Weekly Roundup: Smartphones Samsung Galaxy S5, Lava Iris Pro 20, Xolo Q1010i and More Launched in India

This week (7 April - 13 April) Indian market witnessed a handful of MNC brands - Samsung and Gionee - as well as domestic vendors, like Lava and  Xolo, launching some smartphones globally and some for select regions.

First up is Xolo. The company announced a feature-rich budget Android phone, dubbed as Q1010i, on 7 April in India.

Xolo Q1010i key features:

• 5.0-inch HD (1280x720p) IPS screen with OGS (One Glass Solution) technology
• Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS with a guarantee of v4.4 KitKat update
• 1.3GHz MediaTek quad-core CPU with 500MHz Mali 400-MP2 and 1GB RAM
• 8.0-megapixel camera with Sony Exmor R lens, full HD video recording, HDR (High Dynamic Range), flash support and a 2.0-megapixel snapper on the front for video chat
• 2250 mAh battery
• Price: ₹13,499 [For more information on Xolo Q1010i specifications, click here]

On the very same day (7 April), Xolo's parent firm Lava International Ltd launched Iris Pro 20 series smartphone.

Lava Iris Pro 20 key features:

• 4.7-inch qHD (960x540p) IPS screen with OGS (One Glass Solution) technology, comes protected by Corning Gorilla Glass shield, metal chassis around the edge
• Android v4.2.1 Jelly Bean
• 1.2GHz quad-core CPU who 1GB RAM
• 8.0megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, HD video recording, digital zoom and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) front camera for video chat
• 2000 mAh Li-Polymer battery.
• Price: ₹13,999 [For more information on Lava Iris Pro 20 specifications, click here]

On 8 April, Samsung officially announced new smartphone Galaxy Ace Style and it is set to hit stores in global market this month.

Samsun Galaxy Ace Style Key features:

• 4.0-inch WVGA (480x800p) TFT screen
• Android v4.4 KitKat OS (First Samsung budget to ship with the latest Android software)
• 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM
• 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash support and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) camera
• 1500 mAh battery [For more information on Samsung Galaxy Ace Style, click here]

Buoyed by the huge reception to Moto G (via Flipkart) in India, network carrier Reliance Communication began selling the popular feature-rich Motorola mid-range smartphone this week.

RCom's Moto G is a SIM-less CDMA model and packs pretty much the same specifications seen inside the normal variant. As of now, the company is offering only 8GB model for ₹13,490. Reliance subscribers can also buy the phone via zero-down payment with 12 months/6-month EMI options.

Motorola Moto G key features:

•  4.5-inch HD (1270x720p) LCD screen with 329 ppi (pixels per inch), comes protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield
• Special water-repellant nano coating inside and out
• 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with 1GB RAM
• 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front
• High-capacity 2,070 mAh battery
• Price: Reliance Communication: 8GB: ₹13,490, zero down payment and in Flipkart: 8GB: ₹12,499 & 16GB: ₹13,999 (buyback offer reduces ₹2000 on MRP) [For more information on Motorola Moto G, click here]

On 10 April, Gionee and Samsung launched the Elife E7 Mini and Galaxy S4 Black Edition smartphones respectively.

Gionee Elife E7 Mini key features:

•  4.7-inch HD (720x1280p) IGZO screen
• Android v4.2 Jelly Bean with custom UI Amigo OS v2.0
• 1.7GHz MediaTek Octa-core processor backed by Mali 450MP4 graphics engine and 1GB RAM
• 13.0-megapixel rotating camera with LED flash, auto-focus
• 2200 mAh battery (non-removable)
• Price: ₹19,500 [For more information on Gionee Elife E7 Mini, click here]

Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition:

• 5.0-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080p) Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Display shield and flaunts black faux leather stitching on the rear-side.
• Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS with Black themed TouchWiz UI along with additional wall-papers and ringtones
• Exynos 5 Octa-core CPU (1.6GHz quad + 1.2GHz quad) with 2GB RAM
• 13.0-megapixel Auto-focus, Flash & BIS sensor  and a 2.0-megapixel front camera with full HD video recording ability
• 2600 mAh battery
• Price: ₹29,500 [For more information on Samsung Galaxy S4, click here]

Beside Iris Pro 20, indigenous smartphone maker Lava International Ltd also announced two more budget handsets - Iris 406Q and Iris Colour - in India.

Lava Iris 406Q Key features:

• 4.0-inch WVGA (480x800p) screen with pixel density of 233 ppi (pixels per inch)
• Stock Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS with v4.4.2 KitKat OS Update guarantee
• 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core CPU with 400MHz Adreno 302 GPU and 1GB RAM
• 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, HDR mode, 4x digital zoom, HD video recording and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) camera for video chat
• 1700 mAh (Li-Ion) battery
• Price: ₹6,999 [For more information on Lava Iris 406Q, click here]

Lava Iris 450Q key features:

• 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480p) IPS screen
• Android v4.2 Jelly Bean
• 1.3Ghz dual-core CPU with 512MB RAM
• 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, HDR modem HD video recording and 0.3-megapixel (VGA) camera on the front
• 1800 mAh (Li-Ion) battery
• Price: ₹7,999 [For more information on Lava Iris 450 Colour, click here]

On 11 April, world smartphone leader Samsung officially released the flagship phone Galaxy S5 in 125 nations across the globe, including India.

Samsung Galaxy S5 key features:

• 5.1-inch full HD (1920x1080p) super AMOLED screen with pixel density of 440 ppi (pixels per inch)   
• Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS with new TouchWiz UI
• Adinos Prime 2 processor (1.9GHz quad-cores + 1.3GHz quad-cores+ XMM6360) with 2GB RAM
• 16.0-megapixel camera with HDR, fast 0.3-second auto-focus (world's fastest), 4K video recording and a 2.1-megapixel front camera with full HD video recording ability
• Finger-print sensor
• Water-and-dust resistant body (IP67 certifications
• 2800 mAh battery  (with Ultra Power Saving Mode, phone can run close to 24 hours in with just 10-percent battery power remaining)
• Price: ₹51,500 [For more information on Samsung Galaxy S5, click here]

This weekend, Mumbai-based technology firm iBall also launched a couple of handsets, dubbed Andi 3.5Kke Genius and 3.5Kke Winner.

iBall Andi 3.5Kke Genius and Andi 3.5Kke Winner key features:

• 3.5-inch HVGA (480x320p) screen
• Android v4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 1.3GHz Dual-core Cortex A7 CPU with 256MB RAM
• 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash support and  a front camera
• 1250 mAh battery
• Only difference between iBall Andi 3.5Kke Genius and Andi 3.5Kke Winner is that the latter boasts 3G network connectivity. [For more information on iBall Andi 3.5Kke Genius and Winner, click here]

iBall Andi 4.5P Glitter key features:

• 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480p) screen
• Android Jelly Bean v4.2.2 OS
• Quad Core 1.3 GHz Cortex A7 Advanced CPU with 512MB RAM
• 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash support and front camera
• 1450 mAh battery
• Price: ₹8,299 [For more information on Andi 4.5P Glitter, click here]

Another domestic player, Spice, also launched a budget 3G handset - Stellar Glide Mi-438 - in India this weekend.

Spice Stellar Glide Mi-438 key features:

• 4.0-inch display with OGS (One Glass Solution) technology)
• Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS
• 1.3GHz dual-core CPU with 512MB RAM
• 2.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front camera
• 1,350 mAh battery
• Price: ₹5049 [For more information on Spice Stellar Glide Mi-438, click here]