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Samsung has been really keeping busy updating its J-series lineup. We’ve already seen the J1 go on sale in Dubai and the J5’s specs listed on GFXBench. Now the Galaxy J7 has been spotted on GFXBench benchmark listing revealing key specs of the upcoming mid-range device.
The 5.5-inch device comes with a Full HD display this time around with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Samsung has updated its RAM from 1.5GB RAM to 3GB while the processor and GPU remain the same at Snapdragon 615 and Adreno 405, respectively.
The camera is the same, at least on paper. The primary shooter is at 13MP while the front is at 5MP. The J7 successor will run on Android 5.1 Lollipop and is likely to be launched in February along with the J5 at the Samsung Forum that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the 4th.
As is the case with the J5, pricing will be key here. We know that Samsung wants to push out devices that fill each and every price range, especially the budget to mid-range categories. Samsung will have to price the updated J series around the same price tag as its predecessors, which means the Galaxy J7 is likely to cost around Rs 15,000 when it hits the Indian market.
Several big-name tech firms, including Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony have been accused by Human Rights Organization Amnesty of using kids for sourcing minerals used in their various products.
Citing a report that it did into cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it found children as young as seven were working in unearthing cobalt that these large incorporations use for their Lithium Ion batteries.
The African country produces over 50% of the world’s cobalt. Miners working in the area face long-term health problems and the risk of fatal accidents, according to Amnesty. Amnesty also claimed that at a minimum of 80 miners had died underground in the country between September-December last year.
The report by Amnesty is the first comprehensive account of cobalt mining in Democratic Republic of the Congo. To arrive at their conclusions, Amnesty International along with Afrewatch visited five mines in DRC in April and May 2015. They interviewed 90 workers, 17 of them children.
According to Amnesty, “more than half of the world’s total supply of cobalt comes from the [DRC]. According to the government’s own estimates, 20 percent of the cobalt currently exported from the DRC comes from artisanal miners in the southern parts of the country. “There are approximately 110,000 to 150,000 artisanal miners in this region, who work alongside much larger industrial operations.”
The report further reveals, ” the miners who are referred to as ‘creuseurs’ in the DRC, mine by hand using the most basic tools to dig out rocks from the tunnels deep underground. Artisanal miners include children as young as seven who scavenge for rocks containing cobalt in the discarded by-products of industrial mines, and who wash and sort the ore before it is sold.”
Not surprisingly, these major tech firms such as Samsung, Sony and Vodafone denied any link to this supply chain or to DRC sourced Cobalt . Apple informed that it is evaluating alooking at a number of different materials, including cobalt, to identify both labor and environmental risks. Microsoft on the other hand said it hadn’t traced cobalt use in Microsoft products all the way to the source “due to the complexity and resources required.”
We all know that 5G is the next big thing. We are also aware that the speeds 5G promises will be massive. While many countries still try to have an established 4G network, including India, Australia is one country which wants to stay ahead of the pack. According to Vodafone, Australia will likely have 5G mobile network by 2020.
The development of the fifth-generation mobile network has invited a number of eager investors. After all, the next-gen network promises supremely fast speeds and will be the guiding factor for everything from ‘Internet of Things’ to driverless cars.
Vodafone’s Australian chief Benoit Hanssen believes Australia will be among the first countries to have 5G network by 2020. “Australia adopted the smartphone enthusiastically — smartphone penetration is one of the highest in the world,” he said. “There is a readiness to adopt new things, and you have a population that can largely afford to adopt new things. We do think that as 5G comes out, Australia will be there.”
Indeed, Australia has embraced 4G greatly with almost 70% of Vodafone customers on 4G phones. Hanssen expects the figure to cross 90% this year. 5G is all set to break speed records if the tests have anything to show for it. In 2015, British scientists claimed they broke speed records during tests of 5G data connections, reaching one terabit per second. According to the BBC, with such a speed, it “would be theoretically possible to download a file 100 times the size of a feature film in about three seconds.”
