Micromax expected to launch Android phone around Diwali

 Will launch at least three more before March 2011
New Delhi based Micromax Informatics Ltd, which has become a known player in cheap mobile phone market in India, is said to be working on an Android phone. This Android phone will be launched around the festival of Diwali i.e. first week of November.

According to a report in WSJ, Google is helping the local cell phone manufacturers like Micromax, Spice and Olive Telecom to come up with Android phone, which will ultimately help Google make Android a mass market OS. Till now, we have a selected few Android phones, which fall in sub 10K bracket, but bringing Android phone under 7K or even 5K is a bit of challenge.

“You’ve got a lot of innovation happening from local manufacturers,” said Vinay Goel, who oversees Google’s products in India.

He said Android phones selling for more than $400 are only going to capture “a really niche market” in India. “To be in the mainstream, you have to be in the $100 to $200 range,” Mr. Goel said. “The closer to $100 the better.”

Micromax is not settling with just one Android phone, it has planned to include at least four Android phones before March 2011 in its portfolio. According to people familiar with the development, Spice Mobility is also working on more Android phones.

This is certainly good for consumer who will have a lot more choice that too within their budget.

source:  androidos.in

Travel agents prefer small firms to Thomas Cook

Travel agents have been snubbing large firms like Thomas Cook and TUI in a bid to support smaller operations during a weakened market.

According to reports in a Travel Weekly discussion, agents are looking to boost business for small-time and medium-sized operations to prevent the ‘big two’ from maintaining total dominance in the industry. Agents have reported deliberately driving business towards more local firms in an effort to keep TUI and Thomas Cook from monopolising the industry.

By ensuring smaller companies survive, travel agents hope to keep competition alive in the sector, despite the warnings that the ‘big two’ could revert to less-than-friendly tactics to quash the growing practice. Geoff Andrews, commercial manager for A1 Travel, said that currently TUI has remained friends with everyone, but that A1 had been instructing staff to push smaller companies like Jewel in the Crown or Sunvil.

Tom O’Connor from Travelzoo made similar comments, saying that small operators were the best at using travel deals websites. He added that Travelzoo found that its best relationships had been with small to medium-sized travel firms.

However, sales manager at Teletext Holidays, James Clarke said that Thomas Cook had continued to work well with the firm. He said that the group’s strongest allocation at present was using Thomas Cook’s packages.

Agents are still expressing concerns over regional flight capacity, saying there is fear that it will not be replaced even when the economy picks back up. Clarke said that core airports would continue to maintain high capacity because it would be less of a risk for airlines, despite improving economic conditions.
source: www.discountvouchers.co.uk