all-low-res-jan-feb by My Mobile

jan 15 to feb 14 2013  Rs 75

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for a connected lifestyle

æ Bharat Broadband The real picture

P 30

Top 13 for 2013

Mobiles, gadgets and games that will rule 2013 P 20

æ Aakash, any good? Does the budget tablet for students deliver? P 38

æ Tested

Lenovo S880, Sony Xperia Miro, LG Optimus L9, Micromax Canvas 2, Aakash 2 and more... P 45

Nokia Lumia 510

first call

o 2013 is well and truly underway. And the world of technology has, after a very brief Christmas/New Year break, slipped right back into hectic mode - change is after all, the only constant in this world. The tech lights are on in Vegas for CES at the very outset of the month and RIM will be taking the first step towards what could be an amazing comeback towards the end of January. What a way to start the year indeed. And that’s only the start. If we are to believe even a bit of what we hear - and we get to hear a lot - 2013 is going to be a very busy year indeed, with launches galore and some pathbreaking devices and technologies as well. We sat ourselves down, separated the noise from the substance, and came out with a list of thirteen devices that we think are going to define 2013. Of course, there are some predictable predictions (a new Galaxy S, a new iPhone), but there are some surprises. Head right over to the cover story to see what we think the year will see. A new year is also about new resolutions and pursuing goals with newfound determination. And we certainly hope that happens on the Indian telecom front in particular. For all the talk of India’s being a potential tech superpower, the country’s broadband penetration remains very much on the lower side when compared with other nations. Is this likely to change with new Government initiatives and perhaps more initiative from the private sector? We take a look at the Bharat Broadband story and where it is headed. Of course, connectivity is of little use if one does not have the devices to make the most of it. And for India’s masses, the Aakash has been more than just an affordable tablet - it is a route to empowerment. Unfortunately, it has been mired in controversy, with the first version in particular being criticised for poor build quality. Does Aakash 2 save the day? We have a double treat for you in this regard - not only do we have a review of the commercial version of the Aakash 2, but we have also a feature looking at the potential and prospects of the device. Apart of this, there is the usual mix of technology and interactions with some of the leading lights in the industry - we take a look at what front facing cameras can do besides just let you video chat, demystify QR codes, and catch up with the director of the Windows Phone business group in Microsoft India at a crucial time for the company’s mobile OS prospects. And of course, no issue of our magazine would be complete without an array of burn tests and reviews of the latest gadgets and gizmos. Open the pages to find out what we think of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Camera, the Sony Xperia Miro, the Lenovo S880, the Micromax Canvas A110 and a host of other devices. A busy start to 2013 it is indeed. We are not complaining. As ever, we look forward to your letters and feedback to improve and iron out any rough spots, so keep writing in and follow us online at http://www.mymobile.co.in.

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

DESIGN Ajit Kumar Parashar | Graphic Designer

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation Amit Prakash | Circulation Manager

ADVISORY BOARD Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor Shankar Market Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by Central News Agency Pvt Ltd.

Happy reading.

Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Volume VIII Issue XII, january 15, To february 14, 2013

content

lead Story 20

in focus

Bharat Broadband: Our look at the present state of broadband in the country and the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiative

The most awaited devices, technologies and services to look out for in 2013

just in The new year starts with some promising devices

Chief Speak

Vineet Durani, Director, Windows Phone Business Group, Microsoft India speaks about Windows Phone 8, its future in the country - growth prospects and complete ecosystem

Event

WInners of the App2Fame Developer Challenge announced

sneak peak

A first look at the Samsung Galaxy Grand and NVIDIA's Project Shield

Face To Face spotlight

Sachin Deshpande, chief operating officer of Radius Infratel talks about Fiber to Home and its challenges

We look at the most ambitious project of the Indian HRD Ministry - the Aakash tablet and its manufacturer, controversies, its prospects and the Indian tablet market

Letters

News

Mobile Doctor

Consumer Forum

Gear Guide

06 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

Naveen Bhandary, MD and CEO, Techzone talks about Indian VAS market and its growth drivers

content apptastic

Jargon Buster

17 41 42 62 71

QR Code demystified

Tips and Tricks

Update your phone's software

technology Fed up with your old TV? Make it â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with Android power

etc We test the Dell XPS 12, Samsung Series 5, Canon's DSLR and more

persona Not so well known facts about Amazon's Jeff Bezos

rumour mill The new buzz around cell town

Trivia The evolution of Facebook The best mobile browsers available for your handset

vantage point Sunil Lalwani, Director, Enterprise Sales (India), Research In Motion

BURN TESTS Aakash 2

intex aqua

wynncom G1

lenovo s880

sony xperia miro

nokia lumia 510

lg optimus l9

micromax canvas 2 a110

Versus

iPhone 5 vs Galaxy Note 2: Who is the king of the ring?

94 96 98

my guide

Boredom Busters

Total number of pages= 100 (96 + 4 cover)

08 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

A Little War and Far Cry for gaming freaks

smart apps

Learn more about the socially networked navigation app - Waze and the sleek news app for WP - Newser

letters I am a regular reader of your magazine and it is one of the best mobile magazines I have ever read. I have got to know a lot about mobile phones and electronic goods through it. I have also recommended the magazine to my friends, who possess keen interest in mobiles. I read the December edition and it was very informative. I would just like to suggest you to add some information on computers and laptops as a lot of information is

DEC 15 to JAN 14 2012-13  Rs 75

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FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

 Spectrum Auction

What can we expect, after the scams and controversies P 34

 Going Wireless Gadgets that deliver a whole lot, minus the wires P 38



PERFECT TWELVE!

The hits, the misses, the stars of a very busy year indeed P 20

 Tested

Sony Xperia SL, HTC Desire SV, HCL Me Tablet G1 and more... P 50

 EXCLUSIVE

Apple iPad mini

P 62

needed about these devices. -Asif Iqbal I have been reading My Mobile magazine for the last four months. I am very impressed by the way you deliver information about the mobile world. I have gained a lot of knowledge about different aspects of the mobile phone after reading the magazine. I would request you to incorporate a little bit of information on all the different electronic goods launched in the market as it will be of great benefit for the readers. –Ashirwad Katiyar, Kanpur Being a regular reader of My Mobile, I really like the way you cover and write all the stories. I read the December issue and was very impressed by the cover story. It was a delightful read and every aspect was well covered. Along with this I really liked the 12 things. Apart from the content, the designing and presentation was done LEAD STORY really well. –Harshit Yadav, New Delhi WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN

I relish reading the magazine. I find its content very rich and informative. AND MISSES OF I thank the My Mobile team for bringing in such a good mobile magazine with amazing stories every time. My favourite section is the burn test. It contains all the information about various mobile handsets with every minute detail about the device. I would request you to include more complaints in the consumer forum so that more and more issues of the readers are resolved. – Shrikant, Varanasi

THE HITS 2012

20 MYMOBILE DEC 15 to JAN 14 2012-13

We are on the brink of a whole new year. And if 2012 was any indication, it is going to be a rollicking one. As we welcome 2013, we get up and close with the year that has just been consigned to tech history, revisiting the hits and misses of what will be remembered as a landmark year in the annals of mobile technology Team My Mobile

hey say that change is the only constant in the modern era. And that certainly seems to be the case when it comes to the world of technology. Every year sees a slew of innovations and new products that pundits claim will change the world as we know it. Only for the next year to swamp us with even more radical innovations. And 2012 was no different in this regard. It came with its shares of thrills and spills, hits and misses, rock stars and duds. But one thing it did not lack was innovation. From operators to handset manufacturers to app developers to policy makers - all members of the massive technology community seemed to be on an innovation overdrive. In handsets, we saw yet more new form factors and the arrival of the phablet era (begun last year by the Samsung Galaxy Note). Apps continued to surpass our expectations, be it in terms of games, image editors or simple utilities, and operators kept surprising subscribers with new packages and offers. And even the Government was in the thick of it with new initiatives and reforms, from free roaming to uber affordable tablets. Will 2013 be half as eventful or exciting? Well, it would take some doing, but then knowing the way the way things have been changing, we would not bet against it. And while we wait for the new year to unfold with its own set of surprises, here’s a look at what rocked - and what did not - in the year 2012.

DEC 15 to JAN 14 2012-13 MYMOBILE 21

I read My Mobile magazine for the first time on the recommendation of my friend. I found the magazine an interesting one. All the stories are current and keep the reader well-informed about all aspects surrounding it. I personally liked the stories on telecom. They have provided an insight on all the things that are going on and also give a clue to the reader about the problems the consumers are facing or will face. I would really appreciate if you

10 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

could include the same type of stories in the issues ahead. –Dev Kumar, Patna Packed with all the big and small stories of the mobile world, the magazine is a wonderful read for tech lovers. I like the content that you cover in each issue. I like the complete magazine but my preferred section is apptastic. The apps which it covers every time are very interesting. In the last edition, the apps were related to holidays and they helped me a lot. I would request you to increase the number of apps in this section, so that the readers get to know about more apps. –Tanish Gupta, via mail My Mobile is one of the best mobile magazines that I read so far. I like all the sections of the magazine as they are packed with a lot of information. The language of the content written is also very simple and can be easily understood by the readers. I like the tips and tricks section of the December issue. It covered a very important aspect of the mobile phone. And explained to readers how they can save their valuable data. I would really appreciate if you could include similar type of topics in it. -Anil Sharma, via mail I am a tech savvy person and I really like My Mobile magazine. The magazine is doing an excellent job in covering all areas related to mobile phones. Apart from the stories that you cover I also like the news given in the magazine. It is crisp as well as informative. I love to read the ‘versus’ section as it clears the confusion of the consumer who desires to buy a mobile phone. I would request you to incorporate more and more devices into it. I would love to read a versus done on various laptops. –Mugdha Srinivasan, Ranchi Recently, while reading the magazine, I noticed that My Mobile also has presence on the Web. I had no clue about this earlier. After visiting the website I am really impressed. Apart from the various features and blogs, I liked the news updates highlighted on the site. Now I have become a regular visitor of the site and get updates on all the news of the tech world. Additionally, I also liked the quality of the blogs given on it. The comparison section is also very interesting and plenty of devices are covered there. I suggest you to upload some more videos on unboxing of the devices as they are very attention -grabbing. –Sarita Kapur, via mail

e the nd hav a s e m n a drea ellpho n c i t y u e o k so st y ab es? can al u craz e it he late ew lin Are yo l to pen a f or news and hands on t ink you hav f th ur tia poten have a nose ve to lay yo em? If you h a dia’s to t u r Do yo ? Do you c orld about sh your CV y Mobile, In w u ne headli and tell the g for you. R r name in M n s ou i gizmo e are look .in to see y w o , in you mymobile.c e. n i @ z team bile maga o m best

NEWS bits operators & tariffs

Value Added Services/Applications/ Games

Airtel the best quality network: TRAI

Airtel launches mEducation service

Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading telecommunication companies, has been rated as having the best network on quality parameters by TRAI in the circles of Mumbai and Maharashtra in the Quality of Services report.

Airtel has launched its mEducation service. The service will allow Airtel users across the country to access an array of education services including courses for language skills, entrance exam preparation and career counseling from the best universities and professors in the country with just a few clicks on their mobile phones.

The report ranked Airtel as the best network on all the quality benchmarks defined by the regulator, for instance Availability of Network, Ease of originating a Call or a Data Session, Voice Clarity, and Ability to successfully complete the Calls and Data Sessions.

The company claims that customers can improve their English language skills and can also prepare for different entrance examinations or build their personality through these personality development sessions.

The company has its network present in 5,115 census towns and 453,148 non-census towns and villages in India, covering approximately 86.3 per cent of the country’s population. It also offers coverage on approximately 95 per cent of rail routes and has invested in 151,719 Kms of optic fiber for carrying long distance domestic traffic both captive and for other domestic players.

K Srinivas, President, Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel said that, the mEducation service is designed to imitate the classroom experience. It will also function as a convenient, accessible and affordable learning platform for users.

Google introduces ‘scan and match’ music service Search giant Google has introduced a music service called ‘scan and match’ for music lovers. The service will enable users to store copies of their favourite songs online. Apple offers a similar type of service and charges $25 for a yearly subscription, whereas Google is providing this service free of cost.

Pocket Music International’ from Aircel Aircel has introduced an interesting and innovative service for international music lovers, called ‘Pocket Music International’. Aircel users availing this service can download different tracks from a vast catalogue consisting of international music offered by two international music giants, Sony and Universal. The catalogue contains tracks from a number of renowned international artistes like Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, and Enrique Iglesias. Subscribers can visit the WAP portal music.pocketinternet.in on their mobile handsets and download complete songs of their favourite international artists. The product is available on a daily subscription of Rs. 5 in which the user gets 5 song downloads daily, which translates to Re 1 per song.

RCom introduces ‘Facebook Messenger Plan’ Reliance Communications has rolled out a new prepaid plan called ‘Facebook Messenger Plan’ for its GSM subscribers across the country. Under it, Reliance GSM customers can use unlimited Facebook Messenger at a nominal fee of Rs. 16 per month without paying any extra data consumption charges. The plan is available with a validity of 30 days from the date of recharge and the plan is auto renewed after every 30 days unless unsubscribed.

12 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

The service will cut the uploading time for users who want to save their music libraries online. It will scan the computer of the user and will give access to the songs it finds, provided the song matches the songs on its servers. If the songs do not match, then it will upload songs to the user’s locker. Google has allowed storage of up to 20,000 songs. Users can also re-download the song at the same quality levels as they were earlier.

‘Alive app’ from Times of India Times of India the leading English daily has launched an app called ‘Alive’ for Android, iPhone, Blackberry and Symbian smartphones. The app will transform text, image, symbols, patterns or objects into a virtual experience by just pointing the app at a newspaper item with the Alive logo. The app will let users express their opinions instantly and makes the newspaper more interactive. You can also share news items on the go and view the history of the news items read earlier. It also saves multimedia content for future viewing. The app has crossed 250,000 downloads on the launch day, leading to 300,000 augmentation views on a single day.

Cleartrip app for Android Cleartrip, the travel website, now has an app available for Android. The app allows you to book train tickets as well as domestic and international flights, and hotel accommodation on the go. Now trips and bookings can be easily accessed at any time and users can make onetouch flight bookings with Expressway. You can make payments by using credit card, debit card or net banking. The same app was launched earlier for Windows Phone and iPhone. The Cleartrip app for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play store for free.

2012

B E S T P R A C T I C E S A W A R D

India ICT Awards Mobile Broadband Service Provider of the Year

NEWS bits Policy & Regulations HANDSETS & MORE Aakash 3 with SIM card slot and apps IIT-Bombay is designing the third version of the low cost tablet – Aakash. The latest version will bring loads of astonishing features with it. The tablet which is supposed to come out in February 2013 will have a SIM card slot along with many pre-loaded apps. Deepak B Phatak, committee member and professor in IIT— Bombay’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said that the main focus is to incorporate the use of tablets in the education system and to create a whole ecosystem for it. He further stated that, many computer giants around the world were showing interest in the device and wanted to become the part of the venture. Aakash 3 will have a faster processor and will support both Linux and Android operating systems and will also have an enhanced memory. It will also contain a special app which will tell the user’s pulse rate and will also pack in some other interesting features.

iBall rolls out Andi 4.5H for Rs. 12,490 iBall, the Indian mobile manufacturer, has launched Andi 4.5H, a new dual SIM smartphone. The device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, features a 4.5-inch display and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor. It comes with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB in-built storage capacity. The device boasts an 8-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front facing camera. On the connectivity front, the phone offers 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a microSD card slot. It comes with a 1,600 mAh battery, and also has a number of pre-loaded apps on board like Whatsapp Messenger, Facebook, Opera Mini, Nimbuzz, Zomato, IBNLive and Moneycontrol. The company has priced the device at Rs. 12,490.

Videocon launches A20 and A30 smartphones Videocon has entered the smartphone fragment with the launch of Videocon A20 and A30 smartphones. Both the devices run on Android and come with dual SIM support with dual Standby. The A20 comes with a 3.5-inch HVGA display and is powered by 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor. It has a 3-megapixel rear and a VGA front camera. The device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and comes with 256 MB RAM, 512 MB internal memory, which is expandable up to 16 GB with a mircoSD card. It comes with a 1,350 mAh battery. On the other hand, the A30 has a 4-inch WVGA display and 1 GHz dual-core processor. It boasts a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front facing camera. It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and has 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal memory which can be expanded up to 32 GB with the help of the microSD card. It is powered by a 1,500 mAh battery. On the connectivity front, both the devices have 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and GPS. They also contain some pre-loaded apps like Facebook, TOI, ET, History Eraser and more. The Videocon A20 is available for Rs. 4,999 and the A30 is priced at Rs. 7,299.

Karbonn Unveils Smart Tab 10 Karbonn has launched the Karbonn Smart Tab 10 Cosmic tablet. It has a 9.7-inch display, runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by 1.5 GHz dual core ARM Cortex A9 processor. The device has 1 GB RAM, Wi-Fi, HDMI, Micro USB, and houses a 6,000 mAh battery. The Smart Tab 10 is priced at Rs. 10,490.

14 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

TRAI issues pre-consultation paper on national roaming services The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a PreConsultation paper on ‘Review of Tariff for National Roaming’ in order to get views from stakeholders on the broad structure of tariff for National Roaming Services. The paper seeks views on various aspects of National Roaming Services like the cost components, the manner of recovery of costs in case incoming calls are to be made free, tariff for video calls and SMS while roaming and the need for permitting Special Tariff Vouchers for roaming subscribers. The Union Telecom minister Kapil Sibal also announced that roaming will be free from this year onwards. At present, mobile users pay around 60 paise a minute in their home market while shelling out Rs 1.25-1.50 a minute while roaming in another telecom circle.

3G services to improve with installation of 29,700 telecom towers India is all set to have better 3G services. The Minister of State for Communications and IT, Milind Deora has informed the Parliament that Indian telecom operators have proposed installing 29,700 telecom towers for 3G services in the next two years. The proposal includes installation of 16,526 base transceiver stations (BTS), known as towers, for 3G in 2012-13. The written reply revealed that 96,212 base transceiver stations have been installed to provide 3G services in the country. Along with this, 610 districts are being covered by 3G services in the country. According to the proposed plan for 2012-13, telcos will install 4,026 3G-enabled BTSs in Karnataka, 1,715 BTSs in Tamil Nadu, 1,703 in Bihar, 1,488 Delhi, 1,085 in Mumbai and 1,004 BTSs in Rajasthan. The proposal further incorporates 2,740 BTSs for the Delhi circle, followed by 1,550 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,399 BTSs in Mumbai among others. Currently, Tamil Nadu circle has the most (9,350) BTSs for 3G services, followed by Delhi with 8,405 BTSs and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) with 8,377 BTSs.

