Xiaomi launches low cost phablets in India

Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi has recently introduced two phablets variants in India. Priced at a competitive price, the 5.5 inch Redmi Note 3G and Redmi Note 4G are targeted to grab the low cost smart phone market in India. While Redmi Note is prices at Rs 8999, 4G-LTE variant of Redmi Note 4G will be sold at Rs. 9,999.

To be available across the country from December 2, like its earlier products – Xiomi Mi 3 and Redmi 1S, the new products too begin its flash sale through leading shopping site with registration beginning on Flipkart from November 25.

The company has not fixed any sales target for Redmi products in the first phase.

Unlike Redmi Note, customers can also get Redmi Note 4G in Airtel stores in six Indian cities from the second half of December. However, they should first register their names to grab their Redmi Note 4G.

Xiaomi officials revealed at the launch event that the company has plans to open more than 100 service centres in India by 2015.

The Chinese phone maker had showcased Redmi Note initially in July at the Mi 3 launch and indicated its likely price.

Having dual-SIM facility with dual standby, Xiaomi Redmi Note is run by 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6592 SoC featuring a Mali-450MP4 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Redmi runs on Android 4.2.2 with MIUI v5 skin on top.

Whereas Redmi Note 4G runs on quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM. A single-SIM device, Redmi Note 4G comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat with the same MIUI v5 skin. Xiaomi said it will provide updates to Android 5 Lollipop to customers in future. 

Redmi Note and Redmi Note 4G has similar specifications. Both have 5.5-inch 720x1280-pixel IPS LCD screens and have 13-MP rear autofocus cameras with LED flashes as well as 5-megapixel front-end cameras for taking selfies.

Both Redmi Note 4G and Redmi Note come with 8GB built-in storage and microSD card slots for expansion. While Redmi Note supports cards up to 32GB, Redmi Note 4G can support an external storage up to 64GB.

Redmi Note models are compatible to GPRS/EDGE, 3G and hotspot functionality, a Micro-USB port with OTG support, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct and A-GPS. Both the devices are supplied with long lasting 3100mAh batteries.

Lenovo Vibe X2 mobile review: A value for money

Lenovo’s Vibe X2 is the Chinese electronics giant’s latest move to get a foothold in the smart phone market. The brand doesn’t enjoy users’ confidence compared to its competitors and badly needs a product to become a mainstream hit. Comes with an affordable price (US $ 400), Lenovo’s Vibe X2 has impressive features. The model has its own UI skin offering enhanced features and customisation options.

Look and feel

First thing first! The phone looks dam smart and slim. The 'multi-layered' design gives the exterior an impression of stacking different coloured layers together, which is unique. The phone is 7.27mm think and weighs 120 grams, which make it ideal for one hand use.

With its flat edges and subtly rounded corners, Vibe X2 looks stunning and sharp. Available in red, white, dark grey and gold colours,   the capacitive touch navigation keys are arranged next to the display offering good touch sensitivity. The super-thin phablet with a brushed metal unibody sports a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) display.  

Software updates

Having customized Android 4.4 KitKat with Lenovo's Vibe UI running on top of it, Vibe X2 is powered by a MediaTek MT6595 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM inner space. 

The phone has built-in six themes each of which has different set of icons, font style, wallpapers, lock screen styles and sounds. The problem is that one can’t download and install new themes but has to customise the existing ones.

The software does not include any available Android apps and everything from Gallery, Calendar, Calculator to Email apps are supplied by Lenovo's software team. Though there is no doubt that the apps look stunningly beautiful with additional value added features, for users, it will take some time to get used to it.

Other smart gestures Lenovo offers include: Double tap the home button to shoot a picture, double tap to unlock, automatic answer call, among others. With the float menu option, one can programme the display to detect thumb impression and launch the menu, a unique functionality provided by Lenavo.

Vibe X2 comes with several built-in apps, which include Security app, Guvera music streaming app, UC Browser, SyncIt, CloneIt and ShareIt apps, Txtr eBooks app, WPS Office, Route 66 navigation and a number of Gameloft games. However, all these can be uninstalled to free storage space.

Cameras

To make it more attractive Lenovo has cameras on both sides. While the rear end has 13MP, front side has 5MP wide angle camera for enhanced selfies. The phone comes with Lenovo's own camera app, which offers settings for all optical attributes, Timer modes, Panorama, HDR, among others. Capable of recording 1080p videos, the phone, however, lacks optical image stabilization resulting in apparent shakes.

