New Micromax A177 Canvas Juice at just Rs 8,490

India’s largest handset manufacturer Micromax has once again hit the Indian stores by listing the A177 Canvas Juice on its website without revealing details.

The yet-to-be launch A177 Canvas Juice said to be a variant of the A77 Canvas Juice launched last year in November.


On specification front, the handset runs on latest  4.2 Jelly Bean Android Operating System and features 5-inch FWVGA display along with 480x854 resolution.

The A177 canvas is totally different from the A77 as it is powered by dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek MTK 6572 processor, while the former A77 is backed by a 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek MTK 6572 processor.

The device sports 5 megapixel primary camera with LED flash and a front-facing VGA camera. The handset however comes with 4 GB in-built storage which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.


The USP of the new Micromax A177 canvas is its powerful 3000mAh battery which promises up to 10 hours of talktime and some of the applications like Game Hub, Spuul, Opera Mini, Hike and many more are pre-loaded in the device.

On connectivity front the mobile phone has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, GPS/ AGPS and 3G options.

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Micromax teams up with Aircel and MediaTek

On the back of growing sales of its affordable and entry-level smartphones, Indian handset maker Micromax expects to hit $1 billion (over Rs 6,100 crore) in revenues this fiscal, ending March 31.

The New Delhi-headquartered company’s revenues were Rs 3,168 crore for the financial year 2012-13. Micromax, which is the second largest smartphone player in India, held about 16 per cent market share in Q4 2013. Some of the top selling models were the entry level smartphones like A35 Bolt and A67, IDC data showed.

The Canvas range of devices has also done well in terms of volume contribution owing to the marketing campaigns launched around them. ”We have seen huge growth in business, especially in the smartphone category (mid and entry-level). We expect to close this fiscal will a billion in revenues,” Micromax co-founder Vikas Jain told PTI.


The firm will continue to launch innovative and affordable products for the market across platforms, he added.  ”We will introduce a product based on Android Kitkat with in the next 60 days,” Jain said.


Asked if the company would introduce a device with Windows Phone OS, he said the company is in discussions with Microsoft on bringing out “products relevant to the Indian market”.

Micromax today announced a strategic partnership with chipset maker MediaTek and telecom services provider Aircel. ”This is aimed at offering the best out-of-the-box experiences for the Indian users and the partnership will see a unique amalgamation of the expertise of the three companies,” Jain said.


While, Aircel will offer one stop solutions to address the increasing data demands, MediaTek along-with Micromax’s expertise in product design and performance will redefine the user experience creating a win-win ecosystem for the Indian users, he added.


Under this alliance, Aircel will team up with Micromax to introduce a range of offers for the consumers which will be almost equivalent to cost of the device.


Powered by MediaTek chipsets, the devices promise to deliver a seamless and a powerful user experience, while the bundled Aircel offers will drive data growth in the country. The offers initially will be available across 4 Micromax devices — MMX 377G, Funbook Mini 410i, A090 and X070 — to be available next month.


The co-developed smart devices by the three pioneers will deliver seamless experience for consumers, driving enhanced performance and data experience for customers across the country.

Swipe Halo Fone specifications run-through:

- 6.5-inch 800 x 480p touchscreen
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS
- 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 dual core chip
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB onboard storage
- 32GB microSD card support
- Dual SIM slots
- 2MP and 0.3MP cameras
- 2800mAh battery
- 6 hours talk time

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Specs review: Micromax Canvas Knight A350 raises the bar of smartphones under Rs 20k

Following the octa-core brigade, Micromax has launched its next flagship dubbed the Canvas Knight A350, for the Indian market. Just like most Micromax devices, it is a budget device with superior features. For Rs 19,999, the spec sheet of the Canvas Knight could put any sub-Rs 20,000 device to shame. Here’s a quick look at its tech specs.

User Interface – Android 4.2.2 : While the hardware appears to be brilliant, the Canvas Knight is disappointing when it comes to the OS running on the device.  The Canvas Knight runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, similar to its previous flagship Canvas Turbo. With the nifty specs the phone holds, it appears to be more than capable of running Android 4.4 KitKat. What we don’t understand is what’s stopping Micromax from launching it with 4.3 at the very least, if not KitKat?

