New images of the rumored first ever dual-SIM Windows Phone codenamed Moneypenny have resurfaced, as @eveleaks has posted a screen shot that is believed to reveal the start screen of the rumoured Nokia Moneypenny, a name familiar with the James Bond movies.

The leaked screen shot shows the dual-SIM functionality of the device, indicating that the device will have support for 3G network on both SIMs. The leaked screen shot also includes on-screen navigation controls for the back.

Earlier reports also suggested a dual-SIM variant of the Lumia 720. Other reports also suggest  that the screen size of the MoneyPenny should be 4.5-inch, the same size as the Lumia 92x series, and a bit smaller than the 4.7 inch Lumia 625.

The price of the device is listed as $130 (Rs.8,000), the same price as the Lumia 520, however much cheaper than the $245(Rs.15,000) price of the Lumia 625. There are two listings of the phone with the same model number the second version is marked as 'dual-SIM', could this be the Nokia MoneyPenny, is it Lumia 520's equivalent of the 625 - same specs , bigger screen.

Nokia MoneyPenny will be the first smartphone to feature Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box, the new release will eventually bring support for dual-SIM smartphones to the platform This would allow Nokia to compete effectively in developing markets.

And yet again we’re looking forward to an interesting year ahead. We wanted to share which are the most highly anticipated phones we expect to see announced during 2014, while also speculating what each of them will be all about. So let’s roll…

1.iPhone 6

As that’s usually the case with Apple’s products, we expect them to get more attention than competing devices. iPhone 6 won’t be an exception, quite the contrary. Next year, Apple is taking its revolutionary step forward. Instead of building on the iPhone 5S, it will likely unveil something much better. We expect that the next iPhone will have a slightly bigger screen while keeping its pocketable body. Perhaps the Cupertino guys will go for 4.2 inch display, perhaps something even bigger. We can’t really tell at the moment. But yet again, we’re confident the iPhone 6 to sell like hot cupcakes. 

2.Samsung Galaxy S5

Keeping to its tradition, Samsung will unveil the next-gen Galaxy S device at its own event in May. Or April. We doubt we’ll see the Galaxy S5 before that. We may, however, see an improved version of the Galaxy S4 released globally in the meantime, and that model will rock Snapdragon 800, rather than 600 (or Exynos 5) found in current models. The Galaxy S5 may come with a 2K screen, 3GB of RAM, and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage.  

3.Nexus 6

The next Nexus will likely be released closer to the end of the year, yet again offering an amazing value for the money. It will have the top-end specs, launching alongside the latest version of Android. By the time this phone is ready, we’re hoping Google will have that Key Lime Pie up and running.

4.LG G3

LG will use the second half of 2014 to launch its own high-end smartphone. Just like the Galaxy S4, it too will boast a 2K screen along with the fastest chip available on the market. That could be Snapdragon 805 or something even faster, presuming it [chip] launches by that time. 3GB of RAM, a ton of built-in storage, and a top-end camera with 16-megapixel sensor and optical image stabilization are all expected to come included in the G3.

5.HTC M8

The HTC One successor is an important device for the Taiwanese handset maker. It will pretty much decide the future of HTC. If they fail to impress, they stand a chance of becoming irrelevant. HTC knows this and will make sure to deliver on that front. We’ve already mentioned what we expect to see from this phone in a separate post; I’ll only add that we’ll likely see it launched during the first quarter of next year. 

And more

We also expect to see some cool devices from Sony and Chinese companies, including Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi, Oppo and Meizu. The last three are set for global expansion and they could easily cut margins from the rest of the players, offering top-end specs for a fraction of the price. These guys are super efficient but it remains to be seen whether they can make deals with major mobile operators.

Now which of these you’re looking forward to?
  

   

Nokia Asha 500 priced in India at Rs 4499 [available next month]

Along with the launch of the Lumia 1320, 525 and Asha 503, Nokia India also announced the launch of the Nokia Asha 500, which will go on sale in the subcontinent at a price of Rs 4499.

By comparison, the Asha 501 costs Rs 4599, the Asha 502 costs Rs 5739, and the Asha 503 costs Rs 6799. While they all run the same swipe-based S40 operating system, the Asha 500 features a 2.8 inch QVGA touch screen (320 x 240 pixels resolution, 142 ppi) and 2 Megapixel rear camera, whereas the Asha 501 features a larger 3 inch QVGA (same resolution) touch screen, and a 3.2 Megapixel camera. they both have 128 MB of internal memory, and 64 MB of RAM while also lacking 3G support.

For a quick look at the general design and look of the OS, here’s a quick hands-on with the Asha 503:

 

 

Micromax & MTS launch Canvas Blaze Dual SIM (CDMA+GSM) in India for Rs 10,999

The Canvas Blaze is a Dual SIM (CDMA+GSM) smartphone that features a 5-inch (480x 854 pixels resolution) display, a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 768 MB RAM, 4GB internal memory with a microSD card slot, an 8 Megapixel rear camera, VGA front facing camera, 3G, Wifi, Bluetooth 2.0, and is powered by a 1850 mAh battery, and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. MTS is also offering free data (2GB) and voice benefits (1000 minutes MTS to MTS voice calls, 120 minutes to other carriers) for 6 months with this phone.

