Tag: india

LG Optimus G Pro E988 Unboxing (Video)
LG today launched their new flagship device for 2013, the LG Optimus G Pro E988 in India (known globally as the E985). The LG Optimus G Pro has been priced at Rs. 39,900 will compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in the Android Market.

In terms of specifications, the LG Optimus G Pro has a True Full HD IPS Plus LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, which features a 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU and Adreno 320 GPU. A massive 3140 mAh battery and 2GB of RAM.

The LG Optimus G Pro has a 32 GB storage along with 64 GB expandability via microSD card. A 13 MP rear camera and a 2.1 MP front camera enable full HD video recording and LG was also the first to show off dual camera features with the LG Optimus G Pro, right before Samsung launched the S4 into the market.

The rear of the Optimus G Pro features a glittery digital cube pattern which is seen on the Nexus 4 and LG also says that the Optimus G Pro features a curved glass at the front, which gives it a 2.5D effect.

Inside the box of the LG Optimus G Pro are,
LG had originally decided to launch the Optimus G Pro around the 20th of June 2013, but due to the conflicting price of US Dollar vs Rupee, The Optimus G Pro shipments were delayed. The LG Optimus G Pro is also price considerably higher than what LG had originally decided (around Rs. 35000) making it a tough seller, since the competition can continue selling stocks bought at earlier dollar prices. Samsung and HTC are also set to raise prices of handsets if the Dollar Price does not normalize in the coming days. Considering the price increase of the competitors the LG Optimus G Pro might sell better in the coming months.

Check out our Unboxing video and Images.

Buy Now

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July 4, 2013
Canon PowerShot A2500 Review

Canon has revamped one of its entry-level pocket camera, the PowerShot A2300, with the PowerShot A2500.

The Canon Powershot A2500 employs the same 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, the same DiGiC 4 processor, the same 5x optical zoom lens that delivers from 28mm wide angle (max aperture of f/2.8) to 140mm equivalent telephoto (max aperture of f/6.9) range, the same 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot LCD display and the same basic 720p HD video capabilities.

Build Quality And Design

At 125 gram weight, Canon PowerShot A2500 is among the lightest cameras around. It is solidly built and has a silver accent towards the front of the camera that separates it from its predecessor.

At the back there is the LCD monitor with a control panel comprising of a 5-way D-pad and buttons for video recording, help, playback and menu.

Space for battery and SD card are at the bottom while USB port is located to the right. It uses a li-ion battery pack and the PowerShot A2500 also features Canon’s new ECO Mode which saves power so you can take more pictures on a single charge.

Performance

The images we shot from the Canon PowerShot A2500 seemed a little lackluster. The colour reproduction felt slightly unnatural and the images weren’t sharp enough. Outdoor images were decent though. Indoor images however, were not up to the mark. You can check out the sample images and video in our video review below.

The Canon PowerShot A2500 employs Canon’s Smart AUTO Mode, which recognizes up to 32 different shooting situations and selects the camera settings for no-fuss picture taking. Creative filters available include Fisheye Effect, Toy Camera Effect and Monochrome.

As the Canon PowerShot A2500 does not feature Optical Image Stabilization, videos were quite shaky and low light imaging as a result was unsatisfactory. There’s digital image stabilization, but that typically works by raising ISO sensitivity and noise levels to increase your shutter speed and reduce blur – not necessarily what most shooters are looking for.

It records 720p HD video at twenty five frames per second and 640 x 480 VGA video at 30 frames per second. It picked up background audio quite nicely though, and the 5x zoom came in handy.

Conclusion

if you’re not picky about your photos, take mostly outside shots and primarily share them with friends and family online, then the price of the Canon PowerShot A2500 at Rs 5,500 is just right.

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July 3, 2013
LG LA6910 55 inch 3D Smart TV Review

At a time when manufacturers like Sony are concentrating on pushing forward their 4K televisions, LG recently released their new lineup of smart televisions, and among them was the LG LA6910 55-inch 3D TV.

The LG LA6910 has a 55″, 1920 x 1080 pixels display which is an advanced IPS LED LCD Panel. It has 9 aspect ratio modes including 16:9, Just scan, Original, Full Wide, 4:3, 14:9, Cinema Zoom 1, Zoom.

At the back it has a 2.1 speaker system (2way 3speaker) with Virtual Surround Sound Plus and Dolby Digital Decoder. The LG LA6910 has a bunch of engines to process images like Triple XD Engine, Dynamic Color Enhancer, Contrast Optimizer, Picture Wizard II, (3D MPEG) Noise Reduction.

In terms of design the LG LA6910 has a diminutive bezel with a brushed aluminum finish. A relatively thick brushed steel section of the bezel runs across the bottom lip that’s accentuated with a backlit LG logo at the centre. The stand has a unique chrome finish design with wheels at the bottom to make adjustments. Build quality is as you’d expect from a TV of this price range, solid.

Backlight bleed is virtually non-existent, and this is a mark of the emphasis that LG has paid in terms of the design and build-quality of the TV.

