Nokia 7.1 Plus (Nokia X7) launched in China, prices start at Rs 18,000

HMD Global owned Nokia has been on a roll this year, coming out with three new smartphones within a span of three months, one for each budget segment. You have the Nokia 3.1 Plus to compete against Redmi 6 Pro, the Nokia 6.1 Plus to compete against the Mi A2 and finally the Nokia 5.1 Plus that is pitted against the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Add one more to the point-one lineup and you have the Nokia 7.1 Plus.

The Nokia 7.1 Plus was launched in China on Tuesday as the Nokia X7. With prices starting at 1,699 Yuan (about Rs 18,000) for the base 4GB/64GB variant, Nokia is really trying to get the grab of the mid-range smartphone market. Going by Nokia’s tradition of launching phones in the Chinese market, the Nokia 7.1 Plus can be expected to come to India by mid-November.

The Nokia 7.1 Plus sports a 6.18-inch Full HD+ LCD display at the front. From the first look at the official images released by Nokia, it is hard to not appreciate how far off to the edges Nokia has stretched the screen. Powering the device is a rather unique Snapdragon 710 processor clocked at 2.2GHz with eight Kryo 360 cores. It comes in three variants of 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage, 6GB RAM/64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage.

The back of the phone features a 12MP+13MP AI enabled dual camera with Optical Image Stabilisation. The lens of the rear camera is made by ZEISS. The front camera is an AI-enabled 20MP clicker.

The phone runs on Android One based on Android Oreo 8 which means it’s on the priority list for latest security and firmware upgrades from Google.

The phone is backed by a 3,500mAh battery and supports 18W fast-charging.

Samsung's giant 4K QLED TV costs $20,000

More than just about any other electronics products, TVs cost a fortune if you really want the biggest, best model available. Case in point is Samsung's Q9, the latest model in its top-end QLED lineup. At 88-inches, the 4K model is now Samsung's largest QLED screen, and we now know you'll pay $20,000 for the privilege. That's double the 75-inch Q9F model, which is actually on sale in the US right now for $9,000. The cheapest model, the 55-inch Q7, runs $2,500.

For your dollars, you get 88 inches of Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution, 10-bit HDR (no Dolby Vision though, unfortunately), 240 Hz refresh, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth (including Headset support), four HDMI inputs and Samsung's Smart Hub and Smart Remote. Like others in the Q-series, the Q9 is extremely thin, has nearly no bezel, and features a "no-gap" wall mount thanks to the 1.88mm transparent optical cable.

The technology behind it is Samsung's latest-gen QLED, which uses a layer metal "quantum dots" placed in front of an LED backlight panel. Each can emit an individual hue from a palette of a billion colors.



Considering how good its AMOLED smartphone displays are, it's surprising that Samsung never really got into OLED TVs. Instead, it came up with QLED, which requires a backlight -- a completely different technology. While that makes QLED panels much brighter than OLED, OLED sets have better blacks, since they can turn individual pixels completely off. Samsung also claims its QLED sets can cover 100 percent of the DCI-P3 HDR color space, while OLED sets can't quite do that yet.

However, reviewers far prefer OLED sets and even high-end LEDs over Samsung's QLED models. "There's no getting around it, Samsung is asking you to pay top-shelf prices for a second-rate screen technology which can never go head to head with LG's OLED range or a Full Array backlit LED television from the likes of Sony or Panasonic," Lifehacker's Adam Turner wrote in a recent shootout. Ouch.

Nokia prices virtual reality camera at $60,000

Finland's Nokia has announced that it will price its virtual reality camera at $60,000 and begin its shipments in the first quarter of next year.
Launched initially in July, the spherical camera features eight sensors and microphones and it is designed for making 3D movies and games that can be watched and played with virtual reality headsets.
Once the world's largest mobile phone maker, Nokia is now focused on making telecom network equipment. It is also planning to come back to the phone business by designing and licensing handsets next year.

