Nokia launches Asha 205 and Asha 206 feature phones

Nokia has announced two new feature phones for the global market - the Asha 206 and Asha 205. Both the phones will come in single and dual-SIM variants, the Asha 206 will feature an alphanumeric keypad while the Asha 205 will have a QWERTY keypad.

The Asha 205 features a 2.4-inch QVGA resolution display in landscape along with a QWERTY keyboard. It supports GPRS/EDGE connectivity and has a VGA quality rear camera. It also supports a microSD card and is equipped with a dedicated Facebook button. It will come in three color options of cyan, magenta and orange. The single-SIM version is rated to provide a standby battery life of 37 days while the dual-SIM version will provide up to 25 days of standby time. It is expected to be priced around Rs. 3,500 in India.

The Asha 206 also has a 2.4-inch QVGA resolution display in portrait which sits right above its alphanumeric keypad. It has a 1.3 megapixel rear camera, louder speakers than that of the Asha 205, no dedicated Facebook button and other features remain the same as the former. This device is also expected to be priced around Rs. 3,500.

Apart from this Nokia has introduced a new file-sharing service which it calls ‘Slam’ and it enables data transferring between Bluetooth capable phones without the need of paring those devices. To add to this both the phones will get 40 free EA games along with other pre-loaded apps like Facebook, Twitter and eBuddy messenger.

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Sharp debut phone with an IGZO display

Sharp is another one of those old-timers that are hurting real bad, with fear of going out of business. The company apparently has much of its hopes pinned on its IGZO display, particularly on the back of smartphone industry engaged in a battle of pixel density. To that end Sharp has debuted Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E through Japanese carriers NTT DoCoMo, which will start shipping on November 29.

The phone will have a 4.9-inch, IGZO-based display with 720p resolution. This may not be too impressive, but Sharp prides on its display’s low power consumption, a claim that will be put to the real test soon. The price of the phone is not known, but the specs put it in the top-of-the-line category.

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Samsung to launch another phablet called Galaxy Grand

After the success of Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II, Samsung is said to be working on another large screen device called Galaxy Grand, as reported on techkiddy. It is likely to be a more affordable phablet device which will have a lower screen resolution.

This device which is expected to be called the Galaxy Grand (codenamed Baffin) is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor, a 5-inch LCD display with a 800×480 pixels resolution, it will support NFC, a 2,100 mAh battery and runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. The device is Wi-Fi enabled and it will also have LTE network support. Additionally, it will feature NFC (Near Field Communication). It is difficult to think of a device loaded with such features at really affordable price, we might as well get ready for a mid-ranged handset with great features.

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Lava Iris N320 smartphone redefines entry-level, priced at Rs. 3,999

Cheaper than most feature phones, Lava's Iris N320 is quite possibly the most affordable Android smartphone in India yet, priced at Rs. 3,999. It's a dual-sim phone as well, fitting a 1GHz processor, 3.2-inch QVGA 320x240 pixel resolution screen, 2 megapixel camera, and a 1400 mAh Li-Ion battery. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n, and FM Radio, while 3G and GPS functionality is lacking, judging by the specs published online.

The Iris 320 accepts MicroSD cards unto 32GB, but is crippled by limited internal storage of just 100 MB, and is therefore unlikely to be upgradable to a version higher than 2.3.6 Gingerbread. With a QVGA screen, the 3.2-inch N320 might have better battery life than its entry-level contemporaries, which sport WVGA resolution displays at Rs. 2000 more.

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Bose Solo TV sound system now up for grabs in India

Bose recently launched its Solo TV sound system in the Indian market,  priced at Rs. 25,673. The name says it all; this is a single sound bar for your TV which creates a surround sound system effect without investing on a high-end home theater system.

Bose claims that this portable sound bar is capable of dramatically improving the dialogue, action and music on any movie. Now it might not be as precise as a fully fledged home theatre system, but if you are on a limited budget this might suit your requirements. The Solo TV is 7cm high and 52.5cm wide. It has especially been designed for big flat panel televisions, and like other horizontal sound bars it will sit right under your television. The sound system has extremely easy installation with one cable connecting to your TV. Already up for grabs in India, for a live demo check it out at a Bose experience center near you.

