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  • Best of MWC 2015 : The Gadgets to Get Excited About

    Best of MWC 2015 : The Gadgets to Get Excited About

    This year’s MWC in Barcelona was no different, we saw a slew of innovative devices – from curved to waterproof smartphones to super-thin tablets and trendy smartwatches. With the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona coming to a close, we have handpicked some of the best moments from this year’s edition.

    Here’s our pick of some the best products showcased at this year’s MWC.

    Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

    As expected, Samsung announced two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display. Samsung has certainly improved upon certain aspects of its current flagship. Despite having a non removable battery, the design is certainly a notch up compared to its boring bland predecessor. And how can we miss out on the S6’s curved sibling, the S6 Edge is one weird looking thing you might actually want. Do check out our exclusive hands on with the S6 and S6 Edge here.

    HTC One M9

    The latest flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer gets an all new classy outer shell. A slightly beefier 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Some would argue HTC has brought the same design aesthetics with its latest flagship, we quite like the device. Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.

     Check out our exclusive hands on with HTC’s latest flagship here.

    Sony Xperia Z4 and M4 Aqua

    Sony pretty much surprised all of us by not launching a successor to the Xperia Z3. Though they did announce a super sleek Xperia Z4 tablet along with a IP68 certified Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone.

    The Xperia Z4 tablet is about as slim a tablet can get, with thickness at a mere 6.1 mm and weighing a meager 393g. The device will work with PlayStation 4 Remote Play, allowing users to stream the games straight on the console. The tablet will launch in two variants – LTE and Wi-Fi-only.

    sony z4 tab 6

    Here’s our exclusive hands on with the Xperia z4.

    Meanwhile, the M4 Aqua, as the name signifies is a IP68 certified water proof device, which prevents it from any damage until 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes. It’s got everything you would ask of a mid range smartphone. We were left quite impressed with device during our initial hands-on.

    sony m4 aqua 9

    HTC Vive

    It seems we finally have a headset that really matters. HTC and gaming giant Valve tag team to bring out their own Occulus competitor – the HTC Vive. Everyone’s going bonkers over its dual 1200x1080p resolution display experience, which according to iGyaan’s Editor-in-Chief isn’t easy to describe.

    HTC has collaborated with many game developers such as Vertigo Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Owlchemy and others to generate content for the HTC Vive. The headset is slated for a launch this year, it seems the VR war gets more intense by the day.

    Do check out our exclusive heads on with the HTC Vive.

    HTC Vive Heads On6

    Microsoft’s Folding Keyboard

    Microsoft has been coming up with some great accessories recently, and the Redmond giant yet again showcased a nifty little folding keyboard for iOS and Android. A great alternative for those constantly on the move, it certainly redefines the whole concept of a portable keyboard.

    Microsoft-Foldable-keyboard

    Huawei Talkband B2

    Huawei announced its Talkband B2, an enigma of sorts as it acts as a fitness band, an earpiece, all merged into one. It can make calls when paired with an Android device or an iPhone, act as a fitness tracker, but what is really amazing is the fact that it can transform into an earpiece.

    huawei talkband b2

    Sandisk’s 200GB Memory Card

    Sandisk announced a massive 200GB microSD Card at MWC 2015, claimed to be the largest commercially available microSD card. The card will sell for about $400 when it arrives in Q2 of this year, and your phone should be compatible with SDXC standard to make the card work. It is claimed to have transfer speeds of about 90MB per second, or approx. 1,200 photos per minute.

    Sandisk-Ultra-200GB-microSD

  • LG to Launch the G4 Along with a Brand New Flagship Later This Year

    LG to Launch the G4 Along with a Brand New Flagship Later This Year

    LG was one of the major company that didn’t bring out any major flagship device at the MWC. LG said that they needed to do work on their new device and hence decided to postpone the launch of this year’s flagship. Instead, the company brought four mid-range devices at the conference. The Korean company though had some big news in its kitty; it announced that it would be bringing a new flagship that will be a step above the G-series.

    LG Electronics Mobile chief Cho Juno said that the company is working on a new device that will have higher specs than the G4. This device will be brought to the market in the second half of the year. This means that the LG G4 would be losing its status as the LG flagship. There aren’t any more details about this new device as of yet.

    Cho Juno did talk about the upcoming LG G4 and gave away some details about the new device. The new G4 is expected to be radically different from the previous generation G-series devices, both inside and outside. It might feature a new metal body along with an overhaul of the software too. They will be unveiling the new LG UX 4.0 before the announcement of the G4. The phone might be announced in the coming few months.

    Mr. Juno also said that the company is working on high-performance processors to break free from the Qualcomm ecosystem. There is an indication that the chipset might also appear in the LG G4, but that doesn’t seem like a possibility as of now. The company plans to bring the new chipsets to all the new handset offerings. Samsung has already powered its new flagship, the Galaxy S6 with its homegrown Exynos processor. It seems the companies are doing everything in their power to establish a unique space for themselves in the brutal terrain of the smartphone market.

