TECHFINE.com: April 2014

Xolo Q1010i smartphone launched for Rs 13499

Xolo Q1010i

Xolo has launched Q1010i smartphone under its popular Q series for Rs. 13,499. The smartphone is scheduled to go on sale later this month. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and is upgradable to Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The device is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MTK 6582 processor with 1 GB RAM.

Xolo Q1010i has a 5 inch IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. It has an 8 megapixels rear camera with Exmor R sensor and a 2megapixels front camera. Camera features include Scene detection & tuning, High Dynamic Range, Low Light enhancement, Face recognition, Vertical & Horizontal Panorama capture, Geo tagging, Flash Support, Auto Focus and 1080 pixels FHD recording rear.

It comes with 8 GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 32 GB using microSD card. For connectivity it supports: 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and USB. It has 2250 mAh battery capacity, which delivers 9.7 hours of talk time on 3G.

Samsung Galaxy F:Smartphone Leaks Out

Samsung has been long rumored to release the Galaxy F- a premium handset crafted out of metal.

Samsung Galaxy F, is expected to be completely different from the existing S and Note series.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has been out now and the rumors have started entering the webosphere speculating the specs and features of the so-called ‘Galaxy F'.

Although Samsung has denied the existence of a premium series in the making, a new phone which could be the long rumored Galaxy F has emerged out of the wild.

Going by the leaked image, the purported phone is enclosed in this angular test mule chassis. Some believe that this very phone could be an early prototype of the Note 4, rather than the Galaxy F. The early prototype handset could feature a 5.2-inch QHD display (2560 x 1440), a quad-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805) clocked at 2.5GHz, 3GB RAM and a 16-megapixel camera with OIS feature.

Not much is known about the Galaxy F device when it comes to exact specifications. However, let's not forget that a similar phone was spotted a few times in various bechmarking databases.

Earlier last week, a handset carrying model number SM-G900 leaked in Benchmark results. According to results found on GFXBench, the ‘Galaxy S5 Prime' features a 5.2-inch display with QHD resolution (2,560×1,440 pixels)-making it a slight larger than the standard Galaxy S5.

BlackBerry Z3 Launched Soon

BlackBerry Z3

BlackBerry has been making up to the headlines quite often these days and because of the company's instant messaging app BBM, the Canadian smartphone maker is being talked about in the market in a loud tone.

However this time around, the company's upcoming BlackBerry Z3 smartphone is reportedly said to be launched soon in Indonesia. According to an interview with BlackBerry CEO John Chen that was published over the weekend, Chen is flying to Indonesia next week for the launch of the Z3.

To refresh on the device, it is designed by contract manufacturer Foxconn. Not only that but the BlackBerry Z3 is also warehoused by the company. On the other hand, if you wonder what BlackBerry is doing, it is only going to provide software and do the marketing campaign for the handset.

In terms of the specs of the device, the entry level BlackBerry handset will feature a 5 inch screen like the BlackBerry Z30, but with a lower resolution screen of 540 x 960. The device is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of native storage. The smartphobne is priced at under $200 (approx. Rs. 12,015). But in this range there are already anumber of device available in the market.

And since Nokia has also entered into the Android market now, it will be a tough time for BlackBerry to reach the expected position with the particular handset.

Nokia Releases Update For Asha range of Smartphones: New Features

Finnish giant Nokia pushes out software update for the Asha 500, Asha 501, Asha 502, Asha 230 and the dual-SIM variants.

Dubbed as the software platform 1.4, the update pushed to owners contains many new features, including the MixRadio service, enhanced camera features, improved Fastlane and support for Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage facility.

Via the update, those of you who are lucky enough to get the Asha range will now be able to stream millions of songs for free using Nokia MixRadio. For the reminder, the MixRadio is not available on the Nokia Asha 230.

Among the new features, the software update also introduces nifty camera features, making the overall experience phenomenal. Now proud Nokia Asha users can take Panorama shots. Further, they will also get access to the voice-guided self-portrait feature for clicking great selfies.

iBall Slide 3G 7271-HD70

Tablet market in India is phenomenal in a lot of levels, if one observes closely. What can be seen is that customers have the option of buying a tablet from a large range, which are available across all possible price range. However, the India-based tablet vendors are more efficient in making affordable tablets in the domestic market. While the midrange is now captured by Samsung and Google. The high-end is still manipulated by Samsung and Apple.

Now one more affordable slate in the 7-inch tablet category, iBall has launched Slide 3G 7271-HD70 at the price of Rs. 8,299. The device can be called as the successor of the company's previously launched Slide 3G 7271 HD7.

In terms of specs, the newly launched Slide 3G 7271-HD70 comes with a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touch screen display.

It is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core Cortex A7 processor coupled with 1GB RAM and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS.

Imaging is pretty decent with the inclusion of 2MP rear camera with flash and a 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing snapper.

Connectivity options include 3G (via SIM card slots), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS. Additionally you will also get a Dual SIM with dual standby support in the device.

There is a native storage capacity of 8GB in the device and it is expandable via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

Looking at the specs of the device, it is pretty much a good deal at the given price point. Moreover, if you are looking out for a budget tablet, this tablet might definitely become worth your attention.