TRAI issues rigid norms on QoS for broadband The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has released the “Quality of Service of Broadband Service (Amendment) Regulations, 2012 (28 of 2012)” on financial disincentives. The purpose of this is to penalise the telcos, if they put forward false compliance reports on the quality of broadband. The regulations recommend that telcos will have to pay a penalty of up to Rs. 10 lakhs in case of submission of false compliance report on quality of broadband services. It further highlights that if a service provider fails to meet the standard of Quality of Service (QoS), then it will be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs. 50,000 per parameter. The parameters for Quality of Service as defined by the regulator include activation time of broadband connection, fault repair or service restoration time, response time to the customer for assistance, connection speed and billing issues.

just in Samsung Galaxy Music Duos Cometh

the ‘Groovy’ Galaxy

fter tasting success with its Galaxy line-up of smartphones, Samsung has now launched the Galaxy Music Duos in the sub Rs 10,000 segment. Launched internationally in October last year, the Samsung Galaxy Music Duos arrival was long awaited in India, given the interest in music phones in the country. The new Galaxy smartphone lives up to its name and comes with two front speakers, audio technologies like Sound Alive and SRS as well as a dedicated music key. The device supports dual SIM (GSM+GSM) functionality and is based on the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It boasts a 3.0-inch LCD display with a resolution of 240x320 pixels and is powered by an 850 MHz processor with 512MB RAM. In the camera department, the handset features a 3.0-megapixel snapper and a front camera too. It comes with 4 GB internal memory, which is expandable up to 32 GB through a microSD card. The device also comes with a built in FM antenna. For connectivity, it packs Wi-Fi, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth 3.0 and microUSB. One interesting feature included in the handset is Always On that allows users to take calls on the first SIM while keeping calls on the second SIM on waiting. The Samsung Galaxy Music Duos is currently retailing in India at a price of Rs 9,199. n

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Ready, flip, fold, go!

ith Windows 8 being launched globally, manufacturers are experimenting with different form factors to accommodate its touch-friendly interface. Lenovo was one of the first companies to showcase a near-finished convertible prototype at CES nearly a year ago, well before Windows 8 was finished and launched, and small wonder that its notebook was one of those showcased at the Windows 8 launch last year. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga looks like a traditional notebook but keep leaning the display back along its hinge, and it flips and folds to transform into a tablet. Lenovo has launched the 13-inch and 11-inch variants of the IdeaPad Yoga in India. Both the IdeaPad devices come equipped with rich audio-visual features like Dolby Home Theatre and Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience 8.0 that includes apps along with features like faster boot up and cloud services. The Yoga 13 weighs a mere 1.54 kg, and boasts

a 13.1-inch screen of 1600 x 900 pixels resolution and is powered by an Intel Core i5 dual-core processor and 4 GB RAM. A 128 GB SSD ensures that operations will happen at the rate of knots and battery life stand at a very impressive eight hours. The Yoga 11 is lighter than its counterpart at 1.25 kg and comes with 2 GB RAM and a 64 GB SSD for storage. It is powered by an ARM-based NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and can give a battery back-up of 13 hours. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11-inch and 13-inch convertibles are priced at Rs. 61,790 and Rs. 84,290 respectively. n

16 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

team@mymobile.co.in

Jargon buster

QR Codes They have been around for a while, but QR codes have only now started to make their presence felt in our lives. From the automotive industry to ads to billboards to Twitterati avatars, they are everywhere. But do we actually know what they are and how they work? Here is our attempt to demystify the QR Code Ketan Pratap n QR Code or Quick Response Code is a

two-dimensional (2D) barcode containing data that can be read by any smartphone camera with the help of software or an app installed on the device. Nowadays, QR codes are used as a marketing tool to promote websites, products and even services targeting mobile phone users.

n QR Codes can be considered an enhanced

version of the barcode as the QR Code can hold around 350 times more information than the average one-dimensional barcode. They are capable of handling data that includes - alphabetic characters, numbers, symbols, Kanji, Kana, Hiragana, control and binary codes. According to the QR Stuff website, a QR Code can handle around 7,089 characters that can be encoded in one symbol only.

n The QR Code is a trademark for a type of

two-dimensional code or matrix barcode that was first designed for the auto industry in Japan, but has gained popularity globally mainly because of its large storage capacity compared to standard (onedimensional) barcodes and fast readability. Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary company in 1994 originally developed and coined the term ‘QR’ as it intended that the barcodes and the contents in it could be decoded through electronic means only.

n QR Codes have come a long way since

their creation, as initially the codes were used to help track of parts in the vehicle manufacturing process in a Japanese car factory. Today it can be found at different places and for a number of purposes like ticketing, commercial tracking, product labelling, process orders, and for advertising products, to name a few. n QR Codes continue to go strong and

n The QR Code consists of square dots or

black modules that are placed in a square outline with a white backdrop. Users have to download a QR Code reader app that enables a device’s camera to act like a scanner and decode or read the barcode. Once scanned by the camera of the smartphone, the Code can actually reveal data like product information, text messages, contact information, URL, e-mail, RSS feeds and similar information.

people are finding new ways of using them. Some are now using them on their resumes, in e-mail signatures and there are people who have started putting QR codes on their business or visiting cards. Simply scan the code and you can easily add the person’s contact information to your address book. They are even being seen on T-shirts and tattoos. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 17

www.mymobile.co.in

sneak peek

Samsung Galaxy Grand Striking a

‘Grand’ Note!

amsung can be considered the pioneer of the phablet category - it created the first Galaxy Note. And it certainly does not seem to be content with that role as it is constantly improving the phablet form factor. We have seen the Note II being launched, sell millions, and now hot on its heels comes another phablet, the Galaxy Grand. The deviceruns on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), boasts a 5.0-inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels, and comes with a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM, which should make it a multitasking beast. In the camera department, it sports an 8.0-megapixel shooter with flash and features like - zero shutter lag, full HD video recording capabilities and

NVIDIA Project SHIELD NVIDIA gets console-able

t might be best known for making graphic cards and mobile processors, but NVIDIA now seems set to go toe to toe with the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. The company has unveiled its new portable gaming console/ controller hybrid called Project Shield at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) held in Las Vegas. The new console comes with a 5-inch HD retina multi-touch display with 1280x720 pixel resolution and is powered by the all-new NVIDIA Tegra 4 with 72-core GeForce GPU and the first quad-core application of ARM, the Cortex A15. It also combines a battery saver core and energy saving PRISM 2 technology that can deliver hours of gameplay on a

single charge and can last for 38 hours on standby. The system runs on Google‘s Android software. Users can download any game or apps from the Play Store and there is also a Shield mode that launches a game browser and provides access to the TegraZone game store. The console can pair with any PC with an NVIDIA GTX graphics cards to stream games from PC to it, and also provides a way to play PC games on a television if it is plugged into the Shield system. Also on board are audio components, HDMI output, Wi-Fi support, micro USB port, microSD card and a 3.5 mm audio jack. We have no release dates or prices yet, but this could be one of the really big products of 2013. n team@mymobile.co.in

18 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

ultra-quick camera start-up. There is also a 2.0-megapixel camera on the front for video calls. The device will come pre-loaded with Samsung Hubs to deliver popular games, movies and music to the user on demand, and would also include features like Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, AllShare Play and Samsung’s own voice assistant, the S Voice. Storage stands at 8 GB, which can be expanded, and the phablet houses a 2,100 mAh battery. The Galaxy Grand is expected to be available in two versions – a single SIM model (GT-I9080) and a dual SIM one (GT-I9082). According to reports, the dual SIM variant will be the first to hit the stores.n

lead story

Thirteen For

Twenty Thirteen

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If you thought 2012 was great for gadgets, we warn you, you ain’t seen nothing yet. For it’s going to rain amazing tech in 2013. Here’s our look at what the year will have in store for us Team My Mobile o, notwithstanding the pre-

dictions of the Doomsday pundits and the Mayans, the world did not end in 2012. Which is just as well, for if 2012 saw some path breaking technologies and devices hitting the market, 2013 is going to be better, if anything. It is going to rain not just devices with better configurations faster processors, more RAM, more storage...the works - but will also see players old and new take steps that could redefine technology as we know it. There will be new operating systems, improved versions of existing operating systems, updates to well-known devices and of course, new tech segments altogether as companies realise that those who do not innovate in these turbulent times are destined for an early grave. Of course, there will be changes on the policy and governance front too - hopefully in India, 2013 will see the words ‘spectrum’ and ‘scandal’ exist independently of each other, even as a host of initiatives encourage people to make more of the Web and take the country a step closer to fulfilling its destiny as a tech super power. Yes, 2013 is going to be a busy year indeed. And we have picked and chosen thirteen (obviously, it IS 2013, after all) things that we think will define the year in tech terms - some are real, some exist in the territory of rumour, some are not confirmed - but each is revolutionary in its own way. So read on to find out what will make headlines this year.

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 21

lead story

The Next iPhone –5S or 6?

Apple had a busy 2012, from the iOS6 maps fiasco to the launch of the iPhone 5 and a smaller iPad. The rumour mill for the next generation iPhone claims that the smartphone will be launched this year. And it could come a whole lot earlier than many people expect. However, we are not sure what the next generation iPhone will be called – iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6? Going by Apple’s tradition - from iPhone to the iPhone 3G, 3GS then the iPhone 4, 4S and the iPhone 5 - the ‘iPhone 5S’ seems to make the most sense. On the specifications front, we expect it to include Near Field Communication (NFC), a faster processor with more RAM, an improved camera, an all new operating system (iOS 7) and who knows, maybe an even smaller SIM. Of course, it will look gorgeous.

‘Re-designed for humans’!

The year 2012 saw Samsung strengthen its position as the global smartphone top gun, with devices like the Galaxy SIII and the Note 2 doing very well in the market. And it seems to be in no mood to give up its crown - we are already hearing rumours about the Galaxy S4. It is said to be developed with the code name, ‘Project J’ and rumours suggest that it will come with a 5.0-inch AMOLED full HD display with S Pen functionality. It would be running the Google’s Jelly

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Android gets a slice of Key Lime Pie

The next Android operating system is in the works and could be winging its way to devices by mid-2013, if rumours are to be believed. The Key Lime Pie version of Android (which is what many insist it will be called) has been rumoured for a while, and word on the street is that Key Lime Pie will have a number of new features that would include a customization centre that would manage tasks like setting wallpaper or ringtones, enabling or disabling an OEM interface like Samsung TouchWiz UI, templates that would allow users to change the layout as well as appearance of the user interface and even apply Instagram-inspired effects. Of course, all this is strictly unofficial we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know what the next version of Android will be called or whether it will be Android 4.3 or 5.0. One thing we do know - it will see the light of the day in 2013.

RIM goes for the perfect ten

Bean OS powered by Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-house Exynos Quad core processors and a 13.0-megapixel rear camera accompanied by a 2.0megapixel snapper at the front. It is expected to be launched around April 2013 and will support LTE networks. And what will it look like? We bet design for humans will only get better.

One of the major launches of the year 2013 will come from a company that was once synonymous with the best smartphones in the world. On January 30, RIM will take the wraps off the BlackBerry 10 operating system and the new range of BlackBerry smartphones running on it. The OS will have a complete gesture based user interface with no physical buttons. It will also have a faster Internet browser with Flash support, and will come with a live tile like user interface similar to windows Phone. Android applications will be supported, and the OS will also offer improved enterprise applications. Although RIM will introduce both touchscreen and QWERTY driven devices, the touchscreen device is expected to be the flagship, and will be powered by a dualcore processor with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz, and will also come with an 8.0-megapixel camera. Of course, BBM will continue to be as good as ever, as will social network integration.

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lead story

The MS phone cometh

It has got into consoles, tablets and convertibles and 2013 could well see the big M from Redmind getting into handsets. Whispers are growing that this year will see the first officially manufactured Windows Phone from the company that makes the software itself. And do remember that while Microsoft is best known for its software, it has been a dab hand at making PC accessories and consoles, so it is definitely better placed than some to make a handset. There is no word on the configuration of the phone yet but it will have a large screen, will run Windows Phone 8 and significantly, deliver a long battery life. If all goes according to plan we might see this phone in the third quarter of 2013.

A new Xbox

This year will see the launch of a new Xbox. If rumours are to be believed, it was supposed to have been launched in 2012, but that not having happened, it is fairly certain that Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new console will see the light of the day in 2013. The nextgeneration console will be introduced at E3 2013 at LA, and is going to be much more powerful than the XBox 360. The looks will be different and the specs much more muscular, courtesy AMD. A slightly better, more ergonomical with better force feedback game pad will accompany the system, which is also likely to come with Blu-Ray disk support. Yes, the power consumption might go up significantly, but on the flip side, games are going to look more realistic than ever before. It is likely to be priced at $299, which means India might see a basic version at Rs 20,000. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get our hands on it.

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Numbers will get portable

In our opinion, this is going to be the most important development for consumers in the year 2013. The implementation of intra-circle mobile number portability (MNP) across the country will allow telecom subscribers to keep their existing mobile connections even if they shift to another state. The implementation of nation-wide MNP/inter-circle MNP has already been envisaged under the Nation Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012. The move is expected to offer a wide gamut of choices to the subscribers including competitive tariffs. Nationwide mobile number portability is expected to be implemented in the country by February 2013, notwithstanding opposition from mobile operators. And that could signal a new era of choice in the Indian telecom market.

A free roaming India

A major development in the telecom space scheduled to take place this year will be the abolishment of roaming charges across all circles in the country. The abolition of roaming charges is one of the main objectives of National Telecom Policy 2012 and part of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One India, One Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; policy. The new roaming regime is expected to come into force by March-April, 2013. Both the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have been working towards the timely implementation of this new system. Currently, DoT has already set up a committee under a technical adviser and is expected to submit a report by February 2013. TRAI has issued a pre-consultation paper to discuss the broad structure of tariffs for National Roaming Services. Cynics says that the policy is unlikely to be implemented soon, given the opposition it is facing from telecom operators, but we are optimistic.

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 25

lead story The Pro side of the Surface

The first Surface tablet might not have exactly set the tech world on fire, but most experts feel that its successor, the Surface Pro, will be a very different kettle of fish. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, the device boasts a 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD screen and comes with 4 GB RAM. It features two 720p HD LifeCams, front- and rear-facing with TruColor, microphone and stereo speakers. Microsoft has also bundled a pen with the device. Earlier, there was speculation that Microsoft could price the Surface Pro above $1000. However given the lukewarm response towards the Surface RT, the company has decided to roll out the Pro variant for a price below $899. The Surface Pro will start at $899 for a 64 GB model. Will it be a winner? We will know in the coming months, but it certainly will be a benchmark for Windows 8 portable devices.

Look ma, no charging wires!

When Nokia took the wraps off the Lumia 920, the wireless chargers along with its flagship handset raised quite a few eyebrows. Although this is not the first time we have seen a wireless charging system for a handset, the fact that a company of the size and stature of Nokia is betting on them, and of course, the sheer convenience they provide is likely to make wireless chargers a rage in 2013. According to tech experts, we could even see wireless charging points emerge at popular locations like cafes and restaurants as people slowly move away from the need to connect their phones physically to a power outlet.

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A wallet-friendly Windows Phone

It might have started off on high-end devices in 2012, but there is every reason to believe that 2013 will see Windows Phone 8 arriving on more affordable handsets. We do not exactly know how this reduced price will come around - will it mean slower processors, lesser RAM, lower resolution displays or less powerful cameras - but what we can confidently assert is that it will play a major role in Windows Phone 8 going mainstream and maybe reviving the fortunes of both Microsoft and Nokia in the mobile segment. One of the forerunners in this regard is supposed to be the Nokia Lumia 620, which many say will be priced in the vicinity of Rs 15,000 and will be seen in the markets in early 2013.

Xperia with the Z factor

Sony has been aggressively updating its Xperia range over the past couple of years, and 2013 will see it launch what many say will be a Galaxy Note killer - the Xperia Z, which is also known as the Yuga. A monster of a device, the Xperia Z is likely to have a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro system-on-a-chip processor, 2 GB RAM and 5-inch 1080p display. As if that were not enough, it would also come with a 13-megapixel camera and support for 4G LTE and NFC. It would be water-tight and come with Android 4.1 running on it. Sony sold 35 million units of the Xperia range in 2012 and is gunning to increase that figure to 50 million in 2013. The Xperia Z could play a key role in determining its success.

iOS to be rocked by... Assassin’s Creed

After rocking consoles and computers alike, the highly acclaimed Assassin’s Creed will make its presence felt on iOS devices in 2013. While there have been versions of the game on iPads and iPhones, these have generally been tame affairs. That could change with the instalment of the game called Utopia, which will be a building, action and strategy (turn based) game, based in the 17th century. You have to build your own town with structures, defence towers, taverns and see them evolve over a course of 150 years. So, more strategy, lesser action, although you will don the garb of an assassin to take enemies down from time to time. Assassin’s Creed: Utopia could be one of the biggest games to watch out for on mobile platforms in the year 2013. n

sulabh@mymobile.co.in danish@mymobile.co.in ketan@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 27

chief speak

“Consumer Traction Has Been Amazing” How has the Indian consumer responded to the new Windows Phone 8? We have been in the market for now over an year with Windows Phone 7.5. In US we launched it in October 2010 and in India in October 2011. So, from a user point of view, Windows Phone 8 is the next generation evolution. But, from the usability point of view consumers are used to Nokia Lumia, HTC devices and Samsung devices that have been in market. The traction has just been amazing with consumers who buy the phone. People just love the phones and the fluidity of the phone is appreciated by consumers across the globe. Since we are coming much later than all the other ecosystems which have been around for four to five years, it will take us that much time to get to that point Is there an affordable Windows Phone 8 device coming soon? I don’t have any specifics to share at this point of time. As we have phones starting from just sub Rs 10,000 like the Lumia 510, it is fair to assume that you will have a Windows Phone 8 device available from that price onwards to the Rs. 40,000 point. I have no idea as to which device it will be, but as we have a phone of Windows Phone 7.5 in this tier so, it fair to assume that at some point of time we will have a Window Phone 8 as well. How big is the application market in India? And how much share of it has Windows Phone 8 been able to capture? I don’t have specific numbers for consumption of apps. We are getting the huge traction for apps. India is the second largest developer country in the world. So, in that sense I would say that US is the largest contributor to Windows Phone 8 apps but a lot of

28 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

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The year 2013 is going to be a critical one for Microsoft’s mobile ambitions. It is going to be the year which will decide the fate of the recently launched Windows Phone 8 OS, with a slew of devices and apps being planned for the platform. We caught up with Vineet Durani, director, Windows Phone Business Group, Microsoft India to find out what the company has in store for us. Sulabh Puri those apps are from India as well. There are two parts to the Indian app story. One part is that there are a number of developers making apps across ecosystems for clients outside or brands outside - that’s the offshore thing which is massive. In some way, it is a huge democratisation of technology, because literally anyone can make an app. So, it opens up a lot of opportunities from that point of view. The second part is that, I think there is a huge-huge opportunity for local services to get converted into apps. It has not happened in public utility services. It also needs a change in mindsets as well. A lot of people need to start looking at apps as a very simple way of delivering things. Apps become very compelling to use and as they are very customised, you can use them on any device. I think developers have a massive opportunity to do things around education, public utility, and location-based services. What is the marketing strategy that you have in mind for promoting Windows Phone 8? We hope that manufacturers like Nokia, HTC and Samsung will invest a lot of money to popularise their devices. Nokia will be running a very large campaign as soon as their Lumia range of phones will be in the market. On our part, we believe that there is huge room for us to basically go and tell consumers how they can leverage their devices within the Windows ecosystem and cross ecosystems. We are focusing a lot on that. Until now, most of the manufacturers have focussed on the hardware - the camera, the screen size, RAM, storage but not much on what would I do with it. And I believe that there is a huge room to do that. If I am a new user and I am moving from feature phone to smartphones, suddenly the capability of that device is much higher and I need somebody to help me understand how I am going to use that, and why should I be using it and what all can I do with it. We will have to focus on retail to make the device come alive for them. As a company we are focused on two things: one is device experience, and a great services experience on those devices. Hence if you will go with Windows, you will get a great experience. My focus and efforts are mainly towards consumer understanding. We do that across either retail or cafes. Make it real. Show them. Right now, we are hearing of Windows Phone 8 devices from Nokia, Samsung and HTC. Are other manufacturers also coming to the Windows Phone 8 party? Our job is essentially to make a bunch of

phones at different prices for the Indian perspective. There is a range of affordable phones as everyone in India cannot buy a costly phone. Nokia has announced an affordable phone - I think the Lumia 620 will be the mid-year phone. Consumers are very brand conscious, so it is very important for them to know and buy something which is reputed. I think between HTC, Nokia and Samsung, we have all the big guys as far as the Indian smartphone ecosystem is concerned. Are there any special apps being developed by Microsoft for Windows Phone 8 users? Right now there nothing but, when we do, we will surely tell you. The areas on which we want to focus from the India point of view around apps is basically utility, education and location-based services. Now, whether we do it ourselves or go through people who are really good at it, will depend on what we are trying to achieve. There are lot of developers who are building apps for an ecosystems and they are best in that particular space. One of the great examples can be the Nokia Music service. The app is a great example of monetization. The thing is we can either do it or very closely partner with people who are in this space. Do you see Xbox gamers switching to the Windows Phone devices for the games? We hope they would. Once the second screen experience is compelling then people would absolutely do so. Many markets are growing because they have that compelling second screen content. From a gaming perspective, India is not really free. We have a massive development base but still don’t have very accessible talent for game design. Game design is very much centered in the US and to some parts of Europe. We will be coming up with some interesting stuff. For the time being, all the good games coming from the west. Let’s sign off on a personal note - which phone are you using? I have the Nokia Lumia 820, the Nokia Lumia 920, and the HTC 8S. I keep switching between the 8S and the 920. I find both really amazing. One has got a fantastic camera and obviously the Nokia apps are amazing. One of them is Nokia trailers, which contains the trailers of different new movies and the beauty of this app is that you can download the trailer in HD. The one I loved and downloaded is The Man of Steel. n

We hope that manufacturers like Nokia, HTC and Samsung will invest a lot of money to popularise their devices. Nokia will be running a very large campaign as soon as their Lumia range of phones will be in the market. On our part, we believe that there is huge room for us to basically go and tell consumers how they can leverage their devices within the Windows ecosystem and cross ecosystems.

sulabh@mymobile.co.in

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in focus

Broadband and Bharat:

Will the Twain Meet? It has been promised to the masses for a while and has been acknowledged as being essential for not just technological progress but also digital empowerment. But broadband in India still remains elusive to millions to users. We take a closer look at the scenario and what the future could have in store Danish Khan

nce considered a luxury, broadband is rapidly becoming a necessity for all nations. It is no longer just about being able to surf the Web at faster speeds, but is now being seen as a vital tool for empowering people, creating an environment that cultivates technological and service innovation, and triggers change in business processes as well as in society as a whole. With just about everything â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from music to films to service forms - going digital and cloud computing becoming a mass phenomenon, broadbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s importance has assumed new dimensions, as it enables users to access information and services in an effective manner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that is not possible at slower speeds.

