RIM offering special BlackBerry PlayBook offer this Diwali

This Diwali RIM is giving us a surprise. The company has a festive offer in which they are offering a free BlackBerry Curve 8520 and a BlackBerry PlayBook accessory when you purchase a BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet.

This offer is available across all variants of the BlackBerry PlayBook including the 16GB for Rs. 27,990, 32GB for Rs. 32,990 and 64GB for Rs. 37,990, at all BlackBerry retail outlets across the country.The offer is valid from October 18 to November 30, so if you have been planning to get your hands on the PlayBook, now is the perfect time.

iBall launches Android Tablet in India at Rs.13,995/-

Yet another affordable tablet launched in India. iBall launched the ‘Slide”, its first tablet running Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. The 7-inch tablet which will cost for Rs 13,995 is not so slim with its heavy-weight design and thickness. The Slide is powered by 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and 3G ready (on dongle) device is also offer WiFi & Bluetooth as connectivity options. It is equipped with a front facing 2.0MP camera, HDMI port for HD quality video, 8GB of internal memory and expandable memory up to 32GB. The 4400 mAh battery enables 6.5 hrs of music playback time and 5 hours of video playback. iBall has signed Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador for iBall Slide.

Tablet manufacturers likely to reduce prices

Non-Apple tablet brands are facing a situation where their sales figures are lower than expected, leading to a pile up of stocks in their yards. To clear their stocks they are expected to reduce the prices of tablets, Digitimes reported citing sources in tablet manufacturers.

The decision to reduce the price of tablets is also expected to trigger a new price war within the tablet industry.

Asustek, which sells its Transformer tablet in India, had shipments of 700,000 tablets from May to July with actual sales only reaching 500,000 units, according to Digitimes' figures. The tablet, which is selling now for Rs 31,500 in India, is expected, at Rs 25,000, to be cheaper by nearly 20 per cent by December.

BlackBerry Playbook and HTC Flyer are already placing their hopes in 2012 while both Samsung and Motorola are suffering weaker demand for their tablets. The report further added that some the other players, such as Acer, are gradually reducing their orders.

Digitimes expects the current average price of tablets of $370 to come down to $350 in September and to $300 by December, which means a reduction of close to 20 per cent.

If these predictions come true, tablet prices in India will see a correction. The price of BlackBerry PlayBook, which currently costs Rs 28,000 (for the base version with 16 GB memory), is likely to come down to Rs 24,000. And the HTC Flyer, which is one of the most expensive tablets at Rs 37,500, may see a correction of close to Rs 7,000.

Acer also has two tablets under its Iconia brand with W500 (Windows) and A500 (Android). Iconia A500 is currently retailing at an attractive Rs 26,900, and if it comes down to about Rs 22,000 with the price correction it will be all the more attractive.

The price correction is also expected to put pressure on domestic brands like Reliance Communications, Olive, Beetel, MSI, and Viewsonic, and that would mean having tablets at below Rs 10,000. Currently there are two tablets, one from RCom and the other from MSI, which are retailing at around Rs 12,500. A price war among tablet manufacturers may even prompt these players to reduce tablet prices to below Rs 10,000.

This will not just mean better options, it will also mean that more people will be able to benefit from 3G enabled wireless broadband, pushing broadband usage further and popularizing 3G and WiFi networks

ViewSonic unveils the ViewPad 10Pro Dual-OS tablet

ViewSonic Corp. has announced a dual-OS tablet called the ViewPad 10pro. The tablet is powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom processor Z670 and has the ability to boot either Windows or Android OS. It has 10.1 inch capacitive multi-touch display with a 1024×600 resolution and is capable of running full HD 1080p videos. It boasts a 2GB of integrated memory which seems to be a real knocker.

The best feature of the tablet is that Android 2.3 runs as an application on top of the Windows 7 operating system so users need to simply tap on the Android icon to make an easy switch between the two OS. Other features of the tablet include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, microSD card slot which supports up to 32GB cards, HDMI port, USB, 3.5mm audio jack, a 1.3 megapixel front camera and a high capacity battery for up to 8 hours of battery life.

