G'Five - two Android phones for Rs 6,000

G'Five, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer, will launch two Android phones in the Rs 6,000 range by November end. The phones will be priced below Rs 6,000 and will have 2.8 inch and 3.2 inch screens. The smaller handset will have a 600 MHz processor from MTK while the other device will have an 800 MHz MStar processor. Both phones will be based on Android 2.2.

                           
 The company, which gained prominence after research firm IDC ranked it the number two mobile brand in India based on sales figures, also plans to introduce an Android phone without 3G connectivity. Currently, Spice is the only company to have such a product; Spice Mi270 costs Rs 4,500. Huawei, another Chinese telecom giant, is eying the Indian handset market and is also ready to launch a similar product.

Comparison between HTC ChaCha and Blackberry Curve 8520

With Facebook integration becoming a key feature on mobile phones, developers have been keen to release social messaging focused handsets for consumers on a tight budget. Two such phones are the HTC ChaCha and Blackberry Curve 8520.

The Curve is much more lightweight as a device, coming in at 120g, compared with the ChaCha’s 106g. The Blackberry mobile also looks more compact, and reviews have been positive about the front-panel layout and comfortable keyboard. The HTC on the hand is, debatably, a little odd looking, with the screen at an angle to the keyboard. Personal preference is of course a factor, but the Curve could be said to look more conventional.

 The Blackberry is not a touchscreen smartphone, and input is solely dependent on the QWERTY keyboard and optical track-pad. The screen size is a relatively modest 2.4”, with a pixel density of 151 PPI. HTC’s model also has a slightly bigger 2.6” display, but it’s a touchscreen with multi-touch input. Screen resolution and picture quality is better. Storage could also be seen as a relative triumph on the ChaCha since it has 512MBs of RAM and ROM, while the Curve only has 128MB and 256 MB respectively.

For messaging phones, perhaps issues like storage and processor speed are secondary. But it’s important to note that both are powered by sub-1GHz single core setups, with the ChaCha outstretching the Curve by 800MHz to 512MHz. The operating system of the ChaCha is version 2.3 Gingerbread, a proven, newish multitasking environment which works well with the touch screen. The Curve runs Blackberry OS 4.2, which is usable but far from cutting edge compared with the recent RIM handsets.

Government plans nationwide number portability and abolish roaming charges

If the government does, it will soon be 'One Nation' as far as telecom is concerned - with roaming charges becoming a thing of the past and nationwide number portability being the order of the day. Besides, broadband speed will go up more than nine times in four years and consumers may get a voice on quality of services in case of disputes with operators.

There is also a move to cut costs for value-added services, such as text messages, as the government and the regulator prepare an "appropriate regulatory framework for delivery of VAS at affordable prices". Over the years, call charges have dropped from over Rs 30 a minute to around 60 paise now but mobile users have not benefited from competition when it comes to SMS.

While improving the overall quality of service is a key feature of the draft National Telecom Policy 2011, another focus is to shift towards greater convergence between telecom, IT, broadcast and electronics to upgrade the quality of life and make it an instrument of empowerment.

"The primary objective of the National Telecom Policy-2011 is maximizing public good by making available affordable, reliable and secure telecommunication and broadband services across the country," communications minister Kapil Sibal said while releasing the document.

Also, the mobile will become a device of empowerment and can double up as an identity proof, the draft says. The policy is moving from egovernance to m-governance as mobile telephony is now cheaper resulting in more people having access to phones.

POWER TO MOBILITY

Free domestic roaming - in other words, STD charges abolished Full number portability. Even if you move to another city, your number needn't change Broadband speed to go up significantly; broadband on demand by 2014 Rural consumers to get universal access by 2020 New technology to be available at lower costs Better consumer protection VOIP (voice over internet protocol) introduced India-made telecom products to get preferential market access Telecom policy for banking via mobiles New Delhi: The draft National Telecom Policy 2011 envisages that basic banking services could be accessed via the mobile phone. "Individual intimation of all kinds of public and private services like school/college admission/ assignments, pension payment, utility bill payments, first level health services, cash withdrawals/deposits will become the norm. A single number could be called for all government services across all three tiers, 24/7," paper said while recognizing electronics as the weak link.

