Cheap Apple iPhone Mini coming in 2014

To gain market share in cost-sensitive markets like India and China, Apple is planning this move, predicts Strategy Analytics.

To counter Samsung, Apple may soon launch a cheaper version of its famous iPhone, according to Strategy Analytics.
"We think Apple will have to launch an 'iPhone Mini' at some point over the next three years to address the hundreds of millions of prepaid users worldwide that cannot afford the current iPhone," Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, quoted as saying by Reuters.



"We expect the iPhone Mini to be more likely next year, in 2014 when... Apple will be forced to discover fresh growth streams," he added.


Apple is expected to launch a newer version of iPhone, probably the rumoured iPhone 5S, soon. According to reports, Apple is also mulling to launch this handset in different display sizes out of which one could be the iPhone Mini which will be priced very affordably that would make it attractive in cost-sensitive markets like India and China, where Apple till now has little presence.

Apple also believed to ignore such cost-sensitive markets because of the price factor of its handsets. So it is palpable that Apple wanting to come up with a low cost iPhone to counter Samsung's advances, which last year become the No 1 smartphone maker in the world.

Top 5 online deals on quad core phones

A flood of quad core phones await us in the near future, and there are several available in the market already. Here are the best deals on those phones.

Quad core phones bring to us a level of performance that was the domain of high end PCs just a couple of years ago. And given the number of things you can do with these phones including connecting them with your TV, or any other large screen, using them for navigation, and also using them as your all in one PC (of course you will need compatible peripherals to do so,) you have all the reasons to pump money into one of these phones. However, it is always better to look for the best deals to save that little something even while buying the best. So here are the best deals on the best smartphones out there.
HTC One X (Rs 29,699)
Sulekha.com is offering this device at at least Rs 1,200 less than other websites. HTC One X was till recently the flagship phone for HTC (replaced by HTC One X+) and comes with a polycarbonate slim unibody with Gorilla Glass strength. Featuring a 4.7 inch HD Super LCD 2 display, the One X supports a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixel, and is therefore great for gaming and doing justice to HD visuals.
HTC has used a slightly contoured Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the display from usual wear and tear. The One X houses a quad core 1.5 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 mobile processor with an integrated fifth battery saver core. For graphics it has a high performance 12 core Nvidia GeForce GPU that functions on fairly low power and offers the best possible performance for a mobile device.



This smartphone features HTC Sense 4.0 UI with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and you already get Android Jelly Bean 4.1 update for the phone, along with Sense 4+. The phone comes with additional Indian language support as well. Packing a 1 GB RAM, this smartphone offers 16 GB onboard storage, but does not feature a memory card slot, which is a letdown along with the non-removable battery design. HTC has also launched the One X+ smartphone, which comes with 25 per cent better performance and Android Jelly Bean, along with a whopping 64 GB of memory.



Although the device has been launched it will take a few days to reach markets, leaving the flagship spot to the One X for now. Sulekha.com is offering the phone for Rs 29,699 which is about Rs 10,000 lesser than its price was a couple of months ago, and is cheaper by Rs 1,200 from any other website currently, and about Rs 3,000 cheaper than the phone's average price in the market.

Samsung Galaxy Note II (Rs 34,600)

Sulekha.com is offering the phone for Rs 36,900 but is offering either Rs 2,300 of refund or mobile recharge. Samsung Galaxy Note II is still the biggest smartphone out there from any MNC brand, and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future as no other manufacturer (except some local brands) have announced a device of this size till now.