“We listened to our customers. We made the ViewPad 10pro dual OS interface as quick and intuitive as possible, while partnering with industry CPU leader Intel to deliver the latest in design and innovation across all fronts,” said Michael Holstein, vice president of business development, ViewSonic.

The dual OS ViewPad 10pro is available in two configurations — with Windows 7 Professional (with a 32GB SSD hard drive) and Android 2.3 for $699, or with Windows 7 Home Premium (with a 16GB SSD hard drive) and Android 2.3 for $599. A custom docking station accessory is also available for $59. Both tablet configurations will be widely available in late August, with limited numbers currently available.

Google Catalogs application now for Tablet

Google has launched a new app for all you shoppers called Google Catalogs. It is a free app for tablet devices that enables you to browse all of your favorite catalogs and interact with new layers of rich-media content.

The app features digital versions of catalogs across various categories, including fashion and apparel, beauty, jewellery, home, kids and gifts. Google has partnered with a variety of top brands including Anthropologie, Bare Escentuals, Bergdorf Goodman, Crate and Barrel, L.L. Bean, Lands’ End, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Sundance, Tea Collection, Urban Outfitters and Williams-Sonoma.

With Google Catalogs, you can:

• Interact: Zoom in to see products up close, tap on tags to learn more about an item or, in some catalogs, view inspiring photo albums and videos.
• Find products in nearby stores: When an item catches your eye, instantly find it in a store near you or tap “Buy on Website” to visit the merchant online.
• Express your creativity: Create a collage of your favorite catalog pages and products. If you need inspiration, you can check out collages created by others.
• Share with friends: Email a product or collage to all your shopping buddies.
• Get instant access to new catalogs: Add catalogs to your Favorites and get notified each time a new issue arrives.
• Discover new products and brands: Search for products within or across multiple catalogs to find exactly what you’re looking for.

For more, visit here.

Beetel Magiq affordable 3G Android tablet launched with AirTel bundle offer

Beetel Teletech, an arm of Bharti Group has introduced its affordable 3G Tablet for Indian users. Recently Reliance Communication has introduced its own affordable 3G tablet at Rs.12999. The newly launched Beetel Magiq – a 7-inch 3G ready tablet is powered by 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS. The tablet is much affordable at a price tag of Rs 9,999/-. The device supports HDMI and hosts two 2.0 MP cameras, inbuilt memory of 8GB which is expandable up to 16GB. The Beetel Magiq is also bundled with Airtel offer where customers may enjoy 2GB of monthly free 3G data usage for the next two months. For 2G circles 2GB free offer will be for six moths on Airtel 2G network. The Magiq is not upgradeable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Beetel Magiq Tablet Features:

• CPU – 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• Frequency Bands GSM : 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 3G/HSDPA 2100 MHz Network
• Android version Android 2.2 (Froyo)
• Single SIM, 7-inch WVGA TFT Touch Screen
• Camera Dual ( 2MP + 2MP)
• Memory Internal – 8GB, expandable up to 16GB
• Battery 2200mAh
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HDMI support
• Google market access

Samsung 3G Tablets – Galaxy Tab 750 & Tab 730 now available

In a LIVE Webcast, electronic major, Samsung today announced launch of two 3G enabled Tablets in India. The newly launched Samsung Galaxy Tab 730 and Galxy Tab 750 running Android 3.1 OS are priced at Rs 33,990 and Rs 36,200 respectively. Company informed that Galaxy Tab 750 to be available by the end of this month, and Galaxy Tab 730 will be made available in mid of next month.

With just 8.6mm thickness, Galaxy Tab 750 features 10.1 inch (WXGA 1280×800 pixel) display and packs a 1GHz Dual Core processor and 1GB RAM. It also offers Touchwiz UI , 3MP rear and 2MP front cameras for video calling , 16GB Internal Storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack. Galaxy Tab 730 is having same features and specs with 8.9 inch display.

These Samsung Android Tables are also bundled with Vodafone 3G Services. Vodafone will give 3G data usage up to 2GB per month for six months at Rs 3,000/-.

