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Spec Battle: YU Yuphoria vs The Rest of the Budget Blockbusters

Yesterday, Micromax YU showed off its latest smartphone in India; the YU Yuphoria is another amazing product by the company. With the latest smartphone, YU is certain to cement its status in the smartphone domain.

Yuphoria features a decent display of 5-inches with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. As revealed earlier by the firm, it packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 with Adreno A306 GPU. The RAM stands at 2GB with internal storage space at 16GB. The best part is that all these specifications are available at an inexpensive price tag of Rs. 6,999.

Let’s check out if Yuphoria takes a dig at other contenders in the budget category:

Specs	YU YUphoria	Lenovo A6000 Plus	Xiaomi Redmi 2	Asus ZenFone 5	Moto E (Gen 2)
Display	5-inch IPS, Gorilla Glass 3	5-inch IPS	4.7-inch IPS LCD, Gorilla Glass 2	5-inch IPS, Gorilla Glass 3	4.5-inch IPS LCD, Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution	1280×720 pixels	720×1280 pixels	720×1280 pixels	720×1280 pixels	540×960 pixels
Processor	64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306	1.2 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306 GPU	1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306 GPU	1.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel Atom Z2560	1.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
RAM	2GB	2GB	1GB	2GB	1GB
Memory	16GB	16GB	8GB	8GB	8GB
Expandable up to	64GB	32GB	32GB	64GB	32GB
Rear Camera	8MP	8MP	8MP	8MP	5MP
Front Camera	5MP	2MP	2MP	2MP	VGA
Battery	2,230mAh	2,300mAh	2,200mAh	2,110mAh	2,390mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen 12 OS (based on Android 5.0)	Android 4.4 KitKat	Android 4.4 KitKat	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Connectivity	LTE	LTE, Data only	LTE	3G	LTE
Price	Rs. 6,999	Rs. 7,499	Rs. 6,999	Rs. 9,999	Rs. 7,999

As you can see the table above, Yuphoria’s specs are giving a tough time to the best smartphones in the budget segment. It touts a Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which even the Rs. 7,499 Lenovo A6000 Plus doesn’t have. It has LTE connectivity and runs on the latest Cyanogen 12 OS based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. What isn’t mentioned above, is that the smartphone also flaunts a metal frame, which is rarely seen on smartphones in this category.

Yuphoria clearly stands out of the pack, but we will only give our final verdict on its performance after an in-depth review. Stay tuned for that, till then watch our unboxing and hands on with the YU Yuphoria.

May 13, 2015

Genie is a Replicator from Star Trek That Can Prepare Meals in Seconds

While watching Star Trek, did you ever think how cool it would be to own the ‘Replicator’ device that could synthesize meals and beverages on demand? Well, if that was your wish then Genie is here to accomplish all your food needs in a matter of 30 seconds. An Israeli company has developed an instant-baking machine called ‘Genie’, which is a replica of Replicator. It is just like having a personal chef that turns pods of dehydrated powders into meals on demand.

It’s a futuristic idea, but we are yet to understand the technology behind this. The company hasn’t disclosed the patented technology that runs this revolutionary device, but it surely is a piece of technology from the future. All you have to choose is the food pod and place it inside Genie. After 30 seconds, the desired food will be before you. The Genie is operated through an app that can personalise the meal, for example if you wish to have a gluten- or egg-free meal.

The pods that are small containers are stuffed with freeze-dried natural ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. The contents in the pod stay fresh for a year or two. Just add a little water and the pod is ready to be added to the Genie. When you push the button on Genie’s mobile app, the device starts adding required liquids from tubes attached to the back of the compact machine and mixes them. It bakes or cooks the desired dish at the appropriate temperature.

The product is being modified to prepare meals specific to the taste of the gourmand. Genie co-developer Doron Marco says, “Eventually Genie will know your micro-biome and will prepare the pod for you, just for you.”

