Samsung launches GalaxyTab 620 in India for Rs 30,250

Samsung GalaxyTab 620

Samsung Electronics has launched the GalaxyTab 620 with a 1.2GHz Dual Core processor and Android Honeycomb 3.2 OS. The GalaxyTab 620 is priced at Rs 30,250.

The tab features HSPA, which allows users to download movies and songs, surf the web and enjoy games at the data speeds of 21Mbps.

"Tablets are uniquely positioned to offer consumers an enhanced converged communications experience and enable them to manage their work and life while on the move. The GalaxyTab 620 with its powerful processor, next generation OS, stylish design and intelligent value added applications make this a faster, lighter and smarter device," said Ranjit Yadav, country head, Mobile and IT, Samsung India.

The TouchWiz UX provides an improved tablet experience with a vertical mode basic layout. The tab comes with a powerful business platform that can be accessed anywhere anytime.

The Exchange Active Sync provides full mobile access to corporate information along with comprehensive IT policy support making it completely acceptable for all business purposes.

Co-developed by Samsung and Sybase, the Sybase Afaria MDM (Mobile Device Management) provides comprehensive management and security capabilities to the tablet.

The Samsung On-Device Encryption protects the data stored in the device in the event of loss or theft. Users can securely connect to a private network using the Cisco VPN (Virtual Private Network) from the public network infrastructure via user authentication and policy control.

The tablet supports 1080p FullHD playback and offer Divx included multi codec that increases the viewing pleasure. The tab also supports Adobe Flash Player.

The Universal Remote Control allows the user to control the entire home entertainment system. Its built-in IR LED system removes the need of any accessory device such as a dongle or router, converting the tablet in a single remote control.

The tab weighs 345g and at 9.96mm, its sleek design makes it stylish as well as convenient to carry and use. The tablet is available in attractive Metallic Gray and Snow Silver colors.

Few days back, Samsung Electronics, has posted 5.2 trillion won ($4.5 billion) in quarterly operating profit, aided by one-off gains and best-ever sales of high-end phones.

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Huawei MediaPad now comes with Android 4.0

Huawei, a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, announced the new Huawei MediaPad, pre-loaded with the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

Huawei has also unveiled its new MediaPad color series - fashionable MediaPads in three new colors: shadow black, classic brown and passion pink and running on Android 3.2.

Both MediaPad versions have a high-quality display, with screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at 217 PPI and supporting 1080P Full HD video playback.

Both MediaPad are powered with a Qualcomm dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and have a battery capacity of six hours or more.

"In a tablet market defined by staid black and white tablets, the new colorful MediaPad offers a personalized look without the need for an external case. With a hardware package that includes a high-quality screen, a powerful dual-core processor, and long battery life, these colorful MediaPad embodies a rare combination of style and performance," said Richard Yu, chairman, Huawei Device.

MediaPad was launched in June 2011 and it was the world's first 7-inch Android 3.2 tablet. Huawei's new MediaPad color series and the MediaPad with Android 4.0 will be available in selected markets in the first quarter of 2012. Existing MediaPad owners will receive an OTA Android 4.0 upgrade to their tablets by the first quarter of 2012.

Huawei has recently unveiled the world's slimmest smartphone at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The Huawei Ascend P1 S is 6.68mm thin and features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960 x 540 touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass. The Ascend P1 S is the fastest and most compact smartphone in its class with a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 Cortext-A9 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

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BSNL tablet gets over one lakh pre-order requests, says manufacturer

BSNL Pantel Technologies Tablet

 Pantel Technologies, a Noida-based company claimed that it has received more than one lakh pre booking orders over phone and online for the three BSNL tablets, announced by state-run BSNL last week.

The three tablets, bundled with BSNL connection, are in the price range of Rs 3,499 - Rs 12,500.

"We have received more than one lakh pre booking orders over phone and online for the three tablets which we have launched in association with BSNL, said Virendra Singh, managing director of Pantel Technologies."

He further added that the company has got an order for two lakh tablets from Sahara India.

The tablet war is getting tenser among the network operators, as they are looking to expand their subscriber base. Last year, Reliance Communication successfully launched its 3G tablet, which accounts for more than 20 percent market share in Indian tablet market.

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has already announced its plans to bring LTE tablet this year along with the launch of its scheduled mid-year LTE launch.

However, BSNL's entry-level tablet will be competing with the Aakash tablet, which has already created much hype around it. Though, there are reports that the Ministry of HRD is not satisfied with the manufacturer, Data wind over quality issues and seeking new manufacturers for the future manufacturing purposes.

