Handsets that created a buzz in 2010

2010 is coming to an end and, as the rituals goes, Telecom Yatra brings you a look at the mobiles that created a stir in the handset market in India.
The first Android phone in India HTC Magic was launched in 2009, and the following year it rained Android handsets in the country, which are no more a luxury item. The cheapest Android device so far is from Micromax and costs Rs 7,000. Intex too plans to launch an Android phone for about Rs 5,500 soon.
Last year also saw Nokia wake up to competition not only from local handset manufacturers but also from the Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. The company launched its first dual SIM device and came up with the new Symbian 3 OS.
A lot of big names were also drawn into the ever growing handset segment, including IT companies such as Dell as well as Italian fashion label Versace. In fact, closer home, the largest operator in the country, Bharti Airtel, too forayed into the segment.
Motorola also made a strong come back in the handset market with Milestone.
The coming of tablets, too, added a lot to the excitement. Although Apple’s iPad is yet to arrive in India, Dell Streak, Olive Pad and Samsung Galaxy Tab were launched in the second half of the year.
Here’s a flashback of the devices that created a ripple in the Indian handset market.
HTC Desire
This handset has featured in the list of top ten gadgets of the year almost everywhere. It was the first device to be launched with Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, and was powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
The Desire is a 3G enabled smartphone and supports Bluetooth with A2DP, WiFi etc. Desire’s web Browser also supports Flash 10.1 and the phone has a 5 mega pixel camera.
Motorola Milestone
Milestone was launched in the first half of the year and was the first handset with Android 2.1 Eclair in India.
The touchscreen device has a slide out Qwerty keypad and is powered by a cortex A8 processor. Milestone also has a 5 mega pixel camera with dual LED flash.
The device is preloaded with lifetime free access to voice guided street level navigable maps of 401 cities in India.
Samsung Galaxy S
Although Samsung has introduced a few devices running on Android, its Galaxy S has been among the most talked about. The phone has a 4 inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen; a 5 mega pixel camera; support for A-GPS; Bluetooth and WiFi etc.
The phone comes with 16 GB of internal memory, which is expandable to 32 GB using a microSD card.
Sony Ericsson Xperia 10
Sony Ericsson made a lot of news in 2010 with the launch of some of its most awaited devices including the X10, X 10 mini, X8 and Vivaz etc.
The company also appointed Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor as its brand ambassador.
Sony Ericsson’s X10 remained the most talked about handset from the company. The Android powered device boasts an 8.1 mega pixel camera with video recording in HD quality, and because it has a 4 inch touchscreen, the phone makes viewing video and images a pleasure.
LG Optimus One
Optimus One, which was launched last month, also grabbed a lot of attention. Priced at Rs 13,500, it is an affordable touchscreen device running on Android 2.2 Froyo.
The phone comes with a 3 mega pixel camera, LG Gesture and Motion user interface, navigation maps, DivX player etc.
Nokia N8
The only two handsets in our list not running on Android are the N8 and the BlackBerry Torch.
Nokia’s flagship product N8 has been seen as the company’s attempt to contain its sagging market share to the likes of HTC, Apple, Blackberry, Samsung etc.
N8 has a Symbian ^3 operating system, which is Nokia’s response to Android and iOS. It is also the first device from the company to have a 12 mega pixel camera.
BlackBerry Torch
BlackBerry has been in the news through the year, but for reasons more bad than good.
The government of India was contemplating whether or not to forbid the services of Research In Motion (RIM), maker of BlackBerry smartphones, in India citing security reasons.
Despite all this, the first slider smartphone from the Canada-based handset manufacturer didn’t fail to catch eye balls. The phone, called Torch, features a capacitive touchscreen and has a BlackBerry Qwerty keypad.
Torch is also the first device to feature the new BlackBerry 6 OS.
Micromax A 60
Micromax is the newest manufacturer in India to join the Android bandwagon. Its device runs on Android 2.1 Eclair, and is powered by a 600 MHz processor.
The phone features in the list mainly because of the price point it has been launched at. The Micromax A 60, with a price tag Rs 6,999 is the most affordable Android handsets available in the market today.