Category: Recommendations

Apple OS X Mountain Lion Quick Overview

OS X Mountain Lion is here, and there are quite a few new features to learn all about, so we sum it up listing the best out of all of them .

Notification Center

Just like on iOS , Notification centre gives you all your alerts and messages under one bar, instead of all over the place. You can access your notification history by clicking the list icon all the way in the top right corner of the OS X menubar. If you want to edit your notification center settings, you can do so in the Notifications section of System Preferences. You’ll be able to decide what kind of notifications individual apps provide, or turn them off entirely.

Notes and Reminders

The Notes app lets you save and organize text and images. Reminders allows you to create reminders so you don’t forget to do things. Again they are just like on iOS and sync well with your iDevices.

Voice Dictation

Just like on the iPad and iPhone you get voice dictation on Macs, in Mountain Lion (sadly no Siri). To start dictating, just press the function (fn) key twice. When you’re done dictating, you can click the “done” button or press the function (fn) key twice again. OS X will take a moment and then provide you with the transcribed text. In addition to just offering words, you can say things like “period” or “comma” for punctuation and “new line” to make a new line.

This feature works in any App or window that accepts text input via keyboard, also in online websites, like in GMAIL, as long as they are accessed in the new Safari.

AirPlay Mirroring

If you have an Apple TV, You can now mirror your display on an Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) with AirPlay if you enable it in Displays section of System Preferences. Down at the bottom there’s a checkbox beside “Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available.” Check it and you’ll be able to send your display to any detected Apple TV via the menu item in your menubar.

Messages

Messages is the iMessage of OS X. It’s been around in beta since Lion and hasn’t changed much in Mountain Lion. You can add your iCloud account to sync messages with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can set up various instant messaging accounts, however, so Messages on the Mac is a little bit more functional than it is on iOS. That’s because it replaces iChat. Messages also now pulls out of Beta, so those of you who were experiencing slow takes may enjoy the new experience.

iCloud (Documents in the Cloud)

iCloud has been upgraded significantly in Mountain Lion, you can access it in the same panel in System Preferences. If you turn on “Documents & Data” your documents (including versions of them) will be synced with iCloud, making them available on other iCloud-enabled devices.

Share

There is a new button in Mountain Lion, its the Share Button. Not every app has it yet, but many apps will be adding it to allow you to share content easily. In the meantime, Safari is one app that makes sharing sites easy to Messages, Twitter, and Email. If you click an image and then the sharing icon in a window’s toolbar, you’ll be able to share it on Twitter or Flickr. You’ll find other options for other file types as well. If you want to set up sharing accounts, visit the Mail, Contacts, & Calendars section of System Preferences.

Security and Privacy

In this new panel available in the System Preferences panel , a new checkbox “Allow applications downloaded from” , which once checked will give option “Mac App Store and identified developers” . This will prevent apps that aren’t signed through Apple’s developer center or downloaded through the Mac App Store from running

Under Privacy, you get new privacy settings. This is where you can approve or deny an app’s permission to access certain things like your contacts, location, Twitter account, and more.

July 26, 2012
Edit : Is Nokia another RIM in the Making

Long gone are the times when this legend ruled the streets, Nokia had the major chunk of the market share for 14 years in a row. With over 27% of the total market size cap, Nokia dictated terms of the trade and decided future technology along the lines of mobile telephony.

More than seven years before Apple rolled out the iPhone, the Nokia design team showed to the top executives a phone with a color touch screen set above a single button. The device was shown locating a restaurant, playing a racing game and ordering lipstick. In the late 1990s, Nokia secretly developed another alluring product: a tablet computer with a wireless connection and touch screen—all features today of the hot-selling Apple iPad. According to Frank Nuovo, the former Chief Designer at Nokia Corp.

The consumers never saw those devices simply because of the internal company politics, that made getting approvals practically impossible.

Nokia’s long battle of being the leader in the mobile phone segment was ended when rival Samsung took the lead and never looked back. In 2007, the year the iPhone was announced, Nokia had its highest market share of 40%. Nokia had always claimed that the iPhone would not do well, as it did not have 3G networks, was not drop tested and didn’t have basic things like bluetooth file transfer and message forwarding. But the consumers loved the iPhone, the phone that ushered in the era of the smartphone, leading to the development of what is now called Android OS and Windows Phone, and the inevitable downfall of all those who were left behind (Read RIM and Nokia)

[pullquote_left]Cash reserves are at an all time low US $5.1 billion[/pullquote_left]Nokia is still fighting hard, even though cash reserves are at an all time low US $5.1 billion in vs the $6.3 billion in Q1 2012. Nokia’s strategies and internal company politics have often been blamed for such a major downfall. To battle the current mobile giants, Nokia had developed many products Meego was one of them. Nokia spent over US$ 40 billion in research over the past 10 years, on projects including Meego OS.

The company thought they had it right going the Apple way, the Hardware was propriety and so was this super smooth OS. But there was always rivalry within the company as the Symbian and the Meego teams competed with each other for support and the attention of the top executives as each group was accountable for delivering the most competitive phone.

Nokia design meetings are not anything like you would imagine. In a normal world a few design heads and key executives would sit in a conference hall and discuss design strategies for the company. But with Nokia it was a different ball game together, hundreds of engineers and designers were called in from all over the world to meet in one large auditorium where everyone was shouting to be heard. Your involvement ensured your position at the company, therefore the end resultant was anything short of a legislative assembly on the decision of a Legal Bill in the Delhi Parliament house.

In 2010 Stephen Elop joined Nokia as CEO and brought about a massive shift in strategy. The company was at the time spending €5 billion a year on R&D—30% of the mobile phone industry’s total. Elop came in and completely eradicated the future of both Symbian and Meego paving the way for a Windows Phone alliance which would see the light of the Lumia Devices.

[pullquote_right]Lumia phones were a generation behind[/pullquote_right]Nokia managed to screw that up, because, the first series of Lumia phones were a generation behind. While companies like HTC and Samsung pushed out their second generation Windows Phone devices, equipped with Mango and ready to handle tasks like VOIP, video conferencing and tethering, Nokia Lumia phones focused on build quality and apps (Nokia’s view since the starting era). Nokia left out key elements that makes the consumer of today lean in to buy smartphones.

