Galaxy S4 hits Nepali shelves

The wait for the most-anticipated smartphone is now over. International Marketing Services (IMS), the sole authorised distributor of Samsung mobile phones for Nepal, took the wraps off the iconic Samsung Galaxy S4 on Sunday. IMS President Dikesh Malhotra unveiled the smartphone amid a programme in Kathmandu.

According to company, Samsung Galaxy S4 is designed to get users closer to what matters in life and bring their world together. “This sleek and innovative smartphone makes every moment of life very meaningful. It understands the value of relationships, enabling true connections with friends and family,” the company said. “It believes in the importance of an effortless user experience, making your life easier and hassle-free. And, it enriches your life, helping take care of your well-being.”

The beauty of the phone, according to IMS, is the highly-crafted design encompassing a larger screen size and longer battery power, minimized bezel and a slim shape. The latest offering from Samsung sports a five-inch HD super AMOLED display with improved 1080p resolution, larger than that in the preceding Galaxy S III model. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Operating System (OS), which has been mated with a 1.6 GHz Octa core or 1.9 GHz quad core processor along with Exynos five Octa 5410 chipset.

As for the memory, the handset comes with a 1GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 64 GB through a micro SD card. Samsung has powered this new device with a 13 mega-pixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash which can take pictures with a maximum resolution of 4128 x 3096 pixels. It has been backed by a 2 mega-pixel front-facing secondary camera.

Other camera features are dual shot, simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilisation and high dynamic range (HDR) photography.

Other smart features of the device include eye-tracking, gesture capabilities, S Health and S Voice Drive. ‘Smart Stay’ uses the front camera to detect whether users are looking at the screen and turns off the screen automatically if the users are not looking at the screen. And, ‘Smart Scroll’ allows users to scroll by just tilting the device, up or down.

The S Voice Drive application is specially designed for cars and allows drivers to use built-in navigation system as well as make calls, send messages, and check weather updates. In addition to the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the phone has toggles for call-blocking mode and eye-tracking gestures. It comes with an integrated optical reader that can scan Quick Response (QR) codes, turn business cards into texts, and translate with S Translator.

IMS has said the customers can avail the handset in two colour options — black mist and white frost — and it comes preloaded with Ncell data voucher with 1 GB data per month for three months. The value added insurance offer is now available through Everest Insurance and EMI is available to credit cardholders of Nabil and Laxmi banks. Moreover, the existing owners of genuine Samsung Galaxy SII and Galaxy SIII can upgrade to Galaxy S IV including a free flip cover via the exchange facility at Samsung Premium Brand shop, Sherpa Mall.

On the occasion of the new smartphone’s launch, the IMS Chairman Deepak Malhotra announced the formation of DM Foundation, a philanthropic humanitarian services initiative. The foundation will initially receive Rs 1,000 from the sale of every Galaxy S4 smartphone. In times to come, the funds accumulated with the foundation will be used to provide help and assistance to differently abled, aged and destitute as well as victims of natural disasters.

source: the kathmandu post,6 may 2013

New Loadshedding schedule from 5 May, 2013

New Loadshedding schedule has just arrived which will be effective from 5 may, 2013 (Sunday). 8 hrs/day now

Virgin Mobile opens pre-booking for Galaxy S4

The wait for Samsung Galaxy S4 is over, as Virgin Mobile, in association with International Marketing Services (IMS), the authorized dealer of Samsung mobile phones for Nepal, and Ncell, is opening pre-booking for the much-awaited Korean phone in Nepal. The phone will be launched in the local market on May 5.

According to Vivek Sharma Dhandh, managing director of Virgin Mobile, pre-booking for Samsung Galaxy S4 is opening from Sunday.

IMS Chairman Deepak Malhotra said that the phone will be launched in Nepal on May 5 but customers can place orders for the phone at Virgin Mobile from Sunday.

The Galaxy S4 sports a 5-inch HD super AMOLED display with improved resolution at 1080p which is slightly larger than Galaxy S3 that has 4.8-inch display.

The phone runs on Android 4.2.2 operating system -- the latest version of Jelly Bean -- and is powered by a 1.6 GHz octa core or 1.9 GHz quad core processor with Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chipset.

“Though the phone comes with processors of different capacities, the one we are launching in Nepal has 1.9 GHz quad core processor,” said Sharma.