India: A slew of broadband measure It can be said that India has come a trifle late to the world broadband party. Although India is one of

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the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world, broadband uptake has been slow. India’s total broadband subscriber base stands at 14.81 million (as of October 2012), with an yearly growth of 14.10 per cent. However, broadband penetration in India is one of the lowest in the world as compared to other economies such as Russia (11 percent), Brazil (7.5 percent) and China (9.5 percent). While high-speed broadband has been made available in urban areas, rural India is yet to experience it. However, that could change, as in a bid to provide last mile connectivity in the country, the Indian Government is playing a pivotal role in developing broadband infrastructure in the country. The Government created the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project in 2011 with an initial investment of Rs 20,000 crore (from the USO Fund) under the Special Purpose Vehicle. This NOFN project is also known as Bharat Broadband project. Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) was incorporated by the Indian Government, with the Power Grid of India, Railtel and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as equity holders. All of these have been conducting pilots in various parts of the country, and already have more than 6.7 lakh kilometers of fibre running along their national optical transport backbone networks. Under the NOFN, the Indian Government aims to reach 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats. To reach this target, about 5 lakh kilometers of new fibre will be laid by all BBNL equity holders. BSNL is spearheading the groundwork for laying out the fiber. Rajan Ghosh, general manager of NFON at BSNL says that 5 lakh kilometers of new fibre will be laid by BSNL, while existing fiber will be leased to private service providers for achieving last mile connectivity. BSNL will soon be reaching 6,382 blocks with the deployment of the optic fiber network. The NTP (National Telecom Policy) 2012 has embraced the Internet revolution in the country. Under it, the Government aims to provide high-speed and high quality broadband access to all village panchayats with the development of an eco-system for broadband to ensure availability of media for last mile access. The National Optical Fibre Network has also been termed as a Public-Private-Panchayat partnership as the effort is to connect the village Panchayats with the rest of the country. Through the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), the Government has also launched the Rural Wireline Broadband Scheme to increase broadband penetration in rural

and remote areas. Under this scheme, BSNL will provide 8, 88,832 wired-line Broadband connections to individual users and Government Institutions by 2014.

Challenges galore

Although connecting 2,50,000 gram panchayats in India would certainly boost the country’s broadband penetration, it is easier said than done. A number of challenges exist including infrastructure and access issues such as high Right of Way charges, higher cost to connect and last mile connectivity issues. No less important will be the availability of affordable data plans as well as affordable PCs and handsets, and of course, the availability of vernacular content in a country as linguistically diverse as India. One of the senior DoT (Department of Telecommunications) officials, who looks after the NFON project, told us that a collective approach is required for actual broadband penetration to occur. According to him, India’s private (telecom) players are not supporting the ambitious project of the Government of India. “Till now, not a single private telecom operator has come up to support the Bharat Broadband project,” he said. Reliance Communication, Tata Teleservices and Bharti Airtel own a large fiber optic

The attitude of private telcos should change in order to contribute towards this project. ROI should not be the parameter for gauging the success of any operation

network in the country. But apparently telecom operators are more concerned about ROIs (return on investments), as they feel operations in rural India will not yield large profits. As per the DoT official, private partnership is very crucial for the national broadband project, as it will help in ensuring last mileconnectivity. “The attitude of private telcos should change in order to contribute towards this project. ROI should not be the parameter for gauging the success of any operation,” he pointed out.

Need of the hour: Govt-private partnership

While broadband has significant potential to facilitate economic and social development, especially in rural India, providing it is going to be no cakewalk. Affordability of access/ devices and the availability of content in vernacular languages are some key pre-requisites for a successful ecosystem which are still being put in place. The implementation of e-services such as e-education, telemedicine, e-banking and e-governance is also underway, but will need active co-operation between the Government and private players to be really effective. A number of successful broadband ecosystems around the world are based on planned participation from the private sector and the Government. India would do well to follow their example. Or risk missing out on the broadband revolution. n danish@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 31

mobile doctor is a good value for money budget Phablet. In fact, you will be getting a number of features that are generally seen in highend phablets in the device. The phone is good for multitasking and the 1 GHz processor handles gaming quite well. The 8.0-megapixel camera takes decent images and would not disappoint. As an alternative, you can go for the Karbonn A30 that comes with an even bigger display of 5.9 inches.

I want to buy an Android smartphone, which can give me fast Internet browsing. My budget is Rs. 11,000. Please suggest which mobile I should buy - from Samsung, Micromax or Spice. -Anshu Verma Dear Anshu, the Samsung Galaxy Ace is a good phone for mobile browsing as it supports 3G (HSDPA). If you want to consider Micromax then you can go for Micromax A90 which has a 4.3-inch AMOLED display that is one of the best in this price segment. If you like Spice you can go for the phablet Spice Stellar Horizon Mi 500. I am a bit confused as to buy a Windows Phone or an Android one. My budget is Rs. 16,000. Please suggest me what to purchase. -Ankur Hatwar Dear Ankur, both the platforms are totally different. You have to decide which one is best for your usage. However, if you want a Windows Phone in this price, then you can go for Nokia Lumia 710 or if you can shell out a little more than you can consider buying the Nokia Lumia 800 which is more powerful. In Android you can go for the Samsung S Duos which is a dual SIM device or the Sony Xperia U which has a dual core processor. I want a good budget phablet with a screen size of 5 inches. Is Micromax A110 a good option? How is the gaming quality of the phone and is the camera clarity good? P -Naksh Wadera Dear Naksh, the Micromax A110

I want to buy a Windows Phone 8 device. Please tell me its advantages and disadvantages. Will I be able to play the games and use the apps of Windows 7 on it? How is the resolution of the phone? -Aditya Gupta Dear Aditya, Windows Phone 8 is the latest version of Windows Phone and comes with a number of benefits. Its advantages include support for higher resolution displays and dual core processors and resizable tiles. As for disadvantages, the only one we can spot at the moment is the fact that it will be available only on high end devices. For gaming, it comes with XBOX integration as well as games from the Windows Market. As of now, you cannot run Windows 7 apps on it. My requirements are a good camera with flash, dual SIM compatibility, SMSes should be saved in a separate folder, the ability to save browser pages and access them offline, and support for Excel, Word, PDF and support for other Windows software. Please suggest the best option for me. -Kashyap Patel Via Email Dear Kashyap, you can consider investing in the HTC Desire V or VC and the Samsung S Duos as per your requirements. You will need to download a few apps to round off your requirements.

32 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

I want to purchase a mobile in the price range of Rs. 4,000- Rs. 5,000. Some of my preferred choices are Nokia Asha 305, LG T735 and Samsung Star 3 Duos. Please suggest which one is a best buy. -Mrinmoy Panchadhyayee Dear Mrinmoy, all the phones you have suggested are good, but we think the Nokia Asha 305 is the best option of the lot. It is a dual SIM device and would come with

Nokia Unlimited Music and Nokia Maps for navigation. However, if you want a device with a bigger display you can go with either the LG or Samsung. I want to buy a good Android phone, my budget is Rs. 10,000. Please suggest some. I also wanted to know whether Lava and Micromax phones are durable or not. -Rohit Arora Dear Rohit, we would recommend you to go with either Sony Xperia tipo or Samsung Galaxy Ace. Both Lava and Micromax devices are solid and decent and many of them are good value for money. I am 58 years old and have poor eye sight. I want to purchase a

phablet phone because of its big screen size in the price range of Rs. 15,000. Please give your views about iBall Andi 5C, LG Optimius G or suggest any other model according to my requirements. -Ravichander Dear Ravichander, considering your budget you can go for the Micromax A110 Canvas 2 as it has got a bright screen and has some very impressive features. You can also consider the Karbonn A30 that has an even bigger screen of 5.9-inches. The LG Optimus G has not been launched in India yet and may not come here before March or April. I am a regular reader of your magazine and love the tips and tricks section. I want to get a smartphone within Rs. 10,000. I have selected two models Nokia Lumia 510 and Sony Xperia Tipo. Advice which one will be a better option? -Vishal Kumar Dear Ananta, both the phones are good in their own way. One is based on Windows Phone and another on Android. The Lumia 510 has now been upgraded to Windows Phone 7.8 and comes with a bigger display. The Sony Xperia tipo comes with Android Ice Cream Sandwich and has the advantage of Google Play Store where you get a number of apps, although it has a smaller display. In the end, it all boils down to what you need - if you want a large display, go for the Lumia 510, but if apps are your interest, the Xperia tipo would be your phone.

Is your mobile phone acting strange? Email your queries at team@mymobile.co.in and our mobile doctor Arshdeep Singh will suggest remedies for your ailing device. Disclaimer: The views expressed by Arshdeep Singh are his own and do not necessarily coincide with those of My Mobile.

For distribution inquiry please contact : +91-9717041986, 011-46206100

fa c e t o fa c e

“Fiber in rural areas is a challenge” It has been here for a while, but FTTH (Fiber to the home) has not really spread in India. We met Sanchin Deshpande, chief operating officer, Radius Infratel, a key player in FTTH to discuss the technology and about the challenges that stand in the way of ‘fiberising’ of the nation. My Mobile Team

How has FTTH grown since the time it started being implemented in India? Fiber to the home (FTTH) as a technology has been in India for nearly three years now. And now is the time when the technology is gaining grounds. The applications and services riding on FTTH, the advantages that this tech offers, and the overall ecosystem including the service providers, developers as well as the end consumers are now seeing the benefits of the technology - for instance, using Wi-Fi connection over FTTH is superior to the usual one on copper wiring. How is your solution helpful to the consumer and service providers? The solution we have, Nano, really allows the customers and the developers to bring multiple services on one platform. India’s first 100mbps home broadband network is live on our network. Users are really happy about receiving such high bandwidth network and developers and service providers are also happy to have such a network in future for their services. Also, while initially we were doing projects like the Commonwealth Games, we are now working on clusters like one part of the city at first and the next later. Service providers like Airtel and Tata are working with us and providing their service on the national level. Moreover, our network would work as a backhaul to the operators which would help in reducing the radiation factor. The fiberisation in the already established or developed areas would require a lot of infrastructure change. So how do you plan to work on that? We are working on clusters instead of taking up a whole place. We worked on one cluster of the city, and once done, would start with another. It is a costly affair initially but eventually would be much more beneficial than a copper network. Also, we have divided the work areas as greenfields and brownfields and are working

34 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

accordingly. We have also been tying up with dominant commercial reality players and the reality developer community to have a better network. The NTP 2012 mentions that optical fiber should reach across the nation. How are things progressing in that regard? I feel the NTP is a very forward looking document and we welcome the intent of making a roadmap to reach to that level of broadband penetration, with the current broadband scenario to grow to a minimum of 2mbps and progressively to 100mbps on demand and in a time bound manner. One part is clearly the proliferation of broadband in the country; the other is the fiberisation of the network in the rural context. Now fiber reaching in the rural areas is a challenge. And therefore under the USO fund they have launched a project called the National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN), which I believe is under implementation. The kind of network we do is an urban phenomenon, currently we are not participating in the NOFN project. When do you see the FTTH network reaching every home? Scale is the major problem in our country. The governments of other countries like Australia, Singapore and New Zealand are launching initiatives in this regard. Unless the Government participates in terms of funding, and provides the environment in terms of policies and support, we would not be able to do much. NTP is just one step, but to nurture things better we need a better Government support and firm steps. FTTH, initially will remain an urban phenomenon, and networks will eventually progress going forward from tier A cities to tier B and further. And for the NTP intent to succeed, a unified license regime, enabling environment and funding, and a regulatory and policy environment would be required. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

event

Appy Winners All! The winners of txtWebâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s App2Fame Developer Challenge 2012

xtWeb, in association with My Mobile had held an app development contest. And they announced the much awaited results of the App2Fame Developer challenge and gave away prizes worth INR 7.5 lakhs to the winners. The award ceremony was held in MLR Convention Centre, Bangalore. With this national level developer challenge, txtWeb offers a platform to aspiring developers to create innovative tools and applications. The contest received an overwhelming response and the applicants came from a diverse background of start-ups, business professionals and students. Award category- Most Popular App First Prize- Murali Krishna and Santosh Kumar for @fbc About the app- It is a simple and secure app to chat with online friends via just an SMS Second Prize- Lolugu Adithya and Pavan Kumar for @quizbuzz About the app- A cricket based quiz app that can be played on your mobile phone via SMS

Third Prize- Kota Pavan Teja, Veesam Varaprasad and Jaggaro M for @enter About the app- An app that will help the students of JNTU with latest updates from the university Award category - Open Source App Winner- Vihang Gosavi for @phplib

About the app- The app provides open APIs that any developer can use to build his/ her app Award category- Business Solutions App First Prize -Vivek Sancheti and Bhargava Joshi for @ivs About the app- Information via SMS (@

36 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

ivs), is an app that educational institutes can use to declare results, update attendance records, timetables and other data like syllabus, etc., via SMS. This app can also be used by other organisations that have similar requirements. Second Prize- Arjun S Bharadwaj for @ tickr About the app-It is an alert/alarm service that supports 11 locales of date/time. The intelligent algorithm makes smart predictions of the dates, saving you typing time on your phone. Group owners can use this app to send alerts from the phone/Web, edit alerts online and provide subscription to a group for alerts. Third Prize- Abhijit Bhattacharjee for @elect About the app- The app helps create polls that can be answered by the required participants. For example, start a poll with a CUG (Closed User Group), know how many would want to go for the Friday bash, know how many are interested to watch a movie and so, and get elegant RSVPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for each of your plans. n team@mymobile.co.in

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spotlight

Aakash:

A Distant Dream?

It has attracted hype and controversy in equal measure, and has been seen the in hands of our President and the UN Secretary General. But is the Aakash anywhere close to achieving its goal of promoting education in the country? Danish Khan

38 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

t started out as an ambitious Government project to promote education, acted as a catalyst to galvanise the Indian budget tablet market, and has attracted praise and criticism by the truckful. Yes, there has never really been a dull moment in the life of the Aakash tablet. The journey of Aakash has been a bumpy one. The first Aakash was severely criticised for outdated specs, faulty units, and unfulfilled pre-orders. Not just the product, even the company that made it, Datawind, was involved in spats with its assembler Quad Electronics, IIT Rajasthan and several partners. At that time, the tender of providing 1,00,000 lakhs tablets was in jeopardy, but interestingly, the Indian government again awarded Datawind with the tender of the Aakash 2 tablet, preferring it to other domestic manufacturers, including Wishtel, the manufacturer of IRA range of tablets that specially caters to the education domain. But even as it was criticised heavily in India, Datawind managed to get accolades in the international arena - from getting several award nominations for manufacturing an innovative product, to the recent acknowledgment by the United Nations for bringing mobile innovation in the education sphere. Lost in the midst of all this praise and criticism, however, has been the core question: has the device been able to serve the purpose for which the Indian Government envisaged it? Its purpose was to revolutionise the Indian education segment by blending mobility with education. It was not just the tablet that mattered, the content on it was important as well - IIT-Bombay is presently conceptualising and developing content for the Aakash 2 tablet. The institute has also developed several applications for the tablet.

New Aakash, more controversy The second version of the tablet—Aakash 2 came after the storm over the original Aakash, which was rejected by IIT-Rajasthan, which was responsible for testing the device. The rejection resulted in a full-blown spat between Datawind and the IIT. Datawind’s CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said that the decision to reject the Aakash tablets by IIT-Rajasthan was made on unscientific grounds, and claimed that institute imposed rugged military test criteria for the testing of the tablets. He also alleged that the institute secretly signed an MoU with Datawind’s then subcontractor Quad Electronics for the creation of a “convergence device”, which he termed a competitive device to Datawind’s offering. All that controversy led to the release of the technologically superior Aakash 2. The Indian President Pranab Mukherjee launched the Aakash 2, and initial feedback about both its

Comparison Chart Model No

Aakash I

Aakash II

Touch Panel

Resistive

Capacitive

Processor

366 Mhz Connexant

Cortex A8; 1Ghz

RAM

256MB

512MB

Display and resolution:

7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution

Flash

2 GB

4 GB

Android OS

2.2

4.0.3

Camera

Front - VGA

Sensor

G-Sensor

Ports 2 USB Ports

Micro SD & Mini-USB (Plus 4-port USB hub)

Network

WiFi dongle support

WiFi with external 3G

Power and

Up to 180 minutes on

Battery Life

battery. AC adapter 200-240 volt range

Audio

Audio out: 3.5mm jack/ Audio in: 3.5mm jack

Audio out: 3.5mm jack Internal Mic

Storage

External 2 GB card included. External 2 GB to 32 GB Expandable up to 32 GB Supported Supported

design and technical specifications was positive. But once again, it found itself embroiled in another controversy, with many labelling it as a device made in China. We reached out Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind to learn more about these allegations. While speaking on the manufacturing of the device in China, the Datawind CEO said “We’ve never claimed it is a ‘complete India made device.’ Since the ecosystem of component suppliers exists in China, we had the boards made and tested in China at the initial stages of the Aakash 2 production but the final assembly and programming was done in India. Subsequent to that we had small tablet manufacturers kit together the parts of each unit (using those motherboards, and touch screens from our Montreal facility). The Chinese manufacturers source the components (including the ones we’ve designed) from our nominated subcontractors - which then are brought to India for final assembly and programming.” The CEO assured us that the manufacturing and testing of board used in the Aakash

2 tablet will shift to India over time. “We are also setting up more manufacturing facilities in India, in addition to our current one in Amritsar to fasten our delivery process as we have a huge backlog of orders.” he added.

Will Aakash 2 succeed

The success of Aakash 2 depends upon the content and usability among all educational institutes across the country. The company’s CEO has said that the shipment of the initial batch of 1,00,000 Aakash 2 units for colleges will be complete in the next couple of months. Aakash 2 is purely a Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD) product and is restricted only for teaching and training purposes. However, there is a commercial version of the tablet available in the market, which is being sold under UbiSlate 7Ci brand by Datawind. There are improvements galore when compared with the original - the original Aakash tablet had a 366 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM and 7-inch resistive touch creen display with 800x480 pixel resolution.

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 39

spotlight The device used to run on Android 2.2, and was certainly not designed for engineering students. The Aakash 2 tablet features a Cortex A8 1 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM along with a capacitive touchscreen, which is impressive at the given price point. Datawind claims that the specifications of Aakash 2 tablet device are sufficient for 3D modeling applications, C++ programming, word-processing, spreadsheets, video based learning and for viewing billions of pages of content on the web. . Datawind is providing the tablet at a price of Rs. 2,263 to IIT-Bombay and the Government will offer it at a subsidised price of Rs. 1,130 to the students. The price of the device seems impressive, but when it comes to experience the product fails to impress the user due to laggy experience. Of course, these are early days and we will be able to come to a concrete conclusion in this regard only after a number of users share their experiences of the tablet.

The emergence of Aakash 2 alternatives One thing what the Aakash has definitely done is that it has gone and created the budget tablet market in India. When it was first released, the thought of a usable, functional tablet being available for less than Rs 10, 000 was a pipe dream. Today, however, a person looking for a tablet in that price zone will have several options to choose from, some costing even below Rs 5,000.

Alternatives of Aakash 2 tablet

WishTel is among those manufacturers that introduced their low-cost tablets with price

tags falling between Rs. 4, 000 and Rs. 5, 000. Earlier this year, the company introduced the IRA and IRA Thing tablets that cater to the education segment and are evidently designed and manufactured in India. Both these tablets feature support for native Indian languages. Wishtel claims that the IRA Tablet has been designed as per specifications from IIT Rajasthan as a part of their low cost computing devices project, under the National Mission on Education through ICT and sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources. Interestingly, the company was one of those who bid to build the Aakash 2. The WishTel IRA tablet runs on Android 2.2 OS (upgradable to Android 2.3) and is powered by an 800 MHz processor. It features a 7-inch resistive touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, USB port 2.0, 2 GB Internal Memory and 2,800 mAh battery. The IRA Thing has similar specifications but differs mainly in offering a capacitive display. Another domestic manufacturer who has

been making waves in the budget tablet category is Micromax. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funbook Tab sports a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 processor, a Mali-400 2D/3D GPU, a 7-inch Capacitive Touch Screen, 512MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi, a front-facing 0.3megapixel camera, a full USB port as well as a micro SD card slot. The Funbook also comes with interactive course material for CBSE ranging from class I-XII on a 4 GB MicroSD card. The content has been developed in association with Pearson India, Vriti and Everon Education. The tablet is pre-loaded with the Vriti e-learning app that features 500 smart courses and preparatory material for Medical, Engineering and MBA courses.

