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Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 have been already launched in China, and are expected to arrive in markets in rest of the world in January, 2016. To keep the phones fresh in the memory of the consumers, Samsung has now launched its first official Galaxy A TV commercial. However, it does not showcase any specific phone but the entire Galaxy A series.
https://youtu.be/Hy409bgKcgE
In terms of specs, this is what we can expect from the three Galaxy A phones when they arrive in India -the A7, which is the biggest of the three, will sport a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen with 1920 x 1080p resolution and a 1.6 GHz octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage and 3,300 mAh Fast Charging battery. On the camera front, the A7 features a 13 MP primary camera with f/1.9 aperture and OIS. The front camera also features an f/1.9 aperture.
The A5 has a 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, quad-core processor and a battery marked at 2,900 mAh. It has a 13 MP primary camera with OIS, and a 5 MP front camera.
Finally, the smallest of the lot, the Galaxy A3, comes with a 4.7-inch AMOLED screen and 720p resolution. The device also features 1.5GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The A3 is the only device among the three that won’t feature a fingerprint scanner. The device has a rear camera of 13 MP and a front camera of 5 MP, with both having f/1.9 apertures (no OIS here, though).
Which of the three phones is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below. Follow this space for more on Samsung’s A-series launch.
If rumours are to be believed, Samsung is working on releasing a Exynos 8870 chipset. This chipset would be mainly for Samsung’s external clients like Meizu. Additionally, rumours further suggest that Meizu Pro 6 and Pro 6 Mini are expected to come equipped with this chipset next year. The performance of the chipset is expected to be as good as that of Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.
The rumour which has emerged out of China expects the chipset to be official sometime in 2016. Samsung, however, is expected to make use of Exynos 8890 as the chipset of its own high-end devices instead of this rumoured Exynos 8870. Speculations will continue making the rounds for a while until something gets confirmed by Meizu or Samsung.
2015 has seen some top-of-the-line smartphones that have excelled in the camera department. We look at the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Moto X Style, HTC One A9, and Qiku Q Terra and how they perform with the snapper. The images taken are all in auto mode for better comparison.
Galaxy S6 Edge+
The one thing you can blindly trust about Samsung is their camera. The past few years, Samsung’s flagship devices have come with spectacular cameras that have become a kind of benchmark for other flagship devices. The primary camera of S6 Edge+ rocks 16 MP, 2988 x 5312 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash, while the front camera has a 5 MP along with dual video call and Auto HDR.
Having one of the best sensors in the market is bound to get you some amazing captures. Pictures taken by the device appear incredibly crisp and clear, and the colours are close to what your eyes see. There is no added saturation here and the bench looks the right kind of orange. The wide angle shot also captures the sun, where other devices in this list have failed to do so.
HTC One A9
HTC’s new One A9 features a 13-megapixel primary BSI sensor behind an f/2.0 lens with OIS and a 4-Ultrapixel front camera. HTC launched the One A9 proudly ripping off the aesthetics of the recent iPhones. While the hardware may be still a way off, the HTC One A9 does well in the camera department.
The outdoor photos came out with a good amount of detail, accurate colors and spot-on white balance. The new One A9 delivers loads of sharpness and clarity. The device comes with a great deal of modes to improve the way things can be shot for the more professionally inclined. For example, there is a RAW mode that takes a little while to process the image, but it does this to give you the best shot possible.
Thanks to the AMOLED display, the images look bright and crisp. However, the shutter speed isn’t the fastest in this list, but that can be ignored for a phone that isn’t quite a flagship device. The colour of the bench and the flower look saturated, but it also gives the picture a certain attractive gloss. Indoor images look good too but it’s still a bit darker when compared to the others.
Yu Yutopia
The Yu Yutopia is one of those devices that have been launched under the moniker of ‘flagship killers’. Sitting comfortably between the Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 range, the Yutopia made tall claims which it failed to deliver. The camera, however, doesn’t fail at all.
