Sony unveils Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact smartphones

Anupam Saxena,TOI Tech | Sep 3, 2014, 09.33 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Sony has launched its new flagship smartphone, Xperia Z3, and its compact version, Xperia Z3 Compact, ahead of IFA 2014, in Berlin. Sony has not revealed the pricing and availability of the two phones.


The Xperia Z3 will be available in white, black, green and copper colours. Compared to the Xperia Z2, the phone is an iterative upgrade.

Sony Xperia Z3 sports a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) display. Powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 graphics and 3GB RAM, the phone comes with 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 128GB.

It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sony's custom UI running on top.

The waterproof and dust resistant phone (IP65 and IP68) sports a 20.7MP rear camera and a 2.2MP front-facing camera. In terms of connectivity, the Xperia Z3 supports 3G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and A-GPS. It has a 3100mAh battery, measures 146.5x72x7.3mm and weighs 152gram. The phone will also be available in a dual-sim variant in some markets.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact sports a 4.6-inch HD (720x1280p) display. Powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 graphics and 2GB RAM, the phone comes with 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 128GB. The phone runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sony's custom UI running on top.

The waterproof (IPX5 and IPX8) and dust resistant phone (IP6X) sports a 20.7MP rear camera and a 2.2MP front-facing camera. In terms of connectivity, the Xperia Z3 Compact supports 3G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and A-GPS. It has a 2600mAh battery, measures 127.3x64.9x8.64mm and weighs 129gram. The phone will be available in white, black, red and green colour variants.

Users can now use their Xperia Z3 or Xperia Z3 Compact as a remote screen to connect to and control games on Sony PlayStation 4 gaming console.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Note Edge: A look at the key specs

The Note 4 with improved S-Pen

By tech2 News Staff /  04 Sep 2014 , 15:30

Samsung’s premium phablet the Galaxy Note 4 was unveiled at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. The company also announced a new version of the Note, the Note Edge. So what are the specifications of the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge like? We take a quick look. Interestingly, the Note 4 can also be paired with the Samsung Gear Virtual Reality Headset.

Screen
As the rumour mills had predicted, Samsung has given this smartphone a Quad-HD display with a ​2560×1440 p resolution on a  Super AMOLED screen. The screen is 5.7-inches in size which is the same as the Galaxy Note 3. Samsung has just boosted the pixels on this one and the pixel density has gone up from 386 ppi in Note 3 to an astounding 515 ppi. The display on the Note 4 is a Super AMOLED, and it’s covered by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3.

Where the Note Edge is concerned, it has a 5.6-inch screen but the resolution is Quad HD+ at 2560 x 1440 + 160. (It has 160 pixels extra) The name of the device comes from the screen, where the right edge of the screen folds to cover the side of the device. Basically on this curved edge of the smartphone, users get quick access to frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality – even when the cover is closed or the screen is locked.

Processor, RAM, Memory Space

Like the Note 3, the Note also comes in two processor versions, one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core one and another with an 1.9 GHz Octa-core processor. The quad-core one is with Snapdragon 805 chipset, which brings LTE Cat 6 support and the Octa-core processor has Samsung’s Exynos 5433 chipset and LTE Cat 4 connectivity. The Galaxy Note Edge is only coming in one version with a 2.7 GHz quad-core processor.

Both smartphones comes with 3 GB of RAM. In terms of memory space, the Note 4 will come only in a 32 GB version, while the Note Edge will have a 32 and 64 GB version. Both smartphones will support microSD upto 64 GB. ​It is strange Samsung hasn’t launched a 64 GB version of the Note 4.

The OS is Android 4.4 (KitKat) along with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI as well.

The Galaxy Note Edge is seen in this file photo. AP

Camera

Samsung says Note 4′s camera is much more advanced. The device has 16 megapixel rear-facing camera featuring a Smart Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) system to deal with camera shake. It also automatically extends exposure time in dark settings. The front camera is a 3.7 megapixel front-facing camera with f1.9 offers a default 90 degree shooting angle and up to 120 degree wide angle to allow wider shots such a group photo from the front camera. The Note Edge also has the same camera specifications.