Reliance internet dongle ‘Netconnect+’ now at Rs.1299/-

Reliance Communications is offering its EVDO based data services and has reduced entry cost of its internet dongle (USB dongle). Reliance today announced reduction in the prices of its Netconnect broadband device from Rs 1929 to Rs 1399. Earlier the cost of EVDO Data card was Rs 1599 and Rs 330 for First Recharge Coupon (FRC). Now the new rates for internet data card will be Rs 1299 and Rs 100 for FRC. Similarly, Netconnect 1x customer MOP has also dropped to Rs 999. Reliance EVDO data Card branded as NetConnect Broadband offers wireless internet service at 3.1 Mbps download and 1.8 Mbps upload speed. Their EVDO network covers 500 cites of India. Customers to get CDMA 1X speed at 154 Kbps in non EVDO cities. Reliance Communications is aggressively expanding in Andhra Pradesh and has added more than 100 sites in the last one month. The High speed Datacard of Reliance Communications has the largest reach in South India.

Seven new BlackBerry handsets coming soon

Research In motion will soon be unveiling seven different BlackBerry smartphones in the months to come, co-CEOs of RIM, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis announced this during its annual meeting in Waterloo, Canada.

All these smartphones will be based on the upcoming BlackBerry OS 7, which was announced only a few weeks back in the international market.

Varghese M Thomas, Director, Corporate Communications, India and SAARC, RIM, said to The Mobile Indian, "All the new devices, which will be launched internationally, will also be coming to India."

As reported earlier, the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 (touch and type devices) is also set to hit the Indian markets in the coming weeks. It will be based on the BlackBerry OS6 but Indian users can expect an upgrade soon after RIM comes up with the new handsets running on OS7 operating system.

Also, the company is poised to announce an OS7 update for the BlackBerry Playbook users in India.

Google Android Market gets overhauled

Google has commenced rolling out an updated version of Android Market app store for Android 2.2 Froyo or higher update running handsets.

Google has integrated two of its new offerings - Books and Movie rentals, in the new Android Market update. However, Google Books are Movie rentals are currently offered in the USA and some other select regions only. Neither of the two categories would be available in India with the update.

The new Market promises better navigation and user experience. It would have an overhauled interface with different categories for the applications, which will carry some new categories like Staff Picks and Editor's Choices. Also, the "Top" lists have been further bifurcated to Top New Paid and Top New Free along with the Top Grossing and Trending lists. These individual categories consist of relevant Apps listed together as a collection.

The individual app description has been spruced up through screenshots right on the top followed by its rating and then the description. The new Android Market provides a faster way to the users to browse through the different lists and jumping between categories.

Visually, the new Android Market is much appealing and has side-swiping interface. All the applications are presented in Grid style view along with its rating and status — free and paid.

At the moment, the new Android Market update is available in the USA region only. Rest of the world will have to wait couple of weeks when the updates will start showing automatically.

It is quite likely that the new Android Market interface would be available for the Android 3.0 Honeycomb based tablets.

Viewsonic dual OS tablet to be available in India very soon

Viewsonic is set to launch two tablets including a 7 inch Android 2.2 tablet and a 10 inch Windows/Android dual OS WiFi 3G tablet in the Indian market within 10 days. The company also plans to launch six other tablets by the end of this year.

"We plan to have eight tablets in the Indian market. We are not playing the pricing game here. We are focused on better technology and quality," Ajay Sharma, country manger, Viewsonic, India, told 'The Mobile Indian'.

He added, "We plan to reach consumers with the right product that meets their personal as well as professional requirements."

Although these products were expected to be launched earlier, due to some reason they didn't ship to India. Now they are available and will be in stores within the next 10 days. Viewsonic has also tied-up with Reliance Retail to sell through Reliance Digital outlets.

The 10.1 inch tablet will feature the first dual boot OS aimed at professionals who also use tablets for personal use. The Windows 7 premium will ensure that the tablet is completely in sync with enterprise servers and security issues and Android 2.2 will serve the purpose of personal computing and mobility.

