Tag: andorid

Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 6: Looks Inspired by Apple’s iOS 7 UI

MIUI 6 includes more colourful, minimalist interface with enhanced security features. Upcoming Xiaomi, Mi 4 and best selling Mi 3, will receive the MIUI 6 official update soon after another round of developer testing.Xiaomi, is taking its “Apple of china” title too literally. As its latest version of UI is looking very similar to Apple’s iOS 7.

MIUI 6, which is Xiaomi’s upcoming UI for its latest phones and tablets, looks almost exactly like Apple’s iOS. It includes the same bright color palette and a flat design. It even does away with app drawer and puts all apps on your home screen. Xiaomi used big white spaces accented with bright colors within its core apps, very much similar to iOS 7.

Despite the changes in the looks, there are few enhancements. The dialer app for example will show you caller ID for unknown numbers.

Other major changes include lockscreen display. You can see the number of pending notifications straight from the lock screen and get to the app showing it directly by pulling up on the number.The Notification Center has also been revamped to show floating pop-up notifications at the top of the screen without compromising with the whole display. The notifications are interactive, allowing you to do things like answer a phone call from the notice.

It is not surprising that many people are calling MIUI 6 a straight iOS rip-off, but it also have features exclusive to MIUI such as customizable notification toggles, MIUI themes and the permissions manager.

Also Read: iOS 8 features that are inspired by android

Aug 18, 2014
LG G Pro 2 – Android v4.4.2 (KitKat) with Quad core 2260 MHz processor

LG has been coming up with superb devices for a while now. We saw them launch the Optimus G, Nexus 4, G Pro, G2, Nexus 5 and various other devices that impressed us. This Korean manufacturer has working hard to give tough competition to the market leader. The recently launched LG G2 is a powerful device which brought some new hardware and software features with it. Now they have showcased another new device which would go against the popular phablets in the market. This new device is LG G Pro 2, the second iteration of their LG G Pro phablet.

This device is slightly bigger than the previous device and has got some new hardware and software features. They have put the powerful Snapdragon 800 chipset in it that we saw on the LG G2 and Nexus 5. Also they have increased the display size and battery capacity over the G Pro. The camera has also been improved and you can do lot more than ever. So here is a closer look on this upcoming device.

Design

The device measures 157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3 mm and weighs 172 gms, exactly the same as G Pro. You can see already from the numbers that the device is huge, even bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Using the device with one hand is something we humans can’t do. While the G Pro had a physical home key up front like older LG devices, this one follows the scheme we saw on the G2. The power and volume controls are on the back of the device. You can easily operate these controls using your first finger once you get accustomed to this setup.

The build quality is pretty good though now we would love to see them use some premium materials. The device will be available in three colours: white, silver and titan. Just like the G2, the G Pro 2 has got a very slim bezel around the display. The display measures 5.9 inches measured diagonally. The LG logo sits below the display where the physical key used to be on the G Pro. Overall the design is neat and the device surely feels premium.

Display

The device, as we already said, has a 5.9 inch display. It is an IPS LCD display like on many other high end LG devices. It has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 which gives it a pixel density of 373 pixels per inch. It used to be almost 400 pixels per inch on the G Pro due to smaller display size. Being an IPS display, it has got superb colour replication and viewing angles. Sunlight readability should be good too as it has got decent brightness. Watching high definition videos would be an absolute treat on this device. To protect the display from scratches, they have gone for gorilla glass 3 protection on the display. So even if you put keys and coins in the same pocket as your phone, you won’t end up with scratches on the display.

Hardware

Like the Nexus 5 and G2, this device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset. This is one of the most powerful chipset powering many popular devices. The quad core processor runs at a clock speed of 2.26 GHz. The graphics are handled by an Adreno 330 GPU and it has got 3 GB of RAM. You get the storage option of 16 and 32 GB with a micro SD slot that can house storage up to 64 GB. They have switched the 3140 mAh battery in G Pro for a slightly bigger 3200 mAh battery in this one.

For connectivity you get the usual options like USB 2.0, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Infrared.