In a first, Apple offers discount up to Rs 34,000

• In a first, Apple is offering discount on its latest iPhones in less than a month of its launch
• Apple is initiating a buyback offer on iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, giving consumers discount of up to Rs 34,000
• The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were launched last month in India at Rs 62,000-Rs 92,000 depending on memory and model
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were launched last month in India at Rs 62,000-Rs 92,000 depending on memory and model, but sales were down 15-20% over last year as iPhone 6 and 6 Plus which hit the market last year were cheaper by Rs 8,500-9,000.<br />The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were launched last month in India at Rs 62,000-Rs 92,000 depending on memory and mod... Read More
KOLKATA: In a first, Apple has decided to offer discount on its latest iPhones in less than a month of its launch, with the Cupertino-based company initiating a buyback offer on iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, giving consumers discount of up to Rs 34,000 to boost sales.
This is also the first instance when Apple and its distributors are going to buyback old models under the scheme to ensure that all transactions are genuine and reduce the burden of the retailer who can push sales further, three senior trade partners of Apple in India said.
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were launched last month in India at Rs 62,000-Rs 92,000 depending on memory and model, but sales were down 15-20% over last year as iPhone 6 and 6 Plus which hit the market last year were cheaper by Rs 8,500-9,000.
Ingram Micro, one of the Apple's four iPhone distributors, has just rolled out the buyback scheme in a handful of Apple stores and multi-brand cellphone retail chains in South India which will be subsequently taken national. The other three distributors will also follow suit since the US company wants to achieve its target of trebling sales during the October-December quarter over last year.

"This is the first time a company and its distributors are closely monitoring the buyback at the retail end to track sales, showing how desperate Apple is to increase sales in India since it did not expect such a weak launch for the new iPhones," a senior executive with one of the leading trade partners said.
"Earlier companies offering buyback used to give indirect subsidy to retailers to compensate and it was the retailer's headache to sell the old phone, but this time the entire process is driven by Apple," he said.
The buyback price of Rs 34,000 on the new iPhones is against iPhone 6. The company has informed trade that it will also buyback select hi-end handsets of rival Samsung. Apple has also created a separate website where retailers have to upload details of old handsets against which new models will be bought.
The buyback offer comes at a time when the latest iPhones are getting sold at 7-11% discount since last week in e-commerce marketplaces such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon.


Snapdeal's vice president (category management) Rahul Taneja said various promotional offers has led to a great traction for the new iPhones. "We are getting orders for iPhone 6S not only from metros, but also from Tier-II cities," he said.
Last month, during an analyst conference call, the Apple management had acknowledged that the higher pricing of iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in India and some other markets due to foreign exchange fluctuations has had an impact on their sales
However, the company's chief executive officer Tim Cook was positive about India's potential in the long run. The India price is Rs 14,000-16,000 more than in markets such as the US, Middle East, Singapore and Hong Kong. The poor sales in India are in stark contrast to the global picture where the new phones are disappearing very fast from the shelves.

Meet the dog who wears gold Apple watches worth more than £26,000

The son of one of China's most powerful property moguls has outraged many by posting photos of his dog sporting new Apple watches, together worth around 250,000 RMB (£26,000), highlighting the growing wealth gap between China's newly minted billionaires and regular people.

Wang Sicong posted images of his pet husky Keke wearing a watch on each front leg on Tuesday. They were published on the "dog's" Weibo micro blog, called "Keke Wang is a B****" (written by Mr Wang). In the days that followed, reactions from Chinese netizens have been growing increasingly irate.
Alongside the photos, Mr Wang posted the caption: "I have new watches! There should have been four watches because of my four long legs, but in case I look too 'tuhao' [vulgar nouveau riche], it was decided that I should wear two but no fewer, or it would not fit my status. Do you have one too?"
• Man fined for using Apple Watch while driving
Weibo user Jing-Hou replied: "Our world still has many people who can't afford a meal or are starving, meanwhile there are idiots with golden spoons squandering money. The world is hopeless."

Wang Sicong is the only child of chairman of real estate giant Dalian Wanda Group Wang Jianlin (Getty Images)
Another named Banduwenliangssb expressed jealousy, saying: "I'm so p***** off that I want to cry. Even a dog has one of these gold Apple Watch Editions, I don't even have an Apple Watch Sport."
Mr Wang, 27, is the only child of Wang Jianlin, the chairman of real estate giant Dalian Wanda Group, China's largest commercial property company. He was listed in China's list of top 30 richest people by Forbes, after accruing a personal wealth of $37.7 billion (£24.7 billion).

