Tag: hands on

Hands On with the LG G4

Unveiled back in April, the latest flagship from LG’s stable, LG G4, is finally out in India today. As scheduled, the Korean electronics maker today released the premium handset in the country, while pre-bookings have already kicked off on the LG India website. The handset is available with a price tag of Rs. 51,500.

We got a chance to get our hands on the device and here’s our first experience:

The LG G4 looks premium with its leather-clad backplate. It serves a dual purpose – the smartphone looks amazing, and at the same time it provides a better grip. The leatherback is resistant to water, to help prevent staining and to allow it to wear naturally over time.

The G4 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display (2560x1440p resolution) that uses quantum dot technology. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

LG hasn’t provided touch capacitive buttons on the botton, instead they are on the screen itself. The company says that it is a first on the phone and results in higher brightness and contrast.

At the bottom of the handset is a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone hole and a charging port. The top has a secondary noise cancellation microphone and an IR (Infrared Blaster). Surprisingly, there aren’t any buttons on either the left or the right-hand side. The back boasts the massive camera, power button as well as the volume rockers.

The processor fitted on the device is a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 418 GPU. LG says that the Snapdragon 808 churns out power similar to Samsung’s octa-core Exynos chip.

With 3GB RAM, the internal storage space of the G4 is 32GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 2TB. As teased, the smartphone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

One of the most highlighted features of the device is its powerful camera. It boasts a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture (widest aperture on any smartphone camera) equipped with Optical Image Stabilization 2.0, color spectrum sensor, and Laser Auto Focus functionality.

The camera on the phone offers a manual operation mode which brings in a variety of options like exposure, white balance, color temperature, ISO, aperture, RAW mode and many more. The front facing camera is 8MP also with f/1.8 aperture. The handset is powered by a removable 3,000 mAh battery.

SPECIFICATION	LG G4
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM	3GB
Primary Camera	16MP
Front Camera	8MP
Storage	32GB
Expandable Up to	2 TB
Battery	3,000 mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Bluetooth	4.1 LE (APT-x)

In terms of connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, Glonass, NFC and HDMI SlimPort (4K).

Buyers of the handset will get 100GB of free space on Google Drive for two years. The phone will be available in four colour options – Black, Blue, Yellow, Beige. The back plates of the phone are carved out of leather and will come in multiple shades.

Watch our hands-on video below:

June 19, 2015

Hands On with the Micromax Canvas Sliver 5

Micromax’s new entrant into the smartphone rat race, is not really new. The Micromax Canvas Sliver 5 is the Indian manufacturer’s slim device to take on the other slim phones. The upside, the Canvas Sliver 5 is 5.1mm end to end with no bumps or depressions. The frame is made from Aircraft grade aluminium and the front as well as the back is glass.

Specs wise, a few disappointments can be made out easy. For the price of Rs. 17,999, Micromax has included a Snapdragon 410 chipset, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB non-expandable storage and an 8 MP camera.

The front has a paltry 720p display along with Gorilla Glass 3, the battery is a mere 2000mAh. There is not a lot on offer here apart from the slim profile and the lightweight design.

The software is mostly stock Android 5.0.2 with some installed software, most of it is easily uninstalled. A flagship was expected from Micromax today, but the Rs. 17,999 price is might be the reason Canvas Sliver 5 remains on shelves. At a time where the world’s smartphone makers are battling to offer maximum at minimum rates, the Canvas Sliver 5 seems to fall short with average specifications. Besides, users have the choice to spend Rs. 2,000 extra and buy the OnePlus One (64GB) at Rs. 19,998. For that small amount, you would get a better camera, processor and a massive (multimedia-friendly) display.

Specifications	Micromax Canvas Sliver 5
Display	4.8-inch HD AMOLED, 720p
Processor	64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
RAM	2GB DDR3
Storage	16GB, non-expandable
Rear Camera	8MP
Front Camera	5MP
Battery	2000mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Price	Rs. 17,999

June 18, 2015

Hands On | YU Yuphoria | Exclusive Unboxing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hands On the Yu Yuphoria

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

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

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

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

May 12, 2015

Unboxing and Hands On | LG G Flex 2

A month after announcing the LG G Flex 2, LG has finally declared the availability of the latest flagship from LG’s line up of smartphones in India. This phone comes with an improved four side curve design and a high-resolution display. Here, we will be unboxing the LG handset and giving a quick hands on review.

