Picture Gallery: Le 1s Superphone

The Le 1s smartphone was launched on 21st January 2016 in Delhi. It has a 5.5" touch screen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. It is powered by 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor coupled  with 3GB of RAM. The phone has 32GB of internal storage (with non-expandable memory). The Le 1s packs in a 13-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies. 

The Le 1s is equipped with Helio X10 Turbo which allows a quick charge which means 5 minutes of charging gives 3.5 hours of talk time. The Le 1s runs Android 5.0 and is powered by a 3000mAh non removable battery. 

The Le 1s would be exclusively available on Flipkart starting 2nd February, with first flash sale on 2nd February starting 12 noon. The registration for the same will start on 20th January 6pm and will end on 2nd February at 11am. The Superphone is priced at an unbelievable price for Rs 10,999 only.

We received the smartphone last weekend and here are a few pictures of the device. First impressions coming up soon. Stay tuned.

Review: YU Yutopia Smartphone

In the era of Flagship killers comes The brand new Yu Yutopia is being touted as "the most powerful phone on the planet", as claimed by Yu Televentures. The aptly named Yutopia is an imagining of what a perfect smartphone should be like, while still being affordable to the masses.

Look and feel:

The aluminium and magnesium chassis  looks sleek though at 7.2 mm .The camera unit protruding on the back is a bit odd, but overall the phone fits well into your hand.
The primary SIM tray and secondary hybrid-SIM tray are accessible via a common flap on the left. The right side houses the volume and power buttons, which have good tactile feedback and are easily accessible. The headphone socket and Micro-USB 2.0 port are placed on the top and bottom respectively. There is the fingerprint sensor followed by the speaker grille placed at the bottom. Overall, the Yutopia is a handsome looking phone that's well built and ergonomically large for some single handed usage

Specifications and software: 

Yu has gone all-out when it comes to specifications, well, at least the core components. We get Qualcomm's finest Snapdragon 810 SoC, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The latter can be expanded via a microSD card up to 128GB. There's also dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, USB OTG and FM Radio. We're still missing NFC and unfortunately, there's no wireless charging either. Apart from the usual suite of sensors, the Yutopia also gets a barometer sensor. Last but not least, we have a 3000mAh non-removable battery with support for fast charging. Yu Yutopia also takes care of music lovers and comes with built-in DTS audio technology. Besides, the package also includes House of Marley's Little Bird in-ear headphones. The audio quality is good with the earphone as well as through the speaker grille when DTS is switched on.

Camera:

The 21MP shooter produces good results across scenarios; you might love or hate the minimalist camera menu (similar to stock Android) though. The 8MP front cam snaps more than acceptable selfies. The OIS feature in the camera ensures that the Yutopia manages to capture sharp photos, even when you zoom in from a distance.

Verdict:

For a first time flagship, the yutopia is one of the most powerful phones in the market today. With a 2K display, very good build and finish, quick charging, great multimedia and services integration in the OS ,the phone is a good performer and be able to give a tough competition to many of its mid-range as well as high range competitors. With the competition providing almost same or even better features in that price range ,the phone needs to perform even off paper.The Yutopia smartphone is priced at Rs 24,999 and is definitely worth it.

By: Sridhar Iyer

BlackBerry Priv launched at Rs 62,990

BlackBerry has launched its first ever Android OS device, Priv at Rs 62,990. The BlackBerry Priv will be available from January 30 across India. 

BlackBerry Priv has got an extra layer of security on this smartphone. It will come with the BlackBerry DTEK, which  scan every single app and the permissions it is taking from the user. 

It features a 5.4-inch WQHD (2560×1440) display with AMOLED resolution, and is powered by a 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor coupled with 3GB RAM. It has an inbuilt 32GB internal memory (and is expandable up to 2TB). The single SIM 4G device runs on Android Lollipop OS. It sports a 18MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. It houses in a powerful 3,410 mAh battery.

