Acer launched or should we say spoke about the new Iconia Smart in India. While the launch announcement was made the product is yet to start selling. It features
4.8 inch display with HXGA (1024×480) resolution
1GHz Snapdragon processor
8 GB Internal Memory
HDMI port
DLNA support
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS
Acer UI 4.2
3G Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
8 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
HD (720p) video recording
2 megapixel front-facing camera
3.5mm jack
Dolby Mobile sound enhancement
512 MB RAM
512 MB ROM
8 GB internal memory + microSD
32 GB expandable memory
Six-axis gyro sensor
MicroUSB 2.0
A-GPS
HDMI port
Up to 500 hours stand-by time
Up to 11 hours talk-time
1500 mAh battery
With no official price on this 4.8″ monster , It is speculated to be in the market range of 30K INR.
One of the Mighty phones from HTC’s stable the HTC Desire needed a real makeover to take on the market. With a big mass audience to please and some really big shoes to fill, does the Desire S really actually replace the original HTC Desire? Our Review looks into the mass appeal Desire S and tells you what it brings to the table.
BUILD QUALITY AND HARDWARE
The HTC Desire S is the best form factor of smart-phone from HTC with a perfect size and quality styling and brilliant form factor. The device fits easily in all hand sizes and is convenient to pocket around. This is by far the best representation of form factor from HTC. That being said the paint or the exterior finish was not up to standards, we saw the paint fade from several places with just regular use, within a week. We are not too happy with this fact and are unsure whether or not people can claim warranty on such units.
In terms of specs we have the following
Frequency
Quad Band
Phone Style
Touchscreen
OS
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Thickness
11.63mm
Length
115mm
Width
59.8mm
Weight
130g
Built-in Memory
1.1GB
Additional Memory
MicroSD support (up to 32GB)
High-speed Data
GPRS, HSDPA,Wi-Fi,
Connectivity
Bluetooth, USB
Screen Size
3.7-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution
Camera Resolution
5 megapixels
Flash
power LED flash
Battery
1450 mAh
We are calling it the Lightweight Champion because of the simple fact that it bring most high end features at a much reasonable price than one would expect from an HTC Phone
PHONE AND MESSAGING
The phone dialer is as great as any other HTC phone we have tested in the past, the earpiece and mic make us wonder if anyone can become any better with the voice quality. Network connections are smooth, we did face the “Death grip” issues in some case where the network dropped significantly when the device was held too tight.
Messaging is simple and easy with the HTC keyboard and even better with keyboard replacements from the Marketplace, the touch screen is accurate and responsive hence there is no problem with the accuracy of the keyboard.
we simple love the fact that HTC devotes a huge chunk of its time in fixing the phone inside the Smartphone, to make it work seamlessly. As is the case with every thing man-made problems are there in devices, But we have seen a huge uptrend where HTC and constantly improved their products over-time, focusing on past issues.
SCREEN AND MULTIMEDIA
We don’t see how this is an improvement over the past Desire, we were actually lucky enough to get the original Desire with an AMOLED screen, which basically trumped all other screens including the sLCD offered by HTC these days, the resolution is also somewhat similar at 480×800 pixels and the screen size is small compared to competition. Although touchscreen technology has improved significantly we can see that the device is more responsive and accurate at receiving inputs. Which makes the overall experience worthwhile.
Video playback quality is simply great on this device, we tested a huge array of video files, buffer sizes and audio syncs they all played great and the device just scored a ten in our books in terms of multimedia. The screen is still great and watching videos on it is still a lot of fun. Speakerphone on the device is actually the only thing we can complain about, because it is poor for a device that is so great. Low volumes make utilization of this device in public places a horrid experience.
CAMERAS
The device has 2 cameras a rear 5 MP snapper which can also take 720p video and a front facing VGA cam that not only looks far better than any other VGA cam that we have tested but records great video.
The rear 5 MP sensor has great color depth and a large view field, we also saw that the camera was much snappier at taking pictures and the rest of the HTC devices tested by US. Pictures were clear and crisp and low light performance was quite surprisingly good. Video is the standard 720p Lossless format, with little or no jitter. We love the added picture and video effects, makes the camera app a much more complete app, and you wont find yourself searching for a marketplace camera app replacement.