The Yutopia sports a 21 MP Sony Exmor RS IMX230 camera, which is considered one of the most powerful modules in the market today. The rear camera is also capable of capturing 4K video. The camera is fast and responsive and captures a lot of detail. The Yutopia’s shutter speed is indeed fast, as the company claims, at least on auto mode.
Moto X Style
The Moto X Style sports a 21 MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture on the rear, and a 5MP wide-angle lens on the front (both with flash). The rear camera does not come with OIS, but the camera is an improvement over the others in the Moto X lineup.
In normal to low lighting, the rear camera does quite well. The images are sharp and detailed with just the right amount of vibrancy and saturation. Like the HTC One A9, the Moto X Style also adds a bit of saturation and warmth to the colours, but without making the photos look unnatural. The images are also sharp when zooming into a picture. Furthermore, the X Style is the only other device after the Galaxy S6 Edge+ that was able to capture the sun in the wide angle shot.
One down side to the Moto X Style would be the lack of a full suit of manual controls, which other devices in the list offer. That being said, the camera interface is very simple to use. You can tap anywhere on the screen to take a picture, and swipe right for your basic adjustment setting or swipe left to view your previous snaps.
Qiku Terra
For a debut phone, the Q Terra is massive in all aspects . The 6-inch device not only has a big build and sturdy design, but comes with some impressive specs as well. The Q Terra features a 13 MP rear sensor and an 8 MP front.
On the camera front the Q terra uses a DuoScopic Camera System that integrates two 13MP Sony back cameras – a IMX278 color sensor along with a B/W IMX214 sensor. The phone combines the two instantly for better results. Adding to this, the phone also offers an 8MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture. The images are not only rich in detail but also have great colours.
Outdoor pictures look quite decent with very little saturation. The colours look just like you would see them and the images stay sharp and clear even after zooming in. We found that the phone struggles on occasion to focus on a point. A few shots appeared blurry, but often the pictures were detailed and well balanced.
Conclusion
After taking several pictures with the above mentioned devices, we found that while the S6 Edge+ dominates the pack with its spectacular camera, other devices like the HTC One A9 and Yutopia feature some great sensors as well. The images are colourful and clear and the AMOLED display on the One A9 really adds more flavour to the pictures.
Qiku’s Q Terra doesn’t have much to brag about, but the device works well under outdoor conditions. Moto X Style is for the absolute basic photographers who want some quick, auto captures with no fuss. Though basic it may be, the X Style does come with a pretty solid camera.
ASUS launched a variant of ZenFone Go called ZC451TG in India today. The phone comes equipped with a 4.5 inch display and 480X854 resolution. It further has a 5 MP primary camera with auto-focus and F2.0 aperture and a front camera marked at 0.3 MP.
The handset is made available in four colours which include Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Rouge Pink and Flash Blue and is priced at Rs. 5,299. It can be purchased on Flipkart, and from ASUS Exclusive Stores and other retailers starting January, 2016.
The new ZenFone Go variant is powered by Android Lollipop 5.1 and has 8 GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64 GB using microSD card. The phone further has 5 GB of ASUS web storage.
South Korea’s Electronic Times has reported that Samsung’s initial production would include 5 million Galaxy S7 handsets. The new flagship of the company would have two variants, a 5.2 inch Galaxy S7 and a Galaxy S7 Edge with a larger curved screen of 5.5 inches.
The division between the two variants would include 3.3 million S7 phones and 1.6 million S7 Edge phones. The flagship will not be an entirely new smartphone but simply an upgraded and improved version of the S6 series, similar to what Apple has been doing with its iPhones. Samsung goes the Apple way in terms of hardware as well -it’s expected to include touch sensitive display.
There have been a lot of rumours regarding when the S7 phones will be launched. Earlier, it was expected that Samsung would unveil the devices at the CES conference to be held in January. Next up was at the MWC scheduled to take place in February. Now, word from China Mobile, China’s leading carrier, is that Samsung will present its flagship devices in March. Let’s hold our breath until then.
