Karbonn officially launches Jelly Bean-based Smart Tab 1 at Rs. 6,990

 Karbonn Mobiles has officially announcedthe launch of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-based Smart Tab 1 tablet PC. Priced at Rs. 6,990, the new Karbon Smart Tab 1 comes with MIPS-Based JZ4770 SoC from Ingenic as its running core. The tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz processor. Karbonn has also announced rolling out Jelly Bean update for the customers of the Android 4.0.3 ICS-based Smart Tab 1. Booking for the Jelly Bean-based Smart Tab 1 has already begun. 

The Karbonn Smart Tab 1 features 17.8cm capacitive 5-point touch screen, 2MP camera, Full HD videoplayback up to 1080p, HDMI support, 3D gravity sensor, Wi-Fi and 3G support through USB dongle, Pre-embedded applications - Karbonn Smart Browser & Karbonn Smart Games and local apps such as Times of India & Economic Times app and Facebook. The device comes with a 3,700 mAh battery.

Karbonn has also explained features of the Ingenic JZ4770 SoC loaded in the Smart Tab 1:

• JZ4770 SoC is powered by a MIPS32 compatible XBurst CPU designed by Ingenic
• Adopts an ultra-low-power pipelining architecture which consumes less than 90mW in 1GHz (with L1 cache) with the entire SoC consuming ~250mW with the CPU and video engine operating under full load
• The JZ4770 SoC integrates an optimized 1080p video processing engine, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing unit from Vivante Corp
• Also integrates numerous on-chip analog and application blocks such as audio codecs and GPS

“This new tablet demonstrates continued adoption of our cost-effective JZ4770 SoC in mobile devices. The JZ4770 SoC leverages the simplicity and elegance of the MIPS architecture, and features extremely low power consumption, 1.2GHz performance, and a high level of functional integration. Millions of tablets are already shipping around the globe based on our design, and we anticipate increasing success as more and more companies recognize the differentiation our solution can enable,” says Qiang Liu, Chairman and CEO of Ingenic Semiconductor.

There are already a range of budget tablets in the market right now. Karbonn, however, has grabbed an edge over the rivals by becoming the first Indian brand to announce a tablet which features Jelly Bean out of the box, apart from an update for existing customers of the Smart Tab 1, which currently ships with ICS. As for now, there are quite a few ICS-based tablets such as Funbook, Funbook Pro and Penta T-Pad WS802C in India. For more, check out our list of Top 10 Budget Tablets.

LG Optimus L3 Dual available online at Rs. 8,299

 The LG Optimus L3 Dual E405 is now available in India via online shopping website Flipkart. Priced at Rs. 8,299, the LG Optimus L3 Dual is the dual-SIM version (GSM-GSM) of the Optimus L3, which was launched in India last month. 

Specifications of the LG Optimus L3 Dual are reminiscent of the original L3. The device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and is powered by a Cortex A5 800MHz processor. It has a 3.2-inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The Optimus L3 features a 3.2MP camera, 384MB of RAM, 1GB of internal storage and microSD card slot that supports storage up to 32GB.

For connectivity, the Optimus L3 Dual supports Wi-Fi, 3G, Blutooth and USB 2.0. The device comes with a 1,500 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 17 hours on 2G and 10 hours on 3G.

The Optimus L3 Dual comes preloaded with a number of applications such as YouTube, Android Market, Google+, Gmail, Latitude, News and Weather Update, Software Update, Google Talk, Google, Gmail Sync, AOL, Yahoo, Hot Mail and LGE Mail.

The Flipkart page does not reveal the exact availability of the device right now, but promises 'delivery' in seven to nine days. LG has also not yet officially announced the availability of the device in India.

LG Optimus L3 Dual listed on Flipkart

With the new Optimus L3 Dual, LG looks to tap the growing dual-SIM smartphone market, currently dominated by Samsung, Micromax and Nokia. Samsung has released quite a few dual-SIM smartphones of late; the company recently launched the Galaxy Ace Duos. Nokia has maintained its dominance in the segment with the new Asha phones.

Apple rumoured to unveil iPhone 5 on September 12

Rumors have been circulating all over the Internet suggesting that Apple’s sixth generation iPhone will launch in September 2012. These rumours have turned into a sort of confirmation if sources close to Reuters and AllThingsD can be believed. 

Sources close to AllThingsD have reportedly confirmed that the event is scheduled sometime in the week of starting from the 9th of September, which makes the 12th of September a plausible date for the event. Reuters too has confirmation from its sources about the September event.

Apple on the other hand has declined to comment on the situation but all rumours will be put to rest once the Apple Invite finds its way to inboxes. 

Recently, purported images of the iPhone 5 were leaked by a Japanese repair shop site, iLab Factory.

Whether the rumours are true or not, one thing is certain. Apple is planning something big for this holiday season. Not only is the new iPhone doing its rounds in the rumour circles, but the new iPod Touch and new iMac’s along with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display too are make an appearance in the online rumour mills. Another device that is rumoured to make an appearance at Apple’s September event is the iPad mini. We however are doubtful whether this device exists seeing that every time a 7-inch tablet is launched, rumours of the iPad mini start to surface. We have seen this trend with the launch of the Kindle Fire as well as with the launch of the Google Nexus 7. 

