Micromax launches Canvas Doodle 3 phablet for Rs 8,500; Sony Xperia M2 available for Rs 21,990 in India

Home grown handset and tablet manufacturer Micromax has further expanded its Canvas range of devices by launching the third version of the Doodle smartphone. Christened Canvas Doodle 3, the phablet has been priced at Rs 8,500 and will be available for purchase from April 25, 2014.

In addition, Sony has also launched a new smartphone called Xperia M2 in the Indian market. Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MBW) 2014, the device was announced along with the company's flagship Xperia Z2 smartphone and Xperia Z2 tablet. It has been priced at Rs 21,990 and will be available for purchase later this month.

Canvas Doodle 3 for Rs 8,500

The phablet has a 6 inch FWVGA capacitive touchscreen display (854×480 pixel resolution) and runs on the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. It is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6572 processor and has 512MB of RAM. The internal memory of the device is 4GB (1.27GB for apps installation, 704MB for user data), which can be further expanded up to 32GB with a microSD card.

The device has a 5 megapixel autofocus rear camera with Flash that can also high definition videos (720p), as well as a 0.3MP front facing camera for video calling. On the connectivity front, it has Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, & a microUSB port and a microSD card slot. Micromax has provided a 2,500mAh battery in the device, which it claims will provide up to 9 hours of talk time and 260 hours of standby time.

The smartphone comes with dual-SIM capability, GPS, and FM Radio. It will be available in blazing blue and pristine white colours. The company has also pre-loaded a number of applications and games in the device that include M! Live, M! Doodle, BigFlix, Get It, Marbles, Rope Cut, Jelly Jumper, Kingsoft office, and Opera Mini, among others. It is also offering a magnetic flip cover with the device.

Xperia M2 for Rs 21,990

The smartphone sports a 4.8 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display (960×540 pixel resolution) and runs on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8926 quad-core processor and has 1GB of RAM. The internal memory of the device is 8GB, which can be further expanded an additional 32GB with a microSD card.

It has an 8 megapixel rear camera with Exmor RS for mobile sensor that can record full HD (1080p) videos. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, as well as a microUSB port and a microSD card slot. It also comes with FM radio with RDS and NFC. The dimensions of the device are 139.6mm x 71.1mm x 8.6mm and its weight is 148gm. Sony has provided a 2,300 mAh battery in the device that it claims will provide up to 14 hours 14 minutes of talk time and 693 hours of standby time.

In the price range at which it is being offered, the smartphone will compete with the likes of Motorola's Moto X (Rs 23,999), Huawei Ascend P6 (Rs 23,890), Lenovo Ideaphone S920 (Rs 23,999), Gionee Elife E6 (Rs 21,630), and HTC Desire 700 (Rs 21,949), among others.