Showing posts with label Smartphone. Show all posts

5 reasons why the iPhone 5c might be a flop

Rumors are circulating that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone 5c in the face of weak demand, and this in turn is fueling speculation that the handset might be a misstep by the Cupertino giant. This piece examines why this might be the case.

Rumors are circulating that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone 5c in the face of weak demand, and this in turn is fueling speculation that the handset might be a misstep by the Cupertino giant.

But if the iPhone 5c ends up being a flop, what's behind the failure?

(Source: Apple)

First off, I think that it is far too early to call the iPhone 5c a flop. Even if Apple is cutting orders, this could be part of the normal scaling back that happens following a launch as Apple re-evaluates the supply chain and balances things out. This sort of thing is normal.

Apple likes there to be as short a gap as possible between stuff coming off the assembly line, and that stuff being sold, and strives to have around 4 to 6 weeks of channel inventory. Given that iPhone 5c handsets (of all colors) are shipping within 24 hours, while the higher-priced flagship iPhone 5s is on 2 to 3 week back order, it makes sense for Apple to concentrate more on the iPhone 5s.

Another point worth bearing in mind is that we are unlikely to ever find out the sales figures of the individual handset models as Apple only reports data on iPhone sales as a whole. So if iPhone 5c sales are poor, but this is offset by strong iPhone 5s sales (and there's data to suggest that the latter is outselling the former by a significant margin) then the overall effect on sales will be hard to notice. Pundits and analysts like to focus on iPhone sales figures, but revenue and margin data are more telling and as a rule are better indicators of the health of the product line.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that a lot of people who buy handsets are locked into contract and upgrade cycles, and this could mean a delayed or extended upgrade cycle that extends well beyond the initial release. This may be doubly so for the non-flagship handset where consumers might be unwilling to pay unlocked prices to get their hands on the phone and instead wait until they are eligible for a subsidized upgrade.

But, if despite all I've said above, the iPhone 5c is judged to be a flop, what could be the reason behind it being a flop? Here are five possible reasons why.

1) Old model in new clothes

While the iPhone 5c is undeniably a new handset, under the shiny polycarbonate shell it is essentially a rebadged iPhone 5. While it is unquestionably an upgrade for anyone running a non-retina display iPhone, for those already owning an iPhone 4s or iPhone 5, there's not much new beyond the color.

2) No sane color option

The iPhone 5c comes in white, pink, yellow, blue, and green, there's no subdued black/charcoal/space grey option. Given that a black (or a variant on black) has always seemed to be the most popular choice of finish, the fact that it is not on offer might be putting a damper on sales.

On top of that, the lack of a red option is particularly surprising, especially given Apple's desire to gain a foothold in the Chinese market (red is a color traditionally seen as symbolizing good fortune).

3) Stuck with one color

You can dress up the iPhone 5c is different colored silicone skins (at $29 a pop) or you can use third-party cases, but as to the actual color of your handset, you're stuck with it for the duration of ownership.

For the trendy or teens with short attention spans, this is a concept that might not float.

As an aside, the most popular color in the UK according to iPhoneStockChecker is pink, accounting for 46 percent of sales, followed by blue at 32 percent, and green at 12 percent. White is low down the list at 9 percent, and the yellow version seems to be the ugly duckling, only chosen by one out of every 100 buyers.

4) Price shock

Apple lists an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5c at $549, which is only $100 less than a 16GB iPhone 5s. You can pick up unlocked handsets for less than this, but that high official price – which got a lot of press attention at the iPhone unveiling – will have undoubtedly put some people off.

5) Second best

The popular perception is that iPhone buyers are swayed by style, and that owning the attest and greatest handset is a status symbol of sorts.

While there no denying that the iPhone 5c is a new handset, it isn't a flagship handset, and with so much attention focused on the iPhone 5s, does this make the iPhone 5c seems a lesser, inferior, second best purchase?

The bottom line

Apple CEO Tim Cook is on record as saying that the company doesn't fear cannibalization, and that extends as far as its own products cannibalizing one another. At the end of the day, whether consumers are buying the iPhone 5s or the iPhone 5c (or the older iPhone 4s), people are still buying an Apple product as opposed to the competition.

If the iPhone 5c is a viable product, then chances are that we'll see similar models coming down the pipe in the future, if not, then we may see Apple shift away from this approach. This is how businesses do business.

Report by : Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for Hardware 2.0

Nokia could unveil Asha 501 feature phone today

In just a few hours, Nokia will unveil a new phone in Delhi. Word is that the Finnish phone maker will be adding to its Asha range of feature phones. The company had already launched the Nokia Asha 201 last month and the event today is expected to be for a more high-end device.

A picture leaked on Twitter by EvLeaks suggests that Nokia will be launching Asha 501. The image shows the phone in several colours - black, white, red, blue, green and yellow - and the design reminds us of any number of Nokia Lumia phones over the years.

Not much else can be surmised from these pictures, but it looks like the new Asha phone will be a full touch number and the screen size from the image looks to be around the 4-inch mark or even smaller. The phone has one physical button, with the power key and volume rocker placed on the right edge. The phone could very well come with replaceable back panels.

Earlier speculation says that Nokia is about to launch Asha phones with a redesigned UI, seemingly inspired by Windows Phone 8’s UI. From previous leaked images, it looks like there will be a redesigned lock screen, among other new additions. The new UI will be released alongside updated hardware possibly including a new and improved camera module. While sales of the Lumia range of devices might not be scorching, Nokia’s Asha devices have put the company in a strong position in the budget phone market.

Report by : tech2 News Staff

8 Ways to Recycle Your Old Smartphone

What did you do with your old smartphone after you upgraded to the latest iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy III?

According to a November 2012 survey by Lookout, 62% of American households have old cellphones lying around, unused. Discarded iPhones alone account for $9 billion of unused goods in consumers' homes.

If you're among the 62% with dormant phones, we challenge you this Earth Day to come up with some creative gadget recycling solutions. We've rounded up eight ways you can recycle your old phone, from using it as an external hard drive to donating it to a worthy charity.

So what do you think: Will you give your old smartphone a second life, even though you've upgraded on to the newer model?