After a month of its FCC clearance, a leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy J1 successor has appeared online. The image also appeared with a bunch of specs which include a 4.5 inch display, which is slightly larger than the current J1’s 4.3 inches, with 480×800 pixel resolution. The phone will be powered by Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
The FCC certificate does not reveal any specifications for the handset, although a siting on GFXBench can throw some light on it. The SM-J120F (the model number of J1’s successor) is expected to arrive with a dual SIM variant which will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 3475 chipset with quad-core 1.3 GHz CPU and will come with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory.
On the camera front, one can expect a 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera. The phone will be a budget phone arriving at close to Rs. 7,000.
Apple isn’t the only one working on a mini device for 2016. Turns out Samsung has one in the pipe as well. The Galaxy S6 Mini is likely to hit the markets soon, as one online retailer has already listed the device on their website.
The Galaxy S6 Mini will sport a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The handset is powered by the Snapdragon 808 chipset, with a hexa-core 1.8GHz CPU and the Adreno 418 GPU. 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage is to be found as well.
On the camera front, the S6 Mini will feature a 15MP rear and 5MP front. Other details include a non-removable battery, wireless charging, a fingerprint sensor, and Android 5.1 pre-installed.
The phone, listed on United Arab Emirates-based website LetsTango, is not yet available for purchase. However, pre-registrations for the device have already begun. It is also unknown whether the device will in fact see light of day, as Samsung has yet to confirm anything about the Galaxy S6 Mini.
HTC is ready for its comeback and to help the Taiwanese company back on the tech map is their brand new One series phone the HTC One A9. This year has seen some major handsets from the company, but with all the backlash in their choice of chipsets in the HTC One M9 plus and pricing of their portfolio along with the sheer delay in launching phones, has left prospective HTC owners with a sour taste. We purposefully waited for HTC to reveal the price before concluding our Review. So that we could include it as a major factor for this review.
Overview
The HTC One A9 does what HTC has been trying to do for a while, make a fantastic all metal phone for a considerably affordable price without letting go of important specifications.
The HTC One A9 is a Snapdeal exclusive in India and has been launched for Rs. 29,999 . You can buy one here : SnapDeal
Build Quality and Hardware
The all metal back and the overall design of the phone is familiar. The HTC One A9 resembles the iPhone 6/6s or vice versa. Whatever be the case the handset looks good and is available in a wide gamut of colours and options for the market however in India it has only been launched in the Gray and silver colours.
The phone is built extremely well and feels excellent in the hand, The rounded edges of the phone mould into your palms and make the hard metal feel smooth and soft to hold. The design is striking and the HTC One A9 is made so most of its pressure areas stay protected.
The bezel is beautifully matched with a curved edge front glass curves, which in itself is a Gorilla Glass 3. It should be noted that, Hardware wise HTC does lose out to the competition. The biggest let down for a consumer is specs on paper, when compared to the high price of Rs. 29,990 the specs do not match up. A Snapdragon 615 chipset is today found in phones that cost under 10K, so is 2 GB of RAM and a 5 inch display.
No one is giving points to HTC for the 2150 mAh battery or a Full HD display. The AMOLED nature of it is well appreciated and so is the brilliant fingerprint scanner that HTC has basically done a fantastic job with. All of this hardware doesn’t matter when it comes to the experience of the HTC One A9 which we will detail below. For those who are specification NERDs your review stops here. Move Along!
In all entirety what HTC is trying to do is simple. HTC phones are designed beautifully and work really well. I recently met someone who was still using an HTC One {M7} and was very happy with the handset, still happy with it!, Its almost 2016 for christ’s sake!
The phone comes with Android 6.0 out of the box, one of the not so many in this range that have the ability to say that. HTC has worked really hard into giving an experience that does not leave you disappointed. The company is trying to pull a cheap “Apple”, they want to give you the best experience, they do not want you to worry about “specs” and they want to do it relatively cheaper than Apple.
