Apple I- Phone

Aviary photo editing tools which powers the likes of imgur , Halftone and Rockmelt is going to be available to Windows Phone developers soon. Aviary lets app and web developers add photo editing functionality for free to their apps.

Premium visual effects are also available to users however it does not enable the instagram like sharing features. The Windows Phone SDK for Aviary will be available in about a month according to VP Paul Murphy who is bullish on Windows Phone after the announcement of the Lumia 900.

[Via - The Verge]

Dhruv Bhutani is a tech enthusiast who tries to keep a tab on the latest and greatest in the mobile and telecom sector. He is currently using a Nokia N9 , N8 , Lumia 800. Catch him on Twitter @DhruvBhutani , you can also reach out on Facebook and G+

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INTEX  Technologies has launched INTEX AVATAR that lets users to convert 2D images and video content into 3D easily. You can also view the 3D images and video in 3D with the free 3D glasses in the box. It is a dual SIM phone with a 2.8 inch touch screen display and has 2MP camera with flash.

Specifications of INTEX AVATAR

Dual SIM (GSM+GSM)2.8-inch 262K touch screen display2MP camera with flash12mm thick and weighs 116gPhone book – 2000, SMS- 500FM Radio, Audio and Video PlayerAudio Equalizer, Sound Recorder, TorchlightBluetooth, EDGE/ GPRS/ WAP66.7 MB Internal memory, Expandable memory up to 16 GB1100mAh battery that offers up to 400h standby and 4h talk time

It comes with popular games like Crazy Birds, Fruit Ninjia, Pentachess, Call of Atlantis, Yumsters and an enhanced experience of accessing social networking sites such as Google, Yahoo and Facebook make this phone a must-have.

It supports both English and Hindi languages. The INTEX Zone has various functions like Answering Machine, Mobile Tracker, Auto Call Record, Google, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook and Games.  It comes with 4GB free Multimedia Card with 10 pre-loaded films.

The INTEX AVATAR is priced at Rs. 3,690 and is available at more than 15,000 distributors and reseller outlets, at 70 INTEX SQUARES (exclusive retail stores) and several hypermarkets across the country.

Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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MAXX mobiles has launched a new Dual SIM Touch screen phone, MAXX MAESTRO MT255. It comes with 3.2-inch touch screen display, 2MP camera with flash and VGA secondary camera. This Java enabled handset comes with pre-loaded apps such as eBuddy, Bolt & Nimbuzz (MSN, Yahoo, Skype and more) and Facebook.

Specifications of MAXX MAESTRO MT255

3.2-inch TFT Full touch resistive screenSlim & Metal finish bodyDual SIM (GSM + GSM)13.2mm thick and weighs 73gDual camera (Rear 2.0MP and front VGA camera) with FlashlightFM radioBluetooth, MySynch (PC suite), USB Mass storageDedicated volume and camera key2000 phonebook capacity and 500 SMS memory3.5mm audio jackMemory card support upto 8GBMP4 player1000mAh battery

It has audio player that supports, MP3, AAC, M4A  & WAV playback as well as video player that supports MP4, 3GPP, AVI video playback.  It comes with a King Movie player application that reduces videos to 1/10th of the original size without compromising on quality.

MAXX MAESTRO MT255 comes in Black with Grey color and is priced at Rs.4568. It also comes with free 4GB memory card that is pre-loaded with multimedia content including music and videos and they also offer Reebok shoes worth Rs. 2499 free with the handset. It would be available in the retail stores that include, Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and NEXT electronics.

Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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So here we are, day three of my look into what the biggest players in the smartphone world will, or possibly should do in 2012.

We’ve already covered Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone, with both set for exciting and challenging times ahead of them, but what about the noisy neighbor. What about Microsoft?

Microsoft Windows Phone

2011 was a big year for Microsoft. With the launch of Windows Phone 7 and the subsequent deal with Nokia allowing the Finnish firm to become a major WP7 partner, Microsoft saw its new mobile OS take a leap forward both in availability and usability. Windows Phone 7.5, Mango, brought with it a selection of features which many believed should have been present from day one, and coupled with the new hardware from Nokia the early days of 2012 have already started well.