One should also expect pre-loaded apps from the company such as M! Security, M! Live, M! Unlock as well as third party vendors like Spuul, Hike, Opera Mini and more. Micromax had also signed a deal with BlackBerry to preload BBM on its Canvas phones. So, you can expect BBM for Android too. One can also expect Micromax’s software gimmickry like ifloat that serves as a quick launcher for calls, messages, browser, settings, etc. from any screen, blow to unlock, popup video, popup browser, and more.  You will also find Truecaller, GetIt, M!Vault pre-installed along with games such as RealSteel WRB, Where’s My Perry and Where’s My Water.

Cellular Connectivity – GSM, 3G : The Canvas Knight is a dual SIM smartphone that supports GSM and 3G networks. However, it should be noted that the company has started testing 4G-enabled devices, which are expected to be launched later this year. May be its too early to say, but we could possibly see a 4G variant of the device in the future.


Display – 5-inch SHARP Full HD : Micromax has retained the 5-inch display size seen in the Turbo as well as the full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, with a pixel count that goes all the way up to 443 ppi. Moreover, it’s the full HD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) IPS display built by SHARP, just like its predecessor. This means, we can expect crisp and clear images.
 

Form-factor– Anodised aluminium body : The official site doesn’t mention the weight or dimensions, but it appears to be pretty slim. In terms of design, it doesn’t follow the Turbo, instead looks like an iPhone. The Canvas Knight gets a brushed metal styling with champagne gold bezels while the rear panel comes with a glass finish. The device is available in three colours – black, white and gold and black and gold.


Wi-Fi : The Canvas Turbo supports Wi-Fi, but so far there has been no 

mention of the connectivity options. There is no word on dual-band support either or if it supports the ‘ac’ draft either.

Processor – Mediatek Octa-core , 2GB RAM : The Canvas Knight is first smartphone from Micromax to feature an octa-core processor.  It is powered by a MediaTek MT6592T SoC, that clocks in at 2GHz. It also includes an ARM Mali-450 GPU and 2GB of RAM.  The Canvas Knight joins the Gionee Elife E7 Mini, Intex Aqua Octa and the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N2, which also sport octa-core chipsets.

Internal storage – 32GB, no room for expansion : While the Canvas Turbo was available with 16GB onboard storage option, the Knight gets a whopping 32GB built-in storage. It doesn’t offer other online storage support or a memory card slot.  However, 32GB storage could suffice your daily storage needs.

Camera - 16-megapxiel BSI sensor, 8-megapixel front-facing camera : On the camera front, the Knight comes with major improvement. It gets 16-megapxiel sensor on the rear side with support for auto-focus and flash. The rear shooter is paired with OmniVision’s CameraChip sensor and a new generation M8 Largan Lens, allowing 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second. Users can also control the camera with their voice and the OmniVision CameraChip sensors also enable HD burst mode.

The device also gets an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The company has included its quirky-named “Camerazzi” camera app that adds several features such as 360 Degree Panorama, Cinemagraph and Object Eraser.


Sensors – All the usual suspects : The Canvas Knight won’t disappoint when it comes to sensors. It gets all the usual suspects such as accelerometer, light, gravity, gyroscope, proximity and compass.


GPS : The Canvas Knight comes with support for GPS and A-GPS. Though the official site doesn’t mention, we are hoping it also supports GLONASS.


Battery – Li-Ion 2350 mAh : Coming to the battery, we get a measly 2350 mAh battery. The rated battery life promised is 175 hours of standby time and 7.5 hours of talk time. Given the specifications of the phone, this could be the Achilles heel of the Knight.


The bottom line : The Canvas Knight comes with an incredibly powerful specs sheet. It appears to be one of the best value-for-money Android smartphones under Rs 20,000 with an octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera and 32GB onboard storage. The only disappointment so far, is the older Android Jelly version that the device runs on and the tiny battery.  While it all sounds good on paper and has the potential to be one of the best budget smartphone by an Indian brand, we will have to wait and see how well the device performs once we get out hands on it.