Other features

The phone has powerful 2300mAh battery, 4G LTE support compatibility, FM radio, Bluetooth and GPS.  The phone offers good signal reception and call quality apart from locking to GPS without any hiccups. The external speaker outlet on the phone, located at the back, offers good sound output but without stereo effect.

Conclusion

Lenovo Vibe X2 makes for a good buy at this price. On the positive side, the phone looks stunningly good, has quality display and performs decently if you can do with a mediocre camera. 

What is good about Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

The hype created by iPhone’s new 6 and 6 Plus is hardly died down, here comes its competitor Samsung launching its latest big screen phablet ‘Galaxy Note 4’, which is all set to hit the markets across the globe by this month end. Will it overshadow the equally impressive iPhone 6?

Priced at £629, which is just above iPhone’s new series, Note 4 comes in three variants - Frost white, Charcoal Black and Bronze Gold.  The greatest catch for Galaxy Note 4 lies in its striking 5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED display along with more sensitive S Pen stylus, powerful processor and metallic design, which would kick most of its rivals to the edge.

With 1440 x 2550 Quad HD resolution having 515 per inch pixel density, Note 4 runs close to LG G3 and leaves far behind iPhone 6 Plus.

Appearance

Discarding its chrome-covered plastic edges as witnessed in previous Galaxy series, Note 4 has shimmering and sturdy metal chassis with bevelled edges. But the metal frame is prone to scratches and Note 4 did not change its cheap leather cover at its back as in the case of Note 3. The company should have used quality leather like Motorola’s Moto X or just could have used soft plastic cover to match the colour and texture.

For bright and clear images

With any smart phone coming in the market there comes an anticipation of its camera specification and Galaxy Note 4 will clearly outwit other phones in the market with its brighter and clearer images using 16MP Smart OIS rear and 3.7MP front-facing cameras. Samsung claims that the lenses can capture perfect images even in dark background.

Advanced S Pen

The latest S Pen in Galaxy S4 provides users an improvised digital writing experience thanks to its plastic nib which has 2,048 levels of enhanced pressure sensitivity. Compared to Note 2 and 3, S Pen in Note 4 makes drawing, taking screenshots, annotating and jotting down notes, a pleasurable experience.

Software and Performance

Not long ago, Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface was in total mess, but with the launch of Galaxy S5 the company has almost fixed this issue. With Note 4, the software has become simple yet powerful. Compared to Galaxy S5 and Alpha, S Health feature is more powerful with added feature in Note 4. Apart from recording walking, cycling, running, sleep, heart rate and more, the new Note 4 has an added oxygen saturation level monitor to record oxygen level in your blood and UV sensor to read on how harmful the sun is to your body. Both these facilities are placed on the back of the phone adjacent to the camera flash.

Packed with a mammoth 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor having 3GB RAM, the performance is the best among the best. Also, users will be delighted to see apps opening quickly, games super smooth and HD videos run flawlessly. However, fingerprint scanner needs improvement as sometimes it requires repeated swipes to work properly.

More work less charge

Note 4 has long battery life even after long hours of usage. One can charge up to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes. Even after 30 hours, Note 4 would consume only 15% battery charge, so with full charge one can see one through the whole day with average to heavy usage, or can be stretched to even two days of lighter usage. For emergency situation where charging is not possible, users can opt for Ultra Power Saving Mode, which not only turns the screen to grey it will also limit the users to texts, calls and email. With this mode even 10% of charge can see through a full day of light to medium usage.

Coming with the latest multi window functions offering more flexibility, one can use multiple applications at a time on a single screen.  

    

Other features

Note 4 is water proof, light in weight (176g) and thin (8.5mm). With its more added features and facilities compared to its previous three Note phones, Note 4 justifies the steep £629 price tag.

Conclusion

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is one of the best phablets available in the market. Note 4 is far superior than other equivalent brands in the market for its high resolution screen, better OS and design and most importantly the S Pen stylus.

Though iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have undoubtedly swept the mobile markets across the globe, but for people who are particular about good and reliable operating systems with whole of apps and user-friendly software, Galaxy Note 4 will be the best bet.

Is Xperia Z3 the best from Sony? A review

Sony's latest Z-series smartphone Xperia Z3 reached the market only few months after Z2’s release. 