Battery

The Galaxy Note 4 has a a Li-ion 3,220mAh battery along with Fast Charging. Samsung Note 4 also has an Ultra Power Saving Mode to preserve battery. The Note Edge also comes with fast charging but a 3000 mAh battery.

S-Pen, Fingerprint scanner 

Samsung has continued its customary improvements to the S-Pen and according to the company the Note 4 and Note Edge’s S Pen have a more user-friendly Air Command functionality. Other features include Action Memo, Screen Write, Image Clip and Smart Select.

There’s also the Snap Note feature which allows users to take a picture of their notes on a paper or a classroom board, and then quickly and easily convert to the S Note. The Note 4 also has a Fingerprint scanner, a Heartrate monitor and according to Samsung, this is the world’s mobile with a UV sensor. The Note Edge also has all these features as well.

According to Samsung the Note 4 also has multiple microphones and an improved speaker phone for better noise cancellation and a built-in Voice Recorder which offers eight directional voice tagging. Sadly, all those eye-scanner rumours didn’t come true.

Colours, availability: ​Samsung continues with its tradition of giving weird names to the colour of their devices. With Note 4, the colour names are “Charcoal Black,” “Frost White,” “Bronze Gold,” and “Blossom Pink”. The smartphone goes on sale in October and the company hasn’t specified the price. When it launches in India, it would be very surprising if the device is priced less than Rs 50,000 like the last version of the Note.

Xolo Q700s Plus Gets Listed On Official Company Website ...

Xolo Q700s Plus Gets Listed On Official Company Website ...

 

Xolo Q700s Plus Gets Listed On Official Company Website At Rs 8,499: Specs and Competition Posted by: Vivek Chhetri Updated: Monday, September 1, 2014, 11:49 [IST] Ads by Google Get New Customers Online www.google.co.in/adwords Advertise On Google. Get 5000 INR Advertising Credit When You Sign-Up Just yesterday, Lava's premium smartphone arm Xolo launched its latest octa-core smartphone in the form of Play 8X-1000 and today the company has officially listed the new device - the Xolo Q700s Plus on its website along with the price tag of Rs. 8,499. Click Here For The Latest Smartphone Gallery Xolo Q700s Plus Gets Listed On Official Company Website At Rs 8,499 XOLO Mobile Prices All Mobiles News Recharge Your Mobile The latest offering from Xolo is a successor of Xolo Q700S smartphone which was launched earlier this year. The only difference between the two are the upgraded Android version and 8GB native storage on the latest one. Apart from that almost all the specs are exactly same. Recommended: 5 Brilliant Smartphones That Offer More Than it Meets the Eye Under Rs 15,000 Xolo Q700s Plus: Key Specifications The latest Xolo Q700s Plus sports a 4.5-inch 854 x 480p display and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582M CPU coupled with a 1GB RAM. The smartphone runs on Android v4.4 KitKat and houses 8GB of internal storage unit which can be further expanded up to 32 GB using microSD card. Recommended: Here Are the Top Smartphones Under Rs 7,000 Featuring KitKat, Quad Core CPU, 1GB RAM and More... In the imaging front, users will find an 8 mega-pixel rear camera along with a front-facing VGA shooter as well. Connectivity options include: 3G, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WLAN support and it is a Dual SIM smartphone which draws its energy from a 1800mAh battery pack. Competition The latest smartphone with Android KitKat flavor that are being offered by most of the Indian manufacturers fall in the same price range at which the latest Xolo Q700s Plus is being offered at. Thus , most of the devices come with alike specifications consisting of a quad core CPU, Android KitKat OS, 1GB RAM and price range around Rs. 7,000, leading to a tough competition in the segment. Precisely, devices like Celkon Millennium Ultra Q44, Intex Aqua Style, Micromax Canvas Fire A104, Xolo Q510s IPS, Intex Aqua Style Pro and Micromax Unite 2 share most of the hardware composition of the latest Q700s Plus smartphone.