1. Donate Your Phone to the Troops

Non-profit Phones for Soldiers works to provide U.S. troops with a cost-free way to call home from their active stations. Through recycling partner Mindful eCycling, old mobile phones are traded in for calling cards and other communications devices.

2. Sell It on Glyde

Looking for a one-stop shop for selling back all the old tech in your home? Glyde lets you buy and sell a variety of devices, plus it compares the amounts you can fetch on its site with offers from Amazon, Apple and Gazelle.

3. Put It on an Appstand

This picture frame for your iPhone 3 or 3GS turns your old iPhone into a lovely piece of home decor. Available on sale for $8.73, the Appstand lets you breathe new life into your outdated Apple smartphone.

4. Sell It Back to Apple

Apple will trade your old iPhone for an Apple gift card through its Reuse and Recycling program. Amounts vary depending on your phone's make and model.

5. Donate to Survivors of Domestic Violence

Verizon has collected more than 10 million phones since 2001 for victims of domestic abuse: one in four U.S. women, one in seven men and nearly 3 million children. To donate your old phone, drop it at a Verizon store, ship it or donate to a HopeLine phone drive.

6. Search Your Options With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. EPA provides dozens of resources for recycling your old smartphone with its mobile, PC and television search engine. Depending on your device and make, the EPA surfaces optimal recycling options.

7. Donate to the One Fund for Boston, via Gazelle

Boston-based Gazelle, known for its smartphone buy-back programs, is accepting donated items for the One Fund for Boston. If you select the Boston Marathon victims' relief fund as your preferred payment type, 100% of proceeds from your donation will go toward those most-affected by the marathon tragedy.

8. Send Your Phone to CTIA for Refurbishing

If your smartphone is still in good shape, the CTIA will clean, test and update it, then return it to certain retailers who will resell the device. Alternately, if your device doesn't need the complete refurbish, CTIA will clean it and put it up for resell. Phones unable to be refurbished or reused still get recycled for their reusable materials.

Report by : Zoe Fox

Jolla to unveil first Sailfish OS phone in May

Jolla's Sailfish OS is one of the big players when we talk about upcoming mobile operating systems. According to TechCrunch, Jolla has announced that it will be unveiling the first handset to run Sailfish OS next month. Despite this, however, the launch date of the device remains unchanged. It will be launched in the second half of the year.

The company hasn't revealed the exact date, but its pre-sales campaign is set to start in the second half of May.

The company has also announced over its Twitter account that it will be taking payments for the phone before the launch. "Yes, there will be various options to show the support and get something in return. Stay tuned for the announcement in May," says the tweet.

We'll get a first look at the phone in May

Earlier this month, Jolla had released the Sailfish OS SDK installers to encourage developers to get started on development of native apps for the platform. Jolla's offering is in the form of graphical installers for Windows, OS X and Linux for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The SDK was released back in February during the Mobile World Congress, where Jolla was involved in a presentation for potential carrier and OEM partners. But the release of an installer means Jolla is even making things easier for developers working on all platforms.

At the moment, the Finnish company, made up of several former Nokia engineers, plans to license out its slick-looking OS to other device makers. They are encouraging the creation of customised, branded versions of the software for third parties, just like Samsung has done with TouchWiz for Android or HTC with Sense.

However, just like Google, Jolla will have a Nexus-like hardware series running Sailfish as it was deemed to be. Currently, Sailfish is still nascent, but there is baked-in support for Android, Qt and HTML5 apps. However, it is clear that Jolla wants to build an arsenal of native apps before the touted launch later this year. Native apps will take full advantage of the Sailfish features and will go a long way towards building a full-fledged ecosystem, rather than piggy-backing on existing Android apps.

The Sailfish UI's big focus is on multi-tasking without jumping in and out of apps. As is becoming the norm nowadays, there is also a big emphasis on gestures for navigation and selection of content. From the demos that we have seen so far, the company wants to focus more on one-handed interaction with the device than anything else. Currently running apps show up as interactive tiles on the home screen. Unlike Windows Phone 8, these tiles do not just show you glance-able information, but act as the first gateway into the apps. Users can perform any number of functions in the apps without actually entering them.

Report by : Shunal Doke

HTC ONE Photos

HTC One X, HTC Butterfly, HTC One

Report by : R.Shah

Gongkai phone sells for $12

Ever thought of paying as little as $12 (amounts to approximately Rs 650) for a fully-functional phone? Well, we came across the Gongkai phone, which now makes it possible. It's a complete quad-band GSM phone featuring an OLED display, Bluetooth and MP3 playback. It has only basic features, but that's what one could expect at that price. The phone is a great option if you are going on a short trip/vacation or during the monsoon when people don't want to carry their expensive smartphones. Moreover, at $12, the phone is unlocked and contract-free; it also comes with a protective silicone sleeve.

A basic phone for $12 (Image credit: bunnie studios)

After a teardown, bunnie studios reveals that the low price of the phone is possible due to several factors. The entire case snaps together and there are no screws holding the phone together. There are almost no connections inside and all components, such as the battery and display, are soldered directly to the board. There is a flipping switch that helps hard-disconnect the battery. Further, the battery also has no secondary protection circuit. Despite its slacky built, the phone features a backlit keypad and decorative lights around the edge. It equips the Mediatek MT6250DA chip and a Vanchip VC5276. The CPU clocks at 260MHz, 32-bit. The MT6250 chip is said to sell for less than $2 when bought in bulk. Apparently, the production price of the phone goes below $10.

Last year, we came across the M2 phone from a Chinese handset manufacturer going by the name Ken Xin Da. The phone priced at Rs 1,200 was amongst the tiniest phones one could find in the market. It came with a dual-SIM, dual-standby option, rated talktime of 240 minutes and bundled a 2GB memory card.

Affordable tablets and phones are a boon for developing nations like India. In fact, we’ve had our tryst with the Aakash tablet project. We’ve seen this cheapest tablet in the world face a lot of ups and downs. One shouldn't expect superior quality or performance from Gongkai either (considering its price). The price of the device is as low as ordering a highly-loaded large pizza or a nifty pair of earphones. A sub-Rs 1,000 phone could be a great initiative for India, especially as we are looking to connect remote and isolated regions of the country.

