Author: Sanket Vijay

Samsung Galaxy A9 with 6-Inch Display is Now Official

Just yesterday we told you that Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 device passed China’s TENAA certification. This meant that a launch was soon expected. But it turns out that ‘soon’ meant ‘today’. Yes, China has finally unveiled the 6-inch Galaxy A9 smartphone today.

The announcement confirms the rumoured specs that we have come to know about the device. The Galaxy A9 sports a big 6-inch Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 652 (earlier named 620) chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device features a 13 MP primary camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, and an 8 MP front. The Galaxy A9 also packs a massive 4,000mAh battery with QuickCharge support.

Connectivity support includes Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, bluetooth v4.1, GPS/Beidou and NFC. The only thing remains is the price, which is yet to announced.

December 24, 2015
LG G5 Could Sport a Dual Rear Camera Setup

it looks like some rumours about LG’s upcoming flagship device, G5, are indeed true. One of the rumours that had been making the rounds was that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. A new leaked image shared by a Reddit user confirms this rumour. The image reveals the devices back, showing two cameras fitted under a black panel.

The Redditor also revealed some specs as well. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.

No word yet on when LG plans to launch the device. However, as Samsung has claimed exclusivity to the Snapdragon 820 chipset for the first three months, which likely means that any other device sporting the same will be launched only after March.

Source

December 24, 2015

Micromax Canvas 5 Review

A Budget Device that Looks Great and Performs Well

Micromax’s flagship Canvas 5 is a marked improvement from its predecessors, bumping up specs where it needed to most. The newest flagship tries to step out of Canvas 4’s shadow which saw some negativity regarding build quality and camera performance. With impressive design, performance, specs and a smooth UI for a budget device, the Canvas 5 is a solid device in the sub-Rs. 15,000 price range and gives a stiff competition to the Moto G (3rd Gen) and the OnePlus X. The Canvas 5, however, still has issues that will be familiar to long time Micromax users.

Overview

The Canvas 5 is available for Rs. 11,999 with 3 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 32 GB via MicroSD card slot. This year, Micromax has decided to forget about its past Canvas devices for something users will truly appreciate. Many OEMs like Micromax, Motorola and OnePlus want to prove that it is possible for a budget device to look and feel premium. The Canvas 5 seems to have found the right balance of hardware, design and build that is likely to attract consumers.

Build Quality and Design

The Canvas 5 has an impressive build and sleek design. The front sports a Gorilla Glass 3 with a 2.5D Curve Touch panel that melts along the edges, which is pleasing to the eyes and also makes the display look bigger than it actually is when switched off. The glass leaves no smudges and keeps the screen clean. All this along with a metal side and rounded edge gives the device a premium look.

In the back you have a removable plastic panel that has a faux leather texture to it. Because it’s extremely flexible, it’s not likely to break any time soon. The leather-like texture feels great in your hand and provides for a firm grip.

Hardware

Micromax has bumped up the hardware with an improved RAM and chipset. The Canvas 5 comes with 3 GB of RAM, which is handy for games, and a 1.3GHz octa core MediaTek MT6753 ARM Cortex-A53 chipset. Check out the full spec table below.

Specification	Micromax Canvas 5
Display	5.2-inch full HD screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D Curve Touch Panel
Resolution	1920×1080 pixels with 480ppi
Chipset	Media Tek MT6753, ARM Cortex-A53
CPU	1.3 GHz octa-core processor
GPU	Mali-T720 MP2
RAM	3 GB
Front Camera	5 MP with flash (2560×1920)
Rear Camera	13 MP AF (4160×3120)
Storage	11 GB (7.5GB available)
Expandability	Up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot
Battery	2,900 mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/AGPS, 4G LTE (LTE FDD 850MHz/1800MHz and TDD 2300MHz)
Operating System	Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Price	Rs. 11,999

Performance

The device, with an octa-core 1.3 GHz processor and 3GB RAM, gives one of the smoothest performance that we have seen from any Micromax phone. The hardware allows you to multi-task with greater ease and also improves gaming performance, though the device starts to heat up when the cores start kicking in.

