Tech News Round-Up: Week 1, April 2014 | TechTree.com

Tech News Round-Up: Week 1, April 2014

Find out about the notable developments that happened last week in the world of technology.

 
Tech News Round-Up: Week 1, April 2014

With more and more companies tying their luck in the smartphone market, it has become difficult to keep track of the latest developments. If you were drowned in the office work this week, we bet you have missed out on at least a dozen of device launches and several juicy bits of news. Worry not though, we're here with a round up of notable updates that happened in the first week of April.
 

Windows Phone 8.1
The week's biggest announcement came from Microsoft. The software giant unveiled its much-anticipated Windows Phone 8.1 update at BUILD conference. The new software brings a lot of new features to the table including the more customisable Start Screen, enhanced lock screen, virtual assistant Cortana, Action Center that has been copied from Android's notification bar, Word Flow keyboard (inspired by Swype), individual volume settings, and Internet Explorer 11. For more details, check out the top Windows Phone 8.1 features you need to know about.

First Dual-SIM Windows Phone
With new software comes new handsets. Sharing stage with Microsoft, Nokia unveiled first dual-SIM Windows Phone handset Lumia 630. Alongside the Lumia 630, the Finns also showcased its 4G variant, the Lumia 635 with similar specifications. These handsets sport a 4.5 inch (854 x480 pixel) ClearBlack IPS panel. Inside is a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC (also found in the Moto G). Internal storage is 8 GB. With microSD card slot, you can add up to 128 GB. The Lumia 630 dual-SIM variant is expected to cost around Rs 11,000 in India. Click here, for more information.



Nokia Lumia 930
At BUILD conference, Nokia also announced the much-awaited successor of the Lumia 920. Dubbed Lumia 930, this handset flaunts a 5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) AMOLED display. The pixel density is 441 ppi. For sunlight legibility, the phone's screen features ClearBlack tech. In the camera department, you get a 20 megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilisation. It's powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz. It has 2 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. The 930 comes with wireless (induction) charging capabilities. Expect the Nokia Lumia 930 to roll out globally in Europe, Asia, Middle East and India around June with a Rs 36,000 price tag.

Windows Phone Now Free To Manufacturers
In order to get Sino-Chinese brands onboard Windows Phone platform, Microsoft dropped the software licencing fees. This effectively means that manufacturers producing any device with a screen size smaller than 9-inch won't have to pay royalties to Microsoft as long as their devices meet guidelines set by the software-giant. This move will certainly encourage more companies experiment with WP OS. Consumers can expect variety and cheaper Windows Phone and Windows RT tablets.

Gionee Elife S5.5
It wasn't a very happening week for the Android fans. This week Chinese brand Gionee brought its premium handset Elife S5.5 to India. Touted as the world’s slimmest handset, the S5.5 is only 5.5 mm thick. The Elife S5.5 packs in a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display with a protective and scratch-proof layer of Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz "true" octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor. This Anorexic phone comes with a 13 megapixel camera. The Elife S5.5 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with Gionee's signature Amigo UI on top of it. The Gionee Elife S5.5 is priced at Rs 23,000.

Samsung Tab 4 Series
Samsung made headlines by launching three new tablets. These gadgets belong to the Korean company's latest Tab 4 series. The new entrants are Tab 4 7.0, 8.0, and 10.1. These tablets feature all-plastic construction with faux-leather finish at its back. The tablets are powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processors and the 1.5 GB RAM. The Tab 4 series of tablets will run Android KitKat out-of-the-box. For detailed list of specs, go through this article.

Samsung GALAXY S4 Price Cut
With the GALAXy S5 up for pre-order in India, Samsung has discounted its last year's flagship S4. Launched for Rs 41,500, the smartphone is now available for Rs 28,000 via online stores. The GALAXY packs in a brilliant 5" Super AMOLED screen. Its 13 megapixel auto focus camera is good too. It is powered by the Exynos 5410 chipset that features 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor, and 2 GB of RAM. At the current price, we think it’s a great deal. If you're planning a purchase, don't forget to check out our review.


Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, Windows Phone

 
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