Unlock OnePlus X invites with Twitter's 'Flock to Unlock'

OnePlus has managed to have quite a fan following for itself in India. However, procuring some of its phones could prove to be a hard task. In the past too, the company has come up with open sales and innovative contests to enable new users to get their hands on the device.

Today, the company has launched another unique campaign using twitter's 'Flock to Unlock' tool which allows tweeple to tweet using #UnlockOnePlusX in order to unlock invites for OnePlus X. All OnePlus twitter fans need to do is visit OnePlus' exclusive online partner, Amazon India's official twitter handle @amazonIN and tweet or retweet the following message:

"Tweet to us using #UnlockOnePlusX for a chance to get your hands on a OnePlus X invite. 5000 invites up for grabs!" 

The campaign starts 11:00am today and will run until 5:00pm. Amazon India will 'unlock' 5,000 OnePlus X invites, once the set number of tweets/retweets is reached.

This is how it works:

· A tweet will go out on the Amazon.in twitter account handle and the Flock to Unlock card appears on the timeline
· Tweeple click on 'Tweet To Unlock' button on the card - that's registered as a vote towards reaching the set threshold and an unlocked content is sent to each individual participant
· Once the set threshold is reached, direct messages with the OnePlus X invites will be sent out to 5,000 lucky winners at the end of the day

So, if you want to take home a OnePlus X guess this is what you should be doing.

ASUS ZenFone Go 4.5 launched in India for Rs 5,299

ASUS ZenFone Go 4.5 is a slightly smaller version of the ZenFone Go that was unveiled in September. This model lacks 4G LTE support as well, which is disappointing.

Given the kind of devices that are available in the sub-Rs 5,000 price segment, we can find plenty of handsets with 4G LTE on board, so ASUS might have to reconsider its pricing in order to have any impact on the market with the ZenFone Go 4.5.

The handset is an exclusive via Flipkart for now and users can get up to Rs 2,000 off with the exchange of an older device. The exchange amount depends on the kind of device you have, so it will not be the same for every device.

The ZenFone Go 4.5 is meant for the budget conscious public who don't want to shell out a lot up front. However, as we've mentioned before the lack of 4G LTE might prove to be a deal breaker for the customers. But if that's not a priority, the ZenFone Go 4.5 is a solid device with the hardware to take on any budget device in the segment.

Hardware specs of the ASUS ZenFone Go 4.5:

· 4.5-inch FWVGA (480x854) display
· 10.1mm thickness
· 133.5 grams
· Quad-core 1.3 GHz Mediatek MT6580 processor
· 5MP rear camera
· VGA front camera
· 1GB RAM
· 8GB storage (expandable via microSD)
· Android 5.1 Lollipop with Zen UI
· 1,600 mAh battery
· 3G HSPA+ connectivity with dual SIM

YU Yutopia vs OnePlus 2: Two giants collide

Week after week, we've seen YU teasing the arrival of the Yutopia smartphone. And most of its teasers involved the company taking the jibe at the OnePlus 2 and its 'flagship killer' status.

The device was officially announced last week and we now have a very good idea of what to expect from the smartphone. More importantly, this gives us a chance to understand whether all those comments that YU made on the OnePlus 2 were actually justified.

So let's take a closer look at the hardware of the two handsets to better understand how they fare in the market.

Device	YU Yutopia	OnePlus 2
Display	5.2-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) display	5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display
Thickness	7.2mm thickness	9.9mm thickness
Weight	159 grams	175 grams
Processor	Octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor	Octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor
Camera	21MP rear camera with OIS, 8MP front camera	13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB storage (expandable up to 128GB)	64GB storage (no card slot)
OS	Android 5.1 (CyanogenOS 12.1)	Android 5.1.1 (Oxygen OS)
Battery	3,000 mAh battery	3,300 mAh battery
Connectivity	4G LTE with dual SIM	4G LTE with dual SIM
Other features	Fingerprint scanner	Fingerprint scanner

Both smartphones are exclusive to Amazon India and can be bought without invites. Interestingly, both devices are priced at Rs 24,999, which makes things slightly more complex for OnePlus. As you can see from the specs sheet, the Yutopia has a significantly better hardware specs sheet compared to the OnePlus 2, so it already has an advantage in the market. Considering that both devices are priced in the same range, OnePlus will have to do something drastic to remain competitive in the Indian market.

