Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL leave the Nexus in their dust, defining a new category for Google and their proprietary smartphone. Much like Apple with their iPhone, Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are made by the company from the ground up. http://fkrt.it/Pd1OjTuuuN
The packaging for the Pixel will be very iconic of Google colours, we are unboxing the Quite Black Google Pixel XL , while the phones are available in three colours (Quite Black, Really Blue, Very Silver) in the US and two colours worldwide the black and silver variants.
Inside the Box:
Google Pixel XL
Stereo In Ear Earphones + Tips
Wall Charger 3AMP
USB Type C to USB Type A cable
A Different USB Type C to USB Type C cable
Documentation and Safety Information
USB Type C OTG Adapter
Sim Ejector Tool
The Google Pixel is very well packaged, and the inbox accessories are made of really durable and high quality materials. While the cables have management clips, the earphones have a flat tangle free cord. The Google Pixel has a very HTC/iPhone design scheme, while it feels very close to the HTC 10 in the back, the front with the big chin at the bottom is very similar to an iPhone.
The phone runs on Snapdragon 821 and is optimised heavily with the hardware and the new Android 7.1 Nougat which is extremely snappy. The Pixel XL offers up a gorgeous QHD AMOLED display which has rich colours and deep level of blacks. The bright display also works indoors and out, however is a little slippery with its Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
Pixel XL has a really robust build and the phone feels really good in the hand, it does have a design which will take some time to get used to , however, it looks better in person than in images and video. Android 7.1 is what the Pixel and Pixel XL will have out of the box, and Google assistant works well, but will need deeper integration with Apps in India to work perfectly.
Google Allo and Duo are preinstalled on the Pixel and Pixel XL, and both phones will work on GSM and CDMA, and on GSM you will get 4G with VoLTE.
A month after announcing the LG G Flex 2, LG has finally declared the availability of the latest flagship from LG’s line up of smartphones in India. This phone comes with an improved four side curve design and a high-resolution display. Here, we will be unboxing the LG handset and giving a quick hands on review.
The 5.5-inch full HD Curved P-OLED display phone is powered by the latest 64-bit Snapdragon 810 Octa-Core processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM. It operating system runs on Android 5.0 with LG UI 3.0. Camera specifications include a 13MP primary camera with dual-LED flash and a front-facing 2.1MP camera. In terms of unique features, the LG G Flex 2 has a fast laser autofocus camera that works by measuring the distance between the subject and the lens using a laser beam. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.1, LTE support, USB 2.0 and NFC. The phone is available in Silver Titan colour and 16GB variant for now and is priced at Rs 54,990.
LG G Flex 2 Specs:
SPECIFICATION
LG G Flex 2
Display
5.5-inch full HD 1920×1080 Curved P-OLED display
Processor
64-bit Snapdragon 810 Octa-Core processor
RAM
2GB
Internal Memory
32GB
Expandable Up To
2TB
Primary Camera
13MP with Advanced OIS+, LED Flash, 4K Video
Secondary Camera
2.1MP
Operating System
Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OS with LG UI 3.0
Price
Rs. 54,990
Check out the Unboxing video below:
Want to know how the new phone fares against the old version? Check out our hands on with the LG G Flex here.
The iPhone 6 is finally in our studio and we get our dirty hands with the next generation of Apple phone. The iPhone 6 is going on sale in India on the 17th of October for an expected price of Rs. 48,500 for the 16GB variant, whereas the big brother, the 6 Plus, will be available for Rs. 54,500 for the 16 GB as per information available to us.
The box of the iPhone is no different than the previous generations, and you can expect to find the same things in the box, including a cable, a wall charger, Apple EarPods, along with some basic paperwork.
The phone is light out of the box, which may be the biggest reason behind #bendgate. It feels light and nimble although the front display is big and beautiful which immediately captures your eye.
The rounded edges sit very comfortably in your hands, many times better than the previous gen, which without a case was slightly sharp in the hand.
You see a boost in the performance out of the box. The iPhone is much smoother and the rounded display gives it a natural feel when sliding between pages. Websites look much better on the large display, which is bright and super crisp.
Apple has put in a lot of new hardware into the new iPhone since it was a number change edition Apple A8 chipset with 64 bit Architecture along with a hexa core GPU. Ram wise you still get 1 GB but that seems more than sufficient for the phone. Storage is dependent on what model you buy and cameras have not been bumped up in specs but in tech, adding phase detection, autofocus along with improved pixel capture. Slow motion video at 240 fps on a 720p resolution is really impressive.
This time around the iPhone 6 has a 1810 mAh bumping up from the 1560 of the iPhone 5s. Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly.
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.
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.
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 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]
So we finally got the new Spice Mi 410 here in our studios. So here it is the Unboxing and quick review video for your pleasure. As always stay tuned for the complete Review.
VIDEO UNBOXING
IMAGES
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
Amazon has been working on an Android Based tablet, this news has been confirmed by the Amazon’s CEO. But, in a drastic turn of events according to Android and Me, looks like the company is actually planning a host of ANDROID POWERED DEVICES. Ranging from Tablets in various sizes, E-book readers and even possibly a Smartphone.