Customers will be able to buy their very own PRIV from BlackBerry authorised partners & resellers, and from Amazon.in, an online partner of BlackBerry India.

Honor launches the Honor 5X smartphone at Rs. 12,999

Honor has announced the launch of Honor 5X and Holly 2 Plus smartphones in India. The Honor 5X will be available in three colors – gold, silver and grey and Holly 2 Plus will be available in black, white and gold colors. The Honor 5X and Holly 2 Plus is available for Pre-orders at Flipkart and Amazon. The sale of Honor 5X will commence from 1st February midnight and Holly 2 Plus from 15th February midnight with the exclusive partners.

 L to R: Launch of Honor 5X and Honor Holly 2 Plus by Allen Wang, President of Consumer Business Group, Huawei India, George Zhao, President of Honor and P. Sanjeev, Vice President Sales, Huawei India, Consumer Business Group in New Delhi

The Honor 5X is a dual-sim phone, powered by a Rim-free touch fingerprint sensor with a 0.5 sec unlock first honor metallic phone with nano-SIM, micro-SIM, and microSD card slots, together with expandable storage space up to 128 GB a 5.5  inch fully laminated GFF screen  1080p full HD  screen and T6735 4x1.3GHz Processor. The phone is equipped with a 13MP rear camera and 5MP Front camera and is backed by a decent 3000mAh smart power 3.0 battery which lasts for approximately 10 hours. The phone comes with a premium aircraft grade metal that  offers 5 layer heat sinks with copper shielding cover. It runs on Android 5.1+ HUAWEI EMUI 3.1 Lite and boasts of 2G RAM + 16GB ROM memory. 

The Holly 2 Plus supports 4G for both CDMA and WCDMA at the same time. The phone offers a 4000 mAH battery with a reverse charging via Micro-B USB to Micro-B USB Cable, Dual-mic Noise Cancellation Technology with Outstanding audio and integrated speaker experience. The phone sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. The device offers 16GB internal storage and a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. It is powered by a 64-bit high speed processor and 2G RAM.

Games The Shop is now at Hamleys

Games The Shop, a leading game specialist retailer in India, now has a shop in shop (SIS) outlet at Hamleys, Mumbai. It is located at Level 1, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel. Video games for all platforms will be available in the outlet, along with gaming consoles and accessories.

Speaking on the occasion, Anand Khemani, Director, Games The Shop, said: “Gaming has already made its mark in other parts of Mumbai with our stores in the suburbs, and now we are all set to establish the same in South Mumbai. The new outlet at Hamleys is our initiative to bring the world class shopping experience for gaming products to the customers here. We are sure the presence of a specialist outlet in South Mumbai will help grow gaming in this zone”.

Currently, Games The Shop has 6 stores across India at R City Mall, Oberoi Mall and Infinity Mall in Mumbai, at Mantri Square Mall in Bengaluru, at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai and at Alpha One Mall in Ahmedabad.

EditorsKeys launches the world’s only backlit 'Editing' keyboard in India

EditorsKeys has, announced the launch of the world’s first backlit 'Editing' keyboard in the Indian market. Rajeev Kohli Editor and Director from the Indian media & entertainment industry graced the occasion and unveiled the products along with key dignitaries Morten Hvitved, Co-promoter of EditorsKeys, Abhishek Agarwal  of Vogue Culture Inc. and Jyoti Rai, CEO of i-VATION India.

The product ranges from PC backlit keyboards, high end microphones, voice cancelling head phone, portable vocal booth with the stand, XLR to digital converter and pop filters.

It has 16 keyboard variants and supports top editing applications across MAC, Windows & iOS. It supports applications like Pro Tools, Presonus Studio One, Cubase, Ableton Live Keyboard, Sonar X3 Keyboard, Propeller head Reason Keyboard, Keyboard for Adobe Premiere CC, Keyboard for Avid Media Composer, Keyboard for Sony Vegas Pro, EDIUS Keyboard Official Version, Quantel, Davinci Resolve, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, Photoshop Dedicated Keyboard etc.

