Best Games of 2017

The first few months of 2017 have been bountiful, with game of the year contenders sprouting across every genre. There's still much more for us to review—including some games that are already out—as the recent years' boom in PC game releases continues with gusto. Videogames: there are a lot of them.

And a lot of them are good, and a few so far this year are great. Here are the highest review scores we've given out so far in 2017. We'll update this article as the year continues and our review catalog grows. 

Stellaris: Utopia

"If you want to build a giant Dyson sphere around a sun to steal all of its energy and make any planets that depended on it freeze to death, you can do that," wrote TJ in our review. And who doesn't? Stellaris' Utopia expansion overhauls politics, adds factions to your population, and introduces Tradition trees—which are how you might blot out the sun. The add-on gives Stellaris a big push in the right direction, filling out the previously light mid-game.

Our Verdict: "Paradox’s biggest expansion yet brings Stellaris closer to its original promise with a stellar rework of internal politics and new endgame goals."

The Signal From Tölva

Big Robot, which is headed by former PC Gamer contributor Jim Rossignol, brings us a sci-fi shooter mystery that's two parts exploration—hopping and stomping around—and one part "crisp, satisfying combat," as our review states. It's slow-paced, but smart, lean, and a step above the developer's previous game, Sir, You Are Being Hunted.

Verdict: "A fascinating setting and fizzing gunplay make for a lean, thoughtful exploration-led shooter."

Battle Brothers

Like XCOM with lower stakes and axes instead of guns, Battle Brothers is pure fun. Manage a band of mercenaries, earn money to expand your operation and reach more distant contracts on the wide-open map, and fret over decisions in turn-based battles. "I kept humming with the victory and despair I usually reserve for XCOM campaigns," wrote Ian in our review. "The archer who makes a wondrous 19% headshot; the swordsman who blocks and dodges his way out of certain death; the veteran soldier suddenly gutted, lost forever behind the veil of permadeath." (It's also surprisingly gory given its cute little big-headed character sprites.)

Verdict: "Don’t let some clunky inventories scare you off from this excellent strategy RPG."

Thimbleweed Park

A throwback to '90s adventure games, but not a nostalgia-driven rehash—Thimbleweed Park builds on the genre and is great on its own merits. It's funny, and full of smart puzzles that "rarely require the absurd leaps of logic that would have you dialling the LucasArts hint line in the '90s," as Andy put it in his review. 

Verdict: "A quality adventure game with challenging puzzles, oddball characters, and an intriguing, mystery-laden plot."

Rain World

If you aren't turned off by the obtuse introduction and constant, crushing challenge, Rain World rewards with unforgettable gloom. "The early hours are taxing, and in all honesty, it continues to be taxing," wrote Shaun in our review. "It’s not relaxing. It’s not a game to wash away your daily worries with. But the variety of the world’s barren landscapes will keep the determined pushing on, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges are, well, surmountable, but not thanks to 'tricks' per se. You just have to be smart about it. You have to learn—and then very vaguely know—how to survive."

But at least slugcat is cute!

Verdict: "Few will see the more remote corners of Rain World’s relentlessly dire stretch, but those who do are unlikely to forget the experience."

Best Android Games

Crashland

Crashland was released in 2016 and it’s already among the best Android games ever made. It features an intergalactic trucker that ends up crash landed on an alien planet. Your job is to find out what’s going on, build yourself a base, collect various items (and craft them), and save the world from a nefarious plot. It has an RPG element for character development, tons of items that you can collect and craft, and the game makes itself easier by doing things like auto-sorting your inventory. It’s a ton of fun and contains dozens of hours of content. The best part? There are no in-app purchases to get in the way.

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter was released in 2015 to fantastic fanfare and generally positive reviews. In this game, you must build a fallout shelter (roll credits), populate it with people, and then manage everything so that it runs well. You’ll have to send dwellers out into the wastelands for supplies and fend off bad guys trying to kill everybody. You can make babies, create entire communities, and all kinds of stuff. It has substantial depth and it’s a game you can easily play for months before you even realize it has in-app purchases.

