Samsung confirms Galaxy Note 3 and other high-end smartphones are region-locked

We’ve all heard of region-locked DVD players and DVDs, but it turns out Samsung wants to introduce the same resolutions on its smartphones.

It all started with UK-based mobile retailer Clove detailing certain functionality limitations regarding SIM cards on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the newest iteration of Samsung’s popular phablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 box featured a sticker that said that the phones are only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within Europe.

Following a disclosure, a number of customers shared a images of the American box as well, that had a sticker which mentioned that the phone was compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within the Americas, including North, South and Central Americas and the Caribbean.

When phones by carriers under contracts are locked to prevent violations, it’s hard to understand why carrier-unlocked phones should come with regional restrictions except for preventing grey market imports and exports. But this also implies that customers would not be able to buy phones from other regions.

After widespread outrage, Samsung issued a statement to German website All about Samsung saying that the company is SIM-locking new devices including the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, and Galaxy Note 3 devices produced after the end of July 2013. It is also clarifies that all these devices sport a sticker indicating the same and that the region look can be removed free of charge through a Samsung service partner if the device is used outside the region it’s meant fro and has not been used with a local SIM that region.

The statement doesn’t clarify if users will be able to use a local SIM-card when travelling outside their region, and it even mentions that internationally roaming services would work. However, developer Jan Ole Suhr tweeted about Samsung Germany clarify that the region lock is automatically removed once a user plugs in the local SIM-card.

iPhone 5s costs $191 to make, cheaper than iPhone 5: IHS

While the iPhone 5s includes of new features that set it apart from Apple’s previous model, the actual cost to make the phone hasn’t changes very much, according to a new study.

An IHS Inc. teardown of the new smartphone found that the components make up a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5s (Review) cost $190.70. Manufacturing costs add another $8, bringing the total production cost to $198.70.

In comparison of iPhone 5 that will be hit the market last year ago that costs up to $197 to make.

According to a Andrew Rassaweiler, the IHS director the cost of the benchmarking service has been noted the iPhone 5s includes the extra new features that gives extra functionality to this smartphone, such are 64-bit apps processor and a finger-print identification sensor without any kind of significant jump in the costs of this iPhone.

Also the research firm also dissected a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5c (Review), a cheaper version of the 5s, and put its total production cost at $173.45, including all the manufacturing costs that are $7.

In the last press interview, Rassweiler said the 5c is basically an iPhone 5 wrapped in plastic, nothing that it has basically the same features, but benefits from typical components price drops, along with its cheaper plastic enclose.

The starting price of iPhone 5c is $549, but it will sell for $99 with a two year wireless contract. It’s Apple’s least-expensive iPhone ever and is an effort to boost sales in China and other areas where people don’t have as much money to expend on new gadgets as they do in the U.S. and Europe. But critics have said that the phone is still too expensive to sell well in emerging markets.

IHS said that while I cost substantially less to produce an iPhone 5c than it did an iPhone 5, those costs are still on the high side.

It added that in order to merit the low-end smartphone pricing of $400 that many industry observers had expected while maintaining typical Apple profit margins the company would need to reduce its 5c production to about $130.

Monday Apple reported that it sold 9 million of the two new models since their launch on Friday – its strongest iPhone launch ever – and that demand was exceeding supply.

In midday trading, shares of the Cupertino, Calif., company slipped $5.98 to $483.12.

HTC One Android 4.3 update reportedly begins rolling out

While we have not heard any official word from HTC about the Android 4.3 update to the HTC One, it seems the company has started the rollout in its home-turf, according to reports.

@LlabTooFeR, who claims to be a ROM developer, has posted an image of the screenshots of the Android 4.3 update for the HTC One Twitter. The tweet mentions, “HTC One in Taiwan just started getting Android 4.3.”

The latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for the HTC’s flagship smart phone looks to be available over the air (OTA). The screen reveals the software build number to be 3.18.709.2 and is about 512MB. The tweet also mentions that the update brings bug fixes and enhancements for the HTC One which is majority include battery charging animation in power-off state, improvements in gallery and camera department with upgrade to colour contrasts in low-light situations and adding soundtracks to highlights. However, the official change log has not been revealed, yet.

