Micromax A77 Canvas Juice with 3000 mAh battery on sale for INR 7,999

Micromax has released a new Android smartphone in the Indian market. Dubbed as A77 Canvas Juice, the smartphone packs a huge 3,000 mAh battery and is currently available on HomeShop18 for INR 7,999.

Other specifications of Micromax A77 include 5-inch FWVGA display, Android 4.2.2, 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 5MP rear camera and VGA front camera. As you can see, apart from the battery, all other specifications of the phone are decent but not great. The phone is clearly meant for consumers, who are more concerned about the battery backup of their phone than other features.

The smartphone will be joining Micromax’s Canvas line-up, which includes other smartphones like Canvas Fun, Canvas HD, Canvas Turbo and Canvas 3D.

In related news, Micromax has also released A116i Android smartphone in India, which is currently selling for INR 12,090 and comes with Android 4.2, 5-inch HD display and quad-core processor.

Micromax Canvas Juice A77 key specifications

• 5-inch display with 854x480p resolution
• Dual-SIM support
• 1.3GHz dual-core processor
• Android 4.2.2
• 5MP rear camera with LED flash, VGA front camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G
• 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, MicroSD card slot
• 3000 mAh battery

Samsung announces Galaxy Grand 2 with quad-core CPU and 720p display

Samsung has announced a successor to the Galaxy Grand that was launched earlier this year. The Galaxy Grand 2 is a much-improved version of the earlier phone and brings some high-end features to what is hoped will be a mid-range phone. It resembles the Note 2 sporting a 5.25-inch display, but do not expect a stylus to be accompanying it. 

The Galaxy Grand 2 features a 16:9 720p display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It comes with support for Samsung's Multi Window feature that allows multitasking on the device’s large screen. The processing speed has been stepped up as the Galaxy Grand 2 is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz and there's a healthy 1.5GB of RAM on board. It runs on Android 4.3, and there is no word on whether it will get Android KitKat.

Here’s a quick look at its key specifications:

• 5.25-inch HD display with 1280 x 720pixels of resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi
• 8 megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash, 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera
• 8GB onboard storage, expandable upto 64GB via microSd card slot

All of this is fuelled by a 2,600mAh battery that promises up to 10 hours of playback and 17 hours of talk time. The smartphone also offers dual SIM capabilities. Continuing the Galaxy legacy, the Grand 2 comes with some smart features that continue such as the Story Album to organize pictures, an S Translator app, a Samsung Hub, S Travel, Samsung Link and more. It is also expected to get some features from high-end Galaxy models, but support for Galaxy Gear is still unknown.

It measures 146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm, and tips the scale at 163 grams. Samsung has not gone colourful with the Galaxy Grand 2, offering the now-standard white, black and pink colour options. There is no word on the pricing and availability yet, but we expect an early 2014 launch.

Grand Quattro successor, Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo launching in India soon?

Samsung definitely seems to have a busy month ahead, setting the stage for a bunch of mid-range phone launches. Hot on the heels of Galaxy Grand 2 officially being launched, a new report from BGR suggests that the Taiwanese company is working on yet another successor, this time for the Galaxy Grand Quattro. The Grand Quattro was launched in India back in May for Rs 17,290, but saw the price dropping to Rs 16,900 soon after.  

While details are scarce, the device may come with a new name in tow: the Galaxy Grand Neo. It is expected to come with better specifications than its predecessor and could be launched in India by December this year. There has not yet been any confirmation from Samsung about the existence of this device yet, so it is tough to validate these claims for now.

While it is still not clear what the Grand Neo will get, a quick look at the specs of the Grand Quattro reveals that it comes with a 4.7-inch TFT display with a resolution of 400x800 pixels. Under the hood, it is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8625Q Snapdragon 200 1.2GHz quad-core processor, an Adreno 203 GPU and 1GB of RAM for some extra processing power. Te 5-megapixel primary camera is decent enough for basic photos, although the VGA front shooter is a disappointing feature in the smartphone. Rounding up the offering is a 200mAh battery, which seems ideal given the low resolution display and CPU. 

