Packed with an embedded Projector for larger viewing of images, videos with a Projector Tripod
Multi format document reader for better user experience
New Delhi, 12TH August, 2011: Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the third largest mobile brand in India, has announced the launch of their latest product: the X40 today. It’s the first mobile phone offering from the company which comes loaded with an in-built projector and a multi format document reader for an ultimate user experience.
The X40 comes with a 2.4” QVGA screen, and a resolution of 240×320 pixels. The phone hosts many features which helps it to carve a niche for itself. The X40 projector is an adjustable lens which helps you to adjust your viewing screen projection size. You can also mount your phone on the tripod which comes along with the phone, to make sure that you enjoy your favorite movies and give official presentations without any disturbance.
With the X40, you can now carry work along with you. The phone boasts a multi format document reader for you to read and view multiple formats documents like file on Word, Excel, PDF, Power points etc. It also comes with a multi format video player giving you an ultimate cinematic experience with the projector.
The X40 projector phone is a dual SIM phone with GSM support and with features like a 2 mega pixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, an internal memory of 80 MB, expandable up to 4GB. The phone also comes with some preloaded applications like Facebook, Nimbuzz, Opera Mini, Snaptu, Mundu radio etc.
X40 is available at an attractive price of 4999/- The model will be available across India. For more information, please visitwww.micromaxinfo.com
HTC has launched the ChaCha in the Indian market, with hopes of capturing a different segment of the crowd. With Blackberry phones including the new 9900 with touch and type coming in at a premium one can only wonder if the target audience is looking for an alternative.
Here are some of the specs of the HTC ChaCha:
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
HTC Sense 2.1 for Keyboard devices ( variant of 3.0)
800Mhz Processor
512MB RAM
Front Facing Camera (WiFi Video Calls)
5 Megapixel Camera
HSDPA 7.2mb/s
Bluetooth 3.0
802.11 B/G/N WiFi
GPS
The device is extremely well built with metal and plastic accents the construction is robust and almost robot-like. The shape and form factor is also kind of new with the forward tilted screen and new design qwerty keyboard.
This is also possibly the only other Android device to have a dedicated Facebook button. Which is what also makes it a young persons phone, while remaining a strong competitor in the business smartphone market.
Beetel ( a brand by Airtel) has decided to take on Reliance with the new Magiq tablet, not only is it another well respected company who has brought in a budget tablet in India.
It is also packed with decent features.
Beetel Magiq Features
SIM Status
Single SIM
Screen Size
7.0” WVGA
Camera
Dual ( 2MP + 2MP)
Memory
Internal – 8GBExpandable-Upto 16GB
Battery
2200mAh
Android version
2.2
Wi-fi
802.11 b/g/n
Frequency Bands
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS 2100 MHz
Google market access
Yes
Processor Speed
1GHz
The tablet also comes with free 3G data for both prepaid and postpaid Airtel subscribers. The biggest aspect remaining the fact that a Android Tablet with a 7inch screen is now available for under Rs. 10,000. Although there is no indication wether the screen is capacitive or resistive.
The Micromax Andro A70 was one of the most anticipated phones of this quarter, especially in the sub Rs. 8000 bracket. To be honest, at first we thought of it as just a minor upgrade to the existing Andro A60. But as we reviewed this little marvel we began so see a major change in its operation. Lets see why the Andro A70 is our pick for the price range.
Build Quality and Design
Reminiscent of the Nexus One’s design, the Micromax Andro A70 is built with sturdy plastics. Nice curvaceous ends make it an extremely attractive design, and very comfortable to hold in the hand. The screen on the front is tough and provides the extra protection required for a touch phone of this nature. The buttons are tactile and easy to use, the overall standard of construction is quite impressive.
The front of the display is also glass and not plastic unlike its predecessor, Which makes the overall build of the device impressive. The phone is sturdy and does not make rattling noises even when tossed around.
Hardware
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Camera Primary 5.0 MP Secondary – VGA
600MHz Processor
3.2 inch Multi Touch Capacitive Screen
Mi – apps – application store by Micromax
Full Android Market
WCDMA 2100 MHz
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Mi-Fi Pocket Wireless Internet
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Battery 1450mAh
Proximity Sensor
Gravity Sensor
Camera and Multimedia
A surprisingly interesting 5 MP camera with autofocus that delivers exceptionally good pictures. The camera displays great skill when it comes to auto-focus and cannot be tackled down by any other device in this price range. Although colors appear washed out at first but a little playing around with the settings gives a good picture.
