Huawei Ascend P6 with 4.7-inch HD

Huawei's new smartphone, the Ascend P6, has been launched for the Indian market, at Rs. 29,999. The device was listed online in the fourth week of October on an ecommerce website for a discounted price of Rs. 25,750. Huawei first unveiled the Ascend P6 back in June this year.

The Huawei Ascend P6 is called the slimmest smartphone in the world by the company, and measures in at 6.2mm, while weighing 120 grams. The smartphone comes in Black, Pink and White colours. It features a 4.7-inch LCD display that has a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. It's powered by the company's in-house chipset, the Huawei K3V2 quad-core processor, clocked at 1.5GHz and coupled with 2GB of RAM.

The Ascend P6 includes an 8-megapixel rear camera with a BSI sensor, capable of recording 1080p HD video, apart from a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and features Huawei's Emotion UI 1.6 OS layer on top. It offers 8GB of inbuilt storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and has a 2000 mAh battery. 

On Wednesday, two of Huawei's recently launched Android phablets, the Ascend G610 and Ascend G700, also made it to the Indian market via an online retailer. The Huawei Ascend G610 and Huawei Ascend G700 have been listed at Infibeam for Rs. 12,499 and Rs. 16,500 respectively. The Chinese major had unveiled both the devices back in September this year, at an event in Taiwan.

Huawei Ascend P6 key specifications

• 4.7-inch HD in-cell LCD screen with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels
• 1.5GHz quad-core Processor
• 2GB RAM
• 8GB Internal storage expandable via microSD card
• Dual-SIM with dual-standby support
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 5-megapixel front facing camera
• 2000mAh battery

Apple releases iOS 7.0.3 update

Apple is now update their running iOS 7, 7.0.1 or 7.0.2 into their latest released operating system iOS 7.0.3 for their latest devices like iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPad mini, and the iPod touch.

This new updated operating system includes and support various features for iCloud Keychain, Which Apple had initially announced when it first showcased the OS at the WWDC event in June.

This new operating system update have size 67.7MB and it can be downloaded over the air for any devices or computers for iPhones devices, it can be easily updated.

In iOS 7.0.3 which we clears in starting that it would be adds iCloud Keychain, it allows the users to easily save and sync their account user names, passwords, and credit card numbers across all their approved iOS and Mac devices in the Safari web browser.

It also gives the functionality of the Password Generator which Safari unique, hard-to-guess passwords for user’s online accounts. The update also brings back the ability to search the web and Wikipedia through Spotlight search, allowing users to search for keyword via iOS’ universal search feature.

These two features were not introduced with the initial release of iOS 7, as they need users to run OS X Mavericks on their Macs if they want to benefit from the sync feature. Mavericks was made available only on Tuesday.

A number of users complained about iOS 7's motion graphics and animations and to address these issues, Apple has enhanced the Reduce Motion setting to minimise both motion and animation in the OS UI. It also updates the Bold Text setting to change dial pad text.

The 7.0.3 update also delays the display of "slide to unlock" when Touch ID is in use, for iPhone 5s users.

In addition to new features, the iOS 7.0.3 update also brings a number of fixes to the OS. It fixes iMessages issues that were being reported by a number of users including message sending failures and activation problems.

The update also fixes an accelerometer calibration issue. It's worth pointing out that it was reported that the iPhone 5s motion sensors were not giving accurate readings. The update might be able to fix the issue.

The 7.0.3 update addresses an issue that could cause Siri and VoiceOver to use a lower quality voice and one that could cause VoiceOver input to be too sensitive. It also improves system stability when using iWork apps, following reports of the iPhone 5s crashing while using the apps.

Interestingly, there's also a security fix as Apple mentions that the update fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the Lock screen passcode.

Apple had previously released the iOS 7.0.2 update in September to fix the lock screen vulnerabilities that were discovered after the public release of iOS 7. 

Micromax Canvas Turbo specifications leaked via purported design schematic

Micromax has started teasing its upcoming smartphone, the Canvas Turbo, but the company is yet to reveal the specifications of the device. When we first heard of the smartphone, the Canvas Turbo was rumoured to come with a full-HD display, the first such smartphone from Micromax.

A new rumour however, claims to shed some light on the specifications of the Canvas Turbo, and also reveals the presence of a 13-megapixel camera accompanied by an LED flash at the back of the phone. The leak come from MMXNewcaster, a source of leaks related to Micromax mobiles and appears to be from the manual of the yet-t-be-announced device.