Swiping through the phone is snappy and fluid and you will love the ease of it all within 5 minutes of usage. The phone will respond quickly to all your basic day-to-day needs and with no app drawer, you can access your apps a lot faster, though . Talking about the apps, the Canvas 5 has a lot of bloatware like SwiftKey, Quikr and Snapdeal, all of which can be uninstalled this time around.

Games like Marvel’s Contest of Champions and Asphalt 8 work smoothly without and lags. However, playing for long periods at a stretch will heat up the smartphone.

Benchmark

The phone scored over 32000 on AnTuTu Benchmark and has been found to be 95% better than devices in the range, while it scores a 4931 on AndEBench Benchmark. We compared the Canvas 5’s results with that of the slightly higher OnePlus X, Yu Yureka and Moto G (3rd Gen) and this is what we found.

Benchmark	Micromax Canvas 5	OnePlus X	Yu Yureka	Moto G (3rd Gen)
AnTuTu	32801	41899	24258	23383
Vellamo (single core)	1061	1583	1038	1248
Vellamo (multicore)	1524	1445	1530	1243
AndEBench	4931	7623	4807	4160

As you can see, the Micromax Canvas 5 scores better than the Yu Yureka and the Moto G (3rd Gen), and also performs better than the OnePlus X in the multicore test.

Camera and Multimedia

The Canvas 5 actually has a great camera app with loads of modes and pro features like those found on flagship Samsung Galaxy phones. You also get an app that lets you retouch images and give the desired makeup that it needs.

The device features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front with flash. The images taken by the primary camera are fairly decent and is quick at capturing images. The added professional modes like ISO, exposure compensations and white balance help you take that perfect shot. So, for a mid-range device, the Canvas 5 gives you a lot to play around with.

The primary camera holds well under low light conditions and comes with standard Face Beauty and Smile Shutter features as well as Picture-in-Picture. The display of the device is a 1920x1080p panel with 480ppi which gives bright and vivid colours. So much so that it makes you want to switch on the phone even if you have nothing in particular to do. Outdoor visibility is decent, however, reflections on the screen can make it hard to see at certain angles.

Phone Network and Battery

The Canvas 5 joins the list of 4G network-ready Android phones this year along with the Moto G (Gen 3) and the OnePlus X.

A 2,900mAh battery lets you use the device for a whole day. Heavy usage will let the Canvas 5 serve you till the evening before requiring another round of charging. Charging the Canvas 5 takes a while, and if you happen to use a different cable for charging, you’ll get a notification telling you the charging is slow asking you to use an original charger.

Some neat features like ‘Smart Awake’ lets you access some apps like music player and camera without having to switch on your device. Simply make a pattern of C on the screen when on standby mode and the camera app will open. Similarly, drawing M will open up the music player. This is a neat way to save some juice.

The Canvas 5 gives up to 9 hours of talktime (3G) and around 6-7 hours of internet surfing on a single charge.

Talk Time : 9 hours
Standby : 275 hours
Internet : 7 hours
Music : 9 hours
Gaming : 2.5 hours

Conclusion

The Canvas 5 has a lot going for it and a lot that needs improvements still. A superb design and build quality along with great display and good performance makes this device worth every penny. Few things that could hold the device back, though, are the bloatware, the occasional heating issues, and most importantly, the poor after-sales service. The Canvas 5 is a pretty solid smartphone in its range and should definitely be an option if you’re in the market for budget devices.

December 23, 2015

New Photos of Samsung Galaxy A9 Reveal Design

Expected to be unveiled at the CES in January, Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 smartphone is set to become one of the largest smartphones by the company with a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen. The handset recently passed the FCC and today, the device has been approved by China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, which means it’s ready to be sold in China soon.

The certification body also reconfirmed what we’ve come to know about the rumoured specs and has also revealed some new images of the device. The Samsung Galaxy A9 is going to sport a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display and a metal frame. It will also have a battery marked at 4000 mAh to match the huge screen.

The device will be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 (or 652, according to the new name change) processor clocked at 1.8 GHz. The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The Galaxy A9 is also expected to include a 13 MP main camera, 8 MP front camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

No word yet on the pricing of the device, but rumours suggest the A9 will be priced around $450 or close to Rs. 30,000.