Wang Sicong posted images of his pet husky Keke wearing a watch on each front leg
Each of the gold smart watches costs more than £13,000 at the Chinese Apple store. The average monthly wage of Beijing residents is around 5,793 RMB (£610) according to a Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau in 2014.

Google Chromebox for video meetings comes to India at Rs 90,000

Google has launched the new Chromebox for meetings aimed at enterprises at Rs 90,000. The Chromebox allows organisations to run and manage high­-definition video meetings, creating a virtual conference room.
The Chromebox is manufactured by Asus. In other markets, Google has Chromebox devices from other OEMs as well.
The Asus Chromebox has a 4th generation Intel Core i7 processor, an HDMI and DisplayPort++ and four USB3.0 ports, an Ethernet slot and comes with built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n.
In addition to this, there is an Full HD camera (1080 p resolution). The camera also automatically switches resolution based on available bandwidth, has autofocus lens and allow for automatic low-light correction.
There’s also a microphone / speaker which has a wideband frequency response. There’s also a built-in DSP for speech clarity, and the microphone is omni-directional with noise filter. Buttons on the microphone are mute, end call and volume buttons
Finally the Chromebox for meetings comes with a Remote control, which has a Full QWERTY keypad on rear, a nano-sized USB adapter.
To use the Chromebox, customers need to click the remote and they are instantly logged on-to their meetings without users having to dial codes. The laptop screen can be shared wirelessly with a universal short­URL.
Google says up to 15 participants can join the video meeting from other conference rooms, their laptops, tablets or smartphones via the Gmail account. Companies can also connect to rooms that have traditional video conferencing systems with Vidyo.
Chromeboxes run Chrome OS and will get automatic updates. SRTP is used to encrypt voice and video traffic and SSL is used to encrypt management traffic. Google also launched two new Chromebooks from Xolo and Nexian in India which will cost Rs 12,999.

Apple Watch likely to launch in India by June-July, could cost over Rs 30,000

Technology enthusiasts in India will have to wait longer to get their hands on the Apple Watch as the country does not feature in the nine countries chosen by the iconic brand to unveil its much-awaited smartwatch. According to analysts, the Apple Watch may cost well over Rs 30,000 for the base model.

They are of the view that the watch is expected to hit market in July this year. However, a section of the market feels that considering the growing importance of India, the watch could see its India debut even in June. Internationally, the watch is being made available for preview from April 10 in 9 countries including US, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.

The smartwatch will be up for purchase from April 24. The Cupertino-headquartered firm took the covers off its Apple Watch at an event in San Francisco yesterday, along with two other key announcements — a revamped MacBook range and a health-centred initiative ‘ResearchKit.’

Launched in three variants (Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition) and two sizes (38 mm and 42 mm), the Apple Watch will be priced between $349 (over Rs 21,800) to a whopping $17,000 (Rs 10.66 lakh) for the gold model.

“Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology and we think our customers are going to love it,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

“We can’t wait for people to start wearing Apple Watch to easily access information that matters, to interact with the world, and to live a better day by being more aware of their daily activity than ever before,” he added.

The smartwatch would require iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 or higher versions.

Apple Watch Edition features cases specially crafted from custom rose or yellow 18-carat gold alloys, a Retina display protected by polished sapphire crystal and uniquely designed straps and bands with 18-carat gold clasps, buckles or pins.

Apple Watch is the first new product category to be launched under Cook, who took over the reins of the company after Steve Jobs stepped down.

This is also the first new device category since 2010, when Apple entered the tablet market with its iPad. Apple Watch delivers up to 18-hour battery life and has digital face that can look like a traditional time piece.

According to the company, users will be able to make and receive calls, read e-mails, control music, manage Instagram photos and keep track of fitness using the smartwatch.

Apple has also revamped its MacBook range with a thinner and more efficient 12-inch MacBook notebook and a new MacBook Pro range with Retina display.