As per leaked sketch of the Canvas Turbo, the device is said to come with a 5-inch full-HD display and would sport a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The leaked sketch further suggests that the smartphone would be dual-SIM, with support for micro-SIM, with the slot placed on the left panel. Other features revealed include Micro-USB port housed at the top panel, a 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom panel, while power button and volume rocker buttons at the right side

Additionally, MMXNewscaster an alleged image of the Canvas Turbo’s top rear panel on the Twitter. The tweet revealed that the device would come with 13-megapixel rear camera placed on the top left corner at the back of the phone, much similar to the Canvas doodle 2 phablet.

As of now, not many other details have been revealed about the Micromax Canvas Turbo A250 smartphone. However, with the teaser ads running on the television and Internet showing the Micromax Canvas Turbo, the device can be expected to be launched soon.

Earlier a leaked teaser image pointed to a smartphone in development dubbed Canvas Turbo A250 and was said to come with full-HD display.

If rumours are to be believed, then the Micromax Canvas Turbo will become the first phone from the domestic handset manufacturer to sport a full-HD display.

Adcom Thunder A-350i, Thunder A-400i, Thunder A-500 budget smartphones launched

Advantage Computer India Pvt. Ltd (Adcom) has launched three new smartphones for the Indian market, the Adcom Thunder A-350i, Thunder A-400i and Thunder A-500. The new Thunder smartphones are available between Rs. 3,285 and Rs. 6,999, notes the company. However, the exact pricing of the three Adcom Thunder smartphones have not been revealed by the company, yet. All the three new Adcom Thunder A-350i, Thunder A-400i and Thunder A-500 smartphones come with dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) support.

The Adcom Thunder is A-350i runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread and features the 3.5-inch display with 320x480 pixel resolution. It is powered with 1GHz processor with 256MB of RAM. Other specifications include 512MB of inbuilt storage that’s expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card, 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera. It also packs a 1250mAh battery.

The Adcom Thunder A-400i features a 4-inch display with 320x480 pixels resolution and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Much like the Thunder A-350i, it is also powered by 1GHz processor along with 256MB of RAM. Other specifications on the Thunder A-400i include 512MB of inbuilt storage that’s expandable up to 32GB via microSD card, 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera. Connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB and EDGE. It packs a 1200mAh battery.

Last in the list, the Adcom Thunder A-500 features a 5-inch HD LCD display and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It is powered by 1.2GHz dual core processor and 512MB of RAM. Other specifications include an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 4GB of inbuilt storage that is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card, and a 2800mAh battery.

Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Bhatia, founder of Adcom, said "Adcom is committed to give the consumers the latest technology and a chance to be a part of this ever-changing and continuously developing cell phone market and we are delivering the same."

Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE variant receives Android 4.3 update

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was the first non-Nexus device in the market to run Android 4.3, and it seems company’s flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the next device to run the OS version.

Sammobile reports that Samsung Galaxy S4’s LTE variant (GT-I9595) is receiving the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update. The site suggests that the first country to receive the update is Germany and mentions that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy S4 is being rolled out in phases, which means that other countries and device will receive the update soon.

The S4’s Android 4.3 update is reportedly available both OTA (over the air) and via the company’s Kies software. Notably, the update will bring Galaxy Gear support to the Galaxy S4, making it the second device to sport that functionality, as previously announced by Samsung.

The site detailed changelog for the update, listing OpenGL 3.0 support; Samsung’s Wallet app comes with the update; improved RAM management; improved display colour reproduction which will reportedly make display look sharper than before; improved TouchWiz launcher; Samsung’s new keyboard; new Samsung’s default Browser; new camera firmware and minor tweaks in the UI for contacts, flashlight widget and dialog box apps. However, the report does not reveal the availability of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500) variant which is available in India.

Recently, a report indicated that Samsung was planning an Android 4.3 update for its top of the line smartphones soon.

The report also claimed the devices getting the Android 4.4 update were the 2013 flagship, the Galaxy S4 in October while the 2012 flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S III was expected to get the new Android update by October end or even November. He report further revealed that the Galaxy Note II would also be getting the taste of the new Jelly Bean iteration, but that would only be by the end of November, or early December.

