Tag: Micromax

Micromax Pushes Samsung Off the Pole Position in India

Indian smartphone market saw a lot of action last year. A lot of companies made India a priority market and launched their top flagships in the country. Indians now had a wider choice in smartphones than ever before. All these choices have also led to a major reshuffle in the points tally of top selling companies. Indian smartphone brand, Micromax seems to have kicked global market leader Samsung from the first position on the table.

The report comes from research firm Canalys. According to the report, Micromax accounted for 22 percent sales in the fourth quarter of the year between October and December. Samsung on the other hand managed to score 20 percent of device sales during that period.

The industry, in total, sold over 21.6 million smartphones during the period; a 90 percent increase over the previous year. It is estimated that the Micromax’s lead was fueled by increase in the purchase of devices with a lower price tag as the users actively shift from feature phones to smartphones in that segment.

This dip in standing should be a major concern for Samsung as it has already lost the first position in China to Xiaomi. The company has been on the receiving end of complaints about its lackluster devices with monotonous designs and lack of specs. Apart from some tiny tweaks the company hasn’t really offered anything substantial to the consumers. Samsung has to reconsider its smartphone strategy seriously as it is the company’s most visible product portfolio at the moment or else it wouldn’t be long before it follows in the steps of Blackberry and Nokia.

February 4, 2015
Another Price Glitch by Amazon in the Yu Yureka Flash Sale

The second flash sale for Yu Yureka ended quickly and as expected, it sold out within seconds. The users who registered for the sale or the ones who registered to buy the smartphone before 13th January were eligible for the sale. The company offered 15,000 units this time around.

Last flash sale was surrounded by controversies. Amazon billed some costumers Rs. 3,500 more than the MRP of Rs. 8,999. It seems that the same happened this time around; a number of Yu Yureka units were being sold for a price tag of Rs. 12,500. Last time, Amazon acknowledged the error in the device billing and offered the amount back to the customers in the form of coupons.

Yureka priced at Rs. 12,500 instead of Rs. 8,999

The second glitch makes us wonder whether if it is an honest mistake or a deliberate attempt to lure buyers into spending more than they intended.

Thanks for the tip, Saurav.

Update 2:50PM January 22nd – Meanwhile, the company has sent us an email celebrating the success of second flash sale of Yu Yureka. The company mentioned that they sold all the 15,000 units in just 4 seconds.

January 22, 2015

15,000 Yu Yureka Units Up For Grabs Today

The second installment of the Yu Yureka Flash sale is going start shortly. Micromax’s official e-commerce affiliate Amazon India is all geared up for the sale which starts at 2PM. Users who registered to buy the smartphone before 13th January, will remain pre-registered and can take part in the sale like the last time.

In the last flash sale, there were 10,000 unit up for grab. However, this time the company is offering 15,000 units. During their first flash sale, Micromax claims to have sold these 10,000 devices in three seconds.

Last week, Yu Yureka flash sale was surrounded by controversies. There was confusion over the actual number of devices sold; also, billing was made to some customers at price higher than its official price. Later, Amazon acknowledged the error in the device billing. It offered to fix the glitch and reimburse the extra amount back to the customers.

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

Yu Yureka has undertaken the online flash sale route to market their devices similar to the Xiaomi; however it will interesting to observe whether this strategy will prove successful to revive the brand of Micromax.

January 22, 2015

Second Batch of Yu Yureka to Go on Sale, Number of Units Undisclosed

The recently popular smartphone from the homegrown manufacturer, Yu, is again going up for sale exclusively on Amazon India. The second round of registrations has commenced, and the phone will be up for grabs on 22^nd January for a price tag of Rs. 8,999.

Micromax is imitating Xiaomi’s successful marketing scheme to entice more customers. However, last time, things didn’t go so well as Amazon India was unable to cope with the heavy rush. The first round of flash sale saw around 3 lakh registrations, but only 10,000 units were available for sale. The inadequate availability of the phone resulted in an outrage from interested buyers who were left disappointed. However, the company announced that the phone received a superb response, and the stock cleared in just 3 seconds.

