HTC Desire U Single core smartphone now available on Flipkart for Rs. 13499

Lenovo launched series of handsets in India starting from Rs. 8500

Ford EcoSport India launch soon. Brochure leake

 

 

LG Optimus L9 II, G2 leaked on the web

A certain LG Optimus L9 II has been leaked along with its benchmark results and the grapevine is also abuzz with speculations about the G2. The images that have surfaced on the web may not be clear, but they do give us an idea regarding what the company has in store for us.
Some of the second generation L series phones have already been introduced by the company, but the former device has been missing in action all this while. Though it seems that it won’t be the case for long, as the guys over at Techtastic.org have managed to dig up information which reveals that the phone in question is slated to be released next month. As was disclosed back at the MWC, this range of handsets is aimed at budget-conscious users who do not wish to fork out an exorbitant price for a decent 4G LTE-compatible gadget.

GFXBench results have divulged that the smartphone will rock the Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 OS and we are hoping that an OTA update for the latest iteration of the platform will be beamed on to it. A dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.4GHz hides under the hood and brings a gigabyte of RAM for company. It accommodates a 4.7-inch IPS multi-touch screen on the front panel and renders visuals in 1280 x 720p resolution.
The G2 has been making waves in the tech realm for quite some time now and the device codenamed D801 can be expected to be a flagship of the conglomerate as it apparently employs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset. Nothing concrete has been disclosed about the device, but rumor has it will offer a multi-touch real estate of 5 inches. The web portal mentioned above believes that the phablet will operate with the assistance of the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS. It looks like the handset has also been deployed with the OEM’s graphical user interface.

Considering that the images of the LG Optimus L9 II and G2 have made their appearances on the web, we will not have to wait for too long to meet them in person. The South Korea-based manufacturer has not gone on record to confirm the existence of these smartphon

 

Google Glass not to allow face recognition for now

 

Google will not allow face recognition on its Glass wearable computer for now, until there are strong privacy protections.
“We’ve been listening closely to you, and many have expressed both interest and concern around the possibilities of facial recognition in Glass,” the company’s Project Glass wrote in a post on Google+ on Saturday.
The Project added that in line with Google’s policy for several years, it won’t add facial recognition features to its products “without having strong privacy protections in place.” The company said it won’t be approving any facial recognition Glassware at this time. Glassware are Web-based services that interact with Google Glass.
Google Glass has already come in for criticism on privacy and other issues. Eight members of the U.S. Congress wrote to Google CEO Larry Page last month, asking for information on the privacy protections Google plans for the wearable computer. It reminded Google that in 2010 it was discovered that the company was collecting information across the world from unencrypted wireless networks. “When using Google Glass, is it true that this product would be able to use Facial Recognition Technology to unveil personal information about whomever and even some inanimate objects that the user is viewing ?” the members of the Congressional Bipartisan Privacy Caucus asked.
A bill was also introduced in the West Virginia Legislature to make it an offense to operate a motor vehicle using a wearable computer with a head-mounted display. Casinos in Las Vegas and some bars are also considering banning the devices due to privacy concerns, according to reports. Lambda Labs, a startup in San Francisco, has offered a face-recognition application programming interface for Glass.
Google has modified its platform developer policies to prohibit the use of the camera or microphone “to cross-reference and immediately present personal information identifying anyone other than the user, including use cases such as facial recognition and voice print.”
In response to concerns that Glass users may take video without the people around them knowing about it, Google has also told users not to turn off or disable the display when using the camera. “The display must become active when taking a picture and stay active during a video recording as part of your application,” it added.
 

Launchpad: Sony Xperia Tablet Z, Galaxy Mega

 

Sony Xperia Tablet Z
The Xperia Tablet Z has a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels and the screen is shatter-proof. It comes with a quad-core Qualcomm processor and runs on Android Jelly Bean (4.1.2), with 16 GB internal memory (expandable by 64 GB). The tablet is sleek with a thickness of 6.9 mm and light (495 g). There are two speakers for surround sound. The company says the tablet can be immersed in water for up to 30 minutes.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
Samsung's biggest phablet, Galaxy Mega is available in two sizes, 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches, priced at Rs 25,100 and Rs 31,490 respectively. Galaxy Mega has an 8-MP rear camera with a 1.9-MP front camera. Both iterations run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, has 16 GB internal memory expandable to 64 GB. It has a battery life of around 12 hours.
Lenovo IdeaPad Z500
Lenovo launched two Windows 8 optimised laptops, Z400 and Z500 last week. The Z500 has a 15.6-inch display, while the Z400 has a 14-inch screen size. Both devices have touchscreens and come with backlit keyboards. The specifications are customisable, and users can have up to 1 TB storage and 16 GB RAM, with Intel's third generation Core i7 processors. Both laptops have Dolby's surround sound, which should provide a better movie experience.
Portronics Pico II
Portronics has launched a 2,200 mAh portable battery pack. You can charge your smartphones and Bluetooth devices with Pico II and it can be charged via USB. Pico II fits in most pockets and is useful when users face load shedding or are travelling to places without electricity.