Video on the other hand is simply OK, you cannot expect much from the VGA video capability. A simple tweak, by changing the video quality settings to custom in the camera we were able to get VGA video. If you leave the video quality to high, it captures a much lower resolution video. A sample of the video can be seen in the videos below.
The Front facing camera, is a simple VGA camera and can be used for nothing but clicking self portraits and video. We tried several times to initiate a camera response from Skype /fring etc, but failed to do so.
The screen of the Andro A70 is great for watching videos and browsing the internet. It is also a capacitive 2 point multitouch screen, so pinch to zoom works great and with the 3.2 inch 320x480px screen text is crisp and easily read.
Speakers are loud and clear when it comes to watching videos or simply listening to music. Overall multimedia experience was satisfactory and a lot more than you can expect from a device which costs only 7500 Rs.
Phone and Messaging
No complaints here, the phone call capability was excellent , little or no dropped calls, clear speaker and earpiece. the microphone also pics up sound aptly and delivers to the other side. One thing with mentioning is the number of connection errors faced in process of dialing a number were far more than any other device tested.
Messaging and emailing has also improved vastly over the previous A60 thanks to the inclusion of the capacitive screen. This makes the device almost brilliant, keyboard is nice and spread out and easy to type on even with relatively large fingers. The keyboard can also be easily replaced with customizable keyboards from the Marketplace, including Better Keyboard. Swype however does not work with the Andro A70.
Internet and Portable Hotspot
This section is dedicated to connectivity and utilization of the Internet, Data and WiFi.
The A70 has a very weak WiFi antenna, and mostly requires you to be relatively close to the router to get a decent signal. This was kind of a let down especially after the excellent WiFi antenna on the Andro A60.
The Portable Hotspot also fails throughout the board, dropping WiFi and asking for reactivations several times.
Apart from the above, browsing works great on the A70 especially 3G networks perform as good as high end phones.
Battery Life
We were quite impressed with the battery life on the A70, with over 5 hours of talk time, and a good 7-8 of internet usage, upto 3 days of standby, make it an excellent device in terms of battery life. But with Android as an OS, you never know what app you install, suddenly battery life is critically lower than before. Overall great battery , be sure to inspect your apps if you face battery issues.
Conclusion
While its an extremely awesome device for its price, it definitely has its ups and its down . With limited WiFi range and useless front camera this device lacks little and gives more. Good things include impressive build quality, a great photo camera, Android 2.2, wifi hotspot, easily root-able ( with possibility of custom rome). This device is a little understated by the company. The UI is much improved and a launcher from the market like ADW launcher can make this device a gem with pinch home screens, and smooth scrolling.
The Micromax Andro A70 is a good package for someone who wants to enter the Android ecosystem, or even a good upgrade for an A60 user. This device is also an excellent secondary device for a expensive smartphone.
AT&T has announced that the new Blackberry 9810 goes on sale in the US on the 21st of August. The device that features a 1.2 GHz processor, a richer display, voice-activated universal search, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, HSPA+ speeds, and supported for augmented-reality apps when comparing it to last years 9800.
The Blackberry Torch 9810 will go on sale at US$49 on a two year contract.
The device is expected to hit India in September along with the Torch 3 which is also known as the Torch 9860 (successor to the Storm series)
Like we promised the new Blackberry Bold 9900 touch has gone on sale in India. The price is also the same as we promised INR 32,500. The device can be bought from select retailers.
If you happen to be in Delhi
You can get the device at 31,500/- Limited stock is available.
The launch of the Bold 9900 Touch is set for 18th August.
We we have an exclusive unboxing and hands on coming your way in a bit.
The LG Optimus Black was announced a while back, March 2011 to be precise, but the device appeared on our shores much later in July. People awaited the LG Optimus Black with much anticipation as it offered brilliance on a budget.
Does it really stand up to its name? Does it deliver brilliance? Lets Find Out!
Build Quality
The Optimus Black is possibly the most well built phone in LG’s stable, only after the 2X. With a slim profile and tapered glossy black accents, the device also has a tough front glass and a brilliant camera. The device is built to last and will not fail to deliver in that respect. The plastic is of superior quality and the device does not rattle or squeak from anywhere.