Since it is a smart TV you get access to various applications such as Skype and YouTube. You also have local apps such as NDTV which exist to cater to India-specific needs.

The LG LA6910 has the basic analogue video and audio inputs, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity options, in addition to 3 HDMIs.

The LG LA6910 is available in the market for about Rs 2,00,000/-.

You can watch our video review below :

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June 25, 2013
Sony Xperia Z Ultra Announced Officially, Snapdragon 800, 6.4″ 1080p Display (PR)

After numerous leaks over the past few weeks, Sony today officially announced the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, a new smartphone with a 6.4-inch full high-definition screen and a Snapdragon 800 chipset.

The 6.4-inch, 1,920 by 1,080 pixel display is what Sony calls a TRILUMINOUS Display, incorporating technology from the Bravia television line, including the X-Reality video-enhancing software.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra works with a stylus (or any pencil, Sony says) and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There’s a powerful Adreno 330 GPU to push all the pixels to the screen too, a part of the new Snapdragon 800 chipset, which also packs a quad-core Krait 400 processor clocked at 2.2GHz.

At 6.5 mmm Sony is heralding the phone as the “world’s slimmest and largest full HD smartphone.”

Other specs of note include an 8-megapixel camera, a 3,000 mAh battery and 16 gigabytes of internal storage, with about 11 GB available to the user, and a microSD card slot for extra space. (Props to Sony for being up-front about the usable storage space).

The battery, on the other hand, is a quite respectable 3000mAh, though that screen will definitely eat it up faster than more conventional phones.

The Xperia Z Ultra is set for a third quarter 2013 global release, with precise dates varying by market. There is no price set for the phone at the moment.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]

The new Xperia™ Z Ultra: The world’s slimmest and largest Full HD smartphone display*

6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by X-Reality™ for mobile engine for the ultimate big screen entertainment experience
Ultra slim, waterproof** and dust-resistant (IP55/IP58) durable design
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs and 4G LTE for fast performance
Write and sketch with any pencil and selected stylus or pen
Full accessory ecosystem for premium entertainment and one-touch connectivity
Battery STAMINA Mode for outstanding battery life
25th June 2013, Mobile Asia Expo, Shanghai – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today introduces the next revolution in premium large-screen Android smartphone entertainment. The new Xperia Z Ultra is waterproof**, ultra-slim with a lightweight design so you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere. It’s the first smartphone ever to incorporate a Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by Sony’s latest X-Reality™ for mobile picture engine to deliver the most immersive viewing experience imaginable. Additionally, the Xperia Z Ultra will also feature the fully integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs, 4GLTE and HD voice to provide a seamless connected entertainment experience, industry-leading battery performance and amazing speed.

“The Xperia Z Ultra is the most exciting revolution in large-screen smartphone entertainment devices with both the slimmest and largest Full HD smartphone display* in the world that is second to none.” said Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications. “We’re already bringing the best of Sony technology and design across a range of premium smartphones and tablets, and now we are bringing this same premium offering to the large-screen smartphone segment, setting a new standard for others to follow.”

The world’s largest Full HD smartphone display*

Xperia Z Ultra features a 6.4” touchscreen Full HD display with Sony’s unique TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile, creating a wider palette of rich natural colours thanks to Sony’s BRAVIA TV expertise. The breakthrough technology includes X-Reality™ for mobile – Sony’s intelligent super resolution display technology which analyzes each image and reproduces lacking pixels to optimize quality for the sharpest videos. It analyses elements depending on the scene and adjusts them based on pattern, outline and colour composition. It also strengthens subtle patterns and accurately portrays their detailed feel, as well as reinforcing bold outlines. The large Full HD display has been optimised to experience at least 60%*** more of the screen than most other smartphones.

The world’s slimmest Full HD smartphone*

Xperia Z Ultra is supremely slim and lightweight with a beautifully crafted 6.5mm body and weighing just 212 grams for ultimate portability. Sony craftsmanship in design and attention to detail comes to the fore with clean lines and premium materials – the front and back are made of tempered glass, creating a seamless surface with the OptiContrast™ panel housed in an innovative solid metal frame which looks stunning from any angle. It features the same acclaimed OmniBalance design as Xperia Z and Tablet Z. The Xperia Z Ultra is available in a choice of black, white or purple colour finishes.

The only waterproof Full HD smartphone**Xperia Z Ultra is both elegant and durable. With an impressive rating of IP55 and IP58, this smartphone isn’t only resistant to dust, but is waterproof** too – giving you the freedom to enjoy it anywhere. You can even film in Full HD underwater, taking your large-screen smartphone experience to a new level. The camera features “Exmor RS for mobile”, HDR for both photos and film, and Superior Auto mode automatically activates HDR and noise reduction when needed, so you’ll get stunning imagery even in challenging light conditions.

Ultimate entertainment experience

The Xperia Z Ultra is uniquely positioned to offer the ultimate big screen phone entertainment experience for watching movies, playing games, reading books and browsing the web.

Sony’s “WALKMAN”, Album and Movies media applications enable discovery of online and offline content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content.