The new Samsung Galaxy Note II features a 5.5 inch HD Super Amoled display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and a quad core Exynos processor for super fast computing. Along with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean this phablet offers great utility and features. The Galaxy Note II houses a quad core 1.6 GHz Samsung Exynos 4 quad core mobile processor with 2 GB RAM and Mali-400MP graphics chip, which gives it an edge even over the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Samsung has also implemented a new feature called Popup Note that lets the user open the S Note instantly as a pop-up window anywhere on the screen.
The Galaxy Note II has an 8 megapixel camera at the back with auto focus and LED flash. This camera is capable of recording full 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second, and on the front it has a 1.9 megapixel camera for video calling. While Snapdeal.com is offering the phone for Rs 35,700 which is the cheapest upfront price for the phone, you can also look at Sulekha.com which is offering the phone for Rs 36,900 but is offering either Rs 2,300 refund or mobile recharge which effectively means a price of Rs 34,600.
Samsung Galaxy SIII (Rs 30,699)
A relatively new online retailer mirchimart.com is offering it cheapest and also on cash on delivery. Samsung Galaxy S III GT-I9300 arrives with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Nature UX, though the Android 4.1 update is already available. The Galaxy S III features a 4.8 inch HD (1280 x 720 pixel) Super Amoled Plus PenTile touchscreen display panel. This panel has been built using Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for more strength and protection against scratches. Under the 8.6 mm chassis, Galaxy S III packs a quad core Samsung Exynos 4 quad core mobile processor clocked at 1.4 GHz.



Samsung also has some novel features like Smart Stay that keeps the screen awake so long as the user is looking at it. Once the sensor stops detecting the open eyes, the Smart Stay feature puts the screen into sleep mode and helps save battery. At the back is an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash that offers simultaneous image capture while the video is being recorded. In the front lies a 1.9 megapixel camera that offers 720p HD video recording at 30 frames per second and can also be used for video chat. The Galaxy S III also packs Bluetooth 4.0, dual-network GPS support, 50 GB Dropbox storage for two years, stereo FM with RDS, and a micro SD card expansion slot. Packing a 2100 mAh battery the Galaxy S III runs longer than any major smartphone for about 12 hours. The phone is currently retailing for Rs 31,900. However, a relatively new retailer mirchimart.com is offering it for Rs 1,200 less than others and is also offering cash on delivery, which is good since the website is new.

LG Optimus 4X HD (Rs 25,990)

Adexmart.com is offering the phone for Rs 25,990 but Sulekha is a close match and cheaper than the others by Rs 2,000. Optimus 4X HD is the new flagship model from LG, which comes with a 4.7 inch True HD IPS panel touchscreen display with 1280 x 720 pixel native resolution. Optimus 4X HD houses a quad core 1.5 GHz Nvidia Tegra processor with a low power GeForce graphics chip. The phone comes with Android 4.0 ICS with Optimus 3.0 UI on it. The sad part is that there is so far no news of Android Jelly Bean update for the phone. LG has used a 1 GB RAM. By default, this smartphone features 16 GB onboard storage and a micro SD slot to accommodate a memory card of up to 64 GB. This smartphone is only 8.9 mm thick and weighs just 133 grams. In this device, LG has used an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash. This camera is capable of recording 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second.



There's also a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video calling and chat. Other features include GPS with A-GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, accelerometer, gyroscope sensor, support for a variety of popular audio-video formats, stereo FM with RDS, WiFi Direct, and DLNA compliance. LG has added a 2150 mAh battery to the Optimus 4X HD to make it run longer and support talk time of about 9.5 hours over 3G. The phone is very close to the Samsung Galaxy S3 in terms of features, and is one of the cheapest quad core phones currently in the market. Adexmart.com, which is the online arm of a Chennai based electronics trading company, is offering the phone for Rs 25,990-about Rs 2,000 cheaper than the average selling price of the phone. If you do not trust this retailer you can look at Sulekha.com, which is offering the phone for Rs 26,090.

Lenovo K860 (Rs 25,750)

Snapdeal.com is offering K860 for Rs 25,750. Lephone K860 is the flagship phone of Lenovo in India. It comes with a quad core 1.4 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 chip, and a Mali-400MP GPU which is the same as used by Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy SIII. It also gets 1 GB of RAM and is slim at 9.6 mm, making it well worth the top notch device segment. It comes with a 5 inch (1280 x 720 pixel) display, making it bigger than all the above mentioned phones except Galaxy Note II. The 8 megapixel snapper is no slouch either, with support for 100 frames of continuous shooting and 1080p video recording (plus there's a 2 megapixel camera around the front too).



