The phone that marks a beginning for a change for the Legendary Mobile phone company. Nokia recently Launched the Lumia 800 in India and it has led Windows Phone to another level, at least in India. Still priced way above expected the phone is available for just under Rs. 30,000.
[tabs style=”default”] [tab title=”Initial Impressions”] The device is superiorly well built and has a stunning gorilla glass display. Under the hood is a 1.4GHz processor and 16GB of Storage. It runs the latest version of mango yet there are some features missing. Also on the OS front are some applications that have been custom made by Nokia for the device, For Example Nokia Drive. Nothing is openable or removable in the injection moulded shell of the phone. The only two openings are on the top of the device for micro USB ports and a micro SIM slot. The Speaker is located at the bottom of the Phone, a rather inconvenient location if you ask us.[/tab] [tab title=”Pros”]
Well built
Good Specs ( Windows Phone)
Unibody Design
Excellent display
Custom Apps ( Nokia Drive/Maps)
Nokia Support in India
[/tab] [tab title=”Cons”]
Expensive at Rs.30,000
Few features missing
Underpowered
micro SIM
[/tab] [tab title=”Specifications”]
Price: RS. 29,999. Network: 3G Display: 3.7-inch bright AMOLED ClearBlack display. Screen Resolution: 800 x 480 pixels Camera: 8 mega-pixel with auto-focus ,Carl Zeiss optics ,and dual LED flash. HD Video Recording/Playback Music: FM Radio, Music Player, 3.3mm Jack Internal Memory: 16GB Battery: standard 1450 mAh Talk time: up to 13hrs. Standby time: up to 335hrs. OS: Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Processor: 1.4GHz Scorpion Social Networking: Support to Social networking and Google Apps WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML5, RSS feeds Email & IM: Yes Connectivity: Windows Zune PC Sync, USB, Wi-Fi Games, Weight: 142gm
The HTC Sensation XL has been touted as a slow mover, yet its a and hot powered smart phone. We unbox this massive metal device and take a look at the interface. The giant features a 1GHz scorpion processor along with 16GB storage. a 4.7 inch 480 x 800 px resolution on a SLCD display. The resolution is much lower than the HTC Sensation / XE , both of which have a qHD display.
The XL also comes with a Beats by Dre audio engine and in-ear earphones. Which surely are the lime-light features of this device. The device is superbly built and powered by a 1600mah battery. Surprising the phone is priced at a massive Rs. 37500/-
In front of the Note the Sensation XL seems dwarfed, the screen size, specs everything seems lower, except build quality.
Check out the video below and stay tuned for the full review and complete comparison b/w the Note and XL.
HTC Rhyme was announced a while back and it promised a lot of hope, especially because initial pricing pointed towards a Rs. 15000 launch. When the device was finally launched at Rs. 25000 , it seemed like a bit of a disappointment. The functionality and specs of the device prove otherwise.
Bundled are really nice quality in ear earphones with remote and mic, also in the box is the wonderful light charm which will effectively signal women that their phone is ringing somewhere in the depths of their handbags. Simply targeted at the younger Gen. buyers and more so at the smartphone buying ladies. Specs include 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches SLCD display along with a 1 GHz Scorpion + Adreno 205 GPU. For media and apps there is 4 GB storage plus 768 MB RAM.
Samsung Omnia W is the first official Windows Phone from Samsung in India. The smartphone has been aggressively priced seeing the massive launch from Nokia for their Lumia Series. The Samsung Omnia however beats the odds of the Nokia Lumia series trumping them in a certain aspects. The Omnia W weighs just 115 gms making it a fairly light phone. The 3.7 inch Super AMOLED screen is exceptionally vivid and has rich deep black levels. The form factor and over all size of the device is very comfortable in the hand.
The Omnia W features a 5 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, 720p video recording and a front facing VGA camera for video calling. The Omnia W also has a 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU. It has 8 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, along with GPS, AGPS for location and high speed HSPA connectivity. The omnia comes with Windows Phone 7.5 mango and is currently available in black color for Rs. 19,900/-. Check out our Video unboxing below and stay tuned for a Full Review out Shortly.