The “WALKMAN” application leverages Sony’s audio engine and Facebook integration for sharing and discovering new music and is unique in that it provides seamlessly integrated access to all your downloaded music as well as access to a global library of over 20 million songs2 from Sony’s cloud-based subscription music service, Music Unlimited3.

The Movies application brings new intuitive ways to discover, manage and play movie content, together with easy access to an extensive library of blockbuster movies and the latest TV episodes from the Video Unlimited2 service.

The Album application provides seamless integration with the PlayMemories Online2 service, letting you access all your photos and albums from within the Album app instantly and easily, wherever you are. You can even set an automatic upload of your photos to the PlayMemories Online service to access and enjoy from any your favourite Sony devices.

The Sony Reader app2 provides seamless Reader store2 access so you can download and enjoy the latest bestsellers – it even lets you sync purchased books in popular formats and continue reading from same page.
Xperia Z Ultra will include an exclusive free entertainment content offer, including a free trial of the Music Unlimited2 service (subject to availability).

Ultimate performance with the world’s fastest smartphone processor****

The Xperia Z Ultra features the world’s fastest smartphone processor**** – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with HD voice, that together with Sony´s audio Sony’s ClearAudio+ mode and Xloud loudness enhancement, delivers not just exceptional speed and performance, but also unsurpassed voice and audio quality.

Battery STAMINA Mode significantly improves the standby time of your smartphone by four times or more1 as it recognises when you’re not using your display and automatically turns off the functions you don’t need, while keeping the notifications you want. As soon as you press the power button to wake up your screen, everything is up and running again.

Built for business

The Xperia Z Ultra is the ideal business partner thanks to the super responsive screen with handwriting recognition which is compatible with any pencil and selected stylus or pen (capacitive stylus or metal pen with tip diameter over 1mm). You can even write notes or sketches during calls so you’ll always be ready capture your ideas as they happen. The easy-toggle keyboard makes it ideal for one-handed input and multi-tasking, with small apps to help you improve productivity so you don’t lose time browsing between windows.

The robust security architecture safeguards both your corporate and personal data, with support for multiple accounts that are quick and simple to set up. Further business oriented applications will be made available in future as software updates, ensuring you get the best smartphone experience – whether for work or play.

Ultra connectivity

With one-touch functions you can instantly and easily share music, photos and videos from your smartphone to a wide range of NFC-enabled Sony devices, including speakers, SmartWatch, wireless headsets and TVs. There are several new and innovative accessories joining the range of popular connected devices.

The SBH52 is a dynamic Smart Bluetooth™ Handset that provides easy hands-free call handling with a single press, while leaving your smartphone conveniently in your bag. The OLED display conveniently lets you browse your call log, view text messages, and see who’s calling you. Use it as a quality stereo music headset to listen to your tracks or to the built-in standalone FM radio with RDS. Pairing and connecting is done simply by touching it to your Xperia Z Ultra or other NFC-enabled device. And it’s sleek, minimal design is splash-proof, meaning you can now use it anywhere, in any weather.

The latest generation of SmartWatch, the SmartWatch 2 SW2, helps you keep track of everything without taking your smartphone out of your pocket or bag. The SmartWatch 2 is a truly multifunctional digital watch and phone remote that lets you receive notifications, control your music, and connect with one-touch NFC to your Bluetooth™ headset for easy call handling. The water-resistant design makes it more versatile to use than ever and can be personalised with any standard watch strap. Use it as a standalone watch or with your smartphone. There are over 200 apps available for our first generation and with an open API we expect new applications will be developed quickly and easily for SmartWatch 2.

The Magnetic Charging Dock DK30 has an innovative magnetic pin that lets you to place your Xperia Z Ultra snugly in the dock using one hand, either with or without the phone cover on. While your phone is charging, it stands at a comfortable viewing angle easily allowing you to keep watching your favourite movies even while charging.

Xperia Z Ultra features

6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by X-Reality™ for mobile engine for the ultimate viewing experience
Ultra slim, waterproof** and dust resistant (IP55/IP58) durable design
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs and 4G LTE for fast performance
Write and sketch with any pencil and selected stylus or pen (capacitive stylus or metal pen with tip diameter over 1mm)
8 megapixel camera with “Exmor RS for mobile” sensor and HDR for videos and photos
Full accessory ecosystem for premium entertainment and connectivity
Battery STAMINA Mode for outstanding battery life
The Xperia Z Ultra will launch globally from Q3 2013 (exact timing of availability will vary by market).

* Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service, as of 19th of June 2013 the Xperia Z Ultra is the slimmest smartphone with a Full HD display, for more information on Strategy analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresults

** As of 19th of June 2013, outside of Japan, the Xperia Z Ultra is the only waterproof smartphone with a Full HD display on global distribution. In compliance with IP55 and IP58, Xperia Z Ultra is protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or (ii) can be kept under 1.50 metre of freshwater for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP58. The phone is not designed to float or work submerged underwater outside the IP55 or IP58 classification range that may lead to your warranty will being void. Find out more www.sonymobile.com/testresults

*** Display area available compared to smartphones with a 5” display or smaller

**** Specifications of Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz processor verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 19th of June 2013, for more information on Strategy analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresults

1 Based on testing done with default settings, default accounts and applications for Skype™ and Twitter downloaded to the phone. The more applications installed, the bigger the effect of Battery STAMINA Mode.