The problem with that logic is, that most who are non Apple Sheep, prefer to know what horse power is under the hood of their Android powered sedan. In that context, problems and bugs are often blamed on the hardware.
However, this is where HTC scores an epic WIN! From picking up your phone in the morning to keeping it away at night, you literally have no issues, slow downs, or crashes. This is what you are paying for, more than you should, but that is it.
Games work really well, so do day to day tasks. Multitasking is liquid smooth, and so is the intense processing in some of the many camera features bundled with the handset. The HTC One A9 is what you need to be looking at, for basically not worrying about using a smartphone. The temperature is controlled beautifully and the phone does not heat up or become uncomfortable to use.
Camera, Multimedia and Display
The camera combination on the HTC One A9 is a 13 MP main camera and an UltraPixel front camera which is roughly 4 MP with their large 2µm pixel size. The front camera miss autofocus, which honestly is not expected in this price bracket.
The rear camera shines when clicking images, the colours pop the dynamic range is excellent and focus quick. The camera is exceptionally fast and has zero shutter lag, something that HTC has done well in the past. The contrast and colour on the HTC One A9 is their best yet and the images really speak for it. You will find yourself clicking a lot of pictures, and video too, although many in this price segment offer 4k video. With the HTC One A9, you are still stuck at 1920 x 1080p video although with OIS, which offers good stability and sharpness.
The display is a AMOLED display which is appreciated by a lot of people for great colours and deep blacks. The viewing angles may not be as much as an IPS display, but AMOLED displays make for great media consumption.
The HTC One A9 is missing Boomsound speakers and the quality of sound that we are used to from HTC devices. The audio experience from the headphones is excellent and will the throughly enjoyed. Even though HTC no longer embraces Beats audio , some of the tweaks are present in the device and improve the audio experience.
Software and UX
HTC has managed to pull a bunny out of the hat, the Android 6.0 out of the box means many owners will cherish being on the latest OS, which is traditionally not the case with HTC. Apart from the Nexus 9 , most HTC devices are late to the latest Android party, in this case however HTC made an exception.
The UI is HTC Sense and works extremely well between the grid style icons and new blinkfeed. The Camera application is highly improved and quick to open and click pictures with. Nifty UI improvements make navigation quick and easy getting used to. You will still get all HTC personalisation features and easy migrate which will move you from any other phone to the new HTC One A9.
Quick and intuitive the software has been beautifully synced to work with the hardware on the HTC One A9 and it shows in the usage of the handset.
Networks and Battery
The HTC One A9 supports all major LTE Bands in India and works flawlessly on Airtel throughout its covered regions. Network dropped wherever other devices would drop it too. It does do a better job of holding on to the call while in transit.
Battery life is the one major question, while in most cases battery realistically drain out by 8 hours of use, sometimes it was much longer as much as 12 hours of use. The phone tends to last longer when it is not hunting for networks, and whereas this is the case with most phones, the HTC One A9 manages to last considerably longer if you are on Wi-Fi.
Function
Time
Talk Time
4.5 Hours
Music
10 Hours
Internet on LTE
5 Hours
Internet on WiFi
8 Hours
Conclusion
HTC made on hell of a phone with the HTC One A9, to add to possibly the strongest lineup of handsets for any company. But, just like many devices in the past the price does not seem to do it justice. While HTC phones are built to last, and look and feel great, have impressive UIs and software experiences along with hardware that is top notch and engineered to work well with their software. All of which you see on the HTC One A9, but since there is no calculation for experience of using a handset, the price will be truly the biggest letdown of the handset, and the only issue worth considering.
The HTC One A9 offers a user experience which is easy to forget about, because it does not bother you. HTC has finally understood what people want, but do they want it from HTC ? That may be real question. The HTC One A9 paces through the day of a modern consumer who is on the go , a slim and lightweight package, built well and around a smooth user experience, from software to customer service. One of the best phones in this price bracket and truly one worth your hard earned money.
