Nokia Lumia 1520 Launched at Rs.46,999

Nokia has launched its first Windows Phone phablet in India, the Lumia 1520, at a 'best buy price' of Rs. 46,999. The Lumia 1520 will be available in Red, Black, Yellow and White from Monday.

Nokia had unveiled the Lumia 1520 at Nokia World this year. It features a bevy of new hardware and software features, with the latter introduced with the third Windows Phone update. It runs Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 with Lumia Black and comes with the third Live Tile column in the Start menu.

Nokia has also launched a case for the Lumia 1520, the CP623, at a price of Rs. 2,999. The front cover of the case is flexible. Nokia also announced the Lumia 1520 will have the entire Microsoft Office mobile suite free for life.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 comes with 6-inch full-HD (1080x1920) LCD display, the biggest seen on a Nokia phone yet and sports a 20-megapixel PureView camera accompanied by dual-LED flash. 

The newly launched Nokia Lumia 1520 also is the first Windows Phone to feature the new quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and also includes 2GB of RAM. It packs a 3400mAh battery, with built-in wireless charging functionality. 

The Lumia 1520 also features a front-facing 2-megapixel HD camera, and Nokia says it has included four microphones on the new flagship, for surround-like recording, and noise cancellation.

The Lumia 1520 packs new preloaded apps, like Nokia Storyteller app which integrates clicked images and recorded videos with HERE maps, and a new Nokia Camera app with Pro Camera UI. 

Nokia Working on wearables.Android Project on hault

Talk that Nokia is working on Android-powered devices was met with great excitement, even when the rumors stated that the company is looking to fork Android. Chinese site CTechnology has some insider info about the status of the project, though, and the news isn't good.

The Android development was led by Peter Skillman, former VP MeeGo UX and Services Design and current Head of Design for HERE. Skillman was also VP of Design at Palm until 2010 around the time the Palm Pre came out.

All in all, if we had to pick someone to do a fork of Android, Peter Skillman sounds like the guy for the job. And Nokia was reportedly working on several Android devices, including a 7" tablet powered by Snapdragon 400.

These developments were done separately from the division that is going to Microsoft, but as part of that deal Nokia can't sell Nokia-branded phones for two years and a new brand may be hard to push now that Nokia has lost the magical clout it had a few years ago.

So phones are out of the picture for now, Nokia will instead focus on wearables – augmented reality and flexible displays, wireless power transmission and electromagnetic energy generation are quoted as the things that will set a Nokia wearable apart from the competition. A Nokia smartwatch may not be part of the package though as that project is reportedly headed to Microsoft.

Keep in mind that this is not official info, so there's no way to tell if it's true. The whole Android-powered thing is just a rumor so far.

Source

The Top Phablets of 2013

LG G Flex

Even though American PC maker Dell pioneered the big-screen smartphone revolution in 2010 with the launch of the first 5.0-inch handset, Streak 5, it failed to capture the attention of consumers like Samsung did with the Galaxy Note series.

Since the successful launch of the first Galaxy Note in 2011, Samsung continues to dominate this niche handset segment, now known as 'phablet'.

The year 2013 saw Samsung's rivals - Sony, HTC, LG and former leader Nokia coming out with high-end phablets, giving stiff competition to the reigning smartphone leader.

Here is the chronology of phablet launched in the year 2013:

LG Optimus G Pro:

Samsung's South Korean counterpart LG launched its first phablet of the year Optimus G Pro in March.

Key features:

-      One of the first 5.5-inch smartphone to boast full HD phone display with pixel density of 400 ppi (pixels per inch)

-      2GB RAM, 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series quad-core processor.

-      Smart-gesture features - Smart Video; Camera apps like dual-camera recording, QRemote for using smartphone as smart TV remote controller

-      13.0-megapixel main camera and 2.1-megapixel front camera

It is available at online stores and local retail shops for around ₹29,500.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra:

Like LG, Sony also brought its first flagship phablet Xperia Z Ultra in the market in June.

Key features:

-      6.4-inch full HD display with pixel density of 342 ppi

-      The device is one of the first phablets to boast of a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core CPU. It also features 2GB RAM.

-     8.0-megapixel main camera and 2.2-megapixel snapper on the front

-      It also the only branded phablet (5.0-inch plus size) to boast of IP55/IP58 dust-proof and water-resistant certifications

It is available in the market for around ₹45,000

Samsung Galaxy Note 3:

Undisputed phablet leader, Samsung pulled the wraps off its 2013 flagship device Galaxy Note 3 in September this year. The new handset's display size was incremented and came with a fancy faux leather stitching to cover the plastic shell.

