Lenovo Vibe X2 With Android 'Lollipop' Teased for September 4 Launch

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Lenovo seems set to launch its Vibe X2 smartphone running Android L, with the company sending lollipop-featuring invites for its September 4 pre-IFA 2014 event.

On the invitation, Lenovo shows a big lollipop (appearing to be referring to Android L) with the Vibe X2 name written at its centre. The invite also contains a tongue-in-cheek reference to Apple's September 9 invite, which had said "Wish we could say more." Lenovo on its own invite says, "We can't say anything either."

While we will know more about the Vibe X2 in less than a week's time, recent leaks (via gdgtarena have pointed a 2.2GHz dual-core processor, 5-inch full-HD touchscreen, 2GB of RAM, 32GB inbuilt storage, 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a 5MP front-facing camera.

Based on the leaks, the Vibe X2 features nearly the same specifications as its predecessor, the Vibe X, except a bumped-up processor. The Vibe X was launched in December last year and got a price cut by roughly Rs. 3,000 in May this year - bringing the cost down to Rs. 22,999.

With the Vibe X2 launch invite, Lenovo may just have revealed that the real name of Android L is Lollipop, and not Lemon Meringue Pie as recently reported. Of course, until Google confirms the name - even such a revelation by a Google partner cannot be taken as confirmation.

Lenovo last month added a new phablet to its 'Vibe' portfolio by launching the Vibe Z2 Pro. The key specifications of the handset are 6-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixel) display; Android 4.4 KitKat; quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8974AC) 801 processor clocked at 2.5GHz; 3GB of RAM; 16-megapixel rear camera; 5-megapixel front camera; 32GB of inbuilt storage (non-expandable), and 4000mAh battery.

Xolo Q1200 With 5-Inch HD Display Launched at Rs. 13,999

 

Xolo has introduced its new Q-series smartphone, the Q1200, for the Indian market. The Xolo Q1200 is now listed on the company's website with a price tag of Rs. 13,999.Xolo announced the smartphone via its Facebook post that said, "Introducing Xolo Q1200, a smartphone packed with a bundle of smart features to make life simpler. Pick yours now!" The company also announced that the smartphone will be available at e-commerce websites - Amazon India, Flipkart, and Snapdeal starting June 10.
Notably, the Xolo Q1200 went on sale via an e-commerce website in late May, alongside the recently announced Xolo Q600s, which is yet to be officially launched.

The company is touting some of the software features preloaded on the Q1200 which include gesture controls, voice recognition, float task with dual window feature, cold access apps, and smart reading mode.
The Xolo Q1200 is a single-SIM device and runs the older Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. However, the company page promises an Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS update for the smartphone.
The Q1200 sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixel) IPS display, which offers a pixel density of 294ppi. The smartphone also sports Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The Q1200 is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek (MT6582) processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB inbuilt storage which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB).
It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with Sony Exmor R sensor and dual LED flash, while it also houses a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera on the Q1200 includes features such as scene detection, tuning, high dynamic, HDR, face recognition, Panorama and geo tagging.
The device also includes a 2000mAh Li-ion battery that is rated to deliver up to 15 hours of talk time and up to 418 hours of standby time.
The smartphone will be available Black and White colour variants only. It comes with dimensions 144.8x71.4x6.85mm.
Earlier this month, Xolo launched the Q600s at Rs. 8,499. The Xolo Q600s is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device and unlike its predecessors runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat out-of-the-box.

Alleged Google Nexus 8 Tablet Leaked in Images; Specifications Tipped

 

Rumours have for a while indicated Google may be working on a Nexus 8 tablet, and the latest one shows a couple of images of the unannounced tablet and also tips some purported specifications.MyDrivers has posted a couple of images of the alleged Nexus 8 tablet which show the front panel with a switched-on display of the tablet which appears to be wrapped in a cover to hide the overall design of the yet-to-be-announced tablet.

