Karbonn Titanium Octane and Octane Plus made cheaper on Snapdeal

The Karbonn Titanium Octane and Octane Plus smartphones which were introduced by the company back in March this year have been blessed with respective price cuts today. However, these reduced amounts only apply to units sold via Snapdeal.



While the mid-range Titanium Octane smartphone will be offered for Rs 2500 less than before, at Rs 11990, the Octane Plus will have its price slashed by Rs 4000, taking its asking amount down to Rs 13990. This price drop may be due to the entry of smartphones like the Xiaomi Mi3 and the Asus ZenFone 5 which are being offered by Flipkart right now.

The Karbonn Titanium Octane ships with a 5-inch IPS display which garners a resolution of 720p HD. It runs on a 1.7GHz octa core processor and features the Android 4.4 KitKat OS. A 13MP camera can be found on its rear surface, whereas a 5MP front snapper also forms part of its offerings.

Here’s a quick look at the specs of the Karbonn Titanium Octane:

- Display: 5-inch, 720p HD
- OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
- Processor: 1.7GHz octa core
- Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
- Camera: 13MP rear, 5MP front
- Battery: 2000mAh
- Dimensions: 147.3mm x 72.65mm x 7.6mm
- Weight: 140gms

Its Plus version on the other hand, is a high-end affair with its 5-inch 1080p full HD monitor, a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front snapper. This device too grabs a 1.7GHz octa core processor, but it is granted support by 2GB of RAM.

A look at all the key specs of the Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus:

- Display: 5-inch, 1080p HD
- OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
- Processor: 1.7GHz octa core
- Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
- Camera: 16MP rear, 8MP front
- Battery: 2000mAh
- Dimensions: 147.3mm x 72.6mm x 7.6mm
- Weight: 140gms

Snapdeal has already started offering the Karbonn Titanium Octane and Octane Plus at their reduced prices.

Karbonn A1+ Super and A5 Turbo affordable smartphones out

The Karbonn A5 Turbo and A1+ Super are two of the latest Android KitKat phones for the entry-level market in India which offer basic features at very affordable prices. The former costs Rs 3290, while the latter will go on sale for Rs 3490 and both are being touted as ideal choices for first-time smartphone users.



Both handsets have very similar designs and they share several hardware components as well. The Karbonn A5 Turbo falls in the 3.5-inch category with visuals delivered at HVGA resolution. The phone has a single core 1GHz processor doing the heavy lifting, something we consider a disappointment. What’s more, the memory provisions aren’t all that great either.

There’s 256MB of RAM and 512MB of internal storage which is acceptable at the said price, but we’ve seen better. Additionally, the Karbonn handset packs a microSD card slot and dual SIM support along with connectivity options including 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The A1+ Super smartphone features the same display and memory, but its processing power has been increased a bit. It embeds a 1.3GHz dual core chipset and also flaunts dual cameras which comprise of a 3MP rear shooter and a VGA lens on the front. Sadly, there’s no mention of 3G connectivity for this handset.

Karbonn A1+ Super key specs:

- Android 4.4 KitKat
- 1.3GHz dual core processor
- 256MB RAM
- 512MB storage, 32GB microSD card support
- Dual SIM support
- 3MP rear camera, VGA front snapper

Karbonn is yet to disclose availability details for the A5 Turbo and A1+ Super smartphones. Around a month back, the Indian OEM launched four entry-level phones under its Smart series and is offering them exclusive through Flipkart at prices pegged below Rs 5000.

Flipkart partners Karbonn to launch entry-level Android phones

Flipkart and Karbonn have partnered to launch four new entry-level Android smartphones priced between Rs 2,699 and Rs 4,499. 

Available in white and black colours, Karbonn Smart A52+, Karbonn Smart A12, Karbonn Smart A11 and Karbonn Smart A50S dual-sim phones will be available exclusively on Flipkart. 

Two of these phones run Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of the OS. 

Karbonn Smart A50S sports a 3.5-inch display and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB RAM 2GB internal storage. It sports a 2MP rear camera, digital front camera, internet connectivity through Edge and an 1100mAh battery. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and is priced at Rs 2,699. 

Karbonn Smart A52+ also sports a 3.5-inch IPS display and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. It sports a 2MP rear camera, digital front camera, internet connectivity through Edge and an 1300mAh battery. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and is priced at Rs 3,099. 

Karbonn Smart A12 features a 4-inch IPS display and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. It sports a 5MP rear camera, digital front camera, internet connectivity through 3G and an 1400mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is priced at Rs 4,099. 

Karbonn Smart A11 features a 4.3-inch IPS display and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. It sports a 5MP rear camera, digital front camera, internet connectivity through 3G and an 1400mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is priced at Rs 4,499. 

Commenting on the launch, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, SVP - retail at Flipkart said, "It is our continuous endeavour to make technology available easily and at affordable prices to the greater masses of India. In this digital age, we believe every Indian should have access to a smartphone. These Karbonn phones that have been made exclusively for Flipkart customers are a step in that direction." 

Number One Internet Giant Google announces 'Android One'

Google on Wednesday announced it is working on a low-cost  smartphone aimed at emerging  markets as part of an initiative called Android One. The Android-powered handset will be built with a basic set of features including FM radio, have a screen slightly smaller than five inches and be priced at less than $100, Google senior vice president  Sundar Pichai said at the start of the technology giant's annual developers conference.

Sundar Pichai, Google's SVP for Android, Chrome and Apps, made some very interesting announcements at the I/O 2014 Keynote on Wednesday, of which perhaps the most exciting was the revelation of the Android One platform (previously rumoured as Android Silver) and its partners in emerging markets. The program will kick-off in India, with three partners - Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice, starting this 'fall'.

In an effort to help its OEM partners, who are forced to release a new smartphone every 9 months to stay ahead in the intensely competitive market, Google is releasing a new Android hardware and software reference platforms. This will help save OEMs money and time in design, choosing the right components and pushing their smartphones to the market.

It will also help Google and its partners push updates to Android devices, with optimised stock Android experiences being replaced by new ones. With OEMs using the Android One platform, Google will also be able to ensure a minimum set of standards for smartphones.

The Android One initiative works with smartphone makers and others in the "ecosystem" to pool resources and standardize hardware platforms to provide "turnkey solutions" for making handsets, elaborated Pichai.

Speaking more about the Android One software experience, Pichai also spoke about 'Play Auto-installs', which would push a list of recommended apps to Android One users.

The Android One platform is Google's attempt to reach the 'next 5 billion users' who don't currently own a smartphone. Pichai elaborated that in emerging countries, less than 10 percent own smartphones.

Pichai announced Google's first three Android One partners, all from India - Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice. A Micromax Android One smartphone was also showcased on stage, featuring what Pichai called vital features for emerging markets - dual-SIM, a microSD card slot, and FM radio. The Micromax Android One smartphone was also revealed to feature a 4.5-inch display, and cost less than $100 (Rs. 6,000 roughly).

Google's Pichai also said he'd been using a Micromax Android One smartphone for a while now, and was really impressed, despite being used to top-end phones for daily use.