Spectrums have and continue to be the main reason behind the delay of not only 5G but 4G as well. In fact, many countries still face a lack of 3G connectivity. The release of spectrum is being negotiated globally. We wonder how long it takes before we can even begin talking about 5G in India, which is still being introduced to 4G network slowly.
Facebook has revealed that it’s Android app now offers Tor support to users concerned about keeping their social networking activity private. While this functionality has for some time now allowed Facebook users to directly access its site via Tor’s browser on personal computers, this support for Tor on the Android app will be welcomed by users who majorly use facebook through their phones.
This step is expected to give users a relatively easy way to encrypt their Facebook viewing on the road. The user along with Facebook Android app will need to download the Orbot proxy app to make it work with Tor.
The Tor access support will take some time before all users can take advantage of it. For now, Facebook is looking at gathering as much feedback on the app as possible. The whole idea still requires a lot of polishing, but nonetheless, it’s worth a try if you’re paranoid about privacy when it comes to Facebook. Also, just in case you were wondering, Facebook does not intend to extend this Tor support functionality for its iOS users anytime soon.
In what will come as welcome news to millions of netizens across the country, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) in its latest communication to Facebook, has in rather stern words intimated to the company that it does not approve of the manner in which Facebook is misrepresenting the results of its ‘support Free Basics’ campaign, and what it seems to be suggesting is a subtle attempt at nudging the voice of the people out of the decision-making equation.
This letter from the desk of TRAI’s joint advisor K.V Sebastian, pulls up Facebook for the way it has conducted itself through the campaign to save Free Basics from being shut down. TRAI has suggested that Facebook is guilty of not conveying the full text of the regulator’s message to users who had supported Free Basics, and hence is misleading them into making uninformed choices.
TRAI had earlier asked Facebook to convey to its users in support of Free Basics and zero-rating campaigns four specific questions which the telecom regulator wanted answers to before taking any final decision on the matter. Facebook, for its part responded to TRAI’s request by sending back a highly charged template response in favour of saving Free Basics which it claimed reflected the sentiment of its users.
TRAI’s reply to this read,
“Your response is silent on whether the text of TRAI has been shared with users as was specifically requested by TRAI. In light of the tangential natures of the responses by the users to the questions asked, the communication of the text was vital to demonstrating and ensuring that those who are responding to TRAI are making informed decisions.”
The letter further goes on to say that in light of Facebook not disclosing crucial information to users, TRAI does not accept Facebook’s assertion that the initial template responses in support for ‘Free Basics’ and ‘Digital Equality’ are an appropriate representation of what people are saying.
TRAI, not mincing its words, has also slammed Facebook in this letter over what it calls as ‘self-appointed’ spokesmanship on behalf of its users who it says “have not authorized Facebook of speaking on their behalf collectively.”
It has further said that it does not approve of this practice of Facebook, and believes that what the company is doing through these uninformed template responses is curbing “public consultation” which it believes “has the flavour of reducing this meaningful consultative exercise designed to produce informed decisions in a transparent manner into a crudely majoritarian and orchestrated opinion poll”.
Tin Mok, Asia Pacific CEO, took the stage at LeEco’s (formerly known as LeTV) official event today where the company launched Le Max with the tag-line”Go Big, Go Bold”, and Le 1s, along with revealing the new logo for the company. LeEco established over 1 million fans Facebook fans in barely 63 days. While the Le Max boasts of big specs inside a big frame, the Le 1s is aimed at the mid-range market.
LeEco Logo
LeMax:
The Le Max has dominant hand-settings which cater to the user’s preferred hand -left or right. The UI is faster, convenient and has one-step access. The Le Max features a 6.3-inch screen with 2K display and sports a metal body design with slim bezels. The device is powered by a Qualcomm 64-bit 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM. It is available in 64GB and 128GB storage variants.
