Category: Google

  • Leaked : Motorola X Phone Image, And Ad Campaign

    Leaked : Motorola X Phone Image, And Ad Campaign

    After last night’s cryptic leak about a possible ad campaign for Motorola, the internet is back today with some more info. Once again posted on B.A. Bäkken’s Behance page, these pictures present a different story. A story of Motorola’s return; emphasized with the phrase “hello again”.

    motorola X Phone

    The company is understood to be undergoing some sort of rebranding, re-emerging with its new Motorola X Phone on August 1. 

    “The Motorola that returns will not be the company you once knew. But we have some work to do”, reads one of the images. “So until we’re ready, we’re going away. No new ads or tweets. No site updates. Just silence until we begin the next chapter. Until we meet again, goodbye Moto.” 

    The most recent specs leak that we have seen came from an often-reliable source though, and these included a 1.7GHz MSM8960 Pro dual-core processor, 720p HD display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, a 10-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. Along with these specs we also heard that the Moto X phone would run the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system, but we must remind you that all of this is not yet confirmed. If accurate though, then the specs are decent enough, but we feel that many potential customers are hoping for a lot more.

    Motorola X Phone

    PhoneArena also posted an image of the Motorola X Phone, which you can see above.

    Google and Motorola have also indicated that the Moto X phone will use the phone’s sensors in interesting new ways. We’ve heard Motorola talk about how the Moto X phone will be able to know when you’re driving and it will dynamically adjust the interface based on that information. 

    [Via, Via]

  • Apple Publishes iOS Fragmentation Chart, Most Devices On iOS 6

    Apple Publishes iOS Fragmentation Chart, Most Devices On iOS 6

    Apple says it’s charted the fragmentation of its iOS operating system and found its devices are generally more up to date than those of its U.S. rival Google. 

    fragmentation

    In contrast to Android, according to the pie chart and Apple, of all the users who visited the iTunes App Store, 93% of them were using Apple devices powered by Apple’s iOS 6 (the latest version of the company’s mobile operating system). iOS 5 is running on just 6% of all devices that used the App Store over the same period. Only 1% used anything older than iOS 5.

    Android’s “fragmentation” used to be a great deal worse that it is today, with the majority of users on older versions of the platform. However Android’s developer dashboard now shows that just under 59 percent of Android users are on OS 4.0 or higher (Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean).

    While Google has a larger share of the smartphone market, with so many devices running 3-year-old versions of Android, Apple’s numbers suggest its market share — at least for operating systems — is more up to date.

    For developers, the message is clear: Build your apps for iOS, and with one API you can hit the majority of the operating system’s addressable market. Develop for Android, and there are at least three different APIs you’ll need to deal with to reach the majority of its users.

    Apple’s next OS, iOS 7, is now out in a developer release. A general release consumer version of the new “flat” OS won’t be out until fall — to coincide with the introduction of the new iPhone “5S” hardware.

  • Google Working On A Plan To Eradicate Child Porn On The Web

    Google may have found the ultimate weapon in the fight against child porn on the Web. The company told The Daily Telegraph that it has built a new way for Web companies to share information about child abuse images.

    Photos and videos of child pornography on the Web have multiplied at an alarming rate over the past few years. In 2011, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it received 17.3 million images and videos of suspected child abuse, which is four times more than 2007.

    “Behind these images are real, vulnerable kids who are sexually victimized and victimized further through the distribution of their images,” Google Giving director Jacquelline Fuller wrote in a blog post on Saturday. “It is critical that we take action as a community — as concerned parents, guardians, teachers and companies — to help combat this problem.”

    Google’s plan is to build a database of child porn images that can be shared with other tech companies, law enforcement, and charities around the world. The database will let these groups swap information, collaborate, and remove the images from the Web.

    Google will use a technique called “hashing” to build the particular data base. The “hashing” will help the firm tag images featuring sexual abuse of children with unique identification codes.