It was also rumored that with Android 4.3 update, the HTC One would also receive the new Sense 5.5 UI, however there’s been no mention of this with the currently reported update.

Last month, a tweet by HTC’s president of global sales, Jason Mackenzie confirmed that the Android 4.3 update would be rolled out to the HTC One in US and Canada by the end of September. HTC’s 2013 flagship smartphone was released in February and natively ran Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 5 UI out of the box. Despite the company announcing an update for the One to Android 4.2.2 in Asia and European markets, the update has not been rolled out across the globe.

For those unaware, the HTC One comes with a 4.7-inch full-HD display with 468 pixels per inch packed in an aluminium unibody. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor alongside 2GB of RAM. HTC One comes with 32GB and 64GB storage options, but without expandable storage. Connectivity options include Wi-FI 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n. Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared and Micro-USB.

Samsung announces curved display smartphone for October release

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said it will introduce a smartphone with a curved display in October, as the world's top handset maker seeks to set the pace of hardware innovation and maintain its supremacy in a fiercely competitive business.

Curved displays are an early stage in screen evolution which is shifting to bendable or foldable designs, eventually allowing mobile and wearable gadgets to take on new forms that could radically change the high-end smartphone market.

“We plan to introduce a Smartphone with a curved display in South Korea in October, “Samsung’s mobile business head of strategic marketing D.J. Lee said on Wednesday at an event launching the Galaxy Note 3 Smartphone in Seoul.

In January Samsung which has taken over from Apple as the global Smartphone leader, showed off prototype products with a flexible screen and a display that extends from the side of a device.

But technology firms have yet to figure out how to mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be as a sheet and highly heat resistant.

Curved display is already commercially available in large-screen televisions. Samsung and its home rival LG Electronics Inc had started selling curved OLED TV sets year priced at about $9,000.

LG Vu 3 with 5.2-inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor unveiled

LG has finally taken the wraps off the third generation of the Optimus Vu smarrtphone in Korea. However, the company has not revealed the pricing and availability details of the new phablet, yet.

The LG Vu 3 comes with a 5.2-inch IPS display with a 960x1280 pixel resolution. It is powered by 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor, coupled with a 480MHz Aderno 330 GPU. The device sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, both with BSI. It comes with 2GB of RAM and includes 16GB of inbuilt storage, though there is no word for now about expandable storage.

It also includes speakers that can deliver high-quality 24-bit/192KHz audio, which were first seen on LG’s flagship smartphone, the G2. The company has also included Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology that doubles the speed of LTE-advanced. The LG Vu 3 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and packs in a 2610mAh battery (unspecified talktime and standby time). Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, AGPS and Micro-USB. The device comes with dimensions 132.1x85.6x9.34mm and weighs 161 grams. It will come in three colours variants – Indigo Black, Mint and White.

Earlier this month, a Korean report noted that the South Korean major will officially announce the LG Vu 3 at the end of September while the device will be released in October. Additionally, the company had teased few images of the QuickView cases for the LG Vu 3.

Moreover, LG also pulled the curtains off its long-rumoured tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3 earlier this month. 

iPhone 5s fingerprint scanner Touch ID 'hacked' by German group

A group of German hackers claimed to have cracked the iPhone fingerprint scanner on Sunday, just two days after Apple Inc launched the technology that it promises will better protect devices from criminals and snoopers seeking access.

If the claim is verified, it will be embarrassing for Apple which is betting on the scanner to set its smartphone apart from new models of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and others running the Android operating system of Google Inc .

Two prominent iPhone security experts told Reuters that they believed the German group, known as the Chaos Computing Club, or CCC, had succeeded in defeating Apple's Touch ID, though they had not personally replicated the work.