Another glitch that added to the fury of the customers is that Amazon India showed the final price of Yu Yureka as Rs. 12,499 instead of the actual price (Rs. 8,999). However, the e-commerce website later apologised for the technical hitch.

As of now, there is no clue about the number of units that will go up for sale as both Micromax and Amazon are tight-lipped on the topic.

Coming to the specifications of the Yu Yureka, the smartphone sports a 5.5-inch 1280x720p display. The screen has a protection of Gorilla Glass 3. The device is powered by Snapdragon 615 CPU along with Adreno 405 GPU. The device features 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage capacity, out of which 12 GB is free. The phone gets its juice from a 2500mAh battery. On the camera front, the handset has a 13MP snapper along with a 5MP shooter on the front. The most significant feature of the device is the attractive Cyanogen OS 11.

For those who haven’t seen our review, can check out the video below:

January 20, 2015
Micromax Brings Out the Canvas Hue with 3000 mAh Battery for Rs. 10,999

India-based company Micromax is the top choice of many smartphone users. The latest offering by its subsidiary, Yu, recently released a device that houses an exceptional set of specs at a super low price. Now, Micromax has added one more handset to its portfolio, the Canvas Hue. The company claims that the device can last up to 30 days on a single charge, which seems a bit far-fetched if you ask us.

As far as the specifications are concerned, Micromax Canvas Hue has a 5-inch HD AMOLED display of 1280×720 pixels resolution. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection prevents the display from breakage and makes it scratch-resistant. The device is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM. The handset runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat as of now, but it is expected to get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update soon.

Talking about the camera specification, the device has an 8MP primary camera along with a 2MP shooter at front. Canvas Hue houses a powerful 3,000mAh battery and has a support for super power saving mode, which extends the battery life of the phone. The handset features a storage capacity of 8 GB, which can be further expanded via MicroSD card.

The Chief Executive Officer of Micromax Vineet Taneja said in a statement:

With an AMOLED HD screen, users are guaranteed of a life-like viewing experience through more vivid colours and a crystal clear display. The Canvas Hue is a perfect blend of premium design, seamless efficiency and superior technology that supports the needs of the ever evolving consumers.

Priced at Rs. 10,999, Canvas Hue will go on sale on 16^th January. The device is relatively cheap and can compete with big contenders in the market like Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, Gionee Marathon M3 and Yu Yureka, which pack somewhat similar set of specs.

January 13, 2015
10,000 Yu Yureka Units Go on Sale Tomorrow on Amazon India

The most anticipated device of the year, Yu Yureka, will go up for sale tomorrow. In spite of the huge registrations, the company said that, for now, they will be putting only 10,000 units of its 4G device on Amazon. The smartphone, unveiled last month, boasts a set of specs seen on many high-end devices while it comes at a price of Rs. 8,999.

[quote text_size=”medium” author=”Rahul Sharma” author_title=”Co-Founder of Micromax”]

We saw unprecedented response with over three lakh registrations. Registrations were to be open till 25th December. However, owing to the mega response they had to be closed a day earlier.

[/quote]

If we talk about its specifications, the Yu Yureka has a 5.5-inch display with 1280 x 720p resolution. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by Snapdragon 615 CPU along with Adreno 405 GPU. The device features 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage capacity, out of which 12 GB is free. The phone gets its juice from the 2500mAh battery.

On the camera front, the handset has a 13MP rear snapper along with a 5MP shooter on the front. The most significant feature of the device is the attractive Cyanogen OS 11.

Rahul further talked about the phone units, “We are working on ramping our capacities. Given the kind of enthusiasm that we have seen, we will increase the number of units put out for sale gradually.” It was also learnt that Cash-on-Delivery System will be available to Yureka buyers. Do read the full review of the Yu Yureka here.

January 12, 2015

Review : Micromax Canvas 4 Plus

Some would say that Micromax is on a roll, touted as one of the dominant force in the Indian smartphone industry. The domestic manufacturer is closing down on Samsung to claim the No.1 spot for the largest smartphone vendor in the Indian subcontinent. There’s no denying that company’s recent products have significantly improved when it comes to build quality.