Name
Type
Operating System
Android OS v2.2
Dimensions
122mm x 64mm x 9.2 mm
Weight
109g
Display Screen
4 inch WVGA IPS LCD
Processor
1 GHz Cortex A8 Processor
RAM
512 MB
Storage
2GB Internal + 32GB Optional
Camera
5 MP Rear : 2 MP Front (AF)
Video
720P VIDEO @30 fps
Connectivity
Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, A-GPS, Bluetooth v3.1 with EDR
Battery
1500 mAh Li-Ion
The Price of the Device is about : Rs. 19,800 in the Market
Camera & Multimedia
The device features a brilliant 5mp Autofocus camera on the back that does HD video at 720p (watch sample below). The picture quality from the 5mp snapper is absolutely stunning, the camera focuses with precision and the LED does a wonderful job of eliminating darkness. The camera is also snappy at taking pictures and responds quickly.
Video quality is pretty great and almost close to what the iPhone 4 has to offer in good light, but kind of waivers in low light.
The front facing camera is simply superb quality and works just fine with Skype and other video softwares.
Audio from videos is low, but in game audio and music sounds are loud. The preference file some where needs to be tweaked to output proper audio. the speaker is fairly loud when the audio is proper. But, not as great as we would have like it to be.
The display is absolutely brilliant with a 700NIT brightness. The brightest display on a mobile device ever, makes the quality of the display that much better, whether indoors or outdoors. The only drawback of a very bright display is low battery life.
Phone & Messaging
The earpiece and microphone are great to pick up sound, but one unfortunate error in the design of the Optimus black prevents you from using the phone as a PHONE. every time you hold the phone in your hand, the network drops. So much so that we went able to get through a decent phone call to test audio quality. At first we thought the device was defective and got a replacement test unit, but alas!, still no proper network. So how good is a phone thats not a phone? its pathetic, is what it is, purely pathetic.
The touchscreen is a 4 point multitouch which allows for a simply great messaging experience, not to forget the iPhone style keyboard. The network issue prevails here as well, as you grip the phone to type, the device looses network.
Data & Battery
The Optimus Black is almost Satan’s child when it comes to how hot it gets on a data connection, its almost impossible to handle. The device gets blazing hot and starts to loose battery at an alarming rate, flat dead in 25-40 minutes. With data off, you get about 4 hours of talk time along with about two days of standby.
Not having been able to test internet performance we can’t comment on the battery life beyond that.
Conclusion
Its a pity that LG let us down yet again, we really liked the device when we got it at first. The device has good specs, excellent build, brilliant cameras and a very – very bright display. A great touch screen and decent hardware, but the device basically fails at being a phone. The death grip network loss issue is beyond excuse and cannot be mended with any kind of fix. ( except a full silicon cover or gloves on the users hands) the phone also performed poorly in the benchmarks.
We had a lot of expectations from this device and feel totally let down. LG really needs to step up their game, they have possibly good hardware, but something somewhere went wrong with the Optimus Black.
[xrr rating=2.5/5 label=”We Rate The Optimus Black : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
We reported earlier that the Bold 9900 is coming in the second week of August. After a long discussing with Vodafone CMO Kumar Ramanathan, we were able to collect that the device is infact coming in August, but the launch dates have been shifted to either 20th or 25th of August.
All the stock for the Blackberry Devices is already in India and has cleared customs, warehouses are stocking the devices and sale of the device will begin almost immediately after the launch event.
We are really looking forward to the launch of this device, we truly support the fact that it will do magic for our Blackberry Division
He also said that the call centers were gathering record enquiries for the device, some stating the source as our website.
The Bold Touch 9900 will be RIM’s first device to have a qwerty – touchscreen combo in a candybar design, it also has the first 1.2 ghz processor to have ever appeared in a Blackberry device. A 287dpi pixel density means this device is going to be easy on the eyes. At just 10.5mm thick, this device will be the thinnest ever from RIM/blackberry.
The outside shell of the device is made out of machined steel, along with carbon fibre composite for the back panel. The liquid graphics based LCD display has a toughened glass exterior.
Pricing speculation still remains in the Rs 32000 mark, although a couple of iGyaan sources at Blackberry were able to tell us that the company is hard at work trying to get the price around Rs 28,000 during the launch or within a week-ten days from launch time. As always expect full coverage of the device post launch.
Here it is, we got over a thousand requests for the Andro A70 Unboxing and Review, while the review process is on, check out the unboxing and hands on below.
