Panasonic introduces 10 New Smartphones for Festive Season

New Delhi, 13th October, 2015: Panasonic India today announced the release of two new affordable smartphones, the P50 Idol and P65 Flash, ahead of the festive season. Priced at Rs. 6,790 and Rs. 8,290 respectively, the phablets make for the ideal gifting purchase, with Panasonic now offering a diversified range of smartphone models for every buyer. 

Panasonic’s focus on research and development in industrial design and user interface places its smartphone products at a level above the rest in terms of form factor and user-friendliness. In-depth research of the Indian consumer has identified three key criteria that are assessed in a smartphone: impressive screen displays, quality cameras and powerful battery back ups. The new P50 and P65 models tick all the right boxes, with sharper IPS HD displays, dual cameras, and mega battery capacities. 

Both devices are supported by the latest Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS and powered by 1.3GHz Quad Core processors, 1GB RAM, and 8GB internal memory support expandable to 32GB with a micro SD. They support dual cameras with an 8 MP main camera enabled with LED flash and 720p HD recording as well as 2 MP front facing lens. Equipped with full connectivity packages including advanced A-GPS technology, both dual SIM models offer 3G support. The P65 Flash flaunts a 5.5-inch screen, complemented by a metallic gold or silver finish, with a mega 2910mAh capacity battery for longer operations. With a similarly large 2150mAh battery, the 5-inch P50 Idol comes with stylish contour edges for a sleek profile. The innovative metallic brush-effect on the back panel gives the device a Japanese premium brand look. 

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Pankaj Rana, Business Head – Mobility Division, Panasonic India, said, “Indian consumers are well aware and perceptive buyers, well informed about technology trends and available offerings in the market. We always keep the consumer behaviour in mind at every step of our smartphone design and manufacturing strategy. With the release of the P50 Idol and P65 Flash, Panasonic now offers nearly 30 smartphones at affordable price points for every buyer to indulge themselves or their loved ones this festive season.”

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Remote Control Functionality is the Top Driver of Smartphone Upgrades: Peel Global Survey

New Delhi, India-- A global survey by Peel, the California-based company funded by ecommerce giant Alibaba, shows that infrared-based universal remote control functionality has emerged on the top of the list for buyers looking to upgrade to a new smartphone. The online survey had participation from 2140 smartphone owners worldwide. At 58%, users rated remote control capabilities way ahead of mobile payment capabilities (19%), finger print sensors (13%) and heart rate monitors (10%) as the feature they would be “most likely to use”.

Smartphone users in India, which is among the fastest growing smartphone markets, expressed a keen interest in remote control features, with 84% of respondents saying they were an “important” factor in their decision to purchase a new smartphone, just behind China (89%) and South Korea (85%). In the U.S., 52% said it was an important factor in their next smartphone purchase.


“While they have emerged globally as a major new use case for smartphones, universal remote capabilities are even more desirable in countries such as India because of the wider range of devices they can control in the home such as air conditioners, ceiling fans and heaters,” said Peel co-founder and CEO Thiru Arunachalam.

When asked to choose just one new feature to be available on their smartphone, 41% of the respondents from India chose “controlling their TV, etc. with IR remote,” followed by mobile payment capabilities (29%), fingerprint sensors (24%) and heart rate monitors (7%).

Remote control capabilities were first introduced on Android smartphones over two years ago and seem to be growing popular among users very fast. Today, many of the latest Android smartphones come equipped with an IR port which enables users to dump their plastic remotes in favor of using their phone to control their TV, set-top box, DVD player and other home electronics. Smart remote apps also allow users to find content to watch more easily, set reminders and even program DVRs.

In contrast, European smartphone owners surveyed by Peel appeared less aware of or interested in smart remote options with mobile payments ranking ahead of remote control features, followed by fingerprint sensors and heart rate monitors as influencing purchase decisions.

Where on one hand, IR remote capabilities are available in the U.S. and other developed nations only on high-end phones such as the Galaxy S and Note series from Samsung or the HTC One M8 and M9, yet on the other, several manufacturers in China, including Xiaomi, ZTE and TCL, and in India (Celkon, Panasonic, Alcatel OneTouch, Xolo) have begun to offer Android phones with advanced IR capabilities for as little as Rs.3199, including the recently announced A35K Remote from Celkon. The Peel Smart Remote has become the most popular app globally taking advantage of IR capabilities, with more than 115 million registered users who have generated over 100 billion remote commands to date.

While Apple so far has chosen not to include an IR port on any of its competing phones or tablets, two in five iPhone users surveyed said they would be interested in the same remote capabilities enjoyed by Android users.

Peel makes it easy for Indian consumers to switch to a smartphone remote because it works with all popular brands of TVs and air conditioners sold in India, and 600 set-top boxes, including those from Airtel, Tata Sky, Dish TV, Hathway, DEN and Siti Cable. For Indian consumers, Peel features TV listings from WhatsOnIndia. India is one of the fastest growing markets for Peel with users doubling every six months.

The use of smartphones to control the home is expected to continue to increase in popularity as more consumers add Internet connected household devices such as thermostats, plugs and lighting. Many believe that remote control will emerge as one of the valuable use cases driving the adoption of smart watches as well.