Key features:

-      5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with pixel density 388 ppi

-      3GB RAM (except Galaxy J and Galaxy Round,  no other branded smartphone boasts this feature)

-      It is available in two variants 3G (Exynos 5 Octa-core processor) and 4G-LTE  (2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 series CPU)

-      It houses 13.0-megapixel main camera with 4K video recording (feature only available in LTE variant), 2.0-megapixel front camera and also features smart-camera gesture features like smart dial, smart video pause, smart scrolling and more.

-      It features S Pen functionality such as Air Command, Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder, Pen Window S Note, Multi Window, new Easy Clip, Direct Pen Input.

In India, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is priced around ₹43,500.

HTC One Max:

Buoyed by the huge success of its smartphone HTC One, the Taiwanese firm introduced the blown-up version of the flagship device dubbed as HTC One Max.

Key features:

-      5.9-inch Super LCD 3 full HD (1920x1080p) display with pixel density  of 367 ppi

-      Finger print-sensor on the back-side below camera module (HTC One Max is one of the only two handsets in the market to come with this feature. AppleiPhone 5S is first to come with this biometric technology)

-      2GB RAM, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 series CPU

-      Innovative 2.0-Ultra-pixel (equivalent to 4.0-megapixel) camera and 2.1-megapixel front camera

Currently, HTC One Max price is hovering around ₹54,000 in the Indian market.

Nokia Lumia 1520:

Former phone leader Nokia was a bit late to enter the phablet segment, but has made a strong comeback with the launch of Lumia 1520. It is the company's most powerful and biggest smartphone since its inception.

Key specifications:

- 6.0-inch full HD AMOLED display with pixel density of 368 ppi

- 2GB RAM, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor

-  20-megapixel main camera with 6-element Carl Zeiss lenses, OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and 1.2-megapixel camera on the front

- Sturdy unibody shell made of tough polycarbonate material

Nokia India is expected to launch Lumia 1520 along with its budget variant Lumia 1320 at an event in New Delhi next week (16 December). Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 are expected to be priced $749 (₹46,554) and $339 (₹21,063), respectively (excluding local taxes).

Apart from normal big-screen phablets, the current year also witnessed the advent of a curved display phone. South Korean tech giants Samsung and LG made remarkable stride in the smartphone flexible screen technology.

Samsung Galaxy Round:

Samsung's flagship Galaxy Round made its debut in early October this year.

Key features:

-      5.7-inch curved (horizontal) full HD Super AMOLED display

-      With curved display, it comes with innovative features like 'Roll Effect', 'Gravity Effect', 'Bounce UI' and 'Side Mirror' 

-      3GB RAM, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 series CPU

-      13.0-megapixel main camera and a 2.0-megapixel front camera

-      Only available in South Korea for 1,089,000 Won (approximately ₹62,945 in terms of Indian denomination).

LG G Flex:

The new phone G Flex made its debut in late October in South Korea. Touted as the 'real-curved' smartphone, the device has an ergonomically designed vertical curved body to minimise the distance between the phone's microphone and the user when held against the ear.

Key features:

-      6.0-inch curved (vertical) P-OLED HD (720x1280p) display with pixel density of 245 ppi

-      2GB RAM, 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 series CPU

-      13.0-megapixel main camera and a 2.1 -megapixel snapper on the front

-      Other than curved display, it also boasts of another striking feature - self-healing back cover. The glossy shell is made of elastic plastic material coated capable of self-fixing minor nicks and scratches within seconds. (Warmer the environment, faster the healing process)

LG's curved phone G Flex will be made available in India in February 2014 for around ₹60,000 to ₹65,000.

Nokia Lumia 525 on sale in Singapore for SG$249

Nokia's freshly announced, low-end Lumia 525 is now available in Nokia stores across Singapore. The handset is priced at SG$249.

The key difference between the Lumia 525 and the 520 is the amount of RAM the devices are rocking - 1GB vs 512MB respectively. The 525's additional RAM allows users to enjoy more demanding WP applications.

The Lumia 520 is an extremely popular device because of its low price. The 525 is bound to follow its predecessor's footsteps by offering an even more complete OS experience without breaking the bank.

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ComScore: Windows Phone holds a market share of 3.2% in the USA as of October 2013

ComScore, a popular analytics company, has just released their smartphone market share data today, showcasing data up until October 2013. According to the data, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform holds a 3.2% smartphone market share, while Google's Android goes up to 52.2% in share and iOS goes up to 40.6%.