    Google has also announced that it is donating $5 million for the cause of fighting child pornography. Part of the aid will go to global child protection partners like NCMEC and Exploited Children and the Internet Watch Foundation

    The fight to remove these images from the internet is a global one, and we hope these measures will help in that important battle

  • Google Announces ‘Project Loon’, Giant Balloons For Affordable Internet

    Google has a truly sky-high idea for connecting billions of people to the internet – 19 kilometres in the air to be exact – through giant helium balloons circling the globe that are equipped to beam Wi-Fi signals down below.

    According to Google, two of every three individuals on Earth either do not have access to the Internet, or don’t have access to a connection that is both fast and within their financial means – in some areas, individuals are faced with prices equal to more than a month’s paycheck. This issue isn’t going to resolve itself without thinking outside of the box, according to the company, and that is where the balloons come in. It was the culmination of 18 months’ work on what Google calls Project Loon.

    Project Loon

    In addition to providing access to the two out of every three people on earth Google says don’t have access to affordable broadband, another goal of the Google[x] team behind Project Loon is to help with maintaining communications following natural disasters.

    The solar-powered, remote-controlled balloons would navigate stratospheric winds 20 kilometers above the surface of the earth, well above the altitude where most planes travel. Similar to the way satellite internet works, the balloons would communicate with special antennas and receiver stations on the ground.

    project loon

    The balloons also represent another of Google’s forays into the telecommunications business. The company has been setting up Google Fibre internet connections in Kansas City, Austin, Texas and elsewhere that offer speeds 100 times faster than what most consumers have today.

    [youtube id=”m96tYpEk1Ao” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

  • About Time! Google Glass Cracked Open In Teardown

    About Time! Google Glass Cracked Open In Teardown

    It was bound to happen at some point, and condolences to whomever sacrificed their frames for the greater good aside, we’ve got our first look at the components from Google Glass and how they’re fitted together.

    The internet owes a deep thanks to Scott Torborg and Star Simpson who did a detailed tear-down post on the Google Glass.

    Some of the motivation for the tear down was purely technological while some of it was driven by the growing concerns about privacy and personal security in the US.

    “Growing up on a rich diet of dystopian tech fiction, we were filled with both intrigue and concern about Glass and decided to take our model apart to bring you a detailed view into the electronics guts of the device.

    It is not surprising that the camera is similar in quality and resolution to cameras found in your everyday smartphone:

    “The Glass camera seems to be of typical smartphone-level size and format. It is not coaxially aligned with the wearer’s eye. The camera and display appear to talk to the CPU independently, with no direct connection between each other.

    The main board, which is held in place with “lots of paste.” Removing said paste revealed a TI OMAP4430 chip and a 16GB SanDisk flash chip. Next was the battery, which also required tearing the plastic in order to get to it. Obviously, this means users cannot replace the battery on their own. The rest of the teardown is detailed in extensive pictures, which you can check out at the link at the bottom.

    Google Glass

    According to the Google Glass Tech specs page, Glass has a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot video in 720p. It supports 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Audio is provided by a bone conduction transducer, and the display is “the equivalent of a 25-inch high definition screen from eight feet away.” As for buttons and connectors, Glass has a Listen button, on/off button, capture button, touch sensitive area, and Micro USB port for charging. There’s also a status LED and rear-facing sensor array.

    [Catwig]

  • Rumour: Google Set To Ink US$1.3 Billion Deal For Waze Traffic App

    Popular mapping-app Waze has been a hot commodity in the tech world recently, fetching offers from Facebook and Apple along the $1 billion range. But it appears Google won the bidding war, for a cool $1.3 billion, according to a report from Israeli media.

    Haaretz newspaper said on its website that the two companies had agreed terms and were about to sign for a price “exceeding $1 billion”.

    waze

    Business daily Globes said the purchase price was $1.3 billion. Neither report identified its sources. “We don’t comment on rumour and speculation,” a Google spokesman told AFP about the Israeli media reports.

    Waze, whose mobile app solicits input from more than 40 million users to improve directions and display traffic and road-hazard details, would help Google add social features to its mapping tool, said Greg Sterling, an analyst at Opus Research.