Geometry Wars

The Geometry Wars series has quite a sizable fanbase and has been consistently described as one of the most enjoyable indie games ever made. Geometry Wars 3 continues that proud tradition by introducing 3D maps constructed out of various shapes to make the game more challenging. It features 100 levels, 12 battle modes, and it’s all played over 15 3D grids. As per the norm, you’ll have super abilities and all of the HD, colorful explosions that your brain can handle. $9.99 may seem pricey for a mobile game, but there are also no in-app purchases.

Hearthstone

Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft flew on to the scene in late 2014 and it’s been one of the best Android games ever since. It’s a concept that is similar to games like Pokemon or Magic: The Gathering where you collect cards, build decks, and the duel other players using those decks. There are some offline components but the game is pretty much always online. You can also engage with cloud saving via battle.net which will allow you to play the game on your PC or mobile device interchangeably. It has new expansions coming frequently and that helps keep things fresh.

Minecraft

Minecraft is a popular game all around the world for people of all ages. For those who have never played, Minecraft puts you in a giant world where you mine stuff, build stuff, beat up bad guys, and do pretty much whatever you want. There is a survival mode where you must mine your own resources and food along with a creative mode that gives you unlimited everything. Frequent updates have added tons of new content and possibilities.. It’s a mainstay when it comes to Android games and it also has no in-app purchases.

Top Android Mobile Phones

Google’s Android operating system accounts for a vast majority in today’s smartphone market. In recent times, many Android phones come with 4GB of DDR4 RAM, equivalent to the RAM available on a normal laptop. Alongside, while you may still be using a Full HD television at home, the screen resolution on latest Android phones have been moved to 2K, and in some cases, even 4K. The camera quality has also improved massively, and is steadily progressing with each latest Android mobile. With all of these in mind, there are a lot of options to go through. Here, we give you a list of the best Android mobiles to buy in India this month. These Android phones offer the right mix of performance and features. Click on each of the recommended top 10 smartphones to read their detailed reviews, and get more information on the best smartphones in India.

Google Pixel XL

After partnering with multiple phone makers over the years, Google has finally produced a smartphone which is made by Google through and through. Right from the software of the phone to the design, everything is done by Google. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 powered device is easily the best Android smartphone you can buy today. It offers a very familiar design and a superb 2K display. Google has also incorporated a brilliant camera on the phone which can easily stand against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and even the iPhone 7. If 5.5-inch is too large for you to handle, you can settle for the 5-inch Google Pixel. Specs: Display: 5.5-inch, 1440p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32/128GB Camera: 12.3MP, 8MP Battery: 3450mAh OS: Android 7.1.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung was the first company to bring its 2016 flagship smartphone to India. Samsung's latest Android phone offers an updated specification sheet, and refines the whole glass and metal design introduced with the Galaxy S6 range of Android phones in 2016. It is waterproof, and supports microSD cards of up to 200GB. Samsung has used an all new Exynos 8890 SoC on the new Galaxy S7 Edge, and there is 4GB of RAM along with 32GB of internal storage. It features an AMOLED display with 2560x1440-pixel resolution, but the screen size has been increased from 5.1 inches to 5.5 inches. This has allowed Samsung to increase the battery size from 2600mAh to 3600mAh, which allows it to offer better battery life. The biggest change in the phone, though, is the new 12MP Dual Pixel camera, which shoots amazing photographs even in low light. All of these combine to make the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge the best Android phone to buy in India today. Specs: Display: 5.5-inch, 1440p SoC: Exynos 8890 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 12MP, 5MP Battery: 3600mAh OS: Android 6.0

OnePlus 3T

The OnePlus 3T has grabbed the third position on our ‘best phones to buy’ with ease. This Android phone is an all-rounder, and offers the best performance-to-price ratio among the latest flagship Android phones. This is the first time that OnePlus made an all-metal smartphone, and while the phone is reminiscent of the HTC One M9, it is still a good design. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC and has 6GB of RAM. The 16MP camera on the back does not disappoint either and offers PDAF as well as OIS. Like most latest Android phones, battery life is not that great, but still manages to go on for a whole day on a single charge. Specs: Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 RAM: 6GB Storage: 64/128GB Camera: 16MP, 16MP Battery: 3400mAh OS: Android 6.0.1

