BSNL Launches Voice & Video over Broadband (VVOBB)

After the launch of IPTV and 3G services in the recent past, BSNL have now tied up with IT solutions provider, Sai Infosystems India to introduce voice-and-video facility on BSNL's broadband service. This voice-and-video service will cover a wide spectrum of telecom services like video telephony, conferencing and integrated mobile advertising. 

Another sector where this technology could be of use is security. Video telephony also offers video surveillance, which could help substitute analog CCTV systems with security systems using IP cameras.

VVOBB Tariff Plans

A range of phone equipment from simple to high-end models will be launched for enabling this service. A PC is not required for making calls. The connectivity for the service will be provided by BSNL. 

Although video telephony has been widely available in other parts of the world, till now it has been mostly restricted for business purposes. BSNLs foray into voice-and-video over broadband (VVOBB) for homes seems like a fresh initiative to provide its users with additional facilities for audio-visual communication.

Mobile Ticketing Makes Life Easy For Indian Railways' Commuters

Indian Railways have certainly made life a whole lot easier for commuters by introducing the new mobile ticketing application for mobile phones. Although the application is still in the development stage, it is being ascertained that commuters would no longer have to wait in long lines and wait for printouts of their tickets. All the customer has to do is download the application on their mobile phone and carry some kind of identification proof. The ticket will be sent to them via SMS on their mobile phone through the same application. This mobile ticket cannot be forwarded. 

Booking made easy

Elimination of the ticket printouts has certainly made the Indian Railways more modernized and a lot more accessible. Other than making it easy for commuters to book their tickets, it also helps them to make their own reservations without going to the reference of a travel agency. This feature will definitely help commuters in the rural parts of the country. Since most travel agencies often block tickets and sell them at a higher price, this will  prevent ticketing fraud. However, the introduction of the mobile ticketing application will not completely rule out the presence of travel agencies; but it will make it more organized.

Earlier, travel service agents (RTSA) used to sell tickets and make reservations for the customers without actually registering them on the IRCTC website. It will now be mandatory for individuals as well as travel agents to register themselves before making any further reservations. S. S Mathur, GM-IT reports that ‘there will be no additional charges and that they were planning to stick to their current prices”.

For more information check out the IRCTC link here.

TATA Docomo Introduces Facebook, Twitter Access via USSD

Social networking access seems to be that one important feature that would complete a mobile service. Taking a cue from this, one of India’s rapidly growing mobile service providers, Tata Docomo have announced their USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based access to popular social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. According to a report in TELECOM TALK, the catch here is that users will not have to subscribe to any data plans to avail these services.

Now, USSD-based access

By dialing *325# and *515#, users will be able to access Facebook and Twitter – can see and post status updates, post comments, poke, like, among others. In order to subscribe to Twitter, the user can dial *515#. On reaching a landing page, hereafter, customers can punch in their Twitter details, and begin tweeting. Facebook services, on the other hand can be accessed by dialing *325#, and like mentioned before, users can enter their details on the landing page that follows.

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Lock Pan-India 3G Service Agreement

It’s official now. According to the reports, India’s premier mobile service providers – Vodafone Essar, Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular have gone full throttle with their plans of rolling out revolutionary 3G Roaming services in the country, on a massive scale. Interestingly, the 3G Roaming services are being planned not only on a massive scale as far as the reach is concerned, but also in a manner that is not too heavy on the pockets of the average Indian.

Let's hope the prices drop

Signing on the dotted line of the ICRA (Intra – circle roaming arrangements) agreement, the leading telecom trio has agreed to roll-out the 3G services by using each other’s networks. Vodafone Essar has got into what it calls a bilateral agreement with Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular to bring forth to the customers 3G services, across major demographics. For example, Bharti Airtel that has a considerably widespread presence in the country doesn’t possess a 3G presence in Gujarat. A void, it hopes to wipe out with its agreement with Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular.

