Not very long ago HTC launched its new phone Desire 600, and now the company is ready to launch the new variant of this phone which is the Desire 600c. While the Desire 600 supported Dual SIM (GSM and GSM), the Desire 600c supports dual-SIM (GSM and CDMA). The handset is already listed on HTC’s official website.
The HTC Desire 600c features a 4.5-inch qHD display. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1 GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM has a 8 MP rear camera with auto focus, LED flash and a 1.6 MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor. The phone is also capable of 720p video recording. The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM weighs 127 grams and features dual front stereo speakers with built in amplifiers. The phone is powered by a 1860 mAh battery which is similar to the the Desire 600c.
The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM is a bit different from its predecessor. Though the device almost have the same specifications, it is not identical in design. The HTC Desire 600c dual SIM is a CDMA variant and supports GSM+CDMA networks. The phone runs Android Jelly Bean with HTC Sense, BlinkFeed and other features. As per the images the phone will be available in two colors Black and white.
Pricing and availability has not been confirmed, but the pricing should be around the price tag of the HTC Desire 600 which is INR 26,000.
Intex has launched two new affordable smartphones in the “Cloud” range, the Intex Cloud X4 and Intex Cloud Y2, priced at Rs. 4,590 (Cloud X4) and Rs. 6,190 (Cloud Y2). The new phones are based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, Cloud X4 flaunts a screen size of 3.5 inches while Cloud Y2 sports a 4.0 inch screen.The handsets are equipped with 1 GHz and 1.2 GHz dual core processor respectively. Both phones have capacitive multi-touch displays, dual SIM support and dual camera capabilities.
Intex has sold over 4 lacs Smartphones in last quarter and planning to sell 3 million this fiscal year. This widespread acceptance is testimony to our differentiated and rich product portfolio, which is backed by a strong service and support network. Our latest offerings in the ‘Cloud’ series offer an enhanced mobility experience to users who demand the best of features and performance from their smartphones and are economical too.”
Both the phones will come with Pre-loaded apps that, include Intex Play, Intex Life Box, Intex zone, Intex movies, YouTube, Facebook, Skype and Hungama.
Nokia has long lost the major chunk of the market it used to own, and it is not easy to come down from the 80% market share to a lowly 15%. Despite the continued efforts of the the Finnish manufacturer, the market seems to not want to adapt to their ecosystem anymore. Fortunately for Nokia, countries like India still exist and devices like the Nokia Asha 501 are the only Asha (ray of hope) the company may have at surviving their toughest time yet. Does the Nokia Asha 501 cut its place out in the market which is now dominated by cheap Chinese replicas.
Build Quality and Hardware
Impressive. That is the only word that comes to mind the minute you pick up the Nokia Asha 501, its almost nostalgic. Suddenly Nokia has been able to remind us why we have so many MEMEs about the Nokia 3310. Nokia has once again focused on making a sturdy and strong device, that will promise to last long through the battles of life. The Nokia Asha 501 also targets the youth with a array of beautiful color options including Cyan, Green, White, Black and the “Pinkenta” that we got (seriously !)
With its Unibody-esque ( the shell is openable) design and polycarbonate feel, which is actually plastic make this phone really robust. The quality of materials used has actually shown off in the end result and will be appreciated for a long time to come.
On the hardware front all is sketch, in an age where people want to know everything about the workings of their phone, the 3 pieces of relevant information here are : 3 inch screen, 1200 mAh battery and 3 MP camera. All of which are in the 3 negatives; below par, below standard and below competition.
Software and UI
Nokia has done something fascinating with the new “ASHA” UI, which makes is a lot more appealing. The number of interactions required by a user before execution have been considerably reduced with the new Nokia Asha 501.
The new ASHA interface truly is a rebuild of S40 which is a rebuild of Symbian which means you have JAVA on this phone. Which means that you should not expect an experience close to any Smartphone that you have ever seen, in fact despite Nokia’s huge software attempt, the UI is slow, boring and sort of dated.
Coming down from an Android, best of luck transferring contacts! Despite the series of softwares available, its still not done automatically via Gmail.
Sure you get Nokia Music and Express Browser that do work well and the music service is truly worth the value. You also get FM radio, but you still need a headset ( incidentally the one in the box is color coded to the color of the handset).