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Exclusive Micromax Canvas Knight A350 review: This phone does not look Indian

First things first. This is a phone from Micromax, but it does not look like a phone from Micromax. In fact, it looks like a phone from a well-heeled international brand, the sort that Micromax wants to become in the near future. This is the Micromax Canvas Knight, the phone that will take over the flagship mantle for the company from today.

Quick Tech Specs: 5-inch IPS display (1920×1080 pixels, 443 ppi) | 2GHz Tru Octa core MediaTek MT MT 6592 processor | 2GB RAM | 32 GB storage + no microSD slot | 16MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, 1080p Full HD video | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 | 2350mAh battery | Android 4.2 JellyBean

Design: As I said this phone does not look like a Indian phone. In fact, it has the cuts and sides of the Apple iPhone 5s and even reminded me a bit of the Lava Iris Pro 30, which also had a similar design language. The unibody design is reinforced by what seems, and feels, like a graphite frame. There are mico-SIM slots on both sides that can be accessed by a pin. And, no there is no space for a SD card. Another thing that sets this phone apart is the power key, that is now placed along with the volume keys on the right. This take a bit of getting used to.

The camera, the 16 MP sensor that it houses, results in a significant bump on the rear and there is an extra rear cover to sort of protect it. This feature is a bit like the one on the Nokia Lumia 502 and it becoming common in slim phones with large cameras. The phone is very light and easy to handle despite the large screen.

Screen & Audio: The Full HD IPS panel is one of the best features of this phone. To start with, there is hardly any light bleed on the sides. The phone can be bright enough to be legible in bright sunlight. The audio quality is good, but not great. The overall experience, however, is quite good.

Performance: This is a Tru Octa core phone. So performance should not be, and is not, and issue at all. In fact, the Antutu benchmark scored it in the top draw and exclaimed ‘amazing’. Yes, that doesn’t mean much for an average used. What matter for him is the fact that there is no lag anywhere and that multi-tasking is a breeze. We tried multi-tabbed browsing on Chrome and the experience was superb. However, with some games we noticed that the device did heat up quite a bit near the camera. Remember, the heat is coming through an extra layer of protection due to the rear cover.


Memory: The phone has 32GB internal memory, out of which you get to use about 24GB. That is decent as you can download large apps and run them comfortable. The 2GB RAM should also stand you in good stead.

Software: The phone runs Android Jelly Bean with a tweaked UI that I did not like all that much. I suggest you switch to a new launcher that gives the slick look a phone with these specs needs. There is quite a bit of bloatware that you can easily delete.

Camera: The two cameras certainly show a lot numbers. The rear camera for a change gives decent pictures even in low light and indoors. It is not great, but much better that most other Android cameras in this price range. There is a bit of noise in the images, but then there is also good detail when needed. The 8MP front camera is better than most phones, but is sluggish and is best used only for video calls and the occasional selfie. The camera comes with features like 3D panaroma, which is too much of work if you ask me.


Special Mention: For some time now, Micromax has been packaging its phones in boxes that mean business. It does this again with the Canvas Knight, the packaging gives a reassurance to the customer that they have bought something good. Even the printed material in the box and the accessories make you feel good.


Verdict: If you are looking for a high-end phone, but don’t want to spend a month’s salary on the same, the Micromax Canvas Knight can be a good pick. It packs almost everything you expect from an Android phone. The Micromax canvas Knight shows how Indian companies can also produce world class hardware that is stylish, functional and durable (or feels like it). The Knight is right there in the league of top-end Android phones, even though we know that it won’t cost that much. This one costs just Rs 19,999.

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Micromax Canvas Blaze HD, Canvas Duet II with CDMA and GSM support launched

 

Micromax, expanding its Canvas smartphone series, has launched the Canvas Blaze HD and Canvas Duet II. The Canvas Blaze HD is listed on the company's online store at Rs. 16,000, while the Canvas Duet II is also available at Rs. 16,000. Both the listings note that the smartphones will be delivered in 7 to 10 business days.

Notably, the Micromax Canvas Blaze HD (EG 116) is the successor to the Canvas Blaze which was launched in partnership with telecom service provider MTS in December last year. As of now, there is no official word whether the Canvas Blaze HD smartphone is also under the same partnership with MTS. However, the Canvas Blaze HD does sport the MTS logo branding at the rear panel.


