We got our hands on the brother of DV6 6017 tx that we Unboxed and Reviewed earlier. The HP DV6 6121TX adds few major upgrades and does not affect the price of the computer.
Available in the market for about INR. 54,000/-
Stay tuned for an in-depth review.
iG Test Labs
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:
iG Tech Labs
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Portable Hotspot also fails throughout the board, dropping WiFi and asking for reactivations several times.
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.
We say go for it!
Developing……
UPDATE:
We got news from Micromax for Gingerbread and Video Calls : Read Here
iG Test Labs
The Huawei Ideos X5 turned out to be a shocker, with the surprisingly bright and vivid display the device is a good option in the price range, lets see why.
The X5 has a brilliant shape, almost a square chunk rounded on the top and on the bottom. the device has excellent rubberized plastics throughout the back and the side making it extremely robust and comfortable to hold in the hand.
| Availability | Announced on | December 2010 |
| Release date | April 2011 | |
| Battery | Capacity | 1500 mAh |
| Standby Time | 300 hours | |
| Talk Time | 6 hours | |
| Type | Lithium Polymer | |
| CPU | Speed | 800MHz |
| Type | Qualcomm MSM 7230 | |
| Camera | Main | 5mp (2592×1944) |
| Video | 720p | |
| Casing | Colors | Black |
| Colors | White | |
| Connectivity & Data | Bluetooth | v2.1 A2DP |
| EDGE | Class 10, 236.8 kbps | |
| GPRS | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps | |
| GPS |  |
|
| HSCSD | HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps | |
| USB | microUSB v2.0 | |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | |
| Display | Colors | 16.8 million |
| Resolution | 480×800 pixels | |
| Size | 3.8 inches | |
| Type | TFT capacitive touchscreen | |
| General | 2G Network | GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 |
| 3G Network | HSDPA 900, 2100 | |
| Alias | U8800 | |
| Form Factor | Slate | |
| Price Range | ||
| Memory | Call record | Unlimited |
| Card Slot | microSD, up to 32GB | |
| Internal | 2 OR 4 GB | |
| Phonebook | Unlimited entries | |
| Operating System | Type | Android |
| Version | 2.2 | |
| Other Features | Misc Features | Accelerometer, Compass |
| Web Browser | HTML | |
| Size and Weight | Width | 62.0 mm (2.42 inches) |
| Height | 120.0 mm (4.68 inches) | |
| Depth | 11.6 mm (0.45 inches) | |
| Weight | 130 grams (4.6 ounces) |
The display on the device is simply stunning, a 3.8 inch screen with a good 480x800px display makes it a very vibrant and eye catching device. Videos play beautifully on the device and almost all types of formats are supported by the device. Audio is loud and clear from the earpiece and speaker phone with deep bass and subtle highs. The phone covers all grounds when it comes to multimedia.
The Camera on the device is a beautiful 5mp camera which does HD video at 720p. The video fared great in comparison with other devices. The pictures from the device are crisp and clear, the camera focuses quick and get get good exposure shots , when ample lighting is available. You simply cannot ask for a better functioning camera from the device. However, we did notice that 3rd party apps improved camera output.
The easiest device to root, the Ideos X5 was easily rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread using Cyanogen Mod 7. The device becomes snappier and much more appealing to the user. Heck you can even get the old CRT TV turn off animation when you lock the device. The benchmark scores improve by about 300 points and the overall stability of the device increases.
The device features a brilliant antenna, we got good network strength even in places where there is usually low network, we faced no dropped calls and overall performance of the device is great. The screen is also great for messaging and features SWYPE keyboard as a standard, therefore making it an excellent keyboard.
The battery life of the device was also more than expected. The device gave us 5-6 hours of talk time on 2g and about 48 hours of standby. 3-4 hours of talk time on 3G networks.
