We got our hands on the large size Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 pre-launch in India. The event is about to begin and our initial impressions are mixed, the device is ver very big. The device is quite a middle point between a Tablet and a Smartphone and is pretty comfortable for its size. The display even though is 5.3 inches is very crisp with a Super Amoled screen. The device remains very slim and fares almost close to the iPhone 4S at just 9.65mm. The Note is possibly the first smartphone you will enjoy using a stylus on, the precision of the point is great. The Stylus is also a great sketch and edit instrument and you will actually use it a lot if you get this device.
The stylus does not work with other screens and not at all with the iPhone (trust us we tested). The device fits into the pockets of your denim in a very uncomfortable fashion, but would do well for a coat/blazer pocket (for those corporate types). Check out our hands on images below and stay tuned for the full hands on Video by the end of the day. The camera is a pretty good snapper and we have attached a bunch of samples we got from it including an indoor 1080p video which should go up by the end of the day.
To sum it up we have a 5.3 inch display, a 1.4 GHz dual core processor, 16GB storage, 32GB expandable a 8 megapixel camera at back and a 2MP in the front. We also get an impressive stylus and a beautiful screen a 2500 mah battery pack . So far so good right.
Update : The price is now confirmed at an MRP of INR 34,990/-
Wow this is a wonderful day, we caught some picture of the unreleased Hyundai Tucson 4WD CRDi. This SUV will come with the new Hyundai engine which promises a better performance.
The styling of the SUV is really modern with angle arches above each of the rear tires and a bend line across each side. The instrument cluster has been massively redesigned and has all essential controls including steering mounted remote. The overall look and feel of the SUV is really impressive, its a pity we couldn’t find out who drove this car to ask for a test ride.
The interiors looked spacious and comfy, and we really liked the centre console. With the SantaFe not doing too well in the Indian Market, Hyundai’s plans to launch a cheaper SUV may not be off mark especially if it comes in the 14-18 lac price range. Manufacturer mentioned features include:
17” alloy wheels
Air conditioning
Reversing sensors
Bluetooth® connectivity* with voice recognition
Leather steering wheel and gear knob
Eco Drive Indicator
Heated front and rear seats (outer rear seat bases only)
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
6 Airbags
Panoramic sunroof (although this model had no sunroof)
We couldn’t get better images because we didn’t have our equipment with us and an iPhone 4 is what had to do. But till the next time we get a proper hands on with this impressive looking SUV check out the images below:
Times have changed over the years, but never did we see the smartphones reach the consumer market with such a blow that feature phones would almost disappear.
The new Samsung Galaxy Y offers a complete package for a fairly low budget, But is it actually a full smartphone ?
Lets find out in this iGyaan review :
Build Quality and Hardware
The Galaxy Y is well built to an extent where you wont be disappointed by any thing in terms of the exterior of the device. The screen is not tough so a screen protector is essential for the device. Every-thing else is built to last and will not need any extra care, solid built, tactile buttons and no rattle or noise from the body of the device.
In terms of the Hardware Specs:
Price
Rs. 7,830 (MRP)
Network
Edge + HSDPA upto 7.2 Mbps
Phone Style
Touchscreen Capacitive
OS
Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
Thickness
11.5mm
Length
104mm
Width
58 mm
Weight
97.5 g
Built-in Memory
160 MB Rom Ram Unknown
Additional Memory
microSD, up to 32GB
High-speed Data
3G
Connectivity
Bluetooth, Wifi ,
Screen Size
3-inch, 240×320 pixels
Secondary Screen Size
N/A
Screen Colours
256k
Camera
2-megapixel ff
Camera Resolution
1600×1200 pixels
Flash
NO
GPS
Yes
Wifi
802.11 b/g/n
Music Formats
MP3
Radio
Yes
Speaker
Yes
Processor
832 Mhz Processor
Browser
Android Browser, Full Flash Enabled
Games
Android MarketPlace Games
Battery
1200mAh
Screen and Multimedia
The screen on the device is a 3 inch 320×240 px capacitive display, its a relatively low res display, but its leaps and bounds better than the one found on the Pop and Fit. Why ? You ask. There is a massive difference in the pixellation levels of the Galaxy Y and the POP, on the Pop you aslo only get Android 2.2, this device comes preloaded with 2.3.5 and a display that does not bother you at all with reading webpages etc.