LG G5

LG's flagship smartphone, LG G5, is also the world’s first modular smartphone. This Android phone from LG offers a metal build and fingerprint sensor. It has the best specifications currently available on latest Android mobiles. The LG G5 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB of native storage, along with microSD card support of up to 200GB. The smaller, 5.3-inch display is a delight to look at, and offers 2560x1440-pixel screen resolution. The colours of the display are among the most well-balanced of the latest Android phones. The removable battery is small, but lasts for a day. LG will also be selling various accessories under its Friends ecosystem for the LG G5, including a camera grip with extra battery, an external amplifier and more. Specs: Display: 5.3-inch, 1440p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 16MP + 8MP, 8MP Battery: 2800mAh OS: Android 6.0.1

HTC 10

The HTC 10 is another great Android phone to look for in the flagship smartphone range. The HTC 10 flaunts the suave HTC design, with latest generation hardware to boot. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, the HTC 10 offers great multi-tasking abilities. The OIS-assisted 12MP UltraPixel rear camera is great to shoot with, and you also get OIS on the front camera. HTC has also mastered the 2K display, and the 5.2-inch LCD5 2K resolution panel looks beautiful from all angles. However, the best part is the audio quality, which gives the best music quality you can get on any Android mobile available for purchase today. Specs: Display: 5.2-inch, 1440p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 12MP, 5MP Battery: 3000mAh OS: Android 6.0.1

Xiaomi Mi5

Xiaomi’s two-year-long wait for the Mi 5 translated into a massive upgrade over its previous flagship smartphone in India, the Mi 4. Xiaomi has given this Android phone a complete makeover, fusing an incredibly ergonomic body with a glass-and-metal chassis. It has a 5.15-inch display that offers a well-balanced colour gamut and Full HD screen resolution. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, like most other flagship Android phones in India. Only the 3GB RAM-32GB storage variant has been launched in India, but this itself offers fluent performance. The 16MP primary camera has 4-axis OIS, and is very fast. Also, the 3000mAh battery should last you through the entire work day, comfortably. Specs: Display: 5.15-inch, 1080p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 RAM: 3GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 16MP, 4MP Battery: 3000mAh OS: Android 6.0

Huawei P9

The Huawei P9 is a flagship Android phone, and features all the hardware you can expect from a phone in this league, including a brilliant camera. It offers a two-camera setup with Leica-certified SUMMARIT lenses, which facilitates shooting the best ‘bokeh’ effects available on a latest Android phone. The device is powered by a Kirin 955 SoC, which is not as powerful as the competing Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, but still manages to deliver decent multi-tasking and gaming performance. The Huawei P9 also offers one the best designs and build quality among the latest Android phones. Specs: Display: 5.2-inch, 1080p SoC: HiSilicon Kirin 955 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 12MP + 12MP, 8MP Battery: 3000mAh OS: Android 6.0

LeEco Le Max 2

The Le Max 2 might be a slightly larger phone but it is one of most affordable device to offer a flagship class Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. This LeEco flagship features a bright 2K display with good viewing angles. It can take upon all kinds of tasks and is very well built. To sweeten the deal, LeEco bundles a free subscription of Le Live and Le Vidi apps offering live TV and movie content. Further, the 21MP rear camera does a good job as well, although the battery life could have been better. Specs: Display: 5.7-inch, 1440p SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 RAM: 3GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 21MP, 8MP Battery: 3100mAh OS: Android 6.0

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is another great Android phone, particularly when productivity is concerned. Last year’s Samsung flagship is still one of the fastest Android phones to buy in India. It features a bright, 5.7-inch AMOLED display with 2K screen resolution, offering good viewing angles and S-Pen compatibility. Powered by Samsung’s previous generation Exynos 7420 SoC, the Galaxy Note 5 is still one of the fastest Android phones in the market. The larger footprint allows for a larger battery, and this phone can easily last you for a day, even if you are a power user. The 16MP rear camera is good too, and even offers 4K video recording. Specs: Display: 5.7-inch, 1440p SoC: Exynos 7420 RAM: 4GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 16MP, 5MP Battery: 3000mAh OS: Android 6.0.1

