Samsung Galaxy S IV might feature quad-core Exynos 5450 processor

The Samsung Galaxy S IV, the fourth generation Galaxy S, is expected to come out in the first half of 2013 and might feature a quad-core Exynos 5450 Cortex A15-based chip, according to Korean DDaily.

Sources have found that the 28nm processor is entering test production by the end of the year and the chip will enter mass production in the first quarter of next year. Codenamed ‘Adonis’ after the Greek god of beauty and desire, Samsung is with it said to emphasize the high performance and low-power consumption of the device.



Based on all this rumor, SamMobile speculates that we could see a 2GHz quad-core processor in the S IV.
Now, if the Samsung Galaxy S IV indeed features the Exynos 5450, it will definitely have plenty of processing power. 

And if we were to combine this information with earlier whispers about the next Galaxy flagship being a device with a 5-inch 1080p display, we arrive at a pretty radical and aggressive bump up in specs.

Microsoft Officially Unveils Windows 8 and the Surface RT tablet

Microsoft has brought thousands of people to New York to celebrate the launch of its Windows 8 operating system and its Surface RT tablet, available October 26th. Touting 670 million users of Windows 7 and over 15 petabytes of data stored in its Skydrive cloud, Microsoft is confident that Windows 8 will become even more successful than its predecessor.



One major aspect of the announcement is bringing more attention to Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 optimized to run on ARM-based processors such as Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 family. This is the version of Windows that will first become available on Microsoft’s Surface tablet — the Intel-powered Pro version will be available in the coming months — and will be limited to running apps downloaded from the Windows Store. While this severely limits the potential audience of Windows RT, Microsoft has promised that the Windows Store will contain more apps upon its launch than any other ecosystem did when it launched.



Microsoft claims that there have been over 1,000 PCs, in varying styles and sizes, certified to use Windows 8. The ARM-based PCs and tablets will have extensive peripheral support, supporting the majority of mice, keyboards and printers. As for apps, Microsoft promises that top brands will feature in the Store, as well as first-party apps such as Xbox Music, Games and Movies.

iPhone 5 Price for India confirmed Rs. 45,500 for 16GB, Rs 52,500 for 32 GB

The iPhone 5 is arriving at stores on the 28th of Oct and may go on sale as early as the same day. Some stores, including iStore (Reliance-Apple tie up) is saying that they will be allowed to sell the phones only on the 2nd of November.

The iPhone 5 price has been finalized at the earlier speculated Rs.45,500 for 16 GB with only one year warranty as always  and not the Rs. 47,999 price mark (supposedly including the 2 year warranty). Apple is expecting big sales with the iPhone 5 in India, and claims that they will sell atleast double of what they sold last year with the iPhone 4S.

Apple is also pegging big on iPhone and iPod sales this year, and has also enabled localization of apps in the App Store to show prices in Rupees instead of US dollars.  The nano sims that will work with the new iPhone 5 are already at network providers and Vodafone has confirmed that they are ready with sim cards in major metropolitan cities for the iPhone 5 influx.

IPHONE PRICE IN INDIA

• 16 GB : Rs 45,500
• 32 GB : Rs 52,500
• 64 GB : Rs 59,500

You can book your iphone from the below number : 

Gizmolution: +91 9560061018

Apple unveils 7.9-inch iPad Mini at $329

Apple on Tuesday unveiled iPad Mini, a smaller version of the original iPad, with a 7.9-inch touchscreen, starting at $329.

iPad Mini runs on dual-core A5 processor, FaceTime HD camera and 5 MP iSight camera (with1080p recording). This tablet will compete with the likes of Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

The company also refreshed the regular iPad, launched in March this year and made it faster and added the new 8-pin Lightening dock, which was introduced in September with iPhone 5.

The tablet now also runs on a brand new A6X processor, which provides it with twice the CPU and graphics processing capabilities. It can now work on 4G LTE networks and Wi-Fi, and still offers the same 10 hours of promised battery life.

The new iPad Mini runs on iOS 6 and features the 8-pin Lightning dock. Battery back-up of the all-new Apple iPad Mini will be 10 hours, same as that of the full-sized iPad.

According to Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, iPad Mini has 35% extra screen space than routine 7-inch tablets, its current rivals. Since iPad Mini has the same screen resolution, all existing apps for iPad will run smoothly.