There is also a large 2,250 mAh battery, which is bigger than Galaxy SIII-this is great news since both have the same processor. The sad bit is that SIII still runs on Android 4.0 with no news of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in the horizon. The phone is available from Snapdeal.com for Rs 25,750. The phone's average selling price is Rs 28,000.

How to Install Whatsapp on WiFi only devices

Whatsapp does not allow users to install the app on WiFi only devices, but here's how you do it anyway!

Whatsapp is a great tool for communicating with friends and family, not to mention that it is cost effective as well. The snag is that Whatsapp does not allow users to install the app on WiFi only devices, which is what most of us have.



Here is a simple step-by-step instruction on how you can get Whatsapp up and running on WiFi only devices too.
Step 1



Access the Google Android marketplace application from within your device's application menu or from the home screen market icon. Now search for Whatsapp and see whether your device supports the app or not.

Step 2



Now from your PC/laptop, access any online APK store, like apknew.com to get the latest APK version of Whatsapp and install it on your computer. If you can directly download the APK file on your Android WiFi only device, skip to step 5.
Step 3

Once downloaded, connect your device to the computer and locate the Whatsapp APK file. Make a separate file for APKs on your Android device for easy identification later on.
Step 4

Paste the downloaded APK file of Whatsapp messenger in that folder and disconnect the device.
Step 5

Now access the file manager on your Android device and locate the APK's folder. From there locate the Whatsapp messenger file and select it to begin installation.
Step 6

The following splash screen will ask for your permission to grant access to install the application on the device; press Install to proceed.
Step 7

The next screen will prompt you when the installation completes successfully. If not then repeat the process. If the installation fails repeatedly, download the file again or choose an older version application for your device. Then press Done to exit the installation.
Step 8

Now you are ready and you can begin the setup of the Whatsapp application on your device. Locate the application from the application menu and begin the installation process by accepting the terms and conditions.
Step 9

The following screen will prompt you for your mobile number. Add the number, which is not already linked or in use on another device with the Whatsapp messenger; press Next to proceed.
Step 10

The application will confirm your number; if correct, press OK or hit Edit to make changes and proceed.
Step 11

The application will now verify your device and will send the verification message via SMS to your mobile number. The message contains the verification code that you need to enter manually. Wait for the verification process to finish and you will be moved to the next step automatically. It will take exactly five minutes.
Step 12

The following screen will prompt you to enter the verification code; enter the six digit code and proceed. The app will verify and enable services on your device.
Step 13

The app, once activated, will show the number of days worth of service available on your number. Press Continue to proceed to the chats page and start messaging with your new device.

How to sync contacts from any smartphone to WP 8

Microsoft's seems to be heading just the right way with the WP 8 OS which seem to gaining popularity with each day.

Microsoft's seems to be heading just the right way with the Windows Phone 8 operating system which seem to gaining popularity with each day.



So if you are planning to move from your old smartphone to a brand new Windows Phone 8 based handset or the Windows RT Slate, here's how you can transfer your contact between devices, easily.

Step 1

Take back up of your contacts from your older smartphones. If using Nokia Symbian devices, use these steps to back up your contacts.


For Android, you can back up your contacts using Gmail and for older Windows based phones, you can export contacts from Microsoft outlook.

Step 2
If you are using Nokia PC Suite or MS Outlook, then you would need to merge the contacts in single file to proceed further.