One of them, Charlie Miller, co-author of the iOS Hacker's Handbook, described the work as "a complete break" of Touch ID security. "It certainly opens up a new possibility for attackers." Apple representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

CCC, one the world's largest and most respected hacking groups, posted a video on its website that appeared to show somebody accessing an iPhone 5s (Review) with a fabricated print. The site described how members of its biometrics team had cracked the new fingerprint reader, one of the few major high-tech features added to the latest version of the iPhone.

The group said they targeted Touch ID to knock down reports about its "marvels," which suggested it would be difficult to crack. "Fingerprints should not be used to secure anything. You leave them everywhere, and it is far too easy to make fake fingers out of lifted prints," a hacker named Starbug was quoted as saying on the CCC's site.

The group said it defeated Touch ID by photographing the fingerprint of an iPhone's user, then printing it on to a transparent sheet, which it used to create a mold for a "fake finger." CCC said similar processes have been used to crack "the vast majority" of fingerprint sensors on the market. "I think it's legit," said Dino Dai Zovi," another co-author of the iOS Hacker's Handbook. "The CCC doesn't fool around or over-hype, especially when they are trying to make a political point."

Touch ID, which was only introduced on the top-of-the-line iPhone 5s, lets users unlock their devices or make purchases on iTunes by simply pressing their finger on the home button. It uses a sapphire crystal sensor embedded in the button. Data used for verification is encrypted and stored in a secure enclave of the phone's A7 processor chip.

Two security experts who sponsored an impromptu competition offering cash and other prizes to the first hackers who cracked the iPhone said they had reviewed the information posted on the CCC website, but wanted more documentation.

"We are simply awaiting a full video documentation and walk through of the process that they have claimed," said mobile security researcher Nick DePetrillo, who started the contest with another security expert, Robert Graham. "When they deliver that video we will review it."

The two of them each put up $100 toward a prize for the contest winner, then set up a website inviting others to contribute. While the booty now includes more than $13,000 in cash, it was not clear that the CCC would receive the full payout, even if DePetrillo and Graham declared them winners. A micro venture capital firm known as I/O Capital, which had offered to pay $10,000 of the prize money, issued a press release late on Sunday saying that it would make its own determination about who won the contest.

Android 4.4 KitKat to release in October: Nestle

It looks like Android’s latest iteration will see the light of the day in October, as Nestle has revealed the first news about the launch of Android 4.4 KitKat on facebook.

While replying to a user who asked “When Android 4.4 KitKat will be available”, Nestle German KitKat Facebook handle replied “Android 4.4 KitKat is available from October “(Google translation).

While this might not be an official confirmation about Android 4.4 KitKat’s release, at least the German Nestle Facebook handle was kind enough to confirm that it is coming next month.

Earlier this month, the search engine giant which has been known for nicknaming its Android operating systems for smartphones and tablets after desserts, had for the first time announced a candy brand name for the version 4.4. However, Google made no mention of when the android 4.4 update would rollout.

The search giant has been in news ever since it announced the next iteration of its mobile operating system, with the Nexus 4 successor, which is expected to be the platform lead device for Android 4.4 jelly, making multiple appearances on the Internet via FCC filing and image leaks.

In the official promotional video of the Kitkat announcement released by Google, a person seen holding up a phone which came with Nexus logo at the back, very identical to the Nexus 7 (2013). The back of the mysterious phone had a matte finish and include a large camera lens which has not been seen on any Nexus device, yet.

Recently, the alleged Nexus 4 successor was again spotted in new images and a video. The purported pre-production unit of the next Nexus smartphone revealed the front and rear panels. It is rumored that the Nexus smart phone would run Android 4.4 KitKat OS and both are expected to be launched at the same event.

Google developing new interface for mobile searches

Ben Gomes, the India-trend techie who overseas Google’s handling of 100 searches a month, believes a new voice-based interface is needed for the next frontier of search centered round mobile phones and tablet computers.

“Now search is becoming mobile-on phones and tablets. The challenge is that it is on a small screen, so it’s hard to type. The opportunity is that it’s got a really good microphone and touch screen,” he said.

“It can enable a new kind of interface. So we realized we want to build and interface that can much like the way you talk to some person and ask a question,” Gomes said.