  • Exclusive Hands On : HTC One M9

    Exclusive Hands On : HTC One M9

    HTC’s latest flagship has arrived and it might just live up to expectations. HTC has made a more mature incremental upgrade to an already promising product. The new HTC One M9 highlights everything that was good about the M8 and M7 and fixes what was horribly bad about them.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 21

    Big major fixes include a bumped up camera, a 20 MP shooter with a sapphire lens cover. The camera now not only looks good, but also shoots 4k video. However we are majorly missing the OIS found in the Korean rival’s handset.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 20

    Last year’s main camera the Ultrapixel snapped, is now the front facing camera, improving low light selfies and it looks really good. The camera adds a lot of details and  pictures are actually very visible in low light. HTC claims that the camera sees more light than the human eye, our tests confirm that.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 27

    The M9 is powered by an all new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a 64 bit SOC, with an Octa core 2.0 GHz CPU and Adreno 430 GPU. 3GB of RAM and 32 GB storage makes the memory part complete, but, you do get a 128 GB card support and 115 GB of Google Drive.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 6

    The two tone color of the Silver One M9 looks fantastic and will be an instant hit, with anyone who appreciates quality handsets. However the new Samsung Galaxy S6 looks too fancy to ignore. HTC has found inspiration from luxury watches, and the minute  we look at the M9 we see Hublot.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 3

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 2

    Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.

    HTC has included a new flurry of covers, none of which come with the device. The new rugged cover will make the device IP 67 and it honestly feels great on the phone and does not add much bulk. The DOT case has been improved quite a lot, adding more functionality. Including Dot-breaker (a cool game) and custom wallpapers that you can sketch, see below.

    HTC ONE M9 iGyaan 17

    HTC One M9 Unboxing and Hands on Video

     

    HTC One M9 Specifications

     

  • HTC One M9 Will be Everything That the One M8 Wasn’t

    HTC One M9 Will be Everything That the One M8 Wasn’t

    Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is definitely the most awaited device at the MWC 2015. This launch of this device will be a make or break moment for the Korean giant that has struggled recently to attract the consumers towards its devices. The other major device that will attract a lot of shutterbugs would be HTC’s One M9, successor to the popular M8. Here’s how HTC will introduce a device that attends to all the limits of its previous generation offering.

    A Higher Resolution

    HTC ONE m8 Lollipop 1

    HTC One M8 was unveiled in the March of 2014. The device featured a 5-inch full-HD display, but a lot has changed in the display department of flagship smartphones since then. LG G3, Nexus 6 and Note 4 have all placed their bets on the Quad HD (2K) displays. If the rumors are to be believed, HTC will continue on with the 1080p display, but there might just be a chance that the company surprises its audience with a higher definition display.

    An Amazing Camera

    htc-m9

    One of the most touted but least appreciated offerings from the HTC One M8 was the dual ultra pixel cameras on the back. HTC realized its folly and released the HTC One M8 Eye with a better camera. This time around as shown by rumors and promotional video, the One M9 will sport a 20 MP camera on the back and an ultrapixel camera on the front.

    The Power of the Lollipop

    HTC ONE m8 Lollipop 5

    HTC has been at work proactively to provide Android Lollipop updates to its users. The company had set a goal of 90 days from the date of release of Lollipop to provide the update on its devices. Unfortunately, following the report of many bugs with the Lollipop launch, the update has been delayed. It is expected that HTC One M9 will come to the market with Lollipop running out of the box. The user interface as shown in the promotional video clearly shows an HTC Sense like UI with Blinkfeed.

    Other Improved Bits

    The One M9 will also bring in the Boomsound speakers and advanced photo manipulation tools so that the users can have more fun with the device. HTC also seems to be adding more customization options that are usual offerings of ROMs such as Cyanogen and MIUI. There are a lot of expectations from the M9, but it feels like HTC doesn’t need take a lot of efforts with this new launch. As the One M8 was one of the most appreciated devices of last year, all HTC has to do is take care of a few tweaks, and it will have a promising device,. The HTC One M9 will be unveiled on 1st March, so update your calendar and come check out iGyaan as we’ll be reporting right from the ground at MWC 2015.

  • New Tech We Expect to See at the Mobile World Congress 2015

    New Tech We Expect to See at the Mobile World Congress 2015

    The Mobile World Congress or the MWC is one of the biggest extravaganzas for the mobile world. It brings together mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world to discuss the future of mobile telephony. This year the conference will be held from 2-5 March in the Spanish city of Barcelona and iGyaan will be reporting right from the ground.

    There is a lot of action you can expect from this year’s edition of the MWC. Here it is:

    Major Launches

    Samsung-Galaxy-S6

    Being the biggest mobile exhibition ground, the MWC attracts some of the biggest releases for the first half of the year. The biggest launches expected from the MWC is the Samsung’s premier Galaxy S6. The Korean electronics giant has promised a reinvention of their device family with this launch, so the expectations are huge with this one.

    HTC is also set to unveil its new flagship, the One (M9) at the event that will be a successor to the popular One (M8). This time around it is expected to get a 1440X2560 QHD screen, 3GB of RAM and an Octa-core Snapdragon 810 CPU.

    Second-Gen Wearables

    samsung-gear-s-smartwatch

    The tech industry bet big on wearables last year, and the biggest brands unveiled their offerings throughout the year. The consumers have seen what these devices have to offer and now it’s time for the second-generation wearables to come forward. The devices have shown promise but at the moment they can be best described as glorified remotes for the smartphone. There have been new features added to these devices like the ability to unlock your car and control connected devices in your home. What the consumers are really demanding from them is a longer battery life, something that doesn’t require charging every single day.

