Xiaomi partners with Flipkart to launch its smartphones in India

Chinese handset maker Xiaomi is gearing up for the Indian debut in next few weeks. Xiaomi, like Motorola is also teaming up with the e-Commerce major Flipkart to launch its handsets in India. Xiaomi had launched its official website in India earlier this month, announcing its entry into the Indian smartphone market in the next few weeks.

Xiaomi is expected to bring two smartphones in partnership with Flipkart in the next 2-3 months. They added the agreement between the parties is in the final stages and the launch on the online market place will happen next month, reported PTI.

Many handset makers like Motorola and Alcatel are partnering with e-commerce firms to launch their devices exclusively. While Motorola has launched its Moto G, Moto X and Moto E with Flipkart, Celkon had launched its Android Kitkat-powered Campus A35K exclusively with Snapdeal.
Founded in 2010 by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun, the Beijing-headquartered firm has become one of China's biggest electronics companies that designs, develops and sells smartphones, mobile apps and other such consumer items. Other Chinese firms selling its handsets in India include Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, Gionee and Oppo, the latest entrant.

According to the company's website, it has already sold over 17 million handsets in China. Its portfolio includes devices like Mi 3, Mi Wi-Fi and Mi Box, among others. It launched its products in Singapore in February this year. Earlier this month, the company had also roped in Jabong co-founder Manu Kumar Jain to head its operations in India.

According to research firm IDC, smartphone sales in the country grew almost three-fold to over 44 million in 2013, buoyed by affordable devices made by local firms such as Micromax and Karbonn.

Affordable smartphones, especially those priced in the sub-USD 200 category (Rs 12,000), are doing well. Over the last few weeks, companies have launched handsets like Lumia 630 and Moto G to tap the booming market.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom launched at Rs 29,999

   NEW DELHI: After teasing it on the homepage, e-commerce retailer Amazon India has announced the launch of Samsung Galaxy K Zoom at Rs 29,999.

Pre-orders for the phone start July 2nd midnight exclusively on the website and shipments start July 9 onwards. The phone will be available in 3 colors - Charcoal Black, Shimmery White and Electric Blue.

Amazon is also offering freebie worth Rs 6,000 to first 1,000 customers. It will offer a free Samsung Pop out case, Sandisk 32GB microSD card, 6 free movie tickets, Rs 1000 value off coupon on purchase of select handbags and Rs 1000 value off coupon on purchase of select watches on Amazon.in, to qualifying customers.

Successor to Samsung's Galaxy Camera 2, the Galaxy K Zoom combines the features of a smartphone and a point and shoot camera. The phone was initially announced in April.

The phone sports a 20.7MP CMOS camera sensor at the back with 10X Zoom and a Xenon flash, and a 2MP front-facing camera. In terms of focal length, the lens in K Zoom covers 24-240mm. The lens has an aperture of F3.1-6.3.

Featuring a 4.8-inch SuperAMOLED display(720x1280p), Galaxy K Zoom is powered by a hexa-core (1.3GHz quad-core and 1.7GHz dual-core) processor and 2GB RAM. It has 8GB internal storage but features a microSD that supports cards of up to 64GB capacity. The phone has a 2,430mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat.

In terms of connectivity options, the phone offers Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS.

Mobile Review: BlackBerry's new Q5 is smart and capable

BlackBerry launched its mid-range Q5 handset on Tuesday afternoon in New Delhi, at a price of Rs.24,990

Why is this handset a big deal? Because BlackBerry's revival rested on its all-new BB 10 software - but the only two BB 10 handsets that have been launched so far have been priced too high to make a difference to markets such as India. The Z10 came in at Rs.43k, and the keyboard-equipped Q10, at a staggering Rs.45k price that was universally criticized.
So while much of the world didn't get very excited about the Q5, India's mobile market has been very curious about it.
The Q5 is a much cheaper Q10. At just over half the price, it gives you almost a Q10-like experience: the same software, in a cheaper package. Where the Q10 felt premium and heavy, with aluminium touches, the all-plastic Q5 is lighter, but feels sturdy - and is in fact easier to hold than the Q10.
In deference to its much lower price, BlackBerry worked hard at distinguishing the Q5, starting with the keypad. It borrows the old Curve model's smaller but more-spaced-out keypad, making the Q5 look older than the Q10. Unlike other reviewers, though, I find I'm typing faster on the Q5's keypad.
The Q5's touch-screen has the same 3.1" square size and 720x720 pixel resolution as the Q10's, but uses LCD (instead of the Q10's more modern AMOLED), making it whiter if mildly less capable in bright sunlight. Yet I found the Q5 touchscreen easier to use, for there's more space under the screen, making it easier to swipe up - an action you use often, to get out of an app.
So the two are well matched. The Q5 is slightly slower, but doesn't feel sluggish. Both use dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and 2 GB of memory, but the Q5 runs at 1.2 GHz against the Q10's 1.5 GHz. However, I didn't really load it with apps (there aren't that many BlackBerry 10 apps yet, anyway). Web browser performance on both handsets is terrible.
My one real disappointment with the Q5 is the 5 Mp (megapixel) camera, down from the Q10's 8 Mp. The resolution doesn't really matter, but the Q5 clearly has a cheaper sensor. Outdoor daylight shots are okay, but indoor or low-light shots are mediocre, noisy. There's poor comparison with, say, the HTC One's brilliant 4 Mp sensor, or even the old Phone 4's 5 Mp sensor.
My other disappointment is common to both Q5 and Q10 - the overwhelming touch metaphor. You can't even make or end a call, or speed-dial, without using the touch screen - which makes it a pain to call or answer when driving. The old "call end" button was a great way to exit apps, but now it's all touch. There's no "BlackBerry" key either, to give you quick, context-sensitive menu options on everything - for instance to quickly forward an SMS as an email.
Overall, though, the BlackBerry Q5 is very capable, and, compared to the Q10, very good value. It matches the Q10 on many counts, and if you can live with sacrificing the Q10's cooler look and feel, is the handset to buy. If you want to buy a BlackBerry!
And therein lies the rub. There aren't all that many BlackBerry loyalists. The Q5 isn't sexy enough to make users switch from Android or iPhone. It isn't cheap enough to get low-end-BB users to upgrade from their older Curve.
So we're back to the price. A Rs.25k price still doesn't give BlackBerry a market-saver in India. It desperately needs phones in the Rs.10-15k price range. Yes, there are those old BB 7 handsets, but they are, well, old.
Still, the Q5 is good value, and all the more so because BB 10 no longer requires you to pay for BlackBerry service. You just need a 3G plan. This isn't great for the company - BlackBerry loses some of its service revenue - but it's nice for the user. For now, this is the handset I'm going to be using.