Windows Phone 7.8 update expected on January 31: Microsoft

Finally, there is some bit of good news for smartphone users with Windows Phone 7.5 devices. It seems that Microsoft is all set to roll out a Windows Phone 7.8 update for these smartphones shortly.
Recently, Microsoft posted an optional Windows Phone SDK Update for Windows Phone 7.8 on its developer's blog. This update offers two new Windows Phone 7.8 emulator images to the existing SDK installation. With the help of these two emulator images the developers will be able to fully test how their Windows Phone 7.5 app's Live Tiles will look and behave when they are running on Windows Phone 7.8 devices.
With the help of this update, Windows Phone users will be able resize their Live Tiles much like the Windows Phone 8 users. Users will have the option to choose from three different sizes for tiles on the home screen. The update will also bring new themes and accent colours along with a new lock screen option to automatically display the Bing picture of the day.
More recent reports have indicated that Microsoft will be launching the Windows Phone 7.8 update pretty soon. The British telecom carrier O2 had indicated that the update will be rolled out by the end of January while Microsoft's Colombian Facebook page had posted that this update will arrive on January 31, 2013. From the current scheme of things it appears that it's just a matter of days when Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5 users will get an update notification.
Furthermore, Microsoft has also posted in its blog that, "new phones with Windows Phone 7.8 are beginning to ship." Not sure of what Microsoft is trying to indicate through this. To us it can mean two things. One, handset makers might be planning to ship their existing smartphones pre-loaded with Windows Phone 7.8 in the near future. Second, it could mean that the company is planning to launch new smartphones on the lines of Nokia Lumia 510 and Nokia Lumia 610 with Windows Phone 7.8. In either case, we will have to wait a little longer to know how things unfold in the future.
Microsoft has already announced the most recent version of its mobile operating system - Windows Phone 8 - in October 2012. Currently, Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 820, HTC 8X and HTC 8S are already shipping in India with Windows Phone 8 and it is expected for companies like Huawei and Samsung to soon bring their Windows Phone 8 smartphones in India.

Nokia EOS to launch as "first real PureView Windows Phone" later this year: Report

Ever since the launch of the first Nokia PureView device, there have been speculations that Nokia may launch a similar camera smartphone based on the Windows Phone OS. And if reports by The Verge are to be believed then this smartphone could already be in the works.

The tech blog claims that Nokia is currently working on a smartphone that is codenamed "EOS" and it sports a camera sensor, which is similar to the one that is on Nokia's 808 PureView. Furthermore, it claims that unlike the recent devices in the Lumia series, the EOS smartphone might sport an aluminium exterior instead of polycarbonate.

The Verge also states that the EOS is expected to be a new flagship device from the company that will launch later in the year. For now, there are no more details available regarding specifications of the device.

Nokia had first showcased its 808 PureView at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012. This smartphone garnered a lot of attention, thanks to the massive 41-megapixel camera sensor that it has on-board. Other features of the smartphone include a 4-inch 360x640pixel AMOLED display, 16GB of internal storage, 1.3GHz processor and Nokia Symbian Belle OS.

Nokia 808 PureView debuted in India in June 2012. Its current price is mentioned as Rs. 26,499 but it is currently listed as out of stock on Nokia India official store.

Earlier in the month there were also reports doing the rounds that Nokia is working on a successor to its current flagship smartphone the Lumia 920, which is codenamed "Catwalk". The reports also claimed that this device will come with an aluminium body and will be lighter and thinner than the Lumia 920.

Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S Duos, Galaxy Ace Duos India prices slashed

Samsung seems to be looking at spreading some New Year cheer for its patrons in India. According tofonearena.com, the Korean smartphone maker has dropped the prices of Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S Duos and the Galaxy Ace Duos.
Samsung had launched its flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III in May 2012 for Rs. 43,180. This smartphone had got a sharp price cut in September 2012 and was retailing for Rs. 34,900 and is currently available for Rs. 31,990.
Similarly, Samsung Galaxy Note, which was retailing for Rs. 29,990 from September onwards, is now available for Rs. 27,500.
The 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S Duos which was launched in September for Rs. 17,900 is available for Rs. 14,900 after the price revision. The other features of this smartphone include 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera. It runs on Android 4.0.
Lastly, Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos is now retailing for Rs. 10,900. This smartphone was launched in India in the month of June for Rs. 15,090. It is a dual-SIM smartphone, which has a 3.5-inch TFT touch screen display with a 320x480 pixel resolution. Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos is powered by 832 MHz processor, has 512MB RAM and 3GB internal memory, which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.