The best iPhone 6S deal for Christmas: save £150 with code XMAS150

Update: this deal will run up until midnight on 31st December

If you're looking for a great deal on an iPhone 6S before Christmas, this is a bit of a cracker. Mobiles.co.uk and O2 are currently offering a fantastic deal on the best-of-the-best iPhone 6S 128GB.

The deal allows you to save £150 on the up front cost of the phone and then get yourself on a good value contract with O2.

It looks to be by far the cheapest and best-value way of getting hold of the iPhone 6S 128GB and even beats most (if not all) of the deals out there on the 64GB model.

Here's the deal: using the voucher code XMAS150 you can save £150 on the superior 128GB version of the iPhone 6S, leaving you paying £150 up front instead of £300. It comes with a brand new O2 contract which offers great value - unlimited calls and unlimited texts with and 3GB data for £31 per month. That's a really good deal.

It's available in Space Grey, Silver, Rose Gold and Gold, so that's all the colours checked off and it will be available until midnight on December 31 - but note you'll need to order by December 22 to guarantee delivery before Christmas!

The best iPhone 6S deal in the UK

We've had a look around to make sure this deal is really worth recommending and we think it is. The only way to get an iPhone 6S for cheaper than this is to go for the vastly inferior 16GB version.

We did find this other deal which offers the same £31 O2 contract with 3GB data - but that'll cost you an extra £25 up front and it's for the iPhone 6S 64GB not the 128GB version.

The phone-only price of this handset on Amazon is currently around £664, which means you're paying an extra £230 for the O2 plan - less than £10 per month.

The XMAS150 deal in full:

iPhone 6S 128GB | £300 £150 up front | Unlimited calls + texts | O2 4G | 3GB | £31pm | £894 total
Use the code XMAS150 at the checkout to save £150 on the best-of-the-best iPhone 6S 128GB handset and pay just £150 up front instead of £300. Then you'll be on a 4G contract with O2 which offers unlimited calls and texts and 3GB data for £31 per month. Total cost of this deal over two years is £894.

• Get this deal in Space Grey
• Get this deal in Silver
• Get this deal in Rose Gold
• Get this deal in Gold
• Voucher code: XMAS150

HTC Desire 828 dual SIM available starting Rs 19,990

A few days ago, HTC had unveiled Desire 828 but at the launch event the company had missed to give out the pricing and availability details. Now they have made the same known. The HTC Desire 828 Dual SIM comes in Dark Gray and Pearl White colours. It will be available exclusively on Flipkart from December 14, 2015 (12am) onwards for Rs 19,990.

Coming over to the specifications of HTC Desire 828, it comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTek MT6753 octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM as well as 16GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 2TB via a microSD card.

It comes with a 2,800mAh battery and connectivity options like dual SIM cards, 4G LTE support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. Moving on the software aspect of HTC Desire 828, it runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop wrapped under Sense 6 UI.

The Desire 828 consists of optical image stabilisation capabilities. It carries a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and an UltraPixel camera for selfie lovers.

At the same launch event, the company had also showcased the HTC A9, which is retailing exclusively on Snapdeal for Rs 29,999.

InFocus M680 released in India carrying a price tag of Rs 10,999

InFocus is actively involved in bringing smartphones to the highly competitive Indian budget smartphone segment. We've seen multiple devices over the past few months and we can add one more to the list today with the launch of the M680.

The handset is an exclusive via Snapdeal in the country, much like every other InFocus device sold in the country prior to this. The M680 is running Android 5.1 Lollipop with an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow on the horizon. The company has already scheduled the update for a couple of handsets, so the M680 should also be high up on that list.

Commenting on the launch, Sachin Thapar, Country Head, InFocus India, Said, "Early this year we debuted in the Indian smartphone market to bring best of the smartphone experience and we have been able to deliver on this promise successfully with Foxconn as our strategic partner. Our long term commitment is further reiterated with our growing network of service centres across 125+ cities in India. With every launch, we aim to exceed consumer expectation with a surprise of delightful experience at an exceptional pricing.

The handset will go up on pre-registration today and will be available in exactly a week from now on the 21st of December.