On the camera front, the Le Max comes with 21-megapixel and runs on Android 5.1 with custom EUI running on top. The device comes equipped with multiple desktops – Application Desktop, LeView Desktop, Live Desktop -different screens for the phone that makes different applications, live streaming of events and multimedia available to the user conveniently and smoothly.
LeEco has also tied up with Yupp TV, which offers over 250 channels across 12 languages that can be accessed through the smartphone. The company has further partnered with Eros International to make Bollywood films available to users. Users wouldn’t have to look for content or download multiple apps -the content would be simply available along with a year’s premium subscription of Eros to consumers.
With an AnTuTu score of 83851, Le Max beats Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One A9. World’s first bezel-less ID, full floating glass design,0.8mm display border and no heating issues are some of its other highlights.
Additionally, the Le Max includes Smart PA-SPK box speakers, full-metal unibody, and is available in two colours -Gold with 128 GB and Silver with 64 GB. The phone further has a Type-C USB port and a hypersensitive fingerprint sensor
Le 1s:
The Le 1s sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display and is powered by a MediaTek’s Helio X10 processor. It features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The smartphone will run on Android 5.1 with custom EUI on top. It is a Dual-SIM device with an AnTuTu score of 55844, beating HTC One M9.It has a type-C USB port which ensures 3.5 hours of usage in 5 minutes of charging, along with a double chamber, symmetrical design, and super-slim, full-metal body with 7.5 mm of thickness. The finger-print scanner of the device called LeTouch, is mirror-surfaced with 99.3% accuracy and .15 seconds flash recognization.
Find below the specs of Le Max and Le 1s.
Specs
Le Max
Le 1S
Le Display
6.33-inch, Gorilla Glass 3, 2K Sharp display
5.5-inch Full HD display
Resolution
2560 x 1440 resolution (464ppi)
1920 X 1080 (403 ppi)
Processor
64 bit octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
2.2 GHz MediaTek’s Helio X10
GPU
Adreno 430
VR G6200
RAM
4 GB
3 GB
Storage
64GB/ 128GB
32 GB
Rear Camera
21 MP OIS, Sony Imx 230 sensor, 6P lens, 6 layers, 2K resolution, Dual 14 bit ISP image processor, HDR more vivid than standard HDR, Dual tone flash
13 MP, High-Definition, f2.0 aperture, ISOCELL technology, PDAF, 4K video
LeEco also launched what it calls its “ultimate flagship”, the Le Max Sapphire today. The device is pink in colour and has a sapphire crystal display. It’s priced at Rs. 69,999 for the 128 GB variant.
The devices will be available on Flipkart with 10% cash-back for Axis Bank users as part of the opening day deal. The registrations for the device start today, till 11 am on 2nd Feb with the first round of flash sales for Le 1s on 2n February, and for Le Max on 16th February. The company also offers free home pick-up and drop-off services should the consumer need any.
Motorola has come out with yet another teaser for its latest device, the ‘shatter-proof’ Moto X Force. Following suit with the previous teaser which mocked iPhone 6s for its delicate body, the new one takes a dig at Samsung Galaxy S6.
https://youtu.be/BDRGaGvFekI
Though the new teaser isn’t as witty as its predecessor, the message is just as clear. Moving away from Cupertino, Motorola has now taken the challenge to the Korean tech-giant.
The highlight of the device is its super-hardy screen. Motorola claims to have integrated a ‘Moto Shattershield’ technology in the display of Moto Force which, it says, is the first shatterproof screen in a phone ever. The company feels confident enough to affirm the screen would stay intact for up to four years, owing to the multiple layers of different materials used in making it capable of absorbing shock and providing protection against cracking. The phone also boasts of two touchscreen layers, which make sure that the smartphone can be used even if one of the layers is cracked.
Needless to say, Motorola cannot stop talking about its first ever shatter-proof phone in the world. Let’s see if Moto X Force manages to live up to all the expectations. Watch this space for all the updates
Microsoft yesterday took a giant leap towards fulfilling its mission of giving back to society, and acknowledged through philanthropy the growing importance of cloud computing in the modern age.