Source

December 23, 2015
BlackBerry Could Launch a Second Android Smartphone in 2016

It has been only a couple of months since BlackBerry launched it’s first Android-powered device, called the Priv. The company is showing no signs to take a breather, according to CEO John Chen who has hinted that the company could launch its next Android phone next year. He also suggested that the second device will fall under the high-end bracket.

The price range of the second device will depend upon how the Priv does in the market. It’s still early to know Priv’s fate as the vice is yet to enter a number of markets, including India. “Depends on the Priv. If the Priv is well received in the market and looks like it is. There’s a good chance […], we will still focus on the high-end probably closer to mid-range coming out in 2016,” Chen said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Chen has not specified a launch date as of yet. The Priv will be available in 31 more markets in the next three months, which means that the next device is likely to launch after March. It is also likely that BlackBerry will unveil the device at the MWC in late February.

Some early renders of the second device – codenamed Vienna – have been doing the rounds. The images show a more typical BlackBerry design than the recent Priv with no slide-out keyboard here. However, as is the case with all rumours and renders, you should take this with a dash of salt.

December 22, 2015

OnePlus X Goes Invite-Free Today on Amazon

OnePlus fans pay attention. The OnePlus X will be available today without invite on Amazon India. Those who have been waiting for the company’s newest handset can go ahead and add it to their cart right now. The invite-free OnePlus X goes on sale for the whole day until midnight tonight.

We are glad to announce that the OnePlus X will be available without an invite today on Amazon. One of the most sought after phones can now be yours invite-free, just in time for the holiday season!

The OnePlus X is priced at Rs. 16, 999 for the 16 GB Onyx variant. It sports a 5-inch AMOLED display (1920×1080), with a primary camera of 13 MP and a 8 MP front. The device runs on a 2.1 GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset. It features a 3 GB RAM with 16 GB internal storage and is expandable up to 128 via MicroSD card slot. The phone includes an alert slider, like the one found on OnePlus 2. The OnePlus X weighs around 138 gm for the Onyx variant. Check out our review of the OnePlus X here to know all you need to know about the device before you buy it.

You can have a quick look at the specs table below as well.

Specification	OnePlus X
Display	5-inch full HD AMOLED screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution	1920×1080 pixels, 441ppi
Dimensions	140 x 69 x 6.9 mm
Weight	138 g (Onyx)
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
CPU	2.3 GHz Quad-core processor
GPU	Adreno 330
RAM	3 GB
Front Camera	8 MP f/2.4
Rear Camera	13 MP f/2.2 ISOCELL
Storage	16 GB eMMC v5.0
Expandability	Up to 128 GB via MicoSD
Battery	2,525 mAh embedded rechargeable battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz b/g/n WCN3680 / Bluetooth 4.0
Operating System	Oxygen OS based on Android 5.1.1
Price	Rs. 16,999 (Onyx)

December 22, 2015

Samsung Galaxy S7 to Launch in March, Confirms China Mobile

There have been a lot of rumours and a lot of questions regarding when Samsung will launch its upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices. Earlier, it was expected that Samsung would unveil the devices at the CES conference to be held in January. Next up was at the MWC scheduled to take place in February. Now, word from China Mobile, China’s leading carrier, is that Samsung will present its flagship devices in March.

The above image was taken at a recent event where China Mobile revealed its roadmap for the coming months. The roadmap also revealed the possible price range in which the Galaxy S7 will fall – above RMB 3,000, which means north of $465 (roughly Rs. 30,000, although the actual Indian pricing is expected to be higher that that). The roadmap also revealed information about the Huawei P9 and Samsung’s new Galaxy A5 and A7 devices, among others.

Not much is known about the flagship device as of yet, but what is almost confirmed is that the Galaxy S7 will arrive in two variants – one powered by the new Snapdragon 820 chipset and the other being Exynos 8890. More will be revealed as we approach the launch date.

The March launch does put more credibility to rumours that Samsung could launch the device at the MWC late February, while the U.S launch is expected in mid-March. Follow this space for more on Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone.

December 22, 2015
Best Smartphones in 2015 Between Rs. 15,000 to 20,000

In this list, we pick our favourite smartphones that fall between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000. Be sure to let us know your favourite in the comments below.

Lenovo Vibe P1

The Vibe P1 features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with Adreno 405 GPU; 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage with expandable storage via microSD card. The device features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front; dual-SIM with dual 4G LTE support.

