Gionee GPad G5 5.5-inch hexa core phablet laucned for Rs 14999

The Gionee GPad G5 phablet may have a hexa core processor, but it’s a downgrade in a manner of speaking when compared to its predecessor and this shows in the price of Rs 14999 attached to it. The GPad G4 is currently pegged at Rs 16999 officially even though it was launched for Rs 18999.

The only advantage the Gionee GPad G5 possesses at present is the fact that the Mi 3 has stepped away from the limelight temporarily. Otherwise, it’d be racking up a lot of criticism considering its price is Rs 1000 heavier than the Xiaomi phone’s tag.

And it’s not like the GPad G5 has anything spectacular to show in comparison. Apart from having a hexa core processor, its specs sheet isn’t too impressive. There’s 1GB of RAM onboard and 8GB of ROM, though it does come with expandability of up to 32GB unlike the Mi 3 and GPad G4.

The new GPad takes some design cues from the Mi 3 although it would have done better to borrow more tips on the internal components. The phone is sharp on all four corners and has an easy way about it on the back with its slightly curvy build which should offer a good grip.

This forthcoming Gionee device embeds dual SIM slots and 3G connectivity, but no 4G LTE. Its 5.5-inch IPS display which is protected with Dragontrail Glass would have been more interesting if it did full HD instead of sticking to 1280 x 720p resolution .

At least there’s Android KitKat inside and a decent capacity 2400mAh battery that will let you squeeze about 12 hours of 3G talk time out of it. You also get two SIM card slots and an 8MP camera with flash on the back. You’ll have to make do with a 2MP lens for video calls.

Gionee GPad G5 key specs at a glance:

- 5.5-inch 1280 x 720p IPS Dragontrail Glass screen
- Android v4.4 KitKat OS
- 8MP main camera w/ LED flash, 2MP front lens
- 1.5GHz hexa core Cortex A7 processor
- 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage
- 32GB memory expandability
- 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
- Dual SIM card slots
- 2400mAh battery, 12 hours 3G talk time
- 157.3 x 77.6 x 7.9 millimeters
- Black and white color options

The Gionee GPad 5 is not up for sale yet, but it will be made available soon enough through the company’s very own store as well as via other retailers.

Maker of US$33 smartphone hails 'new era' for India

The maker of a new US$33 (S$41) smartphone billed as India's cheapest said on Wednesday (Aug 27) it aims to sell half a million in the next three months in what it called a "new era" for the market.

Indian Bollywood actor-director Farhan Akhtar (centre) poses with models holding the Intex phone at a launch event in Mumbai. (AFP/Indranil Mukherjee

The maker of a new US$33 (S$41) smartphone billed as India's cheapest said on Wednesday (Aug 27) it aims to sell half a million in the next three months in what it called a "new era" for the market.

Indian mobile phone maker Intex has teamed up with California-based Mozilla - the non-profit organisation behind the Firefox open-source web browser - to create a cheaper alternative to Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy.

Intex spokeswoman Joyeeta Mitra said the handset, which went on sale this week, was aimed at first-time smartphone buyers and was the cheapest yet to hit the market. "We're moving into a new era in smartphones," Mitra told AFP. "This is a user-friendly handset that can help people onto smartphones and onto the Internet. "We have big expectations that this phone will find a large market and we are expect 500,000 sales in the first three months."

The company is initially targeting the Indian market but expects to expand sales to other countries in Asia, she said.

India's smartphone market is growing rapidly. US market research firm IDC reported shipments leapt by 186 per cent to 17.59 million smartphones in the first financial quarter to June from a year earlier. IDC forecast that smartphone sales would continue to rocket in coming years, growing at an annual rate of 40 per cent for the next five years.

But price is key in India, which according to the World Bank is home to one-third of the world's poor. Three-quarters of smartphone sales in India are below US$200. The Intex offering undercuts the Smart A50S, made by Indian handset maker Karbonn which was launched in June at 2,790 rupees (US$46).

Mozilla has been teaming up in the low-cost smartphone market in the developing world with Alcatel, Huawei and LG, with a focus on Latin America.