    Connected Devices

    connected devices

    One major trend in electronics market is the focus on interconnected devices. From the announcements at CES 2015 we got an inkling that the companies are proactively pursuing this arena. The smartphone will be at the center of this movement. You can expect to hear about apps and devices that deal with automotive, wearables, and even health.

    Keynote Speakers

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    Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and FCC chairman Tom Wheeler will be the top Keynote addresses at the conference. Other major speakers include Brian Krzanich; the CEO of Intel, Sanjay Kapoor; Chairman of Micromax Informatics, Steve Mollenkopf; CEO of Qualcomm. There would also be talks given by heads of other prominent tech companies like Vodafone, Wikipedia, Mozilla, Ericsson and more.

    If you love tech and smartphones, you should be getting charged up right about now. In just three weeks, some of the long awaited next generation products will show up, and iGyaan will be right on the ground, so you don’t miss them. Keep checking this spot for all the upcoming excitement.

  • Here Are the Impressive Leaked Specifications of LG’s Next Flagship

    Here Are the Impressive Leaked Specifications of LG’s Next Flagship

    LG had a string of hits in 2014 including LG G3 and G Pro 2 which have been received really well by consumers and critics alike. The smartphone maker’s next flagship, G4, is expected to launched at this year’s Mobile World Conference (March 2-March 5) in Barcelona.

    Recently, the system dump for LG’s next G series flagship smartphone has been leaked revealing a few of the hardware specifications of the smartphone. The leak confirms the Android 5.0 as well as 3GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810.

    LG-G-Flex-2-24
    LG G Flex 2 was launched at CES 2015 with Snapdragon 810

    According to the past rumors, LG also working on its own ODIN processor for a bit now, and we heard that it’d be coming in one of their flagships. It was expected the G Flex 2 would launch with this processor, however, that didn’t happen.

    While there is a fresh rumour suggesting that Samsung Electronics will dump the Snapdragon 810 processor for use in its upcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone in favour of its own Exynos chip, LG may follow the suit and launch their own processor too.

    In addition to that, the purported forthcoming handset, the G4, could pack a wide angle 16-megapixel rear-facing shooter on the back. The LG G3 had a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera on the back side. After the release of the G Flex 2 at CES it will be interesting to observe the type of hardware and software specifications their next flagship will pack.

  • MIT’s THAW Brings Ultimate Seamless Interconnectivity Between Smartphones and PC

    MIT’s THAW Brings Ultimate Seamless Interconnectivity Between Smartphones and PC

    With a PC and Mobiles being an absolute necessity, it is necessary to have seamless interaction between them. Apple’s latest ecosystem attempts to do just that. Continuity features like Handoff let users continue their work from their phone to their Mac PC’s without a delay. Not to be left behind, Google also announced some interconnectivity features between Android desktops and Chrome systems. But these attempts are still futile in comparison to MIT’s THAW which takes seamless interconnectivity to a whole new level.

    THAW

    Two teams of researchers at MIT have developed a smartphone system called THAW which allows users to transfer files through and fro from PC to a smartphone. This can be done simply by touching the phone to the screen of the desktop PC. You can take the webpage you were working on your phone by just touching the phone to the screen. It almost feels like those screens in sci-fi flicks which can be shifted from one display to another, like Avatar.

    THAW makes you phone a physical handle through which you can send or receive files directly from the screen. The secret behind the technology is the phone camera. The camera takes the image from the desktop screen and then through software manipulations the files are accessible on the phone. This feature will help solve the file management clarity issue that everyone is trying to address. Apple’s Cloud Storage now gives the ability to change the content, and it will appear the same from all your devices. THAW just takes it a bit further.

    Now this project is still in its infancy and may or may not come to the market. But just the knowledge of the possibility of this technology will create a boom for devices with such functionalities. This looks like an excellent feature to have and looks so simplistic and effortless. Hopefully, the companies are watching; this is one feature that everyone will love. MIT researchers claim that this can work with practically any smartphone with accelerometer, so come on Samsung, here’s an idea for the Galaxy S6.

  • The Best Twitter Reactions to the Arrival of Apple Watch and iPhone 6

    The Best Twitter Reactions to the Arrival of Apple Watch and iPhone 6

    Love it or hate it, the long-awaited Apple iPhone 6 is here to stay. For Apple lovers it was time to meet the world of multimedia friendly big screens with the company releasing two variants this time, the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus.

    Folks on twitter were also pretty excited with the launch and here are some of their reactions:

    Some Were Appreciative:

    Some were hurtful:

    Some were really Imaginative:

    Some were just totally Bizzare:

    Some caught something unique:

    There were some foreign policy questions too:

    The Apple Watch also drew some attention:

    At the end, Samsung’s sponsored Twitter Trend didn’t go unnoticed:

    As Always no nerd fest is complete without a Star war reference:

  • Huawei Teases to Reveal a New Device

    Huawei Teases to Reveal a New Device

    Huawei has sent out press invites for an event to be held on the 4th of September. The invite features a huge number 7, hinting that the device to be released will either be the Ascend Mate 7 or the Ascend D7.

    While the model name might not be known, a few specs are believed to feature in this soon-to-be-released device. The star of the show is believed to be a 6” Quad HD (2560×1440) display. The device might be powered by the company’s own Kirin 920 octa-core chipset and a healthy 3GB of RAM.