The Redmond-based company made an announcement yesterday to donate $1 Billion worth of ‘cloud computing services’ to university researchers, and non-profit organizations. These services, billing into multiple digits, would be doled out to these universities, and over 70,000 such organizations over the span of next three years.
Microsoft’s Hyderabad-born CEO, Satya Nadela, who was at the heart of this decision said that he believes that cloud computing has become a vital resource for addressing the world’s problems that many of these institutions and non-profit organizations are trying to fix, and as such this is the best way to help them in their cause.
In an online post Satya Nadela elaborated on the reasons behind this decision. He said,
” Last fall, world leaders at the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable development goals to tackle some of the toughest global problems by 2030, including poverty, hunger, health and education.
A careful read of those goals reveals the central role that data and cloud computing must play for analysis and action.”
This particular project will be a part of a greater three-part Microsoft donation program.In what will be welcome news to the various organizations who will be helped by it, yesterday’s announcement will see the company expand its global donation program to include its full suite of cloud services.
The particular suite will include Microsoft Azure, allowing nonprofit organizations to use Microsoft’s vast data centers for their apps and Enterprise Mobility Suite that will enable the organizations to manage all their devices/apps/data on a cross-platform basis.
For the past couple of days the crowded corridors of social media have been abuzz with leaks, and news about Huawei’s next flagship, the P9, and adding to it, more information has surfaced on the internet regarding this phone.
Last week, we saw leaked schematics, and Antutu benchmarks of the P9 and today sources have revealed that this much-awaited phone will come in multiple variants. What is expected is that Huawei besides launching its top of the line P9, will also come out with a cheaper P9 Lite, and a phablet the P9 MAX. The last variant which Huawei plans to bring to the market as a treat for all its fans will be a beefed up variant of the P9, and will come with premium features.
The fourth model is set to offer a display whose size would lie between the P9, and the P9 MAX, with QHD resolution output. It will also feature additional RAM and storage. The fourth variant on top of this will feature an improved camera: a dual lens, dual (12 MP) sensor configuration described as a second-generation technology.
In a move to give itself more time to perfect the upcoming devices, it is believed the company has also decided to launch these devices at separate events after the MWC where a lot of its big name competitors are expected to parade their fancy arsenal to eager eyes.
Say hello to yet another courtroom drama between Samsung and Apple. As always, the bone of contention was patent infringement where Apple accused Samsung of having stolen features like word recommendations and unlock gestures.
Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern California District San Jose court agreed with Apple leading to banning of Samsung’s flagship devices from 2012. The list of devices now banned from sale in the US includes Samsung Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S III and Samsung Stratosphere.
The lawsuit had been stretched over a period of three years before the final verdict was passed. This means there has been three new generations of smartphones since the first violation of patents. Other than many sellers making some extra dough by selling these banned Samsung devices for a higher-than-normal price on eBay, one wonders what else this verdict could lead to. While Samsung may not feel too amused at this point, this is a blow it will definitely recover from without much effort.
Besides, it wouldn’t be too long before Samsung’s gets a chance to even out the two scores once the two companies find themselves pitted against each other again in another courtroom scenario. Hold your breath until then.
Samsung is all set to host its annual two-day SEA Forum starting from the 4th of February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Forum will see the Korean giant launch some new products across various categories from smartphones to televisions to home appliances. The products showcased at the Forum are India-bound, which means that their arrival in India will be shortly expected after.
Last year at the Forum which was held in Bankok, Thailand, Samsung had unveiled a number of 4G-enabed smartphones like the Galaxy J1 along with Galaxy A7 smartphone and Galaxy Tab Active.
Although the products have been kept under wraps, we expect to see the new Galaxy J5 and A8 smartphones to be launched for the Indian market. The new J5 successor that was spotted on GFXBench just today is likely to sport a 5.2-inch screen with 720p resolution, a 12 or 13 MP (most likely 13MP) rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset, which comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and will run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
Meanwhile, the massive new Galaxy A9 that was launched in China last month is also likely to be launched for the Indian market at the Samsung Forum. The 6-inch device sports a Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 652 (earlier named 620) chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.