The issue facing Microsoft is a very similar one to that of Google, and that is attracting developers to a platform which is currently lacking in grad-A titles. Take Xbox LIVE as a prime example.

The big advantage that Microsoft has over its rivals is the deep integration with the Xbox gaming platform that Xbox LIVE should bring. Being able to tie mobile gaming into the home gaming space could potentially open up a whole market for Windows Phone, with gamers flocking to the platform in order to get the most out of the games they play on their Xbox 360s. Throw in some top-class multiplayer gaming through Xbox LIVE on a smartphone, and things could get really interesting.

Apple itself has recognized the importance of building a community around gaming on the go, with Game Center aiming to do what Xbox LIVE did for the Xbox. As is so often the case with Apple however, things seem to have gone very quiet on that front, with Game Center becoming stagnant and never really hitting the heights we had all hoped. In Xbox LIVE, Microsoft has the opportunity to take things one step further, and actually make gaming on a smartphone a real experience that hardcore gamers want to get into.

I would expect 2012 to be the year that Microsoft really takes the bull by the horns with Windows Phone, with WP8 possibly on the agenda during the first half of the year. With the existing hardware specifications beginning to get a little long in the tooth – Microsoft tells hardware partners what specifications WP7 handsets need to meet – I fully expect a new reference design to be announced alongside Windows Phone 8, giving the whole platform a nudge forward in the specification arms race that Android is currently winning.

Many would argue that Windows Phone does not need the super-fast, dual-core chips that Android phones are sporting, but if games are to be the platform’s biggest weapon; then developers are going to need more power to work with. Hence, new hardware.

I’ve got high hopes for Windows Phone this year, but if Microsoft does not hit all the right notes during the next twelve months, I would argue that we can all but write the company off for this generation.

Just as we did with the previous one.

For discussion on this topic: Check out the threads on Facebook or Google+.

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

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When I was expecting the Motorola RAZR to arrive today , I had a question in my mind. Does this phone use a microSIM card. The Motorola DROID RAZR for Verizon uses the smaller SIM card but there was no mention about it in the Europe / Asia product pages. To my surprise when I opened the box earlier today, I noticed that the RAZR had a flap which covered the microSIM card slot and the microSD memory card slot.

For a device which is just 7.1 mm thin except near the camera, using this smaller version of the SIM card seems like a good choice. The phone had a sticker on top indicating the various buttons and ports. Also the getting started guide indicates the location of the SIM card slot and the right way to get a microSIM inside the device. The Motorola RAZR might be the first Android phone to sport such a SIM card slot which was first adopted by Apple in the iPad v1 and in subsequent devices such as iPhone 4 , iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. Nokia launched the N9 which uses the same type of  SIMcard. Nokia has also launched it’s Windows Phones – Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 which follow the same standard.

Here is the location of the flap on the Motorola Razr which exposes the underlying slots.

Airtel is offering these type of SIM cards and so does Tata Docomo. Aircel , Vodafone and BSNL also offer a microSIM card to customers on request. Recently when I had trouble getting the iPhone 4S working in India , I had a lot of trouble getting one of these. None of the operators were interested in offering a factory cut microSIM, but offered to chop them down instead.

With 3 big names in the mobile handset space adopting the standard , more and more new handsets will use this format of SIM card forcing operators to support them in a better way. Have you used a microSIM ? If yes in which device ?

Varun Krish is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast and has been blogging about mobile phones since 2005. His current phones include the Nokia E6 and Apple iPhone 4. You can follow him on Twitter @varunkrish and on Google+

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Luxury goods maker PRADA has extended it’s partnership with handset maker LG for its next version of it’s luxury phone which is expected to arrive in 2012. The two companies have been working together since 2006 and the partnership saw 2 new luxury handsets being launched under the PRADA brand. The PRADA by LG 1.0 sold over 1 million units and I’m sure the duo are looking forward to repeat history.Pic from the “signing ceremony below”. Seems like brand logos and representatives got swapped or is that the norm ?

