Qualcomm files 17 new complaints against smartphone maker Meizu

Qualcomm has filed 17 fresh complaints in China against Meizu Technology, stepping up its battle with the Chinese smartphone maker after the two were unable to reach a licensing accord in the U.S. tech giant's biggest market.The patent infringement complaints by Qualcomm, submitted to intellectual property courts in Beijing and Shanghai on Thursday, mark the second time in a week it has taken legal action against Meizu, one of China's top 10 handset suppliers. It filed its first complaint in Beijing last Friday.Qualcomm is seeking to uphold terms of its landmark 2015 anti-trust settlement with China's economic policy panel, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC). The San Diego-based firm agreed to pay a fine of $975 million in the settlement, the largest in China's corporate history.

The 17 latest patent infringement complaints cover a range of features and technologies used in smartphones, Qualcomm said, including those relating to 3G (WCDMA and CDMA2000) and 4G ( LTE) wireless communications standards."Meizu is attempting to obtain an unfair and improper cost advantage over its competitors," said Qualcomm's general counsel, Don Rosenberg, in an e-mailed statement to Reuters. The company's vice-president, Li Nan, was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying at a news conference on Tuesday that the terms of a patent licence offered by Qualcomm were neither fair nor reasonable.

Meizu, located in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, was China's eighth-biggest smartphone maker in 2015, shipping 24.82 million devices for the year, according to IDC data.China accounted for 53% of Qualcomm's global revenue of $25.28 billion for the fiscal year ended September 27, with a large chunk of profit coming from higher-margin royalties earned from the company's licensing arm.As part of its 2015 settlement with the NRDC, Qualcomm agreed to a plan that modified its business practices in China. The company has since signed more than 100 Chinese ha ndset manufacturers to licensing agreements under the new terms, but has said it continues to struggle with a handful of key original equipment manufacturers.

Source: Qualcomm files 17 new complaints against smartphone maker Meizu

Specs of HTC's second Nexus smartphone 'Marlin' have been revealed

However, the exciting part of these rumors is that both the smaller 5-inch HTC Nexus and the bigger Nexus 6 will have the same design language, the same specs (for the most part) and just be different in terms of size and price.

Now that we know Android N stands for Nougat, the big question on everyone's mind is: which new Nexus phones will be the first to introduce Google's mobile software? The device may also feature a USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.2 and bottom-facing speakers. Specs for the other Nexus smartphone, codenames "Sailfish" surfaced last week.

As a refresher, the "Sailfish" will reportedly have a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 2770mAh battery, 32/128GB of storage, 12-megapixel rear camera, USB-C, and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The Telegraph cited sources "familiar with the discussions" between Google and mobile carriers who claim that Google is now planning to release a new smartphone that the company will build itself. This could hint on a new Nexus smartphone line coming to store possibly sometime in October.

Google is planning to get back into the smartphone game by building handsets itself instead of handing the job off to third-party manufacturers, according to reports. However, Android Nougat is expected to launch during the summer, so the smartphones may release simultaneously. Keep in mind that panel's size is.2-inches smaller than the one found on the current Nexus 6P, a phablet that Huawei and Google launched a year ago as a larger Nexus option for those of us who didn't want the smaller Nexus 5X by LG. Several pundits believe this rumor is farfetched.

Source: Specs of HTC's second Nexus smartphone 'Marlin' have been revealed

Freedom 251: Ringing Bells shifts delivery of cheapest smartphone from June 30 to July 6

New Delhi, June 30: People who had booked Freedom 251, world's cheapest smartphone have to wait seven more days as Ringing Bell the makers of smartphone had delayed the delivery. Ringing Bell had earlier said that almost two lakh smartphone were ready which was supposed to be delivered on June 30 but the company has delayed the delivery by one week, which means those who have booked the smartphone will get their hands on it after July 6. The company has officially said that the phone will now start shipping from July 6, on its official website.

Last week, Mohit Goel, co-founder of Ringing Bells had said that they are almost ready with two lakh phone. The online booking of Freedom 251 started in February and ended for three days. During the booking customers were chosen from a state-wise draw. The company has also circulated photos of the phone online. (Also Read: Freedom 251: Two lakh smartphones ready, says Ringing Bells; to launch 'cheapest' HD LED TV)

After the first batch of deliveries will be completed, Goel said that there would be an official launch event in Delhi. Now that the shipment is shifted to July 6 the event will probably take place to July 7.

At the event Ringing Bell is also planning to launch and affordable LCD TV at the cost of Rs 10,000. The LCD TV will also be called 'Freedom'.

Goel was quoted by IANS where he said, "We are facing a loss of ₹140-150 for each unit we sell, but we hope to make a profit on volume. We will have a loss, but I am happy that the dream of connecting rural and poor Indians as part of the 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives has been fulfilled with Freedom 251″.

Goel also expressed his willingness to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he is looking to request him to recognise his company under 'Digital India' and 'Make In India' programs.

The Freedom 251 smartphone is full of basic specifications. It consists of 1.3 Ghz quad core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. It is also equipped with 8 MP rear camera and flash with 3.2 MP front camera. The smartphone has a battery capacity of 1800mAH and the phone is supposed to run on Android 5.1.1.

Source: Freedom 251: Ringing Bells shifts delivery of cheapest smartphone from June 30 to July 6

Smartphone apps not so smart at helping users avoid or achieve pregnancy

You might not want to depend on your smartphone app alone to help you avoid or achieve pregnancy, say the authors of a new study. A review of nearly 100 fertility awareness apps finds that most don't employ evidence-based methodology.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, also found that many apps include a disclaimer discouraging use for avoiding pregnancy.

The study was led by Marguerite Duane, MD, MHA, FAAFP, adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine and executive director of Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science (FACTS). Additional researchers include Alison Contreras, PhD, FCP, of FACTS, Elizabeth T. Jensen, MPH, PhD, of Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Amina White, MD, MA, of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"Smartphone apps are increasing in popularity because more and more women are interested in using natural or fertility awareness based methods of family planning because they want to feel empowered with greater knowledge of their bodies," says Duane, a family physician.

But as the authors write, "The effectiveness of fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) depends on women observing and recording fertility biomarkers and following evidence-based guidelines. Apps offer a convenient way to track fertility biomarkers, but only some employ evidence-based FABMs."2

Success using FABMs depends on many factors, including the ability to accurately make and classify daily observations. But the authors say relying solely on an FABM app may not be sufficient to avoid pregnancy.

For the review, more than 95 apps were identified on iTunes, Google, or Google play. Of those, 55 were excluded from evaluation because they either had a disclaimer prohibiting use for avoiding pregnancy or did not claim to employ an evidence-based FABM.

The researchers evaluated the remaining 40 apps for accuracy using a rating system based on criteria used by Family Practice Management. Each app was rated on a five-point scale for 10 clearly defined criteria, which were weighted based on their level of importance for avoiding pregnancy.

"Of those reviewed, 30 apps predict days of fertility for the user and 10 do not.

Only six apps had either a perfect score on accuracy or no false negatives (days of fertility classified as infertile)," the researchers wrote.

Apps that do not predict fertile days scored high on accuracy only if they required women receive training in an FABM prior to using the app.

"When learning how to track your fertility signs, we recommend that women first receive instruction from a trained educator and then look for an app that scored 4 or more on mean accuracy and authority in our review," says Dr. Duane.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Georgetown University Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Source: Smartphone apps not so smart at helping users avoid or achieve pregnancy

Man ties the knot with smartphone in Las Vegas

— By IANS | Jun 30, 2016 07:03 am

Los Angeles: A man in the US has taken his love for smartness to a whole new level – by marrying it in a Las Vegas ceremony, media reports said.

The wedding looked like a typical Las Vegas wedding, except for one deviation. The groom, Aaron Chervenak, wore a tux. The bride wore a protective case, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Monday.

Chervenak said "I do," when the officiant at The Little Vegas Chapel asked, "Do you, Aaron, take this smartphone to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you also promise to love her, honor her, comfort and keep her, and be faithful to her?"

"At first it was like what?" The Little Las Vegas Chapel owner Michael Kelly was quoted as saying by www.ktnv.com

"And then I was like… Alright let's do it," Kelly said.

The symbolic gesture to marry his smartphone appears to be a move by artist-director Chervenak to send a message to society, according to Kelly.

"People are so connected to their phones and they live with them all the time," Kelly said.

And that sounds almost like marriage.

The marriage is not legally recognised by the State of Nevada,the KTNV report said.