The HTC One A9 is a Snapdeal exclusive in India and has been launched for Rs. 29,999 . You can buy one here : SnapDeal
Internet.org was announced globally in August, 2013 and it arrived in India in February 2015. The initiative aims to provide free internet services on the Reliance network in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana. The users would have free data access to more than three dozen services.
The idea of thousands and millions being included within the ambit of the virtual world sounds brilliant and one everyone is up for. But before that, those endorsing this initiative need to understand all that it entails.
Internet.org:
Internet.org refers to a collaboration between Facebook and six other companies, namely, Samsung, Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson, MediaTek and Opera Software. The aim of this collaboration is to bring easily accessible internet to developing countries, especially in remote rural areas. However since it includes only selected services and online operators, it is seen not only as a direct threat to net neutrality but also as rampant publicizing of Facebook. It would be a single company, or a small group of them, which would decide what services are made available and which ones are excluded, a right earlier extended only to the user of the internet, not the service providers.
The Digital India Display Picture Controversy:
This controversy surfaced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Silicon Valley to promote Digital India. When Mark Zuckerberg changed his display picture on Facebook to one with an overlay of the Indian flag, the Prime Minister followed suit and did the same with his display picture. Facebook also introduced a feature which allowed users everywhere to make the tri-colour part of their display pictures. Post this, people, as we know them to be, switched their profile pictures left and right and centre. All of a sudden, we woke up to find unanimous, enthusiastic support for Digital India. Utopia, could it be?
A lot of netizens took to social media platforms to express their dismay at the new feature, which was allegedly directly connected with Facebook’s Internet.org. It was assumed that these pictures had a source code which would automatically link them to Internet.org, inadvertently making them support the initiative. However, the confusion was soon cleared up -the tri-coloured display pictures had nothing to do with Internet.org and that was the end of this controversy.
Free Basics:Free Basics is part of Internet.org and lets users access the services of the initiative by downloading an app. It became available in India last month and allowed users access to Facebook and Facebook messenger, Wikipedia, BBC News and health services, among others. The app was initially made available on Reliance Communications Network, Facebook’s partner in Internet.org.
The app and the initiative has received flak from the word go for its alleged preferential treatment, and thereby being in direct contradiction with net neutrality. Mark Zuckerberg defended this, however, and said Free Basics provides not only internet services for free but plans to include more services and developers within its reach.
Current Scenario:
A little after its release in the country, Free Basics ran into turbulent waters. Reliance Communications had to withhold the service after it received a request from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to do so.
“As directed by TRAI, the commercial launch of Freebasics has been kept in abeyance, till they consider all details and convey a specific approval,” said a Reliance representative.
This was soon followed by a Facebook campaign -users were flooded with notifications of their Facebook contacts having ‘voiced their opinion’ on Free Basics. Clicking on the notification directs the user to a page which automates reply to TRAI in appeal in favour of the same. Users were also presented with this pre-filled form as they logged in which would be sent to TRAI in support of Free Basics. Though this feature was meant only for Indian users, it was sent to many American users as well. Facebook claims it was a mistake which has been corrected. The fate of Free Basics is uncertain until a verdict is passed post TRAI’s hearing on net neutrality next month.
India is one of the 36 countries where Free Basics has been launched and is the second largest user of Facebook in the world.
Free Basics and Internet.org are the Same but Not Many Remember it: Free Basics is an extension of Internet.org but quite a lot of seem to have forgotten that. There had been a lot of hue and cry only a couple of weeks ago over Internet.org and its ‘altruistic’ intentions behind the initiative. However, the clamour died down quiet magically as large number of people have stepped forward declaring their support for Free Basics on Facebook, without even realising it in many cases.
Facebook notification windows have their hands full all over the country with updates about users voicing their opinions about Free Basics (read: declaring support for Internet.org, which they had opposed only a little while ago).