Every announcement made by Microsoft for the Windows Phone OS update has left Nokia in the dust of the past. Windows Phone 8 will now not work on any Lumia phone already available , and those yet to be announced in India (Lumia 900). While Elop and Nokia are trying to escape the matter by assuring that the Hardware requirements for Windows Phone 8 cannot be met in existing devices, the consumers who did give Nokia another fighting chance may never look at the brand again.

Symbian based Nokia Asha series and PureView phones belong to totally different sectors. The Asha Series being targeted at the budget line while the PureView at a high end niche market. While these devices show promise for the company, their sales cannot be accounted for positive sustainability of the once leader of mobile telephony.

Only if Nokia would drop all side businesses and truly focus on system which was perfect to the core would they be able to capture the market again. Nokia might actually rise again, but this time not thanks to Symbian or any other OS but Windows Phone. If they design hardware keeping in mind the consumer and use the software that is at their disposal, then the company may once again win the heart of the consumer. Until that happens, for the future of this Mobile SmartPhone manufacturer, your guess is as good as mine.

Sources : WSJ, Economic Times, Nokia Archives and EU Commission

July 21, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S3 / SIII Pebble Blue Unboxing

As requested by our viewers, Bharat Nagpal unboxes the Pebble Blue version of the Samsung Galaxy S3. The box contains a 2100 mAH battery, Stereo headphones with changeable earbuds and a microphone, a mains plug with USB sync charge cable, a Quick start guide and a Warranty card. The MRP of the device is INR 42,000 but is available in the market for around INR 36,000.

We will be coming out with a full in-depth review soon, so stay tuned!

Check out our unboxing, hand-on, video and image samples and launch videos here :

July 12, 2012
More Case Color Gem Lucent Black Hard Case iPhone 4/4s Unboxing

In this video Bharat Nagpal unboxes the More Color Gem Lucent Hard Case for the iPhone 4/4s. It is a bumper case and has a snap-on mechanism. The cut-outs on the case are really well spaced and accurate. The only drawback of the case is that it is only slightly raised above the surface the phone which may lead to some scratches. . It is available in the market for $29 (INR 1500)

July 12, 2012
iOS 6 and How : Top 6 Features of iOS 6

Apple has just announced the new iOS 6 for their iOS Devices, and incase you have any doubts we have a compiled list of what device gets what features from iOS 6: here. The new iOS 6 has 200 new features. Some are minor, like Mail VIP inbox, and some are intense and exciting, like a brand new Maps app complete with 3D rendering. Now, Apple only showed off ten of the new features and we are taking about the top 6 of those features.

1.Phone

The biggest new improvement to the iOS has to be the Phone app, if you swipe up during an incoming call (much like the Camera shortcut), two small banners will appear at the bottom of the screen right above the Answer and Ignore buttons. These banners will allow you to either remind yourself to call said person back, or text message them.

With options for reminders like, when i leave (current location) or when i reach home, etc. Making the phone a completely different device all together. There are also text replies, which Nokia devices have had forever now, there are a couple quick replies like “I’ll call you later” or “What’s up?” which can be sent with the press of a button.

Apple has also added a Do Not Disturb mode, Users will be able to block out all incoming calls and messages. The messages and notifications will come but the screen will not light up. Also banners, alerts, noises, flashing LED lights will not be a bother. ‘

2. Maps

After acquiring three mapping companies over the past few years, Apple has finally released their own Mapping solution for their iOS devices, and bid Google a fair goodbye. This couldn’t have happened sooner, considering the non-reliable Google Maps especially in countries like India.

Apple designed the whole system themselves, including the cartography, which is why you may notice a differently colored icon for Maps come iOS 6 update time. The app will offer turn-by-turn navigation and, most notably, a 3D “Flyover”, You’ll be able to pan, tilt, zoom, and rotate inside Flyover mode.

Turn by Turn directions are said to be made available globally, hopefully in India as-well. They a spoken aloud in the familiar voice of Siri, the maps will be available to be viewed in 3D mode, and will offer different routes should traffic conditions change up the ETA. Traffic conditions will be monitored by crowd sourced updates, (it is known that these updates are powered by Waze, Getchee, Localeze, Urban Mapping, DMTI, MapData Sciences and, of course, TomTom.)

The Maps will be available full-fledged for the whole world and according to Apple have listings for over 100 million small businesses, with Yelp listings integrated.

3. Facebook Integration

Although it was already known that Apple was going to implement this add-on in iOS, but the sheer method and deep integration has left us in awe of the OS. After signing in once with your username and password, you’ll be able to post instantly to Facebook from anywhere in the new mobile operating system. In fact, if your hands are busy , Siri can do it for you.

Photos, links, locations, Game Center content, “and more” can all be posted straight to the Social Network, and you are now able to “Like” different apps and songs in iTunes and App Store. Apple also opened up a public Facebook iOS 6 API, for developers to include integration in their apps.

All your event and Birthdays from your Facebook are seamlessly synchronized with the calendar app to give you updates and reminders in real time on your personal iOS device.

4. Passbook

Imagine a world where you didn’t have a huge stack of promotional membership cards, discount cards, access cards, tickets etc, Just one simple consolidated pass. That may actually come true with Passbook, Apples new app that allows you to store movie tickets, boarding passes, coupons, and retail loyalty cards in one place. You can scan your iPhone to check in for a flight, get in to a movie, or redeem a coupon.

The App also has geolocations, so the minute you walk into your favorite coffee shop, (example used Starbucks) the card will pop up as a notification, it will display the balance and can be scanned to be redeemed while ordering. Similarly, you arrive at the airport, your boarding pass will appear as a notification on the home screen for easy access.

The Passbook app can even check to see if your flight is delayed or if your gate has changed, and alerts you immediately. If the Gate number is changed it automatically updates on your Passbook.

This service will kick off in the US , but we are pretty sure globally it will become a hit, especially with retailers looking to cut costs. Starbucks, Fandango, Target, Amtrak, United, the Apple Store, MLB.com, and W Hotels are already on board, but none of those are a part of the Indian Businesses list.

We are Hopeful that passbook catches on really fast in India. So all your movie tickets show up in your iOS device.