The backlit keyboards are used by over 30,000 editors world wide and is being used by renowned studios or Channels like Universal Studios, Warner Bros, Pinewood, BBC, MTV, etc. i-VATION is the lead strategy consultant of Editorskeys in India and played a key role in bringing these products to India and co-created this launch with Vogue Culture Inc. which is the first distributor of EditorsKeys products in India. 

Picture gallery: OPPO F1 smartphone

OPPO Mobiles announced the launch of the “Selfie Expert” F1 smartphone priced at Rs 15,990. The F1 sports a 8 MP front-facing camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture lens and a 1/4-inch sensor, a sophisticated Pure Image 2.0+ photography platform offering OPPO’s Beautify 3.0 feature, OPPO’s patented Screen Flash to make snapping selfies in low-light conditions, and can shoot selfies using hand gestures and spoken commands. 

The F1 has a 5-inch display and is 7.25mm thick, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Screen. The F1 also features a 13 MP rear camera with an ISOCELL sensor, the phase detection autofocus (PDAF) with a focus time of just 0.1s. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 series Octa-core processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 16GB in-built memory. Here are a few pictures of the Selfie #F1 smartphone. 

OPPO Launches F1 "Selfie" smartphone in India at Rs. 15,990

OPPO Mobiles announced the launch of the “Selfie Expert” F1 smartphone priced at Rs 15,990 today at an event in Mumbai. OPPO F1, the first of the F series, was unveiled in the presence of David Richardson, Chief Executive, International Cricket Council (ICC).

L to R Mr. David Richardson, CEO, ICC, Ms Aditi Arya, Miss India 2015 and Sky Li, OPPO Global VP, MD of International Mobile Business and President of OPPO India celebrating Global Partnership

The F1 sports a 8 MP front-facing camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture lens and a 1/4-inch sensor, a sophisticated Pure Image 2.0+ photography platform offering OPPO’s Beautify 3.0 feature, OPPO’s patented Screen Flash to make snapping selfies in low-light conditions, and can shoot selfies using hand gestures and spoken commands. The F1 has a 5-inch display and is 7.25mm thick, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Screen.

The F1 also features a 13 MP rear camera with an ISOCELL sensor, the phase detection autofocus (PDAF) with a focus time of just 0.1s. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 series Octa-core processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 16GB in-built memory. 

OPPO has also announced the F1 Plus, a high spec variant of the F1 with a 5.5” FHD Screen, a 4GB ram and will be available in April at Rs 26,990. 

The company will also expand its offline sales outlets to 35,000 and target 180+ service centers across the country. Additionally, OPPO has also announced a 30-day replacement period and 24-month warranty policy for every OPPO product sold across India. 

Le 1s pre- sale registrations crosses a record 3 lakhs in just 5 days

LeEco (formerly known as Letv) which launched 2 Superphones, Le Max & Le 1s last week, has already got a record 3,00,000 pre-sale registrations by January 25th on Flipkart. 

The Le 1s packs in great features and is available at a great pricing of Rs 10,999 only on Flipkart. The registration for Le 1s flash sale will continue till 11am on February 2nd.

LeEco’s Le 1s packs a 5.5 inch full HD display, 13MP rear camera with 5MP front camera and is powered by 64-bit MediaTek octa-core processor coupled with 3 GB RAM. The Le 1s has dual SIM card slots, 4G connectivity and 32 GB internal storage. The phone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Lenovo’s Vibe UI on top, and is powered by a 3000 mAh battery. With world’s first mirror-surface fingerprint sensor, the Le 1s has an amazing user interface.

