We’re starting a new section to review apps from various mobile app marketplaces. These will include the latest and best releases from Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.
Todays App is the Times of India App.
This particular app is a portal for the Times of India website on your mobile device. Reading news and staying up to date with current events has never been easier. It features many sections to segregate news for easier reading. You can customize what news you receive on your front page and you can also download news for off-line viewing.
The app also shows a nifty live Sen-sex ticker in the top right corner and has a separate section for Photo galleries and Video news. The only feature we thought was lacking was a citizen journalist section to report news as it happens live around you. All in all this is a must have app for your device to keep yourself up to date with the changing world around you.
Spice has launched a new Android Smartphone, the MI-310 running Android 2.2 Froyo to compete in the mid-range mobile market. Read the review for more details.
BUILD QUALITY AND HARDWARE
The MI-310 has a stylish aluminium body which gives easy access to the battery and internally fitted Micro SD card. The Power/Unlock button on the top of the phone is flush with the bezel which may cause some difficulty while unlocking the device. It has a 320×480 pixel, 3.15 inch capacitive touch screen display which displays vivid images and videos and there are no complaints there. The phone also comes with a stand-alone camera shutter button, volume buttons and a small touch-sensitive trackpad for easier scrolling.
The overall construction of the phone feels quite sturdy and its quite comfortable to hold and use. It has an inbuilt memory of 85 mb with a Micro SD slot expandable to 16Gb, built in GPS with AGPS support, 3G compliance with HSDPA access (7.2 mbps), bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g, a 2.0 MP camera with digital zoom and video recording and an internal FM radio. As far as sensors go the phone has a built in proximity sensor and accelerometer. While in a call, the proximity sensor sometimes fails and causes your cheeks to start pushing buttons on-screen, which can get quite frustrating. (A factory reset of the device however fixed this problem for us)
MULTIMEDIA AND CAMERA
The 320x480px screen is quite vivid and does a great job of displaying videos (even in HQ) and photographs. The audio output of the loudspeaker is pretty loud,and is sufficient while on the move. The in-ear headphones that come with the phone are quite comfortable and the sound quality is clear and crisp. The high notes are quite sharp and the bass is quite deep. The phone doesn’t come with any games, but there’s LOTS of games that can be downloaded from the Android store. The inbuilt Android Music and Video player support many formats and are quite user friendly. The phone also comes with an in-built FM radio which can scan and store pre-set channels and favourites.
The 2.0 MP camera leave a little to be desired but is quite easy to use with the stand-alone camera shutter button. Video recording is a breeze. The two things that would make the experience better are better focusing and the addition of a camera flash. The phone comes with all the standard camera effects for video recording and image capture. We did notice that Video capability on this camera was much better than still images.
PHONE, MESSAGING and BATTERY
The Spice MI-310 is a very easy to use phone. It has a very large phonebook, and the ability to sync your contacts with Gmail, FaceBook etc. The biggest issue we faced with this handset was the microphone. At some point during the review the diaphragm of the mic got stuck and we got REALLY BAD voice quality. Now we dont know if this was a problem with the design of the phone or just this particular piece but this is something to be wary of a little air dusting and light whack to the microphone fixed the problem. There were no signal issues for voice calls but we faced repeated issues with the HSDPA network. Eventually the phone refused to connect to 3G and remained in EDGE mode or WiFi (when we were in range). Switching the mode to WCDMA only via an app from the Android MarketPlace fixed this issue.
When it comes to typing on the on-screen keyboard, its a bit of a hassle in portrait mode (we have big fingers), but works brilliantly in landscape mode. The best thing about messaging is the speech to text function. The bottom strip of menu buttons (standard on most android phones) are a bit too sensitive and may cause unwated tension while typing. The phone has decent battery life, lasting for approximately 3-4 hours talk-time and around 48 – 60 hours standby depending on usage.
CONCLUSION
The Spice MI-310 is good to look at, lightweight and is feature packed for its price. The display is quite vivid and getting a capacitive touch screen for this price is amazing. The fact that this is an android phone opens up many avenues for customisation through the Google Marketplace. However, there were slight problems that we faced with the microphone, the proximity sensor and the 3G which after resolution can make this device the only one in this price bracket with the brilliant spec list.