The 5.5-inch full HD Curved P-OLED display phone is powered by the latest 64-bit Snapdragon 810 Octa-Core processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM. It operating system runs on Android 5.0 with LG UI 3.0. Camera specifications include a 13MP primary camera with dual-LED flash and a front-facing 2.1MP camera. In terms of unique features, the LG G Flex 2 has a fast laser autofocus camera that works by measuring the distance between the subject and the lens using a laser beam. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.1, LTE support, USB 2.0 and NFC. The phone is available in Silver Titan colour and 16GB variant for now and is priced at Rs 54,990.

LG G Flex 2 Specs:

SPECIFICATION	LG G Flex 2
Display	5.5-inch full HD 1920×1080 Curved P-OLED display
Processor	64-bit Snapdragon 810 Octa-Core processor
RAM	2GB
Internal Memory	32GB
Expandable Up To	2TB
Primary Camera	13MP with Advanced OIS+, LED Flash, 4K Video
Secondary Camera	2.1MP
Operating System	Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OS with LG UI 3.0
Price	Rs. 54,990

Check out the Unboxing video below:

Want to know how the new phone fares against the old version? Check out our hands on with the LG G Flex here.

May 2, 2015

Asus ZenFone 2 | Exclusive Unboxing and Hands On

Recently Asus introduced the successor to its affordable Zenfone series, the Zenfone 2. The company also announced that there are three variants of the device that would share the Zenfone 2 name. Chinese tech giants, Xiaomi and OnePlus, who have successfully created a niche in the Indian market, may find themselves facing severe rivalry in the mid-range category.

The Asus ZenFone 2 box consists of:

An Asus ZenFone 2 Handset.
Documentation including Warranty card and User Guide.
Earphones (Although, our box did not)
Standard Asus Charger
USB Cable

The phone is expected to launch on 23rd April, exclusively on Flipkart with an expected price tag of Rs. 19,000. The device comes with a 5.5-inch 1920x1080p IPS Display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by an Intel Atom 23580 Quadcore processor with 2.3 GHz CPU. One of its notable features is that the phone comes with two variants of RAM; 2GB RAM and 4GB RAM. The one we unboxed came with 4GB RAM. The juice is supplied by an adequate 3000mAh non-removable battery and the smartphone comes pre-loaded with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The device is well-built and similar to the LG G3, and HTC One M8 in terms of its colour finish. Its User Interface was clean, fast and responsive. In our initial impressions, we did not experience any lag.

Asus Zenfone 2 has a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. The dual LED flash paired with the rear camera, comes in two colours, to help you get the right white balance. Both the microphones consist of the noise cancellation feature, thus enabling you to talk with least hassle.

To get a clearer idea of the specs, you can check out the table below:

SPECIFICATION	ASUS Zenfone 2
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Screen Size	5.5-inch 1920x1080p IPS Display
RAM	4GB
Battery	3000mAh Lithium Poly-ion Non-Removable
Processor	Intel Atom 23580 Quadcore processor
CPU	2.3 GHz
Front camera	5MP
Rear Camera	13MP
Price	Rs 19,000 (Tentative)

Check out the in-depth video below

April 15, 2015

Unboxing and Hands On | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gold

Samsung recently brought out their gold-plated smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S6 Gold, starting at a price of Rs 58,900 for the 32GB variant. Here, we unbox the device – iGyaan style!

As you can see, the phone sports a 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen with a QuadHD resolution with a total of 577 ppi. Powered 2600 mAh battery, the handset is available only with fixed storage of either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, which are all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). With 16MP primary camera, it is capable of shooting 4K video as well.

Connectivity options included in the phone are LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands. The most eye-catching feature of this handset is its gold plate. It is also notable that the phone features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 glass panels on both the front and back. The metallic frame that holds the two panels gets a gold treatment too.

The curvy S6 Edge is priced at Rs. 58,900 for the 32 GB variant, Rs, 64,900 for the 64 GB and Rs. 70,900 for the 128 GB variant.

You can know more about the specs and features of the phone in the table below:

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gold Edition
Operating System	Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop)
Display	5.1 inches Super AMOLED QuadHD resolution
RAM	3 GB
Battery	2600 mAh
Processor	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz Quad Exynos 64-bit
Internal Storage	32/64/128 GB
Expandable Up to	—
Primary Camera	16 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Price	Rs 58,900 (32GB); Rs, 64,900 (64GB); Rs. 70,900 (128GB)

To know more about Samsung’s latest handsets, click here.

