Apple launches iPad Pro in India, price starts at Rs 67,900

Apple has finally launched its biggest-ever iPad in India. Called iPad Pro, the Apple's new tablet is available on all company retail stores starting today.
iPad Pro Wi-Fi-only model (32GB) has been priced at Rs 67,900 while users will have to pay Rs 79,900 for the 128GB model. The tablet's 128GB model with 4G LTE connectivity costs Rs 91,900.
The tablet features a 12.9-inch display with a whopping 5.6 million pixels. It is powered by the new 64-bit A9X chip from Apple. This promises 1.8 times the performance that of the existing second-generation 64-bit A8X chip, which runs on the iPad Air 2.
The new version also includes a detachable keyboard and stylus. The iPad Pro accessories -- Apple pencil, smart keyboard and iPad Pro silicon case are priced at Rs 8,600, Rs 14,900 and Rs 6,100 respectively.
The tablet has a four-speaker audio system and balances the sound automatically, depending on how it is being held. It will offer 10 hours of battery life, similar to what the standard iPad and iPad mini offer.
Apple launched the iPad Pro in September. The iPad Pro directly competes with the Microsoft's Surface Pro 4, which is scheduled to launch in India in January.

Apple iPad Mini 4 now available in India; price starts at Rs 28,900

It has just been a few days since the launch of the latest iPhones in India and Apple has brought in its new iPad mini 4 on to the Indian shores.

Currently, the Apple iPad Mini 4 is said to be available for purchase only on infibeam.com with price tag starting from Rs 28,990. However, to recall, the device was unveiled globally at an event in California last month.

Also, the price tag seems to be similar to the price tags of the Apple iPad mini 3 that was launched last year.


Apple Ipad Mini 4


Speaking about the features of the new Apple iPad Mini 4, it comes with a 7.9 inch Retina Display much similar to the predecessor. But, this time, the iPad Mini comes with a Apple A8 chip with M8 motion co-processor.

The other features that come with the Apple iPad Mini 4 are Touch ID fingerprint sensor, 4G LTE support, 8 MP iSight 1080p camera and 1.2 MP HD front facing camera while the device runs on 5,124 mAh battery which the company claims to keep the iPad Mini 4 live for up to 10 hours with normal usage.

It is also worth noting that the Apple iPad Mini 4 is currently available only via infibeam.com for online purchase, but, we expect the device to soon go on sale through authorized Apple retailers.

However, while the official Apple Stores are being setup in India in partnership with Croma chain of stores, we can expect this device to be available for purchase over there too.

Having said everything, here are the pricing details of different variants of the Apple iPad Mini 4.

iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi 16GB – Rs. 28,900
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi 64GB – Rs. 35,900
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi 128GB – Rs. 42,900
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular 16GB – Rs. 38,900
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular 64GB – Rs. 45,900
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB –  Rs. 52,900

BlackBerry Classic already available online starting Rs 30,900

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry launched the Classic in India today, priced at Rs 31,990, which has the original Qwerty keyboard, toggle button and touch screen, even as the company goes back to its roots as it attempts to get back to becoming a large contender in the burgeoning smartphone space.

Like the Passport was sold through Amazon when it was launched last year, which sold out quickly, the BlackBerry Classic will be sold through Snapdeal where first 1,000 buyers who already own BlackBerry Bold will get Rs 4,500 off when upgrading to the Classic. New buyers will also get benefits from Yatra.com of up to Rs 10,000.

A day before the launch on Thursday, the device was seen as available for purchase on on online seller eBay.in starting from Rs 30,900. But BlackBerry executives said the phones available online are imported and will not have supportive warranty from the company in India, cautioning buyers.

The Classic which is the second one from BlackBerry after it launched the much-awaited and differently-designed Passport late 2014, is aimed at appealing corporate or business users.

Going back to its roots with the Qwerty keyboard, physical navigation keys and track pad, BlackBerry Classic brings back characteristic features of older BlackBerry devices such as the Bold or Curve.

With a 3.5-inch touch square screen, dual-core processor running on 2GB RAM, 13 megapixel camera and BlackBerry 10 OS, the new LTE ready Classic may appeal more to the users who have to comb through hundreds of emails a day or write extensively, than Android or iPhone users who browse the internet as much as they play games on much larger screens.

The Canadian smartphone maker is attempting to tap mainly the corporate users with its productivity-led phones through Passport and now, Classic, coming a full circle to keyboards within a couple of years after shifting focus to retail consumers.

The Classic has signature OS 10.3.1 which features the BlackBerry Blend and virtual assistant BlackBerry Assistant.

Blackberry also launched BBM meetings on a monthly subscription of $12.50 which allows users to hold meetings or conference calls via mobile phones, irrespective of the type of smartphone and location.

The smartphone maker which was once amongst the top five at its peak, intends to revive its market share which fell dramatically over the last couple of years even as it competed with highly popular and comparatively inexpensive devices from Android, the dominant Google-backed OS and iPhone, which enjoys a far higher aspirational value.

Apple iPad Air 2 & iPad Mini 3 to sell at starting prices of Rs 35,900 and Rs 28,900

Apple's latest iPads, the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, will sell in India at starting price of Rs 35,900 and Rs 28,900 respectively. Apple has not yet announced a date for the launch of its newest iPads in India.

While for iPad Air 2 the Indian prices are Rs 35,900 (16GB), Rs 42,900 (64GB) and Rs 49,900 (128GB), the iPad Mini 3 will sell at Rs 28,900 (16GB), Rs 35,900 (64GB) and Rs 42,900 (128GB).