    Invite
    The minimalistic Invite doesn’t reveal much.

    Huawei also believes that this device will be better than both the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6. Now, those are some hefty claims. If Samsung doesn’t manage to bring in a Quad HD screen soon, Huawei’s claim may become true.

    The rumours don’t stop here, however. If leaksters are to be believed, the company is also going to release a second device with a Full HD 1080p display and 2GB of RAM. This by no way is a mid-ranger, but will only be the lower speced sibling of the Quad HD monster to be released by Huawei.

    Seems like September is going to be a busy season for the Smartphone moguls. The battle lines are drawn with Samsung set to release the Note 4, which will be followed by Apple’s iPhone 6 release. With Huawei also staking a claim to gadget greatness, things will surely get interesting for the consumers. Now we really can’t wait for September to come.

    By Pranav Arora

  • iGyaan Gift Guide: Tablets

    In this festival season if you want to spend some money on your loved ones, here we bring you the recommended list of tablets that you can gift to your near and dear ones.

    BSNL Penta IS701C:

    The BSNL Penta IS701C is a budget tablet which is available for 3950 INR. The device features a 7 inch Multi touch TFT screen and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Tablet is powered by a ARM Cortex A8 1 GHz Processor which is coupled with a 512 MB DDR3 RAM and 4 GB inbuilt memory -expandable memory upto 32 GB. The device has a 0.3 MP primary camera and it is a 3G tablet which is packed with a 3000 mAh battery.

    Intex I-Buddy 7.0 Tablet:

    The  Intex I-Buddy 7.0 Tablet is available in WiFi only and also in calling support individually. The Wifi Only version is available for 6300 INR. The device features a 7 inch Capacitive Touch Screen and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Tablet is powered by a Boxchip A13 1.0 GHz Processor which is coupled with a 512 MB DDR3 RAM and 4 GB inbuilt memory -expandable memory upto 32 GB. The device has a 0.3 MP primary camera and it is a 3G via dongle tablet which is packed with a 2350 mAh battery.

    iBall 6318i Tablet:

    The iBall 6318i is a 7 inch tablet which is available for 5395 INR. This tablet is powered by a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 Processor and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The device features a 2 MP primary camera and a VGA secondary camera. The Tablet is packed with a 1 GB of DDR3 RAM and 4 GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable to 32 GB, the device has a 4000 mAh battery and supports 3G via dongle.

    Lenovo A2107 Tablet:

    The Lenovo A2107  is a 7 inch tablet which is available for 5395 INR. This tablet is powered by a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 Processor and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The device features a 2 MP primary camera and a VGA secondary camera. The Tablet is packed with a 1 GB of DDR2 RAM and 16 GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable to 32 GB, the device has a 3550  mAh battery. 

    Nexus 7 Tablet (1st and 2nd generation):

    Nexus 7 1st generation is already available in the Indian market from a long time now, while the second generation Nexus 7 will supposedly be available in India by the month of November. 

    Samsung Galaxy Tab 3:

    The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 T211 features a 7 inch touchscreen and is priced at 16250 INR. The device sports a 3 MP rear camera  and a 1.3 MP front camera. The device is powered by a 1.2 Ghz dual core processor and has 1 GB of RAM, the tab has an expandable storage option of upto 32 GB.

    Sony SGPT211IN/S:

    The Sony Sony SGPT211IN/S is a foldable tablet which has a 5.5 inch screen and is priced at 15999 INR. The device runs on Android Honeycomb. The sony Sony SGPT211IN/S sports a 5 MP primary camera and a 3 MP secondary camera. The device is powered by a ARM Cortex Dual Core Processor.

    Apple 16 GB iPad Mini with Wi-Fi:

    The Apple iPad Mini runs an a relatively older, Apple A5 chip that has a dual-core 1GHz cortex A9 processor and 512MB of RAM. The tablet sports a 7.85-inch IPS display that has a resolution of 768 x 1024 pixels (roughly 162 ppi) which was one of the biggest downers of the iPad Mini when it was announced, as it lacked a retina display. If you consider, you can actually wait for the upcoming iPads, the iPad mini retina display.

    Lenovo Idea Tab S6000 Tablet:

    The Lenovo Idea Tab S6000 Tablet has a 10.1 inch screen and is priced at 22499 INR. The device runs on Android 4.2 and is powered by a 1.2 Ghz processor. Lenovo Idea Tab S6000 Tablet sports a 5 MP main camera along with a VGA secondary camera.

    Sony (SGPT111IN/S) Tablet S:

    The Sony (SGPT111IN/S) Tablet S sports a 9.4 inch screen and is priced at 22900 INR. The device is powered by a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 Dual Core processor and runs on Android Honeycomb. It has 1 GB of RAM along with a 16 GB of inbuilt storage. 

    Apple 16GB iPad with Retina Display and Wi-Fi (4th Generation):

    The Apple 16GB iPad with Retina Display and Wi-Fi (4th Generation) features a beautiful 9.7 inch screen and starts with a price tag of 31900 INR. The device runs on latest iOS from Apple and is powered by  A6X Chip with Quad-Core Graphics. You might want to wait for the newly launched iPad Air to hit the Indian Market!