Hardware specifications of the InFocus M680:

· 5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display
· 7.2mm thickness
· 158 grams
· 64-bit 1.5 GHz Mediatek MT6753 octa-core processor
· 13MP rear camera
· 13MP front camera
· 2GB RAM
· 16GB storage (expandable up to 64GB via microSD)
· Android 5.1 Lollipop
· 2,600 mAh battery
· 4G LTE with dual SIM support
· USB OTG (on-the-go) compatible

Top 10 phones you can buy for under Rs 10,000

The mid-range and budget smartphone industry is crowded with a myriad of low cost handsets from companies like Micromax, Xiaomi, Lenovo and the likes. Naturally, this can make the decision to get a budget smartphone quite confusing for prospective buyers. So in order to make it easier for you, we have compiled a list of devices that are priced at or under Rs 10,000 and should be high up on your list of devices to get.




Lenovo Vibe P1m







Priced at Rs 7,999 this is not the cheapest budget offering available out there, but the hardware specs sheet underneath will surely convince mobile enthusiasts of its potential. With its large 3,900 mAh battery, the Vibe P1m can last long intervals on a full charge. It is currently an exclusive with Flipkart in India.

Hardware specifications of the Lenovo Vibe P1m:

5-inch HD (1280x720) display
9.3mm thickness
148 grams
8MP rear camera
5MP front camera
Quad-core 1 GHz Mediatek MT6735P processor
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB using SIM slot 2)
3,900 mAh battery
Android 5.0 Lollipop
4G LTE with dual SIM support

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Coolpad Note 3







The handset is available via Amazon India for Rs 8,999 and is recommended for phablet lovers in the country. It might be lacking in terms of display resolution compared to a few other devices on the list, but the Note 3 makes up for it with features like Fingerprint Snapshot, letting you take an image with just a touch of your finger on the home button.

Hardware specifications of the Coolpad Note 3:

5.5-inch HD (1280x720) display
9.3mm thickness
Octa-core 1.3 GHz Mediatek MT6753 processor
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera
3GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 64GB)
Android 5.1 Lollipop
3,000 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support


Asus ZenFone 2 Laser







There are several variants of the ZenFone 2 out there that offer excellent value for the price. The ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) is one such handset, which can be bought for Rs 9,999 via Flipkart. As the name indicates, the handset comes with a superior grade Laser Autofocus camera, which enhances imagery to a great extent.

Hardware specifications of the ZenFone 2 Laser:

5.5-inch HD (1280x720) display
10.8mm thickness
170 grams
Quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 128GB)
Android 5.0 Lollipop
3,000 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support


Meizu M2 Note







The M2 Note is the slightly better equipped phablet mentioned in the list here and comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD panel underneath. It also features a superior f/2.2 5 element lens for better images from its 13MP rear camera. It is priced at Rs 9,999 and can be purchased via Amazon India.

Hardware specifications of the Meizu M2 Note:

5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display
8.7mm thickness
149 grams
Octa-core 1.3 GHz Mediatek MT6753 processor
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 128GB)
Android 5.0 Lollipop
3,100 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support

Read Also: Meizu M2 Note Review


Honor 4X







Huawei Honor 4X which comes with a 5.5-inch HD display on board and an overall decent package. It’s an LTE smartphone, which means you can leverage the fastest networks available in India (assuming there is coverage). For Rs 9,999, the Honor 4X is a good value, although thedevice is an exclusive via e-commerce retailer Flipkart.

Read Also: Honor 4X Review

Hardware specifications of the Huawei Honor 4X:

5.5-inch HD (1280x720) display
8.7mm thickness
170 grams
Quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor
13MP rear camera


Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime







Unlike other Xiaomi phones in the past, the Redmi 2 Primecan be bought from a variety of retailers including Amazon,Flipkart as well as Snapdeal. It is priced at Rs 6,999 and is a very capable budget offering considering the kind of feature set it offers.

Hardware specifications of the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime:

4.7-inch HD (1280x720) display
9mm thickness
Quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor
8MP rear camera
2MP front camera
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable via microSD)
Android 4.4.4 KitKat
2,200 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support


Lenovo K3 Note







This is one of the few handsets under Rs 10,000 that offers a 1080p display on board. As such, the K3 Note is a very stellar device and well worth your dime if you don’t mind stretching your budget all the way up to Rs 9,999. The smartphone is available from retailers elsewhere, but it’sofficially available only through Flipkart.

