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The world's 'most powerful' smartphone isn't, but it's still good
One smartphone maker is learning the hard way why you shouldn't promise more than you can deliver. Yu (partly owned by India's Micromax) has unveiled the Yutopia, which it bills as the "most powerful phone on the planet." There's only one problem: it isn't. You'll find plenty to like in the Cyanogen OS handset between its 5.2-inch quad HD display, Snapdragon 810 chip, 4GB of RAM, 21-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front shooter, fingerprint reader and 3,000mAh battery. However, you've seen all of this or better in phones released months ago -- odds are that you bought a Galaxy Note 5 or Nexus 6P if you were determined to get the best specs.
Jon Fingas12.20.2015
Alibaba tipped to invest in one of India's top phone makers
Alibaba's sitting on the better part of $20 billion, and it's using some of that cash to buy small, yet notable, pieces of the tech industry. So far, it's thrown money at Ouya, Meizu and Snapchat, but now Reuters believes that the Chinese e-commerce firm is going to buy a stake in Micromax. It's believed that the firm is looking to pick up a 20 percent stake in the Indian smartphone maker, with the deal reportedly worth around $1.2 billion. The idea, according to Reuters secret sources, is that Alibaba would use Micromax as a trojan horse, through which it could get its online sales business into the country.
Daniel Cooper05.08.2015
OnePlus gets the all-clear to sell phones in India, for now
OnePlus' plans for world conquest hit a roadblock when Micromax had the company's smartphones banned in India. It's reasoning was that they allegedly infringed on its exclusive right to use Cyanogen's custom Android software. However, it looks like the little phone maker that could is getting a reprieve -- Delhi's High Court has lifted the preliminary injunction that kicked OnePlus out of the country. The bench argues that this early ban wasn't necessary, since neither company really "eats into the the territory of the other." That makes sense: Micromax mostly caters to the low end of the market, while OnePlus is further up the ladder.
Jon Fingas12.24.2014
Micromax launches the phone that got OnePlus banned in India
Micromax has just revealed the first product from its Yu smartphone collaboration with Cyanogen: the Yureka. Even ahead of its launch, the $142 handset has gained a certain notoriety. Cyanogen declared it would no longer update OnePlus One phones sold in India thanks to an exclusive deal with Micromax, and the Indian government even banned the OnePlus One completely. As for the phone itself? Micromax isn't known for spec-tastic handsets, but the Yureka does have one claim to fame: It's the first 64-bit device officially supported by Cyanogen. Otherwise, the phone is a decent-looking mid-ranger with a 64-bit 1.5Ghz Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip, a 5.5-inch 720p screen, 2GB of RAM and dual 13-megapixel/5-megapixel cameras.
Steve Dent12.18.2014
Cyanogen backpedals on promise to update OnePlus phones in India
If you're in India, get ready to be more confused and maybe a bit angry about the OnePlus One situation. Cyanogen recently said that "the OnePlus One will get OTA firmware updates for all global devices, including global devices for our users in India." That was seemingly a denial to OnePlus' claim that it wouldn't get OTA updates there due to Cyanogen's deal with India's MicroMax. However, it turns out that Cyanogen's statement had weasel-wording that only a lawyer could love. It clarified today that OnePlus One smartphones sold in India indeed won't get the update -- only "global devices" purchased abroad. That appears to be the final word: once the Android Lollipop-based ROM is released for the One, no more OTA updates for India buyers until OnePlus builds its own ROM.
Steve Dent12.09.2014
Cyanogen says it'll continue support for the OnePlus One in India
Well, it seems like India's OnePlus One users don't have anything to worry about after all. To clear up any misconceptions about the device and CyanogenMod's future in the region, the OS developer took to its blog. Cyanogen's Android ROM will continue to get firmware updates, world-wide, despite the outfit's exclusive partnership with Indian hardware-maker Micromax. As Android Central spotted, the post is pretty explicit about it too, saying: "To clarify misinformation out there, the OnePlus One will get OTA firmware updates for all global devices, including global devices for our users in India." So that's settled. Now, if only it were any easier to actually buy a One in the first place...
Timothy J. Seppala12.05.2014
OnePlus and Cyanogen on brink of breakup after India fight
Poor OnePlus just can't take a break. Just as the company's busy taking care of its Black Friday promotion, its store opening in Beijing and its India launch with Amazon next week, a close partner decided to drop a hurtful bomb. Cyanogen Inc., the maker of OnePlus One's Android ROM, announced that it's now inked a deal with Micromax to exclusively support the latter's upcoming online brand Yu -- a direct competitor of Xiaomi -- in India. And by "exclusive" we do mean no love for OnePlus, who implies in its latest blog post that Cyanogen knew about its India plan all along, yet it was suddenly shunned to make way for a new partner over there. If true, this is a surprisingly childish move from an up-and-coming company that has no doubt benefitted much from its partnership with OnePlus thus far.