    Samsung Galaxy Note 800:

    Samsung Galaxy note 800 and Samsung Galaxy note 10.1 both are great value for money, the Note 800 is priced at 35490 INR which can be reasonable to some compare to 49990 INR for the newly launched Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. Both tablets share the same screen size and the S Pen support.

    Sony Xperia Z Tablet:

    The Sony Xperia Z Tablet features a 10.1 inch display and is priced at 41499 INR. The device runs on Android 4.1 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor. The device sports 8.1 MP and 2.2 MP primary and secondary cameras respectively.

    These are few recommended tablets, there could be many others as well. If you have any tablet we missed on which you think can be a best gift and great value for money, you can leave your valuable inputs in the comment section below. 

  • Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review – The Best Canvas till date!

    Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review – The Best Canvas till date!

    Micromax has forever been associated with cheap and budget phones, earlier with feature phones now with budget Android phones. With the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 the company tries to find a balance between the desires of the market and a stable ecosystem. The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 has been perceived a big negative mark on the company’s ever tarnished reputation, So is the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 the marvel of innovation Micromax claims it to be? or is it just another attempt at making more money, lets find out.

    Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review 4

    Build Quality and Hardware

    The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is exceptionally well built, it uses the two elements found in the worlds most popular handsets, the steel bezel and frame of the iPhone and the plastic back panel of the Samsung Galaxy series. The end result is a beautiful looking device that fits well in the hand and feels great to use. The plastics on the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 are cleverly used and remain at a minimal, whereas no serious strengthening has been utilized to the glass. 

    On the inside of this phone is a Mediatek 6589 chipset that offers up 1.2 GHz on Quad cores and a sufficient Power VR SGX GPU. On the inside is 16 GB of Storage and 1 GB of RAM, whereas the cameras are fitted with a 13 MP BSI Sony Sensor with full HD capabilities and a front facing 5 MP shooter also with 1080p capabilities. The display is a 1280 x 720p 5 inch display and the overall device offers quite a balanced mix of hardware and build quality. Although many companies are offering higher specs with similar handsets, the build quality on the Micromax Canvas 4 comes out on top. 

    [youtube id=”FU7LkEirzhk” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

    Display

    [pullquote_left]Unethical Journalism Aside[/pullquote_left]

    The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 uses a new type of display, unseen on any of the company’s earlier devices, the display has a serious blue hue imbalance, but is exceptionally visible outdoors compared to the previous Gen display. The 1280 x 720p resolution was a major let down for many a buyers because of many rumors that pitted the phone equipped with a 1080p display. All “unethical journalism” aside the display is great for almost all requirements including gaming and multimedia, however it never hurts to get more resolution even if you don’t need it. 

    The touchscreen is very responsive and the display is perfectly fused into the body of the device, a lower resolution display also ensures better battery life considering that this device only has a 2000 mAh battery which you can read more about in the battery section below. 

    Multimedia, Gaming and OS

    The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is based on Android 4.2 and is mostly a vanilla interface, some basic customizations have been added to give additional UI features. “Blow to Unlock” for one is and example of a feature that has been added which may actually be liked by some, we personally feel that it is a waste of battery and a serious red flag to safe mobile phone usage. 

    Micromax has also added some features like smart pause on Samsung devices, a software feature which uses the sensors and front camera to detect when a user looks away, while watching a video , and pauses the video. Some fun UI elements like bouncing notifications and alerts in the lock screen add to the user experience.

    [youtube id=”iQwaNj4ZgbU” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

    We feel that Micromax now needs to work on a proprietary UI for Android on their devices, much like TouchWiz or Sense, they need to develop a UI which will truly make their devices unique. For now the Micromax Canvas 4 is based on vanilla android and mostly third party modifications which may or may not be activated.

    If you aim to do some gaming on the Canvas 4, you will be happy to know that most games work out of the box and work well. On the occasion some heavy spec’d games will hang or crash, which can only be expected. 

    Watching videos and movies is great especially thanks to the great display and loud speaker, but you do start to miss a full HD experience if you have had one. 

    [youtube id=”QhcOxa-75xY” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

    Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review 6

    Camera

    One thing which really changes the perception of the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is the camera with its f2.2 lens equipped Sony BSI 13 MP sensor. The camera is the same unit used in the Xperia Z and performs exceptionally well. The camera also works great in low light conditions and captures great videos. The front facing camera is a bit of overkill, unless you do a lot of self portraits. The front camera is great but only if you have ample lighting, and honestly we don’t deny that sometime soon in the future front cameras may also start to get a dedicated flash diode. 

    The camera module is far too advanced for the software that has been included in the Canvas 4, and if you manage to root your device using our method, you can easily install the camera app ported from other devices. Any camera app that will give you additional manual controls is the app you are looking for. 

    A word to the wise, if you plan on doing macro photography with this camera, Autofocus will not be your friend. An add on lens might also be helpful.

    The camera has great image composition ensuring great color reproduction and great crisp focus. If you intend to use auto mode the included app works fairly well and will not disappoint. Wait for our detailed camera review.

    Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review 0

    Performance

    if you are looking for extreme performance on this smartphone you are actually looking in the wrong place, you are better off buying a Nexus or HTC One if that is your objective. The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 aims to achieve a few things and extreme performance is not one of them. The phone is pretty good for what its worth, gaming is decent, day to day usage is excellent, multitasking works great and for once the OS is quite stable. 

