After innumerable requests from subscribers and fans, team iGyaan has decided to organize a meetup in Delhi which is Powered by Samsung Galaxy M Series. The meetup is scheduled to start 12:30 PM on 3rd February and will be held at the Hard Rock Cafe Saket.
Along with Mr Bharat Nagpal aka DJ Krimp, the #iGyaanMeetup event will be hosted by Mr Rajiv Makhni and Mr Ankit Vengurlekar. So, if you are a tech enthusiast and want to meet some of the most influential tech experts of the nation, register now as the entries are limited and are available on first come first serve basis.
The key highlights of the event will be as follows:
Food and drinks for all attendees
Exciting quizzes and fun games
Interaction with India’s top tech sages
Smartphones, gadgets and iGyaan merchandise giveaways
Notably, the #iGyaanMeetup attendees will also witness the first ever live iGyaan unboxing of the Samsung Galaxy M smartphones. Additionally, lucky attendees will get a chance to win Galaxy M smartphones that too before its official availability date.
After completing 6 years of existence earlier this year, iGyaan was destined for a new direction. Today we roll out iGyaan 2.0, a newer user friendly and more upfront iGyaan.
The intention is to bring information to the user, you can now view specifications for products right on the page, in a beautiful and simplified layout. For reviews, you will now be able to not only see Ratings from our editors but also leave your own ratings for products.
Our new Video player can be found in the Videos tab on the Top, and it allows you to watch the latest videos, without ever needing to reload the page. We are also compressing the video for you on our server so that they load faster than usual and you use less data.
Specs Listing
User Ratings
iGyaan Video Player
We are also introducing comparisons across product categories, you can simply click the grid box comparison on any product or review and compare it with another product or review, go ahead and compare the OnePlus 3 review with the HTC 10 review for a quick understanding.
Comparison Example
While the website is new, and we have fully deployed it, it might take a few days for us to get up to speed, since there is a lot more for us to update, including specifications for a whole host of products and new launches. Stay tuned for announcements, of iGyaan on Youtube 2.0 along with new launches coming in the near future. We hope you like the new website.
If you do run in to issues or have any bugs to report, please do so with the contact button on top of the page.
Winners : We have already Announced Winners for most of the Giveaways, simply click on the link to each giveaway and view the results.
Update Three : 07/22/2016 : We Are still evaluating results, and have barely gone through half. There are just a lot of entries to sort. We will soon update the results. Please bear patience with us.
Update Two :07/19/2016: The Part 1 of the Giveaway is over. We have millions of entries to look and ensure everyone was playing fairly and by the rules. We will sort out all the entries and try to get winner results for the Round one by the end of this week. Stay Tuned!
P.S Round Two of the Giveaway is Still Live Right Now : Includes Big Box, Speakers and Power-banks Click the links below.
Update : Part Two begins today, Speakers, Powerbanks and Big Box. Also Due to Large number of requests we are extending all giveaways by 10 days and will finish together. Soon after which we will announce winners. There are some changes to the big box, and we are working on a big giveaway for august, so stay tuned.
June 7th, 2016 marked the 6th year anniversary of what started as a bedroom project for me and today sees an exciting future in the global media industry. We have a lot of people to thank for this achievement. In a time where startups are born and killed by the hour, we proudly stand firm, and will soon have even more exciting news to share.
The biggest and most important aspect of iGyaan has been the support and love of all you guys, the viewers, the fans and the people who get inspired by iGyaan to begin something new. When iGyaan started we were the only Youtube channel in India focusing on technology, we spent countless months and even years to convince the industry of the strengths of online media. Today technology is one of Youtube India’s largest categories. The support and love we have gotten from our viewers have been incredible and today it’s time to repay, some of it at least.
Presenting the Most Mega iGyaan 6 Year Anniversary Giveaway, yes just as the name suggests this will be a giveaway of epic proportions.
So what all do we have for the Giveaway.
Click on the (Click here) button to go to giveaway.
The past week has been huge in terms of unparalleled innovations. We came across some major announcements from Apple in its annual at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and heard from Twitter, BlackBerry, Xiaomi and Canon about their new products and services.