The company’s latest launch, the Grand 2, comes with a 5.25-inch 16:9 display and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The handset packs in Samsung’s Multi-Window feature for multitasking on the large screen. Bumping up the processor speed, the Grand 2 is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 1.5GB of RAM. The device runs on Android 4.3 right out of the box, and there is no word yet on whether it will get Android’s latest flavour, KitKat. While there is no word on the pricing and availability yet, an early 2014 India launch is expected.

Huawei's Ascend Mate 2 leak hints at 1080p display, better CPU

The last time we saw a phablet offering coming from Huawei was back in June, when it launched the Ascend Mate in India for Rs 24,900. The company now plans to bump up its offering with a successor, tentatively being called the Ascend Mate 2. A new leak from Huawei News comes with a bunch of images that help to fill some of the gaps in the specifications sheet. 

The source, while referring to an anonymous tipster, shows off what it claims to be photos of Ascend Mate 2, along with a screen shot of Android setting page showing the Android version, model name and other details. According to source, the new device may come with a 6.1-inch IPS display, the same as its predecessor, but with a higher resolution, presumably 1080p.

Under the hood, it is expected to be powered by HiSilicon’s latest Kirin910 chipset with a 1.6GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-450 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Other features expected in the specs list include 16GB of internal memory and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean coupled with the latest version of Emotion UI. There is no official word from Huawei about this, though. There is also no mention of a possible release date, estimated price tag, or the number of markets the device may be headed for. 

The company’s earlier offering, the Ascend Mate, came with a 6.1-inch HD IPS+ display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and Corning’s Gorilla Glass for protection. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Hi-Silicon K3V2 processor. It also comes with Intel’s XMM6260 HSPA+ chip for high-speed 3G Internet.

The Ascend Mate adds 2GB of RAM as well as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box. For the photographers among us, the device offers an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 1-megapixel front shooter. On the connectivity front, we have the usual options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Rounding up the package is a massive 4050mAh battery. .

Karbonn Titanium S7 up for pre-order for Rs 14,999

Karbonn has now entered the full HD smartphone arena by unveiling the Titanium S7 in India. It is now listed on Flipkart and can be pre-ordered for Rs 14,999. The listing clearly states that the estimated release date is in the fifth week of November. The handset measures 72x143.5x9.3mm and is available only in black colour.

The handset comes with a 5-inch full HD display OGS technology. It also offers dual-SIM support and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. Under the hood, the S7 is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, although the chipset has not been specified.

For the photographers among us, the S7 comes with a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter for those occasional selfies. It offers users 16GB of internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. While the actual capacity of the phone battery has not been mentioned, the listing shows that the handset will give you a paltry four hours of talk time on 2G and 200 hours of 2G standby time. There are no details about the RAM capacity of the model. Given the amount of usage that smartphones see these days, the dismal battery life may prove to be a deal-breaker for most users.

Here’s a quick look at the specs of the Karbonn Titanium S7:

• 5-inch full HD display, 1920x1080 pixel resolution, One Glass Solution technology
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE
• 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front camera
• 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot

While the S7 is the latest device on Karbonn’s roster, the company also has plans to introduce another smartphone for the market soon: the Titanium X. Originally thought to be the first full HD device from the company, the device will come with a 5-inch IPS display (1920x1080 pixels). Under the hood, it will be powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. On the photography front, we get a 13-megapixel rear shooter with auto focus and dual LED flash as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. Rounding up the offering is a 2,300mAh battery. There is still no word on when the device will be hitting the market.

2013 Google Nexus 7 available on India Play Store starting at Rs 20,999

Earlier this month, Google had listed the Nexus 7 (2013) on the Google Play Store with a “coming soon” tag. And now excited fans can finally buy the tablet through the online store. The 16GB model of Nexus 7 is priced at Rs 20,999 and 32GB variant for Rs 23,999 on the Google Play Store. The Wi-Fi+3G version of the tablet is also available for Rs 27,999. This model is said to support LTE, but we are not sure it has the right LTE radio for India. While the 32GB model ships in one to two days, the site mentions that the 16GB Nexus 7 will start shipping only after November 26. 