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Panasonic launches ELUGA L 4G @ Rs.12,990

New Delhi, 4th May, 2015: Matching its speed with the fast paced technological innovations and advancements in the mobility segment, Panasonic has introduced a new feather to its smartphone series “ELUGA” in the Indian market. Equipped with top of the line hardware, the ELUGA smartphone series is known for its design, superior build quality & unique user interface for single hand operation.

India is a market where next-generation technology in the form of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) will soon change the complete mobility landscape. In line with this, the latest incarnation from Panasonic has been introduced keeping in mind the concept of #TAGLIFE which resonates with the sentiment of the youth and calls out for a powerful message that echoes and communicates their personality, thus enabling a change in the Smartphone landscape.

MAKE A STATEMENT- Unibody, Light Weight and Glossy
Keeping in mind the form and functionality, the ELUGA L has been designed which features a 6.1mm sleek, light-weighted and a lustrous finish design. Its sleek design and size is perfect for comfortable usage and its light weight makes handling the phone even more effortless. Fitted with Corning Gorilla Glass (Front + Back) for protection, the phone also features a 12.7 cm (5) HD IPS display to render sharp and vivid visuals. All in all, the ELUGA L packs all the style and performance you need in one solid device.

DO MORE. BE MORE- Qualcomm 64 Bit Snapdragon 410 Processor
Featuring a 64 bit 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Quad Core processor with 1GB RAM, the ELUGA L performs better at multi-tasking and carrying out intensive processing than its peers. One can run multiple applications and switch effortlessly amongst them, without any runtime lag or performance dip.

ZIP THROUGH- 4G/LTE Enabled
Files and movies can be downloaded at half the time, pictures can be uploaded on social media and live TV can be watched without any interruption. With the latest in mobile technology, these advantages are equipped with 4G/LTE technology in the phone.

MAKE MOMENTS MEMORABLE- 8MP Rear Camera, 5MP Selfie Front Camera
Memorable moments can be captured with the all-powerful 8MP Rear Camera and the 5MP Selfie Front Camera featuring BLINK PLAY Technology. With a powerful flash, images can be captured in dark and low light conditions enabling a seamless experience for the consumers.


AN EFFORTLESS EXPERIENCE- Fit Home UI for Smooth Navigation
Featuring Panasonic’s exclusive “Fit Home” User Interface, navigating through applications and files has now been made easier with UI specifically designed for single hand operation and exclusively integrated in ELUGA series of Smartphones. The ELUGA L 4G will be available in Radiant Blue color.

Expressing his pleasure on the launch, Mr. Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India said “Panasonic India has now signaled a big leap in its product portfolio by bringing better specifications and features in the newly launched Eluga L which not only caters to the fast developing technological needs in the market but is also priced reasonably. With the company’s recent success in the smartphones category and the mobility landscape rapidly evolving today, the new device will surely match the needs of our fast evolving consumers in the country.”

Sharing his thoughts on the ELUGA L, Mr. Pankaj Rana, Business Head – Mobility Division, Panasonic India said “The newly launched Smartphone ELUGA L will enable faster data transfer by not only providing a better bandwidth but also a quicker speed. As cellular data is a part of many people’s lives today, this phone will enable them to utilize the internet in a quicker and richer way thus opening new possibilities in the fast growing technology environment today.

KEY FEATURES:

DISPLAY SIZE TYPE & RESOLUTION	5" HD IPS OGS (1280x720)
PROCESSOR	1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit Quad Core
DIMENSIONS	142 x 71 x 6.1mm
CAMERA	8 MP Auto Focus with LED Flash Back Camera ; 1080p Full HD capable
	5MP Front Camera
CONNECTIVITY	Dual SIM (4G + 3G)
	LTE (4G): TDD B40 2300MHz, FDD B3 1800MHzWCDMA (3G): 900/2100Mhz GSM (2G):  900/ 1800/1900 MHz
	802.11b/g/n; Wi-Fi Hotspot & Wi-Fi Direct
	Bluetooth 4.0 ™ A2DP
MEMORY	1GB RAM
	8GB ROM with expandable Micro SD up to 32GB
SENSORS	Light Sensor, Proximity sensor & Accelerometer
NAVIGATION SUPPORT	Yes, with A-GPS support
AUDIO & FM	FM with RDS
ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES	Premium Screen Guard & Protective Case

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Frankly.me is app that may connect you to your Bollywood idol

At a time when the whole country is abuzz with news and gossip about the Delhi assembly elections, wouldn't it be cool for any citizen to talk to the two main CM candidates, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi? The newly launched Frankly.me allows people to do exactly that. The app tries to diminish the gap between common people and celebrities by bringing well-known people on its platform and allowing users to ask questions.

When it comes to connecting to the followers, most celebrities, actors, and politicians have taken the stage to social media, but it becomes a moot point when the conversation is one-sided as the people don't get a chance to ask questions or respond directly to the person. This is the problem that Frankly is trying to solve. A user can ask a question to any of the personalities listed on the app. The selected question then gets answered by the respective person, say a politician, actor, or author.