And while the Google search app can already respond to questions using voice-based software, Gomes told the BBC that the process is “going to be got more better and intelligent”.

The Tanzania-born, India-bred, US-educated vice-president of search is responsible for helping to answer queries in the shortest time possible on desktops, tablets and phones.

Search is Google’s cash cow, bringing in a majority o f its USD 50 billion revenues last year. It is also, said Gomes, “about having a continuous conversation with the user to find out what he wants”.

Described by a BBC as a “boy-like 45-years-old guru of search in Googleplex”, the company headquarters in Mountain View, California, Gomes works out of an untidy cubicle with four other top engineers.

Gomes and his team work on “their fine-tooth comb search of the worldwide web to serve up the popular search engine”. He said: “When I joined Google in 1999, search was about basically finding the words you search for in a document. Then we took this view that we were going to understand what you want and give you what you need.

Trawling through over 20 million web pages a day, Gomes and his “army of search” – a substantial number of Google’s 44,000 employees – use algorithms to make search intuitive, multimedia and super smart. Gomes is especially proud of knowledge Graph, a new function launched last year to make the site’s algorithm “act more human” in a attempt to offer instant answers to search questions.

“It’s a database of all things in the world. It pulls together different databases and unifies them into a single coherent one that has about 500 to 600 million people, places and things in them and about 18 billion attributes and connections between those things,” he said.

Google handles 100-billio plus searches every month, or over three billion a day. A good 15 percent of the searches questions every day are now. When Gomes joined Google in 1999 after a stint in Sun Microsystems working on a Java programming language, some searches could take up to 20 seconds. Today a search for Ben Gomes on Google shows about 19,000,000 results in 28 seconds.

Gomes, the son of car distributor father and a school teacher mother, moved to the US 25 years ago. He went to Berkeley, where he received a PhD in computer science.

Huawei Ascend W3 Windows Phone spotted in leaked images

Huawei has managed to make its presence known this year with a few of its Android-based smart phone. However, it seems that the China-based company is getting ready to unveil a new Windows Phone device.

Huawei’s expected third-generation of Window Phone 8 devices; the Ascend W3 has been spotted leaked images. The images of the alleged Huawei Ascend W3 were leaked from china and were first reported by GSMinsider which notes that the alleged Windows Phone device will come in two color models – Blue and Yellow. The leaked images show the Ascend W3’s front panel with Live Tiles and Huawei logo branding on top beneath the earpiece alongside the front-facing camera.

The rear panel of the device sports a camera and comes again with a Huawei logo branding in the centre. Presently, there is no word about the innards of the device. However, the site notes that alleged Ascend W3 will support multiple LTE networks in China.

This is not the first Windows Phone that Huawei has manufactured till now. The company had launched Ascend W2 earlier this year at the Mobile Asia Expo 2013. Ascend W2 was the successor to Huawei Ascend W1, which was launched in January.

The Huawei Ascend W2 is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon S4 Plus processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.4GHz along with Adreno 305 GPU. It comes with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded by up to 32GB through a microSD card. Huawei Ascend W2 features a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels.

On the other hand, the Huawei Ascend W1 comes with a 4-inch LCD display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels with OGS Technology. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 processor and 512 MB RAM. It sports a 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB through microSD card. It is backed by a 1950mAh battery.

Lava Iris 505 and 506Q Android 4.2-based dual-core phablets

Lava, the domestic handset maker, has launched two new mid-range dual-SIM smart phones, the Iris 505 and Iris 506Q through online retailer Snapdeal.

The Lava Iris 505 features a 5-inch display with 480x854 pixels resolution and is powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The device sports 5-megapixel resolution camera along with an LED flash while there is a VGA front-facing camera. The rear camera comes with features like Panorama, 99 continuous shots, face detection and smile detection.

The Iris 505 comes with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of inbuilt storage with expandable up to 32GB thorugh microSD card. It is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device with dual standby. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, EDGE, GPRS and 3G. It includes 200mAh battery which the company claims can deliver up to 6 hours of talk time on 2G network while 4.5 hours on 3G network. There is no word on the total standby time of the device.