Each of these 3 telecom giants have bagged 3G licenses in various parts of the country. Bharti Airtel owns 3G licenses for Delhi, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (west region), West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, the North East, and Jammu and Kashmir. Vodafone Essar, on the other hand has 3G licenses for Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (east region) and West Bengal and Idea Cellular has 3G licenses for Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, UP (East) UP (West), Punjab, Haryana and Kerala.

It was only recently that these mobile service providers brought this service down to India.

Samsung Wave 725 Revealed Through Leaked Bada 2.0 SDK

We got a whiff of Samsung’s plans to release Bada 2.0 along with three new phones. The first one named Wave 578, has already been spoken about, and now we have more dope on the second one that will be coming in September. Thanks to the team atbadaworld.net, we now know the second phone in the trilogy will be the Wave 725. The upcoming Wave 725 This mystery phone was found in the leaked Bada 2.0 SDK, as the specifications all point to the one rumored back in May. The Wave 725 will pack a 3.65-inch 320x480 display, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and a 5MP camera. The phone will also have an NFC chip for some future proofing. The images are obviously just a rough representation, but you get an idea about its appearance. The design reminds me of the Samsung Wave, in any case we’ll know for sure when it makes its debut in September.

Latest Price List & Reviews for Most Popular Phones

(UPDATED ON 7th July 2011) Our mega mobile phone price list gives you a "one-stop solution" to find out and compare prices of the latest mobile phones from Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Apple, LG, Sony Ericsson and Blackberry. The prices in the table below are for legitimate (non-grey market) mobile phones with proper one year warranty and bill.

All of the significant branded mobile phone models currently available in the market, priced around the Rs. 5k mark or above are in the list. Out-of-production models and products withdrawn from India are not listed below, since you cannot buy them at stores.

You can click on the price link of every phone to get re-directed to the site where the product is listed at a price we thought was the lowest. For more information on these phones, you can click on the "Read Full Review" link to read more about the phone, buying advice and view the PCW rating it received.

Alternatively, we have covered some of the phones in other manners including videos, news and head-to-head comparisons - you can click on the "Read More" link to find out more about the phone's details.

Nokia

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Nokia E6	16,890	Read Preview
Nokia X1-01	1,826	Read More
Nokia X7	20,690	Read More
Nokia E7	24,990	Read Review
Nokia C3-01	8,075	Read Preview
Nokia C6-01	13,590	Read Preview
Nokia C2-01	3,849	Read More
Nokia X2-01	3,450	Read Full Review
Nokia C5-03	8,390
Nokia X3-02	7,590	Read Review
Nokia X5-01	9,167	Read Full Review
Nokia X2	4,275	Read More
Nokia N8	21,490	Read Full Review
Nokia C7	16,440	Read Full Review
Nokia E72	14,790	Read Full Review
Nokia E5	8,990	Read Full Review
Nokia E63	7,790	Read Full Review
Nokia C6-00	11,875	Read Full Review
Nokia C3	5,790	Read More
Nokia C5	7,225	Read More
Nokia X6 16GB	15,290	Read Full Review
Nokia 5233	5,690	Read Full Review

Samsung

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Samsung Galaxy S II	30,499	Read More
Samsung Galaxy S	22,900	Read Full Review
Samsung Google Nexus S	19,999	Read More
Samsung i9003 Galaxy SLCD	18,690
Samsung S5670 Galaxy Fit	9,990	Read More
Samsung S5570 Galaxy Pop	7,990	Read More
Samsung S5830 Galaxy Ace	14,490	Read More
Samsung Galaxy 551 I5510	9,199	Read More
Samsung S8530 Wave II	15,700	Read Full Review
Samsung Galaxy Tab	24,390	Read Review
Samsung Galaxy 3	8,490	Read Full Review
Samsung Wave 723 S7233	10,275	Read More
Samsung Wave 525 S5253	6,390	Read More
Samsung Wave 533 S5330	7,990	Read More
Samsung Omnia652 B6520	7,999	Read More
Samsung Star II	6,202
Samsung Star Duos B7722	10,250	Read More
Samsung Monte S5620	7,390	Read Full Review

