Lava Launches 3G Calling Tablet For 8,499

Home-grown handset maker Lava on Sunday launched its 3G calling tablet ‘IvoryS´ for 8, 499.

The 7-inch dual SIM device, weighing 300 grams, features Mediatek’s 1.3 GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory (expandable up to 32 GB).

It runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system and sports a 3.2 MP rear camera, VGA front camera for 3G video-calling and has a 2,800 mAh battery.

It also comes with a host of youth-centric productivity and security apps and games such as Opera, Hungama Music, WhatsApp, Paytm and EA Games.

“IvoryS is especially designed for youngsters and young working professionals to engage them with a stylish product that meets their requirements of entertainment and connectivity at an affordable price,” Lava International co-founder and director S.N. Rai said.

The device will be available across national retail chain stores, multi-brand outlets across India and online stores.

“MediaTek’s dual-core processor, the MT8312, is designed to deliver high performance for tablets and advanced multimedia and display configurations. Powered by this processor, the IvoryS tablet is set to provide the best user experience coupled with low power consumption,” MediaTek GM (International Sales and Marketing) Finbarr Moynihan said.

Read More

Acer Launches Iconia W4: First Usable Windows Mini-Tab?

Acer was the first device maker to come up with an 8-inch tablet called Iconia W3 that has Windows 8 in its crippled RT version as its operating system (OS). But, due to the below average screen, bulky appearance and expensive pricing, it remained largely unpopular.

The Taiwanese company has brought out a successor to W3 named the Iconia W4 that promises to chunk out the drawbacks of the predecessor. It comes with Windows 8.1, the latest version of Windows available, reports Anupam Saxena of Times Of India.

Design, Build and Display

Acer Iconia W4 weighing 415 grams looks heavy and bulky when compared to the iPad mini or any Android tablet. The 8-inch display panel is raised to a little extent on the frame. A hardware button is provided just below the display to help you access the Windows Start screen at the tap of a button. The Power or screen-lock key is located at the top edge.

The 2MP front-facing camera is placed at the top in portrait mode while the 5MP camera is provided at the rear. The rear camera does not come with an LED flash so it's not possible to click acceptable pictures in low light conditions.

Acer Iconia W4 has an 8-inch LED multi-touch display (1280 x 800 pixels). The manufacturer has taken in user’s feedback and has improved the screen. Colours look bright and viewing angles are good too. Text and graphics look sharp and crisp as well. But, the only drawback with Iconia W4 is that the display is very reflective and not suitable for outdoor use. The tablet sports a 5-point multi-touch control too.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, Acer Iconia W4 is powered by a 1.33GHz quad-core processor from Intel coupled with 2 gigabyte of RAM. For graphic support, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD GPU is made use of.

It was reported that the tablet performed well in daily tasks like web browsing, playing casual games, using Office, and watching HD videos. The tablet can handle games like Jetpack Joyride and Angry Birds, which can be downloaded from the Windows Store.

For casual use, the tablet delivers about 7 hours of battery backup with the screen on full brightness and when connected to Wi-Fi. It can be charged with any micro-USB charger. A 64GB variant of the tablet provided about 40GB space expanded up to 64GB via a microSD card.

Software

The tablet presents a good Windows 8.1 experience. You can run all applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop or Tally on a regular Windows PC or notebook. Iconia W4 also has Office Home and Student 2013 edition pre-installed. Apps like Acer Docs, Acer Media, Nero BackItUp, Evernote Touch, Amazon, Kindle, newsXpresso, TuneIn radio and Skype are already installed for the user.

Read More

Aakash 4 Tablet Computer To Be Priced At 3,999

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal said low-cost tablet PC Aakash 4 will be available in the market in around one and a half months for Rs 3,999. He added the directorate general of supplies and disposals (DGSD) has already floated the tenders for the tablet.

The tablet comes with a 7-inch scratch resistant capacitative touchscreen, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G and 4G connectivity, 4GB internal storage, external memory card slot with storage capacity of up to 32 GB, front camera, etc. The Aakash project was Sibal's brainchild when he was the HRD minister.

The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students to enable them access Internet for educational purposes.

He also said the government will soon move ahead on the proposal of merging state-run BSNL and MTNL. The merger of the companies is part of DoT's plan for the revival of the public sector telecom units.