Report by : tech2 News Staff

BlackBerry Q10 priced higher than the Z10

If you were hoping that the BlackBerry Q10 would be priced below the Z10 then you are in for shock. The UK pricing for the BlackBerry Q10 is out and at £579.95 (approx Rs 48,000) it is costlier than its full-touch sibling. While both the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 were announced on 30th January, only the Z10 was available until now with the Q10 scheduled for a late April launch.

The Q10 is a hybrid of sorts as it comes with a touch-screen and a physical QWERTY keyboard. Hardcore BlackBerry users have been clamouring for a BB10 phone with a physical keyboard and this is the first instance of a high-end smartphone of the current generation sporting one. In that sense the Q10 seems like an awfully huge punt for BlackBerry to make. BlackBerry, for its part, claims that Q10 will offer its consumers the best of both worlds. Its 3.1-inch Super AMOLED screen sports a 720x720 resolution at 328 ppi, which is marginally higher than that of the iPhone 5 but lower than many of the high-end Android phones like the HTC One and even BlackBerry’s own Z10.

The BlackBerry Q10

In terms of other hardware too the Q10 seems decently specced. It may not best the current crop of flagship phones in many benchmark tests but it seems to have enough under the hood to keep things going smoothly. The Q10 runs on a 1.5 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor and has 2GB of RAM to ensure that those apps chug along just fine. The 2100 mAh battery too should prove sufficient given the relatively smaller screen size. But in the past most BlackBerry devices have been plagued by battery woes.

The phone will be running BB10 and to take advantage of all the new camera and BBM Video features of the OS, BlackBerry has slapped on an 8 MP primary camera capable of recording full HD videos at 1080p and a 2 MP secondary (front) camera that can record at 720p.

But the question is whether all of these features warrant a price tag as hefty as the one listed? Our opinion is that they do not. The Z10 too was perceived as expensive and after the initial enthusiasm the demand for the phone has slowed down. BlackBerry looks like it will commit the same mistake again. It is important to note that in UK, like in the US, phones are sold on contract and we could also see the prices crash as we did with the Z10, but in markets like India where handsets are purchased ‘SIM-free’ you can expect the BlackBerry Q10 to cost upwards of Rs 50,000 and as a consequence sink like a lead zeppelin.

Report by : tech2 News Staff

India Gives The World It's First Smartphone For The Blind

Soon, blind people will be able to read emails and SMS, as Sumit Dagar, a graduate from the National Institute of Design (NID), has developed the world’s first smartphone for blind people, which converts all text into Braille patterns, allowing blind people to read texts, emails on the device.

Sumit dagar, the force behind this unique smartphone, says,

We have created the world’s first Braille smartphone. This product is based on an innovative ‘touch screen’ which is capable of elevating and depressing the contents it receives to transform them into ‘touchable’ patterns.

The response during the test has been immense. It comes out as a companion more than a phone to the user. We plan to do more advanced versions of the phone in the future.

Dagar says that he was motivated to help blind people and develop such a device as “technology was only serving the mainstream and ignoring the marginalised.” Dagar is also teaming up with IIT Delhi to develop a prototype of the device, which is currently under testing at L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad.

This project is currently being funded by Rolex Awards under its Young Laureates Programme, wherein five people from all over the world are selected, once in two years and their projects are funded.

As far as the working of the device is concerned, the device uses Shape Memory Alloy technology, which is based on the concept that metals remember their original shapes, i.e. expand and contract to its original shape after use.

Here’s how the smartphone works

The phone’s ‘screen’ has a grid of pins, which move up and down as per requirement. The grid has a Braille display, where pins come up to represent a character or letter.
This screen will be capable of elevating and depressing the contents to form patterns in Braille.
All other elements are like any other smartphone.

Report by : Abhinav Bhargava

Galaxy Grand or iPhone 4: Which cash-back offer makes more sense?

Even if you haven’t been reading the newspapers regularly, chances are you would have seen Apple and Samsung’s massive ad campaigns for their smartphones.

While Apple’s campaign focuses more on the two generations-old iPhone 4 with attractive EMI schemes and cash-back offers, Samsung has been advertising heavily for the Galaxy Grand, which was announced in January and has been a hot seller ever since. Under Apple’s offer, even the iPhone 4S and 5 are covered, however, the better cash-back deal is for the iPhone 4 in comparison with the newer smartphones.

Given a choice and the budget flexibility, the question staring many potential smartphone buyers in the face is, which offer to snap up. Yes, we know the comparison is, on the face of it, unfair, because while the Galaxy Grand is a few months old, the iPhone 4 is about to turn three soon. But the iPhone 4 still has a great fan following and even despite its age is not all that outdated. The Galaxy Grand, while new, isn't exactly the best device out there in terms of specs, with plenty of alternatives in its price range.

However, the timing of the ad campaigns coupled with great sales of both handsets has thrown up the question of which one makes more sense. Both companies’ cash-back offers run till the 30th of April and there’s no cap date on the EMI schemes. So these last few days of April are a great opportunity to refresh your phone.

Both phones have a cash-back offer on till April 30

Let’s start with the iPhone 4, which is perhaps not as fresh in the consumers’ minds. The iPhone 4 was a major product for Apple from a design point of view. It introduced the famous glass back and eschewed the curved back for the sleeker back panel. Overall, the phone looks solidly built and at the time, it was leagues ahead of any other smartphone’s design. In terms of the specs, the iPhone 4 doesn’t show its age. Buyers will get a 3.5-inch display with a 640 x 960 resolution, which translates to a pixel density of 330 PPI, which Apple has dubbed Retina display. In terms of performance, the iPhone 4 is powered by the Apple A4 chip, which is a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor and there’s a PowerVR SGX535 GPU in tow. While the processing power might seem lacking, one has to understand that Apple’s software is fully optimised to run on the hardware and as such, performance issues will likely be non-existent. The iPhone 4 even got the latest official update, iOS 6.1.3, which puts it on par with the iPhone 4S and 5 in terms of the software experience, to a large extent. The only area where we feel the iPhone 4 could fare badly in comparison to the Galaxy Grand is the camera. The 5-megapixel camera on the iPhone 4 took great pictures, but ultimately it is a two-year-old module. Moreover, it can only shoot videos up to 720p.

iPhone 4 has a smaller display and a higher resolution

In comparison to the iPhone 4, the Galaxy Grand’s design is a totally different beast. It is by no means a flagship device but Samsung's flagship during the iPhone 4's time, the Galaxy S2 is not all that different from the Galaxy Grand.