40 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

The device is available for Rs.6,100. Another competitor to the Aakash comes from BSNL, which offers the Penta T-Pad IS701R, priced at Rs. 3,250 with BSNL offers. The tablet is a Wi-Fi only device with Android 2.3 operating system, a 1 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM. The tablet also has an HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7-inch resistive touchscreen has 800 x 600 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. The tablet has a 3,000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through a micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling. The list of affordable tablets that can compete with the Aakash 2 tablet is large and is growing day by day, which is again leading many tech experts to question the need for Aakash itself. In the end, we think that just as it happened in smartphones, the key differentiator is not going to be the hardware, but the software running on these devices. We have not yet had the opportunity to use the educational software that runs on the Aakash 2 but we think that the tabletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospects will live or die depending on it after all, the core idea behind the Aakash was not to produce a low cost tablet, but come up with a device that could be easily accessible to all and would promote education. Only the coming days will tell us whether it will actually be able to fulfil the expectations surrounding it. n danish@mymobile.co.in

tips & tricks

Keep Your Phone Up-to-Date Always keep your phone up to date through the following easy steps. Waseem Ansari

Upgrade Your Phone

ne way of ensuring that your phone keeps working smoothly is to keep updating the software that it runs on. Most manufacturers regularly update a device’s software, fixing bugs and ironing out rough spots, and often even adding new features to the product. What’s more, most software developers also develop apps keeping in mind newer versions of the software, as it is generally more stable and has fewer errors. Updating your phone is not a difficult task at all. There are two ways of updating your phone software: OTA (Over the air): Download the update straight to your phone. By USB cable connect: Use a cable to connect your phone to a computer. Then update it using the synchronising software that comes with your phone. While updating over the air is simple, doing so via a USB cable can be a tricky prop-

n You will now be asked to proceed to

osition. Here’s how you would upgrade your Samsung Android device from Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich): n First, take a backup of all the important

data of your phone to the PC as data can be lost in the update process. n Before connecting your phone with the PC, check if the device is fully charged. n Launch Samsung Kies from your PC. If you do not have Samsung Kies, download it from the Samsung website, where it is available free of cost. n Connect the powered up your handset to your PC via USB cable. Please use the cable that comes with your handset for this purpose. n Ensure Samsung Kies is able to detect your device. If a new version of software is available for your handset, it will notify you accordingly.

upgrade your device. And Samsung Kies will download the files necessary for upgrading. n After the files are downloaded, they will be transferred to the handset. The handset might restart a number of times in the process. n Once the software tells you that your device has been upgraded to the new OS and you can now disconnect it, you can do so. Your device is now running a new version of the software on it. n waseem@mymobile.co.in

Note: The above method works for Samsung Android handsets. Other Android handsets might follow a different process. Before upgrading your phone you should check the availability of an update for your device. You can check your device’s current software version by settings - About phone - Build number / version.

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 41

technology

Turn Your TV into a

Smart TV Not really happy with your existing TV, but not in the mood to shell out the bucks for an expensive Smart TV? Well, then we would suggest you consider these simple alternatives that add brains to your resident idiot box. Ketan Pratap 42 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

hen TV first appeared in India, it usually came in the form of a wooden cabinet housing a screen in the middle and could only broadcast live news, education and entertainment. However, the role and purpose of a TV set has undergone a total transformation since then. Televisions today are rapidly becoming more like computers and let users surf the Web, download content, and even view YouTube videos apart from the regular TV transmissions. Many TV manufacturers have introduced Smart TVs in the Indian market that can function not only as normal televisions but also give you Internet access and in some cases, even run on operating systems. You can watch your favourite TV programme even while chatting with your friends online and posting Facebook updates. And if you rather not invest in a full scale television

then there is the option to ‘smarten’ it up using small boxes that provide it with apps, Internet access and a whole lot more. Termed “Smart Boxes”, these devices are usually based on an operating system (generally Android) and bring computerlike features to your television. A Smart Box generally comes with USB, HDMI and other ports and supports Wi-Fi connectivity that allows one to use the Web on a TV. It can be operated through a remote control or even keyboard or a mouse. Once the Smart Box is connected to a TV, you can run your favourite apps, watch HD videos via external drives and browse the Web, all on your existing TV set. While there are a number of Smart Boxes that can bring the world of the Web and apps to your television, there are three that stand out in particular:

www.mymobile.co.in

Akai Smart Box (Price | Rs 6,990) It might not be making headlines the way it did with its televisions in the past, but Akai is very much around in the Indian market. And one of its latest offerings is the Smart Box. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and comes with a wireless mouse for navigation. The Akai Smart Box looks very similar to an entry level HD media player but comes with a number of handy features, including a handful of preset apps and functions that you can access from the home screen - browser, app world, games, mail, IM, multimedia, utility, services, as well as popular social networking apps. These are however, not customisable. The Akai Smart Box also has an inbuilt camera app that can enable Skype conversations or Google video chats but you will need a webcam to use the app. The box also comes with access to the Google Play store and DLNA support.

Features | Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB Flash memory (expandable up to 32 GB through SD card), HDMI connectivity, RGB (AV) port, 3.5mm audio port, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Ethernet.

Amkette Evo TV (Price | Rs 9,995)

Features | Features | Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, 4 GB SSD (in-built), 512 MB RAM, 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor, Mali 400 Graphics processor, HDMI connectivity, Wi-Fi (DLNA), Ethernet, USB ports, 3G dongle via USB, SD/MMC slot, 1080p HD video playback.

Amkette may be best known for its peripherals and storage media but the company has been an old player in the segment of multimedia hubs for TVs as well. The company had earlier launched Flash TV that let you play media files on your TV, and has now upped the ante and introduced the EvoTV, which the company claims adds a smart dimension to your TV set. Amketteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EvoTV is based on Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and brings passive, active as well as interactive content together through a compact box, with access to the Google Play store as well. The device features a motion sensing remote control that comes with a built in wireless microphone. Its accelerometer makes it a handy gaming accessory very similar to the remotes found on the Wii gaming console. The EvoTV also places social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn just a click away.

Portronics Limebox (Price | Rs 8,499) Portronics entered the multimedia segment quite late with its Limebox, which it calls an Android Internet media box. The build of the Limebox is different from other players in the segment, with a fluorescent green white body and design like a slice of pizza therefore. It is based on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and also has access to the popular Android market or Google Play store. The device includes Office apps that enable users to view and edit documents and also comes with support for a wireless keyboard and mouse, as well as SD cards and USB pen drives. It supports Adobe Flash 10.1 and can play 1080p HD videos as well, and supports most popular audio and video formats as well - MPEG-1 Layer 3, WMA, MPEG-1/2 Layer 1/2, MP4, MOV, AVI, DVD, VIDEO, WMV, MKV, RMVB, DAT, MPG, MPEG and VOB. Portronics has also bundled a few apps on the Limebox like Angry birds and Fruit Ninja.

Features | Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1.2 GHz Rockchip processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB (expandable up to 32 GB through SD card), Wi-Fi, DLNA, Ethernet, HDMI connectivity, RGB (AV) port, 1080p HD video playback.

Conclusion: If you love to lead a typical digital lifestyle and want the Web on every screen in your house, then the Smart Box will help you achieve that without having to fork our sackfuls of cash for an expensive smart TV. This is one box that will add brains to your idiot box. Now, if there were only something similar for human beings... n ketan@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 43

consumer forum Complaint 1 I am on a Reliance Unlimited 1,499 plan where in all local and STD calls are free as well as roaming calls. Also, it comes with 5 GB of data (3G) free, post which one gets unlimited 2G data @ 64 KBPS free. Apart from that I have a Reliance Unlimited 3G Plan @ 950 as well. Still, can you please explain how come my outgoin gets barred and my bill is around Rs 7,600 whereas my outstanding is Rs. 4,500. Is it some sort of hood-winking? I have complained to the customer care centre earlier but no action has been taken so far. Please look into the matter. -Shaunak Basu Reliance’s reply We are looking into the matter.

I first thought that this was a network issue, but when I contacted my operator, they asked me to try using my SIM card with another handset. I did so and it worked fine. But when I put it back into my Nokia C-5, the problem

Complaint 5 I’m a Tata Indicom user and I had complained earlier that I have been charged heavily on several instances for Blackberry services. A few months ago, I received a bill of Rs 3,426 which was over charged for no reason. I was not happy with the itemized statement and requested several times for a review, as I was under a plan that makes downloads free from 8pm-8am but had been charged in that time zone too. I had also made a request to

Complaint 2 I have a Reliance landline number but now I want to close it down. In this regard, I had requested the company to close down the landline permanently. But what I got in return was a suggestion to pay the remaining bill, only after which it would be removed. I did so and again requested the customer care to shut down the connection. But the company keeps ignoring the request and every time I end up with a message from Reliance saying ‘sorry for the inconvenience.’ I need to close down my landline number on an urgent basis. -Vivek Signal Reliance’s reply Awaited (we have sent the complain to the concerned person in the company)

Complaint 3 I saw the September 15 -October 14 issue of My Mobile magazine. In it, relating to my complaint, Nokia's reply was shown as they couldn't get my contact, because my phone was switched off. Now my mobile number does not get switched off because it is my personal number, but what I forgot to mention in my complaint is that when somebody tries to call my number, they are told that the number is switched off/number doesn't exist/please check the number/out of coverage area.

on my mobile through the operator but now it shows that it is unable to connect to the Internet. Despite Idea network’s availability, the phone is not connecting to the network for Internet access. I have already checked my handset and it has no issues running the Internet. -Shankar Narayan Idea’s reply Awaited (we have sent the complaint to the concerned person in the company)

returned. What should I do? I have been to Nokia Care and they have tried to repair my phone but my problems are increasing. -Jaychandran Nokia’s Reply We received the handset and will resolve the issue soon.

Complaint 4 I have been using the Idea network for some time now but recently, I have started facing issues with 3G usage on my handset. I have to move around different cities for work, therefore, I subscribed to watching TV

44 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

accordingly review and deduct the amount from the bill so that I can pay rest of the amount so as to settle and disconnect my connection henceforth. I make an earnest request that you look into the matter and please resolve the issue at the earliest. I will make the payment once the account is settled. -Sandeep Tata’s reply Awaited

Complaint 6 In May, I purchased a Vodafone postpaid number for 3G data usage, with no calls activated. With the number I got an offer

of 3G at Rs 650 for the next three months. When the three months were about to end, I requested a change of data plan to a lower amount. In spite of my repeated requests through mails, calls and even by going to the Vodafone Care, it was not changed. Through calling and e-mails, I got several complaint numbers and different customer care representatives telling me my plan will be changed shortly, but it was never changed. Finally, I had to put in a request for deactivating all offers on my post-paid number, and I stopped using the SIM ‘then and there. In that particular month, I did not get any bill from Vodafone but yes I did get calls from customer care almost daily telling me my bill was Rs 896. I requested for a physical bill as I was overcharged and wanted to check the bill for details but the company did not send me any bill. After three months now, I have received a bill with amount exceeding Rs 2,000, in spite of never having used the number. I again requested for a detailed statement but the company replied that I have been charged for the data I used in the May-June month, even though I remember paying the bill when I used data over the free limit during that period. What is amiss with the billing and why am I not being given detailed statements of the bill? -Mitesh Pratap Vodafone’s reply Awaited

Are you being harassed by a Telco that doesn’t hear your plea? Email your issues to consumer-forum@my mobile.co.in and we will take up your cause with the concerned company. Kindly mention your contact number at the end of the Email so that we can get in touch with you. Whenever possible, also provide us complete details of the correspondence with the Telco.

www.mymobile.co.in

burn test Can it undo the damage done by the original?

120 mm

Aakash Returns

he first Aakash tablet was launched with great expectations and hope, but came a cropper thanks to poor design and interface options. Its successor, the Aakash 2 (Ubislate 7Ci) has been accompanied by similar hype. And controversy (was it made in China or India). But does it deliver?

Looks: A pleasant surprise The second Aakash tablet is a welcome change from the first one. It is made of dark plastic, is sleek and feels solid. The front is dominated by a seven-inch capacitive screen, with a front facing camera above it. The design is simple no hardware buttons at all on the front and the

Pros  Decent

Cons build

 Reasonable

 Poor

life

battery

specs for the  Mediocre multimedia price

back is solid plastic with only a speaker grille. Even the sides are relatively empty - there is a volume rocker and a 3.5mm jack on one side with a micro SD card slot just below then, and another has a micro USB port. All in all, the tablet has a solid and smart look to it - a far cry from its eyesore predecessor.

Hardware: Not bad It is not just the looks that are different. The new Aakash also has received a significant hardware boost - it is now powered by a 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor, and comes with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB onboard storage. In terms of connectivity, one has Wi-Fi and connection to USB devices via a packaged adaptor. But the biggest change, for us, is the display, which is a capacitive and comes with a respectable 800x480 resolution. At this price point, the Ubsislate 7ci packs in enough.

Software: Android magic Running on the new Aakash is Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. You have five customisable homescreens on which you can park widgets and application shortcut. While the edition of the device meant for students is believed to come with some educational

181 mm apps, we did not see too many of those on our review unit, apart from A Science Explorer. There is a free office suite (Kingsoft office), Adobe Reader, and a few other apps including one from the Indian Express and Financial Express, and a chess game. There are also utilities for file management and multimedia, chess and minesweeper games and Ubisoft’s own browser. Of course, you can just head to Google Play to get more apps.

Multimedia: Threadbare Let’s be blunt about it - the Aakash is not a multimedia beast. It struggles with full HD video and the sound quality is passable at best. The front camera is best limited to video chats

aKASH 2 Ubislate 7Ci tech specs Size | 181 x 120 x 10 mm Weight | 282 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD

- self portraits are not exactly great from it. That said, it handled DVD quality video very well indeed, and played the preinstalled games without too many hassles.

User experience: Very decent Our experience on it has been a pleasant one. The display is responsive, and as long as we stuck to tasks like browsing and e-mail, the device performed ably enough. It was only when we started to get into heavy multimedia territory or open way too apps that it showed signs of stuttering. Battery life was a let-down too - just about four hours on Wi-Fi.

Conclusion In our opinion, the second version of the Aakash is a huge improvement over its predecessor and at Rs 4,499 represents very decent value for money. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Micromax Funbook which comes for Rs 5,850. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict

OS | Android 4.0

Looks

Screen Size | 7.0 inch, Capacitive

Features

Battery | -

ease of use

Talktime/Standby | up to 3 hours/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | -/-/No/Yes Camera | VGA Others | Chess, Minesweeper, Datawind Browser

Price: Rs 4,499

performance

8 7 8 7

value for money

overall

78%

jan 15 to feb 14 20131 MYMOBILE 45

burn test a phablet splash Intex joins

the phablet war

multimedia - the large screen is great for browsing and viewing videos and sound quality on the loudspeakers was good, if a bit disappointing on headphones. The onboard music player comes with a number of effects and one can preset reverb as per the size of the room. Also on board is FM Radio with good reception and sound quality. On the camera front, however, neither the front nor the back camera impresses.

Looks: Normal, very normal The phone is solidly built, it is bulky at around 199 grams. The front is dominated by a 5.0inch display with a 1.3-megapixel camera, and four keys located at the bottom of the screen. The 5.0-megapixel camera with flash and the speaker grille are placed on the back panel.

Pros

143 mm

his seems like the season for phablets as handset manufacturers are lining up to release large screen devices one after the other. What’s more, many of them come at a remarkably low price. Intex has now thrown its hat into the the phablet ring with the relatively low-priced aqua. How will it fare in a very competitive market?

User Experience: Good value for money

Cons

5.0 inch  Camera disappoints display

 Large 1

GHz dual core processor

 Screen

resolution could have been better

Hardware: On expected lines The Intex aqua comes with a 5.0-inch WVGA capacitive display and is powered by a 1 GHz dual core MediaTek processor, which handles multitasking without any hiccups. The device supports dual SIM (GSM+GSM) functionality. Internal storage stands at 4 GB that can be expanded up to 32 GB and comes with 512 MB RAM. On the connectivity front, the phone includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, 2G and 3G with HSUPA and HSDPA support. Making sure there is enough power to keep all this ticking is the 2,000 mAh battery.

Software: We have ICS! The phone runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It comes with five home panels that can be customised with widgets and app shortcuts. The homescreen also has shortcuts for calls, contacts, messages and the default browser. In between them is the menu key. The large display makes viewing Web pages and videos a pleasure. There are also some pre installed apps such as Flipkart, Nimbuzz, Skype, G talk, YouTube, and WhatsApp.

Multimedia: Just about fine The Intex aqua gets good marks from us in

80 mm

Intex Aqua 5.0 tech specs Size | 143 x 80 x 10.1 mm

We would have liked a higher resolution display and perhaps a lighter and sleeker device, but even with those reservations the Intex aqua device fared well. It scored 2,019 on the Quadrant test and generally performed decently. We would say it is a decent device for those looking for a large screen smartphone at an affordable price.

Conclusion The Intex aqua is priced at Rs 9,690. Those seeking alternatives can also consider the Micomax A100 which also sports a 5.0-inch display and is available at Rs 9,800. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 9,690

46 MYMOBILE Jan 15 to Feb 14 2013

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money overall

76%

A budget ‘Wyn’ner Big

of G1 is simple. It comes with five homescreens which can be customised with shortcuts and widgets as per one’s need and choice. There are three keys on the front panel, two soft keys for options and back as well as a hard key for home. The device has some preloaded apps like Zenga TV, TOI, Facebook, Twitter, Shazam and RailTime.

screen, dual SIM, low price

ndian brands have been trying to make their presence felt in the smartphone market, fighting on price Wynncom attempts to do just that with its latest offering, the G1. Does it succeed?

Multimedia: Good sound, so-so images

119.5 mm

Looks: Standard style The first thing that struck us about the candy bar Wynncom G1 is its 3.5 inch display that dominates the front. The textured back panel with plastic coat that holds the camera along with

Pros  Good

capacitive touch

1

GHz processor

User Experience: Routine stuff For its price, the Wynncom G1 offers a good set of specs. The touch of the phone is excellent and voice quality on calls is acceptable. However, FM reception was not that smooth and battery barely lasted a day of normal use. Those looking for a smartphone with a good screen on a tight budget would definitely not complain too much about it.

Cons  Poor

camera quality

 Battery

backup could have been better

speaker, and the front panel that houses the display as a few keys are held together with a silver strip running around the device. The top of the phone has the lock/unlock key, a 3.5 mm audio jack slot and the charging port while the volume rocker keys are on the right side of the handset. Our conclusion – not bad, but not too striking, really.

Hardware: Good for the price

63 mm

Wynncom G1 tech specs Size | 119.5 x 63 x 11.4 mm

Conclusion At Rs 6,499 the Wynncom G1 is not a bad deal for someone looking at a low-priced smartphone. Those looking for alternatives can also consider the Karbonn A5 which costs Rs 4,700 or the Micromax A87 that is available at Rs 5,499 and the Samsung Y Duos Lite which comes for Rs 6,300. n team@mymobile.co.in

Weight | 129 grams Memory | 117MB, microSD

The phone supports dual SIM (GSM+GSM) functionality and its 3.5-inch Ultra Bright capacitive display is bright enough. There is a 3.0-megapixel camera at the back and a VGA camera in front for video calls. The internal memory is limited but can be expanded up to 32 GB. Powering it is a 1 GHz processor although the RAM at 256 MB, seems comparatively less. On the connectivity front, it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS and EDGE.

OS | Android 2.3

Software: Old Gingerbread!

Others | Shazam, Zenga TV, TOI, Twitter

The Wynncom G1 runs on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread, which is old but is decent enough for most functions. The user interface

The G1 sports dual cameras with a 3.0megapixel camera at the rear and a VGA camera at the front. However, image quality is not the greatest. The audio quality of the device is good and the video player is capable of playing videos in different formats. The music on G1 was a mixed experience – good on loudspeaker, mediocre on earphones.

Price: Rs 6,499

verdict 8

Looks Features

7 8

ease of use performance

value for money

overall

76%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Another big phone Lenovo

joins the phablet race! Pros 

5.0-inch display



Tailored UI from Lenovo



Sound quality

Cons 

Bulky



Overpriced



Laggy interface

Lenovo S880

Price: Rs 18,500 48 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

highlights The large 5-inch display is decent for movies

Impressive dual front speakers

A custom skin has been installed over Android ICS

fter being known mainly for its computers, Lenovo has now entered the smartphone market in India with an array of devices. And perhaps the most promising of these is the large screened S880. But does it do enough to take on some very formidable competition?

Looks: Pretty basic We must confess that we have seen phablets available with a much sleeker design in the market. The design of the S880 is very much on the simple side, with no hardware buttons on the front panel, on top of which is the Lenovo logo and the front-facing camera. As the touch keys are part of the 5.0-inch display itself (rather than below it), we think there is a fair bit of space wasted on the front, and the device could have been more compact. There is a micro USB port given on the top of the device, placed adjacent to the power button and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. A volume rocker is available on the right side of the device, and dual front firing stereo speakers are placed below the display. On the back is a 5.0megapixel camera with no flash. And as with most phablets, there is no dedicated camera button on this one either. The front is covered by a glass with borders and sides are made of premium plastic, and the back textured for a better grip. With dimensions of 142 x 78 x 9.9 mm and a weight of 196 grammes, the S880 has a solid if slightly heavy feel to it.

Hardware: A bit inadequate? The S880 is powered by a 1 GHz Cortex A9 processor, and comes with a VR SGX531 GPU and 512 MB RAM, which seems to be a bit on the lower side, given its price tag. The 5-inch capacitive touchscreen TFT display, also has a 800x480 resolution, which again is disappointing considering what competitors have to offer. It comes with dual SIM (GSM+GSM) capability, with one SIM capable of providing 3G connectivity, and the other only for 2G GSM. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi, GPRS, USB and Bluetooth 3.0. The device packs a hefty, removable 2,250 mAh Li-Ion

Battery lasts for long

FM radio and transmitter are also present

battery. It comes with 4GB internal memory, which is expandable up to 32GB using a microSD card. Also on board are a number of sensors —accelerometer, proximity and compass - and in a pleasant surprise, an FM Radio with built-in antenna and FM transmitter.

Software: Still ICS The phablet runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Lenovo’s custom skin over it. The user interface features icons with a circular design, which is a novel touch. There are nine homescreen panels along with five shortcut keys placed on each of them that can be customised as per the user’s need. Just like most Android devices, the S880 also features an overview mode, which shows all homescreens on a single screen on pinching one’s fingers. On the application front, the device has some basic social networking apps like Google +, Gmail and Gtalk. Additionally, the device features two web browsers—Google Crome and the native Android web browser that supports HTML 5. It also has navigation applications like Local, Latitude and Navigation.