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Source: Man ties the knot with smartphone in Las Vegas

BLU Products Announces The R1 HD, Unleashing the Rebel In You, The Best Affordable Smartphone In The Market Today

MIAMI, June 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BLU Products, one of the fastest growing mobile phone manufacturers in the world announced the BLU R1 HD as the newest addition to the BLU Smartphone lineup delivering stunning design and premium build quality for an affordable price. The BLU R1 HD was created in an effort to provide the best value of any smartphone available in the market today.

The BLU R1 HD is the only unlocked smartphone under $100 featuring an array of high end features and performance which includes a vivid HD display using the latest on-cell touch panel technology with a brightness rating of 420 nits, and a wide angle 5MP selfie camera with LED flash, taking into consideration the latest in consumer demand for social media sharing, such as camera quality and low light performance in addition to built-in selfie enhancement camera software.

The BLU R1 HD also incorporates premium build quality and materials with beautiful curved Corning Gorilla Glass and Aluminum Metal resulting in a stunning luxurious look and feel.

"The BLU R1 HD is the perfect choice for customers who want a high quality experience in a brand new, unlocked smartphone without sacrificing style and performance," said Samuel Ohev-Zion, CEO of BLU Products, Inc.

The BLU R1 also features a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, fast 4G LTE speed, and an 8MP autofocus main camera, the BLU R1 HD is available in memory variants of either 8GB internal storage + 1GB RAM or 16GB + 2GB RAM, with microSD card support for up to 64 GB of additional storage.

Customers who wish to purchase the BLU R1 HD can visit the following link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F9N5QXI

Learn more: http://www.bluproducts.com/r1-hd/

Full Specifications:

R1 HD

Network: (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, (4G HSPA+ 42Mbps) 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz, (4G LTE Up to 150Mbps) 2/4/7/17, 12 will be added via Over-the-Air Update (OTA)

Display: 5.0-inch HD 720 x 1280, 293 ppi, 420-nit

Processor: Mediatek 6735, 1.3 GHz Quad-Core with Mali-T720 graphics GPU

OS: Android Marshmallow 6.0, upgradable to Android N

Camera: Rear – 8.0 megapixel, with LED Flash, (1.12mm pixel size, 1/4 inch sensor, 2.0mm aperture) HD 1080p@30fps video recording Front – 5.0 megapixel, with LED Flash, 84° Wide Angle

Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth v4.0, Hotspot, FM Radio, VoLTE support will be added via Over-the-Air Update (OTA)

Memory: 1GB/2GB RAM, 8GB/16GB Internal Memory

Dimensions: 143 x 70.7 x 8.5 mm

Battery: Li-Polymer 2500 mAh

Available Colors: Midnight Black

Learn More:www.bluproducts.com

BLU Products Contact:Carmen Gonzalez, Sr. Marketing Managercgonzalez@bluproducts.com

 

 

 

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384535 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384537 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384538 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384539 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384540 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blu-products-announces-the-r1-hd-unleashing-the-rebel-in-you-the-best-affordable-smartphone-in-the-market-today-300291993.html

SOURCE BLU Products

Related Links

http://www.bluproducts.com

Source: BLU Products Announces The R1 HD, Unleashing the Rebel In You, The Best Affordable Smartphone In The Market Today

Akyumen, Volkswagen, SanDisk showcase new solutions at Mobile World Congress

Shanghai, June 29 (IANS) From projector-equipped smartphones to connected cars to flash storage, among others, companies like Akyumen, Volkswagen and SanDisk demonstrated new solutions at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), an annual event organised by Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) here.

US-based Akyumen Technologies showcased the projector equipped 'HAWK' smartphone, an enhanced mobile solution for entertainment, education, business and mobile sharing activities with friends, family or business associates.

HAWK is powered by Mediatek Helio X10 processor, has 128 GB memory, 35 luminosity, 100-inch HD projection, a 13MP camera and sports 5.5-inch screen size.

German car manufacturer Volkswagen showcased BUDD-e concept connected car to redefine the driving experience. With Volkswagen Social Media Integration, drivers can retain a full overview of their online activities on social networks.

All new information appears directly on the car's display panel. All personal automobile settings are saved in the Volkswagen cloud and instantly transferred to your car with the push of the button.

SanDisk, a Western Digital Corporation brand, showcased high-capacity iNAND 7232 storage solution that will be available in LG V10, HTC 10, Qiku Geek smartphone models.

iNAND storage solution -- available in e.MMC and e.MCP interfaces -- provides tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices with faster system responsiveness, improved multitasking and browsing performance and longer battery life, resulting in an enhanced experience for end-users.

Chinese company Snail Mobile unveiled Snail vending machine, a kind of smart terminal which sells SIM cards and smartphones, dedicated to bring convenience for outbound tourists and business travellers.

In the future, Snail Mobile will propose family SIM cards, kids SIM cards integrated with Snail Store, virtual reality hardware, gaming consoles, to provide digital entertainment experienc e to consumers.

The smart football showcased in Sports Zone in GSMA Innovation city has a built-in sensor that tells everything users need to know about their kick, so they can learn to control, strike and manipulate the ball like a professional, and it helps in fine-tuning game.

Chinese handset-maker Gionee showcased S6 Pro, S8 smartphones. While S6 Pro is powered by 1.8GHz octa-core processor, S8 has 2.0 GHZ octa-core processor.

Both the smartphones feature a 5.5-inch full HD display, run on amigo3.2 user interface based on Android 6.0 operating system, have 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The same can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card slot.

Smartphone maker Huawei also exhibited Mate 8, P9 plus smartphones and MateBook. Lenovo showcased ZUK Z2 and ZUK Z2 Pro smartphones. (Anuj Sharma can be contacted at anuj.s@ians.in) --IANS

anuj/rn/vm

Source: Akyumen, Volkswagen, SanDisk showcase new solutions at Mobile World Congress

Report: Google Wants to Release Its Own Phones By End of Year

Image: Getty

Finally, the rumor we've been waiting for: Google is working on its own line of smartphones that could be available by the end of the year.

Google's Android operating system already runs on several phones, and it's partnered with companies like Huawei to license the Nexus phone. But sources tell The Telegraph that the company wants to release its own handset and venture further into hardware. This would allow it to control everything about Android, just like a certain other company controls everything about the iPhone.

It's no secret that Google has been taking a closer look at phones. Not only has it been working on the modular Ara smartphone, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the Code Conference earlier that the company was "investing more effort" into phones, and would be "more opinionated" about Nexus designs.

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Still, as The Verge points out, the end-of-year timeline may be unrealistically aggressive given that even the Ara phone won't be out until 2017—meaning that the promised phones, if they exist, could take a lot more than six months to get into people's grubby hands.

[The Telegraph, The Verge]

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Source: Report: Google Wants to Release Its Own Phones By End of Year

Don't Get Too Excited About Alphabet’s Rumored Smartphone Plans

Alphabet's new smartphone plans seem like a logical, incremental step rather than the market "shake-up" many are billing it to be. Source: Alphabet

In smartphones, it's hard to successfully integrate hardware, software, and operating system. Aside from Apple, there's no other company to do so. But it's not for lack of trying: Both Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) have tried to build a comprehensive smartphone solution, both to varying levels of success.

For Microsoft, it's hard to classify their smartphone efforts as a success on any level. After paying nearly $8 billion for Nokia's phone business in 2014 to bolster its Microsoft Windows Phone operating system, the company has continued to watch its smartphone OS market share erode.

Find more statistics at Statista.

As the preceding chart shows, Gartner reported Microsoft's market share at 0.7% in the first quarter, down from its 10.2% share in the first quarter of 2009. New CEO Satya Nadella has taken a number of steps to limit the damage from Nokia's handset business by writing off the transaction, selling the feature-phone business, and firing the vast majority of the remainder of its Nokia division employees.

Alphabet hasn't totally succeeded, either

Alphabet has been wildly successful at growing operating-system market share. The handset/hardware side of the business has been decidedly less successful. In 2012, Alphabet (nee Google) purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in an attempt to expand into hardware before selling it, ex-patents, to Lenovo for $2.91 billion two years later. Since then, it's relied on third-party manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and HTC continuing to make devices sporting its Android OS.

The company has continued its device presence with its Nexus line of phones, but even this device is manufactured by third-party suppliers. The larger Nexus 6P is produced by China's Huawei Technologies, and the midrange Nexus 5X is manufactured by LG. According to a report from The Telegraph, it seems Alphabet wants to get even more involved with the device-manufacturing process and plans to bring a new smartphone to market by the end of this year.