Micromax’s latest addition to its lineup is the Micromax Canvas 4 Plus, which surprisingly was launched in a subtle way without creating all the hype the company is known for.

OVERVIEW

Since the launch of the Canvas Knight earlier this year along with the recently launched Yu Yureka, Micormax is constantly striving to offer high-end specs at mid-range prices. The recently launched Micromax Canvas 4 Plus does boast off a fairly appealing outer demeanor along with a decent set of specs. This device is priced on major e-commerce websites at approximately Rs. 14,000.

The smartphone arrived in our test lab, hence without any more delay, let’s check out how the Micromax Canvas 4 Plus performs in our grilling review.

HARDWARE

The Micromax Canvas 4 Plus is by no means a slouch when it comes to specs. It sports a MediaTek Octa core chipset, 1 GB of RAM with 16GB expandable storage. The Canvas 4 Plus runs on a 2000 mAh battery with Android Kitkat OS on board.

Check out the key specs below:

Specifications	Micromax Canvas 4 Plus
Display	5 inch AMOLED HD screen
Processor	1.7 GHz Octa-core MediaTek
Storage	16GB Internal Storage expandable upto 32GB
RAM	1GB
CAMERA	13 MP rear camera with flash, 5MP front selfie cam
BATTERY	2000mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4.2

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN

There no denying that the Canvas 4 Plus appears to be a makeshift version of the iPhone, with a similar slim form factor, rounded edges and also bendable. Yes! You read that right; we were fiddling around with the phone to test its durability and it led to some awkward moments in our test lab. The phone did bend and the golden bezel running across the sides are now slightly off their normal position.

Moving on, there’s a gold a backplate that covers most of the back. The front houses the display along with the three physical capacitive buttons rearranged right below the display. Meanwhile, the back houses the primary camera on the top right while the phone’s loudspeaker is placed bang in the center below the metallic strip.

Placed on top of the phone, are the micro-USB port along with the 3.5mm jack. The right edge houses the power button and a tray for the micro-SIM card, while the left side houses the volume rockers along with a flap for a regular sized SIM card. Opening the rear is quite task, as one needs to be dexterous to pull out the flap and then get a hold of it with a fingernail. In addition, the tray on the right also makes it mandatory to use a pin to pop it up.

That being said; the overall design of the phone is quite ergonomic, it feels pretty light and provides a really good grip. The slim form factor of the phone fits in the hand rather well making it rather good for one handed usage.

The Canvas 4 Plus is not quite robust as one would like though the overall build quality and design of the Canvas Plus are rather satisfactory, unless you have a problem carrying an iPhone look alike.

CAMERA

The phone comes equipped with a 13 MP primary camera bundled with LED flash along with a 5 MP front camera for selfies, which is pretty decent, though does not justify the megapixel count.

The rear snapper can take some fairly good shots in well lit conditions. Colour reproduction is pretty decent though images don’t come across quite as sharp given 13 MP camera, especially while taking macro shots. While taking long shots, the camera again had issues getting the exposure right. In addition, the camera couldn’t take quality shots in low light as they appeared a tad grainy.

Here are a few samples taken from the primary camera-

Meanwhile, the front 5MP cam can take pretty decent selfies, though going by the number of megapixel count, it does not justify the image quality. Hence, it’s safe to say the overall camera performance is just about average, given the specs of the camera unit.

PERFORMANCE AND OS

The Micromax Canvas 4 Plus is quite a beast in terms of performance; it just zips through day to day tasks without a twitch. The phone’s benchmark scores say it all, scoring a whopping 31,649 in Antutu, a Quadrant score of 16,122 while it racked a Nena Mark II score of 68.3 FPS. The phone can handle anything thrown at it, from high-end games to HD videos. It won’t fetter while multitasking, perfect for heavy users.

