Nokia announces X1-00 low-cost music phone, expected to arrive in April

Nokia has announced its latest budget feature phone, the Nokia X1-00, which is being branded as a music phone. Not featuring the Nokia XpressMusic branding, the Series 30 based Nokia X1-00 has most of the signature features of a music phone, from dedicated music keys, a super powerful loudspeaker, storage expandability via microSD card, FM radio, 3.5 mm audio jack, microUSB connectivity for easy media transfer, to what it calls a single-key playlist creator.

The phone also has a large 1320 mAh battery, rated to deliver 61 days of standby time, and up to 38 hours of continuous music play. The only thing missing from the Nokia X1-00’s music portfolio is wide support for lossless audio formats – all it offers is MP3, WAV (CD quality is probably good enough though), WMA and eAAC+. The phone supports microSD expandability up to 16GB, and comes bundled with a 2GB card onboard, as well as a stereo-headset.

The loudspeaker is apparently rated deliver an output of 106 phon (a unit of perceived loudness), and according to Nokia, it has been calibrated so that no distortion is heard even at maximum volume. The phone also has a dedicated torch, apart from five separate phone books – meaning it is a device that Nokia envisions will be used by more than one person.

The phone is one of Nokia’s most inexpensive devices, and will be priced at less than €35 or Rs. 2,100. It will be available in ‘Orange, Ocean Blue and Dark Grey’ when it launches in select markets starting in April.

Check out the Nokia X1-00's specifications below:

2G Network	GSM 900 / 1800 or 850 / 1900
Dimensions	112.2 x 47.3 x 16 mm
Weight	91.1 g
Display	128 x 160 pixels, TFT, 56K colors
Camera	No
Storage	microSD expandability up to 16GB, 2GB included
GPRS	Yes
EDGE	No
3G	No
Connectivity	Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, microUSB 2.0
GPS	No
Java	Yes, MIDP 2.1
Audio support	3.5mm jack, MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC formats, stereo FM radio
Video support	MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV formats
Colours	Orange, Ocean Blue, Dark Grey
Battery	Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh
Stand-by	Up to 1440 h
Talk time	Up to 13 h
Music play	Up to 38 h

Nokia E7 business phone begins official pre-order bookings in India

The Nokia E7, what might be the last top-end Symbian phone, has been available in certain European regions for just over a month now, and is now officially on pre-order in India, priced at Rs. 35,000.

The latest entry into Nokia’s popular E-series, the Nokia E7 is a Symbian^3 business smartphone with a 4-inch Clear Black Display. Essentially a Nokia N8 with a sliding 4-line QWERTY keypad, document editor, and 8MP camera, the E7 might become almost as popular as its N-series counterpart has been in India, with the essential price difference the determining factor.

To pre-order, visit http://www.nokia.co.in/E7, fill up an online form, and you will be contacted by your preferred/nearest Nokia Priority Store within 24 hours. You’ll then have to visit the store, and deposit a booking amount of Rs. 3,000 – bizarrely roundabout, but there you go.

The E7 will probably arrive on shelves by April, with pre-order customers first in line. Those who want to check out the E7 and see if it is worth the wait, can ‘experience the Nokia E7 live’ at select Nokia Priority Stores. 

Apple reduces prices of the Indian iPad

The Apple iPad 2 is going to hit shelves in select regions in a few days, but Apple is still retailing the original iPad, for a $100 less back in the U.S. Correspondingly, and surprisingly punctually, the Indian iPad’s prices have been dropped as well.

The Indian iPad was launched in late January, with prices starting at Rs. 27,900 for the base model. New prices as follows:

16 GB: Wi-Fi - Rs. 24,500; 3G - Rs. 31,900
32 GB: Wi-Fi - Rs. 29,500; 3G - Rs. 36,900
64 GB: Wi-Fi - Rs. 34,500; 3G - Rs. 41,900

Note :however, this does not guarantee we will be seeing the iPad 2 in India anytime soon, in fact, it might even be next January, just like last time.  

