ASUS launches PadPhone at Computex 2011

Android based smartphone gets hooked to the back of an Android tablet.

ASUS has launched what it calls a PadPhone at the ongoing COMPUTEX 2011 convention in Taipei, Taiwan. The device involves a pair wherein an Android smartphone docks at the back of an Android tablet.

The ASUS smartphone has a 4 inch display and is expected to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

ASUS PadPhone's Android tablet sports a 10 inch display capable of 1280x800 pixel resolution and runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. It has a special compartment at the back for docking the smartphone. When docked, the smartphone gets charged through the tablet's larger battery.

The compartment's lid has a small slot to expose the smartphone's camera when it is docked. The tablet doesn't have a camera at its back and is dependent on the smartphone for imaging. However, ASUS has put a front facing camera on the tablet.

When someone calls the smartphone, the user can remove it from the tablet's hind or use a Bluetoothhandsfree to respond. The smartphone shares the 3G data connection with the tablet, hence both can make use of the same SIM card for 3G connectivity.

Known for its 'cost-effective and affordable' philosophy, ASUS has clubbed the tablet and the smartphone together so that both devices can use a common 3G data connection. The devices are expected to sync seamlessly with each other because they both use Android OS.. Usually, tablets are capable of using a tethered 3G connection.

The concept is indeed interesting but has a couple of pitfalls too. For instance, the phone needs to be docked at the tablet's back for using the camera, and for the incoming phone call one has to remove the smartphone from the tablet. ASUS hasn't revealed detailed technical specifications of the devices though we can expect them in the coming months.

Samsung promises 4G Android tablet later this year

Current generation Galaxy tablets 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch continue to remain absent from retail chains.

Following the success of its Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones, Samsung is now eying an Android tablet supporting fourth generation network technology.

Samsung's mobile division president JK Shin has hinted that the tablet will be released later this year.

"The race for 4G (fourth-generation) has already started," Shin said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

If it does, then Samsung will join the league of 4G Network supporting tablets LG G-Slate, Motorola XOOM, HTC Evo View 4G and RIM PlayBook 4G. By the end of this year, the US nationals would get to see most of these 4G network supporting tablets.

The current Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is capable of 3G data network connectivity and comes in 16GB as well as 32GB models.

While India still is in the initial phase of 3G roll out, it would be absurd to expect any 4G tablet anytime soon.

At the Google I/O Conference earlier this month, the company gave away Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch to all attendee developers. On one hand, Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch is being lavishly given away to developers while the actual consumers await it's availability in several countries including India.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch tablet comes with a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra processor, 8 megapixel camera with LED flash at the back and 2 megapixel camera in the front.

Samsung India's spokesperson re-asserted that the Tab 10.1-inch launch is on course for June-July time frame in India. At the start of this month, Samsung India head, Ranjit Yadav had said , "We will launch the 10-inch tablet PC at around Rs 35,000 and the 8-inch device will be priced around Rs 28,000. While the tablet PC market today stands at around 25,000 units a quarter, we expect it to grow exponentially here on."

Real question is whether Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch would be priced above Rs 35,000 for India or the company has taken a lesson from 7-inch Galaxy Tab's launch. Come what may, there are certain consumers who won't minding to wait for Samsung to cut price of the Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch models in the same way the company did for the 7-inch tablet.

Meanwhile, Shin, along with Galaxy Tab 4G promise, also mentioned that Galaxy S III smartphone will be released anytime in first half (Mobile World Congress?) 2012.

No 3G video calling on iPhone 4

Users in India can make video calls using WiFi, but not over 3G as the application that enables the service has been locked by Apple.

The Apple iPhone 4, which is being regarded as the most unique device, is not capable of making video calls over a 3G mobile network despite being a 4th generation smartphone.

Users in India can make video calls using WiFinetworks, but not over 3G as the application which enables the service is locked by Apple.

The Apple spokesperson in India said, "FaceTime, the application that allows video calling on the Apple iPhone 4, is a closed user application that allows people having iPhone or compatible Apple hardware like the iPad 2 and forth generation iPod touch running FaceTime application to have video calling."

"3G cannot be used to make these video calls; only WiFi data is supported by the application. The application allows seamless connectivity between other Apple products though," he added.

iPhone 4 nevertheless has all the necessary hardware, including a front facing camera and 3G capable quad frequency network band, to allow 3G video calling over the mobile network.

Many applications like Frring, Tango me and Oovoo can be used as third party solutions to curb this problem of calling over 3G mobile networks.

Along with that, these applications offer both free and paid services and allow cross platform compatibility as well, which means that an iPhone 4 user can call another iPhone, or even another operating system that supports these third party applications.

There were some issues related to video calling with Frring but with the new update for the iPhone 4, Frring users on iPhone 4 get to make better quality video calls.

iPhone 4G or Samsung Galaxy S2

With two of the most anticipated handsets launching soon, here are a few points you could consider before buying them.

With the Apple iPhone 4 hitting stores in India, followed by Samsung's announcement to launch its coveted Galaxy S2 smartphone in the country, mobile enthusiasts here will soon have a tricky but pleasant choice to make: Whether to buy the most advanced iPhone or to go for a Samsung Galaxy S2 instead.

Galaxy S2 has seen record sales in some countries; while Apple's iPhone has proven its worth in others. We understand that considering the price of these handsets, it will be tough to decide which one to buy, and an informed recommendation will go a long way.

In order to help you out, we have compared the two devices based on their features and hardware.

Display

Apple, even with the launch of a totally new device, is still sticking to it regular screen size of 3.5 inches, which is small compared to the mighty 4.3 inch screen of the Galaxy S2. So in terms of screen size, the S2 definitely has an edge; but wait.

