Pre-order of Nokia Lumia 625 sold out on Snapdeal.com

This must be a first for Nokia and should give it a needed boost. The new big screen Nokia Lumia 625 was seen on snapdeal.com a few days back as available for "Pre-Order". Today the same website snapdeal.com shows the Pre-order as sold out. Here is the link http://www.snapdeal.com/product/nokia-lumia-625/1255140035 and below the screenshot:



If this is any indicator of things then, i do see Nokia's hard work showing results. However, it is still a long way away from being back in the game. But, along with it it points to two things, one: that Indians will buy big screen phones (we like to flaunt eh!!) and two: as long as it is priced sensibly (the dual core, screen, ram, graphics card,price combo) it will see a success in the Indian market. Hope that Nokia India has its fingers crossed. My sources tell me that Nokia India is betting big on this phone. Let see! 

Nokia - Amber update to Lumia Windows Phone 8 starts rolling out in India

Hi guys, some good news. Nokia has started rolling out the Amber update to Nokia Lumia phones in India. This update is live for Lumia 920 as of now and going forward will be rolled out to few other phones.


If you live in India here is a brief schedule as of now:



Nokia has also set up a live website allowing people to view the schedule and availability of these updates in their respective countries. It can be seen here:

http://www.nokia.com/global/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/wp8-availability-in-asia-pacific/

Happy updating!!

Apps and their availibility across different mobile OSes - iOS, Android, Windows Phone & Windows 8

I was looking to get a summary of which apps are available on which mobile OS and what are the glaring missing ones. The reason is, now that my company doesnot officially support Blackberry, i need to look to a new platform (read OS) so that i can sync emails and contacts, etc etc.

During my search i reached the page which in a nice, clear, concise manner lists this compariosn. Here it is:

Top 100 Apps Availability on iOS, Android, Windows Phone & Windows 8  

This page clearly shows that although there are a lot of apps available on iOS and  Android platforms, but the required and necessary ones are available in Windows platforms well. yes, there are quite a lot of apps on the Windows platform that are paid, but, likewise is the case with iOS. Also, the iOS platform is tightly controlled by Apple, where as Windows is slightly more open as a platform, though Microsoft still calls the shots. Android on the other hand is another story of too many and lack of control.

Nokia Lumia 1020 the Windows phone with 41MP camera launched today in China

Let us see if Nokia finds success in China. This is going to decide a lot of Nokia's success in the future as most mobile manufacturers see China as a keep market.

Nokia today launched its top phone Nokia Lumia 1020 in the Chinese market. Today morning in an event in China, this phone was unveilied and officially launched.

It’ll be available for RMB 5,999 ($973) unlocked.

Source: http://www.techinasia.com/nokia-lumia-1020-china-launch/

The Nokia Lumia 1020 takes photos and video that no other smartphone can match with a 41 megapixel camera sensor, PureView technology, Optical Image Stabilisation and amazing high-resolution zoom.

I wonder when will we see the news of this phone making it to the Indian market, especially since we now have the other two phone Nokia Lumia 925 and Nokia Lumia 625 already on pre-booking. I hope it is soon.

HTC one - Dual SIM now available on Flipkart

HTC has gone ahead and launched the dual sim version of HTC Once, named the "HTC one - Dual SIM"

Although it has gone live on Flipkart and shows as available and will be delivered within 7-8 business days. However, HTC's india website still shows this as coming soon.

This does look like a very very interesting phone. Not like other dual sim phones with toned down hardware. Infact it sports the same hardware as the HTC One. This is i guess the USP of the phone apart from the 32GB onboard memory and the ability to add 64 GB microsd card. This certainly is making my fingers itch.