Samsung Galaxy S6

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a year old now, but still beats a lot of other Android phones to be on this list. It houses an excellent 16MP camera with OIS, and is powered by the Exynos 7420 SoC. The combination of these two factors makes it an excellent overall device. The Galaxy S6 features an excellent 5.1-inch AMOLED display with 2560x1440-pixel resolution. The glass-and-metal construction on this Android phone laid foundation for Samsung’s resurgence on the design front. The Galaxy S6 is available in 32GB and 64GB variants, and 3GB of RAM on board handles all kinds of heavy multitasking, making it rank among the best Android phones to buy in India today. Specs: Display: 5.1-inch, 1440p SoC: Exynos 7420 RAM: 3GB Storage: 32GB Camera: 16MP, 5MP Battery: 2550mAh OS: Android 6.0.1

Galaxy Note Android 4.0

An Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the "phablet" has been pushed back to Q2. But Samsung is offering a consolation prize for the delay.

Galaxy Note Android 4.0

Samsung joyously announced today that a new "premium suite upgrade" including Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is headed to Galaxy Note owners sometime in the second quarter. This sounds great, unless you remember that Samsung told us to expect Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Note in the first quarter of 2012.

With Q1 wrapping up soon, it looks like the announcement of the forthcoming upgrade amounts to a note from Samsung asking Galaxy Note users to please excuse Android 4.0 for being tardy.

According to a statement from Samsung, the upgrade package will also include extra multimedia features and new apps optimized for the Galaxy Note's S Pen stylus. One of the new features is something called S Note that the company says will further integrate written or sketched content with other digital data:

To help ease the disappointment of the Ice Cream Sandwich delay, Samsung is now offering what's become the standard consolation prize of global digital culture--Angry Birds.

Download the brand new Angry Birds Space and you'll even find special extra levels available just for the Galaxy Note. On top of that, a special package of 30 extra levels can also be accessed free if unpacked in the next three months.

That should serve as a nice distraction while every other phone around you is getting upgraded to Android 4.0, and perhaps even Android 5.0.

BSNL low cost Android Tablets

BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) on collaboration with Noida-based company Pantel Technologies, has launched three tablets which  includes one 7-inch screen tablet with resistive screen and it runs on Android 2.3 operating system, while the second comes with 7-inch screen and the third tablet comes with an 8-inch screen, both of which are capacitive but with a higher price.

BSNL Logo

These tablets are designed keeping in mind the students need, the tablet come with a promotional offer of 3 month free data download. BSNL is also giving 2G SIM along with all the tablets.

Developed by the Noida based company – Pantel technologies. The tablet will be sold at data plans from BSNL at reduced cost. The cost of these tablet will be Rs 3250, Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500.

Three tablets are:

• Penta TPAD IS701R
• Penta TPAD WS704C
• Penta TPAD WS804C

The cheapest of all three  is Penta T-pad IS 701R  which will cost  Rs 3250, giving a tough competition to Aakash which is priced at just Rs 2500. However, T-pad has better specifications of the tablet, than the DataWind low cost tablet Aakash. We think that this BSNL tablet will appeal a lot students as the technical specification out-weight both the Aakash tablets.

Penta T-Pad IS 701R is a tablet with Wi-Fi only (no SIM card slot, but you can attach 2G/3G USB modem via the USB port) and Android 2.3 (Ginger Bread) operating system. It has a 1 GHz processor (ARM11 IMAP210) combined with 256 MB of DDR2 RAM. This entry level tablet from Pantel is 3-times as fast than the first Aakash and 300MHz faster than Aakash2 (Ubislate7), theoretically.

The tablet also offers HDMI port through which it can be connected to an HDTV. Its 7-inch resistive touchscreen comes with a 800×600 resolution (which looks great on 7-inch screens) and 16:9 ratio wide-screen display.The tablet also comes with gravity sensor (G-sensor) which can orient the display in portrait and landscape when turned and also aids in motion gaming, something that was missing in Aakash.