DEVICE NAME	Antutu Benchmark	Nena Mark II	Quadrant Standard
Micromax Canvas 4 Plus	31,649	68.3 fps	16,122
Huawei Honor 6	41900	59.1 fps	10,939

Coming to the OS, the Micromax Canvas 4 Plus runs the Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) apart from a few minor functional tweaks. The UI is very similar to the Canvas Nitro. The pitch black screen displays only notifications on multi coloured strips which is rather refreshing. It displays quick notifications and updates and works well with QuickLook (aka Blinkfeed for non HTC devices).

Micromax has also added Air-shuffle which enables users to wave their hands over the ambient light sensor to shuffle music and radio stations, along with taking pictures via the camera app. Something we saw in Samsung’s pricier smartphones and also works seamlessly on the Canvas 4 Plus. In addition, Micromax has also bundled the Swift Key keyboard which is rather delightful. Also crammed in are quite a few apps which cannot be uninstalled, while the OS also comes pre-loaded with a few trial games including Smash It.

Overall, the UI is rather swift and responsive and works really well with the set of pre-loaded apps.

DISPLAY AND MULTIMEDIA

The Canvas 4 Plus sports a 5 inch HD AMOLED display, which is pretty satisfactory, it works well indoors and outdoors. Texts appear nice and sharp, though viewing angles aren’t that great. In addition, colours do appear quite over saturated and overblown. That being said, the overall display is rather satisfactory. You will totally appreciate media consumption on the display, despite the 720p screen.

The audio quality is pretty good, there’s an Audio enhancer when you plug in the headset, along with a feature called ‘BestLoudness’ to further bolster the volume.

PHONES, NETWORKS, AND BATTERY

The call quality of the phone is pretty top notch, both indoors as well as outdoors and we didn’t experience any call drops either. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi connectivity is pretty good as the phone latches onto available networks at ease.

In terms of battery performance, the phone is better than many of the phones in the given price range. It can easily last a day of usage, with an average 4-5 hours of talktime.

CONCLUSION

The Canvas 4 Plus is a great phone for its price but has its own limitations. As we already mentioned, if you don’t have any qualms over flaunting this iPhone look alike infront of your peers, the Canvas 4 Plus is a good all round performer.

Sporting an octa-core chipset, the phone does not compromise on its performance. Notably, its performance is at par with the cheaper Micromax Canvas Nitro (A310). There are however, other worthy alternatives in a similar price bracket, the evergreen and dependable Moto G (IInd Gen) or for that matter the Huawei Honor 6, which have more to offer than the Canvas 4 Plus, if you’re willing to spend an extra couple of thousand.

December 23, 2014

How Micromax Might Be Using YU to Rebrand its Public Image

With the introduction of the YU brand, Micromax has shown that it has the potential to rise in the brutal global mobile market. The first phone from the brand, ‘Yureka,’ is packed with amazing specs and comes for a price that can induce goosebumps. YU televentures is a brand formed by a collaboration between Micromax’s founders and famed custom ROM maker, CyanogenMod. Cyanogen’s active support might help YU create a mass fan following for itself.

The first offspring of the collaboration is the ‘Yureka’. It flaunts a 1.5 GHz, 64-bit Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB DDR3, 16 GB internal storage and CAT-4 LTE. Yureka’s spec sheet looks better than any other release from Micromax’s stable.

Let’s look into why Micromax failed to be a brand that Indians could proudly call their own. Firstly, Micromax is not into the manufacturing business (if you didn’t already know), it rebrands handsets that it buys from China. This leads to a frequent disappearance or shortage of the devices from the market. Another adverse effect of this business strategy is the lack of spares for the devices. The company buys a limited quantity of devices by an estimation of sales numbers and if the Chinese manufacturer stops producing the model, the access to spares of that particular model also starts to dry up. This is the reason why sometimes phones with defects are stuck at their service center for weeks or even months.

Secondly, as the devices are bought from foreign manufacturers, there isn’t software support for them. The bootloader is locked, so advanced users find it tough to tweak around the device, unless someone takes the effort to unlock it. The lack of software updates is also a major bone of contention between the company and its customers. While products like the Motorola Moto G and E, which exist in Micromax’s home market, get almost instant updates; Micromax users are left fending for themselves.

Motorola, one of Micromax’s competitors, managed to deliver regular software updates whereas Micromax fell behind.

