Meizu M8 to launch in India & China by December

Meizu has announced that it will launch it's iPhone clone in India & China from December onwards. The 8GB model of Meizu M8 will cost somewhere between US $380-470. Taiwan-based retailer Geek IT Stores announced that it's signed up as a distribution partner. While it didn't announce a date in its press release, the company's sales head revealed that the phone would be released in December, with China first on the list to be followed shortly by a roll-out in India, where it'll cost between Rs. 18,000 and Rs. 22,000.

Source : Indiaprwire

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iPhone & iPhone 3G comparison from an Indian perspective

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Original - Left, 3G - Right)

I had the joy of using both the models of iPhone. My 1st was bought from USA and unlocked using ziPhone in India. As iPhone 3G can’t be unlocked as of now, so I had to buy that from India.

Let’s discuss how the 2 phones are different for a user in India.


I will start with the advantages that the original iPhone has over 3G:

1. 1. Cheaper
Although the 3G model is cheaper in USA ($ 199 instead of $399 for original one), but when purchased in India from grey market, it’s around 20 – 22 K INR, which is about INR 10K cheaper that the 3G model.



2. 2. Sturdy
   
Original iPhone back is made of anodized aluminum, which is stronger and more durable than the all plastic back of 3G. Even if used without a case, the only part which is prone to scratches is the apple logo on back & to some extent the sides which are of steel finish. Also there won’t be any smudges, fingerprints on back side. In case of 3G the back is entirely plastic, and it’s extremely prone to scratches and smudges. Infact I am taking utmost care of my 3G, as my case is yet to arrive from USA & I keep my phone only on soft surfaces, still I can see some scratches on it already.



3. 3. Unlock
   
Any software version of the original iPhone can be unlocked free of cost & used with any GSM provider in the world. A software based unlock for the 3G is not yet out. Although some rebel sim solutions are available for unlocking 3G, but they are expensive (US$ 50) and are not very reliable also.



4. 4. Dock
Apple had included the dock for original iPhone, which is not there for 3G in the box. It has to be purchased separately for 3G (US$ 29)



5. 5. Cydia & Installer
When iPhone is jail broken, you get 2 more installers in addition to the App Store, viz. Cydia & Installer. These unleash the true potential of iPhone & remove the limitations like SMS forwarding, individual sms deletion, etc. Although the iPhone 3G can be jail broken, but then the warranty gets void.



6. 6. 3G
There is no 3G in India as of now. So as long as it’s not available, the iPhone 3G and original iPhone make no difference to users in India.



7. 7. GPS
GPS in iPhone 3G does not have voice guided navigation as of now, so basically at the moment it’s more of a gimmick that a feature to have. By using Google maps in original iPhone, one can get a pretty close location (which is roughly about 100 meters from original).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left - Original, Middle & Right - 3G)

Now let’s see the advantages iPhone 3G has over the original iPhone

1. 1. Warranty
Purchasing iPhone 3G in India will give the warranty, which is absent for the grey market original iPhone.



2. 2. Better grip
iPhone 3G gives a better grip than the original one. This is because of the plastic back and the curved shape. So there are much less chances of phone slipping from your hands.



3. 3. Easy update of firmware
As the phone is officially purchased, so updating firmware is very simple by just updating from iTunes. For the original iPhone, there is a little more complicated process involved & also unlocks are not available immediately as the firmware gets released.



4. 4. 3G
Although 3G is not yet available in India, but in future when it’s eventually deployed, it can be a major advantage in terms of data transfer speeds.



5. 5. GPS
When major companies like Garmin, Tom-tom, etc release the voice based navigation softwares, the GPS of iPhone can be very useful. But at the moment it’s more of a gimmick than a use. Some minor uses of GPS are location tagging of photos or using softwares available on App Store to determine your exact location & mail it to relatives to let them see in Google maps as were exactly you are.



6. 6. Speed
iPhone 3G feels faster that the jail broken original iPhone. For opening applications, one can easily notice the difference in speeds.



7. 7. Better reception
Although I always had full network coverage in India in both the iPhones, but as per Apple the plastic back of 3G facilitates better reception.



8. 8. Battery
The battery life of 3G is significantly better than the original model. Also as the battery is not soldered, so the replacement should be easier. Also the 3G provides 2 small screws at the bottom to open the phone, which were absent in original.



9. 9. Headphone jack
The 3G iPhone has a normal headphone jack instead of the recessed one in original. So any headphones can be used in it.

Looking at the above comparison, both the phones have certain advantages and disadvantages over each other. But in the current scenario, the original iPhone seems a better bet. But as it’s no longer manufactured by apple, so getting one is bit difficult. And of course the users who have the original should not upgrade to the 3G in my opinion.

However it will all change when 3G services will be eventually available in India. But the cost of the 3G will be key, as India is a very price conscious market. But again people who can afford 31,000 for 3G iPhone won’t mind high 3G costs either….hehehe

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Nokia announce 5800 Xpress Music

Nokia Today launched the 5800 Xpress Music Phone. The 5800, popularly known as 'Tube', was leaked numerous times before. The 5800 is Nokia's first Touch Screen Phone & is the reply to other Touch Screen phones like 3G iPhone, Samsung Pixon, Samsung i900 Omnia, Blackberry Storm, HTC Touch HD & LG KC 910 Renoir. The 5800 Xpress Music runs S60 5th Edition Touch UI which is a customized for operation by finger, however the 5800 also contains a stylus for enhanced data entry. The Tube also has a high resolution 3.2 inch Touch Screen for watching videos & web browsing. It features accelerometer for automatic screen rotation & proximity sensor for auto turn-off of the screen just like in the iPhone. It also has Quad Band GSM support, 3G & HSDPA, Wi-fi, GPS 3.5 mm headphone jack and TV-out. The 5800 features a 3.2 Mega Pixel Camera with Carl-Zeiss Optics and has dual LED flash also. It also has VGA 30 FPS recording found in other Nokia phones like N95, E90, N82, N79, N85, N96 & 6220 Classic. It comes with a 1320 mAH battery, with Nokia claiming 35 hours of music playing capability!!!