The idea is to treat IT and telecom as a basic necessity - just like health or education - and "work towards 'Right to Broadband'".

As part of the strategy, internet users can look forward to kissing good bye to painfully slow broadband connection with the policy aiming to double the download speed to 512 kilobytes per second (Kbps) and then boost it to 2 mega bps by 2015. But when it comes to other aspects, the draft reads like a statement of intent with timelines missing. For instance, it talks about a review of roaming charges "with the ultimate objective of removing the roaming charge across the nation".

Given that mobile operators are struggling under the weight of falling revenues, there is every chance that they will put up a stiff resistance to the proposal. In fact within hours of Sibal's press conference, the red flags were already out over the 'One Nation' strategy. "The one nation roaming and MNP initiatives appear to be complex issues, which require a handling of state-by-state licence issues, addressing the numbering plan and assessing technical requirements. We are also unclear whether these moves will be revenue neutral or will hurt operator revenue, so it's too early to comment," said Rajan Mathews, director-general of Cellular Operators' Association of India, the GSM industry lobby group.

And, on this issue even the rival camp, representing the CDMA operators, seemed to on board. "One nation roaming and MNP (mobile number portability) is excellent for the consumer. However, there is a strong possibility that operators may hike tariffs to compensate for the hit on their revenues by scrapping of roaming charges," added AUSPI secretary general S C Khanna. More opposition may be in store as the policy promises to adopt voice over internet protocol (VOIP) - a sore issue for the consumer that has been pending for years in spite of specific TRAI recommendations in this regard. This move will help lower tariffs and cheer consumers.

Phone users may have more reason to cheer as the government has proposed to strengthen the TRAI Act and undertake legislative measures to bring disputes between telecom consumers and service providers within the jurisdiction of Consumer Protection Act.

Further, it talks of promoting informed consent, transparency and accountability in quality of service, tariff, usage and strengthen the grievance redressal mechanisms to provide timely and effective resolution. These have been missing pieces despite the government announcing two policies - in 1994 and 1999 - to boost tele density in teh country.

Now, the plan is to identify performance standards and benchmark quality of service against the international standards. "To improve transparency, NTP -2011 recognises the need for formulating a separate Code of Practice for Sales and Marketing," the draft policy said.

Nokia Ace, first 4G LTE supporting Windows mobile

A new Nokia smartphone, codenamed Ace, will be the first 4G mobile phone with Windows Phone. Nokia Ace will feature 4.3 inch massive Amoled ClearBack display.This massive screen bearing Nokia Windows Phone handset is expected in the first quarter of 2012.

To complement the massive display, this Windows Phone operating system running device will house 1.4 GHz processor. There is no idea about mobile processor whether this will be dual-core or single core.

                                   

An Interesting part of this Windows Phone will be 8 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss lens and we presume should be capable enough to record 1080p HD video. This smartphone will have 16 GB onboard storage which would be great enough for storing all multimedia and of course, the apps.

Nokia is expected to release this device in first quarter of 2012 in US and we presume that this handset might be shown at the Mobile World Congress 2012. This handset might be one of the Windows Phone Flagship devices for Nokia.

Get dual SIM Android mobile phone by Spice

With an aim to expand its footprint in the growing mobile-internet market, S Mobility launched its latest dual SIM Android phone, the Mi-350.

"We see the future of telephony in what we have termed as 'Mobile Internet'," the company's Associate Vice President (Operations) Zulfi Ali Bhutto told reporters after the launch of Mi-350, which he claims, is India's first 3G and 2G dual SIM Android phone by spice mobile.