Here are the top 10 highlights of the week:
iOS 9 is All About Multi-Tasking
Apple finally cleared its plan on how to take iOS forward. iOS 9 is the latest operating system that offers multi-tasking on iPad. Multitasking has been broken down into three basic features – Slide Over, Picture in Picture, and Split View. ‘Slide Over’ allows you to open another app, without leaving the app you’re working on. All you have to do is, swipe the screen from the right to bring in another app. The ‘Split View’ Mode can open and proactive two apps on the same screen, at the same time. As expected, using the Split Screen, you can drag and drop between the two working apps. Lastly, the ‘Picture in Picture’ feature allows you to watch a video, while you work on another app on your iPad.
Apple Music Debuts in WWDC 2015
At the WWDC 2015, Apple officially announced its new music streaming service ‘Apple Music’. Putting together the principles of a secure and healthy ecosystem, Apple Music offers millions of tracks that can be saved offline. This library will give recommendations and the playlists would be curated by popular musicians such as Drake, Will I Am and Pharrell. Through ‘Connect’ introduced by Apple, artists can share pictures, music and messages with their fans.
Along with that, it also introduced the new 24/7 global music radio station – Beats 1. With the radio feature, more than 100 countries worldwide will be listening to programming and stations created by some of the world’s most popular musicians. It will have genres such as Indie rock, Hip-Hop Classical, etc.
Apple Music will be available on 30th June onwards. For the initial three months, the service is available for free. After which, there will be a charge of $9.99/month. There is also a family plan providing the service for up to six family members, for $14.99/month.
Canon DSLR Cameras Launched in India
Canon brought an array of two high-resolution full-frame DSLR cameras in India – the 5DSR and 5DS DSLR, and a compact camcorder XC10 4K that is convenient for 4K/Full HD video shooting and captures images at 12MP resolution. The class-apart 5DSR and 5DS DSLR feature 50.6-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor that set them high in Canon’s range of high-res cameras. The processor powering the devices is the latest dual DIGIC 5 that offers users a continuous shooting speed of 5fps at 50.6MP maximum. The Fine Detail Mode on Canon’s latest camera line-up allows users to capture the finest image. The mode configures the sharpness, therefore giving a detailed image which can be cropped extensively. The Canon 5DS at Rs. 2,52,995, while the 5DSR will cost you Rs. 2,65,995.
The camcorder features a Canon 10x Wide-Angle Zoom lens with 2x Digital Teleconverter and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) that offers a zoom ratio of 27.3-273mm for movies and 24.1-241mm for photos. The densely packed powerhouse will come for Rs. 1,70,000.
Upcoming Apple Products to be Manufactured in India
Foxconn, the major contract manufacturer of Apple, is planning to set up an Apple assembly plant in India. Industries Minister of Maharashtra, Subhash Desai remarked that Foxconn will come to scout for a location in India, as reported by Reuters. The world’s biggest Taiwanese electronics producer is said to build up 10-12 facilities in India by 2020, which includes data centres and factories.
Twitter Breaks Free from 140 Characters Restriction
Twitter had added direct messaging service (DMS) but it was always restricted to just 140-characters. Now, frequent Twitter users will be happy to know that the social network is finally putting an end to the restriction, and making it 10,000 characters as opposed to just 140. Thus DMS will function like any other regular instant messaging service, effective this July. However, while the DMS will no longer have a restriction, public tweets will continue to be within the 140 character limit.
Android OS to Settle on BlackBerry Devices
BlackBerry has allegedly come up with a solution to get back on track. We might see them collaborating with Android in a bid to increase revenues and turn a new folio. The company has said that it is ready to have a test run with Android. Its upcoming device, the BES12 will be able to secure not just BlackBerry devices, but also others that run on Android, iOS and Windows operating systems. BlackBerry will have to vouch for not just their platform but also for Android. While the Android partnership will help, BlackBerry needs to ensure it stays with the times and gives customers a product which is worth their money.