The Vibe P1 is available at a price of Rs. 15,999 exclusively on Flipkart.

OnePlus X

The OnePlus X sports a 5-inch AMOLED display (1920×1080), with a primary camera of 13 MP and a 8 MP front. The device runs on a 2.1 GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset. It features a 3 GB RAM with 16 GB internal storage and is expandable up to 128 via MicroSD card slot. The phone includes an alert slider, like the one found on OnePlus 2. The OnePlus X weighs around 138 gm for the onyx variant and a heavier 160 gm for the ceramic variant.

The Onyx variant of the OnePlus X is priced at Rs. 16,999 and as is available via invite system only. Check out our review of the OnePlus X here.

 

Moto X Play

The Moto X Play boasts of features that are sure to excite the masses. With a 21 MP camera, 3630 mAh battery, and expandable memory up to 128 GB, the Moto X Play is definitely worth its price. Other features include a 5.5 inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Snapdragon 615, and an Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU.

The Moto X Play starts at a price of Rs 18,499, and offers a variety of changeable colored back covers. You can check out our hands on with the Moto X Play to know more about the device.

Asus Zenfone 2

The 32 GB Zenfone 2 is priced at Rs. 17,999 and comes with a 5.5-inch 1920x1080p IPS Display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by an Intel Atom 23580 Quadcore processor with 2.3 GHz CPU and 4GB of RAM. The juice is supplied by an adequate 3000mAh non-removable battery and the smartphone comes pre-loaded with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Asus Zenfone 2 has a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. The dual LED flash paired with the rear camera, comes in two colours, to help you get the right white balance. Both the microphones consist of the noise cancellation feature, thus enabling you to talk with least hassle. Check out our exclusive unboxing and hands on of the Vibe P1 for more.

HTC Desire 828

The HTC Desire 828 arrived in India on the 14th of December. Priced at Rs. 19,990, the model comes with a 5.5 inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution and is powered by the Mediatek MT6753. It is run on the Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop) and has a dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) connectivity.

It also comes with a storage of 16GB that is expandable up to 2 TB along with 2GB of RAM. On the camera front, the Desire 828 features a 13 MP rear camera and HTC UltraPixel front. The Desire 828 is the first model in the Desire lineup to. The device is packed with a Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery and supports a micro USB v2.0.

OnePlus One

Even though OnePlus’ debut handset came to India towards the end of 2014, the OnePlus One with 64 GB storage is still a great option today. The device sports a 5.5-inch LTPS display with a 1920 x 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass 3. On the hardware front the device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC with Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 64 GB storage.

The OnePlus One also features a 13 MP primary camera with 4K video, a 5 MP front-facing shooter, and 3,100mAh battery. All in all the once touted ‘flagship killer’ is still worth your money. The device is available for Rs. 19,999 on Amazon India. Check out our review of the OnePlus One for more.

 

December 21, 2015
Internet Grows to 299 Million Domain Names in Q3

VeriSign, Inc., a global leader in domain names and internet security today announced that there are approximately 229 million domain names worldwide across all top-level domains (TLDs) as of September 30, 2015. The number reached this tally after an additional 3.1 million domain names were added to the internet in the third quarter of 2015.

The 3.1 million increase in domain names also leads to a 1.1 percent increase over the second quarter of 2015. The .com and .net TLDs reached an aggregate total of approximately 135.2 million domains in the domain name base. This makes it a 3.4 percent yearly increase. As of September 30th, there are 120.1 million .com domain names and 15.1 million .net names.

During the third quarter, Verisign processed 9.2 million new domain name registrations for .com and .net, as compared to 8.7 million domain names for the same period last year. The company’s average daily Domain Name System (DNS) query load was about 120 billion queries per day across all TLDs operated by Verisign, with a peak reaching to 593 billion. Furthermore, the daily average query load increased 8.0 percent and the peak increased by 225.3 percent. Year over year, the daily average query load increased by 4.8 percent, and the peak increased by 86.4 percent.

December 21, 2015

Motorola Sheds Prices During Flipkart App Sale

Motorola has something exciting in store for you all this Christmas season. The company has announced offers and discounts on a range of handsets for those who have been waiting to get their hands on a Motorola device. The offer is exclusive on the Flipkart app as part of the ‘Big App Sale Days’ from the 21st to 23rd December, 2015.

