While Android fragmentation continues with Jelly Bean being announced just 6 months away from the ICS update. Android owners have started to shift to ICs with most companies now offering ICS updates for the devices.
While Gingerbread still remains at the top with 64 % of the Android base. GFroyo follows by 17.3 %, and Google’s recently announced Jelly Bean update was not included in this stat.
Still rocking Froyo or Gingerbread devices that fail to stream in HD? Fret no more, the new app update from YouTube will bring HD res YouTube streams to all those devices. Although Honeycomb and ICS devices have been rocking this for some time now, the new app now allows streaming on all those devices that were left out.
Still not all devices will be able to enjoy this app as the update is dependent on screen size and resolution. Alternatively you can find the .apk online and install it! which may or may not work for you.
Just hours after we unboxed and took a look at the HTC Evo 3D The Optimus 3D arrived at our lab. LG has been daring enough to try pricing a relatively low spec’d phone with the same value as the competitor. So we unbox and take a look at the Optimus 3D iG Style.
Some great news for those waiting in for the Galaxy Players / PMPs running Android and boasting a 5 inch/4 inch screens, the devices will be available along with the Galaxy 730 aka Galaxy Tab 8.9 inch in the last week of october. This information comes from the very depths of the Samsung HQ in NCRand packs a punch especially because there is a tad bit of information regarding the pricing on the PMPs.
We got our hands on with the PMP back at the Samsung Forums, check out the video below.
Spec Sheet
Now here is the awesome part the PMPs are speculated to have the following price : Galaxy Player 4 for 12,500 and Galaxy Player 5 for 15,000 Indian currency. We think that its excellent pricing.
Pricing of the Galaxy 730the MRP remains the same from initial PR : Tab 730 at INR 33,990 which seems a lot more since the 750 sells for much cheaper than that price.
The Micromax Andro A70 was one of the most anticipated phones of this quarter, especially in the sub Rs. 8000 bracket. To be honest, at first we thought of it as just a minor upgrade to the existing Andro A60. But as we reviewed this little marvel we began so see a major change in its operation. Lets see why the Andro A70 is our pick for the price range.
Build Quality and Design
Reminiscent of the Nexus One’s design, the Micromax Andro A70 is built with sturdy plastics. Nice curvaceous ends make it an extremely attractive design, and very comfortable to hold in the hand. The screen on the front is tough and provides the extra protection required for a touch phone of this nature. The buttons are tactile and easy to use, the overall standard of construction is quite impressive.
The front of the display is also glass and not plastic unlike its predecessor, Which makes the overall build of the device impressive. The phone is sturdy and does not make rattling noises even when tossed around.
Hardware
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Camera Primary 5.0 MP Secondary – VGA
600MHz Processor
3.2 inch Multi Touch Capacitive Screen
Mi – apps – application store by Micromax
Full Android Market
WCDMA 2100 MHz
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Mi-Fi Pocket Wireless Internet
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Battery 1450mAh
Proximity Sensor
Gravity Sensor
Camera and Multimedia
A surprisingly interesting 5 MP camera with autofocus that delivers exceptionally good pictures. The camera displays great skill when it comes to auto-focus and cannot be tackled down by any other device in this price range. Although colors appear washed out at first but a little playing around with the settings gives a good picture.
Video on the other hand is simply OK, you cannot expect much from the VGA video capability. A simple tweak, by changing the video quality settings to custom in the camera we were able to get VGA video. If you leave the video quality to high, it captures a much lower resolution video. A sample of the video can be seen in the videos below.
The Front facing camera, is a simple VGA camera and can be used for nothing but clicking self portraits and video. We tried several times to initiate a camera response from Skype /fring etc, but failed to do so.
The screen of the Andro A70 is great for watching videos and browsing the internet. It is also a capacitive 2 point multitouch screen, so pinch to zoom works great and with the 3.2 inch 320x480px screen text is crisp and easily read.
Speakers are loud and clear when it comes to watching videos or simply listening to music. Overall multimedia experience was satisfactory and a lot more than you can expect from a device which costs only 7500 Rs.
Phone and Messaging
No complaints here, the phone call capability was excellent , little or no dropped calls, clear speaker and earpiece. the microphone also pics up sound aptly and delivers to the other side. One thing with mentioning is the number of connection errors faced in process of dialing a number were far more than any other device tested.
