Sony Xperia Z1 with 5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 800 processor, 20.7 MP camera announced #MobilekeedaLive

Sony has just announced the Xperia Z1, the company’s latest flagship phone at the IFA 2013. It has a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Triluminos Display with with X-Reality engine that would offer rich, natural colours, powered by 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 20.7-megapixel rear camera with Sony G lens with a 27mm wide angle f/2.0 aperture custom 1/2.3″ Sony Exmor RS image sensor, BIONZ image processing engine, , 1080p video recording and a 2-megapixel 1080p front-facing camera. It is 8.5mm thick and weighs 170 grams.

It has IP55 / IP58 rating for dust and water resistance. It comes with range of camera applications including Social live to broadcast live from the phone to Facebook, Info-eye which is a visual search application that offers info about landmarks, books and more from the live camera, the Timeshift burst mode takes 61 images in 2 seconds before and after you press the shutter and the AR effecsts act as a overlay a selection of fun, customizable animation using Sony’s AR augmented reailty tech.

It comes pre-loaded with integrated PlayMemories Online, a cloud-based image and video service, All-Sync feature that offers unlimited instant auto uploads.

Sony Xperia Z1 specifications

• 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Triluminos Display with X-Reality for Mobiles
• 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974 (LTE) or MSM8274 (HSPA+)) processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Single Aluminium frame with tempered glass on the front and back
• 20.7MP Primary Camera with Exmos RS sensor, HDR photos & videos, 1080p video recording.
• 2MP front-facing camera with 1080p video recording
• 6.5mm thick and weighs 212 grams
• IP55 / IP58 rating for dust and water resistance
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with RDS
• 2GB RAM,  16GB internal memory, Upto 64GB expandable memory via microSD card
• 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 820.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X, GPS/ GLONASS, MHL, NFC
• 3000mAh Battery with STAMINA mode

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra comes in Black, White and Purple colors. It would go on sale globally from September 2013. No word on pricing yet.

BlackBerry Z10 software update v10.0.10.85 brings several improvements

BlackBerry has started rolling out BlackBerry OS 10 version 10.0.10.85 OTA update to BlackBerry Z10 that brings several improvements and enhancements, including several improvements for better app performance, improved low-light imaging and optimizations for better battery life.

This update includes

• Improvement in 3rd Party App Performance for a smoother app experience
• Improvements and features for Gmail calendars
• Improvements in the BlackBerry Hub for logging calls log and how conversations are handled and improvements in importing contacts from online sources.
• Optimized camera for better photos in low-light situations while taking images without flash in Time Shift Camera mode.
• Improvements to the software in the way the browser handles video playback to provide a fantastic experience.
• Battery life optimizations with over 60 battery saving improvements and longer average usage per charge cycle.

The Over-the-Air (OTA) update is about 150 MB. BlackBerry Z10 users can get the update from Settings> Software Updates> Check for Updates>. It would gradually roll out globally over coming weeks.

Nokia Lumia 620 gets a pre order price of ₹15,199 on Flipkart

The Nokia Lumia 620 has been a long time coming. It was initially slated to be launched on the first week of February but it is already the first week of March, so it is about time it arrived on the market, and signs indicate that it is coming real soon indeed. Flipkart has just put up the phone for pre order at a price of ₹15,199, with availability promised within a week.

The Lumia 620 joins the 920 and the 820 in the Indian market. With the recent budget it was expected that the phone might not hit the sub 15k mark and the pre order price shows. But we can’t wholly trust Flipkart as prices for other pre orders have changed in the past. Anyways, the Lumia 620 is possibly Nokia’s best shot at a mid range winner device, with specs and features rivaling the competition. The specs are –

• Display: 3.8” TFT WVGA 800×480, ClearBlack
• Memory: 512MB RAM (8GB internal memory, Micro SD support up to 64GB)
• Camera: 5Mpix autofocus, LED flash; Video capture: HD 720p@30fps; VGA front camera
• Size & weight: 115.4 x 61.1 x 11.02 mm; 127g (including battery)
• Connectivity: NFC, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4Ghz + 5Ghz, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio connector (AHJ + WP Controls)
• Processor: 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon (TM) S4
• Battery Talk time: (GSM/WCDMA) Up to 14.6 h/ up to 9.9 h; Standby time: Up to 330 h

So, are you excited that the Lumia 620 is finally arriving to the Indian market? Are you buying one? Let us know in the comments section below.

BlackBerry Z10 coming to India on February 25

BlackBerry is all set to launch it’s latest BlackBerry 10 OS running smartphone- the BlackBerry Z10 in India on February 25 at an event in Mumbai. The smartphone which was launched last month on January 30 along with the new, built-from-scratch BlackBerry 10 OS is already available in the UK, Canada, UAE and some of the European markets.

The response for the device as well as the new operating system from the users has been quite good till now but the only major concern we have with the device is it’s pricing.

It is being speculated that the BlackBerry Z10 would be launched at a price of about Rs.39,000 in India which seems quite steep considering that BlackBerry 10 is a new OS and other smartphones running Android OS offer much better specifications at this price point. The smartphone is already available in some of grey markets at a price of upwards of Rs.50,000, so if you’re looking for exclusivity, you might as well grab one right now!