Another difference between something like Twitter and Frankly is that the answers on this app have to be in video format. This means you know that your question is getting answered by your idol and not by a person employed to write emails. For example, a tweet by Salman Khan may not actually be written by the actor. But on Frankly.me, the interaction becomes more personal as the celebrity in question has to answer with a selfie video. Interestingly, the selection of a question to be answered is 'diplomatic'. Other users can up vote a question. Thus the most up voted, or most asked questions, are usually answered by celebrities.

Frankly.me sports a user-friendly UI. You can discover celebrities using Frankly in 'Discover' tab and select the ones you want to follow. The chosen ones will then be shown in the 'Feeds' tab. Each profile has an 'Ask' button next to its name.

Launched in December, 2014 Frankly.me has a current user base of about 50,000. Moreover it has roped in over 213 famous personalities, including politicians Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, and Ajay Maken. Also singers/musicians as Mahalaxmi Iyer, Tochi Raina, and Shafqat Amanat Ali are there to answer routine or difficult questions. The app has been updating the list continuously, some recent addition can very well be called inspirational to youth. Frankly.me has brought in poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, author Sandeep Unnithan, young wrestler Sangram Singh, and Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl.

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ED integrates smartphones with kitchen appliances

ED integrates smartphones with kitchen appliances
Launches Bluetooth-enabled smart induction cooktops that play music

New Delhi: E-Durables, one of the largest original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for multinational home appliance brands has announced the launch and availability of ED range of smart induction cooktops that are Bluetooth-enabled and come with in-built speakers and USB port. Nita Mehta, the celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur unveiled the innovative ED Smart Tops at a press conference today.


According to Mr. Ajay Singhania, Director, E-Durables, “ED Smart Tops are aimed at making cooking an enjoyable experience. There’s a lot that modern women wish to do while cooking. For example, they can connect their phone and the ED Smart Top via Bluetooth and play music on its in-built speakers, download an audio cookbook and listen to the recipe while preparing the same or have a skype chat with their mother for tips on how to cook the way she does.”


“Kitchen appliances need to turn smarter for smartphone users. Besides the Bluetooth & MP3 music capabilities, ED Smart Tops have a unique slider control for power and time. It comes pretty handy when you need to increase or decrease the temperature quickly. Rather than pressing the touch button multiple times, a simple slide is all it takes,” informs Mr. Gaurav Bhutani, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, E-Durables.

“What’s more, it has a USB port too which allows you to connect your PC or laptop to the device and charge your phone as well. Essentially, this range with one-touch functions is aimed at young and enthusiastic, and is equipped with features that suit the passionate cook in them,” adds Mr. Bhutani.

The range sports an electricity consumption reader which keeps you apprised of the power consumption. You’d know which dish takes how many units of electricity to cook. What’s more, there is a child safety lock – children will not be able to operate it when you are away. It also has an advanced LED display, a mini remote for hands-free operations, and intelligent ICs on board. Other key features include 5 power levels, 3-hours timer function, 24-Hour preset function, flame-retardant plastic body and RoHS compliance. Moreover, the slim and trendy polished glass design with vibrant colors – especially the trendy tattoo and premium champagne – adds life to your cooking experience.

“We intend to be an aspirational yet affordable brand. Leveraging on our manufacturing expertise and strength through 4 different plants in UP and Uttarakhand and a pan-India service network, we are hopeful of making great inroads in the domestic as well as export market in the days to come. We will soon expand out product portfolio to include air conditioners, oil-filled heat radiators, water heaters, iron, microwave, juicer mixer grinders, gas cooktops, induction cookware and non-stick utensils,” said Mr. Singhania.

ED plans to sell its range of products through distributors and resellers/retailers as well as modern trade partners which include the e-commerce sites and teleshopping channels.

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Google Android One: Airtel statement

“As telecommunication transforms itself into essential services across entertainment, healthcare, education, banking et al, ~$100 smartphones are critical for enabling masses to access these services at ease.

 Android One is a step towards this segment that will further augment the proliferation of smartphones in the country and empower public at large.

Airtel is collaborating with Google in this initiative that will enable many more Indian’s to experience smartphones for the first time on a world-class network and help unlock the potential of the rapidly growing market while meeting the increasing demands of customers.

Android One customers on Airtel will be able to stay updated on the latest Android version and update all their apps at no additional data charges.

Customers can enjoy 100 MB of data per month for 6 months for software updates and 200 MB per month for 6 months for app downloads and updates on the first prepaid active Airtel SIM inserted in the Android One device."

Anand Chandrasekaran, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel

Press release issued on behalf of Bharti Airtel by MSLGROUP India
For details contact Parul Ahuja/ Vidhi Thakur at +91-9999644972/ +91-9910562932

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Panasonic Launches Its Flagship Smartphone P81

New Delhi: Delivering on its promise of presenting its consumers with the most innovative and advanced products, Panasonic, the global leader in consumer technologies, today unveiled its latest smartphone- P81. This latest offering from the company showcases its proficiency to innovate and offer its customers with unique software & design based features specifically designed for the Indian market.

P81 is Panasonic’s first flagship device of the year & the latest addition to the “P” series. The newly launched Panasonic P81 is 13.97cm (5.5) IPS HD (720x1280), 1.7GHz true octa-core smartphone, running on AndroidTM 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) with 13MP Full HD capable Autofocus camera & 2500 mAh battery. The 7.9mm thin Leatherette smartphone will be available to consumers in India from the third week of May, 2014, at the best price of Rs.18, 990.