2 Number of tracks available from this catalogue varies by country and may be less.

3 Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region. Please visit www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details.[/toggle]

June 25, 2013
Lava Iris 504q Now Available For Pre-Bookings On Online Stores For Rs.13,499

LAVA International Limited is now offering the newly launched Lava Iris 504q for pre-booking on various e-commerce websites.

The new Lava Iris 504q has a super slim 8.4mm thickness that makes it the slimmest handset in its category. It brings HD experience to a 5 inch IPS screen with OGS display technology and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and running on the latest Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Iris 504q comes with an intelligent flip cover.

This device sports an 8MP camera with rear auto-focus and BSI sensor. Lava Iris 504q also packs in 1GB RAM and an internal memory of 4 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB.

The Lava Iris 504q is priced at Rs. 13,499 and comes with a free flip cover and screen guard. It is expected to reach the stores in the last week of June.

You can watch our hands-on video below :

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June 21, 2013
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus, ATIV Book 9 Lite Announced

Samsung today announced two new Ultrabooks, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus and Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite.

Both feature aluminium unibodies and 13.3-inch screens with touch functionality. The one on the ATIV Book 9 Plus however packs the whopping 3200 X 1800 QHD+ resolution.

The ATIV Book 9 Plus supports a 256GB SSD, up to 8GB RAM and offers a battery life of 12 hours. At its thickest point its said to be 13.6mm, and weighs just 1.39kg. They’ve also made improvements to the backlit keyboard and trackpad and the touchscreen touts Gorilla Glass, which makes it quite durable.

The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus can be hinged in two positions, one is around 105 degrees and the other is a flat 180 degrees. Samsung says that the touchscreen display will offer an improved experience due to the use of OCR bonding.

Samsung also announced the lower-end ATIV Book 9 Lite, which ditches the high resolution display for a standard 1366 x 768 display, and features one of AMD’s new Kabini APUs under the hood. The machine does have a 256 GB solid state drive in its 1.44-1.58 kg body, but it’s not surprising to learn the battery life is lower than its flagship counterpart: apparently you’ll only be able to manage a maximum of eight hours out of this device.

As with the ATIV Book 9 Plus, the Book 9 Lite is slated for a Q3 release with no price announced just yet.

June 21, 2013
Lamborghini launches limited Gallardo India edition for Rs. 3.06 crore

After launching Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia specific cars, Lamborghini’s 50th year celebrations have now reached India, with the launch of an “India Limited Edition” of the Gallardo LP 550-2.

The Gallardo ‘India Serie Speciale’, as seen on a plate near the driver’s side quarter glass, is mechanically identical to the LP550-2. Powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine producing 550 hp and 540 Nm of torque, the Gallardo India edition will go from 0-100 kmph in 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 320 kmph. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox sending power only to the rear wheels, which is what the 2 in its LP 550-2 coding refers to.

The Gallardo India edition sports Aranico Borealis, Bianco Monocerus and Verde Ithaca (translated as orange, white and green, representing the Indian flag) stripes running down the center of the bonnet, roof and engine lid. The car will be available in three colours, orange, white and green, unsurprisingly. The tricolore treatment for the Indian edition also extends to the black interiors that are accented with orange white and green stitching on the seat, dash and door trims. Lamborghini’s optional Cordelia wheels are standard on this car.

The India edition car represents a powerful and sophisticated tribute from the house of the raging bull, symbolic of our common ethos in aspiring for perfection. This reiterates our commitment to the India and enthusiasts of Lamborghini.
– Pavan Shetty, head of operations, Lamborghini India

Only six of the Gallardo India Edition cars will be produced, and will retail for an ex-Maharashtra price of Rs 3.06 crore.

[Image courtesy: The Hindu]

June 20, 2013
HTC Butterfly S Officially Announced, Features Ultra-Pixel Camera

Last week we saw some leaked photos of the new HTC Butterfly S, the handset has now been announced in Taiwan and we have all the specifications on new Android smartphone.

You should rejoice as the Butterfly S packs a massive 3,200 mAh battery, a big upgrade over its predecessor which had a 2020 mAh battery.

Image Courtesy : Engadget

The new HTC Butterfly S comes with a Snapdragon 600 quad core processor clocked at 1.9GHz. It has a 5 inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Other specifications on the HTC Butterfly S include 16GB of built in storage and a HTC Ultrapixel camera, the device also comes with HTC Boom Sound speakers.

The device runs on Android 4.2 with HTC Sense 5.0, and hence has the HTC Zoe feature. Blinkfeed is likely to be brought to the device as well.

In terms of the connectivity, the phone comes with quad-band HSPA , Wi-Fi a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Infrared and GPS.