Along with the Nexus 7, the Nexus 5 is also available on the Google Play Store. Google had also listed the 16GB Wi-Fi only Nexus 10 for Rs 29,999, but that has not gone on sale yet. We wonder when Google will launch the bigger Nexus tablet in India, considering it's over an year old.

The Nexus 7 is about 2mm thinner and 50g lighter than its predecessor. In a major improvement over the last-generation model, the display on the sleeker tablet will have a 1920x1200 resolution with a pixel density of 323 ppi. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, which has four Krait cores clocked at 1.5GHz along with Adreno 320 GPU and a healthy 2GB of RAM. 

The new Nexus 7 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but the company has begun rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat update for the device. The 7-point touch IPS panel is supposed to be not just scratch resistant, but also smudge resistant. It must be noted that the older Nexus 7 is no longer on the Google Play Store, so it could be that Google is discontinuing sales of that tablet. If you are still looking for the older  Nexus 7, then you can buy it for around Rs 9,999 (16GB model) at online and offline retailers.

Nintendo reportedly working on Android tablet with focus on educational games

Nintendo is apparently working on a gaming-centric tablet. The tablet’s existence was revealed by Nintendo of America software engineer Nando Monterazo, who was talking about it on Twitter. Sadly enough, the tweets talking about the tablet have since disappeared, but fansite Nintendo Everything managed to collect a few of them detailing some of the features of the tablet.

"Experimenting with a tablet of Nintendo, the system is based on Android, fully modified and unified as a database of the tablet. #Android," said one of Monterazo's tweets. Another one said, "At the moment just testing communication environment of educational games that will be shared between the kids using the tablet! #Tablet" Another tweet reveals that while Nintendo is testing out Android, the company prefers a system written in C/C++ in a Unix environment for the tablet.

While the tablet may eventually see the light of day, the sad part is that it won’t really be a core gaming system. One of the tweets mentioned that instead of seeing big-name first party Nintendo games like Mario or Zelda, it will be primarily focused towards children and will feature educational games. The game will feature many of Nintendo’s staple characters, the most popular ones being Mario, Luigi and Link. The tablet may not even be commercially released, as another tweet mentions that it is aimed at schools to help with education.

Nintendo presumably wants to focus its core games on the 3DS handheld and the Wii U console. We’ll have to wait and see what the Japanese game maker does in the coming months. If a tablet were to be unveiled, it would probably be shown off at next year’s Tokyo Game Show.

Microsoft releases Xbox One SmartGlass app for iOS and Android

Just days before the Xbox One hits its first few markets, Microsoft has released the companion SmartGlass app for iOS and Android. The app is available on Google Play and the iTunes App Store for free, and will provide functionality such as allowing you to navigate through the Xbox One's UI using the smartphone.

Some of the features of the app include the ability to control your media and set top box through SmartGlass and browsing the web on your TV while controlling it with your smartphone. The app's biggest feature, however, is that it allows some games to use your smartphone or tablet as a second screen, which adds to gameplay. For example, while you play Battlefield 4, your iPad can be used as a screen dedicated to Commander Mode.

The app also brings some extra features, such as the ability to search, browse and pin content to play on your Xbox One. Social features of the app include the ability to track achievements, get game help, message friends and watch recorded gameplay footage that has been shared through Xbox Live.

Sadly enough, the app only seems to be available to those who live in countries where the Xbox One is making its debut in a couple of days. The app shows up as incompatible with our smartphones on Google Play, and refuses to show itself on the iTunes App Store.

While you’re eagerly waiting for the Xbox One to come out, you can check out our list of games for the console that are shaping up to be definite must-buys

Intex to announce i17 octa-core smartphone in January 2014

Earlier this week, Intex made headlines with the announcement that it was teaming up with MediaTek to bring India’s first new true octa-core smartphone. The company has now officially announced its true octa-core smartphone, which is slated to release in January 2014 . "i17" is reportedly just the codename and the smartphone may be released sporting another name altogether. The official company statement doesn't mention any name/codename. 