Messaging and emailing has also improved vastly over the previous A60 thanks to the inclusion of the capacitive screen. This makes the device almost brilliant, keyboard is nice and spread out and easy to type on even with relatively large fingers. The keyboard can also be easily replaced with customizable keyboards from the Marketplace, including Better Keyboard. Swype however does not work with the Andro A70.
Internet and Portable Hotspot
This section is dedicated to connectivity and utilization of the Internet, Data and WiFi.
The A70 has a very weak WiFi antenna, and mostly requires you to be relatively close to the router to get a decent signal. This was kind of a let down especially after the excellent WiFi antenna on the Andro A60.
The Portable Hotspot also fails throughout the board, dropping WiFi and asking for reactivations several times.
Apart from the above, browsing works great on the A70 especially 3G networks perform as good as high end phones.
Battery Life
We were quite impressed with the battery life on the A70, with over 5 hours of talk time, and a good 7-8 of internet usage, upto 3 days of standby, make it an excellent device in terms of battery life. But with Android as an OS, you never know what app you install, suddenly battery life is critically lower than before. Overall great battery , be sure to inspect your apps if you face battery issues.
Conclusion
While its an extremely awesome device for its price, it definitely has its ups and its down . With limited WiFi range and useless front camera this device lacks little and gives more. Good things include impressive build quality, a great photo camera, Android 2.2, wifi hotspot, easily root-able ( with possibility of custom rome). This device is a little understated by the company. The UI is much improved and a launcher from the market like ADW launcher can make this device a gem with pinch home screens, and smooth scrolling.
The Micromax Andro A70 is a good package for someone who wants to enter the Android ecosystem, or even a good upgrade for an A60 user. This device is also an excellent secondary device for a expensive smartphone.
The Huawei Ideos X5 turned out to be a shocker, with the surprisingly bright and vivid display the device is a good option in the price range, lets see why.
Build Quality
The X5 has a brilliant shape, almost a square chunk rounded on the top and on the bottom. the device has excellent rubberized plastics throughout the back and the side making it extremely robust and comfortable to hold in the hand.
Specifications
Availability
Announced on
December 2010
Release date
April 2011
Battery
Capacity
1500 mAh
Standby Time
300 hours
Talk Time
6 hours
Type
Lithium Polymer
CPU
Speed
800MHz
Type
Qualcomm MSM 7230
Camera
Main
5mp (2592×1944)
Video
720p
Casing
Colors
Black
Colors
White
Connectivity & Data
Bluetooth
v2.1 A2DP
EDGE
Class 10, 236.8 kbps
GPRS
Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
GPS
HSCSD
HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
USB
microUSB v2.0
Wireless
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Display
Colors
16.8 million
Resolution
480×800 pixels
Size
3.8 inches
Type
TFT capacitive touchscreen
General
2G Network
GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3G Network
HSDPA 900, 2100
Alias
U8800
Form Factor
Slate
Price Range
Memory
Call record
Unlimited
Card Slot
microSD, up to 32GB
Internal
2 OR 4 GB
Phonebook
Unlimited entries
Operating System
Type
Android
Version
2.2
Other Features
Misc Features
Accelerometer, Compass
Web Browser
HTML
Size and Weight
Width
62.0 mm (2.42 inches)
Height
120.0 mm (4.68 inches)
Depth
11.6 mm (0.45 inches)
Weight
130 grams (4.6 ounces)
Multimedia & Camera
The display on the device is simply stunning, a 3.8 inch screen with a good 480x800px display makes it a very vibrant and eye catching device. Videos play beautifully on the device and almost all types of formats are supported by the device. Audio is loud and clear from the earpiece and speaker phone with deep bass and subtle highs. The phone covers all grounds when it comes to multimedia.
The Camera on the device is a beautiful 5mp camera which does HD video at 720p. The video fared great in comparison with other devices. The pictures from the device are crisp and clear, the camera focuses quick and get get good exposure shots , when ample lighting is available. You simply cannot ask for a better functioning camera from the device. However, we did notice that 3rd party apps improved camera output.
Root and Custom Rom
The easiest device to root, the Ideos X5 was easily rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread using Cyanogen Mod 7. The device becomes snappier and much more appealing to the user. Heck you can even get the old CRT TV turn off animation when you lock the device. The benchmark scores improve by about 300 points and the overall stability of the device increases.
Phone, Messaging and Battery
The device features a brilliant antenna, we got good network strength even in places where there is usually low network, we faced no dropped calls and overall performance of the device is great. The screen is also great for messaging and features SWYPE keyboard as a standard, therefore making it an excellent keyboard.
