The official Cyanogen 12.1 update for Yureka and Yureka Plus has begun rolling out. Some of the highlights include a Live Display feature which adjusts the screen based on environmental conditions. This would ensure better readability in sunlight and a softer, dimmer screen during the night. Your eyes will definitely be happier about this update.
Another feature of this update is the calendar which is integrated with the email. This allows you to sync emails from different sources like Gmail and Exchange in the calendar, making sifting through appointments and reminders easier and more convenient. It also allows scheduling of appointments directly from an email.
The redesigned UI for the folders and app drawer allows one-handed-use of the device to the user, while also reducing visual clutter. YU also promises better performance and an over-all improved sound experience with an updated audio FX UI.
It is time to get your YU devices updated, folks, and tell us about your experience in the comments below.
Right after OnePlus announced the open sale for its OnePlus 2 yesterday, YU has made a similar announcement regarding its devices. The three smartphones, YUNIQUE, YUPHORIA and YUREKA PLUS will be up for grabs on Snapdeal and Amazon next week.
YUNIQUE will be made available to buyers on 13th October as part of Snapdeal’s Electronic Bonanza. Similarly, YUPHORIA and YUREKA PLUS, both phones on Android, will be available for buyers on Amazon as part of Amazon’s Great Indian Festive sale from October 13th -17th. Unlike OnePlus, which has made its newest smartphone available only for an hour for potential buyers, YU devices have no limited time period you should worry about.
The open sale is made to coincide with the festive season in the hope of attracting potential buyers. The company aims to sell half a million smartphones by Diwali this year. Let’s see whether or not the Indian market responds to YU devices in the manner the company expects.
We’ve already reported that Yu Televentures is back with another announcement of a new phone that will be launched on the 8th of September. Now, we also know what it’s going to be called – the Yutopia.
Now, considering the fact that it is part of the YU series, the smartphone should be more or less within the mid-range. Yu had pleasantly surprised its users with the Yu Yureka Plus that was priced at Rs.9,999 with all the right specs.
If reports are to be believed, Yutopia will be competing with the OnePlus 2. This means it will come with higher specs and thereby a higher price. But, do not fret, since it shall still be within the mid-range phones.
Further leaks also suggest that the Yutopia will come with a 5.2 inch FHD display, which will be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core MSM8994 SoC. As far as storage capacity is concerned this smartphone is expected to come with 4GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Apart from all this leaks also suggest that the Yutopia might also come with a 21MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera with a price tag of $315, which is approximately Rs.21,054. This price tag is perhaps not so ‘mid-range’ as we might have expected it to be, however, we must note that these are mere leaks and speculations.
Yu has already started sending out invites for its ‘the next wonder’ – Yutopia, that is set to launch on the 8th of September (just one day before the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus). So, watch this space for more details and updates about the new Yutopia. Let’s hope it’s as ideal as its name suggests.
The Yureka Plus originally priced at Rs. 9,999 is now being quoted at Rs. 8,999, making it the most affordable smartphone in the market. The Yureka Plus comes with a Full High Definition (FHD) display, an Octa core Snapdragon 615 processor, Lollipop Cyanogen OS 12, 2GB DDR3 RAM, and a 13 MP AF rear camera with a Sony Sensor among other features. This price drop has been announced as a response from the company, to the overwhelming feedback it received from fans, asking them to keep the device at the Yureka price point.
Yureka Plus has seen a successful sale of 50,000 units during the first flash sale, and now it comes in two more colours – an Alabaster White and a Moondust colour. The Yureka Plus also offers an integrated 4G LTE Cat4 modem and 64-bit multi-core CPU, a 5.5 inch FHD IPS display, a Qualcomm Adreno 405 GPU with an H.265 HEVC support, dual SIM slots, and a 2500mAh battery.
Registrations for the exclusive sale on Amazon.in will shut on the 4th of August, 2015 while the sale of the phone will take place only on the 6th of August.
Here are the specs:
Display
5.5 inch FHD, IPS
OS
Cyanogen OS 12
Processor
Octa Core Snapdragon 615
Camera
13 MP AF rear camera with flash, 5MP FF Front Camera
RAM
2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB ROM
Battery
2500mAh
Colours
Moondust Grey, Alabaster White
Price
Rs. 8,999
However, it is still odd to see Yureka Plus announcing such a price drop, right after its launch.
Today Yu Televentures announced a new handset, the Yu Yureka Plus. The phone is a revision to the existing Yureka, with added benefits. The revised specs also called for a revised price of Rs. 9,999.
Registrations for this handset have started again today and the handset will go on sale on the 30th of July exclusively on Amazon.in.