Though most of the features were already revealed, there seems to be some changes to specifications list. The smartphone sporting a massive 6-inch display and is likely to come packing a 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor coupled with 2GB RAM under the hood.

Here’s a quick look at some of the specifications of the Intex i17:

• 6-inch HD IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels of resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• GPS with A-GPS
• 13-megapixel rear camera with BSI/AF, 5-megapixel front shooter
• 16GB and 32GB internal memory variants

Rounding up the offering is a 2,300 mAh battery, which may not be enough for all the features that the device is said to come with. MediaTek’s MT6592 chipset, announced in July, promises better performance in terms of gaming, as well as other functions like surfing, better video playback as well as better battery performance. While there is no official word on the pricing, it is speculated that the smartphone may be priced under Rs 20,000 for the 16GB model.

New leak reveals 12.2-inch Samsung tablet in the pipeline

Samsung was last in the news when FCC listings showed a new smartphone in the works, titled the SM-G7102. Another listing from the database now suggests that the company could be working on a 12.2-inch tablet as well. And the tablet may have 3G functionality as well. 

The 12.2-inch Galaxy Note tablet (if it comes to the market bearing that moniker) is currently listed as Samsung SM-P905. The device, in terms of specifications, could come with a 2560x1600 resolution display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM according to leaked AnTuTu benchmark scores. The specifications, if they turn out to be accurate, will make the tablet one of the best in the category once it is released. The FCC listings also come with a second model for the same tablet, titled Samsung SM-P901, which is said to be a 3G-enabled device.

Other features hinted at include an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front shooter, 32GB of internal memory and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. There is still no word from Samsung about this new tablet, though. If the device does in fact exist, an official announcement could be headed our way before the holiday season starts off in the international market. There is no word on the new tablet coming to India any time soon, though. 

The last tablet that came our way from Samsung was the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.Announced in September, the device, as the name suggests, comes with a 10.1-inch Super-Clear LCD display sporting a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. The device comes with two variants, each with a different processor under the hood.

The first, sporting an Exynos 5 Octa SoC clocked at 1.9GHz, was recently launched in India for Rs 49,990. The second variant, coming with a Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, is aimed at LTE markets. The tablet comes with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean running the show and packs in 3GB of RAM.

iPad Air, new iPad mini reportedly coming to India on November 29; prices revealed too

Apple’s new iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display could be headed to Indian market on November 29, according to a report by NDTV Gadgets. Quoting from sources in the know, the report claims to have also gotten its hands on the prices of both tablets. 

It looks like the 16GB Wi-Fi only model of the iPad mini with Retina display might be launched at Rs 28,900. The 32GB, 64GB and 128GB Wi-Fi only models may set users back Rs 35,900, Rs 42,900 and Rs 49,900 respectively. The 16GB variant of the mini with cellular connectivity will be priced at Rs 37,900. The 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models of the same could come with a price tag of Rs 44,900, Rs 51,900 and Rs 58,900 respectively.

The high-end iPad Air, on the other hand, might be launched with a price tag of Rs 35,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model. The 32GB, 64GB and 128GB Wi-Fi only models could come with a price tag of Rs 42,900, Rs 49,900 and Rs 56,900 respectively. The 16GB model with cellular connectivity might be priced at Rs 44,900.  The 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models might sport a price tag of Rs 51,900, Rs 58,900 and Rs 65,900 respectively. It must be noted that these are unconfirmed claims and Apple has not released any information about either the prices or the possible launch date. 

The report also claims that Apple will continue to sell the 16GB Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini without Retina display for Rs 21,900, which is the current price of the tablet. The cellular model, on the other hand, may see a hike in the price, moving up from Rs 29,900 to Rs 30,900. The 16GB version of the iPad 2 could continue to sell for Rs 28,900 and Rs 37,900 for the Wi-Fi and cellular models respectively.