With the launch of this device, the company adds more to its “Play Life” bouquet of features, giving the customers a completely new multi-tasking experience seamlessly, where users can play around designing screens, keep device RAM healthy with “Device Cleaner”, multi-play with features like dual window operation, multi-task while watching videos with its Pop-i Player. Additionally, the smartphone also understands gestures with Panasonic’s signature feature, the “Gesture Play”.

The phone comes with Apps Freebies of Rs.9900/- including Evernote 6 month Premium services worth Rs.1800/- exclusively available for Panasonic smartphones, free entertainment download from Hungama for a month , India Today finest e-content & trendy offers from Hot-n-Trendy Space. Packed inbox are accessories worth Rs.2000/- as well.

Expressing his pleasure on the launch, Mr. Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India said “With the launch of the Panasonic P81, we have reached yet another milestone as this is the first model of the “P” series featured with octa-core processor. The introduction of this model reiterates our commitment to keep innovating as we believe that it is a direct result of the consumers’ needs, and customer centricity has to be at the core of developing products for the Indian consumer.”

Innovation enhanced through Features & Design

Panasonic while keeping the overall feel of device matching to the price segment, has upgraded the “Play Life” UI adding a few more innovative Multi Play features like Dual window operations named “ Dual Play” & screen design functionality named “Play More” to the Octa core device. Other than this, the company has also introduced Leatherette back cover for a better grip & style and a “Device Cleaner” feature for clearing the unwanted memory packets from the device’s RAM.

Panasonic P81 –The newly launched Leatherette design smartphone P81 has 13.97cm (5.5) IPS HD (720x1280) smartphone comes with True Octa Core processor clocking 1.7GHz & 13MP front camera. Panasonic P81 is a Dual SIM Android smartphone with premium leather & metal design backed with 2500mAh battery.

Panasonic P81, adds more features to Panasonic’s “Play Life” bouquet of features, giving the customers a completely new multi-tasking with speed experience, where users can play around designing screens, keep device RAM healthy with “Device Cleaner”, multi-play with features like dual window operation, multi-task while watching videos with its Pop-i Player, & also the smartphone understands gestures with Panasonic’s signature feature, the “Gesture Play”.
To add to the consumer delight this new device comes with a Freebie offer of Rs.11900/- including Premium Screen Guard & Flip cover worth Rs.2000/-

P81 is priced at Rs. 18,990.
Panasonic P81 is available in Black color


KEY FEATURES:
DISPLAY & RESOLUTION    13.97cm(5.5) HD (720x1280)
DISPLAY TYPE      IPS Panel
PROCESSOR    True Octa Core 1.7 GHz CPU
OPERATING SYSTEM    Android™ 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
MEMORY    1GB RAM 8GB ROM Expandable up to 32GB
CAMERA    13 MP Auto Focus with LED Flash Back Camera Video Playback: upto FHD;  Video Capture: 1080p FHD@30fps  2MP Front Camera
BATTERY    2500mAh
CONNECTIVITY    GSM 900/1800/1900 ; UMTS 1900/2100
HSPA+ 21Mbps Downlink ; 5.76 Mbps Uplink  802.11b/g/n; Wi-Fi Hotspot; Bluetooth 3.0 ™
SENSORS    G-Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity sensor
ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES    Flip Cover & Screen Guard
DUAL SIM    Dual SIM(Standby)
AVAILABLE COLOURS    Black

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Times of India releases major upgrades to its Android and iOS apps

New Delhi, 14th May, 2014: Timesofindia.com, India's go-to destination for news across web, mobile and social platforms, releases version 3.0 of their iPhone and Android app.

The latest apps boast of a sleeker design, enhanced user experience and a host of new features. While the iOS app for iPhone & iPod touch gets an entirely new user friendly design, day/night themes, adjustable font size and the ability to zoom in to photos, the new Android app has a contemporary card layout, an expandable widget with choice of section and refresh rate, an additional color theme and the ability to effortlessly switch between Portrait and Landscape modes.

Speaking on the occasion, Puneet Gupt, Business Head, Times of India digital, says – “We have evolved the apps into an entirely new experience based on feedback from millions of our users. Along with the depth and breadth of Times of India’s news coverage, these apps now come packed with a stronger feature set to ensure that staying up-to-date is now an even more pleasant and enriching experience.Version 3.0 apps are our best apps for iOS and Android till date.”

Other improvements to the apps include visibly faster response, an entire new line of push notifications, complete Election coverage and better handling of memory and space used by the applications.

Version 3.0 apps can be used on iOS 6 and above for Apple users and Android 2.3 and above for the Android platform.

To Download the new TOI V 3.0 app for iPhone / iPad touch & Android :visit http://toi.in/mapps

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HTC unveils the HTC Desire 310

HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has unveiled the new HTC Desire 310, bringing seamless multi-tasking, smooth browsing and effortless video creation to the entry-level market. Fusing a sophisticated navy blue design with a powerful quad-core processor, HTC BlinkFeed, and HTC Video Highlights, the latest addition to the Desire family makes some of the celebrated One series’ most popular features available to those who want a more affordable handset without compromising on performance.