To steal some of Apple’s thunder, it is expected that Samsung will launch its 64GB Galaxy S III smartphone around the same time that Apple announces the iPhone 5. Apple and Samsung have locked themselves in a legal battle over technology patents since the past year seeking a ban on each other’s products throughout the globe.

Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos

Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos Review

 

Platform: Android 2.3; Processor: 832MHz; RAM: 384MB; Display: 2.6-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 240 pixels); Storage: 160MB available to the user, expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD; Camera: 3.15MP with VGA videos; Battery: 1350mAhIf there is one OS that is found on a diverse range of smartphones, it is Android. You have smartphones ranging from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 40,000 running Google’s mobile OS. All these phones come packed with a variety of features but one thing remains constant - the OS is designed for a touchscreen experience and you need a 3-inch screen at the very least to take advantage of the features the OS has to offer.

Today we have with us a smartphone that breaks the tradition of Android smartphones a little by throwing in a smaller screen, QWERTY keypad and Dual-SIM capabilities. Is this shift for the better?

Look and feel
A quick glance at the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos and you could mistake it for an entry-level BlackBerry or a QWERTY smartphone from Micromax. It has a candy bar form factor with a 2.6-inch TFT touchscreen display and a QWERTY keypad. The device feels well built to withstand a few drops. The rear panel of the device is solid plastic and houses the 3.15MP camera without a flash.

On the front, above the screen rests the VGA front facing camera for video calls. Below the touchscreen you have a menu, home, back and search buttons between which rests the optical trackpad. This trackpad feels a lot like the one found on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 and is a welcome addition as the small touchscreen itself isn’t always very comfortable.

In terms of connectivity, the device has the micro USB port at the bottom, a volume rocker on the left panel and the sleep/wake button on the right. On the top we have the 3.5mm headphones jack.

Overall, the device fells quite well built, and sturdy. The matte finish of the rear panel and the QWERTY keypad is nice as it prevents the device from becoming a fingerprint and dust magnet but the same cannot be said about the screen.

Features and performance
Straight out of the box, the device runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This feels like a step back considering the fact that majority of the Android smartphones and budget tablets launched are coming with ICS. Running Android on a smartphone with a QWERTY keypad could have been a good experience especially for those that aren’t comfortable with a touchscreen. The experience however fells like a bit of a letdown because of the size of the display.

Unlocking the screen is as simple as swiping on it and you are greeted with the same TouchWiz interface we have come to expect from all Android powered Samsung smartphones. Unlock the device and you are greeted to three customizable home screens and quick access to the menu, call, contacts and messages via a bar that is constantly present on the right side of the screen.

The overall feel of the OS on the device is the same as any other Gingerbread smartphone but the experience feels a little cramped due to the small size of the display. One big downer to the display is that it doesn’t support multi-touch.

So how does multimedia function? Well in a word, smoothly. We played some music, ran a few YouTube videos and they all ran smoothly. The screen resolution or the display size isn’t the best for videos but it gets the job done nonetheless. Angry Birds Space did take its own sweet time to load on the device but once the game started, it ran quite well. The device will however lag if you multitask on it.

The QWERTY keypad is the best feature of the phone especially if you are one who isn’t a really big fan of the touchscreen interface. Typing messages, emails etc. felt natural and the keypad is well spaced and comfortable to type on.

The 3.15MP rear snapper clicks some good pictures if the lighting condition is right. It shoots images in a maximum resolution of 2048x1536. If the lighting conditions aren’t the best, the images get dark and noisy. There is no dedicated camera button on the device and this is ok as you can use the trackpad to click pictures. There are three shooting modes to choose from – single shot, smile and panorama. You can also select from a variety of scenes such as landscape, night, sports, beach, sunset, etc.

The screen does feel like a letdown when you use apps such as Google Maps. The screen doesn’t support multi-touch so you will have to rely on the onscreen zoom to navigate, which can get quite cumbersome.

Under the rear panel rests the place for the MicroSD card and the two SIM cards. You can hot swap the MicroSD card as you don’t need to remove the battery to access its resting place. The same however cannot be said about the SIM cards. You will need to remove the battery to place the 2 cards.
The call quality of the device is fantastic. The voice from the earpiece is very clear but the microphone isn’t the best. The receiver of our call said that our voice sounded slightly echoed. There is no physical call receive/end button and you will have to rely on the touchscreen. A minor problem but still one for those inclined towards the QWERTY keypad.

The battery life of the device can last you for almost two days with above average use, which is probably the biggest advantage of the device. Most Android smartphones find it difficult to make it through one day.

Our take

The Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos isn’t the best QWERTY smartphone out there especially considering the OS and the price point. If you want a complete Android experience, you can take a look at the Motorola Fire XT and you can get a great QWERTY experience, but with Symbian, from the Nokia E5 under the 10K price point. If you want to experiment with the Android OS on a QWERTY device you can take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos. 

Summary

The Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos isn't the best QWERTY smartphone out there especially considering the OS and the price point. If you want a complete Android experience, you can take a look at the Motorola Fire XT and you can get a great QWERTY experience, but with Symbian, from the Nokia E5 under the 10K price point. If you want to experiment with the Android OS on a QWERTY device you can take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos.

Rating: Good

3.5/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Optical trackpad
• Touch and type on an android device
• Good battery life
• Dual SIM

CONS

• Lackluster Android experience
• Display feels disappointing
• No multi-touch
• Average camera
• Specifications