Videocon launches VT85C tablet with voice-calling for Rs 8,999

Adding to the proliferating number of budget tablets in India, Videocon has launched the new VT85C. The 7-inch 3G calling tablet is priced at Rs 8,999.

Sporting a 7-inch capacitive display, the Videocon VT85C is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor coupled with 1GB RAM. It runs on a rather old version of Android, namely, 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Under the hood, the tablet is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery.

Here's a quick look at the specifications of the VT85C:

• 7-inch capacitive display with 1024 x 600 pixels of resolution
• 3G (SIM only), Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• GPS with A-GPS
• 5-megapixel rear snapper, VGA front-facing camera
• 4GB onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB

"With the tablet market in the country expanding every passing day, we seek to become a strategic player in the mix of things who offers the best of technology at the most affordable of pricings to the consumer. With the VT85C we are entering an important segmentation of the market wherein with our value-oriented tablet we will compete aggressively against the bigger players," said Khalid Zamir, head of Product Planning and Development at Videocon Mobile Phones.

Google Nexus 5 now available on India Play Store starting at Rs 28,999

At long last, the Nexus 5 has shed the coming soon tag on the Indian version of the Google Play Store and has gone on sale. You can purchase the Nexus 5 from Google’s online store starting today.

The 16GB version of the smartphone is available for Rs 28,999 and the 32GB variant is on sale for Rs 32,999. The phones are available in black and white colours and Google promises to start shipping the device in one or two days. 

Besides the smartphone, Google is also prompting users to take a look at official accessories for the new Nexus device. On sale are coloured bumpers as well as QuickCovers. The bumper costs Rs 2,499 and the QuickCover cases with a flap cost Rs. 3,299. While the bumpers are ready to ship in a day or two, Google isn’t selling the QuickCovers yet.

A quick look at the specs of the handset shows a 4.95-inch IPS display with 1920x1080 pixels of resolution. Under the hood, the device packs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 800 SoC clocked at 2.3GHz, and coupled with 2GB of RAM. The best part of the smartphone is probably the fact that it's the first one to come with the latest iteration of Android, version 4.4 KitKat.

As far as photography goes, the smartphone comes with an 8-megapixel snapper as well as a 1.3-megapixel front shooter. The handset also comes with Optical Image Stabilisation and HDR+ mode, among other features. The device measures in at 69.17x137.84x8.59 mm and weighs 130g. Connectivity is taken care of with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS integrated. Rounding up the offering is a 2300mAh battery.

Karbonn Titanium X spotted online with full HD display, quad-core CPU

Aquick look at smartphone manufacturer Karbonn’s official website reveals that the company is gearing up for the launch of its first phone with a full HD display, the Titanium X. From what can be seen, it looks like the handset will pack a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Under the hood, the device will come with a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). 

In terms of photography, the handset will give users a 13-megapixel auto focus rear camera with dual LED flash as well as a 5-megapixel front shooter. The company has put NFC support in the Titanium X and rounds up the offering with a 2,300mAh battery. There is still no word on the RAM and memory of the new handset. The initial specs sheet shows that the device should be on par with rival Micromax’s recently launched Canvas Turbo.

While the company has still not announced an official release date for the new device, it is estimated that the Titanium X should be seen sometime soon. There is also no mention of the price at which this new handset will be made available at. 

Here’s a quick look at the specifications of the Karbonn Titanium X:

• 5-inch IPS display, 1920x1080 pixel resolution
• NFC-support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• 13-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and dual LED flash, 5-megapixel front camera
• Internal memory not mentioned

The company’s last addition to the Titanium series was the S9, which was launched in July for Rs 19,990. The device comes with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and a pixel density of 267ppi. The handset runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. Packing into the phablet is a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash as well as a 5-megapixel front shooter. 

The device comes with 16GB of internal memory, expandable up to 32GB through a microSD card slot. The dual-SIM handset comes with three sensors- an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor. Under the hood, the handset comes with a quad-core MediaTek MTK 6589 chip clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 1GB of RAM.

