxy Note, the first device with a display greater than five inches in diagonal length that sold well in markets. It featured a capacitive stylus called the S Pen, the product’s USP, allowing users to write, draw, and take notes across a variety of applications.

Other manufacturers, such as LG with the Optimus Vu, and Asus with the Padfone, are also trying their hand in the market. Even Micromax has launched the 5-inch Canvas A100 smartphone-tablet hybrid. Of course, most top-end smartphones nowadays (such as the Samsung Galaxy S III, LG Optimus 4X HD, and HTC One X) all feature large displays as well, larger than 4.7-inches.

The Galaxy Note’s successor, the Galaxy Note IIboasts of a 5.5-inch display and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor. The device runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and boasts of a whopping 2GB of RAM. The Note II also has an 8MP rear facing camera and a 1.9MP front facing camera. The device comes with three storage options – 16 / 32 / 64GB. HTC is also supposedly working on rival of the Galaxy Note II.

Now, with the India launch of the Galaxy Note II imminent (we expect an announcement tomorrow), we decided to ask our readers what they felt about the usability of smartphone-tablet hybrids, or phablets, as they are also known.

The responses were surprisingly, split right along the middle, with 262 readers saying smartphone-tablet hybrids featured the best of both worlds, while 264 readers said they felt the form factor was too inconvenient.

It seems Indian consumers, unlike those elsewhere in the world, are willing to have a few tradeoffs to get the best of both worlds, converging smartphones and tablets into one, all-purpose device, with a large display perfect for media and app consumption, and web-browsing, apart from regular smartphone functions, like managing emails and making phone calls.

Check out the poll results in graphical form below. If you’d like to see our previous ThinkDigit Weekly Poll results, click here. Do also share your views on this week’s poll, where we ask you “Will Apple’s Maps catch with Google Maps by year-end?”

MapmyIndia slashes prices of navigation app for Indian iOS users

MapmyIndia has slashed the price of their India-centric navigation app, 'Don't Panic' on the iTunes App Store, by 60%.

This news comes in wake of Apple replacing Google Maps with their own Maps app in iOS 6, a move that has been widely criticized since the new app suffers from incomplete (and incorrect) navigation data.

The new Apple Maps has been criticized by American and European users for erroneous data but the situation is more dire here in India. The Indian maps are missing plenty of data including major addresses and points of interest in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

MapmyIndia's decision to limit discounts only to iOS devices (the app hasn't been discounted in the Google Play Store), is clearly aimed at disgruntled iOS users in India, who are either suffering from a sub-par navigation experience in iOS 6, or have kept away from updating their devices.

Before the iOS 6 update, Apple devices used Google Maps as part of a pre-installed app. However, the decision is reportedly as a result of the difference Apple saw in the Google Maps experience on Android and iOS. While Google Maps on Android offered turn-by-turn by navigation, that feature was notably absent on iOS.

MapmyIndia's 'Don't Panic' app is available on the iOS store for $20 (Rs. 1,070 approx.), if you want all the available maps for India. However, if you want maps for particular cities, then you will have to pay $8 (Rs. 430 approx.). You can download the app from here.

for more details visit: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Apps/MapmyIndia-slashes-prices-of-navigation-app-for_10890.html

Twitter introduces 'People You May Know' newsletter

Days after rolling out new API rules, Twitter has now turned its attention towards increasing user engagement. The micro-blogging website has introduced a new e-mail newsletter called 'people you may know', which offers suggestions for who to follow. The new format is considered to be a copy of LinkedIn's 'People You May Know' feature, which also suggests people who to be connected/follow on the professional networking site.

It's notable Twitter already has such feature that offers suggestions who to follow. But those have been made more prominent and shows relevant people. Twitter's refined widget is based on an improved algorithm and more personalised, and also takes into account of users' location.

“This weekly email highlights a handful of people you may know who use Twitter. You can choose to follow any of the suggested people and you can find more people you may know on twitter.com. Suggestions are based on signals like who your friends follow and the contact information imported by people you know. For example, if several people you know follow someone, you may also know them and want to follow them too. There’s no telling who you might find on Twitter, so open this weekly message for an ongoing source of great accounts to follow,” Twitter explains in a blog post.

for more details visit: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Internet/Twitter-introduces-People-You-May-Know-newsletter_10887.html

Indian Developers Can Now Publish Paid Apps On Google Play

India has now been included in the list of countries from where developers are allowed to develop and publish paid apps on Google Play. Developers in the country could only publish only free apps until now, which wasn't good enough to motivate them. In order to circumvent this restriction, Indian app-makers had to resort to tactics such as creating a US bank account in the name of their relatives, or even going to the extent of floating a company there. However, the fact that they will get paid now will surely provide the much-needed impetus to a large community of Android developers based in India. The move is sure to give a shot in the arm to local apps developed specifically with the Indian market in mind. The huge number of developers in the country will only help swell the number of apps on Google Play, which is primarily competing with Apple's iTunes Store.