On the other hand, the Lava Iris 506Q comes with a 5-inch qHD (540x960) display. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Much like the Iris 505, this one too comes with 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera. It comes with 512MB of RAM, and 4Gb of inbuilt storage which can be expandable upto 32GB through microSD card. It includes a 200mAh battery which according to the company can give talk time up to 330 minutes (2G) and 240 minutes (3G). Connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and 3G.

The Lava Iris 505 comes at a price of Rs. 8,999 and Iris 506Q is available for Rs. 11,700. Both the device is dual-SIM with 3G support.

Micromax Canvas Fun A63 with Android 4.2

Micromax’s new budget Android smart phone, the Canvas Fun A63 is now available online for Rs. 6,799 through Snapdeal. However, the company has not officially launched the device in the country.

The Micromax Canvas Fun A63 was listed on the company’s official website earlier this month; however there was no word about the pricing and availability of the device.

The Canvas Fun A63 comes with a 4inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) display, and is powered by a single-core 1.3GHz MediaTek 6572 processor paired with 512MB of RAM. It is also includes 1GB of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB. The Canvas Fun A63 sports a 2-megapixel rear camera with flash. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS, GPS and 3G. It includes a 15oomAh battery that can give up to 4.5 hours of standby time, as per the company. It is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM.

Micromax has been launching a number of budget and mid-range devices in the last few days. Earlier this month, Micromax, introduced a new mid-range Smartphone, the Canvas Ego A113 which went for pre-orders at Snapdeal for Rs. 12,999.

The Micromax Canvas Ego A113 features a 4.7-inch display. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. It comes with a4GB inbuilt storage which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It also sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash while there is no word about the front –facing camera. The Micromax Canvas Ego runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It is dual-SIM phone with support for GSM+GSM. It also packs in 2000mAh battery. Micromax has not officially launched the Canvas Ego A113, yet.

Micromax also rolled out, the Canvas Fun A74 which was available for pre-orders at ecommerce website Snapdeal and lnfibeam for Rs. 7,749. 

HTC One Max reportedly official name of the rumoured 'T6'

The latest word on HTC’s rumored upcoming flagship phablet codenamed HTC T6 is that the company plans to officially introduce the Smartphone as the HTC One Max.

Popular phone tipster, @evleaks claims that the HTC One Max has been confirmed as the retail name of the HTC T6. The tweet said,”HTC One Max confirmed as retail name of the T6. “However, the tweet does not mention anything about the possible launch dates of the long-rumored HTC One Max. The Taiwanese handset giant has been rumored for a while to be working on a large screen Smartphone which will boast a large 5.9-inch display.

Earlier, specifications of HTC’s upcoming One Max phablet surfaced online. The device is said to run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean HTC’s Sense 5.5 UI on top. Other specifications leaked include TD-LTE connectivity, a5.9-inch full-HD display with 1080x1920 pixels resolution, and a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. The leaked specifications also revealed that the alleged HTC One Max will sport a 2.1-meagapixel front-facing camera and the 4MO Ultrapixel camera on the back, which has been introduced in the HTC One.

Some reports even claimed that the HTC’s phablet may be showcased this month that pointed out to possible launch at IFA in Berlin. However, the device was not showcased at the event.

Not too long ago, alleged renders of the HTC One Max (T6) were leaked online. The leaked image showed was supposed to be the non-final artwork of the HTC T6. While it was not the final artwork, it did give a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming phablet from HTC.

Intex Aqua HD with Android 4.2 up for pre-orders for Rs. 15,900

Intex has introduced its newest Smartphone, the Aqua HD through an online retailer for Rs. 15,900. The Smartphone is now available for pre-orders on ecommerce website, infibeam.