The Telegraph's report may be much ado about nothing

On the surface, this is an odd timing for Alphabet, considering the direction of the greater smartphone industry. After years of above-average, double-digit growth, the smartphone market is decidedly cooling. Research firm IDC expects 5.7% worldwide shipments growth in 2016, down from the 10.4% growth the industry produced last year. IDC expects much of this growth to be from developing countries, which points to trouble for the high-end market, which presumably is the market Alphabet wants to enter.

Even the one company that's succeeded in combining both hardware, software, and ecosystem, Apple, is looking at emphasizing its non-device revenue to investors. In Apple's first quarter, CEO Tim Cook even went as far as including a supplemental disclosure detailing Apple's installed base-related revenue to highlight post-device-sale revenue. Alphabet may be missing out on the high-margin device sales Apple is taking in, but it does directly benefit from installed base related purchases on Alphabet. Additionally, Alphabet benefits from mobile search revenue.

The Telegraph's report appears intentionally vague when it comes to Alphabet's actual plans, only writing that the company will "take more control over design, manufacturing, and software." My assumption is the company will continue to work with third-party manufacturers to produce Google-branded devices as a proverbial North Star for its third-party manufacturers, much as it does now, albeit to a lesser degree, with its Nexus line of devices.

However, I doubt Alphabet will return to full-scale manufacturing or even assume a controlling stake in the process. In the end, it's unlikely for the company to take the risk devices currently entail when other companies are willing to do so and concede the operating-system revenue to Alphabet. The end result may be an amazing smartphone, but essentially it's an extension of Alphabet's current strategy.

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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jamal Carnette owns shares of Apple and Alphabet (C shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Apple, and Gartner. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: Don't Get Too Excited About Alphabet's Rumored Smartphone Plans

Google rumoured to release iPhone competitor

IT&Software

Jun 29 2016 by Anna Nguyen

Perhaps Google is planning to sell its own smartphone as a premium-tier device, while the Nexus brand will become the company's cheaper alternative.

At present, Google operates the Android operating system, which powers about 80 percent of all smartphones worldwide.

While exciting, speculation of Google making phones flies in the face of what its chief Sundar Pichai said last month. The company focuses on creating the free software that runs on current Android mobile devices. Google is apparently sick and exhausted of the iPhone "dominating" the high end of the smartphone market, and the company appears to believe a Google-built smartphone can solve this problem in a way that a Nexus device cannot.

At the IO conference this year, Google launched its virtual reality project named Daydream. "Larger camera than the predecessors" and the expected external design upgrade is common discussion regarding iPhones, but this can be seen only after Apple launches its iPhone7 officially sometime, in September.

Known primarily as a software powerhouse, Google owns Android which is used in nearly all of non-Apple mobile phones.

However, it seems that Google will now look at those brands as competitors by building their own phone line.

With the release of the iPhone, many in the smarpthone market realized that they had to completely rethink the way they envisioned the smartphone experience. The company already ships its phones with an EMUI skin, and it recently hired former Apple designer Abigail Brody to refine the user interface.

The reason is that all these manufacturers are looking to lessen their reliability on Google by tweaking the software to promote their own services over Google's.

CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood agrees that Google's move to make its own smartphone will help put Android under control.

The problems for Android go much deeper than simply needing a better smartphone - Google needs to completely rethink the way Android is distributed. Like Apple, the company has full control over both the hardware and software for these products.

Source: Google rumoured to release iPhone competitor

Dear Google: Please make smartphones interesting again

Get ready for the Google phone? According to a new report from the Telegraph, Google may be working on its own high-end smartphone and looking to compete head-to-head with Apple's iPhone.

"Now, wait a minute," you may be saying. Google already has its own smartphones — the Nexus line of devices. Those phones are made in partnership with companies such as Huawei, LG and HTC. The Nexus program isn't going away. But the Telegraph's report seems to indicate that Google is looking to control more on its own. What's not clear is whether that could be a part of the Nexus program or not.

It may seem a little strange for Google to be refocusing on smartphone manufacturing now, when the growth of smartphone sales is slowing — in some cases to a halt. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But making a smartphone would make sense given Google's recent behavior, in two notable ways. One, the company recently hired a new head of Google hardware, Rick Osterloh, signaling that it's looking to beef up its product lines. In addition to its Chromebooks, it's also announced a new foray into the smart home with the smart speaker known as the Google Home. And as the smartphone is the heart, or more accurately the remote, of the future connected home, it may make some sense for Google to want to control its chips and hardware.

Second, it's also true that Google has been signaling that it wants to exert more control over the Android world. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said in June that the company would be "more opinionated" over the design of Nexus phones. Google's strength with Android has always been because it is open, and therefore available for lots of smartphone manufacturers to use. That's also been a weakness, however, since a lack of central control can make it hard for Google to effectively compete with the iPhone when it comes to high-end buyers.

That lack of control illustrates itself most clearly when it comes to updating to the latest smartphone system — and giving consumers a chance to use Android's cool new features. In this case, Google has essentially no control over when most customers get an update. It's up to manufacturers and carriers for all phones except the Nexus. That fragmentation can therefore cause problems when advertising Android features or, more seriously, patching security vulnerabilities.

To succeed with its own phone, Google will definitely have to offer something novel and interesting — Samsung's Galaxy line has the high-end of Android pretty covered right now. So how can Google stand out?

Honestly, I'm hoping that this means that smartphones are going to get a little weird again. Because they've gotten a little boring of late — and I'm not the only one thinking this, surveys and sales numbers support me. The smartphone in its current form is pretty optimized for the way we use it, but that also means it's a bit predictable. Selfishly speaking, I miss the not-so-old days when companies threw spaghetti at the wall — A dedicated Facebook button! A stylus! PlayStation controls! A 3D camera! — to see what would stick.

Google has a couple of exciting ideas it's announced already. The first is Project Tango, which the firm has been working on for years but recently began talking about again, which lets you scan and map the inside of the room. Researchers hope this will one day let you do cool things like letting your phone scan a room to find your keys. Right now, a Tango-enabled phone from Lenovo promises to let you, for example, measure the length of space to see if a couch can fit there. It's something that would be welcome and useful in a Google-branded phone as well. The second project that piques interest is Project Ara, which aims to make smartphones modular — meaning you could easily snap in a new camera, a better audio recorder or a GPS unit only when you wanted.

Crazy ideas seem to be at an all-time low right now in smartphones, and that's a little bit of a problem. Sure, smartphone makers didn't always get a winner out of these experiments, but each product's success or failure helped to drive the whole category forward, either by showing a demand for features or by telling manufacturers which ideas to abandon. We could probably use that again. And if there's still room for another smartphone revolution, Google's the kind of player that can help spur it on.

Source: Dear Google: Please make smartphones interesting again

Wileyfox releases three new Cyanogen OS powered smartphones

British manufacturer #Wileyfox has released three new #Cyanogen OS 13.0 powered smartphones, running atop Android 6.0 #Marshmallow. These devices will be updated by Cyanogen, basically promising users a refined Android experience for the months to come. However, Cyanogen has not yet mentioned if it will send the next major Android update for these handsets.

Wileyfox has revealed the Spark, Spark+ and the Spark X in this new lineup, all with 720p displays, so you shouldn't expect an exciting hardware specs sheet with either of the phones. You can find the full specs sheet of the three devices below.

The Spark, Spark+ and the Spark X are priced at £89.99/€119.99, £114.99/€149.99 and £129.99/€169.99 respectively. The Spark will be available on July 12, while the Spark+ will follow a couple of weeks later and the Spark X will hit the shelves sometime in August. The handsets could be limited to the UK and neighboring countries (plus the UAE), with no word on a Stateside release yet.

Wileyfox Spark:

5-inch 720p display

Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC

1GB RAM

8GB storage (expandable)

8MP rear camera

8MP front camera

4G LTE

2,200 mAh battery

Wileyfox Spark+:

5-inch 720p display

Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC

2GB RAM

16GB storage (expandable)

13MP rear camera

8MP front camera

4G LTE

2,200 mAh battery

Wileyfox Spark X:

5.5-inch 720p display

Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC

2GB RAM

16GB storage (expandable)

13MP rear camera

8MP front camera

4G LTE

3,000 mAh battery

Source: Wileyfox

Via: GSM Arena

Source: Wileyfox releases three new Cyanogen OS powered smartphones

Intex stores strive to take retail to a whole new level

At a time when big-ticket retailers are scrambling to grab a share of the online pie, and rolling out robust Omnichannel strategies, homegrown handset maker Intex Technologies went back to the basics and decided to strengthen its distribution network with offline branded retail stores called Intex Smart World last year.