The battery life of the device was also more than expected. The device gave us 5-6 hours of talk time on 2g and about 48 hours of standby. 3-4 hours of talk time on 3G networks.
Conclusion
There are not many devices that require such short reviews to become recommended devices, Ideos X5 is one of them. We highly recommend this device, sheer good quality materials and excellent specs, brilliant screen, the ability of root, and Cyanogen mod 7, what else could one want?. This device is sheer brilliance , but it just comes down to the poor service and support for Huawei in India. Making this device a highly questionable one for those looking for long term investments.
The LG Optimus Black was announced a while back, March 2011 to be precise, but the device appeared on our shores much later in July. People awaited the LG Optimus Black with much anticipation as it offered brilliance on a budget.
Does it really stand up to its name? Does it deliver brilliance? Lets Find Out!
Build Quality
The Optimus Black is possibly the most well built phone in LG’s stable, only after the 2X. With a slim profile and tapered glossy black accents, the device also has a tough front glass and a brilliant camera. The device is built to last and will not fail to deliver in that respect. The plastic is of superior quality and the device does not rattle or squeak from anywhere.
Name
Type
Operating System
Android OS v2.2
Dimensions
122mm x 64mm x 9.2 mm
Weight
109g
Display Screen
4 inch WVGA IPS LCD
Processor
1 GHz Cortex A8 Processor
RAM
512 MB
Storage
2GB Internal + 32GB Optional
Camera
5 MP Rear : 2 MP Front (AF)
Video
720P VIDEO @30 fps
Connectivity
Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, A-GPS, Bluetooth v3.1 with EDR
Battery
1500 mAh Li-Ion
The Price of the Device is about : Rs. 19,800 in the Market
Camera & Multimedia
The device features a brilliant 5mp Autofocus camera on the back that does HD video at 720p (watch sample below). The picture quality from the 5mp snapper is absolutely stunning, the camera focuses with precision and the LED does a wonderful job of eliminating darkness. The camera is also snappy at taking pictures and responds quickly.
Video quality is pretty great and almost close to what the iPhone 4 has to offer in good light, but kind of waivers in low light.
The front facing camera is simply superb quality and works just fine with Skype and other video softwares.
Audio from videos is low, but in game audio and music sounds are loud. The preference file some where needs to be tweaked to output proper audio. the speaker is fairly loud when the audio is proper. But, not as great as we would have like it to be.
The display is absolutely brilliant with a 700NIT brightness. The brightest display on a mobile device ever, makes the quality of the display that much better, whether indoors or outdoors. The only drawback of a very bright display is low battery life.
Phone & Messaging
The earpiece and microphone are great to pick up sound, but one unfortunate error in the design of the Optimus black prevents you from using the phone as a PHONE. every time you hold the phone in your hand, the network drops. So much so that we went able to get through a decent phone call to test audio quality. At first we thought the device was defective and got a replacement test unit, but alas!, still no proper network. So how good is a phone thats not a phone? its pathetic, is what it is, purely pathetic.
The touchscreen is a 4 point multitouch which allows for a simply great messaging experience, not to forget the iPhone style keyboard. The network issue prevails here as well, as you grip the phone to type, the device looses network.
Data & Battery
The Optimus Black is almost Satan’s child when it comes to how hot it gets on a data connection, its almost impossible to handle. The device gets blazing hot and starts to loose battery at an alarming rate, flat dead in 25-40 minutes. With data off, you get about 4 hours of talk time along with about two days of standby.
Not having been able to test internet performance we can’t comment on the battery life beyond that.
Conclusion
Its a pity that LG let us down yet again, we really liked the device when we got it at first. The device has good specs, excellent build, brilliant cameras and a very – very bright display. A great touch screen and decent hardware, but the device basically fails at being a phone. The death grip network loss issue is beyond excuse and cannot be mended with any kind of fix. ( except a full silicon cover or gloves on the users hands) the phone also performed poorly in the benchmarks.
We had a lot of expectations from this device and feel totally let down. LG really needs to step up their game, they have possibly good hardware, but something somewhere went wrong with the Optimus Black.
[xrr rating=2.5/5 label=”We Rate The Optimus Black : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
Bharat Electronics Ltd has developed a tablet PC that would cost $70-75 (around Rs 3,000) apiece for the Ministry of Rural Development’s poverty survey. The company supply six lakh pieces this year,expected to be delivered by end-November.