Camera

The device has got a 13 megapixel camera. While the resolution is same as the G Pro, there have been a number of other improvements. It has got optical image stabilisation with the lens assembly mounted on springs. The competition is stiff with all the rivals boasting high end camera specs so they would have to live up to the expectations. You get the usual goodies like face detection and high dynamic range photography. They have added something called ‘magic focus’ which allows you to alter the depth of focus. The upgrade here is in the video section. Instead of 1080p, you can record videos in 2160p at 30 fps. You can also record slow motion videos at very high frame rate. It supports 1080p videos at 60 fps and 720p videos at 120 fps.

They have done something fresh to the front camera as well. With the 2.1 megapixel front camera, they have added something to shoot selfies in dark. You can reduce the size of viewfinder and it would put a white border around it. This would illuminate your face in dim lit environments.

Software

The device runs android 4.4.2 Kit Kat with the LG UI on top of it. This is pretty standard but they have added some new features like the Knock Code. Some LG devices previously got the Knock-on feature which allowed people to turn on the display by tapping on it twice. On this device, the display is divided into four zones and you can set a combination to tap on the display. This would turn on the display and unlock the device as well. Also there is content lock which can be used to password protect certain files, photos and videos. There is also a mini view like on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which scales down the display for one handed operation.

Verdict

This device seems promising and with all the new software features, a tough rival to the Galaxy Note 3. We are yet to see when this device makes it to our market. If they price it well, it might sell in good numbers.

Author Bio: The article has been written by Kundan Kumar, who is passionate about technology. He’s working at 91mobiles.com and writes about the latest in the tech domain, right from devices to innovations. You can follow me on Twitter

Mar 7, 2014
MWC 2014: Nokia launched its first android phone series X, X+ and XL

Nokia has finally launched its series of Android phones at MWC 2014, The low-cost devices are running a forked version of Android laden with Microsoft services, as well as the ‘Fastlane’ UI as on Nokia’s Asha.

The aim is to make the Nokia X a bridge to high-end Windows smartphones under the Lumia brand. It will ditch many of the Google services that come with Android, which Google lets phone makers customize at will.

“More and more people are buying smartphones for less that 100 euros,” said Stephen Elop, Nokia executive vice president.

However, as the Nokia X is not an ‘Android’ device in the exact sense as it doesn’t have Google Play certification, apps need to be loaded onto the device from Nokia’s own app store, which provide special section for apps that run on devices in the Nokia X family. Other than loading apps via Nokia’s app store, users will also be able to download them from third-party app stores like Yandex or side-load an APK directly onto the device from a computer.

The first of the devices are the Nokia X and Nokia X+: both feature 4.0-inch WVGA displays, while the X+ will be slightly beefed up. Internally having a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC with a 1.0 GHz dual-core CPU, a 1,500 mAh battery, dual-SIM support, as well as a 3-megapixel fixed-focus camera and a microSD card slot. The X has 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage, while the X+ comes with 768 MB of RAM.

“The essential reason in Microsoft being interested in Nokia mobile phones and not just Lumia is that they are also [looking to] connecting the next one billion [people] to the cloud; to their cloud services like Skype and Outlook and such.

Feb 24, 2014
Improve and visualize sleeping habits with Sleep as Android
Sleep as Android is an accelerometer-based sleep cycle tracking app that provides a nice set of helpful ‘sleep tools’, including lullaby mode, sleep noise recording, lucid dreaming detection audio and a Captcha test. But more interesting feature is sleep cycles, by which it knows just the right time to wake you up.

Previously, people used to huge amount of money on devices that would track and improve their sleeping habits, but now you can do this by just using an application that you can get from the Google Play Store: Sleep as Android. There are many such apps, for both Android & iOS devices, but Sleep as Android is one of the best on the market. There is a ‘free 14-day trial’. There is also a pro version with all the features Sleep as Android has, we believe it’s very good value for money.

Sleep Tracker

Let’s talk about the most useful feature ‘Sleep Tracker’: each night, before sleeping, put the app into a mode that uses your phone’s gyroscope, then lay your phone on your bed near you and just go to sleep.

How it Works: The app will then track your movements in the night and plot them on a nice graphical view for you, times of inactive movement are referred to as “deep sleep” (or rapid-eye-movement cycles) as opposed to times when you’re more active. It is helpful to wake you up during a period of light sleep, making it easier to get out of bed.

Trying this on subsequent nights can get you interesting and useful results. You can see comparisons of nights across a span of time, and figure out exactly how much you slept. You can set ‘ideal sleep range’ from preferences menu so the app can tell your cumulative sleep different from ideal.