Unfortunately, the leaked images have low-resolution and not much detail could be picked up. The report, in addition, also tips that the alleged Nexus 8 will feature a chipset with 64-bit architecture. Notably, Qualcomm has been working on 64-bit architecture processors, believed to be dubbed Snapdragon 808 or Snapdragon 810. However, GforGames notes that Qualcomm in the past has announced that the Snapdragon 808 or Snapdragon 810 chipsets would debut in Q1 2015.
A recent report suggested that the alleged Nexus 8 would run the 64-bit Nvidia Tegra chipset, contradicting the current report.
Further, the MyDrivers report also claims that the Nexus 8 will come with 3GB of RAM and will debut along with the next Android version, said to be v4.5, in-line with an earlier report. It's worth noting that the detail about the Android version the Nexus 8 would run is also a big question, as Google traditionally introduces a new iteration of its mobile/tablet operating system when launching a new Nexus product as the platform lead devices.

Earlier, the alleged Nexus 8, along with rumoured Nexus 5 successor was spotted in the Chromium code review. Unfortunately, the Chromium code review listing of the alleged Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 does not reveal any details of the yet-to-be-announced devices. However, it does indicate that Google might officially unveil these devices as Nexus 6 and Nexus 8.

The Nexus 8 tablet has also been rumoured to be built by HTC, the Taiwanese smartphone giant, and hit store shelves by Q3. The HTC-made Google Nexus 8 tablet could also feature a 'high performance' 8.9-inch display, in an attempt to compete with Amazon's Kindle range and Apple's iPad Mini.

Facebook Messenger 5.0 For Windows Phone Brings Instant Photo Sharing and More

 

Facebook has started rolling out an update for its Facebook Messenger app, which brings the app version 4.0 to version 5.0 for Windows Phone users.The Facebook Messenger (version 5.0) app can be downloaded for free from the Windows Phone Store, where it is currently listed in India.

The new Facebook Messenger update for Windows Phone brings two new features - Groups, which allows users to create group of friends; and the instant photo sharing feature, which offers the option to send a clicked image with just one tap in the app. Notably, the new Groups feature from Facebook Messenger can also be pinned to the device's Start screen for quick access.

The new Facebook Messenger 5.0 app for Windows Phone also brings performance improvements that now allows the app to do more caching of images (like stickers) for better data consumption in the background. The Facebook Messenger v5.0 also adds a new photo gallery which is built into the Messenger and gives access to images on the Windows Phone without leaving the app.
The Android and iOS users got the same version 5.0 update for Facebook Messenger in early May and late April respectively.

The update was announced on Windows Phone's official blog, saying, "An update to Messenger for Windows Phone is rolling out today [Thursday] bringing performance improvements and new features. Taking and sharing a photo is much quicker: you can take and send a photo with just one tap. You don't have to leave the app to take a photo with a separate camera app."

For those unaware, the Facebook Messenger app for Windows Phone 8 arrived in March. The app for Windows Phone 8 importantly did not support a few features available for other platforms, such as voice messaging, and chat heads.
In April, Facebook announced that the monthly audience of Messenger was par with Instagram's announced 200 million active users.

Tata Photon Max Wi-Fi Gets Upgraded Download Speed of up to 9.8Mbps

 

Tata Docomo, on Thursday announced an upgrade to the mobile Internet speed of its Photon Max Wi-Fi data cards in three cities - Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai - now offering up to 9.8Mbps download. The company also confirmed that it will be extending the upgraded data speed to eight other metro cities.

Tata Docomo, the telecom brand of Tata Teleservices Limited (TTL) noted that it upgraded its network with the Rev. B Phase II technology providing data speeds of up to 9.8Mbps on the Photon Max Wi-Fi data cards, up from the 6.2Mbps presently available for the customers.
The company also announced that the existing customers will automatically be able to access the upgraded higher data speeds with their owned Photon Max Wi-Fi devices.
Notably, the Photon Max Wi-Fi data card allows a user to create personal Wi-Fi zones and can connect up to five devices simultaneously. It was launched in November last year.

The company also revealed that customers using the Photon Max Wi-Fi data card while roaming will incur no charges on the use. Both postpaid and prepaid customers are likely to receive benefit from this rollout irrespective of their billing plans, noted the company.