The BSNL tablet, Penta IS701R, is a WiFi only device with Android 2.3 operating system, 1 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM. The tablet also has an HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touchscreen has 800 x 600 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.

The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through a micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling.

BSNL's mid-range 7 inch tablet is named Penta Tpad_ws704c. It has the same specifications as Penta IS701R, but offers added 3G connectivity through a SIM slot, inbuilt A-GPS, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth. It has a 2 megapixel rear camera and a bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance.

The most expensive among the three is the Penta Tpad WS802C, which has an 8 inch capacitive screen and a SIM slot for 3G/2G connectivity. It too comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is also bigger at 4 GB. Rest of the features like GPS, camera and Bluetooth are same as those in the 704C.

The government run mobile service provider BSNL holds 56.94percent of the broadband market share with reported subscriber base of 11.95 million Internet subscribers at the end of September 2011 as against 11.63 million at the end of June 2011

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ASUS launches Eee pad Transformer Prime powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3

ASUS Eee pad Transformer Prime

 Transformer Prime is the first tablet to use the NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-Core CPU. Tegra 3 enables up to 61 percent lower power consumption. This translates into an industry-leading 12 hours of battery life for HD video playback.

Transformer Prime comes with Android Honeycomb 3.2 Operating System. Supporting Adobe Flash and the ever growing Android Market, entertainment is a finger swipe away. The convenient ASUS Launcher also allows users to easily launch software, manage content and access online services and connect devices with a few simple taps.

Available with 10.1" WXGA Glare (LED), the tablet browses the web and plays 1080p HD video at blazing speeds. The metallic spun finish on the ultra-slim and light Transformer Prime sets a new benchmark in the art of tablet design. The tablet is only 8.3 mm thin and 586 g in weight. The Tegra 3 also empowers the Transformer Prime to deliver a gaming experience comparable to that of a game console.

 "The new offering distinguishes itself from the sea of tablets with its aggressive pricing and an optional accessory that easily transforms it into a notebook," said Alex Huang, managing director, Systems Business Group, ASUS Technology (India). "The preface of ASUS Transformer Prime is a vivid proof of fundamental transformation that tablets are ushering in the personal computing space."

The tablet is built focusing on security, responsiveness, and other exciting features that deliver on the promise of being prime and offer the most complete and satisfying computing experience, Huang said. It also features the most advanced CMOS sensor and a large aperture design to ensure sufficient light exposure and the ability to defocus the background and put emphasis on the object, making the photos bright and clear.  With the high speed auto-focus and color enhancement design, the Transformer Prime can capture a clear and vivid image.

 The optional mobile dock comes with a full QWERTY keyboard with touchpad and USB port, for users who want to transform it into a notebook. It also extends battery life to an incredible 18 hours for all day computing on the go. The Battery life is measured under power saving mode, playing 720p video playback and Brightness of 60nits, default volume with headphones.

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime will be available in India at a price point of MRP Rs 49999/-.

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RIM announces BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 in India

BlackBerry PlayBook

Research In Motion (RIM) announced that the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 is now available for download.

At a press meet held in Delhi, India, RIM said BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 delivers an enhanced tablet experience and allows users to use the BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways.

"Building on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's proven web browsing, multimedia and multitasking strengths, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support," said David J. Smith, SVP Mobile Computing, Research In Motion.

With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 users have the option to use a unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as personal and work email accounts.

The built-in calendar harnesses information from social networks and makes it available where and when users need it. Contact cards are also dynamically populated with updated information from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create a consolidated view of contacts.

BlackBerry Bridge is an app that provides a Bluetooth connection between BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on BlackBerry smartphone (including BBM, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) to let users view the content on the larger tablet display.

With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, it's easier to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on BlackBerry PlayBook for an optimized viewing and editing experience.

The updated BlackBerry Bridge app provides a new remote control feature that allows a BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a BlackBerry PlayBook.

Updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry Balance allow users to get more out of BlackBerry PlayBook every day

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Reliance Communications unveils tablet for Rs 12,999 for CDMA users

Mobile service provider Reliance Communications has launched its Reliance CDMA Tab, an Android tablet at Rs 12,999.

With this, Reliance offers tablets on both the 3G and CDMA networks.

The Reliance CDMA Tab is available with attractive postpaid plans offering discounts of upto 40 percent on the regular rates. All the plans will come with default voice tariff plan of 50p per min for all intra and inter circle calls and 50p for local and national SMS.