Follow the instructions here to merge multiple contacts in one.
Step 3


Following that you would have a single CSV contact file that can now be used to export contacts to Windows Phone 8 based devices using the People application.
Step 4


Following that login to your Hotmail account and visit contacts option placed at the upper left hand side of the page.
Step 5

Upon selection, the browser will redirect you to the People application where all your contacts are managed and saved by Windows applications.
Step 6

Next you need to visit the "Add people to your account" option from the page and select the "Import form file option to proceed further".
Step 7

Alternatively, Android users migrating to Windows can simply select to sync contacts by choosing the Google Sync option from the available options.
Step 8

From the following prompts, you can select the 'choose file' option to import the CSV file for updating contacts on People app.
Step 9

Depending on the number of contacts in the contact file, the web page will take time and sync contacts with the People app. The larger the number the longer it would take. Usually the process should finish in under five minutes but can be longer also depending on the internet speed.
Step 10

Now, the next time you will sync any Windows RT or Windows Phone device with this account, it will automatically get the newly uploaded contacts as well.

Nokia made Android phone coming this month?

The phone is to be launched by Vertu, which was just recently sold by Nokia to an investment firm.

Vertu, luxury phone maker, is planning to launch its first Android phone this month itself. Purportedly named as Vertu Ti, the phone could also be the first Nokia made Android phone as the Finnish company was the owner of Vertu just recently before selling it to an investment firm.

Reportedly, the Vertu Ti will come with an 800 x 480 resolution based display, 1.5 GHz Snapdragon MSM8260A SoC, Android 4.0.4 and a rather minuscule 1,250 mAh battery. The phone additionally has NFC, WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. While the phone gets very average spec sheet, Vertu phones have never been known for high-end specs and are rather known for being handcrafted and made in the tradition of fine Swiss watches.


According to another website, it is going to be priced at 3000 Euros, making it the cheapest Vertu handset till date.

Apple iPhone 5 vs BlackBerry Z10

Will the new BlackBerry Z10 manage to attract more consumers & compete with the Apple iPhone 5 with iOS 6?

BlackBerry (earlier, RIM) announced its mint new BlackBerry 10 OS based smartphones BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10. Of these smartphones, all eyes are set on the Z10, a full touchscreen smartphone that packs most current features. Filled with several expectations, the new BlackBerry 10 OS is set to compete with the strong Apple iOS and Google Android.

About five years ago, BlackBerry smartphones were looked upon purely as enterprise gadgets but the perception and products have changed since then. The new BlackBerry Z10 aims to address a larger audience and wishes to grab a larger smartphone market share. However, it is inevitable to compare and compete with the current and close rival iPhone 5.

Design and dimensions

Apple stepped into the 4 inch display bearing smartphone segment with the iPhone 5 and changed the packaging materials used in the iPhone 5. The Apple iPhone 5 has an anodized aluminium back plate with an Apple logo on it and there are strips of glass above and below this plate. The front side remains the same-with Retina Display. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Z10 comes with similar styling but uses an IPS panel based LCD display in the front and has a textured back panel. 
The Apple iPhone 5 is 7.6 mm thick compared to the 9 mm thick BlackBerry Z10. Not only that, the iPhone 5 is about 58.6 mm wide whereas the BlackBerry Z10 is 66 mm wide. When it comes to weight, the iPhone 5 bags the price with 112 gram; compared to that the BlackBerry Z10 weighs 137.5 grams. In terms of design and dimensions, the BlackBerry Z10 looks a bit wider and is slightly heavier than the iPhone 5.

Core hardware
The BlackBerry Z10 features a 4.2 inch LCD touchscreen display-the largest display ever used by the company for a smartphone. This LCD display supports multi-touch sensitivity of up to four points and supports 1280 x 768 pixel resolution natively. The Apple iPhone 5 features a 4 inch Retina Display based on IPS panel with 1136 x 640 pixel native resolution. For sheer comparison of pixel density, the BlackBerry Z10 packs 355 pixels per inch whereas the iPhone 5 packs 326 pixels per inch. Certainly, text and images will look crisper on the BlackBerry Z10 display, but the colour profile and viewing angles might differ from the Retina Display of the iPhone 5. Though the iPhone 5 screen may have a lower pixel density, Retina Display enables brilliant colour reproduction.