To quickly remind you about the specifications of the BlackBerry Z10, the smartphone features a 4.2-inch display with 1280 x 768 pixel resolution amounting to a pixel density of 356 pixels per inch. The BlackBerry Z10 is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and the smartphones comes with 16GB of on-board storage which can be expanded using a micro-SD card. The smartphone houses an 8 megapixel camera at the back, a 2 megapixel camera the front and packs-in a 1,850mAh battery.

Though BlackBerry 10 doesn’t need any BlackBerry data plan, but Aircel had already announced that it would be offering the Z10 in India and we expect some other mobile operators to support the device as well.

The BlackBerry Z10 would take-on the likes of Android OS running HTC One X+ and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 as well as the Windows Phone 8 based Nokia Lumia 920.

Samsung Galaxy S IV surfaces on GLBenchmark

Finally it’s that time of the year when reports of Samsung Galaxy S IV fill up every blog. Apparently, a device made by Samsung (Model No. SHV-E300S), which is said to be the Galaxy S IV, has shown up on GLBenchmark.

What I found weird was the use of a Qualcomm chipset, the MSM8960. As Samsung had showcased their Exynos 5 Octa, I guessed they would be going with that chipset for their flagship device. Now, there is also the possibility that this device is the Korean Galaxy S IV which will host the MSM8960 and the international version would feature the Exynos 5 Octa.

According to the results from GLBenchamrk, Galaxy S IV scored 4672 frames (41.3 FPS) in Egypt HD C24Z16 test, 4450 Frames (39.4 FPS) in Egypt HD C24Z16 on-screen test. These Benchmark results are definitely amazing and is better than that of Nexus 4 or any other device from Samsung. From this benchmark it is also clear that the Galaxy S IV will have a 1080 x 1920 resolution display, which is right, according to earlier rumors.

Now, we are not entirely sure whether this is the S IV or any other device, all we know is the model number. We will be looking at more leaks about the Galaxy S IV in the coming days, maybe even about the international one which comes with the Exynos 5 Octa.

BlackBerry Z10 Unboxing

BlackBerry launched the Z10, the first BlackBerry 10 few days back, and here we have the unboxing of the phone. The phone has a 4.2 inch multi-touch IPS LCD display at a resolution of 1280 by 768 at 356 PPI pixel density. The Z10 is powered by a dual-core 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. It has 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory and comes with a microSD expansion slot.
The box has a large Z10 branding. The phone lies at the top, and the box contents are present at the bottom compartment. The box contents include a micro USB cable, wall charger, 1800 mAh battery, Safety information booklet, user manual, headphones and cleaning cloth. There was also a BlackBerry leather holster case in the box, but the box contents may vary based on the market.
The phone weighs just 137 grams and at the same time feels sold in hand. It is 9 mm thick. There is a 2MP font-facing camera with 720p HD video recording.The phone has complete gesture interface with BlackBerry Flow UX and the BlackBerry Hub that offers messages and conversations and messages from the social networking sites at a single place.It also has quick settings toggle.It feature a 8MP auto focus camera with LED flash at the back. It has 5x digital zoom and is capable of recording 1080p Full HD videos. The phone has 4G LTE / HSPA+ wiht global roaming support, Dual Band 802.11 WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 , NFC and GPS.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 price drops to ₹34900

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has received a price cut and is now available for ₹34900. Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 2 at a price tag of ₹39,900 last September. The Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S Duos got a price cut earlier today, and the first Samsung Galaxy Note got a price cut back in December.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the company’s recent flagship device, and it packs a 5.5-inch (1,280 x 720 pixels) HD Super AMOLED display, 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It also has a new S Pen and comes with S Pen specific apps such as S Note, S Planner, Email with hand-writing integration and S Pen Keeper.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 received the Android 4.1.2 OTA update that brought several new features including Notification Panel, new Notification Toggles, Option to disable  Multi Window, option to disable Brightness Slider from the notification bar  and more.

Online retailer Flipkart has already started selling the Galaxy Note 2 at the new price.

BlackBerry Z10 likely to launch in India for ₹39000 on February 24th

Here is some exclusive news regarding the launch of the upcoming BlackBerry Z10 handset from BlackBerry. FoneArena reports from reliable sources that the first BlackBerry 10 handset is going to launched here in India as soon as February 24th. And the price will be similar to the Z10′s no-contract price in UK and other markets at around ₹39000. India is a huge market for BlackBerry especially amongst youth and business users. The z10 is surely bound to attract business users with the all new BlackBerry 10 operating system.The Z10 is surely a huge step forward for the company in the touchscreen device segment after the Storm and the Torch.

I’m sure die-hard BlackBerry users will immediately take the plunge and get the Z10 as it has been quite some time since a shiny new BlackBerry device has been launched in India.The 40,000 mark which was once seen as a super expensive smartphone category is now the new high end smartphone category with HTC , Samsung and even Nokia launching products in this price band.