Samsung's Galaxy S5 antitheft features

Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung include free anti-theft features on its Galaxy S5 smartphones sold by Verizon Wireless and US Cellular won praise on Friday by two US members of an international coalition aimed at combating robberies involving smartphones.

The new features allow Galaxy S5 users to track devices and require the owner's account information to reset the phone.

The features, Find My Mobile, and Reactivation Lock, will come installed in the phones but must be activated by users.

"The decision... to provide Samsung's Find My Mobile and Reactivation Lock features on Galaxy S5 smartphones and to allow those features to be activated for free is a step forward in our effort to ensure the industry makes effective theft deterrents available on every smartphone sold in America," New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, and San Francisco's district attorney,said George Gascon.

Apparently, as of now, there will be features built into the phone that will lock the phone if there's an unauthorized attempt to reset it. However, although the features will be on models sold by wireless carriers Verizon and U.S. Cellular, there's no telling if the same features will arrive for users in India later. The phones will go on sale next week.

Windows XP ends on 8th April

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP on Tuesday 8 April, leaving anyone still running the 13-year-old operating system without potentially critical security updates.

Windows XP was released in 2001 and, soon after that, Microsoft announced it would support all its products for at least 10 years from the release date. However, in 2007, the company decided to extend support for XP to 8 April 2014, because it was still so widely used.

With only a day to go until support ends, estimates suggest that almost 1 in 5 personal computers still run XP. While consumers are entitled to carry on using XP for as long as they like – the software will not stop working – those who choose to do so will be much more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

This is because, every month, Microsoft has released a set of security patches to address any new vulnerabilities that may have been discovered.

The company was unwilling to reveal how many updates for Windows XP it currently issues each month but said that, between July 2012 and July 2013, Windows XP was an "affected product" in 45 Microsoft security bulletins.

The final "Patch Tuesday" for Windows XP will bring four bulletins, including a critical fix for a zero-day Microsoft Word vulnerability uncovered last week.

Lava Iris Pro 20 smartphone is launched for Rs. 13999

Lava Iris Pro 20

Lava Iris Pro 20 smartphone is launched under its Iris Pro series for Rs. 13999. It is a dual-SIM smartphone. It has 4.7 inch IPS display with 540 x 960 pixels screen resolution.

"With the tremendous response that we received after the launch of Iris Pro 30, we are now launching another product in this series to address similar needs at a different price point. The premiumness of Iris Pro 20 extends itself beautifully from Iris Pro 30 and we believe that the product will deliver an unmatched experience to consumers who want a combination of exquisite beauty and unmatched functionality", said Hari Om Rai, Chairman and Managing Director, Lava International Ltd.

Lava Iris Pro 30 specifications

4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display based OGS technology, Gorilla glass protection
1.2 GHz quad-core processor with PowerVR SGX 544 GPU
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Dual SIM (normal + micro)
8MP rear camera with dual LED Flash, Blue glass filter
3MP front-facing camera
Noise cancellation with dual microphones
Dimensions: 138×66.7×7.5mm; Weight: 114 grams
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory (2.43GB user memory), expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG
2000 mAh battery

The Lava Iris Pro 30 comes in Black color with silver metal bezel and is priced at Rs. 15,999. It would be available in the third week of January. Lave plans to launch new phones in the Iris Pro series, the Lava Iris Pro 25 and the Iris Pro 40 in coming months. The Iris Pro 40 might have a full HD screen, which is expected in about three to four months.

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra

The Xperia T2 Ultra is an XL size screen in their smartphones. But unlike the Z Ultra, T2 is not a flagship product. It is priced more modestly and packs in hardware that won't make you go wow. The goal is to sell a device that is value for money and not the one that is fastest, best looking and priciest. Well, in our opinion that is not a bad goal at all.

After using the device for over a week, we think Sony largely succeeds. Xperia T2 Ultra is a good product. But on the pricing, Sony again misses a beat. However, before we talk about the price and value of T2 Ultra, let's take a look at the device.

T2 Ultra has a 6-inch TFT screen. The resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels though around 80 pixels at the bottom of the screen are taken by virtual buttons - Home, Multitasking, Back.

The is screen but not exceptional. The screen with its 720P resolution is not as sharp as 1080P screens that have become common on phones that cost around Rs 25,000. While mostly it is something that you will rarely notice, but if you are reading an ebook or a PDF file you will see not-so-sharp text.The touch response of the screen is fantastic.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung Galaxy S5 hasn't even hit retail stores yet, but rumours about Galaxy Note 4 have already started swirling online. Japanese website CMNO.com has released a list of features that will reportedly make their way to the Galaxy Note 4.

As per the report, Samsung will not use the fingerprint scanner in Galaxy Note 4. Instead users will be able to unlock their phones by simply writing on their screens. It remains unclear whether the manufacturer will retain the heart rate monitor that it introduced with Galaxy S5.

While its screen size remains unknown, Galaxy Note 4 is likely to have higher a higher resolution display. The report claims that the next-generation phablet will have 2K resolution (2560x1440p), instead of Full HD (1920x1080p). Samsung is also rumoured to be working on a Galaxy S5 variant with 2K screen resolution.