Reliance CDMA Tab features a 7-inch touch screen with Android 2.3 OS, 512 MB RAM and a micro SD external storage.

The light weight (397g) Reliance CDMA Tab comes with a 2.0 MP rear camera and a front camera.

The Reliance CDMA Tab is supported by Reliance's CDMA network across 22 circles in over 1000 towns in the country.

The tab is bundled with attractive monthly and annual data plans.  Reliance Communications is offering a 1 year free subscription on McAfee Mobile Security, 2 months free subscription on BigFlix+, and Rs. 250 worth of calling on Reliance Global Call, all together valued at Rs. 2,100.

For business users, the Reliance CDMA Tab provides a user-friendly email experience with push email capability and is bundled with Documents To Go that supports Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF formats. Other features include Mobile TV, voice calling, GPS and video recording.

"Having redefined the Tab market in the country last year with the launch and roaring success of Reliance 3G Tab, we are now yet again the first to introduce the country's first CDMA Tab. With the rapid increase in data consumption in India and with Reliance's superior HSD Network in over 1000 towns, the launch of the Reliance CDMA Tab is another step to carry forward our mission of Wirefree India," said Sanjay Behl, group head, Brand & Marketing, Reliance Communications.

Reliance CDMA Tab is pre-loaded with 15 applications to provide information services (browsing, navigation maps and search), communication services (email, blog, SMS, and MMS), entertainment services (music, video, and games), and social networking services (Facebook) and access to thousands of applications provided through the Android Market.

The Reliance CDMA Tab comes with a free 4GB SD card, which can be upgraded to 32 GB.

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Apple iPad leads Indian tablet market with 51% share

Apple iPad

 Apple's iPad is leading the Indian tablet market with 51 percent market share in 2011.

Samsung with its Galaxy Tab has 24 percent market share. The number third player is RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook.

The achievement of both Apple and Samsung is despite a series of low-cost media tablet launches in the second half of 2011.

Tablet war in Indian telecom market: domestic versus foreign

Cost effective tablets are the new phenomena in the growing tablet PC market. These days a multitude of Indian made tablets are flooding the country. Tablet makers are betting high on Indian-made (assembled) tablets.

ABI Research said Indian consumers also showed a strong penchant for RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook after prices were slashed significantly, making it the third largest player with a 10.4 percent market share.

In India, total media tablet shipments in 2011 are estimated to be 0.39 million units, which is a small fraction of the nearly 65 million shipped globally.

The Indian media tablet market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 71 percent and shipments are expected to growth to 9.66 million units in 2017.

Tablet PC users in India to increase at CAGR of 107% by 2017 : Frost & Sullivan

Recently, Frost & Sullivan said the tablet PC user base in India is expected to increase from 0.06 million in 2010 to 0.3 million in 2011. The overall tablet PC user base is likely to grow at a CAGR of 107 percent to reach 23.38 million by 2017.

According to ABI Research, the presence of ultra-low cost media tablets with non-optimal specifications might ruin the user experience and, in turn, prove to be a dampener for media tablet growth.

"While there are several media tablets being launched in the sub-$200 price range, simply lowering the average selling price of media tablets may not lead to the desired growth in the market," said Aishwarya Singh, research analyst, ABI Research.

Media tablets from the domestic handset makers, such as Micromax, may be the right products at the right price point for the mass market.

"2012 is going to be an important year in the Indian tablet market as there are ample media tablet models available across different price points. Enhanced user experience, seamless connectivity options, and localized content will drive the media tablet market growth," said Jeff Orr, consumer research group director

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Apple leads global media tablet market in first quarter

Apple iPad

Apple is leading the media tablet market in the first quarter of 2012.

The devices major has nearly 65 percent of worldwide units.

Apple's cumulative shipments in its first eight quarters of availability are 67 million.

iPad can't claim the highest mobile broadband (3G/4G) attach rate for media tablets, though Apple retains its title of shipping the most 3G-enabled tablets by outpacing the number two competitor by a factor of eight.

ABI Research said the media tablet market shipped 18.2 million devices in Q1 2012, registering 185 percent y-o-y growth.

Apple's 11.8 million iPad shipments were spurred by the launch of a third-generation lineup and price reduction on iPad 2 models.

Samsung is the second largest tablet player. Its 1.1 million shipments returned the vendor to the number two spot after Amazon's Kindle Fire shipments fizzled entering 2012.