The government has already decided on pension issues plaguing both the public sector units along with refund for wireless broadband spectrum worth more than Rs 11,000 crore to MTNL and BSNL.

Read More

Android Tablets To Buy Under 10,000

Tablets are increasingly becoming most popular gadgets with consumers and are pitted against home PCs. These big screen mobile devices offer entertainment, apps, internet browsing and many such fun things and come at amazingly cheaper prices along with good specs. Read on know 8 best Android tablets you can buy under 10,000.  

Asus Google Nexus 7 (16 GB), Price About:  9,999

The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean tablet houses a 7 inch wide IPS display screen with a resolution of 1280X720 pixel s. The tablet is fuelled by Nvidia Tegra 3 quad core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and ULP GeForce GPU. The gadget is powered by a 4325mAh Li ion battery and features a 1.2MP front facing camera but disappointingly does not have a rear camera. The tablet comes with 16 GB of internal memory and there is no card slot for further expansion of the storage. It is a Wi-Fi only model.

Lenovo IdeaTab A1000, Price About: 7,455

Lenovo’s IdeaTab A1000 comes with a 7-inch TFT screen with 1024x600 pixels resolution and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The dual-core Mediatek processor is clocked at 1.2GHz and backed by 1GB RAM has PowerVR SGX531u GPU. When it comes to memory, IdeaTab A1000 has 4GB internal storage and can support up to 32GB via microSD card.

Adding to the basic specifications, IdeaTab A1000 houses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB, a VGA camera in front for amazing video calling and a 3,500mAh battery.

Videocon VT85C 3G, Price About:  9,099

Videocon, as part of expanding its offerings in budget tablet segment, has launched 3G-calling tablet Videocon VT85C in November 2013. The single SIM device supports 3G and comes with other connectivity options including GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB port.

Equipped with 7 inch capacitive touchscreen at 1024x600 pixels resolutions, the tablet runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a dual-core Cortex A9 processor coupled with 1 GB RAM. The device comes with 4 GB of internal storage which can be further expanded to 32 GB through mciroSD.

It has a 5MP rear camera and VGA front camera for decent photographic experience. Its heavy duty 3000 mAh battery can offer a long power backup.

Micromax Funbook Mini P410, Price About:  8,890

Micromax is trudging into the low cost tablets with call features priced less than 10,000 with Micromax Funbook Mini P410. The device comes with 7 inch LCD display at 1024x600 pixels resolutions. The dual SIM tablet runs on 4.1 Android Jelly Bean mobile platform powered by 1 GHz dual-core processor coupled with 1 GB RAM. It has 4GB of inbuilt storage which can be expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The optics of the tablet includes a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. There is a 2800mAh battery which can deliver up to 4 hours of browsing time as the company claims.

iBall 7334i, Price About 9,324

iBall 7334i is a dual SIM tablet powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 dual-core processor coupled with 1GB RAM. The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet comes with 7-inch display at 1024 x 600 pixels resolution.  The device comes with 16GB of internal storage which can further be expanded upto 32 GB via microSD card. It sports 2MP rear camera accompanied by flash and there is a 0.3MP front camera. iBall 7334i packs  a huge 3000 mAh battery which offers good battery backup and comes with connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS with A-GPS support.

 

Xolo QC800, Price About: 9,999

Riding on the success of its Xolo branded Smartphones the Indian Manufacturer Lava has debuted into tablet market with Xolo QC800. The tablet packs amazing specs for the price tag it carries.  It comes with 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225Q quad-core processor coupled with 1 GB RAM and Adreno 203 GPU and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Xolo QC800 has 8-inch display at 1024x768 pixels resolution. The device packs 4 GB of internal memory which can be further expanded to 32 GB through microSD. The 2 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front camera offer basic imaging requirements.

When it comes to connectivity options, the tablet has a single SIM slot which supports 3G, and the other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB port. It packs 4000 mAh Li-Po battery which the company claims to provide12 hours of talktime and 360 hours of standby on 3G network.

Karbonn Smart Tab 8 Velox, Price About: 6,299

 

The Smart tab 8 from Karbonn sports an 8-inch display with 1024x768 pixel resolution and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It comes with a 3MP rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera and supports HD video playback up to 1080p.

Besides, it is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with 1GB RAM and offers an internal storage of 1.5GB, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. It comes with a 4500mAh battery and offers connectivity features like 3G support via USB dongle, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI.