Sony Ericsson has just announced the new Xperia Neo for India, while we were getting this news several vendors have confirmed that they should get the stock today. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo was announced at MWC 2011. The device has a 3.7-inch ‘Reality type display’ with BRAVIA engine.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on-board, with a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, and 8MP camera on its rear end with dual-LED flash.
The HTC Incredible S is HTC’s latest and greatest, But, does it really fit that mark? Lets find out.
HARDWARE AND BUILD QUALITY
The device features one of the most robust constructions yet, a rubberized body , is not only rugged but also the new in-thing. The device is great to hold in the hand and feels really good thanks again to the rubber grip backing. It also sheds some of the added weight that the Desire HD has. No squeaks or rattling from the device. Better buttons in comparison to the Desire HD and a nicer looking display with rotating menu buttons. The build quality is surprisingly good and we were happy with it.
Tech Specs
Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1GHZ
768 MB RAM
Android 2.2
8 megapixel camera with Autofocus, Dual LED Flash and 720p video recording
1.3 megapixel front facing camera
1450 mAh Battery
480 x 800 pixels Capacitive multitouch SLCD display 4.0 Inch
The display on the Incredible S is simply stunning, the comparatively high resolution along with the SLCD screen just do wonders for the device. The colors are deep and the text crisp. The Processor may also play a role in the responsiveness of the device, but the basic functionality of the display and touchscreen is simply great.
The speaker on the device is slightly louder than its cousins ( the Desire HD/Mozart etc). But still not up to the mark from a device in this range. The video playback is smooth with zero lag and the fact that almost all formats can be played or play on the device thanks to Android is an added bonus.
The camera is no-where near where we want it to be, the images were bad, and we fail to see what dumping megapixels in a camera would do if the sensor is basically a dud. The camera is a big disappointment, although in crisp clear daylight , you may even get impressive shots, indoor and low light images are just very very poor. HTC should work on the Hardware instead of cramming specs in their devices. The 5MP backlit sensor on my personal iPhone 4 is far superior than this 8MP one from HTC.
PERFORMANCE, PHONE and MESSAGING
The device is a performer when comparing it to earlier versions of HTC devices and even some competition from Samsung. We ran Quadrant and Neocore on the device and we were quite pleased with what we saw. The scores ranged from
Quadrant : 1550-1600 (Highest Rank in the Stats)
Neocore : 56.5-57.0 FPS
The phone call capability of this device sets it apart, we cant stress enough on the crispness of the earpiece or the sensitivity of the microphone, the call quality was just brilliant. We did several hours of testing on the device and we got (get this) NO DROPPED CALLS in areas where we usually get several call drops within a couple of hours.
The messaging is similar to HTC Desire HD with the sense keyboard, the keyboard has navigation keys at the bottom which make it a lot more easy to navigate while in a text compose screen. The typing experience is much better on the Incredible S simply because of the improved responsiveness of the display and the processing capabilities of the device.
CONCLUSION
The Incredible S is a abandoned phone, it comes at a time where devices of its kind are becoming obsolete. The SE Xperia Arc, Nexus S and OPTIMUS 2x are already here and in the market. So a single core processor based device at this price point seems worthless to us. The Incredible S is truly incredible in performance and its built it also has a good set of specs, But its a little too late for the party. The camera is a disappointment, and the price point of 27-28000 makes us reject the device and look at dual core alternatives.
Kingston Digital, has announced the launch of its 4GB and 8GB Class 10 microSDHC card, joining the previously released 16GB Class 10 card.
“Kingston’s Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android smartphones and BlackBerry devices, hi-def cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston. “The Class 10 speed provides faster data transfer rates and the various capacities help satisfy storage needs for users with both light and heavy memory needs.”
In addition to the Class 10 cards, Kingston currently ships the microSDHC card in a Class 4 specification as both a standalone and part of the Mobility/Multi-Kit in capacities up to 32GB.