Multimedia: Very sound The dual front speakers deliver a good sound experience, although the earphones are of average quality. The music player offers a five-band equalizer, which is supported by bass boost, 3D effect and reverb features. For videos, the device comes with a default video player, that does play HD videos, but with lags - our experience was not the greatest. On the camera front, the 5.0-megapixel autofocus camera clicks acceptable images, although we did miss the flash in low-light conditions. Video too was satisfactory, and in both video and stills, one has a number of effects and modes to choose from. The earphones on the other hand are of average qualit The front facing VGA camera is best used for video calling and not for self portraits. All in all, as much as we tried to, the S880 could not really score heavily in the multimedia department.

User Experience: Not awesome We must confess that we felt a little let down by the S880 as we had great expectations from the Lenovo brand. The touch interface seemed a bit laggy and the device even crashed and restarted a few times when we ran multiple applications. Where the S880 did score heavily was in the sound and battery department. While sound quality was decent throughout, the large battery meant that one could actually count on the device seeing out a day of heavy use with some ease. The quadrant score of the device was stood at 2,113.

Conclusion In our opinion, the S880 would have been a good option for those looking for a large screen smartphone from a big brand, if it had been priced below Rs 15,000. At its current price, its specifications seem inadequate when compared with other devices. Micromax’s Canvas A110 and A100—both 5.0 inch phablets—are available in the market at a much lower price and the A110 even offers a dual core processor and better camera. The Micromax A 100 is available for Rs. 9,800, while the Canvas A110 can be obtained for Rs 10,299.n

team@mymobile.co.in

verdict 8

Looks Features

7 8

ease of use perfoRmance

value for money

overall

74%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 49

burn test Youthful entertainer Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

miro offers a fair bit, at a decent price

5 3

113 mm

highlights

59.4 mm

hey might not attract as much attention as their high-end counterparts, but there is no denying that budget smartphones are in massive demand, especially among the younger generation. And Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Xperia miro is an attempt to grab their attention, by offering a number of features at a lessthan-exorbitant price.

Looks: Classy for the price Sony is known for good-looking phones, and the miro does its reputation no harm at all. The phone is available in four colours - black, white, pink, gold. We got our hands on the

3 The silver trim looks nice

bright white one and it looked very nice indeed. A black frame holds the 3.5-inch touchscreen and under it is an inward slanting silver trim with XPERIA written on it. The power button (a bit small) is placed on top and the volume rocker is on the right. Sony has placed a 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash at the back, along with a secondary camera in front. The loud speaker, covered with shiny silver grill, is also on the back. In addition the phone has a 3.5 mm audio port on top and a USB charging cum data transfer port on the left of the phone. A blue LED bar glows under the screen as soon as you hit the power button,

50 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

The loudspeaker is very loud

further adding to the show. All in all, this is a device you would not mind showing off.

Hardware: Slow to start At a time when a number of brands are offering 1 Ghz processors in the budget smartphone segment, the Xperia miro comes with the Qualcomm chipset, an 800 MHz Cortex A5 processor and 512 MB RAM. That might seem slow on paper, but we faced no problems in actual operation. Yes, it is not as smooth as its bigger brothers who have dual core processors but it is no slowpoke either. Users also get an Adreno 200 GPU for running games and vid-

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Sony’s large screen TV’s using the Connected Devices app that comes preloaded on the phone. Sony has also put a special video app on the phone that supports most video formats and loads movies quickly. Moving on to the camera, we got mediocre results from the 5.0-megapixel main shooter. The colours are good, but digital noise is apparent in indoor shots. Macro shots are not bad but lose a bit of sharpness at the edges. The front facing camera is good only for light video chats – we would not recommend using it for self-portraits. A neat touch is the screen shutdown effect which is similar to the one seen on CRT screens.

Sony XPERIA miro tech specs Size | 113 x 59.4 x 9.9 mm Weight | 110 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD

User Experience: Not too shabby

OS | Android 4.0

Camera | 5.0-megapixel

Our experience of the miro was generally a good one. The phone OS and touchscreen gave us almost no problem and everything worked smoothly. The feather touch keys respond well and so do the hard press power and volume keys. We would have preferred a dedicated key for camera on the side, but then that is just us. Opening the back panel to insert a memory or SIM card is bit of a task, though, as you really need to cleave the panel away from the body. On the plus side, it does keep the dust out a lot better than some looser fitting panels.

Others | Facebook, Google Maps,

Conclusion

Screen Size | 3.5 inch, capacitive

Pros 

Good design



Long battery life



Excellent loudspeaker

Battery | Li-ion 1,500 mAh Talktime/Standby | up to5 hours/up to 470 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes

Cons  Relatively old operating

system

 Slow processor and lesser RAM

The Xperia miro is very youth oriented in appearance and performance, and will appeal to the youngsters who are always updating their statuses, tweeting or posting pictures. What however might spoil its prospects are the presence of devices that offer much better specifications and bigger screens at a similar or even lower price, such as the Micromax Canvas 2, that can be bought around the Rs 10,299 bracket. n

Power Saver, Office suite

 Camera quality is mediocre

Price: Rs 14,050 5

The feather touch buttons work really well

The operating system runs smoothly

One can quickly charge the phone

team@mymobile.co.in

eos. A 1,500 mAh battery powers the device, giving about five hours of talk time to users, and good enough to see us through a day of hefty use. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth,3G and GPS for navigation.

Software: A handful of appiness Like most phones in this price bracket, miro also piggybacks on Android ICS 4.0. This is the most favoured OS for a budget phone and does wonders for the miro. Not only does it utilise the full potential of the processor, it also manages to optimise battery life. Sony

verdict has added its own set of apps like the Track ID, which identifies any song that is playing as well as the Walkman app. Other useful apps include Facebook, Google Maps, Power Saver and an office suite. The YouTube app works well, letting users access just about any YouTube video.

Multimedia: Quite loud The decent sized 3.5-inch touchscreen is pleasant enough to watch DVD quality videos. The sound complements the display, with the small loud speaker being large on sound. Moreover you can share videos on any of

Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

76%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Lumia on a shoestring Windows Phone 7.8 arrives on the most affordable Lumia of them all

120.7 mm

highlights

64.9 mm

hen it was released late last year, the Lumia 510 grabbed attention with its relatively low price. However, it has recently received a further fillip by becoming the first Windows Phone device in the country to get the Windows Phone 7.8 update. But just how well does the least powerful of the Lumias handle the update? We take a closer look.

Looks: Simple yet stylish Nokia has gone with a minimalistic design in the Lumia 510 which has nothing unusual, yet is appealing. Our review unit was black in colour but the handset is also available in

*The images used in the burntest are of Windows Phone 7.5 and not Windows Phone 7.8

red and white colours in the Indian market. The front is dominated by a 4.0-inch display with no physical keys and three soft keys at the bottom for back, homescreen and search -- standard Windows Phone fare. The back houses a 5.0-megapixel camera and a speaker grille and has a soft touch cover panel with subtle curves that feels very comfortable to hold. Like other Lumias, this one too comes with physical keys for volume rocker, lock screen and camera on the right side, while the headset port is at the top and the charging port is at the bottom. We have seen slimmer handsets, but all said and done, the Lumia 510 is still a looker.

52 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

3 It comes with 4.0 inch display

Hardware: Getting the basics When it comes to hardware, the Lumia 510 has nearly the same spec sheet as the Lumia 610. However, the Lumia 510 has a larger display â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4.0-inches. The device is powered by an 800 MHz Cortex A5 processor with an Adreno 200 GPU and the 256 MB RAM, making this the least powerful of all Lumias in these departments. It comes with 4 GB memory onboard with not more than 2.8 GB available to the user and most importantly, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any expandable memory options, which is really limiting and could be a deal-breaker for many users. Thanks to Windows Phone 7.8, it comes with file sharing support, letting you share,

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Multimedia: Entertainment encore

Nokia Lumia 510

On the multimedia front, the Lumia 510 is a steady rather than a spectacular performer. Music is the forte of almost all Nokia handsets, and the 510 does very well here. The device comes with unlimited downloads from the Nokia Music Store for a year and downloading is smooth as the songs come compressed and take less space, a big concern given the Lumia 510’s limited storage. The 4.0-inch display is good enough for viewing videos and we were able to play 720p HD videos with a degree of ease on the device. In the camera department, the 5.0-megapixel snapper took some very decent pictures in well-lit conditions, although its results became increasingly ordinary as the lights dimmed, but then that is a complaint we have with most camera phones. The device can record videos in VGA format. And thanks to its large screen, browsing the Web is a delight.

tech specs Size | 120.7 x 64.9 x 11.5 mm Weight | 129 grams Memory | 4GB, No

OS | Windows Phone 7.8 Screen Size | 4.0 inch, capacitive

Pros

Battery | Li-ion 1,300 mAh

 Good design  Nokia’s apps and music

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes

Cons

Camera | 5.0-megapixel

 Limited Storage space  Occasional lags

Others | Zune music and videos,

 Camera stutters in low light

XBOX live games, MS Office

conditions

Conclusion

Price: Rs 10,499 5

The Lumia 510 is a good option for those who are looking for their first smartphone and want a relatively large display on a tight budget. Yes, it does lag with some apps and is not as buttery smooth as one would expect an ideal Windows Phone to be, but they were never significant enough to really disrupt our user experience. Backed by a 1,300 mAh battery, the device easily lasts for more than a day with normal usage.

Talktime/Standby | up to 6.2 hours/ up to 738 hours

 Windows Phone 7.8

All the physical keys - volume, unlock, camera are on the right side

User Experience: Satisfying

The back panel houses the speaker grill

The Nokia Lumia 510 is now available in the market with an updated operating system and comes with a price tag of Rs 10,499. Those looking for alternatives in Windows Phone can consider the Nokia Lumia 610 available at a price of Rs 12,250, while those willing to go the Android way can consider the Samsung Galaxy Ace priced at Rs 10,00. team@mymobile.co.in

The device comes with nokia music where you can download unlimited songs

verdict send and receive files over Bluetooth - for us, this is the biggest highlight of the device.

Software: Welcome, Windows Phone 7.8 The Nokia Lumia 510 is the first handset in the Indian market to come with Windows Phone 7.8 running out of the box. And while most newbies would not notice too much difference from other devices running Windows 7.5, there are a few changes beneath the familiar surface. These include customizable homescreen tiles, improved contact sharing, file sharing, 20 new accent theme colours and the Ringtone Maker app. The Live Tiles ensure that you get live

updates on your homescreen and you can now also pin your favourite app to the homescreen. The People feature lets you keep in touch with your social networks. This being a Nokia device, comes with Nokia’s apps for navigation (Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps) and Nokia Music with one year of unlimited music downloads. Other pre-installed apps include Zune music and videos, XBOX live games, and MS Office. For additional storage, the device comes with 7 GB of free online storage on Microsoft SkyDrive. For transferring files from/into your PC you will need to use Zune to sync your music and videos, which can be a bit of a hassle, really.

Looks

8 9

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 53

burn test 2

A mixed bag LG’s

LG Optimus L9

Optimus L9 guns for the sub-Rs 20,000 category

tech specs Size | 131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1 mm

131.9 mm

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 5.0-megapixel Front Others | GPS, Google Translator, Weather app, Quick Translator

Price: Rs 19,000 1

Cons

Pros

68.2 mm

Large LCD works well



Good touchscreen



Hardware keys not the best



Lot of useful apps



Relatively old operating system



Full HD video capture



Loudspeaker not loud enough

highlights

5 MP camera comes with LED flash

54 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

Battery can last for long

Lot of useful apps are available

7 home panels can accommodate a lot of widgets and apps

www.mymobile.co.in

3 press home screen button, which is not very comfortable to use. On the sides are the power button and volume slider, which are a bit small and again cumbersome to use. On the back of the phone is a 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and a loudspeaker grille at the bottom. Overall, it looks nice but nothing to go ga-ga about.

Hardware: Good for the price The looks might be routine, but the Optimus L9 packs in hardware that is pretty good. Starting from the excellent large capacitive touchscreen to the machinery inside, this device delivers a fair hardware dollop. It is powered by a 1 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor combined with 1 GB RAM, and has a 2,150 mAh Li-ion battery, which can easily last a day of use , although Wi-Fi does tend to drain it rapidly. On the connectivity front, the phone supports 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Users can also transfer data through the mini-USB port. It comes with 4 GB onboard storage, which can be expanded by 32 GB using a microSD card. Also on board is a FM receiver.

Software: Last generation

G is clearly in the mood to win back some of the market share it has lost over the past few years. The company has launched a variety of devices across different price segments, one of the which is the Optimus L9, which is aimed at those seeking a reasonably powerful phone that does not cost a bomb.

Looks: Run of the mill When it comes to form factor, we did not find much innovation in the Optimus L9, although it is pretty slim and light. Smartly dressed in black with dual silver trims running along the sides, the phone has a meshed rear panel that enables users to grip it better. The large 4.7inch touch display dominates the front and has a VGA camera above it. Underneath it are two feather touch buttons placed alongside a hard-

The world might be slowly switching over to Android Jelly Bean (4.1 and 4.2) but LG has opted to go with the Ice Cream Sandwich flavour of Android for this device - not bad, but hardly cutting edge. The OS brings seven home screen panels that can be customised with widgets and shortcuts. New downloads automatically appear on the homescreen - no need to drag them from the apps panel. LG has also pre-loaded the phone with a number of useful apps. These include Fileshare, which helps in transferring files between the phone and other devices; Quick Translator, which lets the user point the camera on a word or line and translates it using Google Translator and the Weather app that provides the latest updates of weather around the world. Also on board is Polaris Office for your text and spreadsheet needs, LG Informer that brings world news to your phone, Memo for quick notes, and a dictionary to quickly find the meaning of a word. GPS navigation works well on the phone too - you can quickly find your way through busy streets and reach your destination by the shortest route possible.

Multimedia: Screen magic The 5.0-megapixel camera on the phone is not the best we have seen, although it takes decent shots both outdoors and indoors (courtesy the flash). The camera also shoots videos in full HD at 30 fps. The front camera is however best used for video chatting. When it comes to films and images, the L9 scores with its large display. The colours are superb and very vivid, making both games and videos come alive on the screen. The phone plays HD videos without any trouble, but the sound quality could have been better - the single loudspeaker has good bass but sadly misses the thump. It is not very loud.

User Experience: A bit of this... Our overall experience of the phone was a mixed bag. While we loved the large display, the excellent touch experience and the preloaded apps, our ears were yearning for stronger sound. We did detect a slight lag when an app was being installed in the background but nothing too disconcerting. We would have liked larger hardware keys on the device - the ones provided are too small. Performance-wise this phone is not bad, we tested it out with Quadrant and it got a commendable 2,966 marks, which is at par with the Sony Xperia Ion.

Conclusion People looking for a large screen phone in the sub-Rs 20,000 category can definitely consider the L9. Its large screen and decent specifications give it an edge over most of the competition in this segment. Those seeking alternatives can also consider the Samsung Galaxy S Plus and the HTC 8S around the same price bracket n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

78%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Yes, You Can(vas) Micromaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabulous phablet

147 mm

76.5 mm

highlights Dual LED Flash works well

8MP camera can capture excellent shots

56 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

The design is very modern

Games and movies come alive on the 5-inch vivid display

It has a long battery life

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n spite of all the scorn poured out on them initially, Phablets are the rage in celltown with all manufacturers trying to grab a slice of the market. The big screen smartphone segment is growing in the country with a number of launches from both domestic and multinational manufacturers. And one of the newest to leap into the phablet fray is Micromax’s Canvas 2.

Looks: Sleek and simple The Canvas 2 is sleek when it comes to its build quality and size unlike some of its higher profile counterparts. We would have liked a smaller bezel though - there just seems to be some space wasted on the front of the device. There are three touch keys given on the front, placed beneath the 5.0-inch display, as in many Android devices. There is a micro-USB port on top of the device along with a 3.5 mm jack, a volume rocker on the left side and a power button on the right side. There is a front facing 0.3-megapixel camera and an 8.0megapixel camera with dual LED flash on the back - and as in most phablets, no camera button. All in all, this is a very good looking device, although the camera does tend to protrude from the back.

Hardware: Impressive, very The Canvas 2 comes with a 1 GHz dual core processor and 512 MB RAM, which is a huge surprise at this price point. The large 5.0-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen incorporates 16M colors and has a 480 x 854 resolution, which is acceptable for this price point. The device is equipped with dual SIM (GSM+GSM) capability, and also supports 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth. It comes with a removable 2,000 mAh Li-Ion battery, and 2.5 MB onboard storage, which can be expanded to 32 GB via microSD card.

Pros 

1 GHz dual core processor



5-inch IPS display



Multimedia features

Cons

Software: Par for the course The device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) and has a basic Android ICS user interface (UI), offering all default customizable options. It comes with several pre-installed applications, including Mi-zone and Mi Store that are developed by Micromax itself. Mi Store offers selected applications to the user, who also have the option of heading right ahead to Google Play for trying out even more apps. Also on board are trial versions of games like Cricket Fever and Fruit Devil. Web browsing on the device was very good, courtesy the large and rich display.

Multimedia: Feature packed The Canvas 2 scores heavily in the multimedia department. The sound quality of the device was extremely goodboth on speaker and earplugs . The music player features a five-band equalizer along with bass boost, 3D effect and reverb, that enhance the overall music experience. The bundled earphones are also of very good quality and offer high-bass for a better music experience. For videos, the device comes

Micromax Canvas 2 A110 tech specs Size | 147 x 76.5 x 9.7 mm Weight | 144 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android 4.0

with a default video player that supports all high-definition (HD) videos, and delivered a decent experience. On the camera front, the 8.0-megapixel autofocus camera clicks satisfactory images and the dual LED flash and face-detection will be welcomed by mobile photography enthusiasts, although the dual LED did not deliver the kind of performance we expected in low light conditions. The camera offers various shooting modes, including panorama (which stitches nine shots together) and a 3D-like image feature, which adds depth to a photograph. Video quality too is satisfactory and comes with a number of effects and modes.

User Experience: A pleasant surprise Our experience with the Canvas 2 was more than satisfactory. While the big screen made watching videos and browsing the Web a pleasant experience, the dual core processor made most of the games run smoothly. And the 2,000 mAh battery lasted a day of hefty use with a degree of comfort. The quadrant score of the device stands at 2,803, ahead of many high-end devices from HTC and Samsung. Yes, Micromax has pulled a rabbit out of its phablet bag!

