all-file-english-april-2013 by My Mobile

www.mymobile.co.in

apr 15 to may 14 2013 ď Ź Rs 75 tm

for a connected lifestyle

Flagship Face-Off Which will float, which will sink P 20

Docking Stations

Four of the best docks P 32

Facebook Home Will you move?

P 28

Tested

HTC ONE, Nokia 206, Sony Xperia E Dual, Xolo X1000, Gionee Dream D1 and more... P 38

Nokia Lumia 620

P 52

first call

e call it flagship season. Although high-profile phones and devices are released right through the year, there comes a time when all the major players in the market have shown their hands to the public, which can actually sit back and see an array of amazing devices, none of which are likely to be bettered soon. And as summer descends on India, so has flagship season. At the time of writing, every major smartphone manufacturer had put what it claimed was its best device out in the market, be it Apple with the iPhone 5, Samsung with the Galaxy SIV, Nokia with the Lumia 920 or LG with the Optimus G Pro. What better time to do an analysis of the best of each company and what it offers to the consumer? Which is exactly what we have done in our cover story in this issue – got up and close with the best all the major brands have to offer, irrespective of the platform. Be it Androd, iOS, BB 10 or Windows Phone, it is a fair chance that you will find its best representative in our cover story. As we go to print, the tech world is buzzing with Facebook's latest gambit. Not a Facebook Phone as many people had suspected, but a whole new theme software called Home that will give Android users a much better Facebook experience on their device. Some are hailing the idea as revolutionary, others as invasionary, but what cannot be denied is that come April 12, millions of Android users will go into download mode and see if Facebook's new app can be their Home. Of course, we will review the app the moment we get our hands on it, but while we are waiting, we have taken a look at what it promises to offer and whether this Facebook rose is all petals or has thorns lurking beneath those dazzling features. Meanwhile, the IPL has got underway and if you are one of those who does not have access to a television, then go right ahead and check out our Apptastic section which contains a list of the best apps to give you a taste of IPL magic right on your handset. That apart, this issue comes with the usual mix of analysis and comment from key members of the industry as well as reviews of some of the most talked about devices to have hit the market. Turn over the pages to read more about the likes of Apple TV, the Nokia Lumia 620, the HTC One, and a host of other devices and applications. We also reveal lesser known facts about Apple's design wizard, Sir Jonathan Ive, and attempt to de-mystify Google Hangout, the video-chatting trend that has taken India by storm. Speaking of storms, a few certainly seem to be brewing, given the lawsuits springing up in the Indian mobile market. Needless to say, we will be keeping our eyes open and you informed about anything and everything that will affect you as a user and member of the industry. Happy reading. And stay in the shade. Summer's arrived.

E D I T O R I AL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

DESIGN Ajit Kumar Parashar | Graphic Designer Cover Photo | Kaustav Saikai, Member, SanDisk Extreme Team

C I R C U LA T I O N Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

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. 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 apr 15 to may 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 IX, Issue III, april 15, To may 14, 2013

content

Facebook Home not a phone but a feature, we throw a light on what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about

Lead Story

Facebook

We put together the leading phones of various brands and what each one has

Messenger

Instagram

just in

The new entrants in the smartphone market

Chief Speak

in focus

Moin Mushtaque, Vice President, Handset Business, The Mobile Store talks about the journey of his company so far and the retail strategy for the Indian market

Add-ons

sneak peek

The best iPod docks available today

HTC First and Samsung S4 knocking at the doors

jargon Buster

Google Hangout Explained

cell clues

Face To Face Indrajit Sabarwal, Managing Director, Simmtronics Semiconductors, discusses the growing tablet market in India and the offerings of the company

Letters

News

Mobile Doctor

Gear Guide

Consumer Forum

06 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

Gaurav Khanna & Amit Khanna, Managing Directors, Americos Technologies, talks about the importance of social media and their social polling platform Hammer

27 30

Different ways to use the secondary camera of your phone

spotlight Virtual mobile storage explained and its future in the Indian market

content 60

etc

Apple TV, Fujifilim XE1, Asus Laptop, Dell Laptop

smart apps

Snapy satisfaction for the photographer in you

my guide 73

BURN TESTS

Boredom Busters Hordes of action and speed packed games

Nokia 206

Wyncomm G51

rumour mill

Intex Aqua wonder

Trivia

Mitashi tab BE150

Sony Xperia E dual

Xolo X1000

HTC One

Fly F45

Gionee Dream D1

Nokia 620

Spice Stellar Virtuoso

New buzz around the cell town

A new dimension of social networking Printerest

persona Ten interesting facts about Sir Jonathan Ive

vantage point Vinay Piparsania, Ford India talks about in-car technology trends

in focus

96 97 98

A look at different Android interfaces

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

08 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

apptastic

IPL fever is on, catch the missing action through these IPL apps

letters I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine. I really like the innovative story ideas that you cover in every issue of your magazine. In the Budget Tablet Shootout Z10 Unveiled March issue, I liked the cover story. E-Books It very clearly highlighted the ongoTested ing trends and developments that the camera industry is going through. I am going to buy a new mobile phone soon and this story very well CAMERAPHONES VS CAMERAS explained what role a good camera plays in a smartphone. Moreover, it further gave readers an insight as to what the camera companies are doing to make the dedicated cameras smart so, that they can compete with the smartphone cameras. I always love your cover stories and would want you to come up with more interesting stories of this kind. -Hemant Kumar, Delhi

to come up with some powerful versus features on some high end devices as comparisons are always interesting to read. – Pankaj Sharma, Pune

I started reading the magazine just three months before. I was very impressed by the content it carried. It is very informative and delivers great knowledge about gadgets. The Burn Tests published in it give the reader complete knowledge about the device which helps them in purchasing a phone. I personally like the Apptastic section as it covers some very useful apps. The latest issue which covered the stylus apps helped me a lot as I really like to scribble on my tablet. I would request the team to increase this section and cover more apps, also keep up the good work. – Manjit Kaur, Punjab

I am a regular reader of the magazine and the website. I really like the magazine. Moreover, I also like to update myself with the prices of various brands and the ‘My Guide’ section helps me in that. Apart from the magazine I really like your website. The frequent news updates keep me up to date about what is going on in the tech industry. The content is very good and the news stories give complete knowledge about the news being covered. However, I would request you to incorporate more videos on the site. As a visitor I like to see more unboxings of various gadgets as it gives a closer view of the gadget and works as a teaser to the review yet to be published. – Shruti, via email

MAR 15 to APR 14 2013  Rs 75

www.mymobile.co.in

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

Four tablets low on cost

P 28

Books get into digital mode P 64

Samsung Galaxy Grand, Sony Xperia Z, LG optimus G, Nokia Lumia 820, Micromax Canvas HD and more... P 40

PHONE OF THE MONTH

BlackBerry Z10

The imaging battle begins

P 56

P 20

I am a regular reader of your magazine and I never miss on any issue. It completely covers all the aspects related to mobiles and tablets. Recently, I was thinking of buying a tablet for myself but CELL CLUES my budget was not very Four Four Figures Figures Four Four Tablets Tablets high. The story of four W affordable tablets, which was published in a recent issue, came as a blessing for me. It helped me to decide which tablet I should buy and also highlighted the pros and cons of every tablet. Thanks to the team for doing such story. I bought an Acer Iconia B1 for myself and I am very happy with the tablet. I would request you to do same stories of this kind in the future as well. – Shiv, Shimla WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN

Tablets have been around for a while but it is only recently that they have become the objects of everyone’s desire. And thanks to the advance of technology, today it is possible to get a decent tablet without even venturing into five figures territory. We take a look at four tablets with decent specifications that deliver a fair bit of tablet delight, without blowing a hole in your wallet Ketan Pratap

Karbonn Smart Tab 8

ith more and more of us living life on the go, tugging a heavy notebook or laptop around always is not advisable, if we have a portable, affordable and lightweight option in its place. And the tablet has emerged as a very handy alternative, which is light, portable and stylish compared to notebooks. Contrary to what many believe, a tablet is an extremely versatile device - you can do almost everything with a tablet that you can on your notebook, from creating documents to making PowerPoint presentations to watching a video. And the advancement of technology and fierce competition have ensured that tablet prices have plummeted to the extent that one can get a decent tablet for less than the price of a high-end handset. So if you are on a tight budget, here is our selection of four tablets that deliver a lot while costing less than Rs 10,000 - yes, four tablets that cost a mere four figures.

(Rs 7,490)

arbonn has been making waves with its Duple-series of smartphones and is clearly looking to replicate the same value for money appeal for its tablets. The company has added the Karbonn Smart Tab 8 Velox to its Duple-series line-up. The ST8 Velox boasts of an 8-inch screen which is scratch-resistant and offers a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The tablet also packs in a 1.5 GHz Cortex A9 dual core processor, 1GB RAM, comes with Flash memory of 1.51GB that can be expanded up to 32GB, and runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean OS. One area in which the Karbonn Smart Tab 8 excels is multimedia as it comes with dual cameras - VGA in front and a 3.0-megapixel camera at the rear - and supports full HD playback for multimedia entertainment. As for the battery, it includes a 4,500mAh battery that allows it to last for more than a day of routine usage. The tablet also supports 3G (through a USB dongle) and is Wi-Fi enabled. Pros- Dual cameras

Cons- Not the greatest build quality

After Acer Iconia B1 (Rs 7,999)

f late, Acer has been making waves with its Windows 8 tablet launched in India. But that doesn’t mean that the company has given up with Android. The Acer Iconia B1 is a prime example. It may not be the best when it comes to looks but it is not bad either. The 7.0inch tablet is a largely plastic affair, but that does make it light in weight (320 grams). The B1 is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM and comes with 8GB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32 GB. The 1024x600 resolution display is not the best but is better than many other tablets in the sub Rs 10,000 category. The tablet is based on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) which is still a rarity when it comes to tablets in the budget segment. When it comes to multimedia, the device includes a VGA front camera. It includes a 2,710 mAh battery that can last up to six hours on Wi-Fi use, while on standby it easily lasts for more than a day. Pros- Good touchscreen response

Asus MeMO Pad (Rs 9,999)

sus seems to be targeting the price conscious Indian market with a vengeance. After showcasing some high-end hybrid devices at this year’s MWC, Asus launched an affordable tablet dubbed the MeMO Pad in India, and with this has entered the budget tablet market. Given its Nexus pedigree, many expected the MeMO Pad to be similar to the Nexus 7. However, this is a relatively modest affair, albeit with impressive specs for its price. It comes with a 1 GHz processor and 1GB RAM - modest, some might think (considering that the Acer Iconia B1 comes with a dual core processor), but it certainly is no laggard in the performance department, as long as one does not get into HD territory. The MeMO Pad runs on Android 4.1 JellyBean and its 7.0-inch LED touchscreen comes with a 1024x600 pixel resolution. On the multimedia front, Asus has pre-loaded many apps like MyLibrary (epub, pdf), MyNet, Kindle, Zinio, and SuperNote. It also sports a 1.0-megapixel front camera for online video chats using Skype or Google Hangouts. The device has a solid build and backing the device is a 4,270 mAh battery, which can see one through a day of relatively routine use. Pros- Solid design

Cons- Single core processor

Cons- Not much to offer in multimedia

Micromax Funbook P600 (Rs 9,499)

icromax has been betting heavily on Android to win followers in the budget smartphone and tablet segment. In the later, it has been launching a number of tablets under the Funbook brand, one of which is the Funbook P600. The P600 runs on an old version of Android - Ice Cream Sandwich - but is still decent enough for most routine tasks. On the hardware front the tablet packs in an ARM Cortex A5 1 GHz dual core with 512MB RAM. For graphics the tablet boasts dual Mali- 2D/3D graphics processor. The tablet sports dual cameras, VGA on the front and a 2.0-megapixel snapper at the back. Micromax has been consistent on delivering educational content on tablets and this one too comes with educational content from kindergarten upto IAS civil services exams. Backing the device is a 3,000 mAh battery. On the connectivity front the tablet scores more than other tablets in the segment with voice calling and 3G support. Pros- 3G and voice calling

Cons- Low screen resolution (480 x 800)

28 MYMOBILE MAR 15 to APR 14 2013

MAR 15 to APR 14 2013 MYMOBILE 29

I am reading My Mobile magazine for five years. I must say that the content of the magazine has improved a lot over the period of time. I am a tech savvy person and believe in keeping myself updated with all the information about the latest gadgets. I like the Burn Tests, as it gives a reader the overall knowledge about a gadget. But, one of my favourite sections has been missing from the magazine from some time – the 'versus' section. I loved to read that as it compared two handsets and the reader was able to decide which to buy and which to avoid. I would request the My Mobile team

10 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

I always enjoy reading every edition of the magazine. You provide ample information in every issue which easily satiates the hunger of a tech-savvy reader. The magazine covers good amount of information about all the latest gadgets and gizmos in town. But the two sections which I never miss reading are the ‘Mobile Doctor’ and the ‘Consumer Forum’. The Mobile Doctor solves many problems of the reader related to a particular gadget and in turn helps many readers who are reading those queries. And the Consumer Forum helps in establishing a contact between the companies and the customers. Along with this, it also contacts the various companies and gets problems resolved. I would request the magazine to incorporate more problems in both the sections so that the reader can get maximum benefit out of them. –Ravi Bahl, Kanpur

I enjoy reading the magazine a lot. I was not a technology fan and hardly knew anything about the beat. But when my brother introduced me to your magazine I was taken aback by the vast coverage given to various aspects of technology. Now, it has been a year since I have become a fan of the magazine. Now I read every story covered and also like the telecom stories you cover. I would like you to focus more on telecom stories as it is a vast area and there is a lot more that the readers would want to read. I would suggest the team to do some operator-related stories as they have not been covered recently. I would also like to congratulate the My Mobile team for doing a great job. – Akriti, via email.