PRADA AND LG SIGN EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT CEMENTING PARTNERSHIP
PRADA Phone by LG 3.0 to be launched in 2012; the collaboration has resulted in mobile phones with a strong identity

SEOUL, Nov. 24, 2011 – PRADA and LG Electronics (LG) today renewed their exclusive mobile phone partnership at a signing ceremony in Seoul, Korea. Building on this partnership’s previous success, the two companies will develop the PRADA phone by LG 3.0, for launch in early 2012.

Under this partnership, LG will be PRADA’s exclusive mobile phone partner. The collaboration, which began in 2006 and resulted in two premium mobile phones being introduced in 2007 and 2008, focuses on key elements within the smartphone, including software and user interface down to its design and packaging.

“The partnership between Prada and LG has always been characterised by an innovative approach and uncompromised quality of style, design and breakthrough technology,” said Mr. Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of PRADA Group. “These values are common to both our brands, which have always anticipated, and often set, the trends in many fields. We were therefore delighted to cooperate again with LG in the development of the latest creation of the mobile communication industry.”

“Our working relationship with PRADA is unique in its longevity and success, something no other phone company and luxury brand have been able to replicate,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Having successfully launched two PRADA phones by LG, we look forward to collaborating further to develop premium handsets with a strong identity and the most sophisticated style.”

The PRADA phone by LG 1.0, a pioneer in the mobile phone space, was an unqualified success, selling over one million units. This premium handset combined high-end technology with a design embodying superior style. As evidence of its place in design history, the PRADA phone by LG 1.0 is part of the permanent collection in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Shanghai.

The PRADA phones by LG were avant-garde in the technology they offered to users. The PRADA phone by LG 1.0 was the world’s first touchscreen mobile phone, and the 2.0 provided an innovative mobile experience through its unique watch with Link technology, which allowed for easy access to caller ID, SMS text messages, call history, call block and two-way alarm notification.

Varun Krish is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast and has been blogging about mobile phones since 2005. His current phones include the Nokia E6 and Apple iPhone 4. You can follow him on Twitter @varunkrish and on Google+

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Nokia India just sent us an invite for a launch event on Nov 14th. The invite talks about Amazing New Experiences. We are betting this is the India launch of the Windows Phone devices.  Nokia announced the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 devices at Nokia World 2011 last month where the company promised to bring these devices to India before the end of the year. The Lumia 710 would be coming first followed by the Lumia 800 from what we have learnt. Interestingly both these devices use a microSIM card  like the iPhone 4 , 4s and Nokia N9. Would be interesting to see how operators address this issue. Pricing wise the Lumia 710 is expected to be cheaper than the 800 and the stated pricing is 270 euros and the device can come at around Rs.20,000

Watch a quick demo of the Lumia 710 below

Do check out the review of the Lumia 800 from our UK team. We should have more news on Nov 14th.

For those asking about the invite , here is it folks !

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Motorola Defy+ that is the successor of the Motorola Defy is now available in India. The phone was announced this August and it features 3.7 inch (480 x 854 pixels) display and is Water and scratch resistant and dustproof. It is powered by 1GHz processor and runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It comes with a 5 MP camera with LED/Supercap flash with video recording at 30 fps. It is 13.4 mm thick and weighs 118 g.

Other features include 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, Mulit-format audio and video player (MP3, MPEG-4, H.264, AMR NB, WMA v9) that can playback videos up to 30 fps. It has 512MB RAM, 2GB internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB with MicroSD. The connectivity features include, 3G (HSDPA 7.2 Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b,g,n, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR, aGPS and USB 2.0. It comes with a 1700 mAh that offers up to 6.8 hours talk time and up to 9.9 days standby.