He said the trend of using internet facilities on mobile is increasing everyday and substantiated his claim by detailing out figures of growing Facebook and Twitter users in the country. The Android platform based smart phone gives a battery back-up of seven days.

World's cheapest tablet launched

India's finally got its much hyped ultra-low-cost tablet, Aakash. The tablet runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and comes with a 7 inch resistive touch screen with 800x480 reolution and weighs 350 gm.

Aakash is a collaboration between the government and a British-based company DataWind. The tablet has a 256 MB of RAM, a 32 GB expandable memory slot and two USB ports.

The tablet comes with a 12-month replacement warranty and supports formats like DOC, DOCX, PDF and PPTX etc. Aakash has standard 3.5 mm headphones jack.

The tablet will be commercially available from November for Rs. 2999. The commercial version of the tablet would have no duty waivers or subsidy, as in the government's version and come with added features like an inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access internet.

The government will be acquiring the tablet for Rs 2250 from DataWind which will be supplied to the students across the country. The device will initially be made available to post-secondary students.

New iPhone, iPods launched by Apple

Apple has announced the all new iPhone 4S model at an event held at its headquarters in Cupertino, USA. The new iPhone 4S looks almost like iPhone 4 but has faster processor, better camera and all new voice control feature called Siri. Apple plans to make the new iPhone 4S available in 70 countries by the end of December and unfortunately India did not make it to the list. So we presume that iPhone 4S will come in early January next year.


Apple will make the iPhone 4S available for pre-orders on October 7 and the smartphone will be available in stores of several countries from October 14 this year. Apple will offer iPhone 4S in Black and White colours where 16 GB version costs $199, 32 GB version costs $299 and 64 GB version for $399 — all with three year contracts. In the USA, three cellular providers — AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will be offering the iPhone 4S. Apple will offer iPhone 4S in Black as well as White colour.

The all new iPhone 4S has the same physical features as found in the iPhone 4. iPhone 4S comes with same 3.7 inch Retina display that supports 960x640 screen resolution support. The Retina display offers 800:1 contrast ratio and comes with oleophobic coating on front as well as back to prevent finger smudges.     

However, the major improvements are found in the hardware used inside the chassis. The apple iPhone will come with a dual-core Apple A5 processor that will be coupled with dual-core PowerVR SGX540MP2 graphics chip. That means this iPhone 4S has two times more computer power and seven times faster than the iPhone 4.

Next major feature is the 8 megapixel camera at the back that comes with a custom lens that offers f/2.4 aperture. Apple has added an improved backside illumination sensor along with improved auto white balance, advanced colour accuracy, face detection and reduced motion blur. The 8 megapixel image sensor is capable of recording 1080p HD video and can also be edited on the phone itself.

The front facing camera remains the same with VGA quality and capable of FaceTime video chat. The iPhone 4S supports AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV at 720p HD video resolution while it can support full 1080p HD via Apple Digital AV adapter and Apple VGA adapters.

Oddly, Apple did not talk about the Bluetooth 4.0 presence in the iPhone 4S that brings high speed data transfer and low energy operations.

The new iPhone 4S will come pre-loaded with the iOS 5 and bunch of fresh native applications like News stand, Reminders and Cards. The Cards app is usable to create e-Greetings and sent out to loved ones. Apart from that, a new app Family and Friends will allow the users to locate the near and dear ones. Meanwhile, the News stand app will help collate, purchase and manage the newspaper as well as magazine subscriptions.

One novel feature of the iPhone 4S is the voice control and dictation feature dubbed as Siri, the intelligent assistant. Previously, the Siri app was available in the App Store but now the Siri website redirects to Siri page for iPhone 4S. Meant for the iPhone 4S only, the Siri assistant feature is currently in Beta and supports speech to text dictation with support for English, French and German at its launch.

The iPhone 4S will be a world phone thanks to the dual-mode chip that supports both GSM and CDMA networks. For the GSM networks, it supports up to 14.4 Mbps data speeds on 3G networks.