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

Idea announces ‘Idea Daredevilry Awards’

Facebook launches Facebook Home for Android

Idea Cellular has announced special awards to be given this IPL season. Idea along with the team Delhi Daredevils has launched ‘Idea Daredevilry Awards’, which will recognise and appreciate citizens of Delhi, UP West, Haryana, MP and Chhattisgarh who have done exemplary work in fighting various ills in the society. The aim of this campaign is to award the acts of courage of the audiences in Delhi and neighbouring circles. Stories are invited from all spheres of life which highlight incidents done for the good and welfare of society. Idea subscribers can take part in the contest by dialing 121. Non-Idea subscribers can also participate.

Facebook has launched a new feature named ‘Facebook Home’, which will turn your Android smartphone into something like a Facebook device. The default Android skin of the device will now get replaced with Facebook Home and will feature content from Facebook. A key feature of Home will be the Cover Feed, which will replace the lockscreen and the homescreen. This will provide you with the instant updates about the activities of your friends. And by double tapping the screen you can also like a particular story. The other interesting attribute is Chat Heads, with which you can easily chat with your friends while performing other tasks on your device. Apart from this, you will also get direct notifications about recent updates from your friends along with their images.

After shortlisting of stories, awards will be given to the winners by the members of the Delhi Daredevils IPL cricket Team.

Aircel offers extra talktime this IPL

AndroidGuruz one stop shop for major Chinese brands

Aircel in association with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has launched consumer initiatives involving innovative products and services. Being the official partner of the team, the operator this time has come up with a unique plan of full talktime for Rs 164. Under the plan, Aircel will offer its subscribers some extra talktime whenever CSK will score above 164 runs in a match. The extra talktime offered will be valid from the first match till the next match. Conversely, if CSK scores less than 164 or equal to it, the benefit of full talktime and five Aircel to Aircel minutes will be provided.

Reliance Jio Infocomm signs Rs 1,200 crore deal with RCom Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm hassigned an agreement worth Rs 1200 crore with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications. This will permit Reliance Jio Infocomm to use RCom’s nationwide intercity fiber optic infrastructure. This initiative will strengthen 4G services and will also act as the backbone for the same. The deal further stated that immediate upgradation of the optic fiber network will be done in order to support uninterrupted delivery of next generation services. The agreement is fruitful for both the companies and both are expected to benefit from it.

12 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

A new retail store chain is set to arrive in the Indian market to sell mobile handsets. The retail store named AndroidGuruz will be selling famous Chinese brands under one roof. The retail smartphone brand has been set up in association with Mainland China brands for distribution and retailing of Android phone brands in the Indian market. The first retail store will be opening in New Delhi in April followed by others in Bengaluru in May. All Chinese brands will offer three months replacement warranty with 1 year support. The chain plans to open around 200 retail stores in India.

Hungama Music app grabs number one position Hungama.com’s mobile app has gained the number one position on all platforms within seven days of its launch, making it one of the most downloaded apps. It has also become the fourth top grossing app in Apple’s App Store. The app comes with some innovative features and delivers an excellent music experience to the users. It is the digital destination for content from Bollywood and other regions (Telugu, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Malayalam and others). It also allows the user to earn (and redeem) points every time they watch videos, play/share music, invite friends and even create playlists. You can download the app for free and tune in to your favourite music.

NEWS bits Policy & Regulations HANDSETS & MORE Videocon launches Videocon VT 75C budget tablet Videocon Mobile Phones has launched another 2G Voice calling budget tablet called the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Videocon VT 75Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The device consists of a 7.0-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with 480 x 800 resolution. The tablet runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by a 1GHz processor. It also has 4GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB through microSD card. On the camera front, the tablet is equipped with a 2.0-megapixel rear camera and a front VGA camera. The connectivity options of the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2G, and 3G with dongle support. There are also some pre-loaded apps for the users like Saavn, Facebook, TOI, Skype and many others. And it comes with an extremely affordable price tag of Rs 6,499.

Asus launches Nexus 7 tab Asus has launched the Google Nexus 7 tab in a 32GB variant in India. The company introduced both, the 3G+Wi-Fi and the Wi-Fi only models. It is the first 7-inch tablet that comes equipped with 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quadcore CPU. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and comes with 1GB RAM. It also boasts a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera and also has NFC functionality. In order keep all this working it comes with a powerful 4,325 mAh battery. The 3G version costs Rs 21,999, whereas the Wi-Fi variant will be available for Rs 18,999.

Mumbai to remove 49 per cent illegal cell phone towers

After Delhi, the cellphone towers of Mumbai have come under scrutiny. As per the installation norms for cel phone towers it has been seen that 1,830 of the 3,705 mobile towers in Mumbai are illegal. The illegal towers constitute 49 per cent of the total tower strength of Mumbai. Bhaskar Jadhav, minister of state for urban development stated that these towers do not have requisite permission and the figures which are made public are based on a citywide survey conducted in 2011. He further added that these towers have come up due to the negligence of the civic agencies, as the BMC should have looked into the matter and not let something like this happen. A new set of guidelines is being laid down which will take care of the matter and will be the guiding force for all linking policies. However, the drive to take down these towers is yet to start.

Interim relief to Airtel, Vodafone and Idea

Nokia rolls out most affordable WP8 smartphone Nokia has recently released its most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 520. The phone was earlier showcased at MWC 2013. The device comes with a 4.0-inch WVGA display, runs on Windows Phone 8 OS and is powered by 1 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor. Along with this it has 512MB RAM and 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded further to 64GB via microSD card. On the camera front, the smartphone boasts a 5.0-megapixel rear camera and supports connectivity options like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G. It houses a 1,420 mAh battery and comes with a price tag of Rs 10,499.

14 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

The Supreme Court of India has given temporary relief to the major telcos to continue with their 3G services. The court in its recent judgment allowed Airtel, Vodafone and Idea to continue their 3G services till 11 April, 2013 when the next hearing will take place. The court also asked DoT not to take any action against the telcos till that time. The operators were asked to stop 3G roaming services in circles outside their licence zones by DoT(Department of Telecom). Airtel approached the SC after the High Court removed the stay order, which prevented the Government from executing its order asking these companies to stop 3G services. The DoT also levied a penalty of Rs 550 crore and Rs 300 crore on Vodafone and Idea respectively, whereas Airtel was asked to pay Rs 350 crore as penalty for violating the terms and conditions of user licences. The Government had also declared the 3G roaming pacts as illegal in 2011.

just in Nokia Lumia 720 The mid-range

powerful Lumia

okia showcased the Lumia 720 at the Mobile World Congress 2013 and it grabbed a fair deal of attention because it offered some very impressive features at what seemed a relatively low price. The Lumia 720 comes with a 4.3-inch ClearBlack LCD display of 800 x 480 resolution, and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8227 processor. On the camera front, the device has a 6.7-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and HD video recording, as well as a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. The phone runs on Windows Phone 8 and comes with 512MB RAM and 8GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 64GB via a microSD card. On the connectivity front the device offers, 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 3.1, GPS, and NFC, and is backed up by a 2,000 mAh battery. Like other devices in the Lumia range, this also comes in a number of colours - Yellow, Red, Cyan, White and Black. Although the price of the Lumia 720 has not been officially disclosed, we expect it to be in the vicinity of Rs 20,000. n

Samsung Galaxy S II Plus A legend returns,

renewed

n terms of sheer market impact, not too many phones have been as successful as Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Galaxy S II, which made headlines with its super slim frame and Super AMOLED display. Which is why Samsung has decided to give it a new lease of life, by launching the Galaxy S II Plus. Although the phone has a similar 4.3-inch, 480 x 800 display as the original, it runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor. On the memory front, the phone offers 1GB RAM with 8GB of internal storage which can be further expanded to 64GB via microSD card. Other specs too remain largely familiar, with an 8.0-megapixel primary camera and LED flash, as well as a 2.0-megapixel secondary camera for video calling. The device include connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth, and GPS. The phone also comes with new features like Smart Stay, which figures out whether the user is looking at the screen, and dims the screen accordingly, and Smart Alerts which keep the user updated about events that they have missed. Best of all, it costs a fair bit lesser than the S II did â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you can get the S II Plus for Rs 23,099. n team@mymobile.co.in

16 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

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

sneak peek Samsung Galaxy S IV The

new Android flagship?

new Galaxy S from Samsung every year has become a regular feature of our tech year. And sure enough, after the success of the Galaxy S II and S III, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S IV. It is the first handset of the Galaxy S series to come with a 5.0-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 920 pixels resolution. And in best Galaxy S tradition, it is a hardware beast. The smartphone runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.9 GHz and 1.6 GHz Octa-core processor. Although it is the first phone to be launched with an eight core processor, it will be using just four cores at a time. The phone will come in 16, 32 and 64 GB variants, although storage can be expanded via microSD card. On the camera front, the device boasts a 13-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera. The smarphone also has features like Smart Pause, Smart Scroll, S Translator, S Travel (Trip Advisor), S Voice Drive, and S Health and lots more. On the connectivity front, it comes with 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, MHL 2.0, GPS and NFC, all of which run on a 2,600 mAh battery. The price of the device has not been confirmed but it is expected to be in the region of Rs 45,000 like most recently-released flagships. n team@mymobile.co.in

HTC First The first Facebook

Home phone

lthough Facebook might not have released a Facebook phone, there still was handset revealed at its Facebook Home event. This was the HTC First, which will be the first phone in the world to come pre-loaded with both Facebook’s special theme app, Home, as well as Instagram. The smartphone has a 4.3-inch display of 1280 x 720 resolution and runs Android 4.1, although thanks to Facebook’s Home, the device’s interface will be dominated by Facebook features, with notifications, pictures and chat options being served up front. The device is powered by 1.4 GHz dual core processor, and comes with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage, with photography being handled by a 5.0-megapixel camera at the rear and a 1.6-megapixel one in front. It has 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC on the connectivity front and will be available in four colour variants (Black, White, Pale Blue and Red). The price of the device has not been disclosed, but indications are that it will be in the region of Rs 16,000. n

18 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

lead story

Flagship Face-Off The year has not yet reached the halfway mark, but most mobile manufacturers have shown their hands by releasing or announcing their flagship models. We take a look at how eight of the best in the cellphone business stack up Sulabh Puri & Nimish Dubey

very year, there comes a time when all major phone manufacturers release their best devices â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their flagships, so to speak â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the market. It is the best of times for the consumer, who can at one glance take in the cream of mobile technology in the market at one go, and the most competitive time for all the players who have rolled the device, so to speak. It is a time that many refer to as Flagship Season. And it has arrived this year with much fanfare, featuring some of the most innovative handsets to have hit the market for ages. There have been innovations galore, be it on the hardware front, the software one or on user interface and design. BlackBerry has turned a whole new chapter with a new OS and UI via the Z10, Samsung has gone big screen with the Galaxy S IV, HTC and Apple have put a spin on cellphone design with the One and iPhone 5 respectively, while LG has tried to recapture smartphone ground with the Optimus Pro G, and Nokia has added a new dimension to smartphone photography with the Lumia 920. Round that off with Google suddenly realising the joys of good design with the Nexus 4, and you would not blame a follower of mobile technology for being dazzled by the smartphone options available to them today. We were dazzled too, but then decided to slap on our high-tech Ray-Bans to take a closer look at these mobile masters and see what made them special. So without much further ado, here is our brief summary about the best smartphones in the world today and why they merit attention.