The tablet is based on an Intel Pine Trail N455 1.66 GHz processor, which is the latest version of Intel's Atom processor family, with integrated DDR3 2 GB RAM. The screen is a 10.1 inch capacitive touch display with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and LED backlight. Other features include up to 32 GB SSD storage capacity, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and full connectivity including a mini VGA port and MicroSD slot.

The WiFi of this tablet is capable of transferring data to the projector, which supports data streaming over WiFi so that you don't need wires to use the projector. It also has remote desktop support that allows the tablet to be connected to computers to access files.

Connectivity options are aplenty with 2 USB ports, a mini VGA port, a microSD slot, Bluetooth and 3G. The tablet weighs 907 grams and includes a 3200mAh battery which is good for 4 hours (a bit short, but then it is a powerful tablet).

The price is expected to be close to Rs 38,000, which is justified looking at the specifications of the tablet.

The other device will be an Android 2.2 based 7 inch tablet with specs similar to those of the Olivepad. It will have a 600 MHz processor, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G (through a dongle), a VGA camera at the front and 3 megapixel camera at the back. The battery is a 3240mAh unit, which is good for 4 hours of heavy use and 40 hours of standby. The tablet will carry a price tag of Rs 19,000.

Asus Transformer coming to India very soon

Asus is gearing up to join the tablets scene , with launch of Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101, next month amidst the several new tablets already available in India. Appearing to be one of the most feature rich tablet.

Company spokesperson said to 'The Mobile Indian' "Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 will be launched in the last week of July."

Eee Pad Transformer TF101 tablet will bundle a full Qwerty keyboard and touch pad accessories. The price of the tablet has not been disclosed.

Internationally Transformer sells the TF101-A1 16 GB WiFi Model sells for $399 (Rs 18,000 approx.) and TF101-B1 32 GB WiFi model for $499 (Rs 22,500 approx.).

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 tablet comes with 10.1 inch IPS technology based capacitive touchscreen display with WSVGA (1280x800) pixel resolution. This massive 10.1 inch touch screen supports multi-touch with up to 10 fingers.

By default it runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb with ASUS WaveShare UI layered on the top of it with Launcher and several other improvements in the user interface. Under the hood, it houses as dual-core 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 System on Chip processor coupled with 1 GB RAM and total 16GB/ 32GB on board storage.

At the back panel there is a 5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and in the front there is the 1.2 megapixel camera for the video chat/call. Apart from that, the tablet features SRS Premium Sound support with Stereo Speakers and high quality microphone.

Once the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is made available, it should be getting Android 3.1 Honeycomb update as soon as one takes it out from box and gets the WiFi settings working. Supporting Flash Player 10.2 and HTML5, the Asus Transformer seems perfect enough to support smoother web experience.

The full Qwerty keyboard with touchpad is an optional accessory and Asus charges $150 (Rs 6750 approx.) extra for that.

India already has Apple iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy tab 7-inch, HCL Me tablets, BlackBerry PlayBook, HTC Flyer, MSI WindPads and Motorola Xoom to compete in the tablet segment.

Aircel launches 3G dongle

Aircel launched its high speed broadband Turbo 3G Dongle services. Aircel’s 3G enabled USB stick (Huawei make data card) will provide wireless broadband speeds up to 7.2Mbps and uploads up to 5.76Mbps. The 3G Enabled USB Stick is available at Rs. 3499/- and now you can also carry your data along with Aircel 3G internet data card which supports microSD up to 32 GB. Aircel is offering three postpaid plans to customers ranging from monthly charges from Rs 505 to Rs 1275. EMRI Plan 505 offers 650 MB and plan 750 will offer 1536 MB, whereas plan 1275 is unlimited plan. Apart from being unlimited, plan 1275 customers will get speed 7.2 Mbps compared to other two data plans @3.6 Mbps. In the first month 3GB data will given at 0 rental and double data for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Bill cycle of 505 and 750 dongle plan.