The HTC Butterfly S is a little chunky, weighing in at 160 grams and measuring 10.6 mm in thickness, but that’s what you get when you dramatically increase the battery size.

The HTC Butterfly S will go on sale in Taiwan in July it will also launch in Europe and Asia later this summer, although we do not have any details on an exact launch date.

We hope HTC price the phone better than last time.

[Via]

June 19, 2013
Sony Xperia L Full Review
Design And Build Quality

At first glance, the Sony Xperia L is quite reminiscent of the Xperia Arc, with it’s arched back and a large screen towards the front.

A noticeably plastic finish greets you when you pick up the handset, but it feels sturdy and there was little flex in the body – meaning the Xperia L doesn’t feel too cheap.

The removable back cover has a soft rubber finish which makes the phone easy to grip and free from finger prints. On the contrary, the front panel is a magnet for fingerprints.

All of the Sony Xperia L ‘s buttons are on the right side of the device. The volume rocker is at the very top, while the power button (the same distinctive power/lock key found on various other Xperia devices) is lower down, almost in the middle of the device. Down at the bottom of the device is the hardware camera button. There is a micro-USB port on the left while the headphone jack sits square in the middle of the top of the device. At the bottom there is that famous light that glows beneath the display, letting the user know if they had any notifications waiting.

Overall, we were really impressed with the build quality of the device.

Specifications And Hardware

On the specifications front, Sony Xperia L sports a 4.3-inch display with 480×854 pixel resolution and is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 dual-core processor. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system and packs 1GB RAM along with 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.
The handset supports WIFI, DLNA, 3G, GPS and Micro-USB and packs 1750mAh battery gives up to eight and a half hours of talktime and standby time of up to 498 hours. The device comes equipped with an 8-megapixel front camera with Exmor RS and a VGA front facing camera.

Display And Multimedia

The front of the Xperia L is dominated by its 4.3-inch FWVGA display with the standard Android keys appearing onscreen instead of below it. Again, its 854×480 resolution is pretty standard for a phone at this price, and you have to zoom in to read text on web pages, but we saw bright whites and punchy colours.

The Xperia L’s LCD display doesn’t have the true blacks of an AMOLED screen, but blacks are still very deep. It’s a high-quality display for a relatively inexpensive handset. Viewing angles are really decent as well.

Sound quality on the Sony Xperia L is excellent, loud and clear. Couple that with it’s display quality and you have a really capable multimedia device in front of you. On-screen buttons disappear while you watch videos freeing all the screen space for your viewing pleasure.

One area where the Sony Xperia L disappoints though is the browsing experience. We tried various browsers and performance on each was equally dismal. Pages took a lot of time load up and there was a lot of lag while zooming and scrolling.

Gaming on this device is excellent, and while games like N.O.V.A and Fifa 12 were not compatible with the device, it delivered the ones that were excellently.

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Camera

In terms of photographic ability Sony has equipped the Sony Xperia L with an impressive 8MP rear facing camera which also boasts a single LED flash, 720p video recording and HDR and panorama modes.

One of the benefits of having a large sensor is low light performance and the Xperia L takes some of the best low-light photos we’ve seen in the segment. Outdoor images though were just about decent with slightly washed out colours. Looking at fine detail you’d often notice images turn out soft and spongy.

The camera experience is somewhat hampered by the slow and buggy camera app. Focusing takes a lot of time and the app takes a moment or two to process the image, resulting in blurry motion shots.

Sample Images :

The 720p video capture suffers from the some of the same issues, although not quite as much as still photos do. The auto-brightness is very aggressive, so expect some very noticeable shifting in your brightness, especially if the subject is backlit.

Performance

With a 1 Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset, Adreno 305 GPU and 1 GB of RAM, the hardware inside the Sony Xperia L is nothing we haven’t seen before, so we had a fairly good idea of what to expect.

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

The Sony Xperia L scored 10104 in AnTuTu Benchmark, 60.2 fps in NenaMark2 and 4064 in Quadrant. Impressive for the hardware the device is powered by.

Software And User Interface

Sony has applied its own layer of gloss to Jelly Bean, with its a homescreen editor function allowing you to quickly and easily manage your widgets, apps and shortcuts as well as changing the phone’s theme and wallpaper – making it that bit more personal. Lovely.

Sony has given greater presence to its own services like the great WALKMAN app but also to more clunky offerings like the Sony Select application.

Onboard Sony firmware clearly has an impact on the advertised 8GB of internal storage which is 5.8GB.

Phone Calls and Connectivity

The phone networks are consistent and of good strength, no issues with connectivity to data and voice services. Overall network performance is impressive and voice handling good thanks to decent microphones and speakers in the Sony Xperia L .The dialler has also been tweaked by Sony.

Messaging was decent as well due to the large screen and the well laid keyboard.