S4 comes with power VR SGX 544 MP3 graphics processing unit, 2GB RAM and internal memory of 16 GB which can be expanded by another 64 GB.

The phone is powered by a 13-mega-pixel auto focus primary camera with a resolution of 4128x3096 pixels, LED flash that allows dual shots, simultaneous high-definition (HD) video and image recording and geo-tagging. Other features include: touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization and high dynamic range (HDR) photography. Users can make video calls with the help of 2-mega-pixel front camera.

The phone, with a strong battery of 2600 mAh, has features such as eye tracking, gesture recognition capabilities, S Health and S Voice Drive, among others.

According to the company, ´Smart Stay´, also known as ´Smart Pause´, is a new feature in the S4 that uses the front camera to pause videos if users are looking away from the screen.

Another feature ´Smart Scroll´ enables automatic scrolling of pages upon tilting the phone in different directions.

S Health, a calorie-counter or a pedometer, is another new feature in the phone. It uses sensors like accelerometer and barometer to track of steps, jogs, hops, jolts, snacks, and perspiration.

Likewise, the S Voice Drive app, specially designed for cars, allows drivers to use built-in navigation system and make calls, send messages and check the weather.
Besides the usual toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the phone also has toggles for call-blocking and eye-tracking modes. It has integrated optical reader that can scan Quick Response (QR) codes, turn business cards into text and translate with S Translator.

Sharma said that Galaxy S4 will be available for Rs 71,900 in the local market. The phones come with one-year insurance and 1GB free data for three months from Ncell.

Virgin Mobile will be extending free phone covers to those who book the cell phones in advance.

source: republica,27 april 2013

Nokia Lumia 620 now available in Nepal

Nokia has introduced Nokia Lumia 620, the third range of Windows Phone 8 smartphones, in the Nepali market. Nokia Lumia 620 offers a more fun, youthful appeal and compact design, according to a press statement.

The phone comes with 512MB RAM and 8GB mass memory (micro SD support of up to 64GB) with 7GB free Microsoft SkyDrive storage.

Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new dual-shot color technique to deliver a variety of striking color and texture effects. With seven different exchangeable shells to choose from, people can adapt the look of their 3.8-inch TFT WVGA 800x480 display to their own personal taste and style, says the statement.

“We continue to execute on our strategy of reaching new audiences and new markets. With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point,” the statement quotes Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices, as saying.

Nokia Lumia 620 is available in a range of colors including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. It is available in Nepali market for Rs 23,960, says the statement.

Neoteric Nepal and Paramount Electronics are the authorized distributors of Nokia phones for Nepal.

source:republica,27 april 2013

Colors launches Xfactor Idol 4.0

Teletalk — the sole authorised distributor of Colors mobile in the country — has added a new touchscreen Android smartphone — ‘Xfactor Idol 4.0’ — in its famous Xfactor series.

The Xfactor Idol 4.0 fulfills the demand of those users who want to purchase their first touchscreen Android phone that has a large screen, is packed with various features and at the same time is also quite affordable .

The Xfactor Idol 4.0 Android smartphone is a dual-sim smartphone that comes with a huge 4” QVGA touchscreen and is powered by the popular Android 2.3 operating system.

The smartphone has 256MB RAM with 1GHz processor, and has several features like wi-fi, Bluetooth, inbuilt FM radio, and audio/video player.

The gadget allows extended memory of up to 32GB and has a long lasting battery power of 1350mAh.

The Android featured smartphone also has a 0.3 megapixel front facing camera that is a rare and welcome addition among the other phones in the category, the company said.

The Xfactor Idol 4.0 Android smartphone comes with a free 4GB memory card and is available in two colours — black and white.

The company will provide a one-year warranty on mobile handset and six-month warranty on battery and charger.

source: the himalayan times,25 april 2013

Nagmani launches touch-screen laptop from Asus

Nagmani International, the sole authorised distributor of Asus for Nepal, has introduced a new laptop computer — the Asus VivoBook S-400 CA.

The new product from the Taiwanese electronics major is sleek in design, weighs less and will cater to the demand of high-end gadget seekers and those travelling frequently, according to the company. Moreover, its fascinating touch-screen sets the product apart from similar other products.

“We have been receiving frequent queries about the product ever since its launch in the international market,” said Super Shrestha, product manager - Asus at Nagmani International.  “It has been a week since we launched the product here and the response so far has been encouraging.”

