Google Launches Android One Smartphones With Micromax, Karbonn, Spice

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Google has launched the first family of Android One phones in India, saying the move is part of a "larger initiative to bring high-quality smartphones to as many people as possible."

The search giant announced the first Android One smartphones - the Karbonn Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and Spice Dream Uno - will be available from their respective online retail partners in India from 3:30pm on Monday, with physical retail store availability in early October.

All three smartphones are priced at Rs. 6,399. The Karbonn Sparkle V (already listed on Snapdeal) will be available in Magnum Blue, Mild Grey, Wild Red and Pearl White colour variants exclusively via Snapdeal, the Micromax Canvas A1 will be available in Black and White colour variants exclusively via Amazon, and the Spice Dream Uno will be available in Black and White colour variants exclusively via at Flipkart.

Google says the Android One phones offer a high-quality experience, running the Android 4.4 KitKat. The company added these phones will be the first to receive the Android L release, and update that Google says will offer the new "material design, improved battery life, enhanced security features, and smarter notifications."

All 3 smartphones bear similar features hardware specifications, as well as "features particularly important to Indians" - dual SIM card slots, a FM radio tuner, and a microSD card slot for additional storage. Google apps such as Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Search, and Google Translate will come pre-loaded on the phones.

Apart from those listed above, common specifications of the Micromax Canvas A1, Karbon Sparkle V, and Spice Dream Uno include: a 4.5-inch (480x854 pixels) IPS FWVGA display; 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor; 1GB of RAM, 4GB of inbuilt storage; expandable storage support via microSD card (up to 32GB); a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; a 2-megapixel front camera; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, and a 1700mAh battery.

Google also announced that Airtel is offering a promotion to reduce data costs for those who buy Android One phones. With an Airtel SIM card, Android One users will get free over-the-air (OTA) updates, and 200MB per month worth of app downloads from Google Play for the first six months - all without counting toward their mobile data plan. Additionally, Google is touting the a data compression feature on Android One's Chrome browser.

The search giant also announced that in the coming weeks the YouTube app will get offline video playback in India, allowing users to store videos via Wi-Fi on their Android device, and watch them later without data connectivity.

Sundar Pichai, Google Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome & Apps, said, "If we look at how people are getting online and accessing information today, increasingly it's through a smartphone. While 1.75 billion people around the world already have a smartphone, the vast majority of the world's population - over five billion more - do not. By working closely with phone and silicon chip makers to share reference designs and select components, we're making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable. With Android One, we not only want to help people get online, we want to make sure that when they get there, they can tap into the wealth of information and knowledge the web holds for everyone."

Pichai also announced an expanded set of hardware partners for the Android One initiative, including Acer, Alcatel Onetouch, Asus, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Xolo, as well as chipmaker Qualcomm. The company also announced that Android One phones will launch in Indonesia, the Philippines, and additional countries in South Asia by the end of the year.

Windows 9 'Threshold' Update Leaked in Purported Screenshots, Video

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Microsoft's upcoming Threshold update (expected to be released as Windows 9) has been leaked again in screenshots on Thursday. Two German websites posted 20 purported screenshots of the anticipated Windows 9, said to be an early build given to Microsoft partners as "Windows Technical Preview", and is expected to be made available later this month or in early October. Earlier there was a report that the company is planning to hold an event on September 30 to provide a look at the next version of Windows.According to Verge, the purported screenshots leaked by ComputerBase and WinFuture are legitimate, but of an early build of Windows 9, clarifying that final version could be quite different when it is released early next year.
The leaked screenshots for Windows Threshold shows a new search icon on the left of the taskbar (next to the Start Menu button) along with what appears to be an icon for the previously-leaked virtual desktop feature, as well as the earlier-tipped notification center.
The virtual desktop feature is also seen in action some screenshots and it appears to be with a pane at the bottom of the Windows desktop that should allow users to switch between the virtualized desktop areas.
The Start Menu button also opens up to reveal Modern UI apps with Live Tiles listed in a mini-Start Screen on the right, another feature that was previously leaked.
The Verge report also suggests that Microsoft seems to have flattened the UI slightly to match its Modern UI look and feel of the Windows 8, and it seems to be making 'slight adjustments to the jump list menus in the taskbar (available when you right-click) to flatten out the UI.' Some of the icons like File Explorer, Desktop, and more, also appear to be new. The desktop screenshots also show Modern UI apps running in windowed-mode (again, a feature that was previously leaked) along with commands for search, share, play, and settings available in context menu.
Last week, the Redmond giant teased the anticipated Windows 9 a.k.a Threshold update on Weibo, the China-equivalent of Twitter.
Microsoft China in a Weibo post teased the upcoming Windows version as "coming soon". The post said (in Chinese), "Microsoft's latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a comeback?" Interestingly, the post was accompanied by a Windows 9 mock-up logo. While the Weibo post did not reveal any new feature of the next Windows version or even its official logo, it certainly did indicate the company was planning on revealing it soon.
Update: On Thursday, a 2-minute video has been leaked to the Web purportedly showcasing the Start Menu in action, running on an alleged early build of Threshold. The video was posted to YouTube by German site WinFuture. The video showcases how Modern UI apps and Live Tiles are listed alongside regular Windows desktop apps.
The Verge notes that sign-in and lock account options have been listed on the top of the Start Menu, while the shutdown and restart options are adjacent. Users can notably pin their desired Modern UI apps to the right pane of the Start Menu, and these tiles can be resized. An option to 'use the Start menu instead of the Start screen' was also spotted, in-line with the rumoured default Windows 9 setting for desktop form factors. Also showcased was the windowed-mode or floating mode for Modern UI apps.