There are not many devices that require such short reviews to become recommended devices, Ideos X5 is one of them. We highly recommend this device, sheer good quality materials and excellent specs, brilliant screen, the ability of root, and Cyanogen mod 7, what else could one want?. This device is sheer brilliance , but it just comes down to the poor service and support for Huawei in India. Making this device a highly questionable one for those looking for long term investments.
Price :INR 12,500/- ( USD 300)
[xrr rating=4.25/5 label=”We Rate it: ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
The Sony Ericsson Txt Pro is a budget yet spec’d out phone, with a proprietary OS on the device the Txt Pro offers Xperia like UI , without the frills of an Android Interface.
Surprising well built for its price, with a spring loaded robust slide mechanism, the device seems up to mark with any premium slider phones back in the day. the overall construction is also quite stable and the device does not rattle at all despite a 2 part design. The soft touch plastic is a great addition to the handleability of the device,and its extremely comfortable in the hand. The Keyboard is a chiclet style keyboard and has wonderfully tactile buttons.
The device has interesting specs
| Network | |
| 2G Network | GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| 3G Network | – |
| Dimensions | |
| Size | 93 x 52 x 18 mm |
| Weight | 100 grams |
| Form Factor | Side-Slider |
| Display | |
| Type | TFT Capacitive Touch Screen |
| Size | 3.0-inch |
| Colors & Resolution | 256K Colors & 240 x 400 Pixels |
| Input/ User Interface | Full QWERTY Keyboard Single Touch Scratch-resistant Surface Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate Proximity Sensor Touch-sensitive controls |
| System Properties | |
| CPU | PNX-4910 Processor 64MB RAM |
| Storage Capacity | |
| Internal Memory | 100MB Internal Storage |
| Expandable Memory | Micro-SD card slot for expansion up to 32GB |
| Browser & Messaging | HTML, xHTML, WAP 2.0 MMS, SMS, IM, Email |
| Camera | |
| Still | – 3.2 Megapixels – 2048×1536 Pixels |
| Secondary | NO |
| Video Recording | Capable |
| Video Playback | Capable |
| Connectivity | |
| DATA | GPRS, EDGE |
| Bluetooth & USB | v2.1 with EDR & v2.0 Micro USB |
| Headset | 3.5mm stereo headset jack |
| Radio | Stereo FM Radio with RDS |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g |
| GPS | A-GPS |
| 3G | NO |
| GPRS | Up to 85.6 kbps |
| EDGE | Up to 236.8 kbps |
| Video & Audio | |
| Audio Formats | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+ |
| Video Formats | H.264, MP4 |
| Battery | |
| Type | Li-Ion 1000mAh Standard Battery |
| Stand-by Time | Up to 400 Hours |
| Talk-Time | Up to 5 Hours 10 mins |
| Other Features | TrackID music recognition Friends application Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Google Talk, Multiple IM |
| Colors Availability | Black Pink White |
Although priced at Rs. 7,500, the phone does not offer too many features. One can get decent Android phones for around that price. So why would anybody consider this phone? Well for starters overly-smart operating systems (read android) require constant attention and care, consume a lot of battery and become the centre of your life. Some people still like to buy phones for their basic abilities.
The txt pro offers basics with a little bit of add ons , you do get all your social networks included – Facebook, Orkut, twitter and Picasa apps come preloaded. Allowing you to fully utilize the qwerty keyboard for chatting messaging and emailing. The device also features WiFi connectivity , but unfortunately has no 3G.
The touchscreen is a capacitive screen and is extremely responsive, the UI is easy on the eyes and breeze to use. The camera is a simple 3.2 MP fixed focus camera and does not deliver great pictures.
Our recommendation is that for this price be a little thrill seeking and make the switch to Android, and get a different device, Optimus One, Galaxy Pop, Galaxy 551, Mini, or even the Dell XCD 35. The phones will actually make you happy.
This phone (Txt Pro) is extremely loud and an excellent phone, but why buy it when you can get much more.
[xrr rating=3.5/5 label=”We Rate it: ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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]
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.