Meanwhile, Genie cannot prepare all types of cuisines and the device makers are developing new recipes for Genie pods. But it is right to say that Genie is the first step to the evolution of food technology. The day is not far when chefs will be replaced by Genies.

May 12, 2015

Hands On | YU Yuphoria | Exclusive Unboxing

Not long after Micromax set up a new company by the name YU Televentures, and launched a new device called the YU Yureka, the company launched the new YU Yuphoria. The name for this device has been chosen by the people in the YU community, and the device is the first to be designed by YU and is Made in India.

A lot of firsts for the handset, including an all-metal shell, stamped out of a single billet of metal, adding strength and rigidity to the handset. The phone is best in class considering the class is well below the Rs. 10,000 bracket, it has been launched at a price of Rs. 6,999.

Hardware wise many differences from the Yureka, but the Yuphoria adds new detail in a way the company will move forward. A Qualcomm 410 64bit Chipset, with a 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU and Adreno A306 GPU. 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage complete the pie along with 64 GB expandability option.

The handset has two SIM card slots, both of which will accept LTE enabled SIM cards, making this budget handset future proof.

The camera is a fast and bright 8 MP camera with a large 1.4 micron pixel size, and a sharp f2.2 lens with quick autofocus and minimal drain on battery. You can shoot upto 1080p video at 30fps and 720p video at 60fps. The front has a 5 MP camera which has a bright f2.0 aperture wide angle lens.

The battery is kept at 2230 mAh, but the phone will be one of the first under 10k devices to feature fast charging capability. The phone with the battery only weighs 140 gms which makes it really lightweight and easy to handle.

Specification	YU Yuphoria
Display	5-inch IPS HD
Resolution	1280×720 pixel (294ppi)
Additional	Protected by Gorilla Glass 3
Processor	1.2GHz Quad Core, ARM Cortex- A53
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 \| 64bit
GPU	Adreno A306 3D Graphics Core \| 400 MHz
RAM	2GB
Internal Memory	16GB
Expandable Up to	64 GB
Sim Cards	2 x LTE Enabled Sim Card Slots
Primary Camera	8MP
Secondary Camera	5MP
Connectivity Options	4G LTE
Battery	2,230mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen 12.0 (Android 5.0 based)
Price	Rs. 6,999

Hands On the Yu Yuphoria

The Phone feels great in the hands and the 5-inch size is a sweet spot, the grip is easy and seamless. The brushed metal band that goes round the side adds a reassuring soft feel and rigidity to the Yuphoria.

The UI is fast and responsive as the mashup of Cyanogen 12, Lollipop 5.0.2 and the Qualcomm 410 64 bit chipset works great out of the box. The new elements of the Cyanogen 12 include seamless integration of Truecaller directly in the dialer. The new App Themer allows you to customise individual applications with different downloaded themes.

The camera UI is exactly what you would have seen before on Cyanogen, the camera has good depth of field and a bright f2.2 lens. You can shoot 1080p video and 720p video at 60fps.

Overall YU has managed to deliver an excellent device which will have the competition scrambling for their design teams. Good hardware, great build, Made in India, Cyanogen 12 and Lollipop all make for an excellent product. Add dual Sim Cards, LTE, and fast charging and the Yuphoria looks like a winner to us, especially with the Rs. 6,999 Price Tag.

May 12, 2015

Introducing the YU Yuphoria | iGyaan Launchpad | Exclusive

A few months back Micromax spinoff YU entered the smartphone arena with a bang. It’s first smartphone the Yureka was a blockbuster in the budget segment and raised the bar for low-cost handsets. The company’s new flagship, Yuphoria, is expected to take the affordable smartphone market by storm.

The homegrown smartphone firm is taking the veil off the Yuphoria, right here on iGyaan. In in iGyaan Exclusive Launchpad Episode : iGyaan’s Founder, Bharat Nagpal sat down with Rahul Sharma, the Founder and CEO of YU Televentures to discuss the future of YU as a brand, the Yuphoria and where the company goes from here.