The Micromax Canvas Duet II, on the other hand, was available via an e-commerce website earlier in February at Rs. 15,790.

Not too long ago, both the Canvas Blaze HD and Canvas Duet II were listed on the company's official site without pricing.

The Micromax Canvas Blaze HD, like its predecessor the Canvas Blaze, supports dual-SIM functionality with support for GSM and CDMA networks. The Canvas Blaze HD runs Android 4.1 out-of-the-box. It features a 5-inch IPS display with a 720x1280 pixel resolution. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (MSM8625Q) processor alongside 1GB of RAM. It comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The Canvas Blaze HD sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and also houses a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It is backed by a 2000mAh battery which, according to the official listing, delivers up to 5 hours of talk time and up to 150 hours of standby time.

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Micromax Canvas Duet II Listed by Official Website: Canvas Duet II with Dual SIM Capabilities

Micromax Canvas Duet II Listed by Official Website: Canvas Duet II with Dual SIM Capabilities

A new smartphone is spotted on the official website of Micromax. Dubbed as Canvas Duet II it comes with 5.3 inch display and supports dual SIM.  Micromax did not reveal the pricing of the handset.  It will be powered by dual core processor.


Micromax listed Canvas Duet II smartphone on its official website.  Though there was no official confirmation from Micromax, Canvas Duet II Was available online for purchase earlier and it was offered by the online e-commerce site with a price tag of Rs. 15,790. Micromax did not reveal the pricing and the exact launching details.


Micromax Canvas Duet II support GSM and CDMA SIMs.  It comes with 5.3 inch display and the display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels. It is powered by 1.2 GHz dual core MediaTek MTK6572M processor and is complemented by 1 GB RAM.  Connectivity features of the handset are 8 megapixel primary camera and 2 megapixel front facing camera.  It is provided with 4 GB internal storage and memory can be expanded up to 32 GB via micro SD. it features 2300 mAh battery under the hood.  Connectivity features of the handset are WiFi, GPRs, GPS and so on.  This handset comes out of box with Android 4.1 Jelly bean operating system.  Preloaded apps of Micromax Canvas Duet II are Hike Messenger, Spuul and others.

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Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 now available for Rs 14,990

It has high end features including a quad core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera etc.

The much speculated, Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 is now available for Rs 14,990. Just recently, Micromax had announced the Canvas XL phablet for Rs 13,990.


The Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini has all the design elements of its big brother, the Canvas Turbo which had impressed many including us with its metallic body. You can read the review of Canvas Turbo here. The Canvas Turbo Mini has a 4.7 inch display against the 5 inch screen of the Canvas Turbo. The 4.7 inch screen has high definition resolution.


The new Canvas Turbo Mini comes with a 1.3 GHz quad core MT6582 processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB ROM (1.61 GB available for users), and 32 GB expandable memory. There is an 8 megapixel camera in its back while a 5 megapixel camera is in the front. The Android 4.2 Jelly Bean based Canvas Turbo Mini has light sensor, motion sensor, proximity sensor, and gravity sensor as well.


Besides, it has dual SIM support (one normal, one mini). There is WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB port, and GPS in the phone as well.

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Micromax launches 14 Canvas, Bolt series smartphones in Russia

Micromax, announced, that it was launching operations in Russia, it’s first market in Europe. In an official press release the company said, that it “aims to have an aggressive plan to make its mark in the Russian mobile handset market and plans to offer innovative products customised to the needs of consumers in Russia.” 

Micromax, is partnering with VVP Group in Russia for distribution and the Canvas and Bolt smartphones will be launched in the country. Micromax said that it will launch 14 products in the Russian market in the initial phase, and aims to be among the Top 4 brands in Russia by the end of 2014. It also plans to have 60 operational service centers by end of the month in important cities in Russia.


Commenting on the launch, Mr Rahul Sharma, Co-Founder, Micromax said in a press statement, “Our initial focus in the Russian market is to replicate the success witnessed in our other markets in the last couple of years. We have carved the vision for ourselves to be the 1st Indian hardware brand to be global and set our footprint with Russia as the first developed market to venture into.”