The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device features a 13 MP primary camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, and an 8 MP front. The Galaxy A9 also packs a massive 4,000mAh battery with QuickCharge support.
While these are the likely phone launches expected at the Forum, Samsung may also give an early sneak peek at the upcoming S7 flagship smartphone. Furthermore, the Forum will also see some products that were unveiled at CES 2016 such as the KS9500 series SUHD TV – available in 65-,77-, and 88-inch sizes – that come with the thinnest bezels you’ve ever seen and a smart fridge that comes with a giant 21-inch touchscreen display. The smart fridge is part of Samsung’s ‘Family Hub’ lineup of home appliances.
iGyaan will be on the ground at the Samsung Forum and will bring you all the latest launches that are set to take place.
Samsung unveiled the Gear S2 at IFA Berlin last year. The smartwatch has been launched slowly in select countries for the past few months, and will now come to India this week. Samsung India has sent out media invites for the launch event on the 21st of January.
The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch screen with a 360x360resolution (302ppi). To power the device, Samsung has used 1GHz dual-core processor and provided the option of 3G Connectivity. The Gear S2 runs on the company’s very own Tizen OS and uses a rotating bezel, along with the Home and Back buttons, for navigation. Samsung has also added NFC for mobile payments.
The Samsung Gear S2 Reflects Samsung’s Most Progressive Innovation. It Is The Perfect Complement For Any Occasion, Easily Taking You From Day To Night, From Work To Workout
Perhaps, the highlight of the device would be the fact that the company claims it lasts upto 2-3 days on a single charge. Since a wearable is an extra ‘smart’ device that you need to carry around, a long-lasting battery is a necessity. One of the exciting announcements is that the smartwatch has been announced in two variants – Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. Other than the design, the only major difference between the two is their size. The Classic has been built smaller and lighter than the Gear S2. For its timeless design, we’re leaning towards the Classic which comes with a black dial and a leather band.
Furthermore, The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.
The event will also see the launch of the Gear VR headset. The Oculus-powered virtual reality headset is compatible with a number of Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5.
Specs
Samsung Gear S2
Display
1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor
Dual-core 1.0 GHz
OS
Tizen-based wearable platform
Storage Memory
4GB Internal Memory
RAM
512MB
Connectivity
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.1, NFC
Battery
250mAh Li-ion
Misc
IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant, Wireless Charging
BlackBerry today has sent out invites of a launch event for its first Android OS based device in India. The Canadian company has scheduled this event for 28th January, in Delhi, and at the event it has promised to launch to its patient Indian customers the BlackBerry Priv.
The Priv, which was first unveiled in October is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs.
BlackBerry in its previous interactions with the media had also hinted the company may soon unveil another Android phone this year.
In terms of specs, this offering from the Candian company comes loaded with decent firepower. The Priv on the outside has a 5.4-inch dual-curved Plastic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (540ppi). Under its beautiful display, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit processor with an Adreno 418 GPU clocked at 600 MHz.
Blackberry Priv further boasts of 3GB low powered RAM and internal storage of up to 32 GB, which is expandable up to an impressive 2 TB. The battery pack that makes this device run is rated at 3410 mAh. It is also equipped with an 18 MP dual-flash Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera to click amazing pictures.
Blackberry which has dubbed the Priv as the ” secure smartphone powered by Android” is going to roll out the smartphone ‘pre-loaded with the brand new BlackBerry DTEK application, designed to help you manage and protect your privacy.’ Blackberry claims that the DTEK app will tell you which apps access your personal data and shows the overall security assessment of your device.
In latest news from the land of leaks and rumours, fresh reports suggest not just one, but two Nexus handsets from HTC this year. This revelation comes courtesy of a post on Weibo. The rumour is that there will be two Nexus smartphones just like last year, but unlike 2015, this time we will see the burden of both these being handled by HTC.