Normally, BEL generates 80 per cent of its revenue from military supplies such as radars, detection and communication devices; its turnover for the year ended March 2011 was Rs 5,500 crore; the 2011-12 guidance is for Rs 6,200 crore.
The device will boast Android 2.2 Froyo, a Solar powered battery pack, and a plug in keyboard. The device also appears to have a usb input port and a resistive touchscreen.
Since the order coming in early July, BEL has supplied an initial 2,000 tablets to the North-East. They were made at a small plant that was added to BEL’s Mass Manufacturing Facility in Bangalore at a cost of Rs 7 crore. Depending on further demand, it may put up an additional line for Rs 20 crore, apart from tapping capacities at Ghaziabad and Panchkula.
We are already poking around to get some action with the device.
Here it is, we got over a thousand requests for the Andro A70 Unboxing and Review, while the review process is on, check out the unboxing and hands on below.
Micromax has finally launched the new Android Handset the A70, its the highly awaited successor to the Andro A60. The device has been bounced around the internet and blogosphere for quite some time, and the A70 term first came into play in december during the launch of the A60. Earlier this year leaked images of the device showed up on various websites.
The phone is now officially available in the market for a price of Rs. 8999/-
Key Features Include
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Camera Primary 5.0 MP Secondary – VGA
600MHz Processor
8.128cm Multi Touch Capacitive Screen
M! – apps – application store by Micromax
WCDMA 2100 MHz
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Mi-Fi Pocket Wireless Internet
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Battery 1450mAh
Proximity Sensor
Gravity Sensor
[toggle title_open=”COLLAPSE” title_closed=”READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Micromax strengthens its Android portfolio: introduces the A70
Packed with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and powered with a 600MHZ processor
Pre – loaded with M!- apps – application store by micromax
New Delhi, July 19, 2011: Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the third largest mobile brand in India, has set a new trend in the growing smartphone category with the launch of A70 today, the latest android device offering from Micromax with a capacitive touch screen and a dual camera for a better user experience.
The A70 comes with a 3.2” TFT HVGA capacitive touch screen, 65K color display and a resolution of 320×480 pixels. It runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is powered by a 600 MHz processor, which helps you achieve your desired tasks much faster. The A70 is also equipped with a 5.0 MP primary camera and a VGA secondary camera.
The A70 is a 3G enabled device which supports download speeds upto 7.2 mbps and upload speed upto 3.6 mbps. The phone is also compatible with multiple audio/video formats and with the help of Officesuite Viewer ensures you that your work never suffers, even if you are on the go. The phone also boasts a gravity sensor and a proximity sensor making your web browsing experience even better.
The device also comes with some preloaded applications like Moneycontrol Markets, Ebuddy, Opera Mini, MiRoamer- Mobile radio, Saavn, Mosho, Mundu Live TV, Facebook and Whatsapp etc. There’s also Micromax app store (M! – apps) for all other requirements. The A70 has an internal memory of 160 MB and is expandable upto 32 GB.
A70 is available at an attractive price of 8999/ – The model will be available across India. For more information, please visit www.micromaxinfo.com
About Micromax:
Micromax, is the largest Indian mobile handset company, in terms of units shipped during the quarter ended March 31, 2010 and the third largest mobile handset seller as at March 31, 2010 (Source: IDC’s India Quarterly Mobile Handsets Tracker, 1Q 2010, June 2010 release). Micromax has domestic offices across India and global presence in Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri-Lanka and UAE.
* Micromax holds the 3rd position amongst the handset manufacturers in India as pre revenue with a market share of 6.9% for the FY 2011. (Source: V&D report) [/toggle]
Google is updating the marketplace app in their Android OS to include a easy tab for Books and Movies being sold and rented on the Android Marketplace. At movie titles starting at just US$ 1.99 or IN Rs. 84/- it makes it a highly worthwhile option for Android device owners who had to earlier toss around looking to download rich media content to their devices. The Update is said to roll out within the coming weeks but a pre-release build is already doing the rounds and can be found here(download )
Watch the video below to get a quick overview of the design.
The Mi 410 is the first attempt from Spice to attack the 1 GHZ smartphone market in India. Possibly the only phone to offer these specs at a pretty decent price. Lets look into the Spice MI 410 carefully.
BUILD QUALITY, HARDWARE & DESIGN
The Spice MI 410 is built to last, metal accents and a full metal back cover, a metal frame and solid construction make the Mi 410 an extremely robust device. The volume rocker and the power button are flush with the device and highly tactile. The screen is also scratch resistant, but its no gorilla glass.