What started as one store in New Delhi in April last year has swelled into 75 stores spread across 60 plus cities, the fastest in terms of expansion by any smartphone maker in India. The company is opening a store every fifth day and says that branded retail stores are part of the company's big picture goals to deliver what today's digital consumers demand; present anytime, anywhere and through any medium.

"When we decided to open branded retail stores, many asked us as to why are we opening retail stores when everyone is moving online. But we as a company realised that today consumers expect more from retail. They look for education, convenience, services, value and experience at the same time. While being online can definitely give convenience, the ability to experience products is something that it misses," explains DGM, Retail Business Intex Technologies, Vishal Malik.

"Moreover, the pre-requisite for any successful Omnichannel strategy is to first have a strong footprint. If you don't have that then how would you strike a connection between both the worlds(online and offline). Opening stores were the first part, now in next phase we are designing our Omnichannel strategy. We have some robust plans for it the way we had for our retail stores, but it will unfurl gradually," adds Malik.

The company which was initially known for its computer peripherals and speakers has evolved over the years by entering in categories like mobile phones, IT accessories, consumer durables and wearable products.

Today, Intex is India's third largest smartphone maker and a widely accepted brand amongst consumers. In addition to these retail stores, the company has a robust distribution network comprising 1100+ distributors and 80,000+ dealers spread across the country. Its products are also available at more than 250 dedicated counters of reputed chains of hypermarkets and specialty stores across the country.

Standardize, Don't Differentiate

Over the last one year, the company has opened 75 retail stores across the length and the breadth of the country. The company has expanded both in metros and low penetrated small towns with the same store concept, size, and format. "The focus was to provide a standardize experience everywhere," says Malik.

"Intex Smart World was incepted as a 'fit for all' concept. Some companies differentiate between the small towns and metros but we feel that consumers are same everywhere, the need and demand is constant in the small towns. Interestingly the ROIs are equally encouraging, therefore we have maintained this standardization. One cannot distinguish between our Delhi store to one in Faroqabaad," points out Malik.

Bifurcated in two areas: one for sales and the other for experience, tutorials, digital displays, support, and engagement, the smart world stores are designed in a 'waterfall concept' where products are displayed effectively, eating less space and giving an opportunity to display wide range. The stores also feature a virtual section termed as 'We Have More' which hosts a virtual catalog where consumers can visualize all SKUs of every product available in the store in the real time.

The company clocked a revenue of Rs 6,400 crore in the fiscal ended March 2016. But, it's too early to share any revenue figures or contribution from company's branded retail stores, as they are yet to witness all the seasons.  However, Malik says, that the stores have so far received an overwhelming response, both from customers and ROI.

"60 per cent of our stores are already running in profits," he says. "These stores have changed the perception of consumers, making us a widely accepted brand. The fact that 90 per cent of stores are franchise owned further reflect the potential that our franchisees has seen in us. We have delivered things as per their expectation and will continue to do so," he adds.

Diversifying categories: A key to riding over competition

Piggybacking on e-commerce boom in India, various Chinese phone makers took India by storm with flash online sales and low price smartphones. Over the last two years, brands like Gionee, Coolpad, Vivo, Nubia, ZTE, Meizu, Huawei among others, have made a significant presence in India's smartphone market with these companies now targeting their guns at offline presence by spending a huge amount on advertising and marketing their brands like never before.

These Chinese players have put a lot of pressure on the Indian players who are forced to rethink their strategies to fit in today's rapidly changing needs of mobile users. However, Intex feels that its strong presence in various categories as against one specific category clearly gives them a lead over these brands.

"Today as a brand we are a diversified organisation, we are present in multiple categories. Our branded stores are not a single category focused retail. Thus, giving us a clear edge over the competition who focus on a single category or product," explains Malk.

Intex operates in total 16 categories divided into IT, mobile and consumer electronics, the company plans to come up with lot other categories in near future. "Of the existing categories, mobile phones(smart phone + Feature phones) contributes 35% share, speakers and LED Tvs take 30 per cent each and IT Peripherals & Wearable contribute 5 per cent to the total sales in a retail stores," says Malik.

Adding that, "Categories not only thwart competition but also keep you business healthy by dividing the revenues across the categories."

Know what not to do!

Malik has a simple mantra for retail: "It's not important to know what to do but it is important to know what not to do." For Intex's retail store growth, he has applied the same formula.

"For us 'what not to do,' was going over ambitious with the partnerships and their investment. One needs to be modest with the market and be realistic with the plans and goals. And that's what has kept us going since the start. We have been striving to provide experience to our consumers and are expanding as the market is asking us to," he asserts.

The next benchmark for the company is arriving on October this year when it plans to take the retail numbers to 150 operational stores, says Malik.

"But we are not stopping after that, we will continue to open stores. We are unfolding investments on developing categories,integrating technology, training our staff and adding value to our stores."

"The aim is to reach a level where when consumers look to buy any electronic item, he/she should look for Intex and stores," concludes Malik.

Source: Intex stores strive to take retail to a whole new level

Why Google plans to release its own smartphone by the end of 2016

By the end of 2016, tech giant Google plans to have released its first ever smartphone, The Telegraph reports, putting it in direct competition with Apple and other well-established brands within the mobile telephone industry.

Google is already far from being entirely separate from the tablet/smartphone industry; its Android operating system, which the company acquired in 2005, was acquired by the company in 2005, is the best-selling OS for tablets and mobile devices, and has been since 2013. Android currently runs on the majority of smartphones in production and last year, the affiliated Google Play app store surpassed Apple's App Store for most amount of available apps for download.

In fact, the combined successes of Android and Google Play have become so successful that the European Union has formally charged Google with monopoly abuse, stating that the company is using the success of its operating system and app store to further push their original search engin e and web browser, Google Chrome.

But the company is trying to expand into smartphone hardware, The Telegraph reports, citing anonymous sources who say Google fans could expect the new device by the end of 2016. Although "an own-brand smartphone would always have been on the cards at the [hardware] division, few expected to see such an aggressive timeline for such a project," Tom Mendelsohn wrote for Ars Technica. 

Currently their software runs on about 4 out of 5 smartphones in the world, according to an industry research firm's quarterly report, including those developed by other large international tech companies such as Samsung, LG and HTC. As Google turns towards its own hardware, however, "our plan is still to work with [other manufacturers]," chief executive Sundar Pichai told the Code Conference last month. 

However, Google may plan to enter a near-saturated mobile phone industry. There is even a smartphone set to begin shipping this week in India that has a quad-core 1.3Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and costs a grand total of $4.

Earlier this year Google hired the former head of Motorola, Rick Osterloh, to lead a new hardware division as the company continues expanding its potential roles in the smartphone/tablet industry, having already released their own laptops and tablet computer.

While Android is currently by far the best selling mobile operating system, Google has fretted over the software's fragmentation through various manufacturers, an analyst at CCS Insight told The Telegraph. "It needs to become a more controlled platform," Ben Wood said. Because some devices apply the Android software differently than others, some smartphone users have been forced to wait months for software updates, for example. 

Conversely, Apple has traditionally had a great deal of success keepings its products streamlined. As opposed to Google, which provides an operating system and store function for third party -produced devices, Apple retains exclusive control over their devices and operating system, and closely monitors products that are available in their app store. This highly-controlled system has allowed Apple to ensure that proper updates and developments in the software are followed on most, if not all, of their devices. 

Source: Why Google plans to release its own smartphone by the end of 2016

Google is reportedly working on Android smartphone that will be built in-house

Google experiments various new technologies and devices frequently in the Android segment. According to a leading newspaper, Google is on the verge of releasing a new exclusive smartphone by the end of 2016. The report termed the current work being done by the Cupertino-based company as "aggressive".

While few anonymous sources working at leading mobile operator companies have clarified that Google will release a new branded phone, there are few people who disclosed that the device will be released by the end of the year. However, we don't have an exact confirmation about the expected launch date.

The upcoming smartphone will be completely different from what we have seen in the currently available Nexus phones manufactured by Huawei and HTC. According to sources, the new smartphone will be eligible to receive updates faster than the currently available handsets manufactured by third-party companies.