Times of India aptly commented on the whole topic recently and said, “Facebook is just trying to play on the fact that most of us click the like button on its platform without reading or understanding the complete picture.”
Nothing would be better on the tech front than to have a country where internet is available in every household. But any policy that endangers net neutrality, and therefore, the freedom of expression, needs to be reconsidered.
Equal internet is important for the virtual space, for future Facebooks and platforms like iGyaan itself. It enforces net neutrality and makes sure consumers don’t end up paying with every click online. However, concepts like ‘free internet’, what the Facebook-based app aims to provide under its Internet.org campaign, tends to complicate things, and endangers net neutrality.
Have you signed your TRAI-email petition yet on Facebook, if not would be willing to or would you rather steer clear from it? Let us know in the comments below.
America clearly loves its drones. The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) has revealed that over 45,000 drones have been registered just two days after the Federal Drone Registration website went live.
The deluge of registrations has led the FAA to take the website down for a few hours starting Wednesday, 9 PM ET. This move is to prepare the website better for the unexpected response. It will be available again on Thursday morning at 6 AM ET.
Close to 400,000 drones are expected to be sold this holiday season. Strict penalties will be imposed on those who fail to register their drones in time. Drones which are bought post 21st of December must be registered before their first flight. Those purchased before that have till February 19th, 2016 for registration.
The registration is expected to help the FAA trace the owners in case of accidents or injuries caused by drones. The administration has further announced formidable penalties that include fines up to $27,500 and fines which can go as high as $250,000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 years. Drones clearly have taken the tech world by storm. It would be interesting to see how this new piece of technology is incorporated in the contemporary lifestyle.
According to reports, Samsung is going to lower the shipment of its smartphones in 2016 by 12%. This means the company would be shipping about 420-430 million units next year. Samsung is going to focus less on its high-end S series, and more on its budget and mid-range phones. The J series and the A series ensured that Samsung performed well in 2015. However, the year also saw a fall in the over-all demand of smartphones globally.
While Samsung still continued to be a leading smartphone manufacturer despite the falling demands, the company is altering its course a little next year. There will be some new additions to the Samsung Galaxy A and J series. There are also big plans for the company’s flagship phones. Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, expected to arrive in 2016. Watch this space for all latest developments.
Just yesterday we told you that Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 device passed China’s TENAA certification. This meant that a launch was soon expected. But it turns out that ‘soon’ meant ‘today’. Yes, China has finally unveiled the 6-inch Galaxy A9 smartphone today.
The announcement confirms the rumoured specs that we have come to know about the device. The Galaxy A9 sports a big 6-inch 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.
Connectivity support includes Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, bluetooth v4.1, GPS/Beidou and NFC. The only thing remains is the price, which is yet to announced.
it looks like some rumours about LG’s upcoming flagship device, G5, are indeed true. One of the rumours that had been making the rounds was that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. A new leaked image shared by a Reddit user confirms this rumour. The image reveals the devices back, showing two cameras fitted under a black panel.
The Redditor also revealed some specs as well. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.
No word yet on when LG plans to launch the device. However, as Samsung has claimed exclusivity to the Snapdragon 820 chipset for the first three months, which likely means that any other device sporting the same will be launched only after March.
Letv has launched a 65-inch split TV with curved screen, called the Super 4 Max65 Curved, and claims it to be the first of its kind electronic. This was launched along with Super 4 Max70, the first smart TV in the world with a glass light guide plate (LGP). Both televisions sets were unveiled at a launch event in Beijing on December 22nd.
Letv has already brought 8-core 1.8 GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (APQ9084) to its TV sets, along with incorporating Samsung’s ultra-thin curve panel. Now Le 4 Max65 comes equipped with Adreno 430 GPU with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB/ 64 GB Flash, Novatek72324 motion processing chip. The TV also includes independent sub-woofer and an audio system by Harmon Kardon which seems to hold potential for a smooth audio experience as a home theatre.