The handset will be the first to be fully designed by YU Televentures (Or Micromax for that matter) and will keep up the current trend of “Make in India”. After the initial lot of 1000 odd units the handset will be manufactured locally within the Indian borders.

May 12, 2015
Yu’s First Fitness Band Can Calculate The Calories In Your Food

At the launch event taking place in Delhi, Micromax Yu has launched the highly anticipated successor of the Yureka, the Yu Yuphoria. But the Cyanogen 12-based phone is not the only product getting launched today.

YuFit Band

Yes, Yu has ventured into an entirely new product category with the launch of its fitness band, named as the YuFit Band, along with an accompanying app. This device works as a standard step tracker, a sleep tracker and for locating your phone. The fitness band comes along with an accompanying app called HealthifyMe. This app calculates the calories of any food material you click along with suggesting a healthier alternative. On the fitness front, it gives access to group coaching, social fitness, motivation and more.

HealthYU cassette

The Fitness band costs a mere Rs. 999. The company also offered a free personal trainer for the first 1000 YuFit users. Along with the fitness band, YU also revealed another device known as the HealthYU cassette. This device measures body vitals such as ECG, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiration rate and is is priced at Rs. 4,999. This small device can fit into your pocket and has two suction cups that help in attaching the device to a smartphone’s back cover. The device then pairs with an app working on the phone with Bluetooth, and once the pairing is complete, you can keep four fingers on the four sensors on the HealthYu to start tracking the body vitals.

May 12, 2015

YU Launches the Yuphoria with a Jaw-Dropping Price Tag of Rs. 6,999

No waiting anymore, Micromax YU’s next product is finally here! As scheduled, YU Televentures today launched its fresh smartphone Yuphoria in India today, adding another product to the YU lineup. The handset is an amazing offering from the Indian electronics start-up with LTE connectivity and Cyanogen OS 12. It won’t put a dent on the buyers pocket, the smartphone has been priced at a mere Rs. 6,999.

Yuphoria boasts an all-metal design with a matte finish at its back. It’s not a rebranded Chinese product and will be manufactured in India. Coming on to the specifications of the phone, Yuphoria sports a 5-inch IPS HD display with 1280×720p resolution and 294ppi. The screen has a protective coating of Gorilla Glass 3. Inside is a 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 along with Adreno A306 GPU. It packs 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage capacity, which is expandable up to 64GB.

Optics of the phone include an 8MP rear shooter paired with a 5MP camera at the upfront. Battery capacity is sufficient at 2,230mAh. It offers 4G LTE connectivity, which allows faster internet browsing. Other options for connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, audio jack and a Micro-USB port.

Not only this, the handset is the first to integrate Truecaller directly in the dialer through its collaboration with Cyanogen. A lot of customization options are available on the phone along with a new app called App Themer that allows you to customise individual applications with a simple press of a button.

The smartphone will be available in two colour choices – Champagne Gold with white panel and Buffed Steel with black panel. The product will go for sale on May 28 on Amazon India website. Registrations begin today from 5pm onwards.

Here’s the spec sheet of the new YU YUphoria:

Specification	YU YUphoria
Display	5-inch IPS HD
Resolution	1280×720 pixel (294ppi)
Additional	Protected by Gorilla Glass 3
Processor	1.2GHz Quad Core, ARM Cortex- A53
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 \| 64bit
GPU	Adreno 306 3D Graphics Core \| 400 MHz
RAM	2GB
Internal Memory	16GB
Expandable Up to	64 GB
Sim Cards	2 x LTE Enabled Sim Card Slots
Primary Camera	8MP
Secondary Camera	5MP
Connectivity Options	4G LTE
Battery	2,230mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen 12.0 (Android 5.0 based)
Price	Rs. 6999

May 12, 2015

YU Yuphoria Is The First Phone to Integrate Truecaller

Just a few days back, Truecaller announced its collaboration with Cyanogen to pre-install its technology on Android devices in an attempt to eliminate spam phone calls. The caller ID service was among the first of its kind that displayed the name of the person calling from an unknown number and provided a call-blocking facility.