Phone and Battery Life
The Dual Sim Nokia Asha 501, is one hell of a phone, and that is what it is. The modern marvel of Nokia build engineering and possible Meme star (part deux) has immaculate network reception along with impressive voice handling and transmission. No network lag during travel and little or no disturbance through usage. In todays low/no network enviorment, the phone works as great indoors as it does outdoors.
The battery life is another gem in the treasure chest, over 12 hours of talk time on our test, with endless standby. The company claimed 17 hours of talk time and over 600 hours of standby actually seem possible with time.
Camera and Multimedia
Dont think this phone is limited in terms of features, you get a pretty impressive browser that actually impressed us with the promptness with which is handled many websites including iGyaan. The video playback from Youtube over Wifi is smooth and lag free and the speaker is pretty loud.
The 3 MP camera is a feature that you get but may never use, the images are poor and composed without a pop of color, are flat and underexposed. Low light conditions will remind you of the days of 3310 indeed, where a no camera is better than any camera at all.
Conclusion
The Nokia Asha 501 is not supposed to be a Smart Phone, even though the company may be leading the world to believe so. The Asha 501 is a fantastic phone, built with an impressive quality and attention to detail, and a battery life that puts the big dogs to shame the market over. Unfortunately Nokia fails to communicate this to potential buyers, when its trying to show off features like music playback and Facebook access, which truly are not the highlights of this phone.
The Nokia Asha 501 is a fantastic second phone, I’d buy one just because its that good a phone, which that good battery life, but that is all there is to it. Several options in the Rs. 5000 price bracket offer Smartphone-features especially if the phone is loaded with Android. We have listed a few options below.
The iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 was announced recently and promised a lot of fanfare, the device brings a lot more to the table than is expected from devices this value, but does it stand a chance? Lets Find Out in our Review of the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1.
Build Quality and Hardware
The iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 resembles the HTC Butterfly, a mix of the first butterfly in looks and a paint job that resembles the newer HTC Butterfly. The device itself has been assembled out of plastic but feels quite robust. The front sports gorilla glass which claims a 20% increase in toughness and breakage/scratch resistance.
The right mix of hardware has made this device a lot more appreciable, thanks to a full HD display, a quad core chipset, 1 GB RAM, a set of 13 and 8 MP Cameras, 4 GB storage and 64 GB Expandability vis MicroSD cards (although our 64 GB class 10 Sandisk card refused to work).The battery on paper is also fairly sufficient with the 2800mAh badge.
The front of the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 has a OGS display which is pitched at 1080p, the full HD resolution is gorgeous and is a pleasure to have on any device. What is also fascinating is the fact that the display nicely moulds out into the bezel that looks good and gives the device the upper edge in terms of looks. The display is only faintly visible outdoors and lacks the excessive brightness you would expect from a display with a 1080p resolution, but so do most of the higher end flagships. Viewing angles are great and you get a nice overall perspective when watching movies, browsing through pictures and other consumption models.
Multimedia consumption on the device is great as well thanks to the overall mix of the hardware and software. The Display mixed up with a variety of Apps available from the Google Play store make this a jumble of multimedia. Internet is well experienced on the handset and display plays a major role in multimedia which seems to be fulfilled thanks to the high resolution.
Gaming
The RAM optimization on the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 is a major drawback on this handset, which really comes to create issues in Gaming. Any game around the like of Dead Trigger and Virtual Tennis will perform great on the handset, but playing games like Asphalt 7 and NOVA 3 will require constant reboots and RAM Optimizing software. Watch our experience below.
The Cameras on the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 are nothing but hype, the 13 MP snapper is average when it comes to image production, the BSI sensor helps but images are not composed correctly, with a lot of color fringing and imbalance in the light input, the sensor only seems mediocre in front of Samsung S4’s 13 MP. The front 8 MP shooter is just for numbers and does not even justify the moniker, watch some samples in the video review.
