Motorola today launched its Moto G smartphone in India. While the device doesn’t yet have a price at the time of writing, it will soon show up and be available for purchase directly from Flipkarom .
Update: The device will be available from Flipkarom from February 6, priced at 12,499 INR ($200) for the 8 GB model and 13,999 INR ($225) for the 16 GB model.
The Indian online retailer Flipart has exclusivity for the Moto G in the country, though it’s not clear for how long. If you order it today (again, we assume Flipkart is just slow at flipping the switch), you’ll also receive “free e-books, clothing, and an exclusive 70% discount on shells.”
See also – Moto G unveiled with a 4.5″ 720p display, 5MP camera and Android 4.3, available from $179 and Moto G review: The best budget Android smartphone, despite the poor camera and lack of LTE
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LG confirms it isn’t working on the Nexus 5, but doesn’t rule out working with Google again
An LG executive has revealed that the company currently has no plans to create another Nexus-branded smartphone in collaboration with Google.
In a recent interview with All About Phones , Won Kim, Vice President of LG Mobile in Europe, said: “The Nexus 4 was a great success despite the production problems for us and Google. However we do not need such a marketing success again.”
When asked about the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition – announced at this year’s Google I/O developer conference – Kim added that producing a similar device would provide “no added value for us.”
“We have no plans to provide our devices like Samsung has now done,” he said. “This has no added value for us without our own skins.”
Kim’s comments suggest that LG isn’t working on the Nexus 5, a long rumored successor to the popular Nexus 4, or a Google Edition for one of its other high-end Android smartphones, such as the LG Optimus G Pro.
A spokesperson for LG told TNW, however, that some of Kim’s comments have been misinterpreted.
Kim’s remarks also counter a report written by The Korea Times , published earlier this month, which suggested that Google was already working with the consumer electronics arm of LG to develop another Nexus-branded smartphone.
Kim’s remarks are particularly notable given that they follow today’s unveiling of the white Nexus 4 , a new color variant for the device launched last November. It will launch in Hong Kong on May 29 with the same hardware as the original black iteration, before a wider roll-out in international markets.
The absence of a new, LG-produced Nexus-branded smartphone was surprising at Google I/O this year. Some have suggested that Google is saving a hardware-specific event until later in the year , where it will also announce the next version of Android – but perhaps LG is simply uninterested in the Nexus initiative moving forward.
If so, this would provide a suitable explanation as to why Google partnered with Samsung for the Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Given the existing version of the device, complete with Samsung’s avalanche of apps and exclusive software features just passed 10 million global sales , it’s not as if Samsung is desperate for additional market share.
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Samsung ATIV Tab 3 hands-on, one of the world’s thinnest Windows tablets
Samsung unveiled a raft of new hardware on Thursday at its Samsung Premier event in London, so TNW went hands-on with some of the newest kit to give you the inside track. This time around it’s the ATIV Tab 3.
The ATIV Tab 3 is a Windows 8 based tablet with a 10.1-inch 1,366 x 768 pixels display with an Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB RAM and 64GB of storage space.
There’s also front and rear-facing camera’s (although I’ve personally never used the rear camera on a tablet) capable of capturing stills or video at HD 720p resolution.
However, more than the cold hard specs this thing is thin, well, for a Windows tablet at least. At just 8.2mm thick and just over half a kilo in weight (550 grams, to be precise) it’s plenty light enough to be a travelling companion. It’s claimed 10 hour battery life should keep you going for a while, too.
It might want to keep going for a while, but with its not overly impressive screen resolution you might feel differently. Things can at times appear more pixelated than you’d want and Retina fans certainly need not apply. It retains that ‘Samsung’ feel too, like it’s made of plastic, which it is.
On the plus side, there’s also an optional keyboard dock that doubles as a stand too, giving it life beyond being a mere companion device.
Despite the plasticky feel and unimpressive screen, and much like the ATIV Q hybrid announced alongside it, the ATIV 3’s success or failure will likely come down to pricing. If Samsung prices it smartly and you can fork out extra for that keyboard dock it could well be a cheap-ish way to get a full Windows 8 machine that’s light enough to carry around everywhere – pitting it in direct competition with Microsoft’s Surface.
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