The rumour also claims that these smartphones will come in two display sizes 5-inch and a 5.5-inch. The decision to bring HTC back for both these phones means they could be similar to the Nexus 5X, fueling rumours of similar looking phones for the Nexus lineup this year. Much like what Apple does with its iPhones, and Plus range.
Considering that HTC is going through a bit of rough patch, if it indeed is true, this partnership will be great news for the Taiwanese company, though it is still unclear as to why this decision did not go Huawei’s way after its stellar work with the 6P.
The Yu Yutopia as a handset from the company YU was much awaited, and there is an excellent reason for that. The company tried to create a lot of hype for the product, and everyone had high expectations from the Yutopia.
Does the Yu Yutopia live up to expectations, or does it end up being an expensive handset with too much hype. Let’s find out.
Build Quality and Design
The YU Yutopia is not the prettiest handset out there. In fact out of all the possible purchases that you can make in this price bracket, the YU Yutopia is the least inviting as far as design is concerned.
The design is based on the basic design of their Yuphoria/Yunique handset which is a big let down from an aesthetics point of view. It does have a lot of rounded edges that from an in-hands perspective are really comfortable.
Build Quality otherwise is great, aircraft grade aluminium, which means we get strength while keeping the overall weight of the Yutopia low at 155 grams. The 7.2 mm thickness is also appealing from a build point of view. The phone is pretty slim yet robust and lightweight. The front glass is now a CORNING CONCORE GLASS that is pre-fused with the display made by Sharp, and the capability of Concore is considered the same as Gorilla Glass 3.
The YU Yutopia will handle drops and dings with ease since the phone is metal, it will get dents and may get scratched too, but will not break or shatter easily.
With no removable back, Yu managed to stuff the cards in a ridiculously sized card tray. This tray is inconvenient and impractical, over time you swap memory cards your network SIM card comes out as well.
Hardware
The specs of the Yutopia are the strongest point for the device. The Yutopia beats all in the segment with hardware on paper; you have an SD810 chipset packed in with a 2K QHD display, alongside an amazing 21 MP camera. 32 GIGS of onboard storage and massive 4 GB of RAM.
Specification
YU Yutopia
Display
5.2 -inch Sharp WQHD IPS display, 2K
Resolution
2560×1440 pixels, 567 Ppi
Chipset
64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
CPU
2.0 GHz Octa-core
GPU
Adreno 430
RAM
4 GB
Front Camera
8 MP FF
Rear Camera
21MP AF camera, 4K video recording
Storage
32 GB
Expandability
Using Micro SD card 128 GB
Battery
3,000 mAh battery with 2.0 Quick Charge
Operating System
Android Lollipop 5.1 with Cyanogen OS 12.1
Price
Rs. 24,999
Performance and Gaming
Whatever the specs on paper, Yu may have underclocked the chipset and the hardware quite a lot. Performance is mediocre, to say the least, and benchmarks tend to underwhelming results. Running Cyanogen helps the YUtopia get past day to day activities with ease and the 4GB of RAM is more than ample for the daily process.
However tests and benchmarks speak a different language, and in their language, the Yutopia performs just about average.
Gaming is pretty good, but when compared to devices with a full HD display seems to be a little laggy. The 2k display seems to be causing the slowdown of the processing power, letting the phone get its primary workload performance only at average quality.
YU has kept its temperatures down despite using an SD 810 chipset that only goes to show that an OS feature governs the chipset, hence causing a slowdown in performance.
The great thing about the YU Yutopia running Cyanogen, however, is the fact that once can quickly install a speed governor and overclock the handset. Rooting is fairly easy and is done by a single third party app.
Camera and Multimedia
The 21 MP camera with a Sony sensor is the big highlight of the YUtopia, with images coming out crisp and full of juicy megapixels, no one will complain. The camera is quick to boot and click and focuses easily too.