This would also be a great competitor to the recently launched Sony Ericsson Xperia Active. The priced difference between the Motorola Defy that was launched earlier this year and the latest Defy+ is negligible. The Motorola Defy+ is priced at Rs.17,990 and available in the Indian Market and the online retailer Flipkart.

via: AndroidOS.in

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Micromax has unveiled another Dual SIM phone, Micromax X78 that comes with a 2.8-inch touch screen display and a Full QWERTY keyboard. It comes with a 3.2MP camera with Flash and smile detection feature and comes with a expandable memory of 8GB. It also has push e-mail mobile tracker, multi-format audio player and video player (mp4).

2.8 inch (240 x 320 Pixels), 65k TFTMulti Format Music Player (MP3 / AMR / WAV)

It is pre-loaded with Opera Mini browser  and has Google search. The Dual SIM Touch and Type Slider Phone, Micromax X78 is price at Rs. 4,849.

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Spotify, online Music streaming app is now available for the Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) devices. The Windows Phone 7 is their 7th mobile app, and it is already available for iPhone, Android and Symbian. It also has an Offline mode option that lets you listen without an internet connection.

Features of Spotify for Windows Phone 7.5

Search, browse & play millions of tracks.Explore & play your friends’ playlists, top artists and tracks.Stream over WiFi or 2.5/3G – all your existing playlists are available.Offline playlists lets you play your music without an internet connection.On-the-fly sync will sync every track you add to a playlist between your mobile and computer.What’s New view.Receive music from friends via the inbox.Starred tracks lets you tag all your favorites into a special list.Download the Spotify app for Windows Phone 7.5 from the Windows Phone Marketplace for free. You need a Premium subscription ($9.99 a month) to stream music from the Spotify mobile app.

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MAXX mobiles has launched a new Dual SIM Touch screen phone, MAXX ZIPPY MT105. The MAXX touch portfolio already include 2 phones, MAXX Scope MT150 and MT250. This is their 3rd touch phone, and it colorful and compact along with lots of multimedia features.

The MAXX ZIPPY MT105 has2.4 TFT full touch screen and has digital camera with LED flash. It comes with Wirefree FM radio with recording feature, audio player that supports, MP3, AAC & WAV playback as well as video player that supports MP4, 3GPP, AVI video playback.

It comes with 4GB memory card that is pre-loaded with multimedia contentincluding music and videos and it supports expandable memory up to 8GB via MicroSD. It comes with a torch-light and has connectivity features like Bluetooth and USB Mass storage. It has 1000 mAh battery that offers talk-time up to 4.5 hours and stand-by time up to 350 hours.

MAXX ZIPPY MT105 comes in Black with Blue, Metallic Red & Orange colors and is priced at Rs. 2,599. It would be available in the retail stores that include, Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and NEXT electronics.

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Lava Mobiles has launches 2 new phones, KKT 39 and KKT 50. The KKT 39 is a gaming phone that comes with dedicated music keys and comes with Surround sound speakers. The KKT 50 is a Full-Touch screen phonethat has sleek design.

The Lava KKT 39 has 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display and it comes with 15 pre-installed mobile games that could be played using the gaming buttons. It has Surround sound speakers with Yamaha PA Amplifier for better sound output, 1.3 MP VGA Camera, 2 GB memory card and a powerful 1400mAh battery.

The Lava KKT 50 has 2.8-inch WQVGA display and has Stylish user interface. It comes with inbuilt web browser and popular social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and lots more. Other features include 1.3 MP camera, Bluetooth with A2DP, WAP/GPRS support, FM Radio with Recording and a powerful 1400mAh battery that offers up to 8h talk time and up to 440h standby.

The Lava KKT 50 comes in 2 colors, White with Green and Black with Orange. The Lava KKT 39 and the Lava KKT 50 are priced at Rs.3,150 and Rs. 3,899 respectively.

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HTC Arrive which was launched in March this year, with a sliding qwerty keyboard and a 1GHz processor running Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, has received a Windows Phone 7.5 update which can be seen on Sprint’s site which was just updated.