Apple is offering the Wi-Fi only iPad Mini in 16, 32 and 64GB capacities at $329, $429 and $519 respectively. For the 4G-compatible versions of the device, users will have to shell out an additional $130 for each variant. iPad mini and ipad 4G will be up for pre-orders on Oct 26. The Wi-Fi versions will start shipping on November 2, while the cellular-enabled models will hit the shelves two weeks later.

Apple also refreshed its computer line-up today by unveiling new versions of iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini.

Before his death, Apple founder Steve Jobs had in 2010 vehemently opposed the idea of a smaller iteration of the Apple's tablet, though company documents have revealed that he warmed up to the idea later on.

LG confirms Google will unveil Nexus 4, Android 4.2 on October 29th

This one comes as no surprise after so many leaks - LG has now confirmed that Google will unveil the Nexus 4 next Monday, on October 29th

"Google will unveil the LG Nexus on October 29 and the phone will be available in the Indian markets by the end of November," LG Mobile Product Planning head Amit Gujral said. The LG executive mentioned that the device will have a 4.7-inch display and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor.s

With the new Nexus flagship (it seems there will be one new Nexus phone only after all), Google will bring a brand new version of the Android operating system. Android 4.2 was widely rumored and now LG is confirming this as well.

Google is said to be doubling its security efforts with 4.2 (which could be called Key Lime Pie). It’s also allegedly bringing a new Gmail, a quick settings panel, a revised gallery application and multiple accounts for tablets.

Android 4.2 pushing security hard: possible new features explored

Android 4.2 Alpha already gave us clues that Google is stepping up security, but digging deeper into the Alpha reveals just how serious the company gets about safety. Not all of the features found in the code are guaranteed to arrive in the final version, just like multi-user access is in the code of Jelly Bean, but is not yet made available to users.

With that in mind, first comes Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux). The kernel add-ons makes it so that apps don’t have access to all files. You can pick from three options from SELinux: Disabled, Permissive and Enforcing. Permissive will log apps activity but won’t actually block apps root access and Enforcing does just that - blocking apps for maximum safety. This will bring almost desktop-like security options to Android, and with so many reports (true or not) about malware on the platform, it’s most definitely good news.

Secondly, the code mentions VPN lockdown. This is a change from the current model that allows data to be sent over regular connection when users sign out of a VPN network, and that won’t be possible with this new feature.

Finally, and probably most importantly, Android gets itself effectively rid of SMS scam schemes. How? Some apps work undercover sending paid text messages to select numbers without letting you know about it. You’d still have to pay hefty sums for those texts. Now, Google will simply detect whenever an app sends such a message and put out a message right away to warn you.

All of those seem like that extra coating of security Android needs, and shows how quickly the mobile OS is advancing and approaching desktop-like level.

HTC J Butterfly is a 5-inch 1080p monsterphone

The HTC J Butterfly has surfaced on HTC’s Japanese website and it is that elusive 1080p 5-inch monsterphone we’ve been hearing about all along.



The 5-inch Super LCD 3 display on the HTC J Butterfly works out at 440ppi, a truly amazingly detailed resolution. But it’s not just the resolution - color reproduction is reportedly outstanding, and the convex glass shape makes it stand out. It’s also very thin at just 9.1mm which makes it easier to deal with such a big display.

The Butterfly has all you’d expect from such a device: a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor, 2GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel rear camera. It also runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

One thing we’re curious about is how its 2,020mAh battery will do, and will it last us through the day.

Right now, the HTC J Butterfly is coming to AU / KDDI in Japan only by end-December, but we’d expect its display to arrive in differently packaged bodies soon after.

Buy HTC Desire X (White) from Flipkart.com

Here is a demonstration of the Archos GamePad tablet (video)

The Archos GamePad might seem like a gamer’s dream device - it has the gamepad controls you’re probably used and they don’t take any space on the screen. 

Otherwise, the GamePad is a pretty regular device. It’s a 7-inch tablet with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, and powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor with Mali 400 GPU. It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and that means you have the whole repository of Android games available to you.

The most obvious use - apart from the games in the Google Play store - are emulator games. How does that look like? Pretty playable actually, check out a demonstration of the tablet right below.

Microsoft is making 3 to 5 million Surface tablets in Q4 2012

The Microsoft Surface tablet was made to show the best out of the new Windows 8 operating system. It’s designed and made by Microsoft in what is a huge transformation undergoing at the Redmond company making it not just a software maker, and more of an Apple-like company.

Microsoft is taking the Surface seriously - it has ordered 3 to 5 million to its vendors, and all of them are coming in the fourth quarter of 2012.