Penta T-pad IS 701R has a battery rating of 3000mAh, which is expected to last for about 5-5:30 hours of video watching, which is certainly not bad considering laptops too give that much of battery life.

The internal memory is 2GB, but it can be extended via microSD cards upto 32GB.

It also has a front-facing 0.3MP camera for video chat and one standard USB port to accommodate pen-drives or other USB devices along with support for USB modems/net dongle, so that you can surf the internet, talk on Skype, watch YouTube videos, read e-books and open PDF files too.

The tablet is up for pre-orders now. Pre-book yours.

Micromax Launches One more Dual-SIM Android Smartphone

Micromax, the well known producer of affordable mobile handsets in India is launching another affordable Dual-SIM Android Smartphone – ‘Micromax A78’ for just Rs.8000.

Micromax Smartphone

This smartphone will have a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display with 320x480 pixels of resolution and a QWERTY keypad. It will be powered by 650 MHz processor, and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

The device also features 3.0 megapixel rear camera with autofocus feature, a 0.3 megapixel VGA front facing camera for video calls and chats. For connectivity it has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB 2.0, GPS, 3G and a microSD card slot which supports up to 32 GB. The mobile also has pre-loaded apps like ibibo, WhatsApp, Facebook, Mi-Apps, Quikr.

Previously Micromax launched A75, a full touchscreen dual-SIM Android smartphone for Rs.8900. This smartphone is powered by 650 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. Other feature includes 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, Bluetooth, 3.0 MP rear facing camera, a front facing camera for video calls and chats, 190 MB internal memory-expandable via microSD card slot.

Verizon Wireless to introduce three new Android smartphones

The customers of Verizon Wireless will soon get a massive surprise. According to recent leaked report, the company is planning to release three new Android-based smartphones this year.

Droid Life reported that the upcoming handset of the Droid Incredible series by HTC will be identified as the “Droid Incredible 4G” and is also likely to be appeared on Verizon’s networks.

However, there is no information about the Droid Incredible 4G but previous reports indicate that it will be powered by the latest Android ICS 4.0 OS and 4G LTE web browsing speed.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless to introduce three new Android smartphones Apart from the Droid Incredible 4G, the website also mentions about LG’s next roll out plans and it might be possible that LG will release its new smartphone called the Lucid 4G via Verizon Wireless. The specs and features of the LG Lucid 4G are still unknown but sources claim that it will be a mid-range device than the LG Spectrum, which is now available at Verizon for $200 with two year contract agreement.

However, Verizon recently launched Motorola Droid RAZR and is already available for purchase in three colors, white, black and purple but sources say that Verizon is going to launch the Droid RAZR in blue color soon.

Hence, HTC Droid Incredible 4G, LG Lucid 4G and the Motorola Droid Razr in Blue are the three approaching Android smartphones to be available at Verizon Wireless.

As soon as we hear more information about these three smartphones from their respective manufactures and Verizon Wireless, we will let you know.

Top 5 Dual-SIM Android Smartphones in India

Dual-SIM mobile market in India is growing day-by-day as it is much better to carry an all in one smartphone than two phones at a time; today you will find a range of dual-SIM mobiles packed with latest features. If you are looking out for smartphones with dual-SIM feature then check out the best dual-SIM smartphones in the market.

1. Samsung Galaxy Y Duos

Samsung Galaxy Y Duos

Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is Samsung’s first full-touch Dual SIM device. The Galaxy Y Duos offers the users the opportunity to use the device for both data & call simultaneously, enabling them to maintain a work life balance.

The device is powered by 832 MHz processor, 512 MB RAM and runs on Android 2.3 operating system. It also has 3.14 inch QVGA touchscreen, expandable memory up to 32 GB through microSD card, 3.15 MP camera with Geo-Tagging feature. For connectivity it has GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and microUSB port. The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is priced Rs.10490.