    Interestingly, Microsoft was reportedly an early investor in Waze back in 2009, helping the fledgling start-up with building capital. Microsoft (or Nokia and their HERE services) were not part of the latest round of negotiations, which means either they did not see the value in the company, had alternatives or were simply caught off guard.

    Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology for Apple Mapssoftware, which was followed by the announcement of an iOS version from Google of Google Maps.

    In an interview with “AllThingsD” at D11 in May, Cook announced that Apple had not bid for Waze.

    [T3, Haaretz]

  • Stock Google Keyboard Now Available On Google Play

    Stock Google Keyboard Now Available On Google Play

    Do you use Swype or SwiftKey on your Android? Google wants you to switch away and use their stock Android keyboard.

    Google today released its Google Keyboard app for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above. You can download it now directly from Google Play, although it’s only available in English-speaking locales (Google says more countries will be added soon).

    google keyboard

    This is the same keyboard that was introduced with Jelly Bean (Android 4.2), that includes Gesture typing, a way to swipe from letter-to-letter to spell out words. It should also actively predict words on-screen as you gesture between letters, making this one of the smartest keyboards you’ll use.

    Downloading and launching the Google Keyboard app will walk you through turning on the keyboard and setting it as your default, after which your Android phone will have the same typing experience available on Nexus devices. Switching back to the keyboard that came with your phone (or any other alternative keyboards you may have downloaded) can be done from the device’s Settings page.

    Google Keyboard’s features:

    • Gesture Typing with dynamic floating preview.
    • Voice Typing.
    • Next-word suggestions and current-word completions.
    • Dictionaries for 26 languages.
    • Advanced keyboard layouts.
    • Works across your Android devices (tablets and phones).

    So if you’re unhappy with what companies like Samsung and HTC have cooked up, you can always use the stock Google keyboard now.

    [Ars Technica]

  • Google Glass XE6 Update Brings HDR Photography, Captioning

    Google Glass XE6 Update Brings HDR Photography, Captioning

    Are you among the few out there with Google Glass? Now you’ve got better pictures — and the ability to add a caption – on the way.

    Google has begun rolling out a software update for the Google Glass heads-up-display computers with major changes to the way the device takes and handles photographs. Notably, the device will now take photos in rapid succession so you can choose the best photo possible.

    Google

    The update brings “rapid sequence of shots”. This feature takes a burst of photos with every photograph that is taken. Those multiple images are then merged together, producing a single image that is more detailed and better exposed than the previous images Glass would take.

    You can now shoot HDR images on Glass, which will help in high contrast situations. This involves taking a brighter, darker and mid-range image and combining them together to reproduce a fuller range of tones. It’s very common now on smartphones and other cameras, so it’s nice to see it come to Glass.

    There’s also a new option to add a photo caption via voice as you share your photo out. Just tap and talk and a caption will appear with your social sharing to Google+.

    The camera aside, there are some other small changes and improvements that are included in update XE6, such as a change to the shut down notification sound and Off-Head detection sound. Hangouts produces a ring when connecting, Google Now Sports and Birthdays cards are new and improved, off-head detection is better, and several small fixes have been applied.

    [The Next Web]

  • Google Bans Google Glass Porn App, Changes Policy

    Google Bans Google Glass Porn App, Changes Policy

    The first pornography app for Google Glass has launched, though not for long.

    Porn company Mikandi, which calls itself the world’s top app store for porn, released “Tits and Glass” this morning. A very classy title of course, as befits the porn industry. The app was designed to make “authentic” porn, allowing users to create, upload, and share photos taken with Glass.

    It would also allow users to comment and vote on their favorite content, according to a statement from MiKandi.

    “Google Glass is still in its infancy. The technology is really awesome, but it’s still brand new,” said Jesse Adams, CEO of MiKandi. “It’s important for us to stay on the cutting edge, though. It’s going to be connected to everything, so it’s important for us to push limit and see whats possible.”

    Google officially banned sexually explicit material on the futuristic eyewear.