Today, Micromax launched its second Cyanogen-based phone here in India, the YU Yuphoria. This will be the first device to have Truecaller already installed within the device’s circuits. This feature can be toggled on or off, depending upon the choice of the user.

Truecaller and Cyanogen announced that all the future devices based on Cyanogen OS will have Truecaller integrated within its system, and it will be made available for existing users by over-the-air update in the next few months.

The YU Yuphoria is the successor of Micromax’s Yu Yureka, the company’s first Cyanogen based handset. Know more about the device here.

May 12, 2015
YU Yuphoria Features an All-Metal Design and Will be Made in India

Micromax spinoff YU Televentures was formed with the aim to bring exciting products through innovating and reinventing technology. Their motto #YUPlayGod suggested that we, the consumers were in charge of developing the kind of products we wanted. YU Yureka was the first smartphone from the Indian-bred smartphone manufacturing firm to gain recognition in the international market; it offered good specs at an affordable price. But along with gaining critical acclaim, the company faced criticism for bringing Chinese models rebranded as YU.

YU was quickly judged as a smartphone importer who simply rebrands phones rather than spending effort developing innovative devices. But the next smartphone from the home-grown company breaks all these notions.

At the ongoing launch, Co-Founder of YU Rahul Sharma announced that the next YU device Yuphoria will be an entirely made-in-India product. Unlike Yureka, YUphoria will be manufactured and assembled in the country itself. The company also claims that the design of the phone is not a copy, but has been designed from scratch. As per his statements, the first 1000 units will be made in China and rest of the manufacturing will take place in the homeland.

This announcement is in line with the ongoing ‘Make in India’ movement initiated by the Government of India. It was launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and encourages companies to manufacture goods in India itself. YU is not the only brand opting for this, in the recent past we’ve had several smartphone manufacturing companies heading in a similar direction.

The company has also announced that the phone features an all-metal body. YU is readily striving to make a mark in the smartphone segment and Yuphoria is likely to set a benchmark for the budget handsets. It is known to pack a 64-bit processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB in-built memory space and run on Cyanogen OS 12 based on Android Lollipop.

We will be bringing you the latest updates on the device, keep checking this space for more. You could also click here to watch the event live.

May 12, 2015
Cash Payment In Uber Cabs Rolls Out For Some Users In Hyderabad

India is a country where more than half of its population still pay their daily expenses using direct cash rather than through credit cards. It is due to this fact alone that Uber is lagging behind Ola Cabs, which holds on to about 80% of the organised cab market here. But, this scenario may change soon enough for Uber, keeping in mind the fact that the taxi company is now conducting an experimental test in the city of Hyderabad that will soon enable riders to pay drivers directly in cash after their taxi ride

Uber users just have to open the app, go to payment options and select cash as the payment option. This will enable the user to pay the cash directly after the ride. But, this option won’t be available for everyone for now as this phase has just been rolled out. The company said the cash option will be accessible to everyone in Hyderabad within a week’s time. Minimum pay balance in the user’s PayTm wallet will not be necessary, and there would be no booking fee or additional charges to riders.

Uber said that if the cash payment system works out well in Hyderabad, other cities in India will soon be able to do the same in the coming few months. Last month, following a similar scheme, Uber had launched UberAuto, an auto hauling service that accepts cash payments.

May 12, 2015
Apple’s Newest iOS Update Comes With A Revamped Music Player

Apple Watch had almost flooded the news as it came close to its releasing on April. Now, after clearing out most of the hassle and confusion, Apple has now again begun to concentrate on its software. Today, Apple has released the third beta of iOS 8.4 for developers. Apple has been testing different beta groups of iOS 8.4 since the release of iOS 8.3 in mid-April.

Major updates include a revamped music app that is described as more powerful and elegant than before, Up Next Functionality, a redesigned MiniPlayer look for ‘Now Playing’ and a new improved version of iTunes Radio.