Network Attached Storage, is a term that reminds us of big bulky devices that store large 3.5 inch Hard Drives. These units are usually obnoxious and loud and provide limited access to the storage. That all has changed as Synology introduces the DS411 Slim. This slim palm size ( or actually palm width) NAS uses 4 Sata 2.5 inch hard drives inside a beautiful piano black shell. Not only is this small and good to look at it is very quiet with noise levels at just 21.1 dB(A).
The DS411 Slim gives you the ability to create your own private cloud, with a host of features including iOS and Android Apps to access your data make this a real worthwhile investment. The DS411slim allows you to create your personal data store and share files b/w Windows, Mac, and Linux. Internet file access is simplified by the encrypted FTP server, the web-based File Browser and File Station. HTTPS, firewall, and IP auto-block support ensure file sharing over the Internet is protected at a high security level.
For those with a download fetish the DS411 Slim has an inbuilt Download Center which allows 24×7 BitTorrent, FTP, HTTP, eMule, and NZB download center without a PC. The DS411 is the ultimate media store using the inbuilt DLNA/UPnP Compliant Media Sever that allows you to stream multimedia files with an UPnP Digital Media Adapter (DMA) to a stereo system or a TV-set. Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox360 are also supported.
The Ds411 Slim can also be used as an iTunes Server and an Audio Stream unit that supports Internet radio stations, and iPod playback along with playback of audio files stored on the unit using optional speakers. Check out the tech specs below
Spice has just announced a tackle to its competitor, priced at just Rs. 8000, (Rs. 300 cheaper if you buy from their online E-commerce website). The device features a 2 point touch 3.5 inch capacitive screen with a resolution of 320 x 480 px. The processor is a 650MHz Mediatek M6573 with what they claim a 200MHz GPU ( say what?). with 512MB Rom and 256MB RAM this device seems like a good alternative to the dual sim android we unboxed a few days ago.
The battery is a 1400 mah pack, and Spice claims that the device has good battery management. The camera is a 3.2 MP autofocus camera at the back without any flashlight. The front camera is a VGA camera but there is Video call over 3G, so its a plus point. The device is chunkier than the A75 and a little less attractive as well. The back cover although metal is very fiddly. And we got a quick hands on video at announcement, before we do an actual unboxing. What we do know is that in-ear headphones + mic and button are included instead of standard ones. check out the images and subscribe to iGyaanTV as the video goes up shortly
A quick unboxing and hands on with the recently launched Micromax Superfone Lite A75. The device is a first from Micromax in many ways, including first under 10k with 3.75 inch screen, first with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and also the first Dual sim Android. Check out the video below.
We just got hold of a unit of the Micromax A75 SuperFone and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on with the device. Before i get down and dirty unboxing the unit, here are a bunch of sneak peak images for the A75.
The build quality of the device is fairly surprising, its really well built. The overall form factor and shape feels really good in the hand and fits well. First impressions of he unit show that the display is bright and vivid and the screen is very responsive. The device does not show lag or slow down while moving from screen to screen or navigating the menus. The device comes preloaded with Android 2.3.4 and is supposedly good enough for Ice Cream Sandwich, But no official words on that. (We are still struggling with 2.3 on A70). The device is more expensive looking than it actually is. It also comes with unique UI enhancements done by Micromax that make the experience a little better.
Specs include a 650Mhz processor, a nice 3.75 inch 320×480 capacitive screen, Android 2.3.4, 10.9 mm thickness, 1300 mah battery, the standard Wifi b/g/n- Bluetooth 3.0. Not to forget the fact that this is a dual sim phone, both gsm+gsm.
Most of Micromax’s new marketing and dev team is from HTC so you will start to see some Ui flavor(maybe its because i already know this fact). The device is an excellent add on the the Under 10k list and will definitely make the holiday list of the phones to get under 10k. Wait for the Unboxing video going up shortly followed by a full review.
Two phones, multiple battle grounds and various areas of testing. The Motorola Defy Plus in one corner and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active in the other, the two phones that appear superior in their fields. The true definition of a rugged phone is one that can withstand tortures of daily activities and more.