5. Siri

Siri comes to the world fully, with local searches and total availability. But, thats not the big news. The big news according to Apple is that Siri can now open apps, so if you are like us and have a ton of Apps on the iOS device. Then you will constantly find yourself searching for the App in spotlight, iOS 6 eliminates that by allowing Siri to open these Apps. Now all you need to do is say ” open Temple Run” and the game starts playing. But , do we really need that?

Siri advancements include access to sports, restaurant, and movie information, with the ability to look up Yelp reviews, ratings and prices along with making reservation on Open Table. Now again most of these features remain US centric, but hopefully they come our side soon. You could then probably look Up IPL rankings by just asking Siri.

The most interesting reveal was possibly the “Eyes Free” link. This will allow car manufacturers to integrate Siri into their Cars system, by a simple button on the cars steering wheel, which would call up Siri but not light up the display of the phone. Then you can make calls send messages all without taking your eyes off of the road, or hands off of the wheel.

The other important fact is that Siri will come to the newest gen iPad (launched this year).

6. Safari

The major chunk of the mobile internet access comes from iOS devices every year, it was only fair that Apple upgrade their browser, to become even better. iCloud Tabs keeps track of which pages you have open on your devices, so you can start browsing on one device and pick up right where you left off on whatever device is handy.

Safari now saves web pages, not just links, in your Reading List, so you can catch up on your reading even when you can’t connect to the Internet. The best addition according to us is the ability for the browser to upload images from the photo gallery, when you want to create a listing on Ebay etc, or wanna share a photo on Facebook from the browser.

You can take photos and video, or choose from your Camera Roll, without leaving Safari. When you really want to see the whole picture, turn your iPhone or iPod touch to landscape and tap the full-screen icon to view web pages without distractions.

iOS 6 was released as a beta yesterday, but the final version will ship “This Fall”. iOS 6 will also allow FaceTime calls over cellular (Read – 3G – 4G) and new accessibility features, that will allow you to lo

What is your favorite feature of the new iOS?

June 13, 2012
Edit : How The Micromax P300 Booklet will Change the Tablet game in India

Micromax was the first Indian Mobile phone manufacturer to make a global mark, a year and some months ago they introduced their first Android Phone the Andro A60, which changed the face of Android phones in India.

Today the company stands at a different crossroad in between their future as a brand, with a new identity, and what they possibly aim to achieve. They have a long way to go to achieve the brand snob value they wish to achieve. The consumer feedback speaks of the lack of unique products from the company and more importantly the lack of after sales support. Micromax is today considered a glorified china-manufactured product seller in India, infact Micromax is probably aware of their market image.

The story does not end here infact it changes completely from here, Micromax is now bent on changing their market appeal in a big way. Of-course their re-branding is the first step, but the biggest possible change is going to be their overall process revamp. Lets read about their latest marvel:

The Micromax P300 Booklet

Yes many already know about this tablet from the company, recently a popular online retailer outed the tablet in the inter webs sparking a cracker that refuses to go down.

Hardware

A sub Rs. 8000 tablet that includes a 7.0-inch TFT-LCD multitouch capacitive screen along with a 1 Ghz processor(rumors suggest a dual core processor) and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,USB port and a 3.5mm AV. we have come to know that the tablet will also possibly support 3G data and voice calls/ video calls using a Micromax dongle, possibly supplied with the tablet bundle. The image appears to show a front camera and no rear camera, but the fact remains that a 0.3mp camera makes more sense on the front than it ever did on the back. Yes there is also HDMI out and HD video playback.

India Inc.

Yes the tablet will be manufactured in India (or so is the buzz), so expect better after sales support and spares for the device. This is also set to change the company’s image in the market giving the P300 Booklet a “Made in India” moniker, that might actually do owners proud to own the Tablet.

P300 will succeed where others have Failed

Lest we bring up the failure of the Indian Government in bringing a budget Tablet to the market. The Aakash Tablet, a well heard name, yes we felt excited when the product actually came to market, but all was lost. The performance matched expectations, but their deliveries couldn’t. With more than hand-able orders the company “data wind” seems to have imploded and is unable to deliver to the millions waiting for any sign of their tablet.

Others like the Beetel tab, Reliance tab, HCL Me Tab, etc have one big thing in common, they are imports built on a system type that is bound to fail. The performance levels and specs in those tablets don’t come anywhere close to the supposed specs of the P300 Booklet. Not to forget they all are priced way over 10,000 rupees, with the old Android 2.3 and some with Android 2.2, never to get updated to ICS. The Micromax P300 will come out of the box with Android 4.0.3, with possible customizations to make an impact on the user market.

The Future

The tablet is expected to launch in the coming weeks, and should do immensely well in our consumer market. The specs and features, if anywhere close to the ones discussed, will deliver a promising experience. The ID of the tablet will also be unique because the Company (Micromax) is making an extra effort to define themselves as unique manufacturers.

Made in India, tablets and phones could also mean that Micromax actually invests in a company to start manufacturing their own equipment, which could result in better service and unique new Research into the Mobile sector.

Hopefully the tab is more than we expect it to be and a total joy to review for you guys.

March 21, 2012
EDIT : 2012 Another Year of the iPad

Its been 2 years since Steve Jobs got up on stage with a device that would change the way we look at portable computing forever. Since it launch, the iPad has held the crown as the most loved Tablet, with multimillion units sold each quarter. Now with the iPad 3, around the corner one can only wonder if Apple will continue to hold the lead over the competition. A kind of competition that never hindered them, there has been no real problem for Apple except the launch of the Amazon Kindle, but thats a story for another day.

Lets look at why we feel the iPad 3, if keeps up with claims, will be another tablet of the year.

Build and Form Factor

Since the beginning the iPad has been the only tablet in a unibody aluminum shell, the sheer feel of the tablet exudes to the effect of a premium device. Slim and well weighted the tablet is robust in construction and not easily destroyed, especially if you take care of the 9.7 inch display in front which can be extremely fragile.

The iPad was a wonderful device to hold in the hand, typing was easy – better in portrait and possible in landscape, it was not the most comfortable device to hold single handedly. The iPad 2 changed that completely, with a newer design that fit better, was lighter and had improvements to software which also made single hand operation easy ( gestures).

The iPad 3 is supposedly going to be built on the same platform as the iPad 2 with a small thickness increase, something that will not bother the buyer.