April 13, 2015

Hands On : Motorola Moto Turbo

Motorola’s first foray, after a really long while, into the premium handset domain was well thought out. The Moto Turbo launched in India for a price of Rs. 41,999 and comes after the moderate success of the newest gen of Nexus phone which was also manufactured by Motorola for Google.

The Moto Turbo is no lightweight contender in the battle of heavy weight champions, in fact it even looks the part. The body of the Moto Turbo is rugged and well built, a solid texture at the back adds copious amounts of good looks and grip. This texture also makes it less prone to scratches and damage.

Motorola has slyly hidden the sim tray behind the volume rocker, a tough guess location, especially if you don’t know where to look for it. The unibody design is appreciated, the large battery would be sufficient to warrant a non removable type design too.

The Moto Turbo is all about the grip; the buttons are robust and tactile with a sliced grip that you can feel on your skin. The glossy metallic bezel adds the upmarket feel and the overall package is a good mix of beauty and brawn.

A previous gen Gorilla Glass 3 protects the front display of the Moto Turbo, which incidentally is a brilliant 5.2 inch Quad-HD Super-AMOLED type with a 2560 X 1440 Pixel resolution giving it 565 ppi.

Running this monster is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset with a Quad Core CPU clocked at 2.7 GHz (Krait 450). The GPU is the new ADRENO 420 and all of this is managed with 3 GB of RAM and a fixed 64 GB of storage (for the Indian variant, internationally 32 GB options are available too)

The Moto Turbo supports LTE Cat 4 networks, which should suffice in most regions without network compatibility issues. You will also get mostly stock Android 5.0.2 to boot and some Moto apps like ‘Moto Alert’ and the ‘Moto’ app.

You also get quick actions, twist the device to launch camera, Moto Display activates on approach and you can wave to silence an incoming call.

Moto Voice can be enabled from anywhere, including the lock screen to ask arbitrary questions like “when is my next meeting” or “how far away is the moon”. Some of which may have been seen in the Moto X handsets.

The Moto Turbo is very fast and responsive. Its UI is a pure experience, the kinds that you would expect from a Motorola device.

The Main Camera is a whopping 21 MP shooter with adaptive autofocus, and dual LED flash. It will record 4k videos at 24fps and the front has a nimble 2MP snapper. The camera app is mostly basic and we do wish that they had worked on a better app. The depth of field is excellent and the camera has a burst mode which is decent.

Here’s a brief about its specifications:

Specs	Motorola Moto Turbo
Display	5.2-inch 2560x1440p resolution 565 ppi
Processor	2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
RAM	3GB
Storage	64GB, non-expandable
Operating System	Android 5.0.2
Main Camera	21MP
Front Camera	2MP
Price	Rs. 41,999

Check Out Our Hands On Video:

April 1, 2015

Hands On | Honor 4X

Honor has introduced two new phones for the Indian market, the Honor 6 Plus and the Honor 4X. Both these devices have appealing designs and features. We got our hands on the new Honor 4X and here we bring to you our first hands-on experience with the new smartphone.

Honor 4X sports a 5.5 inch HD(720×1280) display with a pixel density of 267 ppi. It is powered by a Snapdragon 410 processor and comes with 2 GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8 GB which is expandable up to 32 GB. It runs EMUI 3.0 out of the box which is based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The device is juiced up by a 3000 mAh battery.

The camera of the Honor 4X is its stand out feature.

The handset features a 13 MP camera on the back which churns out some great images. On the front of the device sits a 5 MP camera for all your selfie needs. It shoots 1080p videos at 30 fps. The camera app is easy to use and offers features like tap to focus, beauty shot, and multiple filters. It lets you change the focus after taking a shot with its All-focus feature. You can also add record a 10 second audio with a photo with the Audio Note feature and also add a watermark which shows the name of the city you are in along with temperature and date.

The device felt good in our hands, though it was a bit slippery. It has a soft touch back panel which is made from Kevlar, the material used for making bullet-proof vests. This back panel is removable, but the battery has been sealed. The SIM card and microSD card slots are placed inside the back panel.

The EMUI running on the Honor 4X is similar to the likes of iOS and MIUI where all the apps are on the home screen, and there is no app drawer. The UI was found to be fast and responsive and offers multiple customization features like themes and transitional animations. The sample video playback felt great, and the colors felt just right and were not overtly saturated.