20 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

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apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 21

lead story Apple iPhone 5 – The design wonder Ever since it was first launched in 2007, the iPhone has been the phone to beat. And Apple has added a new dimension to it with the iPhone 5. It is the first iPhone to go beyond the 3.5-inch display that marked its predecessors, but has been designed so beautifully (complete with diamond-polished edges) that in spite of having a larger 4.0-inch display, it seems only marginally larger and is actually much lighter and slimmer than the iPhone 4S. The retina display now has a higher resolution and the processor was given a boost too, although it stayed dual core. What, however, continue to remain the device’s strongest points are its interface and its treasure of high-quality apps that let you do everything from editing videos to playing high-definition games on the move. The camera remains an 8.0-megapixel affair but now has a sapphire lens cover and still takes very good pictures. And did we mention that this is perhaps the most palm-friendly phone with a 4.0-inch display that we have ever seen, fitting as easily into most hands? The software might not have changed much, but the design pretty much redefined what people expected from their handsets. Look out for: Incredibly sleek design, and of course, the interface and apps.

LG Optimus G Pro – The comeback kid Once one of the key players in the Android smartphone segment and the first manufacturer to come out with a dual core powered smartphone (the LG Optimus 2X), LG has been finding the going tough of late with its quad core devices not really making dents in the Samsung Android stronghold. The company, however, could well return to the smartphone centrestage with its Optimus G Pro handset, or phablet as some people prefer to call it. Sporting a massive 5.5-inch display of 1920 x 1080 (full HD) resolution and boasting pixel density of 401 ppi, the Optimus G Pro comes with a whole lot of hardware muscle, including a 13.0-megapixel camera, a quad core 1.7 GHz Krait processor and 32GB of expandable storage. In terms of sheer hardware specifications, you will be hard pressed to find a more powerful device – and it is a while since LG could say that. All this in a frame that is about 9.4mm thin and tips the scales at around 170 grammes. No, it is not exactly low-profile or subtly stylish. If anything, it is a big device that screams for attention. And LG is hoping that this time the consumers will pay some. Look out for: Brilliant display and fantastic hardware.

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Nokia Lumia 920 – WP’s new sheriff Nokia has been looking for a way back to smartphone supremacy for a while now, and the Lumia 920 represents one of its best efforts in this regard. Powered by a dual core processor and sporting a large 4.5-inch display, the phone is being seen as not just Nokia’s flagship but also that of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8 platform. But what has caught most people’s attention is the 8.7-megapixel camera on the device which is the first in a handset to offer optical image stabilisation. Combine that with a dose of Nokia’s own PureView technology, which lets one take amazingly clear shots even in low light conditions (yes, even without a flash) and the result is one of the best shooters one has seen in cell town. As if that were not enough, the 920 remains an awesome handset as well, handling the WP8’s tiled interface with elan and coming with Nokia’s music and map apps as well as Microsoft’s excellent office suite. Yes, it was a trifle bulky and certainly not featherweight, but when it came to the old-fashioned Nokia virtues of delivering a solid smartphone experience, not too many phones had done as well as the 920 for a while now. Will it turn the smartphone tide in favour of Nokia? It won’t be for want of ability. Or trying. Look out for: Brilliant camera and smooth interface.

Google Nexus 4 – The beast gets some beauty Google’s Nexus series of phones have always been known more for their performance than for their appearance. But that has changed with the brilliantly designed Nexus 4. Yes, it was a hardware beast like its preceding Nexus brethren, packing in a 4.7-inch display of 1280 x 768 resolution and 320 ppi pixel density, with an 8.0-megpixel camera, 2GB RAM, 8-16GB storage and powered by a 1.5 GHz quad core processor. Yes, it performed brilliantly and thanks to a special price from Google, became the first Nexus device that did not cost a bomb. And yes, it remained one of the few devices that was almost guaranteed an automatic Android update. But what grabbed most people’s attention was the design of the phone, which was all curves and smooth corners. And who could forget the back of the device, which was all glass and featured a dotted design that brought forth different designs when light fell on it? The Nexus beast could finally claim to be a beauty. And about time too. Of course, one thing that stubbornly refuses to change is the handset’s availability in Indian markets – only one Nexus phone (the Nexus S) has so far been officially released in India. We hope that too will change with the Nexus 4. Look out for: Terrific specifications and superb design.

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lead story BlackBerry Z10 – The new kid in town BlackBerry have had their backs up against the wall for a while now. The Z10 with the new OS BB10 represents their effort to win back lost ground. This new touchscreen phone without a homescreen button represents a whole new approach from a company that is known for its iconic QWERTY keyboards. It comes with a fairly decent sized 4.2-inch touch display that can portray HD images with ease, and has a dual core 1.5 GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage which can be expanded further with a microSD card. However, the biggest or should we say the most commendable change is the new operating system and user interface. Touch and taps are the way to go on this phone. Yes, one does need time to get used to the swipes and screen presses. But once you are past that, all is bound to be well. The phone does get unusually hot when playing graphic hungry games, but most do in this category. Battery life is great and it can last for over a day and half under nominal use. BlackBerry is populating the app store as well and there are plenty of paid and free apps to get you started. The camera works well too, delivering great images. Look out for: The new interface and the camera quality.

Samsung Galaxy S IV: The Boss is back Although it had not yet hit the market at the time of going to print, the Samsung Galaxy S IV had already become the phone to look out for. Recently unveiled in a high-profile event in New York, the S IV definitely has what it takes to continue the Galaxy S series’ tradition of being the best Android device around (and the main alternative to the iPhone). It comes with a HD AMOLED 5-inch touch display, and is super slim at a mere 7.9mm thickness. It runs the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS with Samsung’s own customised UI that is similar to the one found on the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy S III with new tweaks such as Air gesture. Under the hood this phone has a quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex processor (although some countries will be getting a 1.2 GHz version), 2GB RAM and storage-wise is available in 16, 32, 64GB variants, all of which can be further increased using a microSD card. The camera too has been boosted to 13.0-megapixels, and the phone has a massive 2,600 mAh battery to keep the it going. It will face competition, but it is again likely to emerge as the Android frontrunner in the coming days. Look out for: The outstanding display and the camera.

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HTC One – will this be THE One? HTC seems to have rediscovered its design mojo with the HTC One. This phone is built out of a single block of Aluminium with diamond cut trims. Some might find it a tad heavy, but then that’s the price you pay for something that looks this good. The large 4.7-inch full HD touchscreen is one of the best in its class, and HTC’s new Sense 5.0 overlay looks just gorgeous on it. It also comes with new features such as Blinkfeed, where all the latest news and social feeds are shown in the form of panels. Then there is the UltraPixel rear camera that has just 4.0-megapixels but compensates with a larger sensor size to grab more light, delivering better picture quality. The power button also doubles up as an IR emitter, which enables the users to utilize the phone as a remote control. And to top it off, the phone also has dual Beats enabled speakers for great sound. If has the style. It has the substance. It could well be the Android phone to have this year. Look out for: The camera quality and the design.

Sony XPERIA Z – no dust, no sweat, all beauty Sony has always been good with design. The Xperia Z lives up to this tradition with admirable looks, which might have been inspired from the T-series of cameras that Sony has. If you are one of those who keep dropping the phone in the coffee or work in dusty environment, then this is the phone for you. XPERIA Z is dust and water proof and does not let anything seep in. Its 5.0-inch full HD display is one of the best we have seen in large screen handsets. Besides great looks, the phone also has a super quick quad-core 1.5 GHz CPU, 2GB RAM and 16GB on board memory. This can also be expanded by 32GB. The Android Jelly Bean OS works briskly, handling all apps with ease. Movies and games do look exceptional on the full HD display, and the 13.0-megapixel camera takes some very good photographs as well as videos. And this being a Sony, sound quality is top notch. The phone is also backed by a large 2,330 mAh non-removable battery. Look out for: The large touch screen and exceptional design. n nimish@mymobile.co.in sulabh@mymobile.co.in

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Jargon Buster

Google Hangout Explained It has been around for a while but has been making waves of late, especially since notable political figures have started using it as a social tool. The American President, the Dalai Lama and Narendra Modi have used it to reach out to people. What is Google Hangout and what makes it so popular? Here is our attempt to explain the phenomenon Ketan Pratap n Google Hangout can be described

as a virtual meeting place that takes place through Google’s social network, Google Plus (Google +). In simple terms, it is a video chat room where any Google user can connect from Gmail, iGoogle, Orkut and YouTube (or any other Google assets) and chat with friends, can hold meetings or meet new friends using their webcam and a microphone. n The Hangout feature was an internal video link between Seattle and Stockholm which later became a Google+ feature. The feature took a little over an hour to be prototyped and was rolled out internally on the same day. n Many news reports suggest that Google has big plans for Hangout,

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using cutting edge technology to make it run natively on a wide range of devices. Google is trying to get Web-users to utilise circles and hangouts so that Google+ is not forever known as a cyber ghost town! n Hangouts are being considered perfect for teaching, collaborating or brainstorming. They can be held at any time and are an efficient way to interact with multiple people. The only requirement is that members must have a Google Plus account. n The service supports up to 10 people chatting at any one time. However, if the Hangout is made ‘public’, one can invite as many viewers as wish. n Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who is very active on Twitter and Facebook was the first major Indian public figure to use Hangout

to reach out to his audience in August, 2012. According to Modi’s website, his one-hour Google Hangout session attracted over four million viewers that included online and television as it was also telecasted on many channels and around 20,000 questions were asked. n The Hangout feature is a free and easy-to-use, one-to-many multicasting tool unlike expensive video conferencing solutions. It is now being used to connect in business circles as well. Since it can be accessed from mobile devices too, its utility goes up several notches because the users can stay connected to any video conference while on the go.n ketan@mymobile.co.in

cell clues

More than Video Chatting For most people, the front facing camera in a phone has just one role - to facilitate video chatting. However, there is much more that can be done with it. We take a look at some options TEAM MY MOBILE

n The secondary camera has

become a feature whose presence goes unnoticed but whose absence leads to an outcry amongst tech enthusiasts and consumers. This camera, which is generally not of the greatest quality is seen by most people to serve just one function - facilitate video calls - although the more vain amongst us often use it to take self-portraits too. However, the app developer community has not been blind to the options that a device with a front facing camera can offer to the user. Manufacturers too seem to have awoken to the potential of this bit of hardware and front facing cameras of devices are now getting a boost in both megapixel count and quality. n One of the most promising areas where

the front camera can be used is in gesture based controls. After all, the Kinect in the Xbox 360 is basically a camera that captures your actions and then imposes them on the screen. Similarly, we are now seeing a number of games on handsets that actually let you control the action by waving your hands in front of the camera, and seeing the reactions on the display. It has not quite attained the level of a Kinect yet, but the potential for games that actually feature you as a character exists, courtesy the front-facing camera on your handset. There are a number

of front facing camera oriented gaming titles available in both Google Play and the iTunes App Store and their number is said to increase in the coming days. n Apart from gaming, the secondary

camera in smartphones also has the ability to offer various security features. Many smartphones are now coming up with facial recognition feature that locks/ unlocks the device by inspecting your face and gives you access to encrypted files without the hassle of typing in a pass code. There are also apps available that enable such security features in a regular smarphone, such as BioLock. There is also talk of Iris scanners, although this would require far better front facing cameras than those that exist right now. n And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all - a very innovative use of

the front facing camera is in determining

the health of the person looking into it. There are a number of apps that are designed to give an approximate report on the state of your health by monitoring your appearance, rate of breathing and even the rise and fall of your chest. No, they do not claim to be cent per cent accurate, but they do provide a very decent indication of just what sort of condition you are in. n Even the self-portrait feature is now

being taken more seriously by manufacturers. A number of high-end devices today have front-facing cameras that come with face recognition or are designed to take wider shots, making group shots an easier task than ever before. The day is not far off when the front facing camera of your device will be as, or maybe even more, powerful than the one on the rear. And it will not just let you take great pictures of yourself or chat with your friends over the Internet, but will also let you navigate your device by gestures, play games, act as a security guard (triggering alarms when necessary) and even notify you when you are not in the pink of health. Yes, laugh if you will, but remember: you read it first here. n team@mymobile.co.in

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 27

in focus

facebook gets a new home Cover Feed

Facebook

t had been rumoured that when Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at the Facebook event on April 4, he would show the world the first phone actually made by Facebook. Well, that did not happen. But what did happen was no less momentous. For, in a very bold strategy, Facebook decided to make not just one phone, but EVERY Android phone a Facebook phone. And making this possible was a new software called Home.