Build Quality & Design
Both the Xperia Active and the Defy + are made to withstand certain levels of torture, with rugged accents in both their constructions, both devices fared well in waterproof testing. The Motorola Defy + is more of a mans phone, with the industrial looks and design, the strength to withstand drops and scratches. The device is a step above the Active which is not designed to withstand drops as the backpanel scratches and withers easily . Both devices have a gorilla glass front, the Active however has a tuff display which comes preloaded with a impact sheet and a scratch protector. The Defy + has a true full feature gorilla display which does not even need a screen protector to prevent scratches or impacts.
We prefer the looks of the Defy + as a rugged phone, and the fact that it has a much larger display makes it a little bit more attractive. The Active has its own charm and can been seen as a pretty and small device, a possible option for the outgoing ladies.
Hardware and Specs
DEVICE
Sony Ericsson Xperia Active
Motorola Defy +
Availability
Announced on
June 2011
August 2011
Available
September 2011
October 2011
Battery
Capacity
1200mAh
1700 mAh
Standby Time
350 hours
384 hours
Talk Time
6 hours
7 hours
Type
Lithium Ion
Lithium Polymer
CPU
Speed
1GHz
1GHz
Type
Qualcomm MSM8255
TI OMAP 3620
Camera
Main
5mp (2592×1944)
5mp (2592×1944)
Video
720p
720p
Connectivity & Data
Bluetooth
2.1 + EDR
v2.1 A2DP EDR
EDGE
Class 32, 236.8 kbits
Class 12
GPRS
Class 32, 88 kbps
Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
GPS
yes
HSCSD
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
USB
2.0 microUSB
2.0 microUSB
Wireless
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; DLNA
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; DLNA
Display
Colors
16.8 million
16.8 million
Resolution
320×480 pixels
480×854 pixels
Size
3 inches
3.7 inches
Type
LCD capacitive touchscreen
TFT capacitive touchscreen
General
2G Network
GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3G Network
HSDPA 900, 2100 OR HSDPA 850, 1900, 2100
HSDPA 900, 2100 OR HSDPA 850, 2100 OR HSDPA 850, 1900
Alias
ST17i, ST17a
Defy+
Form Factor
CandyBar
CandyBar
Price Range
Memory
Call record
Unlimited
Card Slot
microSD, up to 32 GB, 2 GB included
microSD, up to 32 GB, 2 GB included
Internal
320MB, 1GB ROM
2 GB
Phonebook
Unlimited entries
Ram
512MB
512MB
Operating System
Type
Android
Android
Version
2.3
2.3
Other Features
Misc Features
Wet finger tracking, ANT+, Water and dust resistant
Size and Weight
Width
55.0 mm (2.15 inches)
59.0 mm (2.30 inches)
Height
92.0 mm (3.59 inches)
107.0 mm (4.17 inches)
Depth
16.5 mm (0.64 inches)
13.4 mm (0.52 inches)
Weight
110 grams (3.9 ounces)
118 grams (4.1 ounces)
Multimedia and Camera
Both devices have a 5 MP camera with LED flash, both have 720p video quality with fairly decent and frame loss capture. The cameras are autofocus and the camera on the Xperia Active performs well, especially outdoors. Both devices come with their own variants on the camera app and the one on the Xperia outshines the one on the Defy. The defy + also lacks a front facing camera for video calls over Voip.
The multimedia experience is somewhat of a dilemma, on one hand you have a larger display and a very loud speaker of the Defy+ and on the other hand you have a small display with a very vivid mobile Bravia engine and a good sounding speaker on the Xperia Active. The Defy+ also has a large resolution making the image and text quality on the device much better.
Both devices performed well in video streaming and playback and were able to sustain a good overall experience, Playing back almost all sorts of media files.
Phone and Networks
The Motorola Defy + and the Xperia Active both have solid phone capabilities, except we noticed that the Defy+ proved to be the strong one in this challenge, the network and call quality for the Defy +was excellent and there were no dropped calls whatsoever. The Defy + also showed off excellent WiFi strength compared to the weak WiFi on the Xperia Active.
The Xperia Active faced some dropped calls and intermittent connectivity issues, not enough to worry us. The WiFi was weak and the company claims that its due to the dual layer shielding on the Active.