That puts it on the same scale as the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire tablets. Apple in contrast is expecting nearly double that demand, and is ramping up to make 10 million iPad minis for the fourth quarter

Here is how it breaks down, according to the preliminary data that’s leaked out:

• Microsoft Surface - 3 to 5 million
• iPad mini - around 10 million
• Google Nexus 7 - 3 to 5 million
• Amazon Kindle Fire - 3 to 5 million

The Microsoft Surface has just gotten its first ad, and it’s a fun one.

source: The Wall Street Journal

Microsoft Windows 8 pre-orders start, DVD pack to cost $70

Microsoft opened its Windows 8 operating system for pre-orders on Friday, setting the price for the full version of the software at $70 for a DVD pack. 



Users can also wait for launch on October 26 to download the system onto their computers for $40, an offer price that will expire at the end of January. 

Shoppers can reserve the software pack at Microsoft's own stores, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples and elsewhere. The price tag is significantly lower than the current price for a comparable version of Windows 7, which costs $200. 

Any customer who buys, or already bought, a Windows 7 PC between June 2 and the end of January 2013 will be able to get an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $15, a move designed to prevent a drop-off in PC sales before the launch of Windows 8. 

Microsoft also said PC makers such as Acer, Asustek, Dell, HP, Samsung and Sony were also now taking pre-orders for machines with Windows 8 pre-installed. 

The world's largest software company did not mention its own Surface tablet PC, which is expected on the market at the same time as Windows 8. Microsoft has not revealed specifications or price of the product it hopes will challenge Apple's iPad.

Google Brings Free SMS on Gmail in India

Google has extended its free SMS chat service to India, whereby users can send text messages to mobile phones via Gmail Chat.

The SMS service is available in India and 51 other countries in Asia, Africa and North America.

According to the feature, people using either chat programmes ( GTalk, or Gmail chat ) can send texts to mobile users for free and cell phone subscribers can reply at regular SMS rates.

To ensure maximum coverage, the company has tied up with mobile service providers Aircel, Idea, Loop Mobile, MTS, Reliance, Tata DoCoMo, Tata Indicom and Vodafone in a few cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The service starts with 50 SMS credits for each user, every sent SMS costing one credit. Every reply received adds on 5 credits subject to the maximum level being 50 SMS at any given time. There is no official statement from Google on the launch of this service, however the service has gone live this evening in the chat windows of many users. 

But don’t stress if you run out. “In case the SMS credit goes down to zero, it will increase automatically to one text after 24 hours. Keep in mind that if you’d like a higher message credit, you can always send an SMS to your own phone, and then reply to that message multiple times. Every time you reply, your SMS credit is increased by five. Effectively, you’re buying more messages by paying your phone company for these outgoing messages,” says Google in an explanatory post on its website.

Tablets : Micromax Sold More Than Apple And Samsung In Q2

In a CyberMedia Research it has been revealed that Micromax leads the Indian tablets market with 18.4 percent share in the second quarter of 2012. Samsung is in second position with 13.3 percent market share. Apple has a market share of 12.3 percent in terms of unit shipments during the 2Q 2012.

India tablet market sales touched 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012, up 673 percent y-o-y.

Entry of new tablet vendors and introduction of offerings from existing vendors at low to medium price points have contributed to the significant growth.

 Though the tablet PC market in India is still at a nascent stage, but at the same time, has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry-level offerings, the report said.

Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till Q2 2012. The average selling value (ASV) in the said period dropped to little above Rs 13,000 from Rs 26,000 in the January-March 2012 period as a majority of vendors launched their products in the Rs 5,000-10,000 price range.

iPhone 4, iPhone 4S to get price cut in India

Reports from various news sources claim that the iPhone 4 and 4S will soon get a price cut in India. The 16GB iPhone 4S is expected to see a price cut of Rs 3,100 to Rs 41,400. The iPhone 3GS, which last saw a price cut to Rs 9,999 via Aircel, has been discontinued.

The 8 GB iPhone 4, now the new entry-level iPhone, gets a price cut of Rs 9,100 to Rs 28,300. According to BGR.in, Apple will not be selling the iPhone 5 through Airtel or Aircel, and has appointed Ingram Micro and Redington for the launch of the iPhone 5 in India.

The phone is expected to launch in India by November. Meanwhile the iPhone 5 is already available online and in the grey market, at starting prices of Rs 60,000 for the 16 GB version and a drop dead rate of Rs 1,05,000 for the 64 GB variant.

