Weekly Wrap-Up #9 : Vivo V3, V3Max, Bingo 10, iPhone SE, iPad Pro 9.7, Marshmallow Update & More….

The final wrap-up for the month of March 2016 is here with the all the details of the latest launched smartphones and developments in the smartphone industry. The are few smartphones that have received the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. This week we also got some information regarding the upcoming smartphone that will be launched in the next few weeks.

• The Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy S6 Edge+ smartphones received the official Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in few markets. All these three devices are currently running on Android 5.1 Lollipop with Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI laid on top. If you haven’t still received the OTA update, Open Settings > About Phone > Software Update. Now tap on the Download Updates Manually to see of there is any update available for your device.
• Motorola also rolled out the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update for the Moto X Play devices in Canada and India. The update comes in 387.4MB in size and brings new features along with the security updates for the month of March. If your device hasn’t received the OTA update, you can go to Settings> About Phone > System Update to check the latest software update. It also comes with new Emoji added to the keyboard. There are few other upgrades along with few stability improvements.
• Vivo will be launching its upcoming high-end smartphones Vivo V3 and Vivo V3Max in India on April 5th. The devices come with metal build unibody and are expected to run on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The device came with a 1080p display and powered by Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor. The V3 comes with 3GB RAM and 16GB storage while the V3 Max has 4GB RAM and 32GB storage. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor placed on the rear that can be unlocked in less than a second.
• Meizu has confirmed to launch a new smartphone called as Meizu M3 Note on April 6th in China. Alongside the M3 Note, we also expect the entry-level Meizu M3 to be also launched. The device comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display and comes in two storage variants. The Helio P10 powered M3 Note comes with 3GB of RAM and has 16GB and 32GB storage variants. It has 13MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera, and a 3,200mAh battery.

InFocus Bingo 10

InFocus has launched a new entry-level smartphone called Bingo 10 at a price of Rs. 4,299. The device comes with basic specifications and is one of the best alternatives for another Infocus device M260, which was currently retailing at Rs. 3,999. It features a 4.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) display and is powered by MediaTek MT6580M quad-core processor. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via MicroSD card slot.

The device supports dual SIM dual standby but lacks the 4G LTE connectivity. The device runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and is also the most affordable smartphone to come with Marshmallow out-of-the-box. The device sports 5MP cameras on front and rear of the device along with an LED flash on both sides. It is backed by a 2,000mAh battery and offers basic connectivity features. As of now, the device is exclusively sold through Snapdeal and is available in White and Black colors.

360 F4 (QiKU)

Qihoo 360 has launched its first smartphone after renaming its brand from QiKU to 360. The 360 f4 is a budget smartphone that can compete against the like of Xiaomi Redmi 3. The device comes with a metal build unibody and sports a 5-inch HD display. Under the hood is a MediaTek MT6753quad-core processor. The 360 f4 comes in two variants with 2GB and 3GB of RAM, where the 2GB variant has 16GB of storage and 3GB variant comes with doubled storage of 32GB.

In the camera department, it has a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. On the front is a 5MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. The device supports dual SIM and offers 4G LTE along with VoLTE. It is backed by 2,500mAh battery and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop based 360 OS. The device also includes a fingerprint sensor placed on the rear that can unlock in just 0.47 seconds. Coming to the price, the 360 f4 with 2GB RAM costs 599 Yuan while 3GB variant costs 799 Yuan.

Apple iPhone SE

As rumors suggested, Apple has launched its relaunched a 4-inch iPhone called as iPhone SE. The device comes with the same design as 2013 launched iPhone 5S but packs some high-end specifications. Apart from the 3D Touch, most of the specifications remain same as in iPhone 6S. It is powered by the Apple A9  processor which makes it three times powerful than the iPhone 5S. It has 2GB of RAM and comes in 16GB and 64GB storage variants.

The device sports a 12MP iSight camera that can record videos in 4K resolution. On the front, it has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD Camera for selfies and video calls. Even though the device lacks 3D Touch, it can capture live photos. It runs on the latest iOS 9.3, and the TouchID comes integrated into the Home button. The 16GB variant of iPhone SE is priced at $399 in the U.S and in India it costs Rs. 39,000. It will be available in space gray, silver, gold and rose gold color options.

New Apple iPad Pro 9.7

Along with the 4-inch iPhone SE, Apple also launched the smaller version of iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch display. Apart from the smaller form factor, there are no major changes interms of design. The new iPad Pro includes quad speakers and smart connector as on the larger sibling. It comes with 9.7-inch Retina display with 1536 x 2048 pixels resolution. It is powered by Apple A9X dual-core processor and includes just 2GB of RAM while the earlier iPad Pro came with 4GB of RAM. Along with 32GB and 128GB storage variants, Apple also launched the new iPad Pro with 256GB storage.

Apple brought the 4K video recording to the iPad’s with this 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which was missing on the larger iPad Pro. The major upgrades can be found in the camera department, where the 8MP rear camera in upgraded to 12MP while the 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera is replaced with 5MP sensor. With the integrated Touch ID in the home button, it can be used for virtual payments through Apple Pay and also to unlock the tablet. The 32GB variant of new iPad Pro costs $599 in the U.S while in India; it is expected to be priced around Rs. 49,900.

Intex Aqua Ace II

Intex has launched one more smartphone with 3GB of RAM; the new Intex Aqua Ace II is the successor for the Aqua Ace that was launched last year. While the Aqua Ace was launched at Rs. 12,999, the latest Aqua Ace II is priced at Rs. 8,999 and comes with almost same specifications. The device features a 5-inch HD IPS display with a pixel density of 294ppi. It is powered by MediaTek MT6735 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz. As said earlier, it has 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The rear camera has been downgraded to 8MP from 13MP while the 5MP selfie camera on the front remains same. It supports dual SIM but offers 4G LTE only on the first SIM. The device runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop OS out-of-the-box. The Aqua Ace II is backed by a 3,000mAh battery which bigger than the 2,300mAh battery on Aqua Ace. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a MicroUSB 2.0 port. It measures 145.3 x 72 x 8.65 and weighs 149 grams.

Ulefone Vienna

Ulefone, a little known Chinese smartphone manufacturer, recently announced a new Android powered smartphone called Ulefone Vienna. The device packs mid-range internals but the USP of the device is its Hi-Fi system with a dedicated audio chip. The device comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display and a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 octa-core processor. The device includes 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, and a MicroSD card slot for further expanding the storage.

On the camera front, the Ulefone Vienna features a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, and dual tone LED flash and a 5MP front camera for selfies. The device is backed by a 3,250mAh non-removable battery and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. On the back, it also has a fingerprint sensor that make the Vienna even more secure. It comes in Grace Black, Space Grey, Silk White, and Rose Golden colors. As of now, the device is listed for $200 on third-party Chinese resellers.

Vivo Y31L & Vivo Y31A

Vivo launched the Vivo Y31L & Y31A as the successor for the Vivo Y31 in India and China respectively. The biggest upgraded over its predecessor is the 4G LTE -connectivity that offers higher data speeds. Both the devices sports a 4.7-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels) resolution display and are powered by Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor. It has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The device runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with FunTouch 2.1 OS overlaid. The Y31A comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera while the Y31L has the same 8MP rear camera but the front camera is of 2MP sensor. The devices support dual SIM dual standby and offer 4G LTE connectivity. The Vivo Y31L is priced at Rs. 9,450 and will be available starting by the end of this month.