Hardware specifications of the Lenovo K3 Note:
5.5-inch 1080p display
8mm thickness
150 grams
1.7 GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6752 processor
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera
Android 5.0 Lollipop
3,000 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support


Phicomm Passion 660







This has to be one of the most attractive devices on the list, solely because of the hardware packing underneath as well as the pricing. For Rs 8,999, the manufacturer is offering a Full HD display panel, an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and a 13MP rear camera. The handset is available for purchase via Amazon India.

Hardware specifications of the Phicomm Passion 660:

5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display
7.3mm thickness
110 grams
Octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera
2GB RAM
16GB storage (expandable up to 64GB)
Android 4.4.4 KitKat
2,300 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support



2015 Moto E with LTE







This refresh of the original Moto E comes with a very capable hardware specs sheet and a price tag of Rs 6,999 via Flipkart or Rs 6,799 from Amazon India. The smartphone features a stock version of Android and is on course to receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update soon, while the 3G model of the Moto E is likely to miss out.

Hardware specifications of the 2015 Moto E:

4.5-inch qHD (960x540) display
12.3mm thickness
145 grams
1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor
5MP rear camera
VGA front camera
1GB RAM
8GB storage (expandable)
Android 5.1 Lollipop
2,390 mAh battery
4G LTE with dual SIM support


We have left out a couple of Micromax handsets from the list due to some of their steep pricing and lack of “wow” factor that all of the above smartphones possess. However if you feel like we’ve left out some of the devices that you think should have made the list, make sure you share your thoughts with us through the comments box.

Apple finally brings out Smart Battery Case to boost iPhone 6S power

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• Low battery is the bane of every smartphone user, especially those with iPhones, and Apple has just released its first battery case for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6 to tackle the problem.

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• It's called the Smart Battery Case and looks similar to the company's range of normal cases but withthere's a bulge at the back where the extra battery sits.

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• The outside has a silicone material that's soft to the touch and it slips over your phone with ease.

• An extra life

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• Battery-wise we don't have any official size in terms of mAh from Apple, but the company does say it will give you up to an extra 25 hours talk time and an extra 18 hours LTE.

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• There's a choice of charcoal or white, but there doesn't seem to be an option for the iPhone 6S Plus phablet. You charge the case up with a Lightning connector as well, much like you would for your normal phone.

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• If you want to buy one, you can get it now on the Apple Store for US$99.99, £79.99 or AU$165 but you'll have to wait 1-3 days for shipping or pick it up in a store.

iOS 9.2 update: Here's what's new for your iPhone and iPad

• Apple's iOS 9.2 update launched today, and it's such a minor software update you may not have noticed its changes. It's still worth upgrading, however.

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• Standout iOS 9.2 features fine tune Apple Music, give Siri a new language to understand and add support for a USB SD Card reader, according to 9to5Mac.

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• Most importantly, There are also a bunch of bug improvements, including a fix for alarms that would randomly turn off and potentially ruin your morning wake up call.

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• Today's firmware update applies to all three lines of iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and the often-forgotten iPad touch.

• Here's the iOS 9.2 list of changes

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• Apple Music improvements

• You can now create a new playlist when adding a song to a playlist

• Your most recently changed playlist is now listed at the top when adding songs to playlists

• Download albums or playlists from your iCloud Music Library by tapping the iCloud download button

• See which songs have been downloaded with the new download indicator next to each song in My Music and Playlists

• See works, composers, and performers while browsing Classical music in the Apple Music catalog

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• Apple News

• A new Top Stories section in News so you can stay up to date with the most important news of the day (available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia)

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• Mail Drop

• Mail Drop in Mail for sending large attachments

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• iBooks

• iBooks now supports 3D Touch to peek and pop pages from the table of contents, your notes and bookmarks, or from search results inside a book

• iBooks now supports listening to an audiobook while you browse your library, read other books, or explore the iBooks Store

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• USB Camera Adapter

• iPhone support for the USB Camera Adapter to import photos and videos

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• iOS 9.2 bug fixes

• Improved stability of Safari

• Improved stability of Podcasts

• Fixing an issue that caused mail attachments to be inaccessible for some users with POP email accounts

• Resolving an issue for some users that caused attachments to overlap text in mail

• Fixing an issue where Live Photos could have turned off after restoring from a previous iCloud backup

• Addressing an issue that could cause search in Contacts to display no results

• Resolving an issue that could have prevented Calendar from displaying all seven days in week view

• Fixing an issue where Camera screen on iPad could be black when attempting to capture video