Conclusion In our opinion, the device is a good choice for all those seeking a large screen smartphone on a tight budget, and definitely outperforms and even out-specs a number of offerings from bigger brands in the sub-Rs 12,000 category. With its good display and dual core processor, the Canvas 2 seems to be the best blend of budget and performance that we have seen in the phablet category. One can also consider the Micromax A100, which boasts a 5.0-inch display and is available for Rs. 9,800. n team@mymobile.co.in



Ineffective dual LED flash

Others | Cricket Fever, Fruit Devil,



No camera button

Dual LED flash



Rear camera is not flush

Price: Rs 10,299

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

82%

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 57

boredom buster

Welcome to the jungle The third instalment of Far Cry is an explosive one

e have been seeing some very good first person shooter (FPS) games of late and the latest to join their ranks is Far Cry 3. You step into the shoes of Jason Brody who is out on a vacation with his friends and brother in the Pacific. They decide to skydive and land on an island inhabited by pirates. They get captured, but Jason breaks free. And well, cue the action as he fights his way back to rescue his friends, not without a little help from members of a local tribe (who do hand him some very snazzy tattoos). The game is beautifully designed and the world is large and extensive. The missions

are elaborate and you never get a sense of ‘hey! I’ve played this level before.’ Sound complements the exquisite graphics and there is close to 30-35 hours of game play, as well as a co-op mode, where up to three more players can join you on your jungle romp. Like most FPS games Far Cry 3 also has lot of weapons. You get your hands on everything from the trusted automatic machine gun to the bazooka. Enemies are not in short supply either. A sound tip, shoot wisely. Those who have played earlier Far Cry games will adjust to the game’s moves quickly, although newcomers might take

58 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

some time adjusting to them. Our advice? Be patient. Far Cry 3 is an excellent shooter and a splendid addition to a sterling series. A must play. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in Name: Far Cry 3 Price: 2,599 Tested on: PS3

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Let slip the orcs of war! A

Little war has dragons, orcs and humans in one hell of a battle

he latest game to try out the humans versus orcs scenario is A Little War. We tried it out on our iPad and were riveted. The plot of the game is simple yet absorbing. You play humans who are defending their turf against the dragons who with the help of orcs are destroying everything. You get a hero who can employ up to four powers ranging from a blanket of arrows to mighty blasts. You also get an army of humans whose abilities can be upgraded. The hero’s abilities can be upgraded as well, as can defence, attack speed, number of soldiers and more. With these on your side, you go against waves of orcs, progressing to the next level after you have vanquished them. For each defeat and kill, you get rings that work like money and can be used for soldier, hero or ability upgrades. The first 20 or so levels are easy, but after that the game really picks up pace and you face larger armies and tougher opponents. Many times you will find yourself short of rings and in a tight spot. For such situations, there is the goddess who helps you a few times in the early stages of the game. Aid also comes from the elf, who appears as a bonus stage where you keep tapping him and get rings, treasure chests and treasure chest keys. The sound of the game is mediocre and the 2D graphics are not the best. But these do not hamper the gameplay much. You get over 100 stages, each more enjoyable than the other, serving up hours of entertainment. An old plot it may be, but we are still suckers for it, especially when it is presented so well. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in Name: A little war Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPad 2

RATING

 jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 59

Smart apps

News at your Fingertips Newser keeps news simple. And elegant

here are two types of news lovers - those who like to dig around and sniff out events happening around the world, and those who would rather get everything served to them on an elegant platter in an easy to read format. If you belong to the latter category, then Newser is the perfect app for you. Available free of cost for Windows Phone devices, Newser is a small (1 MB) download and works on the simple principle that you want to get to your news as quickly and smoothly as possible. Launch the app and you will be confronted by a tiled layout similar to the one on Windows Phone, only each tile represents a story, with a picture and a headline. On the launch screen, there are

four main categories of tiles - Latest, Popular, Superlative and Breaking, with stories/tiles under each. However, it is when you tap on them that Newser’s magic comes to the fore. You are not taken to the full story, but a crisp two to three paragraph summary of it by Newser’s edit team with links to sources carrying detailed versions of the story. And these summaries are very well written too. Succinct, yet stylish. There are a number of news categories, including the usual (world, politics, money, technology) and the unusual, which are grouped under ‘Superlatives’ and comprise ‘most hilarious,’ ‘most intriguing,’ ‘most depressing,’ ‘ most scary,’ ‘most brilliant’ and ‘most ridiculous.’ There is no playing around

60 MYMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013

with sections, no feeds to select. Just a lot of crisp writing and reading here. You can like, share and comment on stories items. It looks brilliant and works a treat. News at your fingertips. Well written. Free of cost. Just what many of us need. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Newser Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 900

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Navigation gets social

Waze makes navigation a shared experience

hen you talk about navigation apps, the first thing that comes to most people’s minds are apps built around maps and giving directions. However, for many people, nothing quite beats stopping and asking for directions. Now, suppose there was an app that allowed you to do just that? Well, there is. Sort of. It is called Waze and is available for Android and iOS users. The concept of Waze is very simple. Yes, it is a navigation and map app too - you can find out the way to get from one place to another and see your own location, as well as get voice instructions while making your way around town, and figure out where places are. But what Waze adds to this routine is a distinct sense of community. For, while you

are using the app, you keep getting information, not from some unnamed, invisible source, but from real people using Waze, telling you about incidents on the road. You can chat with other members of the Waze community and even make groups so say, all those following a common route frequently could make one group and swap messages about the state of the road or any obstructions on it. We have compared it with Google Maps and Nokia Here and honestly, this seems to work a lot better (in Delhi, at least) as it shows up last-minute diversions and notifies us about accidents - something those apps fail to do. The app is also smart enough to learn your favourite routes and destinations and

react accordingly, which can be very handy indeed, especially in hassled times. And of course, it remains a very very good navigation option too. Makes us wonder why they are giving it free of cost. Mind you, we are too busy downloading to complain. n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Waze Price: Free Tested on: Sony Xperia ION

RATING



Jan 15 to Feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 61

etcetera Type, flip and swipe Dell puts a spin on the convertible

Dell XPS 12 Convertible

Pros | Good touch screen, Nice form factor

Price: Rs 89,990 + tax

Cons | Very expensive, Arrow keys too small

RATING



t is raining convertibles in the market following the launch of Windows 8. But while most manufacturers have preferred to stick to the beaten notebook path and just made the regular display a touchscreen one, Dell has literally put a spin on the idea. The XPS 12 comes with a touchscreen and a keyboard, but the interesting thing is that the display can be flipped a full 360 degrees, and you can actually turn the screen around and use the device as a tablet if you wish. The Gorilla Glass display rotates smoothly and clicks into place for a smooth tablet or laptop experience. It also responds well to every swipe and tap, although it attracts a lot of smudges. The keyboard is comfortable to use, although we would have preferred larger up and down arrow keys. Dell has kept the power slider on the side, so the user need not flip the laptop open if one needs to just work in tablet mode. On the sides are two USB ports, an audio port and a screen auto rotate key. Sound quality is decent and under the hood lays an Intel Core i5 1.7 dual core processor, 4 GB RAM and a 128 GB SSD. It scored a very commendable 3,978 points on the PC Mark 7, better than the similarly configured Samsung series 9 Ultrabook. Yes, it is a trifle expensive, but we do not think it will stop people who want a smooth Windows 8 experience, with a bit of style thrown in for good measure. n

62 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

The Ultimate Shooter

Canon gives the DSLR category its best shot

here are many types of DSLRs there are those like the Canon 1100D, which appeal to the beginners, then there are mid to high segment shooters like the Canon 6D and 7D, which can take beautiful shots and are apt for wildlife, fashion and sports photography, and then there are the professional level cameras, which mark the highest rung of DSLR photography. And it is in this last category that Canon has unleashed the EOS-1DX. We tested this enormous camera and the results were spectacular. No matter what the light conditions are, we always got a crisp, clear shot with the 18.1megapixel sensor - there is no digital noise even at high ISO levels. Built for performance, this camera is fit for fashion photographers or people who want to capture motion. Like most ultra-high DSLR’s, the 1DX also has a horse shoe to fit an external flash and dual compartments to fit two compact flash

Canon EOS- 1DX Price: Rs 4,29,950 (Body Only)

RATING



Pros | Super picture quality, Long battery life Cons | Expensive option, Bulky

cards. And what really takes the cake is the 61 point auto focus system along with the ability to capture 14 frames per second. No, it is not perfect. We felt the 3.2-inch screen to preview images could have been slightly larger, and the grip could have been further rubberised for a better hold. However, you will not mind these niggles when you see the sheer quality of the pictures it takes. If you are looking for the perfect photo, money and camera size being no restraint, this is the camera for you. n

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 63

etcetera Samsung Galaxy Camera

The Galaxy snapper Android

Price: Rs 30,900

meets the digital camera

Cons | Price could have been less, Bulky design

RATING



amsung has been working on a camera that runs Android for a while, and now has finally introduced it to the consumers in the form of the Galaxy Camera. The device runs on Android 4.1, sports a 16.3-megapixel sensor, a pop-out flash, and comes with a large 4.8-inch display to boot for you to savour your Android experience. And a full Android experience it is, complete with customisable homescreens and widgets and apps. The camera also comes with 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and accompanying the lens is a 21X optical zoom. The interface is almost totally touchscreen based. There are no dials to fiddle around, which can be good or bad depending on your inclination. There are

64 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

Pros | Runs Android OS, Has a beautiful display

lots of settings to play around with, although they take some time getting used to, once you have got the hang of them, you can use the camera to take some very good shots indeed. The camera is definitely a bit on the tall and bulky side and some might not like its looks, but we loved them. The large display is great not just for viewing and editing images but also for other functions like browsing the Web and watching video. Yes, it is a spin on the traditional camera, but its DSLR-territory price might put off some photo enthusiasts. Has the era of the smart camera arrived? We will find out in the coming days, but Samsung has definitely given it one of its best products. n

www.mymobile.co.in

A Decent Ultrabook

Windows 8 in Ultra Touch mode

indows 8 is here and in its wake come touch-friendly computers and notebooks from a number of manufacturers. One of these is Samsung, which has launched its first touch-enabled ultrabook, the Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch. The device sports a brushed aluminium chassis in metallic colour with ‘Samsung’ embedded in silver colour on the top. It has a 13.3-inch HD LED display with Intel HD Graphics 4000 and a resolution of 1366x768. The display is bright and clear, and offers a good touch and viewing experience.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch NP540U3C Price: Rs 64,990

RATING



Powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U processor, 8GB RAM, a 500 GB HDD and running on Windows 8, the Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch easily handles most routine tasks, although it did lag a few times. The ultrabook comes with two speakers located on the underside, which were loud enough to fill a small room. On the

Pros | Decent touch experience, Solid and slim brushed aluminium design Cons | Track pad could be better, Keyboard feels stiff

other hand, we were not too pleased with the keyboard as the keys felt stiff while typing and the touchpad was at times difficult to use. We tested the notebook on the PC Mark 7 benchmark which tests a system’s overall performance and it scored 1381. The ultrabook comes with three USB ports, an SD card reader, Ethernet, HDMI, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The battery lasted for around 4 hours 30 minutes in our rundown test which was a bit on the lower side. On the software side, the Ultra Touch comes bundled with the standard Windows 8 apps such as News, Mail, Photos, Calendar, Internet Explorer, Skype, SkyDrive and Bing. Samsung has also preloaded some apps on to the device - Nextflix app, StumbleUpon, Evernote, Norton Studio and its own movie player, gallery and web cam apps. All in all, the Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch is a decent performer, although its price tag does seem a bit on the higher side. n

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 65

etcetera Jet setter flash drive Transcend’s new flash

drive is a speed demon

re you tired of waiting while transferring a large data file from your PC to your USB drive or vice vera? Well, what you need then is to invest in a USB 3.0 storage device, like the Transcend JetFlash 760 USB. It operates on the USB 3.0 standard and cuts no corners when it comes to speed - the data is often transferred within seconds, so you can say goodbye to twiddling your thumbs or taking coffee breaks in the meanwhile. On the design front it looks very sleek and comes with a slider that pushes the USB port out, which saves us from the fuss of not only carrying the drive but its cap as well. The drive has many variants, we got our hands on the 32 GB one. Performance wise the drive scored well when we tested it on HD Tune (a popular benchmark to test USB drives). The average transfer speed was recorded at 78.3 MB per second, which is decent, if not as fast as the Sandisk Cruzer drives, which does 170 MB per second. We also transferred a 1 GB file from the PC to the drive in under 10 seconds. The device comes with a limited three year warranty along with backup and encryption software, which you need to download from the company’s website. All in all, a tough and quick device which looks stylish as well. A good option for all seeking USB 3.0 speed bursts. n

Transcend Jetflash 760 Price: Rs 1,780 Pros | Perfomance is good, Light in weight Cons | Old looks, Prone to dust

RATING



66 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

No wires required...and no hefty wallets either!

ebronics has a reputation for coming out with sleek and powerful communication devices in the Bluetooth wireless headsets segment. The latest in this series is the ZEB-BH500. This sleek and stylish Bluetooth headset is staggeringly light - barely 10 grammes. But it is no lightweight when it comes to performance, where it served up a very decent experience, with very good sound quality, although we would have preferred a better-located volume key. The headset is easy to connect and can be used over a decent range - it disconnects only when there is a significant physical object between the device and the headset. Zebronics claims that the

www.mymobile.co.in

Jabra Solemate Price: Rs 10,999

RATING

Pump up the volume

A great wireless music-mate

Pros | Smart design, Can be used with just about any device Cons | Bass occasionally distorts, A trifle pricey



e may have arrived in the era of mobility with smartphones and tablets dominating, but one department in which these devices tend to lag is in sound. For all the hype surrounding them, most devices are not actually equipped to deliver sound to be played out loud. Which is why the speaker accessory market has been flourishing. And one of the newest entrants to it is Jabra’s Solemate. Designed to be connected to devices over Bluetooth or via an in-line cable, the device has a shoe inspired back base design, and at 610 grammes, is definitely portable. You can also pair the Solemate with a smartphone and use it as a speakerphone. A voice assistant tells you when

the speaker is ready and when it connects. Above the device are three buttons – two for volume, and the middle one for telling you about charge levels and for handling calls. While heavy bass notes distorted a bit, overall the Solemate handled most of the music pretty well. The company claims that the device can give up to 8 hours of continuous play, which is decent. Available in black and white, the Jabra Solemate is priced at Rs 10,990 in the Indian market. A bit on the high side, but not a bad deal if you consider its innovative design, and ability to fill a room with booming sound! n

Gets you there new headset is powered by a rechargeable polymer lithium ion battery that gives up to 2.5 hours of talk time and up to 85 hours of standby time, which is about par for the course for those who talk rather than chat on their devices. Speaking of devices, the ZEB-BH500 is compatible with handsets, media players, tablets and laptops. And did we tell you the best part? Its price, it is priced at Rs 449. n

Zebronics ZebBH500 Price: Rs 499 Pros | Decent voice quality, Very light Cons | Inconvenient volume key, Can get blocked by intervening objects

RATING



A The Tom Tom Via 120 comes packed with maps and features

ersonal navigation devices (PNDs) have not yet gone mainstream in India, but are steadily gaining popularity. The TomTom Via 120 is one the latest offerings designed to help you find your way around town. Sporting a 4.3-inch screen, the device comes packed with an array of features ranging from details on point of interest, to voice-based navigation, to 2D as well as 3D views of maps. And unlike some of the touchscreen toting PNDs we

TOm Tom Via 120 Price: Rs 12, 990 Pros | Display, Voice navigation Cons | No live traffic updates, High price

RATING



have seen, this one works smoothly in touch mode. The maps given in the device are accurate most of the times, but miss out on features like live traffic updates, options of junction view and other views, which are now becoming increasingly available in many high end handsets. The device has a Bluetooth connectivity mode which allows the user to take calls via Blue-tooth, and while this is certainly not unique to it, the receiver of the Via 120 is among the best we have heard. The maps covers more than 5,800 cities and towns across India and 5.80 million POIs overall. It is a solid device to use, although we must confess we missed features like live traffic updates, spoilt as we are by mobiles. n team@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 67

a p p ta s t i c

Browsers:

The Super Six Fed up of the browsing experience on your handset? Well, this is an appy world. Go right ahead and experiment with new browsers Nimish Dubey

here was a time when browsing on your handset was a bit of a last resort - most mobile browsers only supported WAP and the experience you got was nowhere close to what one had on a proper computer. Even if you did manage to get a good browser, the small, low-resolution screen ensured that your browsing experience was a limited one. All that changed with the arrival of the iPhone and Android. Suddenly, large touchscreen devices became the norm and as processor power and screen resolution

increased, one could have an almost desktoplike experience on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handset itself. And that was not all. Whereas in the past, oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile browsing options were restricted to what came installed on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handset, these days - thanks to the app revolution- one can check out dozens of mobile browsers. Remember how you could choose between different browsers on your desktop if you did not like the default browser? Well, you can now do the same on your handset. In fact, mobile browsers come in a variety of sizes

68 MYMOBILE Jan 15 to Feb 14 2013

with different features. From gesture control to compressing data and rendering content in a magazine-like format, mobile browsers have come a long way from their basic, boring WAP days. And most of them are available free of cost. You are only going to get billed for the data downloaded! So, if you think that the default browser on your device could have been better, go right ahead and try out the following third party browsers, and spice up your mobile Web surfing experience:

Firefox Browser Price: Free It might not have made the same kind of impact on handsets that it did on the desktop but what cannot be denied is that if one has a high-end handset, this is one of the most powerful Web browsing options one can have. You can sync your bookmarks, passwords and browsing history from your desktop Firefox browser, and also use a number of add-ons, just as you can on the desktop version. Two very powerful features of the browser is the Awesome Screen, which organises your favourite sites onto one single screen and the Awesome Bar that learns which sites you visit and enables you to reach them with minimum typing. Just make sure your device is well stacked in processor power and RAM to get a good experience.

Available from: Google Play

Opera Mini

Nokia Xpress Beta

UC Browser

Dolphin Browser

Price: Free

For many people, Web browsing on their handsets is synonymous with Opera Mini. It was among the first browsers that actually managed to bring a desktop-like browsing experience to handsets, and remains a good performer. It has features like Speed Dial, support for tabbed browsing, autocompletion, and on some devices, even its own keyboard. It is also remarkably platform independent - you can use it on a variety of operating systems. And if you are using it on your desktop, you can sync bookmarks with your handset with the Opera Link feature.

Although initially released for the Asha series, Nokia’s Xpress browser has now found its way to the Lumia range by sheer dint of performance. It renders pages at blazing speeds and compresses data consumption by almost 85 per cent. What’s more, the browser also can present websites in magazine-like format, enabling the user to flick through them easily. It might not have the features bells of other browsers mentioned here, but it is a very handy option for those just looking for a brisk surfing session on their handsets.

In terms of sheer popularity, UC Browser has witnessed a steep rise of late, and today boasts 400 million users. And the reason for this is not hard to find - it runs on just about any handset (from Java to Android to BlackBerry to iOS), compresses data to keep down expenses and tops all this off with very speedy browsing. It has got great social media integration and comes with voice command support, download manager, a handy QuickReads RSS reader, and even a QR code scanner. A magnificent performer, this.

If you are looking for an innovative browsing experience on your handset, then we think that you should be checking out Dolphin. Available on both iOS and Android, it comes packed with a number of features including voice commands, and the ability to go to a site by just making a symbol on the screen - for instance ‘G’ for Google or maybe a heart for Facebook. Top that off with regular features like tabbed browsing and a decent turn of speed and you can see why we are in love with this browser.

Available from: http:// www.ucweb.com

Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play

Available from: http://www. opera.com

Chrome

Price: Free

Available from: Windows Market on Nokia Lumia devices

Yes, it is the default browser on some Android devices (most notably the Nexus series), but if you still want a slice of Google’s own Chrome browser, then you can download it on your Android or iOS handset. The browser comes with the same simple, elegant interface that you see on your desktop. Speaking of the desktop, you can sign in to synchronise your bookmarks and even your open tabs from Chrome on your computer. Browsing is brisk and you can open any number of tabs without worrying about the browser slowing down on crashing, and in a neat touch, flick through them just as you would a deck of cards.

Available from: Google Play, iTunes App Store n nimish@mymobile.co.in

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 69

versus

iPhone 5 Vs Galaxy Note II The Godphone or the Phablet King - which one is better? Sulabh Puri

amsung and Apple have been fighting it out everywhere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the markets, in Web forums, social media and, of course, in the courts. Every year sees users torn between rivalling products of the two companies and this year has been no different. The latest duo from the two companies to clash are the Galaxy Note 2 by Samsung and the iPhone 5 from Apple. Here is our brief take on how they compare with each other:

Form factor The Samsung Note 2 is somewhat similar to the original Note, although with a few subtle design tweaks. The large 5.5-inch screen is a treat to work on, it works well for the movies, games and apps. The keys are arranged comfortably, letting one access them with one hand. And of course, the S-Pen stylus is still very much there. On the other hand, the iPhone 5 looks ravishing. The carved to perfection diamond cut frame is breath-taking. The screen gets a facelift and now measures 4-inches, even while fitting in your hand and trouser pocket with ease. The key arrangement remains unchanged and they feel as solid as ever.

Operating system and apps The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has received the Jelly Bean 4.1 update of Android. The OS does justice to the phone and its super quick hardware (1.6 GHz quad core processor and 2 GB RAM), as do the pre-loaded apps that come on board like Voice Notes, Dropbox and S-Note. The stylus remains as versatile as ever - you can not only scribble away on the display but also cut, copy and paste any text, picture or part of a website to the Note application. Voice and handwriting recognition work remarkably well too. Meanwhile, those who have used iOS devices will feel right at home with the iPhone 5. The phone runs on iOS 6.0 which is superb to work on. Though users do not get many preloaded apps, they have the option of downloading from the thousands of paid and free apps available in the iTunes App Store. Every swipe and touch is glitch free. Even though the iPhone 5 has less powerful hardware (1.2 GHz Dual Core processor and 1 GB RAM) the overall feel of this operating system is slightly better than that on the Note 2.

70 MYMOBILE jan 15 to feb 14 2013

Camera quality Camera quality on the Note 2 with its 8.0megapixel camera is excellent. You get good shots under bright lights and outdoors. For low light conditions, the flash does well, provided the object is nearby. The iPhone 5 also comes with an 8.0-megapixel camera, but we did not find it as good as that on the Note 2. Slight noise is apparent.

Ease of use In the end, it all boils down to how comfortable a device is to use. While the Note 2 has a big screen which presents every small detail, it is a trifle bulky to carry and use. That is not the case with the iPhone 5. It does come with the headache of having to use iTunes for a number of functions. That said, the feel of the iOS 6 on the iPhone 5 is better than Android 4.1 on the Note 2. So the iPhone wins here. While the Note 2 is more of a business device for people on the go (and with large hands), the iPhone 5 is more glamorous and certainly a lot easier to use. It all depends on what you need. Oh yes, and the size of your hands. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

persona

Ten Things You Might Not Know Things You Might Not Know About...Jeff About... Ten Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com

1 2 3 4 5 6

As a child, Bezos showed an early interest in how things worked. He turned his parents’ garage into a laboratory with wires and electrical machines all around the house. For all that, Bezos grew up castrating cattle. He spent every summer at his grandparents’ ranch doing cattle works. Bezos started off his first business when he was in high school. He ran the Dream Institute, an educational summer camp for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. Amazon.com was very nearly called Cadabra, but Bezos re-conceptualized the name when his lawyer misheard the word as cadaver. He didn’t like the dead body association, so chose Amazon instead. Amazon did not start out in a garage, unlike some Silicon Valley startups. Amazon started in a suburban three-bedroom house in Seattle. Jeff Bezos named his e-commerce site after a river’s name because of two reasons - one, to suggest the scale of his site (the Amazon is a vast river and Amazon.com was launched with the tagline “Earth’s biggest book store) and secondly, to make the most

of alphabetical listings of websites. This way Amazon will come on top of search lists.