    The company changed its Google Glass Platform Developer Policies today:

    Sexually Explicit Material: We don’t allow Glassware content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material. Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of content with child pornography, we will report it to the appropriate authorities and delete the Google Accounts of those involved with the distribution.

    More than 10,000 people have visited the landing page for the app, and a dozen Google Glass owners had signed up with the app, MiKandi CEO Jesse Adams said in a blog post.

    He said the company made sure it was following the Google Glass developer terms when it started creating the app two weeks ago, but those rules were quickly changed by Google. MiKandi will comply with the new rules, and plans on rolling out a new app that somehow doesn’t include any of the forbidden content.

    MiKandi, also wants to explore direct Glass-to-Glass interactions.

    [CNN]

  • Android Jelly Bean Now On 33 Percent Of Android Devices According To June Figures

    Android Jelly Bean Now On 33 Percent Of Android Devices According To June Figures

    The latest Android distribution stats are in as of June 3rd, and things are looking up for Jelly Bean.

    Jelly Bean, including Android 4.1 and 4.2, now makes up 33% of all users. Coupled with Ice Cream Sandwich at 25.6%, nearly 60% of users run Android 4.0 and above.

    android

    Changes from last month are minor, Android 4.2 finally got a bit boost, almost doubling from 2.3% to 4% in less than a month, on the strength of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Android 4.1 also jumped 2.9% from last month as more customers upgraded from older devices; 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 saw slight drops this month.

    It also appears that manufacturers are making good on their word to upgrade ICS users to Jelly Bean, as much of the Android 4.1 gain came at the expense of 4.0 — the former gaining 2.9% and the latter losing 1.9%.

    There are some unfortunate conclusions to be made here: while it’s gratifying to see Android 4.0+ rising to 60% of all users, Gingerbread’s demise is taking far larger than it should and it is hampering the rollout of apps that take advantage of newer platform features only possible on ICS and above.

    It’s important to remember that Google recently tweaked its algorithm in regards to how it counts users for these figures. In its own words, the company explains:

    Note: Beginning in April, 2013, these charts are now built using data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play Store. Previously, the data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers. We believe the new data more accurately reflects those users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem.

    Also, according to a tweet from the well-connected and accurate @LlabTooFeR Twitter account, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean could be rolling out a few weeks after the HTC One Nexus hits the Google Play Store.

    @LlabTooFeR is best known as a source of HTC-related rumors, and has proven to be very accurate in most cases.

    Exciting times for all Android fans!

  • Gmail Version 4.5 For Android Now Rolling Out

    Gmail Version 4.5 For Android Now Rolling Out

    Google has started rolling out its new version of Gmail for Android today.

    Like the desktop version, Gmail for Android gets the organizational luxury of “categories”. Those tabs are meant to filter email messages into a type of sub-folder system, rather than clutter your inbox. 

    Also, now there is the option to refresh the feed by pulling down on the feed.

    The left-side navigation bar is also present, making it much easier to navigate between Labels.

    The update is rolling out slowly to the hundreds of millions of Android Gmail users, so head to Android Police for the APK download. No word on when the iOS version will be released. The tablet UI is the same, though the left menu remains on the screen.

    Have you tried the new Gmail layout on your desktop or laptop? What do you think of the new design for Android? Let us know your thoughts.

    If you’re the impatient kind, and cannot find the update on the Play Store, you might like to try one of the following download links to grab the updated APK today:

    All mirrors courtesy of Android Police

    [Android Police]

  • Facial Recognition Apps For Google Glass Will Not Be Approved For Now

    Facial Recognition Apps For Google Glass Will Not Be Approved For Now

    Google has attempted to assuage some of the privacy concerns surrounding Google Glass with a new Google+ post on facial recognition.

    As Google has said for several years, we won’t add facial recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place. With that in mind, we won’t be approving any facial recognition Glassware at this time.”

    The company also said developers would not be allowed to disable the Google Glass display while using the device’s camera. This comes in response to concerns that Glass wearers could surreptitiously take photos and videos of their surroundings, without those nearby able to see that they were doing so by noticing the lit display in front of their faces.

    google glass

    Glass, despite its holding pattern in beta, has already been scrutinized from an ethical perspective by many technology watchers, some of whom have said they’re troubled by the challenges to privacy posed by a wearable computer which could potentially be used to photograph people in public spaces without fair warning.