The current list of supported countries comprises mostly of those from Europe; with only a handful of Asian countries. A notable omission is China, although Hong Kong makes an appearance on the list. Meanwhile, though the Windows Phone Marketplace comes in at a distant third spot, Microsoft has also taken initiatives to get the Indian app developers interested.

Top 5 productivity apps for Android tablets

A collection of productivity applications that will make sure that the user remains highly productive, adding true meaning to tablets.

Times are changing and though people used to opt for something portable yet functional (explaining the rise of smartphones,) it is now the time for tablets. Earlier it was feared that smartphones and tablets due to their common backbone, Android, would not be able to co-exist but the expectations were proven completely wrong. Both tablets and smartphones are thriving together, but tablets have taken the place of notebooks and they are thinner, lighter and much more functional than even the slimmest but costliest notebook computers.

Today it's a common sight to see an executive travelling with a tablet rather than lugging around a notebook, but the choice of right software still remains the bigger question.

So helping you out we present our top 5 productivity applications for Android tablets. These applications are available in both free as well as paid versions through the Google Play Store.

Dolphin browser

Dolphin browser is a popular browser not because of its name but because of the functionality and features it aims at offering its users and that too for free. Dolphin is quite popular not just on Android but on other platforms as well.

In the latest release of this mobile browser developers have added the most sought after feature any tablet user could ask for, called Dolphin Sonar. With the use of the new feature users can speak their way to searches as well as web browsing with greater ease. Along with that there is the Dolphin Sync feature that allows you to sync your browsing preferences, bookmarks and gestures across all Android tablets and smartphones to access important content immediately, personalizing your browsing experience no matter where you are or what device you are using.

What makes this browser unique and interesting to most Android users are the gesture based controls that let users control the web with gestures on touchscreens. Bigger screen devices with faster internet connectivity can also opt for desktop type rendering of web pages so that there is hardly any difference in the way internet based websites look and feel on the tablet vis-à-vis computers.

Pocket

Pocket, a popular information saving application for Android, which was earlier known as Read it Later, allows users to save information available on the internet as text, images and videos available online in simple, easy to read snippets. This makes it easy to find interesting bits of information when needed.

Pocket has now acquired a new function that allows the application to read out text saved in the app. It comes in real handy when the user is traveling or simply does not have the time to read. Any text related snippet saved on Pocket can be read out by the application to the user, making it easy to stay informed.

With Pocket, users can select almost any web page, video or images and can save it for future reference. The application also makes content available offline so that users do not even need an active internet connection to see the content they have saved. Also, the content is available for all linked devices so that it is possible to save that useful article on the mobile during the day to read it later on a big tablet screen while relaxing at home.

TeamViewer for Meeting

TeamViewer is famous primarily for its Remote Control app that allows you to remotely access your Mac or PC from an iOS device. It allows you to change your computer's screen resolution remotely and have full keyboard control even if the Mac is behind a firewall.

Along with that TeamViewer also has TeamViewer for Meeting, a nifty little utility that allows users to join web meetings without having to get near a computer. The application promises a secure connection so that there is no possibility of someone else snooping in on your session. The app is meant for private use and involves entering a TeamViewer ID and password every time you wish to access the service. The app supports multi-touch gestures and will let you scroll around, zoom, drag and drop. The quality of visuals is automatically adjusted to suit your connection.

The application is optimized for use on tablets and supports Android tablets running version 3.0 and above.

Swiftkey 3 Tablet Keyboard

Typing on a touchscreen is quite a challenge for those who move from Qwerty keyboards or alphanumeric keypad phones simply because they lack the sensation and accuracy is a big challenge. But one simple solution is the Swiftkey 3 Tablet Keyboard. The application is available as a paid option retailing for Rs 260 approx but it is absolute value for money. Featuring language technology, the app learns the user's typing style through SMS, emails and posts on social networks. Based on the way you respond and post text online, the smart engine suggests, to a high degree of accuracy, words that you might have meant to type.

The application senses words and places them in order for reference or as suggestions as the user types using the keyboard. The app has a split keyboard that is a boon for most tablets. The keyboard comes with a numeric pad in the middle and keys split in two corners that are easier to access while holding the tablet comfortably.

The best part of this keyboard is that it can be personalized based on the app you are using: Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, or even blogging apps. It is smart enough to learn your typing style for different services, suggests words, and also supports multiple languages.

GO Power Master

While we have covered so many applications that will definitely keep our productivity on the high side, devices still have physical limitations when it comes to battery backup. So even though the Go Power Master application is not directly related to productivity it is critical software for improving productivity.

The application offers one touch operation for most tasks and as per the developers helps conserve up to 50 per cent battery power, which is otherwise wasted. The application estimates the time remaining for tasks so that users get a fair idea as to what to prioritise.