Battery Life on the Devices :
Defy +
Xperia Active
Phone calls 2G
6 Hours
4.5 Hours
Phone calls 3G
4.5 Hours
3 – 3.5 Hours
Internet Surf over Wifi
9.5 Hours
7 Hours
Internet Surf over data
4 Hours
3.55 Hours
Video Playback
upto 7 Hours
upto 5 Hours
UI and Accessories
The Motorola Defy Plus comes with a custom UI on top of Android 2.3, called the MOTOBLUR it socializes your friends, pics, emails, messages, and Facebook, and Twitter happenings. MOTOBLUR syncs them all, with continuous updates and back ups. For Sony Ericsson its called TimeScape, a similar experience plus the good looks of the UI. The overview feature shows off a nice jiggly animation to look at all home screens. The device powers off with the old CRT-TV animation for Gingerbread. Where as, the icons and widgets on the MOTOBLUR are old looking and jagged, remind us of the days of the CRT TV.
The included accessories in the Xperia Active at first seem like a positive, but later out turn out to be meh!. The included extra cover is possibly the only great bit of accessory in the Active, the LiveView watch /clip is an added notification panel with a touchscreen that lets you control music and look at notifications. But guess what its not water resistant or dust proof, so much for outdoor activities. It does come with a host of straps and clips , but since the LiveView does not hold charge or connect properly to the device, you will ignore it more than use it. The Active also comes with a pre installed Screen Protector.
Conclusion
Well both phones have their plus points and downsides, We feel unless you really have a need for a rugged phone, getting some other device would be a better idea simply because of the specs that you would get. If you do need a rugged phone you need to decide between a larger screen or a smoother UI, a industrial vs a playful design. Included add-ons and goodies may or may not mean anything to you, they didn’t to us, especially because they weren’t useful.
We found the Defy Plus a better device, with better looks, battery backup, larger display and overall appeal as a rugged device- it screams Tough Book – Tough Phone!
The HTC Sensation XE is the first phone in India with the Beats Audio integration with HTC. The device is a standard HTC Sensation on heavy steroids. Watch our video below and stay tuned for the full review and comparison with industry standards.
The device is an easy way for the company to revive the dying sales of their flagship phones from companies like Samsung.
The Complete Spec List Includes :
Price
Rs. 35,500/-
CPU Processing Speed
1.5 GHz, dual core
Storage
Total storage : 4 GB
Available storage : up to 1 GB
RAM : 768 MB
Connectors
3.5 mm stereo audio jack
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection
(Special cable required for HDMI connection.)
Sensors
Gyro sensor
G-Sensor
Digital compass
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor
Multimedia
Gallery, Music, and FM Radio
Beats Audio™
DLNA for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to your TV or computer
Its been a blizzard of Artist branded earphones, from Dr. Dre, Lady Gaga , P Diddy and even Ludacris. These SL99 Soul by Ludacris earphones are not your everyday earphones, and thats why we liked them at first go. The come with a premium pouch to safely carry them around. The flat cable is highly tangle resistant and oxygen free. Gold plated tips and solid, heavy build make these earphones look, feel and sound good.
Motorola’s new Defy+ (Defy Plus) is the revision to their already popular Motorola Defy. The newer Device features an enhanced spec list and a better resistance to the elements. So lets take a look.
Sony has been going strong with its Xperia lineup this year. With over 5-8 models released this year does the company actually have what it takes to restructure the market with the right devices. Sony also Recently announced that it plans to buy-out the stake from Sony Ericsson (The Ericsson share) to call the company Sony mobile. The Neo V is an example of what Sony stands for, lets find out whether it delivers to the sony image or not.
Build Quality and Hardware
The Neo V is exceptionally well built with great overall hardware design, and brilliant paint finish. the device feels like a luxury car parked right in the palm of your hand. A curvaceous back and a glossy paint finish make you feel special that you hold this device. There is no shake or rattle from this device and it delivers a robust experience while you fiddle around with the tactile buttons and great structure.