Overall the Honor 4X seemed like an excellent all-round multimedia device for those on a budget. The device is priced at Rs.10,499 which gets it competing with the likes of Yu Yureka, Redmi Note and even the Moto G. The company has also said that the 15-month extended warranty of the device won’t be void even if you root the device, which is great news for those who like to tinker around with their handsets.

Honor will be offering accessories such as leather cases, headphones and others on Flipkart. The company has announced that its new devices will get monthly OTA updates for the first six months, followed by quarterly updates. You can pre-order the Honor 4X starting today till March 29 midnight. The flash sale will be held on March 30 at 2pm.

Specifications	Honor 4X
Display	5.5 Inch 720X1280
Chipset	1.2 GHz, Snapdragon 410
RAM	2 GB
Internal Storage	8 GB
External Storage	32 GB
Main Camera	13 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Operating System	EMUI 3.0 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Battery	3000 mAh
Price	Rs.10,499

Check out our hands on video here:

March 24, 2015

Hands on | This is the Xiaomi Redmi 2

Xiaomi is back with another device, the Redmi 2, and it can be a blockbuster amongst the budget smartphones already in the market. The new device is more mature than its predecessor, Redmi 1s, and comes with much-required advancements such as better battery, a front camera and processor, and also an upgraded OS.

From the overall look of the phone, the Redmi 2 may remind you of the earlier version. It has the same 4.7-inch screen, but with a (1280x720p resolution) display with 312 ppi pixel density. A coating of AGC Dragontrail glass is at the top of the screen to give it protection from scratches.

The phone is considerably lighter than the Redmi 1S and feels good in hand. The rounded edges along with a soft touch back gives a subtle feel to the device and offers a comfortable grip.

The processor has been tweaked to 1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410 with an enhanced Adreno 306 GPU. It comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB in-built memory capacity. The company provides an expandable card slot that makes the device capable of storing up to 32GB of data.

The rear shooter stands at 8MP while the front comes with a 2MP camera. The Redmi 2 gets its juice from the 2200mAh battery.

Redmi 2 is a dual-SIM phone that runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with the company’s MIUI 6.0 on top. The MIUI features various features like over 5,000 themes, smart filters for cameras, Flashlight, and much more.

Like the other devices, Xiaomi is opting for a flash sale model for this device as well. Registration for the same have already started. Priced at Rs. 6,999, the device will be available on March 24. There are only two colour options accessible in India for now – white and black grey. The company promises, more colours will come later.

The detailed specs sheet of Redmi 2:

Specs	Redmi 2
Display	4.7 inch, 1280×720 pixels 312 ppi
Processor	1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
RAM	1GB
Storage	8GB
Expandable Up to	32GB
Battery	2200mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI 6.0
Price	Rs. 6,999

Have a look at the hands-on video below:

March 13, 2015

Hands On | Lenovo A7000

Lenovo had been in the news before MWC 2015 for all the wrong reasons. The revelation of the Superfish bug brought public outrage towards the company along with an incident of their website getting hacked. Well, Lenovo pulled a brave face and introduced the new A7000 that looks like a great multimedia handset that comes with a pocket-friendly price tag.

The Lenovo A7000 is a great handset to look at. It is available in black and white color variant and feels like a premium device. It might feel a bit bulky with its 8 mm thickness, but it makes the device feel robust. The device is comparable with its sibling, the A6000, that the company unveiled at the CES 2015.

The A7000 has a spec sheet that will enthuse any multimedia enthusiast on a budget. It has a 5.5 inch, 720 x 1280 pixel display with a density of 267 ppi. It is powered by a Octa-core, 1.5 GHz Mediatek chipset along with 2 GB RAM. The handset sports 8 GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32 GB. It runs Android 5.0 out of the box and is juiced up by a 2900 mAh.

The A7000 also has some good listing in its camera space. It has an 8 MP main shooter and a 5 MP selfie shooter. The images clicked from the device were found to be crisp but we need to bring the device to test it out thoroughly.

Lenovo’s multimedia credentials are amplified here with the addition of Dolby Atmos audio in the device. When listened to on headphones, the sound from the smartphone feels like it’s coming from all the directions, thereby gives a fuller audio experience. According to Lenovo, the A7000 can enhance sound quality of any content for the pleasure of the user.

For the user interface, the A7000 runs the Vibe UI, which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. It borrows features like multitasking panel from the stock Android but, fortunately, offers capacitive buttons below the display instead of placing it within the UI.