Zen Ultrafone 701 HD review and Unboxing – A good alternative to MMX A116

Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is a good alternative to Micromax A116. It is powered by quad core processor and sports a 5 inch HD screen with 8MP rear camera and a 3.2MP front camera. The handset is priced at Rs. 11,999.
Ultrafone 701 HD Box pack
Inside the unique box pack you will find the handset, power adapter, earphone, 2000 mAh battery, USB data cable, user manual, warranty card / service center list, an extra back cover and a free flip cover.
Design, Display and OS
The design looks identical to the MMX A116 but A116 is slimmer towards the edges. The 701HD I think weighs around 156 grams and thickness is 11mm. There is an extra back cover, in all you get black and off-white color option and a flip cover that makes it a little more attractive.
The IPS screen is 5 inches with resolution (HD) 1280×720 pixels (293.72 ppi). The viewing angle is good. There are light, proximity and accelerometer sensors. There is no magnetic sensor. Colour reproduction is better on Ultrafone 701 as compared with A116. There is LED notification.
This 701 HD handset runs on the Android 4.2 OS.
Memory and Storage
This dual SIM / Dual standby handset comes with 1GB RAM of which 633MB is free. Of 4GB internal storage 0.98 is allocated for apps (free = 780MB) and phone storage is 1.74GB (free = 1.65GB). You can install / move apps to external storage (max 32GB microSD card) which is a plus point as this option was not available on the MMX A116.
Performance and Benchmark
Zen Ultrafone is powered by MT6589 MediaTek processor clocked at 1.2GHz with PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU. The benchmark scores are as follows.
Benchmark scores

• Quadrant Benchmark : 4120.
• Anututu Benchmark : 13202
• Nenamark2 : 44.9fps.
• Linpack : single 36, multi 107.
• Multi Touch : 5 point.

8MP AF Camera with BSI sensor
The still capture and the video output is good. You can check the sample images / videos. It is auto focus camera with BSI Sensor and with LED flash support. Front camera is of 3.2 MP resolutions. The 701 HD can record 1080p videos at 30fps.
Entertainment
The handset can play 1080p and can also record 1080p videos. The sound is loud and clear.
Others
I got the GPS lock in less than 10 seconds. For first time make sure to enable 3G, go to GPS settings and enable EPO / enable EPO Auto download and also enable A-GPS. You can use this process on any android handset that supports A-GPS; this will ensure a faster lock within seconds.
The incall sound is good and clear. I did not face any issues. I tried Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth all of which worked without any problems.
Battery
The 2000 mAh battery lasted for over a day as per my usage.
Zen Ultrafone 701 HD review
This is a very good option to the Micromax A116 which is selling for approx Rs. 14,000. The 701 HD also beats the Xolo Q800 that now comes with MT6589M processor (downgraded). For Rs. 11,999 this is best quad core option, for now, that comes with extra cover and a free flip cover.