Home, sweet Home?

Messenger

Instagram

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Home, actually, is a skin or a theme intended for most Android devices. And its aim is simple: to give your Android device a total Facebook makeover. We managed to get our hands on a leaked version of Home well before its release and it literally took over the interface of our Nexus 7. Instead of the normal lockscreen, your Android device running Home will now show you a Facebook-oriented lockscreen, with your FB profile picture in a small circle in the middle, which can be pulled to either access the applications, the camera or your Facebook page, directly from the lockscreen itself. And in the background will be a large image or post made by one of your friends. In fact, hitting the home button on your device will display a series of posts by your friends, one at a time, all with rich graphical content. Notifications appear in the form of tiles,

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No, Facebook did not show off a Facebook phone as many had predicted, but its Home initiative could be every bit as disruptive. As of now, opinions are divided as to whether it represents a new phase for Facebook or is the first step towards its fragmentation. We take a closer look Nimish Dubey Chat Heads & Messenger

Cover Feed Facebook Messenger Instagram

which you can tap on to open or just swipe away to ignore. You can also use Facebook chat while using any app, using the Chat Heads and Messenger service, which pretty much makes Facebook chat very much like a BBM or iMessage service in terms of ease of use and access. But what of the apps that already exist on your device? Well, you can place the ones that you prefer using the most in a special launcher, and the others will be displayed in a regular list. Of course, these are just the tip of what is likely to be a very large Facebook iceberg. Evidently, Home will be updated with new features and functions every month, to the extent that there will literally be a bit of Facebook in everything you do from your Android handset. The app itself is initially going to be available for a total of six handsets (the HTC One, HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S IV, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note 2) from April 12 onwards on Google Play in the US and will gradually make its way to other devices and nations. Consumers will also have the option to grab an HTC First handset, which will be the first phone to come with Home as well as Instagram pre-loaded on to it. Once again, availability of this dual core processor driven handset will be restricted to a few nations.

But will people move in? So are we headed for a Facebook Home era on Android? While Facebook addicts might think so, tech experts have been less optimistic. Many have pointed out that most major Android manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony come with their own customised skins and themes, which users have got accustomed to. Would they take kindly to having yet another skin placed over it? A lot of people have also expressed concern that while they do use Facebook, it is by no means the only social network they log on to – and Home definitely does not treat other social networks (Google Plus, Flickr, etc.) as kindly as it does Facebook. Then there is the matter of control and privacy. There is a stream of thought that believes that Home will give Facebook access to all the information one has on one’s device, which is not a good thing for those who value their privacy. Round that off with the fact that the app seems to be both a RAM and bandwidth guzzler, thanks to its penchant for displaying high-resolution images, and you can see why not everyone is cheering Home on. Facebook’s Home initiative in fact could work both ways. It could lead to a whole new way of using Android devices if it proves popular. However, if it does not, it could ironically fragment the whole Facebook

experience. After all, people using Home on their device would get a very different experience from those using conventional Facebook apps. There is also the little matter of other platforms. While our sources inform us that a Home app for BlackBerry 10’s platform is a distinct possibility, the chances of its coming to iOS and Windows Phone 8, both of which do not allow users to change the basic homescreen interface, are very remote indeed. In simple terms, Facebook Home could result in a fragmented Facebook community in terms of experience. As one cynical user put it, “Uptil now, we used to wonder when we would get the latest version of Android on our handsets. Now we will also have to see if it supports Home and which version of it!” Of course, on the flip side, if it does actually take off, it could be a shot in the arm for Android, lifting it well and truly clear of the competition. Whatever happens, what cannot be denied is that from April 12 onwards, the world’s most famous social network will have a new Home on Android. Literally. What is going to matter is just how many people choose to stay in it. And for how long. If people prefer staying out, it might lead to that Facebook phone people were talking about, after all. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

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spotlight

Mobile Storage Gets Virtual It has been around for a while, but cloud storage is now beginning to make its presence felt among mobile users, thanks to its ability to let users access information at any place and time. We take a closer look at the cloud storage phenomenon Heena Gupta

or most people, storage on their handsets is limited to the inbuilt storage and memory cards. However, with cloud computing getting better with each passing day and bandwidth improving, keeping one’s data on the cloud is becoming a viable proposition. Cloud storage allows companies and individuals to store or backup their files from their computers, tablets and handsets to an online server, and access it whenever they wish – all they need is an Internet connection. Virtual mobile storage is gaining momentum because it is user friendly and for the flexibility it provides. It easily stores the data and is compatible with most devices. What’s more, whatever data is uploaded on the cloud is totally safe and secure in most cases, as most service providers protect your data by converting it into codes so that it cannot be accessed by anyone else. Small wonder many mobile manufacturers these days are also giving a certain amount of cloud storage with their devices to consumers – it beats handing out memory cards.

How cloud storage works Cloud storage basically means storing data on an off-site storage system, which is maintained by a third party. This task of storing the data is performed with the help of a working Internet connection between your device and the database. The data that you save gets stored in a stockroom full of computers, which are called data centres. These data centres can be located anywhere in the world depending on your service provider. Apart from physical damage, your data is also protected against all sorts of viruses and device failures. There are many virtual storage services available like Dropbox, Skydrive and Box, which let you save your information online. All of them offer a certain amount of storage free

of cost, after which you have to start paying for your online GBs. Data which is stored on the cloud can be used and accessed by the user at any time or place. You can upload the new data or can download the existing one with great ease, provided you have a connected device. Along with this you also get a chance to share your data with your friends and colleagues at one go by permitting them to either access your cloud storage or by giving them a link. Apart from this the cloud storage can also be used as a backup. For instance, if Lord forbid, you lose the information on your device, you can actually get it back within seconds if you have been backing it up online. And you do not need to carry around USB hard drives, or pen drives and the like. All you need to remember is a username and password.

A cloud with a dark lining... For all its benefits, however, cloud storage also has its problems. One of the major causes of concern while using cloud storage is privacy and security, for at the end of the day, you are trusting a person with your data. So whenever you start using a cloud it is essential that you thoroughly go through the privacy policy of the same. Another issue that might come up when using cloud storage is bandwidth. If you have stored a hefty file online, you would need a brisk Internet connection to be able to access it. There is also the matter of cost – as long as you store basic information on the cloud, you can get along without paying anything for the storage

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(most cloud storage providers will let you use 2-5GB of storage free of cost), but backing up your entire hard drive to the cloud could be an expensive proposition. Manisha Sood, Country Head, Sandisk, SAARC and India, points out, “ Highperformance computing industries, media developers, financial institutions and other businesses rely on datacenters to house and deliver a massive amount of digital content throughout the cloud. This places a significant strain on IT infrastructures that use outmoded hard-drive based systems”. Finally, there is the little matter of losing all your data if the service provider decides to shut shop (and it does happen) or even being

Gigs In the Cloud Google Drive The service was initiated by Google and is very popular and useful. If you are a Gmail user, Google Drive automatically connects to your account and gives you 25GB storage space as well as connectivity to Google’s online office suite. Dropbox One of the most talked cloud storage options, it has a simple design and allows you to easily share links with your friends on Facebook, as well as you can increase storage by just inviting friends to join Drobox. Apple iCloud Apple’s iCloud works with your Apple unable to access data for periods of time when the service provider is carrying out “maintenance and repairs.’’ Notwithstanding its shortcomings, however, cloud

devices, and provides free storage of 5GB to users. SkyDrive A popular cloud storage service from Microsoft, it gives you free storage space of up to 17GB. You can easily share and edit your Word, Excel and PowerPoint files with it. Box Box mainly caters to organisations but also offers space for individual and personal use. The service also consists of many innovative tools and functions for bulk storage, facilitate easy download and comes with 5GB free of storage. storage continues to go strong. According to Gartner, the cloud mobile application market will show a boom to near $9.5 million in 2014. The overall market growth is estimated to show an annual increase of 88 per cent. In a research report, CRN highlighted that 35 per cent people appreciate the on-demand processing provided by the cloud. It also reported that 63 per cent people feel that using the cloud service will save their data from getting destroyed and 44 per cent feel that it is a cost effective service and a good option.

The cloud storage future Virtual cloud storage is at a nascent stage as far as the Indian market is concerned. The service is gaining the attention of the consumers and mobile companies are also playing a key role in this by providing free online space to their customers. With data connections becoming more affordable, people can now stay connected to the Internet ‘round the clock, which in turn will also provide them constant access to their cloud storage. Cloud storage has well and truly arrived and don’t be surprised if in a couple of years down the line, you will be inquiring about how much online storage accompanies a handset rather than its onboard storage. Remember, you read it here first. n heenag@mymobile.co.in

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add-ons

Docks for Music Action Once considered niche music accessories, speaker docks have now become part and parcel of the device accessory market, thanks to dipping prices and greater variety. We take a look at four of the most impressive of the lot Ketan Pratap

he past few years have seen smartphones move beyond simply being communication devices to emerging as fully equipped entertainment sources. Aiding this evolution have been a number of accessories that allow one to do more with one’s handset, one of which are speaker docks. Once considered a luxury, speaker docks are rapidly moving into the necessity category, especially for music-loving iOS device users. And thanks to an increasing number of manufacturers taking the dock plunge, they have plenty to choose from. If you are getting confused by the plethora of options in the market, here are four that we think are worth a second glance - and several listens!

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W (Rs 65,900)

t Rs 65,900, the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W is definitely an expensive proposition, but it is also more than just a conventional speaker dock. The Fidelio SoundSphere consists of two separate stereo speakers with the egg-shaped base of each unit housing a woofer with a separate tweeter mounted on an arm above it. At a hefty 6 kg, it is not a portable option unless you are desperate. It uses AirPlay to play music over a Wi-Fi network from iTunes on Mac and computer, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch - no plugging in cables or docking the iOS device. It is available in two colours - black and white.

The bottom line: If you’re looking for a blast of sound that will easily fill a room and don’t mind a pricey tag, then the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere is definitely worth a listen.

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JBL OnBeat (Rs 9,990)

ound quality on the JBL OnBeat was clearly a priority. The unit features two separate speaker channels that deliver full clarity during music and spoken word playback. It has a clean, linear fashioned design with finer acoustics and powerful sound. Full-range JBL Phoenix SE transducer with computer-optimised digital signal processing (DSP) delivers great JBL sound with deep bass levels. The JBL OnBeat is built for iPhones, iPods and unlike many iPod docking stations this one accommodates the iPad. It charges docked devices even when powered off and also comes with video output for television viewing. The JBL OnBeat not only looks funky, but is one of the best all-around speaker docks available out there in the market.

The bottom line: For those looking for a stylish iPod, iPhone and iPad compatible docking station, the JBL OnBeat should fit the bill; it has everything one would want and then some extras too.

Yamaha PDX-11 iPod Dock (Rs 8,800)

he Yamaha PDX-11 iPod dock packs decent sound quality in a device designed for use at both home and on the go. Yamaha is no stranger to pumping out attractive speaker docks for Apple devices and this one too includes features of portability with striking, rugged design and good sound. The Yamaha PDX-11 is available in four colours - white, dark blue, green and black. It has a rugged looking octagonal horn-shaped design with a grab it and go roll bar chrome handle that makes it easy to take it anywhere. The iPod or the iPhone dock is perched on the top of the speaker and music is played back via a powerful woofer that drives accurate bass while a separate tweeter handles high notes. The PDX-11 can also be connected to a computer, Mac or other digital audio player via a 3.5mm jack on the back of the dock. However, it does not charge the docked iOS device.