The A7000 has a good features list, and while we still have to test it out for ourselves, it looks it can take on the likes of Redmi Note and Yu Yureka. A slightly generous expandable storage of at least 64 GB would have done good for the consumers, as well as the company. Lenovo has said that the device will be priced at $160 (approx Rs. 10,400), which is a bit pricier than its competition in the Indian market. But Lenovo can take advantage of the shortage of stocks of the other devices to attract customers to itself.

Update: Lenovo A7000 launches in India, Priced at Rs. 8,999.

March 7, 2015

Hands On | ASUS Zenfone 2

Asus Zenfone line of smartphones has done well in the market. These devices offer high-quality specs with unique features at affordable prices. The company has already launched the Zenfone 4, 5 and 6 in the Indian market. This year the company unveiled a new addition to the portfolio with the Zenfone 2. We got to take a look at this device at MWC 2015, and here we bring you our hands-on experience with the device.

Zenfone 2 flaunts a Full HD, 5.5 inch display that is protected with Gorilla Glass 3. It comes in two processor variants; a Quad-core 2.3 GHz, Intel Atom Z3580 processor and a Quad-core 1.8 GHz Intel Atom Z3560 processor along with 2 and 4 GB RAM options. It is available in 6/32/64 GB storage variants that can be further expanded up to 64 GB. It gets its juice from a 3000 mAh battery.

On the camera front, the device has a 13 MP shooter on the back along with the dual-LED flash. On the front sits a 5 MP selfie shooter. The front camera has an 85-degree field of view which will let the users click wider selfies.

Like its other Zenfone siblings, Zenfone 2 has also received some visually appealing design features. The front is dominated by the massive 5.5 inch display. It has a premium look and feel, especially with the brushed metal finish on the back.

The device runs Asus ZenUI based on Android 5.0 out of the box. ZenUI offers multiple customization and scheduling options that can make life easy for the users. It also has a unique option called Share link through which you can share content such as photos, videos, music, apps and APKs without the internet. The UI also has an easy mode that allows users with low technical skills to easily operate the device.

The device looks promising and has a great design. The vast number of options in the specs listing might confuse the consumers. The device is expected to be launched in $199 (approx Rs. 12,400) price bracket that would make it a steal. Keep checking iGyaan for an in-depth review of the new Asus Zenfone 2 and all the latest happenings at MWC 2015.

Specs	Asus Zenfone 2
Display	5.5-inch Full HD 403 PPI
CPU	2.3 GHz,Quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 and 1.8 GHz,Quad-core Intel Atom Z3560
RAM	2 and 4 GB
Internal Storage	16GB/32GB/64GB
Expandable Storage	64 GB
Main Camera	13 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Battery	3000 mAh

March 4, 2015

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New Dot Case

Transparent Back

Rugged Case

Rugged Case back

New Dot Case

HTC One M9 Unboxing and Hands on Video

HTC One M9 Specifications

March 1, 2015
Exclusive Hands On: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Samsung’s latest flagship and its edgier brother have made it into our hands and that too before the main global launch event.

Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6 Back

The Samsung Galaxy S6, just like the rumors, holds a new design language. Which unmistakably is inspired and looks almost identical to the Apple iPhone lineage, all glass front and back, infused onto a stainless steel bezel. Samsung may have finally grown up.

S6 Edge

The new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is also a step in the right direction, while the device has dual edges the display’s continuity is not broken, as in the case of the Galaxy Note Edge, and the edge is mostly for aesthetic appeal.

Samsung has included quick charging and wireless charging capabilities in the new S6 and the S6 Edge, details of which should be available shortly.

Galaxy S6 Edge and Wireless Chargers

Spec wise Samsung has these bad boys fully loaded up with this years hardware, an all new Exynos Octa Core 2.1 GHz chipset along with 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM, the phone just like iPhone will be available in fixed storage sizes, however starting from 32 GB, a 64 GB variant and a 128 GB all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). And yes, just like iPhones the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will not have micro SD expandability.

New Bumper Case

Connectivity is pretty top notch LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands so networks should not be a problem for Samsung this time around.

5.1 inch QuadHD Display

The Display is a all new 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen with a QuadHD resolution giving it a total 577 ppi of eye burning sharpness. The Galaxy S6 Edge on the other hand has a much more snappier Exynos Octa Core with 2.5 GHz and a slightly better 2600 mAh battery vs the 2550 mAh on the Galaxy S6 (non-edge.)

