Mobile Review Blog

75% Smartphones Run on Android, 17.3% on iOS

According to IDC, Android and iOS together constitute 92.3% of all smartphone OS shipments in the first quarter of 2013. In total 199.5 million Android and iOS devices were shipped in the first quarter, marking an increase of 59%, from last year’s first quarter figures of 125.4 million. Android owns 75% of the market share while Apple owns 17.3%.

Windows Phone with 3.2% of the market share has leapfrogged Blackberry and has moved at number three. It posted the largest year-over-year increase of 133%, where Blackberry’s market share has declined to 2.9%. Apple iOS touched their best ever first quarter volume due to their growing iPhone shipment volumes, however, its year-over-year market share has declined by 6.6%.

The credit for Windows Phone’s good show largely goes to Nokia which accounts for 79.0% of all Windows Phone shipments during the quarter.

Intel Convertibles with android coming soon

After a prolonged state of oblivion, it is believed that the processing giant Intel has further plans in the android segment, dominated primarily by Qualcomm based devices. According to a CNET report, Intel is planning to bring out an android based convertible with a detachable keyboard for the budget price of $200. The convertible will run on Intel’s atom processor and can be seen as Intel’s answer to low-priced tablet PCs that currently rule the market.

The economical pricing of the new convertible can ease concerns regarding high costs of convertibles. It was earlier believed that the new convertible can be Windows based, but that may not work if Intel plans to launch a budget convertible, since Windows is by and large available at a higher price point.

Akai launches 32-inch LED for 22k

Celebrating the 6th edition of IPL, TV maker Akai has launched two new LED TVs at eye catching prices. Starting from 19k, the list boasts of a 29 and a 32-inch model, both available as LED E13. The 29-inch will cost 19k, while the 32-inch is priced at 22k. The prices are indeed their high-points, still they seem to have most of the indispensable features such as HDMI and USB connectivity, full HD playback and Blue-ray USB playback, 3D noise reduction along with wide viewing angle.

Summing things up, Pranay Dhabhai, MD, Akai India said, “Cricket is India’s favorite sport and IPL is one of the biggest celebrations of cricket in India. Seeing this as a mass-media event and an excellent opportunity to connect with customers Akai has launched the two LEDs keeping in mind the needs and preferences of the Indian customers. The new range is performance oriented and uses Akai’s state-of-art technology to deliver best picture at affordable prices.”

Akai LED 29E13 and LED 32E13 are available across India at leading retail outlets for Rs 19,990 and Rs 22,990 respectively.

OPERA MINI 6.5

When it comes to mobile browsers, one name stands out prominently for its sheer efficiency and cost effectiveness and that is Opera. With its wide range of browsers, it serves everyone from low end feature phones to high end smartphones and tablets.

The latest from opera’s stables is the Opera Mini 6.5 which now runs on the BlackBerry phones, Android devices as well as the Apple ones.These can be downloaded for free and once installed, you get a very seamless easy to understand and use browser page. It has nine big icons for various shortcuts which mean that it is pretty touch optimised. All these nine shortcuts can be editied as per your choice. The browser compresses data to optimise it for mobile networks and devices and is faster and efficient. To keep a tab on data consumption, a Data Counter has been added that shows how much savings have you achieved by using Opera Mini. The text selection has also been improved for a better experience. The browser is also available J2ME and Symbian devices.

NEWSER App REVIEW

There are two types of news lovers - those who like to dig around and sniff out events happening around the world, and those who would rather get everything served to them on an elegant platter in an easy to read format.

If you belong to the latter category, then Newser is the perfect app for you. Available free of cost for Windows Phone devices, Newser is a small (1 MB) download and works on the simple principle that you want to get to your news as quickly and smoothly as possible. Launch the app and you will be confronted by a tiled layout similar to the one on Windows Phone, only each tile represents a story, with a picture and a headline. On the launch screen, there are four main categories of tiles - Latest, Popular, Superlative and Breaking, with stories/tiles under each. However, it is when you tap on them that Newser’s magic comes to the fore. You are not taken to the full story, but a crisp two to three paragraph summary of it by Newser’s edit team with links to sources carrying detailed versions of the story. And these summaries are very well written too. Succinct, yet stylish.