Blackberry Z10 Hands On

Waterloo based smartphone manufacturer, Blackberry launched two new smartphones at its event in New York and across the world. The phones are powered by the Blackberry 10 operating system which takes cues from several other leading mobile operating systems and incorporates them into one single cohesive interface. We got some hands on time with the handset and here are our impressions.

The keyboard is particularly impressive because of the learning behavior. Blackberry has taken the design of its signature keyboard design and implemented in software alongside some very impressive software gestures. We’ll hold our full opinion on it till we review the device but its impressive to say the least.

Anyone who follows the tech journalism sphere would notice that the BB10 OS takes more than a few cues from Nokia’s Harmattan OS on the N9. Similar to the double tap to unlock gesture on the N9, you can simply swipe up from the bezel to unlock your device. Bezel gestures were previously seen on the Blackberry Playbook and it seems that they have been put to good effect on the Z10 and Q10 as well.

Over at the back we can see a 8 MP camera and a single LED flash. While we can’t comment on the image quality, the camera interface has some nifty additions because of Blackberry’s collaboration with Scalado. There are inbuilt filters for manipulating your images. What you also get are some interesting applications similar to Nokia’s smart shoot technology seen on the Lumia range of phones.

The Blackberry Z10 has a very cool rubberized finish which makes it perfectly comfortable to hold on to. We’re not sure if this is the same as the glass finish on the Q10 but it definitely feels great.

Over on the sides you’ll spot the micro USB slot which is MHL capable and can also output video over HDMI.

We definitely like what Blackberry has done in terms of hardware on the Z10 and the software too looks interesting in our brief hands on time. Will it be sufficient to save the company from the brink of doom ? That’s for the consumers to decide. In our impending review we’ll take a look at the application ecosystem which is absolutely essential for the survival of a new operating system. For now, all we can say is that Blackberry has made a commendable effort to win back its spot in the smartphone race with the Z10.

Nokia Lumia 620: Specifications and Review

2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
SIM	Micro-SIM
Announced	2012, December
Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2013, January

	Dimensions	115.4 x 61.1 x 11 mm, 76 cc (4.54 x 2.41 x 0.43 in)
	Weight	127 g (4.48 oz)

	Display Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	480 x 800 pixels, 3.8 inches (~246 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
		– ClearBlack display

	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes
		– Dolby headphone sound enhancement

	Card slot	microSD, up to 64 GB
	Internal Memory	8 GB storage, 512 MB RAM

	GPRS	Class B
	EDGE	Class B
	Speed	HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
	Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP, EDR
	NFC	Yes
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

	Primary Camera	5 MP, 2592х1936 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, 720p@30fps
	Secondary Camera	Yes, VGA

	OS	Microsoft Windows Phone 8
	Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
	CPU	Dual-core 1 GHz Krait
	GPU	Adreno 305
	Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	No
	Colors	Lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white, black
	Features	– SNS integration – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic – MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player – MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player – 7GB free SkyDrive storage – Document viewer – Video/photo editor – Voice memo/dial – Predictive text input

	Battery	Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery (BL-4J)
	Stand-by	Up to 330 h
	Talk time	Up to 14 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 9 h 50 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 61 h

The Finnish smartphone maker Nokia has been riding on the global success of it’s latest Lumia range of smartphones  and recently, it had reported that company had sold nearly 4.4 million Lumia smartphones till date, exceeding company’s own expectations. Well, that’s great news for the company which once enjoyed it’s premium position n the smartphone market but of late, has struggled to keep up and now trails to the likes of Samsung, Apple and HTC. While the world moved over to Android, Nokia trusted the Windows Phone platform to bring the company back amongst the top smartphone makers and with it’s latest range of Lumia devices, it takes another step to reclaim the lost ground.

The much-hyped Lumia 920, 820 and 620 were announced in Indian earlier this month and while the Lumia 920 and 820 are available for sale, the Nokia Lumia 620 would go on sale sometime in February. We weren’t particularly impressed with pricing of the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in India, and considering that, we expect the Lumia 620 to cost anywhere in between Rs.18,000-20,000 at launch. 

The Nokia Lumia 620 sports a 3.8-inch TFT WVGA ClearBlack display which is quite good to look at and honestly, any display on windows phone device looks good irrespective of the pixel density. The device is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor coupled with 512MB of RAM and during our initial test, we found the usage to be lag free and all the apps loaded up quickly, without much delay.

The Nokia Lumia 620 comes with 8GB of internal storage along with a micro-SD card slot for storage expansion by up to 64GB, which is a major plus point for the device as it is amongst the only few smartphones, which offer storage expansion till 64GB. Considering it’s expected price point, we aren’t really impressed with the 5 megapixel rear camera on the Lumia 620, but one area where the Lumia 620 scores over it’s closes rival, the HTC 8S is that while the 8S lacks a front-facing camera, the Lumia 620 sports a VGA camera which enables video-calling on the device and makes use of the tight Skype integration on Windows Phone 8, unlike the HTC 8S.

But a major area for concern is the Lumia 620′s petit 1,300 mAh battery which may not be enough to easily last thorough a full day’s usage. That being said, we’ll see how well the device really fares and soon come out with our full review of the Nokia Lumia 620.