The new design of the music app will show pictures of the artist in the Artist View. Within the Music App, there are personalized playlists and global search capabilities that make it easier to search for music. The newest toggle included in the Music App is the Offline Option which shows any music that is stored offline. The iTunes Radio has had a few interface changes too, like a new font for ‘Recently Played’ and some more new fonts for each iTunes Radio category.

The update is available via OTA update and through the iOS Developer Centre. It is highly possible that Apple might release a new version of its iOS and OS X 10.11 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is scheduled to take place in 8^th June.

May 12, 2015
Zomato Takes Online Food Delivery to the Next Level with its New App ‘Order’

In March, Zomato launched a delivery system where customers can place an order on its site and the same is delivered at their homes. More recently, Zomato had partnered along with Uber to help customers book cabs to the restaurant they are planning to eat. Now, the company is preparing to launch another new app called Zomato Order for its Android and iOS users.

The new yellow app’s primary functionality lies only on delivery of food. However, both, the native app and the new Order app, are intertwined in functionality. Users can switch from the older Zomato app to the new one instantly.

Zomato’s official blog reads that there are three main reasons as to why a new app is being launched. One, the focus on a single function will improve user experiences, thus making it a hassle-free app. Second, the new app will not have to be updated along with the native app and vice versa. Lastly, the two apps will be linked to each other in such a way that users will be able to look up to the restaurant in the Zomato app, and place the delivery order in the Order app.

Zomato explained,

Having two separate apps allows us to build lightweight apps that get straight to solving the problems you face. Actions that are core to the app experience can be given priority of position, and we aren’t forced into making real estate compromises.

The Order app is currently available for users in NCR and will soon be released for Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata users. Zomato is also working on a variety of new apps. One such app is ‘Zomato Book’ which will deal only with table reservations and is scheduled for launch in the next few months.

May 11, 2015

BlackBerry Tries Its Luck Again, Launches BlackBerry Leap For Rs 21,490

BlackBerry first announced its comeback to the touch phone segment when it introduced the Leap at the MWC 2015. A refreshed version of BlackBerry Z3, the handset was first scheduled to be launched in India on 7th May and was priced $275 (Rs 17,500) internationally. Finally, after a good amount of waiting, BlackBerry has finally launched the Leap in the country.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Sunil Lalvani” author_title=”Managing Director, BlackBerry India”]

The BlackBerry Leap was designed specifically for the young power professionals who see their smartphone device as a powerful and durable productivity tool that also safeguards sensitive communications while on-the-go. With BlackBerry Leap, we continue to provide products and services that meet the needs of our consumer and enterprise customers.

[/quote]

The new mid-segment smartphone from BlackBerry features a 5-inch HD screen and is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM 8960 processor, along with a 2GB RAM. It comprises of 16GB of internal memory and 128GB expandable via microSD. Camera specifications include an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP front camera and runs on a 2,800mAh non-removable battery. Leap runs on BlackBerry 10 OS (version 10.3) and supports Android apps too. These apps can be downloaded from either the Amazon Appstore or BlackBerry World. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy and EDR, GPS, FM radio and 4G (FD-LTE 1800MHz only).

This device is due for sale from 12^th May and is priced at Rs 21,420. The handset will be available on all Blackberry exclusive stores from tomorrow.

To get a clearer idea of the specs, refer to the table below:

Specification	BlackBerry Leap
Display	5.0 inches 720 x 1280 pixels 720p full-touch
Processor	Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus
RAM	2GB
Internal Memory	16GB
Expandable Up to	128GB
Primary Camera	8MP
Front Camera	2MP
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh
Operating System	BlackBerry OS 10.3.1
Price	Rs 21,490

May 11, 2015

YU YUphoria: Here’s Everything We Know From Rumours to Teasers

YU’s next device is set to knock out several affordable handsets in the smartphone battleground. The release of the device is just one day to go, and it has already built excitement amongst the tech enthusiasts. From past few days, YU has been teasing its forthcoming product YUphoria and is pushing clues about various factors of the device. Meanwhile, rumour mills are also working continuously to disseminate possible facts about the phone. Compiling all those reports, lets see how does the new device might look like.