“Everybody today wants a smartphone that can keep up with them, regardless of whether it is a flagship or entry-level model” says Faisal Siddiqui, Country Head, HTC India. “The latest addition to our renowned Desire range combines super-fast processing and premium features at a lower price, offering users the best possible experience in this category.”

Advanced performance guaranteed
Boasting a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, the Desire 310 can comfortably meet any challenge, no matter how you want to use your phone. Whether you want fast, responsive web browsing, silky-smooth graphics when watching videos or playing games, or simply the ability to juggle multiple apps, exceptional performance comes as standard with this device.

HTC BlinkFeed: Bringing your favourite content direct to your home screen
HTC’s renowned BlinkFeed home screen, first introduced with the HTC One, now gives you the opportunity to join the millions of HTC users who have customised their live streams to deliver more relevant, up-to-the-minute news and social updates direct to their home screens. Displayed on the Desire 310’s 11.43 cm screen, updates from your favourite news and social sites including Twitter, Facebook and China’s Sina Weibo are displayed in crisp detail and rich colour, making the information easy to digest whenever you glance at your phone.

With the Offline Reading mode, it’s now possible to view articles from your personal feed, drawn from more than 20,000 articles a day from the world’s leading media companies, making it an ideal option for those on a limited data plan. Simply add up to 120 articles to your reading list when connected to WiFi and access them later to enjoy data-free reading on the move.

Video Highlights: Your life in motion
With the Desire 310, your pictures and video clips are automatically turned into a professional-looking show reel of your best moments. Select photos taken with the Desire’s 5MP camera, place them into your preferred sequence and choose your favourite tracks and effects to create impressive videos to share with friends and family through social networks. Do not reproduce, distribute or otherwise use copyrighted materials in connection with the Video Highlights feature unless you have secured the copyright owner’s permission first.

Dual SIM
Dual SIM card holders give you the freedom of having two phones in one, making it easy to switch between multiple mobile accounts and manage both work and personal profiles from one device.

Price & Availability
The HTC Desire 310 will be available at MOP (Best Buy) of Rs 11700/-

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HTC unveils HTC One M8 Smartphone

HTC, a global leader in innovation and design, today unveiled the highly anticipated new HTC One (M8), the ultimate evolution of the award-winning HTC One (M7). Launching in Gunmetal Gray[1]with the all-new HTC Sense™ 6, the new HTC One (M8), boasts a high quality metal unibody with a Smart Sensor Hub that anticipates your needs and uses Motion Launch™ controls to make everyday tasks easier. New Duo Camera technology delivers creative, professional-looking photos and amazing effects, and HTC BoomSound™ again sets new standards for audio quality on a smartphone.

Peter Chou, CEO, HTC said: “In 2013 we introduced the best smartphone in the world, but we never stopped challenging ourselves and the status quo in this category. As pioneers in mobile innovation, we continue to design and build devices that will dazzle, inspire and transform the smartphone industry. Today I’m proud to launch the most stunning, intuitive and advanced handset that the industry has seen to date, the new HTC One (M8).”

Beautifully designed inside and out

Achieving another breakthrough in design and quality with the new HTC One (M8), the phone’s body has been re-crafted to create an even more stunning yet approachable look. The beautiful, durable, high quality metal unibody flows right up to the 5-inch, full HD (1080p) display, tapering to thinner edges, with softer curves for a smooth, more natural grip.

Supported by the Qualcomm™Snapdragon® 801 processor with 2.5 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and fully integrated 4G LTE, and running Android 4.4, KitKat, the latest version of the Android OS, the new HTC One (M8) features the all-new HTC Sense™ 6, available on the device and as an upgrade from the Google Play store[2]. Completely redesigned with a cleaner, more striking visual style, HTC Sense™ 6 features bold, customisable colour themes and delivers a more intuitive, personalised user experience

A leap forward in smartphone imaging

The new HTC One (M8) brings a totally different dimension to mobile imaging by combining the world’s first smartphone with a Duo Camera that features HTC’s innovative HTC UltraPixel™ module, a dual colour flash and full 1080p HD video recording, producing incredible images in all lighting conditions and rich, high-quality video. A 5-MP wide-angle front facing camera also captures superior selfies with ease.

The Duo Camera boasts a depth sensor in addition to the main HTC UltraPixel™ module, capturing detailed depth information from a scene and enabling a range of beautiful and creative effects that allow you to do more with your images than ever before.

Instantly create professional-looking portraits by altering the focus of your image after the photo has been taken with UFocus™ or make your subject stand out in a more surprising way by altering the background with creative effects using Foregrounder. You can also give your best shots a seasonal flavour using the Seasons animations. Copy & Paste[3]lets you place your family and friends in a different photo entirely, while Dimension Plus™ presents a unique perspective on your photos by letting you view your image from a different angle by simply tilting the screen.

The advanced camera technology also works behind-the-scenes capturing images right from launch, so that when the shutter is activated, the sharpest possible image is instantly displayed. The camera autofocus operates at a speed of 300mseconds, producing beautifully crisp images of split-second action and when the flash is required, the intelligent LED Dual Flash automatically selects the exact colour tone and light intensity for more natural skin tones and a professional-looking shot.