"Android ranked as the top smartphone platform in October with 52.2 percent market share (up 0.4 percentage points), followed by Apple with 40.6 percent (up 0.2 percentage points), BlackBerry with 3.6 percent, Microsoft with 3.2 percent (up 0.2 percentage points) and Symbian with 0.2 percent," ComScore stated in an official report

According to the data, 149.2 million people in the United States owned smartphones during the three months ending in October, up 4.1 percent since July. Windows Phone, as of October 2013, holds a 3.2% market share in the United States.

Windows Phone held the same share back in August of 2013. The platform previously held a 3.2% market share back in February of 2013. Based on what we are seeing from ComScore's data, Windows Phone is hardly breaking past the 3.2% market share.

Apple continues to be the top selling smartphone OEM with a 40.6% share, while Samsung comes in second place with a 25.4% share. Motorola, HTC, and LG round out the top five.

Data from ComScore conflicts with data we have seen from other sources, such as Kantar Worldpanel. Based on ComScore's data, Windows Phone is dead in the water. However, other analytics sources showcase a big growth for the platform.

Microsoft's Windows Phone platform continues to see growth according to data from Kantar Worldpanel. The data indicates that Windows Phone has surpassed a 10% sales share in the five largest European countries, while nearing a 5% sales share in the United States. Comparatively, in the United States, Windows Phone is now at 4.8% share (+2.3%) and is firmly in third place behind iOS' 40.8% share and Android's 52.6% share, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

According to Strategy Analytics, the Windows Phone platform has doubled in market share and is currently the world's fastest growing smartphone platform, as of Q3 2013.

Despite what one analytics company says, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform is indeed growing and isn't dead in the water (like BlackBerry). It is always best to compare data with other sources and not believe what one analytics company has to say, as their data may be skewed for some odd reason.

Nokia Normandy is reportedly a low-cost Android phone

According to a report in The Verge, the previously leaked, mysterious Nokia Normandy is an Android handset. Known internally under several different codenames, the device is said to be developed as an equivalent to the low-cost Nokia Asha range.

The Nokia Normandy allegedly runs heavily modified Android version – much like in the case of the Amazon Kindle Fire range. The OS will allow the handset to run popular Android apps, thus addressing a major shortcoming of the current Nokia Asha lineup.

The Nokia Normandy development is described as going at “full steam ahead”. The handset is reportedly planned for a release in 2014. However, with Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia's devices & services units all but completed, we are yet to find out what the Redmond giant’s plans for the Normandy are.

Windows Phone 8.1 Blue OS: What We Know So Far

The latest GDR3 update for Windows Phone is yet to be rolled out but the leaks about Windows Phone 8.1 OS have been already surfacing the internet. Windows Phone 8.1 OS, also known as Windows Phone Blue, is said to be the next big update from Microsoft after the GDR3.

Loads of new features are said to arrive with the upcoming Windows Phone OS, out of which the major features would be a new notification centre like the Android OS and the much talked about Nokia Pro Cam that will be the default camera app for devices running Windows Phone 8.1 Blue

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Cortana - Voice Command Service

Another major feature which is said to be confirmed for the new OS is Cortana. Cortana is Microsoft's answer to Android's Google Now and Apple's Siri voice command service.

It has been also noted that: 1) Long pressing the start button would bring up the Cortana voice command service 2) Double pressing the back button would close the current app opened on the screen.

Skype May get Some Changes

Skype product manager Jeff Kunins also revealed that they are making progress in improving the apps.

"We've made a ton of progress on our Windows Phone app in general, and as you can imagine we're doing a lot of fun things for Windows Phone 8.1 as well. I think there will be some fun things to see there," told Kunins to The Verge. This indicates that a considerable change may come with the Windows Phone 8.1 Blue OS's Skype app.

New 3D Touch Technology May get Introduced

Additionally it has been understood that devices codenamed "Goldfinger" and "Moneypenny" will be firm's first two handsets which will run Windows Phone 8.1 Blue OS. The Goldfinger handset could also feature a technology on which the Finnish firm has been working on for years: 3D Touch.

This technology is said to use the handset's sensors to detect the user's gestures without touching the glass. The handset will be allegedly be able to detect gestures above and on the sides of the handset, reports Laptop Mag.

Onscreen Buttons

It has been also reported recently that the firm is planning to remove the back button in Windows Phone 8.1 Blue. The button would be replaced with the on-screen version. By dropping certain hardware requirements the handsets may sport a bigger screen in the future.

Sources reveal that Microsoft is currently experimenting with the on-screen button functionality, which is speculated to be similar to the one used on the Google Nexus devices.

Release Date

The Windows Phone 8.1 Blue might be rolled out in Q1 of 2014 as it is expected to come after the GDR3 update, which is yet to go on floors and is being tested for most of the devices. The GDR3 update will be soon rolled out as the latest Lumia 1520 model already supports the update.