Key Features Include
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.
Stay Tuned for a Full Review
| Display and User Interface | Size | 3.5″ |
| Resolution | 320X480 pixels | |
| Type | TFT Capacitive Touch Screen | |
| Design | Dimensions | 109*52*14.8 mm |
| Weight | 117g | |
| Processor and Chipset | Processor | STE6715, 468MHz Processor |
| Network | Operating System | Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair) |
| Operating frequency | GSM 900/1800/1900 | |
| 3G HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900 / 2100) | ||
| Battery | Capacity | 1300 mAH |
| Talk time (maximum) | Up to 240 mins | |
| Standby time (maximum) | Up to 192 Hrs | |
| Data and Connectivity | 3G/GPS | Yes |
| GPRS | Yes | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 micro USB | |
| Wi-fi/ Bluetooth | Yes | |
| Memory | Flash Memory | 256 MB |
| Expandable Memory | Micro SD up to 32GB | |
| Communications | Messaging | SMS, MMS |
| POP/IMAP/Exchange | ||
| Social Networking | Social Networking | Yes |
| Camera | Resolution | 3 Mega Pixels |
| Video Player and Recording | Yes | |
| Music and audio | Music player | Yes |
| Stereo FM radio | Yes | |
| Others | Gaming | Yes |
The LG Optimus Black Was announced just recently in India, and we are here today with a quick unboxing and hands on preview of the device.
Important specs include:
| 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 |
One of the Smartest Smart Phones to hit our country, The Samsung Galaxy S2 has gathered a lot of public attention. But, does it stand up to the challenge put out by Day-to-Day Smart-Phone use? Lets Find Out!
The Galaxy S2 has a nice design, a sleek body and extra tough glass. But the build quality of the phone may not be up to the mark. The device features a total plastic construction that defies all laws of mobile phone existence. At just 8.5mm thick the device boasts an extremely slim profile. The back panel/cover is a flimsy piece of plastic that is fidgety to remove and put back on and also rattles when the phone is shaken.
The screen on the other hand is extremely tough, it also resists scratches and impacts without a question in mind. Overall, the build is solid, the plastics don’t bend easily and are not cheap to look at either. But are not nearly enough when you compare it with what you pay for the device.
In terms of hardware the two major things working for the Indian version of the Samsung Galaxy S2 are
The performances of these two major hardware components can be seen from the get go, and are attracting people towards the GS2. There is also 1 GB of RAM, giving an effective 853MB for usage (we really don’t know why only 853 is there totally). There is no NFC on the Indian Samsung Galaxy S2, and why would you need it anyway? The 8 MP rear camera with full HD video recording, a 2 MP front camera, 1650mah battery. You can also check out the full Spec Sheet Here
The Camera on the S2 is brilliant; the screen viewfinder makes it even better. The colors are projected to the screen as-is, and are captured beautifully with the 8MP lens. The camera is fast to focus and has great exposure values. Tap to focus lets you select you subject and one click capture brings you an experience that’s hard to replicate. The camera app is also packed with a long list of settings and effects you can tweak and play around with. Shooting modes, scene modes, effects, image size, exposure values, white balance, noise reduction and anti shake to name a few.
Macro mode is exceptionally great as it can capture close-ups with great detail. There is also a timer, ISO settings, Metering selection, blink detection and geo-tagging. The S2 has a fully loaded camera app and a great camera lens to go with it. Overall performance of the camera is easily notable and can replace your point and shoot camera for day-to-day use. The flash is bright and has a great field of coverage.
Video capture at 1080p is smooth and without frame drops, although you can notice the autofocus on the camera struggle during the video recording output. Videos are clean and the microphone picks up sound just great. Video is so good in fact we actually shot an unboxing video on full HD with the Samsung Galaxy S2 – Check it HERE
Sounds from the speaker are actually louder than we expected. Audio quality is clear and speech notions can be understood easily. Why we emphasize on speech is because you will be watching a lot of videos and movies on the STUNNING AMOLED PLUS display. It is the best possible display from Samsung to date. With amazing depths of color and a great resolution (480 x 800) the display is very vivid. Colors are bold and there is no washout even at greater viewing angles. Some may argue that the colors on the screen are not what they appear to be, and the AMOLED screen gives a heightened look to a normal display/video.