The devices included in this offer are:

Moto G Turbo Edition: The device is powered by Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, with Adreno 405 and a quick charge capability that Motorola calls TurboPower charge. Other features include 4G LTE and IP67 rated protection to keep your phone safe from water and dust. Customers will get an electronic gift voucher worth Rs. 1000 and exchange upto INR 6,000 on purchase of the Moto G Turbo Edition during these Big App Sale Days on Flipkart.

Moto X Style: The device sports a 5.7-inch TFT LCD display is powered by a 1.8GHz hex-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC with Adreno 418, 21MP rear camera and 5MP front, and 3,000mAh battery. The device is currently priced at Rs. 29,999 and will be available for Rs. 26,999 during the sale.

Moto X Play: The device features 5.5 inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Snapdragon 615, and an Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU. The Moto X Play will have a 21-megapixel primary camera with dual-LED flash, and a 5-megapixel front camera. The handset will be available for Rs. 16,999 down from Rs. 18,499.
Moto G (3rd Gen): The device comes with the Android Lollipop 5.1.1, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor with 1.4 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 306 with 400 MHz GPU. It provides a 4G LTE network connection with a rear camera of up to13MP f/2.0, Field of view (FOV) 76 degree, and a front camera of 5 MP f/2.2, Field v (FOV) 72 degrees Display flash with fixed focus.

Moto E (2nd Gen): The device comes with 4G LTE speed, a 4.5-inch qHD display, Rear and front-facing cameras and a Quad core processor. Currently priced at Rs. 6,999 (4G) and Rs. 5,999 (3G) the Moto E (2nd Gen) will be available for Rs. 5,999 (4G) and Rs. 4,999 (3G), respectively.

Model	Current Price	BASD Price
Moto E (2 Gen) 3G	5,999	4,999
Moto E (2 Gen) 4G	6,999	5,999
Moto G (3rd Gen)	11,999	10,499
Moto X Play	18,499	16,999
Moto X Style	29,999	26,999

Motorola is also offering a 10% cashback on all Motorola devices on transactions made on CitiBank and Standard Chartered, and an exchange offer on the Moto X play, Moto X Style and Moto G 3rd gen.

As mentioned above, the offers begin starting today till the 23rd of December on the Flipkart app. If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on one of the above mentioned devices then the time is now.

December 21, 2015

Best Smartphones in 2015 Between Rs. 10,000 – 15,000

Continuing with our 2015 roundup, here’s our pick of some of the best smartphones launched this year priced between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000. Let us know your favourites in the comments below.

Samsung Galaxy On7

The Samsung Galaxy On7 sports a 5.5-inch (138.6mm) HD display. It runs on a 1.2GHz quad core Sanpdragon 410 processor and a 1.5GB RAM. The storage is the same as the On5 at 8GB and both are expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot. Bith the devices are dual SIM. The On7 houses a 13MP primary camera with auto-focus and a 5MP front.

The device is touted as youth friendly and comes an Ultra Data Saving mode that compresses data and saves up to 50% data charges for greater networking and browsing. The devices also come with RadioMix which is an Apple Music-like streaming service that lets you stream millions of songs and also offers curated music based on your preference. The Galaxy On7 is available at a price of Rs. 10,990. Check out our unboxing and hands on with the Galaxy On7 to know more about the handset.

Yu Yureka Plus

The Yureka Plus comes with a 1920x1080px display vs the 720px on the original Yureka. The Plus version also gets the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection layer added to the top of the display. All this is on the same size 5.5-inch display which bumps up the pixel density to 400 ppi.

The device is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage. The device was originally priced at Rs. 9,999 and was the phone that started it all in that price bracket, but is now available for Rs. 11, 278 on Flipkart.

Xiaomi Mi 4i

Xiaomi applied its powerful design and engineering capabilities to create the Mi 4i, which was launched globally at a premiere in New Delhi in April this year. The Xiaomi Mi 4i has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53; the four cores clocked at 1.7 GHz and the other four at 1.1 GHz. It features 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage space. The Mi 4i runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6 on top.

Other features include a 13MP rear and a 5MP shooter. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. The device is available at a price of Rs. 11,999 for the 16 GB variant.