There are a number of news categories, including the usual (world, politics, money, technology) and the unusual, which are grouped under ‘Superlatives’ and comprise ‘most hilarious,’ ‘most intriguing,’ ‘most depressing,’ ‘ most scary,’ ‘most brilliant’ and ‘most ridiculous.’ There is no playing around with sections, no feeds to select. Just a lot of crisp writing and reading here. You can like, share and comment on stories items. It looks brilliant and works a treat. News at your fingertips. Well written. Free of cost. Just what many of us need.

INSTAPLACE REVIEW

With the proliferation of GPS in handsets, it is easy to add the location of where a picture was taken to the picture itself. The process itself, however, tends to be a tad tedious, and more often than not, the location gets displayed in small text as part of a caption.

What if you wanted to highlight the location in a more prominent way? Well, you could use InstaPlace. Available for both Android and iOS, InstaPlace lets you add large location-based captions to your images. You can either take a picture from within the app itself, or choose an existing image. Once that is done, InstaPlace scans the area around to try and identify your current location using Foursquare and Facebook. It is not always accurate, but you can choose and alternative location if you are not satisfied with the ones chosen by the app. That done, you can then opt for an appropriate location-based slogan (“I was here,'' “Delicious”and so on). You also have the option of adding a filter to change the look of the photograph if you wish – not a bad option if you have taken the shot from within the app itself as it does not seem to support autofocus.

That done, you can share your image, complete with a slogan printed on it on your social networks. Some might say that InstaPlace is a limited app as all it does is add a location-based line to your images. You do not even get the option to edit the text on the image, although you can buy additional options, if you feel so inclined. The app itself is free, but comes with limited captions/slogans. That said, the app works very smoothly and is very intuitive to use. If all you are looking to add to your pictures is a sense of place, InstaPlace is the app for you.

3G Data Cards Launched with Wi-Fi Support

ZTE Corporation India based subsidiary ZTE Telecom India has recently announced the launch of data card in the Indian Open Market. According to the company's press release, ZTE newly launched data cards will come in two variants - 14.4 mbps speed one and a 7.2 mbps download speed data card.

The cost of the data card with 14.4 mbps download speed will be Rs. 2,250 and it will be available through Flipkart, whereas the data card with 7.2 mbps download speed is priced at Rs. 1,799 and it will be available through both, channel partner and online.

The two models launched include a WiFi enabled hotspot and both the data cards can connect to USB port of a tablet and laptop. The data card with 14.4 mbps download speed has an option to connect with a USB charger and the connection can be shared via WiFi with up to 5 devices.

On this occasion, Yuan Kang, Director Terminals Business, ZTE India said "We are excited to enter the Indian Open Market with our first two products and we hope to introduce more devices in the future. India is an important market for ZTE and this is our first step to enter the open market and cater to the needs of the masses with ZTE's innovative products."

HP launches Hotspot LaserJet Pro multi-function printer

Technology major Hewlett Packard (HP) India launched its latest AOI (all-in-one) printer called Hotspot Laser Jet Pro multi-function printer with internet hotspot in-built in it, on Tuesday. The all-in-one printer from HP is priced at Rs. 18,306.

The printer which allows the user to print, scan, copy and fax, now comes with mobile printing technologies. These include HP ePrint, HP Wireless Direct and Apple Airprint. The company has also given the provision of an in-built internet hotspot targeting potential customers from small business (SMB) set ups and small office/home office (SOHO) set ups with its new all-in-one printer.

According to Nitin Hiranandani, Director-Printing of HP India, the internet hotspot feature which is added to the printer allows small business set-ups to run a fully functional office with the capabilities of printing, scanning, faxing and accessing wireless internet with the help of a single printer. He said that HP constantly tries to reinvent the printer, with its latest HP Hotspot marking an important milestone in the company's innovation legacy.

