Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Samsung Galaxy A3 shows its face in TENAA photos

The Samsung Galaxy A series of smartphones is coming closer to launch and the latest evidence to prove this is the Galaxy A3 hitting the Chinese TENAA. Additionally, we get to see the first photos of the phone showing it in its full glory.
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The metal frame of the phone is going to be the the main characterizing aesthetic of the Galaxy A-series with both the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 sporting it.
In terms of specs, the Galaxy A3 is pretty much set in stone. It's going to sport a 4.52-inch AMOLED display with 540x960 pixel resolution and Qualcomm's 64-bit Snapdragon 410 chipset. It is featuring a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU, aided by 1GB of RAM.
Internal memory is 8GB expandable via microSD cards. The phone's dimensions, previously reported at 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm, are confirmed by TENAA, too, as is the weight of the phone - 112 grams. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, which will most likely be updated to Android L.
At the back, the 8MP camera coupled with LED flash will be capable of recording full HD video. The 5MP selfie unit at the front will be also welcome, we're sure. Samsung hasn't hinted a time frame for the Galaxy A series smartphones announcement yet, but with leaks so intense, we guess it's going to be sooner rather than later.

BlackBerry has another unusual device in the works

Hot on the heels of last week’s BlackBerry Passport launch, a word got out that the company plans to introduce more devices with unconventional design going forward. The head of BlackBerry’s Devices unit, Ron Louks delivered the news in an interview with Reuters.
According to Mr. Louks, the trimming of BlackBerry’s losses allows it to take more risks and introduce more unconventional smartphones in the future. The company will be looking to introduce at least one unconventional device every year.
Furthermore, the high-level BlackBerry executive hinted that the company has a new unconventional device in the works already. Wireless carrier partners have reportedly given positive feedback on the new project.
Despite its quirky design and questionable ergonomics, BlackBerry Passport has so far been well received by the public - it sold out within hours of its retail launch in many outlets and raked in more than 200,000 sales in three days.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Huawei Honor Tablet debuts with 8” display and 3G

Huawei quietly launched the 8” Honor Tablet in Malaysia. The budget-friendly 3G slate with metal-clad body will be available to pre-order on September 29 for RM. 599 (about $184).
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Huawei Honor Tablet features Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and a gig of RAM. There’s 16GB of built-in memory, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot.
The screen of the device is an 8” IPS unit with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. A 5MP main camera, VGA front-facing unit, and 3G connectivity with HSPA+ are also on board. Huawei Honor Tablet boots Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Emotion UI 1.6.
The device is 7.9mm thick and weighs 360 grams. It is powered by a 4,800mAh battery.
It is hardly a surprise that Malaysia is the launch market for the tablet. A recent report by IDC revealed that tablets with 3G connectivity are quite popular in Asia.

iPhone 6 sales in China tipped to begin on October 10

According to a new report, Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus might go on sale in China on October 10. The devices’ launch in the vital consumer market is yet be officially confirmed.
The October 10 sales launch was allegedly revealed in an Apple retail store preparation timeline, which was presented during an employee-training course. Product readiness training is expected to begin on October 7.
Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus recently got China Compulsory Certification (3C), as well as approval from the State Radio Regulation of China. The handsets still need network access licenses in order to be allowed to go on sale.
Sales in China will be vital for Apple’s fiscal performance during the quarter that includes the holiday shopping season. Last year, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were available in the vast market during their official launch weekend.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Google tipped to require more of its apps on Android devices

According to a report in The Information, Google will require more of its apps to be preloaded on Android devices. Confidential contracts obtained by the media have revealed the upcoming change.

Allegedly, Google will require up to 20 of its apps preloaded going forward. Currently, the number hovers below 10.
Additionally, the search giant will require the apps to be prominently displayed on a device’s homescreen. The list of manufacturers in Google’s contracts includes the likes of Samsung, HTC, and Huawei among others.
The shift in Google’s policy towards its own Android apps is reportedly related to the ever-increasing importance of the OS as an income generator. Google’s apps and services have become a key contributor to its bottom line.

Xiaomi gearing up to sell 100,000 units per week in India next month

Xiaomi is gearing up for the festive season in India next month by increasing the availability of devices. Company Vice President Hugo Barra said the company is planning to make provisions to sell 100,000 units per week from the 60,000 they do currently.
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Xiaomi recently started selling handsets in India and has been operating exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. In the short amount of time, the company made a reputation for having frustratingly low stock, which is made available through flash sales and goes out of stock in mere seconds.
The ridiculously inexpensive but feature packed Xiaomi Mi 3 was discontinued in India briefly after it was launched but the company plans to bring it back during Diwali, which sales of electronics are at an all-time high in India. It will be sold alongside the Redmi 1S and will later be joined by the Redmi Note.

Samsung launches the new Galaxy Alpha in India

Samsung launched the new Galaxy Alpha smartphone in India today. The device is priced at ₹39,990 ($654).

The Galaxy Alpha is Samsung's first smartphone after a while to have a metal-body. It uses an anodized aluminum frame with chamfered edges on the side. The specs of the phone are mostly that of a flagship device but in a smaller body, and as such, it will be competing directly against the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, which was recently launched in India for ₹44,990.
The Galaxy Alpha will be available in black, white, and gold starting next week. Due to a decision taken by Samsung India recently, the Galaxy Alpha, along with the upcoming Galaxy Note 4, will only be sold through offline retailers.