Phone, Messaging and Overall Performance
The iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1, did fairly well in phone call tests, we did face a few dropped calls while traveling, but it is safe to say they could be cell switch drops and not necessarily hardware related. The touch screen is very responsive and the multitouch input ensures that your messaging will not be hindered while using the device, especially for typing weather you go for it in portrait or landscape.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as an OS is a good thing to have, especially since it is fairly recent, but the lack of optimization of Software and Hardware is the biggest flaw of this handset, in day to day use you may not feel the impact, but the minute your RAM usage gets exceeded the phone becomes a big drama queen, and throws tantrums until you pull down the covers and give the battery a quick swap. Constant reboot is the only solution to optimizing this otherwise great handset. The company claims to be working on a fix, but the fact that the phone has reached the market with such a major flaw speaks a lot about the lack of testing, especially since the company needed this handset to break into the market. Not that the phone is a complete failure, its a great handset , but truly lacks in performance, and no one but the engineers and testers at the outfit are to blame.
Despite the frequent outbursts of RAM mismanagement and the dire need to reboot the handset you will be quite happy to know that the phone will manage 5 – 6 hours of talk time on an average day and the battery life should be good enough to take the beating from an average consumer for 24 hours. The software if updated with a fix for the battery issues will bring about a positive change in the battery life, which will only add to the already impressive value.
Conclusion
Smartphones have become increasingly confusing nowadays, with endless choices and price brackets to choose from, one really needs to understand what he is getting into. While its always great to have a well built phone ( as the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 is ) with a mix of high end hardware ( just like the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 has) for a relatively low price ( which the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 is available at), it is also essential to ensure that the phone works, and works the way its supposed to. A future fix will fix anything, but at the present stage when the phone is available, with no real software fix in sight, the performance the heating up and RAM mismanagement, make us ask you to avoid this handset, till the time the company fixes the issue anyway.
If that takes too long we have a whole array of handsets coming in from Samsung, Gionee, SOny and even Nokia that offer up a wonderful bundle of usage.
HTC is ready to bring its flagship features to the masses with the new HTC Desire 600 Dual Sim. The Smartphone running Android 4.1 Jelly bean also features the Latest HTC Sense and Blinkfeed UI. Laid out with a 4.5 inch 540 x 960 px Super LCD2 capacitive touchscreen display, it has a nimble 242 ppi pixel density. Cameras are borrowed from the HTC 8X with a 8 MP snapper 1/3.2” sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size. The front facing camera is a 1.7 MP shooter both will do 720p video.
The HTC Desire 600 dual sim is based on a Qualcomm MSM8625Q Snapdragon 200 with a Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A5 and an Adreno 203, all of which according to the company can tak on any Mediatek based handset offering similar features. The Build quality and feel of the HTC Desire 600 Dual Sim is definitely great. With its rubberized grippy back panel and slim brushed steel bezel the dual sim smartphone is really worth of the brand.
The box we got is not a retail box , but the usual in-box items should include :
Handset
Earphones
USB Cable
Warranty
User Guide
Wall Charger
1860 mAh Battery
HTC has not left out on the usual Sense features bundling 25 GB Dropbox storage. Check out the unbxoing video (uploading) and stay tuned for Gaming Benchmarks and full review shortly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
While many are awaiting the new Micromax Canvas 4 A210, the company is not shy of releasing more handsets. Micromax has today launched the new A92 Canvas Lite for a price of Rs. 8499. The specifications of the Micromax Canvas Lite A92 match those of the original Canvas A100 with a 5 inch 480 x 800 px display, A Mediatek 6577 Dual Core 1 Ghz Chipset. The Micromax Canvas Lite A92 will also have 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD and 512 MB of RAM.
The Canvas Lite A92 also has the same set of cameras as seen on the Canvas A100, a 5 MP main shooter along with a front facing camera (0.3 MP). While the company has phased out the A100, this is a great way for the company to relaunch older hardware with a new name. For the price the specifications are quite okay, but considering that with a couple thousand more nowadays you can get a Quad Core chipset and a 720p display. Would you be interested in buying a Micromax Canvas Lite A92?
Samsung India has put their upcoming Galaxy Core up for pre-order for a price of Rs. 15,350. But if you cant wait, you can head on over to any retailer and grab the phone for a price of Rs. 15,200 in both white and blue colors.
The phone features a lot of the usual features, but interestingly is only slightly cheaper than the Galaxy Grand Quattro which is priced at Rs.16300. The Samsung Galaxy Core features a dual core 1.2 GHz chipset with an unnamed GPU (we are inclined towards the Broadcom chipset), owners will get 8 GB storage, 1 GB RAM and a set of cameras, including a 5 MP main snapper and a VGA front facing shooter.