The front camera is great for portrait pictures and even great for video logging, without needed the mention of Video calling over skype fring etc which works natively and brilliantly.
CONCLUSION
The device packs a lot of features at a price bracket of 22,000/- to 24,000/- Indian Rupees. Possibly the best device in the market at that price, Comes with Android 2.3 right out the box, a front and rear camera and simply great form and construction. You cant beat that at a price of 22K . The fact that you can add a couple of thousand and get the Incredible S, makes us kinda jiggly on our own decision, Incredible S gives a Better Performance CPU-GPU, an sLCD, an 8 Mega Pixel camera and Better sound output.
[xrr rating=4/5 label=”We Rate The Desire S” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
Looks like a new Blackberry is in town, All the BB lovers who also like flip phones the new BB style offers a mix of the BB madness in a flip style phone.
Woah! We just hit the information jackpot here folks! You better hold your smartphone purchases for the next month if you are looking to get a powerhouse of an Android Device. A very reliable source at HTC India (Delhi Office) claims that the HTC sensation after its UK launch in first week of June, will hit the Indian Shores soon after.
According to this High Level Manager (who refused to be named) :
“The HTC market in India has grown tremendously after the launch of the new range of Android Handsets including the Desire HD, Desire S and Incredible S. We are seeing a continuous uptrend in market sales and earnings from the smartphone segment. The company sees the demand and has decided to make the handset available as early as June 22nd.”
In a later Q&A session we also were able to find out that there are 2 new Windows 7 Phones coming later this year along with a 3D HTC Android Device.
The pricing of the HTC Sensation will be upwards of Rs. 32k During Launch and then later fall below the Rs. 28K segment.
The HTC Sensation is the First Device from HTC to sport a 1.2GHZ Dual core processor and HTC Sense 3.0 along with the new SLCD High res display.
Like all our Previous Exclusive Launch announcements including the ones below. (For all those who don’t know our track record!)
Samsung just announced the new Samsung Galaxy Pro in India. The QWERTY + Touchscreen Android Phone is targeted at the business segment, delivering the Applications and open source nature of Android plus enterprise features of Business class phones.
The device is Priced at 12990/- check out the full specs below and hold on till we get a device for unboxing and review.
Hp will launch the new DV6 2016 tx for the market in a day or two and we managed to score a device for your viewing pleasure. We have also ordered a bunch of these laptops for use in our offices. So you can expect a full in-depth review to follow SUIT
So, for now check out the Specifications of this beautiful laptop from HP and gallery of images below and stay tuned for the full unboxing video that will be going up really soon.
Priced at : INR 53,000/- Net Inclusive of Taxes and Free Backpack (check video below)
We finally got our unit of the HTC Desire S and boy is this device a looker. Smooth lines and a nice curvaceous body, display looks absolutely stunning.
Check out the pics below and wait for the full unboxing and physical features video, which should be up shortly.
WOOT! We just got info from HTC that the Desire S has been officially launched in India. We already have a unit on the way so expect the full sense treatment.