Galaxy Note 5 to Feature USB-C and Mammoth 4100mAh Battery
Samsung’s phablet flagship, Galaxy Note 5, is the hot topic every tech admirer is eagerly waiting for. There have been rumours of the Note 5 featuring a 5.9-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. An upgraded version of Samsung’s Exynos 7422 is speculated to govern the computing operations. Now a latest report suggests of the Note 4 successor sporting a USB 3.1 Type-C port. The USB-C is undoubtedly the future of connectivity as the universal port transfers data at unbelievable speed together with offering added benefits. Its battery is said to be mammoth at 4100mAh, which is necessary for a phablet with these specifications. The device will launch later this year.
Oculus Touch is a Handheld Controller for the VR Rift
After launching Oculus Rift, Facebook-owned Oculus has unveiled a prototype controller for its VR headset, the Oculus Touch. It is a handheld controller to interact with your VR environment. It is all what the Rift was lagging. The Touch makes you feel your presence in the virtual world by showing your hands in the designed space, where you can pick a weapon, make hand gestures like you do in the real world.
The controller is much like your traditional gaming remote with thumb grip, main trigger, secondary trigger and a set of buttons. As it is still in the developmental stage, the time of the launch is the same and is expected to be Q1 2016.
Mi 4 64GB Variant Gets a Price Cut
Xiaomi has dropped the price of its Mi 4 in India. Xiaomi Mi 4 will now be available for Rs. 4,000 lesser. The price will now be Rs. 19,999 instead of Rs. 23,999, which is a substantial drop. The smartphone, known for its exemplary features, boasts a sleek look. The specifications includes Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz, a 3GB RAM and 64GB Flash. The phone also possesses a 5? IPS full HD display at 441 PPI. It has a battery life of 3080 mAh and includes quick charge 2.0 support. The phone lastly, boasts of a 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front camera (both with f/1.8 aperture).
Amazon Opens Its Biggest Warehouse in Telangana, India
E-commerce giant Amazon has opened its biggest warehouse at Kothur in Telangana. It is one of the biggest fulfilment centres set up in India covering one million square feet of space with a storage capacity of over 2.5 million cubic metres. The new facility will help small and medium businesses (SMBs) to gain access to and service customers across the country.
Travel today has become simple. Well, simpler than what it used to be. With some who travel frequently and the summer upon us, a chance or need to visit a new destination may arise for a lot of people. However, with a lot to consider when traveling to new lands; from modes of transport to lodging and getting around. It has become more a stressful exercise. Having spent the early part of 2014 and 2015 traveling from one part of the world to another, I have come across people who seem fearful of said experience. They find what is supposed to be a fun exercise, a torture or a stressful endeavour.
Here are a few of my tips to overclock your travel experience and hack into making everything work better for you when you travel.
1. Pro Packing
The one thing you must educate yourself with before you travel, is the general atmospheric nature of the region to where you are headed. This will help you determine what all you need to take with you. Take only what you must, and as little as possible, you might end up shopping more than you expected to. If splurging on consumerism is not your thing, traveling light has many benefits. With Airlines trying to extract the profit balance, the Allowed weight of baggage is becoming lesser and lesser. If you do go on a shopping frenzy, always keep a digital luggage scale handy, so that you know when you have reached your limit.
Pack Like A Pro
While everyone is an expert in packing their own things, few tips like rolling up clothes, and lining the bottles to the side of your luggage really works to free up that space. Stuff your shoes with socks and other soft small clothing items, double pack your liquids in sealed plastic bags to avoid those unwanted shampoo stains on your favorite business suit.
An extra set of clothing in your carry on luggage goes a long way, especially when your luggage is delayed or lost in transit. Never put anything of value in checked in baggage and wrap fragile items in layers of newspaper or bubble wrap.
TSA Lock
Lock your checked in bags with a TSA approved locks. This type of lock will allow security agencies to open and check the bag if they so need to, then re lock it safely. Travel size is the way to go, so ensure that, if you carry any liquids in your carry-on bags they are within the carry-on size limits (below 100ml in most cases).
2. Beat The Airline
When you travel, it seems that everything is chargeable. Extra luggage, food and even basic comfort is a paid luxury. When possible, plan in advance; buy tickets early and even pay for the extra luggage online. This will save over 50% of what airlines call “opportunity earnings”. Always check in online, this helps you beat the queue, find a fairly comfortable seat and also mostly get away with slightly heavier baggage. Use the bag drop service, when available, after checking in online, to avoid the luggage being weighed when traveling within countries.