New Moto X+1 images leak, confirm some design details

01 September, 2014 |

Two new images of the upcoming Moto X+1 have surfaced, courtesy of TK Tech News.

The latest images show the front and back of the phone. Along the front we see the loudspeaker below the display as on the Moto E but it's not sure if the one above the display is a second loudspeaker or just the earpiece. There are also the four sensors in the four corners of the phone similar to the Amazon Fire but their functionality remains a mystery.
On the back we see the camera with an oversized Motorola logo. The logo is actually a power button, which explains its side. The ring around the camera lens has a flash built into it.
The picture shows the phone with a wood finish back and aluminum frame around the side. The source says the phone will be available in multiple material options for the back, including plastic, wood, leather, denim, and even a carbon fiber option that will apparently be exclusive to Verizon.
Motorola event is slated for September 4, which is just three days away from now. We should find out more then.
Source • Via

Nexus 6 / Nexus X / Moto S / Moto X ‘Shamu’: Latest Google Rumors

By Larry Ong, Epoch Times | August 28, 2014

Last Updated: August 29, 2014 6:19 pm

Could the Nexus 6 be built by HTC instead of Motorola?
There has been much talk recently about Google collaborating with Motorola on its latest Nexus phone.
The Nexus 6, code-named “Shamu,” is also known as the Moto S, Moto X, and Nexus X.
Phone Arena notes that Google and Motorola have to call the phone “Moto X” because they cannot use the “Nexus 6″ term without copyright violations.
This is so as Nexus 6 cyborgs featured in Philip K. Dick’s famous novel, Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner in films), and his family could sue Google for trademark violations if they call their phone “Nexus 6.”
The Nexus X is most probably not just speculation, as reliable tech tipster TK Tech News has managed to dig up information from Best Buy indicating that a Nexus X device is going for sale.
TK Tech News also says that the Nexus X is will be sold at Best Buy in October.
Verizon will be carrying the phone in the United States.
The Nexus X supposedly has either a 5.3-inch or 6.3-inch 2K display resolution, a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with an Adreno 420 GPU, and has a 13 mega-pixel rear camera and a 2.1 mega-pixel front camera, but doesn’t come with a fingerprint scanner.
It will run on the latest Google OS, the Android Lemon Meringue Pie 5.0.
There is no official confirmation yet from either Google or Motorola.
Google has also been linked with HTC for the Nexus 6.
Nexus6now has provided pictures of a HTC built Nexus 6 concept that features a metal shell, and speculates that the phone will have a 5.5-inch IPS QHD display, 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3GM of RAM, 13 mega-pixel camera, 3,000 mAh battery and run Android Lemon Meringue Pie 5.0.
Although Nexus6now claims that rumors of that HTC is building the Nexus 6 is “quite strong,” they have not cited any evidence to prove their case.
HTC has also not mentioned that they are indeed building the Nexus 6.

Spice launches Rs 2,299 Firefox OS smartphone

Spice launches Rs 2,299 Firefox OS smartphone, Fire One Mi FX1

PTI | Aug 29, 2014, 05.51 PM IST

CEO Spice Mobility, Prashant Bindal (R) and senior director Mozilla, James Ho (L) interact with media at the launch of the smartphone in New Delhi. 

RELATED

NEW DELHI: Aimed at capturing a larger chunk of the booming affordable smartphone market in India, domestic handset maker Spice has launched its new Firefox OS-powered smartphone, Spice Fire One Mi FX1, priced at Rs 2,299.

The move follows the launch of another Firefox OS device last week by local rival, Intex, which had launched India's first Firefox OS based handset for Rs 1,999.