UMI XII review and Unboxing – Quad core with 5 inch FHD resolution

After a long wait here is the full review of UMI XII. This handset is powered by quad core processor with 13MP camera. The review version that I got is with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage running on the Android 4.2 OS.
The UMI XII with 2GB/32GB version was initially launched for Rs. 14,000 but now they have increased the price to Rs. 16,000. For Rs. 14,000 they are giving the 1GB/16GB version. Those who had initially booked for 14K will still get it for the same price.
Box pack
On the first look you will not believe that the box contains the handset. It is a very smart packing that not only saves on packaging cost but also on transportation as they can ship more number of units in a limited space.
Almost all of the handsets that I have revived are box type, but this one is unique it looks like a book or a DVD case. The box contains the handset, battery of 2430~2520 mAh capacity, travel charger and data cable.  There is no earphone included. UMI Indian has told me that the next version of UMI 2 with 1.5GHz will come with earphone.
Design, Display and OS
I had already done a review on the UMI X2 prototype unit. The issues found on the prototype are now fixed specially the border that was clearly visible on the prototype X2. The handset is 8.9 m thick and weight is around 155 grams.
The X2 has got that premium look, I guess the white color handset is more visually appealing, well that depends on person to person. The handset is slim and light weight. Micro USB is placed on the bottom site, 3.5mm jack on the top side and power button/ lock button and volume rockers on the right side.
The backlit touch buttons are not visible when the phone is off, the screen area however is not completely black otherwise it would have added more charm (full black front).  Nevertheless the handset still looks pretty good. There is 13MP AF camera on the rear side with LED flash and XII logo along with the speaker out.
The display is 5 inches supporting resolution of 1920x1080p. The box pack says OGS and not sure if it’s Gorilla Glass 2 as mentioned on UMI website, but the screen is tough probably with Gorilla glass 2, you can check the video review.  If you press the screen really hard you can see the ripple effect, which is common on many handsets, but usually no one will be pressing the screen that hard. There is light, proximity, Gyro, accelerometer and magnetic sensors plus LED notification light.
The UMI XII runs on the Android 4.2 OS.
Memory and Storage
The UMI XII comes in two versions 1GB RAM/16GB ROM and 2GB RAM/32GB ROM. I got the 32GB review unit. It comes with 2GB RAM of which about 1.4GB is available. And of the 32GB internal storage you get around 26GB free.
External SD card of up to 64GB is supported and you can install or move apps to external storage. Though 26GB internal storage space should be more than enough for many users.
Performance and Benchmark
Its with MT6589 quad core processor clocked at 1.2GHz and not the MT6589T (1.5GHz). The 1.5GHz version will be launched sometime later. The GPU is PowerVR SGX 544 MP.
Benchmark scores

• Quadrant Benchmark : 3838 | 3852.
• Anututu Benchmark : 11853 | 11850.
• Nenamark2 : 28.2fps.
• Linpack : single 36, multi 95.
• Multi Touch : 5 point.

13MP Auto focus camera
In 4:3 mode you can click images in 13MP resolution and 8MP in full screen mode. The handset can record full HD videos at 30fps. Check out the sample images and videos at the end of the article. The front camera is of 2MP resolution. I did not find any issue or black spot when using the front camera.
Entertainment
Full HD video playback is supported. It is smooth and looks good on this handset.
Others
The in-call speaker is loud and clear. I tried GPS and got a lock in less than 10 seconds. The GPS accuracy is approx 12 feet. Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth worked well.  Its dual SIM handset and both the SIM support 3G (you can use the 3G SIM card in any of the slots).
The earphone was not included in the box pack and hence I tried out the one that I got with Micromax A116. However it was not compatible though it did work with mono sound but earphone call button did not work. I then tried the earphone that came with Wammy Passion Z and it worked perfectly well. So in case you are planning to get an earphone make sure you check it out before buying.
Battery – 2430~2520 mAh
I have been using the phone for over 20 hours and the battery backup is still at 30%. Battery will last for over 24hours on a full charge with moderate usage.
UMI XII review
It’s is a good handset for a very tempting price. It’s a quad core handset with 5 inch FHD screen with 2GB RAM / 32GB storage. The camera quality is also good.
UMI India / AndroidGuruz are new in India and there have been a lot of delays for the users who had booked the handset initially. They are still working on the service center.  Probably this June AndroidGuruz will open up a store in Delhi. Development is slow, but will improve with time.

iBall Andi 4.7G Cobalt quad core mobile shows up on ebay for Rs. 17499

The iBall Andi 4.7G Cobalt handset is now available for Rs. 17,499 on ebay.in. This handset comes powered by MediaTek quad core processors with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage.
The iBAll Andi 4.7G Cobalt is not yet listed on the iball official website. This handset runs on the Jelly Bean OS. This is a dual SIM handset with dual standby mode. There are dual camera, the front camera is of 5MP resolution and the rear camera of 12MP resolution with dual LED flash.
The screen is 4.7 inches supporting resolution of 1280×720 pixels (312ppi). Other features are 3G, Wi-Fi, Micro USB, 3.5mm audio jack, OTG support and GPS. The battery is of 2200 mAh capacity. The handset is available on ebay.in for Rs. 17,499. It will also show up on the iBall official page soon. iBall had also recently launched the Andi 4.5d Quadro.
iBall Andi 4.7 Cobalt key features and specifications

• Dual SIM/ Dual Standby.
• 1.2GHz Quad core MT6589 + PowerVR SGX 544MP.
• 1GB RAM, 16GB storage and micro SD card support.
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS.
• 4.7 inch IPS capacitive screen with 1280×720 pixels resolution.
• 12MP AF camera with dual LED flash + 5MP front camera. Advance camera features.
• 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, dual MIC for noise cancellation, OTG function, micro USB, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack.
• Sensors: G-Sensor, light, magnetic, gyro and proximity sensors.
• Battery: 2200 mAh capacity.
• Price Rs. 17,499 (via Ebay.in).