If you can afford to, then always only buy business class tickets, use the same airline as often as you can and always join that airlines frequent flyer program. If booked well in time, business class tickets can be had for only a slight percentage more than the economy tickets. The business class service is fantastic , seats are very spacious, enough to be sleep-worthy on a long haul and food is actually edible and healthy, while alcohol is poured in generous quantities.
Business Class is Awesome!
Tanking up on frequent flyer miles miles can have its privileges, once you progress from silver to gold to platinum, you will see a host of possibilities open up. An additional bag, priority check-in, free lounge access, porter service at most international airports all this for basically being loyal to the airline. You will also get free upgrade vouchers, and freebie gifts as a frequent flyer.
Your miles always come in handy too, pay excess baggage fee, get upgrades, or even buy tickets using up your miles as modes of payment. You can often end up traveling for free if you are smart from the get go.
3. Pick Your Transport
Depending on the kind of person you are pick your transport and plan for it in advance. The best way to get around in a new city is to use what the locals use. For example, New York city is best seen with the use of the underground rail and the bus network.
New York Metro Card
If you are traveling for a week or more, buying a weekly/monthly pass may come in handy. This card allows free unlimited rides on the train and bus network within the city, also a month long pass usually ends up being cheaper than one single taxi ride.
Car Rental Counter
Some cities are easily accessible on foot, and some using cycles available for rent. Barcelona is one such place, where travelers can get around best using rented bicycles. Goa is best seen by renting motorbikes, or even cars and open trucks. You can even rent vehicles when traveling considerable distances, an hour or two hours drive away from your place of stay. Most rental companies will accept foreign Drivers licenses and offer great discounts and upgrades when booked well in time. These rental companies also have loyalty programs which almost work like frequent flyer programs, allowing free upgrades, priority service, etc.
Airport transfers can be tricky too, always plan these in advance. Usually governments arrange bus services from Airports to downtown areas. New York has the “NYC Airporter” service which is run by the city, this service costs US $ 15 one way VS the one way taxi fare which is roughly US $ 70. New Delhi Airport has shuttles that run for free and sometimes for a very nominal fee. If you cannot find such a service, try using the local public transport when available. Berlin for example ( and most European destinations) has a great bus networks that connects to the airport.
Pro-Tip: Pre booking a taxi or finding a govt. authorized taxi service works well.
4. Pro Lodging
Depending on the kind of person you are, there are always lots of options available when booking a place to stay. If you are okay sharing spaces, websites like AirBnB have proven to be pocket friendly.
If you are booking a hotel that you have never stayed at before, always only book for the first night. Your epic vacation could come to a screeching halt if the pictures you saw while booking lied about the exact state or locality of said hotel. If you have paid only for the first night you can always go look for a better place incase your existing spot does not cut it for you.
Smart Booking can be healthy!
If the place of stay is known by you or those around you, then always book well in advance to get the best possible deals. Try booking directly with the hotels from their websites, using coupons or by emailing hotels. This usually turns out much cheaper than using websites that claim to be cheapest, and you often get deals like free breakfast and room upgrades.
5. Eat and Party where the Locals Do
Make friends before you arrive! The best way to know a place is to actually have friends who live there. Lots of travel forums and social networks allow you to get to know people before you arrive to a new city.
Ho Chi Minh Food Market
Avoid going to “touristy” places, they usually end up being a disappointment. As far as food goes, there is no better way to experience the food of new place than to eat where the locals eat. This will have the most authentic flavors and the best prices, you will meet fun people and have a blast.
6. Pro Connectivity
While travel sim cards are available a plenty, staying connected nowadays is more than just phone calls. Data is a very important need of the modern day traveller, and it’s best had by getting a local number. Most countries issue Sim cards to tourist almost instantly, after taking a copy of your passport. Find out the best phone and data plans for pre paid cards and simply get there and get connected. Retain these cards and activate online account for your numbers, so you can simply recharge your number before you travel again, to be connected on arrival.
