<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[<p>A<strong>head of the Curve?</strong><br>Research In Motion has chosen India for its global launch of the BlackBerry Curve 9220, a Rs 10,990 phone for the messaging masses. With it, you get Rs 2,500 worth of downloads free from the BlackBerry World app store, including apps on cricket, horoscopes and other typically Indian preoccupations. India is a critical market for RIM as it continues to lose ground in the US and Canada but has had a good run in Asia so far, mostly thanks to young users who forgive whatever else BlackBerry phones don't have because of its much loved BBM. RIM is clearly hoping the 9220 will enjoy the success of Curve 8520, but the smartphone landscape has changed significantly in recent months and there's a great deal you can get for around 10K today. If it weren't for the Messenger, it's not certain how well low-end BlackBerry phones would do. And the 9220 is truly low-end. It's light and plasticy, which is tolerable, but has only a 2 megapixel camera, no 3G connectivity, and overall basic looks — available in various colours. You could even call it a feature-smartphone. The 9220 is comfortable to hold, fitting right into the palm. It has a nice bright screen on which text is very comfortable to read. There's the usual Qwerty keyboard that Blackberry users can't do without. RIM is banking on the fact that not everyone has 3G though and there's something to be said for sheer simplicity. They also believe in the idea that social integration with apps will see it through to another Indian success. To prove that they're listening to Indian users, they've finally put in an FM radio — years after it became standard on phones that cost Rs 2,000, and a button configured to go straight to BBM. Not so low-end at all for a device that size is the battery, which is a 1450 mAh that BlackBerry claims will give 7 hours of talk time and 18 days of standby time. Also, the device works on the latest operating system, BlackBerry 7.1, with 512MB of RAM.<br><br><strong><img src="/businessworld/system/files/images/May_12/Xolo-X900_120x224.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 5px;" height="224" width="120">First Phone With Intel Inside</strong><br>Flip over the newly launched Xolo smartphone and you'll find a logo you haven't seen on a phone before: Intel Inside. Intel should have been in on the smartphone game long ago. That is where the action is, has been no secret. Specially not over the past year, when smartphones have overtaken PCs in sales. But the industry-defining chipmaker took its time while ARM and others mopped up the market. Finally though, Intel has jumped in with a smartphone in partnership with India-based Lava International. Launched exclusively in India (for now), the Xolo X900 will sell for Rs 22,000 and will be available at Croma. The Xolo gives a great first impression. It's all clean lines and solidity and there's nothing plasticy about the feel. The more important thing, of course, is on the inside, where we got a bit of a surprise. The battery was shabbily tethered to the phone with a thin wire — on three units that we opened up. One snap, and your phone's dead. Overall, the inside didn't match the outside in quality, making us wonder if it was Intel-worthy. Xolo runs on an Intel 1.6GHz Atom processor with a 400 MHz graphics chip. The whole idea is speed and performance. It features full 1080p HD video on its 4-inch bright screen.There's an 8 megapixel camera that does burst photography. Gaming, video, photography and browsing are all supposed to get a big boost because of the processor. This may be the first of Intel's processor-based phones, but more are slated to hit the market with Lenovo, Motorola, Orange and ZTE. Let's hope they are more confidence-inspiring on the inside.<br><br>(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 14-05-2012)</p>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.