The 5800 is also the first phone to come with Nokia's Comes with Music Service which allows the user to download unlimited music for 1 year from the Nokia Music Store. A large 8 GB MicroSD card is also bundled in the package so that storage is not a problem. UK will be the first market to for Comes With Music, sales of enabled devices expected to start on October 16.Comes-With-Music enabled Nokia 5800 XpressMusic units will surface at the beginning of next year. Otherwise Nokia 5800 XpressMusic worldwide availability is planned for this quarter of 2008 at an estimated retail price of 279 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Detailed Specs of Nokia 5800 Xpress Music :

• 3.2 Mega Pixel Auto Focus Camera
• Carl-Zeiss Optics & dual LED Flash
• VGA (640 x 480) 30 FPS Video Capture
• 3.2 inch Touch Screen with resolution of 640 x 360 pixels
• Accelerometer sensor
• Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
• 369 Mhz CPU with 128 MB RAM
• 3G, HSDPA, Wi-fi & GPS
• Quad Band GSM
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• Video & Audio Player
• FM Radio with RDS
• Stereo Speakers
• 3.5 mm headhphone jack with TV-Out
• Micro SD card slot with 8GB Card in package
• Nokia Maps 2.0
• Landscape virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Handwriting recognition
• Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
• 1320 mAH Battery
• 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm dimensions & 109 gm weight

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Pics

Nokia 5800 comparison & UI explained via All About Symbian


Size Comparison of Nokia 5800 with iPhone, Touch Diamond & N78



Nokia 5800 Home Screen



























Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Live Pics from Electricpig












Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Live Pics from Stuff.tv















Nokia 5800 Comparison with 3G iPhone






Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Live Pics from Symbianpop


Front of Nokia 5800



Back of Nokia 5800



Right Side of Nokia 5800



Top of Nokia 5800



Bottom of Nokia 5800

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Unlocked 3G iPhone on sale in Hong Kong

Unlocked 3G iPhones have started to sell in Hong Kong. This is the first time that unlocked 3G iPhones are being sold anywhere. The unlocked phones can work on any network in the world and cost HK$ 5,400 (£376) and HK$ 6,200 (£432) respectively for the 8GB & 16GB versions. When converted to US Dollars this turns out to be around $ 700 US for 8GB version & around $ 800 US for the 16GB versions. In euros this turns out to be around € 475 & € 550 respectively.

The Apple HK website mentions to interested customers -

iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation.

The thing to note here is that when converted to Indian Rupees, the unlocked 3G iPhone will cost Rs.32000 & Rs. 37000 for the 8GB & the 16GB versions respectively, which is not much more than the Rs.31000 & Rs.36100 price of the 3G iPhone in India, however the 3G iPhones selling in India are locked either to Vodafone or Bharti Airtel. Aren't Indians being unfairly treated by these companies that despite paying similar amount as their counterparts in Hong Kong, they are getting locked 3G iPhones instead of unlocked ones ?

Source : Apple Hong Kong Store

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Apple 3G iPhone to land in India on 22 August for $700

Apple iPhone is finally coming to India. Airtel & Vodafone will be bringing the handset to India just before the festival season. But better start cutting down on other expenditures if you plan to buy it. The 3G iPhone will cost approximately $700 for the 8GB iPhone 3G or about $825 for the 16GB iPhone 3G.

This is the full price of iPhone as contracts are still not popular in India, so you'll get the unlocked version. Without any carrier subsidies, Vodafone and Airtel will be requiring their customers to pony up Rs 31,000 and Rs 36,100, respectively, for the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G handset. That's still a very high price considering there are better other alternatives like N82 & N95.

India still lacks a 3G Network so you'll be left with just EDGE speeds at best with your new 3G iPhone if you buy one. Even though quite a few Handsets exist in India which are 3G capable, they can't be used in 3G Mode. Hope to see it changed when Indian Networks launch their 3G Network. The iPhone 3G will launch in India on August 22 through Vodafone.

Source : Vodafone India & Bharti Airtel

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RIM announces to share data with Indian Government

If you own a Blackberry Device and stay in India there's good news for you. RIM, not wanting to get kicked out of the potentially lucrative Indian wireless market, has apparently had its hand forced by the Indian government.

Following on government officials' threats to ban RIM from the country if a workable network-monitoring deal wasn't worked out in a timely fashion, RIM has announced that they have come to terms with the Indian government.

It took a little longer than India's 15-day ultimatum, but India and RIM have agreed that RIM would be allowed to provide BlackBerry service in India with the provision that India can keep tabs on all BlackBerry network-data. But, it seems that privacy and data security aren't as important to RIM as is their PR stance. RIM's only demand from India is that the country take full blame should any data/information get leaked out.

Well if you are concerned about your data and privacy being leaked then look at the bright side, at least you get to use the Blackberry in India.

Source : Economics Times

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