Coffee shops and Cafes like Starbucks provide free Wi-Fi and power sockets to charge your devices. Never miss an opportunity to grab a hot cuppa, or a mocha frappuchino and get connected while you recharge your portable.
Most airlines now have Apps that not only allow you to check in and get your boarding cards on your phone, but also send instant notifications on delays, gate closing times and last minute gate change. Just so you don’t miss the last call announcement while listening to music on your fancy noise canceling headphones. If you own an iPhone, Passbook will scan your emails and remind you about your flights and add boarding cards to the book.
Bonus : Tech Travel
While most travel to enjoy visiting a new place, there are some with a fixed agenda. If you fly often, a long battery life tablet like an iPad and noise cancellation headphones may as well become your best friends.
A tablet allows you to carry millions of books, games , movies and a lot more to keep you busy. The noise cancellation headphones with active noise cancellation will almost entirely eliminate the loud airline engine hum and also prevent babies from waking you up with their first flight in a pressurised torture tube.
A travel adapter you own, will save you upto US $ 100 that some hotels may charge you, for not owning one. Some hotels don’t even carry these, so you might get stuck at a hotel without being able to charge your phone, your laptop or even your shaver. Different countries and regions have different power sockets and a multi country travel adapter is a must for a frequent flyer to international destinations.
Related Travel Products
Enjoy you Summer, plan well and if you do end up in some disaster let us know!
It’s the day to shower the women in your life with love. However, it is always a task to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Don’t worry, iGyaan is here. We’ve already covered brothers and sisters, now we are listing 5 gadgets to gift your mom to make her feel special.
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5. Dropcam Pro
Over the years, having acquired a ton of valuable belongings, we’re sure she doesn’t want people messing with her prized possessions. That is where Dropcam Pro comes into focus. This Wi-Fi video monitoring camera doesn’t need to be attached to a PC, it streams its high-quality security footage through your home router.
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4. Gunnar Computer glasses
These computer glasses are designed for those looking for more coverage in a bold classic look. It featuring adjustable nose pads and spring hinges, and can fit most head shapes comfortably. Available in amber and crystalline lenses, as well as a wide range of prescriptions, they will be the perfect gift for your mom, saving her eyes from that extra stress given by digital screens.
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3. Snugg MacBook leather Cover
This one would make for a handy gift. The chic MacBook leather cover comes with high quality soft Nubuck interior with Magnetic flap to secure her Macbook. It also includes card slot to store Business cards, Bank cards, USB sticks and huge pockets for charging cables and a smartphone.
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2. Withing WS-50 Smartbody analyser
One of the best ways to help your mother stick to a diet is by setting up the Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer in the livingroom. This WiFi scale replaces that old rusty junk sitting on your bathroom floor with a clean, polished and most importantly, ultra-precise weight and body fat measurer. The health-focused Withings has an iOS and Android app to go along with its updated scale, and it picks up your heart rate and keeps tabs on indoor air quality.
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1. Apple iPhone 6
If you’ve got the money to spend, what better than the new iPhone 6? Apple’s new flagship comes with a treated Aluminum chaise. It’s bigger and thinner than the earlier version. Currently several major e-commerce sites in India have slashed the price down of the smartphone considerably; the timing couldn’t be better.
Yu by definition is supposed to mean “you”, which when Micromax decided to launch a new company was intended to make devices more personal for the users. Hence the company chose to go with Cyanogen, even though they decided to procure and rebrand devices like they used to in the past.
But what is Yu intended for? Is it really a way for Micromax to change their company’s brand value and appeal to a younger and much more aware online generation, or is it just a way of seeking vendetta against Micromax’s newest enemies: New Chinese entrants like Xiaomi, OnePlus and even Gionee.
5 MP Front Camera
We’re aware of the fact that Micromax is selling the Yu Yureka at a massive loss of Rs. 2000-2500 per handset sold in India. Micromax is buying the hardware for around Rs. 8300 and they are paying Cyanogen royalties, apart from the massive one time exclusivity deal they did with the company before launch, which led to the temporary ban of the OnePlus One in India. Not to mention import duties, shipping, Amazon’s fee etc.