Ultimate Ears Introduces UE Roll Waterproof Speaker

Ultimate Ears has launched the UE ROLL, a powerful pint-sized wireless Bluetooth speaker at Rs 8,495. UE ROLL features 360-degree sound with deep bass. The design of UE ROLL carries the essence of the original UE BOOM and is made to be part of your ultra-mobile lifestyle. Whats more, it is even waterproof and life-resistant, so you can drop it or toss it anywhere.

"Music is made for sharing, connecting and enjoying,” said Ashok Jangra’, Cluster Category Manager India & South West Asia. “It transforms moments into something special, and we designed UE ROLL to be part of those moments. No matter where you are, or what you’re doing, UE ROLL is there to amplify any experience."

Through the UE ROLL app for iOS and Android, you can wake up to your favorite music, remotely turn the speaker on, and even double the sound by pairing it with any other Ultimate Ears speaker. 

UE ROLL is expected to be available in India from 21st Jan 2016 at www.ultimateears.com. Four color options are available, Volcano (Grey), Atmosphere (Blue), Sugarplum (Pink/Purple) and Sriracha (Orange).

Gionee Marathon M5 mini with 5-inch HD display announced

Gionee today unveiled (Via) the Marathon M5 mini in the Marathon M5 series in Nigeria. This launch comes soon after the India launch of the Marathon M5 Lite. 

It features a 5" HD display, quad-core MediaTek MT6735 64-bit processor, Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Amigo UI 3.1, 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 2GB of RAM AND 16GB of in-built storage. It houses a powerful 4000mAh battery. The Gionee Marathon M5 mini will be available in Golden color but no price has been disclosed it. 

Gionee Marathon M5 mini specifications:

• 5" (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
• 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 64-bit processor 
• 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Amigo UI 3.1
• 8MP rear camera with LED Flash, 1080p video recording
• 5MP front-facing camera
• 4000mAh battery

Lenovo launches its Flagship device Vibe X3 at Rs 19,999

Lenovo has launched its flagship device VIBE X3 in India today at Rs 19,999. It is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM. The Vibe X3 boasts of lifelike audio experience over speakers with Dolby Atmos. Coupled with Audiophile class sound featuring the industry’s highest performance 32-bit mobile audio DAC (ESS SABRE 9018 Digital-to-Analog Converter) with a Tri-operational amplifier configuration.

The phone features a 5.5" Full High-Definition display with a 178 degree wide viewing angle with high contrast ratio of 1500:1 and is capable of displaying 100% NTSC color gamut.It sports a 21MP PDAF rear camera with 4K Ultra HD video recording capabilities and 8MP front camera. The Vibe X3 comes with an in-built IR blaster along with EPG functionality which gives you control over what you want to watch on your favourite TV channel. The Vibe X3 has a curved 3.4mm back and houses a 3500mAh battery. It has an in built 32GB memory and is expandable upto 128GB via micro-sd card.

TheaterMax allows you to do so much more than just viewing media from your smartphone screen. Just don a pair of Lenovo VR glasses, and soak in the vibrant visuals and rich surround sound. You can also choose to catch your favorite movies once more without the crowd with TheaterMax’s widescreen cinematics of vivid colors and immersive sound quality in the palm of your hand. 

The Lenovo Vibe X3 will be available on sale on Amazon India starting 28th January 2016 at 2PM and is available in Matte White color. 

Samsung launches Samsung Gear S2 and Gear VR

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of the Samsung Gear S2. It is available in two different variants – the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 Classic.

The Gear S2 has a stainless steel body with 11.4-millimeter slim and 1.2-inch 302 ppi circular Super AMOLED screen. The circular dial comes fitted with gorilla glass. The Flaunt app designed by Samsung’s R & D team in Bangalore. 