A 4.3 inch WVGA display completes the front and a 1800 mAh battery with a claimed talk time of 8 Hours powers the handset. The Samsung Galaxy Core will come with Android 4.1 along with TouchWiz out of the box, where Samsung has also included the tradition set of features and apps, including the Social Hub, Smart Stay and Motion etc.
Samsung has recently become very aggressive with the market launching several phones each month. With the mega success of their Galaxy Grand series Samsung also launched the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3 to win over the “phablet market”. Samsung is said to announce over a hundred new handsets in 2013 with their major focus on mid range handsets.
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[tab title=” Buy Now” icon=”icon-shopping-cart”][/tab][tab title=” Galaxy Grand Quattro” icon=”icon-shopping-cart”][/tab][tab title=” Galaxy S Advance” icon=”icon-shopping-cart”][/tab][/tabgroup]
Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 at an event in New Delhi, the phones building on the success of the Galaxy note and the Grand build on the success of Phone – Tablet hybrids in the market or better known as “phablets”. Priced at Rs. 25,999/ the Galaxy Mega 5.8 essentially is a bigger Galaxy Grand, but there is something slightly different about the phone.
Galaxy Mega 5.8 Box Contents
The Samsung Galaxy Mega comes with the standard list of Box contents;
Handset
2600 mAh Battery
USB Charge and Sync Cable
In Ear Earphones with Mic
Extra Ear Tips
Wall Charger
Documentation and Warranty Card.
Galaxy Mega 5.8 Initial Impressions
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a large device, but clearly is not as large as its big brother the Mega 6.3, next to the Galaxy S4 the Mega 5.8 simply dwarfs the current flagship from the Korean Manufacturer. The display is a 540 x 960 px capacitive touchscreen, and despite a lowly 190 ppi the screen is really sharp and great to look at. The screen is also extremely bright, fairly visible outdoors and has good viewing angles.
The Galaxy Mega features a dual core 1.4 GHz chipset which is the same chipset seen on the Galaxy Grand, which was pretty good at handling gaming on the smaller variant, but may not deliver on a larger screen with a higher resolution. The phone also has 8 GB storage and 1.5GB of RAM, along with expandability upto 64 GB via microSD.
The phone is also capable of handling two sim cards at the same time with Samsung’s new dual sim smart active mode with active forwarding to your numbers.
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 has dual cameras, an 8MP main shooter and a secondary 1.9 MP camera, both of which capture video at 1080p. The phone also comes with Android 4.2.2 out of the box slapped on with a generous dose of Touchwiz, with many of the UI elements inspired from the S4.
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 appears to be big but is easily handleable and is not that bigger than the Galaxy Note 2. The phone will fit into regular denim pockets, but may cause issues if you are one of those skinny fit lovers.
The UI seems fast and responsive and the handset seems to be holding up well, stay tuned for a barrage of videos iGyaan Style.
Lava and Xolo are essentially the same company, and traditionally Xolo was formed by the company to take care of smartphone needs of the market and Lava remained focused on the feature phone market. As the market transitions from a feature phone to a smartphone market. Lava has also transitioned into the smartphone market with the new iris 504q, and the company says it is happy competing within the organization, even if it has to.
Lava on Friday launched the Iris 504Q, a smartphone targeted at the likes of Micromax and Karbonn with their Canvas and Titanium series. Powered by a Mediatek Processor (6589) the company is trying to differentiate the product from the mass of multiple devices in the market with features like gesture control and software enhancements.
Lava iris 504Q Initial Impressions
The handset is manufactured well and almost resembles the HTC Butterfly from a distance, thanks to the resemblance to the earpiece grill. The back of the Lava iris 504Q is a soft touch plastic, that almost feels rubberized for added grip. Lava has managed to get a good balance of subtle branding and design to ensure the phone does not look overly flash and cheap.
The hardware list on the Lava iris 504Q is also pretty common on the market, a 5 inch 1280 x 720p screen, quad core processor , a mix of 8 MP and 2 MP cameras, 1 Gig of RAM and a 4 GB storage. Lava is trying various software tweaks to appeal to the market like gestures for the image gallery and clicking pictures. This will definitely attract buyers who were influenced by these features in the Galaxy S4, but the it does not work that well.
The Lava Iris 504Q is also fairly slim at just 8.4mm and fits well in the hand. For a price of Rs.13499/- in the market Lava has added yet another competitor in the Quad Core dual sim market.