On the other hand, Super 4 Max70 includes 10th generation 70-inch 4K panel by Sharp in its specs. The TV also marks the first time Corning’s Iris LGP glass has been adopted by a major Chinese TV brand.
In terms of sales, Letv reveals having sold 3 million smart TVs this year, and aims to double these sales to 6 million in 2016. The Super 4 Max70 will be available for sale starting 29th December on Lemall.com, While January 19th, 2016 is the date when sales of Super4 Max65 Curved Engineering Commemorative Edition begin.
The pricing is as follows – Super4 Max65 Curved Engineering Commemorative Edition is priced $1000 (about Rs. 66,000), while the Super4 Max70 costs $2000 (about Rs.1,33,200) and $2300 (about Rs.1,50,000) respectively for its 2D and 3D versions. The company aims to offer competitive prices for these smart-TVs by generating profits through advertisements and its content ecosystem, thereby bringing down the price.
Le has revealed it plans to hold an official event in New Delhi early in 2016, followed by other major cities in India. This could all be a follow-up to tentative plans of bringing its Le Superphones followed by Super TVs to the country. Let’s see what 2016 has in store for Le’s tryst with the Indian tech scenario.
A Budget Device that Looks Great and Performs Well
Micromax’s flagship Canvas 5 is a marked improvement from its predecessors, bumping up specs where it needed to most. The newest flagship tries to step out of Canvas 4’s shadow which saw some negativity regarding build quality and camera performance. With impressive design, performance, specs and a smooth UI for a budget device, the Canvas 5 is a solid device in the sub-Rs. 15,000 price range and gives a stiff competition to the Moto G (3rd Gen) and the OnePlus X. The Canvas 5, however, still has issues that will be familiar to long time Micromax users.
Overview
The Canvas 5 is available for Rs. 11,999 with 3 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 32 GB via MicroSD card slot. This year, Micromax has decided to forget about its past Canvas devices for something users will truly appreciate. Many OEMs like Micromax, Motorola and OnePlus want to prove that it is possible for a budget device to look and feel premium. The Canvas 5 seems to have found the right balance of hardware, design and build that is likely to attract consumers.
Build Quality and Design
The Canvas 5 has an impressive build and sleek design. The front sports a Gorilla Glass 3 with a 2.5D Curve Touch panel that melts along the edges, which is pleasing to the eyes and also makes the display look bigger than it actually is when switched off. The glass leaves no smudges and keeps the screen clean. All this along with a metal side and rounded edge gives the device a premium look.
In the back you have a removable plastic panel that has a faux leather texture to it. Because it’s extremely flexible, it’s not likely to break any time soon. The leather-like texture feels great in your hand and provides for a firm grip.
Hardware
Micromax has bumped up the hardware with an improved RAM and chipset. The Canvas 5 comes with 3 GB of RAM, which is handy for games, and a 1.3GHz octa core MediaTek MT6753 ARM Cortex-A53 chipset. Check out the full spec table below.
Specification
Micromax Canvas 5
Display
5.2-inch full HD screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D Curve Touch Panel
Resolution
1920×1080 pixels with 480ppi
Chipset
Media Tek MT6753, ARM Cortex-A53
CPU
1.3 GHz octa-core processor
GPU
Mali-T720 MP2
RAM
3 GB
Front Camera
5 MP with flash (2560×1920)
Rear Camera
13 MP AF (4160×3120)
Storage
11 GB (7.5GB available)
Expandability
Up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot
Battery
2,900 mAh battery
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/AGPS, 4G LTE (LTE FDD 850MHz/1800MHz and TDD 2300MHz)
Operating System
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Price
Rs. 11,999
Performance
The device, with an octa-core 1.3 GHz processor and 3GB RAM, gives one of the smoothest performance that we have seen from any Micromax phone. The hardware allows you to multi-task with greater ease and also improves gaming performance, though the device starts to heat up when the cores start kicking in.