Richard Lai11.28.2014
Cyanogen refuses Google's money in an effort to keep Android 'open'
For a lot of start ups, winning Google's interest is the goal. Not Cyanogen. According to The Information, the Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster told shareholders that it recently shrugged off Google SVP of Android Sundar Pichai's interest in purchasing the company -- choosing instead to focus on obtaining a $1 billion valuation to aid in its third round of funding. The company's grounds for that number, and perhaps Google's interest for the company, lie with its long-term goal: to become the third most popular mobile ecosystem. Considering the fact that Cyanogen's third-tier mobile OS is essentially a more "open" version of Android, it's no surprise the company has Mountain View's attention.
Sean Buckley10.02.2014
Google reveals the first low-cost Android One phones
As predicted, Google has just revealed the first Android One phones at an event in India today. Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles are the companies working with Google at launch, all three launching new handsets this morning. What can we expect from an Android One device? Karbonn, for example, is launching the "Sparkle V Red," (pictured below) which comes with dual SIM slots, a 4.5-inch display (480 x 854), a 5-megapixel primary camera, 1GB of RAM and, importantly, the latest version of Android (KitKat).
James Trew09.15.2014
Here's a closer look at that dual-boot Android/Windows 8.1 tablet
Remember that combo Android/Windows 8.1 tablet that we spoke about briefly, earlier today? Well, it's just dual-booted its way into our hearts here at CES. Those initial pictures weren't really all that much to look at, and honestly, we didn't have the highest expectations in the world, given Micromax's track record of producing budget handsets. But after playing around with it for a bit, we've got to admit, this is a pretty solidly built machine at first glance, complete with a classy brushed-aluminum back and a decent snap-on keyboard. That said, the boot speed on the tablet leaves a bit to be desired, particularly when logging into Android. Those aching for something new can pick up a LapTap next month.
Brian Heater01.07.2014_Compress.jpg.cf.jpg)
India's Micromax announces dual-boot Android/Windows 8.1 tablet
If you know Micromax at all, there's a good chance you live in India -- or maybe you've caught wind of one of those low-cost Canvas handsets. Turns out the company is the second-largest smartphone maker in its native country, on top of dabbling in the HDTV and tablet spaces (and really awful slogans like "Nothing Like Anything"), among others. Micromax is hitting CES this year with a pretty interesting offering: a dual-boot tablet. Targeted, perhaps, at the indecisive, the LapTab runs both Windows 8.1 and Android Jelly Bean, so you don't need to permanently commit. The tablet's got a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 display and front- and rear-facing 2-megapixel cameras. Inside is a 1.46GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. The tablet goes on sale early next month with a wireless keyboard and an as-of-yet undetermined price.
Brian Heater01.06.2014
India's biggest smartphone maker has designs on Europe with its 5-inch, full HD smartphone
You'd be forgiven for not knowing Micromax, but it's a name that might get a little more familiar in the future. The Indian smartphone manufacturer has hired Hugh Jackman to be its pitch person, and the first product you'll find him carrying is the surprisingly tasty-looking Canvas Turbo. The Turbo is a 5-inch aluminum-clad smartphone with a 1,920 x 1,080 display that's backed up by a 1.5GHz MediaTek chip and 2GB RAM. On the imaging front, there's a 13-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel front-facer, while the whole thing is running Android 4.2.1. If there's a downside, it's that there's no microSD card slot to complement the 16GB of on-board storage, but the fact that it's retailing for 19,990 ($325) should soften the blow a little. This handset launches in India tomorrow, but the company will be trialling sales in Russia later in the year -- and if that's successful, you'll begin to see Micromax smartphones entering more markets in Europe throughout next year.