The iPad 2 Air, which is 6.1mm thick will for the first time be available in golden finish colour. The iPad Air 2 also has a TouchID, similar to that in the newer iPhones.

Other features in the iPad Air 2 include ultrafast wireless and improved retina display. Apple's Phil Schiller said that the iPad Air 2 is 18% thinner than the iPad Air. "There's an anti-reflective coating on the glass, reducing reflections by 56%," Schiller claimed. "The iPad Air 2 has 180x the graphics performance of the original iPad," Schiller said.

The new iPad Air 2 runs on a 2nd generation 64-bit A8X processor chip. "It's a whole new generation chip," Schiller said. The iPad Air 2 will have a battery life of 10 hours, according to Apple. A new version of the Replay app will be available for free by October end, said Apple.

Talking about the camera, Schiller said, "The iPad is the best viewfinder for composing your photos and videos." The iPad Air 2 has an 8MP iSight camera (1.12 micron pixels, f2.4). The iPad Air 2 also has a new facetime HD camera. According to Apple, it boasts of a new sensor, larger f/2.2 aperture, improved face detection, burst selfies, single-shot HDR photos and HDR videos.

On the other hand, the iPad Mini 3 has a 7.9-inch retina display and boasts of a 5MP iSight camera. It allows for 1080p HD video recording. The device has an HD FaceTime camera. It comes in colours of silver, gray and GOLD. The lineup now reads iPad Mini, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Air and iPad Air 2. The pre-orders will begin from October 17.

Introducing the latest devices, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "The technology is jam packed in this incredibly thin and light package." "What do you do when you make the best tablet in the world? How do you make it better?" he reflected. Cook also claimed that 225 million iPads have been sold till now.

Launch: Vu’s 4K UHD TVs to start at Rs 89,900

Vu Televisions has launch its 50-inch and 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs exclusively on Snapdeal. The 50-inch TV costs Rs. 89,900 while the 55-inch version is priced at Rs. 1,19,000. Vu will also sell the newly launched TVs through their channel partners.
Vu launches affordable 50-inch  and 55-inch 4K UHD TVs
“The new 50-inch and 55-inch 4K Ultra High Definition televisions from Vu are priced at half the cost of similar models from Sony and Samsung. The  Samsung’s 48-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs. 1,59,556 while the 55-inch Sony’s equivalent model costs Rs. 2,18,000,” said Devita Saraf, CEO and Design Head, Vu Televisions at the launch event. “The panels are made in Japan and Korea while the plastics are made in China,” added Saraf.
Vu launches affordable 50-inch  and 55-inch 4K UHD TVs Connectivity options.
Vu claims to integrate world’s first quad-core graphics engine along with its newly launched TVs to deliver an accelerated Ultra HD experience that can upscale basic set-top box content to more detailed and sharper images.
The Ultra HD TVs will be available in 380 locations across India with direct shipping and
service from Vu’s certified customer service center. “Customers buying the TVs from Snapdeal will get free shipping and if there is any damage to the product during delivery, Vu will be replaced it for free,” said Saraf.
Specs:
Type : LED
Display Resolution : 3840 x 2160
Connectivity : 4 X HDMI, 3 X USB (for 50-inch); 3 X HDMI & 3 X USB (for 55-inch)
Warranty : 1 Year Vu India Warranty
Screen Size options : 50-inch or 55-inch
Refresh Rate : 120 Hz

Samsung launches 65-inch curved 4K TV at Rs 4,49,900

 Samsung Electronics has launched its curved UHD (Ultra High Definition) or 4K televisions in the Indian market at a starting price of Rs 3,29,900. The TVs were first unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, earlier this year.

The HU9000 series which includes 65- and 55-inch curved UHD TVs have been priced at Rs 4,49,900 and Rs 3,29,900, respectively. The 105-inch UHD curved TV will be available in the second half of the year, but its pricing has not been revealed yet.

Samsung has also launched the HU8500 flat UHD TV in 55-inch and 65-inch models available at Rs 2,93,900 and Rs 4,09,900, respectively. It has also launched a 40-inch UHD TV, HU7000 at Rs 1,04,900.

Samsung claims that it has developed the optimal curvature, 4200R, which provides the best picture quality from a normal watching distance of 3-4 metre.

The TVs also feature Samsung's proprietary Auto Depth Enhancer, an algorithm that analyzes regions of images and automatically adjusts contrast for a greater sense of depth — giving an almost 3D like effect without glasses, as per Samsung.

These TVs also use Samsung's PurColour technology, which the company says reproduces colour as film-makers envisioned, expressing more detailed shades.

The UHD TVs offer four times the resolution and pixels of Full HD and offer UHD Upscaling, to make content compatible regardless of source material. The proprietary technology converts Full HD, HD and lower resolution sources to nearly-UHD clarity through a four-step process that includes signal analysis, noise reduction, detail analysis and upscaling. UHD Dimming technology also helps to further optimize picture quality by processing each block of a picture to deliver deeper blacks and improved contrast, as per Samsung.

Samsung's UHD TVs support most connectivity standards including HEVC, HDMI 2.0, MHL 3.0 and HDCP 2.2 and can be upgraded through the Samsung UHD Evolution Kit. The One Connect Box essentially houses the brains of the TV externally, enabling users to upgrade to latest UHD standards, as well as to get access to the newest technology Samsung has to offer.

In addition to the UHD TVs, Samsung also launched the H8000 Curved Smart LED TV at Rs 2,51,900 for the 55-inch model and Rs 3,85,900 for the 65-inch model. The 48-inch model has been priced at Rs 1,62,900.