"This dual SIM-handset is targetted at those looking to upgrade from feature phones without worrying about the price or complexity of a smartphone. We are confident that the device will meet the demands of those looking to move to smartphone," Spice Mobility chief executive officer Prashant Bindal told PTI.

Spice expects to sell about one lakh units of the new device in next two months.

"We will begin sales online through Snapdeal and later decide on the offline route. We should sell about 50,000 units a month in the next two months," he said.

Software major Mozilla, which runs the Firefox browser, had showcased a smartphone prototype costing as little as $25 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, targeting at developing countries including India and China.

It had partnered Intex and Spice from India for launching these low-cost devices in the country, which is the fastest growing smartphone market globally. It already has devices in 17 countries.

Spice is also expected to launch a new sub-$100 device, under the Android One initiative, soon.

Earlier this year, Google had partnered Spice, Micromax and Karbonn from India to deliver a smartphone under-$100 (about Rs 6,000) under the Android One initiative.

The Spice Fire One Mi FX1 is powered by the Firefox OS and 1 GHz processor. It has a 3.5-inch screen, expandable memory up to 4 GB, 1.3MP rear and 0.3 MP front camera and 1,400 mAh battery. Spice has also partnered Aircel to offer 1GB free monthly data for three months.

Handset makers are betting big on mobile internet to reach out to newer audiences. Various reports suggest that the next billion population accessing the internet for the first time will do so on their phones instead of personal computers.

Companies like Microsoft, which acquired Nokia's handset division, are also targeting the affordable smartphone category aggressively, estimating it to be a $50 billion annual opportunity.

The smartphone market in India grew at 84% year-on-year to 18.42 million units in Q2 of 2014 from 10.02 million units (in April-June 2013 quarter), as per research firm IDC.

Korean handset maker Samsung led the smartphone market with 29% share, followed by Micromax at 18%, Karbonn at 8% and Lava at 6%.

Sony suggests that one of its upcoming Xperias will be 6.4mm-thin

Posted: 29 Aug 2014, 20:42, by Florin T.

Not long after unveiling its official IFA 2014 teaser video, Sony followed with a teaser image that wants us to guess the dimensions of a mysterious device. The image suggests that we’re talking about a 6.4mm-thin product, also revealing another dimension: 124 mm. The third dimension is missing, so we don’t know what kind of device we’re dealing with here. If the missing dimension is smaller than 124 mm, the device should be a smartphone. If the dimension is greater than 124 mm, it’s probably a tablet.

Sony made it pretty clear that it’s going to announce three new devices at IFA, and we’re expecting these to be the Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. According to previous rumors, the Xperia Z3 measures 146.46 x 72 x 7.3 mm, while the Xperia Z3 Compact is a 126.98 x 64.9 x 8.71 mm handset. So we’re thinking that the mysterious 6.4mm-thin device could be the Z3 Tablet Compact. After all, Sony already has a slate with exactly the same thinness: the Xperia Z2 Tablet.

The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact may have been partially revealed earlier this month. The tablet supposedly features a display of around 8 inches, and that’s all we know about it for now. Thankfully, Sony's IFA 2014 press event is scheduled for September 3, so it won't be long until we get to find out everything about the upcoming Xperias.

AT&T gets Moto Maker timed-exclusive, Moto X+1 may cost $249

Posted: 30 Aug 2014, 00:31, by Michael H.

Some new information has leaked tonight regarding the Moto X+1, and the big news may be that the Moto X+1 will cost $249, but that price tag actually makes sense because it will be for a 32GB model. The odd thing is that the "16GB model is not confirmed but could come later at a budget price".

TKTechNews is reporting that AT&T will once again get Moto Maker before any other carriers, but it appears that Moto Maker also won't be available at launch for the Moto X+1. We have heard before that Verizon is scheduled to release the stock black and white models of the device on September 17th, but the new info says AT&T won't have those in store until September 28th. However, Moto Maker sales for AT&T will actually begin earlier. 