Lullaby and time-to-bed notification

Sleeping aids such as lullabies are also included.

Aids also include an insistent time-to-bed notification — For the set alarm, the app will also notify you the ideal time for bed so that you get the ideal sleep as you want..

Other Features:
- Gentle alarms
- Sleep noise recording;
- Special lucid dreaming detection audio
- Captcha test.
Sleep as an Droid is available on Google Play
Feb 6, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 : The Grandeur in High Definition

The much awaited sequel to the popular Galaxy Grand series from Samsung is finally here and quite pleasantly, it lives up to the hype. The Grand series phones from Samsung that can be accommodated in all different price brackets and yet offer the grandeur and power of some big, high end models like the S-series and the Note.

The Galaxy Grand 2 sets the ball rolling with advanced and enhanced hardware as well as improved software. It also sports a much identical faux leather look as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Grand 2 packs in a 5.25-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU and packs in RAM cache of 1.5 GB. It runs on Google’s Android 4.3 OS an also comes with S Travel, Story Album, S Translator, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Samsung Link and Samsung Hub. The device’s further details are highlighted below.

Better display

If there is one thing that truly stands about the Galaxy Grand 2, then it has to be its better and bigger display. With a 5.25-inch screen, the Galaxy Grand 2 gets a bigger screen than the previous version. Its screen is also bigger than the Galaxy Grand Quattro that was launched in May. The Galaxy Grand 2’s display features a 720p display with a 1280×720 pixels screen resolution. Samsung had released news about the launch of this phone and it did not mention the inclusion of a screen protector.

Processor

The Galaxy Grand 2 from Samsung comes powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor. It also packs in massive RAM cache of 1.5 GB which is an advancement over the Galaxy Grand’s 1 GB RAM. However, the Korean handset manufacturer has kept the same internal memory capacity of 8 GB with the Galaxy Grand 2. The internal memory remains the same for all Galaxy Grand devices. With the Galaxy Grand 2, the user can expand the memory capacity up to 64 GB with a micro SD card.

Design

Out of all the phones in the Galaxy Grand series, the Galaxy Grand 2 is the thinnest of all. It is only about 8.9 mm thick and is lesser than the Galaxy Grand, which is thin at 9.6 mm while the Galaxy Grand Quattro measures 9.7mm in thickness. The Galaxy Grand 2 gets a stitched leather look on the rear panel that was first seen on the Galaxy Note 3 phablet. The leather texture also renders it a smooth touch feel which is lacked by the other Galaxy Grand phones.

What comes as even more interesting is that the enhanced display size and the much powerful processor of the Galaxy Grand 2 do not lead to a rise in its weight. The Galaxy Grand 2 weighs only 1 grams more than the earlier Grand. The Galaxy Grand 2 will be sold in trendy pink color options, as was seen with the Galaxy Note 3, apart from white and black.

Camera and battery

Samsung’s Galaxy Grand 2 gets the same camera as seen in the Galaxy Grand. It features a 8 megapixel primary shooter apart from a 1.9 megapixel front camera for video calling. The front-facing camera of the device can be utilized for clicking self-portraits as well as recording 720p HD videos.

The primary snapper also has features like Continuous Shot, Best Photo and Best Face. Samsung also provides an improved battery with the Galaxy Grand 2. It gets a 2600 mAh battery pack for supporting the enhanced processing power and the big screen of the device.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Grand 2 get slotted as a mid-range phablet and features a host of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. It has dual SIM card slots, WiFi Direct, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GLONASS A-GPS, Bluetooth v4.0, 3.5 mm audio jack and MicroUSB V 2.0. The 2600 mAH Li-ion battery back up provides enough charge to use the device for a complete day for low to normal usage.

Operating System

The Galaxy Grand 2 really impresses with its OS. It is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and sports similar features as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The 4.3 Jelly Bean is the latest version of Android and comes with an interface that well complements the premium and advanced features of the device. Samsung Link, Group Play, Samsung Hub, Sound & Shot, S Travel, S Translator, Story Album are some of the premium features that make way in the Grand 2.

Samsung is also offering three months free access to Club Samsung that features music, movies, entertainment lives shows content and gigs.