Battery

[tabgroup][tab title=”Connections Off”]
- Talk Time 3G network(data off): 5 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data off) : 6 hours
- Internet : N/A
- Music : 8 Hours
- Video : 6 hours
[/tab][tab title=”Connections On”]
- Talk Time 3G network(data on): 4.5 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data on) : 5.5 hours
- Internet : 6 Hours
- Music : 8 Hours
- Video : 4.5 hours
[/tab][tab title=”Wifi Only”]
- Talk Time 3G network(data off): 4.5 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data off) : 6 hours
- Internet : 6.5 Hours
- Music : 8 Hours
- Video : 5 hours
[/tab][/tabgroup]

Conclusion

Generally the Sony Xperia L copes with everything pretty well and while there is a hint of slow down every now and then that’s expected from cheaper handsets. What should help it stand out in its fairly crowded category are its looks and design.
June 14, 2013
Xbox One Will Only Work In Certain Countries At Launch Excluding India

If you were thinking about ordering the Xbox One via a relative/friend abroad and use it in India before it officially launches here, Microsoft wants you to forget about it.

Just when you thought Microsoft couldn’t go a day without some new anti-consumer disaster it’s been revealed that the Xbox One is so reliant on its online connection that it won’t even turn on in some countries, no matter where you buy it from.

Microsoft’s Xbox One preorder information page states that the console will only support Live in only 21 countries at launch, and therefore presumably won’t work anywhere else.

The problem is there are only 21 supported countries at launch (depending on who you ask there are around 206 countries in the world) and that doesn’t include Portugal, Poland and most of Eastern Europe, or Japan and the rest of Asia (including India).

The full list of supported countries is Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

Microsoft have described this as a “staged approach” to marketing their new console. Their regional vice president for sales and marketing in Asia stated that they were still working on allowing Asian gamers a “great experience”, including localised content.

The only alternative for people residing in India (or the other countries omitted) would be to create a new Xbox Live account that pretended to be based in a supported region

In contrast, Sony has said that the PlayStation 4 will be region-free, like the PlayStation 3.

June 14, 2013
Lenovo Launches 6 New Phones, Including K900 With World’s First Intel Atom Z2580 Processor.

Lenovo today launched 6 new smartphones in India.

The flagship device will be the K900, which is the world’s first smartphone based on the latest Intel Atom Z2580 processor, clocked at 2GHz and which utilizes Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology to boost performance.

Features of the new smartphone include a 5.5″ IPS display with 1080p full high-definition resolution with 400+ pixels-per-inch, a 13MP camera with Sony Exmor BSi sensor, an 88-degree viewing angle front camera and a graphics media accelerator.

The Lenovo K900 has been priced at Rs. 32,999/- and will be available across India from July 13.

The P780 has been launched with a massive 4,000 mAh battery. A 5-inch IPS display, a 8MP camera, and a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor. It has been priced at Rs 22,529/-.

The Lenovo S920 runs on Android Jelly Bean and has Dual SIM support. It has a 5.3 Inches IPS display (1280 x 720), 1.2 GHz Quad-core MTK 6589 Processor with 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear and 2MP front camera with LED flash and autofocus, 4GB Internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and a 2250 mAh Li-Ion battery. The retail price for the S920 is Rs. 26,399/-.

The Lenovo S820 has a 4.66″ (720 x 1280 pixels, 315 ppi pixel density) IPS LCD display and runs on Android Jelly Bean. It is powered by a Quad-core 1.2 GHz MTK 6589 processor with 1GB of RAM. It features a 12MP rear and 2MP front camera with LED flash and Autofocus, 4GB Internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and a 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery. It has been priced at Rs. 19,599/-.

Next is the Lenovo A706, which sports a 4.5-inch FWVGA IPS capacitive touchscreen display. That’s a 16:9 854 x 480 screen resolution which should bring the pixel density to an average 217ppi. Under the hood, the Lenovo A706 uses a quad-core processor that clocks at 1 GHz. While it is equipped with 1GB RAM, it only has 4GB worth of internal storage. It has been priced at Rs. 15,949/-.

Lastly, the Lenovo A390 has a 4″ (480 x 800 pixels, 233 ppi pixel density) display and is powered by a dual-core 1 GHz processor with 512MB of RAM. It too has 4GB of internal memory and a 5 MP camera. It has been priced at Rs. 8,689/-.

June 5, 2013
Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle Review

Micromax attempts yet another handset in the Indian Market with the new A111 Canvas Doodle, trying to grab the attention of budget seekers. The Quad Core smartphone is Micromax’s take on making a budget Note series smartphone. But, does the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle fulfill that promise? lets find out.

Build Quality, Hardware and Design

The Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle isn’t exceptionally well built, but has just the right mix of elements that make it a fairly durable phone. The plastics and the back panel are solid and do not have any rattle in them what so ever. The included flip cover is a poorly made cover and will not last the users a long time, the fact that the white colored faux-leather material is not coated also makes it a dirt and grime magnet. However, it does do its job of protecting the front screen of the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle, which thankfully takes a different design approach from the previous Canvas series smartphones.

