Samsung denies slashing Galaxy S5 price in India, price shoots up on Flipkart

In a bid to set the record straight, Samsung today said it had not slashed the price of the Galaxy S5 in India. Samsung had launched the Galaxy S5 in India on April 11 for Rs 51,500 but it was widely available on online retail stores for lesser. The price for the white variant of the Galaxy S5 went below Rs 47,000 on Flipkart on the same day HTC announced the One (M8) in India for Rs 49,900, leading to reports suggesting it to be Samsung’s reaction to HTC’s pricing.


However, today the price is back to Rs 48,679 on Flipkart. Samsung remains adamant that the official price of the Galaxy S5 is still Rs 51,500 and there has been no change in the pricing. 

  Having said that, it is difficult not to blame Samsung, which has a precedence of slashing prices of its flagship devices a month after launching them. There are only few brands like Apple that are able to maintain price consistency, though even it is facing price erosion on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, which are now available at significantly lower prices than what they were launched.

While Samsung would like to maintain the price of the Galaxy S5 is still Rs 51,500, the stark ground reality is that it continues to be available for relatively lower price in the market, with or without Samsung’s consent. It is understandable for Samsung to issue a clarification as price cuts within a fortnight of launch gives a perception of a product not selling well, which might not always be the case.

Here’s Samsung statement on the issue:

Samsung Electronics, India’s leading smartphone manufacturer, today clarified that the market price of the Galaxy S5 has not been slashed by the company. Samsung Electronics’ flagship smartphone, which was launched in March 2014, continues to be priced at Rs. 51,500. Galaxy Gear 2 is priced at Rs. 21,900 and both Galaxy Gear 2 Neo and Galaxy Gear Fit are priced at Rs. 15,900 each. This pricing is based on robust demand and increasing sales. The company further added that reports claiming Samsung Electronics has revised prices of Galaxy S5 are false and baseless. Galaxy S5 was made available in India through Samsung’s retail stores and online sites starting April 11, 2014.

 

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Nokia releases Asha 1.4 software update with new features

Nokia Asha Software Platform v1.4 is now available as an over-the-air update for five Asha phones - 230, 500, 501, 502 and 503. You can get it right now by visiting the Settings -> Phone Update menu on your phone.



Version 1.4 of the Asha platform brings Nokia Mix Radio on Asha 500, 502 and 503. It's a free streaming music service that will allow you even to listen music offline in case you are out of internet connectivity.

All five Asha phones also get these new features:

• OneDrive app with free 7GB cloud storage
• Updated and more social Fastlane
• Camera upgrade - voice-guided slefies, panorama shots
• Video camera upgrade - improved video stabilization
• Power Saver mode
• Parental control in Nokia Store and Nokia Browser

If you own one of those five Asha phones, then the update is either awaiting you in your Settings menu or it will reach you any moment now

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Crystal Edition coming next month

 
Samsung and Swarovski team up regularly to introduce a crystal-studded version of Samsung's flagships. Now it's time for the Galaxy S5 to get a Crystal Collection edition.

Previously we've had Crystal Editions for the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III mini and Galaxy S4, plus special Swarovski-studded backs (with matching bracelets) for the Galaxy Note 3. There have been custom jobs too, by various companies that pimp out smartphones.

Anyway, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Crystal Edition is expected in May and that's all the teaser video reveals.

The video was posted on the Samsung mobile Korea channel, not the international one, so this might be a limited release. By the looks of it, the Galaxy S5 will have its entire back covered, similar to the Swarovski Note 3 backs rather than the Galaxy S Crystal Editions, which feature relatively few crystals.

Check link for video

Source | Via

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Samsung’s unannounced 7-inch phablet leaked online

Samsung seems to be working on a 7-inch phablet codenamed as SM-T2558, which has been spotted in alleged images and specs details leaked online. The massive handset has been spotted on TENNA for certification approval and considering that it has been certified under smartphone category in leaked documents, it is expected to fall under Samsung’s Mega series of mid-range phablets.