Earlier this week Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, said “stay tuned” for more information on the product, which is rumored to have been manufactured by Samsung and could launch as early as this summer. According to us a tablet from amazon will possibly beat the sales of their E-book reader “Kindle” in the first few months.
One of the most beautiful Android devices in the market yet, The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc proves that not all Android Devices need to be dull and boring. The Arc is a show stopper, and it certainly impressed us on another level.
Let start with the usual line up.
BUILD QUALITY and HARDWARE
The Xperia Arc has a deceiving structure, the device looks like a plastic toy initially, but is extremely well built and once you hold the device in your hand you will never make the same mistake again. It has a great design which tapers out in the center and broadens out to the side.
Contrary to what most critics are saying the device is extremely comfortable to hold in the hand and fits comfortably when gripping the device during those in game driving scenes.
The Xperia Arc also packs a brilliant bit of hardware in terms of specs. Check them out :
Specifications of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Frequency
Quad band
Phone Style
Touchscreen
OS
Android 2.3
Thickness
8.7mm
Length
125mm
Width
63mm
Weight
117g
Built-in Memory
512MB
Additional Memory
MicroSD up to 32GB
High-speed Data
HSDPA
Connectivity
GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Screen Size
4.2-inch, 480×854 pixels
Secondary Screen Size
N/A
Screen Colours
16 million colours
Camera
Yes
Camera Resolution
8-megapixel
Flash
Yes
Ringtones
Yes
Music Player
Yes
Music Formats
MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV
Radio
Yes
Speaker
Yes
Internet
Yes
Browser
WAP
Games
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm MSM8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
Battery
1500mAh
Price :Rs. 27,500
CAMERA and MULTIMEDIA
The camera on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has an 8 MegaPixel Sony Exmor-R Sensor. It is just something you will love to – well, LOVE. The camera is absolutely brilliant, and comes close to a perfect replacement for a day use digital camera. The camera is extremely sensitive to light and will pick up the slightest detail in the image. The device also has 720p recording capability which when combined with onboard image stabilization methods provides a decent set of tools for video capture.
We were however, disappointed with the lack of quality and depth in the video captured by the Arc. while it looks absolutely stunning on the Device , video playback on a big screen looks washed out to say the least.
The Arc also provided the best movie/video experience we have had with an Android Device. The Display simply cannot be praised enough, the colors are deep and the resolution combined with the all new Bravia Engine for Mobile phones makes the video quality just Superb. We have not seen better quality on a Phone display period.
Sound quality, video playback and Audio/Video streaming work flawlessly and deliver a promising multimedia experience. The placement of the onboard loudspeaker is at an akward position and when you are holding the device in landscape, you will find yourself covering he speaker with your finger. The results of which can be devastating for the volume levels.
Check out the Video Capture Sample
PHONE and MESSAGING
The device is exceptionally good at doing what its meant to , the voice clarity is -bang on- at both ends, and network performance is sustained. The device is really good and pocket-able and simple to use, the phone dialer is fast and has large keys, the contacts and messaging screens are easy to navigate and simple to use.
The keyboard on the device is also, possibly the best stock keyboard we have used, clean large-square button layout increases the accuracy of your typing capabilities many-a-fold. The keyboard is quick as is the touchscreen responsive, creating one of the best touch input interfaces. You will actually enjoy typing on this keyboard, so text away!
BATTERY
Usage life on the Xperia Arc was erratic. Sometimes lasting a full day without a recharge, and sometimes asking for juice every 5-6 hours. The battery life tests revealed a lot more info :-
2G Talk Time : 4.5-6 Hours
3G Talk Time : 3.5 Hours
3G Browsing : 4 Hours
Wifi Browsing : 5-6 Hours
Video Playback : BE : 4.5 Hours / Without BE : 6 Hours
Audio Playback : Screen Off : 14 Hours (approx)
USER INTERFACE
The device runs Android 2.3 with a custom time-scape UI on top. The UI is simply beautiful and is like a melodious song that has no ending. The UI is the most innovative form of developer work seen on a stock device since the HTC Sense. The use of new widgets with the clean interface and the customizable App Drawer/ Full Menu make the device User Experience a wonderful one.
CONCLUSION
The device is good to look at and comes with Android 2.3 from the get go. The camera is good at taking pictures but, just average at video quality. The build is solid and the display like we said earlier has no parallel comparison. The device attempts at fulfilling the purpose of the average user and taking to task the pro user. We found no reason to root the device as we were happy with both performance as well as the UI (our major reasons for rooting). Although a new tool for the boot-loader unlock is now available and the full root for the device will come out sooner than we expected.
The device comes with a free leather cover and a free screen protector, which are excellent freebies.
There were a few negative aspects to the device and we will list them for easy access
The device gets overheated with prolonged use, does not affect usage but gets too hot to hold against the face.
The device also has unsteady HSDPA connection which breaks quite frequently
The battery is erratic and drains faster when the device is hot (see first)
[xrr rating=3.25/5 label=”WE RATE THE ARC” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
Check out the remaining pictures below while you wait for the Full Video Review to go up.
So here it is, a lot of people asked us for it and we tried, tell us how you like our first Hindi Video of the Micromax EG333 mobile handset. For those, who don’t understand Hindi, an quick english version is also included.