Check out the images below.
[toggle title=”Press Release”]New Delhi, June 15, 2013: LAVA International Limited, a fast growing company in the mobile handset industry, today announced its entry into the high-end smartphone category with its new flagship smartphone, Lava Iris504q. The phone boasts of technologically advanced gesture motion control that reinvents the mobile experience and set a new standard for smartphones in its category. Lava Iris504q is designed to address a large and important segment of the smartphone market where customers are looking to upgrade to an affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and technologically competitive smartphone.
The Lava Iris 504q is a high-end Android smartphone with 8.4mm thickness that makes it the slimmest in its category. It brings HD experience to a 5 inch IPS screen with OGS display technology and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The new gesture motion feature allows the users to interact with the phone with just a swipe of the hand in the air. The gesture control feature can be used for clicking photos, changing tracks on the music player and video player, tuning FM channels and browsing entertainment gallery on the smartphone.
Powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Iris 504q comes with an intelligent flip cover, offering comfort and convenience to the consumer. This device sports an 8MP camera (rear auto-focus with in-built flash and BSI sensor) that provides multiple camera options to capture stunning photographs and a 2 MP front camera for 3G video calling. .
Lava Iris 504q also packs in 1GB RAM and an internal memory of 4 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB, giving users enough space to store their multimedia content. A large 2,000-mAh battery provides ample back up for multimedia, stand by and talk time.
Lava has also partnered with Hungama to provide seamless entertainment experience and various VAS initiatives latest being integration of Hungama’s Music Application and ‘LavaZone’ the storefront (Powered by Hungama.com) on Iris 504Q . With this user gets access to over 2 million pieces of content across genres and languages, in the form of music tracks, music videos , trailers & dialogues; mobile content such as ringtones & wallpapers.Iris504q comes with some preloaded apps such as Opera web browser, Hungama Music App and Moden Combat HD from gameloft, making it a smart choice for the smartphone buyers.
Mr. Hari Om Rai, Co-Founder & Director, Lava International Ltd., said, “Lava believes in enhancing consumer experience while assisting efficiency and helping consumers to enjoy products that meet their needs. Our innovative products are a result of careful planning, intense R&D and listening to the needs of our consumers. We are proud to announce the launch of our flagship and the much awaited, Lava Iris 504q – a technologically competitive product, with superior features and high quality, available to our discerning customers at a smart price.”
Lava Iris 504q is a super slim, fast and easy-to-use smartphone that delivers effortless multitasking, making life easier and hassle-free. Priced at Rs. 13,499 Lava Iris 504q will be available across national retail chain stores, multi-brand outlets across India and online stores beginning 4th week of June.
For more information, please visit www.lavamobiles.com[/toggle]
Samsung has just launched an ultra budget smartphone called the “Galaxy Star”, putting the company in handset range from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 45,000 for Smartphone Market Segment. The phone is aimed at the basic market, and targets the likes of Indian brands with budget smartphones. The Galaxy Star is powered by a 1200 mAh battery and runs on a 1 GHz A5 chipset, along with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. The Galaxy Star also has a 2 MP camera at the back and a 3 inch capacitive touchscreen in the front along with Bluetooth 4.0 for sharing abilities.
The Galaxy Star is being launched with a free data offer from Vodafone – 250 MB per month for 2 months .The offer is applicable on Vodafone 2G on purchase of Samsung Star till July 31 , 2013 .