With so much scope to create exciting imagery, Gallery organisation has also been a priority for the designers of HTC Sense™, who have introduced Image match, a visual search tool that intuitively moves all the photos containing a particular subject into one album.

Finally the new HTC One (M8) has also integrated Slow Motion mode, which lets you shoot HD slo-mo video and then edit that video so you can slow down the action at the part you want – perfect for adding drama or for highlighting a moment.

Zoe™in the cloud

In 2014, Zoe™ will evolve into a cloud-based service. Upload Zoe Videos for all to see, and invite friends to add their own photos, videos and music to share incredible highlight reels of classic moments. The new Zoe app will be available for download through Google Play in the summer.

Motion Launch™ – convenient gesture controlled shortcuts

With the introduction of HTC Sense™ 6, the new HTC One (M8) boasts capabilities that give the product a sixth sense. For example, Motion Launch™ is immediately able to detect its position and movement, thanks to built-in motion sensors that allow you to interact with the phone without turning on the screen. A simple swipe will activate the device, Auto Answer allows you to answer a call by putting the phone to your ear without touching the screen – a handy tool if the phone rings when you are digging the garden or washing the dishes – and a double tap turns the lock screen on and off.

HTC Dot View™ case – protect your phone with retro flair

Taking that sixth sense functionality one step further you can extend Motion Launch™ by double tapping the dot view case, in addition to checking the time, weather, new texts, emails and calls - without touching or revealing the screen.

An outstanding phone deserves a case that protects and extends its innovative design and industry-leading functionality. Optimised by HTC Sense™ 6, the new HTC Dot View™ phone case protects the screen, whilst displaying notifications and interactions in a retro, dot-matrix style.

Extreme Power Saving Mode – extra standby time at no extra cost

The innovation doesn’t end there, as we are also changing how people use their phone battery. With the original HTC One (M7), HTC optimised power consumption so that you could get the most out of your phone. The new HTC One (M8) takes this to a whole new level making the battery power last 40% longer. Whilst normal power saving mode delivers a great experience, we have also included an Extreme power saving mode that makes your battery last even longer. Fully charged it will deliver 14 days’ worth of battery power, whilst still allowing you to receive calls, texts and emails – perfect for when you are travelling. Activated either manually or automatically, it delivers 60 hours of extra standby time at 20% power, 30 hours at 10% power and 15 hours at 5% power so, whether you are out late at night or hiking in the mountains, you never have to worry about running out of battery again.

HTC BoomSound™ gets bigger

The new HTC One (M8) again takes the smartphone audio experience to new heights. The latest HTC BoomSound™ technology creates an immersive, powerful, crystal-clear sound with rich tones from bass through to treble. Delivering sound that is 25% louder than the HTC One (M7), without compromising quality, the new HTC One (M8) has dual frontal stereo speakers with a new amplifier, redesigned speaker chambers and a tailored audio profile for a truly high definition experience.

HTC BlinkFeed™ – Your news direct to your home screen

HTC BlinkFeed™ is now more intuitive, with continuous scrolling for a fluid browsing experience, adaptable tiles and a new layout that presents articles in a clean, easy-to-read way. With the introduction of a new SDK that allows partners to integrate their own content, users can more easily find and subscribe to new media sources, in addition to instantly creating custom feeds on any topic. So whether you are into sports, movies or shopping, this feature ensures that that you will get the information most relevant to you. With News Bundles that bring all articles and tweets on the same topic together for easy reading and over 1000+ content partners now clearly categorised on one page, following the most interesting news couldn’t be simpler[4].

Fitness at a glance

With the new HTC One (M8), you can get healthier and stay motivated by combining its power-saving sensor hub with the preloaded Fitbit® app.[5]Alternatively, use the phone in conjunction with one of Fitbit’s range of trackers[6]to access advanced features such as sleep tracking and smart alarm or to capture data when exercising without your phone. Set your fitness goals and see your achievements brought straight to your HTC BlinkFeed™ home screen with no additional effort. Fitbit is the top downloaded app for connected fitness devices on the Google Play store.

HTC Sense™ TV

The only remote you need on the new HTC One (M8) has been redesigned to provide an interactive second screen. You can follow the conversation about the programme online with integrated official Facebook and Twitter streams along with all the latest fan commentary from your social circles. HTC Sense™ TV now also brings live sports statistics for the 10 most popular sports in the world, with sports fans now able to access the latest scores, match statistics and live updates from unmissable games while they watch another game on the main TV screen.

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HTC unveils Butterfly New Smartphone at Rs 45,900

HTC, the Taiwan company, has launched its new smartphone – Butterfly in Indian market, which is priced at Rs.45,900.

The smartphone costs more that Samsung Galaxy S III which costs around Rs. 32,000 in Indian market.

HTC launched Butterfly, which runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and have best specifications like 1.5GHz quad-core process with 2GB RAM.

It has 16GB onboard memory, not only that memory support microSD is extendable upto 32GB.
Let’s have look on the features have in the new smartphone Butterfly – Bluetooth 4.0, 2G, 3G, NFC and Wi-Fi support. Also the device features microUSB for several usage and runs. 


Butterfly has 8MP auto-focus snapper with LED flash on the back and 2.1MP camera in the front.

This smartphone would be choice of many smartphone users those have been looking high range smartphone in Indian mobile market.