• Addressing an issue that could cause instability in the Activity app when viewing the day of Daylight Savings Time transition

• Fixing an issue that could prevent data from appearing in Health

• Fixing an issue that could prevent Wallet updates and Lock screen alerts from displaying

• Addressing an issue where updating iOS could prevent an alarm from going off

• Fixing an issue where some users were unable to login to Find my iPhone

• Fixing an issue that prevented some manual iCloud Backups from completing

• Addressing an issue where using the iPad keyboard could unintentionally trigger text selection mode

• Improved keyboard responsiveness when using Quick Reply

• Improved punctuation input on the 10-key Chinese (Pinyin & Stroke) keyboards with new expanded view of punctuation symbols and better predictions

• Fixing an issue on Cyrillic keyboards where caps lock would be enabled when typing in URL or email fields

• Accessibility improvements

• Fixing issues with VoiceOver when using Camera face detection

• Adding support for VoiceOver to wake up the screen

• Adding support for VoiceOver to invoke app switcher with 3D Touch gesture

• Fixing an issue with Guided Access when trying to end phone calls

• Improved functionality for Switch Control users when using 3D Touch

• Fixing an issue with speech rate of Speak Screen

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• Siri

• Siri support for Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates)

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• That's everything from Apple's official iOS 9.2 release notes. We'll update this article if we discover any more off-the-record improvements as we test out this latest update.

6-inch Asus ZenFone 2 Laser is now available at Rs 17,999

The 6-inch variant of ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE601KL) is now on sale in India. Apart from the 6-inch display, the phone also offers Qualcomm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor Snapdragon 616 which is clocked at 1GHz. This is coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
This can be expanded via microSD to up to 128GB. Apart from this Asus is offering ASUS WebStorage 5GB for lifetime and Google drive of 100GB for free for no additional cost.
One of the highlights of the Asus ZenFone 2 Laser is its camera. The phone is fitted with a 13-megapixel f/2.0 PixelMaster camera with dual-LED flash, and Laser auto-focus. There is a 5Mp front camera. As per Asus, the Laser auto-focus lets you focus in 0.03 seconds.
The 6-inch Asus Zenfone 2 Laser is priced at Rs 17,999 and will be available in Red, Silver and Gold colour options. The smartphone will be offered through popular online shopping portals such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Snapdeal. The company has shared that the offline retails stores will get this smartphone second week of December.
The phone comes offers Android 5.0 out of the box along with a layer of Zen UI 2.0. It packs in 3000mAh battery.

Huawei Mate 8 looks impressive, but you're in for a long wait

Huawei has released its new flagship phone in the form of the Mate 8 – and it comes with a 6-inch full HD screen and a fingerprint sensor on the back much like the Mate S.

Under the hood is Huawei's latest Kirin 950 SoC which includes an octa-core CPU made up of four A72 2.3GHz cores and four A53 1.8GHz cores.



Huawei is promising improved voice controls, roaming, navigation and payment capabilities, and a power-saving firewall on the Mate 8, while other reports point towards a supersized 4,000mAh battery. That should hopefully yield some impressive stamina results.
But there's a wait

Huawei is also including the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow software with a freshly redesigned Emotion UI 4.0 for the phone as well.

It's not clear what Huawei has done to its UI yet, but it's only good news for us – every phone we've seen running Emotion recently has been pretty heavily customised.

The phone itself is made of aluminium and is available in gold, silver, grey and brown

The Huawei Mate 8 launches in China today and will be coming to international markets right after an official unveiling at CES 2016 in January.

InFocus releases M808 smartphone with 5.2-inch FHD screen and 4G LTE for Rs 12,999

InFocus is not a stranger to the budget and mid-range mobile market in India. The company has just unearthed yet another mid-ranger for the highly competitive segment carrying a price tag of Rs 12,999. As with all the other InFocus phones we've seen in the country, this one too will be available exclusively via Snapdeal.

At first glance, it seems like the pricing might be a little too steep given the hardware on board, but InFocus clearly thinks otherwise.

There are no distinguishing features here to make it stand out from the competition, but the company will rely on its partnership with e-commerce retailer Snapdeal to reach a wide range of customers across the country. The smartphone will be available in Metallic Gold and Metallic Silver color variants.