Since the new handset will be designed, developed and manufactured by Google itself without any involvement from third-party sources, the company has the full right to decide when the updates should be released. Currently, companies manufacturing handsets for Google should approve the updates prior to public consumption, which is a time-consuming process.

As per the current roadmap, Google is scheduled to release the first exclusive smartphone in 2017 via Project Ara initiative. Dubbed as the modular smartphone, the new handset will be unlikely to be ready for sales before 2016. Hence, the latest report of Google planning to manufacture a handset will be more or less equivalent to the regular Nexus-brand device.

There are rumors floating around the web that the upcoming smartphone will be a typical Pixel phone but we don't have any confirmation to establish the authenticity of the revelation.

Recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai disclosed during Code Conference that the company would be focussed on the Nexus phone design while developing the upcoming handset. Hence, we can assume that the new handset will be similar to that of the currently available Nexus phone and will integrate specific features in collaboration with its hardware partners.

Google is also aiming to achieve greater control with Google Play in the upcoming new handset. Currently, the Nexus smartphones are loaded with software specific to the requirements of Google. With the launch of the new device, Google can easily load several software modules as per their desire.

To boost the development of the new handset, Google had hired Rick Osterloh to head a new hardware division which is established within Google. However, sources specify that he will not be able to develop anything since he has just joined the company.

Source: Google is reportedly working on Android smartphone that will be built in-house

Google’s In-house Smartphone Coming Soon to Spoil Apple's Party: All You Need to Know

Undoubtedly, Google's Android mobile operating system is the leader among the rest. By saying the others, we also include the iOS and Windows platforms as well. Though Google is the dominator in terms of software, hardware wise the company has to take a giant leap.

Well, the Nexus devices can be claimed to be close to a smartphone made by Google, but they are actually not designed or built by Google. There are rumors that Google will be making an in-house device later this year to compete with its rival Apple. Though it is still a rumor, a report with some details have surfaced now.

SEE ALSO: 6 must have social media extensions for Opera browsers

As per a report by Telegraph, Google will release its rumored in-house smartphone some time by the end of this year in order to compete with Apple in the premium device market segment. As Google is looking forward to gain more control of its Android OS, an in-house smartphone would definitely give them the ability to do so.

Google can get more control over the Android OS and its looks, functions, and feel. This could be the major reason for Google to be willing to produce its own smartphone. Similar to what Apple does with the iPhones, Google might be able to control every aspect of the device right from the software experience to the overall functionality.

Going by the report, Google is in discussion with several mobile operators about the nature of launching a smartphone under its own name. However, none of the carriers have been mentioned so far.

SEE ALSO: These 7 Warning Signs Point Out That Its Time to Replace your Old PC

Despite planning to launch its own mobile, Google still has plans to continue supports the Nexus program and it will work with the other partners to make the Nexus smartphones. The in-house Google phone might just serve their motive of competing with iPhone in terms of both premium hardware and software.

Lately, Google re-hired Rick Osterloh, the former Motorola President who is running the Hardware division that Google recently launched. This seems to be an actual move that Google has taken towards the in-house handset.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Chilling Moments Captured on Instagram

Moreover, Google seems to be in plans to launch this device by the end of this year. If the rumors turn out to be true, Google might end up pushing the Nexus devices made by HTC as under its in-house device range.

Source: Google's In-house Smartphone Coming Soon to Spoil Apple's Party: All You Need to Know

HTC Nexus Smartphone Codenamed 'Sailfish' Leaks Hint 5-Inch Display, Fingerprint Scanner And More [RUMORS]

Jun 26, 2016 11:42 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

Rumor mills have been swirling a slew of speculations around the upcoming Google Nexus smartphone, hinting everything from specs to the device's release date. In the series of these leaked details, a new set of specifications recently surfaced online.(Photo : Pexels / Pixabay)

Rumor mills have been swirling a slew of speculations around the upcoming Google Nexus smartphone, hinting everything from specs to the device's release date. In the series of these leaked details, a new set of specifications recently surfaced online.

The aforementioned specifications tip off an HTC-made device packed with below-impressive features - if the rumors proved true, this would be a huge disappointment for those waiting with bated breath for the HTC Nexus 2016 device.

Judging by the rumors doing rounds, the purported devices will replace the Nexus 5X, the comparatively smaller device among the two smartphones in Google's stores. The rumored HTC Nexus 2016 would boast the most basic specs and could very well be the most basic of devices available direct for purchase from the search engine giant.

The rumored device is aptly code-named "Sailfish," keeping in with the tradition of Nexus phones being dubbed after sea creatures and so forth.

Word of the purported HTC Nexus 2016 comes from a tech publication AndroidPolice, that claim they're 70% confident of their sources being correct.

Check out the leaked details of next Nexus codenamed "Sailfish."

Manufactured by: HTCDisplay: 5-inch 1080 pixel display (~440PPI)Processor: Quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bitRAM: 4 GBBattery: 2770mAhStorage: 32 GB (no details regarding the availability of multiple models)Camera: 12 MP rear, 8 MP front snapperFingerprint scanner: rear-mountedUSB-C port at the bottomBottom-firing speaker/speakersHeadphone jack: top-mountedBluetooth: 4.2

Although the leak did not divulge the processor's name, there is a possibility that it would be some sort of Qualcomm Snapdragon model.

This device will reportedly replace the Nexus 5X in terms of price and size too, and tweak the 5.2-inch display to slightly more basic 5-inches, SlashGear reported.

If the rumored Nexus device is indeed designed by HTC, chances are it will resemble a "Desire" rather than an HTC 10. That said, there's still room for a slightly bigger Nexus 6P-like device that could boast abilities beyond the aforementioned baseline smartphone.

© 2016 University Daily News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Source: HTC Nexus Smartphone Codenamed 'Sailfish' Leaks Hint 5-Inch Display, Fingerprint Scanner And More [RUMORS]

Smartphones can help save life during cardiac arrest, strokes

NEW YORK: Smartphone apps and other digital technology have the potential to provide rapid emergency care for cardiac arrest, heart attacks and strokes, says researchers.

Digital technology like mobile devices, social media, visual media and crowdsourcing could aid in swift reponse to the patient and thus, boost their survival odds.

"When seconds count, early recognition of the symptoms of cardiac arrest, heart attack or stroke and quick action can make a huge difference in whether someone lives or dies or has serious complications afterwards," said Raina Merchant from Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation -- a US-based health care organisation.

Smartphone apps to view brain images for stroke and Face Time videoconferencing apps to assess stroke patients by a remote neurologist may also be helpful.

"Digital platforms can support existing efforts to educate people about what to do in an emergency. Learning what to do - including how to perform Cardiopulmo nary resuscitation (CPR) and recognising the symptoms of stroke - is something many people can do that can save lives," Merchant added.

However, inaccurate information being provided via digital tools could lead to medical errors costing lives, cautioned the authors.

For the study, published in the journal Circulation, the team reviewed scientific studies to evaluate current knowledge on the effectiveness of digital strategies at improving emergency cardiac and stroke care.

According to the researchers, some studies on digital strategies have shown positive results, such as a Swedish study that used a mobile phone application to alert volunteers within 500 meters of a cardiac arrest victim to respond and start CPR.

It found that 62 per cent of the volunteers with the app started CPR, while only 48 per cent of bystanders without the app started CPR.

A Japanese study found that when emergency department personnel sent pictures of 12-lead ECGs via their sm artphone to interventional cardiologists for interpretation, the smartphone method shaved 1.5 minutes off the time clinicians needed to diagnose a patient, compared to sending the images via fax.

Source: Smartphones can help save life during cardiac arrest, strokes

Google to release its own Android smartphone by 2017 to challenge the iPhone

Google is planning to release its own smartphone in an attempt to have a strong foothold on mobile software. The new handset, which is expected by the end of 2016, would be launched in direct competition with Apple's iPhone lineup.

This would allow Google to take more control over the design, manufacturing and software of the handset. The internet giant is already in discussion with the mobile operators about a Google-branded handset, extending its move into the hardware segment, sources familiar with the matter told the Telegraph.

More about Google from IBTimes UK

Unlike its major market rival Apple, Google leaves the manufacturing part to other smartphone vendors, while putting more focus on the development of its Android mobile operating system that runs on 1.4 billion devices. It has developed several Nexus-branded devices in a partnership with manufacturers such as LG, Huawei, HTC and Samsung.

There have been rumours about Google releasing its own handset for a long time. In November 2015, the Information revealed the company was debating the idea of building an Android phone in a bid to make its Android OS more competitive with Apple.

Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight said, "They are concerned that Android is fragmenting, that it needs to become a more controlled platform. I think they'll seek to control it more, more like Apple."

Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, in a recent interview said, "We are investing a lot more effort into [Nexus]" in response to a query whether the company is planning to launch its own smartphone. However, he made it clear the company would still continue the development of its Nexus devices with the manufacturing partners. Pichai said, "Our plan is still to work with hardware partners."

Google's new move might add an extra dimension to the claims made by the European Union that Google has abused its dominance position in the market.

Earlier in April Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, expressed concerns over Google imposing restrictions on mobile vendors from reprogramming the software of Android apps such as Gmail or Maps it bundles onto the Android OS.

The Commission had received complaints from companies such as FairSearch, Disconnect and Aptoide, an app store for Android. If found guilty, Google could face fines of about 10% of its parent company Alphabet's annual revenue, estimated to be about $73.6bn (£53.8bn).

Source: Google to release its own Android smartphone by 2017 to challenge the iPhone

New app could help parents monitor child’s smartphone activity

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Whether you have a toddler obsessed with tablets or a smartphone-addicted teenager do you ever wonder what's going on behind the screen? Soon there may be an app to help keep parents clued in.

A local team is working to make apps that not only helps law enforcement be more efficient protecting kids online but also for parents. News 18 reports how parents can be notified if there kids are doing illegal activity on or offline.

Snapchat, Twitter, Instant messaging are all platforms for teens to communicate on. But as a parent do you ever wonder what they're saying or sending?

Cyber Inform CEO Rachel Sitarz said, "Kids are using their phones in the bathroom and the bedroom and parents most of the time don't know what's going on."

If you're a parent worried about what's going on behind the screens a new app could help clue you in.

"Kind of a way to monitor on smartphones of what's going on," said Sitarz. "Especially kids getting caught up in getting in a lot of trouble."

Co-founder Kyle Wise said its goal is to design apps to help keep kids safer online.

"You can trust your kid," said Wise. "But it's not out of line to want to see what they're really up to."

Sitarz previously worked with Indiana State Police as part of the Internet crimes against children task force.

"These predators are masters at manipulating children," said Sitarz. "At taking advantage of them and getting them to trust them and send them inappropriate stuff."

The team has been working hard to design "the mommy app" and plans to have it up and running by fall.

"It will essentially run on phones, devices, tablets and it will run the background anything that's deemed inappropriate or bad it will ping on that and it will send a report to the person who is running the software."

"It may seem harmless," said Wise. "Like sending a snapchat of me and my underwear. Well that's online forever."

Wise said the app gives parents easy tools to use to help monitor their kid's devices, while at the same time being inexpensive and a cinch to use.

But that's not the only app Cyber Inform is creating.

Wise and Sitarz said they are also working on an app to help stop domestic abuse.

The app aims to help domestic violence and sexual abuse victims and will record evidence showing abuse. From there, the app will send the information to dispatch immediately and leave no trace of evidence on the phone or of any recordings.

Wise said it's his past that inspired him to create an app like this.

"I was sexually abused and raped as a child," said Wise. "And I watched domestic violence in my own home."

The app is still in the works but the team is working hard to help make the community a safer place.

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Source: New app could help parents monitor child's smartphone activity

Sony Xperia X Performance release date coming to the U.S. in July

Sony's latest flagship device is available from £19 per month on a two-year O2 contract.

Belarusian mobile operator Velcom has started selling the Sony Xperia X Dual and Sony Xperia XA Dual smartphones in its shops.

"According to the description posted on the Japanese mobile phone manufacturer's official website, the Sony Xperia X Performance is "designed for comfort and to impress from every angle, with its rounded glass edges, seamless brushed metal back, and form fitting 5" display". The Xperia X Dual will come bundled with Gameloft games alongside free credits worth Rs. 780. The smartphone is powered by a Mediatek Helio P10 64 bit octa-core processor which is paired with 2GB of RAM. It is equipped with a 16GB of Internal storage.

Sony Xperia XA is backed by a 2300mAh battery and features 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. The Sony Xperia XA supports 4G LTE, GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, NFC and micro-USB connectivity. Like the Xperia X, this new Xperia XA Dual can also be expandable storage up to 200GB via microSD card. Besides the aforementioned camera features, the Xperia X includes a 23MP rear camera with Exmore RS sensor, autofocus, and LED flash. It also sports an 8-megapixel secondary front-facing camera on board for better selfies and video calling.

Source: Sony Xperia X Performance release date coming to the U.S. in July

QMobile Noir LT650 Review – 4G smartphone

QMobile has revealed QMobile Noie LT650 –a new sibling of LT500 and LT600 though it looks a like twin of QMobile Noir W70 in design anatomy, but the chassis have been modified.

QMobile Noir LT650 is shipped with 5" HD IPS display, 1.3 GHz Quad-core processor tied with 1 GB RAM. The internal storage is 16 GB and powered with efficient Android 5.1 (Lollipop). It's a dual SIM 4G LTE smartphone –other connectivity mediums are WI-FI, Bluetooth, MicroUSB port and etc. QMobile Noir LT650 plays with 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. The battery inside Noir LT650 is 2300 mAh that provide efficient power backup. Noir W70 is available in three different color black, white, and sky blue. It is offered in Pakistan at price of PKR. 11,500/-.

QMobile Noir LT650 Unboxing:

QMobile Noir LT650 box packs all the necessary stuff. It carries brand new LT650 on the top and usual stuff is being kept under the layer. The accessories find in the retail box are 1.0A charger, data cable, headphones, screen protector and back cover.

Price and Specifications of QMobile Noir W70: LAUNCH Released  June, 2016 Availability  Available BODY Dimensions  143 x 71 x 8 mm Weight  143 grams SIM Slot  Dual SIM (Micro) DISPLAY  Type  HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen  Size  5 inches  Resolution  720 x 1280 pixels (240 dpi)  Mulit-touch  Yes, 5-point NETWORK Network Support  GSM/3G/4G 2G Bands  900/1800 3G Bands  2100 4G Bands  1800 Speed  HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, cat. 4 150/50 Mbps PLATFORM Os  Android OS, 32 bit, v5.1 (Lollipop), AMIGO 3.1 Chipset  Media Tek MT6580M CPU  Quad-core 1.3 GHz, ARM Cortex-A7 GPU  Mali-400 MP MEMORY Card Slot  Yes, expandable upto 32GB internal  16 GB, 1 GB CAMERA Primary  8 MP, autofocus, LED flash Features  Professional, Face Beauty, Panorama, Beauty, HDR,  Smart Scan, GIF,  PicNote, Filter, Geo-Tagging, Touch  Shot,  Video [email protected], [email protected], Anti-Shaking, Scene  Mode  Secondary  5 MP, [email protected] COMMS WLAN  Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Hotspot Bluetooth  v4.0 GPS  Yes, with A-GPS Radio  Yes USB  v2.0, MicroUSB port FEATURES Sensors  accelerometer, proximity, Light, Magnetic BATTERY  Removable, 2300mAh PRICE  PKR. 11,500/- OTHERS Colors  White, Black, Sky Blue Features  Gameloft, DTS sound, Theme Park, Chameleon Pros :

Quad-core Processor

Good camera combination i.e 8 MP Rear and 5MP front

4G LTE

HD IPS display

Game loft, Chameleon, Theme Park

Cons :

Older Design

No extra mic for noise cancellation

Display of QMobile Noir LT650:

The Front welcomes you with 5.0" HD IPS capacitive display of 720 x 1280 pixels resolution. Capacitive touch is smooth, soft and picks the tips very quickly. The capacitive panel is enough responsive to let you control the smartphone with fingertips. The HD IPS screen is common display panel picked by vendors for mid-range smartphone, because it's cost effective, battery friendly and reduces the viewing angle issues.

Design of QMobile Noir LT650:

At first glance, it has strong resemblance with QMobile Noir W70 –each and every thing regarding design structure is same. The major change in design is the dimensions of phone, Noir LT650 has 143 x 71 x 8 mm body dimensions. The frame is made of polycarbonate plastic. The display placement, the back cover, the buttons placement each and every thing is just a clone of QMobile Noir W70. Display and dimension are the main difference between these two smartphones.

On the front side, 5" HD IPS display welcomes you. The upper area capacitive display has earpiece, 5MP front camera and couple of sensors like proximity and light. The lower part of front is packed with capacitive function keys.

