Sony India releases new headphones and earphones

Sony India has launched two pairs of headphonesgoing by the model numbers MDR-XB450 and MDR-XB250 as well as a set of earphones called the MDR-AS200. The last one is aimed at those who like to take their music with them when they exercise or are engaged in other physical activities, while the first two are meant for users who love bass.

The Sony MDR-XB450 and MDR-XB250 are priced at Rs 1490 and Rs 2190, correspondingly, and will hit retail availability within this month itself. The former device’s predecessor dubbed MDR-XB400 was offered in three color options of green, blue and purple. The newer headphones are set to reach the Indian market in five hues of red, black, white, yellow and blue.

The MDR-XB450 is fitted with 30mm drivers and delivers a frequency response rate of 5Hz – 22000Hz. The accessory is finished in metal and drags along a flattish cord with a serrated exterior, the last mentioned of which reduces the chances of it getting all tangled up. You will be able to stow it away neatly owing to its swivel-style folding mechanism.

The Sony MDR-XB250 would have been very much like the MDR-XB45, with its 30mm drivers, serrated cord and swivel folding design if it wasn’t for its metal-shunning body. Coming to theearphones announced by the Japanese company, remember when we said that the MDR-AS200 is for active people? Well, it’s got a water-resistant build as also, 13.5mm drivers and adjustable ear loops.

And just like the other two which were unveiled today, the earphones tow along a flat cord. The pair costs Rs 790 and is expected to be made available later in September. As we’ve already mentioned above, the Sony MDR-XB250 and MDR-XB450 will be visible on shelves by August.

Idea Ultra+ and Idea Fab Android smartphones launched in India

Two dual SIM Android smartphones going by the names Idea Ultra+ and Idea Fab were launched in India just today with prices of Rs 8300 and Rs 4999, respectively. Along with the phones, the company is also pushing its telecom services in customers’ faces, with existing 3G subscribers being offered 1.6GB of data and free Idea TV for 3 months at Rs 259.

The same bait is being dangled in front of those who are yet to sign up for Idea, although the pack will cost them Rs 261. If you’re wondering about the price difference between the Fab and Ultra+ handsets, then you should know that the former sports comparatively unimpressive specs which clearly put it in the low-end segment.

The Idea Fab has a 4-inch display spitting out visuals in 480 x 800p resolution and a 1.2GHz dual core processor. The phone has been manufactured by Commtel and it depends on AndroidJelly Bean 4.2 as well as 512MB of RAM. The integrated storage space of 4GB can be expanded up to 32GB and you will get flash to accompany its 3.2MP camera here.

Unlike its cheaper companion, the Ultra+ has a front facing camera of 0.3MP resolution too and an 8MP main snapper with LED flash. The smartphone is being produced by Alcatel and it works with Jelly Bean 4.2.2. But Idea insists that it’s trying to beam a suitable KitKat update to the device in the near future.

The Idea handset sports a 5-inch 480 x 854p touchscreen, a quad core 1.3GHz chip and 1GB of RAM. A 2000mAh battery keeps it going between charges and the 4GB of internal memory can be boosted to 32GB via the microSD card slot. The two phones are aimed at Idea Cellular’s 3G key markets such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

The Idea Ultra+ can be found on this page and we’ll hit you with the link to the Idea Fab as soon as it’s up.

Samsung Galaxy Core II Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone will sport Rs 11599 price tag

India has always been hot for affordable handsets which is why the Samsung Galaxy Core II cannot afford to miss being released here. News from a retailer called Mahesh Telecom is that the device will be out in the country as early as later this week with its price set at Rs 11599.

Acting as predecessor to the very successful Galaxy Core from last year, this new device comes equipped with the Android 4.4 KitKat OS amongst other additions over the previous handset. It carries a 4.5-inch touchscreen on its front surface and a VGAcamera above that for selfies and video chatting.

On its rear however, there’s a 5MP main camera which is accompanied by a flash unit. This handset is fueled by a 1.2GHz quad core processor and 768MB of RAM. 4GB worth of storage forms part of its offerings as well, but the microSD card slot that the Galaxy Core II tags along enables expansions of up to 64GB.

Here’s a neat look at the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Core 2:

– Display: 4.5-inch, 480 x 800 pixels
– OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
– Processor: 1.2GHz quad core
– Memory: 768MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable up to 64GB)
– Camera: 5MP rear, VGA front
– Battery: 2000mAh
– Dimensions: 130.3mm x 68mm x 9.8mm
– Weight: 138gms

This dual SIM handset is sized at 130.3mm x 68mm x 9.8mm and it tips the scales at 138gms. It runs on a 2000mAh Li-Ion battery and features all the necessary connectivity traits you’d expect of such a device.

Manish Khatri of Mahesh Telecom has said that the official MRP of the Samsung Galaxy Core II in India will be Rs 13950, but you can expect retailers to sell it at the aforementioned amount.

Samsung Galaxy S5 4G variant outed priced at Rs 53500 in India

The Samsung Galaxy S5 4G has been launched in India for Rs 53500 almost three months after its plain old 3G version touched down amidst so much hype, you’d have thought it was an iPhone that was being released. But you won’t get the 4G variant everywhere of course, because of what use would it be to you if 4G connectivity is not available in your city?

For all practical purposes, Samsung will only sell theGalaxy S5 4G in areas which are covered by the high speed network. Count Bharti Airtel, Aircel and Reliance Jio amongst the telecom companies which provide 4G in some of their circles. Getting back to the smartphone in question, you’re probably wondering if you’ve missed out on something just because you bought its 3G cousin.