The screen is decent for movie playback and the speakerphone is loud enough to get the message across. This device will feature as a portable media player for many a youth, but don’t expect it to replace a TV or even an iPod. Audio quality is good but is only limited with the hardware chip used. The maximum throughput of sound is limited hence will not deliver performance compared to even the Wildfire S. The Audio is not really an issue because an everyday user will not notice it, as the device produces a loud sound with or without the earphones, whcih is mostly enough for a consumer.
Phone, Network and Messaging
The device is an excellent phone, with robust network connectivity and a solid signal strength. We noticed no dropped calls in the extensive network tests conducted. Audio (incoming and outgoing) on both channels was crisp and loud, with no feedback issues. The “Y” gets a great rating because it does a good job of what its basic purpose is: to make and receive calls.
Messaging on the device is also easy and is demonstrated in our video review. Typing is simple thanks to an error correction algorithm by Samsung, which utilizes a most common error path and auto corrects the text errors. Pretty fancy for a sub 7k phone. You also get SWYPE inbuilt on the keyboard making it very useful indeed.
Data, Internet and Battery
By now we have learnt that Android devices are no too data friendly. Turning data on and off when required will boost your battery life enormously. That being said this device also features 3G data connectivity and HSDPA upto 7.25 Mbps. The connections are stable and not too power consuming, the Wifi Hotspot feature works great and does not suck the life forces from your device, like it used to on previous devices.
Internet connectivity is stable on both Wifi and 3G and the browser loads all sorts of Flash content, with a bit of hiccups. Browser is easily readable and on a screen this size you cant expect much more. The basics can be accessed from this browser, but its not a replacement for your computer.
Battery Life
Companies talk about battery life in their own mood, we do some extensive real life tests to get out the best from the device.
Talk Time 2G : 6 Hours
Talk Time 3G : 4.5 Hours
Standby Time : 36-72 Hours
WiFi Surfing : 4-5 Hours
3G Surfing : 3.5 Hours
Music : 7 Hours
Video : 2 Hours
Conclusion:
The Galaxy Y is now available for a price of 6800 INR on most online portals, possibly at a cheaper price at local vendors. At that price to get a 800+ MHz processor with native Android 2.3.5 capacitive touchscreen Wifi , 3G and Hotspot, we have no complaints from this device. Why should we? This is a complete device and offers anything you would need as a first time Android user on a budget, and also basics for somebody looking for a secondary device. It looks great, is manufactured by a trusted brand and has great service and support for a budget.
The Samsung Galaxy R is the company’s attempt at making their success story with the Samsung Galaxy Slcd move over to the higher segment. Read on through to understand why we don’t recommend this device.
Build and Hardware
The i9103 is build in traditional samsung fashion, making “plastics feel like metals” look, which makes the device look great and feel great in the hand. But what makes it better is the fact that its styled almost along the lines of the Galaxy S2, which is Samsung’s Flagship. The overall use of materials and build quality is good if not better than the S2.
In terms of Hardware Specs the Galaxy R fails to stand up to serious competition that the S2 gives.
COMPARISON
Samsung Galaxy R I9103
Samsung Galaxy S 2 I9100
Platform
Operating Freq
GSM – 900, 1800
GSM – 850, 900, 1800, 1900; UMTS – 2100
OS
Android v2.3 (Gingerbread)
Android v2.3 (Gingerbread)
User Interface
TouchWiz
TouchWiz 4.0
Java
Processor
1 GHz ARM Cortex A9, Dual Core
1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A9, Dual Core
Graphics
ULP GeForce
Mali-400 MP
Display
Type
Super Clear LCD
Super AMOLED Plus
Size
4.2 Inches
4.27 Inches
Resolution
WVGA, 480 x 800 Pixels
800 x 480 Pixels
Colors
16 M
16 M
Camera
Primary Camera
5 Megapixel
8 Megapixel
Secondary Camera
VGA
2 Megapixel
Flash
LED
LED
Video Recording
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080, 30 fps
HD Recording
HD
HD, Full HD
Other Camera Features
Geo-tagging, Smile Detection, Auto Focus, Image Editor
Auto Focus, Shot Mode, Photo Effects, White Balance, Geo-tagging, Face and Smile Detection
Zoom
Digital Zoom
Dimensions
Size
66 x 125 x 9.5 mm
66.1 x 125.3 x 8.4 mm
Weight
135 g
116 g
Battery
Type
Li-lon, 1650 mAh
1650 mAh
Talktime
18 hrs (2G), 8 hrs (3G)
Standby Time
710 hrs (2G), 610 hrs (3G)
Memory and Storage
Internal
8 GB
16 GB
Expandable Memory Slot
Micro SD, upto 32 GB
Micro SD, upto 32 GB
Display, Camera and Multimedia
The device is after all a good spec’d phone, so expect great performance in terms of the display and sound quality. The display is not as vivid as the one on the S2 simply because of the lack of an AMOLED screen. The speakerphone we found was a bit more organized with its audio quality.