2. Motorola Milestone XT 800

Motorola Milestone XT 800

Motorola was the first to launch dual-SIM smartphone in India with its Motorola Milestone XT. The device is powered by 550 MHz Cortex-A8 processor, 512 MB of RAM and runs on Android 2.0 operating system.

Milestone XT 800 is a CDMA-GSM dual-SIM smartphone. It has a 3.7 inch display, 5 MP camera with dual LED flash and has an expandable memory up to 32GB. For connectivity it has GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and microUSB port. This smartphone has a price tag of Rs.15300.

3. LG Optimus Net Dual

LG Optimus Net Dual

The LG Optimus Net Dual is the second version of original LG optimus Net smartphone. This phone is powered by 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

The device comes with GSM dual-SIM options, 3.2 inch HVGA display, 3.2 MP camera with VGA video recording, supports 32 GB of expandable memory. For connectivity it has Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G. This mobile has a price tag of Rs.10499.

4. Spice MI-350N

Spice MI-350 N

The Spice MI-350N looks stunning with a metal aluminum finish and rubberized coating on sides. The device has dual-SIM feature and is powered by 650 MHz processor, 256 MB of RAM and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

The MI-350N features 3.5 inch touchscreen display with 320x480 pixels of screen resolution, 3.15 MP rear facing camera, VGA front facing camera for video calls and chats and a 188 MB internal memory-expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card. For connectivity it has Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth and USB port. This mobile is available for Rs.7710.

5. Micromax A75

Micromax A75

The Micromax A75 (also known as Superfone Lite A75) is a dual-SIM smartphone with a striking 3.75 inch capacitive touchscreen display. The smartphone is powered by 650 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

Other feature includes 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, Bluetooth, 3.0 MP rear facing camera, a front facing camera for video calls and chats, 190 MB internal memory-expandable via microSD card slot. This Superfone Lite A75 has a price tag of Rs.8900.

Google Serving Android 5.0 'Jelly Bean' in 2012

Google is planning to introduce its new Android 5.0 operating system codenamed as ‘Jelly Bean’ in second quarter of this year. The company is rushing Android 5.0 Jelly Bean to hit market in the second quarter, reports DigiTimes.

Jelly Bean

Android 4.0 is roughly available on 1 percent of total smartphone and tablets in the market, this states that the adoption of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) has fallen short by mobile manufacturers. Meanwhile Microsoft is also going launch its full functional ‘Windows 8’ operating system in the third quarter of 2012. These might be the reasons for Google to rush Android 5.0.

Android 5.0 is optimized for tablets and netbooks. Google has also integrated its chrome dual boot system functions where you can shift to other operating system without rebooting your machine. This will make the tablet manufacturers decide whether to adopt only Android 5.0 or to add Android 5.0 OS to their Windows 8 devices.

Android 4.0 didn’t achieve the expected results and now Google is trying to earn another chance to hold the tablet and netbook operating system market again with this new dessert.

Samsung's First Android 4.0 Tablet

Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab 2, the company’s first tablet running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

This new Tablet is powered by 1 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM. It features a 7 inch touchscreen with 1024x600 pixels of resolution, 3 MP rear camera, VGA front facing camera for video calls & chats and 16 or 32 GB internal memory. For connectivity it has 3.5 mm audio jack, a micro SD card slot for expanding memory, Bluetooth 3.0, USB, Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G.

Samsung's First Android 4.0 Tablet

“Two years ago, Samsung Galaxy Tab began to offer customers more possibilities on the go. Since then, Samsung has actively enhanced our tablet line-up with several tablets in different sizes,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “The new Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) will provide people with delighted multimedia experience and allow efficient communication.”

The device is available in 3G and Wi-Fi versions, the company has not yet confirmed the price and availability in India but it is expected to be quite affordable costing around Rs.25000.

HTC Flyer Tablet Gets Android 3.2 Update

HTC had announce the OS upgradation plans for its Flyer Tablet a month back, the company has kept the promise as the final upgradation is released and  is available for the  users to update their tablet with  Android 3.2 Honeycomb. The Android 3.2 Honeycomb update provides a new range of features to the device and also improves the device’s performance.