    Google Glass is currently only available to Explorer Program members, with #ifihadglass contest winners joining them soon. Google says that it’s using this early period in Glass’s lifecycle to listen to users and the public and to shape its policies accordingly.

    Google has in recent years been a target of privacy hawks concerned with the company’s access to growing amounts of personal information through its search services and mobile device software.

    [PCMag, AllThingsD]

  • Rumor : LG could make the Nexus 5 After All

    LG was the OEM of choice for building the Google Nexus phone last year, and the Nexus 4 has been quite a hit in the industry. Several tipsters and online rumors have pointed to different hardware being manufactured by different companies. The latest news comes from a Korean site called  Daum, that claims that the Nexus 5 is already in testing and may be announced sooner than expected. The site also claims that LG is the choice as a manufacturer due to huge success with the Nexus 4 and an overall positive report from the market watch. 

     

    Google is known to have the same company build the Nexus device year after year, as they did with Samsung’s Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, LG could be chosen for the Nexus 5 seeing as how well they executed the previous edition of the Google Phone.

    While no real specs, images or design ideas for the upcoming product are available, it is claimed that the Hardware has already done several rounds of the Google Campus. With no real information to back this one, take it with a pinch of salt guys.

  • Google Calendar for Android updated with more color options and tweaks

    Google Calendar for Android updated with more color options and tweaks

    If you use Google Calendar a lot on your Android phones, you will love the new changes that Google has made to the app. Starting with a new color tool, which lets you highlight specific appointments and change the color of your entire calendar.

    So now all your meetings can be set in blue and all the Home chores in Red ! This feature will let you identify and group up your tasks making the calendar a lot more efficient to do tool. The newly designed date and time function lets you pick out time and dates in the analogue style and as Google says “well before the vacation”.

    Time zones are now set automatically by entering the name of the city and the app is available for Android ICS 4.1 and above. Check it out in the link below.

     

    [toggle title=”Press Release”]

    One of the most requested features we’ve seen so far for Google Calendar on Android is the ability to customize event and calendar colors directly from your device. Today’s update allows you to do just that. Now you can highlight those super-urgent meetings and important birthdays, or just switch up the color of your calendar whenever your heart desires.

    Adding events is now easier and more fun with our redesigned date and time pickers, which let you schedule your special dinner date or the start of your well-deserved vacation in a snap.

    For all of you world travelers, our redesigned timezone picker makes it simpler to find the region that you’re looking for, whether you’re in San Francisco, Tokyo or Zurich.

    Finally, it’s easier to schedule repeating events. You can now set events to repeat every Tuesday and Thursday, every month, or every 7 weeks, it’s completely up to you.

    The latest version of Google Calendar is built for devices running Android 4.0.3 and above (Android 4.1 or higher for custom event colors). Get it on Google Play, rolling out over the course of the day, and let us know what you think.

    [/toggle]

    [Download]

    [Source]

     

     

  • Nexus 4 for India Review

    Nexus 4 for India Review

    Nexus 4, a smartphone that launched last year was speculated to arrive India soon after its global availability. The Nexus 4’s rumored launch dates for India got shunned, and prospective owners dealt with a lot of delay before the phone finally launched. LG brought the Nexus 4 to India under the assumption that the Indian people still wanted it. Was the company right ? Does the Nexus 4 bring about a world of difference in the way one looks at Android ? Lets find out!

     LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 32

    Nexus 

    [pullquote_left]The Way Google Intended[/pullquote_left]A line of Mobile devices manufactured by an OEM brand selected by Google to lead into the area of expertise and build the Android flagship for that particular year. Apart from the lack of any form of software or network customizations or restrictions, they also have unlock-able bootloaders and are the first devices to receive instant Android Operating System updates. 