Overview
The Yu Yureka Plus is a phone that the Yureka should have been, in the first place. However, it is the company’s way of letting their consumers know that they are listening. The Yureka Plus improves on key features without drastically increasing the price. Is it worth the extra moolah? Let us find out in the iGyaan review.
Alabaster White and Moonstone Grey
Hardware
Spec wise, the phone is more or less the same with some improved features. A higher resolution display with Gorilla Glass 3, a new Sony sensor in the camera and a stronger chassis.
Design wise, you really cannot tell one Yureka from the other (even if the other is a Plus). The only real design change is the availability of the the alabaster white colour, which is great to look at. Since it is a matte finish, it won’t attract fingerprints, but it will attract stains and pen marks just like the Silk white OnePlus One. For our other inputs on the design you can revisit the original Yureka review.
Build-wise, Yu claims that there is a brand new chassis which has been reinforced for additional rigidity in the frame. The phone is more resilient to drops and dings and just like the first gen Yureka, should last you a long time. The addition of Gorilla Glass 3 as a top layer of the display will make the phone slightly more tougher.
The Yureka was pretty tough as it is, and we showed that off in our review of the handset. Pop on a case and the included screen protector and you are good to go. However, the new white colour, despite being resistant to smudging and fingerprints, gets dirty easily and will attract ink stains and food stains.
Performance and Gaming
Just like on the design front, the performance of the Yu Yureka Plus is the same as the Yureka. The Hardware is identical and a few software improvements are apparent. The phone does not heat up despite excessive usage, and the plastic shell of the phone aids in keeping the heat at bay. Although the Yureka was in big trouble with heating issues, after some usage, it appears to be resolved.
We, just like everyone else who waited for a new device, expected a big bump in specs and that was not the case with the Yureka Plus. The company launched a modest update and the performance hasn’t been entirely impacted. The benchmark scores are higher due to software optimizations, but this might not be the case after weeks of usage.
Gaming seems better too, we did face few drops and jitters while playing games like Asphalt 8 and we are not sure if the full HD display will impact the GPU performance enough to make a difference in gaming.
Network, Calls and Battery
The Yu Yureka Plus will handle two LTE enabled SIM cards, however, you can have data running on one SIM at a time. LTE speeds are good as we managed over 20 Mbps downloads on Airtel Delhi Network. The network remains strong through most areas, which also impacts the battery less, hence improving the battery life.
Calls remain good too, the proximity sensor issue also seems to have been addressed. Sometimes however, during the calls the screen turns on, on its own, which can get rather frustrating. Dropped calls are negligible and can also be due to network limitations in certain areas.
Battery will last you a day with moderate usage. The Full HD display will impact the battery life a little extra, but optimisations from the company improve performance, considerably. We did hear mixed opinions about the battery last time, where some experienced good battery life while others had heating and battery drain issues. If that will be the case with the Yureka Plus or not, is presently unknown.
Talk Time : 5-6 Hours. (LTE)
Music : 10 Hours
Internet Usage : 5.5- 6 Hours
Multimedia and Gaming : 4 Hours.
Cyanogen
Yu Yureka was the reason that OnePlus had to drop Cyanogen OS usage on the One when it was launched in India. Their Cyanogen OS exclusivity partnership is one of the biggest reasons that makes the Yu franchise stand out. Cyanogen 12 OS comes out of the box on Android 5.0.2 along with many of the new features on the OS. The newer user interface has a highly improved experience. Transitions and page changes are fluid too. Cyanogen customization options make the usage very personal, and the tweaks and quick toggles make usage, easy.
Alabaster White and Moonstone Grey
Yu Brand Value and Promise
Negative chatter still remains high on the lack of service quality from Micromax. The Yu franchise also has the same response. With a lack of spares, service from the brand is slow and tedious and somewhat expensive in case of things like cracked display replacement.
The forums are active and a large community has adapted the brand and endorse it thoroughly. We don’t see many updates from the company when compared to the activity of companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi on their respective forums. However the discussion boards are full of consumers and prospective buyers communicating within themselves, which is in itself, a great thing. There are also YU team members who answer queries, in the usual, robotic manner.
Display and Camera
The increase in resolution is always welcome, especially when it brings along added Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The outdoor visibility is poor and at its brightest setting, it is barely visible. The increased resolution improves ppi to 400ppi which will improve the usage experience. The display has good colour reproduction and viewing angles.
The camera sensor has been improved from a previous gen Sony sensor to a newer sensor which will capture colours better and work well in low light conditions. The megapixels remain the same at 13MP, however images are sharper and contrast is better. Some samples are given below. Video is still shot at 1080p and thanks to better low light performance and colour saturation, the video quality is much better.
