More HTC Sensation Photos

Software: HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S2 uses the Android 2.3 with their widely received skins TouchWiz 4.0 and Sense UI 3.0. Samsung Touch Wiz 4.0 is nowhere near the Sense in terms of usability- but this is a personal choice. In Touchwiz, you can set up different home screens, which can be personalized with widgets and apps. Sense UI lists cool animations and effects, which are exceptionally creative and of high quality. It is heard that the Sensation is shipping with a locked Bootloader. That means it will not be possible for you to root Sensation and install some third party ROMs and apps.

More Galaxy S2 photos
Hardware: The “heir”of the Galaxy S arrives with an upgraded AMOLED display that measures 4.3 inch in size. Pixel density of the Galaxy S2 display is less than the HTC Sensation, but has higher contrast levels. Therefore, it appears that Galaxy S2 has a better screen than the HTC Sensation in terms of the clarity, fidelity and the colors it output. The Sensation follows the 16:9 aspect ratio on screen design that makes it compatible with international movie standards. External casing of the HTC sensation is made with a combination of plastic and metallic parts- which brings it to be thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S2.

Both use dual core mobile CPUs that are based on the ARM Cortex architecture. Galaxy S2 has a slight advantage here as its processor Samsung Exynos is a better implementation of Cortex-A9. Galaxy S2 has 1 GB of RAM and is more that of HTC Sensation.

Compare Galaxy S2 and Sensation

(side-by-side comparison of specifications and price)

Price: As of June 23 2011, the price of Samsung Galaxy S2 in India is 29500 ($558) and that of HTC Sensation is 29600 ($660) INR- including taxes and other charges.

As we said before there is not much difference in the price of Samsung Galaxy S2 and HTC Sensation. If the display quality, battery life, storage and speed are your concern you can go for Samsung Galaxy S2. But if you love the awesome HTC Sense UI, there is no look back, go for the Sensation.

More Photos:

Meego OS was announced in early 2010, and everyone was expecting a Nokia device based on it. Although the Nokia Windows phone partnership had caused some misgivings, the final product proves that it worth the wait. Nokia N9 is based on the Meego OS 1.2. Since there is no home button you have to make use of some special swipe movements to switch through Home screen, apps, open windows, etc. Swiping on the screen edges will take you to the home screen. A similar action at the center slides it through three different home views. The home views include 1) apps, 2) social feeds, call/messaging/email options and 3) open applications running in the background.

Coming to the hardware specifications, Nokia N9 is the first device from the company that ships with a 1GHZ processor. There is 1GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics chip to aid the multimedia functions. N9 will be available in 16GB and 32GB storage options. The camera is an 8MP with Carl Zeiss optics that is capable or recording videos @720p HD and at an aspect ratio 16:9. Included Dolby Digital and Dolby mobile technologies will provide admirable audio experience. Another spec that worth a note here is the large, 3.9″ AMOLED display that is enclosed in a Unibody polycarbonate material. The N9 is equipped with an NFC hardware which is believed to have endless prospects in the coming years. And with pre-loaded Angry Birds Magic app- it would be real fun having the NFC on the board. The official specification of Nokia N9 is given here.

Nokia hasn’t touched on the price and exact launch date of Nokia N9. And India is not in the list of countries where it would be launched later this year.

Final thought: Availability of enough apps in Meego platform is one prevalent question at this point. However, the detailed specifications show that Nokia has included the most needed things in this phone. Since Meego is multi-platform OS, we can expect more developers in the realm and more apps in the future.

Pwnagetool 4.3

Pwnagetool 4.3

Download Pwnagetool 4.3 here

The advantage of Pwnagetool 4.3 is that you can retain you old baseband even if you upgrade to the latest iOS version. Therefore you can unlock your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3G in old baseband using Ultrasn0w in Cydia. The process of jailbreak using Pwnagetool 4.3 is pretty simple and self explanatory. Just download iOS 4.3.1 IPSW and follow the on screen instructions to complete the process.

ESPN Mobile TV

WC 2011 on ESPN mobile TV

Download ESPN Mobile TV here.

ESPN Mobile TV application is now available at the iTunes app store for $2.99. You need a 3G connection or WiFi to get it working iPhone, iPad and iPad Touch. After installing ESPN application, just click on the play icon at the top.  You can watch Star Cricket live on all match days and  highlight of old matches. The application isn’t a free one, but it takes only very less internet bandwidth and will let you enjoy the WC 2011 on the go.

Galaxy S LCD

The original Samsung Galaxy S (I900) has an AMOLED display that is known for exceptional pixel depth, color saturation and battery life. Due to the shortage of AMOLED displays and price concerns in emerging South Asian markets, Samsung has launched  a redesigned Galaxy S variant, Galaxy S LCD (I9003). The new model has a 4.0″ 480 x 800 pixels LCD display instead of the AMOLED in Galaxy S. The design and other specifications of  the Galaxy S LCD are almost same as the Galaxy S. Galaxy S LCD is now available in India-in effect, the old model has been discontinued.