 Karbonn Smart Tab 2, Price About: 4,999

 

To mark an imprint in the tablet market, Karbonn comes with India’s first tablet that runs on the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Operating system. The 7-inch SmartTab equips 5 point multi touch screen and pre-loaded apps like Karbonn Smart Browser and Karbonn Smart games. The tablet is powered with a 1.2 GHz Xburst processor and a 3700 mAh battery. It also comes with Wi-Fi and HDMI and  a 2 mega pixel camera offering good quality pictures. Aiming to game and music lovers, Karbonn’s Smart Tab 2 is designed with an internal memory of 4 GB which is expandable up to 32 GB using a microSD.

Read More

Best Tablets That You Can Buy Right Away

Gadget world is fast evolving with newest devices losing their newness in no time. When consumers were agog with dual-core processors there was advent of quad-core processors and now the octa-core processor based devices are around the corner. So there is a need to keep abreast with latest and best in tech. Read on to know 5 latest and best tablets that you can buy right away.

Google Nexus 7 2013 edition

The latest Google Nexus 7 2013 edition manufactured by Asus hit the Indian market sometime back in November last year. The device is available in various memory options, the Nexus 7 (2013) 16 GB Wi-Fi only model is up for 19,549, while the 32GB version is available at about 22,000. The 32GB Wi-Fi plus 3G model is up for 24,949.

The tablet comes with 7.02 inch IPS screen with HD display of 1080X1920 pixel at 323ppi. The screen is made safe with the Corning Gorilla glass protection. The tablet runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz coupled with 2GB RAM and 400 MHz Adreno 320 graphics. It comes with 16GB and 32GB storage memory and lacks slot for further expansion. The gadget also houses a 5MP primary camera with 1080pixel HD video recording and a 1.3MP front piece.  The connectivity features includes Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi Dual-band, NFC, micro-USB v2.0 and Wireless charging. Nexus 7 is fueled by a 3950 mAh battery that provides up to 9 hours of back-up.

XOLO Play Tegra Note Tab

XOLO Play Tegra Note Tab is the first Nvidia Tegra 4-powered 7 inch tablet launched by Lava in the Indian market December 2013. The device claimed by Lava as ‘the world’s fastest 7 inch tablet,’ is up for grabs at ‎15,349.

Based on Nvidia's Tegra Note reference design, the tablet is equipped with 7-inch IPS display with 1280x800 pixels of resolution.  Powered by a 1.8GHz Tegra 4 processor with a 72-core GeForce GPU and quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU with fifth battery saver core the device is complimented by 1 GB RAM.

The tablet comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage that is expandable up to 64GB via microSD. It opens up new avenues for photography with a 5-megapixel rear camera, 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It also sports front-facing HD audio stereo speakers accompanied with a 'bass-reflex port'. According to Lava, the Xolo Play Tegra Note runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, but the company will soon adopt android 4.3 update.

iPad Mini with Retina display

The much awaited iPad Mini with Retina Display hit the Indian market in December last year. The launch was to rival Google’s 2013 edition of Nexus 7 tablets. The device came in many versions each priced differently. iPad Mini with Retina Display Wi-Fi only  models cost Rs 28,900 for 16GB, 35,900 for 32GB, 42,900 for 64GB, and 49,900 for 128GB versions respectively. The Wi?Fi+Cellular versions cost 37,900 for 16GB, 44,900 for 32GB, 51,900 for 64GB, and 128GB for 58,900 respectively.

The acclaimed tablet comes with 7.9 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen at 1536x2048 pixels resolutions reflecting 16M colors. The screen is protected by Oleophobic coating. The tablet runs on iOS 7.0.4 mobile platform and is powered by Apple A7 Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone processor coupled with 1GB RAM and PowerVR G6430. The device comes with Non-removable Li-Po battery (23.8 Wh) and has 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus rear and 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps front facing camera.

Apple iPad Air

iPad Air launched alongside its younger sibling in December last year came in many versions at different price points. The Wi-Fi only version of iPad Air costs 35,900 for 16GB, 42,900 for 32GB, 49,900 for 64GB, and 56,900 for 128GB version respectively. The Wi?Fi+Cellular versions cost 44,900 for 16GB, 51,900 for 32GB, 58,900 for 64 GB, and 65,900 for 128 GB respectively.