The Micromax Canvas Blaze MT500 comes in black and white colors.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 was launched in India today at a press conference in Mumbai. The new affordable phablet-phone will go on sale in January 2014 for an estimated price of Rs 22,900 to Rs 24,900 (no exact pricing was mentioned).


The Galaxy Grand 2 features a 5.25-inch HD display (1280×720), 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8 Megapixel rear camera, 1.9 Megapixel front facing camera, 8GB internal memory with a microSD card slot, a 2600 mAh battery, and the same soft-touch leather-like back as the Galaxy Note 3.


The dual-SIM phone runs Android 4.3, with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top, and Samsung’s app including S Translator, Story Album, S Travel, Sound & Shot, Group Play, Samsung Hub and Samsung Link. More info in the full press release below.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES THE GALAXY GRAND 2 WITH CLUB SAMSUNG

· New compact smartphone brings optimal large-screen experience in a portable size
· Launch of Samsung’s first digital entertainment store with Indian infotainment content

Mumbai, December 23, 2013 – Leading mobile phone manufacturer, Samsung Electronics, today introduced the GALAXY Grand 2, the latest update to the Grand product line. A successor to the extremely popular GALAXY Grand, the new Samsung GALAXY Grand 2 delivers an improved HD viewing experience, more powerful multitasking features, a premium experience through design and entertainment on the go. Samsung has for the first time introduced a single destination – Club Samsung – for its Indian infotainment content. The Club Samsung digital entertainment store features Music, Movies, Gigs & Live TV– all optimised for high-quality display on Samsung devices.

Speaking about the launch Mr. Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Mobile and IT, Samsung India said, “At Samsung, we keep innovation and customer centricity at the core of developing products to meet the evolving needs of our customers. GALAXY Grand 2 with a vivid HD screen offers a premium viewing experience and enhances multitasking abilities with its Multi Window feature. Along with this, the introduction of Club Samsung will significantly elevate user experience in terms of features, content and services. Our new offerings are a testimony of our commitment to offer differentiated products to all our valued customers.”

‘Grand’ Experience

The GALAXY Grand 2 has a 13.3cm (5.25) HD screen which is perfect for watching movies, playing games and reading books. The GALAXY Grand 2 also allows users to fully utilize the large screen with the new Multi Window feature and My Magazine. With Multi Window, users can enhance their multitasking capabilities as they toggle seamlessly between applications without closing the window or opening a new page. Consumers can also run one application in two windows at the same time, allowing for enhanced productivity and collaboration across programs. My Magazine interface provides personalized news, social media and entertainment content experience in a modern and dynamic magazine-style layout.

In addition to these advancements, GALAXY Grand 2 also presents a new premium look and feel. Expanding on the modern GALAXY design approach, GALAXY Grand 2 adds a soft and textured-touch back cover and delicate stitching to its looks. Slimmer and lighter at 8.9 mm and 163 gram, the GALAXY Grand 2 will be available in three colours – Black, White and Pink.

Rich Content and App Integration

To provide a more engaging user experience, Samsung has launched its first digital entertainment store with Indian content in Music, Movies, Live TV & Gigs – ‘Club Samsung’. A single repository, Club Samsung allows a user to access language content across 5000 Movies, 4 Lakh Songs, 500 Gigs and even Live TV with 90+ channels. Unique to Club Samsung is content recommendations through “Discovery” – an intelligent algorithm which lets you select a playlist according to mood, era, language or genre and auto updates the playlist when fresh content is added to the store. Club Samsung supports content in Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Gujarati. As part of its introductory offer, all GALAXY Grand 2 customers will get unlimited free content for three months. Additionally, Galaxy Grand 2 also supports wide array of apps in all the languages mentioned above across categories like social, astrology, messenger, e-commerce, news via Samsung Apps.

High Performance


Several smart features in the GALAXY Grand 2 sets it apart from other smartphone devices in its category. The device includes an array of pre-loaded Samsung apps, including Story Album, which can organise pictures by timelines; S Translator, the company’s proprietary translation service; and Trip Advisor, which offers guides and travel details. The GALAXY Grand 2 also comes with Sound & Shot that enable you to record up to nine seconds of audio with your photos and Group Play, which lets multiple users play the same music or games together, or share the same documents.

Customer can also now maximize their mobile experience with the GALAXY Grand 2’s 8-megapixel autofocus HD rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. The rear camera includes enhanced camera features such as Best Face, Best Photo and Continuous Shot, Sports Dual Shot and Shake Detection that enable users to crisply capture every image, even in low light or active situations. The GALAXY Grand 2 is also capable of recording full HD videos.

The GALAXY Grand 2 comes with 8GB inbuilt storage, which is further expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. Connectivity options on the GALAXY Grand 2 include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ AGPS, micro-USB and 3G (HSPA+). The Samsung GALAXY Grand 2 will be available in India from January 2014. Consumers can also pre-book the device on the Samsung mobile e -store starting today.

The product will be available (up for sale) in January 2014 and price will be between INR 22,990 to INR 24,990/-.