The application is light on resources and at the same time it optimizes the system and frees it up while lowering battery consumption by killing tasks that consume maximum battery power.

And there is a smart power saving mode that puts the device in low power mode when the battery drops below a certain level so that the device doesn't die out easily.

Top 20 upcoming smartphones worth waiting for

Festive season is just round the corner & to capitalise on it companies are gearing up to launch exciting phones.

With festive season round the corner, handset makers have preserved their best handsets to cash in on the buying frenzy during these times. The product launch schedules are packed for the next two months, and here we present to you a glimpse of what is coming your way.

So, you better read it before deciding on what to buy.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is already available for pre-booking. While its predecessor, the Galaxy Note, has a 5.3 inch screen, The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 comes with an even bigger 5.5 inch screen. You will get even a better S-Pen for scribbling, taking note and unleashing the artist in you.

It has also double the power of its predecessor that comes from the quad core processor which is clocked at 1.6 GHz. Plus, its 2 GB RAM and Mali-400MP graphics chip helps give a superfast performance. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.

The tablet has an 8 megapixel camera at the back with auto-focus and LED Flash. This camera is easily capable of recording full 1080p HD videos at 30 frames per second and the same video can be edited on the device itself. In the front, the Galaxy Note II features 1.9 megapixel camera for video calling. You can head to Samsung India eStore to book one for yourself.

Apple iPhone 5

The Apple iPhone 5 is lighter, thinner and faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. For example, the iPhone 5 has a 4 inch retina display compared to the 3.5 inch screen of iPhone 4S. Besides, the iPhone 5 features a new design and packs a faster Apple A6 mobile processor inside.

Inside the chassis, it packs a new Apple A6 mobile processor comprising of ARM Cortex A15 core architecture. Apple hereby becomes the first company to officially unveil ARM Cortex A15 core architecture based working product.

The iPhone 5 is also the first handset of the company to feature the new Maps application of Apple. Though the in-house Maps application has failed to impress many, Apple says it will improve the app in due course.

Though Apple has not revealed when it would release this handset into the market, but given that iPhone 4S arrived soon after its launch and also that for the first time Apple is selling unlocked phone, we are confident that the iPhone 5 will be launched in India during this festive season itself. Since Apple will bring the unlocked version of the phone as well, so all the operator SIM cards will work on it as well.

MTS 4 inch Dual SIM Android phone

CDMA operator, MTS is going to launch this yet-to-be-named Android 4.0 based smartphone in October. The phone will sell for Rs 12,000 and will get Dual SIM facility with CDMA+GSM option. It will also have a 1GHz processor.

The best part of the offer is that MTS will provide high speed data for three months and voice calls (unlimited within MTS network) worth unspecified amount for free with this handset.

MTS 3.5 inch 1GHz Android phone

MTS will also unveil, another dual SIM phone with same kind of benefit but with smaller 3.5 inch screen. You will get 1GHz processor as well as Android 4.0 operating system but the price will be closer to Rs 8,000.

The launch is slated for early october.

MTS entry level Dual SIM

MTS will also launch a very entry level Android 4.0 based phone priced for Rs 6,000 with a 3.5 inch screen. This yet-to-be-named handset will have a slower 800 MHz processor.

Like the above mentioned handset, MTS will also offer freebies in terms of data and voice benefits. It will come with dual SIM (CDMA+GSM) combination too. Like the above two phone this one too will be launched in early October.

LG Optimus G

Optimus G arguably is the most powerful smartphone from LG till date. The Android 4.0 based phone features a 1.5 quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro mobile processor and a 13 megapixel camera at the back.

LG Optimus G design seems a mix of LG Prada and LG Chocolate smartphones' designs. The LG Optimus G features a 4.7-inch True HD IPS PLUS display with Zerogap Touch technology touchscreen that supports 1280x768 resolution natively. That offers 320 pixels per inch pixel density, coming close to the 326 ppi pixel density of the iPhone 5.

The new QSlide Function will allow the users to enjoy the split-screen experience on the Optimus G and engage in two concurrent tasks. While watching a video, users can zoom in up to five times while the video is being played or streamed. The Optimus G also offers a dual screen dual play feature that enables watching two different contents on each screen - TV and phone wirelessly. The phone is expected in India within few weeks.

Sony Xperia T

Sony Xperia T features a 13 megapixel camera with LED flash and offers 16x digital zoom. Sony has used its Exmor R for mobile image sensing to deliver better quality images. Sony has added a front facing camera which is good enough to record 720p HD quality videos.

On the multimedia part, Xperia T features 3D Surround Sound, xLOUD Experience, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo and other proprietary technologies along with the native Walkman application. The phone will also come with NFC technology. This smartphone is PlayStation Certified, hence can access games available through the PlayStation Store.