Sony Ericsson

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play	29,999	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson Yendo	4,790	Read More
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc	26,890	Read More
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8	9,490	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro	11,390	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini	8,990	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson Cedar	4,190	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson Spiro	4,075	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson Elm	7,620
Sony Ericsson Zylo	6,475	Read More
Sony Ericsson Aspen	10,490	Read Full Review
Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro	18,999	Read Full Review

HTC

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
HTC Sensation	29,899	Read Review
HTC Wildfire S	13,899	Read More
HTC Flyer	36,538	Read More
HTC Incredible S	26,399	Read More
HTC Desire S	22,899	Read More
HTC HD7	28,290	Read Full Review
HTC Desire Z	19,549	Read Review
HTC Desire HD	25,199	Read Preview
HTC Desire	16,499	Read Review
HTC Wildfire	10,899	Read Full Review

LG

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
LG Optimus 2X	25,499	Read more
LG Optimus One P500	10,900	Read Review
LG Cookie Snap	7,984
LG GT540 Optimus	7,490	Read Full Review
LG Cookie Zip	6,966	Read More
LG Cookie Fresh	4,390	Read Full Review
LG GX500	9,500

Motorola

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Motorola Defy	15,499	Read Full Review
Motorola Quench XT5	9,999	Read Full Review
Motorola Quench XT3	11,772	Read More
Motorola Charm	8,499	Read More
Motorola EX115 Starling	4,799	Read More
Motorola FlipOut	8,499	Read Full Review
Motorola BackFlip	17,633	Read More
Motorola Milestone XT720	23,020	Read More
Motorola Milestone	19,786	Read Full Review

Blackberry

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Blackberry Playbook 64GB Wi-Fi	36,490	Read More
Blackberry Playbook 32GB Wi-Fi	31,990	Read More
Blackberry Playbook 16GB Wi-Fi	26,990	Read More
Blackberry Torch 9800	28,690	Read Full Review
Blackberry Bold 9780	22,371	Read More
Blackberry Curve 3G 9300	13,999
Blackberry Pearl 3G 9100	14,990	Read More
Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105	11,796
Blackberry Bold 9700	21,594	Read Full Review
Blackberry Curve 8520	9,199	Read Full Review

Apple

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Apple iPhone 4 16GB	34,500	Read Review
Apple iPhone 4 32GB	40,900	Read Review
Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB	40,599	Read Full Review
Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB	34,599	Read Full Review

Dell

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Dell Venue	21,990	Read Full Review
Dell Venue Pro	23,790	Read More
Dell XCD28	5,990	Read More
Dell XCD35	10,290	Read More
Dell Streak	23,690	Read Full Review

Acer

Phone Model	Price (Rs.)	PCW Info Link
Acer Liquid Metal	17,290	Read Full Review
Acer Ferrari Edition Liquid E	24,999	Read More
Acer beTouch E130	12,899
Acer Liquid S100	18,899	Read Full Review

Prices of the products above are indicative only, as observed at online mobile stores such asAdexmart.com, Flipkart.com and UniverCell.in and PCW will endeavor to keep the prices current. Univercell.in is a well-known mobile phone retailer, with a strong online presence. In our quest of finding prices, we also discovered FlipKart.com, a website that started as a specialist of selling books and music online. FlipKart surprised us with its listing of latest mobile phones with the most competitive pricing. Adexmart is a new site that might not have the largest number of phones or brands but definitely has one of the lowest prices on the Net. You can buy these phones (offline) from brick-and-mortar stores, and also from univercell.in, adexmart.com or flipkart.com online.