The printer takes the role of a router or hotspot and also connects other devices via wireless LAN (Local Area Network). ‘Plug and print' feature of the printer helps install the printer in no time without the help of a CD installation.

According to the research firm IDC, the printer market is being driven by the service industry and also small business set-ups and is growing at the rate of 30% year-on-year. The firm has observed that HP is the reigning leader of the printer market having a market share of 45.7% in the second quarter of 2012.

Canon and Epson follows at the second and third positions respectively. Canon has a market share of 19.5% while Epson has 11.4%.
IDC also noted that HP's hard copy printers stood at a count of 8,02,063 units during the same quarter, having a growth of 9.2% year-on-year.

How to Install Nexus 4 Android 4.2.2 Update?

Nexus4 finally got an update and is now available over-the-air and is something similar to all other updates. The update, currently, is being sent out in a phased manner and this makes it clear that it will take a few days for all devices to get the update.

The new update contains enhanced settings and sounds. The update also includes a few changes in the download status bar of apps, performance improvements and security fixes. The app excludes LTE support that is present in the software of Nexus4. The update can be checked manually by Settings>>About Phone>> System Updates. Google will however notify its users once the update is ready on their phones. Users who do not want to wait for the update to come to their phone can also use the option of installing the update manually on their phones. The updated can be installed onto phones in two ways:

Installing Using Custom Recovery

Users who have TWRP or CWM installed on their phones can download the update file by clicking here and saving it to Nexus. Boot in recovery and then apply the updated file. Those who do not have custom recovery, can first download Nexus Tool Kit, install the drivers in it, and download the updated file to phone. Users should further go to advanced utilities, choose temp CWM option. Apply the update file when the phone boots.

Installing using ADB Sideload

Install ADB version to the computer and download updated file. Reboot Nexus4 while holding the down volume button simultaneously. An Android with a red exclamation button appears on the screen after which users should press volume up and power buttons together. A new menu will appear. Go to "apply ADB update". After this, connect Nexus4 to computer via a USB, open the folder into which the update was downloaded and "Open command Window here" will appear. Enter the following command and the update is ready.

F-074: Tata Docomo and Fujitsu Unveiled Waterproof 3G Smartphone

Japanese multinational tech giant Fujitsu has joined hands with Indian telecommunications service provider Tata Docomo to launch a new smartphone in the Indian marketplace, namely, F-074 3G. According to the company's press release, Tata Docomo’s Fujitsu F-074 3G smartphone is priced at Rs 21,900 and will be exclusively available to Tata Docomo customers across the exclusive retail stores in Bangalore.

As claimed by the company, F-074 is a waterproof smartphone and will boast ultra-slim 6.7mm thickness accompanied with a weight of 105gram. Further, the smartphone boasts an ultra-tough scratch-resistant glass having New AMOLED capacitive touch screen, however the company has not informed the screen size of F-074.

The new 3G handset also houses a 5 Mega Pixel Camera and will come pre-loaded with all the advanced features that will delight the smart phone users. Especially designed to be used in Bangalore weather, the brightness and display of the handset adjusts automatically to the intensity of sunlight. The handset comes with the Motion Conscious Audio system which checks the environment and modulates the incoming voice to give you clear voice quality.

Further, F-074 smartphone is bundled with an attractive offer from Tata Docomo for both voice and data usage. Tata Docomo customers can avail Free Premium number for life, Unlimited 3G Data for 3 months (capped at 1GB), Unlimited Local and STD calls on any network, if they opt for the unlimited 899 GSM Postpay plan on their Fujitsu smartphone.

For Tata DOCOMO customers who opt for any other Postpay GSM plan, they can avail Free Premium number for life and 1GB 3G Data for 3 months. Tata DOCOMO prepay customers buying new Fujitsu Handset can recharge with FRC 250 and get 1GB data every month for 2 months.