HTC says it ‘reinvents smartphone’ with new Android-powered handset

Taiwan-based mobile maker HTC has announced its latest flagship Android phone -the HTC One. Mike Woodward, President of HTC America said that they think ‘it”s time to shake things up in the smartphone space.’ The firm has decided to come out and reinvent the smartphone, he added.

According to Woodward, the One is a complete shift for the industry, built around how people use their phones now, ABC News reports. The report said that HTC”s Android phones have always been known for their top-of-the-line hardware parts and the One is no different. The phone is made entirely of aluminum, no small feat, according to Woodward, who said it took two years to make a good all-metal phone.

It also has a large 4.7-inch, 1080p screen, which is flanked vertically by two speaker strips. (HTC calls it Boomsound.) The phone is fast too, due to its quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM. According to the report, where the One stands out from other Android phones on specs is with its camera. HTC has ditched megapixels for an ultrapixel camera, which would allow users to take much better low-light shots without having to use flash, Woodward said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/htc-says-it-reinvents-smartphone-with-new-androidpowered-handset/1076972/

Apple iPhone 5 behind 4 Android phones in user satisfaction: survey

Apple’s iPhone 5 ranks fifth behind four Android smartphones in user satisfaction, a new report has said. Mobile research firm OnDevice Research conducted a new survey, which covered 92,000 smartphone users, to determine how satisfied people are with their devices.

On a scale of 1-10 with the latter being the best, the Motorola Atrix HD ranked highest with a score of 8.57, the survey showed. According to the survey, the Motorola Droid Razr M trailed the Atrix with a grade of 8.5, Fox News reports. Following this was the HTC Rezound 4G at 8.32 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 at 8.26, the report said. According to the report, the iPhone 5 trailed the Note 2 by 0.03 with a score of 8.23. Those who participated in the survey also indicated that they were more satisfied with 4G devices (7.76) than non-4G enabled phones (7.28).

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/apple-iphone-5-behind-4-android-phones-in-user-satisfaction-survey/1075883/

Samsung launches REX series of ‘smart’ feature phones

Samsung has launched a new series of feature phones on Thursday. Developed in India, the REX ‘smart’ feature phones are priced between Rs 4,280 and Rs 6,490. These phones run on the Java platform.

The company launched four models in the series: REX 60, 70, 80 and 90. At the launch, Samsung Mobile Vice President Asim Warsi said: “This new series of phones has been developed in India, for Indian consumers. We look at this series as a way to broaden our appeal. These are targeted at young consumers.”

With the REX series, Samsung is taking on Nokia’s Asha series of feature phones. REX phones are dual SIM and let you change SIM cards while the phone is on. They run Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface and two of these phones support WiFi.

The company said these phones come with many pre loaded apps such as ChatOn, Facebook, Gtalk, Twitter, etc. None of these phones have 3G connectivity.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/samsung-launches-rex-series-of-smart-feature-phones/1074237/

HCL launches ME Y3 at Rs 11,999

HCL Infosystems has launched three tablets – V1, Y3 and U2 – under its ME series at affordable prices. These tablets are seven-inch devices aimed at youth segment.

HCL ME Y3 – priced at Rs 11,999 – leads the pack with features like dual-SIM standby, 2G and 3G calling. Y3 sports a 1Ghz processor, a built-in 3D GPU, a healthy 1GB RAM and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The tablet comes with an internal memory of 4GB expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The seven-inch capacitive screen of Y3 has a resolution of 1024×600 pixel and a 3.2-megapixel camera rests on the rear panel. A VGA camera is placed on the front panel for video calling. Other connectivity option include the standard Bluetooth and WiFi.

HCL ME V1, which comes with similar specifications, is priced at Rs 7,999. It has a SIM-slot for 2G connectivity , however, 3G usage can only be done through a USB dongle. Its built-in proximity sensor puts the screen into standby mode during calls. The Android tablet doesn’t have Google Play Store application so users will have to use a browser for downloading apps. V1 supports HD playback and has a screen resolution of 800×400 pixel. User can click photos with its 2-megapixel rear camera that has an LED flash and the 0.3-meagpixel front camera. It has a 3200mAh Li-Polymer battery.

The third and the cheapest of the three tablets launched is the HCL ME U2 priced at Rs 5,999. U2 has Google Play Store app unlike Y3 and V1.