He added, “We see a growing trend of data consumption through mobile devices in Russia, and we would be initiating partnerships with the leading operators in the region to aim at efficient data consumption on our devices in the coming year.”

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Micromax is all set to take Russia by storm, introduces Canvas Beat and Canvas Social

As was pre-determined, Micromax has entered Russia and the company has announced that its Canvas and Bolt series of gadgets will be introduced in the country. It has entered into collaboration with VVP group which will be assisting Micromax with its expansion plans in the foreign nation.

The Canvas handsets as well as Bolt smart feature phones are very popular here in India and these have been the frontrunners in making Micromax the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the country. As many as 35 million units of these handsets have been sold in markets where the conglomerate currently operates.

The Indian handset maker aims to float as many as 14 smartphones in Russia by the end of this year. Its ambition is to be one of the top 4 mobile manufacturers in that country. As many as 60 operational service centers will be set up this month itself and exclusive centers will be inaugurated in strategic markets over the course of time.

And what’s more, the Canvas 2.2 and MAd devices have already been launched in Russia under the names of Canvas Beat A114R and Canvas Social A94, respectively. Both the gadgets rock Android Jelly Bean 4.2 OS and the internal operations of the two devices are managed by a quad core Broadcom processor. They boast of all the common features such as a clear touchscreen, dual cameras, powerful batteries and most of the common connectivity options.

Considering that Micromax’s forte is affordable devices, we are expecting the company to make its mark in Russia in the entry-level to mid-range segment. Let’s wait and watch how it fares in the foreign territory.

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Quad-core, 5-inch Micromax Canvas 4 to take on Samsung Galaxy S4

At a time when handset giant Nokia is losing its sheen in Indian Market Micromax is challenging Samsung’s supremacy in the country.

The recent example of how Micromax has heated up the smartphone race with Samsung is its 5-inch Canvas 4 smartphone which has appeared during ad breaks in India-Pakistan match in Champions Trophy in England.

It is also being followed on YouTube videos giving enough indication that it is going to be officially launched soon. The pre-bookings will begin from June 28.

Before that experts drew comparison between Micromax A116 Canvas HD vs Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos.

Though the company has not revealed its price, sources said that it is going to be a sub-Rs 20,000 device. 

In the recent past Micromax which is betting on its canvas series of smartphones had launched Micromax A116 Canvas HD which was a huge hit. Going by the frequency it is expanding the Canvas phones portfolio, one can expect more releases in near future.

Recently media reports leaked specifications of Canvas series-A120 Canvas HD Pro which the company denied but specification looked quite convincing.

Before that Micromax had launched its first 3D, 5-inch touch screen smartphone Canvas 3D A115Canvas HD.

All these devices have gone down well with the buyers.

Micromax Canvas 4 with 5-inch display is expected to have 1080 x 1920 resolution. It will run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system and powered by Mediatek quad-core processor.

The company has a tie-up with Taiwan’s chip maker and has launched all its canvas series smartphones with quad-core processors.

It is likely to have at least 1.5 GB RAM with 16 GB internal memory and 32 GB expandable memory.

It is expected to sport 2 megapixel and likely to be available in white and black.

Experts believe that this could compete with Samsung Galaxy S4 which has a 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels at 441 ppi. It weighs 130g and is 7.9 mm thick; it's slimmer than its predecessor.

It comes with an internal memory of 16GB, expandable up to 64GB, and has 2GB RAM. It has a 2600 mAh battery which is 20 per cent larger than that of the S III.

Recently Samsung slashed the price of Galaxy S4 which is being seen as an attempt to push out of competition the Indian handset makers like Micromax, Karbonn, Spice, LAVA and others.

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Micromax Bolt A35 available online, starting at Rs 4,599

 

Micromax’s Bolt A51, which was spotted on the company’s official website last month, is now available on Snapdeal and Flipkart for Rs 4,599.

The device  will compete with other low-budget smartphones such as Karbonn’s A3 and A4 and Lava’s Iris 349 and Iris 355.

Like other low-budget smartphones, the device runs Android Gingerbread. It has a processor clocked at 832 MHz, a 2 megapixel rear camera and 0.3 megapixel front camera.


The smartphone will support 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and has USB charging.


It has a 1500 mAh battery with 140 hours standby time and 4.5 hours talktime.