The glossy plastic finish, the removable back cover and the exaggerated curves of the device are the polar opposites of their counterpart in the iPhone 4. But where the iPhone 4 only has a 3.5-inch display, buyers of the Grand will get a generous 5-inch display. Not everything is great, though. The iPhone still trumps the Galaxy Grand’s WVGA resolution. In terms of processor and software experience, the Grand benefits from the inclusion of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, while the dual-core Broadcom 1.2GHz processor is more than enough to run the smoothest version of Android. In the camera department, the Grand has a slight edge thanks to the 8-megapixel camera and the ability to shoot full HD videos.

Both have been hot sellers in the market. The Grand has been selling like hot cakes, and we have also reliably learnt that the iPhone 4 stock in the market has dried up and more stock is incoming. We were told that distributors, resellers and even grey market stock of the phone has depleted. Clearly, the bait of an iPhone for as low as under Rs 20,000 after the cash-back scheme has hooked many fish. But Samsung’s Galaxy Grand has a slight edge considering its similar price, the larger display, the newer camera and the faster processor. The only areas where we would give the battle to the iPhone 4 are the design and the screen resolution. There’s also the factor that not everyone might like a 5-inch display on their smartphone and for them the iPhone 4 is a compact alternative.

The Galaxy Grand has a large 5-inch display

When it comes to apps and games, these days, iOS and Android are roughly on par, with most new apps launching on both platforms. But Android does offer customisation options which set it apart from iOS and this has been a huge factor in the success of the platform.

There’s one more aspect at play here. The Galaxy Grand, owing to its 2013 heritage, could benefit from future updates of Android. However, since the iPhone 4 was launched in 2010 and there’s an iPhone 5S on its way later this year, Apple might choose to or could be forced to (due to hardware limitations) retire the iPhone 4 from the update list when iOS 7 rolls out.

The price difference post cash-back discounts is not that high. The iPhone 4 will be available for 19,500 with the maximum cash-back of Rs 7,000, while the Galaxy Grand comes to around 17,000 after accounting for the cash-back offer. So the debate ultimately boils down to which will be a more future-proof phone. This is where the age of the iPhone 4 could be a disadvantage.

Given all these factors, we think it would be wiser to go for the Samsung Galaxy Grand as opposed to an iPhone 4. It is the more recent phone and ultimately, barring the design and build quality, we think it is the more worthy option.

Report by : Nikhil Subramaniam

Samsung explains why Galaxy S4 doesn't come with FM radio

Samsung Galaxy S4 was unveiled by the company on 14 March. While the phone boasts high-end specs like a 5-inch full-HD screen with 441 pixels per inch, a 1.6GHz Exynos octa-core processor in some regions and a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor in others, and 2GB of RAM, it received criticism in some quarters for missing out on a rather basic feature: FM radio.

The omission of FM was indeed a strange one from Samsung. While Apple has never shipped an iPhone with built-in FM radio - despite receiving its share of criticism - Samsung's first three flagship devices, and indeed, most other phones, come with FM radio. In that sense, Samsung customers are used to enjoying the feature. There have been complaints since the omission was confirmed after Galaxy S4 was officially unveiled but Samsung was mum on the subject - until now.

Samsung's Facebook page in Russia has made the following announcement on the subject, which was picked up by GSM Arena via Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru.

Our studies show a trend shift of interest to digital broadcasting, specifically - focus on listening to music content in social networks or on the channel YouTube. The flagship model of our products are focused on customers who use digital content, which use modern formats and channels of information consumption. (translated from Russian).

While Samsung may be right in believing that flagship customers tend to be focused on digital content, the fact is, if you take something away from people after they become used to it (in other Galaxy flagships), they are far more likely to complain, than if they never enjoyed the feature in the first place.

Something tells us we haven't heard the last on the Samsung Galaxy S4 FM radio debate. What do you think us of Samsung's decision? Will your decision to buy the Galaxy S4 be impacted by it? Let us know via the comments.

Samsung Galaxy S4 key specifications

5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) Super AMOLED display (441 ppi)
1.9GHz quad-core processor/ 1.6GHz octa-core processor (Depending upon region)
2GB RAM
16/32/64 GB Storage (expandable by 64GB via microSD slot)
13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, IR LED, MHL 2.0
Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
2,600 mAh battery
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm
130 grams

Report by : NDTV Correspondent

Pocket now lets you share links in-app

The widely used read it later app, Pocket, has received an update that makes it easier for you to share items with your friends who already use Pocket. You will now be able to send clippings and articles to users from within the app.

Pocket has always been more than just a read it later app. It always had the ability to share articles with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter and email. One feature that was sorely missed and much requested by Pocket regulars was the ability to share articles in-app.

The new update that bumps Pocket to 4.5.1 on Android and 4.5 on iOS now includes the ability to send an interesting article to people who use the app too. The person you send the article to will not just receive an email informing him about the share, but will also receive a push-notification within Pocket app that lets him know about it.

Neat little app gets a neat little update

The app now has a new share menu that will show you the services and friends you’ve most recently sent articles to. The Android version of the app has been updated to include auto full screen in article and web views too, apart from the regular bug fixes on both Android and iOS.

Pocket was formerly known as Read it Later, one of the first apps of this kind. The app, originally intended for computers only was started off in 2007 with the aim of being Tivo for web content.

The app was rechristened to Pocket last year and doled out quite a few of its pro version options to the free version of the app. Currently, Pocket is available on not just iOS and Android devices, but also on Macs and as extensions on Google Chrome and Firefox. Using the app or the extension, you can save from nearly any page online including Twitter, Flipboard and Pulse. You can save articles, images and even videos to view them later on any of your devices. The best bit about Pocket is that it syncs the page you are on and the articles you’ve finished reading on every device you use.

