ASUS MeMO Pad 10 Smart revealed in product leak

This week the folks at ASUS have had a bit of a leak in their pipes with both product images and details surrounding their next Android tablet, the ASUS MeMO Pad 10. This machine (product number ME301T) works with a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor under the hood. Oddly enough, inside this machine you’ll find just 1GB of ram, and that display resolution is less than what we’ve seen on devices like the Transformer Infinity from last year – could this be a budget-minded machine?
What we’re seeing here is an extension of NVIDIA’s plan to push down-clocked versions of their processors to machines that are then priced so low that the competition cannot possibly compete. And it’s not the first time this has happened. We saw this strategy working in the Google Nexus 7 tablet also manufactured by ASUS, and that tablet has been selling like hotcakes since birth.

This ASUS MeMO Pad 10 will be busting out with 16GB of internal storage, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box, and both front and back-facing cameras. The front facing camera will be 1.2 megapixels while the back will be 5 megapixels strong, and you’ll have a microSD card to store all the media you collect – at the moment we’re not sure what the max card size is that you’ll be able to plug in there, but we’re expecting 32GB.
BONUS: This tablet has been tipped more than once before with basically the same specifications – looks to be a lock!
This tablet will be working with a microUSB port instead of the larger port used on previous ASUS tablets and will have a microHDMI port as well for working with your HDTV. This tablet has been tipped to be appearing for between 329 to 389 Euro, this meaning a direct conversion to USD would still be above $500 – not exactly wallet friendly. We must expect that this price will be modified for the US market or that the device wont be appearing inside our borders – we shall see!
Also of interest is the fact that this machine has appeared in press photos in blue and white while the listings found thus far have also shown red and pink casings available at launch – wild stuff! Expect this tablet to appear at Mobile World Congress 2013 more than likely!
 

Nokia made Android phone coming this month?

The phone is to be launched by Vertu, which was just recently sold by Nokia to an investment firm.

 Vertu, luxury phone maker, is planning to launch its first Android phone this month itself. Purportedly named as Vertu Ti, the phone could also be the first Nokia made Android phone as the Finnish company was the owner of Vertu just recently before selling it to an investment firm.

Reportedly, the Vertu Ti will come with an 800 x 480 resolution based display, 1.5 GHz Snapdragon MSM8260A SoC, Android 4.0.4 and a rather minuscule 1,250 mAh battery. The phone additionally has NFC, WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. While the phone gets very average spec sheet, Vertu phones have never been known for high-end specs and are rather known for being handcrafted and made in the tradition of fine Swiss watches.
According to another website, it is going to be priced at 3000 Euros, making it the cheapest Vertu handset till date.