    [youtube id=”0uYs6BGKNCY” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

    The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 will get you through most of the tasks you can put it through and then some, but it will not satisfy the tweak hungry junkies. The chipset has its limitations and they can’t be witnessed in the day to day usage of an average user. 

    Micromax as a Company

    We take off from the regular review process to point out a couple of things to our readers, The Micromax Canvas 4 is very identical to the Blu Life One, in fact it may as well be the same phone. Both companies Micromax and Blu have many things in common, they are both young companies and they both have the same vendors. But, Blu handsets will never come to India, because the company is presently focused in the Americas, just like Micromax’s main focus is in India. Even though we got many requests to compare the two handsets we feel it is unnecessary at the least. 

    Micromax Canvas 4 A210 Review 5

    Micromax has taken a bold step and tried to take care of the biggest concern of users with the improved build of their handset, in doing so the cost of their handset has gone up considerably . That tied with the inflated cost of the US $ made it a pricing fail for the company, and we feel Micromax is a bit premature to be entering the sub 20k market with handsets based on Mediatek chipsets in fact the same chipset that goes in sub 10k handsets. But, what most people are neglecting is the use of quality materials and components is bound to raise costs, the Sony 13 MP sensor itself justifies such a bump in pricing. 

    Micromax is no Samsung when it comes to customer satisfaction, hell even Samsung are not that great. The company aims to become a big mobile brand, but it is presently far from that goal simply because of their dependence on readily available products and components. 

    Battery Life

    The Canvas 4 has slightly low battery life and the constant use of included apps does not help. On average you will get 3-4 hours of continuos talk time. Features like smart pause and blow to unlock will really mould your battery life usage and are best avoided. Real Life Tests:

      • Talk Time : 4 Hours on 3G / 6 Hours on 2G
      • Internet : 3 Hours on 3G / 5 hours on Wifi
      • Music : Upto 12 Hours 
      • Video : 3 Hours

     

     

    The Good

    Micromax has for once tried to focus on the user experience more than the specs, the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is extremely well built when compared to competition and even their own previous phones. The warranty for the Canvas 4 ensures that if your phone is damaged or defective (within warranty guidelines) you instantly get a replacement phone. Software elements like smart stay and smart pause that usually require expensive devices to begin with. 

    The cameras are also an advantage on the Canvas 4 and those with a taste for mobile photography will truly come to appreciate the device for that. The phone achieves what most phones by sector 2 manufacturers dont, premium feel. 

    The Bad

    The price for one is a little off the mark, a 15k price point would appear to be a more worthy option for the Canvas 4. The OS is still mostly stock and with the added bloatware and software gimmicks, we are not impressed.  

    Conclusion 

    There is no doubt that the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is the best Canvas / Micromax phone till date, but with the impending release of iBerry Nuclea N1 and a series of devices already in the market. The decision is truly in the hands of the buyer, the company is attempting to change its ranks in the smartphone market and the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 may be that very device. Once Micromax realizes the market status and drops the price by 1500- 2000 this very well may be the best smartphone in the market in the Rs. 15000 price bracket, but until then this seems like an investment which may not yield a return worth of value. 

    With Root already achieved by iGyaan those looking to get more bang for their buck will also be satiated. 

    Video Upcoming

     

    Buy Now

     

  • Edit : Can Motorola Make A Comeback?

    Edit : Can Motorola Make A Comeback?

    In the 2004-2007 period, if you would’ve asked any teenage boy/girl about that one phone they wished they had, the answer would’ve been simple – the Motorola MotoRazr. 

    Right from its sleek, futuristic design to that V3i advertisement where a guy dressed like 007 (but travelling in the “metro”), uses his blade (read : MotoRazr) to cut through a woman’s dress and then fight her when she retaliates, everything about Motorola spelled success.

    It was a period where when you looked anywhere, you would see someone on a Motorola RAZR. The company sold over 120 million units of that phone, making it the second most popular phone in 2005 and then along came the iPhone. Motorola who?

    Last year, the company shut down operations in India altogether, after being bought by Google. So we ask ourselves, can we see Motorola charming us with its devices once more?

    How It All Began

    Motorola is an American company with many “firsts” in the field of science and technology. It started in Chicago in 1928. Company founders Paul V. Galvin and Joseph Galvin created the brand name Motorola for the car radio – linking “motor” (for motorcar) with “ola” (which implied sound)

    Motorola
    Founders Paul V. Galvin and Joseph Galvin.

    The Motorola car radio was released by the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1930, two years after the company’s founding in Chicago, kicking things off with a battery eliminator, aimed at letting battery-powered home radios run off of household electricity. In 1947, the company dropped its name for simply Motorola. 

    [pullquote_left]  Motorola provided the radio technology for APOLLO 11’s moon landing. [/pullquote_left]

    In 1973, Motorola took some major steps toward the technology that would define it in the decades to come, showing off the DynaTAC and demonstrating the phenomenon of cellular telephones to the world. It wasn’t until 1984 that the brick-sized phone would actually start making its way into the hands of consumers. 

    Motorola
    The Motorola DynaTAC Photo: Dan Forbes

     

    Fast forward to 2004, the MotorRazr became the best selling clamshell ever made.