The device or its internals don’t shake or rattle and the phone is like one solid piece of hardware. Talking about hardware, lets look at the specs.
OS
ANDROID 2.2
Processor
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
Flash ROM
2GB eMMC
Ram
512MB
Dimensions
122X 66X 9.9 mm
Weight
143 gm
Display
4.1-inch Capacitive Touch Screen , 800 X 480 WVGA
Camera
5 MP rear with HD Video, 0.3MP front
Battery
1400 mAH
Talk Time
Upto 380 Mins GSM , Upto 300 Mins (3G)
Standby Time
Upto 300 Hours
Network
Quad band GSM , Tri-band 3G, HSDPA/HSUPA , up to 14.2 Mbps
Connect
Bluetooth v2.1 EDR
Other
Supports Flash 10.1
Price
Rs. 14,000/-
Design on the Mi410 is pretty good too with a flat slab/tablet type structure on the device. It one of those designs that may not appeal to all in the beginning, but grows on you as you begin to use the device. Honestly, it kind of reminds us of end 2010 HTC phones, with really prominent edges.
CAMERA & MULTIMEDIA
The rear camera on the Mi410 is a 5MP autofocus camera which does a good job of focusing, you can actually see the camera move when its trying to focus, making it an exceptionally great autofocus mechanism. It also utilized 4 point metering to gain a focus point allowing it to be accurate in most situations, indoor, outdoor or night mode.
Video quality is also decent with jitter free recording and smooth capture. While in video mode the zoom option while recording is missing, but was not quite missed.
The screen is nice and vivid and has a comparatively large ppi at 227.55 ppi. With a native resolution of 480×800 pixels making it a very good display. We have no complaints with the display and in-fact were quite happy with it. The screen is good for watching videos and browsing the internet. The ppi is rich enough for reading books, documents and articles without trouble. Let us remind you that its no retina display, but its possibly one of the best resolutions you can get for the price.
The inclusion of stereo speakers caught our attention at the get go. Its surprising the kind of sound you can get from these speakers. In a normally quiet environment the speakers are sufficient for watching videos and movies. The speakers are loud and clear with accurate channel mapping.
The touch screen on the Mi410 seems like a bother initially, after a bit of playing around we found out that the maximum issue is with the lock screen, where the screen response seems to be less, it also seems like a software glitch, as we upgraded to 2.3 the touch sensitivity issue reduced significantly, but is still there. Pinch to zoom and scrolling work fine and are not affected by the issue.
The included earphones are simply ordinary and don’t expect much from them. While they can be used for simple handsfree usage, if you want to enjoy music on this device, invest in a good pair of earphones.
PHONE & MESSAGING
The sound quality from the earphones and the outgoing sound from the mic is great, and more than expected. While network strength is constantly 1 bar less, it does not affect the usage of the device and in our signal measurement test we would get a consistent -60db value.
Messaging and typing on the keyboard is achieved with ease and effortlessness. The keyboard is well spaces with large keys and responsive, the touch sensitivity issue does not occur in the keyboard, that why we insist its a software issue and not hardware (we could be wrong too).
BATTERY LIFE
A lot of people asked us to test the battery and we did some extensive tests on the battery.
VALUES
2G
3G
WiFI
Talk Time
5 Hours
3.5 Hours
-NA-
Standby Time
72 Hours
50 Hours
5 days
Internet Browsing
5-6 hours
5 hours
8 hours
Video Playback
3 hours
3 hours
3 hours
Video Stream
2.5 hours
1 Hour
3.5 hours
Music
12 hours
12 hours
12 hours
Music Stream
7 hours
5 hours
8.5 hours
We noticed a well managed battery life even with the wifi hotspot on. Battery was inconsistent and scores above are average from out tests.
CONCLUSION
The Spice Mi410 is an extremely great option at its price. With features usually found in devices upwards of 20k. This device also looks, feels and performs like an expensive phone, so it should be a satisfying experience for the user. The fact that this handset is easily root-able will let people exploit the real benefits of the device. The screen issue may bother some , but it is not enough to not let us recommend this phone to some one who has this device in mind.
PRICE : 14,000/-
[xrr rating=4/5 label=”We Rate it : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
So we finally got the new Spice Mi 410 here in our studios. So here it is the Unboxing and quick review video for your pleasure. As always stay tuned for the complete Review.