The iPad Air comes with 9.7 inches LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen at 1536x2048 pixels resolution reflecting 16M colors. The display is scratch-resistant glass with oleophobic coating. The tablet running on iOS 7.0.4 under the hood packs a Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone processor coupled with 1GB DDR3 RAM and PowerVR G6430 GPU. The device comes with Non-removable Li-Po battery (32.4 Wh) and has 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus rear and 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps front facing camera.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, like iPad Air, comes in different memory variants such as 16, 32 and 64G and the 32GB Wi-Fi+3G variant costs 46,990.

The device which was launched in October 2013 comes with 10.1-inch Super clear LCD WQXGA (Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array) display at 2560X1600 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core Exynos 5 Octa processor coupled with 3GB RAM. When it comes to optics, the tablet sports 8 MP rear camera with BSI sensor and autofocus with LED flash and a 2 MP BSI sensor front facing camera to dish out good photo experience. The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean tablet packs a large 8220mAh battery which can offer up to 49 hours of 3G talktime and 10 hours of multimedia. Like its predecessors it carries a S Pen stylus and it also sports some of the Note 3 features such as  Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder.

Read More

Smartphones And Tablets To Challenge PCs In Future

PC sales are expected to face yet another challenging year during 2014 because of pressures from devices such as smartphones and tablets as well as spill-over of economic and political uncertainties of last year, research firm IDC said.

"2014 is expected to remain another challenging year for the PC market, as competition will only grow among the devices," IDC Asia/Pacific Research Manager (Client Devices) Handoko Andi said today. Besides, exchange rate pressures, political risks and economic uncertainties will all likely spill-over into 2014 as well, Andi said in a release.

"That being said, if the big ticket education projects from last year get repeated, or if the Wintel (Windows + Intel) eco-system is able to bring low-price full function PCs to the market, these are all potential upsides that could help drive volumes in the upcoming year," Andi added. Last year, even education projects failed to arrest the decline in PC shipments.

According to IDC, PC sales fell by 10 per cent to 108 million units in 2013 in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), its second consecutive yearly decline, due to smartphones and tablets cannibalising PC shipments on the consumer side. "The economic sluggishness in big emerging markets in the region adversely affected buying sentiments, with the education sector projects being a lone bright spot in the commercial space, without which the region could have dropped even further," IDC said.

On the consumer side, smartphone and tablet distractions spread throughout the region this year, further contributing to the sharp decline in the PC market, it added. "The year ended on a somber note for the PC market, as it declined for the second consecutive year. Distraction from competing devices, ongoing pessimism in the economy and exchange rate pressures were among the factors impacting the market this year," Andi said. In Q4 of 2013 specifically, the market came in 2 per cent below IDC's initial forecasts with a 9 per cent year-on-year decline, IDC said.

"While, most of the region was generally in line with forecasts, Thailand stood out as an exception, as the market there was plagued by the ongoing political turmoil. Shipment volumes this quarter will likely be the lowest in Thailand in the last four years," it added. In 2013, Lenovo retained its top spot, although it could not shrug off the slump in its home market China, posting an annual decline in 2013 as a result, IDC said.

HP's year-on-year growth in 2013 was almost entirely due to fulfilments for a big education project in India. Weakness in China arrested an otherwise good year for Dell in the region, despite the internal distractions affecting the vendor, it added. ASUS too fell in line with the overall market trend, declining year-on-year, while Acer continued to struggle with its product strategy, declining in nearly all markets in the region this year, IDC said.

Read More

Videocon Launches 3G-Calling Tablet At 8,999

Videocon Mobile Phones, a Videocon Group company, as part of expanding its offerings in budget tablet segment, has launched 3G-calling tablet Videocon VT85C at Rs 8,999.

Equipped with 7" display, the Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) enabled VT85C tablet is powered by a dual-core Cortex A9 processor. It has a heavy duty 3000 mAh battery, a company statement said.

According to research firm Gartner, the budget tablet category is expected to reach 182 million end-user devices by end of 2013, it said.

"With the tablet market in the country expanding every day, we seek to become a strategic player in the mix of things who offers the best of technology at the most affordable of pricing to consumer.", Videocon Mobile Phones, Product Planning and Development, Head, Khalid Zamir said.

The tablet comes with a 5MP rear camera and VGA as the primary camera. The memory comes with upto 32GB expandable memory and has a 1GB RAM facility, the statement added.

Read More