In the wake of increasing popularity of Android phone and Apple’s iPhone, Research In Motion (RIM) has not been having a good run with its BlackBerry devices. Fortunately for the company, India is one of the few markets in which it is still popular amongst youngsters, thanks largely to the BlackBerry Curve 8520. Launched way back in 2009, 8520 was the first Curve smartphone from the Canadian handset maker and it continues to be their bestselling smartphone in the country.

Though the Curve 8520 continues to be the top selling model for RIM, it runs on the dated OS 5, has a slow processor and an average battery backup.

The reasons why Curve 8520 proved to be such a big hit are easy to understand. It’s the cheapest BlackBerry around, and the go-to option for the young crowd who use BlackBerry Messenger as if their life depended on it. The wide variety of color options no doubt helped the sales.

This is where the new BlackBerry Curve 9220 steps in. Priced attractively at Rs. 10,990, the company expects it to be as popular as the first Curve and is specifically being targeted at the youngsters.

Hardware and looks
The first thing that you notice about the new Curve 9220 is that it looks very similar to Curve 8520. However, despite having a larger battery, it is 1.2mm thinner than its predecessor.
The Curve 9220 also has the full plastic body but the build quality is nice. It feels sturdy and can bear a few falls with without any major damage.

The big highlight of this smartphone is the presence of a dedicated BBM key. This key is placed on the left side of the handset, and gives instant access to BlackBerry Messenger. However, it works only when the handset is unlocked, so not really a shortcut to access BBM.

Unlike other BlackBerry, this smartphone does not have any dedicated media keys on the top panel. This clears a lot of space at the top, which now only houses the screen lock key.
The keyboard is pretty much the standard one found on any BlackBerry device and the QWERTY lovers will find it quite convenient to use.

Just like the BlackBerry Curve 8520, the new Curve handset, too, will be available in vibrant color options such as fuchsia pink and teal blue, apart from the usual black and white.

Display
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 comes with 2.44-inch TFT LCD display with 320×240 pixels resolution. When pitted against the other Curve devices at similar price point, Curve 9220 scores better than the rest in terms of display. Having said that, the display of this handset is still nothing to rave about when compared to other smartphones.

Camera
BlackBerry Curve 9220 sports a 2.0-megapixels fixed focus camera. The images captured through this camera in proper light conditions were at the most average. Needless to add, the quality deteriorates even further in low-lighting conditions.

Considering that RIM is trying to catch the fancy of the young consumers through this handset, we feel that the camera should have been better. Most devices at this price point come loaded with at least 5-megapixels primary camera.

Another downside of this smartphone is the fixed-focus nature of the camera rather than auto-focus found on other smartphones. The quality of videos recorded through this handset is also average.

Software/ Interface
Curve 9220 comes loaded with the latest BlackBerry OS 7.1, which makes it the first handset at this price point to do so. To put things in perspective, the more expensive BlackBerry Curve 9300 (commonly referred as Curve 3G) and BlackBerry Bold 9780 handsets are still running on the older BlackBerry OS 6.

When compared with BlackBerry OS 5 and OS 6, the new operating system seems far sleeker, faster and more user-friendly.  Also BlackBerry OS 7.1 brings mobile hotspot, universal search, BlackBerry tag and FM Radio support, which were in the earlier version.

The addition of Social Feeds in an entry-level device is handy, especially when it is targeted to young users. We liked the experience of using Facebook through Social Feeds more than the native Facebook app. One of the most important aspects of any BlackBerry device, without any doubt, is its BBM experience. We found the experience of using this app on Curve 9220 to be almost identical to other BlackBerry OS 7 devices.

Performance/ Battery Life
RIM is tight lipped regarding the processor inside BlackBerry Curve 9220, but irrespective of the which processor has been used in this phone; we found that this smartphone was pretty smooth in terms of functioning. There were no lags in transitioning between different apps; neither did we encounter any unusual crashes.

Another addition in this handset is the FM radio. The radio app is quite basic with no frills attached. The voice quality and music playback quality on the handset, both through loudspeaker and earplugs, is good.

In terms of connectivity, this mobile handset comes with a Wi-Fi and 2G but lacks 3G support. It’s a bit disappointing to find a device at this price point of Rs. 10,000 that does not have 3G support.

The best part about this smartphone is the battery-life. The Curve 9220 comes with a 1450 mAh battery, which easily lasted for a day with frequent app use and web browsing without needing a charge.

