Google bans non-Play store app updates

Mess with Google, and Google will mess with you. Google caught Facebook updating its Android app without using the Google Play store update mechanism. Google closed the loophole in its terms and conditions, and now no Android app will be upgradeable without access to the Google Play store. The Google Play store terms and conditions read, “An...

Micromax says that it has sold more than 1 million Canvas smartphones

Micromax has made quite a name for itself in the budget smartphone world in India. Some of its most successful products have been the Canvas 2 A110 and the A116 Canvas HD. It is no surprise then that the company has announced that it has sold over a million units of its Canvas range of smartphones. Micromax’s Canvas range of smartphones...

Sony Xperia P, Go and E dual to receive Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update this week

Sony has said that three of its Android smartphones, the Xperia P, Go and E dual will receive the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update starting this week. The update will be released globally in phases and should be completed towards the end of May. The official Sony mobile blog reads, “The new software brings Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, along with...

Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface RT head to more countries, skip India

After months of waiting, Microsoft has finally announced that more parts of the world will be getting the Surface PRO and Surface RT tablets. Up until now, only 8 countries worldwide had been graced by the availability (and support) for the new tablets from Microsoft, but that’s all set to change. Microsoft has a separate rollout plan...

Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro quad-core smartphone launched at Rs. 14,990

Spice has added yet another smartphone to its Stellar series. Christened the Stellar Pinnacle Pro, the device runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. With an MOP of Rs. 14,990, the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 will be available from the last week of April 2013. It will be available to users across all leading mobile phone outlets in India. It can also be pre-booked on saholic.com starting...

'World's first Braille smartphone' designed, due at less than Rs. 10,000

Sumit Dagar has a postgraduate degree from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He claims has always had a need to do something for the sections of society that have been neglected by the masses. To that end, Dagar is developing a smartphone that can be used by the visually challenged section of society. Dagar wanted to...

Mercury planning to launch more than seven Android tablets this quarter

Kobian is planning to launch more than seven new tablets in this quarter under its brand 'Mercury'. According to the company the tablets will be priced competitively and will target students as well as business executives. Sushmita Das, VP - Business at Kobian Pte Ltd said "We had launched more than 8 models in 2012-13 which saw great success...

Bigflix launches app with free subscription for select Nokia Lumia handsets

Bigflix, the movie-on-demand service by Reliance Entertainment Digital, today announced its association with Nokia to launch the Bigflix App for the Nokia Lumia 520, Lumia 620 & Lumia 720 Windows Phone handsets. Lumia owners can download the app on their phones, and people who buy these handsets today will have the app pre-installed on their handsets. Additionally, people who...

Jelly Bean update for Xperia S and Galaxy Note may arrive next month

Much to the anger of a lot of customers, Sony did not come good on its promise that an Android Jelly Bean update for the Sony Xperia S will be rolled out by the end of March 2013. No official communication came along in that regard, with the usual response to forum queries being something in the tune of “we are working on it” and “it will be released soon”. ...

Sony Xperia SP available for pre-order online at Rs. 25,490

Sony recently unveiled the latest addition to its Xperia smartphone line-up, the Xperia SP. The smartphone was launched at a price of Rs. 27,490. Today it is up for pre-order online for Rs. 25,490. As of writing the article, the Xperia SP is available for pre-order Infibeam and Flipkart. Flipkart says the estimated release date of the...

Samsung could have paid students for online smear campaign against HTC

We often talk about ‘the smartphone wars’ but we ignore how often those ‘wars’ tend to be fought dirty. Apart from just fighting out in stores, most mobile companies want to launch preemptive strikes against the competition through measures like patent litigation and negative ad campaigns. While it is an open secret that these companies also do employ bloggers and online commenters...

Motorola X Phone delayed till 'August or later': Reports

The anticipated Motorola X Phone has now been delayed and may see the light of day in August or later. Ever since Google bought Motorola we wondered what the company has been working on. Information appeared online suggesting that Motorola was working on an X phone. Some information suggests that the X phone was one of the last devices...

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 specs leaked online

New details have emerged about the specifications of the rumoured Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3 phablets. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 was leaked in the beginning of April along with the Galaxy Mega 6.3. The 5.8 and 6.3 signify the size of the display on the devices in inches. The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 GT-I9152 will reportedly bear a 5.8-inch...

Rovio to launch Angry Birds Friends for Android and iOS next month

Rovio has announced it is releasing its popular Facebook game, Angry Birds Friends, to Android and iOS platforms next month. “Challenge your friends in weekly tournaments on your mobile, give and receive gifts and brag with your accomplishments - Angry Birds Friends takes the game to a whole new level!,” says Rovio in a post. “Pop some...

HTC First and 'Facebook Home' UI renders leaked ahead of event

Less than 24 hours away from the Facebook event that is supposed to unveil “Facebook’s new home on Android,” we’ve got more leaked images of the HTC First. The HTC First is the rumoured new flagship from HTC that has gone significant UI tweaks to give it a very strong “Facebook” flavour. The name is also appropriate for the device as it...

Apple seeks patent for wraparound iPhone display

Apple is aiming for a new display patent. The new type of display is expected to wraparound the edges of the smartphone giving it a higher viewable area overall. The patent on the display also aims to remove the physical home button from the iPhone. The new display technology will not be limited to flat surfaces, which is a limitation...