The included earphones are not a great match with the S2, the bass on the earphones is poor, watching movies or listening to music. If you enjoy good depth, you wont enjoy the included earphones. The placement of the main speaker can also be bothersome, especially when you hold the device in landscape to watch videos or play games. You will find your fingers covering up the main speaker for a total loss of sound.
Nice large dialer, good speaker, strong mic and excellent network performance make the Galaxy S2 a great phone aswell. We tested the phone capability over extended periods of use and failed to get one reason to complain about the device. It was pure performance for the phone through out.
The Keyboard on the GS2 is well spaced out in portrait and is very responsive during those long messaging sessions. You also have a huge list of settings that you can modify to make the keyboard a complete unit for you. From auto text to auto replace, modifiers and word learning, the keyboard is simply intelligent. You can also switch to the included Swype keyboard for a faster input experience. In Landscape, typing is fast and efficient and the keys are wide enough to compile long emails without breaking a sweat.
Getting a smartphone like this? Expect to get a 3G data plan if you don’t already have one. This phone turns you into an “on the go data monster”. With the constant need to feed information into the device the unit comes ready to handle all sorts of online activity, from social feeds directly on your homescreen to business mails in a secret box. You get the latest news, weather information and stock prices without ever needing to install an app or setup the device. 3G / HSDPA performance is somewhat good, we found that the device would drop the connection to the server and would require a restart of the data service from the settings app. We have never faced a similar issue with any other Android device an it appears to be a glitch in the software somewhere. Another thing to note, is that when the device is in this suspended data connection mode, the back of the phone starts to heat up incredibly fast which leads to an equally fast battery drain.
Wi-Fi Hotspot, also acts up (due to the network error we presume) and you will find your self constantly struggling with the error messages on the portable hotspot window.
If you haven’t read the section above we suggest you go ahead and read it. The battery life is largely affected by data mismanagement.
| Values | 2G | 3G | 3G with Error |
| Talk Time | upto 7 Hours | 4.5 hours | 1 hour |
| Standby time | 36 Hours | 24 hours | 6 Hours |
| Web Browsing | 8-9 hours | 4-5 hours | – |
| Video Streaming | 4 Hours | 2 Hours | – |
| Music Streaming | 14 hours | 6 hours | – |
Wi-Fi Values stand more or less the same with 2G data
We though we would include this section just to clarify a lot of questions. While the device is perfectly capable of running high graphic games, you will not find us showing you videos of any such games for one simple reason. They don’t work on the device. Most games like Fast 5, NFS shift Asphalt, Assassins creed, Settlers crash on start up and some don’t show visuals. This is possibly a software -hardware integration glitch and perhaps the games are not designed to run on dual core smart phones. Other games like Angry Birds -All, Gun Brothers and our new favorite Age of the Zombies work perfect and without any issues.
The Samsung Galaxy S2 is India’s second phone to boast a dual core processor, and after our previous let down, we a happy to say that Samsung has managed to utilize the dual core- Android combo perfectly and has made it possible for the end user to enjoy the total experience. The phone is not only fast and responsive it is a super performer. All visuals play smooth, graphics and renders are fast all of this with tons of ram to spare. The Galaxy S2 also uses Android suspend multitasking which enables you to pause your ongoing app in real time and switch to another app, and then come back to the previous app without loosing data, or in our case lives.
There is the heating issue that is causing battery loss but we believe its due to the data glitch and can be resolved by switching data modes, or turning on data as and when required (which can be troublesome, but is a quick fix until Samsung can fix it). If you haven’t already seen the benchmarks, check them out here.
