Handsets 

Samsung Electronics has launched its Nexus S smartphone in the Indian market. Developed in partnership with Google, the Nexus S is powered by Gingerbread (an Android 2.3-based operating system). It houses a 4 inch, curved LCD screen; and supports near- field communication technology and Google applications such as Google Search, Google Maps with navigation, YouTube, Google Earth, gmail and mobile instant messaging. It also supports Android features such as Wi-Fi and has access to over 150,000 applications and widgets on the Android market platform. Powered by a 1 GHz mega processor, the Nexus S provides 3D graphics and houses a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and camcorder with flash, a VGA front-facing camera, gyroscope sensor and 16 GB of internal memory. It is priced at Rs 29,590.

Acer’s smart hand-held business group has launched the Acer Liquid Mini, built on the Android Froyo (2.2) operating system and powered by a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor. It houses 512 MB of ROM and RAM, a 5 megapixel camera and an HVGA multi-touch display. It also supports the Social Jogger application, which provides access to social networking sites. Other features include support for Gmail, Google Maps, Google Navigation and Google Talk, and the DocumentsToGo and RoadSync applications that permit users to view and edit Office applications such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe PDF. It is priced at Rs 11,990.

Zen Mobile has launched the Flikk M45 touchscreen device that packs in a 3.2 megapixel camera and is priced at Rs 5,000. The Flikk M45 comes preloaded  with Facebook, Snaptu and Opera Mini, houses customisable widgets, and supports MP4 and MP3 format files and handwriting recognition facility.

Research In Motion (RIM) has launched the BlackBerry Style 9670 smartphone for CDMA customers.  The smartphone supports a QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry 6 operating system and an optical trackpad. Other features include a 5 megapixel camera and support for video recording, built-in GPS for location-based applications and geotagging, Wi-Fi and an expandable memory slot for up to 32 GB. The device also has pre-installed applications for YouTube, BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, and a WebKit-based browser. The phone is priced at Rs 24,999.

Intex Technologies has launched the INTEX VISION, a handset designed for the visually impaired. The dual-SIM phone (GSM+GSM) has a large Braille keypad to facilitate the recognition of digits. Users who are not familiar with Braille have the option of switching to the “Talking Keypad” feature, which speaks out the number they have pressed in English. The handset also has an SOS feature that allows the user to save four emergency numbers. By pressing the SOS button, the call gets automatically directed to the first emergency number. Other features include wireless FM radio, an inbuilt audio player, expandable memory up to 2 GB, an inbuilt torchlight, auto call record and mobile tracker facilities as well as phone and SMS memory capacity for 1,000 contacts and 250 messages respectively. The phone costs Rs 2,600.

HTC Corporation has announced the launch of the HTC Desire S in the Indian market. The Android-powered handset, equipped with HTC sense facility, packs in Qualcomm’s 1 GHz Snapdragon MSM 8255 processor, dual cameras, video recording and WVGA display. It is priced at Rs 25,490.

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) has launched the HTC Pulse. It packs in a touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera, support for 3G, Wi-Fi and A-GPS, and operates on a 528 MHz processor and the Android 2.1 platform. The company is offering different purchasing options. For example, users can pay a monthly rent of Rs 1,500 and obtain the handset free along with 1,500 free minutes of local and national talktime, 1,500 free text messages and 1,500 MB of data download every month. Users can also purchase the phone through EMIs or pay Rs 16,000 upfront for the handset and then choose any tariff plan.

Karbonn Mobile has launched the K 1414 and K 1000 touchscreen handsets. The devices offer access to Facebook, Twitter, e-buddy and support the Opera Mini browser. Other features include support for dual SIM cards and A2DP Bluetooth, a 2,000-name capacity phonebook, extendable memory, a 3-megapixel camera (on the K 1414) and a 2 megapixel camera (on the K 1000). The K 1414 is priced at Rs 3,990 while the K 1000 comes for Rs 3,600.

Services 

TATA DOCOMO has introduced the MyFamily plan for post-paid customers. Users can choose from three variants of the offer, all of which entail free airtime that can be used to make local and STD calls, free local and STD SMSs, data usage, and a closed user group offer for free local calling. The three plans include the Small Family at Rs 999, Medium Family at Rs 1,999 and Large Family at Rs 2,999. Customers can opt for up to three connections under the Small Family plan and up to five connections under the Medium Family and Large Family offers. Under the Small Family plan, post-paid customers can avail of 3,000 free minutes of local and STD calls, 1,000 free closed user group minutes to make local calls, 500 free local or national SMSs, and 512 MB of free data. Under the Medium Family plan, customers get 6,000 free minutes of local and national calls, 1,500 free local closed user group minutes, 1,000 free local or national SMSs and 1 GB of free data. Under the Large Family plan, customers can avail of 10,000 free minutes for local and national calls, 2,000 free local closed user group minutes, 1,500 free local or national SMSs and 2 GB of free data. After the free airtime offered by the MyFamily plans lapses, customers are charged at Re 0.01 per second for all local and national calls.