The insides are laced with a thick layer of Qualcomm grease, in other words a Qualcomm MSM8225Q Snapdragon chipset runs the Canvas Doodle. The RAM is kept at a lowly 512 MB, and storage a mere 4 GB. The good thing however, is that the phone when provided with a class 10 microSD card, converts that into the main storage. This truly expands the capability of the device and makes Micromax’s Canvas series highly desirable (at least the new units). The front of the phone has a large 5.3 inch 480 x 854 px display which will not win any points in the resolution department, but is surely a large display.

Cameras on the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle include an 8 MP main shooter and a 2 MP secondary shooter. Both of which are fairly good in their respective capabilities. You will also get video calls over 3G from the front facing camera.

The Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle take a design leap in a new direction, making the phone a lot more squarish and flatter vs the wobbly and curved design of the previous generation of Micromax Canvas phones. The bold new logo on the back, although appreciated by some, is almost like an eyesore on a fairly well finished smart phone, which constantly reminds you that you own a “punch” flavored smart phone.

[youtube id=”JBo949WJJ3U” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

The Doodle of Jelly Beans

(OS and Usage)

“Doodle”! Honestly, a year ago if a phone with this name would have appeared in the market, it would have been ridiculed to death. But the market is different today, and we have heard of anything from “dream” to “titanium” to “grand” and even “iris” so nobody really cares if their smart phone is called Doodle. Now, coming to the point, the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle was named such due to the inclusion of the stylus and the overall appeal of the smartphone as a pen input device. Unfortunately, the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle comes no where near that, the included stylus is the most horrible stylus you can get for a phone, it is too small to hold, does not extend, and worst of all; does not work properly on the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle.

Fortunately for Micromax, they do get redeeming points because, the freebies aside, the phone is quite a capable handset. With dual sim and the storage extended the phone manages to run smoothly and will not crash in daily chores. The internet experience is pleasing and the overall usage of the phone will not be a let down.

If you are seriously considering this device for the included stylus and drawing capabilities, investing in a tablet and a Rs. 1000 stylus will get you more than the Jelly Bean Doodle. The Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle is quite capable in other aspects and due to a firly common resolution will support most of the apps from the Google Play store, including high end games, which we tested in the gaming video. See below.

Multimedia, Camera and Gaming

[pullquote_left]The oodles of the Doodle! [/pullquote_left]We have understood, mostly from our readers, that the maximum number of sales happening in these so called “budget phablets” are happening with the youth or the younger crowd. The usage of the phone survives around social media, networking, Multimedia consumption and creation along with leisure activities that include some gaming. The Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle seems to be a good balance in all, while not being premier in either.

Due to the nature of the Android Eco System, the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle is capable of all forms of social media and networking. You have apps for Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard (subscribe to iGyaan on Flipboard ) and Instagram, just to name a few. You have all forms of other apps that let you interact between networks and socialize over multiple platforms. The internet experience is good too, the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle has WiFi and 3G access allowing you to connect to high speed internet (if present) and access all forms of networks. The internet browser is fairly smooth and capable, while many a replacement are available in the Android Google Play store, to improve the online experience.

The Camera on the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle is an 8 MP autofocus camera capable of capturing good pictures provided light is ample, a little into the darkness and the distortion in the images is clear. See some samples below. The front camera is also quite handy for clicking self portraits for that new Facebook profile picture or even group party shots. Since the Camera app is not custom designed, it will be better if you opt in for a premium app from the Play store.

Sample Images

Gaming on the Canvas Doodle was surprisingly good, it played all forms of games from tennis to NOVA 3 and handled them quite capably. Most high end games will run with reduced graphics, but will play smoothly enough to be able to enjoy the gameplay.

[youtube id=”aZPl-BX6e1g” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

Gaming Video

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

Phone, Networks and Battery

The networks and phone call capability on the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle is excellent, with little or no network issues, and great connectivity throughout, you will have no complaints with the phone. The dual sim is still standby, so if you are connected on one, the other remains off or out of reach. We also have issue with only one slot being 3G, its high time that companies start adapting the Samsung approach and making phones that let you switch 3G internally vs a sim slot capable of 3G and another for 2G.

The battery is good for one day with average usage, but if you are a heavy user expect to charge it twice.

[tabgroup]

[tab title=”Battery Life with 3G ON” icon=”icon-headphones”]Talk time : 5 Hours
Standby : 48 Hours
Gaming : 3.5 Hours
Online : 6 hours
Music 8 hours[/tab]

[tab title=”Battery Life with 3G OFF” icon=”icon-headphones”]Talk time : 6 Hours
Standby : 54 Hours
Gaming : 3.5 Hours
Online : 6 hours (wi-fi)
Music 8.5 hours[/tab]

[/tabgroup]

Conclusion

The Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle offers you up with a capability of being a Note-worth competitor, while failing miserably at that, it by itself is quite a satisfying product. A well balanced phone with a new design and decent hardware on the inside. It balances between all the tasks you could expect from a phone while leaving out performance from any. If you are opting in for a well balanced device, the Micromax A111 Canvas Doodle will not disappoint, But, of you are looking for a single important feature, be it pure gaming, Online capabilities or even a great camera, The Micromax Canvas Doodle is not the phone you want to get.