Sony Xperia C, Xperia L, Xperia M, Xperia M Dual, Xperia SP Won't Receive KitKat Updates

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Sony has detailed that the Xperia M, Xperia M Dual, Xperia L and Xperia SP smartphones will not be updated beyond their current version of Android Jelly Bean.
It is worth mentioning that while the Sony Xperia M, Xperia M Dual and the Xperia SP (Review | Picture) currently run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the Xperia L would stay limited to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, as seen on the Sony's official Xperia Care website.
All four smartphones feature 1GB of RAM and dual-core Krait processors, which on paper are sufficient to run Android 4.4 KitKat smoothly, so Sony's decision is a little puzzling.
On Tuesday, Sony rolled out Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates for its Xperia Z (Review | Pictures), Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z (Review | Pictures) devices. However, Sony hasn't provided a detailed changelog or time frame for the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update as yet.
In May, Sony had rolled out Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z. It had also brought the revamped Sony native app portfolio with the update which included upgraded versions of Messaging, Email, Smart Social Camera and Battery Stamina Mode apps, among others.
Last week, the Japanese giant announced the Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact at its pre-IFA 2014 event in Berlin. The company also announced the two new wearables - the SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3 - in its SmartWear Experience range.
Two new lens-style cameras - the E-mount ILCE-QX1 and DSC-QX30, priced at $400 (approximately Rs. 24,000) and $350 (approximately Rs. 21,000), respectively - were also launched at the same event.
Update: Alongside the Xperia M, Xperia M Dual, Xperia L and Xperia SP, Sony has detailed that the Xperia C will also not receive an update to Android 4.4 KitKat, and will officially remain on Android 4.2.2. Jelly Bean. It was launched in India in October last with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and first unveiled in June with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

iPhone 5s Price in India Slashed Ahead of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Launch

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Apple has slashed the price of 16GB and 32GB iPhone 5s variants in India ahead of the expected launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus next month.iPhone 5s (Pictures) 16GB variant is now priced at Rs. 44,500 (MRP) while the maximum retail price of the 32GB variant is now Rs. 49,500. It's noteworthy that the 16GB variant at least has been available online between Rs. 35,000 and Rs. 40,000 for quite sometime, so the price drop merely recognises what has been a reality for a while. While this is the first 'official' price drop since the iPhone 5s was launched in India last November, there have been plenty of great deals available on the 16GB iPhone 5s before Apple's move on Saturday, which was first reported by BGR.
(Also see: Great deals on iPhone, iPad, Big Screen TVs, Beat Headphones, and more)
The price of the 16GB variant is down Rs. 9,000, while the 32GB variant has seen a price cut of Rs. 13,000, having been launched at Rs. 62,500. It's worth pointing out that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage variants, so this may be your last chance to buy a 32GB iPhone, if you are specifically interested in that variant for reasons best known to you.
Interestingly, there's no mention of a price drop on the 64GB variant of the iPhone 5s.
The 8GB iPhone 5c (Pictures) is also available at significant discounts compared to its launch price, though NDTV Gadgets has learnt there's no official change in the MRP of the phone. Apple has in fact reduced the cost at which the phone is made available to its retail partners, so expect most of that benefit to be passed on to the consumers.

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