The device features a 4.2 Inch SLCD which appears to be washed out in front of the high intensity black of the S2’s Amoled display. Although both rank in at the same resolution the S2 has a slightly larger 4.27 inch screen. Watching videos and browsing websites is great in the combination of the internal hardware and external display. The device fares well agains competition like the Optimus 2X , but then again if you can spend a couple thousand and get the S2 why wouldn’t you?
Phone and Battery
So here is the segment where there is an actual improvement. The earpiece is exceptionally clear, and sounds great when on a phone call, the mic pics up your audio without the effect of any breakage and overall network connectivity is robust.
The device also has a greatly improved battery life over the S2, with a decent talk time of 5-7 hours depending on usage , we were pretty impressed to see that the device delivered upto 24 hours of music playback.
OS and UI
The device runs Android 2.3.5 and atop that is the TouchWiz UI from Samsung, now the interface is the same on the galaxy S2, but somehow it looked really dull on this device, possibly because of color usage and definitely because of the SLCD. the UI also adds a large variety of good widgets which make the daily usage of the phone a wonderful experience.
Conclusion
The device is a great alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S2, but not at this price range(Available for Rs. 27,000). It offers far less features to justify just a 1.5-2k price gap between the R and the S2. Our recommendation is DON’T BUY THE GALAXY R, instead get the S2 or some similar device from another manufacturer.
The Samsung Galaxy Y has been the most requested device by iGyaan Readers and here it is in the form of an Unboxing and Quick Review.
The device is a budget Android targeted at the youth of the country, a slap on the face of local brands we presume. Check out the Tech Specs followed by images and the Video for pleasure
Its already later than I expected it to be! Anyway we have them now all iPhones for the iGyaan team have arrived with a bunch of Black ones that are still in transit. The new iPhone 4S follows in traditional Apple iPhone Packaging with only 4 essential things in the box, the device, the cable, the charger and the handsfree.
Check out the pictures while an unboxing video and some fun things start to pop up around iGyaan.
Oh and one big disappointment : Siri does not support navigation and maps in India , everything else seems ok!
The Time for high speed media cards is here, but the high speed devices were missing. Well no more, t he Transcend USB 3.0 Media Card Reader fulfills the gap at just 1300 Rs, giving you the ability to read future cards at high speed.
This device makes an excellent for your photographer friends, even a gift to self.
Price : INR : 1300/-
Features
Super-Speed USB 3.0 interface (also compatible with USB 2.0)
Supports SDHC UHS-1, SDXC UHS-1, UDMA6/UDMA7 CF and MSXC cards
Transfer high-resolution images and video recordings to your computer faster and more efficiently
Utilize the full speed potential of your memory cards
USB powered (no external power or battery needed)
LED card insertion / data transfer activity indicator
Supports SD & CF built-in security functions
Offers a free download of RecoveRx data recovery software
Desktop or notebook computer with USB port (USB3.0 port needed for USB3.0 performance) One of the following Operating Systems: Windows 7/ Vista/ XP (supports USB3.0) Mac OS 10.2.8 or later, Linux Kernel 2.6.30 or later (supports USB2.0)
The new Sony Ericsson Xperia Active left starts where the likes of the Defy left off. With a host of interesting things in the box, the Xperia Active promises to be a delight for those with an active lifestyle.
Just hours after we unboxed and took a look at the HTC Evo 3D The Optimus 3D arrived at our lab. LG has been daring enough to try pricing a relatively low spec’d phone with the same value as the competitor. So we unbox and take a look at the Optimus 3D iG Style.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab has been an elusive device from Samsung. We first got our hands on with the tablet at the Samsung forum earlier this year, where the device was officially announced.
Now that the Tablet was fully launched in India, we finally got a chance to grab hold of ours and here it is. in all its glory.The device runs on a dual core 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, with a 7000mah battery which should be powerful enough with ample juice for hours of usage.
A quick unboxing and hands on review of the new Blackberry Torch 9860. The device is a far distance away from the original touchscreen Storm devices from Blackberry. Check out the Tech Specs followed by hands on images and a complete unboxing and mini review extravaganza.
The Xperia Ray is yet to start shipping despite several websites claim to have it in stock. The device is a unique breed of Android candybar phone, which is not only slim but excellent to hold in the hand.