Kingston microSDHC Class 10 Features and Specifications:
Compliant: with the SD Card Association specification
Versatile: when combined with the adapter, it can be used as a full-size SDHC card
Compatible: with microSDHC host devices; not compatible with standard microSD-enabled device/readers
File Format: FAT32
Reliable: lifetime warranty
Capacities*: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
Dimensions: 0.43″ x 0.59″ x 0.039″ (11mm x 15mm x 1mm)
Speed: Class 10 – 10 MB/s. minimum data transfer rate
Operating Temperature: -13°F to 185°F (-25°C to 85°C)
Storage Temperature: -40°F to 185° (-40°C to 85°C)
Weight: .1 oz. (2.7g)
We are happy to see that all future Smart phones in India will be welcome with a barrage of already compatible accessories.
Spice was one of the first Indian companies to launch an Android OS based handset in the Indian Market, The Spice Mi 300. Now the successor of the very popular Mi 300 – the new Mi 310 is here it promises a lot more functionality at a lower price and a better build.
We will be reviewing this device in-depth and giving you a full run down soon.
Right now, we go hands on with the device, so check out the full specifications along with Hands on Pictures. The unboxing video will be up shortly.
We have had this device for quite some time, and we are now ready to tell you how this device fares in the market.
Lets start with the usual suspects
BUILD QUALITY and HARDWARE
The Galaxy Ace is possibly the best built Samsung Galaxy phone in India, till date. We feel, that the device is better built than the Galaxy S /Sl and all the lower end Galaxys put together (3,5, pop, etc). The back panel of the Galaxy Ace is the best texture we have seen on any device and the chrome metal side bezel squares off the phones looks with the likes of the iPhone 4. Solid and rigid, beautiful glass front and great styling.
In terms of Hardware the device features a whole bunch of interesting specs including a 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches Capacitive touch screen which is very-very responsive. A snappy 800 MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset which is quite capable of handling the phones processing and delivers good gaming and graphic performance. A 1350 mAh which despite its size fared out well.
The device is missing the standard Android search button like the FIT and the POP.
Quadrant Score : 595
DISPLAY and MULTIMEDIA
Although 320 x 480 is no Retina display and is nowhere near high resolution, the display is simply stunning and the less pixel count is actually no problem, the text is clear and vivid the 16m color resolution does the display justice and in this price bracket, delivers a whole lot more than one can expect. The touch screen is also super smooth and performs excellently. Kinetic scrolling and pinch to zoom in and out, all of which are displayed in the video review, work great.
The sound quality from the loudspeaker is not as great as the sound volume. You can really blast the audio from the speaker. The speakers are great if the volume is moderately controlled.
The bass is well matched along with mids, but, start to clip at high volumes and you are left with a squeaking sound. This will also only happen on audio files which are tweaked to sound louder, regular music plays fine. Video quality is excellent, with a tiny bit of shuttering when the video clip loads, everything after that is as smooth as butter.
Video looks good and there is no denying the fact that every Android user will watch atleast a video per week on his phone, and you will love it on the Samsung Galaxy Ace.
CAMERA
The Device is missing a dedicated camera shutter button! Why Samsung? why is it so difficult?
The camera is a performance star, the auto focus is good and the light density on the sensor is excellent. Low light compositions are pretty decent, not as great as they could have been if Samsung had placed the flash a little further away from the camera, a surge of white crosses the camera , and the pictures come out faded when the led is on. When its offa low light compositions look passable. So either way the pictures are average in low light, Impressive in daylight / Apt lighting.
Video however is poor and HD video is missing from the whole circuit. 320×240 (QVGA) (20 fps) video is just as bad as the numbers look, and we are sorry to say you will not be making any videos with the camera. We also tried several other Camera apps from the Android marketplace, but to no avail video quality was poor throughout. we will soon have a sample video up.
PHONE, MESSAGING and BATTERY
The Samsung Galaxy Ace handles Cellular networks beautifully and with 3G connectivity we got good download speeds up to 2.5Mbps (network constrained) in prime areas of Delhi. No relative call drops , actually one in about 3 weeks of testing. The call quality was superb, a whole lot more than we expected this device to deliver. Earpiece and mic are well balanced and perform brilliantly.