The phone uses a nano-SIM, an even more slimmer version of the SIM card than its predecessor, which will have to be sourced from the carrier.

Three Apple resellers in Bangalore gave no confirmation on the availability of stocks and the new prices of the iPhone 4 or 4S.

Mobile Choice Consumers Award 2012: Samsung Galaxy S III best smartphone, Apple iPad best tablet

At the Mobile Choice Consumers Award show in London, the Samsung Galaxy S III took home the trophy as the Best Smartphone of 2012. We don't take sides here, so before some of you riot in protest, we need to point out that the Apple iPhone 5 was launched too late to be included in the competition. On the other hand, the Android flagship did go up against the Apple iPhone 4S, a formidable competitor in its own right. The Apple iPhone 4S finished second ahead of the HTC One X which wound up third. The Nokia Lumia 800 was fourth followed by the Sony Xperia S.

When it comes to tablets, the third iteration of the Apple iPad took home the first place trophy. Finishing in second was the Asus built Google Nexus 7. Asus also had the third place tablet with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and the Sony Tablet S (not to be confused with the Sony Xperia Tablet S) round out the top 5.

Samsung also took home the hardware for "Most Innovative Device" which was the title awarded to the Samsung GALAXY Note phablet, which sold in excess of 10 million units. The Nokia Lumia 800 was cited for having "The Best Design". You Scrooges out there will be happy to know that "The Best Value" trophy was awarded to the the Sony Xperia U. And the award for "The Best Camera" went to the Nokia 808 PureView, narrowly edging out the Samsung Galaxy S III. The HTC One X was named "The Best Video Phone". The Samsung Galaxy S III was back at the podium for its first place finish as "The Best Media Phone" while the HTC One X was selected the best for social networking.

Samsung was the Manufacturer of the Year, followed by Sony, Asus HTC and Nokia.

Nokia explains how wireless charging works on its new Lumia Windows Phones

The upcoming Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 are two of many upcoming Windows Phone 8 handsets, but they are the only ones to come with wireless charging and that makes them really stand out.

As you’ve probably heard, the new Lumias will use inductive wireless charging and now Nokia has taken to its official blog to explain the technology behind it. Basically, what makes it possible are two transmitter coils - one on the charging pad and another one on the back of the device itself. 

From there on the transmitter coil on the charger generates a magnetic field used by the device for charging. Nokia is using the Qi (chi) global standard that is good news for compatibility across the globe. Nokia has perfected the charging pad so now around 80% of it is active and you don’t need to worry too much about precisely placing a phone on its place to charge it.

Sadly, it seems that you can charge only one phone on a single wireless charging pad, so if you plan on just throwing your home’s worth of phones on it, you won’t be able to. Check out the slideshow below to see how the whole thing will work out. The actual charging pads will be available for purchase separately from the phone.

Google outgrows Microsoft to become the second-largest tech company in the world

For the first time today Google surpassed Microsoft’s market evaluation and became the world’s second largest tech company after Apple.

Analysts are taking this as a clear indication of how the web is solving tasks previously reserved for the offline PC, and how the growth of mobile has been a key driver to Google’s success.

Google now has over $249 billion in market cap, while Microsoft fell to around $248.8 billion. The two companies will probably trade positions for a certain period of time, but given Google and Microsoft’s dynamics, it’s expected that in a couple of days Google will firmly establish itself on the second place.

Still, that’s the market capitalization, and this means it’s a hugely volatile measure and one that changes swiftly. Still, it’s definitely telling of investors’ sentiment towards the two company, and right now Google is winning it.

Still, when it comes to market valuation nobody comes even close to Apple's nearly $632 billion. That's much more than Google and Microsoft combined.

Sharp begins production of 1080p smartphone displays: 443 ppi crammed into a 5-inch LCD

Layoffs and loans may be dominating our Sharp coverage at the moment, but that just makes this type of news all the sweeter. The company has announced its LCD panel type 5 -- a 5-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display packing a Retina-busting 443 ppi (just trumping LG's similar 440 ppi LCD). An outcome of its layer-reducing CG-Silicon technology, the smartphone-targeted screen goes into full-scale production this month and will be shown off at CEATEC Japan this very week. We'll try to give it eyes-on treatment at the show, but you can rub your hands together sinisterly in the meantime and just think about the glorious devices which will bear it.