OS and Apps

When the original iPad was launched people called it an oversized iPod touch, possibly because the iOS was the same iOS as on an iPhone or iPod touch. Things have changed since then and Apple has added a bucket load of goodies to make the OS more a powerhouse for the best selling tablet. The OS is streamlined to make the iPad a pseudo-personal computer, with iCloud – data handling and synchronization has never been easier.

iOS for iPad also has better custom apps including professional creative apps from companies like Adobe, including Photoshop, Office apps from Apple themselves: iWork with pages, keynote and numbers for easy as pie office documentation.

Customizations to the OS, like a split keyboard and gesture navigation, make it really easy to use the tablet and no other company has been able to replicate the process in an easy streamlined manner.

The iOS platform also has the largest number of Apps on a mobile OS platform, with mostly all apps compatible with the iPad the entertainment and quality of games on the iPad still remains unmatched.

The iPad 3 is said to feature a major OS upgrades for the tablet including a main feature that is Siri on the iPad, which is already possible if you own a jailbroken iPad, but an official version will be well accepted and appreciated.

Hardware

The new iPad 3 is supposedly coming with a bumped up processor(A6 or the rumored A5X), which is supposedly carrying a new quad core processor with an advanced GPU, which will -or should improve performance by atleast 10 times. The new display will be a retina display (246 ppi : not true retina) with a double resolution ( 2048 x 1536 px) compared to the existing iPad /iPad 2, which will not only improve the media quality on the iPad, but also make it an excellent Book Reader, especially considering the new iBooks upgrade.

There are also claims of a network capability boost in the iPad 3, where some rumors point to a 4G/ LTE equipped iPad chipset, others claim that it will be a unified global device capable of CDMA/GSM network capabilities in the same device.

Apart from the above obvious upgrades, speculations of more ram and upgraded camera optics along with better speakers are also in the mix. So expect HD FaceTime and better speakers for your iPad 3s.

Games and Apps will perform better and open faster, seamless integration with iCloud will sync all your devices and keep them up to date. Apple may also bump to storage capacities to a possible 128 GB iPad.

Availability

The industry is buzzing with news of the iPad 3s release date, almost everyone claims that its going to be announced on the 7th of March 2012 with availability within 2 weeks.

Conclusion

Arguably, the iPad is not the best tablet in the market, but truly its the only one that has sold units in numbers close to PC sales. The Apple ecosystem developed by iOS – iCloud and Mac OS make it an Apple owners delight, somethings are just better on the iPad. Agreed Android offers more flexibility but the platform is still very fragmented. Even with ICS, android is laggy and the overall interface is not nearly as smooth as iOS.

If Amazon does come out with a 10 inch tablet, you can expect it to eat heavily into Apple’s share of the profit pie, only because Amazon will price it aggressively. Windows 8 / Windows Phone Apollo Tabs could also be another factor ( if ever released) .

Unless something truly unique is outed by manufacturers ( possibly a 10 inch Galaxy Note) no one will be able to bother Apple iPad sales, and the new iPad 3 will continue to lead the way through 2012.

What do you think?

[polldaddy poll=5963093]

February 21, 2012
Edit: The Rise and Rise of the next Giant : Samsung

2011 was a year of Samsung, the company has taken the consumer electronics market by storm, grabbing attention one way or another. Samsung also led as India’s number one manufacturer for mobile phones in all categories. From basic feature phones to high end Smart phones, the company has managed to challenge all odds and gain the market respect.

But all this does not come cheap, Samsung employs a huge amount of its annual earning into marketing. In 2011 alone Samsung is estimated to have spent over US $ 2 Billion in advertising their products. Out of which a major 40% is targeted towards mobile devices and 6-7 % towards new phones. Samsung also deploys twice that amount into market research and development, so that its teams know what the next big thing from the company is going to be.

Galaxy S2

In 2011 Samsung took a huge stab at Apple’s dominant spot as the world leader in smartphone sales. By quarter 3 2011 Samsung had replaced Apple as the world most selling smartphone manufacturer ( if you consider number of handsets and not just one model of handset). Samsung Galaxy S2 was the phone that changed everything for Samsung, the new innovations in the field of mobility that challenged design and construction, and innovative softwares threw huge limelight on Samsung’s potential in this market space. Android loyalists were drawn by Samsung’s willingness to answer to their demands and stuffing their handsets with all features requested (and more) by the users.

Who ever imagined a device like the Galaxy Note, a fully capacitive screen that had massive scribbling promise, a handwriting recognizing monster with the capabilities of real time editing and project handling. Live annotations and screen captures were there in previous Samsung handsets, but the precision with with the Note is able to do these tasks is excellent. People want change and innovation and that what Samsung has started to give to its users.

The South Korean company is earning high praise for the design of its new line of OLED television sets, its oversized Galaxy Note smartphone and its

Galaxy Tab 750

new line of laptops, dubbed Series 9. Samsung has held the title of the top TV maker for the past six years, and recently surpassed Apple Inc. to become the world’s top smartphone manufacturer. Samsung posted a US$4.5-billion profit in the most recent quarter, one of the best in the company’s history.

The Company now has set its sights on the personal computer and tablet markets, hoping to replicate the success the company has had in its smartphone and television businesses. Targeting their efforts at Apple, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc, companies which are current leaders in the domain. This won’t be easy for Samsung either especially because globally they don’t even fall in the top 5 PC manufacturers category.

nx System Camera

One of Samsung’s biggest strengths is its component manufacturing facilities. Samsung itself manufactures 75% of the components used in its TVs, PCs and smartphones, enabling the company to innovate and test new products quickly. Samsung is also emerging big in a category seldom seen with asian companies, Cameras. With a exciting range of digital point and shoot cameras from the company, including innovative flip lcd type cameras. The company also has pioneered the professional SLR segment with their range of NX cameras, that are getting appreciation from professional Photographers.

The future of the brand also seems bright, as people have less and less faith in Apple’s ability to give what the users want. The next revision of the iPad and the iPhone 5 no longer seem as exciting as the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Galaxy Tab 3 headed our way in 2012.

