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LG Fireweb (LG D300) LG’s first smartphone running on the Firefox OS has be launched in Brazil. The 1GHz powered smartphone is priced at $207. No word as to when this handset will be available in other countries.

ZTE Open is another handset that recently went on sale in Spain, this smartphone also runs on the new Firefox OS. On the hardware front the LG Fireweb comes powered by 1GHz QUALCOMM processor. The handset comes with 2GB storage and probably with 256MB RAM.

The Fireweb sports a 4 inch screen with 480×320 pixels resolution (16M colors) and also houses a 5 megapixel camera on the rear with auto focus and LED flash support. Handset runs on Firefox 1.1 OS. The device weighs about 122 grams and could be around 9mm thick.

XOLO mobiles are gearing up to launch a 4G LTE supported handset – the first 4G handset in the XOLO family within few weeks. The handset will be powered by snapdragon S4 dual core processor and will run on the Jelly bean 4.2.2 OS.

The XOLO LT900 is not officially confirmed yet. The handset could come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with probably Adreno 225GPU. Android 4.2.2 will run on 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. There will be micro SD card slot.

The handset will sport a 4.3 inch OGS screen with 1280×720 pixels resolution. There will be 8MP rear auto focus camera with BSI sensors and a front camera too. There are very few networks providing 4G services in India, and for now there are not many users who have actually subscribed to 4G services.

The Gionee GPad G3 already got listed on the Snapdeal website for Rs. 9,699 a month back. I have now received the press release with the confirmed specifications. The handset is available in white and black colours for Rs. 9,999. On Snapdeal it is now available for Rs. 9,425.

The GPad G3 is loaded with MT6589 quad core processor clocked at 1.2GHz. Android 4.2 runs the show with 512MB RAM and 4GB storage. The capacitive touch screen is 5.5 inches with 854×480 pixels resolution.

Other features are 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. There is a 5MP auto focus camera on the rear with flash and 0.3MP on the front. The rear camera can record HD (720p) videos. This means that the hardware is definitely with MediaTek’s MT6589W quad core chipset with SGX 544MP GPU.

Removable battery is of 2250 mAh capacity. For the price of under Rs. 10,000 this looks good, especially for those looking out for a 5+ inch 9.8mm thick handset. It is a dual SIM handset with magnetic, G-sensor and proximity sensors.

The handset is available on Snapdeal.com for Rs. 9,425.

Even though Gionee India has started advertising the Gionee GPad G3, the Gionee GPad 4 or G4 is already listed on the Gionee.com website and part of it showcased (teaser) on Facebook. The GPad G4 is upgrade G3 in fact it is with a bigger screen and powerful quad core processor.

Gionee GPad G4 is a dual SIM handset supporting 3G. It is 7.95mm thick and comes with screen of 5.7 inches. The handset is powered by MT6589T (MediaTek Turbo processor), however the screen resolution is limited to 1280×720 pixels. The MT6589T is 1.5GHz with PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU.

This handset runs on Android 4.2 with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage. Probably because of the thickness the micro SD card slot might be missing.

Battery is of a very good 3200 mAh capacity. The handset looks cool and comes with DTS sound technology. There is 13MP rear AF camera with flash and 5MP front camera. Other common features included are 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. There is light, accelerometer, proximity, gyro and magnetic sensors.

The Motorola Moto G has been announced, it is an exceptional phone with an exceptional price tag of $179 (for 8GB storage option) in the US (without contract). The handset will hit Middle east, Asia, India and the US in Jan 2014.

The Moto G is an affordable smartphone that also comes with water resistant coating. The hardware as well as the outer body is coated with some waterproof chemical that makes it water resistant up to a certain depth.

The handset is powered by quad core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 cortex A7 clocked at 1.2GHz with Adreno 305 GPU. The screen is 4.5 inches supporting 1280×720 pixels resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

On board RAM is 1GB and internal storage space is 8GB or 16GB (optional). There is no external storage card support. A 1.3MP camera is placed on the front and 5MP AF on the rear with LED flash. This handset can record videos in 720p (HD) resolution at 30 fps.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS comes pre-loaded and the good part is that the Moto G will get the Android 4.4 Kit Kat upgrade. Other common features are 3G, 2G (GPRS/EDGE), Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. There is proximity, accelerometer and magnetic sensors.

Moto G weighs around 143 grams and is 11.6mm thick. The Li-ion battery of 2070 mAh capacity gives a usage time of up to 24 hours with moderate to heavy usage. The Motorola G handset with several customization option (shell color, flip shells etc) and dual SIM (in selected countries) / Single SIM variants is expected to hit the store in Jan 2014.

This 3 inch smartphone the LG Optimus L1 II was first unveiled in August this year. The handset is now available in India for Rs. 6,499. L1 II is low budget smartphone running Android 4.2 over a 3 inch with QVGA resolution.

This dual SIM Optimus L1 II may not excite many as there are better handsets with dual core power and around the same price. The L1 II however does come with SIM switching hot key. The IPS 3 inch screen is with 320×240 pixels resolution. Android 4.2 runs on this handset with 512MB RAM and 4Gigs of storage.