New fitness functions on the Samsung Gear S2 will encourage users to stay healthy and active. The S Health app, activity sensors and 24H Heart Rate monitor work together to track your calorie burn round the clock. The tracking has been improved with more exercise modes such as freehand and weight training, rep counts, etc. Plus, partner apps like Obino Gear Up, made specifically for the Gear S2, monitor and suggest ideal meals based on Indian food preferences along with exercise options. The meal suggestions come from an extensive Indian food database along with more relevant measuring indices like ‘katori’ (a bowl), ensuring enhanced tracking of diet. The Gear S2 also sends reminder updates to motivate users to stay on track with their fitness goals. By factoring both eaten and burnt calories, the user is given comprehensive guidance to achieve their health goals. 

Samsung Gear S2 will be available in a Dark Grey and Silver case with a sporty band. Samsung Gear S2 Classic will be available in a Black case with a Leather band. A variety of band options are also available with both the Gear S2 (Mendini, Warm Grey and Red) and the Gear S2 Classic (Grey leather and Brown leather) from Samsung for the discerning customers.

This wearable will be available across all Samsung retail channels at a price of INR 24,300 for the Gear S2 and INR 25,800 for the Gear S2 Classic.

Samsung Electronics India today also announced the launch of the mobile virtual reality headset - Samsung Gear VR. Introduced in association with Oculus, users can enjoy a ‘next level’ mobile entertainment experience with a robust selection of 2D and 3D videos, immersive gaming across genres, 360 degree video and experiential content on their Gear VR. 

Compatible with Galaxy smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge, Gear VR will leverage each device’s super AMOLED display & resolution to provide the colour, clarity and performance needed for an amazing virtual reality experience. This unrivalled viewing experience is powered bythe Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy smart phones boasting of vivid, lifelike images with high pixel density,96 degree wide field of view.

Samsung Gear VR will be available across all Samsung’s retail channels at a price of INR 8,200. 

LeEco has a record 555 service centres in India

LeEco which recently launched the brand in the Indian market with its two Superphones - LeMax and Le1s, today announced the opening of 555 service centers covering more than 300 towns of the country. LeEco is the first smartphone brand to enter the Indian market with such an extensive after-sales network. 

The 555 service centers will be 24X7 toll free, providing 10 languages, including English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.

And the warranty policies are all above the industry lines. For example, within the 1 year warranty period, user can get a brand-new Le Max if the phone is broken or not working due to its own quality. The brand is offering free pick- up and drop for the Super Premium Phone- Le Max in case of any damage.

Lenovo Vibe X3 Smartphone- Specifications and expected price in India

Lenovo is all set to launch its flagship device, Vibe X3 on 27th January 2016. The Smartphone has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos technology. We managed to get our hands on it for a while. Also, the pricing is expected to be less than Rs 25,000 as quoted by the Lenovo spokesperson. Our guess after checking the specs is around Rs 22,000. 

Here are the specifications of the device:

• 5.5-inch with Full HD 1080p display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 6 cores and Adreno 430 graphics processor
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB in-built storage (expandble upto 128GB via microSD card)
• 21 megapixel rear camera and 8 megapixel front camera
• 3600 mAh non-removable battery
• 4G, NFC supported
• Android 5.1 Lollipop OS 

• 

The device comes with three Texas Instruments OPA1612 amplifiers and a powerful Sabre 9018C2M DAC. We even liked this feature, called as Cirrus Logic WM8281 codec for noise cancellation during calls. The Lenovo Vibe X3 features a fingerprint scanner under the rear camera. One does not have much color choices as it comes in only White color.

Panasonic launches Eluga Turbo powered by 3GB RAM at Rs 10,999, will be available exclusively on Snapdeal

Panasonic India today announced the release Eluga Turbo smartphone at Rs 10,999. The device is powered by 1.5 GHz 64 bit Octa Core  Processor coupled with 3GB RAM. The Turbo is available on Snapdeal through online pre-registrations from 22nd January, 2016 with sales beginning on 27th January, 2016.

Panasonic has forayed into launching 4G models in its Eluga series. The Eluga Turbo includes other connectivity options such as Dual SIM – 4G/3G + 2G, Wi-Fi Hot Spot, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and Global Positioning System (A-GPS). It has 32 GB Internal memory, and can be expandad by 32 GB via micro-sd card.