Some of the apps that comes pre-loaded with the new range of HCL ME tablets are Big-Flix, Cleartrip, LinkedIn, NimBuzz, Twitter and Facebook.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hcl-launches-me-y3-at-rs-11999/1069700/0

Samsung Galaxy S4 reportedly set to launch in April

The successor to Samsung Electronics’ blockbuster Galaxy S3 could launch in April.

That’s according to Samsung news Web site SamMobile, which pegs the phone’s launch on April 15.

The Galaxy S franchise has emerged as a true competitor to the iPhone, and garners as much hype and anticipation as Apple’s marquee smartphone. While early iterations of the Galaxy S phone faced a slow start, the Galaxy S3 catapulted out of the gate as a smash hit, and has held up remarkably well even as other competitive phones have faded. The phone has helped propel Samsung into the top spot among handset vendors.

The Galaxy S4 — which ultimately might be branded Galaxy S IV — will feature wireless charging as a key feature. But unlike other smartphones such as the Nokia Lumia 920 or Droid DNA, the service won’t be built-in. Users will have to buy a kit with a wireless charging station and replacement cover, according to the report.

The next Galaxy S phone will also reportedly feature a larger 2,600 mAh battery, compared with the Galaxy S3’s 2,100 mAh battery.

With a launch date in April, SamMobile said Samsung could hold its own event in March, or possibly unveil the smartphone at Mobile World Congress, which begins in late February. The Galaxy S3 was unveiled at a Samsung event in May last year.

Even if the April 15 launch date holds true, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Galaxy S4 will make its way to the U.S. at that time. As with the Galaxy S III, the phone may launch at different times depending on when the U.S. carriers want to release the phone, which could vary from days to weeks.
Samsung declined to comment on the report, noting that it wouldn’t comment on rumors.

Finally, Google’s ‘X Phone’ Takes Real Shape

Bangalore: For the past few weeks, the tech arena has been heating up with rumors of an ultimate Android, Google’s X Phone. Google has finally decided to end the speculations by making clear that the Motorola made X Phone will be announced at its annual Google I/O conference in May.

The details of the forthcoming Google and Motorola initiative got revealed through a 600-page forum, picked up by one of the Internet sites, Droid Life. Even though the X Phone, as known now, would make its formal debut in mid-May at the developer conference, the phone isn’t expected to hit the markets until July 8.

The device caught in the limelight due to its rumored hi specs and its proposed release across all carriers at the same time, unlike the other flagships

As per the reports, the Motorola X Phone will not be considered as a “Nexus” handset and the company ensures to release the product with a few preloaded applications and games. Customers purchasing this model especially through Google Play will have unlocked bootloaders and can uninstall the software, if the rumors prove to be true eventually. Unfortunately, those customers buying through Verizon will have to unlock the bootloader by paying $15 fee monthly.

The Android Smartphone will be offered to “all carriers”, which might include its big four providers or other players as per the reports in the U.S. On account of this, the Verizon model is expected to fetch $299 with a contract, but the other versions could be sold unsubsidized.

There’s sufficient amount of time before Google I/O starts off on May 15. Hence, we can expect a lot more surprises, rumors and reports regarding the details on the X Phone.

Mozilla Unveils Firefox OS Smartphones – A Threat To Android?

Bangalore: Mozilla made a major foray into the Smartphone segment with the launch of first devices to run Mozilla’s HTML 5-based Firefox OS,”Keon” and the “Peak”, reports ZDNet.

These two Smartphones, rather than currying up for retailers, are aimed at developers who want to try this new platform for developing and testing apps. The retail versions will be made available in February.

“Developer preview phones will help make the mobile web more accessible to more people. Developers are critical to the web, and to Mozilla’s mission to make the web accessible to everyone,” Stormy Peters, director of developer engagement at Mozilla, said in a blog post on Tuesday. “Now we are working on bringing the power of the web to mobile through Firefox OS, along with all the power of open standards and an open community, and once again, we’d like to invite web developers to join us.”

The Two preview phones are developed by GeeksPhone in partnership with the Spanish carrier Telefonica.

Of two, the lower specced Keon will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1GHz processor, 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen display, 3MP camera, and 4GB of internal storage,  microSD support, Wi-Fi (N), and GPS, but has no secondary camera.

The Peak is slightly higher specced—dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, 8 MP primary and 2MP secondary camera, 4GB of internal storage and higher capacity battery.

“If you’re a developer interested in web technologies and mobile, now is the time to try out Firefox OS,” Peters said. And she added that the new OS is aimed at “keep the Web open” and “help make sure the power of the web is available to everyone — even on mobile devices.”