BlackBerry has used a dual core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 mobile processor coupled with 2 GB RAM. This mobile processor has been used in several devices such as HTC Windows Phone 8X, Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 820, Motorola Razr HD, Samsung Ativ S and so on. This processor is coupled with Adreno 225, which supports full 1080p HD video playback and richer 3D graphics games. On the other hand the Apple iPhone 5 features the new dual core Apple A6 mobile processor clocked at 1.3 GHz and coupled with a PowerVR SGX 543MP3 powerful graphics chip to support the Retina display.

BlackBerry will offer the Z10 with 16 GB on board storage and a memory card slot capable of holding up to a 32 GB memory card. Compared to that Apple offers iPhone 5 in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB storage options - all at different prices and with no memory card slot.

Both smartphones support LTE networks and 3G networks to deliver faster data connectivity. Both smartphones offer dual band WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n) at 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. Both offer Bluetooth 4.0 but only BlackBerry Z10 will allow transferring files over this protocol. BlackBerry Z10 has a Near Field Communication chip, which is absent in the iPhone 5, but looking at the lukewarm momentum of NFC, we doubt if it will make any difference.

Camera

Apple has used the best possible optics with the iPhone 5. It has a five element lens. The 8 megapixel image sensor has f/2.4 aperture and has been tweaked to make the best of it through the compatible software that takes images with near-zero shutter lag. The images are crisper and better than on the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5 is capable of recording full 1080p HD video and can also edit them on the phone. There is a 2 megapixel camera in the front that is good for a 720p HD FaceTime video chat and high quality portrait photos.

BlackBerry has an 8 megapixel image sensor with LED flash, auto focus and 5X digital zoom. Apparently, the sensor and optics are different in the BlackBerry Z10 but either way, results are not up to iPhone 5's level. The BlackBerry Z10 is capable capturing high quality photos quickly and flaunts a fancy feature - Time Shift. This new feature basically lets the user select the face of the subject and then clicks the selected image in a burst mode. After that, the user can simply choose the best expression on the subject's face using a ring like rotational setting.

The BlackBerry Z10's camera is also capable of recording full 1080p HD video and can be edited on the phone itself. BlackBery has added a 2 megapixel camera in the front for self portrait shots and video chats.

Only comprehensive tests would prove whether the BlackBerry Z10's camera would manage to grab a space between the top three imaging handsets crowded by Nokia 808 PureView, iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III.

Operating system

Apple did step on troubled waters by warding off Google Maps and introducing its own version of Maps with iOS 6. While the company continues to take the heat and improve Maps, the iOS 6 delivers a simple, intuitive and addictive user experience. With the hardware bump, the iOS 6 is faster and more responsive on iPhone 5 than on its predecessor's models. Apple App Store has a large number of applications with similar features. Yet, iOS remains the most favourite platform for developers. Its strength lies in the ecosystem of applications and services enabled as well as nurtured by Apple all these years.

BlackBerry has introduced its mint-new BlackBerry 10 operating system, which is a marriage of BlackBerry OS code and QNX real-time operating system based on a Linux kernel. BlackBerry 10 OS brings several new features in terms of multi-tasking with active frames, flow and peek user interface features and BlackBerry Hub, which is an improved version of Unified Inbox.

The real test lies in the availability of all major applications including document processors, instant messengers and more on the platform. There are a number of similarities in terms of functions, which are bound to occur, but BlackBerry smartly manages to differentiate them from the rest. The operating system will be truly tested only when BlackBerry Z10 is available to several users and all of them are consuming services along with the apps.

Battery

Apple has packed a non-removable 1440 mAh battery, which is obviously less for the hardware muscle it packs. Also, the user's enthusiasm makes the phone run out of battery juice just before standard time. Compared to that, BlackBerry has packed the BlackBerry Z10 with an 1800 mAh battery. Of course, the BlackBerry Z10 is expected to offer more run time but the real test would be possible only when ample apps are available for it.