Samsung reportedly ready to launch two Galaxy S II Plus variants in Jan 2013

2012 witnessed the launch of plenty of interesting Near Field Communication (NFC) smartphones and looks like 2013 is going to be no different in this regards. About fortnight ago we had reported that Samsung is working on Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus.
According to Unwired, Samsung is expected to launch two variants of Samsung Galaxy S II Plus - GT-i9105, and GT-i9105P. The only difference between these two Samsung devices will be that GT-i9105P will support NFC while GT-i9105 will not.
Samsung has launched Samsung Galaxy S Plus in August 2011 as an upgrade to Samsung Galaxy S. However, this time around Samsung Galaxy S Plus II does not seem to be much of an upgrade. Reason being Samsung Galaxy S Plus II is speculated to have the same 4.3-inch screen with 480X800 pixel resolution like Samsung Galaxy S. Moreover, instead of 1.2GHz processor, Samsung Galaxy S Plus II is expected to have just a 1GHz processor.
On the positive side, Samsung Galaxy S Plus II will most likely be running on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
It is being speculated that Samsung Galaxy S II Plus will be launched in January 2013 and Sam Mobileclaims that it will be available in two colour options - Chic White and Dark Blue. However, there is no information available in regards to what could be the price of this smartphone
There are also speculations that Samsung will be launching an upgraded version of Samsung Galaxy Pocket, which will be dubbed Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus S5301.

Samsung Galaxy Music Duos now for Rs. 9,199

Samsung has officially started selling the Galaxy Music Duos through its official online store for Rs. 9,199.
Samsung had announced the Galaxy Music and Galaxy Music Duos smartphones back in October. Samsung Galaxy Music Duos is a dual-SIM phone which comes with a 3.0-inch QVGA display. It comes with 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage (expandable by another 32GB) and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Other features include a 3-megapixel rear camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 1300mAh battery. The smartphone is targeted at music lovers and comes with a dedicated music key, music player with SoundAlive, 3.5mm ear jack, stereo FM radio with RDS, built-in FM antenna and frontal stereo loudspeaker with SRS surround audio effect.
It is available in two colour options blue and white. Earlier this month, Samsung's online store had started taking pre-booking for this smartphone but taken it off in a matter of minutes.
Samsung Galaxy Music Duos will be competing with the likes of Sony Xperia tipo dual. Sony Xperia tipo dual features a 3.2-inch TFT display with 480x320 pixel resolution and run on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). There is 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor on board along with 512MB of RAM. This smartphone comes with 2.5GB internal storage and can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD. It is currently retailing at a street price of approximately Rs. 10,000.
The Sony smartphone has a slightly bigger screen and is a little bit costlier than Samsung Galaxy Music Duos.
Samsung Galaxy Music Duos key specifications

• 3.0-inch QVGA(240x320) display
• 4GB User memory + 512MB(RAM), microSD (up to 32 GB)
• Dual-SIM GSM+GSM
• 3-megapixel fixed-focus rear camera w/ no flash
• Music player with SoundAlive
• 3.5mm ear jack, stereo FM radio with RDS
• Built-in FM Antenna
• Frontal stereo loudspeaker w/ SRS surround audio effect
• GPS/ Glonass
• Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• 110.1 x 59.0 x 12.25mm, 106.9g
• Li-ion 1,300mAh battery

6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate showed off before the official CES launch

Huawei seems to getting into action for launching big-screen smartphones. The company is said to be working on a 6.1-inch Ascend Mate. This device is expected to be unveiled at the forthcoming CES 2013.
However, it was showcased at a Huawei store in Guangzhou, China by the company's Chairman, Richard Yu Huawei.
Huawei Ascend Mate sports a 6.1-inch full-HD display at 361PPI pixel density and is powered by a 1.8GHz K3V3 quad-core processor. It is 9.6mm thick and has a 4000mAh battery. So far, there is no news about which version of Android this smartphone will be running.
According to Chinese website Sina Weibo, Ascend Mate will be priced under CNY 3,000, which translates to approximately $480.
Another Huawei device that might see the light of the day at CES is the 5-inch Ascend D2.
As of now, Samsung Galaxy Note II has the title of the smartphone with the biggest screen size. It sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. It has a 3100mAh battery and has 16GB internal storage expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card.

The device features a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera. Samsung Galaxy Note II comes with the S-Pen stylus for taking notes on the device. It was launched in India in September for Rs. 37,990.

Image Courtesy: Engadget

Sam4sammy :: Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus surface online

Pictures of two new Samsung Galaxy smartphones have been spotted in the wild. There have been rumours in regards to the Korean handset maker working on Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus and both these smartphones were caught on camera going through China's TENAA certification process.

Both Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus are expected to feature Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

According to Unwired.com Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is expected to feature a 4.3-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 8-megapixel rear camera with flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Earlier reports had indicated the Galaxy S II Plus will come with Android 4.0, 4.52-inch qHD display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera and 16GB of internal storage.

The Galaxy S II Plus GT-i9105, which could be officially unveiled later this month, looks a lot like the original Galaxy S II i9100 (launched in the first half of 2011).

The second new Samsung handset is the Galaxy Grand Duos GT-i9082. We've heard this would pack a 5-inch display and a quad-core processor, but that doesn't seem to be true. Instead, the handset should feature a 4.5 inch WVGA screen, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and Android 4.1Jelly Bean.

Obviously - as its name suggests - the Grand Duos is a dual SIM device. 

There have been rumours about Samsung Galaxy Grand even in the past. It is expected to be anaffordable Samsung phablet for the consumers who are fascinated by large screen phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung Galaxy Note II but don't want to splurge as much on a smartphone. Grand Duos seems be the dual-SIM variant of this smartphone but the 4.5-inch screen instead of a 5-inch screen might be a bummer for some.