The offering from the Mozilla is an open source mobile OS, about which Peters said “you’re not locked in to a vendor-controlled ecosystem. You can distribute your app through the Firefox Marketplace, your own website, or any other store based on Mozilla’s open app store technology.”

This non-profit group’s OS project names as Boot to Gecko will go after Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS, to offer Smartphones that are less expensive than an iPhone while offering similar experiences to those running on other platforms.

On January 26, Mozilla will be hosting a set of “hack days” to give developers around the world the chance to “learn, hack, share, and celebrate Firefox OS”, Peters said.

iPhone wins 51 percent of U.S. smartphone sales, says report

Apple snared more than 50 percent of U.S. smartphone sales last quarter, says Kantar, though Android remained dominant across Europe and the world.

Apple’s iOS continues to outshine Android, at least in the United States, according to data released today by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

For the final quarter of 2012, the iPhone won 51.2 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales. In second place, Android soaked up around 44.8 percent of U.S. sales, leaving Microsoft’s Windows Phone with 2.6 percent.

Apple’s flagship platform also scored well in Japan, proving tops among two-thirds of Japanese smartphone buyers.

“Apple’s continual improvement is thanks to both the iPhone 5 and older models attracting various customer groups, from repeat Apple buyers, first-time smartphone buyers. and those coming from other smartphone brands,” Kantar analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a statement.

Over the past year, 36 percent of iOS sales in the U.S. came from users of other smartphones, notably Android. The percentage of Android users jumping ship to the iPhone was 19 percent in 2012, compared with 9 percent in 2011, according to Kantar.

Verizon subscribers were especially eager to hop onto iOS. A full 59 percent of iPhone-buying Verizon customers came from other brand phones, while 30 percent had used Android specifically. In comparison, 15 percent of AT&T users who bought an iPhone jumped from a different platform, while only 6 percent were former Android users.

Among other iPhone buyers, 35 percent upgraded from a previous model, while 30 percent were buying their first smartphone, Kantar said.

Android is still No. 1 throughout the world, including key countries such as the U.K., China, Spain, Australia, and Germany, according to the report. But it’s lost some of its fire.

“At the end of 2012, the global OS picture shows Android on top, but clearly the rate of growth it experienced over the past year is beginning to slow as easy wins from first-time smartphone buyers begin to reduce,” Kantar analyst Dominic Sunnebo said in a statement.

Samsung is tops in the U.K., with 35 percent of smartphone sales last quarter. But Apple is catching up with 32 percent.

Finally, Microsoft’s Windows Phone is gaining some traction in Europe. For the quarter, Windows Phone won 5.9 percent of smartphone sales in Britain, up from 2.2 percent a year ago, and 13.9 percent in Italy, up from 2.8 percent the prior year.

“It has been far slower than Microsoft would have liked, but Windows Phone is now starting to gain respectable shares in a number of key European countries,” Sunnebo said. “However, its performance in the Chinese and U.S. markets remains underwhelming. As the two largest smartphone markets in the world, these remain key challenges for Microsoft to overcome during 2013.”

The data comes from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech USA’s consumer panel, which conducts more than 250,000 interviews per year in the United States. This report focused strictly on sales rather than market share.

Russia snubs Google for Android style tablet

The Russian government has built a tablet computer using an Android-style operating system but deliberately avoids Google. The defence ministry unveiled the encrypted prototype at a Berlin electronics show this week according to a report by AFP.

Russia is wary of Google’s operating system, reportedly believing that data collected and stored in Google databases could find its way into the hands of the US government. This could, Russia believes, expose some of their most sensitive communications to the Americans.

The project has been in development for five years and the project’s manager has said that it is completely hack proof. He also said that many Russians have little trust in Google’s security and are afraid that details could very easily be leaked through using it.

It is largely intended for state officials, although it will be on sale to the public by the end of the year at a cost of 15,000 roubles (£291). The military version will be shock-proof and waterproof and will have all the functional capabilities of an Android operating system.

The project has been run out of a military research facility but is privately funded. It was presented in Berlin to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the military’s technological innovation. This is not the first time that Russia has developed technological projects driven out of fears over US systems.

It developed the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), a rival of the Global Positioning System, devised to help generals train their missiles on targets. The concept initially suffered but the system was eventually included in the software of Apple’s latest iPhone.

Source: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/10/03/samsung-galaxy-s3-beats-iphone-5-in-display-face-off/