Like a front, edges are stuffed with some connectivity ports and physical buttons. Top edge is home to audio jack, while the right side carries volume rocker and power key. Power key and volume rocker is placed at right edge under thumb range.

Memory for QMobile Noir LT650:

QMobile Noir LT650 is delivered with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB ROM out of box. Though 1GB RAM is enough to run 2 to 3 Apps but running multiple Apps can slow down smartphone. Noir LT650 comes with 16GB ROM out of which 11 GB is usable storage space for user. In case you are running out of memory –microSD slot supports upto 32GB card. 

Camera within QMobile Noir LT650:

The camera section though looks stable and projecting feature of phone. Noir LT650 has 5 MP rear camera with LED flash and 2MP front camera. The camera App launches quickly and focuses the objects –touch focus options is also available.

The setting options covers Capture mode, Picture Size, Geo-Tagging, volume keys operations. The video settings category has Anti-Shaking, Microphone, Scene Mode, Video Quality, Exposure, Anti-Banding.

Rear Camera of QMobile Noir LT650:

QMobile Noir LT650 comes with 8MP rear camera that captures the photo with 3264 x 2448 resolution. The camera is impressive, it focuses the object quick and locks it in square. The touch focus feature have also been provided.

The capture image show the colors are well managed in photo. The colors are sharp enough to show object clearly and prominent.The camera can make FHD video as well.

Noir W70 is pre- loaded with bunch of mode that are Face Beauty, Filters, HDR, Panorama, PicNote, Scan and GIF. The GIF and scan two new and innovative features that have been provided for user.

Front Camera of QMobile Noir LT650:

On the front, 5 MP selfie camera has employed with some pre-loaded modes. The image quality is good though the colors more tint which is key factor that makes color noisy and reduces the sharpness of color. Well, the objects in 1 meter range are well captured by camera with their natural colors.

Network / Connectivity of QMobile Noir LT650:

Noir LT650 features dual SIMs standby connectivity, both SIMS slot are capable of handling 3G and 4G singles. The modem inside the Noir LT650 has 42.2/11.5 Mbps and cat.4 150/50 Mbps speed over 3G and 4G respectively.

Wireless connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1 A2DP and FM Radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Hotspot. In addition it has GPS and FM Radio.

The physical connectivity on board is 3.5 mm audio jack and microUSB port 2.0 for charging and data transferring.

Battery Performance of QMobile Noir LT650:

Noir LT650 comes with 2300mAh battery which is removable though. it takes almost 2 and half hours to get completely charge with 1.0A charger. 2300 mAh juice can keep lit up the smartphone for long time on normal usage, it works for whole day, if GSM network is used for calls and Messaging. But, when it comes to 3G services, it could reduce the battery timing because 3G calls, streaming and browsing drain out battery juice. The battery can work for 6 to 7 hours on 3G network.

Interface of QMobile Noir LT650:

QMobile Noir is powered with Android 5.1 Lollipop skinned with amigo 3.1 interface.  The Amigo has some attractive features like Chameleon, Them Park. Chameleon App actually picks up two color and prepares a new theme for you.

The interface is easy to use, the quick setting are appeared by swiping up at bottom. The setting has bar for brightness control. The fake call feature makes fake to the smartphone.

Moreover, Noir LT650 has Child Mode, System Manager, Theme Park and Game loft games.

Processor of QMobile Noir LT650:

Processor packed inside QMobile Noir LT650 is MT6580M that is a Quad-core processor runs at 1.3 GHz clock rate. It's been coupled with 1GB that is the in fashion hardware combination for mid-range devices –with the given combo 1GB and Quad-core, we can run 2 to 3 Apps at a time.

QMobile Noir W70's graphics are controlled by Mali-400 MP which usual paired with MT6580M Processor.

Antutu Bench-marking of QMobile Noir LT650:

In Antutu benchmark testing, Noir LT650 sustained a respected position by getting 30K+ points. Usually, smartphones with such lower specs couldn't get 30K points. The score surprised me too. Well, I hope QMobile Noir LT650 do the same as it performed in Antutu benchmark.

Conclusion for QMobile Noir LT650:

So, its time to conclude QMobile Noir LT650 Reveiw. it should be the more demanding mid-range smartphone with average hardware profile. the prominent features are HD IPS display, Quad-core processor, 4G LTE connectivity and decent camera pair. Noir LT650 should in your wishlist if you are going to a smartphone in range 10K to 15K. it is available at price of PKR. 11,500/-

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Source: QMobile Noir LT650 Review – 4G smartphone

Hyperkin Announces Accessory to Turn Smartphones Into Gameboys

Back in April, retro games console manufacturer Hyperkin had a little fun with its customers. In celebration of April Fools' Day, the company, which is responsible for the RetroN series of replica gaming consoles, announced the Smartboy, a device which is designed to plug into a smartphone in order to turn it into a functioning Gameboy.

The prank generated such widespread support and excitement that Hyperkin sheepishly admitted to their ruse, explaining that the entire purpose behind the prank was to test the reception for their device before too much was spent on research and development. Now, the Smartboy has been officially announced – this time it's real, it's progressing towards release, and the company is looking for indie and homebrew developers to get involved with software production.

The Smartboy has generated a fair amount of headlines over the past few months – both during its initial April Fools reveal, and now that it's been officially announced. In spite of this popularity, though, there is at this point no guarantee that the device will actually prove popular enough to generate sales for Hyperkin.

According to its manufacturer, the Smartboy's developer kit will retail at $59.99, arriving in the hands of eager fans in time for Christmas. At this point, the device will still be unfinished, requiring homebrew developers to take advantage of its open source framework to get the most from its potential as a tool.

The problem, though, is finding a niche which the Smartboy can inhabit. In its present state, the Smartboy fills the same role as a free Android Gameboy emulator, but does so with the cumbersome need for a large add-on accessory to read games cartridges. It could be argued that its functioning button layout will recreate the Gameboy experience, but there are plenty of Bluetooth controllers available which provide this experience for much cheaper, including many by a company called 8BitDo which aim to perfectly replicate NES and SNES controllers. For gamers looking for a nostalgic mobile gaming experience, there are plenty of other options available.

For the most part, Hyperkin's RetroN range succeeds with games because of the relative price tag attached to their devices. RetroN consoles emulate a variety of retro games directly from the cartridge, allowing gamers to play their NES, SNES, and other console cartridges all on the same machine – this means saving a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on authentic retro machines. At present, though, the price of an original Gameboy is far less than that of the Smartboy, meaning that there's not much incentive for consumers to flock to the new device for an emulated alternative to a cheaper authentic experience.

Of course, there is one small ace up Hyperkin's sleeve, and it has to do with the company's decision to make a development kit commercially available before the full release for the finished device next year. Hyperkin has announced plans to offer homebrew developers a cut of the Smartboy's revenue in return for their work developing the firmware for the open source device.

This is a very smart move for the company – understanding that most casual gamers won't gain much from the Smartboy that they can't get with other alternatives, Hyperkin is focusing on the homebrew development scene. The popularity of the Raspberry Pi platform has proven that many tech experts will leap at the chance to develop and swap their own homebrew programs, and it's this eagerness that Hyperkin wishes to latch onto. Offering a percentage of the device's profits to those early adopters who contribute to the Smartboy's firmware development means that by the time the accessory reaches its retail release, gamers will not only have a solid device, but will be able to participate in a community that's enthusiastic about being able to do far more than just play Gameboy games on their phone.

All of this, of course, is months away from fruition. For the moment, Hyperkin merely hopes that its royalty program will encourage developers to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to making the basic firmware for the system. Beyond this, though, once the homebrew development community gets stuck into the device, it's likely that it'll see the same variety of uses that the Raspberry Pi enjoys.

It remains to be seen whether this relatively obscure device will be able to take off to the extent that has occurred with the Raspberry Pi – after all, the Gameboy emulator has far fewer practical uses than the world's most popular minicomputer range.

If Hyperkin wants their Smartboy to succeed, though, the company is smart to appeal directly to more technically experienced users. With any luck, their upcoming accessory will prove to be yet another hit for the company that has given the retro gaming community the RetroN, and their April Fools prank will prove well worth everyone's time.

Source: Hyperkin Announces Accessory to Turn Smartphones Into Gameboys

HTC Nexus 2016 Smartphone Release Rumored

Google's impressive Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P smartphones are starting to show their age, which is why we're already starting to see rumors of multiple new Nexus smartphones for 2016. In January one early report claimed HTC was working on two Nexus smartphones, which was rumored again in April and May. However, we now have even more details regarding the 2016 Nexus smartphones.