The Intex aqua HD comes with a 4.7-inch HD display (720x1280pixels). It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek6589 processor along with the 1GB of WRAM. It comes with a 4GB of internal storage which can be expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. A dual SIM (GSM+GSM) card facility would be available in this one, the Intex Aqua HD runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

It comes with a 13-megapicxel rear camera along with an LED flash and can record 1080p videos. It also sports a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/aGPS and 3G. The phone has an 1800mAh battery which can deliver up to 5 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby time. The Intex Aqua HD features a number of sensors that include n accelerometer, a proximity senor, light sensor and gyroscope.

Recently, Intex rolled out its flagship Smartphone, the Aquai7 at a price point of Rs. 21,990.

The Intex Aquai7 features a 5-inch full-HD display (1080x1920) equipped with OGS (one Glass Solution) display technology and Corning Gorilla Glass. It is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek6589 Turbo processor with 2GB RAM. The device includes 32GB internal storage which is non-expandable. It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Intex Aquai7 runs android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It comes with a 2000mAh battery that can deliver around 6 hours of talk time and 220 hours of standby time. The newly launched phone is a dual-SIM device (GSM+GSM) with support for one Micro-SIM and a Mini-SIM.  Connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/aGPs, EDGE, GPRS and 3G.

Nokia Lumia 1520 makes an online appearance

The reports says that, an alleged press render has been announced Nokia Lumia 1520 codenamed as ‘Bandit’ has been leaked in an online.

The notorious @evleaks has posted a good quality press image of the Nokia Lumia 1520 on Twitter, that release the device in its clearest form yet, confirming the leaks we have seen over the last few weeks. The tweets says that , “Nokia Lumia 1520, 2013” without revealing any other details regarding the internals of the device. The image shows Nokia Lumia 1520’s home screen with live Tiles and the design largely resembles other phones in the Lumia family. The camera lens produces out at the back, very similar to the Nokia Lumia 925.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is rumored to ship with a 20-megapixel rear camera.

Last week, screenshots of the alleged Lumia 1520 device’s start screen complete with a number of live tiles were leaked by prolific leaker, @ evleaks. The images revealed that the yet to be announced phbalet would offer extra columns and rows for apps. It appeared that the phone will feature a new Storyteller app as its live tile was also seen in the screenshot. However, the image did not offer any other details.

Previously, an image of the Nokia Lumia 1520 pictured alongside the company's flagship smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020 was leaked.

Alcatel announces four new One Touch Pop C-series smartphones

Alcatel seems on a launching spree at the IFA, this year. The company has launched many mobiles to strengthen its smart phone line-up. But theirs is more. The company has announced four new Pop C smart phones, the Alcatel One Touch Pop C1, Pop C3, Pop C5 and Pop C7.

The Alcatel One Touch Pop C1 comes with a 3.5-inch HVGA display (320x480 pixels). The phone is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and sports a 2-megapixel rear camera. The One Touch Pop C1 includes a 1300mAh battery. The device in two colors models – Neon Green and Pink.

The Alcatel One Touch Pop C3 features a 4-inch WVGA display with 480x800 pixels and sports a 3.2-megapixel rear camera along with a VGA front-facing camera. The device is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and also includes Bluetooth. Much like the One Touch Pop C1, this is also comes with 1300mAh battery. The company is also building a flip cover with the One Touch Pop C3.

The Alcatel one Touch Pop C5 comes with a 4.5-inch display a resolution 480x854 pixels. This one is also powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with panoramic picture function. The phone also includes a VGA front-facing camera. There is 4GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 2GB via microSD card.

Last among them is the Alcatel One touch Pop C7 that features a 5-inch display (480x854). The device is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz. It comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and can record videos at up to 720p resolution. There is a VGA front-facing camera as well. The One Touch C7 is backed by a 2000mAh battery.

All four Pop C-series smart phones unveiled at IFA 2013 run the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and come preloaded with ONE TOUCH live app.

Alcatel has not the pricing of the four devices but has revealed that the One Touch Pop C1 and Pop C3 will hit markets in October while the Pop C5 will be rolled out in November. The One Touch pop C7 phablet is expected to be release in Q4 2013.

US price revealed of Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is now official and headed to around 140 countries later this month, as announced by the company. We have first bit of indication of pricing, with the telecom carries in the US starting he pre-order process.