"Apple and Samsung have demonstrated staying power while other tablet vendors ebb and flow like the tide," said Jeff Orr, group director, consumer research.

Two leading branded tablet OEMs "“ RIM grew 233 percent, while and Lenovo's sales increased 107 percent.

ASUS remained flat sequentially from Q4 2011.

Several vendors, including Dell, HP, and LG are improving tablet portfolios for mid-year launches of Android 4.0 along with the much anticipated Windows 8 slates debuting later in 2012.

The leading model shipments and the ongoing challenges mobile operators face in convincing iPad owners to even try the mobile broadband connectivity once are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Apple iPad leads Indian tablet market with 51% share, ahead of Samsung

Apple's iPad is leading the Indian tablet market with 51 percent market share in 2011. 

Samsung with its Galaxy Tab has 24 percent market share. The number third player is RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook. 

The achievement of both Apple and Samsung is despite a series of low-cost media tablet launches in the second half of 2011.

Tablet war in Indian telecom market: domestic versus foreign

Cost effective tablets are the new phenomena in the growing tablet PC market. These days a multitude of Indian made tablets are flooding the country. Tablet makers are betting high on Indian-made (assembled) tablets.

Read More

Acer unveils two tablets running on Microsoft Windows 8

 Taiwan's personal computer maker Acer has unveiled two new tablets running on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

"Windows 8 is a historic moment for the worldwide Windows eco-system," said J. T. Wang, Acer's chairman, at a briefing in Taipei where the company also unveiled its new Aspire S7, a small laptop that runs on Windows 8.

Acer, which has been struggling to branch into the tablet computer sector, cut several hundred jobs in Europe last year to reduce operating expenses.

Windows 8 is touted as Microsoft's long-awaited riposte to the rise of Apple and mobile devices powered by Google's Android operating system. There is no official release date but reports have predicted an October launch.

"In our view, the touchscreen experience enabled by Windows 8 is a massive step forward -- simply because it makes computing more intuitive," said Jim Wong, corporate president of Acer.

Acer said that W510 is a convertible device. The unique part of the W510 tablet is the tri-mode, allowing users to touch, type and view. Aside from the conventional tablet mode, it can be used in productivity mode. A detachable keyboard dock can be connected to the tablet for optimal typing as well as extending the battery life up to 18 hours. Rotating the tablet 295 degrees allows it to be used in presentation mode, which is excellent for watching a video, browsing a webpage or viewing a PowerPoint presentation.

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16GB version of BlackBerry PlayBook

BlackBerry PlayBook

 Research In Motion (RIM) will discontinue 16GB version of BlackBerry PlayBook.

Though the company will continue to sell PlayBooks, the 16GB version won't be available once current inventories run out.

"RIM will no longer be making the 16GB model of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The 16GB PlayBook will continue to be available for distributors and retailers while quantities last. We continue to remain committed to the tablet space and the 32GB and 64GB models of the BlackBerry PlayBook continue to be available from our distributors and retailers around the world. There is more value for our customers in the higher capacity models (32GB, 64GB), and as such we have decided to focus our efforts here," said RIM in a statement.

Apple leads global media tablet market in first quarter

Apple is leading the media tablet market in the first quarter of 2012. The devices major has nearly 65 percent of worldwide units.

Apple's cumulative shipments in its first eight quarters of availability are 67 million.

RIM grew 233 percent and Lenovo's sales increased 107 percent in the first quarter of 2012.

In 2011, the number third player was RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook in India. 

According to a report in InformationWeek, the PlayBook plays an important role in RIM's current OS strategy. PlayBook OS 2.0 is the foundation of what will eventually be BlackBerry 10. RIM is merging features of PlayBook OS 2.0 and BlackBerry 7 to create the new master OS that will run on both its tablets and smartphones.

PlayBook is the main hardware platform on which developers can test their BlackBerry 10 applications.

RIM has said that apps that can run in PlayBook OS 2.0 will be able to run in BlackBerry 10. RIM needs as many applications as possible available to BlackBerry 10.

This means RIM can't drop its tablet business entirely, but it can get away with scaling back on the hardware

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HCL to launch Y2, 3G ICS tablet in August

Recently HCL launched the Me Tab X1 (read our review) and the Me Tab U1 (read our review) in the Indian market.

Now, HCL plans to launch another tablet based on Google’s latest mobile OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device is expected to cost Rs. 15,000 and be available in August 2012. The tablet, called the Y2, will not only support Wi-Fi but 3G SIM capabilities straight out of the box as well. Other expected specifications of the device include a 1GHz Arm Cortex A8 processor, 512 MB RAM and access to HCL Me App Store from where users can download applications.