With refined design and few improvements in software, Xperia Z3, which was released along with the Z3 Tablet Compact and smaller Z3 Compact, promises integration with Sony's PlayStation 4 games console. Recently Sony also announced Xperia Z3v, another version of Z3, with similar specs but with remote charging facility, to be sold exclusively by Verizon.

With Z3, Sony has finally unified its various platforms into one that can give run for money for Microsoft or Apple. Xperia Z3 is available in the UK with SIM-free option from around £500 and on monthly contracts from around £35. 

Design

Having glass-covered front and rear sides with aluminium band, Xperia Z3 is smaller, slimmer and lighter than Z2. The rounded edges of Z3 helps to give better grip compared to sharper edges of Z2. The disadvantage of the glass top and bottom is that it can be prone to fingerprints smudges.

Having highest waterproof and dust proof ratings, Sony claims that Z3 can survive in underwater upto 1.5 meters for 30 minutes provided all covers and ports are tightly shut. Users can use the phone to listen to music even in a downpour or take pictures underwater. Combined with aluminium frame and super-slim body, the Android smartphone is the combination of beauty and durability.

Display

Another best thing about Z3 is its display as the IPS panel is dazzling and colors are bright. However, Sony could have capitalized on the screen size (5.2 inch) and resolution as users are limited to just five rows of huge icons. The current resolution of Z3 has been fixed as 1080x1920.  Thanks to IPS technology, the smartphone offers super sharp images and accurate colours in any angle.

Sound

Z3 is packed with Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) technology that lets listeners upscale the low-res music to high-res quality. It restores and refines compressed MP3 and AAC files, giving powerful and full-range audio output. The High-Res Audio allows less distortion and noise at a wide range of frequency reproducing sound with amazing detail. Xperia Z3 also embedded with built-in Digital Noise Cancelling technology, which reduces exterior sound by up to 98 per cent when combined with the MDR-NC31EM headsets.

Software features

Like Z2, Xperia Z3 too runs in Android KitKat but in 4.4.4 version instead of 4.4.2. Sony has set right some bugs in the earlier version and so software-wise, there is no difference between Z2 and Z3.

Featuring fast web browsing, super fluid UI and impressive multi-tasking, Sony has made Android with the powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a built-in LTE/4G modem.

Apart from having built-in themes and floating apps, Sony includes Sony Select, an app curator, Lifelog, a health tracker and PlayStation, which allows users to play PS4 games anywhere in the house. Also, Z3 is the first smartphone to make users stream PS4 games into it, which is an added incentive, especially when others in the house take their turn to play on television screen. Other specs are 3GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB internal storage, dual band Wi-Fi, NFC connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0.

Camera

The Xperia Z3 comes with the camera of same 20.7-megapixel found in Z1 and Z2 but with few changes. The ISO sensitivity has been fixed at 12,800 with wider lens for better image stability. Like Z2, Z3 can capture 4K video. But despite having 20.7 MP camera Sony produces pictures around 8 MP, which is quite disappointing.

Battery life 

Claims to have provided ground breaking two-day battery life, Sony says that the battery in Z3 can last for two days for the benefit of people who travel a lot and don’t have charging facility. The extended mode gives users another 14 per cent extra battery life. The Extra Stamina mode extends the battery life to almost a week by keeping only essential functions on while disabling other unwanted functions and apps.

Conclusion

Though Sony Xperia Z3 doesn't have a path-breaking design, some of the good things about the smartphone are its efficient battery, brilliant display, waterproof feature, improved sound quality and PS4 game compatibility. The bad things are limited and big icons, problems in autofocus and low picture output. Sony should have waited and produced more powerful device to outwit its competitors.

Apple brings in SIM enabled iPad Air 2

Buying a SIM for your new mobile phone will become a passe soon and if one goes by the latest news from Apple’s stable, the new ‘iPad Air 2’ has come embedded with SIM, which, according to mobile network analysts, will trigger a price war among mobile operators across the globe.

Apple SIM will give the owners more freedom to choose the network and exit whenever they find a cheaper and reliable option.

The 4G-compatible iPad Air 2 has come with software-based SIM card, which nullifies the need for the multi-numbered plastic cards provided by mobile network operators to take control of their services.

With the new Apple SIM, users in the US and UK can sign up directly from the devices for services from any operators and can use the same number in different nations with different service providers.

“The Apple SIM gives users freedom to select any short-term plans from selected carriers in the UK and US from their iPad,” Apple said on its website.