Price

It was expected that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy Grand 2 at a price of about Rs. 21,500. This was the same price at which Galaxy Grand was launched. However, Samsung maintains a Rs. 22,990- Rs. 24,990 price bracket for the Galaxy Grand 2. Samsung is also providing some freebies with the phone. The Galaxy Grand 2 went on sale in India last week of December, 2013. Also, the Canvas 5 and the Intex i17 were also launched in the market. The Intex i17 Octa-Core comes at a price of Rs. 20,000 and the Canvas 5 also carries a similar price, thus giving stiff competition to the Galaxy Grand 2. It remains to be seen whether Galaxy Grand 2 makes its presence felt in the market and beats its competitors.

The Galaxy Grand 2 also features dual SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality. It comes in three exciting colors- Pink, Black and White and gets Samsung’s exclusive S Translator, Story Album, Sound & Shot, S Travel and other software. Samsung also launched a one-stop destination –Club Samsung for its India-based infotainment content.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 faces cut-throat competition from home-grown handset makers like Karbonn, Xolo and even Micromax. All these manufacturers have launched their flagship devices like the Karbonn Titanium SD, Xolo Q3000 and the Micromax Canvas Turbo. What remains interesting is that all these devices pack in better specs than the Galaxy Grand 2 but come at a price below Rs. 20,000.

Jan 20, 2014
‘Jelly’ helps Crowdsourcing answers from your social networks

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has launched Jelly, an app that helps its users to find an answer to whatever question puzzles them at the moment.

Jelly is intended to tap into the potential of users’ extended social network. It allows users to post a query, accompanied by a picture or a drawing, and receive a response from the people they know and trust.

The idea behind Jelly, was to create a search engine that would give relevant results with knowledge from friends and family, rather than from a generic algorithm. Although, there are several existing social QnA apps and forums like Quora, Jelly utilises pictures for the same purpose.

One can click a picture and ask his/her friends across Facebook and Twitter. With imagery, the discussion becomes more interactive. Each query is submitted to the people in the network who also have Jelly. The app notifies the user back when there are answers.

The company touts three specific benefits to its app. The first is that it works with your existing social networks — it’s not something new that you have to sign up for. Secondly, it allows you to forward your questions outside of your friends so it’s not constrained to 150 people or 5,000 folks on a particular social network. Lastly, questions aren’t limited to text-only. Users can upload an image, crop it, reframe, draw on it to help add more specific context to their inquiry.

The idea for a social search service has been criticised in the media, with many observers pointing out that users can already share their questions, accompanied by pictures, through existing social networking services, and don’t really need Jelly.

Jelly was named after the jellyfish. Stone was inspired by this sea creature saying that the neurological decentralization of the animal has caused it to be more of a ‘group-think’ one whose brain is “more ‘we’ than ‘me’.”

➤ Jelly for iOS | Android

Jan 15, 2014
Intex launches Aqua i4+ with dual-sim at Rs 7,600

Intex has launched its new phablet Aqua i4+ with 8MP camera in India at Rs 7,600.

or those who are interested in this piece of hardware, we have listed its features in detail. The very first thing that is likely to catch your eye as soon as you take a look at the phone is its screen that offers a viewing real estate of 5 inches. The phablet’s display has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, which isn’t all that bad.

“Intex Aqua i4+ is yet another endeavour from Intex to meet the expectations of today’s consumer in terms of design and performance. With its impressive specifications and features, Aqua i4+ promises to be a smart and powerful smartphone capable of providing smooth user-experience”, said Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Business Head- Mobile, Intex Technologies.

It has 3G, HSPA+, and Bluetooth 4.0 as connectivity options. It comes with a large 2000mAh battery which the company claims can give a talk time of 6 hours and a standby time of 220 hours.The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean phone also has a 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 MP front camera.

The phone will feature pre-installed instant messaging apps like WeChat and OLX along with 5 GB of free cloud storage through an Intex Cloud app.
Available in Pearl Blue and Pearl White, Aqua i4+ will be available across 40,000 plus retail outlets, Inext Squares (exclusive retail stores), hypermarkets and e-commerce portals.

Key specifications of the phone:

– 5-inch touchscreen
– 8MP camera, 1.3MP webcam
– 1.2GHz dual core processor
– Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS
– 512MB of RAM
– 4GB onboard memory, expandable up to 32GB
– 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth GPS
– 2000mAh battery

Dec 29, 2013