According to the leaked information, the phablet will have a 7-inch HD display and run on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable by using a microSD card. It is likely to sport an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Other features will include Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Samsung will introduce two variants of the device – a 3G variant and a 4G LTE variant, which will be launched on the basis of countries’ network capabilities. As far as its name is considered, though nothing concrete is available yet, however going by the names of Samsung’s previously launched Galaxy Mega phablets (the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3), it is expected that this device will be named as the Galaxy Mega 7.0.

There is no information available on the launch date or price of the phone, however it is expected that Samsung will announce this device soon.

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iPhone 6 case compared to iPhone 5S, Nexus 5 and Galaxy Note 3 in hands-on video

Last week an alleged iPhone 6 case for the 4.7-inch variant surfaced online, courtesy of leakster Sonny Dickson. Now, Unbox Therapy has given the case a hands-on treatment, where it also compares it against the iPhone 5S, Nexus 5 and the Galaxy Note 3, to give an idea of its size.
In terms of size, the video notes that the iPhone 6 case much closer to the Nexus 5 and is considerably bigger than the iPhone 5S. The Galaxy Note 3 though is still the biggest of the lot. The case design again indicates the new design language of the forthcoming iPhone, wherein the power/sleep button will be on the side instead of the top and the volume rocker will be a long rectangular button instead of two separate circular buttons. Consistent with the leaked press renders, the case is visibly slimmer than before.

Apple, as we know is expected to launch two variants of the iPhone 6 — a 4.7-inch in September and a 5.5-inch variant sometime next year. The new design will boast a slimmer chassis, narrower bezels and it is also likely to feature an A8 processor, better resolution cameras and a sapphire crystal display.

You can check out the hands-on video in this link...

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HTC One (M8) gets a minor software update

The recently launched HTC One (M8) is getting a minor software update. The new firmware brings Extreme Power Saving Mode and enhances the performance of the camera and gallery apps.



Even though the Extreme Power Saving Mode was announced at the launch, the US and the Canadian variants did not have the new feature as the update had to be approved by the FCC. The smartphone had to undergo additional testing to make sure that the emergency calls were still available in the low power state.

The update pushes the build version to 1.55.631.4 and is still based Android 4.4.2 with the home backed Sense 6.0 UI on top. The new firmware size is about 150 MB and is already rolling out. If you haven't received any notification, then you can check for the update manually by visiting Settings > About > Software.

Via

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How-to: get an iOS 7-like pull-up Control Center on your Android device

"An iOS-like Control Center? On my Android? What is this?!" - Really...you might be asking. Calm down, Android loyal, no one from Apple is going to hurt your phone. All we want to show you is an easy way to obtain a convenient feature - especially if you own a tall, wide smartphone with a 5-inch display or more. We're talking about a control panel that you comfortably pull up with your thumb from below the home screen, instead of awkwardly reaching (or using a second hand) for the screen's upper edge to pull down the Notifications menu. This isn't only a case of ergonomics, though. Android Control Center, also known as Quick Control Panel on the Google Play Store, is a highly customizable utility for those of you that want ultimate control with the flick of a thumb. Here's how to try it out.

On your desktop or Android device, head over to the XDA Developer Forum, and install the Android Control Center APK. If you are running Android 4.2.2 and lower, get v14, otherwise get v18. Note that you can get the app by searching for Quick Control Panel in the Play Store, but over there, it has free and paid versions. Note that the paid version is actually the one available for free from the XDA Forum. How come? Don't worry, there's nothing illegitimate here - the developer is simply giving the app away to the community, while encouraging users to support his work by buying Quick Control Panel from the Play Store. It's only $1.85.

Anyway, after installing the APK file, you should see a new icon in your app drawer, called ACC Settings. This means the installation was successful. Now, do the following:

- If your device has on-screen navigation buttons, hold your thumb on the Home button until the Google Search toggle appears. Slide onto it, and Android will ask you which app you want to complete the action. This time around, it won't be Google Now - you want Android Control Center. You can assign this gesture permanently, or open ACC just once - it's your call.

- If your device has hardware keys, hold your thumb on the Home button and choose Android Control Center to complete the action. As always, you can assign the toggle to permanently open ACC, or stick to Google Now.