The bottom line: The Yamaha PDX-11 offers excellent sound quality. We have seen better designs but you cannot argue with its sound quality and sturdy build.

Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System (Rs 15,638)

ompeting manufacturers could stand to learn a thing or two from Bose’s approach to the extremely popular iPod SoundDock speakers. Like many other iPod audio speaker companies, the SoundDock Series II also comes with a tag that claims ‘iPhone certification’ which means it is compatible with iPhones (except the iPhone 4S and 5) and most iPod models. The system features a new auxiliary input that allows users to connect other audio devices like an MP3 player, portable CD player, or music-enabled phone. The SoundDock Series II also comes with the dock-and-play feature and can also charge an iPod or iPhone while in use with no supplementary setup required. The Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System is easy to sum up - a good product with good sound, solid build quality and of course, the Bose tag.

The bottom line: The Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System’s feature set and awe-inspiring sound quality makes it one of the best iPod speaker docks available in town. *Note: All the four docking speakers are not compatible with the

iPhone 5.

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fa c e t o fa c e

“Offering a low cost product is always a good

strategy”

Once known for manufacturing memory modules and motherboards, Simmtronics has of late been making waves in the Indian tablet market with its budget offerings. We caught up with Managing Director, Simmtronics Semiconductors, Indrajit Sabharwal to discuss the growing tablet market and the company’s future plans Ketan Pratap Simmtronics is relatively a new brand in the tablet market. What strategy are you following to catch the consumer’s eye? Tablets are one of the fastest-growing market segments in the country. The segment is witnessing quarter-on-quarter growth of over 90 per cent and is expected to cover 150 per cent growth in 2013 as well. Simmtronics might be new in the Indian tablet market but globally we have launched tablets in more than 15 countries. India is diverse with each region having its own market trends and preferences and people here are value and volume oriented. Offering a low cost product is always a good strategy. We will continue launching new and most advanced models as per the need of the Indian market along with satisfactory after-sales support which is lacking in most brands. How has been the response to your X-Pad series of tablets in the market? We received affirmative response in the market as this is the first tablet series which was manufactured in India. The media and consumers, both have stated X-Pad series products as value for money. People have faith in our brand as Simmtronics has been serving the market for the last two decades with good

quality products. With tablets gaining popularity, how do you see the enterprise mobility scenario changing in India? With the percentage of workforce that is highly mobile expected to increase in the coming days, tablets will become an indispensable tool for employees on the move. The day is not too far when the tablet market in units will be larger than the traditional PC market. We are already seeing such a transformation in western countries with iPads gaining popularity. Similarly the Indian market will also evolve once we have relevant devices available at affordable cost along with sufficient data connectivity to support them. Is there any specific consumer base that you are targeting? How important is the education content being provided on tablets? Our target audience comprise students, working professionals, housewives and all segments of society. A lightweight device that can store every book in a students’ backpack plus every book in the school library which can be stored on the device or through cloud computing, it effectively supports new ways of learning and teaching. The educational

34 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

content is really effective as it’s more engaging and interesting for students. Do you have plans to tie-up for any service (bundled dongle with free data) along with your tablet? We constantly strive to come up with innovative offerings to enhance the user experience for our customers. We already have bundled with TATA Photon. Under this alliance, Simmtronics XPad customers will get a Tata Photon Plus Dongle at just for Rs. 850. What can Indian consumers expect next from Simmtronics? Tablets will become allin-one devices in the coming time and shall deliver several services using cloud storage. As per market demand and good response from consumer for the XPad series, we will be launching a new advanced range of XPad tablets soon which will offer the features like quad core, multi-tasking, and many more innovative features. With the successful launch in tablet market, now we are foraying into smartphone manufacturing. We will be expanding in the country both in terms of manpower and operations. Currently, we have a capacity to manufacture more than 300,000 tablets a month. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

mobile doctor Excel applications to work well on it. –Arun Bhatacharya You can easily access MS Word and MS Excel files on your tablet. The tablet which comes in your budget and fulfills your requirements is the Karbonn ST 10 which comes with a 10-inch display.

I want to buy a mobile in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000. I want fast Internet browsing and have shortlisted Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia 500. Please suggest which one is best amongst the two. –Dibya Prakash Samal As per your requirements, Nokia 500 was a good option but, unfortunately the company is not manufacturing it any more. So, Nokia Asha will be a good choice. Instead of Asha 308, you can go for the Asha 311 as it comes with 1 GHz processor and gives you fast Internet browsing. However, you can only get a fast Internet connection if you buy a 3G connection as on the EDGE network, you won’t get the speed you need. I am planning to purchase the Micromax Infinity 275 tab. I would like to know if it supports the Beetle MF190 modem and if not then which modem works on the device? Will I be able to download apps on the device from the Android market? -Pawan Kumar The modem you are asking will not work with the device as this is an old model which consumed a lot of voltage. The modem of Airtel or Tata Photon will work well with the device. Yes, you can very easily download whichever app you like from the Google Play store. But, in order to download the apps you must have a Google account. I want to buy a tablet in the price range of Rs 10,000. I want the tablet to be light in weight. Please suggest some good options. I would also like MS Word or MS

I want to purchase a smartphone and have shortlisted the Nokia Lumia 620 and the Sony Xperia J. Please suggest which is the best phone amongst them and also highlight the pros and cons of both the devices. –Jackson If you are more into apps and like using a lot of them then you can go for the Sony Xperia J, which runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. However, if you want to have better pre-installed applications and a smoother interface, then you can go for the Nokia Lumia 620. I want to buy a BlackBerry smartphone and have shortlisted the Blackberry Curve 9220. I would like to know about the voice quality and the signal reception of the device. Is the sound quality good on loud speaker and is the build quality good enough? Please also tell me something about the user interface. –Sutip Polley The phone is good. All the features of the device are good enough except the battery. It was observed that the battery of the device drained fast. BlackBerry has launched a new operating system and the company is slowly discontinuing the old models. However, if you want the new operating system then you will have to wait for some time. Otherwise the phone is a good buy. I want to purchase a smartphone

but I am confused between the operating systems. Which one would be a good option: Windows Phone or Android? Please highlight the pros and cons of both the operating systems and also suggest the one I should go for? -Onnong Yommin The Android operating system is user-friendly and has more apps, while Windows Phone is a new operating and has relatively fewer apps. Some lags have been seen in the working of the Android which don’t exist in the case of Windows Phone. If you want

I want to buy a smartphone and I am confused between the Samsung Galaxy S Duos and the Micromax Canvas A116. The main thing that I am looking for is that the device should support all apps, should not hang and deliver good performance. Please suggest which one of the two should I go for? –Kashyap Patel The Samsung Galaxy S Duos is an old phone and is slow in processing. You can go for Micromax Canvas A116. It is a new phone and works well. All the apps run perfectly on it, although some software stabilisation issues have been encountered in the device. I want to purchase a Qwerty Android budget smartphone and have shortlisted the Micromax A78 smartphone. But there are no authorised dealers of the company in Aizwal. I don’t want to go for online shopping. Please provide me with some contacts of the authorised dealers in some other cities. What is the current price of the device? –John Renthlei If you have Croma or The Mobile Store near by, then you can buy the device from there. But, if you want to buy it from an authorised dealer then the nearest to you would be in Siliguri the Micromax World and the contact number is 9434007070. The cureent price of the device is Rs 6,300. n

more apps, then you can go for Android but, if you want good pre-installed applications and a smooth user experience, you can go for Windows Phone. I want to purchase a smartphone within the price range of Rs 6,000 to Rs 6,500. I want the phone to run on Android. The phone should support 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth and should also have a good camera. Please suggest some good options. –Santosh Kumar The choices are limited within this budget. You can go for the Samsung Galaxy Y, Micromax A68 or Karbonn A15.

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.

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 35

chief speak

“The store makes the smartphone a hero”

36 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

It is not enough to have great products. You have to sell them effectively as well. And no one knows this better than The Mobile Store, the pioneers of mobile retail chains in India. We caught up with Moin Mushtaque, Vice President, Handset Business, The Mobile Store, to talk about the company’s journey and retail strategy in India Mukesh Kumar Singh & Ketan Pratap

To what would you attribute the success of The Mobile Store? The Mobile Store is now almost six years old. We have been the pioneers in small format mobile retail and success has been due to the raw hard work put in by the team in terms of some phenomenal roll outs. The Mobile Store format is a one-stop mobile solution shop that provides, multi-brand handsets, accessories, connections, repairs, VAS, etc., all under one roof. We have now more than 850 stores in almost 100 cities. Putting up stores in key areas was an issue as real estate in India is a challenge. We basically put up stores in key regions of cities where consumers could go and buy phones. And our success has not only been because of having physical stores, but to be always able to give something extra to the consumer, not in terms of price because we are not price players. However in the range of products available and exciting offerings that we keep giving to the consumers, whether it’s a freebie or a scratch card or an EMI plan. We were the first in mobile retail to have an EMI plan available with around nine banks. So we have been innovating and giving consumers something extra. What changes have you seen in the last six years? Six years ago, when we wanted to set up this modern retail format in India, we thought it will be easy but then we realised the challenges of real estate, competition and actually surviving in a very competitive market where there are more than 2, 00,000 outlets and the guy next door to you is selling the same product. So how you deliver consumer experience was the biggest challenge. Those who were not able to create differentiation have really struggled. We have tried to keep a loyal customer base and be different from the rest of the market. So, whenever you go to The Mobile Store you will find some exciting offers from our side. We have a service program, ‘Peace of Mind’, where consumers can actually come to us with problems and we try to resolve them. If a customer is not happy we get the device replaced. Service, marketing differentiation and making the product more affordable, these are the three things we have done in terms of surviv-

ing in the market which otherwise is very difficult because it’s a large marketplace. It has not been easy because the margin on these products is not very high and you need to create value for yourself. So we started focusing on smartphones and value added services, extended warranty packs and other product related things that give us value along with handsets. So the focus has been on phones and also attachments to increase the margin pie to survive in this very competitive marketplace. The store basically makes the smartphone a hero. There’s so many things that one could do with a smartphone - the store amplifies that. What strategy do you employ to attract consumers? What the consumer looks for is what we first look at. If a consumer looks for range, we become range players or if a consumer looks for affordability we try to make the product available. Say, if someone wants to

The Mobile Store format is a one-stop mobile solution shop that provides multibrand handsets, accessories, connections, repairs, VAS, etc., all under one roof. We have now more than 850 stores in almost 100 cities. Putting up stores in key areas was an issue as real estate in India is a challenge. We basically put up stores in key regions of cities where consumers could go and buy phones.

buy the new iPhone 5 that costs Rs 45,500, we offer the product with a Rs 5,000 EMI plan. If a consumer looks for hassle-free service, we take care of the services and requirements of the consumers. These are the focus areas which keeps us going in the country. Our strategy has also been to be present in key cities and not focus much in smaller cities. We are very strong in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata, but less so in smaller cities. What is the total number of stores you have in the country? Any expansion plans? We have about 850 outlets across 100 odd cities. And they basically are own stores, some franchise stores and some SISs where we have our own store. Future expansion is all about creating more experience and iconic stores, so you will soon see a lot of smartphone shops. We will be opening up our first format which is called ‘The MobileStore Lounge’ in Pune. The second one will be coming up in few days in Connaught Place, New Delhi. We plan to have over 150 of these formats in next one year. It’s all about putting more smartphone ranges with a lot of accessories that a consumer can buy. So the new format will be giving more experience on smartphones. What is your take on online retail, which is getting popular these days? The Mobile Store too has an online format which is very versatile and dynamic. We understand that the online format is big, so we have embraced this new format and compete in the market. Our strategy is very definite: we have physical stores where consumers can come and physically look at the products and we also have the online site where we are expanding our business and providing a large range of products for consumers who want to buy online. So we are addressing the whole situation by having a two-product strategy. Currently, our online revenue share is around 2-3 per cent but this will expand in the times to come. In the next year two years, it could reach double digits n mukesh@mymobile.co.in ketan@mymobile.co.in

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 37

burn test Solid value for money The 206

on board is Nokia’s Xpress browser that compresses data to speed up the browsing at minimal costs.

ticks most budget device boxes

Multimedia: Serves all

okia may not top the smartphone sales in India, but it still sells more handsets than any other brand. And devices like the Nokia 206 are the reason why.

