Huawei announces the Honor, possible launch date revealed?

Huawei have announced their new dual-core Android smartphone, the Honor, via their official Facebook page. The dual-core, Gingerbread 2.3.5 running smartphone hasn’t got an official launch date yet, but we’re wondering if the video below has leaked out some exclusive information. The phone runs on a 1.4GHz processor and has a 1900 mAh battery powering it. It’s 10.9 mm thin and weighs 140g. Also part of the features is a ‘Deal MIC’, which we are assuming are the dual microphones for noise cancellation, along with a compass and a gyroscope. There’s a G-sensor, proximity sensor and light sensor, as well.

Possible launch date?

Here are the specifications of the Huawei Honor:

• 4.0-inch FWVGA Capacitive Touchscreen with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS support and Google Maps
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, EDR, microUSB v2.0
• 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
• 2 megapixel front camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Here's a video of the Honor:

 

Throughout the video the date that is set on the device shows 11/21/2011. That’s 21st November. Does that indicate a possible launch date for the Honor? For right now, it’s just speculation and we’ll have to wait and watch over the next week. Pricing and availability for India hasn't been disclosed yet, so stay tuned to this space for more information.
source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/huawei-announces-the-honor-possible-launch-date-revealed/257562

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Posted in Android Smartphones , Huawei Honor launch data , Huawei Honor launch in India , Huawei Honor released , Huawei Honor Specifications , Huawei Honor Specs , Huawei smartphones

Recent study shows Android phone repair cost telcos billions

Fitting older versions of Google's Inc popular Android software to cheaper cellphones could send the repair costs of global telecoms operators up as much as $2 billion, a study by wireless services firm WDS showed. Costly hardware failures are more common on Android devices than on Apple Inc iPhones and Research In Motion Inc BlackBerry phones, which have strict control over the components used in their devices, WDS data showed.

Cheaper Android models, costing as little as $100 to make, have helped Android emerge as the dominant platform in smartphones, attracting dozens of manufacturers ranging from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to no-brand Asian vendors. "While this price point sounds very attractive, when you look at a total cost of ownership its a different story," said Tim Deluca-Smith, Vice President of Marketing at WDS, which offers device management and call centre services to operators.

Proving to be a bit expensive for the telcos

Android's share of the global smartphone market rose to 57 percent in the third quarter from 25 percent a year earlier and just 3 percent two years earlier, boosted by the success of models from Samsung, HTC Corp and Sony Ericsson, according to research firm Canalys. Deluca-Smith said that, while Android has helped take smartphones to masses of people, it has come at a cost, especially when telecommunications operators roll out cheaper devices from less-known brands. "At the moment, Android is a bit of the Wild West," he said. He said returning a device costs an operator on average 80 British pounds in service costs, transport fees or in the costs of replacing of the device. The study covered 600,000 technical support calls taken by WDS across Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia.

source:    http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/recent-study-shows-android-phone-repair-cost-telcos-billions/254152

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Posted in Android Devices , Android hardware , Android OS , Android Platform , Android Repair , Android Smartphones , Google Android , Google Inc