What is this that stands before you? It's lean, mean control panel! Let's dig into it. On the lower side, you have indicators for time, date, and battery life (but we disabled that one). Above them, you have handy music controls. Here's the first thing of beauty about this app - when you are playing a game, or browsing, you no longer have to give up what you're doing just so you can open your music player to change the song or something else. Simply call up Android Control Center from your Home button, change or pause the tune, and come back to what you were doing with the back button. ACC appears as an overlay over everything you might have open, including the Android interface, but it's only there if you need it.

ACC's interface in two shades.

The upper side has Brightness and Volume sliders, and above these, you will find a rich shortcuts menu. The ubiquitous Wi-Fi, GPS, Location mode, and other toggles that you might find in Android's pulldown Notifications menu are there. Scroll left and right to browse shortcuts and toggles. Aside from quickly toggling system functions, ACC lets you assign an infinite number of app shortcuts in the same line. Simply tap on a slot and assign the app you want to it. Interestingly, you can also change each shortcut's icon to whatever you wish. But this happens elsewhere.

So, is this all there is to this Android Control Center? Hold up, we've only scratched the surface so far. Remember the new icon that showed in your app drawer. Hunt it down, open it, and welcome yourself to the Android Control Center's control center! It puts hundreds of customization options at your fingertips - perhaps more than you know what to do with. For starters, the General Preferences menu lets you remove the music player interface, remove the toggles, or have both show up in the ACC. You can toggle different gestures and buttons or on off, apply a third-party icon pack, change the animation of the pull-up menu (we definitely prefer the fade-in), change the time and date format, and lots more.

The rest of the menus keep going in the same spirit. You will be bored out of reading long before we manage to take you through them all. We'll just clue you in about some options. If you want the ACC to have an iOS 7-like white appearance, instead of Android's dark Holo-styling, you should head to Color Settings and choose the Light color scheme. It looks really good on stock Android. Some other options that captured our attention are the crazy-extensive customizations. ACC lets you adjust the swipe detection region, the quick toggle buttons' appearance, all colors used in the theme, and so much else it's overwhelming.

If you like what you've read so far and want to try out the app yourself, download it from the following links and go to town. Happy customizing!

Download Android Control Center: XDA Developers | Google Play (Free) | Google Play (Premium)

Courtesy: Phonearena

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Viber for iPhone gets iOS 7 redesign and new features

Viber has updated its app for iPhone app to version 4.2 that brings a flat design from the ground-up for the iOS 7. This update also lets users to share multiple images at the same time, record and share longer video messages and block specific phone numbers. It also now indicates if the other person is typing for Android tablet app, Linux, Windows and Mac apps.

New features in Viber 4.2 for iPhone

• A complete redesign, compatible with iOS 7
• Send multiple photos and videos at the same time
• Block list – now you can block any number or contact
• Send longer video messages
• Bug fixes

Earlier this year Viber for Android got updated to version 4.2 that brought option to block any number or your stored contact, customize incoming call and message tones and lots more. It got updated to version 4.3 last month with option to reorder stickers, Integration with native contact list for calls and messages and more.

Viber launched Viber Out few months back that lets users call any mobile or landline number.

Download Viber 4.2 for iPhone

 

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Apple iPhone sales in India grew more than 55% year after year....

Sales of iPhone grew by 55 percent year-on-year in India in the March ending quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed during the company’s second quarter earnings call. Apple sold 43.7 million units of the iPhone during the quarter, which is a new record for the March quarter as it follows a typically busy holiday season quarter that also witnesses the launch of new iPhones.

Recent reports about Apple’s aggressive iPhone sales strategy for India soon after the launch of the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C in the country. Apple has been uncharacteristically aggressive in pushing the iPhone in India this time, offering frequent buyback schemes that brought down the upfront price of its iPhones. Apple also started providing cashback with EMI schemes to cover for the interest a buyer has to pay to the bank.

Apple also relaunched the iPhone 4 in India and recently slashed price of the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5C as well. Even the iPhone 5S is available for approximately Rs 47,000, a drop of more than Rs 6,000 from its launch price. For the top of the line iPhone 5S, Apple also introduced a trial period offer where users could use the device for two weeks and return it if they didn’t like it for a minor restocking fee.

All these schemes, price cuts and aggressive advertising has paid dividends for Apple in India.

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