    The Fall

    Post 2007, after a certain turtleneck sweater aficionado introduced the iPhone to the world, everyone forgot about their love for Motorola and turned their attention towards Apple. 

    motorola
    Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone in 2007.

    And could you blame them?

    According to the NPD Group, which released the sales numbers, four of the five best-selling handsets at that time were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features. The only one that wasn’t? The Razr.

    At the high end of the market, Motorola’s designs didn’t keep up with consumer expectations, and the game-changing iPhone set back the company further. Motorola also got squeezed out by competitors at the lower end, where the cell-phone business had the most potential for growth globally. 

    Motorola failed to use its huge advantage in the early days of higher end handsets to become one of the leaders in the emerging smartphone business, which is now dominated by Apple and Samsung.

    Motorola
    Motorola failed to make an impact in the tablet market with the Motorola XOOM.

    After a stint with Android, including it’s XOOM tablet, Motorola gave up altogether and closed down operations in India last year.

    The result? In August of last year, Google announced that it would be acquiring Mobility for around $12.5 billion, a deal that would close nearly nine months after it was first made public.  

    Who’s To Blame?

    What Motorola failed to realize was that the cellphone market changed their buying decisions from “hardware”, to a “software decision”. People wanted to run real, native, apps on their phones.

    In 2009,  Motorola joint-CEO Greg Brown blamed Motorola’s own decisions for the company’s decline. While Brown did make the obligatory hat-tip at the economy – for exacerbating the situation – the executive mainly criticized Motorola’s planning, products and blindness to the changing needs of consumers.

    Speaking to the Financial Times, Brown highlighted the absence of a RAZR replacement as a key failure for Motorola. That, together with a misplaced focus on the developing market and over-investment in budget handsets, meant Motorola missed the growing messaging trend.

    [pullquote_right] Warren Buffet once said that when a manager with a great turnaround reputation encounters a company with a reputation for dysfunction, it is the company that will keep its reputation. [/pullquote_right]

    Warren Buffet once said that when a manager with a great turnaround reputation encounters a company with a reputation for dysfunction, it is the company that will keep its reputation. And that’s how it panned out. Post Geoffrey Frost’s death in November 2005 after putting Motorola on the road to success, Garriques tried to build the next hit with the system.

    Then after being unable to conjure up the same magic, Garriques left for Dell and the Motorola machine ran back to the security blanket of processes. Constant “safe pairs of hands” were used to replace him. Casey Keller was brought from Nabisco to do a job and failed too. The succession of replacements for Garriques just made things worse.

    What Now?

    Everyone loves a good comeback, whether it’s Manchester United stealing a win in the final minute of the Champions Trophy in 1999 or Mickey Rourke snagging an Oscar nomination for The Wrestler.

    Motorola
    In Google, Motorola have their own version of Sir Alex Ferguson to take it back to the top.

    In Google, Motorola have their own version of Sir Alex Ferguson, the recently-retired Manchester United manager who broke the “Old Firm’s” dominance in Scotland with Aberdeen, and Liverpool’s dominance in England. Google has the expertise and means to take Motorola back to the top.

    The rumoured comeback phone, called the Moto X, will be built at a 500,000 square-feet facility in Texas that will employ 2,000 people by August.

    Though Motorola boasts of a long, impressive history of mobile innovation, the present CEO, Dennis Woodside, acknowledges how challenging it is for the company to reach the same state of glory it enjoyed some time back. The company aims at hiring a large number of employees to manufacture a new generation of mobile phones.

    “We like to be the challenger. So we’re filling the company with people who want to transform the company into a winner,” said Woodside.

    There’s still a lot of life left in Motorola, which, bruises and all, remains one of the grand names in world technology.

    “Motorola is still a huge business and an iconic company,” Brown says.

    If things go according to plan — and Brown says he’s confident they will — the Motorola mobile business could again find itself on the leading edge of wireless, setting the pace of global innovation for the next century and beyond.

    The company recently unveiled their new logo, with a clear emphasis on it now being a Google enterprise, and I personally think that the road to its comeback will be long and hard, but Motorola will reach its former glory in the coming years. 

    What do you think? Will Motorola be able to charm consumers again? Let us know in the comments section below!

  • iGyaan Holiday Guide : Best Phones for 15,000

    iGyaan Holiday Guide : Best Phones for 15,000

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

    (In order of preference) 

    Android Phones  

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

     

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

     

     


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

     

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

     

     

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

     

     

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

     

    Blackberry 

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

     

    Nokia Symbian

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

     

     

     

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

     

     

     

     

    Windows Phone

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

     

  • The HTC Sensation Full Review

    The HTC Sensation Full Review

    After the sudden downpour of benchmark gods in the division of mobility, HTC also let out its dual core beast amidst  the ever growing population. The HTC Sensation is the first dual core phone from HTC and also the highest resolution device from the company. Lets see if it actually fares decently well with the competition in the market.

     

    BUILD QUALITY

    If you want benchmarks for build quality when it comes to mobile devices, HTC is the global standard. HTC has always managed to surprise us with their quality and build standards. Solid unibody construction along with a tough front facing gorilla glass display which is not only impact resistant, but is also very scratch resistant. The back of the device has rubber accents in strategic locations making it an easy to handle and operate phone. The device is well build and you can see that as soon as you pick up the device in your hand. 