In 2015 Google released two smartphones for the first time in history, and no Nexus tablet. Those being the LG-made Nexus 5X and the Huawei Nexus 6P. Both are rather good, and the Nexus 6P could be the best smartphone of 2015. That said, the company could be mixing things up again in 2016.

Read: Huawei Nexus 6P Review: Google's Best Yet

In the early days of Android Google and HTC had a good relationship. The first Android device ever released, the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream), and even the Nexus One, were both made by HTC. Not to mention Google's last Nexus tablet was the HTC Nexus 9. We've seen Google and LG team up for three different Nexus devices lately, but 2016 could be the year things change.

Each year Google releases its own smartphone, but rather than make it themselves like they did with the new Pixel C tablet, they partner with a manufacturer to help push the cutting edge of Android, and shape smartphones of the future. Like the first Android with multi-touch, fingerprint scanners, USB Type C and other noteworthy new additions.

We saw this with the HTC Nexus One. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and even the LG Nexus 4 and LG Nexus 5 from 2012 and 2013. Google has worked with HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Huawei, ASUS (for the Nexus 7) and now it looks like they could be shifting back to HTC.

Earlier this year Google released the Pixel C tablet, rather than a Nexus tablet in 2015. It was 100% made by Google. This was an exciting release, which has lead many to believe in 2016 Google could make their own smartphones. And while that could still be the case, an often accurate leakster on Weibo claims otherwise. Suggesting that HTC won over Google, and stole the steering wheel from LG and Huawei and will be making two smartphones for the Nexus 2016 line.

The report suggests that while HTC is still struggling, the company will be working with Google in 2016 to create two brand new Nexus smartphones. This rumor goes as far as suggesting screen sizes too. Claiming there will be a 5-inch Nexus smartphone, and a 5.5-inch model. Maybe the Nexus 5 (2016) and the Nexus 5 Plus, but that's just a guess. If these launch as the first devices to run Android N, a release date will most likely arrive this summer, when Android N will officially debut.

Google's Nexus 6 was released in 2014, made by Motorola, and had a huge 5.96-inch display. Then in 2015 Google released two Nexus smartphones and no Nexus tablet, and the biggest one was the 5.7-inch Huawei Nexus 6P. For the company to go back to a 5.5-inch HTC Nexus smartphone, seems odd. Then again, this is Google, who does anything and everything.

Update: In even bigger news, famed and even more accurate leakster Evan Blass, known as @evleaks had this to say on April 27th.

Essentially confirming earlier reports that Google is working with HTC to build two new smartphones, which will almost certainly be this years Nexus devices. Internally they're being called M1 and S1. Or Marlin and Sailfish. Google uses fish names for all Nexus names. Like Shamu for the Nexus 6, Angler for Nexus 6P, bullhead for the Nexus 5X, and so on. Here's more details and further rumors to corroborate this report.

Update #2: Now that summer is here and the July Android N release date is quickly approaching, more Nexus rumors have surfaced. The often accurate sources at AndroidPolice have some extra details regarding the smaller 5-inch HTC Nexus for 2016. According to them it will have a 5-inch 1080p HD display (slightly smaller than the Nexus 5x) but have a powerful Quad-core processor with 4GB of RAM (not 2GB) and the base model may come with 32GB of storage instead of only 16GB.

The leak continues to state it will have a similar but likely improved 12 megapixel camera on the back and 8MP front, USB Type-C, rear fingerprint scanner, a 2,770 mAh battery, and bottom facing speaker(s). From the sounds of it this new HTC Nexus 5 (2016) will closely resemble the Nexus 5x from last year but be slightly better in most areas, and likely made out of aluminum. We'll have to wait for more details.

There is one more twist in the current rumor mill. All previous reports have suggested that HTC will be making both Nexus smartphones for 2016, but that may not be 100% accurate. While we could see two Nexus phones from them, it could be just one, or Google could shock everyone and release three Nexus devices. Reason being is a recent interview with one of Huawei's general managers lead to a report claiming they're building another Nexus with Google this year. Apparently Charlene Munilall, general manager for Huawei's Consumer Business Group said, "We're doing the Nexus again this year, by the way." That's all we know, and will have to wait to learn more.

All said and done HTC makes some amazing smartphones, but the software is always covered in Sense UI, similar to Samsung's TouchWiz, which many don't like. However, the new HTC 10 runs nearly stock Android, and is one of the better phones available this year. If this report is accurate we could see two Nexus smartphones, or even a Nexus phone and tablet from HTC in late 2016, with the third device being made by Huawei. It's still way too early to remotely speculate and we're taking this with a grain of salt, but we'll keep our ears open for more details.

Source: HTC Nexus 2016 Smartphone Release Rumored

Freedom 251 release date rumored to arrive on June 30th

Back in February, we told you about the cheapest smartphone on the planet, the Freedom 251. Quite a bit has happened since then, but the Freedom 251 release date looks to be close at hand as it's going to ship out on June 30th.

Ringing Bells is probably a name most of our readers aren't familiar with, but it's the moniker of a new mobile outfit from India. The company claimed to be able to produce a smartphone that only costs consumers INR 251… which is about $4 bucks. Many were quite skeptical.

Needless to say, folks sat up and took notice, which wasn't a good thing considering the phone was falsely represented in various ways including a disguise and some funky icons. We won't rehash all the missteps, but it appears the company may have righted the ship as the Freedom 251 release date is next week.

According to the latest news, the company's CEO, Mohit Goel, claims they have 200,000 units ready to roll out. The company was said to have addressed one issue to help keep costs down by replacing many of the pre-loaded apps and was also seeking help from the government.

While we don't know if that actually happened, there is a new shot of the mythical device in the wild. The handset is still rumored to arrive with a quad-core chip, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 3.2MP/VGA camera combo. It will run Lollipop out of the box and is powered by a 1,450mAh battery.

It's safe to say most folks are still skeptical about the Freedom 251 release, but we'll find out next week if the company can truly produce a $4 smartphone. Even if it's possible, there's still something to be said for performance as it remains to be seen how the handset will actually handle life as a daily driver.

via – Cnet,   GSMarena      source: Indian Express,   TheGadgetOX

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Source: Freedom 251 release date rumored to arrive on June 30th

4 New LG X Series Phones Focus on Different Feature Sets

Smartphone makers are doing all they can to come up with the next best thing and until now, each attempt was designed to put more of the best technology in a single device. But there is only so much you can put in a form factor as small as a smartphone.

The new approach by LG takes a step back and deploys devices that specialize in one particular aspect of smartphone technology above all others. The four new LG X phones are part of a series the company launched earlier this year.

The first two phones, the X Cam and X Screen focused, as the names suggests, on the camera and screen. This time around the new phones called X Power, X Mach, X Style and X Max also focus on different components.

The new X series phones share many of the base specs of LG's flagship G and V series handsets, but they add on the specialized features. The information LG made available on these phones is very limited, so we will have to wait until they are released later this month to find out the exact specifications. The price and availability for each device will be announced locally in each market.

The X Power

This phone has one of the largest battery capacities of any smartphone on a slim 7.99mm body with 4,100mAh (Samsung Edge 7 has 3600 mAh and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus has 2915 mAh). So the power is considerably more than the top brands in the segment. Additionally, LG said the company's fast charging (PE+) technology allows the X Power to be charged twice as fast.

The X Mach

The X Mach is built for speed and performance, with support for LTE Cat. 9 3CA for faster data transfer and a 1.8GHz processor to manage power intensive applications. It also has a QHD IPS Quantum display, a curved form factor and a large 1.55m sensor camera.

The X Style

According to LG, the X Style differentiates itself with curving lines, extra-slim body, and a large display. It is made to consume multimedia content.

The X Max

LG has provided even less information for the X Max than for the other three phones, with the company saying only that it has a "Large display" — but the size of the screen hasn't been made available either.

The New LG Strategy

LG doesn't even appear on the list of "Top Five Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, Market Share and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q1 2016 Preliminary Data" by IDC. How will the company's strategy pan out as most other manufacturers adopt a more-is-better approach for their devices?

The company might find an audience with small businesses that need the specific technologies the X series of phones bring. Still a full set of specs and more importantly a menu of prices must be available before business owners can know if the phones are worthwhile.

Image: LG Electronics

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Source: 4 New LG X Series Phones Focus on Different Feature Sets