• Size:137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm
  
• Weight:143g
  
• Display:11.9 cm full HD 1080p display with real-time colour engine. Highest resolution dispaly of 468 PPI. Optical lamination to reduce glare and reflection. 80⁰ viewing angle with IPS. Gorilla Glass 2
  

All Specs

CPU speed

New generation Quad Core 1.7 GHz processor

Platform Android

HTC BlinkFeed^™ with Sense 5 Android Jelly Bean

SIM card type

micro SIM

Memory

Total storage: 32GB, available capacity varies, 25GB Dropbox
RAM: 2GB
Expansion card slot supports microSD^™ memory card for up to 64GB additional storage (card not included)

Network

SIM1: Up to HSPA (900/2100 MHz) and up to EVDO REV. B(800 MHz)

SIM2: Up to EDGE (900/1800/1900 MHz)

Connectivity

• Built-in NFC

Sound enhancement

HTC BoomSound™

• Dual frontal stereo speakers
• Beats Audio^™
• 2 amplifiers
• Sense Voice

Camera

• HTC UltraPixel Camera with HTC Zoe^™
• BSI, F2.0,Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
• Pixel size 2.0 µm, Sensor size 1/3'
• Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2
• Front Camera: 2.1 MP, wide angle lens
• 1080p HD recording, F2.0

Multimedia

Audio supported formats:

• Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)
• Recording: .amr

Video supported formats:

• Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
• Recording: .mp4

Battery

Capacity : 2300 mAh

Quick Review - BlackBerry Bold 9900

Best QWERTY Touch & Type Phone (next best Nokia E6)

I bought this phone, in March 2012. I was using Nokia E6 and was a satisfied user of the same, however the need for BB messenger, email interface and office work, i needed to buy a BB. Since then began my search for a BB. This is one decision that i donot regret.

Pros -
1)OK battery life (especially when compared to any Windows phone or any Android device)-easily lasts through a day with medium-heavy usage (approx 3 hours on calls, 2 hours 3g internet usage, whatsapp-24x7, continuous emails from 2 accounts, etc)
2)Superb touch screen with qwerty keypad. Very responsive screen, great resolution, bright.
3)One of the brightest screens - easy legibility even in sunlight
4)High Resolution Screen - 640 x 480 pixel resolution (high pixel density-makes great text legibility)
5)EMail- By far the best client, nothing manages to come clos to BB's ability to deliver emails
6) Ability to set up upto 10 email accounts - unmatched
7)Great build quality
8)Decent 5 MP Camera which can record HD (720p) videos @ 30fps
9)OS update to 7.1: Performance increases several notches, much more fluid
10)Video recording is good and is very smooth but at 720p
Cons -
1)Apps: Not many apps for 9900 so customization is limited
2)Games: Very few games available so - not much entertainment value
3)Camera: Camera for still photos could have been better
4)No FM
5)No TV Out
6)Expensive

Go for this phone if you are a heavy texter/office-email receiver-sender/social network updater.Typical hierarchy BB 9900>Nokia E6>BB 9790>BB curve series


I dont knonw if we will see more physical QWERTY phones. They do seem like a dying proposition. I swear by a physical QWERTY and nothing can replace that.

Quick Review - ASUS Dual-Band Wireless-N600 Gigabit ADSL Modem Router

The DSL-N55U N600 offers features that will be like eye candy to high-end users. This modem - router offers features such as Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, the ability to share a 3G or 4G mobile broadband connection, etc.

Also, one of the best things is the set up. I have an Airtel broadband ADSL connection. The router on first login to 192.168.1.1 forces you to change password (GREAT feature for security). It auto detects settings and asks only for user ID and password - once you key it in it asks for Wireless settings with WEP as the default security setting which can be changed later. Once you key in all this information you are live Ta Da!!No more settings needed.

Another important thing is to upgrade to the new firmware immediately as it adds features such as Guest Network, New Dashboard UI which is great. I definitely recommend this update.


Another cool feature is: Two Devices in One – ADSL Modem and Wi-Fi Router

Designed with the latest in networking technology, the DSL-N55U has two Independent CPUs for its ADSL modem and Wi-Fi router modes, which deliver exceptionally fast wired and wireless connectivity. It comes with a powerful detachable Wi-Fi antenna to further extend wireless range.