Smart move: Nokia bets big on Lumia 920

“That’s a big phone.” “Isn’t it too bulky to carry around?” These are the first questions colleagues asked on seeing the Nokia Lumia 920, and the answer to both is in the affirmative. Yes, it is a big phone, and a bit bulky to carry around. But then, Nokia is betting big on this “big” phone to take on rivals Samsung, Apple and HTC. It weighs about 185g — far more than Samsung SIII (133g) and HTC One XL (129g) — but once you go behind the bulk and the weight, there’s a lot to like in the Lumia 920.
For starters, the 4.5-inch screen with 1,280x768 resolution is a delight. It’s a bit less than SIII, but bigger than the iPhone 5. Colours look more vibrant, and even in sunlight you don’t have to squint and read texts or punch in numbers. Watching videos on the Lumia 920 is far better than on the iPhone or the HTC. It certainly scores over its competition in terms of screen size and display.
The Lumia 920 is a Windows 8 phone and comes with popular apps like Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music. The Nokia Drive map is exceptionally good and way ahead of its competition: Google Maps. If you’re not used to Android or iOS operating systems, you might take a liking to the interface of Windows 8 in the first glance only. But those accustomed to Android or iOS would find it a bit difficult to get used to it. In terms of multitasking, Windows 8 certainly is a bit slow, apps often take time to load and restart and, at times, it does get a bit frustrating.
The best part about the Lumia 920 is its camera, which comes with image stabilisation. In its class of smartphones, the 920 perhaps has the best camera. Be it low-light photography or indoor shots at night, it captures pictures to near perfection. The colours come out beautifully, thanks to the superior display, and it has concept camera lenses like Bing Vision, Panorama, Cinemagraph and Smart Shoot. It has an eight-megapixel Pure View camera at the back and, 1.3-megapixel camera at the front.
Some might say the app argument is an old, harsh and unfair stick to keep beating Windows phone with, but then a lot of people look for apps on smartphones, and it plays an important role in decision-making. The Lumia 920 disappoints on that front when compared to Android and iOS, as it doesn’t have a wide range of apps on the app store. If you aren’t one of those who wouldn’t care much about the apps as long as the phone delivers good performance, Lumia 920 fits the bill.
The battery life, a big bugbear among smartphone users, of the Lumia 920 is pretty good. It can last up to a day once charged fully, even when you use multiple apps. Just like the iPhone, there’s no room for additional memory, and the 920 comes with 32-GB storage capacity. The Internet Explorer browser is pretty fast.
At Rs 38,199, the Lumia 920 is priced to compete against SIII, iPhone 4S and 5, as well as the HTC. Does it actually match up? It certainly is an impressive phone, but doesn’t do enough to make you shell out the asking price. The camera and screen certainly give it an edge over other phones, but Android users will find it tough to switch to the Windows operating system. It is arguably one of the best Windows phones and will find a lot of loyalists picking it. However, Nokia, with Lumia 920, would find it tough to convince Android or Apple users to switch to Windows. At a lesser price point, perhaps it could have done the trick.

Low-cost iPhone heading to emerging markets this year -- report

Apple plans to launch a new iPhone version designed exclusively for China and emerging markets that could be available in the second half of 2013, according to Digitimes' sources.

Apple is working on a low-cost iPhone for emerging markets around the world, a new report claims.
The company is working on an iPhone for China and emerging markets that would launch in the second half of 2013, Digitimes is reporting, citing unnamed sources in Apple's supply chain. Those sources say that the iPhone will have a large display, but will come with a revamped design and be much cheaper than the company's current handset.
That said, one part of the Digitimes rumor doesn't quite add up: the low-cost iPhone will have a larger screen than the iPhone 5's current 4-inch model, according to the sources. Considering that a larger display would make more sense in a higher-end product, it's possible that the sources are plain wrong -- a scenario that often times plays out with Digitimes' unnamed sources.
Still, this isn't the first time we've heard of the possibility of Apple launching a new, cheaper iPhone. Last week, Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston said he believes Apple could launch an "iPhone Mini at some point over the next three years to address the hundreds of millions of prepaid users worldwide that cannot afford the iPhone."
However, Mawston argues that the success of the iPhone 5 means Apple has no reason to launch a cheaper handset this year. Digitimes' sources say that the device they have seen will ship in the second half of 2013.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek agrees with Digitimes' sources. He said recently that he believes a low-cost iPhone could launch this summer for $200 to $250 but that Apple hasn't given it the go-ahead so far because the company is concerned about the margin it would derive from the sale of a low-end handset.
It's not clear what a lower-cost iPhone might offer consumers. However, Digitimes' sources say that Qualcomm's dual- and quad-core Snapdragon chipsets could find their way into the device.
CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the Digitimes report. We will update this story when we hear back.

iPhone users pay highest phone bills

New data shows that 59 percent of iPhone users spend more than $100 per month on their carrier bill, while 56 percent of Windows phone users and 53 percent of Android users pay that much.