LG Watch Urbane With Built-in Wi-Fi Launched at an MOP of Rs. 30,000

LG has launched its premium smartwatch the LG Watch Urbane in the country. The smartwatch carries a MRP of Rs. 35,000 in line with our earlier report, though the MOP - the price customers can expect to pay at retail - is Rs. 30,000, according to a company release sent on Tuesday.
Announced back in February, the LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch circular Plastic OLED (P-OLED) display with a resolution of 320x320 pixels and a pixel density of 245ppi. Other specifications include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 512MB of RAM (LPDDR2). It comes with 4GB (eMMC) of inbuilt storage. The LG Watch Urbane measures 45.5x52.2x10.9mm and will be available in Rose Gold and Silver colours. It is backed by a 410mAh battery. It features Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to track heartbeat, a 9-axis (gyro/ accelerometer/ compass), and a barometer. It comes with IP67 certification that makes it dust and water resistant.

The LG Watch Urbane comes with built-in Wi-Fi, and it was the first Android Wear smartwatch update to receive the recent Android Wear update that brought Wi-Fi connectivity and other features. Note that the version getting launched in India is Wi-Fi only, and not the webOS-based LTE variant.

The LG Watch Urbane sports a stainless steel body and features a stitched natural leather strap that can be swapped with any standard 22mm band. The smartwatch also features an always-on ambient mode that shows the time on the display at all times in dimmed mode, resulting in potential battery savings.

Huawei Honor 4C vs Lenovo A7000 vs Yu Yureka: The Best Buy Under Rs 9,000

The under Rs 10,000 category is considered as the most popular in the Indian smartphone market. A recent survey explains around 75 percent of Indian smartphone consumers belongs to this category.naturally, producing one successful smartphone in this category can turn any smartphone manufacturer's destiny overnight. No wonder, most of the smartphone makers are trying their luck in this category.

Huawei recently released its two budget smartphones in India. While priced under Rs 5,000 Honor Bee was an exclusive offer for the India buyers, the Honor 4C -- with a price tag of Rs 8,999 -- will compete with 2 other popular smartphone as of now, Yu Yureka and Lenovo A7000.

While all the three smartphones are available for the same price, they focus into different levels of consumers. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the Lenovo A7000 focuses on the consumers looking for a well performing budget multimedia smartphone. The Yu Yureka focuses on the young geeks who love the customisation ability of Cyanogen and needs an unlocked smartphone for further tweaking.



Design & Build Quality

Like most of the budget smartphones, Honor 4C, A7000 and Yu Yureka feature a matte-finish removable back panel, opening which you will get access to SIM card slots, Micro SD card slot and the battery. Though Lenovo A7000 and Yu Yureka feature removable battery, the Honor 4C features a non-removable battery.

All the three smartphones offer a good grip hence hold well and slips well inside the pocket. We would like to mention the build quality of Honor 4C which features an Honor 4X like cross textured back panel which looks really elegant.

Display

While Yu Yureka and Lenovo A7000 have a 5.5-inch display, the Honor 4C features a 5-inch display but retains the same 1280x720 pixels resolution. Since the display size of Honor 4C is 0.5-inch smaller than the other two, it offers a higher pixel density rate of 298.8ppi in comparison to 267ppi of A6000 and Yureka.

With ample colour presence and balanced saturation, all three phones offer a good appeal to the eyes. These phones also come with a great sunlight readability and decent viewing angle.


Processor and RAM

Lenovo A7000, Yu Yureka and Honor 4C run on Octa-Core processor, backed with 2GB RAM internal memory. While Yu Yureka packs a Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, Lenovo A7000 and Honor 4C feature 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6752m and 1.2GHz HiSillicon Kirin 620 SoC (system on chip) respectively.

Software

Lenovo A7000 leads the way in this segment by offering Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. Yu Yureka smartphones run on Android 4.4 Kitkat based CM11 and can be upgraded to Lollipop based CM12 OS. Honor 4C runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat operating system.



Cameras

Both Honor 4C and Yu Yureka pack 13MP rear camera sensor and a 5MP sensor for the front. Lenovo A7000 stands lags behind as it offers an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. However, Lenovo A7000 camera works fine offering a decent image quality. The picture quality of Yu Yureka rear camera was the best in the segment.



Storage and Battery

Yu Yureka is the only smartphone in the comparison to offer 16GB in-built memory, the rest of the two come with 8GB. All three smartphones support memory expandability up to 32GB.

Powered by a 2900 mAh battery, Lenovo A7000 can be used for longer periods than its contemporaries. Honor 4C comes with 2550 mAh battery, while Yu Yureka packs a 2500 mAh battery.