Micromax also got the YU into the limelight by playing politics and getting “free media controversy” over the ban of the OnePlus One sale in India.
After all that, the Yu Yureka will sell for Rs. 8999 on 13th of January 2015, and our review will tell you whether or not you should be getting in line to get this device.
Hardware
In terms of hardware the Yureka is pretty great, in fact the closest devices in terms of hardware cost double and don’t feature the same performance standards as the Yureka. Cameras are a high 13 MP and 5 MP combination, which does work well.
Over at the front, garnering a great amount of resolution, is the 1280 x 720p display in all its 5.5-inch glory. The display is bright and easily visible outdoors. On the inside is the intriguing Snapdragon 615 CPU + Adreno 405 GPU combination which fails to satisfy us, although, for the price you couldn’t ask for much more.
The Phone supports USB OTG, with the use of a micro USB to USB adapter (which is not included). Interesting to note, is that the USB storage shows up, but you need third party filing software to access it. Apps cannot be moved to the SD card, not in the handset’s current software layout. So you are stuck with about 11-12 GB of space for Apps, which is a serious let down.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
Specs
Yu Yureka
Display
5.5 inch IPS LCD
720×1280 px
Gorilla Glass 3
RAM
2 GB
Storage
16 GB – (12 GB free)
Battery
2500 mAh
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
CPU
1.5GHz Octa-core
GPU
Adreno 405
Front Camera
5 MP
Rear Camera
13 MP
Price (Click for Updated Pricing)
Rs. 8,999
Special Features
Cyanogen OS 11
Build Quality and Design
The thing about buying devices from vendors is that you have no control over build quality. While Micromax has seen some great built phones like the Canvas HD and most of the relative series, we have also seen especially poor phones like the Canvas 4 Plus which was a blatant copy of the iPhone and well, it bent too.
However the Yu Yureka, is not a Micromax product, or atleast that is what they want us to believe, as they elaborately set up new dominions and a new company in an exercise to get rid of their past. Well fret not Micromax, because the Yureka is different in many ways however it’s also the same in many.
2500 mAhBattery
The device already exists in other markets with a different name, and Yu plays no real role in the design of the hardware, except probably plastering some logos, and naming the standard black variant the never-heard “MoonStone” finish. (Wow ! Really? ). All new nomenclature aside, the built is pretty good, the finish on the back is no where near the “Sandstone” that you will find on the OnePlus One, however it is clean and well defined and feels great in the hand.
The bezel does not stick up a lot from the edge and this may be a problem for a lot of folks, who drop their phones on the frequent. The front does feature Gorilla Glass 3 so you will get some persistent protection.
Design-wise the phone will not win any awards, but it’s not a poor looker, in fact it can become quite the eye candy. The edges are nice and rounded well and the feel and finish of the product in hand is premium to say the least. Remember this is a Rs. 9,000 product we are talking about, and using words like “premium” is far from our usual banter.
Performance and Gaming
The Yureka is a workhorse in your pocket, and each time something like that appears from a company like Micromax (Sorry “YU”), we recall the toasty Micromax Canvas Knight, which was easily the best product to buy if you were short of a egg frying pan.
The Yureka is not that product. Heck the Yureka is easy to hold in the hands and disperses heat well. The extensive use of plastic also probably aids in the isolation of heat from the hands of the user.
As far as performance is concerned we were elated to see benchmark scores from the Yu Yureka easily match expensive devices for one quarter of the price. However no where near that of Xiaomi Mi3, OnePlus One and the Note 4 as it stands at present.
Games run happy, however the Adreno 405 doesn’t do much justice to high end gaming. The CPU is designed to leverage the 64 bit architecture which will enable better performance in the future and once the whole eco-system runs on it. For now gaming is still good, and blows away most of its present competition.
Network and Battery Life
The Network connectivity is fabulous, signals are strong and voice quality is impressive from the handset. The tower to tower jump is a bit sketchy so you will face call drops on the go.
