Apple working on SIM-free iPhone 4S

Apple is working on an improved version of iPhone 4, which has an identical form factor. The device will be branded iPhone 4S, similar to iPhone 3GS.

Apple may come out with an updated version of the iPhone 4 in June this year, which could have a SIM-less design and 8 megapixel camera.

Japanese Mac focused blog MacOtakara, cited one of its sources as saying that Apple is working on the improved version of iPhone 4, which has the same form factor, and that it will be branded iPhone 4S, just like iPhone 3GS.

Smartphones getting more powerful

Phones are now evolving into multi core devices that can be connected to large monitors and then work like media players or computers.

The most common of these processors are Qualcomm's Snapdragon, Texas Instrument's OMAP 4 and Samsung's Hummingbird. The main advantages that smartphone users can expect from multi-core chips include faster web page loading, better performance, a better gaming experience, smooth user interface and better multitasking. Increasingly, smartphones can be used to watch television, and can play and capture full high definition, or 1080p resolution video. 

Spice to launch Mi 410 smartphone in June

Spice Mi 410 runs on Android 2.2 and has a number of pre-loaded free applications such as one from Indian Railways. It will be available exclusively at Spice Hotspots across the country.

Spice will launch Mi 410, a smartphone running on Android 2.2, in India this June.

Dilip Modi, managing director of Spice Mobility told 'The Mobile Indian', "We will launch Spice Mi 410 in the first week of June, and it will be priced at around Rs 15,000."

He further said that Mi 410 has a 4.1 inch touchscreen display and that it is powered by Qualcomm's 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. 

Spice Mi 410 will be available exclusively at Spice Hotspots across the country, Modi added.

On the connectivity front, Spice Mi 410 supports 3.5G, HSPA, Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS and AGPS. Besides, it supports Google messaging service along with push mail. The handset has a 5 megapixel camera.

Spice Mi 410 can also act like a Wifi hotspot to support up to five Wifi enabled devices.

Spice had intended to launch Mi 410 with Android 2.1 last year but, according to Modi, its plans were delayed because the company was working on adding new features to the handset and wanted to release it with Android 2.2.

Currently, Spice has two Android devices, Spice Mi-300 and Spice Mi-310.

Mi-300 is an Android 2.1 based phone with an 8 cm capacitive touchscreen. It has support for 3.5G and HSPA. The handset has a 5 mega pixel camera, Wifi, GPS and AGPS. Spice Mi-310, on the other hand, is based on Android 2.2, and has GPS, AGPS and Wifi hotspot functionality.

3G Launch in India – Analysis of Services Rollout and Key Players Strategies

3G services have been launched by all the carriers (except STel) in India with multiple services and various sachet & usage-based tariff plans, with varying uptake. Globally, 3G services have been available for a long time (almost ten years in Japan). Carriers in various international markets have adopted different strategies while launching 3G services. While carriers in developed markets primarily focused on enterprise customers, carriers in developing markets (launching 3G relatively later) targeted retail consumers and offered the high speed wireless technology as a potential broadband option to the consumers.

Indian carriers (especially incumbent carriers) currently face multiple structural challenges such as congested networks and limited available spectrum (5MHz) to offer 3G enabled data optimized services at launch. Also, carriers’ “walled garden” approach to value added services and prevalent piracy and Indian consumers’ lack of willingness to pay for such services pose a huge challenge for immediate uptake of 3G services. However, once the 3G device prices decrease and the tariffs stabilize in the first two years, Knowledgefaber believes that the 3G uptake will rise in 2013 and reach over 90 million by March 2014.