Zen Mobiles Launches Flikk M45

Upcoming mobile brand, Zen mobiles has introduced in the market what it calls the next generation Touch Screen phone, Flikk M45. Perhaps, the only in this low-price category The phone comes with a modest price tag of Rs. 5,000. Calling it India’s finest Capacitive Touch Screen phone, Zen mobiles’ Flikk M45 comes with a 7.1cm large display screen, and Zen mobiles claims that its Touch Screen is feather soft and allows easy navigation. Here’s a detailed look at the features of Flikk M45: 3.2 MP Camera Pinch to Zoom in and Zoom Out Customizable widgets Handwriting Recognition 4GB memory with pre-loaded movies like 3 Idiots, Dabanng and Deewar MP3/MP4 with 3.5mm audio jack Applications – Snaptu, Opera Mini Browser, Facebook, Nimbuzz   250hours of battery standby time

Zen Mobile Launches Feature Rich M72 Mobile for Those on a Shoe-String Budget

Zen Mobile has launched quite an attractive feature phone for just Rs.1749. If you’re thinking this is going to be a very basic phone with a tiny display, you’d be very wrong. For starters, it comes with a large 2.4-inch screen. It also boasts of an extra long battery life thanks to the 1800mAh battery. Feature packed The key features include – 2.4-inch screen capable of displaying 262K colors Dual SIM Bluetooth 3.5mm headphone jack Anti-Theft mobile tracker Private data protection 1.3MP camera Dual LED torch 1800mAh battery Expandable memory up to 16GB The pricing seems very attractive given the features you’re getting. Finally, you won’t have to compromise much by paying less, let's just hope it can deliver on all that Zen is promising.

Intex Launches the Tri.Do, a Triple SIM Mobile Phone

If a Dual SIM phone is not keeping you happy beacuse it's just not enough for those with 'active' or 'multiple' lifestyles, Intex launching a triple SIM mobile phone called Tri.Do is sure to put a smile on your face. The mobile phone has three SIM slots, two for GSM cards and one for a CDMA card. The rest of the specifications are the pretty standard ones that you’ll find in most entry-level Java mobile phones.

Three SIMs for 3 different lifestyles

The Tri.Do boasts of a 1800 mAh battery, which the company claims can deliver up to 7 hours of talk time and 300 hours of stand-by. The handset supports formats like MP3, WAV and AMR for audio and MP4 along with 3GP for video. The rest of the specifications are as follows:

• 2.2-inch TFT screen with 65K colours
• Bluetooth
• 1.3 Megapixel camera
• Memory expandable to 32GB
• Wireless FM
• 3.5 mm audio jack

Tri.Do also has some pre-loaded applications for social networking like Facebook, MSN and Yahoo, and there’s Google, as well. It has other mundane features like an answering machine and there’s a mobile tracker application also.

The Intex Tri.Do can be yours for Rs. 3,750 and is available at your nearest mobile phone retail store.

Nokia’s Ovi Suite Gets an Upgrade

Those of you who're loyal to your Nokia handsets definitely know about Ovi Suite – the software that lets you sync all your data from your device to your PC. Nokia has finally released an update for it, bringing it to version 3.1.1.75. This actually was in a Beta stage version 3.1.1.40, and had quite a few features. With some added features and bug fixes... Users with Symbian-based mobile phones can download and install apps, games and more directly from the Ovi Store. The Ovi Maps has got a simplified view and Nokia had also worked on quite a few crash errors being fixed. You can download the updated version of Ovi Suite directly from this link, and if you do find it to be better (or worse) than the previous sync suite, you can always mention it in our comments section. Thanks to Nokia Blog for the heads up.

Idea Cellular Fined For Acquiring Spice Mobile Discreetly

Fairly popular mobile service provider in the country, Idea Cellular, recently acquired Spice Mobile, another popular player in the Indian mobile service provider market. However, a report in The Times of India stated that Idea Cellular apparently did not disclose all of the details of their deal to acquire Spice and hence the Delhi High Court has slapped a fine of whopping Rs. 1 crore on Idea.

Bad IDEA..!