Sony promises to release Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for this device later and has packed 1850 mAh battery inside to offer continuous talk time of about seven hours. Sony Xperia T will be available in black, white and silver colours. This PlayStation certified phone is expected in next couple of weeks.

Nokia Lumia 920

Lumia 920 is Nokia's latest flagship phone and comes with the Windows Phone 8 OS, an 8.7 megapixel camera with PureView technology and a new stabilisation feature which experts say makes it the best mobile cameras till date.

Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone comes with a 4.5-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD panel with 1280x768 pixel resolution support and super-sensitive touch. Infact, the touchscreen can be used even with the gloves on. This has been made possible with the new Nokia PureMotion HD+ technology which makes it brightest, fastest and most sensitive display so far.

The Lumia 920 measures 9.9 mm thick and houses a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family mobile processor. The smartphone has 1 GB RAM along with 32 GB on-board storage.

Along with the Nokia Maps, Drive and Transport, the company has added a new augmented reality based application called City Lens in its Location suite of apps.

Bearing the same Lumia series unibody polycarbonate design, the Nokia Lumia 920 has curved glass and comes with a non-removable battery.

The phone is expected to be launched in November and is likely arrive in India soon after.

Nokia Lumia 820

This mid-level Windows Phone 8 based product from Nokia offers a 4.3-inch OLED touchscreen display with 480x800 pixel resolution. Even this display uses Nokia's ClearBlack technology for extra brightness and makes it super sensitive to touch. Infact, one can even use it while wearing gloves. Lumia 820 houses a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 mobile processor and packs 1 GB RAM.

At the back of Lumia 820 lies an 8 megapixel image sensor with Carl Zeiss Optics with dual LED flash for clicking great photos even in low light environments. This camera is capable to capture full 1080p HD videos even at 30 frames per second. This camera can be used with the Nokia City Lens app that is powered with augmented reality and displays graphical information using camera's viewfinder.

Like Lumia 920, it offers very high end audio and video experience and all the sensors and connectivity options that you expect from a modern smartphone.

This phone too will be launched in November worldwide and will be coming to India soon after that.

Huawei Ascend D Quad

The Ascend D Quad, which was announced during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, is yet to be launched anywhere in the world but whenever it will be released, India will be second country after China to get the phone.

The smartphone will come with a quad core processor (Huawei's own processor architecture), and a 4.5 inch 720p high definition touchscreen display with 330 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution. It will also feature a 16 core GPS (for location) that offers twice the performance of normal GPS.

The phone will have an 8 megapixel BSI (backside illumination) rear camera with ability to capture 1080p full HD videos while its 1.3 megapixel front camera can be used for video callings. The phone will come with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory.

Ascend D Quad will also have an 1800 mAh battery. Notably, the phone does have Huawei's proprietary power management system, which claims to save 30 per cent power. The Ascend D quad will be launched near Diwali.

HTC 8X

HTC recently announced this Windows Phone 8 based phone, with a very attractive design. The HTC 8X features a 4.3-inch S-LCD 2 touchscreen display, manufactured using the new Corning Gorilla Glass 2 technology for great durability, slim glass panel and scratch-resistance. HTC has also added a layer of optical lamination for better sharpness, clarity and also to reduce the light reflection. That means the content on the screen would be legible even in bright daylight.

HTC has packed a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 mobile processor along with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB on-board storage in it. This smartphone supports LTE networks along with 3Gnetworks and offers wireless connectivity options through Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and faster dual-bandWiFi.

At the back, the HTC 8X flaunts an 8 megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and ultra-wide angle lens to capture more details. HTC has added dedicated ImageChip for faster focus and also deliver clear, sharp images. The 8X also has a 2.1 megapixel front facing camera for high quality video call and chat.

HTC has integrated the Beats Audio technology along with exclusively built-in amplifiers and also offers support for Near Field Communication. The phone is likely to be made available in November in India and across the world.

HTC 8S

The HTC 8S is the mid range option and comes with 4-inch Super LCD display using Corning Gorilla Glass technology. HTC has packed a dual-core 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 mobile processor with 512 MB RAM and 16 GB on-board storage, which won't be low to run WP8 OS.

Thankfully, HTC 8S has a memory expansion slot. This smartphone has slightly different and block-like design similar to the HTC HD2. Supporting dual-band 3G networks, this smartphone also supports micro-SIM and offers WiFi, Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

HTC has incorporated the Beats Audio technology for the best quality audio output. At the rear, the 8S features f/2.8 aperture bearing 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and has 35 mm lens. This camera is capable of recording 720p HD videos at 30 frames per second. There is no secondary camera on the 8S but this too has a dedicated camera button. For location based services, it offers GPS with GLONASS support. HTC has added 1700 mAh non-removable battery that should give a decent battery life.

We expect the company to introduce both these smartphones sometime in November in India