The app boasts of more than eight million users across devices like iPhone and iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox. The company also states that there have been more than 350 million items saved onto Pocket yet.

Report by : Nishtha Kanal

HTC 606w Spotted, A Mid-Range Device With An Ultrapixel Camera

HTC One is surely one hell of a smartphone, but the price at which it comes at, might not be affordable for everyone. However, if you still wish to get a flavor of that Ultrapixel camera and Boomsound, this news might interest you.

Phone Arena is reporting that HTC plans to introduce a new smartphone, which is currently being dubbed as the HTC 606w, which gets an Ultrapixel camera, just like the one found on the HTC One.

The smartphone was seen in China, getting regulatory approval, and it’s being said that the device has been cleared by the authority, indicating that the launch of HTC 606w in China might happen soon.

Coming to the specifications, HTC 606w gets a 4.3-inch display with a 720p resolution, amounting to a pixel density of 342 pixels per inch. The smartphone is expected to be powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM.

At the back, the smartphone will get an Ultrapixel camera, and just to refresh the Ultrapixel concept, the new camera sensor allows more light to come inside the sensor, giving sharper pictures in low-light conditions.The HTC 606w will also get a 1.3 megapixel camera at the font to cater to your video calling needs.

The HTC 606w will also come with dual-stereo speakers at the front, which HTC calls as the Boomsound, and the smartphone will get 16GB of internal storage. Housing a 1,700mAh battery at the back, the HTC 606w will be running on Android 4.1.2 with presumably, Sense 5.0 on top.

Since nothing is official at the moment, we recommend you take this piece of information with a grain of salt.

Report by : Abhinav Bhargava

Catch-22: Sony Xperia Z or Sony Xperia ZL?

On the face of it, it might seem like a no-brainer to go with the Z since the price difference is just Rs 2,000 (based on current market and online prices). However, after spending enough time with both the handsets, we think otherwise.

Buying a high-end smartphone these days is just a as difficult as picking one from the mid or entry level segment. Gone are the days when manufacturers had just a single phone which they called their flagship. Today, companies have multiple offerings in the high-end segment and to make it worse, these handsets have an even shorter shelf life than the ones below them. Our latest Catch-22 situation arises with the Xperia Z and the ZL. These are currently Sony’s flagship offerings – very similar in terms of specifications, yet very different handsets.

On the face of it, it might seem like a no-brainer to go with the Z since the price difference is just Rs 2,000 (based on current market and online prices). However, after spending enough time with both the handsets, we think otherwise. Let’s gloss over some of the key areas that set these two apart.

Design and dimensions

Both the handsets look very similar upfront and even have the same button placement. But that’s where the similarities end. The Z is definitely more striking and will grab your attention more than the ZL. It has more street presence due to the glass back and is a lot slimmer as well. While this may look very glamorous, the design is far from ergonomic. The sharp edges and flattened chassis makes it tough to grip when swiping through the menus or simply making a call. The glossy sides aren’t much help either. The Z is also quite a large phone, so one handed operations are not always possible.

The Xperia ZL's front camera is placed below the screen

The ZL, on the other hand, is a bit chunkier and heavier but has a much nicer grip. The rubberised, textured back sits snugly in your hand and doesn’t slip off that easily. The ZL also has more manageable dimensions while keeping the screen size the same. Sony has shaved down the bezel quite a bit, all around, which makes the phone seem smaller.

Call quality and speaker

The earpiece volume issue on the Xperia Z is the most annoying bit. Due to all that water and dust-proofing efforts, we’ve ended up with a substantially low call volume, which is further weakened by a very narrow opening. Due to this, you have to hold the phone at exactly the right angle to your ear in order to hear clearly, otherwise it just gets muffled. The speaker volume is also pretty low, which makes it tough to hear alerts.

The ZL does not have any of these issues. The earpiece and speaker are amply loud and you can hear calls and alerts easily in noisy areas as well.

IP55/57 certification

This is the biggest differentiating factor between the Z and ZL. The Xperia Z is dust and water resistant, which means you can afford to be careless with it. It can even survive underwater up to 1 metre for 30 minutes, which is very impressive. We don’t see any other flagship bragging about this yet.

Standing tall

IR port and barometer

Compensating for the lack of IP55/57 certification, the ZL is fitted with an IR port and a barometer. The latter helps your phone sense local changes in atmospheric pressure and can assist your GPS for navigation by calculating the altitude. And since this is a passive sensor, it won’t eat up much of you battery either. The IR port can be used for the most obvious scenario, i.e. controlling your TV. Sony has a built-in app with pre-programmed remote functions for all major TV brands.

Battery

The Xperia ZL has a marginally higher capacity battery compared to the Z, so in the end, the battery life is more or less the same. Both phones will last you one entire day, provided you enable STAMINA and power saving modes, which restrict data usage to only the most necessary apps. Thankfully, the ZL does not overheat like the Xperia Z, which makes it more comfortable to live with.

The bottom line

Apart from the above mentioned differences, both the handsets are nearly identical in terms of processing power, camera, display and multimedia capabilities. We can see how the Xperia Z can be a tempting buy for just Rs 2,000 more, but that waterproofing comes at a cost. We recommend you put your money on the Xperia ZL and spend the difference on a 32GB microSD card instead.

Report by : Roydon Cerejo

Google's new Motorola smartphones "very, very impressive": Schmidt

In the past few months, there have been no dearth of rumours regarding Google's Motorola building the 'X Phone'. Now Google Executive Chairman has added a dash of excitement to these rumours by stating that he has seen the smartphones coming up at Motorola and they are "very, very impressive."

Schmidt made this remark while talking at the AllThingsD Dive Into Mobile conference. He further went to add,"They have a new set of products, which are phenomenal." He also mentioned that these smartphones should not be termed as just phones but "Think of it as phones-plus." We're not sure if that's a reference to the size of the phones, or their quality, but Schmidt has definitely added a new sense of anticipation towards the devices.

One reason to believe it is not a reference to the size of the phones are the comments made by Jim Wicks, Design Chief at Motorola. While talking to PC Magazine, Wicks said that the company will be launching stock Android devices. He further exclaimed, "if you like smaller form-factor devices or stock Android, you're going to be excited."