Salient features are:
1)ASUSWRT Dashboard UI for Easy Setup, Signal Monitoring, and Network Application Control
2)Integrated home gateway with independent CPUs for modem and router - High gaming performance
3)Dual-band Wi-Fi delivers up to 600Mbps in bandwidth
4)Auto-detecting ADSL connection with CD/manual-free setup
5)3G/4G sharing, file sharing, printer sharing, and iPad charging using multi-functional twin USB ports

Pros
Good interface
Reliable storage features
Excellent FTP feature
Dual core - seperate for internet and gaming
Cons
Pricey
Range is not excellent - cannot go through 4 walls (is avg performer-range wise)

Quick Review - Nokia E6

I bought this phone, right after it was launched (July 2011). This is one decision that i donot regret.

Pros -
1)Superb battery life (especially when compared to any Windows phone or any Android device or for that matter any Blackberry device)-easily lasts through a day with very heavy usage (approx 4 hours on calls, 2 hours 3g internet usage, whatsapp-24x7, continuous emails, etc) and would stretch for 2 days (48hours) on medium usage
2)Superb touch screen with qwerty keypad (No other touch & type phone comes even close, Black Berry 9900 is good, but then lacks FM and TV out, Blackberry 9790 is a poorly built handset which can set one back by 24,000 INR and still give you a 5 megapixel camera with no tv out and a plastic body)
3)One of the brightest screens - easy legibility even in sunlight
4)High Resolution Screen - 640 x 480 pixel resolution (higher pixel density than iphone4)
5)Mail for Exchange - default mail client is superb - easily syncs Microsoft Exchange server emails in corporate setup and setting up Gmail/Yahoo works like a charm
6) Ability to set up upto 10 email accounts - unmatched
7)Great build quality-all metal body
8)Decent 8 MP Camera which can record HD (720p) videos @ 25fps
9)Symbian Anna pre-loaded to be replaced by Nokia Belle (amazing UI upgrade, with promise of performance boost) by Feb 8th 2012 will make it even better

Cons -
1)Screen could have been bigger, probably on the lines of Black Berry 9900
2)Symbian Anna-current OS has a lot of glitches
3)Fewer apps because of high resolution display

Go for this phone if you are a heavy texter/office-email receiver-sender/social network updater. Superb value for money and will easily last a long time.

You can find the User guide here:

• Nokia E6-00 User Guide (3.36 MB)

Support downloads

• Nokia Suite (101 MB ) Nokia Suite is a free software that connects your Nokia phone and Windows PC, and helps you transfer content between the two. With Nokia Suite you can use your PC to get software updates for your phone, back up your data, get new street maps and synchronise your music, photos and contacts. Compatible with PC Windows 8, 7, Vista, or XP. The application is multilingual.
• BBC iPlayer licence plugin (12 KB ) Catch up on your favourite BBC programmes: download the BBC iPlayer Licence plugin.
• Microsoft® Apps user guide  (318.0 KB ) Microsoft® Apps brings business apps such as Lync and Office Mobile to your phone. Get the user guide in PDF format.
• iSync for Mac OS (249 KB ) Mac user? Download the iSync plugin to sync your calendar and contacts.

 I dont knonw if we will see a QWERTY from Nokia again. It does seem like a dying proposition. I swear by a physical QWERTY and nothing can replace that.

BBM for Android and iPhone – will it affect BB sales?

I wonder how soundly thought the strategy of launching BBM (Black Berry Messenger) on non BB phones is. Apart from the few remaining BB loyalists (like me) who swear by a type phone with a physical QWERTY keypad, most of the others have already moved on to either an android phone or an iPhone or a Windows phone or to anything but a Blackberry.

In today’s less than ideal world there are few of us who are still deciding on whether to move on from BB. For such people one sticky factor apart from the keyboard is BBM and the tons of groups and friend lists one has made. Isn’t launching BBM on other phone platforms equal to showing the path to walk on for most undecided BB users as well as few BB loyalists?

I understand that for BB ‘services’ such as BBM will be a big business driver. Also with the launch of numerous similar messaging platforms especially WhatsApp, WeChat, etc and their growing popularity does signify future challenge for the BBM’s. However, since such ‘services’ revenue is very small for BB;It ,may have chosen to ignore that. In this case BB has not ignored it. I can only speculate that it will lead to more people moving away from BB platform to others.

Lets see what happens!