Verdict
The biggest drawback for BlackBerry still continues to be its inability to excite the developers to create apps for its platform and the BlackBerry Curve 9220 is unlikely to change that. However, if you are not into the apps and are looking for a budget BlackBerry smartphone to connect with your BBM friends, then Curve 9220 is worth considering. It is also be a good upgrade for users of BlackBerry Curve 8520 as it offers an updated OS and better battery at a similar price point.

Pros
Battery life
Affordable BlackBerry OS 7 device

Cons
2.0 MP Camera with fixed focus
No 3G

Price: Rs. 10,990

Ratings:
Design: 3
Display: 2.5
Camera: 2
Performance: 3.5
Software: 3.5
Ecosystem: 1.5
Battery Life: 4
Value for Money: 3
Overall: 3

Nokia already provides carrier billing in the country with Reliance Communications.

Nokia store currently offers applications, games, videos, pod-casts, productivity tools, web and location-based services and much more.

Along with the carrier billing, the Finnish handset maker has also announced the availability of in-app billing solutions, which allow consumers to purchase digital content directly from within the application’s interface.

“The Nokia Store is focused on providing relevant and useful content to our consumers to help them get the most out of their mobile lifestyle. The response from consumers in India has already exceeded our expectations, with the number of monthly downloads at 60 million and growing. We believe our partnership with Vodafone and Airtel, the two largest GSM mobile operators in the country,will provide more and more Indian consumers easy access to paid content on the Nokia Store’” said Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India.

To celebrate the release of ICS, Sony is also discounting the tablet in the United States. If you purchase the tablet between now and 12 May you will receive a $50 instant rebate and free cradle. This implies a $349 cost for the 16GB Tablet S and $449 cost for the 32GB version. See a video preview of the Android 4.0 update below.

New Android 4.0 features for Tablet S

Enhanced lock screen
– Direct access to Notifications
– Unlock direct to camera

New panoramic camera mode

Enhanced Gallery media viewer
– Direct SD card access + photo editing tools

Exclusive “Small Apps’ for multi-tasking
– Calculator, Browser, Remote Control
– Move to screen edge for reduced clutter

New Home Screen actions
– Drag icons together to create folders
– Add names to folders

Enhanced web browser
– Switch from mobile to desktop web sites
– Save pages for offline viewing

Access files directly from SD card

Native screenshot capture
– Press “power” and “Volume –“

Via Sony Blog.

Research In Motion’s retail partners have begun slashing prices on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in an effort to bolster unimpressive sales. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie confirmed on the company’s second-quarter earnings call that price drops were imminent after the company reported just 200,000 units shipped into channels during the tablet’s first full quarter of availability. YoGadgets reported earlier this month that Rogers employees were able to purchase the PlayBook starting at $250, and now the general public can finally get in on the action.

RIM currently offers three versions of its QNX-powered tablet — a 16GB entry-level model, a 32GB model and a 64GB version — and all three models are on sale at numerous nationwide retailers. Staples has knocked $200 off the price of each slate, $100 in instant savings and $100 in the form of a mail-in rebate. Office Depot is offering the same deal: each PlayBook model is available for $100 off MSRP, and then customers get another $100 back in the form of a rebate.

Best Buy’s sale prices line up with Staples and Office Depot, though Best Buy is advertising the new prices as a limited-time sale that ends on October 6th. The 16GB, 32GB and 64GB PlayBooks are available for $399.99, $499.99, and $599.99 respectively, and in-store purchases also qualify to receive a complimentary $100 Best Buy gift card, which means customers won’t have to wait for a rebate card to be delivered in the mail.

Finally, YoGadgets has also been told my multiple readers via email that Walmart is offering unadvertised sale pricing on at least one PlayBook model, with purchases of the 16GB tablet ringing up at $250 despite an advertised price of $498. Walmart did not respond to a request for comment.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM’s first tablet, and it is also the first device to launch with the company’s new QNX-based mobile operating system. While the tablet can now safely be lumped into a large pile of similar offerings that are not faring well against Apple’s iPad, many analysts still have high hopes for RIM’s next-generation QNX platform.

The new features in the software upgrade of the 2011 Xperia™ smartphones.
This upgrade will include an upgrade to Android 2.3.4, Google Talk with Video Chat (models with front-facing camera), updated Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities, 3D sweep panorama functionality powered by Sony, swipe text input, screen capture on your phone with easy sharing and USB on the go to turn your Xperia™ smartphone into a mini-mobile PC by connecting USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard or game controller) to Sony Ericsson LiveDock™ multimedia station. Combining that with HDMI to a TV you can have a big screen experience with your Xperia™ smartphone.