CNN has announced the CNN application for Android phones. The application gives users direct access to CNN’s global resources from live field reporting to user-generated content and a variety of enterprise interviews and podcasts. Available on Android-powered phones operating on platform 2.1 and above, the CNN application showcases the latest news  through text, audio and photos; live and on-demand video, and a direct gateway to CNN iReport, the network’s participatory news community.  By clicking on the menu key, users can toggle between the US and international editions. The CNN application also features a radio section, featuring hourly news updates, original reports from CNN radio correspondents, and audio of interviews from CNN television and podcast series. The profile section of the application allows users to track local news and weather, based on location and saved stories. Text stories and images can also be shared directly from the application via email, Facebook and Twitter. The CNN application features push-notification-based breaking news alerts, and a widget that allows users to view various categories of news headlines directly from the phone’s home screen without even opening the application.

Uninor is offering its Karnataka customers a plan that entails call rates of Re 0.02 per minute within the local Uninor network.

Loop Mobile has tied up with the Mumbai Indians IPL cricket team. As part of the deal, the operator has launched content such as IPL-themed caller tunes, ringtones, wallpapers, videos, match trivia and mobile TV. In addition to access to 40 channels, Loop Mobile TV will show IPL matches through the T-20 cricket pack priced at Rs 5 per day. The available Loop Mobile TV packs include the mega pack (all channels), the T20 2011 cricket pack (valid till end-May 2011), the news pack (popular news channels) and the entertainment pack (popular music, movies and other channels).

Loop Mobile has also launched the Bol Mumbai Bol offer for its prepaid users. Under this offer, users can avail of a recharge voucher priced at Rs 86 that entails free calling minutes within the Loop Mobile network. Local calls to other networks are charged at Re 0.30 per minute and national calls Re 0.50 per minute.

Uninor has launched several recharge vouchers that offer full talktime and lifetime validity. The vouchers are available in denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30 and Rs 50.

TATA DOCOMO has launched the Roam Free offer for its post-paid customers. Under the offer, incoming calls on national roaming are free. Outgoing calls made while roaming are priced at Re 0.01 per second. Currently, this offer is available on three plans – the Roam Free 299, Roam Ffree 499 and Roam Free 799. Under these plans, customer can take four, seven and 12 free toppings respectively. These toppings may include any combination of free local talktime minutes, STD minutes, local text messages, etc. Existing customers can avail of the offer by sending ACT UROAM as a text message to 121.

Reliance Communications (RCOM) has launched mobile banking services in association with the State Bank of India (SBI). The company’s GSM consumers can avail of a host of banking services via their handsets. RCOM subscribers with an SBI account will need to register for the services with the bank. Thereafter, users can dial *595# to access the main service menu. Customers will be able to view their account balance, get mini statements, carry out fund transfers, change their M-PIN and even recharge their mobile account. Users will receive a confirmation for successful transactions over SMS.

Bharti airtel’s unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)-based service allows users to access Facebook on their handsets without availing of data plans. USSD acts as a browser to pull content to the phone. To enable this service, users need to dial *325# (and “*fbk#” for non-qwerty mobile handsets). They can update their Facebook status message through this service for free, and need to pay Re 1 per day for accessing the full feature application.

S Tel has launched the Passport Pack 99 tariff scheme for domestic and international tourists visiting Bihar. By availing of this pack, users can make ISD calls to Tibet, China, mobile numbers in Singapore and Hongkong, and to fixed line numbers in the US, the UK and Canada for Re 0.01 per second, and get Rs 60 worth of talktime as well as a validity period of 30 days.

Vodafone Essar has announced the launch of the Data Bonus Card 21. The card offers unlimited mobile internet browsing facility to the company’s prepaid customers for a period of three days.

Uninor has introduced the 111 ISD pack for its customers in Karnataka. The pack, offering a talktime of Rs 100, is valid for a period of 30 days. Calls to the US, Canada, China and fixed line numbers in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore are priced at Re 0.1 per second. Calls to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and fixed line numbers in Greece, Spain, Romania and Russia are priced at Re 0.04 per second, while those to Australia, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen and fixed line numbers in Oman, Qatar and the Philippines and mobile numbers in Russia, Greece, Romania and Spain are pegged at Re 0.11 per second. Also, calls to mobile numbers in the UK, Qatar, the Philippines and Afghanistan and fixed lines in Libya are priced at Re 0.18 per second, while those to mobile numbers in Libya, Oman and Myanmar are priced at Re 0.25 per second.