Canon launches PowerShot S200 digital camera in India for Rs 19,995

Canon India has launched its new PowerShot S200 in India. The latest entrant in the PowerShot range, the camera comes in a pocket-sized, compact body. It comes with a Controller Wheel and Control Ring that aims to make shooting images comfortable for both people who wish to shoot only with auto as well as for those who wish to shoot with the manual mode.

The Canon PowerShot S200 is a 10.1-megapixel digital camera with a CCD sensor. It has been provided with the same, larger f/2.0 (W) lens that we’ve seen to be a part of existing S series models from Canon. The camera has a 24mm 5x optical zoom that can be extended to approximately 9x zoom with the help of Zoom Plus that comes with 36 Scenes Smart Auto and Face ID. 

The camera runs on the Advanced Digic 5 imaging processor which enhances its HS System by incorporating an advanced algorithm for better picture quality. Canon says that the PowerShot S200 reduces far more noise at levels as high as 6400 ISO. The PowerShot S200 lets you record videos in HD Movie with stereo sound.

The camera has a 3-inch LCD screen for you to view images on. It also comes equipped with Intelligent IS that automatically detects subjects, adapting to optimal image stabilisation. Canon says that the PowerShot 200 is capable of instantly focusing within 0.20 seconds thanks to High Speed AF. The camera comes equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities that allow you to share images and videos faster. Canon has even made the CameraWindow app for Android and iOS devices available for the PowerShot 200 too. 

The camera is available in India for Rs 19,995

Installation details of Xbox One launch titles revealed

Thanks to some goof ups at various retailers, a lucky few have managed to get their hands on the Xbox One. One of them, a NeoGAF user with the alias Moonlightswami, has revealed the installation sizes of some of the launch games available for Microsoft’s next-gen consoles. In case you’re thinking this might be a bluff, Moonlightswami has been identified by Microsoft as being one of the few to get the console early.

Some of the installation sizes for the next-gen titles seem reasonable, while others seem straight out unreasonable. While a 20GB for the open-world Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag makes some sense, a 43GB install for NBA 2K14 seems to be too high for a basketball game. However, we still aren’t sure how good these games actually look, so it is entirely possible that the large installation sizes include high-resolution textures as well as high-quality audio.

Here’s the list of installation sizes for some Xbox One launch games:

• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag - 20GB
• Battlefield 4 - 33GB
• Call of Duty: Ghosts - 39GB
• Dead Rising 3 - 19GB
• FIFA 14 - 8GB
• Fighter Within - 9.2GB
• Forza Motorsport 5 - 31GB
• Just Dance 2014 - 22GB
• Killer Instinct - 3.4GB
• Lego Marvel Super Heroes
• Lococycle - 13GB
• Madden NFL 25 - 12GB
• NBA 2K14 - 43GB
• NBA Live 14 - 9GB
• Powerstar Golf - 3.9GB
• Ryse: Son of Rome - 34GB
• Skylanders: Swap Force - 15GB
• Xbox Fitness - 246MB
• Zoo Tycoon - 2.6GB
• Zumba: World Party - 24GB

The Xbox One is set to officially hit its first 14 markets on November 22.

Micromax to assemble smartphones in India from next year

Domestic handset company Micromax will start assembling phones locally by the first quarter of next year. “We have a plant in Rudrapur and have already started assembling of phones on trial basis there. It will be commercially launched in the first quarter of next year,”Micromax Co-founder Rahul Sharma told PTI.

The facility employs over 400 people. Currently, Micromax imports devices from China, where it has tie ups with manufacturers such as Foxconn. The company, which plans to start exporting to Russia beginning next year, is aiming for a turnover of more than Rs 6,000 crore by the end of the current financial year. “We closed last year at about Rs 3,168 crore and we are looking to double that this financial year. We are on track to be a billion dollar company by FY 14,” Sharma added.

The company is betting big on its smartphone portfolio. According to IDC, Micromax stayed at the No 2 spot for Q2 of 2013 with shipments crossing 2 million units. Its share of the smartphone market increased to 22 per cent from 18.8 per cent in the last quarter. Sharma said the company will also explore the European market. “Russia is the first step. After Russia, we are moving on to Europe, the work is going on,” he said. The company plans to introduce over 20 devices in the next six months.