Aircel 3G Dongle – Postpaid Tariff Plans

Plan Type	EMRI Plan @ 505	EMRI Plan @ 750	EMRI Plan @ 1275
Monthly Rental	Rs 505	Rs 750	Rs 1275
FREE Data	650 MB	1536 MB	Unlimited
Data Speed Component (default speeds for 3G Video)	3.6 Mbps downlink x 1.8 Mbps uplink	3.6 Mbps downlink x 1.8 Mbps uplink	7.2 Mbps downlink x 3.6 Mbps uplink
Tariffs	(in Rs./min)	(in Rs./min)	(in Rs./min)
All Local / STD	1	1	1
All STD	1.5	1.5	1.5
SMS
Local / National / International	1/1.5/5	1/1.5/5	1/1.5/5
National Roaming/ISD	Normal Tariffs	Normal Tariffs	Normal Tariffs
2G GPRS	10 Paisa/10KB	10 Paisa/10KB	10 Paisa/10KB

• In the first month 3GB data will given at 0 rental and double data for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Bill cycle of 505 and 750 dongle plan.
• Single and separate discount package required
• Only 3GB for first month (650 MB,1536 MB discount from 2nd months onwards).
• 2nd, 3rd and 4th Bill cycle to give double data discount for 3G Dongle 505 and 3G Dongle 750 plans.

Aircel 3G Dongle – Prepaid Tariff Plans

The call charges for the prepaid dongle are as follows:

Facility	Tariff
Local call (Rs. Per minute)	1
STD call (Rs. per min)	1.5
Local SMS (per SMS)	1
National SMS (per SMS)	1.5
International SMS (per SMS)	5
Inbuilt Free Data (30 days validity)	3 GB
International calling / Roaming	Base PPM Tariff

The Prepaid Recharge denominations:

Recharge Amt (INR)	Volume (MB)	Speeds	Throttling at	Validity
505	650	3.6 Mbps downlink x 1.8 Mbps uplink	NA	30 days
750	1536	3.6 Mbps downlink x 1.8 Mbps uplink	NA	30 days
1275	Unlimited	7.2 Mbps downlink x 3.6 Mbps uplink	5GB	30 days

• Prepaid FRC – JK: Rs. 3/-, Chennai & ROTN: Rs. 4/-, Other circles: No FRC
• Double Data on first 3 recharges of Rs. 505 or Rs. 750 dongle plans
• Prepaid Recharges allowed – Dongle recharges 505, 750, 1275; TUs as mentioned below
• Charges after exceeding limit / Overage charges: 1.5p/10kb
• Default rate for 3G data: 3p/10kb

Motorola launches ‘Motorola Xoom’ tablet

The much awaited and anticipated Motorola Xoom is now officially launched in India. Motorola Xoom is 10.1 inch tablet that runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and is powered by 1 Ghz dual core processor. The device is launched at a time when BlackBerry PlayBook , HTC Flyer and Huawei MediaPad have just been introduced in Indian markets but the major competition will come from the existing Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Motorola XOOM , the world’s first device powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), supports up to 720p video playback and sports a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling over Wi-Fi or 3G and a rear-facing 5 mega pixel camera with dual LED flash and auto focus that records 720p video. Motorola Xoom offers HD widescreen display, WXGA 1280×800 screen resolution , 1 GB RAM, 10.1-inch display and 3D graphics acceleration, as well as HDMI-out.

The latest Google Mobile services include Google Maps and access to over 200,000 apps from Android Market. Motorola XOOM also supports a beta version of Adobe Flash Player 10.2 downloadable from Android Market, enabling the delivery of rich Flash-based Web content including videos, casual games and rich Internet applications. Motorola XOOM also features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting. The tablet supports up to 10 hours of video playback and charges in half the time of some competitive tablets on the market.

The Best Buy for the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi version is Rs 32,990 (MRP: Rs 34,490) and the Best Buy for the 3G version is Rs 39,990 (MRP: Rs 41,490).

HTC Flyer review

Today HTC announced the launch of its much awaited tablet the “HTC Flyer” in the Indian market, the design is unibody aluminium pretty impressive and the screen size of 7 inches seems to be perfect on this tablet. It comes with the all new and improved HTC Sense UI and Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread). It boosts the standard features of a regular tablet – but comes packed with a 1.5 GHz processor.