  
The Turbo comes with Android 5.1 (Lollipop) out of the box. It features a 5" IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and Japan based Asahi’s Dragontrail glass on the back. The Turbo sports a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash supporting 30fps/Full HD 1080p video recording and a 5 MP front camera. It houses a 2350mAh battery and is available Marine Blue, Champagne Gold and Rose Gold colors. 

Features:

• 5-inch sleek profile of 6.95 mm with Corning’s Gorilla Glass3 display and Japanese based Asahi Glass Co.’s Dragontrail™ Glass integrated on the back panel
• 3 GB RAM coupled with 32 GB internal memory, expandable by another 32 GB
• 1.5 GHz, 64 bit Octa Core processor supporting Indian 4G LTE bands 3 & 40
• 13 MP rear camera with LED flash supporting 30 fps video in Full HD 1080p, and 5 MP front camera

Celebrate Republic Day à la OnePlus Style

Its raining discounts on the OnePlus smartphones on occassion of the Republic day celebration. OnePlus fans can avail discounts between January 21 – 23, 2016 and also coinciding with Amazon’s Great Indian Sale:

OnePlus 2 (Sandstone Black, 64GB): Rs. 22,999
OnePlus X (Onyx / Champagne, 16GB): Rs. 14,999
OnePlus One (Sandstone Black, 64GB): Rs. 17,999

Do note that all OnePlus X variants will remain invite-free for the sale dates mentioned above. OnePlus is also offering minimum 20% discount on premium accessories along with the smartphones.

RailTel launches free high-speed public Wi-Fi service with Google at Mumbai Central

Making high-speed Internet available to millions of Indians who travel through railway stations everyday, the Indian Railways’ arm RailTel which provides Internet services as RailWire via its extensive fiber network, today announced the launch of free high-speed public Wi-Fi service in partnership with Google at Mumbai Central. The project was announced last September during Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Google headquarters in Mountain View.

Google has committed to work with Indian Railways’ and RailTel to expand the network quickly to cover 100 of the busiest stations by end of this year and will eventually roll out the service in 400 railway stations across India. 

Railwire Wi-Fi will be available  to any user who has a working mobile connection on a smartphone. Users will be able to easily stream a high definition video while they’re waiting, or save some videos for offline viewing, download a book or a new game for the journey.

Commenting on the launch, Chairman and Managing Director of Railtel Shri R. K. Bahuguna of Railtel said, "Our intent was to fulfill Indian Railway’s vision of providing Railway passengers access to high speed Internet through our Optical fiber communication network. Affordable smartphones have made it possible for the common men to experience the power of Internet. With our partnership with Google, we are very confident of rolling out a robust, scalable service at Railway stations in the near future."

Panasonic VIERA introduces CS580 LED TV with HEXA CROMA DRIVE

Panasonic has introduced  its LED TV VIERA TH-49CS580D in the CS580 series in India, which is equipped with advanced Hexa Chroma Drive technology that uses 6 primary colours instead of 3 for sharper picture quality. It is one of the first smart TVs with the capacity to connect with any Bluetooth speaker.

This model features a Super Bright LED panel enhanced with 100Hz Backlight Motion Rate and Panasonic’s unique Vivid Digital Pro dynamics. The newest model boasts a screen size of 49 inches with IPS LED Super Bright Plus imagery that has enhanced brightness levels by 57%, with an almost 180° wide viewing angle. 

Along with built-in Wireless LAN and DVB-T2 facilities, the VIERA TH-49CS580D is a DLNA compatible device which supports a variety of systems such as laptops, printers and smartphones across 3 HDMI Terminals and 1 USB Terminal. The TV can be operated via Voice Guidance and the TV Remote App with access to Wireless Media, Internet Apps and Web Browsing. 

The TH-49CS580D is priced at Rs 84,900.