Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10-5 and 8-4 launched India July 1

We’ve got confirmation that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S series which comprises of the 10.5 and 8.4 tablets is scheduled to go official in India tomorrow. The company has started sending out invites for the event and it has also been teasing the launch on its official Twitter account.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S series was launched this month itself and it’s already up for grabs in the US. Its quick release in India probably has something to do with the Tab Pro lineup not being officially made available. The new devices will go up against Apple’s iPad Air and Mini with Retina, featuring 6.6mm super slim designs and 2K Super AMOLED displays.

The overall design, however, is nothing new and it highly resembles the current 8-inch and 10.1-inch tablets in the market. While they might not look so premium, the Samsung tablets do pack some serious hardware with a couple of components even beefier than the ones on the Galaxy S5 flagship. What hasn’t been confirmed as yet is which versions of the tablets Samsung plans to launch in India.


Keeping to tradition, the company prefers to release the models with Qualcomm processors in LTE markets only, while the Exynos versions are sold in the remaining locations. We’ve got our money on the latter variants and chances are high that the slates may come without cellular support.

Here are the common specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S series:

- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Exynos 5 Octa/Snapdragon 801 chipset
- 2560 x 1600p WQXGA Super AMOLED display
- 3GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage options
- 128GB expandable memory via microSD slot
- 8MP rear camera, 2.1MP front snapper

asus launches ZenFone5 with 149$ price

The ZenFone series had a launch price of $99, for its 4-inch phone. The 5-incher was priced at $149 and a 6-incher at $199. We know that converting those prices into Rupees might be futile, but the message is clear — these are going to be affordable devices. A full reviewing of the phone can be done only after using it for a few days. This review is based on impressions from the first 24 hours.


What is best?

That has to be the new Zen UI. I think it is the most refreshing take on Android since the HTC Sense. It is slick, it is stylish and over all it is functional. You can do all the important things like make a call, open camera and messaging from the lock screen itself. In fact, the lock screen even shows what is next on your schedule. Asus has redesigned even  the tiles for the ZenFone. The tiles are good, but it takes a while for you to find even the most used ones like the camera app. That is just because you brain has been programmed to look for something else.

DESIGN: The design has the Asus trademark with brushed metal and sharp edges. You will like the feel of this phone with the matte finish rear flap and metallic buttons.

CAMERA: Another great aspect of the phone is its new PixelMaster camera. As our video shows it is in the top draw when it comes to low-light photography. Not many flagships phones can claim this kind of picture quality. But it also means, you dont get a lot of subtle night shows. Everything is so perfectly bright. The camera also gives you a lot of options in modes and adjustments. The camera sensor has larger photoreceptors and an f/2.0 lens to get in more light. Plus, the five-lens combination removes distortions.

PERFORMANCE: A day is too little time to take a call on overall performance. But what I saw and felt was impressive. The Intel processor seems to be pretty fast and the there was no lag to be felt anywhere. This combined with the new UI give a very fluid experience. Also, the phone stayed cool throughout the day, which is a rarity with high-specced Android phones these days. I have to credit that to the low thermal footprint of the Intel Atom processor.

Verdict: Too early to give a full verdict. I still haven’t tested the camera and overall performance of the phone. But I promise a longer, more detailed review towards the time of launch in early July. Hang on till then?

Specs

Display: 5″ 1280*720 IPS+ Panel, Corning Gorilla Glass 3

CPU: Intel Atom Dual-Core Z2560 1.6GHz

RAM: 2GB

Storage: 16GB & 8GB

Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0

Camera: 2MP front, 8MP rear

Battery: 2110 mAh

OS: Android JellyBean 4.3 (will update to 4.4 KitKat)

Memory Slot: MicroSD card (up to 64 GB)

SIM: Dual Micro SIM card

-IE

Google has announced Android One

Google has announced Android One, a design reference platform that will enable manufacturers to build ultra-cheap smartphones with much more ease. The move could see Indian mobile device brands up the ante with stable entry-level smartphones powered by Android mobile operating system.

Delivering his keynote address at I/O 2014, Google's annual developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sundar Pichai, Google's head of Android and Chrome platforms, said Android One will in fact let phone-makers pool in resources to create a reference platform for smartphones, thus saving time and costs in launching new models.

The software powering these sub-Rs 6,000 smartphones will be stock Android, but manufacturers and telecom carriers can differentiate their products by adding a few of their own custom apps without diluting the Android experience like bigger players Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony etc already do.