The handset comes loaded with qualcomm snapdragon single core processor (cortex A5) with Adreno 200 GPU. There is a single primary camera of 3MP resolution without LED flash placed on the rear. VGA video recording is supported.

The handset does support 3G (7.2Mbps), 2G (EDGE) and comes with Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and GPS with A-GPS. There is an accelerometer and proximity sensor. The removable Li-ion battery of 1540 mAh capacity gives a talk-time of up to 4 hours on a full charge.

The LG Optimus L1 II (dual SIM) is available on HomeShop18 for Rs. 6,499.

Samsung upgraded it Galaxy Core handset and has named it the Samsung Galaxy Core Plus. This handset got listed on the Samsung’s Taiwan official website for 8K Taiwan Dollars. There is no word as to when the Core Plus will be available in India.

The Core Plus is an upgraded Samsung Galaxy Core I8262 that is currently available in India for under Rs. 13,000. When compared with its predecessor the Galaxy Core Plus specifications isn’t that exciting. In fact it’s almost the same with few minor changes. The older Core came with 8GB storage and sailed on the Android 4.1 OS.

Samsung Galaxy Core Plus is powered by 1.2GHz dual core processor running Android 4.2 with 1GB RAM (768MB available) and 4GB storage (1.93GB available). It supports micro SD cards of up to 64GB. The TFT capacitive touch screen is 4.3 inches supporting resolution of 800×480 pixels.

There is a front camera of VGA resolution and a rear AF camera of 5MP resolution with LED support. Other features are 3G(21Mbps), 2G, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth and GPS with A-GPS/GLONASS. In addition the Core Plus also includes the NFC module that was missing on the older (Core) version.

There are accelerometer and proximity sensors and 1800 mAh battery gives talk-time of up to 9 hours. No word about its launch in India or the price tag. You can expect it to be priced between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000.

XOLO mobiles next handset the XOLO Q1000 Opus will be powered by Broadcom Processor. The Opus is a quad core handset with 5 inch HD screen. The pricing details are not known however the handset is expected to hit the stores by end of November 2013.

Intel, MediaTek and now Broadcom powered, XOLO mobiles have tied up with Broadcom and their latest handset will be available by end of November 2013. The XOLO Q1000 Opus is powered by 1.2GHz quad core cortex A7 BCM23550 (Java) chipset. This chipset supports HSPA+ as well as 5G Wi-Fi that is much faster and more power efficient.

The 5 inch screen with 720p resolution is with dual HD support i.e. you can connect to external HD devices (HDTV etc) using Wi-Fi Miracast capable display and watch content on both the screens. The VideoCore IV GPU will enhance the gaming experience. The GPS module will support GLONASS for better indoor as well as outdoor location. This is all that we know for now.

Some other features that you can expect is dual MIC, full HD video recording, probably NFC support and better battery life. We will have to wait for the official specifications once it gets listed on their website. It is just a matter of few days.

Apple has come up with a new scheme to boost the sales of iPhone 4S and the latest iPhone 5C. As per the buyback scheme users can get a minimum of Rs. 13,000 in exchange of their existing smartphone.

Condition apply: Offer valid on selected handsets that include BlackBerry (Z10/Q10), Apple iPhone 4, Nokia Lumia 925, HTC Desire (500/600/One Mini / One Dual SIM), Samsung (Mega 5.8/Mega 6.3/S4 Mini / S3 /S4 /Note 2/Note 3 and Sony (Xperia C /ZR/Z/Z1 and Z Ultra).

Is this offer really lucrative?

It depend on if you really want to go in for the Apple iPhone, you will have to do the maths, and if you can pay off the remaining amount after the buyback offer. The good part is that for the models listed you will at least get Rs. 13,000 and more depending on the condition and purchase date.

The Apple iPhone 5C is selling starting from Rs. 41K and the iPhone 5S for around Rs. 53K..

Intex Technologies is getting ready to launch the MT6592 Octa Core dual SIM handset and probably become the first manufacturer to launch an Octa core smartphone in India. The specifications are out that looks really impressive.

The new Intex handset as mentioned will house the true Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 chipset clocked at 1.7GHz coupled with Mali 450 MP4 GPU that will be clocked at 700 MHz. One can easily assume the kind of power and performance this handset could deliver comparing it with quad core handset.

The Intex handset (model unknown) will sport a 6 inch screen with 720p resolution. It will be an LCD IPS screen. The handset will not only be power efficient but quite slim with a 7mm thickness and 2.6mm frame width.

This Octa core smartphone will run on the Android 4.2.2 with 2GB RAM and optional 16 or 32GB built in storage. Looking at its slim size there will be no external micro SD card support. In addition there will be a 13 megapixel rear auto focus camera with BSI sensor and flash and 5 megapixel front camera.

Other features are (possibly 4G), 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio and Bluetooth. The handset will also be equipped with Yamaha 1420 dual speakers and come with high quality earphone. The metal finish Intex Octa Core handset will be available with exchangeable battery. The pricing details and the release dates are not yet disclosed.