Speaking on the launch, Sachin Thapar, Country Head, InFocus India, said, "The kind of overwhelming consumer response we received for our last flagship launch of M812 reaffirmed our belief that today's style conscious smartphone users are looking for a device which sets them apart from the crowd, with an aspiring design and stellar performance. Full metal design is undoubtedly the true benchmark for premium looks and with InFocus M808, we have yet again accomplished the best in the category design with a delightful performance."

Hardware specifications of the InFocus M808:

· 5.2-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display
· Octa-core 1.3 GHz Mediatek MT6753 processor
· 13MP rear camera
· 5MP front camera
· 2GB RAM
· 16GB internal storage (expandable via microSD)
· Android 5.1 Lollipop
· 2,450 mAh battery
· 4G LTE with dual SIM support

Lava Iris X10 available online for Rs 10,990

The Lava Iris X10 smartphone has just been released in India carrying a relatively steep price tag for a budget device. The handset is an exclusive via HomeShop18, which means you can't get it elsewhere.

It's quite appalling to spend Rs 11,000 for a device with no 1080p display, especially when you compare it with a bunch of sub Rs 10,000 smartphones that are available in the Indian market.

The device comes with a relatively large 2,900mAh battery, which should keep the device going for long intervals. The fact that the display is only 720p will ensure that the battery life is not impacted. The phone will be sold in the solitary White color variant.

Hardware specifications of the Lava Iris X10:

· 5-inch HD (1280x720) display
· 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
· 13MP rear camera
· 5MP front camera
· 3GB RAM
· 16GB storage (expandable via microSD)
· 2,900 mAh battery
· Android 5.1 Lollipop
· 4G LTE with dual SIM support

Micromax Canvas Pace 4G Q416 launched via eBay for Rs 6,821

Micromax Canvas Pace 4G Q416 launched via eBay for Rs 6,821

The budget 4G smartphone market is heating up with Lenovo, Phicomm and ZTE already in the sub-Rs 5,000 segment. Micromax has now thrown its hat in the ring with the Canvas Pace 4G, albeit with a relatively higher price tag of Rs 6,821.

The handset is only available via eBay India for now and is available freely with none of the pre-registration brouhaha. Despite featuring 4G LTE on board, the smartphone has a very sub-par hardware specs sheet, so it seems like the company has only focused on the 4G aspect of the device.

The processor used here is the low-end Snapdragon 210, so don't expect insanely great performance from the phone. Micromax is only offering the smartphone in a solitary black color option, so color choices are relatively limited for the customers.

We think a price cut would make the smartphone a very attractive offering in India. But for Rs 6,821, the Canvas Pace 4G will fail to make any sort of impact on the market, considering how there are similar (or even better) offerings available for under Rs 5,000 in the region.

Hardware specifications of the Micromax Canvas Pace 4G:

· 5-inch FWVGA (480x854) display
· 8.8mm thickness
· 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor
· 5MP rear camera
· 2MP front camera
· 1GB RAM
· 8GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
· Android 5.1 Lollipop
· 2,500 mAh battery
· 4G LTE with dual SIM support

Nokia could be back with a full blown Android phone

Nokia could be back with a full blown Android phone

Remember Nokia? The company used to be the king of the mobile world back in an era of Nokia 3310s and Snake, but more recently the company struggled to adapt to the harsh new reality of smartphones and apps.

But it appears Nokia isn't quite down and out - as Mobile Choice UK reports that new supposed leaks suggest that the company is cooking up a new device dubbed the C1. Positioned decidedly in the mid-range category, the device is rumoured to have a 5-inch screen, full HD resolution, an Intel processor and 2GB of RAM.

So far, so ordinary. But what makes it interesting is that the new device will apparently come in versions: on that runs Windows 10 and another that runs a full version of Android.

Nokia dabbled briefly with Android ecosystem, under the then stewardship of Microsoft, when it launched the heavily forked Nokia X and Nokia XL back at MWC 2014 - but the Nokia C1 looks to be a fully fledged Android device.
Contractual wrangles

As part of the sale with Microsoft, Nokia supposedly agreed to not manufacture any new phones itself until Q4 2016 - which could be problematic, though the speculation is that Nokia could simply outsource the actual manufacturing to another company (perhaps a bit like Google does with its Nexus handsets).

Previous to this, Nokia has managed to get around this agreement by making not a phone, but a tablet. The Nokia N1 was released earlier this year and runs a customised version of Android (Nokia's Z Launcher) - and judging by the leaked images, it appears the same will be the case with the C1.