[toggle title=”Press Release”]SAMSUNG DEBUTS THE ‘GALAXY STAR’ The entry level Galaxy device from Samsung
New Delhi, May 24, 2013 – Samsung Electronics, the number one smartphone provider in India, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Star in the Indian market. The GALAXY Star is the entry level smartphone from Samsung, which provides users’ with an enhanced smartphone experience at a very affordable price point. Powered with an ultrafast, speedy processor, intuitive motion UI and smart multimedia features, the dual SIM capable Samsung Galaxy Star offers seamless all-round performance, greater flexibility, freedom and content sharing possibilities to its users. Announcing the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Star, Mr. Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Samsung Mobile stated, “In line with our commitment to providing Smartphones to a wider set of consumers , I am happy to announce the launch of Galaxy Star – a device that provides superior value to consumers based on its advanced features , intuitive performance and superior design features. We want more and more feature phone users to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Star. ” Superior performance Powered by A5 1GHz processor and the latest Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system, the Samsung GALAXY Star provides the user with exceptional performance for an enhanced multi-tasking and connectivity. With 3” capacitive touch screen, the device comes loaded with a 2MP camera and the latest Bluetooth 4.0 technology for on-the-go Internet and effortless sharing. Supported with a large 512 MB RAM & 4GB internal memory Samsung Galaxy Star can be expandable upto 32GB for a seamless smartphone usage. Dual Smart Experience The GALAXY Star comes bundled with several smart features that enable users to control and connect with the device. Intelligent Motion UI maximizes smart features for the most responsive, intuitive user experience. For example, shake the device to refresh and update, mute volume by simply flipping device, etc. . It’s innovative Smart Dual SIM feature provides total communication flexibility, allowing users to manage two phone numbers from a single phone, thus maintaining personal and professional life with ease. The feature enables the user to receive calls on one SIM number while taking a call from the other, ensuring efficient management of personal and work commitments without ever missing a call. Enhanced Smart Dual SIM UX is designed to manage both accounts with safe call dialler and message composer. Rich connected applications The GALAXY Star comes pre-loaded with ChatOn, Samsung’s unique cross-platform communication service that enables the users to socialize with friends and to do more than just instant messaging. ChatOn allows users to freely share multimedia content, do group chatting with friends and create personalized animated messages. The device also comes pre-loaded with the services such Google Search and cutting edge Google Now. Google Now provides the users’ helpful cards with information they need throughout the day, even before they ask. The device is also embedded with the of the Samsung Apps store with contains a variety of e-books, games, news, navigation, productivity, social networking apps, etc. Last but not the least, Galaxy Star based on latest Android OS i.e. Jellybean 4.1 provides opportunity to consumers to download more than 700k Apps & Games from Google Playstore. The Samsung GALAXY Star comes with a powerful 1200mAh battery and has an MRP of Rs. 5240/-.The Galaxy Star is being launched with a free data offer from Vodafone – 250 MB per month for 2 months .The offer is applicable on Vodafone 2G on purchase of Samsung Star till July 31 , 2013 . With the launch of this device, Samsung now offers a range of 15 Smartphone models priced in the range between Rs. 5240/- and Rs. 41,500/-. About Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com [/toggle]
It seems HTC is following in Samsung’s footsteps of dual sim Quad-core devices, as the Taiwanese company just announced the Desire 600. The Desire 600 gets most of the features from Sense 5 and the HTC One, including the popular Blinkfeed, along with some nifty camera and video features minus the ZOE camera feature. Spec wise there is a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel primary camera capable of up to 720p video capture and a front-facing 1.6-megapixel shooter.
The front comes with a 4.5-inch Super LCD2 display (at 960 x 540 resolution),The Desire 600 picks up the same dual front-facing speaker setup of the One called BOOMSOUND,expecting a global launch of the phone, it’s currently headed to Russia, Ukraine and the Middle-East for now.
There is no word whether or not this handset will come to India, and we have reached out to HTC for an official word, as we believe it would fit right in under the Rs. 20,000 Price mark. But, considering HTC’s executive shuffle, we doubt that there will be some concrete news.
[toggle title=”Press Release”]HTC Desire 600 dual sim boosts the acclaimed Desire series
Quad-core processor, true dual SIM convenience and HTC BlinkFeed™ bring premium performance and versatility to the mid-range market
HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has today unveiled the new HTC Desire 600 dual sim, the first mid-range handset to offer HTC’s latest Sense 5 experience; HTC BlinkFeed and HTC BoomSound, most recently launched as part of the award-winning HTC One. Taking full advantage of Android Jelly Bean, the new model also offers super-fast quad-core performance, while the advanced Video Highlights feature enables maximum creativity at a more affordable price tag.
“People rely on their smartphones every day to be their news channel, email inbox, social network and music player,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Desire 600 dual sim combines speed and easy multitasking with the truly innovative HTC BlinkFeed home screen. The result is an affordable mid-range phone that sets the standard for its class, keeping the busiest user up-to-date at a glance and offering them the power and range of features to switch between work and play.”
A smartphone designed to keep pace with life Sporting a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim is able to support even the busiest of lifestyles. Capable of high-speed multitasking, super-fast web browsing and graphic-intense gaming, it offers exceptional performance whatever the task.