Gautam Advani, executive vice president, head mobility at HCL Info Systems said, "HCL will be launching an Android Ice Cream Sandwich based 7 inch tablet, code named Y2, with Wi-Fi and 3G (SIM slot) capabilities in August for Indian consumers. The price of the tablet will be revealed during the launch time but it will be priced less than Rs 15,000.”

In the past HCL has removed the Google Play store from the X1 and the U1 Me Tabs, which has been its greatest disappointment. We wish that HCL gives users access to the Google Play store along with the HCL Me App Store in the Y2.

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10 Best Tablets Below 5,000

10. MyPad 704 U Tablet:

Price: 5,000

This is a 7-inch tablet that runs on Android 2.3.1 and is powered by 1 Ghz processor and integrated GPU. It sports a resistive touch screen 256 MB of RAM, 2 MP camera, 4 GB flash memory, built-in stereo speakers, expandable memory card slot up to 32 GB, Wi-Fi, and 3G network connectivity.

9. Redd RP 2030 Tab:

Price: 4,990

Redd RP 2030 Tab is a 7-inch tablet with TFT LED backlit display, 0.3MP VGA quality front camera and 256 MB RAM. It is powered by 800 MHz processor and runs on 2.2 Google Android Froyo OS. One special feature in this tablet is its 3G dongle support

8. Domo Slate N8 Tablet:

Price: 4,990

One more 7-inch tablet that comes with a LCD display having multi touch feature, it is powered by 800MHz Processor and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. The device sports 512 MB, 2 inbuilt speakers and microphone, internal storage of 4GB-expndable to 32 GB, 2 direct USB Port, Wi-Fi and GPS support, and 2400 MAH Battery.

7. Ira Tablet:

Price: 4,000

Wishtel, a Mumbai based company is the maker of this budget tablet that supports 23 languages. It is powered by VIA Technology's 800 MHz processor and runs on Android 2.2. It sports a TFT LCD 7 inch resistive touchscreen, 256 MB RAM, 2GB of storage, 2800 mAh battery, 3.5 mm audio jack and Wi-Fi  and 3G via USB.

6. Go Tech Funtab:

Price: 3,999

Go Tech Funtab is the latest player in the budget tablet market. The tablet runs on Android 2.3 and it comes with preloaded Education contents like Edu TV and Fun applications. The device is powered by 800 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 2 GB internal memory expandable to 32 GB via microSD and sports a 7-inch screen with 800x480 pixel dimensions, Wi-Fi support, front VGA camera and 2800 mAh battery.

5. Kobain iXA Tab:

Price: 3,999

This newcomer in the market is catered for students, it is powered by 1GHz core processor, 512 MB RAM, 4GB internal storage- expandable to 32GB through microSD and runs on Android 2.3 OS. It features a 7-inch resistive touchscreen, built-in 0.3MP camera and weighs 341gm.

   

 

4. EPad 7 Inches Tablet:

Price: 3,999

EPad 7 sports a 7-inch TFT resistive touch screen, 128 MB RAM, 2 GB internal memory, internet access via Wi-Fi and also supports Ethernet/ADSL and 3G via dongle. The tablet is best for multimedia needs like enjoying music, videos, games and e-books.

3. BSNL Penta T Pad IS701R:

Price: 3,250

This tablet is powered by 1 Ghz processor, 256MB RAM and runs on Android 2.3 operating software. The tablet is sold in the Indian market with special data plans and 3G services from BSNL.  The tablet comes with a 7-inch resistive touch screen with 800×600 resolution, 2 GB internal memory, card slot for expanding the memory up to 32 GB, Wi-Fi support, and HDMI port.

2. Aakash Tablet or UbiSlate 7:

Price: 2,500

This is known as the cheapest tablet in the world. Aakash tablet is powered by is powered by 366 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo. It sports a 7-inch display with resistive touchscreen, 2GB internal memory, support Wi-Fi only and has a 2100 mAh battery. Two improved version of the tablet is available – UbiSlate 7+ and UbiSlate 7C which comes with a price tag of 2,999 and 3,999 respectively.

1. HCL Sakshat Tablet:

Price: 2,250

This educational tablet is cheaper than Aakash. It is powered by a 366 MHz processor, 256 MB and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo. It sports a 7-inch 800x480 pixel resistive screen, 2GB internal storage and supports Wi-Fi only.

                                                                                 

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