The brilliant thing is the fact that the handset does LTE based on networks that will eventually launch in India. So for a price of under 10k this is a strong contender if you are looking for a future safe investment. However as many have pointed out, LTE may not be a prerequisite of those aiming for a new device in this price bracket. We say that it’s a fantastic add-on to have, and will aid in better connectivity in the future so why not get the extra benefits. And hey, once you do want LTE, you won’t need to switch phones.
Battery life is average or slightly better than. We saw the handset run a full day, however if you have had a busy day and have been receiving calls on both sim cards you might need to charge, atleast once in the late-evening. That being said we got 5-6 hours of screen on time from the Yu Yureka, which is excellent.
Talk Time : 7-8 Hours.
Music : 10 Hours
Internet Usage : 5.5- 6 Hours
Multimedia and Gaming : 4 Hours.
13 MP Rear Camera
Camera
The Camera like many-a Micromax devices in the past is mostly talk and no real action. The rear camera will impress in outdoor and well lit conditions, images captured and saved are not compressed well, which may be a doing of the build of Cyanogen on the Yureka, thus resulting in unwanted noise on the dark spectrum of the range.
Results are unwieldy in poor or low light situations where sometimes the images are decent while sometimes they are unusable. The shutter is no where as fast as that on the OnePlus One, but the camera app includes almost all the features sans the 4K video capture.
Samples
You do get 1080p on the rear camera while the front camera is limited to 720p. The rear camera will also capture double the frame rate i.e. 60fps but only at 720p. Video is decent but tends to be shaky since there are no stabilization features in the handset, electronic or otherwise.
Advantage: Cyanogen’s camera app has the extensive availability of customizations, including filters, face detection features, continuous focus, time lapse all built in.
Multimedia
The display is excellent indoors and outdoors, the resolution of 720p is considered good for the price bracket and the IPS panel significantly improves on the viewing angles. Touch response is commendable and the color reproduction is good as well.
Speaker is Muffled
The speakers are tiny and quiet, sort of muffled, as if there might be a piece of tape on the inside, left by mistake (we checked and there isn’t any.) The speaker is just not loud enough and that is something most buyers will have to look past. The included earphones are usable but will not enhance the audio in any way. The audio output from the headphone jack is loud and rightly mixed, when tied with good quality headphones. The headphones we tried the Yureka with cost several times more than the handset itself. However, feel free to use your own favorite pair, and they should work just as well.
Cyanogen
We saw it simply laid out when we were extensively testing the OnePlus One, the reason why that device rocked all the mobile lovers’ world was the right mix of hardware and software at that price. Yu Yureka is attempting to do that at half the price and in our opinion it is winning. The handset and UI is buttery smooth; you glide and slide through windows and apps, withough much ado. The mix of a very well developed build of Android “Cyanogen” the hardware, including all 2 GB of Random Access Memory, is working in sync with the software.
Cyanogen is one of, if not the only, largest developer supported builds of Android, and it’s only growing by the day. The Cyanogen team has shown promise with their builds in the past and they showed excellence with the OnePlus One.
The Yu Yureka does not fall short of the experience, and offers all the same customizations, albeit lacking a few of the features that for the time remain restricted to the OnePlus handsets, like gesture actions and quick launching shortcuts which can be easily enabled.
The image compression is not that great, however the front camera images are saved in a less noisy format when compared to similar images from the OnePlus One, which may be a definite win. (Selfie Time!)
YU forums will also help the company deal with everyday problems by letting people discuss their issues amongst each other, help in bug detection and elimination. And build a cult around the device which will enable future loyalty towards the brand.
YU Forum
Conclusion
Despite numerous efforts from our Northerly neighbors and companies like Xiaomi and OnePlus, with their “flash sale” systems and invite-only buying options, the Indian powerhouse Micromax has shown us that they are still the king in their own domain. However, and a big doubt here, the phone is being sold for a loss, and that too a major one, only to piss off the competition. Only to win back the market share that they have been losing. All this without hurting their current partners and networks.
If Micromax was to sell ‘online only’ devices which would be available exclusively through select Online E-commerce websites, the company would seriously jeopardize its retail network, ensuring a boycott of the brand and a loss of a strong foothold in non-online markets, which is still a large chunk (over 80 % believe it or not). Micromax tried it with the Nitro and faced huge backlash.