Lenovo Vibe S1 with dual-selfie camera launched in India for Rs 15,999

Lenovo has today announced another phone in the Vibe series with the VIBE S1. The phone was first unveiled at the IFA 2015 at Germany and it is the first smartphone in the world to come with two front cameras.

The phone is available on Amazon India and will be available in Pearl White and Midnight Blue colours. As per the company, the dual-front camera set up helps one unleash their creativity with selfies. It is priced at Rs 15,999.

Lenovo Vibe S1 comes with a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) display. The smartphone is powered by a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor along with 3GB of RAM. There is 32GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 128GB via MicroSD card. The phone offers Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box and comes fitted with a 2,500mAh battery. It supports 4G LTE connectivity.


As mentioned above, the USP of this smartphone is its dual-front cameras. There is an 8 MP BSI primary front camera and a 2 MP secondary front camera analyzes depth of field information to replicate human binocular vision. These two cameras work in tandem to unleash a myriad of new possibilities that can give selfies a creative twist.

"Having witnessed a significant demand for selfie devices on Amazon.in, we are excited to offer the much-awaited Lenovo VIBE S1 to our customers across India. We see this as a great opportunity for our customers across India. We believe this is a great product that combines selfie features with design and technology," said Noor Patel, Director Category Management, Amazon India.

There is 13MP rear camera boasts a phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) camera. It is an aesthetically designed smartphone, which is 7.8mm thin profile and weighs 132 grams.

Speaking on the occasion, Sudhin Mathur, Director- Smartphones, Lenovo India said "We are dedicated to innovation by bringing in the latest hardware and software technologies, features and proficiency to the market with every device, based on constant feedback by consumers. The VIBE S1 is in line with Lenovo's ideals of combining superior aesthetics with innovative technology that gives optimum value to its customers."

Lenovo Vibe S1: First impressions

Lenovo Vibe S1: First impressions

From the initial expressions, we have to say, Lenovo Vibe S1 is definitely a premium looking device. The smartphone has an aluminum frame, a curved glass back with a glossy finish, which seems largely inspired from the Samsung S6/S6 Edge and looks quite premium. But at the same time, is a fingerprint magnet. A Vibe branding in chrome is embossed at the centre of the glass and a 13MP rear camera with LED flash sits at the top.
The front has a 5-inch full HD display with three touch capacitive buttons at the bottom, a speaker grille at the top, light sensors and the dual front facing cameras- one 8MP primary camera and another 2MP secondary shooter.
Vibe S1 feels quite light (132g) and solid and its rounded edges makes it a comfortable to use even with one hand.

​Display





Lenovo Vibe S1 boasts a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The display is very responsive and has good brightness levels.
However, colours don’t seem punchy. We will evaluate the display performance in direct sunlight during the detailed review of the smartphone.



Cameras- the highlight





The highlight of the smartphone is its dual selfie cameras, which includes an 8MP main shooter and a 2MP secondary camera. While taking a selfie, you can turn on the dual camera mode by simply tapping on the dual camera icon on the top. After you take a selfie, you can then blur the background or cut the subject and add a different background. The DSLR-like blur effect works quite well and gives decent images with the main subject in focus; but we did not enjoy the swap/cut out feature on this. You have to make a number of attempts to get the required effect.
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Besides, the 13MP rear camera is capable to take amazing shots. We were delighted to see the detailing in the pictures taken in day-light conditions. The colours look quite punchy and the camera sensor does not waste any time in locking a subject and capturing it. The low-light performance is also very good. We will talk more about the camera performance and will show the sample shots in the detailed review of the smartphone.
What’s inside?





Under the hood is a 1.7GHz octa-core 64-bit MediaTek MT6752 SoC, paired with 3GB RAM, which we found to be smooth during the little time that we spent with the handset. There were no lags in basic screen navigation, application loading and shifting from one app to another during multitasking. Lenovo Vibe S1 runs Android 5.0 with Lenovo’s custom UI running atop, which were pretty smooth.

​More to know





Lenovo Vibe S1 has a 32 GB of internal storage that can be expanded by up to 128GB via microSD card. The non-removable rear panel of the smartphone hides a 2,500mAh battery unit, which seems to be a bit underpowered. We will evaluate its performance during the review of the device.
The smartphone has dual SIM 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS as connectivity options. It is available in Pearl White and Midnight Blue colours on Amazon.in.