Messaging is fast with the built in Swype Keyboard, If you don’t like it well you can download literally a dozen other keyboards from the marketplace and test them. Choose the one you like and keep it. The key factor however here lies in the touch sensitivity of the screen. The accuracy with which the device handles touch inputs is far superior than the likes of HTC wildfire and Dell XCD 35. But, those are last gen phones anyway. Keyboard performance is excellent mainly because of the touchscreen.
Battery life on the Galaxy Ace was also shocking, with tweaked performance the device gives about
4 Hours Talk time 3G
5.5 Hours on 2G
Audio Playback (screen off) 12 hours
Video Streaming – 2 hours
Video Playback (offline) 4 Hours
Internet Wifi/3G 4-5 Hours
Conclusion
With the market flooded with Android devices we are yet to see a device in the 15k bracket that will live up to our expectations. But, then again our expectations are ever increasing and the market always fails to deliver. The Samsung Galaxy Ace however comes pretty close, and then falls back. The lack of a simple dedicated camera button, no HD video, a missing dedicated search button are simple things that could have been included.
Price : INR 15, 499/-
In an ideal scenario this device would have all the above and a bit more juice.
Here is the Unboxing Video of the HTC Incredible S, The video also contains a comparison of the device with the Desire HD. Check it out and stay tuned for the Full Review.
Sony Ericsson has just announced the Yendo for the Indian market, we decided not to bother with the news and straight roll out the full review of the Device.
Lets start with BUILD QUALITY
The Yendo is essentially or completely made out of plastic, the back, front, top and bottom is made out of plastic, it squeaks rattles and bothers us with its cheapness. Throwing it around on the other hand dint affect the phone much and seems like a good option for somebody who drops their phone a lot. So we have mixed views about the build, but styling was poor and it actually just looks like a toy.
Multimedia and Camera
The camera on the device is a decent 2MP fixed focus camera, that may solve emergency needs. But cannot be considered for day to day usage. The picture quality was OK, but lack of focus and poor low light composition was a let down for us.
The audio on the other hand was solid and the sound quality was loud and impressive. The sound was crisp and bass and mid were quite accurate. Video on the other hand played slow and lag after lag during the playback made us nauseous.
Another thing worth mentioning are the included Earphones on the handsfree kit. One word “brilliant” , you possibly can’t find better bundled earphones.
Phone and Messaging
The performance of the device during phone calls was best in class, sound was super-crisp on either end with no network issues what-so-ever. Messaging is also fast and simple, We do miss a full qwerty keyboard as the device only has a standard num-pad style keyboard. Overall impressive.
Conclusion
The device is capable of offering a lot more than it does, and leaves you asking why wasn’t it done? The Ui is slow, unresponsive and has poor color integration. The phones crashes and lags, is poorly designed inside and out. Our recommendation is stay as far away as you can from this phone unless you really-really like how this device looks (i don’t know how you can).
Hindustan Motors has launched the new Ambassador Grand, without much fanfare.
Main Improvements include
A revamped 5 speed gearbox
Improved power Stering + windows
A new Moulded interior door panel
Free Mobile Phone Charger
Dual tone interiors
Side Indicator with Escutcheon
Rear view mirror
Headlamp with Clear glass
Body colour bumper
Full wheel hub cover
Soft touch door handle
Diamond cut tail lamp
A whole set of new colors
Jet Black
Lunar Silver
Fire Brick Red
Oyster Blue
Ecru Beige
Crystal White
All these features are still in the Year 2002-2004 era and don’t really step it up to the mark with current competition. The quality of controls and knows, spares and parts used is still cheap and hence, parts and repair/service of the car is extremely pocket friendly.
Either way the Ambassador will always stay a classic with our hearts, and will hopefully survive in the tough years to come.
This particular app is a portal for the Times of India website on your mobile device. Reading news and staying up to date with current events has never been easier. It features many sections to segregate news for easier reading. You can customize what news you receive on your front page and you can also download news for off-line viewing.