Prior to this, while announcing the Galaxy Gear smartwatch at IFA, the South Korean major revealed that the compatibility for the Gear smartwatch would be extended to the Galaxy S4 ad the Galaxy S III with a software update that would be seeded to consumers in October.

Apple is believed to have cut Q4 orders for iPhone 5c

Apple Inc told manufacturer of its new iPhone 5c that it will cut orders of the smartphone for the final three months of the year, a source familiar with the supply chain situation said.

Pegatron Corp, a major manufacturer of Apple’s new phone, had 5c orders reduced by less than 20 percent, the source told Reuters on Wednesday, declining to be identified because the information is sensitive.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, Apple’s other manufacturer of the 5c, has had its orders for the same period reduced by a third, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The iPhone 5c (Review) and iPhone 5s (Review) were launched in September ahead of the year-end holiday season when sales tend to hit a peak. In the United States, the 5c is $100 cheaper than the premium 5s, which is retailer for $649 for the 16GB model. 

The cut in 5c orders will reinforce investor sentiment that the phone was overpriced and would not be well-received by consumers, some analysts say.

“This reflects failure in Apple’s pricing strategy, “said Bevan Yeh, a Taipei-based senior fund manager at Prudential Financial Securities Investments Trust. “The price differentiation between 5c and 5s is too small. It’s an iPhone 5 with plastic casing and isn’t worth the price.” 

Spokesmen at Pegatron and Hon Hai declined to comment, while Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.

In China, one of Apple’s most important markets according to Chief Executive Tim Cook, the 5c’s reception has been lukewarm. Some local bloggers say the price difference between the 5c and 5S is too narrow.

Apple said previously that sales for the 5s and 5c in the first three days of their launch in September totaled 9 million, and that demand for 5S exceeded initial supplies. I did not give separate figures for the 5c and 5s.

Prudential, which does not own Apple shares, forecasts assemblers will ship around 5c units in the final three months of this year and 10 million in the first three months of next year.

Some analysts caution against correlating the cuts to Apple’s supplier orders with poor sales, because of the complexity and opacity of the company’s supply chain.

“We’ve seen this several times. There are too many moving parts in the supply chain to draw any conclusion,” said Benedict Evans, who covers mobile and digital media at Enders Analysis, a research consultancy in London.

“We don’t know what other suppliers they use or what inventory they already have.”

Microsoft unveils third Windows Phone 8 update with large display support

Microsoft has finally announced the much-anticipated third update for Windows Phone 8. The company also mentions that the new update will be rolled out in the coming weeks and will be counting for some months depending on the carrier and phone models. However, the company has not detailed anything about region-specific rollouts of the latest third Windows Phone update.

The new update, previously thoughts to be called the Windows Phone GDR3 update, brings some of the most awaited features to the Windows Phone platform that includes support for bigger display (5-inch and 6-inch displays) that will now house six Live Tiles instead of four, as found in previous version; support for higher resolution (full-HD or 1080p) displays, which paves the way for yet to be released Windows Phone devices (like rumoured Nokia Lumia 1520); support for more powerful processors, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, and improvements in Internet sharing, which now adds a pairing feature for a Windows Phone 8 device and Windows 8.1 PC or tablet over Bluetooth for sharing cellular data via W-Fi hotspot.

The third Windows Phone 8 update also adds more ‘Mobile Accessibility’ features for Windows Phone 8 devices, including a suite of apps like screen reader, meant for the convenience of blind and visually impaired users, allowing them to manage calls, contacts, texts, emails and also hear notification like calendar, alarm, events and low-battery warnings.

The latest update for the Windows Phone 8 platform brings a new Driving Mode feature that will limit notifications for calls, texts and emails on the phone’s lock screen while driving. This feature can also be set for automatic replies to contacts for calls and texts while driving.

There are some minor changes added to the third WP8 update that include custom ringtones for messages, emails, voicemails, reminders and contacts; new rotation lock option to keep the device’s screen in place while using it; new storage management feature that will allow users to free up space on the phone and manage temporary files; app switcher to close background apps; enhancements in connection quality for Bluetooth-attached accessories and finally a user will be prompted to set Wi-Fi during phone startup process.

Darren Laybourn, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone further adds in a blog post, "When we sat down to plan our latest official update to Windows Phone 8, we had three main engineering goals in mind - enable incredible new Windows Phone devices, enhance the platform with new capabilities for current users and partners and improve overall quality."