 

Micromax Canvas 5

Micromax’s latest flagship device, Canvas 5, is priced at Rs. 11,999 and sports a 5.2-inch FHD screen with 480ppi. It is powered by a 1.3GHz octa core MediaTek MT6753 ARM Cortex-A53 chipset. It also features 3 GB RAM and 11 GB internal storage expandable up to 128 GB via MicroSD card slot.

The device features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front with flash. The images taken by the primary camera are fairly decent and is quick at capturing images. The added professional modes like ISO, exposure compensations and white balance help you take that perfect shot. Have a look at our full review of the Canvas 5 for a better look at the device and specs.

 

Moto G (3rd Gen)

The Moto G (3rd Gen) It comes with the Android Lollipop 5.1.1, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor with 1.4 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 306 with 400 MHz GPU.

The display boasts of a 5-inch, 720p HD (1280 x 720), 294 ppi with a battery of 2,470 mAh, mixed usage up to 24 hours. It provides a 4G LTE network connection with a rear camera of up to13MP f/2.0, Field of view (FOV) 76 degree, and a front camera of 5 MP f/2.2, Field v (FOV) 72 degrees Display flash with fixed focus.

The device is available on Flipkart at a price of Rs. 11,999 for the 8 GB variant and for Rs. 12,999 for the 16 GB variant. Here’s our comparison of the Moto G (3rd Gen) with Yu Yureka Plus and Xiaomi Mi 4i and check out our unboxing and hands on video as well.

Moto G Turbo

The Moto G (Gen 3) Turbo went on sale in the country last week and is exclusively available on Flipkart for order, at a price of Rs. 14,499. The phone comes in two variants, namely, Black with Deep Sea Blue back and White with Slate.

On the specs front, the Moto G Turbo comes with a different chipset, Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, with Adreno 405 and a quick charge capability that Motorola calls a turbo charge. Everything else remains identical to the 16GB storage variant of the Moto G 3rd Gen which comes with 2GB RAM.

Xiaomi Mi 4

A device from last year still continues to draw the attention of smartphone buyers today. Xiaomi’s Mi 4 comes with stainless steel styling elements which sets it apart from its predecessor, the Mi 3. The 5-inch 1080p smartphone gets its processing powers from the 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC. The phone has 3GB of RAM and comes with 16/64 GB internal storage options.

The camera on the phone is a 13 megapixel rear with a wide f/1.8 aperture. The selfie camera is a massive 8 MP; a major upgrade in the MI series. The phone also gets an LTE radio and is juiced up by a 3080 mAh battery. Xiaomi fans may still prefer this over the rest, so if you’re in the market for the Mi 4, hit the link below and ready your wallet.

 

Samsung Galaxy J7

Samsung’s Galaxy J7 runs on 1.5 GHz Octa-Core Exynos processor. It has 16GB of storage which can be expanded upto 128 GB and sports a 5.5 inch HD AMOLED display.

It is a dual-SIM device that supports 4G LTE. It features a 13 MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 5 MP front camera with LED Flash. The phone are capable of full HD recording. It runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop and features 1.5 GB of RAM. The device is available at a price of Rs. 14,999.

 

Huawei Honor 6

Another 2014 device worth adding to the list is the Huawei Honor 6. The device may be average in terms of design but does have hardware to boast of. It’s the first smartphone with the HiSilicon Kirin 920 SoC, an octa core processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 3100 mAh battery. The handset features an octa-core processor made of four Cortex A 15 cores and similar number of Cortex A7 cores.

The Huawei Honor 6 offers a 13 MP rear shooter with a Sony BSI sensor along with a F2.0 28mm wide angle lens and a dual LED flash, and a 5 MP front. The handset is available at a price of Rs. 14,999 of Flipkart. Check out our review of the Honor 6 for more on the device.

December 20, 2015
This is Possibly the Best Time to Buy the iPhone 6s in India

Apple fanboys and fangirls rejoice. Those who have been checking online retailers regularly hoping for the price of the new iPhone 6s to drop can now check once again. A few days ago we mentioned that the iPhone 6s had received a major price cut in India. The devices were launched with a starting price of Rs. 62,000 and going up to a Rs. 92,000 and were much costlier than the same products in the American and European markets.