The current trend for smartphones is to have a larger screen size but looks like Motorola will not be looking at having "mega" screen and be more focussed on the Android experience for its forthcoming smartphones.

It is noteworthy, that Google completed its acquisition of Motorola in May 2012. Under the new management, Motorola had launched a line of RAZR smartphones, but Google executives maintain that these smartphones were built under the supervision of old management and they had negligible influence on what was churned out. Google even went out to state that Motorola smartphones lacked the "wow factor".

However, the company now plans to change the same. The company had earlier in the year roped in former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki. Kawasaki is reportedly focussing on product design, user interface, marketing and social media at Google and is expected to fuse in some enthusiasm in the Motorola brand.

Commenting about Android, Schmidt predicted at the Dive Into Mobile conference that in the coming six to nine months, there will be more than a billion devices running Android.

Schmidt also remarked that the search engine giant was "phenomenally happy" with the Facebook's Home app, which replaces the home screen on Android phones and said Google has no plans to block it.

Report by : Surbhi Chawla

Upcoming smartphones to look forward to – April 2013

The next generation of smartphones will be available on the shelves very soon, and here are some that we’re hoping to see sooner rather than later.

The age of HD is here and the mobile kingdom is expanding exponentially with this technology. And while the bigger players are not so keen on pricing their full HD editions at affordable prices, some of the local talent, and those from our next door neighbours, are more than happy to do so. The next generation of smartphones will be available on the shelves very soon, and here are some that we’re hoping to see sooner rather than later.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3

The next generation of Galaxy series devices will be taking the mobile phone display to a higher playing field with the Galaxy 5.8 and Galaxy 6.3. The numbers denote the screen size of both the devices. This might not be the very best step for mobile handsets as larger displays also mean larger devices. The Mega 6.3 is pretty much close to a 7.0-inch tablet, so toting this one around will be a task. The 5.8-inch option could prove to be useful for those with active lifestyles – those who are either constantly networking socially, web browsing to a large extent or emailing constantly. With all of the new TouchWiz goodies, like spilt screen functionality, multi-tasking will also be so much easier. It’s just that you’re going to need larger pockets.

As mega as they get

Both the devices feature HD displays and come equipped with dual-core processors to run Jelly Bean 4.2 out of the box. Here’s a quick look at their features:

5.8-inch QHD TFT display – 6.3-inch HD TFT display
3G, Wi-Fi
GPS
Bluetooth, NFC
8 megapixel primary camera, 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera
8/16GB internal memory, microSD card support for up to 64GB more memory

Sony Xperia SP

The Xperia SP is essentially a slightly scaled-down version of Sony’s Xperia Z minus the rugged features. Equipped with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and an Adreno 320 GPU, the SP will ship with Jelly Bean as the OS. Naturally, a slew of Sony features will be part of the make-up, including the new Exmor RS sensor for the 8MP camera and Sony’s Stamina mode to enhance battery life. The device has been constructed using hard plastic with an aluminium frame for support. Taking a cue from the Xperia U, the SP also features a transparent notification strip located at the very bottom of the handset. This will light up to match the reigning display colour or highlight a colour associated with notifications for specific apps, for instance, green for WhatsApp.

A lower end version of the Z and ZL devices

Here are the key specs of the Xperia SP:

4.6-inch display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution
LTE, HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, WI-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
8MP camera with LED flash and 1080p video; VGA front-facing camera
FM radio
MHL for AV Out
8GB internal storage with microSD card slot

The handset is already up for pre-order for Rs 25,490.

Optimus G Pro

LG seems to pioneer the next-gen species of the high-end smartphones, but doesn’t often live up to expectations. However, its Nexus 4 and Optimus G devices proved otherwise in this context despite their few flaws. So, to keep up with the likes of the competition, i.e. the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, LG’s Optimus G Pro was announced. Featuring a Snapdragon 600 chipset for a 1.7GHz, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU for Android Jelly Bean, the G Pro could easily give the HTC One, if not the S4, a run for its money. LG has also incorporated the Dolby Mobile Sound Enhancement system to counter Beats Audio. The super thin bezel also makes it seem like the display real estate was properly utilised.

Picking up where the G left off

The LG Optimus G Pro will feature:

5.5-inch display with a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution (True full HD IPS LCD)
LTE, HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, WI-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
13MP camera with LED flash and 2.1MP front-facing camera, both with 1080p video recording
FM radio
MHL for AV Out
32GB internal storage with support for microSD card slot up to 64GB

HTC First

Touted as the next Facebook phone after the ChaCha and the Salsa, Facebook clearly likes HTC for its devices. The First, just another way of taking its "One" series in a slightly different direction, will come with Facebook’s new Android UI, Home, out of the box. The specifications of the handset aren’t going to be the talk of the social town, but they’re good enough to be worthy of consideration. A Snapdragon 400 1.4GHz dual-core processor will be powering the handset along with 1GB of RAM and Andreno 305 GPU for Jelly Bean. Facebook’s Home UI could bring a new experience to the HTC domain, although Sense UI v5 also has quite a bit to offer. The question really is: Whether or not one would want another Facebook phone, or one with a UI, replaceable as it is, directed at a singular social network?

A 'First' for Facebook Home

The HTC First will come with the following features:

4.3-inch display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, Super LCD
HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot,
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
5MP camera with LED flash and 1080p video; 1.6MP front-facing camera
16GB internal storage with support for microSD card slot

Micromax Canvas 3D

According to the rumour mill, Micromax seems to have a 3D device in the making. Dubbed the Canvas 3D, the popular Indian brand could be working on a new Canvas device that will feature a 3D display and graphics to support it. There doesn’t seem to be too much information on the device just yet, other than a few specs. Why Micromax would be interested in a technology that clearly hasn’t really been working for mobile devices is a curious thought though. It is possible that this is but a mere rumour, but seeing as Micromax is pushing the envelope with its latest devices and specifications to take on the big guys, a Canvas 3D device just could be possible. However, we’d be more inclined to believe that the next Canvas could feature a full HD display instead.