AT&T has started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 3 for $299.99 with a new two- year contract. The telecom operator says that the device will ship around October 1 and also that the Galaxy Gear, Samsung’s smart watch, will be available in the “coming weeks”. AT&T contract pricing of the Galaxy Note 3 translates into an off-contract pricing approximately $700 (Rs. 46,000 approximately), Engadget notes.

Samsung officially launched the Galaxy Note 3 phablet at the sidelines of IFA in Berlin on Wednesday. It comes with 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, but weighing at 168g and 8.33m wide, is both lighter ad slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy Note II. Just like Samsung Galaxy S4, the Galaxy Note 3 will come in two variants. The LTE variant will be powered by 2.3GHz quad-core processor and the 3G version will be powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core processor.

It includes 3GB RAM and sports a 13-megapixel rear camera 2-megapixel front camera. It is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Note 3 will be available in 32GB and 64GB variants. Both variants come with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage.

Connectivity options on the Note include WI-FI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR, and MHL 2.0. It comes with various sensors like Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, Proximity, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity and Hall Sensor.

The company also announced a number of added features like the My Magazine, Scrapbook, and Wake-up command, S Finder, Advanced Multi Window, Samsung Smart and Action Memo.

ASUS launched MeMO Pad 8 and MeMO Pad 10

According to the slew of IFA announcements as well as the MeMO Pad HD7, ASUS has added two new MeMO Pad tablets in its portfolio that are MeMO Pad 8 and MeMO Pad 10. As well as we all know that for certain is ASUS will be using quad-core 1.6GHz SoCs, but considering the MeMO Pad HD 7 uses a quad-core Mediatek MT8125 (4 x Cortex-A7), that would be seem the likely SoC of choice for the new MeMO Pads as well.

The Asus MeMO Pad 8 has been comes with the features of 8-inch display with 1280x800 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM It sports a 5-megapixel camera that can record 720p videos and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. Its weight would be measures in 350g and its width is 127mm. The Asus MeMO Pad 8 has 8GB of internal storage and also support microSDXC card slot for a expandable to the memory space.

On the comparison of Asus MeMO Pad 10, it comes with 10-inch IPS display with 1280x800 pixels display resolution. It weighs 522 grams. The MeMo Pad 10 sports 2-megapixel rear cameras which have capability to record HD videos and also includes a 1.2-megapixel front camera for video chat. It is powered by 1.6GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. The Asus MeMO Pad 10 can deliver up to 9.5 hours battery life with HD video playback. He tablet in two storage variants – 8GB and 16GB with support for a microSDXC card slot.

Both the tablet features dual speakers with Asus SonicMaster audio technology. However not properly confirms the price about of both two tablets when they will be available in them market. 

Samsung launched Galaxy Note 3 with 5.7-inch full HD Display

At the Sidelines of IFA 2013 in Berlin Samsung has officially launched Galaxy Note 3 phablet.

At IFA, Samsung specifies the features of the Galaxy Note 3. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 5.7-inch display with full-HD Super AMOLED display, its weight is 168g and it is 8033m wide, is both lighter and slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy Note II. It is just looking like a Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung has launched Galaxy Note 3 in two variants. The LTE variant will be powered by 2.3HHz quad-core processor and the 3G version will be powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core processor.

Also it has some another features including to their camera android version. The main punch point of Galaxy Note 3 is that, it is powered with the new launch of Android that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with 3GB RAM and a 13-meagapixel camera alongside 2-megapixel front camera. It is also powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Android Jelly Bean. Also rumored at IFA that, Galaxy Note 3 will be available in 32GB and 64GB variants, with the company doing away with the 16GB variant after controversy on the available storage with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both of the variant comes with the support for up to 64GB of additional external storage.

An option available for connectivity in Samsung Galaxy Note 3 includes a Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR and MHL 2.0. Various sensors also includes in this mobile like Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, Proximity, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, and Hall Sensor.