How to install Android 4.4 KitKat launcher on any Android phone

If you’re an Android user, then no doubt you’re itching to get your hands on 4.4 or KitKat as it’s fondly known. Nexus 4 users are in luck as Google will be officially rolling out 4.4 very soon but what about the rest of us that aren’t rocking a Nexus. It will be an easy couple of months before OEMs begin seeding this to their flagship handsets and God knows how long before it trickles even further down. Rather than ditch your ROM for custom 4.4 builds, there’s a quicker and safer option to satiate your sweet tooth. The good folks over at XDA Developers have already ported the KitKat launcher from Nexus 5 and is now available in an easy to install APK file. 

Warning: While there is little to no risk in damaging your phone during this process, proceed at your own risk as we are not responsible for any issues that may occur with your device. 

Now, before we proceed, this will only work as long as you have Jelly Bean 4.1 and above. If you do have it, then here’s what you need to do:

• Download the following file ‘launcher4.4.zip’.
• Once downloaded, unzip the file and you’ll have 3 APKs inside – ‘GoogleHome.apk’, ‘PrebuiltGmsCore.apk’ and ‘Velvet.apk’.
• Next, transfer all the APKs to your phone. You can place them in the root or create a new folder for them, doesn’t matter.
• Use a file manager to browse to these APKs from your phone and install them in this order – PrebuiltGmsCore.apk, Velvet.apk and GoogleHome.apk. All these files have to be installed in order for the launcher and Google Now to work correctly.
• Now, simply select the launcher by pressing the ‘Home’ button and you’re all set.

We tried this on the HTC One and it worked just fine. We had an issue while installing the first file, ‘PrebuiltGmsCore.apk’. In case you’re unable to install this, simply go to Apps and uninstall the updates to ‘Google Play Services’. Now try installing the APK and it should install just fine. After this, you can proceed to install the other APKs. You’ll probably have to enable Google Now after this as it wasn’t enabled by default when we tried it. To do this, simply search for anything in using the search bar on the home screen, then scroll down and go to settings to enable Google Now. 

Nokia teases Instagram for Windows Phone, app coming soon

Instagram is finally coming to Windows Phone and users are already excited about the prospect. In a bid to raise the levels of excitement, Nokia has tweeted out a teaser image of how the photo-sharing app will look on a Windows Phone device. 

While there is still no concrete date when Instagram is supposed to debut on the Windows Phone platform, we now have a vague idea of how it will look thanks to Nokia USA’s tweet. “You did it,” the tweet reads as it goes on to yet again say that the application will be landing on Windows Phone“in the coming weeks”.

Earlier this month, against the backdrop of the Nokia World event at Abu Dhabi, Instagram’s CEO Kevin Systrom finally announced that the application was going to make its much-awaited debut on the Windows Phone platform. 

The growing base of Windows Phone users were having to make do with third-party applications like 6tag to compensate for not having Instagram on the platform. Even while Android and iOS versions of Instagram were enjoying regular updates as well as features such as video-shooting capabilities, and more filters, Windows Phone users had been left in the lurch. Headed by Nokia, users even started a Twitter petition earlier this year called #2InstaWithLove, urging the app maker to hasten the process of releasing its app for Windows Phone.

It looks like the pressure has finally worked and even while we may not know how long it will be before Instgram does debut on Windows Phone, we know its only a matter of time now.

A tale of two tablets: Nokia Lumia 2520 vs iPad Air

Apple and Nokia both picked the same day to roll out a bunch of new devices for the market. While the highlight of Nokia’s announcement was the company’s first tablet, the Lumia 2520, Apple came up with a lighter, slimmer tablet, the iPad Air. While the Apple’s new product is the latest addition to the popular iPad series, the Lumia 2520 is Nokia’s first move into the tablet arena. Both devices come packed with the latest features and specs, and we decided to compare the two to see which one is the better tablet. 

