Launch: Sony A7s, A77 II and RX100 III

 

Sony has launched a new range of cameras, right from a new full frame A7S to enntry-level cybershot cameras.
The top of the line camera is the A7S which brings in 4K video quality into the hands of professional photographers and videographers.  Coming in the family of the A7 and A7R, the camera features a new 12.2 effective megapixel 35mm full frame Exmor CMOS sensor paired with a BIONZ X image processor, allowing it to shoot at a sensitivity range of ISO 50 – 409,600. It is also the first model to utilise the entire width of a full-frame image sensor for 4K video.
Priced at Rs 1,54,990, the model will start selling in mid July.
Following on the legacy of the A77, the A77 II bring in enhancements like advanced phase detection autofocus in a tough, weather-resistant body. The A77 II features no less than 79 autofocus detection points, including 15 cross points within most frequently-used central area of the sensor. It will also come with an on-board Wi-Fi that allows one-touch connection with smartphones and tablets.  The A 77 II will be available with various lenses with prices starting Rs 84,990.
Sony has also launched a an update of its popular Cyber-shotTM RX100 camera. The Cyber-shotTM RX100 III comes with an upgraded lens and faster image processor and a retractable OLED Tru-FinderTM with ZEISS T. The camera will have enhanced movie features and a 180-degree tilting LCD. The camera will have a 20.1 effective megapixel back-illuminated 1.0-type Exmor RTM CMOS sensor. The camera is priced Rs 54,900.

Samsung Reveals Galaxy S5 Mini

 

The rumors were true. Samsung today revealed a mini version of its Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone.
The Galaxy S5 mini sports a 4.5-inch, 720-by-1,280 Super AMOLED display, down from the 5.1-inch, 1,920-by-1,080 display on the larger S5. It runs a 1.4GHz quad-core processor (the S5 has a 2.5GHz chip) and Android 4.4 KitKat. It has 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, expandable to 64GB via microSD.
There's an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash on the mini, as well as a 2.1-megapixel front-facing shooter, and the usual Samsung photo software.
The device is dust- and water-resistant, and includes features like ultra power saving mode, S Health, and a private/kids mode. Like the S5, meanwhile, the mini also includes the fingerprint and heart rate sensors.
U.S. buyers will have to wait to get their hands on the mini. It will launch in Russia in July before rolling out globally. The device will come in four color options: Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue, or Copper Gold.
A mini version of the Galaxy S5 isn't entirely unexpected. Samsung released a Galaxy S4 Mini last year, which had a 4.3-inch display.
More recently, Samsung released a rugged version of the Galaxy S5. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is available on AT&T, while it will be known as the S5 Sport on Sprint.
Yesterday, Samsung also announced four new budget Galaxy devices: the Galaxy Core II, Galaxy Star 2, Galaxy Ace 4, and Galaxy Young 2.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo

Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo said to be launching this week for around Rs 19,000

The Galaxy Grand Neo, the latest in Samsung’s Grand series, is likely to reach Indian shores at a price of Rs 19,000, according to a tweet by Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom. With an almost similar specs sheet to the Galaxy Grand 2, is it effectively a toned-down version that’s not really required at that price point? At this point, that certainly seems to be the case.

The tweet also reveals a ‘Best Buy’ price of 18,190, and the device is expected to be available this week. Like its predecessor, the Neo is expected to come fitted with a 5-inch TFT display, and a disappointing 480 x 800 pixels of resolution.  Under the hood, the device will be powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core A7 processor with 1GB of RAM, similar to the one found in the Grand 2.
The Neo will also reportedly come equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. It has 8GB of internal memory, which is further expandable via a microSD card slot. Other connectivity options include HSPA+ (21Mbps down, 5.76Mbps up), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct,  Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB, GPS and GLONASS. There is no word on a 4G variant of the device yet.

The device is likely to come with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. All of this will be fuelled by a 2100mAh battery.

So what’s so special about the Grand Neo? As far as we can tell from the leaked images and specs, nothing really. It has nothing that really differentiates it from the Grand 2, so we’re not sure why Samsung built the Neo Grand instead of perhaps just lowering the price of the Grand 2. The Grand 2 is currently selling around 22,500 which isn’t really that much higher than the expected cost of the Neo.

 

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.