The device has 256 MB RAM with 512 MB ROM and the internal memory  is expandable to 32 GB via microSD.

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Micromax wants deal with Ericsson

Micromax has promised to try to work out a patent deal with Ericsson after the Swedish equipment maker sued the leading domestic handset maker for alleged patent infringement.

The company issued the statement after a court on Monday gave an interim ruling in favour of Ericsson, which had filed an $18-million suit against Micromax, accusing it of using its patented technology. The suit marks the first high-profile Indian patent litigation case amid a number worldwide, notably between Apple and Samsung.

The court told Micromax to work out what is known as a Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory, or FRAND, licence agreement with Ericsson.

Handset makers often rely on technologies owned by other firms to make their mobile phones and conclude a FRAND licence agreement when doing so. 

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Micromax wants deal with Ericsson

Micromax has promised to try to work out a patent deal with Ericsson after the Swedish equipment maker sued the leading domestic handset maker for alleged patent infringement.

The company issued the statement after a court on Monday gave an interim ruling in favour of Ericsson, which had filed an $18-million suit against Micromax, accusing it of using its patented technology. The suit marks the first high-profile Indian patent litigation case amid a number worldwide, notably between Apple and Samsung.


The court told Micromax to work out what is known as a Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory, or FRAND, licence agreement with Ericsson.


Handset makers often rely on technologies owned by other firms to make their mobile phones and conclude a FRAND licence agreement when doing so. 

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Micromax told to pay royalty to Ericsson

The smartphone patent war has finally reached India. Acting on a suit filed by telecom giant Ericsson, the Delhi High Court has told mobile maker Micromax to pay royalties on every phone and tablet it sells as part of an interim arrangement before the two firms finalise their patent deal by April 9.

Justice Manmohan in a recent order gave his nod to an interim arrangement on payment of royalties by Micromax to Ericsson for using some features of the latter's patents relating to 2G, 3G and Edge technology. The money will be deposited in the court as per the arrangement till the dispute is finally settled.

The agreement between the two companies — known as a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms) license agreement — will operate for one month. According to it, Micromax will pay anywhere between 1.25% - 2% of sale price as royalty per phone and tablet.


Incidentally, Ericsson had also filed a suit against Samsung in the US in November, alleging infringement of its Wi-Fi and 4G patents. Samsung countersued the company last week.


The HC order came after Ericsson approached the court seeking over Rs 100 crore as damages from Micromax. The agreement says that Micromax and Customs department will intimate Ericsson whenever a consignment of devices arrives at customs so that a representative from Ericsson can inspect it. It clarifies that once Ericsson conducts an inspection of each consignment and informs Customs it has no objection to its release, the same will be immediately handed over to Micromax so that it can take its custody.


Speaking to TOI, advocate Pratibha Singh, who represented Ericsson in the case, welcomed the HC interim order . "This shows Indian courts can decide very complex patent litigation swiftly," she said.


A Micromax spokesperson said the company is negotiating with Ericsson. "Micromax is committed to negotiating a FRAND licence with Ericsson as has Ericsson undertaken to providing a FRAND licence to Micromax. Since the matter is pending before the Hon'ble court it would be incorrect for Micromax to make any further statements on the matter," said the spokesperson.

The tussle between Micromax and Ericsson is latest in the series of high-profile patent fights within the smartphone industry. As the popularity of smartphones grows, especially those powered by Google's Android operating system, a number of companies have been attacked with patents. The most high-profile of these cases has been the ongoing fight between Samsung and Apple.

The two companies are involved in tens of court cases in several countries. Other than these two, Motorola, Nokia, Microsoft, Oracle, Google, Sony , HTC, LG, Ericsson — and now Micromax — are part of court fights involving smartphone patents.


Just a few days ago Google chairman Eric Schmidt said that companies are using patent fights to stifle competition. "A number of companies, led by the telecommunications industry decided to use patents to stop innovation... Apple sued Samsung in a number of courts trying to essentially not allow Samsung's products into the market," said Schmidt.