Our Say

We would recommend Lenovo A7000 for the buyers looking for a prefect budget multimedia smartphone. The Honor 4C is for those looking for a really smartphone with a great camera, while the Yu Yureka is an overall well-performing phone with the power of Cyanogen

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Hit eBay With Asking Prices Up to $2,000

As Apple Watch pre-orders went live early this morning, it was inevitable that Apple's first foray into wearable tech would become a mainstay on the eBay scalper circuit. Searching around the popular reseller's website this morning, MacRumors has seen prices ranging from the expected $1000 range to over $2000 for the more popular models of the Watch.

Specifically, both the 38mm and 42mm Stainless Steel Space Black Link Bracelet option, which retail for $1049 and $1099 respectively, have hit a $4200 combined price point on eBay. Both the Space Black models in the Sport and Watch collections turned out to be popular options for customers, being some of the first to see shipping times slip to June and beyond.

Apple Watch Trio
This particular listing is selling both case sizes, meaning the price for each is about $2100, doubling their retail prices. Perhaps most intriguing is that the seller wasn't even able to get in on the initial estimate of a 4-6 week dispatch time, with the potential buyer not receiving the Watches until June. The listing remains up, however, suggesting demand is likely scant at this price.

Less drastically, but still notable, is a $949 price tag for the Stainless Steel White Sport Band Watch, which cost those up and at-the-ready this morning $599. That premium eBay price tag is for a 4/24-5/8 initial delivery date, which is one of only a few listings actually stating a possible April 24 shipping date.

A 42mm Stainless Steel Milanese Loop is going for $1599, while a 42mm Stainless Steel Link Bracelet is listed for $3200. Both are set for what appears to be a 4-6 week dispatch period.

The Sport models are popping up around the site, too, with about a $200 to $300 premium over their traditional retail price. A handful of the Watches on eBay today have a disconnect between their premium price point and estimated shipping date, so it still remains most sensible to pre-order from the Apple Online Store as soon as possible for those who have yet to do so. While the models listed here are some of the more extreme cases, even the lowest cost eBay listings are easily a few hundred dollars over Apple's retail price. And many of these are also listing prices, not actual bids, meaning demand may not meet these sellers' hopes.

Sony Auction for Special-Edition PlayStation 4 Unit Brings $129,000

You can buy a normal PlayStation 4 videogame machine for about ¥40,000 ($340) in Japan, but someone is ready to pay ¥15.135 million, or about $129,000, for one.

It happened in an auction held by Sony Corp. unit Sony Computer Entertainment. In celebrating the 20th anniversary of the popular machine, Sony last year sold 12,300 retro-themed PlayStation 4 consoles in the original PlayStation’s gray scheme as opposed to the fourth generation’s usual black or white. The ¥49,980 special-edition units were each individually numbered, and Sony held an auction over the last weekend on the No. 00001 unit.

The official Yahoo! Auction page shows the auction closed with the final bid at ¥15.135 million after 1,585 bids for the lot that started from ¥1.

“We appreciate all who participated in the auction and are surprised at the highest bid price, which was higher than our expectations,” a Sony representative said.

Sony said it was contacting the auction winner to arrange for payment. Once the transaction is complete, the company said it would donate the price paid to charity plus a matching gift from the company.

Sony adopted a variety of selling channels for the limited-edition consoles, and in Japan it used a lottery-based preorder system. The auction site hosts unofficial bidding for other units of the 20th-anniversary models, often priced at around ¥100,000 or more.

The latest PlayStation generation has sold more than 18.5 million units since it was introduced in November 2013—the fastest pace for Sony. It has kept an edge over rivals such as Nintendo’s Wii U and Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Sony is trying to expand the reach of PlayStation with a TV streaming service and a virtual-reality headset called Project Morpheus.

One of Apple’s First Computers Just Sold for $905,000

One of Apple’s first-ever computers, the Apple 1, sold for $905,000 at an auction in New York City on Wednesday, roughly twice as much its expected price tag.

The Henry Ford organization bought the computer and plans to display the computer at its museum in Michigan, according to Reuters.

The computing relic was designed by Steve Wozniak in 1975 when the Apple co-founder wrote code by hand and fit together cut-rate parts onto a motherboard. “It was the first time in history,” Wozniak has said, “anyone had typed a character on a keyboard and seen it show up on their own computer’s screen right in front of them.”