The SIM provides subscribers’ unique IDs and carry out the encrypted authentication number to the network of that identity.

In the UK and US most of the phones sold are locked to a particular network, hence customers have to stick to a particular service provider even though they want to end their contract early. The software-based SIM by Apple may end the phone locking practice.

Owners with new iPad Air 2 can choose short term data plans with any mobile phone provider and shift to others when needed, which means a long contract is going to go soon.

Presently, a few mobile phone operators have recognised Apple’s new technology, which includes EE from the UK and AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile from the US.

The new SIM technology could give more freedom for customers allowing them to switch networks on-the-go, if they find a network with better service at lower cost.a

Loss of iMessages! Apple finds a way

Apple has recently unveiled a new tool in its website to help users who wish to shift from iOS to other smartphones. The new web tool allows one to de-register their mobile number instantly from Apple's iMessage system. Apple was criticised by users for disappearing text messages after they changed their devices.

Many ex-iPhone users had complained earlier that they did not receive text messages from their friends and relatives. The issue was due to Apple routing the texts through iMessage even after the users switched over to other devices. Since iMessage is used only on Apple's platforms, users who changed from iOS but failed to disable iMessage wouldn't see messages sent with Apple devices. 

Users who experienced the problem had only one solution - they should deregister the old device from Apple accounts.

But with the new web tool, one should enter the phone number to be uncoupled from Apple's iMessage system. Apple then would send a confirmation code. The user should type it in the browser window and he will be free from the issue.

This tool is not useful for those who don't switch devices, but for people who often change SIM cards to different devices. The new tool will make the transition smoother. The company faced a lot of criticisms from former iPhone users when they reported disappearing of iMessages with some of them even filing case against Apple.

Beware! Your free mobile app may spy on you

Security experts have warned against downloading free apps, as they said, some of them are designed to spy on mobile users to steal their personal ID and other sensitive data.

Daily Mail, in its latest report quoting technology experts, said millions of mobile users are prone to be spied by free apps they installed on their phones.

The report said flashlight apps, which turn devices into torch, can secretly record sensitive personal details of the mobile owners. 

Vital information such as phone location, owners and their contacts and also text messages are mapped by these apps to be delivered to advertising agencies and market research firms to understand users’ shopping habits, experts claimed.

They also warned that such apps could be made by criminals, identity thieves and hackers to steal personal data which could be used to access their bank accounts and other personal information.

Most popular flashlight apps for Android smartphones are Super-Bright LED Flashlight, Tiny Flashlight+LED and Brightest Flashlight Free.

Gary Miliefsky, founder of cyber-security firm SnoopWall, advised the US government against such apps. He said customers don’t realise that these programmes could be much more than simply used as torch lights.

To escape legal wrangles, app makers write warnings that data will be passed on to third parties, inside the lengthy terms and conditions, which hardly anyone reads. However, the threat does not apply to the in-built flashlight.

American watchdog The Federal Trade Commission had earlier upheld a complaint against a flashlight app that it had failed to inform the customers that information was being sent to advertisers.

Google, which has made Android and online store for getting apps, refused to comment on individual apps but said they remove apps that violate their policies.

G3 boosts smartphone sales for LG

Driven by a strong demand for its flagship G3 and cheaper L series phones, LG Electronics' phone sale has gone up to a record 16.8 million in the third quarter of this fiscal.

In contrast to the fellow South Korean counterpart Samsung Electronics, which has projected 60 per cent fall of revenue due to sluggish demand, LG has reported increase in operating profit in the third quarter as the sales went up to 39 per cent year-on-year, due to high demand for its G3 and cheaper L series phones - L Fino and L Bello.

Yoon Bu-hyun, LG's chief of mobile division, said, "The market response for G3 has been good... and we expect that smartphone market to grow continuously, especially for LTE."

LG is currently preparing to roll out G Flex, a curved-screen smartphone, Yoon informed without giving further details.

"G3 has proven its worth in terms of competitiveness against several high end mobiles including Samsung's Galaxy S5. This has boosted the expectation for LG’s next big ticket release - G4," said an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities in Seoul.

LG is believed to have sold about 4 million G3 sets compared to 5 million sets of Galaxy S5 in the same period, which is pretty less compared to Galaxy S3 and S4.

The global demand for LTE smartphones will reach 63 billion from 43 billion in 2015, with emerging markets making the most of it.