It isn’t like Micromax is short on cash. If we would have to bet our money on one company that could have become a stalwart of phone manufacturers in India, we would bet on Micromax. But instead, they took the easier approach by simply rebranding devices made by foreign manufacturers. The company has the resources and potential to become a respectable brand around the world, but it chooses to be an amateurish brand with no real long term strategy. It could have been India’s Xiaomi, but its choice of mediocrity and the lack of real effort is holding it back.

With YU televentures, Micromax hopes to take on the issues that have blown up its public perception. The new brand though is not setting up a manufacturing unit as of yet, which should be one of its top priorities. But at least Micromax has taken the first baby steps to answer its critics.

YU’s biggest strength, of course, is Cyanogenmod, the custom ROM brings improved functionality and provides immense convenience to the consumers. Running on CM OS 11 which is based on Android 4.4.4, the YU Yureka offers an immense amount of customizability. It provides themes, ability to manipulate the functions of the buttons, improved hardware performance and everything in between. Not just that, it adds features like Baton from Nexbit (a Silicon Valley partner of Cyanogen) that would make the transfer of data and apps from one device to another feel like a natural limb movement.

At the press event, the term ecosystem was used multiple times. The presenter spoke about establishing a common forum where customers and developers can interact with each other to improve the functionalities of the devices. This is also something Micromax could have created by itself in the past four years. But better late than never. With their new forum page, YU will be a collaborative effort between consumers and the company. Customers can discuss the issues that they have with their devices and the developers will try to address them. There will also be regular OTA updates every month which will keep these devices in sync with the latest developments.

Micromax’s collaboration with Cyanogenmod gives it an edge above others

For Micromax, the success of YU televentures can work as a great PR boost. For the business aspect of YU, the company is taking the approach of reducing distribution, advertising and retail end costs by releasing the device online. According to earlier reports the unit price of the imported device stood at Rs. 8301 and it is being sold at Rs.8999 so the margin for the company is minuscule. This is an effort to create a buzz for the device.

The service aspect of the Yu also garnered massive applause at the presentation. The company plans to begin a door-to-door service initiative by which professionals would come to the house of the buyer to service the device. This sounds like a far fetched plan for a device worth Rs. 9,000. To see if this initiative actually succeeds, we have to wait for it to arrive. But if it does succeed, we would be the first to applaud as it would raise the standard of customer support for mobiles in India.

The company also plans to get into the accessories segment (as it should). At present, it is only offering leather cases and a tempered glass screen protector but they plan to expand it further. They also plan to delve into producing devices like wearables and power banks. This would be an important step towards improving and expanding the ecosystem that the founders of YU wish to achieve.

YU’s grand plans sound amazing on paper, but we will still hold on to our skepticism. Micromax has always promised us grand things, but when it came to delivering, its past promises were found to be mostly empty. We do think that YU has the potential to revolutionize the mobile sphere in India, but bits like providing door-to-door services, still sound audacious for the company. We will keep a vigilant eye on the YU televentures in action to see if it stands true to the promises it has made. In the meanwhile, as a parent brand, Micromax should work towards fixing its follies to become a world-class brand that Indians could feel proud enough to flaunt. We are excited Micromax, don’t let us down.

December 19, 2014
Registration for Micromax’s Yu Yureka Begins Today

Yesterday, Micromax unveiled an exciting device for the Indian market. Launched under the new Yu brand, Yureka runs the CyanogenMod 11 OS and has an octa-core 64-bit Snapdraon 615 processor chipset. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 8,999 and goes on sale 8th January, 2015 onwards.

For those who want to jump the bandwagon and be the first ones to get their hands on the device; Micromax Yureka has begun registrations as of 2pm today exclusively on Amazon India.

Specs of the Yureka include a 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 5.5 inch HD display. It comes with 16 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 32GB. The smartphone runs on a 2,500 mAh battery and has 2GB of RAM.

Interested buyers can directly head over to the registration page here. Meanwhile, the Yureka has come under intense scrutiny off late, courtesy Micromax who has an exclusive agreement to sell CyanogenMod-powered smartphones in India. Resulting in a temporary ban been levied on prominent Chinese manufacturer OnePlus from promoting, selling or importing their phones in India.