    In most cases Nexus units are responsibility of Google, sales in a particular country are pushed by Google and availability is also based on Google’s interest to bring forth the device. In India however, the only Nexus phone to have been made available prior to the Nexus 4 was the Nexus S. Just as the Nexus 4 was ignored in India initially, the Galaxy Nexus was not launched at all, despite huge demand for the successful handset. 

    LG decided to bring the Nexus 4 on their own accord, thanks to high public interest. Initially plans to bring in the Nexus 4 were sacked as the company thought it was not going to do well enough. The first few lots of Nexus 4 handsets also faced manufacturing issues, keeping the Nexus 4 virtually sold out, due to limited supplies. 

    LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 38

    Build Quality, Design and Hardware 

    There is no question that the initial look at the design reminds us of the iPhone 4/4s with a glass front and a glass back fused on either sides of a solid shell. The difference here is that LG has actually rounded the device out a lot, the front blends into the solid plastic bezel which then flattens out into a glass back. 

    Problems with the Nexus 4’s back glass cracking in the heat have been aplenty and still exist. But, some are fortunate enough to not have that issue, the problem however persists. If the Nexus 4 is left in the sun, or put through intensive activities that cause the device to heat up, the glass back around the camera lens develops hairline cracks. 

    LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 24

    Apart  from the cracking issues, the Nexus 4 is noticeably well built and definitely has a very premium design factor. The dotted, glittery back glass makes the device shimmer in the slightest gleam of any light, almost making the Nexus 4 appeal to a artsy tingle in the brain. Somewhat making you feel the sense of passion towards a mere black piece of Android Jelly Bean hardware.

    LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 26
     

    Speaking of hardware, the Nexus 4 has just the right amount to justify the price unlike some seriously strange mistakes for India. Powered by a 2100 mAh Li-Po battery the Nexus 4 runs a Quad Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Krait processor clocking in 1.5 GHz of raw unadulterated silicone hum. The impressive Adreno 320 GPU ensures graphics performance along with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of fixed – non expandable storage for the Nexus 4. Google however ensures that each Android user now gets 15 gigs of cloud storage, incase you would like to consider that as a value addition. 

    LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 46

    The front of the Nexus 4 has a brilliant LG display, True HD IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen with a 768 x 1280 px resolution clocking in a good 318 ppi. The addition of Gorilla Glass 2 on the front as well as the back give the phone strength, the unibody shell adds reinforcement. The back has a 8 Megapixel camera which is said to be quite terrible, we found otherwise (see below), the camera also does 1080p video at 30 fps. The front carries a 1.3 MP camera, only as good as it gets, capable of shoddy imagery and video. 

     

    Un-Salted Beans 

    (Stock Android Experience) 

    The fact that the Nexus 4 runs a stock version of Android actually has a lot of people in turmoil, we hope we can clarify some doubts. The Nexus 4, infact any Nexus phone, runs a stock unadulterated un-skinned version of Android out of the box. That means no – task manager, no floating weather animations and definitely no fancy dual picture camera shots. But the key word here is essentially “out of the box”, the Nexus 4 also give you, on the other hand, the maximum flexibility with the Android operating system. An unlock-able bootloader means the minute you get hold of the Nexus 4, you can root it and get developing. 

    [pullquote_left]Felxibilty with the Interface[/pullquote_left]The ability to use custom ROMs and skins is then endless, install widgets and apps from select manufacturers or even add your own custom UI, this is what truly makes the Nexus 4 experience fun. However the customization and open-ness is not for everyone. Some people want fancy UI’s out of the box. Pick up a Galaxy S3 and you have things like multi-window and fancy multi layer User interface, but with the Nexus 4 you have a bland boring flat UI from the get go.

    A first few days of the custom UI aside, you soon start playing with the Android open-ness and start trying to modify the phone to do interesting things. Splashing different user interfaces or even different launchers, different ROMs each day. It’s a time-consuming process, but on that makes you truly appreciate Android. As with each customization you find out another thing your phone is capable of. 

    Some on the other hand will love the vanilla experience, the way Google intended for Android to be, fast and snappy and completely flat.

    LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 42

    Camera, Multimedia and Gaming

    The camera on the Nexus 4 has been critiqued heavily for not being close to expectations set by Google. With the latest Android 4.2.2 update from Google we found that the camera sensor although not the best, is quite good. Images are almost always in focus, well composed, rightly saturated and for those who stick to auto easily captured. A lot of flexibility is available on the Nexus 4 for the camera. Check the sample below. 

    IMG_20130527_183954

    [pullquote_left]Washed out, But only in Comparison![/pullquote_left]When put in comparison to the Optimus G the Screen of the Nexus 4 appears to be washed out. The Optimus G’s display is a lot more deep and vibrant, whereas the Nexus 4 appears to be a little less effective. Many argue that the Galaxy S3 available at a similar price has a display which is a lot more appreciated. However, the Nexus 4 has a well-balanced display that not only works indoors it works great outdoors as well. Problems arise when you start comparing individual aspects of the display with other devices. The Nexus 4 is a great device for multimedia, audio is loud and crisp from the speaker and well handled during video playback. Whether you like online or offline multimedia the Nexus 4 can deliver a great performance. 

    Gaming is also well handled by the Nexus 4, the Adreno 320 is one of the most celebrated GPU of today’s hardware market. With the Nexus 4 you will see most games supported out of the box, incase you wish to download unsupported ones, you can do that by a simple root. The ample amount of graphics power and sufficient RAM make the hardware quite capable of gaming, in fact the only real problem gamers would end up facing with the Nexus 4 is the limited storage. 

     LG Google Nexus 4 India Review iGyaan 47

    Performance, Phone and Networks

    The Nexus 4, although launched last year, at current price is capable of dethroning most celebrated handsets. The pure OS experience not only gets quicker updates, but is a way to truly experience Android in its full potential as a smooth user interface. Apart from being the easiest day-to-day phone, users will realize soon that the Nexus 4 is capable of deep levels of multitasking, and expertly handled process distribution thanks to the great processing brain on the inside of the Nexus 4. 

    Mostly the performance of the Nexus 4 becomes evident in the initial uses, however for those who truly like to exploit the handset. The ability to root and install an overclocked kernel will speed up the performance. The most recent version allows up to 1.944 GHz on the 4 cores – Wow!

    The phone call quality and networks remain excellent, ensuring good usage of the handset’s primary function; calling. Network quality remains pristine even during commutes and the callers are audible pretty nicely through the earpiece. 

    LG Google Nexus 4 India 10

    Battery Life

    Battery life is sufficient out of the box on the Nexus 4, if you do a lot of gaming you might want to underclock and undervolt your Nexus 4 to get an additional 90 minutes of on-screen time. Running stock though you get a good mix of battery life through a day – 5-6 hours of talk time, an hour of browsing, half hour of gaming and few hours of music can also be included.

     

    3G ON

    Pure Talk time : 7 Hours

    Pure Standby : 48 Hours
    Pure Gaming : 3.5 Hours 
    Pure Online : 6 hours
    Pure Music 8 – 10  hours[/tab]

     

    3G OFF

    Pure Talk time : 8.5 Hours
    Pure Standby : 54 Hours
    Pure Gaming : 4 Hours 
    Pure Online : 7 hours (wi-fi)
    Pure Music 8-10 hours[/tab]

    LG Google Nexus 4 India 11

    Verdict

    [pullquote_left]Your Playground[/pullquote_left]Although a little late, the Nexus 4 has launched in India at an excellent price mark, lower than similar hardware equipped handsets, yet the first one to get updates. The Nexus 4 is also the most flexible hardware and a pretty premium looking handset. However, The Nexus 4 does lack the basic microSD expansion, possesses a sub par camera module, and somewhat cheeky display in comparison to its brother the Optimus G. That being said, if you want to experience Android, the way it was intended to be, then the Nexus 4 is your playground and Android is your sport. Even if that is not the case the Nexus 4 will satisfy!

    Hands on Video

     

    [youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQypYqoF_lI”]

    Full Review Video

    [youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMJzXBJv5Y8″]

     

     

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