Its been a long time since our last edit, this one was long over due. The smartphone industry is ever changing, with constant evolutions in a battlefield of major companies and small startups. In a world where companies become large in a matter of months and fall even faster, we can only guess what the future holds in the massive divide.

January 14, 2012
iGyaan Holiday Guide : Best Smartphones for 20000 Rupees
Continuing on with our Tradition of Holiday Guides today we bring the best phones under the 20,000 Rupees mark (15,000 – 20,000), Of course you can check out our under 15,000 guide and Under 10,000 Guide if they better suits your purpose.

(In order of preference)

Android Phones

Samsung Galaxy R (Rs. 20,000) : Have 20k to spend? This is our pick for smartphone under the 20 thousand mark. The dual core smartphone is available at online retailers for prices well below 19k including deals, searching will get you a good deal. The phone performs great and a review done for the second time, by us, will fill you in on required info.

LG Optimus 2X (Rs 18,599) : Although the phone fared poorly in our review, The device has been rooted, modded and been patched to fix all software glitches of the stock ROM, This is a alternative dual core smartphone for the modder and cellphone tweaker. This phone will keep you busy for hours. If you plan to mess around with software on your device this is your poison. Although this may not help you Our Review is here

Motorola Defy Plus (Rs 17,000) : The best rugged phone in this class, with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 512MB ram a 3.7 inch WXGA screen and endless hours of outdoor fun. This is your device if you love the outdoors but want in on the latest smartphone action. The Defy Plus will most probably get the ICS update since it has all supporting hardware ( Considering that Motorola is almost a Google entity now) . Our complete review with the higher priced Xperia Active is here.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V ( Rs 17,499) : Five words : “Timescape plus Mobile Bravia Engine” define what Android on a smartphone should look like. There is nothing that looks and performs as good as the TimeScape UI (Considering only Android OS)on Sony Ericsson Phones ( according to us) The phone is powered with a 1GHZ scorpion processor and features a 3.7 inch Screen with MBE. It has 512 MB Ram and Android 2.3 with a confirmed upgrade for Ice Cream Sandwich. Our Review is Here

There are of-course others that didn’t make the list, Our Reviews can be seen for those:
Blackberry

Curve 9360 (Rs. 19,000) : The curve that runs OS 7, a fix for those who are not yet ready to shift to a full touch Blackberry, and those who are not ready to switch to Android or the likes of iOS. The device is the slimmest Blackberry yet at only 11mm. 800 MHz processor 512MB Ram and 512MB Rom. Check out our Video.

Curve 9380 ( Rs 20,000): The first full touch curve, it brings BB OS 7 and a range of nice changes to the blackberry users, 800 MHz cpu , 512 MB Ram and 512 MB Rom is carried on from its younger cousin above. The device also features a nice 3.2” HVGA+ touch screen with a 480 X 360 pixel resolution at 188ppi. Check out our full review.

iOS

iPhone 3Gs ( Rs 20,000) : Two years old but still selling strong, the iPhone 3Gs supports iOS 5, iCloud, iMessage, Airplay and everything except FaceTime. If you hurry you can cash in on the new iOS 5.0.1 Jailbreak and even get Siri working on it. What else could you ask from a two year old phone. in terms of specs, it runs at 600MHz, has 16GB internal storage and 256MB Ram. The AppStore is the largest app market although most new apps may not perform great on the 3Gs. But hey you still get asked the question : “You have an iPhone”? Read our Editorial Here

Symbian

Nokia E6 (Rs. 17,000) : The business power seller from Nokia, If you don’t use a Blackberry, you use a Nokia E Series phone. A Qwerty marvel from Nokia, the device features 2.46-inch Touchscreen making it the first Touch Type – Nokia E Series. The device is loaded with Symbian Anna and comes with a 680 MHz processor, 8 MP camera and a very long battery life, bundled with a excellent build quality. Check out our Unboxing and Review Video

Nokia 701 (Rs. 17,800) : Although stocks are limited on this recently released phone, it seems like a promising option for the Symbian lover, Running the new ~~Symbian Belle~~ Nokia Belle, the device features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 640 x 360 px. Inbuilt NFC, 1 GHz processor and 8MP Camera with 720p (30fps) Video. Our Review will be out shortly.

Windows Phone

Samsung Omnia W (Rs 18,990) : Launched upwards of 25k , Samsung has fiercely dropped the price of the Omnia taking into record the Nokia Lumia Marketing campaign. The device has a nice 3.7 Inches WVGA Super AMOLED display, 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, and 5MP AF Camera With LED Flash including a VGA front camera. Comes with Windows Phone Mango 7.5 and Samsung Apps. Our Review is Coming Soon

Nokia Lumia 710 (Rs 19,999) : Finally available the Nokia Lumia Series brings the first versions of Nokia Phones running WP7.5 to India. Powered by a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Scorpion Processor the Lumia 710 is the smaller sibling of the highly advertised Lumia 800. This device has 3.7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display screen with 480 x 800 pixel and a 5MP camera + LED flash. It also has a 512 MB RAM and has Adreno 205 GPU. iGyaan Review Out Shortly.

Other phones that were not designed for Windows 7.5, but still support it fully include the following,( and you can possibly find a good deal on them):

HTC HD 7 : 19,500

HTC Mozart : Rs 19,000

Dell Venue Pro : Rs 20,000

Stay tuned for more Holiday Guides.
December 28, 2011
iGyaan Holiday Guide : Best Phones for 15,000

So many questions, so little time. Its the time for holiday cheer and we are literally getting bombarded with hundreds of emails asking us what phones to buy. So here is our guide for the best options in the Rs. 15000 price.

(In order of preference)

Android Phones

1. Micromax A85 SuperFone : (Rs. 15290) The price drop has already been announced, and at this price it is the best spec’d phone. A dual core Nvidia Tegra 2, 3.8 inch touchscreen, 5 MP camera and gesture control make this the best bet at the price. But sadly it ships with Android 2.2.

2. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro Sk17i: (Rs 15,000) One of the most recommended devices by iGyaan in 2011 our extensive review will tell you why this device is an excellent purchase.

3. Motorola Defy (Rs 14,000) : The original defy is still an awesome phone, with Android a brilliant rugged construction that resists water and dust. The design is also shock proof. Check out our Review.