Daniel Cooper10.25.2013
Micromax launches Canvas 4 smartphone in India: 5-inch 720p display, 13MP camera, $295
Following on from the Canvas HD launched earlier this year, Micromax unveiled its newest flagship in India today: the Canvas 4 (aka A210). It's pretty similar to the HD, packing an identical 5-inch 720p IPS LCD display (under a Gorilla Glass panel), MediaTek MT6589 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 2,000mAh battery. Improvements over the HD that may justify its higher price include the 4's 16GB of internal storage (expandable to 32GB), 13-megapixel main camera with Sony sensor and 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. An aluminum rim wraps the handset, which measures 8.99mm thick (0.35 inch) and tips the scales at 158 grams (5.6 ounces). With dual-SIM support and a radio capable of HSPA+ data speeds, the device runs Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean and touts software features like blow-to-unlock, look-away video pausing and pop-up window multitasking. Available in "Pristine White" and "Smoky Grey," the Canvas 4 costs Rs 17,999 (around $295) with a free aluminum flip cover apparently worth Rs 2,999 (approximately $49) thrown in.
Jamie Rigg07.08.2013
Mobile Miscellany: week of February 4th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought the arrival of Cricket's first waterproof smartphone and Three introduced an updated Galaxy S III known as the Ultrafast. Not to stop there, we'll take a trip to India to highlight the latest value-oriented smartphone. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 4th, 2013.
Zachary Lutz02.09.2013
Micromax's 5-inch, quad-core Canvas HD hitting India first week of February
What better time to announce a smartphone than in the lull between CES and MWC? Micromax is using the occasion to reveal another five-inch handset, the Canvas HD. The display packs a 1,280 x 720 resolution, and inside you'll find a MediaTek MT6589 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and a 2100mAh battery. The phone's also got an 8-megapixel rear camera and expandable storage up to 32GB. All of that's powered by Android 4.1. The Canvas HD is coming to India the first week of February, carrying a Rs. 15,000 ($279) price tag. Assorted additional information can be found in the press release after the break.
Brian Heater01.21.2013
Micromax intros supersize-on-a-budget Superfone Canvas A100, more moderate Pixel A90
Extra-large phones often skew towards the, shall we say, pricey side. Micromax is keen to democratize this desire for the gigantic with the Superfone Canvas A100 (shown here on the left). A 5-inch LCD puts the Android 4.0 smartphone fully in phablet territory, but the inside is reasonable enough that those in the company's native India won't break the bank: an 854 x 480 resolution, 5-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, a dual-core 1GHz processor, 4GB of built-in space and a microSD slot keep the dual-SIM phone down to Earth. Micromax also has us covered if we want a slightly more hand-portable size. The Superfone Pixel A90 touts a 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 Super AMOLED screen and brings in the added punch of an 8-megapixel rear camera on top of the A100's baseline hardware. Either comes with the designer's Siri-alike, AISHA, and should already be on Indian shelves with a slight twist in pricing -- the bigger Canvas A100 is the more affordable of the two at a modest 9,999 rupees ($180) off-contract, while the A90's slightly more exotic technology carries a 12,990-rupee ($234) price. [Thanks, Kishore]
Jon Fingas08.19.2012
Micromax's Superfone A50 Ninja enters India with AISHA voice assistant, forgets its shuriken
Hoping to compete with the Siris of the world, Micromax has announced its new Superfone A50 Ninja alongside a novel feature dubbed AISHA -- which is short for Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant. Similar to Cupertino's personal secretary, AISHA vows to help folks with every-day elements such as making calls, setting up calendar events and even reporting what the weather looks like. Much to our disappointment, however, the A50 Ninja runs a not-so-new flavor of Android -- Gingerbread to be exact -- and Micromax left out any mention of Android 4.0. On the specs front, the dual-SIM Superfone sports a 3.1-inch display (mum's the word on the resolution), a two-megapixel shooter, Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities and an unspecified 650MHz processor. All in all, thanks to its 4,999 rupees (around $95) budget price, we can't imagine you'd complain too much. Be sure to hit up the Micromax link below if you're interested in grabbing one of these.
Edgar Alvarez04.28.2012
Peek calls own internet-only devices 'collector's items,' heads to India with the cloud
Nokia? Samsung? LG? Those jokers are all 'old world' has-beens. The future -- according to Peek's latest email campaign -- is Indian featurephones. Well, at least MicroMax's latest, the Q80 EZPAD. Peek says its 'Genius Cloud' gifts the Q80 with smartphone-like features via cloud-based software. The firm's site claims that the service will run on any hardware, from not-phone to smartphone, providing push mail, instant messaging, video chat, social networking, software GPS, web browsing, and other smartphone features. Writing on Business Insider, Peekster-in-Cheif Amol Sarva asserts that low-end devices have pushed Nokia out of the asian market, and suggests that with the help of the Genius Cloud, featurephones can do the same to RIM. If that doesn't work out, at least the firm still has a corner on the dedicated tweeting handheld market.
Sean Buckley07.21.2011