T-Mobile Launches Impressive iPhone 5 Trade-In Offer For Mother's Day

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? T-Mobile might be able to help out. From May 10, the so-called “un-carrier” is expanding on its already impressive iPhone trade-in program, and is effectively offering iPhone 5 handsets for $0 down when an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S is traded in. Furthermore, in some cases, customers will be able to reduce their monthly payments for the sixth-generation smartphone from $20 to $15.
As first reported by TmoNews:

The offer allows both new and existing qualified customers to trade-in an iPhone 4 or 4S and receive a trade-in amount that helps wipe out the down payment on the iPhone 5. The result being a “$0 down” net payment for customers and a decreased monthly payment of $15, down from $20 saving the customer $5 per month.

There are, however, a few reasonable requirements concerning the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S customers are trading in. Namely, the handset must power on, it must not have a damaged screen, and it must not be liquid damaged or feature any other physical damage.
The good news, though, is that the above offer will be available in-store until June 16, so unless you’re looking for a last minute Mother’s Day gift, there’s no rush.
T-Mobile launched the iPhone 5 back in April, and less than one month later the network announced that it had sold an impressive 500,000 units. Besides the aforementioned trade-in program, the No. 4 iPhone carrier has also promoted the handset through airing a series of TV ads that aim to criticize its competition.
Are you going to take advantage of T-Mobile’s new iPhone trade-in offer?
For further industry news, see: Pentagon To Grant Security Approval For Apple’s iOS Devices Next Week, This Interesting iOS 7 Concept Brings A Stark Visual Change, and A Fourth Apple Retail Store Is Under Construction In Beijing, Set To Open By End Of Year.

Celkon A107 Signature One, C779 launched in India

Celkon has bounced back to India with another Android smartphone called the A107 Signature One which will be accompanied by a basic phone dubbed C779. The company hasn’t mentioned anything about the price and release date details of these devices as yet.
The smartphone in question came close on the heels of the quad core 119Q HD that was introduced in the country earlier this week. It is a hybrid between a phone and a tablet as it flaunts a capacitive multi-touch screen spanning 5 inches diagonally. The driving force behind this device is a dual core chipset processing at a maximum speed of 1GHz and allows prospective customers to launch more than a single application at the same time.

It goes without saying that the handset makes the most of the Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich v4.0 to be precise. The manufacturer hasn’t said anything about upgrading it to Jelly Bean though. Apart from 512MB of RAM, the gadget has been loaded with 512MB of onboard storage out of which 105MB is accessible to users. It is likely to tag along an expansion slot for a microSD card to ensure additional storage for hoarding digital content.
As for the cameras, interested customers will appreciate the fact that the OEM has blessed the device with two of them. An 8MP snapper with usual attributes such as auto focus, digital zoom and a recorder, rests on the back for capturing images and shooting videos, while a VGA one is fitted on the front side for facilitating video conferencing over the web.
Next up is the aforementioned feature phone, the key highlight of which is that it can be charged using an AAA battery. But such a possibility seems highly unlikely as the mobile gadget has been integrated with a relatively powerful 1800mAh battery. In addition to a 2.4-inch screen, the front panel accommodates an alphanumeric keyboard that highly simplifies typing on the run.
And if that’s not enough, the device has been embedded with dual SIM card slots to extend support to two GSM SIM cards at the same time. Its 1.3MP rear-facing shooter comes in handy for clicking pictures and recording videos. The handset operates with the assistance of the proprietary OS.
The Celkon A107 Signature One and C779 should be made available in the country this month itself.
Specifications of the Android smartphone:
- 5-inch capacitive multi-touch display
- 8MP camera, VGA front-mounted webcam
- 1GHz dual core processor
- Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 platform
- 512MB of RAM
- 512MB of onboard storage

Notion Ink Adam II tablet coming in June with dual displays

Remember Notion Ink, the Bangalore-based startup that came into the limelight with the Android tablet, Adam? Well, looks like the company is back after a long hiatus and silence.
The company has changed its homepage to a banner which reads "Busy creating. Coming back soon." And now a report states that Notion Ink is going to launch the Adam II next month, with a unique design that has two displays. Well, colour us intrigued!
Notion Ink's spokeperson told NextBigWhat that the design of the tablet will be a huge talking point, just like the Adam. "The main focus this time is on the design of the device as compared to specifications. Specifications have saturated now. Adding more cores doesn't mean anything. We will have a very unique design with two displays!"