Commenting on the announcement, Gurinder Singh Sandhu, Head Marketing, Mobility Tata Teleservices, said "With the demand for high speed data connectivity rapidly rising, this network augmentation will further enable our customers to enjoy high speed data connectivity and enjoy seamless rich multimedia. With this development, Tata Docomo will become one of the leading players to offer Rev. B Phase II network in India. Photon Max Wi-Fi is already redefining the way customers access Internet data across multiple devices at home and offices and this will further enhance their data experience."

Moto E, Moto G and Moto X Start Receiving Android 4.4.3 KitKat Update

Motorola, soon after Google released the Android 4.4.3 KitKat factory images for Nexus devices, on Tuesday announced the same update for its Moto E, Moto G and Moto X.In a blog post, Steve Horowitz, SVP, Software Engineering, Motorola said, "We are excited to announce some icing on top of the, well, KitKat. Starting today [Tuesday], we are rolling out Android 4.4.3, KitKat, which was just released by Google."
The company notes that the latest Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for Motorola handsets will start rolling out this week, with the first recipients listed by Motorola. Moto X T-Mobile users will receive the update first, while Moto G users in the US, who bought the smartphone online (also includes Moto G 4G LTE), and the Moto G users in Brazil, will receive the first updates for the handset.
For the Moto E, US users who bought the handset online will receive the update first. The company also notes that the Moto E will be receiving the next major Android update (as yet unspecified) as well, and added, "Consider this the cherry on top.

The company has announced that the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for Moto E, Moto G and Moto X can be expected to be rolled-out globally in the coming weeks.
According to Motorola, the new Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for Moto E, Moto G and Moto X brings an improved dialler with updated interface; stability, framework and security fixes, as well as enhancements to the power profile capabilities.
Motorola has also listed the changelog for the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for all three Moto smartphones. The Moto E will be receiving an updated phone dialler with a new graphical layout and colours to get better consistency and usability.

The Moto G, on the other hand, will be receiving a new pause video recording feature on the viewfinder; an updated phone dialler, much like the Moto E, and access to Motorola Alert, which is an app that sends periodic alerts with the user's location to selected contacts.
Lastly, the Moto X receives camera enhancements such as improved image quality with consistent exposure and flash colouring, as well as better photos in low light conditions using front camera.

The update for Moto X also brings ability to pause video recording with a pause/resume button on the viewfinder, much like the Moto G update. The Moto X also receives the updated phone dialler and can now download the Motorola Alert app.
In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition also started receiving Android 4.4.3 KitKat update. The new update for Galaxy S4 GPE brings usual fixes for bugs and improvements to security, and stability.

Apple Reveals iOS 8 Device Compatibility, Drops Support for iPhone 4

Apple at its WWDC Keynote on Monday also announced the list of mobile devices that will be compatible with the new version of its mobile and tablet operating system, iOS 8. The new operating system for Apple mobile devices is now available for developers, while the public release is scheduled fir this fall.

According to the company, the new iOS 8 will be compatible with Apple iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display and iPod touch (5th generation). An image of the list from Apple's WWDC presentation slide has been posted by 9to5mac. Unfortunately, the dated Apple iPhone 4 is not compatible with the iOS 8.

Apple is touting iOS 8 as the biggest release since the launch of the App Store and the new OS comes with many major overhauls including support for Indian language keyboards.

Some of the new features in iOS 8 include the Healthkit, which can gather all the information from various health and fitness apps and devices; default messages app gets a major update (now allows adding and removing contacts in group messaging, leave a conversation, and set up a do-not-disturb mode); Safari extensions are now open, something that has been lacking for a while; interactive notifications and widgets; Bing now powers the search function in Spotlight, on both OS X and iOS 8, and a new private search option for Safari, DuckDuckGo.

Other major additions to iOS 8 include Continuity feature that makes Mac and iOS devices 'perfect companions'; increased support for third-party software, and new family sharing, where users can set up to six devices to share photos, reminders, calendar, and also books, shows and music.

Apple has also announced several new features for Siri, including an always-on, voice activated mode that activates by saying, "Hey Siri".

The Cupertino-based company also announced the latest iteration of OS X dubbed Yosemite which the company says has been redesigned and refined with a "fresh, modern look, powerful new apps and amazing new continuity features."