HTC Flyer Tablet

 The update is for both Wi-Fi and 3G+Wi-Fi version of the tablet. The company has released the Honeycomb update over the air (OTA), so your tablet will notify once the update reaches you and will be ready for download and installation. It is recommended to manually check for the update if you haven’t received it yet.

HTC Flyer features 7 inch LCD capacitive touch screen with 600x1024 pixels of resolution this device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5GHz Scorpion processor, 1 GB RAM. It comes with 5 MP front facing camera and 1.3 MP rear facing camera, 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HTC sense UI, multi-touch and handwriting support.

Many consumers eagerly expected that HTC will launch Flyer with Android 3.2 but the company launched it with outdated version of Android 2.3 OS. Now with the role out of Android 3.2 upgradation for Flyer Tablet HTC has tried fulfilling their customer’s expectations.

Android with Dijit Universal Remote App

Dijit Universal Remote app is a product of Dijit Media. This app makes your Android smartphones and tablets morph themselves into a customized remote control with TV channel lists and show guides. In addition to the remote control, this free app gets you to access TV, cable/satellite box, A/V box, local cable or satellite service.

Android Remote Application

The app consists of built-in device code (over 200,000 TVs, DVD players, Blu-Rays, DVRs, Set-Tops, and more) library for instant programming, integrated learning feature for advanced or custom controls, fully customizable button layout, support for multiple systems in different rooms or homes, WiFi support for Roku owners to control their Roku Media Players with their Android devices, Program guide that works with every channel provider in the US and Canada.

This app is also there in the Apple’s app stores; the app has to be paired with Griffin Technology's Beacon to serve its purpose for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There are some additional features like TV recommendations from Facebook, YouTube video clip search, playback, and sharing integrated into TV show guide in the Apple version.

With the entry of this app into the Android market there will be a lot of changes in the TV market. Big layers like Samsung, LG and Sony coming up with smartphone controlled Smart TVs seems to be more real and promising now.

NetUP Unveils Android Based IPTV

Russian company, NetUP has introduced a new Android based internet protocol television (IPTV) set. The device just looks like an ordinary TV set but allows users to watch Live TV and access IPTV features like internet surfing, YouTube, Google Maps, social networking, online gaming and thousands of other applications without using any set-top box.

Android Base IPTV

The TV is powered by 1 GHz Samsung S5PV210 processor, 512 MB DDR 2 RAM and runs on Android 2.2 OS. It has a 2 USB ports, card reader slot, HDMI port and Ethernet interfaces. It supports MPEG2, RAW RTP, MP4, AVi, MP3, AAC and MPEG-2 audio and video formats. The TV also supports devices like Wi-Fi USB adapter, and GPS USB module.

This device is ideal for those who are using two separate devices (TV and IP Set top box). The TV is now available for pre-order at the price of $565 for 32 inch model, $725 for 40 inch, $845 for 46 inch model and for 55 inch at $1150. There are no details about the availability of this device in India.

JXD S7100: New Android Gaming Tablet

JXD S7100 is the latest Android based Tablet which is aimed at gamers, it’s launched by JXD (JinXing Digital) a specialized manufacturer of MP3, MP4 players, mobiles, tablets and game consoles. The tablet has built in gaming controls buttons including D-Pad (Directional Pad).

JXD S7100

The device features 7 inch touchscreen display with 800x480 pixels of resolution, powered by ARM A9 processor, 512 MB of RAM and a Mail 400 graphic processing unit which gives the gamers the real experience of graphics.

The tablet runs on Android 2.2 which feels pretty outdated comparing to the latest version Android 4.0. Moreover it also has 2 MP rare camera and 0.3 MP front facing camera, 16 GB of internal storage and HDMI output, USB, WiFi and has inbuilt speakers.

This gaming tablet supports Andrews’s gravity games, touchscreen games, arcade games, Nintendo games, Sony PS games, Apple and Android games. You can also download games from Android market and the device supports one lakh application and software.

It also features online functions like Facebook, Skype, MNS and supports Email and supports online video streaming with YouTube, TED Mobile, BBC News and many more. The S7100 boasts 4 hours of internet surfing and 10 hours for music playing battery life.