VIDEO UNBOXING
IMAGES
SPECS
OS
ANDROID 2.2
Processor
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
Flash ROM
2GB eMMC
Ram
512MB
Dimensions
122X 66X 9.9 mm
Weight
143 gm
Display
4.1-inch Capacitive Touch Screen , 800 X 480 WVGA
Camera
5 MP rear with HD Video, 0.3MP front
Battery
1400 mAH
Talk Time
Upto 380 Mins GSM , Upto 300 Mins (3G)
Standby Time
Upto 300 Hours
Network
Quad band GSM , Tri-band 3G, HSDPA/HSUPA , up to 14.2 Mbps
The First dual core smartphone in India, But does it have what it takes to stand up against the ever heating competition. Lets find out.
BUILD QUALITY
This is possibly the best phone from LG’s stable when it comes to build quality. The mix of materials is nice, so nice infact, that you wouldn’t make out that its an LG if we covered the branding. A very nice mix of soft touch back with steel and alloy bezel, a tapered gorilla glass that sumps down on the sides to give a fantastic feel of the device. Buttons are nice and tactile, only the top HDMI connector is kind of flimsy. But apart from that, top to bottom, front and back this device is constructed well.
HARDWARE
The Optimus 2X has an interesting mix of specifications, A dual core 1Ghz Tegra 2 Processor. A 480×800 pixels LCD display, An 8 MP camera, 8GB internal space, the usual Wifi Bluetooth etc, 3G, HSDPA and a 1500 mah battery. These specs put it right in the top few of this year when it comes to performance knock-ers.
CAMERA & MULTIMEDIA
The device is designed to perform when it comes to still images, with one of the best possible cameras we have ever seen on a mobile device the 8MP camera took the liberty to deliver good quality images even when the situation didn’t demand it. The low light performance of the camera is phenomenal and we were able to achieve some good low light shots, indoors.
Video quality on the other hand is a baby on its own dimensions. The 1920 x 1080p video at 24fps is poor and choppy, 720p video is fairly better at 30fps but still turns out choppy and jittery. The camera also boasts video -digital zoom, which does not perform well either, see sample below.
[twocol_one]
Speaker on the Optimus 2X is not as loud as we would like it to be, sound is not loud enough we believe and sometimes can ruin the experience. The device otherwise is a multimedia powerhouse, like any other android device. It also has an inbuilt 8GB of storage from the get go and a 32GB expansion slot make it a paradise situation for data-media hungry users.
[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]
The display does its job in the multimedia section and the overall experience is almost disturbance free. Movies play like a charm and gaming is good if not excellent. There are no touch response or accelerometer issues so you wont find yourself complaining on those vital facts while interacting with the device or many of the thousands of apps.
[/twocol_one_last]
PHONE & MESSAGING
The phone aspect of the device is brilliant and there were no issues in that, the network was strong and sound from both the earpiece and mic was excellent coming in and going out. This fact is also unlikely of an LG phone, where people often complain of network issues. The bars were strong, even while in transit, and we can safely say the device delivered more than we expected.
Messaging is simple for those with a knack of touch screens, the touch keyboard is reminiscent of design hues from the Apple iPhone keyboard, so is fairly fast and efficient, the touchscreen is responsive so you wont find yourself struggling. Whats more you can always install the various keyboards from the marketplace : Read Swype.
DUAL CORE GOODNESS! ?
We don’t know what LG did, we really don’t. Despite packing the best possible specs for a price thats realistic and affordable by those looking to buy serious smart-phones. The LG Optimus 2x fails to deliver. The UI is slow and buggy, and the overall interface reminds us of those cheap chinese made phones that are forced to run android on them. The NVIDIA Tegra processor was not exploited by LG it seems and in a hurry to reach the market before others they got stuck in poorly processed Hardware. The software integration to exploit the dual core systems is not seen properly in Android 2.2 froyo(os that ships with the device) you will see the device hang , crash, and bore you in many instances in the main UI, while working just fine within apps. LG really needs to roll out a software update fast if they expect to sell this handset in the market.
CONCLUSION
The LG Optimus 2x is there but not there, its awesome but a little boring. The device packs specs but does not integrate them. Hardware is not the key, Even a certain fruit company (read: Apple) has shown us time and again its not always about the hardware, its how usable you can make the product at the end of it. With the LG Optimus 2x you are just left hanging by a thread feeling incomplete. Despite holding a mammoth device you don’t feel confident.
iGyaan says : Give the Optimus 2X a nice wave goodbye, because you cant expect performance from a device that fails you from the get go.