Update: Registrations closed soon after 20 minutes

December 19, 2014
Micromax YU Comes to Town, Here is Everything You Need To Know

India’s top phone company, Micromax finally lifted the veils off its new brand ‘YU’. The company claims that the Y stands for the users while the U stands for them signifying the collaborative approach to the new brand. The brand is formed in partnership with famed custom ROM maker CyanogenMod. The first device from the brand is called Yureka, and it’s one revolutionary device. The company also launched a new website for the device with the url yuplaygod.com. It will be the community address for the YU movement.

Personalization

YU is claimed to be an ecosystem where people create, add and manipulate the device in whatever way they want. Cyanogen’s Vik Natarajan explained the features of the device. The custom ROM gives immense personalization options of the device. You can choose from various custom themes; the company will provide two free themes and more will be added with time. You can change the functions of the buttons on the device. You can select the appearance of almost anything on your device. Cyanogen gives you options to tweak everything until it feels just right.

Security

YU devices also offer many security and convenience features. The devices will be dual sim and will have a blacklist feature through which you can block unwanted numbers. It also empowers the users to protect their data and control what they share with the apps. The ‘Privacy guard’ feature shows you on a per-app basis what permissions have been provided to it. Through this, you can select the limits of the access of these apps to your data. In case of a theft of the device, you can find and wipe the device; the data from the device is encrypted. The feature that will improve your sense of security is the jumbled up pin entry where the numbers jumble up and only you know the perfect combination to unlock your device. App lock is installed by default on the system, so you don’t need an extra app for the purpose.

Quality Sound and Pictures

For the shutterbugs, the camera on YU devices will be a treat. It is intuitive and really easy to use. The devices support multiple burst mode and 60fps slow motion video, they are also working on an update to bring 120fps, that would be a real treat.

Music lovers would appreciate the 24-bit high-res loss-less audio on the device. The music app consumes a lot less energy in comparison to others so you can enjoy your tunes longer. Along with these are multiple audio effects options.

Ease of use with multiple devices

Cyanogen has also partnered with a Silicon Valley company called Nexbit for a product called ‘Baton’ that will make your life a lot easier. Through this, you can start your apps from exactly the spot you left in the last device instead of starting from the beginning. It also saves all your app settings and logins so you can get on with your task as if you’d been on the device since the beginning. Using another feature from nexbit called ‘Sync’, you can have the same app settings across all your devices. With the support of another feature called ‘Pass’, you can send an app from one device to another with ease.

YUREKA!

Coming back to Yureka, the device of the hour. It runs on Cyanogen OS 11 which is based on Android 4.4.4. It is powered by the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor clocking at 1.5 GHz along with 2 GB DDR3 RAM. The internal storage is 16 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB. It supports LTE Cat 4 with upto 150 Mbps downloads. The device gets its juice from a 2500 mAh battery. The company claims the battery performs 25% better thanks to Cyanogen’s customization.

The display on the device is a 5.5 inch 720p HD screen protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The device is not weak on the camera front either. It features a 13 MP shooter at the back with Sony Exmor sensor with an iris of f/2.2. On the front, you get a 5 MP fixed focus front camera for selfie shooter. The device presently shoots slow motion at 60 fps but after an update it will be capable of shooting at 120 fps. It is also capable of shooting time lapses. This device has the potential to become the darling of amateur camera-persons.

Getting ‘inspired’ by OnePlus One’s amazing Sandstone back panel, Yu gets a ‘Moonstone grey’ back cover which looks great. The specs on the device look fantastic, at the same time it’s quite a looker. The brand offers suave leather back panels and a tempered screen guard as additional accessories for the device.

Revenge of the Nerds

Cyanogen has always been the playground of nerds and hence the company is giving them comforts quite unheard of in the industry. Not only is the bootloader unlockable and kernel source opened up, the company’s warranty too won’t be void if you root the device. You will also get OTA updates every month, so the device will always be up to date as well as future-proof for a considerable amount of time.

