Google’s Nexus program is aimed at providing an Android experience the way the California based company meant it to be. Now in its second iteration, the Nexus 7 manufactured by Asus is sharper, faster and just a bit more expensive. Does it still pack the same value and punch that made the original perhaps the best Android tablet on the market ? Read on to find out. Continue reading “Google Nexus 7 (2013) Review”
Over here at FoneArena, we are passionate about trying out new apps that help us manage our life better and increase productivity. So when we were pitched a new app that aims to be “your smart friend who lives in your smartphone and observes when and how you use your phone”, we jumped on the opportunity. So what is Shifu? In short, it is an application that acts as a personal assistant and helps you manage your life better. Read on to find out more. Continue reading “Shifu To Do & Task Manager Review”
Popular smartphone browser, UC Browser, just got an update to version 9.2 that brings with it support for add ons. The feature that has previously been seen on competitors like Dolphin browser opens up the browser to a lot of possibilities. Third party developers will now be able to create plugins or add ons that will integrate with, give additional features to the browser.
Continue reading “UC Browser v9.2 for Android brings add-on support”
Last quarter, we saw how Windows Phone marketshare finally leaped ahead of BlackBerry, and the trend seems to continue here. In the second quarter of 2013, Windows Phone has posted the fastest growth amongst the top 5 smartphone OSes with 8.7 million units shipped, according to IDC, which lines up with growth expectations from other analysts. While the growth percentage is less than what Windows Phone had last quarter(133% – Q1, 77.6% – Q2), it is certainly good news for Windows Phone’s uptake as an operating system. On the other hand, Android shows no signs of slowing down while it is the exact opposite for Apple which has its marketshare reduced from 16.6% to 13.2% while growing slower than the market at 20%.
At an event in New York, LG announced its next generation flagship dubbed the G2. The phone is a fairly significant departure from the design language of the Optimus G. In fact the device comes off as a smartphone inspired by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and this ideology is not restricted to the hardware of the G2. We’ve had some time with the handset and while not conclusive, here are our thoughts on LG’s latest.
LG has just announced its new flagship device at an event in New York. Called the LG G2, it is the first smartphone under the company’s new G series of premium devices. The handset combines some of the most cutting technology out there right now with some very intriguing design choices.
Continue reading “LG G2 with 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 800 processor announced”
Ahead of the LG G2’s launch in New York, a press render has been leaked by the always reliable @evleaks. The first ‘press’ shot of the image confirms what has already been known about this well leaked device.
The handset will sport an edge to edge display with a size of 5.2 inches. The resolution like any other respectable flagship will be 1080p. The most striking break from the otherwise traditional design is the volume rocker and power key that resides at the back of the phone under the camera module. The specifications of the handset are right in line with the rest of the upcoming competition and the phone is being powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.3Ghz with an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The rear camera is a 13MP unit while the front is rated at 2.1MP. The phone will sport a nano SIM card slot first seen on the iPhone 5 and more recently on the Moto X. We’ll have on the ground coverage from the launch event so don’t forget to check back to see hands on images of the handset right here on FoneArena.
[Via – Evleaks]
Twitter just pushed out an update for its iOS and Android applications which primarily adds new security related features. It is now possible to use login verification and approve such requests directly from the phone. Two factor authentication had been added to Twitter web a few months back but the updated version of the app will remove the need for SMS based verification. A push notification will show up on the application that will allow users to approve login attempts. Additionally, it is possible to get a backup code in case you don’t have an active data connection on the phone.
Additional features includes a new photo gallery that shows results in a mosaic like grid and lets you see more images in a go. The gallery will also show up under user profiles. An improved search experience is also part of the update which will provide more context and information on people who show up in Twitter searches. Continue reading “Twitter updates Android & iOS apps, adds login verification and photo galleries”
What started with Kindle Fire is now the leading form factor in the tablet space. Yes, thanks to the booming small tablet market, Android is surging ahead at no. 1 spot in the tablet space too, with Apple losing marketshare and not growing along with the market. IDC had released its Smartphone marketshare analysis recently, which saw Apple growing at a slower pace than the others and that seems to be the case in tablets too.
Continue reading “Apple loses marketshare as Android tablet sales surge – IDC”
Pretty much everything is already known about the LG G2 ahead of its launch. We’ve seen that is has rear mounted volume controls which is something we haven’t seen before. The phone will also come with ringtones from the Vienna Boy’s orchestra.
Continue reading “LG G2 manual surfaces online, confirms nano-SIM support”
As Gionee enters the Indian smartphone market, the only thought that crosses everyone’s mind is that here is yet another ‘Chinese’ smartphone maker here to peddle mediocre products with negligible after sales support. When the company invited us to visit its manufacturing facilities, we jumped on the opportunity to see what actually goes on behind the scenes. However that is a story for another day as today we’ll check out Gionee’s upcoming flagship product. Continue reading “Gionee Elife E6 Hands On”
The all the new Nexus 7 2013 edition just landed at FoneArena and we thought we will bring you one of the first unboxings from India.The new Nexus 7 is priced at $229 and has gone on sale in the US and is expected to come soon to India but not in the immediate future.Like the previous Nexus 7 , this tablet is also manufactured by Asus for Google and sold by Google directly.The main highlights of the 2013 Nexus 7 are the design including the massive Full HD display and the change from a Nvidia Tegra 3 processor to a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. This Nexus 7 is the first Android device to ship with Android 4.3 JellyBean out of the box which is now also available for several other devices.
Here is the video of the unboxing below
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh93yB3mktw
The much awaited handset developed as a culmination of the take over of Motorola by Google is finally out and it seems to live up to the buzz generated by it. The specifications are through and through mid range but that is not the highlight. Motorola has focused on every day performance, battery life and of course personalization & customization over top of the line specs.
Continue reading “Moto X announced with 4.7″ 720p AMOLED display, personalization options”
Google launched the Chromecast last week and we already managed to get hold of this interesting device on FoneArena. So what does a Chromecast do ? It is basically a dongle for your TV which lets you watch online video and more on your large screen TV. You can watch Youtube , Netflix , Google Play movies and your Chrome brower tab on your large screen TV using this tiny little dongle which connects to it using the standard HDMI socket.Most modern TVs would draw power from the HDMI itself but certain older ones like mine would require external power. Nice that Google has decided to include a HDMI extender and also a power solution in the box. Watch the unboxing and a short demo in the video below
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csAuKHAcV1A
BlackBerry had announced it’s intentions to introduce its wildly popular messenger service to the Android and iOS platforms earlier this year. We’ve been hearing rumors of a late summer release and if our sources are to be trusted, the application will see a release in the coming weeks on both the platforms. Ahead of the release, screenshots from the Android build of the application have been leaked online.
Continue reading “BlackBerry Messenger for Android shows up online in leaked images”