LG's net profit stood at 203 billion won with revenue reaching at 14.92 trillion won in the quarter.

IRB to ban players using mobile phones during Rugby World Cup

Rugby players and officials participating in the World Cup scheduled next year in England will not be allowed to carry mobile phones during match days, as International Rugby Board is planning to enforce a blanket ban on using the gadgets.

The move, according to sources, is aimed at protecting the tournament from match-fixing or corruption claims.

In the recently held IRB regulations committee meeting the issue was discussed and members understood to have agreed that both match officials and players should not be allowed to use mobile phones even for texting during match days. Members also discussed ways and means to monitor the betting pattern.

Addressing media, Alan Gilpin, head of the Rugby World Cup, said, "The ban of mobile phones is under consideration. The move is in line with protecting the integrity of the game. It is the matter of taking preventive measures before anything untoward happens.”

IRB’s 2012 regulations put some strictures on players and officials on betting and sharing confidential information about match/matches to anyone including their family members.

Denying that the ban of mobile phones on players and officials will be overly draconian, Brett Gosper, chief executive of the IRB said: "We don't want to be anything draconian on players or put some strictures on their basic mobile phone use, but we don’t want to take any risks in the gambling and corruption areas."

Isle of Man to get first 5G network in world

When many countries are still struggling to have 4G network, the Isle of Man, a Celtic island situated in the Irish Sea, will get world’s first 5G phone connectivity, which is 100 times faster than 4G.

Home to around 81,000 inhabitants, the Island administration has plans to launch the next generation mobile technology in 2016, according to International Business Times.

The island, under the direct control of British Crown, has been chosen for 5G network for many reasons. Credited with a good telecom infrastructure, the upcoming International Centre for Technology, a university backed by the Manx Educational Foundation, Huawei and HP, is likely to speed up the process.

Speaking to media, Huawei's CEO Ken Hu acknowledged that 5G would be 100 times faster than 4G, the speediest network possible at the moment.

The Department of Economic Development of the isle, which is backing the initiative, said the testing is going as per the schedule.

Earlier, the island was used by Spanish wireless carrier O2 as a 3G testing zone.

LG launches AKA phones with mood faces

South Korean consumer electronics giant LG has launched a new handset for youth called ‘LG AKA’. Though pricing and availability of the new phone outside South Korea are not immediately known, the company has provided the specs of the new handset.

As per the firm's blog post on its social website, some of the features of the Android 4.4 KitKat-based LG AKA are 5-inch IPS display with HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution, quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 1.5GB RAM, 8-MP rear and 2.1MP front-facing cameras and 16GB inbuilt storage with microSD card expandability. 

Available in four different cover cases (yellow, white, blue and pink), they partially bar the display area and provide animated eyes on the screen. The available portion tells about the battery status and notification details to users. Company sources said, all the four cases portray different-styled eyes depicting different moods.

Powered by a 2610mAh battery, the handset weighs 135.5 grams and has connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, 4G LTE, AGPS, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS and USB 2.0.

LG KizON wristband to track children

In the blog post LG also claimed that it has started rolling out KizON wristband across Europe. KizON is a device designed for parents to help track their primary and pre-school children. The wearable band was launched in July targeting only customers across South Korea. 

The company, in its third quarter review notification, announced introducing KizON to European and North American countries. The price details, the company said, would be announced locally.

LG plans for new processor business

Though LG has slipped to sixth place in the ‘world’s top phone manufacturers’ list, the Korean mobile major hopes to comeback with its processor business.

LG has recently developed an 8-core application processor Nuclun, which will be incorporated in its forthcoming G3 Screen smartphone and will be sold only in South Korea. Till now, LG has Qualcomm chipsets in all its handsets. Not many phone-makers use their own chips, apart from Samsung and Apple.

Nuclun has four 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A15 cores for heavy work and four 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 cores for light work, along with Category 6 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), which supports download speeds up to 225 Mbps.

According to a media report, chips will be made at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC).

“With this new in-house solution, we will be able to enhance our product strategy against our competitors,” LG mobile chief Jong-seok Park said in a statement.

G3 Screen is equipped with 5.9-inch IPS screen, microSD slot, 32GB inbuilt memory, 2.1MP front end camera, 13MP rear camera and a 3,000mAh battery. Weighing 182g G3 Screen will go on sale this week.