Phone users pay higher phone bills than other smartphone consumers. (Credit: CBS Interactive) Rumors of a cheaper iPhone on the horizon may come as welcome news for fans of the device -- especially because iPhone users reportedly pay the highest monthly phone bills, no matter the carrier, according to AllThingsD.
Android, Windows, and BlackBerry users spend less per month to use their smartphones, according to data by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners that was acquired by AllThingsD. It seems that the higher costs come from carriers charging more for iPhone data plans and additional wireless fees.
"We think it has to do with their data plans and carriers, rather than their usage habits," CIRP co-founder Michael Levin told AllThingsD. "They are all on expensive data plans, unlike Android users, some of which are on prepaid or unsubsidized plans with regional carriers."
The data collected is from October to December 2012 and shows that 59 percent of the iPhone users surveyed spent more than $100 per month on their plan with 10 percent of those users spending $200 or more. Only 6 percent spent $50 or less. Conversely, 13 percent of Android users spent $50 or less and 53 percent spent more than $100. Both Windows and BlackBerry users spent even less overall.

Although the monthly cost difference between the four types of devices is slight, the highest costs are still skewed toward iPhone users. This may be because iPhones are more expensive devices and carriers have to shoulder that burden.
"Given the subsidies on iPhones, the carriers are working hard to make their money back during the course of the contract," CIRP's Josh Levitz told AllThingsD. "With the exception of perhaps the hottest Android phones, we think the subsidies on Android phones are lower, so the carriers make more money even with slightly lower per-subscriber revenue."
If Apple does indeed release a cheaper iPhone, it'll be interesting to see if carriers will also lower monthly charges for the device.

Videocon launches 7-inch Android tablet Videocon VT 71 at Rs 4,799

Videocon Mobiles Phones has launched a new tablet - Videocon VT71 - which runs Android 4.0 ICS. It has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. The tablet is powered by a 1.2 Ghz Processor and a 3200 mAh battery.

The VT71 features 4GB ROM, 512MB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, front VGA camera and an expandable memory up to 32 GB. It also includes a 3.5mm audio jack, an HDMI Out port with free HDMI and OTG Cable, micro USB Support and 3G support via Dongle.

Available in Grey Silver, the tablet is is priced at Rs 4,799. The tablet category is likely to reach an expected number of 182 million end-user devices by the year 2013 as forecasted by Gartner.

Micromax silently announces A89 Ninja, expected at Rs. 7,000

The Micromax A89 appeared on the official website. It boasts of a 4-inch display, Android 4.0 ICS and a 1GHz dual-core processor.

Micromax wasn’t kidding when it said that would launch more than 30 phones in its portfolio in 2013. The latest addition to their smartphone family comes under the Ninja umbrella. Christened the A89 Ninja, the device has made an appearance on the company’s official website with details about the specifications but no information about the price.

In terms of the specifications, the A89 Ninja has a 4-inch TFT display with a 480x800 pixel resolution. A 1GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6577 SoC processor and 512MB of RAM power the device. It houses a 1450mAh battery which Micromax claims can last for 170 hours of standby and four hours of talk time. It runs on Android 4.0 ICS. The rear of the A89 houses a 3MP camera and there is no front facing camera.

In terms of connectivity options, the A89 Ninja has Bluetooth 2.1, 3G, Wi-Fi and USB. It has 4GB of ROM, and built-in storage of 2.07GB expandable via a microSD card. It also supports dual-SIM functionality.

No pricing is available about the phone, nor has it made an appearance on online shopping portals as of writing this article, but Information on the Internet suggests that the A89 will be available for Rs. 7,000 approximately.

The market is flooded with a plethora of budget phones available in Rs. 7,000 price range. For that budget you can get the LG Optimus L3, Micromax Superfone Elite A84, the Xolo A500 or even the Samsung Galaxy Pocket. The advantage of the A89 however is that it has the MediaTek MT6577 SoC which is designed for low cost phones. The SoC features a dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 application processor from ARM, a PowerVR Series5 SGX GPU. How well the SoC is optimized with the device is something we can say when we review the device.

Micromax has gone all out to capture the budget market in India. They had the successful Canvas A110 launch just a few months ago. You can read our review of the device here.

Micromax and MediaTek have also joined forces to launch the first quad-core powered smartphone running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Called the A116 Canvas HD, the device boasts of a 5-inch display and some impressive power under the hood. You can read the launch details of the A116