Revolutionary Service Centre

Micromax also did something in terms of service that can only be described by the term ‘legendary’. It will provide free service to anyone who buys the device right at their doorstep. Once you have an issue with the device, you send a ticket, and the engineer will come to your place to fix the device. Service was the biggest bone of contention against Micromax devices, and it seems to have addressed it in the best possible manner.

The Indian mobile market disrupter

The biggest surprise of the day was the price of this formidable device. The Yureka is priced at Rs.8,999 which is phenomenal. The device will be available exclusively on Amazon.in, and the registrations will start on 19th of December at 2pm. It will be up for sale in the second week of January. The folks buying the device in the first sale will also get a free leather case worth Rs. 999 – the deal is simply unbelievable.

Today was definitely the beginning of a grand new chapter in the Indian mobile market. There was a lot of hate brewing against Micromax following the ban of OnePlus One, but this might help it gain some serious goodwill. Yu is a game-changer in every sense of the word, and we can proudly say that we have a Xiaomi-killer in the making. The pricing is simply mind blowing, and Cyanogen’s immense convenience will certainly win hearts all around. In the end, all we can say is good job Micromax, more power to YU.

December 18, 2014

Micromax Launches the Yureka Smartphone With Cyanogen OS 11

As reported earlier, Yu Televentures, Micromax’s new subsidiary has launched its first smartphone with Cyanogen under the Yureka brand. This is a whole new step for the Indian tech industry as this very launch marks the end of the dominance of the foreign brands in India.

The dual-sim, LTE enabled device will be available on a flash sale model, similar to Xiaomi devices, but on Amazon India from January 8. Registrations on the Amazon website to buy the device begins on Friday (19th December) at 2 pm. The new YU device is priced at Rs. 8,999 and comes with a 5.5 inch HD screen, 2GB RAM, A 53 cortex, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 615 octa core 64 bit chipset and 16 GB expandable memory.

Early adopters will get a leather back cover worth Rs. 999 free. Notably, the company is also touting “free replacement or repair” at the user’s doorstep. The Yu Yureka (AO5510) smartphone runs on a custom-build Cyanogen OS, Cyanogen OS 11.

The device comes with a 2500 mAh battery. The new Yureka sports a 13 megapixel rear and 5MP front camera. According to the company, the device will be ahead of the popular competition as it will provide faster processing, better download speeds even in patchy areas and the A53 cortex will lower power consumption, meaning the phone will last longer on a single power charge.

The company also revealed that in 2015 more devices will be launched with some new cool features. Some of the features include blocking of spam or unsolicited phone calls, finding and wiping data off the device if lost, encryption of the device besides enhancements on camera, securing apps and making phone usage more intuitive.

Besides sync of data across different devices, features in the phone also allow users to save game scores, levels and setting on all apps get saved on the cloud. Yureka device users will also be the first ones to get the upcoming Cynogen L update, which will be based on Android Lollipop.

Specs	Yu Yureka AO5510
Display	5.50-inch 720×1280 pixels
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 615 octa core 64 bit chipset
RAM	2GB
Storage	16 GB (expandable)
Camera	13MP Rear, 5MP Front
Battery	2500 mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen OS 11

December 18, 2014

OnePlus Now Temporarily Banned from Selling Phones in India

It seems that trending smartphones aren’t easy to get their grasp on for Indian consumers. After Xiaomi, now its the Chinese device manufacturer OnePlus who has been banned by the Delhi High Court from selling, promoting or for that matter, even importing its devices on Indian soil. Thanks to Micromax, the order has come a day after the Indian manufacturer appealed to the Delhi High Court that OnePlus infringed on their India exclusive agreement with Cyanogen.

Micromax said-

We incurred major expenses for creation of a brand exclusivity for providing to Indian customers mobile phones with Cyanogen operating systems it would suffer irreparable harm and loss if the defendants (OnePlus) are permitted to continue with their illegal acts in violation of the agreement between Micromax and Cyanogen

Cyanogen had apparently signed a deal with Micromax for exclusively offering CyanogenMod OS devices in India. Owing to this exclusive agreement with Micromax, Cyanogen stated that OnePlus devices in India would not be receiving CyanogenMod updates from the company either. In addition, OnePlus One units sold in India would also be deprived of Cyanogen branding as well.