The retina display of the iPhone 4 comes with a resolution of 640 x 960 pixels, compared to the 480 x 800 pixel resolution of the S2. Hence, the Apple device is capable of showing much more detail than the Samsung handset.

Processor

The iPhone 4 has a 1GHz ARM cortex A8 architecture-based processor; but the Galaxy S2 has the next generation Arm Cortex A9 dual core processor running at 1.2 GHz, giving it the advantage of an extra 200MHz, which will definitely be evident in command execution and overall functioning.

Moreover the Apple iPhone 4 comes with 512 MB of RAM relative to 1GB of RAM on the S2. So even where processing muscle is concerned the S2 scores over iPhone 4.

OS

iOS 4 has received positive reviews across the globe for being the most stable and user friendly smartphone platform. On the other hand, Android, which features in the S2, went on to become the leading operating system in a very short span of time.

Its open source nature might be one of the reasons for its popularity, and Android has an edge over iOS when it comes to the number of applications available to it as well.

Memory capacity

Although Samsung Galaxy S2 is available in two different memory capacity variants around the world, Samsung has confirmed that only the 16GB version will be available in India. Apple iPhone 4, on the other hand, can be had in either 16GB or 32GB versions. Nevertheless, the 16GB S2 has a memory card slot that can support up to 32GB over and above the in-built storage capacity; although, who wants that much memory? The more you store in your phone, the slower it will get. With a 32GB memory card, any phone will lose some speed. Therefore onboard memory wins over expandable memory.

External communications

Both the devices have a quad band mobile radio built in. Galaxy S2 is an HSDPA+ smartphone, which means it can use high speed 3G networks, which the iPhone 4 can't do.

Moreover, unlike S2, the iPhone does not support Near Field Communication technology (NFC). Most importantly, the S2 will also allow users to connect USB drives and HDMI compatible devices with the help of accessories that can be bought directly from Samsung retailers.

Battery backup

Samsung has invested a lot in R&D to optimise the device to use the battery in the best possible way, and that is why the company claims a talk time of almost nine hours, which is an honourable figure for a smartphone.

In contrast, Apple iPhone 4 has seven hours of talktime, which is not bad at all, but considering the long periods that a smartphone is normally used for, longer battery backup will definitely be appreciated by most people.

Price

Apple iPhone 4 16GB is priced at Rs 34,500; whereas the Samsung Galaxy S2 16GB version costs Rs 32,890. Samsung turns out to be marginally cheaper than the iPhone 4, but only marginally.

Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone debuts in India

The Galaxy S2 is based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and has a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) Plus display, which is better than the conventional AMOLED displays in terms of contrast ratio and colour reproduction.

Samsung Mobiles India today unveiled its latest creation, the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone, which is the upgrade of Samsung Galaxy S announced last year. The phone will be hitting the markets next month and is priced at Rs 32,890 for the 16 GB version.

Although there are both 16GB and 32GB versions available internationally, but for reasons untold, the Galaxy S 2 will only be available in 16GB capacity in India. There is no official word from Samsung on the future availability of the 32 GB version.

The Galaxy S2 is based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and has a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) Plus display, which is better than the conventional AMOLED displays in terms of contrast ratio and colour reproduction.

The S2 also features an ARM cortex A9 based 1.2 GHz dual core processor and a dedicated graphics chip from ARM MALI. A 1 GB RAM has been included for better functioning. The phone comes with HDMI and USB for on the go connectivity as well (Separate accessories needed to be purchased to use these features as they do not come as a part of the handset bundle).

It features an 8 megapixel back camera which is capable of full HD 1080 video recording, and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. S2 will have support for Near Field Communications or NFC as well for mobile transactions.

The Galaxy S2 will be up for prebooking form tomorrow (Thursday) onwards through the Samsung online store for a token amount of Rs 1,000.

Samsung has also tied up with Vodafone to launch this phone in India. Hence, you can also buy this phone from Vodafone stores from June 3 onwards. Vodafone will be offering a complimentary 1GB per month 3Gdata usage for the customers of Samsung Galaxy S2 for the next six months as a part of the deal.

Users can also wait a little further as the Galaxy S2 will go for sale through all Samsung stores starting June 9.

Micromax launches the Bling-2

It comes in a white leather carry case enclosed with a compact mirror and special pouch where ladies can keep their lip gloss, making it easier for them to retouch their make-up anytime, anywhere!

In a move to win the hearts of fashion-savvy women mobile users, Indian handset maker Micromax has launched Bling 2, a successor to Bling Q55.

With its glossy finish frame made with Swarovski Zirconia, Bling 2 has an Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and numerous pre installed apps.

To add to its design and features, it comes in a white leather carry case enclosed with a compact mirror and special pouch where ladies can keep their lip gloss, making it easier for them to retouch their make-up anytime, anywhere!

The phone also comes with interactive apps that would keep today's demanding woman on their toes. Some of which are MiRoamer- Mobile radio, Saavn- Music on Demand, Mosho- Mobile shopping, Mundu Live TV (1 month free trial) and Whatsapp- a messenger that works across platforms (VAS).

With a display of 7.1 cm, and a capacitive screen, Bling2 provides features such as surfing the net, texting, sharing pictures, music, videos and more. The Bling2 also offers a Mi-Fi pocket wireless internet feature, making it personal wireless broadband connection.

The phone works on both 2G and 3G networks. The phone comes with 3.0 MP cameras and the lens is framed in Swaroski Zirconia. The memory of the phone is expandable up to 32GB with micro SD card. The phone comes with 3.5 mm universal jack and Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with an integrated GPSsystem. It is priced at Rs 9,000.