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Facebook Phone will be launched today – Truth or Rumor?

Facebook has announced of a press event to be held today at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, USA. This will be the first event at the Facebook headquarters since the initial public offering. Some says Facebook will be revealing its phone and some really doubt the idea.

Will Facebook phone come out today?

The only thing that Facebook told the media is “come and see what we’re building.” While some believes that Facebook will be launching something related to increase social interactions and some says it is building a mobile OS.

Why Facebook needs a smartphone?

As the competitors growing strong and Facebook not making much revenue in last quarter, Facebook may want to go strong in the smartphone segment. By offering its phone, it would be easy for world’s no.1 social network to grasp more market and beat competitors like Google.

In earlier 2012, it’s been reported in media that HTC is building a smartphone for Facebook. But at the same time it’s been seemed to be untrue as HTC itself is going under a competition phase with Samsung, Nokia and Apple.

There is also the possibility of Facebook launching a mobile OS instead of a phone, much similar to android or iOS. As Android is the most widely used mobile platform, so Facebook may want to launch its own OS and may be it will be open sourced too.

With the mystery still to be revealed, Facebook stock prices has crossed $32 for the first time, bringing good news to investors. Facebook stock prices are higher now because of its mobile applications and mobile ads, which counts 14% of its total revenue. It’s also expected that the stock prices will cross $38 and higher.

With great confusion and expectations, we wait for today’s event and see what’s there at Facebook.

P.S - On the other side there is a report, more than 600,000 UK users have dropped Facebook due to privacy policy issues. The report was provided by social monitoring firm SocialBakers.

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Smaller iPad Mini or Bigger iPhone 5 -What You are Choosing

Bedding all the rumors about Mini iPad 3, Apple launched its new smaller iPad, the iPad Mini on 23th October. With A5 processor and slick bedazzled design, iPad Mini is surely a strong contender before Google Nexus and Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

The iPad Mini is amazingly light, weighing around half of the 9.7 inch iPad and it’s much thinner than the original iPad. iPad Mini has a great aluminum back as in iPhone 5 and comes in both black and white. Where it lacks is the screen resolution which is not as good as iPad 3’s retinal display and quite same as iPad 2. The pixel density is 163 dpi which is almost same to the iPad 2, while the iPad 3 features a retinal display of 264 dpi. One of the eminent tech reviewers said that Apple has an innovative marketing style to feature its innovations and that’s what making its products more popular.

But approximately a month back Apple unveiled the bigger iPhone 5 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. With iPhone 5, Apple introduced some amazing features like improved Siri performance (Siri – the inbuilt voice assistant from Apple), new iOS6, double fast A6 Processor, wide retinal display and billion color pixilated views. Above all it is 15% thinner and much lighter (weighing around 3.95 ounces) than the previous version iPhones.

 iPhone 5 pre-orders are doubled as compared to iPhone 4S and already gained the necessary hype as expected by Apple. So now will iPhone 5 act as a speed breaker in the sale of iPad Mini and what the consumers will choose among these two.

As you start comparing the both, iPhone 5 does prove to be a winner with its double fast processor, retinal displays, bigger, thinner and light-weight structure. Here Apple does confuse its consumers choosing the right thing for them. One side you provide a bigger iPhone with improved features and faster performance; and on the other side you launch a smaller iPad with outdated features and poor processor speed.

We agree that iPad Mini is as much similar as an iPad, light-weight and easy to come in your palm. But it does lack speed, competitive display and much higher price than an iPhone 5. Starting with a price of $329 iPad Mini sounds less money-worthy as compared to an iPhone 5 starting at $199. iPad mini will beat other competitors like Amazon Kindle Fire or Google Nexus, but it may get attenuated before its siblings.

Check out more Apple product reviews at http://www.apple.com/

P.S: Apple once claimed that its iPhone or iPad sizes are the actual standard size of a smartphone or tablet. But later on when products like Samsung Galaxy S, Amazon Kindle and Google Nexus gained popularity, Apple did realized that it has to change its standard size specifications. That is when the concept of iPhone 5 and iPad Mini are developed.

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Smart Phones: A Comparison

Phablets, the phones with screen size of 5inches and above, are for those consumers, who may not want to spend on both, a phone as well as a tablet. Here is a comparison, of three brands of smart phones. Mercury magiQ, Micromax A 100, and I Ball Andi 5c.

When it comes to some features, all three are same in some aspects, such as, when it comes to touch screen, all three have 5 inch screens, Resolution, Mercury magiQ and I Ball Andi 5c, have same resolution, 800x480, whereas , Micromax A 100, has a Resolution of 854x480. All three have the same processor, 1 GHz, Same ram 512 MB, Memory again same 4 GB. All three have the same microSD up to 32GB, Camera also same, 5 MP, Autofocus and Flash.

All three have front camera with VGA, 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. When it comes to the battery there is variation in all three, Mercury magiQ, 2200 mAh, Micromax A 100, 2000mAH, and I Ball Andi 5c, 2300mAH. There is again variation in all three, when it comes to Avg Battery, Micromax A 100, gives an average of around 18 Hrs, , Mercury magiQ , gives around, 12 Hrs, and I Ball Andi 5c, gives an average of 15 Hrs. All three have Dual-Sims GSM+GSM.

