Note III

Samsung Galaxy Note III purported image spotted online

Gurman Bhatia, June 21, 2013

A leaked image that has surfaced on the Internet is being dubbed as a prototype of the Samsung Note III.

The image leaked by a Twitter handle PunkPanda, shows only a corner of the device. From what we can see, it seems like a shape similar to the Galaxy Note II. If we notice the status icons on the top bar, they do not seem to be similar to what Samsung usually has in its TouchWiz UI. Rather, these icons are closer to what we see in stock Android.

This is not the first time that an image of Note III has leaked. If we go back to the image leakedpreviously, it looks closer to the original Galaxy Note rather than the Galaxy Note II. Also, that device showed TouchWiz UI like status icons in the top bar. The positioning of the front facing camera is also closer to the speaker grill in the recent leak. So, make what you will of the two leaks.

Previous rumours state that the 6-inch phablet will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset. The Snapdragon 800 chipset has a quad-core Krait 400 processor that supports clock speeds of up to 2.3GHz. If is also expected that the device will have a full HD AMOLED display. Samsung Galaxy Note III is rumoured to support Bluetooth 4.0, 02.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), GSM (GPRS, EDGE), W-CDMA/UMTS (HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ cat.29), MBMS, LTE cat.4, CDMA2000 connectivity options.

Recently, a leaked EXIF file on Picasa Japan revealed that the device will come with a 13-megapixel camera.

With multiple rumours already circulating about the forthcoming phablet, it is difficult to settle on what the actual device could be like.

The successor to Samsung's Galaxy Note II is expected to be launched at IFA in September.

Canvas 4

Micromax Canvas 4 teased on Facebook, hints new way of unlocking

Surbhi Chawla, June 20, 2013

Micromax is all set to launch its new flagship smartphone Canvas 4 in the Indian market. The company had posted two teaser videos of this smartphone on its YouTube channel earlier in the week. The Indian smartphone maker has also been airing Television advertisements of this smartphone during the ICC Champions Trophy matches.

Now, the company has posted another teaser of this smartphone on its Facebook page. The image posted shows an Apple iPhone, an Android device and a BlackBerry smartphone along with the text "What next?" The caption reads, "Slide, Swipe, Press to unlock....What's next?"

From this picture it appears Micromax might be looking at introducing a new way to unlock the smartphone through its Canvas 4. The company has already said that pre-bookings of this smartphone will begin from June 28. So far there are no official details available in regards to the specification of this smartphone.

However, as per the grapevine, Micromax Canvas 4 smartphone will be a full-HD smartphone. Most users expect this smartphone to pack in quad-core processor but some users feel that this smartphone will come with an octa-core CPU to take on Samsung Galaxy S4. There are also speculations going around that this smartphone will offer a stylus support much like the smartphones in the Galaxy Note series.

There is no official word in regards to the price of the smartphone, however it is expected to be a sub-Rs. 20,000 offering. Canvas 4 will be a successor to Micromax A116 Canvas HD smartphone that waslaunched in February 2013. Micromax Canvas HD comes with 5-inch HD IPS screen that sports resolution of 720x1280 pixels and carries a price tag of Rs. 14,499. This smartphone, along withCanvas 2, have been the star products from the company in the last one year.

Sony "Honami" i1 phablet

Sony "Honami" i1 phablet to come with 20-megapixel camera, interchangeable lens: Report

Gurman Bhatia, June 18, 2013

The specifications for the Sony i1 codenamed "Honami" have been leaked online.

The leaked specifications of the device reveal a 5-inch 1080x1920 display with a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The phone is said to be powered by the quad-core Snapdragon MSM8974 processor clocked at 2.3GHz alongside 2GB of RAM. The phone will have 32GB internal storage with a microSD card slot for expansion. The highlight of the device however is the leaked information with regards to the camera.

According to the report, the phone will come with a 20-megapixel camera with Sony G lens, Cybershot Camera UI, a dedicated Camera Shutter key, Xenon flash and interchangeable lenses. If it is indeed true, how the bit about interchangeable lenses will work out is something that lies in a bit of ambiguity. The powerful rear camera will also be accompanied by a 2.2-megapixel Exmor R front camera capable of taking 1080p video.