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Micromax Bolt A51 is a new Android Gingerbread smartphone

A brand new phone called the Micromax Bolt A51 has cropped up on the company’s website, though it must be noted that we’re still to hear anything along the lines of a price for it. The first thing anyone who’s looking for an Android device ought to pick up on is that it runs Gingerbread, which is not one, but two operating platforms old.

This should mean that the company will be positioning the handset in the low range segment and possibly below Rs. 5,000. Waving aside the OS, the list of the main specifications of the phone starts with an 8.89-centimeter, or 3.5-inch, 320 x 480p resolution touchscreen stretched across its face. Embedded above this display is a 0.3MP camera for making video calls.


The back panel plays host to a 2MP lens which comes with flash, and no auto-focus capability. But then again, it’s a very basic Android v2.3.7 device that we’re talking about here. The processing power of the smartphone is squeezed out of an 832MHz CPU which which works with 256MB of RAM to keep things running. Apart from that, there’s 512MB ROM and memory expandability of up to 32GB to look forward to.

In terms of connectivity, users get Bluetooth v3.0, Wi-Fi and 3G. What’s more, there’s dual SIM support and access to the Google Play store too. But for those who need a handset that can handle GPS, this one is definitely not the answer. Lastly, the 1500mAh battery juicing up the device is touted to offer roughly 4.5 hours of talk time as well as over 140 hours of standby time (network unspecified).

Like we’ve already mentioned above, we’re yet to find out how much potential buyers should be expecting to shell out for the Micromax Bolt A51. But it’s pretty likely that major online retailers across India will be stocking it soon. We will add an update once these details are out.

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Micromax Canvas HD vs. Xolo X1000 vs. Samsung Grand Duos: Performance Comparison

Micromax recently impressed us by stealing the first mover’s advantage in the quad-core budget smartphone market, with the launch of the A116 Canvas HD. The Canvas HD boasts of a 720p HD display, and has an 8MP camera.

But that isn’t the only smartphone that launched with impressive features. We have seen Samsung launch the Galaxy Grand Duos. The smartphone brings with it a slew of Samsung-exclusive features found on premium devices in a 5-inch form factor. The performance of the Grand Duos is quite impressive too.


Last week, we saw the launch of the Intel Atom Z2480-powered Xolo X1000 in India for Rs. 19,999. The smartphone impressed us in the 20 minutes that we spent with it, and we can’t wait for our review unit to arrive.


The Xolo X1000 has the smallest screen of the three smartphones but only by a minor margin and shouldn’t make much of a difference to the average user. The resolution of the display is what makes the most difference. Both the Canvas HD and the Xolo X1000 have 720p HD displays whereas the Galaxy Grand Duos has a 480x800 pixel resolution giving it the lowest pixel density of the three smartphones.

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Micromax A110 Canvas 2 gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update

Micromax has officially started rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to its A110 Canvas 2 smartphone. However, the company is pushing the update over-the-air and instead they recommend users to visit and authorized service center to get their devices on the newer version.

Not the most convenient way to receive an update for your devices, but Micromax recommends that you do it by visiting their service center or using an easy flashing tool which is provided by the company.

If you are well versed with flashing ROMs on your smartphone you can download the file shared by Micromax and follow the instruction. However, if you do not have sufficient knowledge for flashing ROMs on your Android smartphone you can check out this XDA Forum post for detailed instructions.

Some of the key changes include Project Butter integration for a fluid UI, Google Now, improved notifications, M! Store is removed and others. The update weighs a total of 282MB, it upgrades your devices to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and is based on the kernel version 3.4.0.

Those who choose the more inconvenient mode of visiting the service center to update their Micromax A110 Canvas 2 smartphone can check out this link to find the nearest service center.

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Micromax to launch A89 Ninja with 1GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0

Micromax seems to be on a launching spree of sorts. The Indian handset maker is all set to launch another dual-SIM Android smartphone Micromax A89 Ninja. The smartphone has been listed on Micromax's website under the coming soon section with no price tag.

Micromax A89 Ninja will come with 1GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6577 processor accompanied by 512MB of RAM. It sports a 4-inch screen with WVGA display. The smartphone comes with 2GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB through a microSD card. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

It packs in 1450 mAh battery, which Micromax claims will deliver four hours of talktime and 170 hours of standby time. For camera, it has a 3-megapixel rear camera but sans flash.