Additionally, as Galaxy S II Plus reportedly does not support 3G, it is a possibility that this smartphone might be targeted at developing markets such as India.

Bend it like Samsung: New Galaxy phone may have unbreakable screen

Samsung Electronics, the world's leading technology company by revenue, is likely accelerating the launch of its next-generation flagship Galaxy smartphone - which may come with a breakthrough unbreakable screen.

Codenamed "Project J" after mobile division chief JK Shin, development of the new Galaxy S IV could be aimed for release by as early as April, according to analysts and tech blogs.

And, as smartphones increasingly look alike - the converging form factor - an unbreakable screen could be a big selling point for the Galaxy, which is battling Apple Inc's iPhone to lead the $200 billion plus smartphone market.

The Galaxy S IV is also expected to have bigger and better display, powerful quad-core processing power and a 13-megapixel camera, with picture density improving to 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a big improvement from the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi and better than the iPhone 5's 326 ppi.

"Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV - compared with May (this year) for the Galaxy S III," said UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois. "We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases."

Samsung declined to comment.

Samsung, a major backer of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, is a frontrunner in developing unbreakable screens, as OLED panels can replace glass substrate with plastic material. Down the road, mobile gadgets could be flexible as well as unbreakable.

"Eventually, they'll have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Both Newman and Gaudois are ranked as 5-star analysts, the top ranking, by Thomson Reuters StarMine for their recommendations on Samsung.

Courtroom revisited 
It would also be a game-changer for Samsung, which has built its reputation as a 'fast follower' of others' technologies and designs.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant faces off against Apple again on Thursday in a U.S. courtroom for a follow-up ruling on whether it copied some of its U.S. rival's patents and should pay the $1 billion awarded to Apple by jurors in an August verdict.

Samsung wants the verdict overturned, while Apple wants the damages to be increased and Samsung phones banned in the United States.

Since that landmark verdict, however, Samsung shares have gained 14 percent to record highs, while Apple shares - dented by a maps app fiasco, tight supply of its iPhone 5 and ever tougher competition in the mobile market - have slipped by nearly a fifth, wiping more than $120 billion off its market value.

Barring any extra costs related to the U.S. ruling, Samsung should report a fifth straight record profit this quarter, as profits from its component business recover and more than offset thinning margins on mobile phones - squeezed by higher year-end holiday marketing campaigns.

"Samsung's strength extends beyond cool products, they're also a leader in the technology behind these devices. We see further upside to Samsung's stock as success in smartphones continues and chips and display profits also rebound," said Newman. "In smartphones, the opportunity is for Samsung to take more share from Apple in the premium segment, where Apple is still dominant."

UBS estimates Samsung will ship around 22.5 million of its Galaxy S III and Note II devices in the quarter to end-December, up from 20 million in July-September. Shin said in November that Galaxy S III sales would hit 40 million by the end of this month.

In a worst-case scenario for Samsung, U.S. judge Lucy Koh could treble the damages payable to Apple, given the jury in August found Samsung "wilfully" infringed some Apple patents.

"That would be a major blow to Samsung's fundamentals and overall investor sentiment, but it's not the most likely scenario," said Young Park, a 4-star StarMine analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.

© Thomson Reuters 2012

LG launches Optimus L9 with Android 4.0 for Rs. 23,000

LG has officially launched its Optimus L9 in India for Rs. 23,000. Last week, we had reported that this smartphone was up for pre-orders for Rs. 19,990.
LG Optimus L9 comes with 1GHz dual-core processor and 4.7-inch IPS display. It has a qHD (960x540 pixels) display and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The smartphone also comes with 1GB RAM, 5-megapixel rear camera and high-density 2150 mAH SiO+ battery.

While Optimus L9 does come with premium design elements that were taken from Prada Phone for LG, the main focus seems to be on the software part. LG has bundled QTranslator, MY Style Keypad and QMemo apps on the smartphone.

According to Mr. Soon Kwon, President South West Asia Region & MD, LG India, "Smartphones today have become an essential part of life. People see it as an extension of themselves. Smartphones have come a long way from where they had started and today's smartphones are a far cry from their bulky ancestors. LG Optimus L9 has been designed in a way that it can cater to every need of smart consumers who demands a powerhouse of style, performance and efficiency in their smartphones."

"With LG Optimus L9, users can take advantage of premium smartphone features - a stunning display, a powerful processor and a long-lasting battery - in a sleek design. LG Optimus L9 is equipped with the an updated software, state-of-the-art hardware, and several new exciting features, helping it elevate user experience to a whole new level", added Mr. Soon Kwon.

Apart from LG Optimus L9, the Optimus L-Series of smartphones includes the Optimus L7, L5, and L3.

Key specs for LG Optimus L9

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 1GHz Dual-Core
• 4.7-inch IPS Display
• 1GB DDR2 (RAM) / 4GB e-MMC
• 5MP rear / VGA front
• 2150mAh SiO+ batttery
• 131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1mm / 125g
• DLNA