Yureka
Yureka Plus
Yureka
Yureka Plus
Conclusion
While the price difference is negligible and so are the improvements, the Yureka Plus adds a Full HD display and a better camera, with a supposedly better build. All of which are worthy of the Rs. 1,000 price increase. There is no loss in performance, in fact, it is a tad bit better. If Yureka was your choice before, the Yureka Plus should be your choice now. There are however some other options in this price bracket, the ZenPhone 2 and the new Moto G (3rd Gen) is just around the corner. Check out our video review below.
Click here to register for the Yu Yureka Plus : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.amazon.in/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=3626&creative=24822&linkCode=ur2&node=6690337031&pf_rd_i=yureka&pf_rd_m=A21TJRUUN4KGV&pf_rd_p=656691227&pf_rd_r=1R4GV1T0M1A7TNVFECFT&pf_rd_s=desktop-auto-sparkle&pf_rd_t=301&qid=1437731665&ref=spks_0_0_656691227&tag=igyaan-21″]Register Now[/tw-button]
Micromax-owned Yu Televentures has just launched the new Yu Yureka Plus. Aesthetically the Yureka Plus is quite identical to the original Yureka. However, there are few changes which may be oblivious to the eye, and one change which is majorly apparent.
Alabaster White
The alabaster white colour, reminds us of the the remaining out of the two colours that Oneplus One launched with (Silk White and Sandstone), since moonstone grey took care of the rest.
Hardware Specs
Yu Yureka Plus
Display
5.5-inch FHD Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution
1920 x 1080px 400ppi
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
Processor
1.5GHz Octacore | 64 Bit
GPU
Adreno 405
RAM
2GB
Primary Camera
13MP Sony Sensor
Front Camera
5MP
Video Recoding
1080p Full HD
Storage
16GB
Expandable Up to
32 GB
Battery
2,500 mAh
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with Cyanogen 12
Bluetooth
4.0
Price
Rs. 9,999
Alabaster White and Moonstone Grey
The Yu Yureka Plus comes with similar things inside the box – a Handset, Charger, Earphones, USB Cable and Documentation. Specs wise, the Yu Yureka Plus gets a FHD display with Gorilla Glass 3 in the same 5.5 inch size making the pixel density reach 400ppi. New improved camera sensors from Sony will improve picture quality drastically, and a new improved chassis is said to be more resilient. The smartphone is up for registrations on Amazon.
December of 2014 was when Micromax formed and launched their fork called Yu Televentures. The online sale company, is designed completely to take on the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus. The company had great ambition and a unique business model. It brought in the best of Xiaomi and OnePlus to the Indian masses for a budget.
The first device, the Yureka, was a huge success for the company and a great product to launch with. At their most recent launch, Rahul Sharma, CEO Yu Televentures, revealed his plans for the company and launched the Yuphoria along with several other devices. This included the recently launched YuFit Fitness band.
Alabaster White and Moonstone Grey
Today the company has announced the Yu Yureka Plus, priced at Rs. 9,999. Do not be confused by the name, the handset is not larger than the previous Yureka, nor is it bumped up in specs. It does have some minor, yet significant, upgrades. The Yureka Plus comes with a 1920x1080px display vs the 720px on the original Yureka. The Plus version also gets the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection layer added to the top of the display. All this is on the same size 5.5-inch display which bumps up the pixel density to 400 ppi.
The new Yu Yureka Plus also has a new camera sensor, made by Sony, keeping the Mega Pixel count intact at 13 MP. The company is also touting a new improved chassis and better build qualities.
However, the most important change to us is the new white colour finish back panel option. Which not only gives this handset a distinctive look but a slightly more premium one.
Registrations for the handset have begun today, and the phone will go on sale on the 24th of July at 12:00 Noon, at Amazon.in. The Yu Yureka Plus comes in two colour options, the Moondust Grey and Alabaster White.
Micromax subsidiary, YU Televentures, will launch a new smartphone today. The company had recently tweeted “Your prayers shall be answered…”, featuring a graphic poster of a phone with the caption “The God Shall Return”.
The company has had it’s share of the limelight since the launch of the Yureka in December 2014. Now the company is expected to launch a sequel to the Yureka. With the videos released in the past by Yu CEO Rahul Sharma, it is expected that the handset will be better built and sturdier.
A bump up in specs is expected too, with possibly a larger display with better hardware on the inside. A beefier battery and camera are always welcome. A increase in price however may not be appreciated, so hopefully the company can play it well when they announce the new handset later today.
See the two videos below, and let us know in the comments what you expect from YU today.