Shrestha expressed his confidence about the device’s performance, saying gadget aficionados in Nepal want a laptop computer having touch-screen facility. The emergence of Asus as a prominent laptop maker globally and its strengthening presence in the domestic market will help this new product here, he said.

The new Asus VivoBook runs Windows 8 Operating System (OS) and features powerful third generation Intel Core i5 processor.  It also offers offers 2-second instant on from sleep or hibernate modes. The device features a 14-inch backlight touch-screen display. “Probably, we are the only company to sell touch-screen laptop s in Nepal after Lenovo. This is also an advantageous feature,” Shrestha said. The device’s screen can display visuals in the aspect ratio of 16:9 HD formats.

As for the memory, the latest offering from Asus comes with 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive with 28GB SSD hard drive, which further enhances the storage capability of the device. It features a HD web camera for clear video chats and is equipped with Sonic Master technology for richer sound experience with wider sonic range, deeper bass and powerful output, the company said.

For connectivity, the device has integrated a wireless adapter for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. It, however, does not feature an optical disk drive, the only missing feature.

According to Shrestha, the company has targeted this device at corporate officials, bankers and those working with I/NGOs. “High-end gadget seekers too are our target customers,” Shrestha said, adding the light-weight machine (1.8 kg) will also cater to the demand of frequent travellers. Nagmani International has said the new Asus device is imported from Asus’ Taiwan-based factory and is priced Rs 95,000. The device will be available across the country within the next week.

source: the kathmandu post,26 april 2013

Sony smartphones make formal entry into Nepal

Nepa Hima Trade Link, the sole authorised distributor of Sony home appliances in Nepal, on Monday announced the formal entry of Sony smartphones into the domestic market. Even though cell phones from Sony have been selling in Nepal market for long, there were not any official sellers.

During the ceremony, Nepa Hima Trade Link also announced the launching of five smartphone models from Sony —Xperia Z, Xperia Go, Xperia J, Xperia E and Xperia E dual. Company’s Executive Director Rajesh Tuladhar unveiled the handsets amid a programme in the Capital.

 “We are pleased to introduce smartphones from Sony in Nepal market,” Tuladhar said. “The official entry of the Xperia series of smart phones will add a milestone to the smartphone market of Nepal”. Explaining that nine out of 10 cell phones, globally, are damaged due to water, Tuladhar informed that the Xperia Z and Xperia Go are water resistant and dust proof, and thus would cater to a large number of smartphone seekers. “Users of these phones need not worry about using it with wet hands or in dusty conditions,” he added.

Highlighting the key features of Z series of smartphones, Masao Matsui of Sony said that the new phones have assembled half a century of innovation carried out by other Sony devices such as TVs, cameras, music systems and gaming devices to create a super phone experience that truly stands out. “The newly introduced Z series of smartphones have become a global success. And in Nepal too, we will cooperate with Nepa Hima to make it a success,” he added.

The Sony Xperia Z features a five inch full HD 1080p reality display screen with a mobile Bravia Engine 2. The device which runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System (OS) features a snapdragon S4 pro quad-core processor. For better image, it has got a 13-mega-pixel fast capture camera. Likewise, battery stamina mode is another interesting feature of the device which increases the cell phone’s standby time by more than four times.

People can broadcast content from smartphone to Smart TVs through Wi-Fi connection, or send tunes to speaker through Bluetooth. The device’s ‘Throw’ technology enables the smartphone to connect wirelessly to other devices.

The other device to be unveiled at the event is Xperia J, which is powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS and one GHz processor. Along with four-inch display, it features a five mega-pixel camera along with LED flash. Xperia Go water and dust resistance phone offers the same OS, processing unit and camera. However, at 3.2 inches its screen size is smaller compared to other Xperia models. The dual SIM device from Sony , Xperia E (GSM+GSM) and the other featuring single SIM slot, Xperia E too are powered by the Ice Cream Sandwich OS, one GHz processor and 3.2 mega-pixel camera.Nepa Hima has priced Xperia Z at Rs 66, 999, Xperia Go at Rs 24, 499, Xperia J at Rs 24, 999, Xperia E at Rs 15, 499 and E Dual at Rs 17, 499. The devices come with a one-year warranty in software, hardware and six-month warranty in battery.

source: the kathmandu post,23 april 2013