The Samsung Galaxy S2 is highest spec’d phone available in India through official channels, its thin and light, its got a beautifully vivid display and a dual core processor that’s on steroids. The Galaxy S2 is ready to perform from the get-go and looks good doing it. Yes its got a flimsy looking build and some overheating issues. But why do we feel okay looking past those? Possibly because poor build usually leads to a damaged display, but in this case the gorilla glass wont let that happen. As far as the battery drain- data error issue, Samsung is already working on pushing an update that will fix these issues.
[xrr rating=4.25/5 label=”We Rate The Galaxy S 2 : ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
PRICE :
Rs: 30500/-
US$ 700 /-
UNBOXING VIDEO
REVIEW VIDEO PART I
REVIEW VIDEO PART II
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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]
iG Tech Labs
The Spice Popkorn is the first phone in India to have a built in projector and as such sets the standard for all future devices with this technology. Lets find out how it fared at the iGyaan Lab.
The Popkorn has a standard candybar design that is much thicker than a regular candybar phone due to the inbuilt projector. It feels quite solid and is comfortable to hold with its metal and rubberized plastic body. The phone weighs 123g and is quite a bit heavier than phones of a similar design, but due to its form factor, it still feels quite comfortable in the pocket.
One feature that we thought was a little delicate was the telescopic antenna. Its quite thin and fells like it will bend if a little too much pressure is applied. Be careful when expanding and retracting the antenna as you use this device.
The screen on the Popkorn is a 6cm 320x240px QVGA display which is quite vivid and displays good contrast in colours. Its nothing to boast about, but then its not the only display the phone has. The device has Dual SIM capabilities and supports GPRS and WAP connectivity. It also has built in bluetooth to allow you to connect your phone to a bluetooth device. It does not support 3G or WiFi.
The phone comes with a tripod and a tripod mount. We felt that the quality of the tripod could be improved as it feels like it might tip over with the weight of the phone, but such is not the case. The tripod mount holds the phone securely and keeps it nicely balanced on top of the tripod.
Overall, the build quality of this device is exceptional, when you consider the fact that Spice has managed to stuff a projector into a device that weighs only 123g.
The Popkorn has a 3.2MP rear facing fixed focus camera that can capture images upto 2048 x 1536 px. It can also record video at a maximum of 15fps and also comes with a 4x digital zoom.The camera can be used as a webcam as well, once you plug it into your computer via the included USB cable.
The projector on the device, in our tests, has given a readable display of approximately 40 inches at its largest and 2″ at the smallest. That’s a HUGE screen from a tiny device. We recommend that the phone be setup so that the display is approximately 27″ to 30″ large as this gives the best picture quality. However, the projector is not extremely bright so using it in a well lit room is not advisable. Keep the lights off and the curtains drawn when using the projector. With many air vents around the phone, we did not notice any significant heating of the device, even after extensive use of the projector.
Another great use of the projector is to watch TV. The Popkorn catches analog TV signals from its telescopic antenna. Channels can be programmed and saved to the device so that you can view them at your leisure. While watching TV is a nice recreational activity, the phone also has a feature that can come in handy while at work. It has the ability to playback PowerPoint Presentations, and with the included laser pointer, you can make excellent professional presentations. You no longer need to carry your laptop to your meetings. Simply copy your ppt onto the memory card and carry the phone.
The phone also has built a built in FM radio, and with the telescopic antenna, you do not require headphones to catch a signal. It also has the ability to schedule and record FM radio so you can catch all your shows at your pleasure. The speaker phone is very loud and gives sufficient sound to be clearly heard in a large room. Spice has also included an external speaker which increases the audio output of the device many-fold. The speaker also has a built-in battery so it does not drain the battery on the phone while in use. A few cables have been included to connect as well as charge the speaker.
The Popkorn supports Dual SIM cards. It also has a standard numpad which makes dialing and placing calls a breeze. The microphone and earpiece perform as expected and we have no complaints. As stated, the loudspeaker is really loud and provides a good hands free experience.