Another 3D mobile? Really? (mock image)

Here are some of the rumoured features of the Canvas HD:

5.0-inch display with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM
3G, EDGE
Wi-Fi, Hot-spot creation
Bluetooth
GPS with AGPS
8MP camera, 2MP front-facing camera
4GB of internal memory, expandable via microSD cards

That’s our list of smartphones we’re looking forward to in the coming weeks. Although launch dates haven’t been made public for some of the devices, we’re looking at launches within the next month or so. Stay tuned to tech2 for updates.

Report by : Shayne Rana

Sony Xperia ZL Review

The Xperia ZL is the non-amphibious cousin of the Xperia Z and is currently sitting comfortably without much worry from the competition. We say that because the only other phones close to it are the Lumia 920 and the Galaxy Note II. The Lumia 920 is not much of a competition, unless all you’re looking for is a good low-light capable camera, and the Note II’s size isn’t for everyone. This leaves the ZL sitting pretty at around Rs 36,000. One may argue that it’s best to put a little more and get the Z, which is more feature rich and comes with the tempting IP55/57 certification. But is it really worth it? How much has Sony really compromised with the ZL in order to make it more affordable? Let’s find out.

Design and build

Upfront, the ZL looks quite a bit like the Z, except for the wider ear piece grille and a front camera that finds a new home at the bottom of the handset – a first we’ve come across. The handset also features the same scratch-resistant and shatterproof glass along with the screen guard that comes pre-installed. The phone is heavier than the Z, at 151 g, and that’s because it’s a bit thicker as well, with a depth of 9.8 mm as compared to 7.9 mm of the Z.

Looks good and is built well too

The sides have mirror-finish plastic strips along with a similar button placement. The overall size of the ZL is much smaller than the Z, but Sony has kept the screen size the same. This gives the illusion of a larger screen since the bezel is shaved down quite a bit from all sides. The ZL also enjoys the addition of a cool-looking notification light at the bottom, which pulsates in different colours based on the type of notification.

The rubberised texture at the back offers very good grip

The rear panel has a very nice, grippy finish, which feels and looks a lot better than the Z. The textured back leaves your phone free from scratches and requires less upkeep. The camera, LED flash and speaker grille are placed in a similar fashion as the Z. The microSIM and microSD card slots are now placed at the bottom of the phone under a flap. Overall, we were impressed with the design and finish of the ZL and feel it’s a lot better than the Xperia Z in terms of ease of use and ergonomics.

Features

The display is exactly the same as the one on the Xperia Z, only a little brighter and with more vivid colours. The viewing angles are still pretty average and sunlight legibility is not the best. Sony still gives you the full HD resolution on the 5-inch panel, bringing the overall pixel count to 441 ppi.

The same slick user interface as before

The handset also uses the same Qualcomm APQ8064 quad-core SoC along with a generous 2GB of RAM. The chipset consists of four Krait CPUs running at 1.5GHz each along with Adreno 320 for graphics. Sony gives you 16GB of onboard storage, out of which 11.7GB is usable. You also have the option to expand it via the hot-swap card slot. As far as sensors go, the Xperia ZL packs in a gyroscope, compass and barometer along with the other usual suspects.

Extremely powerful hardware under the hood

The interface is slick and fluid just like the Z. Along with the usual selection of Xperia apps, you even get Sony Music, which lets you stream or download thousands of songs across genres, both international and national. The biggest problem with this app is the lack of search function; you have to manually sort through albums or artistes, which is a real pain. The other app is Sony LIV, which streams local TV serials. The ZL also features an IR port that lets you use it as a remote through the bundled app.

Media

Audio quality is good thanks to the MH-EX300AP stock in-ear headphones. The headphones have a snug fit and produce deep bass while providing good noise isolation. Sound enhancements are present in the form of ClearAudio+, which automatically amplifies the sound, or you could fine tune the settings through a 5-band graphic equaliser along with features such as Clear Stereo, Clear phase, xLOUD and Dynamic normaliser – all of which are designed to boost frequencies and make your audio experience more pleasurable.

Media playback is good

The video player won’t read WMV, FLV and some AVI files, but everything else, including MKV files, work just fine. Video playback does not cause the phone to heat up as much as the Z did; it gets a little warm, but that’s about it. The speaker is quite a bit louder, although we noticed a bit of tearing even for alerts at high volumes.

Connectivity

The Xperia ZL is a quad-band GSM and 3G handset but with no LTE support for India. Along with this, you also get dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0, NFC, GLONASS - the works. We didn’t face any overheating issues with the Xperia ZL when using GPS or even gaming. This shows that the ZL handles the heat from the chipset a lot better than the Z did. The stock browser has been ditched for Chrome, which is lightning quick in rendering webpages. We also really liked Sony’s new keyboard, which now comes with its own version of Swype. New words are automatically saved once manually chosen in the preview list.

Good level of social integration

Unlike the ear piece issue we had with the Xperia Z, we didn’t face that with the ZL. We could easily hear the caller at the other end without having to shuffle the phone around to find a "sweet-spot".

The keyboard and some of the other apps

Other custom apps from Sony include Sony Select, which is essentially a mini app store with the recommended apps. The new Socialife app is neatly done and lets you view all your social feeds in one place. This is also accompanied by an equally useful widget. Smart Connect lets you automate tasks at certain time intervals, so you can make your Z switch to silent mode, turn off Wi-Fi or data from 12 AM to 8 AM while you sleep and so on. Other noteworthy apps include Update Center, McAfee security, Xperia Link, Sony Car, Backup and Restore, NeoReader, Wisepilot, OfficeSuite and TrackID.

The IR Remote app has built-in profiles for almost all TV brands. We tried configuring the app to work with an AOC TV, but the preset profile didn't seem to work. We then manually set it up to learn the functions from the remote. Even though the app said it had learnt the functions, it still refused to work.

The IR app didn't seem to work with our AOC TV, unfortunately

Camera

The ZL borrows the same camera units from the Z – a 13MP shooter at the back and a 2MP front camera, both capable of 1080p video. The quality of the front camera is pretty good for self-portraits as well as video calling. The main camera is not overly impressive, especially for low-light photography. The f/2.4 aperture is also pretty standard these days. Daytime pictures look good on the phone’s display, but when zoomed in on the PC, you’ll notice a loss of detail and over-sharpening of edges of objects.