Samsung Galaxy S2 (32GB) vs. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

It’s a sobering fact that if you bought a smartphone in 2010, it’s already out of date. Often horribly so. Before the dual-core revolution, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc looked like a fantastic return to form. But Samsung’s Galaxy S II dials the technology up another notch. This is not so much a fight, but a beating…

Connectivity:

The Galaxy S II is superbly-specced and includes 3G/HSDPA/HSPA+ (21Mbps), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0+HS connectivity. Sony Ericsson has jammed its handset with 3G/HSDPA (7.2Mbps), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP. Good, but not quite good enough. (1-0)

Size & Weight:

Modern modern phones are extraordinary pieces of design and technology. The Galaxy S II is the wider of the two, measuring 66.1mm to the Xperia Arc’s 63.0mm. The Xperia Arc weighs 117g, whereas the Galaxy S II is 1g lighter and weighs 116g. The Galaxy S II is the sexier model. But only just. Take a look at the measurements below. (2-0)

Camera:

The Galaxy S II comes rocking an 8.0 Megapixel camera, which features a full resolution of 3264 x 2448. Its talents also include autofocus, an LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus functionality, face/smile detection, image stabilization and Fulll HD (1080p) video capture. For video calling, you’ll find a second camera on the front.

The two phones match each other for raw megapixels. The Xperia Arc also packs a 8.0 Megapixel lens with autofocus, an LED flash, image stabilization, geo-tagging, plus face and smile detection. It only supports 720p video recording, however, and lacks a front-facing camera. (3-0)

Screen/keyboard:

As for screen size, the Samsung Galaxy S II features a 4.27-inch (480 x 800) touch-sensitive Super AMOLED Plus display. It’s a gorgeous and vibrant screen with 384000 pixels. This translates to 218.501 pixels per inch.

The Xperia Arc’s touch-sensitive LED-backlit LCD (dubbed a ‘Reality Display’) only measures 4.2 inches. In comparison, there are 409920 pixels onscreen, giving the Xperia Arc a pixel density of 233.333 pixels per inch. All in all, the pros/cons balance each other out. (3-0)

Processor:

As for processing grunt, the Xperia Arc uses a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon CPU, which uses a an Adreno 205 GPU to throw its graphics around. The Galaxy S II’s processor is a 1GHz dual-core Exynos chip, which easily blows the old Snapdragon away. (4-0)

Software:

The new Galaxy S enjoys Google’s Android 2.3, cleverly customised with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI and Swype text input. The Xperia Arc also runs the Gingerbread OS, holding the Samsung phone to a tie in this round. (4-0)

Storage:

With 32GB of internal storage, the Galaxy S II has more space from the get-go. The Xperia Arc features 8GB in comparison. The Galaxy S II also features a microSD slot to boost the overall storage to a fantastic 64GB. Of course, you can also expand the memory of the Xperia Arc via its microSD slot. The maximum, however, is only 32GB. (5-0)

Extras:

The Galaxy S II also includes GPS/A-GPS, DLNA content sharing, Wi-Fi direct, stereo FM radio (with RDS), optional NFC support, a digital compass, gyroscope and an HDMI port. It also features four software ‘hubs’ – the Reader’s Hub, the Social Hub, the Games Hub and the Music Hub.

In comparison, the Xperia Arc features GPS/A-GPS, DLNA content sharing, Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine picture processing, a stereo FM radio with RDS, an HDMI port, noise cancellation and a digital compass. (5-0)

The Samsung Galaxy S II wins!

Pitting the Samsung Galaxy S II against the Xperia Arc shows just how much mobile technology has advanced this year.

