HTC launches One M9

HTC has launched its new flagship phone, One (M9), at its Utopia in Progress event on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona.

One (M9) features the same design as its predecessors except that the display panel has thinner bezels and the metal body is now two-tone with the edges featuring a different colour tone.

HTC One (M9) sports a 5-inch Super LCD3 full-HD display (1920x1080p). Powered by a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 64-bit octa-core processor and 3GB RAM, the phone offers 32GB storage and a micro-SD card slot that supports cards of up to 128GB storage.

The phone sports a 20MP rear camera (BSI, sapphire glass lens) and a 4MP UltraPixel front camera with super-wide angle lens. HTC One (M9) runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense UI 7 running on top.

In line with previous rumours, the Sense 7 UI skin is not very different from its current avatar but now offers the ability to customize the UI theme with a source image and has a location-aware menu that changes app shortcuts depending on the user's location.

It also lets users select theme packs for app icons and the BlinkFeed home screen also offers meal time suggestions. There's also a new photo editor.

In terms of connectivity options, the One (M9) supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GLONASS, GPS, micro-USB, 3G, and 4G LTE.

It has a 2840mAh battery and HTC's BoomSound audio will now be powered by Dolby Audio Surround. The One (M9) will be available starting mid-March in Asia and India in silver, gunmetal grey pink and gold colours.

Samsung unveils Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung Mobile has unveiled the covers off its Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Smartphones, which mark the biggest upgrade in the company's mobile portfolio yet.

With Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung continues its experiment with the curved screen on the side, which it started last year with Galaxy Note Edge. While the new model has curved Edge screens on two sides, the slant is noticeably smaller than that of Galaxy Note Edge.

Samsung has used a metallic frame in its Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and claims that the metal it has used is 50% stronger than the materials that rivals employ.

The new Smartphones sport 5.1-inch Super-AMOLED screen (1440x2560p resolution), making it the Smartphone with the highest pixel density in the world. Also, the company will use the 64-bit 2.1GHz octa-core Exynos 7 processor based on 14nm process, which makes Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge 35% faster than its predecessor.

The company also announced that it is moving away from the industry-standard DDR3 RAM to DDR4 RAM, which will help boost running memory by up to 80%. It also said that Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will come with faster flash storage that reduces lag between actions significantly; the company is offering the two Smartphones in 32, 64 and 128GB storage variants, with no micro-SD storage option.

The rear camera's resolution remains constant at 16MP, but gets f1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization. This means that the camera will be able to take photos and videos that are shake-free and brighter. The camera app also gets a huge boost, which will take shots in less than a second.

Samsung has given the front camera a much bigger upgrade, placing a 5MP f1.9 lens, which lets in 60% more light and thus producing much brighter and clearer photos. It also comes with a real-time HDR and mode that combines multiple images to create better images.

Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge's battery will last 4 hours when charged for just 10 minutes, and also take half as long as iPhone 6 to charge from zero to 100%. Marking a first for the Galaxy S range, the two phones' battery will not be removable.

The company also announced Samsung Pay, its rival to Apple's contact-less mobile payment solution at the same event. Unlike other companies that use NFC standard for this technology, Samsung is using MST technology for its mobile payment system. It said that it has partnered with a large number of banks in the US.

Samsung also unveiled its second-generation Gear VR headset that will be compatible with the Galaxy S6 and S6; the first model was compatible only with Galaxy Note 4.

The phones are expected to be available in 20 markets.

Gionee unveils Elife S7, its flagship Smartphone

Chinese mobile device manufacturer Gionee has launched its new flagship Smartphone at the Mobile World Congress. The all-new Gionee Elife S7 will hit the Indian market on April 3 and is expected to be available at a price under Rs 30,000.

Though the new Elife S7 remains among the thinnest Smartphones in the world at 5.5 mm, it is thicker than its predecessor Elife S5.1 as well rivals by the likes of Vivo and Oppo.

Gionee Elife S7 has a 5.2-inch Full HD (1080p) SuperAMOLED screen and runs on a 64-bit 1.7 GHz octa-core Mediatek processor with 2GB RAM. The Smartphone comes with 16GB of internal storage, with no micro-SD card support.

It is powered by the Android 5.0-based Amigo 3.0 operating system that is said to have features like better memory management, audio selection and battery management.

The company's new phone has a 16MP sensor on the back that is flush with the back panel; the front camera's resolution is 8MP. It comes with software features like Intelligent Night and Beauty modes for better photos.

The Smartphone supports two SIM cards, with TDD and FDD network compatibility on both.