The device is priced at INR 25,490/-
Technical Specs
Camera & Display
Camera – 5.0 Mega Pixels Camera, Resolution 2592×1944 Pixels, Video, Geo-tagging, Autofocus, Image Stabilization, Touch Focus, LED Flash, VGA Secondary Camera
Color – S-LCD Capacitive TouchScreen with 16M colors
Special Features
Accelerometer sensor(UI auto-rotate)
Proximity sensor (Auto turn-off)
Touch-sensitive controls
HTC Sense v3.0 UI, SNS integration
Digital compass, Document viewer
Dedicated search key, Organizer
Voice memo, dial & commands
Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, G-Talk, Picasa integration
Audio, Video Recorder & Playback
MP3, MP4 Player
MP3, WAV Ring tones, Vibration
Stereo FM Radio with RDS
3.5 mm Headphone jack
Loudspeaker, Games
Message Support
SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Input
Connectivity
Connectivity Options – Bluetooth v2.1, Micro USB v2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS
Data Modes – 3G, GPRS 114 Kbps, EDGE 560 Kbps, HTML Internet Browsing
Memory
Internal Memory – 768 MB RAM, 1.1 GB ROM
Expandable Memory- 32 GB Micro/SD card slot
Phone Book – Unlimited Contacts, Photo call
Call Records – Unlimited
Battery Power
1500 mAh Li-Ion Standard Battery
Battery Life – N/A
Battery Talk Time – N/A
Mobile Size and Looks
Size – 115 x 59.8 x 11.6 mm
Weight – 130 grams
Body Colors – Black
FULL Press Release
New Delhi – April 07, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced the launch of the latest HTC Desire S in the Indian market. The Android-powered HTC Desire S, equipped with the latest HTC Sense experience, perfectly combines a sleek unibody design with powerful features, and is a worthy successor to the much-acclaimed HTC Desire.
“HTC developed the HTC Sense experience to bring cutting-edge innovation to our customers in simple and natural ways that just make sense – this is what the HTC Desire S represents best,” said Ajay Sharma, Country Head, HTC India. “The new phone offers an exhilarating mix of style, innovation and features that extends people’s mobile experience in ways that feel personal and completely original. The HTC Desire was extremely well received in India and met with immense success and we are positive that the new HTC Desire S will prove to be a worthy successor”, he added.
HTC Desire S
As a successor to the popular and award-winning HTC Desire, the new HTC Desire S blends stunning design with power and speed. Inspired by the HTC Legend™ smartphone’s aluminium design, the HTC Desire S is sculpted out of a single block of aluminum making it feel solid and natural in your hand. With Qualcomm’s new 1GHz Snapdragon™ MSM8255 processor, the HTC Desire S offers snappy performance and power. It offers dual front and back cameras, High-Definition video recording and the 3.7-inch WVGA display presents multimedia content brilliantly.
HTC Sense
The new HTC Sense experience offers a variety of enhancements that improve how people capture, create, share and access multimedia content. With a newly created camera experience, people can record HD videos or capture and edit images with a variety of fun camera effects. With HTC Locations, a new differentiated online mapping experience, people have instant, on-demand mapping without download delays or incurring mobile roaming charges.
HTC Sense also includes a new integrated online e-reading experience utilizing a new e-book store powered by Koboä and a new, mobile-optimized e-reader that offers the ability to highlight, annotate and quickly search for definitions or translate unfamiliar terms.
Pricing & Availability
The HTC Desire S will be available at a Market Operating Price of Rs. 25,490* at all authorized HTC resellers across the country.
* Price may vary according to the local applicable taxes
About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative devices that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.
Samsung has just announced the new Champ Duos E2652. Its a newer revision of the existing Champ and has the ability to run two GSM sim cards simultaneously.
Check out the Full Specs Below
The device is Priced at INR 5080/-
(we also have information that it can be purchased for as low as 4000)
Japanese made Meguru is the electric solution India already has in the form of the Vodafone eRick. Produced by the Yodogawa Group, the Meguru is just 8’2 long, 3’11 wide and 5’3 tall, and comes with a maximum speed and range of 25 miles per hour. The Meguru electric Rickshaw seats three and uses a single lithium-ion battery. t’s a remarkably simple design, with little in the way of bells and whistles: its heating system consists of blankets, and a pinwheel fan replaces an air conditioning unit. In homage to the rickshaw’s Japanese past, the vehicle’s floor is made of recycled bamboo, and the vehicle’s aesthetic components are all made by craftsmen in Western Japan.
Android, Android and more Android! Are you already sick of it? We sure are not!
The latest flagship Android smartphone from Dell’s stable is less of a shocker. Check out our Review
The Build Quality
For the Dell Venue , we have two independent views when it comes to build. The front of the device is this shiny, rugged and curved gorilla glass. The chrome trim and good tactile buttons make it an added bonus. But, the poorly designed back cover and cheap plastic utilization suddenly turns our view around.