The Nokia 206 is decently stocked in the multimedia department, and comes with a music player, FM Radio and video player work fine. The music player supports MP3, WMA, WAV, and AAC audio formats. The image quality of the 1.3 megapixel camera, however, is nothing to rave about. Nokia has provided EasySwap technology in the device that enables users to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device.

The Nokia 206 lives up to this legacy. The front has a 2.4-inch display, below which is a D-pad and an alphanumeric keypad, which, in the unit we received was black in colour (the handset comes in other colours too). Its curved and polished looks makes it a sight for sore eyes, while being comfortable to use. Even though it has an all plastic body, it is strong enough to handle the perils of daily usage. Overall, the phone has a contemporary design combined with a simple interface.

116 mm

Looks: Solidity than style

User-experience: Satisfied

Hardware: Standard, solid The Nokia 206 is a dual SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. Out of the two SIM slots,

Pros

Cons

 Impressive

battery life

 familiar

interface

 No

Wi-Fi

49 mm

 Average

camera

SIM 2 is hot-swappable and is placed on the device’s left side. However, to change the first SIM or access the microSD card slot, one will have to remove the back cover. The screen’s brightness is adequate and can be adjusted while under the sun visibility is average. Storage can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card. On the connectivity front, the device has GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth.

Software: Good old S40! The Nokia 206 runs on a version of Symbian Series 40. Icons have been given a rounded look, reminiscent of that seen in Symbian Anna devices. There are some customisation options, such as setting up a wallpaper or theme of choice. One can also add up to three widgets to the home screen, and customise the Menu view. There is no accelerometer, so if you wish to see a photo or video in landscape mode, you have to adjust the view manually. There is plethora of apps on the phone like Nokia Music, eBuddy, Facebook, Twitter, Viber and there is also the option to go to Nokia Store and download more apps. Also

Nokia 206 tech specs Size | 116 x 49 x 12.4 mm Weight | 91 grams Memory | 64MB, microSD OS | Symbian 40

The Nokia 206 brings with it the comfort, solidity and familiarity of a Nokia device. We would loved it more if it had supported Wi-Fi and came with at least an adequate camera, but then considering its price, we do not think their absence is much of a deal breaker. The 206 reminds us of just how well Nokia does the basics - the keypad backlight is evenly distributed and sharp, and call quality and network reception were good. Battery life is very good - one charge will keep it ticking for more than a day comfortably.

Conclusion We would say that at Rs 3,700 the Nokia 206 offers a stiff challenge to the budget Android crowd and those looking for a handset on a tight budget. Those looking for alternatives can go for Nokia C2-03 that costs Rs 3,900. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict

Screen Size | 2.4 inch TFT

Looks

Battery | Li-ion 1,100 mAh

Features

Talktime/Standby | up to 20 hours/up to 680 hours

ease of use

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/No/Yes/No Camera | 1.3-megapixel Others | Nokia Music, eBuddy, Facebook

Price: Rs 3,700

38 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

performance

value for money

overall

82%

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Budget big screen delight Wynncom’s wallet-friendly phablet

Looks: Mr White The design of the device is on the simple side, with no hardware keys on the front panel. The silver strip encircles the device along the sides, giving it a sturdy look. The front is all about the 5.0-inch display with three soft keys below it. The 3.5mm audio jack is placed on top of the device, and the charging slot at the bottom. The screen/power on/off key is placed on the right, whereas the volume rocker key is on the left. The back houses the 5.0-megapixel camera and the speaker grille. It won’t turn heads, but it does not look too bad for a budget device.

Hardware: Good enough The hardware highlight of the Wynncom G51 is its 5.0-inch WVGA display which we feel is a good offering at this price point. Powering the device is a 1 GHz Dual core processor that handles most tasks well. The G51 supports up to 32GB of storage and comes with a 4GB memory card in the pack. In terms of connectivity, the phone comes with dual (GSM+GSM) SIM support. That apart, it comes with Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.

Price: Rs 7,499

Pros  Low

tag

price

 Dual

core processor

Cons

146 mm

fter releasing some value for money devices in the low-price segment, Wynncom has now released the Wynncom G51, an affordable phablet.

 Screen

resolution could have been better

 Typing

tough

can be

Ensuring that all this works is a 1,800 mAh battery.

Software: Standard Android affair The Wynncom G51 runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which has become the preferred OS for the budget phone segment. The user interface of the device is standard Android with nothing unusual. There are five homescreens which can be customised with shortcuts and widgets and five touch keys on screen for calling, contacts, main menu, messages and browser.

Multimedia: Not bad at all For a sub Rs 10,000 device, the Wynncom G51 does decently in the multimedia department. The 5.0-megapixel camera takes good pictures in well-lit conditions, although video quality is average. As far as video playback is concerned the device is capable of playing HD videos with ease. The big screen is ideal for games, videos and image previews.

User Experience: Satisfied The phone serves up a standard Android experience and scores in terms of looks and multimedia capabilities. The touch experience is quite smooth and voice quality is good on calls. However, typing can be a pain. Overall, the device is a decent budget serving phablet. The Wynncom G51 also comes with a free screen guard and also includes a flip cover.

77 mm

Conclusion The Wynncom G51 is available at Rs 7,499 and is decent value for money. Alternatives include the Xolo A700 which costs Rs 9,250 and the Fly F51 which costs Rs 7,450. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

80%

apr 15 to may 14 20131 MYMOBILE 39

burn test Affordable Aqua Intex’s

The device comes with some pre-loaded apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Nimbuzz, Skype and many others.

Android Wonder

t is budget Android season with manufacturers churning out low price options to grab market share. Intex has also come to the party with its Aqua Wonder. But how wonderful is it really?

The Intex Aqua Wonder is unlikely to stand out in the Android crowd. It is available in two colours- White and Black (we got the White unit). The phone has round corners and is surrounded by a shiny silver ribbon. It is lightweight and comfortable to hold. The on/off button is given on the right side and the volume rocker on the left. The charging slot and the 3.5mm audio jack are placed at the top panel of the phone, and rear contains the 8.0megapixel camera and the speakers. Hogging the front is the 4.5-inch display with three soft keys for Options, Home and Return.

The phone come equipped with an 8.0-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, which takes good shots in daylight as well as in dim light. The 1.3-megapixel front facing camera is good enough for video calling. The music and sound quality of the phone are also very good, with sound quality on headphones being particularly impressive. The device was able to handle most popular video and audio formats with ease.

133.2 mm

Looks: Routine

Multimedia: Very good

User experience: More than satisfactory

Hardware: Impressive The Intex Aqua Wonder comes with a 4.5-inch IPS capacitive display and is

Pros

Cons

 Good

camera  Tendency to lag  Good battery  Routine looks backup powered by a 1 GHz processor that works well if not clogged with too many apps. It comes with dual SIM functionality (GSM + GSM), packs 512MB RAM and has 1.93GB internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. On the connectivity front, the smartphone offers 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, and GPS. Keeping all this ticking is a 1,800 mAh battery.

Software: Jelly Bean served Unlike some budget smartphones, the Intex Aqua Wonder comes with a relatively new version of Android - 4.1 or Jelly Bean. The user interface is simple. It has five customisable homescreens, which can be customised with the shortcuts for apps and widgets. Along with this there are fixed shortcuts for calling, contacts, messaging and a Web browser.

67.9 mm

Intex Aqua Wonder tech specs Size | 133.2 x 67.9 x 8.9 mm Weight | 125 grams Memory | 1.93GB, microSD OS | Android 4.1

The Intex Aqua Wonder worked well. The battery backup of the device was also decent and the battery lasted to a day with hefty use. However, the phone did slow down from time to time. Intex is also bundling a 4GB memory card, a screen guard and a mobile cover pouch with the handset, sweetening the deal further.

Conclusion The Intex Aqua Wonder is priced at Rs 9,990, making it a good option for those looking for a budget smartphone with a good camera. An alternative is the Micromax A110 which offers a 5.0-inch display at a similar price. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict 7

Screen Size | 4.5 inch, Capacitive

Looks

Battery | Li-ion 1,800 mAh

Features

Talktime/Standby | up to 3 hours/up to 228 hours

ease of use

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Facebook, WhatsApp, Nimbuzz, Skype

Price: Rs 9,990

40 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

performance

value for money overall

76%

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PLAY time? Mitashi pops up with another tablet

Looks: Standard affair This tablet has the same design that many other entry-level tablets. The front is dominated by the 7.0-inch IPS display with three soft keys for options, home and back as well as a 0.3-megapixel front camera. The back panel includes a 2.0-megapixel camera and speaker grille. The right side houses the power and volume rocker keys. The device looks plasticky and the names of the slots and buttons printed on the back do not look good.

Hardware: Budget serving The Mitashi BE-150 runs on a 1GHz Cortex

Pros

Cons

 Touch could device have been supports SIM better connectivity

 The

 3G

support

 Old

version of Android

Mitashi PLAY BE 150 tech specs Size | 198 x 117 x 12.8 mm

A9 processor along with 1GB RAM. It has internal storage of 4GB which can be expanded up to 32GB through a TF card. The tablet comes with SIM support – a huge point in its favour. It also comes with 3G support via dongle. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm audio jack and HDMI. Powering all this is a 3,000mAh battery.

198 mm

f late a number of manufacturers have been trying to woo consumers with value for money tablets. The latest to join the list is Mitashi with its new offering the PLAY BE 150 tablet that comes with SIM support and 3G capabilities.

Software: Still ICS! The PLAY BE 150 runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The interface is standard Android with no major tweaks. Along with the notifications bar, there are touch keys on the screen when unlocked for back, home, recent apps and options. There are five homescreen panels which you can customise. The panel has a standard grid view that you can navigate by scrolling. The tablet also comes with apps like Documents To Go, Opera Mini, You Tube and a few games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja.

Multimedia: Plain but effective

Screen Size | 7.0 inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 3000 mAh

User-experience: Satisfactory

Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android 4.0

Talktime/Standby | -/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 2.0-megapixel Others | Documents To Go, Opera Mini, YouTube

Price: Rs 10,990

Conclusion The Mitashi PLAY BE 150 costs Rs 10,990. Aaternatives include the ASUS MeMo Pad that costs Rs 9,999 but doesn’t come with SIM support and also the Micromax Funbook P600 for Rs 9,499. n team@mymobile.co.in

The dual cameras on the Mitashi PLAY BE 150 are utilitarian at best, although the front-facing one can be used for Skype and video chats. The tablet has a music player and can handle 1080p videos with ease. The sound through loudspeaker was about satisfactory.

Weight | -

117 mm

While our experience with the Mitashi PLAY BE 150 was good, barring a few kinks. The touch experience could have been better and the same could be for loudspeakers. The device comes with SIM support which is an advantage and the 3G support through dongles was good. Browsing the Web and watching videos on the device was a pleasant experience, and the battery easily lasts a day with normal usage.

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

74%

apr 15 to may 14 20131 MYMOBILE 41

burn test Dual SIM ‘Xperia’nce

The Xperia E Dual continues Sony’s dual SIM march

highlights The power/ display button on the right is discshaped, just like on the Xperia Z

The device has 1,500 mAh battery which gives decent backup

113.5 mm

There are no hard press buttons on the front of the device, only three touch buttons

2 The back of the phone is textured, making it easy to grip

There are two things that we can say about the appearance of the Xperia E Dual. First, it is very different from the block-like design that marks other Xperia handsets. Secondly, that

Screen Size | 3.5-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-ion 1,500 mAh Talktime/Standby | up to 6 hours/ up to 530 hours

Camera | 3.2-megapixel

in spite of this, the Xperia E does not exactly stand out in a crowd. This is mainly because the design is largely conservative and familiar – the unit we received was all black with a silver strip running along the sides. The front is dominated by the 3.5-inch touchscreen, while the back is made of textured plastic, which makes the phone easy to grip. The SIM card and microSD card slots are located below the battery, and thus not hot swappable. There are three touch panels below the display and three hardware buttons (volume rocker, power/ screen lock and camera) on the right side of the phone. The 3.5mm audio jack is on the top of the phone, and the left side houses the microUSB port. All in all, the phone looks

42 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

OS | Android 4.0

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

61.8 mm

Looks: Different but not exceptional

Size | 113.5 x 61.8 x 11 mm

Memory | 4GB, microSD

The Walkman player ensures very good sound

tech specs Weight | 115.7 grams

few months ago, Sony had released the Xperia Tipo Dual in the market, a device that received a fair deal of acclaim and praise. So it only made sense for the company to roll the affordable dual SIM device once again, this time with the Xperia E Dual, an Android device that might be running an older version of Android but comes packed with features.

sony xperia e dual

Others | Track ID, WhatsApp

Price: Rs 10,990 decent enough, but we honestly expected more from Sony.