The most interesting feature on this tablet certainly has to be “HTC Scribe Technology” which HTC describes as “HTC Flyer is the first tablet delivering a new HTC innovation that features natural pen interaction. It can draw, paint, write, sign documents, and even retouch pictures. It can be a highlighter for the reader (and by the way all your highlights will be collated when you're done). The HTC Flyer can even add voiceover to a storybook you're drawing up at home. Work or play, it's magic.”. Basically it’s a really comfortable and easy to use pen like – stylus for the tablet.

The tablet comes packed with HTC Watch a new connected video service that will debut on HTC Flyer tablet, and will collaborate with OnLive, Inc. to launch the first cloud-based mobile gaming service on a tablet.

The Sense UI just gets better the 3D aspects of it adds to the already present eye candy – and in our opinion no UI in the market comes close to the Sense UI in terms of functionality and looks, well done HTC !

The Flyer is readily available at all the leading retail stores and online store for something around the Rupees 39,000 mark for the 32GB variant.

The Flyer certainly adds a new dimension to the already heated up Android market, pricing is competitive but could have been better – the Sense UI will not disappoint anyone, and the HTC loyalists shall certainly give this tablet a go.

Toshiba Thrive Tablet gets a price-tag

Toshiba has entered the tablet market with its Thrive tablet which is now up for pre-order in the US at $430 for the 8GB version. There are also 16GB and 32GB models priced at $480 and $580 respectively.

The Thrive has a NVIDIA 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Android Honeycomb 3.1 OS, 10.1 inch touch screen display, a full sized HDMI port, a full-sized SD card slot, 5-megapixel camera at the back and a 2-megapixel camera in the front, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, a USB 2.0 port and a mini USB as well. The company is also offering a docking station for $59.99 that has power, HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio output. The Thrive will be available in 6 different back covers (Black, Blue, Purple, Grey, Green, Pink) which is covered in rubberized plastic material for better grip.

Hopefully we'll be getting the tablet in India too and we can expect the 8GB model to be around Rs. 20,000/-, which could be a good deal. Toshiba has a big laptop and netbook market in India, and the introduction of the tablet could be a major addition to the company's portfolio in the country.

MSI launches new 10 inch tablet

MSI, which makes notebooks, motherboards and VGA cards, has launched a new 10 inch tablet in India.

The new WindPad 110W 10 inch tablet features ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor architecture and the latest Google Android operating system. It also features 1GB DDRII of memory, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, G-Sensor, ALS, and an SSD hard drive with up to 32GB of memory to meet the entertainment needs of users.

It weighs only 740 grams and offers more than eight hours of battery power, claimed the company in a press release.

The product was launched by Bollywood actress, Malaika Arora Khan, in a press conference in New Delhi on Friday.

Commenting on this occasion MSI India general manager Eric Kuo said "India, currently, is just about two per cent of our global revenues. Going ahead, we see a huge opportunity here and we would bring in the latest technology through our products. Our aim is to be among the top three brands in India, in the next two years and for that we need to have monthly sales of 20,000-30,000 units, so I would say that is the sales target that we have set for ourselves to achieve in the next two years"

Kuo said that MSI will be soon introducing two new series of tablets in India by early July. MSI also displayed new products like GX780 (part of its latest gaming series) and N580GTX Lightning Xtreme graphics card.

The GT780 and GT683 both sport the latest nVidia discrete graphics card. The X460 comes with Intel 2nd generation Core i7 processor and MSI's own heat dispersion technology, giving it performance unprecedented in an ultra-slim computer. In addition, the CX670 packs AMD's new generation, power-sipping, high-performance CPU produced using nano technology.

Pricing details of the products has not been revealed by the company so far.

HTC Flyer coming soon

HTC is going to enter the Indian tablet market with its Android 2.4 based 7 inch tablet Flyer. The neatly designed tablet with aluminum uni body construction (single piece of metal cast as full body) will be launched in India by the end of this month.