Samsung Galaxy S LCD photos:

Samsung Galaxy S LCD specifications:

The soon expected availability of Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S2 is also considered as a reason for withdrawing Galaxy S. Apart from the display, the major changes in Galaxy S LCD are in processor, RAM (512MB to 478MB), storage, and battery capacity. The processor is still 1GHZ but chipset has changed from Samsung’s Hummingbird to, TI OMAP 3630. Samsung Galaxy S LCD has inbuilt 4GB storage (8\16GB in Galaxy S)and is expandable up-to 32GB via card slot. Improved battery life (1650 mAh) is another plus point of this phone. Other specifications of the Galaxy S LCD are given here.

Samsung Galaxy S LCD price:

The change in specs has reflected in the price of the phone. The latest price of Samsung Galaxy S LCD in India is 19500/- (USD 420) including taxes and other charges. The old Galaxy S is still available in some shops at 23000/- price range. Anyway those who are looking for an affordable Android phone with premium features can go for Samsung Galaxy S LCD without any doubts.

All new features of the iOS 4.3 update are given here.

iOS 4.3 IPSW direct links

Download iOS 4.3 IPSW for iPhone 4 here, iPhone 3G S here.

Download iOS 4.3 IPSW for Apple TV here.

Download iOS 4.3 update of iPad 1 here , iPad 2 here.

Download iOS 4.3  for  iPod Touch 4G here, 3G here.

OS 4.3 is a free update for all existing Apple customers.

How to upgrade to iOS 4.3 offline using iTunes:

First download the latest version of iTunes here.
Now connect your idevice to your Windows PC or Mac.
When detected, right click on the Phone icon in left pane and then backup the apps and settings.
Now download the iOS 4.3 ISPW.
From the right pane of iTunes Window, click on shift key+restore button (Windows) or Option+restore (in Mac) and point it to the downloaded file.
iTunes will now install the iOS 4.3 update and your device will restart with new OS after sometime.
Now you can restore the backup and continue using the device as it was before.

Galaxy Ace

Samsung launched a new Android based handset Galaxy Ace in India. The Galaxy Ace is positioned in the medium price range where we already have the HTC Wildfire, LG Optimus One and some other affordable Android smartphones. When compared with mobile phones in same price range, Galaxy Ace differs mainly on the screen size (3.5″), processor and camera quality. Galaxy Ace has an external design that resembles Galaxy S, Samsung Star and iPhone 3G S.

Samsung Galaxy Ace photos:

Samsung Galaxy Ace specifications:

Samsung Galaxy Ace has 3.5 inch, LCD touch screen with 320 x 480 pixels resolution. The screen is responsive but the clarity of icons and text is not that impressive. It is enclosed in a mostly plastic body with iPhone like form factor. The back side of the Ace is la bit textured and shiny, and it hosts a 5MP auto focus camera with LED flash. Samsung Galaxy Ace has a minimal design- there aren’t many buttons and controls except those required by the OS.  Galaxy Ace comes with Android OS 2.2 Froyo with the latest Samsung Touch Wiz 3.0 interface. There are some inbuilt Samsung applications like Readers Hub, Media Hub, etc., for social media connectivity and other web based services. Swype typing enhancement app is pre-loaded in Samsung Galaxy Ace, but some may find the Android keyboard more useful. Samsung Galaxy Ace a very good processor, an 800MHZ Qualcomm built with inbuilt Adreno 200 GPU. Games and web browsing is pretty much fast and smooth. There is 156MB of phone memory and up-to 32GB external storage support (2GB card included in the package). Overall, it’s a great buy at the current price level. Check out the full specifications of Samsung Galaxy Ace here.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Ace – price 15000

The suggested latest price of Samsung Galaxy Ace in India is 14990, which is very cheap considering the features it has. On the other side, HTC is planning to launch HTC Wildfire 2 in the coming few weeks. So if you are an HTC fan you could wait for that before making a final decision. You can compare Samsung Galaxy Ace, HTC Wildfire and other smartphones here.

Apple iPad 2 photos:

Apple iPad 2 specifications:

A quick look at the specifications of iPad1 reveals a 1GHZ A4 processor, 16GB/32GB/64G storage options, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, 9.7 inch multi-touch screen, etc. The device was launched with iOS 3.0 and later got the iOS 4.0 upgrade in November. Coming the iPad 2 specs,  the biggest improvement is the processor. Apple iPad 2 embodies a brand new dual core A5 chip with a lower consumption rate, up-to two times faster CPU and nine times faster on-board graphics. The device has got a very thin design- its 33% thinner and 15% lighter than the original iPad. Apple iPad 2 will be available in White and Black colors ( Aluminum Unibody rear) and WiFi and 3G versions. There will be video cameras in front side and back. You can make FaceTime video calls with a Mac, iPhone or iPad using any one of the two cameras. They have introduced Gyroscope in iPad 2 also. Other notable features include a 9.7 inch Multi-Touch display with 1024-by-768-pixel resolution, GPS (not available with the basic WiFi model), Bluetooth, 10 hour battery life, Apple USB connector, 3. 5mm headphone jack, etc.