Motorola and AT&T might be planning a pre-order deal that will take place on September 6th (this is not yet confirmed), and allow users to design their own Moto X+1 complete with options for wood or leather backing. The deal will allow users to buy a customized AT&T Moto X+1 for $199, which is $50 off the standard price. After that day, Moto Maker sales will continue at the normal price, and be AT&T exclusive for a few weeks or one month. That isn't as long as the three month exclusive it had last year, but still more than we'd like. Also, with the Texas plant shutting down, Moto Maker orders for the U.S. have to come from Mexico, which will also mean a longer turnaround time for custom orders. It could be as long as 14 days. 

source: TKTechNew

OnePlus One To be Available for Pre-Order by October, Bye Bye Invites System

• Bogdan Pirvu
• August 29th, 2014
• Android News

When OnePlus launched its first product this year – OnePlus One, it completely redefined the high-end Android market space. It offered flagship level hardware at the price of a mid-range smartphone. Honestly OnePlus One does seem like the tech bargain of the year.
But… there was just one small problem. We couldn’t simply buy the OnePlus One like other smartphones. To own the device, one had to receive an invite, there was no getting around it.
Finally there appears to be a light of hope in the form of an official answer by OnePlus One Tech members Carl and David on Reddit during the OnePlus AskMeAnything Late August Edition. One of the members asked them when they planned to get rid of the invites system for selling the OnePlus One. The reply posted was “We are working on a pre-orders system, we were initially aiming for September but it’s been slightly delayed, hopefully we’ll be ready to launch it in October.”

That is some great news for the many interested individuals who have been waiting for the invites system to be dropped so they can finally get to own the device. Getting hold of an invite isn’t an easy task as you have to enter in various contests and promotional events or get it from someone who has already bought a OnePlus One.
Availability is also restricted to a select number of markets currently, so we do hope that pre-orders for the device won’t just be available in a few markets like now but would be extended to at least a few new markets.
The OnePlus One is one of the finest smartphones to have come out this year and really makes you wonder why you should be paying double the price for almost the same hardware from other more established Android OEMs. OnePlus One comes with a 5.5 inch Full HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor, 3GB RAM, Sony Exmor RS IMX214 13 megapixel rear camera with 4K video recording, 16 and 64GB storage options, and a 3100mAh battery. It runs a custom CyanogenMod version based on Android KitKat version 4.4.4

Apple iPhone 6 event officially set for Sept. 9

Invites from the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant give almost no hints, saying "wish we could say more." But the general consensus is that Apple will unveil its next smartphone.

• by Shara Tibken

Apple on Thursday sent out invites for a press event on Sept. 9 in its hometown of Cupertino, Calif.
The company provided few hints about what will be announced beyond saying "Wish we could say more." That could indicate something related to Siri, Apple's digital voice assistant. Generally, Apple is expected to introduce its newest iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 6. The company also could show off a wearable at the event.

The event will come a year after Apple introduced the iPhone 5S and 5C and a week after arch rival Samsung is set to unveil its Galaxy Note 4 phone-tablet hybrid, or phablet. Apple has added a new iPhone every year since former CEO Steve Jobs introduced the smartphone line in 2007, and new iPhones have been unveiled in the fall since 2011.
Many market watchers expect Apple to introduce two new iPhone 6 models with display sizes of 4.7 and 5.5 inches, though some recent reports speculate one device could be released at a later date. Analysts expect the iPhone 6 to be one of the largest product launches in Apple's history -- both in terms of device screen size and total sales. The company reportedly has asked manufacturing partners to produce about 30 percent to 40 percent more iPhones by the end of this year than it ordered for its initial run of last year's iPhone 5S and 5C.

For Apple, having a successful iPhone 6 launch is vital. Apple hosts only one phone event a year, and it generates more than half its revenue from its smartphone line. The iPhone serves as the linchpin to Apple's overall growth, particularly as the market awaits the widely speculated iWatch and as the iPad struggles against lower-cost rivals and larger phones.