Hardware: The usual for this price In terms of hardware, the Xperia E Dual delivers pretty much what one would expect at this price point. The phone is powered by a 1GHz processor and comes with 512MB RAM. The 3.5-inch touchscreen comes with a disappointingly low 320 x 480 resolution, and does not utilise the Mobile Bravia engine that is seen in high-end Xperia handsets. Internal memory stands at 4GB out of which 2GB is available to the users – of course, one can store more using a microSD card. The phone’s dual SIM

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and FM radio for music lovers, as well as a 3.15-megapixel camera with fixed focus. The camera does a decent job of taking pictures as long as light conditions are good (no, there’s no flash either) and you don’t get too close to the subject. Video too was adequate rather than exceptional. However, the sound quality more than compensated for this. The Xperia E Dual comes with Sony’s traditional Walkman player, with enhancements and equaliser settings. The quality of sound is excellent especially on the bundled headphones. The FM Radio is easy to use but comes with limited options. One can use the Track ID option with which one can download songs playing on the radio, but this does not seem to work that well with Hindi songs. Sony has bundled a pair of headphones worth Rs 1,490 with the phone, which makes the phone a sound investment, literally.

2 5 1

User Experience: Mixed Our experience of the Sony Xperia E Dual was a mixed bag. We liked the dual SIM functionality of the device and the sound experience was definitely good. Battery life was exceptional, with a single charge taking it well beyond a day of usage. However, in terms of design and performance, it did not really come up to the high benchmarks set by Sony – there were occasional lags in performance.

Pros Dual SIM support  Additional headphones with the sales pack  Scratch proof display 

Conclusion

Cons Low screen resolution  Average performance  Limited internal memory 

The Xperia E Dual is priced at Rs 10,990 and is a decent enough device for anyone wanting a dual SIM smartphone from a major brand. However, it will receive stiff competition from newer brands that have launched large screen devices at competitive prices. Those looking for an alternative from a major brand can consider the LG Optimus L5 Dual which is available for Rs 12,750.n team@mymobile.co.in

connectivity supports two GSM networks, and you can designate either SIM as the master SIM from the SIM manager which is available in the notification bar itself. It should be noted that one can make calls and use Internet connectivity only from the master SIM – the secondary SIM can only receive calls. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Software: Good but old ICS When it comes to software, we were disappointed to see the Xperia E Dual running on Ice Cream Sandwich, especially when its single SIM counterpart, the Xperia E comes with the newer Jelly Bean version of the Android

OS. That said, ICS is extremely user-friendly and Sony’s Timescape interface does add a fillip to it by bringing social network connectivity right to the users’ homescreen. You get a total of five homescreen panels whose number cannot be increased but which you can customise using widgets and app shortcuts. You can also customise the four buttons in the menu bar as per your needs and requirements. The phone also comes pre-loaded with a number of applications, including WhatsApp Messenger, TOI and Hungama TV.

Multimedia: Great sound, so-so snaps The Xperia E Dual comes with a music player

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

76%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 43

burn test Atom-ic Intel Phone

133.9 mm

The Xolo X1000 has 2.0 GHz of Intel Inside

Cons

Pros

67.6 mm

he first Xolo handset (the Xolo X900) had won accolades for its performance but had been criticised for its design. The X1000 upgrades both. But does it do enough to carve a niche for Intel in a very competitive smartphone market?

Looks: Smarter, much smarter The X900 had taken flak for its rather industrial design, and the manufacturers seem to have learnt from the experience. The X1000 is an extremely sleek affair in comparison to its predecessor. The font is dominated by a 4.7-inch display of 1280 x 720 resolution made of edge to edge glass. There is no signage or even a single physical button on the face of the device. The gently curved back is made

Old version of Android  Battery life could have been better  Mediocre camera

Sleek design  Fast performance  Good display



highlights

The Xolo X1000 is powered by a 2.0 GHz Intel Atom processor

of slightly rubberised material, which makes it easy to grip. The back also houses the 8.0megapixel camera, an LED flash and a speaker. The all-black appearance of the phone is marred a little by the slightly flimsy silver coloured panels at the top and bottom, the lower of which can be removed to expose the SIM card (the phone uses a normal SIM) and microSD card slot. The top also houses the 3.5mm audio jack and the power/display on/ off button, while the bottom houses the USB port. The volume rocker is on the left, a rather unusual position and there’s no dedicated camera key. All said and done, the X1000 exudes quiet class from the front.

Hardware: Atom power Whatever people faulted the Xolo X900 for,

44 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

The phone’s 4.7-inch display has a pixel density of 314 ppi

hardly anyone complained about its hardware. And the Xolo X1000 is a definite step up from that very worthy predecessor. The display has a pixel density of 314 ppi which is extremely respectable when you consider that the human eye can detect only 320 ppi, and is capable of displaying HD video. Powering the device is a 2.0 GHz Intel Atom processor, backed up by 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card. The 8.0megapixel camera at the back is capable of shooting full HD video and comes with touch to focus and a number of shooting modes like the burst mode, which was a highlight of the X900. There is also a front facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video shots and self-portraits. On the connectivity front, the X1000 is pretty well stacked and comes with GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G

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lava xolo x1000 tech specs Size | 133.9 x 67.6 x 9.1 mm

User-Experience: Fast, very fast

Weight | 140 grams

Others | Gmail, Google Maps

The multiple-core crowd might turn their noses up at the single core Atom driving the X1000, but take our word for it, it is blazingly fast. We used it to run Shadowgun and it played the game with no lags or stutters at all and even handled multiple tasks with elan. We even were able to play a HD video on it and switch to editing images at the same time. Mind you, it does consume battery at the rate of knots. If you are a power user that keeps social networks and mail running and does a fair bit of video viewing and gaming, we would advise you not to wander too far from a charging point – this is very much a chargedaily phone.

Price: Rs 19,999

Conclusion

The lower part of the phone houses the SIM and microSD card slots

The 8.0megapixel camera comes with many shooting modes, including burst

rather good on the headphones. The addition of FM radio is welcome, although one needs to plug in headphones to be able to access it. However, when it comes to the cameras, the X1000s performance is not the greatest. The level of detail captured was decent but colour reproduction was a bit iffy and got worse as the lights dimmed. Yes, you might get shots that are good enough to share on social networks but nothing beyond that, which is a colossal pity, when you consider the number of shooting options that come with the device. We really think a filter app like Instagram or Pixlr-o-matic should have been bundled with this phone, as the images look a lot better after some “filtering.’’

The Xolo X1000 is one of the fastest devices we have seen in terms of sheer operational speed. And at Rs 19,999, it certainly represents good value for money. However, it is a let down to an extent by its camera and OS. Those looking for an alternative could consider the Samsung Galaxy Grand which is available for Rs 20,999 and comes with a larger display and runs a newer version of Android. n

There are no physical buttons on the front of the device, which is all black

team@mymobile.co.in

and Bluetooth. Round that off with a bevy of sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor) and what you have is one hardware beast.

Software: Android 4.0...why? It has a super display, a great processor, and is packed with sensors and connectivity options. We therefore fail to understand why the Xolo X1000 runs on an older version of Android, 4.0.4 or Ice Cream Sandwich, rather than Jelly Bean (4.1 and above). The OS is decent enough for a low-end device and at a pinch even a mid-segment one, but is ill at ease on the X1000. The basic Android interface has not been tampered with much, although the absence of hardware keys means that you will have to depend on four

soft keys below the display which light up whenever the display is in use to find your way around. There are five customisable homescreens on which you can drop widgets and app shortcuts. The phone comes with the usual Android goodies like Gmail, Google Maps and Google Talk to which have been added some apps like a file manager, a video editor and a profile manager. Of course, you can always head out to the Google Play store to get more apps.

Multimedia: Great viewing, not so great snapping The multimedia on the X1000 is a bit of a twoedged sword. The excellent display is great for watching films and games, and sound quality is adequate on the loudspeaker and actually

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 45

burn test Quite “One’’derful One of the

best offerings from HTC

137.4 mm

2 68.2 mm

highlights The new interface is a breath of fresh air

The design is spectacular

46 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

There are two loudspeakers on this phone

The rear 4.0 MP shooter has an extra large sensor

It comes with Beats audio enhancment

www.mymobile.co.in

TC has been known for innovating and bringing new features to their phones, and the latest handset from their stable is the HTC One. But does it have what it takes to turn HTC’s flagship fortunes around?

Looks: Cut to perfection The HTC One has been built out of a single block of aluminium and is available in silver and black colours. We got the black one, which looks nice, but the silver one has the edge, we think. The phone has a fairly large 4.7inch touchscreen with full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, below which are feather-touch keys for Home and Back, with the HTC logo in the middle. The front of the phone also has a secondary camera for video chat and twin loudspeakers - one above and one below the display. The sides have the micro-SIM slot and a volume rocker key, while the audio jack along with the power button is located on the top, that has an infrared receiver built-in. Turn the phone around and one will find a smooth matte-finished rear with diamond cut trims and the primary camera with flash. The HTC logo is also engraved on the back.

Hardware: Quad power Built on the Qualcomm 600 chipset, the HTC One runs on a super quick quad core 1.7 GHz Krait processor, and comes with 2GB RAM and 32GB of non-expandable storage. The front-facing camera is powered by a 2.1megapixel sensor, while the one at the rear has a 4.0-megapixel one. Powering the phone is a fairly large non-removable 2,300 mAh battery, which easily lasts for a day under nominal use. The One comes with 3G network support as well as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The phone also comes with Beats Audio through the twin speakers.

Software: A new Sense-ible Android The HTC one comes with the latest version of its Sense interface, version 5. The homescreen is replaced by the Blinkfeed panels, essentially a mix of various Internet and social feeds running on the screen in the form of panels. You can select which feeds to show on this screen and can pick from news, sports, technology and others. You can also have feeds from your social networks running here. Apart from the Blinkfeed, users get two more panes where you can locate application icons and other widgets. Cosmetic changes can be seen to the application panel as well. Like iOS you can group the app icons together and these can also be scrolled vertically. The icons are a bit small for our liking but do give the phone a crisp, non-cluttered feel. HTC has loaded the phone with new applications as well, such as the Car app, which shows only essential apps

Pros 

New Sense UI



Decent Design



Good camera

Cons 

Battery cannot be removed



Storage cannot be expanded



Gets a little warm when watching movies and playing games

while you are driving; and Kid mode, a sort of child lock, where only those apps will be enabled which you want your child to access. HTC has also added a new app called Zoe, which captures photos and three second videos to put them together into a video mix and adds background music too. It is somewhat similar to the effect seen in the Harry Potter movies where still pictures come to life.

tech specs

Multimedia: Brilliant imagery

Memory | 32GB, No

HTC one has an UltraPixel camera at the back. The megapixel count might be on the low side, but the sensor size is bigger, which enables the camera to capture more light. The result is spectacular, and you get crisp and vivid shots. The camera performs exceptionally well in bright sunlight and indoors. However, for super dark places one does need the flash to be enabled. As far as the music experience goes, the twin speakers and headphones with Beats Audio on this phone do a marvellous job. The screen is good for watching movies and playing games, but does drain the battery rather quickly.

OS | Android 4.1

User Experience: Very likeable The new user interface on the HTC One is a breath of fresh air. The phone is quick and load apps quickly, although we would have liked a microSD card slot. The IR emitter as of now does not work in India, which is again a bit of a let-down. The One scored 12,208 marks in the Quadrant test, which is the best we have seen from any phone to date.