The carbon fibre loving, touchscreen boasting, fastest smartphone from Blackberry is coming to India in August. The steel frame device is already set to launch in the UK on 22nd August. The device will initially be available only in the black color , but RIM promises to release a chic white version in October sometime. The device is the biggest upgrade to the Bold lineup from RIM in the longest time since the 9700.
We also have exclusive news that the device will be priced at 32,500/- with a 1.5 year warranty.
The company is also planning to release the Torch 2 sometime later this year.
So you wanted to see the Olive Fluid and we show you the Olive Fluid, A fairly budget Android handset with decent features and good looks. Check out the specs followed by images and video.
Asus has Launched the Eee Pad Transformer tablet in India, with the optional dock.
The 16Gb WiFi only version was launched for Rs. 32,899/- and the optional dock will run you back Rs. 7500/-.
10.1-inch IPS display (1280×800 pixels)
1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 SoC processor
1GB of RAM
8 hours of battery life
5MP rear autofocus camera
720p HD video recording
mini HDMI, microSD/SD, and microUSB
The laptop dock has a full sized keyboard, a touchpad, 2 USB ports, and a battery pack, giving it up to 14 hours of usability.
Honestly if you ask us the device seems a bit expensive for the price, especially since the company will launch an upgraded Transformer 2 Tablet later this year in India.
Micromax has finally launched the new Android Handset the A70, its the highly awaited successor to the Andro A60. The device has been bounced around the internet and blogosphere for quite some time, and the A70 term first came into play in december during the launch of the A60. Earlier this year leaked images of the device showed up on various websites.
The phone is now officially available in the market for a price of Rs. 8999/-
Key Features Include
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Camera Primary 5.0 MP Secondary – VGA
600MHz Processor
8.128cm Multi Touch Capacitive Screen
M! – apps – application store by Micromax
WCDMA 2100 MHz
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Mi-Fi Pocket Wireless Internet
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Battery 1450mAh
Proximity Sensor
Gravity Sensor
[toggle title_open=”COLLAPSE” title_closed=”READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Micromax strengthens its Android portfolio: introduces the A70
Packed with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and powered with a 600MHZ processor
Pre – loaded with M!- apps – application store by micromax
New Delhi, July 19, 2011: Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the third largest mobile brand in India, has set a new trend in the growing smartphone category with the launch of A70 today, the latest android device offering from Micromax with a capacitive touch screen and a dual camera for a better user experience.
The A70 comes with a 3.2” TFT HVGA capacitive touch screen, 65K color display and a resolution of 320×480 pixels. It runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is powered by a 600 MHz processor, which helps you achieve your desired tasks much faster. The A70 is also equipped with a 5.0 MP primary camera and a VGA secondary camera.
The A70 is a 3G enabled device which supports download speeds upto 7.2 mbps and upload speed upto 3.6 mbps. The phone is also compatible with multiple audio/video formats and with the help of Officesuite Viewer ensures you that your work never suffers, even if you are on the go. The phone also boasts a gravity sensor and a proximity sensor making your web browsing experience even better.
The device also comes with some preloaded applications like Moneycontrol Markets, Ebuddy, Opera Mini, MiRoamer- Mobile radio, Saavn, Mosho, Mundu Live TV, Facebook and Whatsapp etc. There’s also Micromax app store (M! – apps) for all other requirements. The A70 has an internal memory of 160 MB and is expandable upto 32 GB.
A70 is available at an attractive price of 8999/ – The model will be available across India. For more information, please visit www.micromaxinfo.com
About Micromax:
Micromax, is the largest Indian mobile handset company, in terms of units shipped during the quarter ended March 31, 2010 and the third largest mobile handset seller as at March 31, 2010 (Source: IDC’s India Quarterly Mobile Handsets Tracker, 1Q 2010, June 2010 release). Micromax has domestic offices across India and global presence in Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri-Lanka and UAE.
* Micromax holds the 3rd position amongst the handset manufacturers in India as pre revenue with a market share of 6.9% for the FY 2011. (Source: V&D report) [/toggle]
The Mi 410 is the first attempt from Spice to attack the 1 GHZ smartphone market in India. Possibly the only phone to offer these specs at a pretty decent price. Lets look into the Spice MI 410 carefully.