Furthermore, the Delhi High Court has also asked Idea Cellular to seek prior permissions from the Telecommunications Ministry, before it proceeds with the transfer of six telecom licenses, which it gained as an outcome of its deal with Spice. Idea, however denies accepting that there was any glaring error in its actions, and that it would appeal against the HC order. In a statement, Idea stated that, “Idea stands upright, has not suppressed anything at all, let alone willfully, and will appeal for what it believes is right.”

Tag Heuer Announces Lamborghini Ltd Edition MERIDIIST Handset

Inspired by the mythic Lamborghini Murci�lago, TAG Heuer, a world leader in luxury sports watches and Chronographs has teamed up with the famous Italian super sports car manufacturer to create the limited edition MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone. In tribute to the year Automobili Lamborghini was founded, 1963 pieces of this finely‐tuned device will be sold worldwide. ModeLabs Group who provided its expertise and know how in the development and the manufacturing of exclusive tailor made handsets. “TAG Heuer has revolutionized first timekeeping and now luxury mobile phone industry by finding technological inspiration in professional motor sports and Grand Tourism cars,” said Steve Amstutz, General Manager for TAG Heuer Communication Instruments. Housed in black titanium carbide coated 316L stainless steel, the design of the MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone references the super sports car down to its famed signature on the battery cover – the same as on the Lamborghini Murci�lago LP 640’s V12 engine block. The back of the device is engraved with its limited edition number while the keyboard is customized with Automobili Lamborghini’s trademark Taurus bull on the steel central button. The MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone is luxuriously crafted and detailed, combining some the most prestigious materials and advanced components in the watchmaking and automotive worlds. The display is made from 60.5 carats of scratch‐resistant sapphire crystal. According to the company the battery life is capable of offering users at least seven hours talk time or 28 days standby power. "The MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone epitomizes TAG Heuer consistency in inspiring and framing its diversification, combining technology and design, and partnering with the best sports car brands.. We are very proud of this new partnership with such a great brand as Lamborghini" added Jean‐Christophe Babin, President & CEO of the TAG Heuer Group. The TAG Heuer MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone will be available in November at selected TAG Heuer and Lamborghini retailers. Click here for the list.

What’s New with Symbian Anna?

Nokia brought Symbian Anna to India along with their launch of the X7 and E6. Not that you haven’t heard of Anna before, but in case you’re wondering what the latest Symbian version is all about, Nokia had conducted an event titled “Get to Know Symbian Anna” and ZOMG gave a quick lowdown on what the new OS had to offer. One pretty apparent change is that the icons throughout the interface are rounded. Add to that, there’s real time scrolling so as you scroll, transitional animations will follow your touch. You can also scroll between the main homescreen panes. Rounded Icons look cool A much needed update this, Symbian Anna’s browser is updated giving the application support for HTML5, hardware acceleration for fluid CSS animations and the overall look of the browser looks quite clean without any unnecessary icons. Nokia has still managed to keep the more commonly used functions like a Back button and an address bar constantly available. Browser version 7.3 also has support for Flash Lite and multi touch. Obviously all this wouldn’t make a lot of sense without any improvement in performance, which has also been promised. Browser's got an update as well There’s a new virtual QWERTY keypad that has been incorporated and the older T9 keypad has been ditched. Also, unlike virtual QWERTY keypads found on most phones that have the digits on the first line only, Nokia has placed them over a few rows. The Ovi Maps have been improved, although it’s the same app available on Nokia Betalabs, where you can download full maps over the air. The email application has got an update albeit a small one. There’s more space to check mails and the UI has been improved and is a tad quicker than the earlier versions. There’s some change to the calendar app, with a Dual Pane layout in monthly view. So that’s about what the Symbian Anna has to offer. It cannot be termed as a major revamp to the user interface but even then, it seems to be a lot better than the current iterations of Symbian. The interesting bit however, is that Symbian Belle which will be the next update is going to be a different platform altogether. Nokia says, “If you like Android, you’ll love Symbian Belle.” Check out a video overview of Symbian Anna by Nokia India’s Product Manager below