Dual SIM card holders give you the freedom of having two phones in one, making it easy to switch between multiple mobile accounts and keep you up to speed with all the elements of your world. Running the “dual active” system, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim allows you to have two SIM cards active all the times, enabling you to receive a call on one line, even if you are already using the other.
HTC BlinkFeed: Your favourite content live on your home screen The HTC Desire 600 dual sim brings HTC’s acclaimed BlinkFeed to the Desire range. Transforming the home screen into a customisable stream of live information, HTC BlinkFeed is displayed on a stunning 4.5″, super LCD2 display and aggregates social streams and news, providing the freshest content at a glance.
Drawing on local and global content from more than 1,400 media sources, BlinkFeed draws on more than 10,000 articles per day from some of the world’s leading media companies including AOL, ESPN, MTV, The Financial Times and Reuters.
Video Highlights: Bringing your moments to life HTC Video Highlights allows you to turn a day out into an entire experience that you can keep forever. Taking images captured on either the 8MP rear-facing or 1.6 MP front-facing camera, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim automatically creates professional-looking 30-second show reels without the need for advanced editing software. Simply select a music theme, alter the sequences and share your life movie with friends, family and social networks with a single tap of the screen.
HTC BoomSound: Sound you’ll want to share The dual front-facing speakers of the HTC Desire 600 dual sim allow you to experience mobile entertainment as it is meant to be enjoyed. Complete with exclusive built-in amplifiers, whether you’re listening to music, watching movies or playing games, the speakers, which minimise distortion, offer a sharper, richer, wholly immersive smartphone sound. Beats Audio™ integration also takes the audio quality to the next level guaranteeing an experience as intense and high-powered as the device itself.
EMEA Availability The new HTC Desire 600 dual sim will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in Russia, Ukraine and MEA from early June 2013. For more information visit www.htc.com.[/toggle]
Lava has just launched the new Lava Iris 458Q in India. The Phone comes powered with a Mediatek 6589 chipset which has a 1.2 GHz QuadCore CPU and PowerVR SGX graphics. The Iris 458Q runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with a 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of storage (32 GB expandable). The display is a 4.5 inch 480 x 800 px capacitive touchscreen.
With an 8 MP main camera and a VGA camera the specs on the Iris 458Q are quite similar to the Micromax Canvas Doodle A111, except for the screen size. The phone runs on juice from a 2000 mAh battery and is capable of Dual Sim Dual Standby.
[toggle title=”Press Release”]Lava Iris 458 q: Experience the power of Four
Lava International Ltd, one of the most respected and fastest growing mobile handset companies in India, has announced its entry into the quad-core processor smartphone category by introducing the Iris 458q with a 1.2 Ghz quad core processor.
The power of four cores enables seamless multitasking that makes it easy for the user to switch between multiple running apps thereby adding to their productivity. Aesthetically designed with a slim form factor that has a curve bend and matte finish, the Iris 458q has an elegant look. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly bean operating system and sports a crystal clear 4.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with FWVGA resolution.
In built sensors include Proximity, Light & G Sensor. It also packs in 512MB RAM and 4GB internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB using microSD storage memory cards. Lava has also preloaded various useful apps such asWeChat, Push Mail, Ebook reader etc. on the phone along with HD movies and HD games – making it a smart choice for the smartphone buyers.
An 8 MP rear auto-focus camera with built-in flash provides multiple camera options and captures stunning photographs. It also carries a front VGA camera for 3G video calling. A large 2,000-mAh battery provides ample back up for multimedia, stand by and talk time.
Commenting on the launch of their quad core smartphone, Mr. SN Rai, Co – Founder & Director, Lava International Ltd. said, “ Innovation and understanding of consumer needs are a couple of key strengths for LAVA and that helps us introduce powerful smartphones across various price segments for all users. The Iris 458q is our latest offering for users who love to carry a stylish smartphone with the latest technology without burning a hole in the pocket.”
Priced at Rs 8999/-, the Iris 458q is one of the most affordable quad core smartphones today and will be available across all major retail and online stores. [/toggle]
iGyaan has got hold of exclusive information that, Gionee will launch a 7.9mm slim smartphone in India soon, according to leaked images and specs. Dubbed “Gionee E3” the phone will be powered by a Mediatek 6589 Quadcore 1.2 GHz CPU and a PowerVR Series 5XT GPU.