Micromax also has an exclusive license for the whole of South Asia, while OnePlus has a non-exclusive license for the entire world except China. Meanwhile, OnePlus argues that CyanogenMod informed them of the termination of their collaboration, just a fortnight before their launch in India. Cyanogen, on the other hand states that their agreement with Micromax technically cancels all prior agreements.

It will be interesting to observe whether OnePlus follows the same path of their Chinese compatriot Xiaomi, who face a similar ban.

December 18, 2014
Watch Micromax Yu Launch Live Right Here!

The Indian mobile market is about to take the next big step. The indigenous phone makers have been in the shadows of the big international brands, but now Micromax is about to launch a new brand which will take on the dominance of the foreign brands. Packed with the famed CyanogenMod, the brand will bring immense convenience to the Indian users in terms of customization and updates.

Today on the 18th of December, Micromax will launch its audacious new brand ‘Yu.’ If you want to be a part of this new chapter from the very beginning, you can watch it live right here. We will be following it live, are Yu?

December 18, 2014
Amazon All Set and Ready for the Micromax ‘Yu’ Launch

Micromax’s CynogenMod-powered new brand called ‘Yu’ is just a couple of days away. Amazon, which would be exclusively launching the device, is all prepped to host the new brand. A new page for the brand is up and it will get a lot of folks excited.

Using the strengths of CyanogenMod’s amazing features, Micromax hopes to climb up the ladders in the points tally. This may be possible as CyanogenMod is one of the most appreciated custom ROM’s out there which not just gives you amazing customization features, it also adds regular updates. The updates bit would really help Micromax’s image as the company has been constantly berated for its low quality after sales support.

Amazon is presently hosting a page that simply shows an unmarked phone with the words “Are you ready to Play God” written on it. It is followed by a tagline that says “The Zeus of phones is about to arrive,” which rather sounds like an overstatement.

The accompanying video on the page flaunts the customizability features. But weirdly the phone that they are featuring looks pretty close to the OnePlus One – the smartphone that can be credited with bringing CyanogenMod in the mainstream.

Yu comes to town on the 18th of this month, and we hope with this new release, Micromax raises the standards of Indian made devices. The company has also talked about the possibilities of wearables in the future, which would help it compete with the big brands. It has constantly risen up, and Cyanogen can help the company to rise further in the game. All it needs to do now is revamp and strengthen its after sales service because that will add immense credibility to the company’s reputation.

December 16, 2014
Micromax Is About To Bring Something Amazing for Yu

The wait for India’s first truly CyanogenMod based device is about to draw to a close. It has certainly been a long wait. CyanogenMod used to be just for the nerds who had the expertise in flashing custom ROMs, but OnePlus One brought it into the mainstream. Indians fans of the ROM maker were truly elated when OnePlus disclosed their plans for India. But they were disappointed to know that it won’t get support from Cyanogen because of their exclusive partnership in India with Micromax. The Indian brand is now ready to unveil its first Cyanogen powered device/devices on the 18th of December and has sent out invites for the launch.

There isn’t a lot known about the smartphone except that it will be a separate entity from Micromax’s usual Canvas line of devices. Micromax has stated some facts about this new family of devices that sound enticing. The company has said that it will service Yu devices even if they are rooted. It also hinted at probable future prospects of wearables under the Yu brand.

Following the footsteps of the OnePlus, Micromax has also set up a developers forum. Here folks can register complaints, provide suggestions and cooperate in the open source process of making the devices better.

The best part about the Yu devices would be their updatability. Updates have been a major topic of contention between Micromax and its customers. Luckily CynogenMod’s proactive update schedule will take care of all that headache. But we seriously hope they add some serious muscle in the hardware too. We really want an international standard Indian brand and Micromax needs to work a bit harder if it wants to be India’s shining glory in the international market.

December 11, 2014