All this hardware will be backed by a 3000mAh battery with an additional stamina mode, probably something similar to the power saving mode on current Sony devices. The device is expected to run Android 4.2.2. And will also have an IR Remote similar to current leading devices such as the Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Apart from this, according to the report, the device will come with NFC, One Touch Sharing, Wi-Fi Miracast and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.

The leaked specifications of the device were also accompanied by an out of focus shot of the phablet. Nothing concrete can be observed from the extremely blurry shot though.

The phone is rumoured to be a part of Sony's "One Sony" strategy that CEO Kazuo Hirai had talked about last year. The philosophy works on focusing on the three segments Sony is known for, namely digital imaging, gaming and mobile and integrating their operations into one.

If the rumours are indeed true, this will be the second phablet the company would be working on. Its first phablet the Sony Xperia Z Ultra was recently teased in press invites and is expected to belaunched on June 20.

The Xperia Z Ultra, that is also dubbed as "Togari", is rumoured to have specifications a bit similar to what has been leaked for the Sony i1 Honami, apart from the camera. The device is rumoured to have a Snapdragon 800 processor with a clock speed of 2.3GHz alongside 2GB of RAM. This device is also expected to come with a 2700mAh or a 3000mAh battery. It is also known to come with the X-Reality Engine, which happens to be an upgrade to the Sony's mobile Bravia Engine 2. The phablet is said to feature an 8-megapixel camera and 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Samsung launches multiple offers

Samsung launches multiple offers in a bid to boost Galaxy S4 sales

Surbhi Chawla, June 19, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 has been in the news for wrong reasons recently, with reports of sales slowing downs and various analysts revising shipping estimates in the downward direction.

On the back of these reports comes the news that Samsung has launched many schemes to push sales of its flagship smartphone in India.

According to one offer, the company is offering a free magnetic cover along with the purchase of theSamsung Galaxy S4. This cover is dubbed S-View Cover and is worth Rs. 2,499. The USP of this cover is that it customises the screen of Samsung Galaxy S4 as a display window.

This offer is valid for all Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones purchased between June 10 to June 30, 2013. To avail this offer, users will have to login to the special offer page by Samsung and key in the IMEI number of their Samsung Galaxy S4, their mobile number and email address. The website also shares that to redeem this offers, users should keep a copy of their invoice in JPG or PDF form handy.

If the idea of a cover does not sound appealing, you can opt for a one-time screen replacement worth Rs. 7,000 at an additional cost of Rs.500. In addition to this, Samsung is offering 60+ live TV channels, 250 movies, 25 HD games, 2.5lakhs songs worth Rs.12,000. To activate this offer, the users will have to send a text to 56886 with the message 'MYOFFER'.

Samsung had launched its the Galaxy S4 in India in April for Rs. 41,500. However, the smartphone is currently available at the Samsung India online store for Rs. 40,300. The company is also running an EMI scheme for this smartphone, under which the users can purchase Samsung Galaxy S4 by paying zero down payment and 12 installments of Rs.3,358 each. The company claims that purchasing smartphone via this scheme will help users in saving Rs. 3,250.

Samsung has also tied up with Vodafone to offer special 'all-in-one' tariff plan that allows Galaxy S4 users to save up to Rs. 12,000 and enjoy 3G data. This offer is open for both post-paid and pre-paid subscribers.

The post-paid subscribers of Samsung Galaxy S4 will have to shell out Rs. 1,199 as the monthly rental and will be entitled to unlimited Internet (with 3GB data allowance under fair usage policy). In addition to this the subscriber will also get 3000 local and STD voice minutes and 750 local and national SMS. The subscribers will also get Missed Call Intimation for 12 months in this plan.

Pre-paid subscribers on the other hand have a choice of two recharges. The first recharge option is of Rs. 677 and offers unlimited Internet (1GB allowance), 1,000 local and STD voice minutes and 500 local and national SMS. This recharge is valid for 30 days. The other option is with recharge of Rs 345, which offers unlimited Internet (512MB allowance), 500 local and STD voice minutes and 250 local and national SMS and is valid 15 days.