The Gionee E3 will carry a 4.7 inch 720p display and will be loaded with 16 GB of inbuilt storage along with 1 GB of RAM. Of course you also get MicroSD expansion upto 32 GB. The Gionee E3 will also have traditional Dual Sim, Dual standby capabilities and 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies for 2G and 900/2100 MHz frequencies for 3G.
Among the features will also be an 8 megapixel camera at back with full HD video capabilities, a 2.0 MP front facing HD camera ( we are guessing 720p). The specifications are quite similar to another device from competition, apart from the internal storage which is evidently different. WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 will come included in the usual set of connectivity features, with GPS and A-GPS.
You can find more details at the companies website link below.
Samsung’s success in the Indian market is truly thanks to their ability to understand the need of the market. The company understood that by penetrating the lower end of the spectrum they could increase their popularity. So with devices like the Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Y, Samsung tapped the under 10,000 market space. With the Galaxy Y plus, Samsung has further tried to take away from the feature phone buyer and get him interested in smartphones. In our Samsung Galaxy Y Plus review we try to see if Samsung has yet another winner.
Solid Plastics
Build Quality & Design
Weather you buy a Rs. 5000 phone or a Rs. 50,000 phone from Samsung, you will find the excessive use of plastics. The Samsung Galaxy Y Plus is no different, with a Plastic chassis, plastic back and plastic bezels along with plastic buttons. The phone however is robust and looks or at least feels like it could survive a bunch of falls and crashes, in fact we wont be surprised if it survives a car running over it, only to be thrown away.
The design and shape is reminiscent of the Y Series of Galaxy phones. The shape adds a bit of the looks of the higher end of the spectrum devices from Samsung.
No Front Cam
2 MP Rear Cam
Left Side
Right Side
Hardware
Not a lot to boast about here for the Samsung Galaxy Y Plus. The front has a 2.8 inch LCD which has a resolution of 240 x 320px making it 143 ppi, it truly makes you wonder if Samsung will ever dump small size AMOLED displays in budget phones. The insides are a little sketchy with an unknown 850 MHz processor, no details for any sort of GPU and no info on the RAM. If we were to guess, we’d say the RAM should be around the 384MB mark.
The Galaxy Y plus has a 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, camera which has a fixed focus and Geo Tagging capability. The internal storage is shown as 4GB out of which under 2 GB is available to the user and expandability is kept at 32GB via microSD. The Galaxy Y Plus has a 1200 mAh battery which seems sufficient considering the specs in question even thought the phone has two sim card slots, one for 3G and one for 2G.
Android and Interface
The Samsung Galaxy Y Plus comes with Android 4.0, which is a slight disappointment especially because companies like Micromax are throwing out Jelly Bean equipped phones by the minute. The interface however is very responsive and seems like this variant of Android was a logical choice of the company to retain the fluidity of the experience.
TouchWiz is also loaded on the tiny display which makes for a fun trailer to what you can expect when you later on switch to a more expensive Samsung Device (the company is betting on this). In fact adaptability of OS along with the available hardware is surprisingly great and performance seems acceptable from a phone of said value.
2 MP Rear Cam
Multimedia and Camera
The phone is poor in these departments and for anyone who may be looking to buy this phone for the multimedia aspects, we suggest you look elsewhere. Although the Samsung Galaxy Y Plus is capable of playing games like temple run 2 smoothly, we feel the display is tattered and totally takes away from any such experience. Similar is the video playback experience, not only does the screen create a letterbox, but also reduces the size of the video to play it totally taking away from the end user enjoyment.
Pictures can be clicked from the phone’s 2 MP snapper never to be reconsidered, Samsung’s emphasizes on the geo tagging feature, as if we must remember exactly where we clicked the atrociously horrible pictures which were completely out of focus.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Y Plus Duos is a great dual sim phone, which fades the barrier between smartphone and feature phone. While it does have multitasking capabilities, and a whole array of multimedia features you may not end up using any of them except possibly the loud music from the speakerphone.
If you want to get a basic phone to make phone calls and send messages , this is your bet, dual sim with a good two day battery life and great network reception and a loud speaker. You may also be happy knowing that you have other Android capabilities which you may never use.