The options to tweak images on the go aren’t extensive, but there’s a variety of scene modes to play with, and those which alter the shutter speed do actually help improve pics.

As we mentioned, the Xperia Mini Pro is running Android 2.3.4, which means it’s bang up to date (and is also one of the only phones outside of the Nexus S to have the cool ‘old skool telly’ screen shut off).

To accommodate the smaller screen, Sony Ericsson has added in corner icons to the home screen, which you can pack with up to four apps for easy thumb access on the fly, plus space for widgets and your favourite apps in the centre. With a 1GHz processor under the hood, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro is nippy too.

However, Sony Ericsson seems to have missed a trick here, as the power pack will only juice the phone long enough for a day’s use; we were hoping to manage a couple of days’ use easily given the more compact stylings. It can easily last from morning to evening, but keep a charger handy if you’re planning a weekend away and want to stay in contact.

The battery on the Mini Pro is understandably smaller than in other smartphones, as the tinier screen draws less power.

We’re fans of the Xperia Mini Pro for the simple reason that we’re seeing something different.

The slide out keyboard is surprisingly easy to use despite being squished into a smaller space, and the larger screen makes using the phone a lot easier than the previous version we used.

The camera could be a little higher in quality in our opinion, and the battery isn’t all we’d dreamed it would be – but this is a cool and cute little smartphone with all the power of Android in a pocket-sized format.

A definite contender if you like something a little different but just love a physical keyboard.

Google has now implemented an Edit video button on the My Videos page. It enables you to stabilize your shaky footage, rotate it, and boost the contrast as well as colours. Moreover, there are a number of effects available, such as Black and White, Thermal, and Cartoon. Since the editing is performed online, you don’t have to re-upload the video. This means you won’t lose your view count and comments.

The editor also features an option to revert to the original, so you don’t have to worry about your experiment going horribly wrong. Here’s a quick video showing what you can do with the editor :

Several of Samsung’s forthcoming Android, Windows Phone and bada devices have been leaked by telefonino.net. If the leak is indeed legitimate, Samsung will surely have some big announcements during the Berlin-based IFA trade show in early September and probably at CTIA Fall 2011 in October as well. Starting things off, the P6200 is said to be a 7-inch Honeycomb tablet with a 1024 x 600-pixel Super AMOLED display, an HSDPA radio, a 3-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel forward-facing camera for video chats. Also on deck is the Samsung I9250, which is apparently equipped with a 4.65-inch 1280 x 720-pixel Super AMOLED HD display, a 5-megapixel camera and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Samsung’s first Windows Phone Mango device could be the Samsung i8350 Omnia W, which offers a 3.7-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera. It’s expected to launch in October according to the report, which is on a par with Microsoft’s leaked Mango launch plans. Read on for more details on Samsung’s Android and bada handsets.

Google-Motorola-Googorola-logo.jpg

By now, you’ve no doubt seen the news: Google intends to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. What this will do is not only give Google access to Motorola’s vast patent library consisting of nearly 25,000 patents, but it will also give Google an end-to-end hardware and software strategy with smartphones, tablets and even with Google TV. The thing is, Google didn’t need to buy Motorola. Google could have just licensed the patents from Motorola. Google bought Motorola because it felt like control of the Android experience was slipping away. It’s apparent that one Nexus-like device from Google a year won’t be enough — MOTOBLUR has probably given Andy Rubin ulcers — and it’s apparent that a company that’s leading in many areas of the smartphone arena wants to control that entire experience. Open or not, it is Google’s, after all. Smartphones and tablets are also going to be the biggest categories in technology for the foreseeable future, and if you think Google is just going to play around with that, well, you obviously haven’t seen the company’s recent moves. Read on for more.

HTC, Samsung, LG, and other manufacturers are probably pissed. Regardless of any protection they might receive from Google owning Motorola’s patent library, and regardless of recent official comments, they are now not only competing with one of the best Android device vendors, but also with Google itself. The end result? You’re going to see HTC, Samsung and LG continue to buy up as many Beats-like companies as possible to further differentiate their Android experiences, because they’re not going to have anything else to offer pretty soon. There are only so many ways to physically differentiate a touchscreen device, and with Google in control of its own hardware, software and services, differentiation could become the key to other partners’ survival  the Android ecosystem.