Indoors with flash

The new interface is a refreshing change from the old Xperia UI. The different camera modes can be selected with the tap of the first icon, and there’s a new Superior Auto, which automatically picks the right scene mode depending on where you point the camera. The flash provides good illumination if the subject is less than 2 feet away, but anything more than that and the picture gets quite grainy.

Battery life

The ZL packs in a slightly larger battery as compared to the Z. The 2370 mAh battery managed to last through 2 hours of calls, 2 hours of video, 2 hours of audio playback and 2 hours of YouTube streaming over Wi-Fi, giving us a grand total of 8 hours with 7 percent battery to spare.

Verdict and Price in India

The Sony Xperia ZL is priced at Rs 36,990, but you can find it online for Rs 35,990, which makes it a good deal for a high-end smartphone. It's feature rich and has the performance to back it up. Moreover, it isn’t plagued by the little niggling issues we found with the Xperia Z (earpiece problem, poor loud speaker, overheating, non-ergonomic design). It’s also a lot more comfortable to hold due to its relatively smaller size. We recommend the Xperia ZL over the Z despite the lack of the water and dust-proofing capabilities.

Report by : Roydon Cerejo

Sony Xperia SP up for pre-order from Rs 25,490 onwards

If you have been wanting to be among the first ones to get your hands on the Sony Xperia SP smartphone, take note. The latest phone in Sony's portfolio is up for pre-order across online retail websites. One online retail site is letting you get the smartphone for Rs 25,990 on pre-order, while another retailer has listed a price of Rs 25,490 for the handset.

Now, if you've got the Xperia SP on your must-buy list, this should be the right time to do so, for it is being offered at a discounted price on these sites. Sony launched the smartphone in India for Rs 27,490, recently. The Xperia SP is an evolution of the Xperia S and brings a radical design — it has a transparent strip at the bottom — in a sturdy shell.

Up for pre-order

A 4G-ready handset, the SP brings a 4.6-inch 720p display in a sleek body that's reminiscent of the Xperia ZL. Sony has retained the LED notification strip that we first saw in the Xperia U. The unique strip, which sits below the display, will match the approximate colours of the album art of the song that’s playing on the phone and will also pulse with the music. Additionally, users can customise the colour of the LED notification light to correlate to their contacts.

Available in black, red and white, the Xperia SP takes its design cues from Sony's flagship Xperia Z, which is given away by the very accessible aluminium power button. It is powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, while the Adreno 320 GPU is in charge of graphics. There's 8GB of internal storage space, but you can use the microSD card slot to expand that. The Xperia SP will run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box along with Sony’s customisations and India-specific apps such as Sony LIV and Sony Music.

Another interesting perk is the capability to hook up with Sony's DualShock 3 controller to let you play games using real controls instead of on-screen controls. To hook up a DualShock 3 controller to an Xperia SP, you simply have to pair both the devices via Bluetooth, as the controller uses simple Bluetooth protocols. After you've paired the two, you can connect the controller to the SP by pressing the PlayStation button on the controller.

Around the back is an 8-megapixel camera module based on Sony’s Exmor RS sensor that's capable of shooting 1080p video, and there's a VGA front-facing shooter to take care of video chats. To improve the build quality of the Sony Xperia SP, the company has endowed it with an aluminum wireframe wrapped by a plastic casing. Connectivity-wise, the SP not only offers the usual Bluetooth, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi and MHL-powered microUSB combination, but also brings in NFC.

Sony Xperia SP sports a 4.6-inch display

Here are the key specs of the Xperia SP:

4.6-inch display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution
LTE, HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP
NFC
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
8MP primary camera with LED flash, 1080p video and VGA front-facing camera
8GB internal storage, with microSD card slot

Sony has added a 2370 mAh battery and has also thrown in Stamina mode, which should ensure good battery life. The official stand-by time is quoted as 709 hours (LTE), while the talk time is rated at 18 hours and 53 minutes.

Report by : tech2 News Staff

Facebook for iOS gets Chat Heads

Facebook has launched a blitzkrieg of sorts for updates after the launch of Facebook Home. After having readied a bevy of updates for Android, Facebook has turned its focus on its iOS app. Facebook for iOS has received an update that gives it the much desired Chat Heads feature along with a few other new additions and tweaks.

With the Chat Heads you can now chat with your friends from wherever you are within the app. Mind you, you will not be able to see Chat Heads once you are outside the Facebook app on your iOS devices, since Apple does not allow apps to leave the sandbox this way yet.

You will be able to hold multiple conversations from within the Facebook app without needing to run to the Messenger or open the messages tab. The Chat Heads will line up neatly on the iPhone or iPod Touch screen. On the iPad, the Chat Heads will come arranged vertically on the left of your screen. You can flick these Chat Heads around on your screen if they hamper your reading and you can flick them towards the bottom of the screen to make them disappear.

Chat Heads and Stickers! iOS users, rejoice!

Unlike in Android, Chat Heads on the iOS version of Facebook will not work with SMS.

Facebook for iOS now also has Stickers that will help you “liven up your messages”. Stickers are essentially these colourful, cute looking large emojis that you can send in a message with a single tap, quite like you can send emoticons. These large Stickers are bound to make conversations a lot more fun than sending those tiny emoticons whose emotions you can hardly make out.

The social networking giant is also rolling out new feeds like Music, Photo and Games in the revamped News Feed you will get along with this latest update. The iPad app is also set to get “brighter, more beautiful stories” in the News Feed.

Of course, the rollout is a little slow, but you will start getting these features on your iOS devices starting now. Here at tech2, the iPod Touch that we were using received Chat Heads, but not the newer News Feed or Stickers in the messages. Facebook promises us that these features will be available to everyone soon. We’re waiting!

You can grab version 6.0 of the Facebook for iOS app from the App Store here.

Meanwhile, there is good news for people who have been waiting for Facebook Home. The social media giant has made its Android launcher available to users outside the US now. Of course, Facebook Home is available only on select devices right now namely, Samsung's Galaxy S3 and Note II, and HTC's One, One X and One X+.

If you do use any of these devices anywhere in the world, you can download the app from Google Play for free.

Report by : Nishtha Kanal