As per the announcement iPad 2 will be shipped with the iOS 4.3 which will be available for download on March 11th 2011. We will let you know features of iOS 4.3 in our upcoming article.

iPad 2 price and launch date

Apple iPad 2 will be available for purchase in USA from 11 th of March 2011. This time there will be CDMA and GSM models, and both will sell at same price points. The following are the suggested market price of iPad 2 3G and WiFi Models.

iPad 2 Wi-Fi         16 GB/32GB/64GB : $499, $599, $699.
iPad 2 Wi-Fi+3G  16GB/32GB/64GB   : $629, $729, $829.

25 other countries will  get iPad2 from March 25th onwards. Unfortunately, this time also Apple avoided India from initial launch sectors. The price of iPad 2 India would be the same as the original iPad that is already available for purchase in Apple’s Indian stores.

Apple iPad 2 accessories:

An interestingly new iPad 2 accessory announced today is the Apple Smart Cover. It’s a typical polyurethane/ leather (price: $39/$69) material with magnetic points that aligns perfectly on the iPad2 screen. Available in five different colors, Smart Cover will let you to keep the device in a stand-on position for watching movies and videos. Apple iPad 2 also supports HDMI output through a cable sold separately. You can play 1080p HD videos on external devices using this cable.

PwnageTool

iPhone dev-team today released PwnageTool 4.2 jailbreak  for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users looking for a safe upgrade to iOS 4.2.1. PwnageTool 4.2 is an untethered jailbreak tool that is based on the exploit found by Chronic dev team. Before this, dev team had released the Redsn0w 0.9.6 tethered jailbreak tool, and we had shared a step by step to guide to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 using it.  Now, here are the instructions to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 untethered using PwnageTool 4.2.

PwnageTool 4.2 let you preserve your baseband (06.15) during the update process. So later you can use the old Ultrasn0w 1.2 method to unlock your iPhone. Remember to backup everything before you start the jailbreak process.

1. Download PwnageTool 4.2 for Mac, and iOS 4.2.1 IPSW . Keep  both in a same folder.

2. Extract the ZIP file and run PwnageTool_4.2 application.

PwnageTool 4.2

3. Select your idevice and continue.

4.  Now the application will ask  for iOS 4.2.1 IPSW file. Locate that and continue.

5. In the next step you will see some options for customizing the output firmware file.  Select expert mode and  from general, click on activate the iPhone( if you are not planning to use the official carrier). Choose other options based on your requirement.

6. Click on Build and select out location as the same folder in which we have placed the original iOS 4.2.1 software and PwnageTool 4.2. Wait for PwnageTool 4.2 to make the custom iOS 4.2.1 IPSW.

7.  After competition you will be asked to connect your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Connect it an enter into DFU mode as per the instructions given in the application.

8. Open iTunes and select the target device. Press Option key+ Restore button and point it to the newly created custom iOS 4.2.1 (that is already been stored to our PwnageTool 4.2 folder).

9. Wait for iTunes to complete the restore process.

That’s it. You have successfully jailbroken you idevice on iOS 4.2.1 with PwnageTool 4.2. Now you may unlock your iPhone using Ultrasn0w inside Cydia.

Note: Windows users can do the same kind of jailbreak with Sn0wbreeze 2.2.

HTC Flyer

HTC today displayed a new web tablet HTC Flyer at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Flyer is the first and long awaited tablet device from HTC, and it has been announced that it will be launched with an upcoming Android version 2.4.  HTC Flyer is much powerful when you list the hardware specifications. It doesn’t have a dual core CPU but the inbuilt 1.5Ghz processor  is pretty faster and new to the mobile world. Flyer has an alluring aluminum Unibody enclosure, and around 1GB RAM and 32GB  on-board flash storage.

HTC Flyer photos:

HTC Flyer specifications:

It is a surprising move from HTC not to use the latest Android version 3.0 in Flyer tablet. But the new tablet optimized Sense UI in HTC Flyer is very promising,  and it seems that it is better than HoneyComb UI in some aspects. Sense UI now has a 3D like effects that appear when you slide through the widgets, and it is faster and responsive. Animated weather, HTC Friend Stream, Gallery apps, music player and all other widgets have been redesigned to meet the tablet specs.  HTC Flyer comes with a 7 inch, multi-touch enabled, capacitive touch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution. The aluminum Unibody packs a 5MP camera in the backside and a 1.3 MP in front side. HTC Flyer has a removable battery, and it is 4000 mAh in capacity.

Other features of the Flyer tablet are Bluetooth 3.0, MicroSD card support, MicroUSB port, GPS, Wi-Fi, G-Sensor, Ambient light senor, Accelerometer and HSPA 3G connectivity.

HTC Flyer price and launch date

HTC will launch Flyer Android tablet in Q2, 2011. They have not mentioned the expected price of Flyer, but we believe that it would cost around $1000 for the unlocked model.

Update: Amazon German website listed HTC Flyer for $900.