Dual-core processors will quickly become standard issue this year on top-end smartphones. And, as screens get bigger and better, cameras boost their megapixel counts and NFC starts to become established, the phones of 2011 are fast becoming pocket computers.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc VS Samsung Galaxy S

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc	VS	Samsung Galaxy S
General
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	2G	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSPA 800 / 850 / 1900 / 2100 HSPA 900 / 2100	3G	HSPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
Exp. Release Date - Q1, 2011	Availability	Released - June, 2010
Rs. 28,000 - Rs. 30,000 (India)	Price	Rs. 27,000 - Rs. 28,000 (India)
Design & Dimensions
Bar (Touchscreen)	Form Factor	Bar (Touchscreen)
125 mm	Height	122.4 mm
63 mm	Wide	64.2 mm
8.7 mm	Depth	9.9 mm
117 g	Weight	119 g
Midnight Blue, Misty Silver	Available in Colors	Black, White
Display
LED-backlit LCD Capacitive Touchscreen	Type	Super AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
4.2 inches	Size	4.0 inches
480 x 854	Resolution (pixels)	480 x 800
16 Million	Colors	16 Million
- Reality Display with Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine - Timescape UI - Multi-touch Input Method - Proximity Sensor for Auto Turn-off - Accelerometer Sensor for UI Auto-rotate - Scratch-resistant Surface	Features	- Gorilla Glass Display - TouchWiz 3.0 UI - Multi-touch Input Method - Proximity Sensor for Auto Turn-off - Accelerometer Sensor for UI Auto-rotate
Camera
8.1	Mega Pixel	5.0
3264 x 2448	Resolution (pixels)	2560 x 1920
- Sony Exmor R CMOS Sensor - LED Flash - Auto Focus and Touch focus - Geo-tagging - Face and Smile Detection	Features	- Auto Focus - Geo-tagging - Face Detection
720 x 480 (HD) @30fps	Video Recording	720p @30fps
	Secondary Camera	VGA
Memory
512 MB	Internal Storage	8 GB / 16 GB
--	RAM	512 MB
--	ROM	2 GB
microSD, up to 32 GB	External Storage	microSD, up to 32 GB
Battery
Li-Po	Type	Li-Ion
1500	Power (mAh)	1500
2G - 430 hours / 3G - 400 hours	Stand-by Time (Max.)	2G - 30 Days / 3G - 24 Days
2G - 6 hours 55 min / 3G - 7 hours	Talk-time (Max.)	2G - 13.5 hrs / 3G - 6.5 hrs
Connectivity
	GPRS	Class 12
	EDGE	Class 12
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps	3G	HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA	WLAN / Wi-fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
with A-GPS Support	GPS	with A-GPS Support
v2.1 with A2DP	Bluetooth	v3.0 with A2DP
MicroUSB v2.0	USB	MicroUSB v2.0
Multimedia
	Audio Playback
	Video Plaback
	FM Radio
3.5 mm	AV / Headphone Jack	3.5 mm
More Features
Android OS V2.3 (Gingerbread)	Operating System (OS)	Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair) Upgradeable to v2.2 (Froyo)
Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon 1 GHz	Processor	ARM Cortex A8 1GHz
SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM, RSS	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM

Samsung Galaxy S2

So I think that this is a remarkable achievement that Samsung has made in the shape of Galaxy S2.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 SPECIFICATIONS

HSPA+ 21Mbps/ HSUPA 5.76Mbps

EDGE/ GPRS Class 12
Quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Quad band UMTS 850/900/1900/2100

AP

Samsung Dual Core Application Processor*

Dimensions

125.3X66.1X8.49mm

Display

4.3" WVGA SUPER AMOLED Plus *

Memory

1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB
MicroSD (up to 32GB)

Camera

8MP AF with LED Flash + 2MP Front

Connectivity

Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
BT v3.0+HS
USB 2.0 OTG

Connectors

MicroUSB, 3.5mm Ear Jack

Battery

1650mAh

OS

Android OS Gingerbread

Message

SMS/MMS (OMA v1.2)
Email (POP3/IMAP/SMTP, SSL/TLS)
Exchange ActiveSync Email

Audio

MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB
AMR-WB, WMA, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, FLAC, XMF

Video

MPEG4, H.264, H.263, WMV, DivX, Xvid, VC-1
Recording & Playback 1080@30fps

Image

JPEG, PNG, GIF, WBMP, BMP, AGIF

GPS

A-GPS

Convergence

Easy Set-up (WPS PIN/PBC, Wi-Fi Direct)
AllShare (DLNA1.5)

4 Hubs

Social Hub / Readers Hub /
Music Hub / Game Hub

Others

TouchWiz
Google Mobile Services