The auctioned off Apple 1 was functioning as of last month, and can still run very basic commands. It’s believed to be part of the first batch of 50 units assembled in Jobs’ family garage. It contains a circuit board with four rows and 18 columns, a keyboard interface, 8K bytes of RAM and comes with a keyboard and a monitor.

Only 63 surviving authentic Apple 1’s were listed in an Apple 1 Registry as of January out of the 200 that were built. The model up for auction is one of 15 believed to still have working motherboards.

BlackBerry's Passport to be launched in India next week at over Rs 40,000

Canadian firm BlackBerry launched its latest flagship smartphone, Passport, in global markets late on Wednesday, as it strives to turn around the company which was once one of the most valuable technology companies and global pioneer of smartphones.

Having lost good ground in the market to aggressive competition due to slow innovation and consumer shift to full-screen touch smartphones, the latest launch is critical for the Ontario-based company as it must get back in the game and stay relevant, say analysts.

At the launch in Ontario, chief executive John Chen said that restructuring of the company was behind it and that it was well on its way to revival. "(The Passport is) aimed at 30% of the mobile base that likes a productive keyboard and long battery life. It's a very different format and a first in the industry," he said at the launch on Wednesday evening, showcasing the device which is largely targeted at working professionals, enterprises and corporate users.


The unusually designed square smartphone, which is completely different from the scores of rectangular devices in the market, will be sold for an introductory price of $599 in the US without contract, beginning this week.

The device is immediately available for purchase on the company's website and Amazon. com in the US.

As it prepares to launch the Passport in India next week, expected to cost above Rs40,000 depending on taxes and impor duties, it will face the challenge of raising its market share from less than 1% at present, as per IDC, while fighting a mushrooming clan of Chinese smartphone players, including Xiaomi and the rejuvenated Motorola which has captured more than 5% share within months of re-entering India. India pricing for the Passport has not been decided yet. "If the device has some out-of-the-box user experience, it can make an impact," said Karan Thakkar, senior analyst at research firm IDC.

"The look and feel of the Passport no doubt is very unique," he added.

The Passport, which was initially revealed in June, has a 4.5-inch high definition square touch screen with a Qwerty touch enabled keyboard, powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor and a large 3450 mAh battery. Users will get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage besides expandable storage which can be increased to 64GB through microSD card. It also has the new 10.3 OS update and new BlackBerry Assistant, similar to Siri, Google Now and Cortana, which pick up voice commands when launched.

"This is not a phone for the consumer market," said Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder CEO at Greyhound Research. "It will definitely make a comeback in the chosen professional segment who want to type, but it won't change it (share of market) dramatically here," he added.

Videocon Launches Range of 4K UHD LED Smart TVs Starting Rs. 91,000

Videocon on Wednesday announced the launch of its new range of 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) LED Smart TVs. The lineup includes 5 new TV models in different sizes between 40-inch to 85-inches, and starts from Rs. 91,000.
The company revealed that the new 4K UHD LED Smart TVs will be available across markets by next month. Videocon in a statement claimed that the company aims to increase its market share in the Flat Panel Display (FPD) segment to 20 percent from the current 16 percent. The company also revealed that it is targeting TV sales of 1 million units this festive season.

Videocon with the launch of its new range of 4K UHD LED Smart TVs is behind other Indian electronics brand Mitashi, which earlier this month unveiled its first 4K resolution (Ultra HD) LED television under the Rs. 1 lakh price point.

The all new range of Videocon 4K UHD LED Smart TVs feature 3D gaming with motion sensor, and also comes preloaded with an app store (no details mentioned at this point). Further, the new range of TVs come with N Screen feature, which Videocon says uses the home Wi-Fi network to connect Android or iOS smartphones to control or even share media with the TV. This screen mirroring feature also lets users push TV content onto their Android or iOS smartphone.

Other features of the Videocon 4K UHD LED Smart TVs include MHL interface, touch pad remote, face recognition, gesture control, Home Cloud, inbuilt Wi-Fi, and SD card support.