Sprint’s updated page does not mention Mango but the additional features mentioned clearly shows that it is Mango. If you got HTC Arrive then your phone should show an update, if it does not then you can check for an update by going to settings and tapping on Phone and then update. If you still don’t get the update then you can wait and try again. Once you get the update you can connect your phone to the PC, switch on Zune, go to settings, phone and then update. If you own the HTC Arrive and have updated your device to Windows Phone 7.5 then tell us what you think about it in our comments section.

You can checkout the support page over here

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Over at the Microsoft Canada page under the Windows Phone Mango app challenge , MS seems to have accidentally posted the name and some details of Nokia’s upcoming Windows Phone devices.

“The type of Windows Phone 7.5 will vary and will be selected at Microsoft’s choosing (examples include Samsung Yukon, Samsung Wembley, NOKIA Searay and NOKIA Sabre). Wireless carrier and wireless service not included. Activation terms and conditions are at the sole discretion of the phone manufacturer and wireless carrier.”

WP Central  reports that the phone will come with a micro SIM slot and a 3.7? display. This could be a slightly lower end WP Mango device by Nokia. More information is expected regarding the same at Nokia World , the Espoo based company’s annual event. FoneArena will be reporting live from the event.

[Via - WP Central]

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You saw the first impressions of the Vodafone Blue. Here is the FoneArena review of the Vodafone Blue 555 Facebook phone. This phone was launched in India earlier this month. It has dedicated Facebook button that lets you upload pictures, visit profiles and update status at a single click and a dedicated camera button. It has 2.4 inch screen, Full QWERTY keypad and an optical track pad for navigation.

Specs of the Vodafone Blue

2.4 inch TFT 256k displayFull QWERTY Keyboard and Optical TrackpadDual Band GSM phone2MP camera with flashBluetooth 2.1 and Micro USB 2.03.5mm headphone jack and FM RadioSupports multiple audio (AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, MP3,WMA, MIDI) and video (MPEG4, H263) formats40MB internal memory that is expandable up to 16GB with MircoSD1000 mAh battery that offers 3h talk time and 324 hours standby

The phone has good build quality which is sturdy. It has 2.4 inch TFT 256k display, Full QWERTY Keyboard and an Optical Trackpad.

There is an optical track pad in the center, below the display and the menu keys are located next to it. The call and end buttons are on either sides. There is a QWERTY keypad below that with also has the shortcut keys for Facebook and Camera.

The Volume rocker is on the left side

The Micro USB slot is on the right side

The 3.5mm audio jack is on the top

The 2 Megapixel camera is on the back with the LED flash next to it. The loudspeaker is below the camera with the Vodafone logo in the center.

When you open the back cover you can see the 1000 mAh battery.

The SIM card and MicroSD card slots are on the right corner

The phone has a 2 Megapixel full focus camera with LED flash. There is a shortcut key in the keypad to access the camera and capture images. The settings could be accessed from the left menu key which lists the functions like video capture, night mode, toggle flash on/ off, brightness, image size and camera sound. There is no editor to crop or enhance the pictures afterwards.

The image quality is fine in the daylight but not that good in the night or in the room with the low lighting even if you use the flash.Here are some samples for you (Click to enlarge).

The UI of the phone is like Facebook, with the text box to enter new Facebook status at the top, time and date in the center and the shortcut bar at the bottom. The shortcut bar has contacts, Facebook news feed, contacts favorites,Facebook Notifications, Messaging and calendar. This bar is customizable that lets you add any of your contacts to dial them directly, or any of the apps.

You will also get notifications for Facebook news feed, new text and Facebook messages and Notifications. The alt key could be used to launch the Bluetooth menu (Alt +B), Music player (Alt + M), Java apps (Alt + J) and Facebook News feed (Alt + F) from the home screen with the key combinations. To lock the keypad you can long press the Spacebar and to unlock you need to press the unlock button (optical trackpad) and spacebar.