The tablet is already available online at Letsbuy.com for a price of Rs 37,500. Although it is more expensive than other tablets in the market, it has the features to justify its price. The only negative aspect of this tablet is the absence of Android 3.0. However, it comes with a unique tablet-optimized 2.4 version of Android, which is yet to be seen in the Indian market.

Flyer will come with an all-new HTC Sense user interface that has been redesigned for tablets. It will also have a special stylus which, according to the company, will give a "ground breaking pen experience". The stylus will enable an improved writing experience on the screen and better note taking by integrating with other apps like calendar and voice recorder.

The tablet has a 1.5 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM (very good for a tablet,) along with a 5 megapixel camera at the rear and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front, as well as A-GPS support for mapping.

The battery has 4000mAh capacity and delivers up to 4 hours of continuous video playback.

HTC also announced HTC Watch Service, a new connected video service that will debut with Flyer, and which enables on-demand progressive downloading of hundreds of high definition movies from major studios.

The company has collaborated with On Live to launch the first cloud-based mobile gaming service on a tablet so that you do not have to download the games to your device. The tablet will support both Flash 10 and HTML 5.

HTC claims that the tablet is ultra-light, weighing as little as a paperback book, and compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Another thing special about this tablet is that it is the only device with 2.4 version of Android in the Indian market so far.

BlackBerry starts pre-booking of ‘BlackBerry PlayBook’

BlackBerry has started pre-booking of its tablet BlackBerry PlayBook with an exclusive offer. BlackBerry PlayBook can be pre-booked from 9^th June to 22nd June 2011 and customers availing this channel for booking will be offered with Free HDMI Cable and Leather Case . Blackberry PlayBook will be launched from 23rd June 2011 in India.

This tablet is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and adorns 7 inch 1024×600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen with 4-finger multi-touch and gesture support.It is equipped with BlackBerry® Tablet OS with symmetric multiprocessing,1 GB RAM and powerful, user-friendly QNX technology.The BlackBerry PlayBook offers a high multimedia experience with 3 MP 1080p HD forward-facing camera,5 MP 1080p HD rear-facing camera, Stereo speakers and stereo microphones ,HDMI video output and Micro HDMI port It is expected to be priced around Rs 32000.

Process for advance booking and redeeming gifts.

• SMS PLAYBOOK to 56070 for the nearest store address.
• Visit the store to experience the new BlackBerry PlayBook and initiate advance booking.
• Fill a coupon to confirm advance booking, between 09^th June ’11 to 22^nd June ’11.
• Return one section of the coupon to the retailer and retain the other section.
• Purchase the BlackBerry PlayBook between 23^rd June ‘11 to 30^th June’11.
• Provide the retained coupon to the Retailer.
• The gifts will be couriered on the address mentioned on your coupon.

Sony PlaySation Vita coming soon

Sony has unveiled its new generation portable handheld game console, named as PlaySation Vita, at the Annual Electronics expo E3 2011 in Los Angeles. It will be available in India either by the end of this year or by early 2012 and this time Sony is not in mood for delaying the device as it has happened with many devices in the past.

The Vita gets quite a few upgrades over the older PSP but the biggest one remains the inclusion of 3G connectivity that will allow this device to access High speed telephony based data while on the Go.

The Vita features a quad core mobile processor based on the Arm Cortex A9 architecture and a dedicated GPU. The device also features a rear and a front camera. The Vita also features a capacitive trackpad at the back of the device like the one featured on the Motorola Backflip for easy and accurate navigation.

Sony has included a six axis motion sensing system that comprises of a three axis gyroscope and a three axis accelerometer for accurate motion sensing. Besides, a three axis compass has also been added to the device for location based tracking in conjunction with the integrated GPS system.

In short, the plans for this device look very clear that Sony wants to give the game console tablet like functionality so that they can also take on their side of fight in the tablet wars. PSP will definitely benefit from its user base and with the advanced functionality that have been added to the Vita the future seems to be bright for this one.

The PSVita will be available in two variants, the Wi-Fi only variant for $249 (Rs 13,000) and the 3G variant for $299 (Rs 15,000), which is not a high price to be paid for an advanced gaming console.