Design: 
The iPad Air comes with the same 9.7-inch screen as its predecessor, but is packed in a form that is considerably lighter and thinner. In fact, during Apple’s keynote, the company showed off an ad for the device where it claimed that the device is thinner than a pencil. The weight of the tablet is also much lesser than before, now standing at 0.45kg. The company has said that the new device is the lightest full-sized tablet in the market. In terms of design, Apple has also managed to reduce the bezel, making the iPad Air only 7.5mm thick, much lesser than its predecessor, which came in at 9.4mm.

The Lumia 2520, on the other hand, comes with a larger screen, measuring 10.1 inches diagonally, a full HD display, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. However, the Retina display on the iPad Air gives the tablet a definite edge. A point in Nokia’s favour, though, is the ClearBlack Display filter on the 2520, which the company has promised will make it easier for users to read outdoors. 

Camera: 
The Lumia 2520 is a definite winner here. Nokia’s tablet offering comes with a 6.7-megapixel rear camera with Zeiss optics and an f1.9 aperture. The tablet also comes with a 2-megapixel front shooter packed in. The iPad Air, on the other hand, comes with a standard 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front shooter. That being said, it should be remembered that most users don’t pick up a tablet because of the camera it sports, so while it is an important point, it is not the deciding factor.

Operating system: 
The Lumia 2520 comes with Microsoft's latest tablet-centric operating system, Windows 8.1 RT. The company has said that the OS has been customised for thin and light PCs that make use of ARM processors. Along with the OS, the company has also packed in the full Microsoft Office suite as well as other apps like Mail, Xbox Music and SkyDrive pre-installed. 

But the iPad Air comes with the much-talked about iOS 7, which comes with a colourful interface and a bunch of other features, like an improved notification center as well as a control panel. Apple has even rolled out iWorks for free as well, and one of the main attractions of that suite, KeyNote, is definitely a very cool app. 

In short it definitely looks like the iPad Air wins out here. Apart from the UI, though, a crucial point that needs to be made is the app store that each platform brings to the table. Apple announced that its App Store now has more than 450,000 customised apps for the iPad. The Lumia 2520, which is based on the Windows platform, does not come close to that number.  

Processor: 
The star of the show in the iPad Air is the new A7 chipset that comes with 64-bit desktop class architecture. The company has said that the new processor will make the tablet eight times as fast as its predecessor. The 64-bit chip will definitely allow for faster processing, but the lack of apps that can utilise its potential is the one drawback. Also packed into the tablet is the company’s M7 motion co-processor, which will offload work from the core processor to increase efficiency. The tablet has also seen a bump up in terms of memory, with the company now rolling out 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models. 

The Lumia 2520 comes with a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. While this is Qualcomm’s most powerful processor currently in the market, benchmark tests by PCMag comparing the A7 with the Snapdragon 800 have shown the former blowing away the competition by a significant margin. In terms, of storage, the Lumia 2520 comes with 32GB of internal memory that can be expanded by a further 32GB via a microSD card slot. 

Battery: 
Apple has said that the iPad Air has a battery lifespan of 10 hours. The Lumia 2520, on the other hand, comes with 11 hours of battery life and a $149 attachment called Power Keyboard that gives the device up to five more hours of battery life. In this category, an important one, it looks like the Lumia 2520 does much better than the new iPad. 

Price: 
The iPad Air and the Lumia 2520 start at $499 (Rs 30,700 approx). It should be noted, though, that the base model of the iPad comes with only 16GB of memory. Thus, at the base price, the Lumia 2520 comes with better storage, and that is a crucial point in our books. 

Over all, in terms of hardware and OS, the iPad Air wins out. The Lumia 2520, while it comes with a better camera and a good processor, does not quite hit the mark due to its Windows 8.1 RT OS. The difference in size between the app stores also has a role to play. Keeping all the differences in mind, it looks like the iPad Air might win out in the minds of prospective tablet buyers. Another point that should be noted is the fact that Apple has managed to attach a premium tag to its tablet line-up. The Lumia 2520, being Nokia’s first tablet, is yet to prove itself.