The app is a simply the Cyanogen camera app with the usual features, including filters and slow mo video. The more you play with it, the more pictures you will click. Close up shots are not that crisp, and the camera does not focus up close.
4k / UHD content will playback easily on the handset. However, it will be downscaled to fit the screen resolution. The speaker is loud and will make you happy with the outcome. Overall the Yutopia serves well as a multimedia and entertainment device, letting down on gameplay graphics and overall performance. Video playback and audio is great.
Phone, Networks and Battery
The network runs smooth and supports all the main Indian bands including those for LTE. 4G was tested on Airtel in New Delhi, and speeds of up to 50Mbps were achieved. With the situation of networks in the country fairly weak, it ‘s hard to point to either the network provider or the manufacturer for network issues. The Yutopia managed to get the same amount of Signal -DB when compared to popular products from the likes of Motorola, Samsung and even on the iPhone.
The lack of separate trays makes the swapping of SIM cards, or memory cards a tedious process, and hopefully, Yu will not repeat the mistake again.
Battery life is better than expected, with the processor governed and the heat under control, the battery life is much better in this case, but since the reports are erratic, it is unclear as to how many people will have a consistent experience.
Talk Time: 6 hours
Internet Browsing: 6-8 hours
Gaming: 4 Hours
Video: 5- 6 Hours
Cyanogen and Other Features
The YU Yutopia features excellent hardware on paper and great software too. A lot of people like Cyanogen, and it works well for YU. The remanufactured build of Android works great and for the tweak hurry nerd is a playground in paradise. There are some issues, and they would warrant the use of stock Android to Cyanogen.
Cyanogen was one of the quickest to jump to the latest version of Android. That is no longer the case, with more than half a year gone by, Cyanogen still rocks 5.1.1 hence YUtopia does the same. While a marshmallow build is, supposedly, “around the corner” the high wait time is no longer fun. Cyanogen has a significant and large support community of which YU users enjoy the spoils.
The UI is fast and responsive, highly customizable and intuitive to the needs of the user. Allowing users to skin various elements of the OS. You can also add and remove tweaks to enhance the OS.
The fingerprint scanner has received many complaints, and it requires the same finger to be scanned from various angles many times to get the issue resolved. It does work but misses the unlock target at times, frustrating the user.
Conclusion
While YU is looking at a lot of firsts with the YUtopia, the phone may not be “all that”. It has fantastic specs, and an excellent build quality, a great OS experience, and a good camera. However, it is priced higher than one would want to spend for a category two phone. Hardware wise the price matches, things like the camera and the display itself warrant the price.
Performance is on the low side, and honestly, the phone is excellent on paper but is not a good looking phone in the hand. While looks may be perceived differently by each user, the general look of the phone is bland, and the design refuses to find a balance between a rough exterior look and a polished premium look.
There are many smartphone options, in the price bracket, that offer an excellent package, but none that give everything that is available in this phone. For the pure hardware enthusiast, this is a gem of a phone. For those looking to flaunt may have to look elsewhere, as the YUtopia is an underdog when it comes to looks.
As far as the price is concerned, the company is expected to launch a slightly cheaper variant of the YUtopia around the 16-17 thousand rupee mark to compete with the likes of the One Plus X, later this year.
The included Marley earphones are a great addon, but are very generic earphones, which sound just “ok”. Price could have been lowered by simply including cheap earphones, or no earphones at all.
LeEco has also tied up with Yupp TV, which offers over 250 channels across 12 languages that can be accessed through the smartphone. The company has further partnered with Eros International to make Bollywood films available to users. Users wouldn’t have to look for content or download multiple apps -the content would be simply available along with a year’s premium subscription of Eros to consumers.
It has a type-C USB port which ensures 3.5 hours of usage in 5 minutes of charging, along with a double chamber, symmetrical design, and super-slim, full-metal body with 7.5 mm of thickness. The finger-print scanner of the device called LeTouch, is mirror-surfaced with 