Commenting on the launch, Anirudh Dhoot, Director, Videocon said, "In our constant efforts to enhance TV viewing experience, we have expanded our remarkable UHD 4K LED range and added 5 new models. With this launch we are targeting a 50 percent increase in our TV sales when compared with last year. As 4K is the future, we will continue to expand in this segment to deliver unmatched products and premium experience to our customers."

Samsung had announced its 2014 Curved TV range including two range of curved TVs - one with UHD (4K) display, and the other with standard full-HD resolution in May.

Asus launches CN60 Chromebox in India, starts at Rs 21,000

The CN60 Asus Chromebox comes with either an Intel Celeron, Core i3 or Core i7 processor.

Asus has launched its CN60 Chromebox in India at a starting price of Rs 21,000. Running on Google’s Chrome operating system, the CN60 Asus Chromebox comes with either an Intel Celeron, Core i3 or Core i7 processor and can be used with any TV or monitor.
Measuring 124x124x42mm, it features 802.11 b/g/n dual-band wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headset port and an SD card reader.
All the three models come with 16GB NGFF SSD storage. The Intel Celeron version comes with 2 GB of RAM and is priced at Rs 21,000. The Core i3 and Core i7 versions come with 4 GB of RAM and is priced at Rs 36,500 and Rs 58,000 respectively.
The top end Core i7 version is targeted to business users and can be used for videoconferencing with up to 20 members. The Core i3 and i7 models can also play  4K videos.
The device can be connected to multiple displays at a time and can be even attach to any VESA-mountable monitor. The Chromebox works right out of the box with apps for work, play and communicating online or offline. Users will get 100 GB of free Google Drive storage for two years.
Asus is also offering optional accessories like wired or wireless keyboard and mouse along with webcam, remote control and microphone/speaker unit. Users will have to get their own display units as it is not included with any of the Chromebox versions.

SAMSUNG'S 105-INCH CURVED UHD TV PRICED AT $120,000

Samsung revealed today that its 105-inch Curved UHD TV will be available for order this week for $120,000 USD.

One of the first curved 105-inch 4K TVs on the market, Samsung will also send a group of field engineers to the homes of customers who purchase the $120,000 set. They will demonstrate the features of the TV and optimize it for the room and setting.


“We continue to set the bar as the UHD market leader by delivering the best picture quality, design and most immersive viewing experiences in home entertainment,” said Joe Stinziano, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics America. “... Made for the premium entertainment lover, the 105-inch Curved UHD TV features the most advanced technology and design, a massive movie-theater style UHD screen and a curve that creates the ultimate cinematic experience.”

The 105-inch Curved UHD TV boasts a 5,120 x 2,160 resolution, 11 million pixels, Samsung's Smart TV platform, and the ability to transform the set into four screens via the company's Quad Screen Multi-Link. In addition, the 4K TV comes with a metallic frame and narrow bezel, though Samsung will also sell a specialty wall mount for the set separately.

Samsung’s Monstrous 105-Inch Curved UHDTV to Cost Under $150,000

Samsung announced pricing and availability for a slew of Ultra High Definition Televisions (UHDTVs) today including flat and curved models, but one TV still doesn’t have an official price. The company’s impressive 105-inch curved UHDTV is set to launch in the second half of 2014, and TechnoBuffalo has learned that the massive set will cost less than Samsung’s $150,000 110-inch non-curved UHD LED set. Yep, probably only affordable for rock stars right now.

According to Samsung Director of Home Entertainment Marketing-LED Shane Higby, the 105-inch set will cost somewhere between $40,000 and $149,000. Granted that’s still a pretty big window, but we wouldn’t count on the price dropping much lower than $100,00. If you’re hoping to pick up this UHDTV start saving now, or more realistically you probably should have started saving 10 years ago.

For everyone who doesn’t need a 105-inch curved TV, there are plenty of other options in Samsung’s upcoming lineup. You can pick up a 78-inch curved HU9000 model later this month for $8,000. The same set also comes in 55-inch and 65-inch variants for $4,000 and $5,000 respectively. Samsung also announced a new 8700 model coming in late spring in 55-inch and 65-inch versions with fewer extra features and an unannounced but presumably lower price.

On the lower end, Samsung is offering flat UHDTVs as well. 55-inch and 65-inch models launch this month for $3,000 and $4,000 respectively. Later this Spring we’ll also get 50-inch ($2,500), 60-inch ($3,500) and 75-inch ($6,000) models to choose from. There’s also a lineup of regular old HDTVs available, including a curved sets at 48-inches ($2,000) 55-inch ($2,500) and 65-inch ($3,400) shipping in May.