So how does Micromax deal with the threat of new “cheaper”- “Online Exclusive” brands without hurting its strong retail market presence. Simple : Lets form a new company! Hence, YU is born. It solves the problem for Micromax on many levels; it makes the parent company more viable for investors. It can build better trust for its customers from the get go (unlike Micromax and its service fiasco) and it can keep the competition at bay, all this without hurting the Micromax Retail network : Win Win! Right?
Wrong!
Let’s talk about the handset, like many other handsets in the past, the Yu Yureka is excellent for the time it has been launched in, and for the price it has been launched at. The Yureka looks impressive, is built well, performs efficiently while delivering good network capabilities and better than acceptable battery life. All this while being future proof for India – with the LTE capabilities and all that it promises under the hood and inside of the glamorous package.
But there are a lot of future promises that will help us determine the real fate of this handset. A lot of Questions still need answering – Will it really get software updates? Will the company remove its loss margin and add a profit margin after selling a lakh or two handsets? Will Indian people buy into the forum culture the same way the Chinese, American and European have?
Yu Yureka comes with door delivery service and support. Will it be possible for Micromax/Yu to cater to the large numbers, if there are problems with the handset?
We do not know the answer to so many questions, what we do know is that the Yu may be one of the best devices to get under the Rs. 10,000 price bracket. And that too, without causing much worry to the buyer. If you are not looking into developer options and don’t care much for the extra frills, then at this price the Yu Yureka becomes the undefeated champion without entering the ring officially.
The handset has the potential to set a record, a benchmark of sorts for India, something that will show on a Global scale that our country and its manufacturers can match up to global standards. We said it before, if anyone could do it it was Micromax! But can they?
The ball is in your court : YU! the world awaits. While India waits in line to buy your handset.
Each year technology changes considerably, and each year there are lots of innovations in technology. Today we honor those who have achieved technological prowess and have delivered on the expectations of those who help them aim higher.
Presenting the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014, a 100% community driven one of a kind technology awards for saluting those who have made it in the good books of the people who trust them with their money and time.
You Have Voted and You Have Decided who wons in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014, and by voting you won, One of the 10 Free Gionee Elife S5.1 slim smartphones.
The past year has been a time of transitions. Consoles that once felt so new are slowly becoming the status quo. Game developers are rediscovering the value of original concepts, taking chances in an effort to stand out from the monumental, big-budget sequels. The Best game also must have impeccable graphics, brilliant acoustics and a badass villain.
Which was the game that gave you the best experience ?
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best Game in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is Grand Theft Auto 5
The Best High End smart phone is one that looks aesthetically appealing, But, It must be a flagship with the latest software, a brilliant camera, unparalleled display, long lasting battery, the latest OS and the Best specifications.
Which do you think is the Best Premium “Feel Good” Smartphone of the year in the 30,000 to 40,000 price bracket.
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best High End Phone in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is HTC One (M8).
Shopping online is the biggest thing at present and is so possibly the future ; so much so, that certain companies are resorting exclusively to online sales. A good e-commerce website should be well designed with a stunning layout, user friendly interface, easy to browse -search -checkout, good customer service and have a variety of products all under one roof. Should have a great and working Mobile App that offers quick access in our low network land.
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best E Commerce Website in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is Flipkart.com
With gaming moving onto the next generation its accessories have reached an all new level of awesomeness. From a gaming mouse to a gaming headsets, these accessories give virtual reality a reality check.
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best Gaming Accessory in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is Occulus Rift.
FPS games are here to stay. With Consoles getting smaller and games getting sharper; we have compiled a list of the most killer FPS games of the year. But what makes a great FPS game? Realistic graphics, lots of shooting and gunning of course, an original story and a kickass villian.
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best FPS Game in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is Call of Duty : Advanced Warfare.
With time, gaming consoles are getting even smaller. Each console on the list ahead was selected for its influence on the industry and the gaming culture as a whole, with special consideration for their benchmark titles, peripherals, monetary success, and total hardware sold.
Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best Gaming Console in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is PlayStation 4.
, and our review will tell you whether or not you should be getting in line to get this device.