Unlike ultra-thin Smartphones by Oppo and Vivo, Gionee Elife S7 has a standard 3.5mm jack. It comes with Hi-Fi level earphones for enhanced audio.

The battery capacity of the Smartphone is 2,750mAh and can last over a day. Gionee also claims that it can last up to 45 hours if the battery saver mode is used.

Lenovo A7000, First Phone with Dolby Atmos

Lenovo has unveiled A7000 at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Smartphone is the first commercial Smartphone to feature Dolby Atmos technology.

A7000 has 5.5-inch 720p IPS display, is 7.9mm thick and weighs 140gm. The Smartphone runs on a 1.5GHz MediaTek octa-core processor. It has an 8-megapixel autofocus camera on the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Smartphone comes with 8GB internal storage, and memory is 2GB. There's dual/micro SIM, and a micro-SD card slot that supports up to 32GB. There's a 2900mAh replaceable battery.

Lenovo A7000 will run the latest version of Google's Android operating system Lollipop.

In terms of connectivity options, the phone includes Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and Cat 4 4G LTE

The mid-range Smartphone A7000 is expected to be launched later this month.

Microsoft unveils Lumia 640, 640 XL Smartphones

Microsoft's mobile unit has unveiled the Lumia 640, a budget Smartphone that will be compatible with 4G networks.

Available in single- as well as dual-SIM variants, the new Lumia 640 Smartphone has a 5-inch HD screen and runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. The Smartphone will come with Window 8.1 operating system at launch, but will get Windows 10 update later this year.

The all-new Lumia 640 has an 8MP rear camera with f2.2 lens, while the Selfie camera only has 1MP resolution. The battery capacity of the Smartphone is 2,500mAh and it comes with 8GB internal storage, with micro-SD card support up to 128GB.

The company has also announced its Lumia 640 XL version, which has a bigger 5.7-inch HD screen, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 3,000mAh battery. The remaining features remain the same as those of Lumia 640.

The company has also announced to release Windows 10 for Smartphones by the end of 2015, with more Smartphones running on the upcoming OS in the pipeline.

Karbonn launches Titanium Dazzle

Indian handset brand Karbonn has launched a new budget Smartphone, Titanium Dazzle. Priced at Rs 5,490, the dual-SIM phone is available in two colour variants- Black and White.

The new budget Smartphone sports a 5-inch FWVGA (480x854) capacitive touch display. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM, the phone comes with 8GB internal storage and a micro-SD card that supports cards of up to 32GB capacity.

It sports a 5MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash, and a 2MP front camera. The phone has an 1850mAh battery. The Smartphone runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat and offers support for 21 Indian languages.

Karbonn Titanium Dazzle is equipped with Gesture enabled features including "Swipe" which allows users to shuffle to the next song by simply swiping their hand across the screen and "Smart Eye" which tracks eye movement and automatically pauses the video when the user looks away from the screen.

In terms of connectivity options, Karbonn Titanium Dazzle supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Hotspot.

Micromax Canvas Selfie with 13MP Front Camera

Almost around two months after announcing its Selfie-focused Android Smartphone, Canvas Selfie in the Indian market, Micromax has revealed the phone's pricing. The Canvas Selfie will be available at Rs 15,999 and is expected to go on sale in the coming days.

The phone's unique selling proposition is its 13MP front camera which is accompanied by an LED flash.

The phone will be available in mystic blue and angelic white colour variants and sports a faux leather finish at the back. It has a 4.7-inch HD (720x1280p) IPS display.

Powered by a 1.7 GHz MediaTek octa core processor and 2GB RAM, the phone comes with 16GB internal storage and a micro-SD card slot that supports cards of up to 32GB. The phone runs Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Canvas Selfie features a 13MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 13MP front-facing camera also accompanied by a flash. Both cameras have auto focus and Sony sensors. The Smartphone comes with inbuilt beauty tools for taking better Selfies in the camera application including 'Eye Enhancement' which makes eyes bigger & brighter; 'Face slimming' which offers high cheek bone effect and rid you of the double chin; 'Skin Smoothening' which helps remove blemishes; 'Teeth Whitening' for whitening teeth; and 'Remove Oil' tool to get rid of the oil patches.

Users can also add make up effects like mascara, eye-shadow, blush and lip gloss.

The dual SIM Smartphone supports 3G, Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS connectivity options. It comes with a 2300mAh battery.

Other Selfie-focused phones include HTC Desire 820 which sports an 8MP front camera. Oppo N1, N1 Mini and N3 phones also come with rotating camera swivels so a single module doubles up as the front as well as the rear camera, offering enhanced Selfies.