The pricing remains a question (which will be answered shortly), however it is rumored that the Galaxy S6 Edge will cost more than the Note Edge did at launch.

March 1, 2015

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime | Hands On

Samsung came out with a plethora of devices at the 2015 Samsung Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand. The newest entrants in the 4G lineup are four handsets – Galaxy J1, Galaxy A7, Galaxy Core Prime and Galaxy Grand Prime. The company looked promising and the India Head of Samsung, Asim Warsi, took to the stage announcing that the firm will focus on bringing out more 4G devices to the market.

Meanwhile, we got an opportunity to get our hands on one of the devices, Galaxy Grand Prime 4G.

The Galaxy Grand Prime, as earlier said, is a 4G capable device and holds two SIM slots. At a thickness of 8.6mm, it couldn’t be considered slim, and the rounded edges give it more bulky look. With a plastic body, the Grand Prime weighs mere 156 grams. The design of the Galaxy Grand Prime is nothing extraordinary and is akin to the other Samsung models with similar key placement and identical build.

The handset comes in two colour options – white and grey.

Talking about the specifications of Galaxy Grand Prime 4G, then the smartphone boasts a 5-inch qHD TFT (960x540p) display and is equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. The device runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI on top, and there’s yet no notification if the device can be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The smartphone sports an internal memory capacity of 8 GB (expandable up to 64 GB) and 1 GB RAM.

The Galaxy Prime Grand features an 8MP snapper at the back with LED flash and speakers. The front sports a good 5MP front camera that sits at the top of the 5-inch screen for clicking selfies. The back of the phone secures a 2,600mAh battery that powers up the device. Connectivity options like Bluetooth, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi and NFC.

Just like any other handset, the Galaxy Grand Prime holds the volume rocker on the left-hand side and power button on the right. The top of the rim has a 3.5mm audio jack and the bottom comprises of a USB slot for charging the device.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 4G support TDD-LTE (2300) 4G network used in India. The 3G variants of the smartphone are already available in the market, but this handset will hit Indian stores in March this year. Meanwhile, the company is tight-lipped about its price but is anticipated to be priced slightly higher than the J1, around Rs. 15,000.

Check out the specs sheet below for details:

SPECS	Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
Operating System	Android OS, v4.4 (KitKat)
Screen Size	5.0-inch, 960×540 pixels
RAM	1 GB
Battery	2600 mAh
Processor	1.2 GHz quad-core
Internal Storage	8 GB
Expandable up to	64 GB
Front camera	5 MP
Rear Camera	8 MP

February 18, 2015

Samsung Galaxy J1 4G | Hands On

Yesterday, Samsung at their annual Forum announced that they will be focusing more on releasing 4G smartphones for the Indian market. Keeping in line with their word, they went forward to announce four 4G devices. The Samsung Galaxy J1, is one of the devices. It was also the cheapest handset announced by the company yesterday.

The Galaxy J1 sports a 4.3-inch WVGA TFT display with 480×800 pixel density. It is equipped with 1.2GHz quad core processor and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. It has an inbuilt memory of 768 MB RAM and 4 GB internal memory, which can be upgraded up to 128 GB via microSD slot.

Samsung has gone for a curvier look with the J1. The design is typical Samsung-style – touch capacitive buttons at the bottom, centre oval shaped home button and the logo placement is kept the same as every other model by the company.

The look and feel of the device is good, however it is slightly on the bulky side, especially when compared to the rest of the sleek devices recently launched by Samsung.

The Galaxy J1 features a 5MP rear shooter with Flash along with 2 MP front camera; the company should’ve considered going for a higher resolution cameras.

The Dual SIM handset gets powered up by a 1,850mAh battery. The device is available in blue, black and white colour variants. The model will come at Rs. 9,900 and will be available in India from the second week of March 2015.

The specifications are mediocre for the amount the company has priced the device. There are several devices in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment, which offer way better specs, some even at lower prices.

SPECS	Samsung Galaxy J1 4G
Operating System	Android OS, v4.4.x (KitKat)
Screen Size	4.3 inch 480×800 pixels
RAM	768 MB
Battery	1850 mAh
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage	4 GB
Expandable Up to	128 GB
Front camera	2 MP
Rear Camera	5 MP
Price	Rs. 9,900

February 17, 2015

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