According to a report Samsung says the Galaxy Note 3 will Launch Starting from September 25 in more than 140 countries around the world but the pricing of this mobile would not mention yet. 

iPhone 5C packaging, documentation pictured

iPhone 5C or the low-priced iPhone has been the subject of different leaks in the past. Continuing with the series of leaks that have hit the internet before Apple’s whispered September 10 iPhone event, new pictures of Apple’s alleged 5C iPhone 5C have surfaced online.

We had seen alleged pictures of plastic of plastic retail packaging features white plastic boxes marked ‘iPhone 5C’ with the Apple logo, in July. This time, the iPhone 5C is present inside the same iPod touch-like box complete with a transparent plastic lid.

The iPhone 5C pictured inside the box, matches with the previously leaked images of the phone, and features iOS 7 with the wallpaper of the phone matching the color of its Red (Pinkish Red) back casing. The site also offers similar pictures of the White, Yellow and Blue iPhones.

The pictures, first posted on iapps.im, also ‘confirm’ that the front panel of the iPhone 5C would be Black. In addition to this low quality photo, purported images featuring some documentation that comes with the iPhone 5C and the phone’s SIM-eject tool have also appeared on Chinese micro blog Weibo. The pictures were spotted by 9 to 5Mac.

The documentation captured in the pictures features the same Black front panel that we’ve seen in previous leaks and shows the iPhone 5C running iOS 7. It also suggests a White wallpaper, colour matched with the phone’s White back. The website notes that the documentation is semi-oval shaped, to fit the semi-oval plastic box revealed in other images. 

The low-cost iPhone or iPhone 5C has leaked several times alleged pictures of the iPhone 5C have revealed a plastic polycarbonate body back panel in White, Blue, Red, Yellow and Green colors, a round camera lens and LED flash, Apple logo and iPhone branding. It’s expected to be powered by a dual-core CPU, and have a  4-inch screen, just like the iPhone 5, with a resolution of 640x1136 pixels. The iPhone 5C is rumored to have 1GB of RAM, and come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage variants. It’s also likely to sport an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera and run iOS 7 complete with Siri which would be available in English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish.

A number of rumors including some y credible publications and journalists have confirmed September 10 as the most probable date for Apple hosting a special event to announce the ne iPhone(s). Apple has not sent any invitations o announced an event officially, yet though it typically sends out official invitations only a week before the actual event, so one can expect them any time.

A number of rumours including some by credible publications and journalists have confirmed September 10 as the most probable date for Apple hosting a special event to announce the new iPhone(s). Apple has not sent any invitations or announced an event officially, yet, though it typically sends out official invitations only a week before the actual event, so one can expect them any time.

Alcatel launched two new smartphones

Alcatel has been listed its new two smart phones, first one is One Touch Idol S and Second one is One Touch Idol on its major websites.

The Fist one mobile that is One Touch Idol S has comes with the features of a 4.7-inch display with 720x1280 pixels resolution and features Dragontrail Glass with the oleophobic coating. The Smartphone is powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The one Touch Idol S sports an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and is capable of recording full-HD videos. It also comes with a 1.3-megapixel front camera. He Smartphone runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The device has 4GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, WI-Fi, DLNA, GPS/aGPS and 3G. Alcatel One Touch Idol S comes in three colors variants – Slate, Fresh Rose and Cheery Red.

On the other hand their second mobile have these specification, The Alcatel One Touch Idol Mini features a 4.3-inch FWVGA display with 480x854 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB RAM. The Alcatel One Touch Idol Mini comes in two variants – single-SIM and dual-SIM. The internal storage on the single-SIM variant is 4GB which is expandable up to 32GB, while the dual-SIM variant comes with 8GB of non-expandable storage. Connectivity options on the device include WI-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/aGPS and 3G. The device sports 5-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. The one Touch Idol Mini will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It will also come in three color variant – Slate, Silver and Cranberry Pink.

Alcatel has been also launched a tablet, the Alcatel One Touch Evo 8 HD. The tablet comes an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and runs Android 4.2. It is powered by dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz along with 1GB of RAM.