    With no shaking and rattling this device is robust and built to last. The upward edged glass is functional and is easy on the fingers as you slide off – off the screen. The designers of the HTC Sensation took everything into perspective from the aesthetics to the functionality and the intelligent placement of the buttons – which by the way are extremely tactile and responsive. 

    HARDWARE

    There is no questioning the latest hardware in the Sensation, the latest dual core processors a very high resolution screen, functional 8 megapixel camera with full HD video at 1080p.

     

    DESIGN

    While it may not be as clean and sleek as the Samsung Galaxy S2, The Sensation wasn’t meant to be. HTC Sensation takes its design cues from the practical and robust hues of life. You can call it a Range Rover in front of a 7 series ( Galaxy S2) while both may have powerful engines, the rover is more practical in India, is tougher, bolder and solid. Nothing describes holding the HTC Sensation better than this, Its a premium SUV in the smartphone market.

    PHONE AND MESSAGING

    Superior audio in and out from the Sensation during calls, is the only main thing we saw. The network performance was excellent and sustained throughout our test period. 3G and WCDMA performance excelled in the Sensation as we literally hogged the bandwidth of our providers. With brilliant performance from even the likes of an MTNL trump number ( usually 2 – bars, and weak performance in our area), we were literally amazed at how well this phone handled networks. With as little as two dropped calls in two weeks of testing, this phone has scored the top rank in the iG Phone- Networks Review till date.

    The touchscreen on the Sensation is a 4 point multitouch, what that means is that you can have 4 simultaneous inputs. What it also means is that you can use the onboard keyboard as fast  as you can move your thumbs. As soon as you lift the finger and tap the next letter, the device is already recognizing your input and will accept the desired letter. Brilliant keyboard , with an definable auto-correct smooth interactions throughout. 

    DATA & INTERNET

    Getting a phone like the sensation and ignoring the Internet connectivity is like buying a spacecraft without the intention to visit the moon. The device is built for online connectivity, with a superb end user experience while browsing the web, streaming audio, playing multiplayer games or even watching an iGyaan review or two. The connections to WiFi are strong and stable, the device can connect to our wireless networks in areas which other phones would term as dead spots. In a head to head comparison the WiFi network on the Sensation was much better than that on the Galaxy S2.

    The Hotspot feature is possibly the one we used the most on the Sensation. Because, the network performance was so great, we were able to share our 3G networks over 7 devices and were able to enjoy the shared bandwidth and download speeds of the connection. We did  struggle to upload our posts from a off road cafe on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway over a 512kbps upload connection split 7 way, but the Sensation is not to blame for it.

    BATTERY LIFE

    Unlike the Galaxy S2 the Sensation has a very stable OS, add to the mix a brilliant power management framework and you get a brilliant powerhouse with excellent battery life.

    Values 2G 3G WiFi
    Talk Time upto 9 Hours 6 hours –
    Standby time 48 Hours 36 hours 7 Days
    Web Browsing 8-9 hours 5 hours 5 Hours
    Video Streaming 4 Hours 2.5 Hours 4 Hours
    Music Streaming 14 hours 9 hours 14 hours

     

    GAMING 

    We found that most games work great with the device and we had no issues with incompatibilities. The only issue that we did see is the difference in display size. Some apps failed to recognize the QHD display on the HTC Sensation and came as mini boxes within the screen of the Sensation, limiting them to their maximum pixel size. The processor is managed well with the GPU and can deliver great graphics and a brilliant gaming experience. Align those with excellent sensors, including a gyroscope and a brilliant touch screen, you have yourself a gaming device

    DUAL CORE

    We feel HTC did a  better job than LG did on the Optimus 2X and Samsung on the S2. Sure the Optimus 2x is cheaper and Samsung has better benchmark results, HTC is more organized and professional and the framework and implementation of the hardware is built to last. The OS is tweaked to give little or no errors and is bug and crash free. Graphics and Implementation of the user interface elements is absolutely stunning and smooth. The Sensation impressed us in all hooks when it came to stuff under  the hood, yes it didn’t score high on quadrant, but it can with a little tweaking. Currently the Sensation is a mature device and not as young and energetic as the Galaxy S2 especially when it comes to Processor and Graphics.

    ADD ON NOTES

    The Sensation has a much higher resolution display in comparison to the S2, but the super Amoled plus trumps the extra resolution 4 times over. The Amoled plus screen is extremely vivid and lifelike. We faced a lot of network issues on the S2, but none on the Sensation, the battery drain issue faced on the S2 was also nowhere to be found on the Sensation. The device does not overheat and performance is smooth throughout. 

    CONCLUSION

    The HTC Sensation is true competition to the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the hype around it. The S2 failed to deliver where it mattered most, the Sensation on the other hand does everything that its meant to and more. The Sensation also is a bit cheaper than the Galaxy S2 in the market and provides excellent user support throughout its service channels. The device is robust, well made and is built to impress. If you are looking for a good investment for your moolah, this is the true multi-taskers of choice. 

    If it wasn’t for the washed out display in comparison to the Super Amoled Plus, this device would have scored maximum score but for now :

    [xrr rating=4.5/5 label=”We Rate The Sensation : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]

    PRICE :IN Rs. 29,000/- 

     

    UNBOXING VIDEO

     

    SAMPLE VIDEO CAMERA FOOTAGE

     

     

    REVIEW VIDEO

     

     

    iG Tech labs

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