4. HTC ChaCha (Rs. 14500): A brilliant form factor with excellent build, the only touch and type phone with this design from HTC. Also the first phone with a dedicated FB button on the Android platform, a Social king. Our Review Covers it.

5. Samsung Galaxy Ace (Rs 13000): One of the most loved phones of 2011 the ace has a nice display along with impressive looks, a good processor and Touchwiz on top of Android 2.3. The device is well supported in the developer community and will get ICS courtesy Root and Custom CM9 rom. Check out our Review

6. HTC Wildfire S (Rs 12,500): Not our last option but an alternative to the Galaxy Ace, the build is far superior also is the quality of materials used. The device features HTC Sense on top of Android 2.3 and is arguably the best built phone of this bracket. The camera in some aspects is better than the Ace and pulls out great images. The processor is only a 600MHz compared to the 800MHz on the Ace. We reviewed it Here

Blackberry

Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 (Rs. 14,450): The only berry in this range, you also get the CDMA version of the curve 8520 (called: 8530) which is not worth mentioning. What is to say this is an old outdated berry running on the older OS6 but features a great and responsive OS. It is a great upgrade for some one on a Blackberry high . We however say, spend more and get the Curve 9380 : we covered here.

Nokia Symbian

Nokia 700 (Rs 15299) : Younger version of the 701, this device is available in the market in select locations, features new Symbian Belle and a 3.2 inch Capacitive Amoled Clear Black display. A 5 Mp camera and 720p video capabilities make it a good competitor. Another add-on is the tough gorilla glass front. The price seems a bit high for this old-school Operating System. The phone also has a 2Gb internal storage and is a grab option for those who refuse to abandon the legendary OS in its dying days.

Nokia 500 (Rs 11,000): Then there is the 500, its the only other Nokia phone in this bracket apart from the discontinued C6-01. This features a 1GHz processor along with a 3.2-inch TFT nHD Capacitive Touchscreen. The phone features Symbian Anna and has great 5MP camera, which is fixed focus. Again price is a bit of a pinch especially because the device is unable to offer the freedom that say an Android device would offer, But on the upside it does have a 1GHz processor.

Windows Phone

Samsung Focus (Rs 14000) : The device was never announced in India, but New and unlocked US versions can be bought on Ebay. The device features a nice 4.0 Inch Super Amoled Display with a native 480 x 800 px resolution. Already updated to Mango this device offers all the new features of Windows Phone 7.5 at a bargain, everything of course except a front facing camera. The Focus also has 8GB of memory and 512MB Ram and 512MB Rom

December 27, 2011
Pick : iG Holiday Gift Guide : Mobile Phones under 10,000
Tis’ still the season to be jolly and our next guide covers all sorts of phones we recommend under Ra. 10,000 check it out.

Android Phones

Samsung Galaxy Y (Rs. 7150/-) Android 2.3, a cheap price, 3 inch capacitive touch, 835 Mhz processor, a good 2MP camera and decent performance. We recommend it.

Alternatives
- LG Optimus Net (Rs. 9999)
- Dell XCD 35 (Rs. 8599)
- Micromax Andro A70 (Rs. 7500)
Android Qwerty

Not a lot of options in this category

LG Optimus Pro C666 (Rs 9599) Android 2.3, 800MHz processor, full QWERTY, 2.8 inch touchscreen, that the best you can get in this price. The only other option is the Motorola Fire, which we don’t recommend.

Blackberry

There are not many blackberry devices that can fit in this price bracket but you can get lucky.

Blackberry Curve 8520 (Rs. 9800) The blackberry messenger, push mail, and enterprise ready support, along with upgradability to BB OS5. not much you can ask for in the 10,000 price bracket. The device is a favorite with Blackberry addicted college going ladies, as says Deviana, So if you have a girlfriend a good holiday gift would be a pink/purple version of this.

Its not always fun and frolic, but if you are really lucky you can snag a brand new Blackberry 9000 (original bold) for about Rs. 9500 if someone still has stock.

Nokia / Symbian

Symbian is almost dead, but its popularity in India is nowhere near extinction. People still love Nokia phones, simply because they can’t seem to grow out of it to try something else. Nokia phones are built to last, and have a friendly and easy to remember OS. Although not our top recommendation, if you must buy a Nokia and your budget is 10k then here are our recommendations.

Nokia C5-03 (Rs. 9750) : Features include 3G connectivity, 3.2 inch resistive touchscreen, 5 MP Camera and LED flash, VGA video, Nokia apps world, Facebook and Twitter.

Nokia E5 (Rs. 9730) : Symbian v9.3 OS, 2.36-inch Display, QWERTY keypad, push mail, ARM 11 600 MHz processor, 5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and VGA video.

Stay Tuned for more gift guides.
December 12, 2011
Pick: iG Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Gadgets Rs. 10,000
Tis’ the season to be jolly and make others jolly. With that thought in mind we bring to you the iGyaan Holiday gifting guide of 2011. This edition will include gadgets and gift items that stay within and around the Rs 10,000 price bracket. So lets begin.

Since its iGyaan.in and we love Smartphones, lets begin with them

Smartphone

Till about two years ago fitting the word smartphone in this category was practically impossible. But today we have several options and only one should shine as a recommendation for the guide.
1. Samsung Galaxy Y
Price Rs. 7150/-

The only real smartphone for the price that features specs that would fit in the budget and leave a few Gandhis to spend about on your favorite christmas dinner. This phone features a powerful processor and Android Gingerbread, Its our Recommendation for the best phone under 10,000 Rs.

Personal Media Player

iPod Touch 8GB

8GB : Rs. 10500/-

A lot of media players come close but non so close, if you manage you can grab one for lower than 10000, the best touchscreen experience you can find at 10,000/- along with endless apps from the Apple App Store. Support for Nike +, bluetooth, FaceTime, iMessage, Safari web browser, email, Maps and a whole lot of music in the 8GB capacity. The fact that it bundles as a best gaming device eating into the personal gaming console market for years, makes it an even better device.

Alternative iPod Nano

8GB : Rs.6500/-

16GB: Rs.7500/-

If you can’t go over 10K, the best mp3 player is possibly the iPod Nano, maybe not the best to watch movies on, because you can’t. But you do get an enormously large capacity mp3 player, with a multitouch screen, audiobooks, podcasts, photos, FM radio, Fitness Walk + Run support built in, Nike+ support built in.