The prices have now come down significantly, especially after a decline in the demand in the country. This makes it the perfect time to buy the iPhone 6s especially before the holidays. The iPhone 6s shows a whopping price drop of Rs.11,000. There is a fall in prices of the iPhone 6s Plus as well but this isn’t as drastic as the 6s.

Currently, the 16 GB iPhone 6s (Rose Gold and Space Grey) is available at Rs. 49,900 on Amazon India.

This year’s iPhone has an improved outer shell which offers resistance against the “bendgate” issue of last year’s iPhone. The new reinforced and strong series 7000 Aluminium adds strength to the outer structure.

The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip along with an M9 co-processor. Enhanced cameras both on the rear with a 12 MP shooter which now does 4k video. On the front with a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p.

Finally, the introduction of the 3D Touch functionality is the highlight of the new iPhones and he peek and pop UI of iOS 9 makes this feature infinitely fun. If you’re still unsure about the iPhone 6s, you can read our full review of the devices here.

December 19, 2015
Huawei Mate 8 Passes FCC, Could Launch at CES 2016

Late last month, Huawei made the Mate 8 official. The company also expressed its desire to launch the device in the U.S and has received the green light to do so. Latest word is that the Mate 8 has passed the FCC. This means that its release in the U.S market is imminent.

The Mate 8 sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

As you know by now, the CES press conference is scheduled to take place in January where the biggest names in the business are set to unveil new products. Now that the Huawei Mate 8 has passed the FCC, it is highly likely that the device will be launched at the CES 2016.

December 19, 2015
Phone Cases Reveal Design of Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 Second-Gen

Krushell, maker of phone cases, has begun pre-orders for cases and glass protectors for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A3 and A5 second-gen models. The updated devices are set to launch in China this month and will see a European launch in January.

The cases for both the devices reveal what could be the final design of the Galaxy A3 and A5. The images show a pretty clear camera hump on the back of the device, which the cases try to level with. The front looks pretty much similar to the previous models, although the screen looks bigger with the display almost touching either sides.

The A5 upgrades to 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution. 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, quad-core processor and bumps the battery to 2,900mAh as well, 13MP primary camera with OIS and a 5MP front. The device will also feature a fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy A3, comes with a 4.7-inch AMOLED screen and 720p resolution. The device also features 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The A3 will not feature a fingerprint scanner. The device also bumps up the rear camera to 13MP with a 5MP front, with both having f/1.9 apertures (no OIS here, though).

December 18, 2015
YU Yutopia: Benchmarks, Gaming and Questions

Micromax’s subsidiary Yu Televentures launched the Yutopia smartphone yesterday. At a price of Rs. 24,999, the device has some solid features like an all-metal body and Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4 GB of RAM. We put the device to test and checked its hardware and graphic capabilities.

Have a look at our benchmark, gaming and heating test:

The device sports a 5.2-inch quad HD IPS display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB storage. There is a 3000mAh battery pack with Quick Charge 2.0 feature, which means that the phone will be equipped with charging capabilities up to 75% faster than conventional charging mechanisms. The device runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with Cyanogen OS 12.1.

We ran AnTuTu and Vellamo on our device and here are its scores along with OnePlus 2, and Nexus 5X:

Test

Yutopia

OnePlux 2

Qiku Q Terra

AnTuTu 60369 54929 65164

Vellamo (Metal) 1346 1678 2226

So, as you can see above, Yutopia scored 60,369 in the AnTuTu test and does better than OnePlus 2 but falls short of Qiku Terra’s score. However, a score of 60K is decent in our opinion. The Yutopia does poorly in comparison to the other two devices in the single core Vellamo test.

Questions Answered

The fingerprint scanner on the back is fast and responsive, and unlocks the phone quickly. The response time is right up there with the HTC One A9 and iPhone 6s.

There have been several queries regarding the OTG support on the device. We checked out this aspect and found that Yutopia does support OTG.

The device surprisingly does not heat up and after playing games like Asphalt 8, the phone stayed under 40-degree celsius, which is a sigh of relief for a device sporting a Snapdragon 810 chipset

We will have the full review of the Yu Yutopia soon. Meanwhile, you can click here to watch our unboxing and hands-on video.

December 18, 2015