Coming to the price aspect, Mercury MagiQ is priced Rs.12,700/-, Micromax A 100, is priced, Rs. 9,999/-, and I Ball Andi 5c is priced, Rs.12,999/-. So, asses all three and make a smart choice.

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Motorola Mobility Introduces Motorola DEFY™ XT and DEFY™ MINI

Press Release: 

NEW DELHI, India – 8 June 2012 – Say hello to the smartphones that defy expectations. Water-resistant, scratch-resistant, dust-proof, and featuring large batteries for amplified battery life, the Motorola DEFY™ XT and dual-SIM Motorola DEFY™ MINI set you up for social survival wherever you decide to go, making sure you stay connected for longer.

The phones’ crystal-clear Corning® Gorilla® Glass touchscreens --3.7-inch for Motorola DEFY XT and 3.2-inch for DEFY MINI-- and colourful displays are great for email, texting and browsing the Web. And don’t worry about battery life. Both Motorola DEFY XT and Motorola DEFY MINI come with an extra powerful 1650mAh battery giving Motorola DEFY XT 9.5 hrs hours of talk time and Motorola DEFY MINI 9 hours of talk time. You’ll stay entertained and informed all day and into the night.

The Motorola DEFY XT sports a 5-megapixel camera and the Motorola DEFY MINI a 3-megapixel camera. Both come with VGA front-facing cameras to connect with friends while you’re commuting or just relaxing at home. Featuring an intuitive interface with social and activity widgets, you can instantly share all the fun you’re having with your friends.

The Motorola DEFY XT and DEFY MINI also have the brains to know what matters to you most and how to get it to you fast. They are the first smartphones in India to feature MotoSwitch, a handy user interface which learns the songs you love, who you talk to most and which apps you get the most mileage from. It then cleverly collects all your preferences and stores them, which means you’ll be so organised you’ll have loads of extra time on your hands.

But don’t worry… your boredom won’t last long. Since Motorola DEFY XT and Motorola DEFY MINI are Android^™-powered smartphones, you’ll have immediate access to more than 500,000 games, apps, music, books and movies available on Google Play^™.

“Our original Motorola DEFY was a hit all over Asia. We are now expanding our portfolio of water-resistant smartphones to give you more choices without having to break your wallet,” said Rajan Chawla, country head (sales and operations), India, Motorola Mobility. “Now you can stay connected all day long, through every adventure, and share your fun with everyone who matters most to you.” 

Motorola DEFY XT Features:

•          Android 2.3 Gingerbread

•          115 x 58.5 x 11.95 mm

•          850/2100 UMTS; 850/900/1800/1900 GSM; GPRS/EDGE Class 12

•          3.7” inch FWVGA display, capacitive touch and scratch resistant Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass

•          5MP Auto Focus camera with flash

•          Front VGA camera

•          MicroSD card support – 2Gb MicroSD card included

•          Water resistance and repellent and Dust resistant, IP67 certified

•          WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA

•          MotoSwitch 2.0 user interface

•          1GHz processor

•          512MB RAM

•          GPS/aGPS

•          3.5 mm stereo jack

•          1650 mAh battery for up to 9.5 hrs  Talk Time and up to 20 days Standby Time

•          Video recording: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, 30fps@FWVGA

•          Video playback: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, 30fps@FWVGA

•          Bluetooth^® A2DP, AVRCP

Motorola DEFY MINI Features:

•          Android 2.3 Gingerbread

•          Dual-SIM

•          850/2100 UMTS; 850/900/1800/1900 GSM; GPRS/EDGE Class 12

•          3.2" HVGA with capacitive touch with scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass

•          3MP camera with flash

•          Front VGA camera

•          MicroSD card support (up to 32Gb) 2GB MicroSD card included

•          Water resistance and repellent and Dust resistant, IP67 certified

•          WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA

•          MotoSwitch 2.0 user interface

•          600MHz processor

•          512MB RAM

•          GPS/aGPS

•          3.5 mm stereo jack

•          1650mAh battery for up to 9 hrs  Talk Time and up to 11 days  Standby Time

•          Capture/Playback/Streaming MPEG4, H.263, H.264, 30fps@HVGA

•          Bluetooth^® A2DP, AVRCP

Price and Availabily

Motorola DEFY XT is available at selected retailers starting today for a recommended retail price of INR16,190 and Motorola DEFY MINI will start retailing on June 20^th  for a recommended retail price of INR11,490.

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, owned by Google, fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit: motorola.com/mobility

Media Contacts:

Johahn Bhurrut

Johahn.bhurrut@motorola.com

+65 91010955

Motorola Mobility

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RIM to launch BlackBerry 9900 in India in Aug'11

Research In Motion (RIM) will roll out its much awaited BlackBerry 9900 in India by the second week of August.

If your planning to have the latest BlackBerry smartphone, the just wait for few weeks, you can get the its on stories in India at the price of Rs 32,500.

BlackBerry 9900 is powered by BlackBerry OS 7, equipped with sports 1.2 GHz processor and support NFC technology. It has 2.8-inch touchscreen with 5mp camera, that can attract attention of users.

Not only that, it also has 8GB of memory in support for storage of data and it is one of the slimmest smartphones.

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