Video Review

(Pending)

[button_2 color=”#71889c” size=”button-med” icon=”icon-shopping-cart” float=”left” text=”Buy Now” link=”http://gizmolution.com/Details.aspx?ID=726″ id=”doodle”]

May 26, 2013
0% EMI Scheme Announced For Blackberry Z10, Curve 9220

Following in the footsteps of Apple and Samsung, BlackBerry has announced new 0% EMI schemes for its flagship BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and its baseline device, the BlackBerry Curve 9220.

It has tied up with credit card providers including Axis Bank, Citibank, HDFC bank,HSBC, ICICI Bank, Kotak, SBI Card and Standard Chartered.

“Customers can now buy the BlackBerry Z10 via their credit cards by paying an EMI of Rs 4,799 per month for nine months,” BlackBerry said in a statement.

Customers can purchase the Z10 by paying an EMI of Rs 4,799 per month for nine months. A similar scheme for BlackBerry Curve 9220 is available where customers can use their credit card to buy the device and pay an EMI of Rs 799 per month for 12 months.

Under the schemes, no down payment, no processing fee and 0% interest has been offered. The plan will be rolled out in 2500 BlackBerry outlets across the country by this weekend and will be available in additional 400 outlets by next week.

Also, Idea users living in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh can also subscribe to a 1-year unlimited data plan for roughly Rs 1,000 at the time of purchase.

BlackBerry Z10, was announced globally on January 30. The smartphone sports a 4.2-inch display with a resolution of 1280×768 pixels and is powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor paired with 2GB of RAM.

The Z10 comes with 16GB of internal storage along with a micro-SD card slot for storage expansion and houses an 8 megapixel camera at the back along with a 2 megapixel camera at the front. The BlackBerry Z10 comes with all the standard connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and also 4G LTE support. The Z10 also packs-in a 1,800mAh battery.

May 23, 2013
Panasonic Lumix GF6 Offically Released

Panasonic has launched the new Lumix GF6, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The GF6 has a 16 megapixel sensor with a new Venus Engine that can shoot up to ISO 26,000 and can record videos at 1080i/60.

The Venus Engine has been created to provide users with high-performance signal processing and the advanced noise reduction system, with a max ISO 25600.

The screen on the Panasonic Lumix GF6 is a slight step up from the GF5 resolution wise: 1040K-dot screen compared to the 920K-dot screen on the outgoing model. It has a fully articulated screen that can flip 180-degrees, so you can use it for self-portraits.

The WiFi and NFC support is another advantage, though this has stopped being a novelty after the Samsung Galaxy Camera opened the floodgates for all the others.

The same can be said about the included app, which needs to be installed on smartphones/tablets and, among other things, can send/receive photos and control the camera from afar.

The Panasonic Lumix GF6 possesses built-in flash, 3.7 fps burst shooting, low-light autofocus and a 0.5-second start-up time, and JPEG and RAW shooting, plus a new mode dial and a case colored black, white, red or brown.

Finally, editing the photos/video is possible in Self Shot, Creative Panorama and Stop Motion Animation. And with the popular Creative Control mode, a total of 19 filter effects are made available to the owner.

The Panasonic Lumix GF6 will be available from the end of May, priced at £499 with the 14-42mm II lens and £649 in a double-zoom kit with the 45-150mm Mega O.I.S.

Waiting for an India release!

April 9, 2013
Welcome to the New iGyaan 2013

[title title=”Editorial: iGyaan and You” icon=”icon-edit”]

Few years back when I started iGyaan, it was supposed to be a simple and efficient way for me to give advice to my friends and family who wanted the right information and tips on technology. Today, iGyaan is ranked as India’s leading technology destination and I have only you to thank. With the first few inspirational emails and positive comments, I was constantly fighting the battle to do better and better with something which was a mere hobby for me at that time.

[pullquote_left] As long as you remember us [/pullquote_left]I remember an anonymous reader stating on the blogspot blog, iGyaan should be a website it will do well. Low and behold months later iGyaan.in was formed. There are many reasons I chose this name, and many have tried to justify it, “India-Gyaan”, “IT- Gyaan”, “I (me) – Gyaan”, It honestly does not matter to me, As long as you remember us.

I have strived to hold standards on iGyaan, ensuring that I can deliver the best of quality and the right amounts of it. In the years, however, there have been many things which have been not accepted by you, what can I say, we learnt and we moved on.

The best thing about iGyaan is the team that holds it together, from Devs, to designers, to writers, editors, video editors among others who helped us reach this milestone.

[pullquote_right]Makes us do what we do better[/pullquote_right]The new iGyaan, has been created with careful tinkering and to deliver a fast and efficient reading experience for all those on the other side. The new design also makes it easy for us to deliver the information to you people, so it turns out to be a win-win. We hope you appreciate all the hard work and no-sleep nights that go into delivering a better end-user experience, and continue to give us all the love and appreciation for it. It is truly what makes us do what we do better.

March 13, 2013