BUILD QUALITY, HARDWARE & DESIGN
The Spice MI 410 is built to last, metal accents and a full metal back cover, a metal frame and solid construction make the Mi 410 an extremely robust device. The volume rocker and the power button are flush with the device and highly tactile. The screen is also scratch resistant, but its no gorilla glass.
The device or its internals don’t shake or rattle and the phone is like one solid piece of hardware. Talking about hardware, lets look at the specs.
OS
ANDROID 2.2
Processor
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
Flash ROM
2GB eMMC
Ram
512MB
Dimensions
122X 66X 9.9 mm
Weight
143 gm
Display
4.1-inch Capacitive Touch Screen , 800 X 480 WVGA
Camera
5 MP rear with HD Video, 0.3MP front
Battery
1400 mAH
Talk Time
Upto 380 Mins GSM , Upto 300 Mins (3G)
Standby Time
Upto 300 Hours
Network
Quad band GSM , Tri-band 3G, HSDPA/HSUPA , up to 14.2 Mbps
Connect
Bluetooth v2.1 EDR
Other
Supports Flash 10.1
Price
Rs. 14,000/-
Design on the Mi410 is pretty good too with a flat slab/tablet type structure on the device. It one of those designs that may not appeal to all in the beginning, but grows on you as you begin to use the device. Honestly, it kind of reminds us of end 2010 HTC phones, with really prominent edges.
CAMERA & MULTIMEDIA
The rear camera on the Mi410 is a 5MP autofocus camera which does a good job of focusing, you can actually see the camera move when its trying to focus, making it an exceptionally great autofocus mechanism. It also utilized 4 point metering to gain a focus point allowing it to be accurate in most situations, indoor, outdoor or night mode.
Video quality is also decent with jitter free recording and smooth capture. While in video mode the zoom option while recording is missing, but was not quite missed.
The screen is nice and vivid and has a comparatively large ppi at 227.55 ppi. With a native resolution of 480×800 pixels making it a very good display. We have no complaints with the display and in-fact were quite happy with it. The screen is good for watching videos and browsing the internet. The ppi is rich enough for reading books, documents and articles without trouble. Let us remind you that its no retina display, but its possibly one of the best resolutions you can get for the price.
The inclusion of stereo speakers caught our attention at the get go. Its surprising the kind of sound you can get from these speakers. In a normally quiet environment the speakers are sufficient for watching videos and movies. The speakers are loud and clear with accurate channel mapping.
The touch screen on the Mi410 seems like a bother initially, after a bit of playing around we found out that the maximum issue is with the lock screen, where the screen response seems to be less, it also seems like a software glitch, as we upgraded to 2.3 the touch sensitivity issue reduced significantly, but is still there. Pinch to zoom and scrolling work fine and are not affected by the issue.
The included earphones are simply ordinary and don’t expect much from them. While they can be used for simple handsfree usage, if you want to enjoy music on this device, invest in a good pair of earphones.
PHONE & MESSAGING
The sound quality from the earphones and the outgoing sound from the mic is great, and more than expected. While network strength is constantly 1 bar less, it does not affect the usage of the device and in our signal measurement test we would get a consistent -60db value.
Messaging and typing on the keyboard is achieved with ease and effortlessness. The keyboard is well spaces with large keys and responsive, the touch sensitivity issue does not occur in the keyboard, that why we insist its a software issue and not hardware (we could be wrong too).
BATTERY LIFE
A lot of people asked us to test the battery and we did some extensive tests on the battery.
VALUES
2G
3G
WiFI
Talk Time
5 Hours
3.5 Hours
-NA-
Standby Time
72 Hours
50 Hours
5 days
Internet Browsing
5-6 hours
5 hours
8 hours
Video Playback
3 hours
3 hours
3 hours
Video Stream
2.5 hours
1 Hour
3.5 hours
Music
12 hours
12 hours
12 hours
Music Stream
7 hours
5 hours
8.5 hours
We noticed a well managed battery life even with the wifi hotspot on. Battery was inconsistent and scores above are average from out tests.
CONCLUSION
The Spice Mi410 is an extremely great option at its price. With features usually found in devices upwards of 20k. This device also looks, feels and performs like an expensive phone, so it should be a satisfying experience for the user. The fact that this handset is easily root-able will let people exploit the real benefits of the device. The screen issue may bother some , but it is not enough to not let us recommend this phone to some one who has this device in mind.
PRICE : 14,000/-
[xrr rating=4/5 label=”We Rate it : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