Just like most other Micromax smartphones, it comes pre-loaded with apps such as Hook up,M! live,M! store,M! Zone+,Fruit devil and Darkman.

Micromax had launched A87 Ninja 4 last year and Micromax A89 Ninja seems to be the upgraded version of the same. Micromax A87 Ninja 4 too comes with a 4-inch screen with WVGA display but runs on the dated Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), while and Micromax A89 Ninja runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Also the A87 Ninja 4 had a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, while this one has a 1GHz dual-core Mediatek processor on board. At 3-megapixel, Micromax A89 Ninja even has a better camera than A87 Ninja 4, which had a 2-megapixel one.

We expect that this device to make an appearance on one of the retail website really soon.


Micromax has recently announced a quad-core smartphone - Micromax A116 Canvas HD. The other features of this smartphone include Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), 2100mAh battery, 5-inch HD IPS screen, 8-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera, 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage.

This smartphone is expected to be available from the second week of February for under Rs. 15,000.

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Micromax launches ‘Hook-Up’ free messaging service

After launching an armada of Android smartphones in the Indian market, Micromax now attempts to dip its shoes in the free messaging market. It has launched a free messaging service called ‘Hook-Up’ for Android smartphones that allows users to exchange pictures, music, videos, send and receive messages. Hook-Up is being billed as a free IM service on the lines of ‘WhatsApp’.

Micromax is even bundling the app on its newer smartphones. The app comes preloaded on the A25 Smarty. Micromax says the A25 Smarty users will be able to send free messages to non Hook-Up users. As of now, A25 Smarty users can send up to 330 free messages per month for a year giving full return on the amount paid for the device.


The interesting bit about the app is that it integrates one’s SMS’s along with its core IM functionality in one interface. So in essence, it can even act as an replacement for the built-in SMS app. Additionally, Micromax claims it sips less data than competing messaging applications like WhatsApp. Currently, the app is not available on the Google Play market, but Micromax plans on offering it via Google Play soon.

While many smartphones OEMs are not known to make such moves, RIM has made a name for itself on the basis of the BlackBerry messenger seen on its devices. More recently, Samsung has developed its own messenger called the ChatOn messenger. However, the ChatOn messenger is a cross platform service and the app is available for Android, Windows Phone, Bada, iOS and BlackBerry.

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Microsoft discovers new bug in Internet Explorer, PCs vulnerable to attack by hackers

BOSTON: Microsoft Corp warned a newly discovered bug in its Internet Explorer web browser makes PCs vulnerable to attack by hackers and urged customers to download a piece of security software to mitigate the risk of infection.

The security flaw affects hundreds of millions of Internet Explorer browser users. Microsoft said attackers can exploit the bug to infect the PC of somebody who visits a malicious website and then take control of the victim's computer.

The software maker advised customers on its website late on Monday to install the security software as an interim measure, buying it time to fix the bug and release a new, more secure version of Internet Explorer. The company did not say how long that will take, but several security researchers said they expect the update within a week.

The free security tool, which is known as the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit, or EMET, is available through an advisory on Microsoft's website: blogs.technet.com/b/msrc/


The EMET software must be downloaded, installed and then manually configured to protect computers from the newly discovered threat, according to the posting from Microsoft. The company also advised customers to adjust several Windows security settings to thwart potential attackers, but cautioned that doing so might impact the PC's usability.


Some security experts said it would be too cumbersome for many PC users to implement the measures suggested by Microsoft. Instead they advised Windows users to temporarily switch from Internet Explorer to rival browsers such as Google Inc's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox or Opera Software ASA's Opera .

"For consumers it might be easier to simply click on Chrome," said Dave Marcus, director of advanced research and threat intelligence with Intel Corp's McAfee security division.


Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of the security firm BeyondTrust, said it may not be feasible for some businesses to install Microsoft's EMET tool on their PCs.


He said the security software has in some cases proven to be incompatible with existing programs already running on networks.

Tod Beardsley, an engineering manager with the security firm Rapid7, said that at first blush it appeared that the EMET may not be particularly effective in thwarting potential attacks.


Microsoft officials declined to comment on the skepticism that those security experts expressed about the effectiveness of the EMET software.

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