In an effort to convince more customers to make the jump to more expensive UHDTV models, Samsung also announced new partnerships with Netflix, Amazon, M-GO, Comcast and DirectTV in an effort to bring the latest and greatest content to its TVs. The company will offer a 1TB UHD Video Pack option for watching high-quality movies on your new TV. The device costs $300 and comes pre-loaded with five blockbuster movies, three documentaries and some shorter clips. Samsung plans to release another pack later this year and hopes to eventually set up a network to deliver UHD video straight to your TV.

If you’re looking for a new TV for your living room, Samsung has plenty of options available either today or in the next few months, whether you need the latest ultra high-definition curved model, a regular old flat screen set, or something in-between. We would ask which TV you want the most but we already know the answer: the ginormous 105-inch curved one. Right?

Apple iPhone 5c 8GB to launch in India soon, may be priced Rs 35,000

After launching the iPhone 5c 8GB variant in a few countries since March, Apple Inc is now looking at

launching the handset in India . According to a tweet by Manish Khatri, Partner at Mumbai-based mobile dealer Mahesh Telecom, the iPhone 5c 8GB variant will be launched in the country by the end of this month.
The expected price of the iPhone 5c 8GB variant will be around Rs 35,000. This seems to be expensive as there is a buyback offer on the iPhone 5c 16GB variant, which has brought down its price to Rs 34,000 from Rs 41,500. But sources say distributors are looking at offering a buyback offer on the 8GB model as well, which will bring its price below Rs 30,000. At the moment, Apple is selling the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s in India. The iPhone 4s 8GB is retailing for Rs 24,000 and Apple is likely to discontinue it when the next iPhone is launched.
Apple iPhone 5c didn't do well in India. Even before the official launch, it was retailing for Rs 35,000 in gray markets such as Delhi's Gaffar market and Mumbai's Heera Panna market. Some stores were even selling it for Rs 30,000 without bill. Soon after the launch, Apple started a limited period buyback on the iPhone 5c but this offer was only for a short duration. The starting price of the iPhone 5s 16GB is Rs 53,500 but the phone is retailing for Rs 47,000 in the local market as well as online retail stores.

Asus PQ321QE 4K UHD monitor launched in India at Rs. 2,35,000

Asus on Wednesday launched the professional 31.5-inch 4K UHD PQ321QE monitor in India for a retail price of Rs. 2,35,000 (excluding taxes). The Taiwanese tech major claims that the Asus PQ321QE is the thinnest 4K display in the market today, measuring 35mm at its thickest point.

The Asus PQ321QE has a wall-mountable design with tilt, swivel, and height adjustments, apart from built-in 2W stereo speakers and a DisplayPort slot. Additionally, the LED-backlit anti-glare IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) display has an ultra-high definition (UHD) 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, a pixel density of 140ppi, a response time of 8ms, a brightness of 350cd/m2, and a contrast ratio of 800:1.

Some of the other features on Asus PQ321QE monitor include a Kensington lock, and a 3.5mm jack for audio. Asus asserts that the 10-bit RGB panel on the PQ321QE monitor provides better image quality and colour accuracy.

The company says the IGZO panel used supports smaller transistors than amorphous silicon, which allows for much smaller pixels and much better detail. Furthermore, Asus says the panel supports increased pixel transparency and reduced current leakage for increased energy savings. Asus has given the PQ321QE monitor a limited warranty period of three years.

Speaking at the launch, Vinay Shetty, country head - component business, Asus (India) said, "The Asus PQ321QE is our new flagship product from our display range and a true 4K UHD monitor that provides stunning visuals with an ultra-high definition 3840 x 2160 resolution. The anti-glare 31.5-inch LED-backlit UHD display has a 16:9 aspect ratio and 140 pixels per inch (PPI) for highly-detailed visuals. By doubling the number of horizontal and vertical pixels, the PQ321QE True 4K UHD monitor provides every bit of detail, far surpassing that of a Full HD monitor. With four times the resolution of Full HD (FHD) and over 8 million pixels, users can experience larger screen real estate and clarity."