In addition to the shortcuts in the home screen bar the Menu has Pictures, Chat, Browser, Me, Clock, Camera, Search, Music, Apps, Call log and Settings.

The Main part about the phones is Facebook, you get Facebook experience completely free for 1 year if insert Vodafone pre-paid or post-paid SIM card. You can write any status directly from the home screen, take a picture and upload it or upload an image from the phone on the wall and insert a link. However you cannot tag a person while writing a status, but you can visit their profile page to write on their wall.

Other Facebook features include Messaging integrated with the phone’s message and you will also get notified if you receive a Facebook message like the normal text message.

There is a Pictures menu that shows your Facebook pictures uploaded by you and the photos you are tagged in. You can also download those images or any of the images in your new feed.

There is Chat app which is the Facebook Chat Java app, but this is not free, you have to pay respective data charges to use this. The Me menu shows your info, wall posts, notifications, groups, likes & interests. You can set the Facebook key from the settings to open status update box, news feed, notifications, search or just refresh Facebook data.

The Facebook Search option lets you search people, pages and groups. Your friends’ birthdays from Facebook gets synced with the phone’s calendar, which is very useful to look up when needed.

The phone comes with Opera Mini browser that is customized for Vodafone. It also includes customized features like share to Facebook to share the current page to Facebook and links from Facebook, that lists the links from your Facebook News feed to open it on the browser. It also includes other common features like speed dial, bookmarks, history and customized settings option to set font size, mobile page view etc.

It has Palringo chat suite that support Google talk, ichat, Facebook, XMPP, ICQ, gadu-gadu and AIM. There is a weather app powered by Accuweather that shows current temperature in your city and upcoming weather forecasts, News app lets you add RSS feed to read the news. There are Java games like trial versions of Tetris and The Sims 3 and loong Sudoku. Other productivity apps include, File Manager, Tasks, Notes, Calculator, Converter and Stopwatch.

The Music Player shows a menu to choose All songs, songs from a particular folder, favorite songs, Albums, Artists and Genre. It also has equalizer so that you can set different options such as bass, pop, party etc.

The FM Radio also has RDS that shows the station name, current song with the artist info if it the station supports it. It also has auto search option to search the available stations automatically, you can also set frequency manually. It also has FM Radio recording option that are saved in the recorded folder.

Both the Music Player and FM Radio could be accessed from the home screen while playing and the current status is also available in the lock screen.

The phone calls  were ok without any drop calls. It reminds you to invite the person to Facebook using their number after each call, if they are not in Facebook.

The Contacts don’t get synced to Facebook but if the contact number matches your friend’s number you can write on the wall directly from the contact. You can also download the PC Suite to sync the contacts from your PC (Microsoft Contacts).

There are text and multimedia messaging options. The keypad is easy to type on. You can input numbers or symbols by pressing Alt once or switch to number / symbol mode by pressing Alt twice. There is also scheduled messaging option and you can also send messages to multiple contacts.

The Facebook messages are integrated into the Messaging as a separate tab, where you can write or reply to the messages and there is also Email options like Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail and other accounts using POP3 or IMAP4.

The phone has Bluetooth connectivity including A2DP for listening to music over Bluetooth headset or making calls. You can get access to Bluetooth menu just by pressing Alt+B key combinations. This phone supports only 2G and has EDGE connectivity that makes it 2.5G. There is no Wi-Fi which is disappointing.

This phone has good build quality , has decent looks,  battery life that lasts for 1-2 days with average use like few hours of music and radio, some calls and messages with always on data for Facebook updates. However Wi-Fi or 3G is missing, at least Wi-Fi could have been a great advantage as the Facebook experience is a little slow compared to native apps on smartphones. You get 1 year free access to Facebook which is definitely great. The Vodafone Blue 555 comes at an MRP of Rs.4950 and we would recommend it to any one addicted to FaceBook and is on a low budget.

Neat Facebook experienceGood build quality for price3.5mm audio jack and FM Radio with RDSDecent loudspeakerNo Wi-Fi or 3GBelow par camera quality

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