The overall construction of the device is pretty solid and delivers where most leave off squeaking and rattling. The Dell Venue seems really bulky in the hand and not as refined as the Desire HD when you hold it in your hand.
Hardware Specs
The Dell Venue like others in this price range comes with a whole set of Top notch hardware, But in this age of technology, what was top notch yesterday is a poor mans tale today.
8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash(Bah!)
4.1 inches, 480 x 800 pixels, AMOLED, 16M Colors capacitive touchcreen.
(Now this is wow! resolution still a tad low if you ask us)
Android 2.2 (why not 2.3, why, why ?)
Those are the only specs worth talking about the rest comes down to the usual WiFi, BLuetooth, MicroUSB, MicroSd- upto 32Gb.
Overall hardware is good and the performance of the device is also good. But, the Quadrant Score shows a whole new story, averaging from 600-700 on the scorecard. The result is simply pathetic!
Multimedia and Camera
Now this is where the Dell Venue raked up on the Points. The Amoled screen is simply superb! The Blacks are so deep that you don’t see the difference between the screen and the surrounding bezel.
The video performance is extraordinary thanks to the display, and possibly the curved glass front. The display makes video on this almost lifelike –
Now, if only we could stretch the display (rolls eyes)
The Loudspeaker is best in class period, Dell has somehow managed to stuff their Android lineup with superior quality speakers. Surprisingly, no one seems to talk about them, But, how could they not? These Phones have possible the best in device speaker we have heard ever. The bass is so good it makes you want to play he song over and over again. The speaker delivers quality sound with high volume, great bass and mid, trebles can be tweaked.
Camera on the Dell Venue is an 8 Megapixel snapper which has autofocus, touch to focus, macro mode and the works when it comes to effects/ brightness settings and timer etc. Images look not so great on the device but great on a computer screen. This may be due to a mis-calibration between the Amoled screen (which displays colors differently) and the Camera, who knows? This however didnt bother us much, and we were happy as long as the images were the way they should be.
Video on the device is also good and smooth – 720p HD video with a whole flurry of effects and settings makes the video mode a lot of fun to use. The 1Ghz chip allows for fast processing and you can download several apps from the marketplace and do your editing right on the device.
Phone and Messaging
We always stress that a smart phone should at first be a smart – PHONE. The Dell venue was a bit of a let down in performing that, we got frequent signal drops and connection failures. It even failed to get a proper signal at times. The “no service” signal bothered us for quite some time, a couple of reboots and it was gone.
3G Connectivity was (the best word for it ) a “Bi$%h” we couldn’t get the damn thing to connect to 3G.
Messaging on the other hand was a breeze the onboard keyboard comes with swype and a bunch of other input options, The reponsiveness of the touchscreen along with clear letters makes typing fairly simple and quick. This makes emailing and sms on the Dell Venue a fun exercise.
Gaming and Internet
We never talk about gaming in our reviews, But, this time we just had to make an exception. The Screen (have we mentioned before how much we love it) makes gaming so much fun with the deep colors, it almost makes you never want to stop, become game playing zombies tilting the device and driving your car, shooting the other zombies or blowing up those crazy “egg stealin” Pigs.
Uhhhhh. Brains!!!!
Internet browsing is a breeze, kinetic scrolling, accelerometer, pinch to zoom and slide to scroll work brilliantly without showing any form of LAG. Did we mention the greatness of the Amoled display? makes browsing and reading on websites atleast 4x better. The Venue comes preloaded with flash for the browser so seamless internet for all the folks.
Battery Life
The Venue had a phenomenal battery life in our tests.
Phone Calls : 5.5 hours
Web browsing 8 – 9 hours
We couldn’t test web browsing over 3G because well the damn device wouldn’t get a connection. piff!
Video Review
Conclusion
A strong device from Dell, in terms of build and hardware capability, Beautiful screen, great battery life.
But it all boils down to poor connectivity and phone call ability and that has let us down a lot. Unless phone calls is not your main criteria for buying a “Phone”,