7 8 9 10

He might be best known as an e-commerce supremo, but Bezos is also currently involved in a project to build a 10,000 Year Clock. Bezos once loved bells. In the initial days of Amazon, he had a bell which would ring every time an order was placed. After a point of time, it kept ringing continuously, disturbing him. He threw the bells out. Amazon’s chief responds and react to customers mails. He once vowed to change the packaging, because an elderly woman said the packets were too hard to open. Bezos is also very fascinated by space travel. In 2000, he founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup. He also wishes to develop space hotels, amusement parks and colonies for 2-3 million people, orbiting the earth. Who would dare bet against him actually succeeding?

*Disclaimer: The information has been collected from the public domain and not from an interview with Jeff Bezos.

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 71

Gear guide Disclaimer: The prices have been obtained from companyies respective showrooms

Nokia Fast Micro-USB Charger | AC-10E

Save energy and save the environment. Based on a common energy-rating system for chargers, it has a 5-star rating for energy saving. Rs 900

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-607

This headset enables you to be connected with little charging. It just requires 15 minutes of charging, giving you up to 5 hours of talk time. Rs 4,500

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-111

Choose the colour that suits you in a design that’s as comfortable as it is stylish - up to five colours available. It is lightweight and offers long time usage. Rs 2,110

Nokia Monster Earphone | WH920 The in-ear design of the set isolates external noise to ensure enriched music experience. The earphones have volume controller built in to its cord. Rs 5,000

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-218

It puts you in control of your hands free calls and keeps you connected all day long. Rs 1,999

Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger | DC-16

You can now charge your smartphone anytime, anywhere with this power bank. It is compatible with most of the devices and has a battery capacity of 2,200 mAh. Rs 1,499

Nokia Play | 360°

Enjoy clear 360-degree audio for your music with Nokia Play 360° (MD-50W). The curved design case brings a modern look and feel. Rs 9,000

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset | BH-505

Nokia Mono Bluetooth Headset | BH-109

With Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-109, you can handle calls hands-free, even when you are using two mobile devices at the same time. Rs 1,600

Bluetooth Headset BH-505 keeps you active and entertained. The headset features a lightweight neckband for all day comfort. Rs 3,500

72 MYMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in in Delhi but may vary on account of dealer discretion/company schemes.

Nokia Extra Power | DC-8

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the road and away from an AC supply, you can get peace of mind with a reliable, pocket-sized source of backup power. Rs 1,500

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-112

Keep it simple - pick up and end calls at the touch of a button. It works with multiple handsets at the same time ideal if you have phones for work and play. Rs 1,450

Nokia Retractable Car Charger | DC-10 With Nokia Retractable Car Charger DC-10 charge your phone in the car. Rs 950

Nokia Monster Headset | WH 930

This Nokia headset boasts of some high end features that are not to be seen in any other headsets available in the market. Rs 10,500

Nokia Stereo Headset | WH-701

It helps to control your calls and music in a world of sound. It features three sets of comfortable ear pads and an integrated remote for controlling volume, calls, and music. Rs 1,110

Nokia Mini Speaker | MD-11

Play your music and listen to the radio out loud with this compact, yet powerful mini speaker. You can also connect them for quality stereo surround sound. Rs 1,100

Nokia Extra Power | DC-11K

Charge two devices at the same time. It is extra compact and lightweight and offers a quick boost of power. Rs 2,400

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-104

With Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-104 you can stay on top of your calls and enable convenient wireless communication throughout the day. Rs 1,000

Nokia Car Charger | DC-4

Simple and compact, this mobile phone charger offers rapid phone charging from a car cigarette lighter socket. Rs 220

jan 15 to feb 14 2013 MYMOBILE 73

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MY GUIDE Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion. M.O.P. mentiond in My Guide are not applicable in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our control. Please check with the retailer about features of the phone before buying. The ratings that have been included are from the burn tests of the phones that we have reviewed. Feel free to update us.

(Last updated on Jan 3, 2013) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as:

Tablet CDMA Enterprise High-end (Rs 12,000 upwards) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

Entry-level (Rs 2,500 - Rs 5,999) Sub-entry level (up to Rs 2,499) Nokia

NR stands for not reviewed M.O.P. stands for Market Operating Price

Y MOBILE 75 JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 MY

myguide MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 1280

100

101

C1-01

110

Dimension (mm)

107.2 x 45.1 x 15.3

110 x 45.5 x 14.9

108 x 45 x 14

110 x 46 x 14.8

108 x 45 x 14.65

Weight (grams)

81.92

69.6

78.8

74.1

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8.30/528

Screen (colours)/Size (inch) Monochrome/1.36 Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/No

114

NEW

C2-00

7.2/840

10.4/540

10.5/637

5.75//460

65,536/1.8

NA/No

64MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Symbian S30

S30

Symbian S40

S40

Symbian 40

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

950

1,120

1,400

1,800

2,080

2,249

2,300

C2-03

202

Asha 200

Music Player/FM Radio

MODELS

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 205

112

X2-02

C2-02

Dimension (mm)

110.4 x 46.9 x 15.4

113 x 50 x 15

102.8 x 51.2 x 17

112.8 x 61.1 x 13

103 x 51.4 x 17

114.8 x 49.8 x 13.9

115.4 x 61.1 x 14

Weight (grams)

110

115

105

14/840

9.8/443

5/60x0

11/891

5/400

7/888

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NEW

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

56K/1.8

262,144/2.2

65,536/2.6

65,536/2.4

65,536/2.6

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

NA/32GB

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1,000

1000

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

S40

Symbian S40

S40

Symbian S40

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Slider/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Slider/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

2,450

2,990

3,150

3,449

3,600

3,700

3,750

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 76 MY

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 305

Asha 308

Asha 309

300

302

Asha311

X3-02

Dimension (mm)

110.3X53.8X12.8

109.9x54x13

109.9 x 54 x 13.2

112.8 x 49.5 x 12.7

116.5 x 55.7 x 13.9

106 x 52 x 12.9

106.2 x 48.4 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

104

102

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14X528

17/600

6/650

6.9/550

9/707

14/696

5/430

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

50MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

Shared

2000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

S40

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

S40

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA Symbian S60

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,150

5,680

5,800

5,850

6,400

6,600

Lumia 510

Lumia 610

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

303

C5-03

500

Lumia 710 119 x 62.4 x 12.5

Dimension (mm)

116.5 x 55.7 x 13.9

105.8 x 51 x 13.8

115 x 58.9 x 12.8

111.3 x 53.8 x 14.1

Weight (grams)

126

129

131.5

125.5

8.2/731

11.5/600

7.3/400

7/500

6.2/738

10.5/670

7.3/400

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.6

16million/3.2

262,144/2.36

16million/3.2

65,536/4.0

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

100MB/32GB

40MB/16GB

256MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/No

8GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

S40

Symbian S60

Symbian Anna

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,400

8,250

8,450

8,900

10,499

12,250

13,999

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

120.7 x 64.9 x 11.5 119.24 x 62.18 x 11.95

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Windows Phone 7.8 Windows Phone 7.5 Windows Phone 7.5

YMOBILE 77 JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 MY

myguide MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

BYOND

Lumia 800

808

Lumia 900

Nano

BY002

Dimension (mm)

115.5 x 59 x 10.5

116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1

113.5 x 59 x 12.9

123.9 x 60.2 x 13.9

127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5

106.3X47.8X14.6

108.3 X 45.2 X 14.2

Weight (grams)

133

142

135

169

160

109

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14.4/681

13/265

12/390

11/465

7/300

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/2.46

16miilion/3.7

16.7million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

NA/1.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

NA/4GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

300

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Symbian Anna

Windows Phone 7.5

Symbian^3 OS

Nokia Belle

Windows Phone 7.5

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/NoNo

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

15,000

18,000

18,500

24,500

29,500

1,250

1,299

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BYOND

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

BY011

Torch

X-5

Dimension (mm)

104.6 X 38.8 X 3.7

115.5 X 50.1 X 14.8

119 X 50 X 10.3

Weight (grams)

118

176

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.2

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/4GB

NA/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Powerhouse

BY015

121.8 X 54.6 X 18.7 118.04 X 52.1 X 15.32

X-1

DS 186

NEW

97.6 X 51.9 X 13.8

108X47X15.6mm

150

NA/NA

5/240

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

65,536/1.8

NA/4GB

NA/8GB

85.5KB/4GB

NA/ 16GB

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

300

500

300

500

200

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

YesNo/No

NA/NoNo

Yes/No/No

NA/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Nucleus

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

1,799

1,999

2,099

2,199

2,250

1,299

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 78 MY

MODELS

FLY

PARAMETERS Model

INTEX

LAVA

DS187

DS222

MV264

MV242n

DS222+

Yuvi

Dimension (mm)

107.9 x 44 x 14.8

115 x 49 x 14.7

122 x 53 x 14

118 x 51 x 15

115 x 49 x 14.5

117×50.5×13.8

Weight (grams)

138

125

92.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

KKT 38

NEW

5/200

9/500

10/500

10/ 400

9/ 360

5/250

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

NA/2.2

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

100KB/32GB

245KB/32GB

NA/32GB

NA/16GB

NA/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

VGA/No/yes

Yes/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

100

200

300

500

200

500

300

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietry

Nucleus

Proprietry

Nucleus

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,299

1,990

2,290

2,399

2,499

1,485

2,250

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/No/No

LAVA

PARAMETERS Model

B629

S459

ALPHA

Beta

M78

Dimension (mm)

103 x 52.5 x 14.5

112 x 46 x 13.5

121.2 x 51.6 x 10.5

104.2 x 47 x 15.8

106 X 48 X 16

112 x 49 x 16

Weight (grams)

90.6

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

C31

MTECH C11

NEW

3/220

4/202

NA/550

NA/300

10/960

8/720

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.6

65,536/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.3

NA/1.8

NA/2.0

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/8GB

60KB/8GB

125KB/16GB

NA/8GB

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/NA

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

VGA/NA/Yes

1.3MP/NA/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Yes/NA/NA

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

300

100

1,000

500

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

2,450

2,500

2,099

1,149

1,299

1,749

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 79

MODELS

MTECH

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

M15

M135

M18i

MT279

1200

1205

E1207T

Dimension (mm)

125 X 52 X15.3

117 x 53 x 15.5

118.5 x 55 x 14.7

113 X 54 X 14.3

109.5 x 45.5 x 12.8

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

115

110

65.1

Talktime/Standby (hours)

10/960

8/720

4/240

8.6/800

8/430

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.4

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.6

NA/2.8

65536/1.5

65,536/1.52

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/16GB

32MB/8GB

NA/16GB

32MB/No

64MB/No

NA/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/NA/NA

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

500

100

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/No

YesNo/No

No/No/No

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,749

1,799

1,849

2,149

1,150

1,180

1,200

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/No

Yes/No/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

Hero Music

E1282T

E2232

W100n

W221

W617

W601

Dimension (mm)

110.6 x 45.35 x 13.9

109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5

109.2 x 46.0 x 14.9

108 x 46 x 14.7

128 x 48 x 13.5

124.4 x 57.2 x 14.7

117.2 x 55.4 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

73.2

74.5

110

111.4

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11.1/580

12/660

NA/500

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

65,536/1.77

NA/1.8

NA/2.0

NA/3.0

NA/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4MB/4GB

NA/4GB

20MB/8GB

NA/16GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

NA/NA/NA

0.3 MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes /Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

300

1,500

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/ No/ No

Operating System

Proprietary

Nucleous

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,450

1,730

1,950

999

1,499

2,199

2,349

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 80 MY

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

FLY

LAVA

LEMON

W704

E284

E350

A11

A16

GC333

T89

Dimension (mm)

103 x 56 x 13.8

114 x 62 x 13.5

114 x 62 x 13.2

104 x 50 x 15.6

120 x 47.5 x 13.1

108 X 46.8 X 17.1

115.2 X 59.9 X 9.9

Weight (grams)

81.2

120

100

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

6.5/500

8/700

8/500

3.1/220

NA/360

NA/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.0

NA/2.8

NA/3.5

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.6

NA/2.2

NA/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32 GB

45KB/16GB

48MB/16GB

32MB/MicroSD

60KB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/NA

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

2,000

300

500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/NA/NA

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Nucleus

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Clamshell/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

2,499

2,990

4,590

2,600

3,300

2,799

3,199

MICROMAX

SAMSUNG

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/Yes/No

LEMON

PARAMETERS Model

T99

A290

A350

T375

X445

Metro 2252

Dimension (mm)

114 X 62 X 11.2

114.3 x 60 x 12.8

113.5 x 51 x 13

116 × 53.3 × 12.85

103 x 59 x 10.7

110.3 X 55.2 X 14.1

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

Weight (grams)

91.45

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/300

NA/200

25/NA

12.5/328

12.8/601

4/129

11.9/760

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.5

65,536/2.2

262,144/2.2

262,144/3.2

NA/3.2

65,536/1.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/8GB

60KB/8GB

NA/4GB

256MB/32GB

48MB/16GB

NA/8GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2MP/NA/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/NA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Generic

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

3,599

5,999

3,490

3,600

4,200

3,250

2,350

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 81

MODELS

myguide

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

2222

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Champ Delux

Chat 3G 527

Star 3 Duos

Metro C3752

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

101.8 x 55.0 x 12.3

103 x 55 x 12

102 x 58 x 11.51

97.9 x 19 x 16.4

89.7

95.5

93 13.3/900

Metro Duos C3322 Champ Neo Duos C3262

109.5 x 61.3 x 11.85 113.97 x 47.9 x 13.99 90

88.9

11.4/550

10/500

14/550

15.8/500

3/288

14.3/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.2

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

45MB/16GB

46MB/16GB

20MB/32GB

30MB/16GB

80MB/32GB

20MB/16GB

40MB/16GB Yes/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

2.0/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

1,000 Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA, HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Proprietary Yes/Yes

Frequency/Dual SIM

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Slider/No/No

2,880

3,400

3,850

4,300

4,400

2,700

2,800

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SPICE

Champ 3.5G S3770

Primo S5610

W707

W716

W711

Dimension (mm)

118.9 x 49.9 x 12.8

114x62x13.6

118 x 53 x 15

107.5 x 55.8 x 13.1

120 x 63 x 12.4

120 x 63 x 11.8

Weight (grams)

101

109

110

6/350

15.67/960

3/200

8/650

NA/NA

Talktime/Standby (hours)

M5900

WYNNCOM

NEW

M5365

NEW

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.5

65,536/2.4

NA/3.2

NA/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

30MB/16GB

110MB/16GB

NA/32GB

NA/8GB

NA/32GB

NA/32 GB

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

2,000

500

1,000

2,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Proprietary

Nucleous

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Y es/No

4,800

5,249

3,000

1,700

3,049

3,249

3,399

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 82 MY

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

MODELS

HIGH END

PARAMETERS

WYNNCOM

TAG HEUER

VERTU

W720

Meridiist GMT Stainless Steel/Black PVD

Link

Meridiist Steel & Gold

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Dimension (mm)

125.7 x 68.6 x 10.8

112 x 46 x 15.5

118 x 67 x 16.6

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

Weight (grams)

138

155

200

155

148

174

160

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

7/392

6.5/336

7/392

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.0

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32 GB

NA/NA

256MB/8GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

Shared

1,000

2,000

1,500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Nucleous

Andriod v2.2

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes / Yes

Yes/No

Yes/NA

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

4,599

Starting 2,80,000+/3,50,000

Starting 3,25,000+

Starting 5,40,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

MODELS

ENTERPRISE LEVEL

VERTU

PARAMETERS Model

APPLE

BLACKBERRY

Constellation Quest

Signature

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

iPhone 5

Curve 8520

Curve 9220

Dimension (mm)

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

109 x 60 x 13.9

109 x 60 x 12.7

Weight (grams)

165 to 185

166

137

140

112

106

102

7.5/349

3.5/300

14/300

14/200

8/225

4.5/408

7/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

65,536/2.46

65,536/2.44

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

16,32GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

256MB/microSD

512MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

iOS4

iOS 5

iOS 6

BlackBerry OS

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

26,500/31,900

8,400

9,750

38,500/45,500/54,500 45,500/52,500/59,500

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 83

MODELS

myguide

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

Curve 3G 9300

Curve 9320

Curve 9380

Curve 9360

Bold 9780

9860

Torch 9800

Dimension (mm)

109 x 60 x 13.9

109 x 60 x 12.7

109 x 60 x 11.2

112 x 62 x 14.2 mm

109 x 60 x 13.9

120 x 62 x 11.5

111 x 62 x 14.6

Weight (grams)

104

103

130

104

135

161.1

4.5/461

7/432

5.5/360

5/336

4.5/456

4.7/337

5.5/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.46

65,536/2.44

16million/3.2

262,144/2.44

65,536/2.44

16million/3.7

16million/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

BlackBerry OS

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Slider/Yes/Yes

9,800

12,700

15,400

16,000

19,500

19,650

19,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

HTC

Bold 9790

9810

9900

Porche

F350

Dimension (mm)

110 x 60 x 11.4

111 x 62 14.6

115 x 66 x 10.5

115 x 67 x 11.3

118.88 x 61.79 x 11.8

123.9 x 64 x 10

102.8 x 57.2 x 12.9

Weight (grams)

107

161

130

155

115.5

101.5

81.3

5.1/432

6.5/296

6.3/296

5.5/348

4/350

10/331

7.6/485

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.45

16million/3.2

16million/2.8

NA/3.5

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

110MB/32GB

1GB/32GB

90MB/32GB

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/No

2.0MP/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

F410

NEW

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Explorer

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Blackberry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Android v 2.3

Android v4.0

Android OS v2.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Slider/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

23,500

27,650

29,500

1,36,000

6,499

11,999

7,700

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 84 MY

MODELS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Wildfire S

Desire C

Desire V

One V

Desire VC

Desire X

Dimension (mm)

101.3 x 59.4 x 12.4

107 X 60 X 11.9

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.32

120.3 x 59.7 x 9.24

120.5 x 63 x 10.28

119.5 x 62.3 x 9.5

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

105

114

115

113

118

114

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4/120

NA/NA

6.73/261

NA/NA

20/833

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.2

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/microSD

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/CDMA+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,990

12,999

16,800

17,000

19,200

19,500

18,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire SV

One S

Dimension (mm)

129.7 x 67.9 x 10.7

130.9 x 65 x 7.8

Weight (grams)

131

119.5

130

NA/NA

10/290

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity Frequency/Dual SIM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

OneX

IDEA One X+

ID 918

ID 280

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9

111 x 57 x 12

102 x 53 x 13

135

126

NA/NA

4/200

4/288

16million/4.7

16 million/ 4.3

16million/4.7

262,144/3.2

262,144/2.8

32GB/No

16GB/No

64GB/No

512MB/32GB

152MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9 132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.0

Windows Phone 8

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v2.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

21,990

25,750

32,000

34,999

39,999

4,600

4,700

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 85

MODELS

myguide

IDEA

PARAMETERS

INTEX

KARBONN

Aurus

Blade

Aqua 3.2

Aqua Sx

Aqua 5.0

Dimension (mm)

116 x 56.5 x 11.8

110.5 x 61 x 12.6

116 x 60.5 x 13

143 x 80 x 10.1

114.5 x 60.6 x 13.8

Weight (grams)

130

125

138

198.9

130

Model

A1+

NEW

A15

NEW

3.5/200

4/192

4/120

5/360

5/115

4/240

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

152MB/32GB

75MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0/NA/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

5.0 MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/NA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v2.3

Android v2.2

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,600

6,650

3,730

4,720

9,690

4,190

6,290

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

A9+

NEW

LAVA A21

A30

NEW

iris N350

NEW

LG L3 E400

Optimus L3 Dual

Optimus Pro C660

Dimension (mm)

166 x 91 x 10.7

115 x 61.5 x 11.9

102.6 x 61.6 x 11.85

102.6x 61.6 x11.85

119.5 x 59.7 x 12.9

Weight (grams)

280

115

110

119

129

4/200

5/200

10/600

NA/NA

12/600

17/1044

13.5/852

Talktime/Standby (hours) Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

NA/4.5

262,144/5.9

262,144/3.5

262,144/3.2

262144/3.2

262,144/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

1GB/32GB

170MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

7,990

9,990

11,490

4,440

6,500

7,400

7,500

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 86 MY

MODELS

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus Net P690

P698

E510

Optimus L5

Optimus L5 Dual

Optimus Black P970

E730

Dimension (mm)

113 x 59 x 11.7

114 x 59 x 11.7

113.4 x 60.8 x 11.9

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.5

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.6

122 x 64 x 9.2

122.5 x 62.5 x 9.8

Weight (grams)

121

124

123

125

126

109

107

Talktime/Standby (hours)

12/581

11.5/556

10/900

10/901

6/375

18.5/496

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

16million/4.1

16 million/4.0

16million/3.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

150MB/32GB

160MB/32GB

Yes/32GB

4GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/N0

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Android v2.3

Quad Band/ GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v2.2

Android v2.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,400

9,100

11,500

12,500

13,050

16,200

16,880

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Android v2.3

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA

PARAMETERS Model

MICROMAX

Optimus L7 P705

Optimus L9 P765

Optimus 2X

3D maxx P725

Optimus 4X HD

Optimus Vu P895

A57

Dimension (mm)