Typing on the phone is also easy as the keypad is quite responsive and the keys are easy to press.
The Popkorn supports GPRS and WAP. It has a browser that leaves a lot to be desired. One feature we found lacking was WiFI. It would have been great if we could use WiFi to browse the internet on the projector or even stream videos directly to the device via our desktops/laptops. Maybe they will include this feature in the next version of the device.
When we got this device, we had low expectations of its performance. However, after using it for a while, we were, quite literally, blown away. The phone by itself is comparable to any number of Dual SIM phones that are on the market today, but the other features that it packs set it a world apart. The Projector with its Video playback, Analog TV and Presentation capabilities left us in awe. For its price, it is possibly the most inexpensive projector on the market today. The fact that its a phone and can fit in your pocket just adds icing to the cake.
MRP: Rs. 6699/-
[xrr rating=3.75/5 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.
IMAGES
| 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/- |
We recieved the Spice M-9000 Popkorn Cinema Projector Phone for review. The box contents were as follows:
The technical specifications for this device are as follows:
| Product type | Bar |
| Network(MHz) | 850/900/1800/2100 |
| Dimensions(in mm) | 119.2 * 50.3 * 17.35 |
| Weight(in gms) | 123g |
| Talk Time | Up to 3.5 hrs |
| Stand by Time | Up to 300 hrs |
| Antenna Type | Internal |
| Battery Power (in mAh) | 1200 mAh |
| Phonebook Capacity | 1500 |
| Memory Card Type | T-flash |
| Memory Card Support Capacity | 16 GB |
| Phone Memory** | 87 MB |
| Screen | 6cm QVGA |
| Screen Size (Pixels) External | 320 * 240 |
| Ring Tones | 64 Poly, Mp3 |
| Speakerphone(yes/NO) | Yes |
| User Profiles | Yes |
| Caller Group | Yes |
| Language Support | English |
| Predictive Text | Yes |
| SMS | Yes, 1000 |
| SMS Templates | Yes |
| MMS | Yes |
| Concatenated Messages | Yes |
| Send to Many | Yes |
| Send to Group | Yes |
| SMS Counter | Yes |
| Yes | |
| JAVA Enabled | Yes |
| Java Games & Applications | Yes |
| Games | Yes |
| Incoming Call Guard | Yes |
| World Clock (Format12/24) | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Calculator | Yes |
| Currency/Unit Convertor | Yes/No |
| Calendar | Yes |
| To-Do List | Yes |
| Caller Group | Yes |
| Vibrator Mode | Yes |
| Auto Power On/Off | Yes |
| FM Radio | Yes |
| FM Recording | Yes |
| Scheduled FM Recording | Yes |
| Wireless FM | Yes |
| WAP | Yes |
| GPRS | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | 2.1 |
| Data Cable | Yes |
| Handset Manager | Yes |
| TV OUT / Webcam | No/Yes |
| Remote Control for PC via Bluetooth | Yes |
| Camera | Yes |
| Photo Storage Capacity | 87 MB+T-flash |
| Single Touch Camera Operation | Yes |
| Zoom Level | Yes |
| Brightness Level | Yes |
| Multi Shot | Yes |
| Night Vision | Yes |
| Photo CLI | Yes |
| Video Recording | @ 15 fps |
| Video Storage Capacity | 87 MB+T-flash |
| Wide Screen Video | Yes |
| Video Playing (FPS rate) | @ 25 fps, 3gp, mp4, avi, flv, rm, rmvb |
| Pixel Size(coreband) | 3.2 MP |
You can watch the Unboxing Video below. Please stay tuned for the full review.
The Dell Vostro has been revamped with a new price point and new specs, an intel C2D Processor and a 4GB DDR3 Ram. Check out the Specs Below.
Video will be up soon.
PRICE 32,000/- (Available 25,000/-)