The image of S7100 in their website shows that it has managed to copy formats of icons from Apple, Microsoft and other. The buttons in the device looks similar to the actual PlayStation button. This gaming tablet is available at a price tag of $140, but the company has not yet conform the availability in India.

SICT to Launch Three Android Devices

 iVK Mobile, a new entrant in the mobile device space in India, will launch two Android based Smartphone’s and one tablet under the brand name SICT by February 2012. In the second week of January it will launch an Android 2.3 based Smartphone for Rs. 15,000.

On the specification front the mobile phone will have a 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen, 5 megapixel camera and will be powered by a 1 GHz processor. The company will also launch another Android 2.3 based Smartphone by January end for Rs. 15,000, and this phone will have a 5 inch capacitive touchscreen, dual camera, and a 1 GHz processor.

The Indian company will be launching a 7 inch Android tablet with SIM connectivity and 2 megapixel camera by February. It will cost Rs. 15,000. Tablet will be powered by a 1 GHz processor and expected to work on Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

Currently the product images are not available.

Sony NW-Z1000 Android Portable MP3 Player

The Android operating system is turning up in all sorts of tech gear from Smartphone’s and tablets to set-top boxes and MP3 players. Sony has a new product, the NW-Z1000 that is a portable MP3 player carrying the Walkman name. This device launched in Japan previously.

Sony NW-Z1000 Android Portable MP3 Player

 

The NW-Z1000 has the style of a mobile phone and will compete against the Apple iPod touch. The device has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi inside for connectivity. It has a big 4.3inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. The processor is an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core and the MP3 player has 512MB of RAM.

The operating system is Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In Japan there are three versions with different storage amounts available. Versions come with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB with Japanese prices that work out to Rs. 19,656 to Rs. 30,211.

Philips Unveils W920 Android Handset

Philips has announced a new Android handset, the W920, which surprisingly comes in a black colour scheme. There is a 4.3inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen display, a 5 MP camera with AF and flash, 3G, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Android 2.2 Froyo (no Gingerbread), GPS, 512MB RAM and is expected to have a 1GHz single core chipset.

Philips W920 Android Handset

 

The phone appears to be thick and Philips will add its own proprietary user interface to it. It is not sure when the device will be available in Europe and at what price. Unless it is priced well under 16,681, it will face some serious competition from the ZTE Skate and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play which come with similar hardware specifications.

Top Android App - Crazed Countries in the world

Google recently rolled out a detailed Infographic report that demonstrated the most Android ‘App– Crazed’ Countries in the world. The search engine giant declared that Android Market has reached an important milestone of 10 billion downloads per month.

South Korea tops the chart as no.1 Google app crazed country, however the result is not that astonishing, because the country posses fast Internet connection and is a native of global Android OS-based smartphone and tablet makers Samsung and LG. The countries that came closer to it were Hong Kong and Taiwan, home of HTC and Acer; which were ranked as No.2 and No.3 respectively.

As U.S. takes the 4^th place in the list, it is speculated that the craze of the Americans is segmented between Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market. Accidentally in July 2011, the app store also celebrated 15 billion downloads which were up from 10 billion in January. Though it is reported that the android market is poised for a faster growth, 10 billion in December from 3 billion in March and 6 billion in July, predicts that in the next couple of months Android apps will cross the  number of its rival iOS apps.

Singapore grabbed the No.5^th rank, followed by Sweden in No.6^th position, Israel (No.7), Denmark (No.8), Netherlands (No.9) and Norway (No.10). It was quite obvious to note the European countries like the UK, France or Germany failed to grab a position in the top 10 list. The biggest mobile phone markets like China and India, which has some cheapest android phones in the world, were also missing in the top 10 list, possibly that the Chinese and the Indians are not that crazy to download apps.

The categories of Android app that were downloaded the most were games with 25.6 percent of download. At quite a distant No. 2 was entertainment with 12.2 percent downloads, succeeded by 11.17 percent tools, 6.45 percent communication and 4.67 percent productivity.