125.5 x 67 x 8.7

131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1

123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9

126.8 x 67.4 x 9.98

132.4 x 68.1 x 8.9

139.6 X 90.4 X 8.5

116 x 62 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

124

125

139

148

133

168

19/902

12/830

14.5/421

17.5/365

9.3/730

16/510

4.5/145

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16 million/4.7

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.72GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

512MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Android v2.2

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,000

19,000

19,650

25,299

27,550

30,999

4,500

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 87

MODELS

myguide

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

A87

A52

124.8 x 64 x 11.7

1112X61X13.2

A68

NEW

104.5x56x13

SAMSUNG A110

NEW

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

A90S

Galaxy Pocket 5300 Galaxy Y Duos Lite

125 x 65 x 10.6

103.9 x 57.90 x 12.98 103.9 x 57.9 x 12.98

112

102

5/175

5/182

5/144

5/180

5/174

15.8/520

15/410

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

NA/3.2

65,536/4.0

16 million/5.0

262,144/4.3

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

160MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,499

6,050

6,500

10,299

12,900

6,200

6,300

5830 Galaxy Ace

Galaxy Ace Duos

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Android v2.3

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG Galaxy Y Duos Pro Galaxcy Music Duos NEW 5512

Galaxy Y

Galaxy Chat B5330

Galaxy Y Duos

Dimension (mm)

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

118.9 x 59.3 x 11.7

109.8 x 60 x 11.95

110.8 x 63.5 x 11.9

110.1 X 59 X 12.3

Weight (grams)

97.5

112

109

112.3

106.9

Talktime/Standby (hours)

112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5 112.74 x 61.50 x 11.50 113

122

6/120

14/520

17.5/630

19.16/740

15/570

12/520

16.8/570

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

262,144/3.1

262,144/2.6

262,144/3.0

16million/3.5

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

160MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

158MB/32GB

3GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.2

Android v2.3

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,700

8,050

8,150

8,600

9,100

10,000

11,800

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 88 MY

MODELS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Omina M

5830 Galaxy Ace Plus

Galaxy S duos

Galaxy S Plus I9001

Galaxy SII i9100

Galaxy Note

Galaxy SIII

121.6 x 64.0 x 10.5

114.7 x 62.5 x 11.2

121.5x63.1x10.5

122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9

125.30 x 66.10 x 8.49

146.9 x 83 x 9.7

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

120

114

120

119

116

178

133

12/530

11.1/660

12.8/570

17.3/480

19.3/710

6/100

22.5/830

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

262,144/3.7

16million/4.0

16million/4.27

16million/5.3

16million/4.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/NA

2.7GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Windows Phone 7.5

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

27,999

32,000

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

14,999

15,000

20,000

23,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

NR 14,500

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

SONY

Galaxy Note II N7100

tipo

tipo dual

miro

Xperia U

Xperia J

Xperia go

Dimension (mm)

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

103 x 57 x 13

103 x 57 x 13 mm

113 x 59.4 x 9.9 mm

112 x 54 x 12

124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2

111 X 60.3 X 9.8

Weight (grams)

183

99.4

110

124

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

35/980

5/470

6.6/472

7/618

6.3/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.5

262,144/3.2

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

2.9GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/No

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

5.0/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSUPA,HSDPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

37,300

9,199

9,999

14,050

15,500

16,000

17,000

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 89

MODELS

myguide

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm)

SPICE

Neo L

Xperia Sola

Xperia P

Xperia S

Xperia SL

Xperia Ion

120 X 61 X 12.8

116.0 x 59.0 x 9.9

122 x 59.5 x 10.5

128 x 64 x 10.6

128.0 x 64.0 x 10.6

133.0 x 68.0 x 10.6

Mi 285

NEW

116.5 x 58.4 x 12.69

Weight (grams)

131.5

107

120

144

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8/575

6/475

7.5/450

8/410

10/400

6/480

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16M/4.55

262,144/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.1MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,050

17,990

22,000

26,000

26,500

29,999

4,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

SPICE

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

XOLO

Stellar Craze Mi-355

Stellar Mi-425

Mi-500

A700

Dimension (mm)

118 x 62 x 11.5

125 x 63.5 x 12.5

143 x 77.4 x 10.5

119.5 x 63 x 11.4

136 x 68.5 x 9.1

133x67x10.5

A800

123 x 63 x 10.99

Weight (grams)

110

205

129

115

124

NEW

N900

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4/192

5/NA

NA/NA

7/425

6/NA

14/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.5

262,144/4.0

16 million/5.0

65,536/3.5

16 million/ 4.5

16 million/4.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

140MB/32GB

149MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32 GB

4 GB/32 GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3MP / No / Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA Android v2.3

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,500

8,350

12,400

6,499

9,999

12,500

17,600

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 90 MY

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Samsung Hero Plus 159

Samsung B209

Samsung B229

108.5 x 45.8 x 13.3

108.0 x 44.8 x 14.3

108 x 44.38 x 14.20

Samsung Hero B189 Samsung Superstar Samsung Hero B319 105 x 44 x 13

108 x 45.4 x 14.7

Samsung B379 109.5 x 45.4 x 14.2

72.3

3/230

4.3/470

6.5/720

3.3/250

3.3/212

3/257

4.3/470

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

597KB/No

351KB/No

450KB/No

NA/No

1MB/No

351KB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

500

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

BREW

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

No/No

No/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,380

1,400

Samsung Guru Dual CDMA

MODELS

Price in Rs.

No/Yes Bar/No/No

CDMA

PARAMETERS Samsung B339

Samsung Guru 539

Samsung Guru Muzik 219

Mpower TV 239

MTS Live Wire

MTS M-Tag

Dimension (mm)

108.20 x 47.1 x 14.35

109.6 x 44.9 x 14.0

112 x 46.3 x 15.3

114.9 x 47.8 x 14.1

118.5 x 50 x 12.45

198 x 54 x 13

113 x 54 x 12

Weight (grams)

75.7

77.5

86.7

Model

4.3/470

6/720

4/230

6.5/300

4.4/420

3/200

4.4/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.77

65,536/1.7

65,536/2.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

351KB/No

2.5MB/4+4GB

14MB/2GB

7.41MB/4GB

85MB/16GB

256MB/32GB

170MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/No

Yes/No

YesNo

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/CDMA1X

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

BREW

Android v2.2

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,650

2,100

2,500

3,250

4,150

4,600

4,699

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 91

MODELS

myguide

CDMA

PARAMETERS

MTS M-Tag401

Blackberry 8530

Galaxy Ace Duos I589

Model

Samsung Primo Duos

MTS M-Tag 352

MTS M-Tag 351

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Dimension (mm)

118.8 x 49.9 x 14.07

114.5 x 61 x 11

116x62.2x12.15

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

127 x 64 x 13

109 x 60 x 13.9

112.4 x 59.9 x 12.44

Weight (grams)

103

97.5

132

105

125

6.67/160

4/200

5/200

6/120

4.3/200

4.5/252

7/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.5

262,144/3.0

262,144/4.0

65,536/NA

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

75MB/-

512MB/32GB

160MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

Quad Band/No

CDMA/No

Quad Band/No

CDMA/No

Dual Band/CDMA+GSM

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

BREW

Android OS v2.3

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android v2.3

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,999

5,999

6,900

7,250

7,800

12,500

12,850

MODELS

TABLET

PARAMETERS

CDMA

APPLE

Blackberry Curve CDMA 9350

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini Wi+3G

iPad 2 Wi-Fi

i-Pad 2 Wi-Fi+3G

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi+3G

Dimension (mm)

109 x 60 x 11

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

Weight (grams)

308

312

607

652

662

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

10/720

NA/NA

Model

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.44

16 million/7.9

262,144/9.7

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64 GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS7

iOS 6

iOS 4.3

iOS 6

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,999

21,900/27,900/33,900 29,900/35,900/41,900 23,999/29,500/34,500 32,000/38,000/44,000 31,900/37,900/43,900 39,900/45,900/51,900

YMOBILE JAN 15 to FEB 14 2013 92 MY

MODELS

HCL

PARAMETERS Model

INTEX

KARBONN

ME U1

ME Y2

ME G1

I BUDDY 7.0

Dimension (mm)

192.8 x 117.28 x 12.53

120 X 200 X 13

238 X 186 X 11

193 X 121 X 9

Weight (grams)

350

370

570

316

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

7/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/7.0

NA/9.7

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Smart Tab 2

NEW

Smart Tab 8

NEW

Smart Cosmic

NEW

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

0.3 MP Front/No/No

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

NA/NA/Yes

No/No/NA

No/No/Yes

-/-/-

No/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,999

14,550

14,999

6,150

5,990

6,990

9,990

MODELS

Price in Rs.

NA No/No/Yes

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

MY ZEN TAB

SAMSUNG

Funbook

Funbook Pro

708B

708BH

Galaxy Tab2 310

Tab 10.1 1750

Galaxy Note10.1N800

Dimension (mm)

122 x 192 x 10

193 x 121 x 8.5

195 x 122 x 11.7

193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5

256.7 x 175.3 x 8.6

262 x 180 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

360

600

360

440

345

565

600

NA/NA

5/NA

4/NA

5/NA

30/NA

9/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/7.0

16million/10.1

16million/7.0

16million/10.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

8GB/32GB

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

NA/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

0.3/No/NA

VGA/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

No/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Android v3.1

Android v4.0

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

5,850

9,400

6,999

7,699

18,250

31,750

37,500

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

JAN 15 TO FEB 14 2013 MYMOBILE 93

rumour mill

Talk iPhone 6 or 5s? Maxi or mini?

Barely a few months have passed since the iPhone 5 hit the stores and there is already speculation about the next edition of the so-called Godphone. And the rumours are really diverse this time around. While some insist that the next iPhone will be a minor upgrade and will be more of an iPhone 5S, there are others who insist that the next iPhone will have an even larger display, accommodating full HD. Finally, rounding off the rumour mill is very serious talk that Apple could actually release TWO iPhones this year - a large screened one and the other with a smaller 3.2-inch display and colourful pabels which it will promote as an iPhone mini, at a much lower price tag. At another time, we would have dismissed most of this as idle talk, but given the accuracy of rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini, we are wondering just whom to believe. And how much.

Waze up for grabs?

It has been around for a while, the socially networked navigation app, Waze, shot into the spotlight when millions of users adopted it following Apple’s iOS 6 maps disaster. Although Google Maps and Nokia’s Here have since been launched on iOS, Waze continues to be popular. So popular in fact that rumours are abounding about big companies lining up to acquire it. Leading the charge evidently is Apple itself, which sees the app as a way of adding more muscle to its iOS 6 maps, while

in Tech Corners

other interested parties evidently include Facebook and Microsoft, all of whom interestingly are looking to take on Google’s muscle in the mapping business. This would be one heck of an acquisition if it does happen.

Mobile Ubuntu - Dell’s comeback vehicle

Its early efforts did not exactly set the smartphone market on fire, but if our sources are to be believed, Dell has not yet given up on the segment. And even as Ubuntu is all set to make its debut as a mobile OS platform, we are hearing strong rumours that Dell will launch a slew of smartphones on the OS towards the end of the year, along with its own app store. Now that could be a mutually beneficial relationship - the OS needs good devices and Dell needs a product to define itself in the smartphone business. Watch this space for more action.

The next gaming phone will come from...NVIDIA The idea of a gaming phone has been tossed around for years now, although its implementation has met with limited success (just ask Nokia and Sony, if you do not believe us). For many people today, a large screen smartphone is just about perfect for gaming on the move. However, NVIDIA seems to think that there is room in the market for a gaming device that can function as a portable console as well as a handset, which is why we are getting to hear many whispers that the processor giant is actually looking at making a

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portable console like device which will handle high-end games, serve up great multimedia... and also double up as a phone. Although it will run a version of Android, it will evidently not support Google Play but will instead come with NVIDIA’s own Tegra Store, which will offer high-definition apps and games for users. Specs remain indistinct but we have heard the words “full HD display, 64 GB onboard storage, 2GB RAM, and 2.0 GHz quad core processor” being mentioned in this connection. If true, this would be one of the most muscular mobile gaming devices ever seen. Will it succeed where Nokia and Sony slipped up? We are waiting for official confirmation. And watching.

And now, an iWatch?

Even as the world goes on an on about Apple’s making a television, we are hearing rumours that Apple is actually working on wearable computers. If our sources are to be believed, work is underway on an Apple watch which will run on the same iOS platform that powers the iPhone and the iPad. Evidently, an ‘iWatch’ has been on Apple’s radar for a while, and the company came very close to making it a few years ago, but last minute issues made it convert the device into an iPod nano. Unlike other smartwatches that focus on making calls, Apple’s watch will be more of a PDA, serving up details on the weather, mail and social networks while also delivering a solid music experience, and will come with 3G (yes, a nano SIM again) and Wi-Fi connectivity. Our interest is piqued, needless to say. n team@mymobile.co.in

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facebook: In the beginning was Facemash Mark Zuckerberg created the Facemash website, when he was a second year student at Harvard. It used private dormitory ID photographs of students at Harvard and asked users to rate people on the basis of how attractive they were - ‘hot or not’. However, the site was closed down by the Harvard administration and Zuckerberg was charged with breach of security and infringement of privacy. The charges were dropped later. Was Facebook a stolen idea? Within a week of the launch of thefacebook.com, three Harvardians charged Zuckerberg with stealing the idea of the social website. The three - Divya Narendra, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss - were looking for a programmer who could build a social network for Harvard students and alumni – HarvardConnections.com. A lawsuit was also filed against Zuckerberg. Mark’s other social platforms Facebook was not Zuckerberg’s first website. He had earlier developed several social-networking websites for fellow students that include Coursematch that

From a Harvard social networking web site to THE social network

allowed users to view people taking their degree and, of course, Facemash. Another brick in the ‘Wall’ In September 2004, Facebook introduced the Wall that enabled friends and others to write messages or posts. The same month, ConnectU (earlier known as HarvardConnection) sued Facebook and Zuckerberg. From thefacebook to Facebook! In August 2005, ‘thefacebook’ was officially named Facebook and the domain facebook.com was purchased for an estimated amount of $2, 00,000. Money well spent. Getting an appy Platform In May 2007, Facebook unveiled the Platform system that allowed programmers to develop tools for sharing pictures, playing games, and doing a host of other tasks. This paved the way for games like Farmville, which became a rage. Like to Chat? Done! Facebook introduced its popular chat feature in 2008. This was followed in 2009 by the ‘Like’ button which was launched

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in 2009, allowing users to express their appreciation of posts and pictures without having to write anything. Winning Awards galore Facebook has won awards by the sackful and not just in the tech space. Zuckerberg rode on the social network’s popularity to be named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2010, and the same year saw a Hollywood flick based inspired by the story of Facebook, The Social Network, win three Academy awards. 1 Billion users, but still free Notwithstanding the attempts of a number of competitors, Facebook remains the most popular social network in the world today, and crossed 1 billion users recently. This means that the ubiquitous social media giant reaches almost one out of every seven people on the planet. Incidentally, India has the second highest number of Facebook subscribers among all countries. Oh, and it remains as free as ever to use. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

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“The era of consumers is finally dawning” As the VAS market in India enters a crucial phase, players are scurrying to come out with better offers and fight off the challenge posed by apps. We caught up with Naveen Bhandary, MD and CEO, Techzone, to get a better idea of not just the current state of affairs, but what the future has in store for all players. My Mobile Team What is the status of the Indian VAS market? The Indian VAS market dominated around 17 per cent of the Indian telecom market. It was at its peak one year back, but saw a dip post the new TRAI regulations. From the product’s perspective, the Indian VAS industry has gone through a transition phase during the past year. Earlier, any VAS industry player with content like Indian music or international music, would edit it and try to push it into the market through various distribution channels like WAP, through a ‘push based’ promotion model. However, after the new TRAI regulations, Techzone decided to adapt to a more consumer-friendly ‘pull-based’ promotion model. Eventually, the entire industry will have to resort to strategies like these to sustain themselves. There is no other option. The Indian VAS market at present is at a point of saturation. What is your take on that? The era of consumers is finally dawning over the VAS industry. Now is the perfect time for the content to speak out. Earlier, VAS players and operators would simply take content and spin it across to the consumers without any research on their consumption patterns. Whereas, now the industry is transitioning, the product team has

changed its strategy from ‘push’ to ‘pull’. It will obviously take a while for the trend to pick up but eventually we will surely find the entire VAS industry to be consumer demand driven. What trends do you see in the VAS intake, both globally as well as in India? For the consumer, there will be more value addition in the services, products will be much more fragmented and customised along with various pricing options to suit their requirements. The pull based VAS intake would go up and so will the browsing time of the consumers. Internationally, in developed countries, VAS is already a pull based market. Around 12-15 per cent of the operator’s revenue there comes from VAS, and you will not see much change in those markets in the next 4-5 years. In developing countries like ours and a few others, the push based market is now drifting towards the pull based market which is more customer oriented. What in terms of services sets you apart from other players in the VAS market? Our strength lies in innovation and being able to deliver future oriented products in present. In 2000, when everyone focused on ringtones, we were the first in innovating a business model in CRBT in India. Another example is the full track download which is one of the

major components of WAP today. Techzone was one of the pioneers who started full song downloads along SaReGaMa at a time when people believed no one would pay for full songs downloads on mobile. We were also one of the first players to have realised the potential of TV content. What are the challenges faced by you today? One major challenge is the present day revenue share. It doesn’t allow much room to experiment. When you are producing the content, investing in R&D, and doing the marketing of the content too, such revenues are not enough. A second challenge is targeting the right consumer. A technology based product will largely have a target segment of 25-35 year old adults and differentiate in terms on gender, geographies, economic status, etc., but we have to do blind targeting as we do not have that kind of data. What kind of innovations can we see from Techzone in future? A major focus area will be mobile apps which will be necessity based rather than luxury based. This will be in line with the organization’s philosophy of claiming leadership through path breaking technology and innovation in VAS, and this time, through the mobile application route. n team@mymobile.co.in

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Tech That Reads Your Mind H

ow dynamic can our world get? Can technology go beyond making life more convenient and comfortable? Can it truly fuse the real with the virtual to create new experiences, sensations, interactions,

meaning and interpretations? It is happening around us as thinkers, artists, technologists, craftsmen and dreamers come together to create blends of reality that were previously impossible. Take the example from a Christmas Tree in Turkey’s Istanbul that illuminates itself based on tweets, friend requests and Christmas cards sent from a Facebook application. The idea seems simple enough: the density, frequency or volume of a pre-determined and measurable activity changes the amount of power being provided to the decorations on the tree. We have a tree that responds to social interaction! Now, wait for two minutes to absorb the behavior of the Christmas Tree. Can you stretch this out to create even more responsive versions of Christmas Trees for your neighbourhood? How might these trees look and what consumer needs would they serve (other than decorative)? Let your imagination run wild…because others are already doing it. The 11 foot tall Heineken Christmas Social Tree at Singapore’s Clarke Quay epitomizes what one can do with mobile phones, computer networks, cameras, social media, interactivity, television screens, etc. The Christmas tree was made up of 48 inter connected LCD screens! Users of the Heineken Social Christmas Tree Facebook application could send Christmas greetings to their friends and if they were lucky would find their greetings displayed on the screens. Visitors to the tree could take a picture of themselves at a nearby photo booth and the Christmas tree would contort your images and turn them into playful Christmas ornaments on the tree! Today’s cheap and accessible technology such as Augmented Reality (AR), Near Field Communication, mobile wallets, video and audio capture, digital com-

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pass, GPS tracking on mobile phones and a host of other fascinating capabilities can change everything. Millions of BlackBerry handsets today are equipped with an application called Wikitude that creates a dynamic layer of information on real life images, allowing you to see things that you would normally miss. You simply switch on the application and aim the camera in any direction. Wikitude begins to overlay information about the place (nearby restaurants, ATMs, your friends on the BlackBerry Messenger - whatever happens to be in the field of vision of the device). And it is smooth, lets you find what you are looking for, lets you create your own AR worlds and share them with friends, explore places in ways you may not have considered before. In many instances Wikitude may also show stores and cafes that have special offers within your sight of vision and maybe you can even make payments there using your mobile wallet! The next time you go to a grocery store, will you aim your phone at the QR code on the box of breakfast cereals to discover what exactly is inside the box? Will the cereal brand send you instant content from the cloud based on the location of your phone? For example, a recipe or a promotion that uses the fact that you are currently about to buy the cereal in Mumbai and not in Manhattan? Add to this a quick analysis of keywords in your most recent Tweets to create a more personalised and entertaining experience? The list of possible ways to leverage technology is infinite, limited only by the imagination. Smartphones and other devices are changing the way we look at healthcare, education, banking, shopping, socializing, working and even governance, adapting to our lifestyles, our cultures, languages, preferences, friends and our location. All of it comes together to intelligently solve problems -- in ways that we could not have imagined just five years ago. n -Sunil Lalvani, Director Enterprise Sales, RIM India (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)

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