Digital Camera

Canon Ixus 130

Rs. 9650/-

Not a lot of pixels, 14.7 to be precise, 17.8mm stainless steel body finished in a choice of silver, black, orange or pink, a 4x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle lens is what make the our choice. The camera has HD video recording and SD HC capable memory slots, backed by Canon’s great support and exceptional mechanics in camera technology.

Personal Gaming

PSP 3004

Rs. 7000/-

Apart from the fact that the iPod Touch makes an excellent gaming device, adds a camera and a music player, a dedicated gaming console is a must if you are a hardcore on the go gamer. It allows multiplayer over WiFi and acts as a second remote to your PS3, it allows video out, and music storage. Music , movies, videos, games and everything in Rs. 7000 . Its our recommendation for the best gaming device under 10k, if you don’t want an iPod Touch.

Headphones

Soul by Ludacris Sl99

Rs. 6500/-

If you can find them at that price you are lucky, they retail for about 100 US $ but are very expensive in India. The earphones are the best you can get for the price and the feature an online remote that is compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPods. The remote also somewhat works with some android devices. the earphones have the best in class bass and tangle free flat cables. The build quality is superb and they look, feel and sound premium for a price that is usually considered average for good earphones. Don’t think two ways, these sound better than beats by Dre by a mile.

Stay tuned for more gift guides coming up.
December 11, 2011
Edit: iPhone 4s Pandemonium

Seldom does the world come close to such an instance where things happen so fast that its almost impossible to catch upto them. Last time this year we were discussing the iPhone 4 launch in India. Throughout this year there were speculations of a Jesus Phone in the form of the iPhone 5, a slim design, bigger screen, high spec’d cameras and a lot going on under the boot.

There were several devices launched in the mean time, the Samsung Galaxy S2 being the most prominent of them all followed by the likes of Sensation, Optimus 2 and now the Galaxy Note and galaxy Nexus. But companies like Samsung and LG live in the global markets, they cater to a vast audience, with a vast range of products. That makes them impressive industry giants but that also slows them down when it comes to device support.

Apple has followed a simple less product portfolio system from the get go, whereas other companies tend to branch out and diversify. Take the notebook for example, the Apple line has been consistent since the beginning with the Macbook, Macbook Pro (earlier know as powerbook) and the recent new addition the Air. Apple has essentially also eliminated the Macbook line and only now has the Pro and the Air.

In a similar scenario Samsung has a vast variety of Notebooks, even though they are relatively new to the industry. From over 300 different models in the Indian catalogue alone, it is difficult to imagine developing bios updates and bug fixes for each individual product.

For Apple the win – win scenario lies in their simplicity, One update to rule them all! Since all their MacBooks are essentially based on the same platform, Apple is usually able to send out app and OS updates without any problems. But that does not mean they are let off easy, issues are usually tested for several months before fixes are released, sometimes causing major problems too. But its easy to tackle problems if you have only two products to worry about.

The case of the iPhone

Same is the case with the iPhone, since its launch in 2007 several people have suggested year in and year out, that Apple will add a new phone to their lineup, an iPhone nano, a mini touch phone and possibly even a cheap variant of the main device. They have all been proven wrong, Apple’s strategy comes to light very simply: they have a yearly refresh cycle where they offer the last years product at a considerably lower price to see market response before they diminish stocks and stop selling the devices. This policy as we have seen is only applicable for the iPhone and not any other device.

Apple does not intend to give themselves competition by releasing two variants of the same device when their earning lie in numbers from the same device. Apple couldn’t be bothered giving os and bug fixes to previous adapters. Those who bought the iPhone 3Gs will start to hurt over the neglect that Apple will give to their updates. Its simple Apple want consumers to buy the latest products so they can continue to evolve and are able to enjoy the innovations of the company. But not everyone can afford new products yearly! Especially in India where contract systems don’t exist. Apple devices are expensive and much more than other devices, Apple includes the cost of one year of “Apple no questions asked service and repair” in their products. No other company offers you the ability to walk into a store with a defective product and walk out with a shiny new one. Other companies usually repair devices, sometimes delivering no real solution to the problem. No to mention that your precious device gets unscrewed and manhandled.

The iPhone 4s

The critics and investor management companies deemed the iPhone 4s as a major failure for Apple, but the truth really lies in the numbers. Apple got over 1 Million pre-orders of the iPhone 4s in the US alone in the first 24 hours. That is actually more than the total life sales of many companies. So what makes Apple iPhones so special? The first iteration of the device made people all over the world want it, possibly because they couldn’t buy one (sales were restricted to the US). This made people want it even more, causing groups from all over the world to indulge in home brewing the device.

The most significant specification change to the iPhone 4S from its predecessor is the bump to Apple’s A5 processor. Just as in the case of the iPad we should see a vast improvement in overall speed and responsiveness of the device. The iPhone 4S also bumps the resolution of its digital stills from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels and its HD video capture resolution from 720p to 1080p this was seen in almost all cameras in higher end Android phones. But, the fact that apple continues to improve its rear illuminated sensor adding better optics and image stabilization is a mighty improvement.

Siri

The inclusion of Siri was not much of a shock because Apple had acquired the company some time ago, but the software has obviously come a long way since Apple purchased it and is integrated into core functions of the handset as well as Wolfram Alpha for getting answers directly from the internet. This personal assistant Siri was one thing that made me stop writing and start watching during launch.

Owner : How many cups in an ounce?

Siri : Let me think : Here is your answer!

Owner : Schedule my meeting for budgets at 12.

Siri : Note : You already have a meeting at 12 , would you like me to schedule it anyway?

For all those who have seen Terminator the movie, should know that this is the dawn of Skynet in the form of Siri. Jokes apart this is possibly the most advanced Ai you can think about putting in a handheld device. Forget peta flops of processing this takes a measly A5 chipset with a dual core processor.

The only reason Apple continues its success if because they not only focus on hardware but deliver the software as promised. They can always announce the iPhone 5 next year and they will, but till then Siri will rule the smartphone haven riding a 4s which houses brand new optics, a full hd 8 MP camera and a spec bumper Dual core A5 chip.