Few thoughts

BlackBerry had taken a hiatus for a couple of months and is now back with the new BlackBerry 10 OS and BlackBerry Z10. However, technology savvy consumers were not that excited as they could have been if the same product was launched instead of BlackBerry 7 OS. The public exposure of the BlackBerry 10 OS and BlackBerry Z10 may have toned down the excitement a bit. While Apple continues to struggle on the email front, it has the strong back-bone of App Store.

BlackBerry brings a new operating system and user interface to the table with powerful hardware. One must not forget that the BlackBerry 10 OS is still teething and is expected to grow faster while the Apple iOS platform has grown into a shark. The availability of apps as early as possible might give a little push to the BlackBerry 10 OS platform. In terms of hardware, BlackBerry better catch up with the Android counterparts and focus on specific features such as display, camera, sound and so on. The Apple iOS and Google Android devices continue to chew moolah off the consumers. We are interested to see if BlackBerry has a biting chance to regain a larger piece of the pie.

Vishwaroopam gets overwhelming response in Kerala

Chennai: Kamal Haasan's "Vishwaroopam" opened to an overwhelming response in Kerala, but after the first screening, the film's run was stopped in several theatres following protest from Muslim groups. Trade insiders say it is a clean movie.

"The first screening of the film was at 11 a.m. in approximately 82 screens in Kerala. But the film had to be banned in several cinemas after the first screening. Theatres closer to Tamil Nadu-Kerala border had to stop screening since Muslim outfits intervened," Arvind Nambiar, a distributor, told IANS.
"It's a clean film and is not targeted against any group or community. People should watch and decide for themselves whether it has any scenes that hurt the sentiments of any community," he added.
The shows were disrupted in places like Palakkad, Ettumanoor and some other towns of Kerala.
"There was no buzz around the release of the film as most of the cinemas decided to screen the film at the last minute, which was this morning. Since it released in smaller sections such as B and C, there were no problems initially, but later on the situation aggravated," Nambiar added.
The Tamil and Telugu versions of "Vishwaroopam", which deals with the adversities of war, were scheduled to release Friday, but the Tamil Nadu government Wednesday imposed curbs on it following protests from Muslim groups.

A day later, Kamal challenged the ban by the state government in the Madras High Court. In his plea, he contended that the movie was cleared by the censor board and the state government could not ban it.
The court has suspended the release till Jan 28. A judge will watch the film and then decide its fate.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government Friday stopped the release of "Vishwaroopam" in Hyderabad after some Muslim organizations complained that the movie hurt religious sentiments of the community.

Dabangg 2 Movie Review

 

Cast: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Arbaaz Khan
Direction: Arbaaz Khan
Rating: ***

Arbaaz Khan knows that he owns a very successful franchise and to score big with ‘Dabangg 2’ he needed to do more than just replicate the same format. ‘Dabangg 2’ tries to deliver on its promise as much as possible and our hero indulges his fans in true Salman Khan-ishtyle.
Chulbul/Robinhood Pandey (Salman Khan) has now taken a transfer to Kanpur where goon-turned-politician Thakur Bachcha Lal (Prakash Raj) needs to be tamed. There are quite a few encounters between Chulbul and Bachcha bhaiya’s men and every time our supercop manages to beat the bad boys to a pulp in his inimitable style.
Chulbul has made peace with his stepbrother and stepfather and is a more domesticated man now. He is no longer the brash, presumptuous lover but a more romantic and understanding husband. While some of the interaction between Chulbul and his once-estranged father and brother is endearing, I somehow liked the arrogant Chulbul Pandey much better than this one.
The problem with ‘Dabangg 2’ is the same that plagues most sequels; unless there is an essentially original plot and an unpredictable twist, there is nothing new in this story. The gags, the stunts, the catch phrases, even the song placement at regular intervals give the film a very repetitive feel.
What works for the film is the fact that the length is just right and prevents the film from becoming tedious. Salman Khan is at his entertaining best as Chulbul/Robinhood Pandey.