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Official photos of HTC Deluxe DLX leaked

Recently we saw the leaked press image of the HTC Deluxe which is the international version of the Droid DNA and HTC J Butterfly. This device is the Taiwanese manufacturers’ competitor in the phablet space and now official photos of this 5-inch smartphone have surfaced on the web.

These are not the best quality images and they hardly reveal any information about the smartphone. However, we can confirm that the HTC Deluxe will be available in Black, White and Brown and it will be referred to as HTC Deluxe DLX.

It is likely that the device might have the same specifications as its other variants, which include the 5-inch Super LCD3 full HD display, 2GB of RAM and a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon Krait processor, amongst others.

The launch of this device is still not confirmed by HTC and chances are that the company will reveal more details on the same during CES 2013 and MWC 2013, which are scheduled for January 2013 and February 2013 respectively.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera now up for grabs in India

Samsung has now launched its much awaited Android based camera in the Indian market. This device is called the Samsung Galaxy Camera and it has been for pre-order with the Samsung eStore in India.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is a fully equipped digital camera which runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Eyxnos processor. This device has a 4.8-inch S-LCD display and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, it has a 16 megapixel sensor with 21x optical zoom. It also features a microSIM slot and is a 3G capable device along with Wi-Fi connectivity. It has a microSD card for storage.

Another Android based digital camera in the market is the Nikon CoolPix S800C, which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Galaxy Camera also has better hardware. This Android based Nikon camera is priced at Rs.20,950 while the Samsung’s Galaxy Camera is officially priced at Rs. 29,990.

Samsung has pre-loaded the device with a bunch of custom applications which are developed to help the user with photography. One can also use the vast number of camera applications available on the Google Play Store.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera launched in India at Rs. 29,990

Samsung India has officially launched the Galaxy Camera in the country, and according to Mr. Asim Warsi, Vice President, Samsung Mobile, India is among the first five markets in the world where the camera has been launched.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is built upon the DNA of Samsung’s very popular Galaxy S III Android smartphone, sharing with in common the Exynos 4 processor, a quad core chip that is clocked at 1.4GHz. Along with that, there is also a 1GB of RAM along with 8GB onboard storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card. There is a gorgeous 4.8-inch touchscreen at the back, which, for a second, made us feel like we were looking at the Galaxy S III. Besides the massive processing power and RAM numbers, the Galaxy camera stands apart as a peerless innovation by packing in 3G/4G radios.

Samsung’s goal with the Galaxy Camera has been to make a shooter that is truly connected. They wanted to eliminate the “yes, I’ll send you the photos later when I get home” problem by building connectivity options into the camera so that the images could be shared instantaneously. Even though we do have an Android powered camera (Nikon’s Coolpix S800c running Gingerbread), Samsung’s Galaxy Camera stands apart from it in almost every single way.

Since the camera’s key feature is that it runs on Android, Samsung has powered the impressive hardware with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, the somewhat newest offering from Google. When asked about the plan of updating to Android 4.2 (specifically for the Photo Sphere feature), we were told that the update is in the works, but no timeline for release has been set yet.

Running on Android with such impressive hardware, the Galaxy Camera allows the users to download any app from the App store and run it on the camera. It even supports third party photography apps like Instagram and Panorama Camera 360. We tested that for ourselves to make sure it wasn’t just a gimmick and for sure, the apps worked beautifully, interfacing with the Samsung hardware very well.

One aspect of the camera that Mr. Warsi pointed out specifically was that it has been built ground up by Samsung. The processor, the RAM, the display, the 16-megapixel BSI sensor and even the 21x optical zoom lens (23-481mm) are all Samsung made. This comes in light of the fact that Samsung is known to use Schneider lenses in other camera models, but the German-made lenses are missing on the Galaxy Camera. To showcase that Samsung engineering could hold its own, prominent fashion photographer Anushka Menon showcased some of the works she had shot on the camera, and it was definitely enough to impress us.

The Samsung Galaxy camera can now be purchased online immediately and will be available in stores tomorrow for Rs. 29,990. Seeing as how a 1650mAh battery might not be enough in case you decide to use your camera as more than just a camera, the good folks at Samsung are also packing in an extra battery into the retail box for the initial sales period.

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