Starting with the innards of the device, YUphoria will boast a 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM. As per the teaser pitting YUphoria against Xiaomi Redmi 2, the company confirmed of it featuring 16GB of onboard storage. The phone will run on Android version of Cyanogen OS 12.

It is anticipated to have a sturdy body, which will save the phone from accidental drops. The candid footage released a couple of days back speaks of its sturdiness. The company is also boasting the robust sound quality of the device. It is speculated to pack powerful speakers, unlike its previous offering.

Price

The handset, as we mentioned before, will not be as cheap as its predecessor. It will come for a higher price range than Yureka. The smartphone may launch for somewhere Rs. 13,999.

YUphoria is scheduled to launch on May 12, i.e. tomorrow. The final take from the homegrown firm will clear all the uncertainties, but we have to wait until tomorrow.

May 11, 2015
CHIP is the World’s First $9 Computer of the Size of a Debit Card

Microcomputers are in these days, but they come at a bulky price tag. Meet CHIP, a microcomputer that will slip conveniently in your small pocket and will not put any load on you, moneywise. The handy personal computer costs as low as $9 and is under development as of now. Interested users can back the project on Kickstarter.

So, how does it work? CHIP connects to any screen, keyboard and a mouse to transform into a full-fledged computer. It has inbuilt Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 to surf the web and do other tasks over the internet. It has a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB of storage capacity. It can perform office tasks of importance, can teach the basics of programming with pre-loaded Scratch, allows playing games and can do many more things. Thousands of apps are pre-installed on the device, which can be accessed for free.

The initiative has raised more than $635,000 till yet and people are constantly joining in to back the project financially. The same will be shipped by December this year. Buyers can opt for other deals as well. For $19, the next Thing Co. is offering a CHIP with a battery or a VGA Adapter. It’s not exclusive to a specific region or a country, and will be shipped to all parts of the world.

That’s not it. There is an optional PocketCHIP that houses the CHIP and makes the whole system portable. It sports a 4.3-inch touch-screen display, a QWERTY keypad beneath the screen and a 3000mAh battery fuelling up the gadget. It can go up to 5 hours on a single charge. One can pledge for a PocketCHIP for $49. It will ship to the backer by May next year.

Check out the video below to understand the concept better:

May 11, 2015
Google’s ‘Android M’ Likely to Hand Over Privacy Controls to Users: Report

Google’s upcoming Android OS is the next big thing everybody is looking forward to. There are speculations of the tech giant gearing to unveil the mysterious ‘Android M‘ in the Google I/O conference 2015. Bloomberg has surfaced another vital fact about the forthcoming Android version that would bring data apps control in the hands of users.

According to a report by the global business and financial information portal, Google is planning to provide users with privacy controls that would allow users grant permissions to a particular app. This way, users themselves can decide what apps can penetrate more into the content and which can’t. These may include photos, contacts or location. The privacy controls would bring Android OS closer to Apple’s iOS that furnish users with the freedom to apps permission.

For now, Android users cannot decide permissions for the app. Whenever a user wishes to download a new application, he/she is directed to the setting page to provide the app with required permissions. Refusing to the permissions leads to cancellation of the app download. Presently, the customization option is available on Cyanogen and Xiaomi’s MIUI 6.

The demand for privacy on Android devices is being made for quite a while. Paying a little attention to the rising voices, Google has lost 3 percent share in Europe’s five largest countries, coming down to 69 percent. On the other hand, the share of iOS has increased from 18.6 percent to 20.3 percent in those five countries.

However, there is no confirmation from the company, but the mounting pressure may force Google to come up with the advanced Android version this time. Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference is scheduled for 28th of this month.

May 11, 2015