Rest assured that the only difference between the Samsung Galaxy S5 4G and 3G models has to do with one internal component. The latter gets its steam from a octa core Exynos 5 processor consisting of two quad core units. The former replaces this with a quad core Snapdragon 801 chip clocking a speed of 2.5GHz, and accompanied by Adreno 330 graphics muscle. On top of that, you surely remember the report which claimed that the octa core handset is a little slower than its quad core sibling.

Samsung Galaxy S5 4G full specifications list:

- 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon processor
- 5.1-inch S-AMOLED full HD touchscreen
- Android KitKat v4.4.2 OS
- 2GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB onboard memory
- Expandable storage of 128GB
- 16MP main camera, 2MP webcam
- 2800mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy S5 4G handset, just like its 3G counterpart, will be sold with an upgrade deal offering a discount of up to Rs 10000 on its price tag. Additionally, the company has joined hands with Airtel to sign up customers for 4G plans, with the promo mentioning 5GB data per month for two months.

Samsung Galaxy Star 2 Plus and Galaxy Ace NXT to retail for Rs 7335 in India at launch

The Android KitKat smartphone market in India is about to be invaded by the Samsung Galaxy Star 2 Plus and Galaxy Ace NXT, both falling in the entry-level category. The new Samsung handsets are currently listed on the official eStore at Rs 7335 and while the share the same price tag, their specs vary.

The Samsung Galaxy Star 2 Plus is essentially an upgraded version of the original phone that went official at the start of this month. While it continues to offer Android 4.4 KitKat with a toned-down version of TouchWiz out of the box, the display size and resolution (previously 3.5-inch HVGA) have been increased to 4.3 inches and WVGA, respectively.

The processor here is the same single core Cortex A7, but the clock speed is 1.2GHz. Additionally, the battery capacity is now 1800mAh, while the rear camera is of 3MP and is accompanied by an LED flash. Memory provisions remain the same at 512MB RAM, 4GB storage and 32GB microSD expandability.

The Galaxy Ace NXT has also been spotted on the company’s website, but some local retailers have already put it up for grabs in the country. The phone is quite similar to the Star 2 Plus where design and specs are concerned, but it does have a few different components.

Overview of the key Samsung Galaxy Ace NXT specifications:

- Android 4.4 KitKat w/ TouchWiz Essence UI
- 4-inch WVGA display
- 512MB RAM, 4GB storage
- 1.2GHz singe core processor
- 3MP rear camera
- Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, HSPA+, GPS
- 1500mAh battery

Be sure to check out the eStore listing for more information on the Samsung Galaxy Star 2 Plusand Galaxy Ace NXT. There’s no word on when the two smartphones will be released.

Samsung Galaxy Star 2, Galaxy Star Advance, Galaxy Ace NXT launched in India

The Samsung Galaxy Star 2, Galaxy Star Advance and Galaxy Ace NXT smartphones have been launched in India with their main highlights being the Android KitKat OS and support for up to 12 regional languages. These affordable handsets come equipped with low-end specs and are set to hit various areas in the country soon.

Let’s first talk about the Samsung Galaxy Star 2 which is the cheapest among the three. This Rs 5100 smartphone kicks in a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 pixel display, a single core 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM. There’s a very basic 2MP camera on its back for photography purposes, whereas support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 is also available.

The Samsung Galaxy Star Advance grabs a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 pixel TFT touchscreen and offers a 3MP camera with flash. There’s 512MB of RAM present in this device along with a 1.2GHz processor. Apart from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, this handset provides users with support for 3G as well. It has been priced at Rs 7400 by the South Korean tech giant.

Last in the list is Galaxy Ace NXT which runs on a 1.2GHz processor, possesses a 512MB RAM module and costs Rs 7400. This Samsung device houses a 4-inch 480 x 800 pixel TFT panel and a 3MP rear camera with LED flash. It comes equipped with the usual connectivity options apart from 3G capability.

The Samsung Galaxy Star 2, Galaxy Star Advance and Galaxy Ace NXT are dual SIM smartphones and have been infused with compatibility for languages such as Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Vodafone will be offering 200MB of free data per month for the first six months to all those who buy any of these aforesaid devices.

Price slash for Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 3 Neo in India

We’ve been anticipating new price cuts for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 3 Neo in India for some time now and they’re finally here. Retail tags of both devices have been officially trimmed by the company on its online store, while Flipkart has also reduced its rates to offer more competitive prices.

Let’s start off with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which was originally launched at Rs 49900 a year back and the price was later brought down to around Rs 43000. On the eStore, the newly listed price is Rs 40698 which is a decent drop, while Flipkart has taken things even lower by offering the phablet at Rs 38112.

The Note 3 Neo tablet was launched earlier this year for Rs 40990 which was greatly reduced to Rs 33990 a few months back. The new amount for the phablet is Rs 29570 throughSamsung’s online store. And if you head over to the aforementioned ecommerce website, you’ll be able to pick up the device for around Rs 27249.The two Samsung Galaxy phablets aren’t the only ones from the Korean giant to get price cuts. The company’s flagship Galaxy S5 which was launched at over Rs 51000 a few months back is now selling for as low as Rs 34752. The handset has seen a huge drop in its price through online retailers, while Samsung continues to offer it at full retail.

he price cuts for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Note 3 Neo are already in effect on the company’s eStore and Flipkart. You can purchase both phablets through the store links embedded above.