In terms of Hardware the Neo V has a great set check out the total specs:
5 megapixel with upto 16x zooming; Front VGA camera
Flash
Yes
Ringtones
Polyphonic, MP3, Truetone
Music Player
Yes
GPS
Gps + aGPS
Radio
Yes
Speaker
Yes
Processor
1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
Internet
Yes
Browser
HTML
Games
Yes
Battery
Talk time: Up to 7 hrs on 3G and 6hours 55 minutes on 2G, Standby time up to 430 hrs on 3G and 400 hrs on 2G
Multimedia, Display and Camera
The device has a brilliant display with a Mobile Bravia engine, which ensures super smooth video playback. The Device however has only a 1GHZ single core processor which is somewhat of a let down for the price bracket. Coming back to the screen which is a 3.7 inch 854 x 480 px display which offers superior ppi for the size of the display, that makes images and videos look good and text look crisp.
Video playback is well supported over almost all available formats and scrubbing through video does not pixellate or mismatch audio. Audio is loud and clear and the device performs well in all aspects of the Multimedia field.
The camera has a 5 MP XMOR R sensor, which makes images look good even in low light. We however found video to be jittery with 720p at 30fps underperforming the label. Images were also decent but poor compared to those from similar camera of competitors. Overall a decent camera with a bunch of effects and software camera shake reduction, which may or may not impress you depending on where you come from (previous device).
Phone Messaging and Internet
The phone quality and network stability were solid, no dropped calls in 2 weeks of testing. 3G however was not as stable as we wanted and kept jumping from H to 3G to E. The sound and volume of it were clear and loud and we were quite impressed with it. Internet can be bothersome on the go when you shift from tower to tower, the phone takes about a minute to reset the data connection. On wifi however there is no problem.
The onboard keyboard is stock and therefore can be replaced easily with many from the marketplace. The typing experience is great thanks to the highly responsive screen.
The Device also supports the Wifi Hotspot feature which allows you to make the device into a portable router. Which is a convenient feature available in most Androids today, the difference here lies that the Neo V does not drain out of its battery like a dripping plastic bag. It sustains power management within the Wifi hotspot mode and offers extended usage.
Battery
The battery life on the Neo V was impressive swell with a longer talk time than mentioned in the spec sheet we were impressed
9 Hours on 2G
7.5 Hours on 3G
8 Hours Wifi Browsing
4 hours 3G browsing
4 Hours Wifi Hotspot (3 devices connected)
24 Hours of Music Playback
5 Hours of Video
Conclusion
The device is an expensive representation of devices like the Xperia Mini Pro, but offer a different form factor with slightly different specs. The battery life was immense and we were happy with it. The power management is great and handles most features brilliantly. The sealed Bravia display is a delight for those with love for mobile video and multimedia. The speakers and sound is crisp and loud from all areas and impressive overall. The device is a great phone and a nice looking one at that
This is one of those moments that makes you feel proud. We got an exclusive hands on with the new upcoming Micromax A85 Super Phone, and we are happy to say the device is quite impressive. The overall specs mentioned in our earlier rumors match with the actual final device. The screen on the Micromax A85 is a Gorilla Glass coated, 3.8 inch 480×800 pixel display which has vivid color composition. The device also has a muti-touch surface and importantly is based on the Nvidia Tegra 2 Processor with 1GHz dual core chipset and a dedicated GPU (Geforce8). The overall interface of the device is quite smooth and Micromax for once has done some unique customizations to the Android Build.
Android on this device is still however 2.2 (froyo) but the company insider promises that the Android 2.3 build is already-ready and undergoing testing. We are keeping our fingers crossed with that. The interface has a unique mix of apps and widgets with an option of multiple launchers from the initial rom. The device also features Gesture control which can be seen in a limited number of inbuilt applications such as Email, messaging, contacts, etc. The gesture controls can be used to navigate through the picture gallery and play/pause and forward/rewind in the music /video players. The gestures main use will come into the phone app with which you can answer or silence incoming calls, and with the wave of your hand you can put the phone into Speakerphone mode while in a call.
The device scored well in our initial hands on, as we also got a chance to add some benchmark apps and run them to get mighty impressive scores, which you will be able to see in the upcoming video shortly. The device is Micromax’s first attempt in the Rs. 15,000+ handset market and it seems like Micromax choose the right device. The initial impressions with the speaker and the video playback were impressive. The “Intelligent Illumination” camera was also fast to focus and click pictures even in dim lighting. The price of the phone is expected around the 18-19K mark ,but we are hoping for a drop soon after launch.
Check out our flurry of first hands on images below, and stay tuned for the complete video after the break.
