Lava launches Iris X5, Selfie smartphone for INR 8,649

Lava has launched Iris X5 in the country. Targeted at selfie lovers, Iris X5 comes with a wide angle (44 degree) 5MP front camera with Auto Focus and LED flash and an 8MP rear camera with BSI 2 sensor.

Lava Iris X5 features a fully laminated 5 inch 720p HD IPS display. The smartphone runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat on a 1.2GHz quad core processor coupled with 1GB RAM. It has got 8Gb of internal storage expandable via micro SD upto 32GB.

Usual connectivity features include 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS. The device gets power from a 2100mAh battery. It weighs at 135 grams and is 7.9 mm thick.

Lava Iris X5 has been priced at INR 8,649 Exclusively on Amazon.in.

Sony has announced in a blog post that it has started rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat update for its Xperia E1 and E1 Dual devices. The update is available Over The Air (OTA)  and through PC Companion.

The update brings :

Performance and UI optimisation

Tweaked status bar and quick settings

Sleek launch animation and livewallpaper across the lock and home screens (like on the PS4)

Option to move apps between internal storage and memory card

Sony’s native app portfolio : Messaging, Smart Connect, TrackID, Sony Select, and Battery STAMINA Mode

Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies

Sony Xperia themes with UI packs

Sony has also announced that Xperia m2 and Xperia M2 Dual will be the next in line to get KitKat update.

Note : The updates are released in phases and may take some time reaching your device.

Xiaomi temporarily suspends Mi 3 sale in India

Xiaomi has temporarily suspended the sale of Mi 3 smartphone in India. This surprising move came to notice after Xiaomi did not open registrations for the next sale of Mi 3 on Flipkart.com on the eve of last flash sale. According to TOI Tech, the company wants to focus on selling Redmi 1S and Redmi Note in the country and will be selling Mi 3 again after some time.

Xiaomi has sold upto 95,000 units of Mi 3 in India in six flash sales via Flipkart. The last flash sale was over in 2.4 seconds selling upto 20,000 units. With the registrations reaching 2,00,000 for the last sale, many have been left disappointed with the company’s move. Those who have still not got their hands on the Mi 3 will now have to wait for few weeks.

Xiaomi has opened registrations for Redmi 1S on Flipkart for sale to happen on 2nd September. You can register here.

ZTE launches V5 5 inch HD display and 13MP camera for INR 10,999

ZTE has announced the launch of V5 in the country. ZTE V5 comes with a 5 inch 720p HD display, Snapdragon 400 Quad Core processor and 1GB RAM.

Targeted at selfie-lovers, ZTE has packed a 5MP front camera that has an 88 degree super-wide angle lens and BSI sensor. ZTE V5 has a 13MP rear camera with composite IR filter and Sony Exmor sensor. The phone has got 4GB of internal storage with micro SD support. It runs Android 4.4 with Nubia 2.0 UI on the top. 

ZTE V5 supports 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi and is fueled by a 2400mAh battery.

Price and Availability :

ZTE is available in White colour variant only for Rs. 10,999 Exclusively (online) at Snapdeal .

Gionee launches GPad G5 with 5.5 inch and Hexa Core for INR 14,999

Gionee has announced GPad G5 in the country. Gionee GPad G5 features a 5.5 inch HD IPS display. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz hexa core processor and 1GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and comes with 8GB of internal storage which is expandable via micro SD.

On the imaging front, Gionee has packed an 8MP rear camera with Auto Focus and a 2MP front camera. The smartphone supports 3G and has a 2400mAh battery.

“Our basic thought behind introducing this product was to give our consumers a superior product that can be handled with ease. There is a huge demand for premium features at affordable prices. Keeping consumer preferences in mind we have introduced the device which is high on features and easy on the pocket and we are excited to get it to the market.”, said Arvind Vohra, India Head, Gionee Smartphones

Gionee GPad G5 has been priced in India at INR 14,999 and will be available in Black colour variant only.

11 Alternative apps to Instagram. For those who jumped the Instagram ship but still want to share pictures

So, Instagram just got snapped up by Facebook huh? That was quite a surprise to be fair, and not everyone is particularly happy about it. It’s actually been a rollercoaster of a week for Instagram. It began with them launching their popular service onto the Android platform which was met with howls of joy. Then Android users realised it was, by all accounts, pretty poor, ourselves included. And then iPhone users got all offended and many opened up a vitrolic attack on Instagram for letting Android users into “their” network (which is a tad arrogant considering even the latest iPhone is far behind the curve of the top Android devices). And then along comes Facebook and thumps $1 billion dollars on the table (I’m sure it would have been a careful bank transfer of funds via automated accounts and stock options but hey, it’s much more fun to imagine it was real cash on a real table!).

To suggest this would be taken well by both the Android and Apple communities would be a gross misunderstanding. Searching Twitter for #instagram hashtags indicated more of a mass exodus from the service than welcoming the Facebook involvement. What will happen next? Will your pictures now include adverts down the side? Will there be colossal privacy concerns now that Zuckerberg can probably use your Instagram content for his own profit? Will you have to log into Instagram using your Facebook account in the future? All these worries have caused many people to jump ship, but where to? You’ve got all that creative juice inside you, how will you share your pictures now? Here are 11 popular alternative apps with download links all more than capable of filling that void of Instagram…

Lightbox Photos (Free)

  Lightbox Photos FreeLightbox Photos is an exciting photo sharing tool for Android. Similar in many ways to Instagram on the iPhone and other Android apps such as picplz and Streamzoo, the app lets you take pictures, add filters and post to your Lightbox account. It also presents pictures from your social networks streams. The app has been gradually updating and receiving a number of new features.


Download:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightbox.android.photos&utm_source=androidtapp.com&utm_medium=Quick-Download-Button


 Lightbox Photos is one of my favourite photo sharing apps and for good reason. It comes with a smorgasbord of filters and the UI is melt-in-your-mouth buttery. It lets you share your pictures with Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Tumblr. It will also save your edited creations to SD card so you can share to any other social network via your gallery. It’s lots of fun and feels amazing to use- the aesthetics alone will wow you enough to take your mind of Instagram.

Motorola announces Second Gen Moto G with Quad Core processor and HD display

Motorola has finally announced the successor to its Moto G smartphone. The successor has been unveiled after a series of rumours and leaks over the internet and is still called the Moto G.

The Second Gen Moto G or the Moto G 2 features a 5 inch 720p HD display. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, the new Moto G runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The phone has got 1GB RAM along with 8 and 16 GB storage options which is expandable via  micro SD slot.

On the imaging front, the phone is equipped with an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP on the front. The phone is 3G enables and supports dual SIM. Other connectivity features include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS. Motorola has included dual front speakers on this device. The handset is 10.99mm thick and weighs at 149 grams with a 2070 mAh not so powerful battery.

Pricing and Availability :

Second Gen Moto G will be available starting midnight tonight on Flipkart. Motorola will be putting 16GB version of the phone in Black and White Colour variants. You can buy from here.

Motorola will not be selling the 8GB version in India.