HTC One Max

HTC One Max phablet with fingerprint scanner launched at Rs. 61,490

 November 22, 2013

HTC has announced its latest phablet, the One Max (16GB variant) in India at an MRP of Rs. 61,490, and a best buy price of Rs. 56,490. 

The Taiwanese manufacturer unveiled the One Max phablet in October this year. It runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box with HTC's Sense 5.5 UI on top. The phablet comes with a 5.9-inch full-HD LCD display. 

The HTC One Max is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM. It comes with 16GB inbuilt storage with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage via microSD card. The device features HTC's UltraPixel rear camera, while there is also a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera onboard. It also has HTC Zoe and HTC BoomSound features, first seen on the HTC One.

Connectivity features on the HTC One Max include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, DLNA and HTC Connect. The device also packs a 3300mAh battery which can give up to 25 hours of talktime and 585 hours of standby time for 3G networks. It measures 164.5x82.5x10.29mm and weighs 217 grams.

The HTC One Max follows the same design as that of company's flagship smartphone, the HTC One. Notably, the all new phablet from HTC features the long-rumoured fingerprint scanner at the back which lets users log in with a swipe of fingertip. The HTC One Max is now the second device launched this year to come with a fingerprint scanner feature, after the Apple iPhone 5s.

With the launch of the One Max, HTC has now launched all the three One series smartphones in India, including the One and One mini. Soon however, the Taiwanese handset maker is expected to slash smartphone costs and sell cheaper devices with aim to make the Q4 profitable, as suggested by areport suggested.

HTC also unveiled the Power Flip Case accessory, priced at Rs. 5,999, a 1,200mAh battery expansion to provide extra juice, apart from increased protection. 

The company also unveiled the HTC Mini+ accessory at Rs. 7,790, which as per the company is a multi-tasking solution for taking calls and also gives instant notifications. It features a 1.5-inch OLED display with a 128x128 pixel resolution.

Another accessory announced for the HTC One Max was the Fetch keychain, at Rs. 2399. Users can press the button on the keychain, and the device activates their phones' ringtone within 15 metres. Pairing it will give users a warning beep if they leave their smartphones behind, and a map location feature is also present.

HTC One Max users will also get 50GB free additional cloud storage space on Google Drive.

HTC One Max key specifications

• 5.9-inch full-HD LCD display
• 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor
• 2GB of RAM
• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Sense 5.5 UI
• Fingerprint scanner
• 16GB/ 32GB inbuilt storage variants, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card
• 164.5x82.5x10.29mm
• 217 grams

Karbonn Titanium S7

Karbonn Titanium S7 with 5-inch full-HD display up for pre-order at Rs. 14,999

Ketan Pratap, November 22, 2013

Karbonn is all set to enter the full-HD smartphone fray with the release of the Titanium S7 in India. TheKarbonn Titanium S7 is now listed at ecommerce website, Flipkart and can be pre-ordered at Rs. 14,999. However, the online retailer's listing clearly mentions that the estimated release is the fifth week of November.

The Karbonn Titanium S7 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. It is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. The smartphone features 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) display with OGS Technology. The Titanium S7 is powered by 1.5GHz quad-core processor (unspecified chipset). It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and also houses a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Titanium S7 comes with 16GB inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB with microSD card. There are no details about smartphone's RAM and battery. Karbonn Mobiles has not officially unveiled the Titanium S7 smartphone in India.

Earlier, Karbonn teased its upcoming Titanium X smartphone and posted a teaser banner for the smartphone, revealing some of the specifications.

Unfortunately, there was no word on the pricing and availability details of the Titanium X, but the smartphone is rumoured to be released soon in India.

As per the official listing, the Karbonn Titanium X comes with 5-inch HDIPS display (what seems to be the essential difference between the two phones) and is powered by quad-core 1.5GHz processor (unspecified chipset). Further, the Karbonn Titanium X was seen running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and also houses a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

On the connectivity front, the smartphone will include NFC support, which will make the Titanium X the first 'affordable' smartphone from an Indian brand to sport this feature. The smartphone is backed by a 2300mAh battery; however, there is no word on talktime or standby time.

Karbonn Titanium S7 key specifications

• 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) display with OGS Technology
• 1.5GHz quad-core processor (unspecified chipset)
• 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)
• 16GB inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB with microSD card
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Nexus 4, 4.4 KitKat update in India

Nexus 4 reportedly starts receiving Android 4.4 KitKat update in India

Ketan Pratap, November 22, 2013

Google may not have announced the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Nexus 4 but a Twitter user in India claims that his smartphone is now receiving the update via OTA (over-the-air).

Manan Chawla has posted an image that shows the 'Android 4.4 System Update' notification on his Nexus 4. Chawla's tweet reads, "This time it happened fast. Android 4.4 KitKat is on my #nexus4 #India."

The purported Android 4.4 system notification reveals that the update is about 239MB in size. The update notification also includes some new features namely Hangouts app, Caller ID by Google, new Print feature.

As of now, there is no official word from the search engine giant on the Android 4.4 rollout for the Nexus 4. But the latest tweet suggests that Google might be rolling out the update in phases.

The Android 4.4 KitKat iteration brings some new features such as a new translucent menu bar, which is located at the bottom of the screen; new dialler and caller ID; unified Hangouts messaging app; smarter Google Now integration; step counter and detector, support for two new composite sensors, and support for screen recording.

Earlier this month, Google officially announced the rollout of Android 4.4 KitKat for its Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets (Wi-Fi only models), available OTA. The search engine giant confirmed the news via Android's Twitter and Google Plus accounts.

However, Google did not specify an exact date for the update for mobile data model of Nexus 7 tablets. In addition, Google also left out of the update the Nexus 4 smartphone, saying it would be 'coming soon'.

Google Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 KitKat

Google Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 KitKat launched in India at Rs. 28,999

 November 20, 2013

Google has finally launched the Nexus 5 in India and is now taking orders for the smartphone through the Play Store. The Nexus 5 is available in two variants - the 16GB model at Rs. 28,999, and the 32GB variant at Rs. 32,999. Google globally announced the Nexus 5 on November 1, after months of speculation and anticipation.

Google Nexus 5 is the platform lead device for Android 4.4, which notably brings a new dialler that automatically suggests people the most likely call while Caller ID by Google matches an incoming phone number to a business even if that number isn't stored in the contact list. Users can send and receive all text messages directly via the unified Hangouts app, and Hangouts for Android now supports location sharing.

It comes with a 4.95-inch full-HD IPS display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and boasts a pixel density of 445ppi. The Nexus 5 also sports Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The Nexus 5 is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor alongside 2GB of RAM. It sports an 8.0-megapixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. It comes in 16GB and 32GB storage options, with Black and White colours to choose from. Unfortunately, much like Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 does not support expandable storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and 3G. The Nexus 5 also support wireless charging and comes with dual microphones.

It packs a 2300mAh battery which can deliver up to 17 hours of talktime and 300 hours of standby time. The Nexus 5 comes with dimensions 137.8x69.1x8.59 and weighs 130 grams. 

Google Nexus 5 technical specifications

• 4.95-inch full-ID IPS (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with 2.26GHz Quad-Core Krait CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB, 32GB inbuilt storage
• Android 4.4, KitKat
• 8.0-megapixel rear camera with OIS
• 1.3-megapixel front camera
• 2,300mAh
• 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59mm
• 130 grams