Swiping through the phone is snappy and fluid and you will love the ease of it all within 5 minutes of usage. The phone will respond quickly to all your basic day-to-day needs and with no app drawer, you can access your apps a lot faster, though . Talking about the apps, the Canvas 5 has a lot of bloatware like SwiftKey, Quikr and Snapdeal, all of which can be uninstalled this time around.
Games like Marvel’s Contest of Champions and Asphalt 8 work smoothly without and lags. However, playing for long periods at a stretch will heat up the smartphone.
Benchmark
The phone scored over 32000 on AnTuTu Benchmark and has been found to be 95% better than devices in the range, while it scores a 4931 on AndEBench Benchmark. We compared the Canvas 5’s results with that of the slightly higher OnePlus X, Yu Yureka and Moto G (3rd Gen) and this is what we found.
Benchmark
Micromax Canvas 5
OnePlus X
Yu Yureka
Moto G (3rd Gen)
AnTuTu
32801
41899
24258
23383
Vellamo (single core)
1061
1583
1038
1248
Vellamo (multicore)
1524
1445
1530
1243
AndEBench
4931
7623
4807
4160
As you can see, the Micromax Canvas 5 scores better than the Yu Yureka and the Moto G (3rd Gen), and also performs better than the OnePlus X in the multicore test.
Camera and Multimedia
The Canvas 5 actually has a great camera app with loads of modes and pro features like those found on flagship Samsung Galaxy phones. You also get an app that lets you retouch images and give the desired makeup that it needs.
The device features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front with flash. The images taken by the primary camera are fairly decent and is quick at capturing images. The added professional modes like ISO, exposure compensations and white balance help you take that perfect shot. So, for a mid-range device, the Canvas 5 gives you a lot to play around with.
The primary camera holds well under low light conditions and comes with standard Face Beauty and Smile Shutter features as well as Picture-in-Picture. The display of the device is a 1920x1080p panel with 480ppi which gives bright and vivid colours. So much so that it makes you want to switch on the phone even if you have nothing in particular to do. Outdoor visibility is decent, however, reflections on the screen can make it hard to see at certain angles.
Phone Network and Battery
The Canvas 5 joins the list of 4G network-ready Android phones this year along with the Moto G (Gen 3) and the OnePlus X.
A 2,900mAh battery lets you use the device for a whole day. Heavy usage will let the Canvas 5 serve you till the evening before requiring another round of charging. Charging the Canvas 5 takes a while, and if you happen to use a different cable for charging, you’ll get a notification telling you the charging is slow asking you to use an original charger.
Some neat features like ‘Smart Awake’ lets you access some apps like music player and camera without having to switch on your device. Simply make a pattern of C on the screen when on standby mode and the camera app will open. Similarly, drawing M will open up the music player. This is a neat way to save some juice.
The Canvas 5 gives up to 9 hours of talktime (3G) and around 6-7 hours of internet surfing on a single charge.
Talk Time : 9 hours
Standby : 275 hours
Internet : 7 hours
Music : 9 hours
Gaming : 2.5 hours
Conclusion
The Canvas 5 has a lot going for it and a lot that needs improvements still. A superb design and build quality along with great display and good performance makes this device worth every penny. Few things that could hold the device back, though, are the bloatware, the occasional heating issues, and most importantly, the poor after-sales service. The Canvas 5 is a pretty solid smartphone in its range and should definitely be an option if you’re in the market for budget devices.
Free Basics is part of Internet.org and lets users access the services of the initiative by downloading an app. It became available in India last month and allowed users access to Facebook and Facebook messenger, Wikipedia, BBC News and health services, among others. The app was initially made available on Reliance Communications Network, Facebook’s partner in Internet.org.
Free Basics is an extension of Internet.org but quite a lot of seem to have forgotten that. There had been a lot of hue and cry only a couple of weeks ago over Internet.org and its ‘altruistic’ intentions behind the initiative. However, the clamour died down quiet magically as large number of people have stepped forward declaring their support for Free Basics on Facebook, without even realising it in many cases.