Like Nexus and Google Play Edition products, Android One smartphones will get software updates from Google. Pichai said that these smartphones will get a list of recommended apps from 'Play Auto-installs'.

Google will begin the programme from India and announced that it has already roped in Micromax, Karbonn and Spice as initial partners. Interestingly, Microsoft is also trying to capture this segment by working closely with Indian brands like Micromax, Xolo and Karbonn to launch cheap smartphones that run on its Windows Phone 8.1.

In the keynote, Pichai gave the example of an Android One-powered Micromax smartphone, which will have a 4.5-inch screen, dual sim functionality, microSD card support and FM radio priced under $100.

Google has revealed that Android is used by a billion users and the Android One initiative is part of its aim to reach out to the next five billion smartphone users. Currently, only 10% of India's user base possesses smartphones and Google's move could lead to a proliferation of affordable Android-based smartphones reaching many more hands.

Smartphone sales in India remain high at the bottom end and the sub-Rs 10,000 segment has seen sales surge with the launch of Moto E. Various manufacturers are looking to tap into this demand with ultra-cheap smartphones even with the latest version of the Android.

Though there are a few $100 (Rs 5,000-6,000) Android smartphones in the Indian market, but they are restricted by low-end hardware and generally deliver a poor user experience. If Android One devices are able to deliver good performance without breaking the price barrier, Google will be able to turn feature phone users into smartphone buyers and increase its own user base.

However, on the price front, Mozilla is working on undercutting even Google. It has partnered with Spice and Intex to bring Firefox OS-powered smartphones to India for less than Rs 2,000, but its app store remains nascent compared to Google's Play Store marketplace.

It also remains to be seen how far Microsoft will respond to the development. On one hand, it has Nokia X, Asha and entry-level Lumia phones in its arsenal, and on the other it is trying to closely work with the same set of manufacturers to launch cheaper Windows Phone handsets.

-TOI

Google will bring low cost phones to india by september october

Google announced Wednesday it was working on a low-cost smartphone aimed at emerging markets as part of an initiative called Android One.

The Android-powered handset will be built with a basic set of features including FM radio, have a screen slightly smaller than five inches (12.7 centimeters) and be priced at less than $100, Google senior vice president Sundar Pichai said at the start of the technology giant's annual developers conference.

"We are going to be launching it around the world, but will launch in India first in the fall of this year," Pichai said.

He added that Google was working with carriers in India to provide affordable telecom service packages to go with the smartphones, which could in many cases provide internet access for the first time.

The Android One initiative sets out to work with smartphone makers and others in the "ecosystem" to pool resources and standardize hardware platforms to provide "turnkey solutions" for making handsets, according to Pichai.

"There are many people — billions of people, in fact — who still don't have access to a smartphone," he said.

"We want to change that." Low-cost phones powered by Android have proven popular in developing markets, but have been vexed by "fragmentation" because handset makers customize the software to suit different hardware or set themselves apart from rivals.

The variations result in popular third-party applications typically not working across the array of Android devices, frustrating users who want the latest fun, hip or helpful mobile mini-programme.

Android One software for low-priced smartphones in emerging countries could bring some consistency across devices, according to Gartner consumer technology research director Brian Blau.

"Google really needs to have a solution for emerging markets with low-cost devices," Blau told AFP.

"It is going to be a long, tough road to have an impact there; it is going to take years to bring the next two to three billion people onto the internet."

Google is collaborating with handset makers and others in the industry to field affordable smartphones that are high quality and come with reasonably priced data plans.

Handsets will be made by Google partners and launch with an initial range of "sub-$100" smartphones.

"We've long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information," Pichai said. "It's time to find out."

Google and Silicon Valley rival Facebook have made priorities out of connecting with people in parts of the world where internet connectivity is scan, unreliable or just non-existent.

Having more people tune into websites or services mean expanded opportunities to make money from online advertising or providing tools that connect shops with customers.

Google does not make money from hardware, with its own branded gadgets meant to set standards and show off software capabilities with an eye toward inspiring electronics manufacturers to raise their games when it comes to Android or Chrome devices.

Developing countries have become prime targets for smartphone makers, and Android software made available free to handset makers has proven to be popular with budget-conscious buyers.

The news came a day after Microsoft said it would sell an Android-powered Nokia smartphone at a price of $135, a device also apparently aimed at emerging markets customers.

In April, Google acquired Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar-powered drones that could be used to boost internet access to remote areas.

Google also is developing Project Loon, which uses large balloons for transmitting internet signals to regions that are not currently connected.

"They are to some degree becoming an ISP (Internet service provider) because they have to," Blau

-TOI