Now its only time before people start to mention the good aspects of Samsung phones and LG, i don’t deny them or dispute them. i love my Android devices, the S2 the Sensation and even the Evo 3D, my honeycomb tablets, a daily user of Blackberry and even my Windows Phones. I have used vLingo on the S2 and my tab But its no where near what Siri does. Honestly we do wish Apple paid us for what we write about them. But it does not seem that they need anymore hype than what they can already generate by themselves.

Is it the answer to world peace?

October 11, 2011
Edit : Anticipation of the New iPhone 5/ 4s is higher than ever

What is pushing the iPhone to the top of the world?what causes the low supply and large demand? We say its basic rules of economics learnt in High School, to make the demand of a commodity more, the supply needs to be regulated. This time around anticipation of the next Gen. iPhone is higher than ever. With reports of a cheaper variant of the iPhone 4 looming, most users are delaying their cellphone purchases indefinitely.

The iPhone since its launch in 2007 has been the number one smartphone in terms of market share in sales. This has happened not only due to innovations in technology but also because of the fact that Apple is extremely smart when it comes to marketing the device. The first true capacitive touch phone, with the first true capacitive input OS. The first app store that revolutionized apps on a mobile platform. Everything along the smartphone business, Apple has changed the way we use our devices. Today companies like Micromax, Videocon and other budget phone manufacturers are eating off the profits of the Apple name.

Micromax even launched an AD-Campaign for the A70 stating “I can afford this Phone – emphasis on iPhone”. People often take the iPhone as a flagship and compare other devices with that. Sure there are hardcore Android fans and I am one of them, in-fact i love all OS types. For the sake of iGyaan I need to possess flagship devices from all platforms, yet if given the choice i will always choose my iPhone.

Over 90% of the total questions we receive at iGyaan ask us to compare simple Android phones with the fluidity of the iPhone, The answer always has been till now – no other device can match the responsiveness of the iPhone. Yes it crashes, yes you hate it, yes its closed, yes “Bharat is an ex-Apple man”, But it doesn’t change the fact that not only does the iPhone have the best resolution display till date, unmatched by any manufacturer,it also has the most fluid OS in the world. This device is meant to be touched and it only relies on that. No matter what hardware you stuff behind the touchscreen of the device, 2x Quad core processors for all we care, untill you iron out the lag between screen swipes, we prefer iPhones.

Apple is also a brand of the youth, it has always been. PCs have been boring for a very long time, since the beginning of computer time. Apple has been always loved by the youth, creative people, writers, artists, web designers, graphic artists and all new forms of young professionals love Apple and the ease of use of the OS and all the softwares around it. All non tech related ads have people using Apple computers in them, this is nothing but passive marketing for Apple and most non technologically sound people love it(that includes more than 90% of the global pop FYI) .

Not to forget the constant mis-marketing by websites like iGyaa ( if only Apple paid us a dollar for every-time we wrote their name on our website) feeds to the brains of technology loving people young and old alike (yes you reading this). People are constantly being hypnotized to believe that the iPhone is mother-ship and every thing else is nothing in-front of it. Althought that is so not the case.

So why is the iPhone now the most sought after phone? Despite its high price and low tech specs, most will still prefer it over their juiced up Android device. If an iPhone 4 was to be available at say 19 Thousand Indian rupees / 350-400 US$, you will see the likes of eBay and craigslist full of second hand Android phones and Blackberries. The new iPhone 5 in recent surveys has been on more than 30% peoples waitlist, that is more than 3 times of the next best OS = Android which stacks in at a mere 9.4% in the list of “My next phone”.

The iPhone 5 is coming and people are waiting for it anxiously, so are we. The device whether a major change or minor, will cause people to queue up and wait outside stores for weeks. It will also cause some people to sell their kidneys and some to be highly disappointed with its not so impressive upgrades. The only question that now remains is

HAVE YOU DELAYED YOU NEXT SMARTPHONE PURCHASE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NEXT IPHONE?

[polldaddy poll=5510117]

September 17, 2011
EDIT: Kapil Sibal and the Indian Vaporware

Its been almost 2 full years since the announcement of the 20$ Tablet for the Indian market which has come and gone into release cycle time and again. From changing vendors to dropping manufacturers,Why is Kapil Sibal good at making excuses?

The tablet deemed to be an Indian product from the core, yet manufactured in China? HCL was the first company to refuse the manufacture of this tablet soon to be followed by Wipro, Satyam and others. The manufacturers all possibly gave up on the possibility of such a device, why make it impossible for a device to exist, and if you launch one 3 years later what is the point anyway.

A year ago a touchscreen tablet with Android 2.1 and a resistive touchscreen made sense, the recent news showed a device with a capacitive screen and other bits such as WiFi and USB ports etc. Also news upped the OS to Android 2.2. But is it really happening ? The usual bits are in place and excuses follow. The govt. gave a grant of several hundred crore to the project, an undisclosed amount, but to our dismay we could neither get details of the grant or what actually happened to the device.

A tablet that has touchscreen, WiFi and Android may or may not be able to educate the kids of today. But will definitely be a source of entertainment to them. low price- large screen Angry Birds anyone? There goes the education system down the drain.

Post this discussion the biggest question remains : whether or not the device would be even capable of playing Angry birds? Imagine you pull on the bird and it just gets stuck in mid air!

When we tried to contact Mr. Sibal’s office to get a comment, we got a polite reminder of how the country’s politics are more important

Abhi Anna Hazare is taking too much time!, whatever the Govt. wants to do-will do. You please mind your own business”

-Refused to tell us name – Assistant at Kapil Sibal’s Office

Why does “Anna Hazare” have anything to do with the Launch of a tablet that was supposed to happen last year. If anything the protests should speed up the process not slow it down.

Fortunately for us China is a wonderful country and many companies have started to bring in tablets in the price range of 5-10 thousand rupees. The HCL and Beetel Tablets cost 10,000 and the Reliance tab costs 12,999. With pricing already dropping daily, we can expect a good 2000-3000 tablet before the govt. even begins to allot this “Ration” based tablet. Which will probably end up going to “Politician and Family” as Diwali Gifts.

Here is a “Poof” to the Sakshat Tablet for India. Come on Mr. Sibal we expect a better result with a IT oriented country.

August 26, 2011