Apple will start rolling out the iOS 5 updates with the new iMessage, instant messaging service across the iOS platform on the October 12. On the same day, the iCloud service that comes with 5 GB free virtual storage for storing contacts, documents, calendars, and Photos for iOS devices as well as Macs.

To get low end smartphones, Nokia working on new Linux OS

Nokia is coming out with a Linux based operating system which will be used on smartphones costing less than $100 (about Rs 4,500). The new operating system from Nokia, has been codenamed "Meltemi" and the project leader for the company will be Mary McDowell, Nokia's executive vice president, mobile phones.

Nokia has been planning to refresh its low end smartphones segment for quite some time, and it has been looking for a replacement for the S40 phones as the users are leaving the S40 platform in favour of other smartphones. One analyst says it is good for the company to spread the risk.

                               
By going for the Windows Phone platform, Nokia has put itself in a difficult spot as far as low end phone segment is concerned. Android, the main competitor, is anyway pushing the smartphone prices way down than Windows Phone makers are comfortable with.

There is a gap in the product portfolio of Nokia. To address the situation, Nokia either needs to improve the S40 platform or come out with another operating system altogether and that's precisely what the company is doing with its new Linux based operating system for low end phones. The low end smartphone opportunity is so big even Apple is toying with the idea of bringing one low end Apple iPhone for the segment.

Japan's NEC corp plans to make mobile network equipments in India

Japan's NEC Corp plans to start manufacturing mobile phone network devices in India to meet growing demand in emerging nations. They are palnning to build a new plant in Chennai by the end of fiscal 2011.

NEC is one of the leading makers of microwave radio link devices, which are used to wirelessly connect mobile phone base stations. To guard its strong position in the market amid the soaring yen, NEC has decided to create a low-cost production base overseas. However, production at the company's Fukushima plant will be maintained at the current level even after the Indian operations kick off.

Demand for devices has been growing in emerging countries as they allow for the quick construction of mobile phone networks.

Initially, the entire output will be sold in India, the biggest market for the products. Exports will be gradually increased over time to other markets like Africa.

RIM to bring CDMA Curve 9350, 9370 phones to India

Research In Motion (RIM) plans to launch the BlackBerry Curve 9350 and 9370 smartphones in India in conjunction with CDMA carriers. Currently, the company is in talks with Tata Teleservices (TTSL), RCom and MTS to offer these handsets bundled with their services.

"We are hopeful that by year end we will be able to announce the details of tariff plans and the name of the selected operator for launching Curve smartphones," Krishnadeep Baruah, director of marketing at RIM India, told The Mobile Indian.

                              
In blackberry mobile phones, BlackBerry Curve 9350 and 9370 smartphones come with 2.44 inch touchscreens but do not feature touchscreen based displays like the older Curve smartphones did and the company has made both phones slim.
Both the phones are powered by BlackBerry 7 OS. Curve 9350 and 9370 come with 512 MB and 1 GB on-board memories, respectively. Both the phones have an option to expand memory up to 32 GB via a microSD card.

                                              

Curve 9250 and 9370 have 5 megapixel cameras with flash, but can only record in VGA mode. They also have Near Field Communication chips which allow transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in close proximity to each other.

The new OS also enables the smartphone to have voice-activated universal search, and with speech-to-text translation one can search for files, email, contacts, music and even search the web — without typing a thing.

Now get Kisan credit card facilities in mobile phones

Banks are in constant endeavor to implement advancements in technology to the utmost level in banking operations. As a step to implement mobile banking technology in terms of Kisan credit card, regional rural lender, Pallavan Grama Bank has intiated the process on a pilot basis.

The project is receiving funds worth Rs 44.66 lakh from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).  According to CMD of Indian Bank, Mr TM Bhasin, this pilot project is aimed to initiate the concept of doorstep and paperless banking amenities amongst the farming class.