Conclusion Overall, the One is a good phone from HTC, although the price is on the higher side. A few thousand rupees lesser and it would have been tough to beat. An alternative that you can consider is the Sony Xperia Z, which is retailing for Rs 38,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

HTC One Size | 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm Weight | 143 grams

Price: Rs 42,900 verdict 9

Looks Features

ease of use

8 9

perfoRmance value for money

overall

84%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Budget ‘Fly’ght Easy on the eye, easy on the pocket

highlights

The device comes with 12.0megapixel camera

Fly F45s offers a crisp 4.5inch qHD display

3.0-megapixel front camera is present on the top

2 4 The touch interface of the device works smoothly

5 It comes with LED flash

Pros Design and form factor  12.0-megapixel snapper  Jelly Bean OS 

Cons Locating the power button can be a problem  No hardware key for camera  Battery backup could have been better 

4 48 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

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Speaking of apps, the Fly F45s comes with Nimbuzz, Saavn, ZengaTV and a special app for Fly handsets WeChat Fly, a result of tie-up between both the companies. That apart it is standard Android fare here, with seamless support for popular e-mail services from Google and social networks.

f late, many Indian brands have come out with interesting feature packed handsets to challenge the dominance of global brands. And one company that seems to be raising the bar for the competition is Fly Mobiles. Its latest smartphone, the Fly F45s offers a crisp 4.5-inch qHD display and comes packed with dual SIM punch but is it enough to compete against a market that is presently dominated by the Micromax’s Canvas series?

The Fly F45s is a nice-looking candybar smartphone. The handset is partly rubbery and metallic in look and feel. The round corners and smooth edges help you hold it easily, even though it does seem a bit heavy for its size. The design is minimalistic with sides being bare, barring the volume rocker keys on the left. The front is dominated by the 4.5-inch qHD display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, and has jet black looks. Three soft keys are present below the screen for settings, home and back while a 3.0-megapixel front camera is present on the top. The top houses the power and display on/off key, a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro USB slot for charging and data transfer. The back is completely rubber dominated and houses a 12.0megapixel rear camera accompanied by a flash. With a dimension of 128.4 x 69.65 x 12.8 mm, the device is not the slimmest but surely is a looker.

Its qHD display makes the Fly F45s a very good device for viewing images and videos. For the 12.0-megapixel rear camera, there are a number of shooting options available such as HDR, Panorama and you can also tinker with White Balance, colour effects and set different shoot modes among other things. The camera took some decent shots though at times the colours either seemed washed out or had an orange tint to them. For music lovers, the phone comes with a music player and FM Radio. There are equaliser pre-sets to improve the sound quality. However, the sound (while loud enough) tends to distort at the highest volume point.

131 mm

Looks: Smart, sober

Multimedia: Snap and groove

Hardware: Charged up The Fly F45s is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor with 1GB RAM. The 4.5-inch qHD screen gives ample real estate for visual delight but we did expect it to have a higher resolution and in sunlight, tends to get dark. It comes with 1 GB internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 32 GB through microSD card. The 12.0-megapixel rear camera is the USP of the device as no other company offers this megapixel count at this price. For connectivity it includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE and 3G.

Software: It’s Jelly Bean The Fly F45s runs the Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), which is a very recent version of the OS. And if you are the types that prefer a relatively unfettered Android experience, you will like the device. It is not as radical as HTC’s Sense or Samsung’s TouchWiz but adds a few neat touches to the OS without intruding too much on its essence. You get five customisable homescreens, lots of widgets and apps classified in terms of those that came with the device and those that you downloaded.

User-experience: Live it up The Fly F45s handled everything we threw at it from HD games to HD videos to browsing the Web with ease and at a speed that impressed us. We were not too happy with the battery performance as we had to charge it at least twice a day for normal usage - calling, browsing and push mails, with lots of Temple Run 2 thrown in. Mind you, we found typing to be a bit of a hit and miss affair in the handset, as the keyboard seemed a bit cramped. All in all , the phone ran brilliantly and surprised us with its performance.

67 mm

Fly F45s tech specs

Conclusion The Fly F45s is priced at Rs 11,990 and is a very good option if you are looking for a good Android device with a dual core processor below Rs 12,000. You can also consider the Micromax Canvas 2 that costs Rs 9,990. n

Size | 131 x 67 x 10.5 mm Weight | 158 grams Memory | 2.5GB, microSD

team@mymobile.co.in

verdict

OS | Android 4.1 Screen Size | 4.5-inch, Capacitive

Looks

Battery | Li-ion 2,050 mAh

Features

Talktime/Standby | up to 8 hours/ up

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

to 100 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 12.0-megapixel Others | Live TV, We Chat

Price: Rs 11,990

8 9

overall

82%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 49

burn test

Theme for a Dream Gionee’s

AMOLED flagship rocks

Pros 1.2 GHz quad core processor  AMOLED display  16GB card free with the package 

Cons Takes time to charge  Limited internal storage  Thin back cover

130 mm



67 mm

50 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

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ell-known Chinese brand Gionee has joined the smartphone fray in India, and has every intention of being here for the long run. Which is why the company has launched its flagship device Gionee Dream D1 with a number of notable features in the Indian market.

highlights 1

It comes with AMOLED screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Looks: Attractive enough The D1 sports 1.0-megapixel camera on front

3 It is powered by Quad core processor

4 The touch interface of the device works smoothly

5 It is a dual SIM phone

The Gionee Dream D1 is said to be the slimmest and sleekest of all the smartphones launched by the company. It comes with 4.65-inch AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and a resolution of 1280 x 720. The back of the device is textured and rubberized which makes it comfortable to hold. However, the back cover is very thin and we would recommend handling it with care so that it does not get damaged. There are no physical buttons on the main screen and three soft keys are given for Back, Home and Recently used apps. The on/off button is located on the left side of the device and the volume rocker keys are placed on the right. The charging slot is given on the right side of the top panel, whereas the 3.5mm audio jack is given at the bottom. The rear panel of the smartphone contains an 8.0-megapixel snapper with LED flash. The speaker grille is also placed at the bottom of the back panel.

Hardware: Quad core stuff

Price: Rs 17,999

The Gionee Dream D1 is powered by 1.2 GHz quad core Cortex A7 processor. The device come equipped with 1GB RAM and 4GB internal storage which can be further expanded to 32GB via microSD card. The smartphone comes with dual SIM functionality (2G+3G) and both SIMs are hot swappable. The phone has an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and 1.0-megapixel front facing camera. On the connectivity front, the device offers 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS. In order to keep all this going smoothly the device houses a 2,100 mAh battery. All in all, these are very decent specs, especially when one factors in the fact that the display of the device is an AMOLED one.

Software: Jelly Bean goodness The Gionee Dream D1 runs on Android 4.1.2, or the Jelly Bean version of the operating system. The user interface is simple and one can directly launch the camera while unlocking the screen. There are five fixed options on the main screen for calling, contacts, menu, messages and Internet. Along with this there are five customisable homescreens that can be used for placing the shortcuts of your favourite apps and for widgets. The smartphone also comes with some pre-installed apps and games like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, NQ mobile security, Yahoo! cricket and many others.

Multimedia: Decent The phone performs quite well in the multimedia department. The 8.0-megapixel autofocus rear camera is capable of recording full HD videos at 30 frames per second. The phone delivered some good shorts in daylight and the HDR image quality was also fine. Moreover, we were able to take decent shorts in dim light as well. The front 1.0-megapixel camera performed well during video chats. The device was also able to play all formats of videos. Web browsing and gaming were a delight with no lags and we were also able to run multiple apps simultaneously on it with no problems whatsoever. Sound quality too was good in both loudspeaker and headphone mode, although attaching the hands-free to the device was a bit of a task.

User Experience: Gratifying The Gionee Dream D1 delivered a very pleasing experience. The display of the device is amazing and delivers good colours. The battery backup was also good and it easily stretches to a day. The camera also worked well and Web browsing was a delight. We also tested the smartphone on the Quadrant benchmark tests and it scored 3,978 which is a decent score. The phone, however, does take some time to get charged.

Conclusion The Gionee Dream D1 comes with a price tag of Rs 17,999. The company is giving a 16GB memory card, screen protector and two colourful covers for the device as part of the package. It is one of the few devices in the market today to offer an AMOLED display as well as quad core processor and is by far the most affordable. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Micromax Canvas HD which is priced at Rs 13,990 and comes with 5.0-inch display and a quad core processor. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

78%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Affordable Lumia The Lumia 620

highlights

harks bark to Nokia’s core strengths

The 3.8-inch ClearBlack display is not the brightest, but is more than adequate

Cons

Pros 

Smart design



Display not the brightest



Decent hardware and software



Camera flash could have been better

Very good camera performance  Not the slimmest phone around for this segment

The 5.0-megapixel cameras takes very good shots in well lighting conditions

On board are Nokia goodies like Maps and Music

5 4

52 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

Decent specs mean that Windows Phone 8 runs without any lags

You can change the handset’s appearance by swapping the back cover

www.mymobile.co.in

fortably beyond a day and half of usage, with push mail turned on, calls and photography. Incidentally, call quality is excellent.

okia was once known for its ability to churn out solidly built handsets that performed and did not cost the earth. The Lumia 620 is a blast from that glorious past, garbed in a brand new OS. But does the sub-Rs 15,000 price tag stem from performance compromises?

The front looks sheer black, dominated as it is by the 3.8-inch display with three touch keys (back, home, search) below it, and the back is available in six colour options (Green, Yellow, Magenta, Black, Cyan, and White). The phone has a gentle curve-y look about it with rounded edges and sides curving in to meet the black. Yes, it is made of plastic and at 11mm, it is not the thinnest phone we have seen in tech town, but is very comfortable to hold and will fit into most palms easily. All the buttons - screen/ power on/off, volume and camera - are on the right, while the top houses the 3.5mm jack and the bottom contains the microUSB port. The back, besides providing a splash of colour, also has a 5.0-megapixel camera with a flash. Incidentally, the back cover is swappable, so you can keep switching colours. It would have been great if Nokia had included some options in the box, though.

It is one of the best sub-Rs 15,000 phones we have used. It runs the latest OS, has excellent pre-loaded apps and does most routine smartphone tasks with a degree of ease - there are not too many Android devices in the price segment about which we can say that. All of which makes the Lumia 620 a superb choice for those looking for a smartphone without spending a bomb. Perhaps the closest alternative in terms of sheer value for money would be the Android-driven Micromax Canvas HD, which comes with a larger display and a quad core processor, for Rs 15,500. n

115.4 mm

Looks: Smart front, colourful black

Conclusion

team@mymobile.co.in

Nokia Lumia 620 tech specs Size | 115.4 x 61.1 x 11 mm Weight | 127 grams

61.1 mm

Memory | 8GB, microSD Windows Phone Store to download more apps and games.

Hardware: Super for the price

Multimedia: Rabbit out of hat

If you had told us at this time last year that it would be possible to obtain a Windows Phone 8 device with a dual core processor for less than Rs 15,000, we would have laughed at the notion. The Lumia 620 however, does just that. It comes packed with some very decent hardware, including a 1 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512MB RAM and 8GB of onboard storage, with the option to expand by 64GB using a microSD card. It packs in dual camera - a 5.0-megapixel main one on the back and a front facing VGA one, and comes with GPS, 3G, WI-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC. And that 3.8-inch display is a ClearBlack one with a resolution of 800 x 480.

In our experience, the one area where the difference between a high-end device and a relatively lower priced one becomes particularly discernible is in the camera, whose quality generally varies directly with the price of the device. We were therefore very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the camera on the Lumia 620. The device churned out very good results in well-lit conditions and even did reasonably well when the lights dimmed, although we recommend using the flash only when it gets really dark. The camera can also shoot decent 720p video. Music is decent through earphones, less so through loudspeakers and of course, you have unlimited music downloads, courtesy Nokia Music, so there is no chance of your running out of music to play.

Software: WP8, with a touch of Nokia The Lumia 620 runs on Windows Phone 8 and therefore, comes with pretty much what most WP8 devices come with. The interface is the famous tiled one, with tiles that can be resized, and comes with the usual round of WP8 goodies, including Internet Explorer, MS Office, Zune player, and One Note. This being a Lumia, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also some Nokia goodness in the app department with maps and camera apps (including the much-hyped Cinemagraph, which lets you add movement to images). And of course, there is always the growing

User experience: Very good It looks snazzy. Comes loaded with decent hardware and software. And does not cost a bomb. But we have not yet come to the best thing about the Lumia 620. It performs. The phone handled pretty much every thing we threw at it, from Angry Birds to image editing to navigation. Yes, we wished the screen had been brighter, but that apart, we had little to complain about. The phone performed solidly even in the battery department, lasting com-

Price: Rs 14,500 verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

88%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Value for Money Virtuoso

Spice’s Stellar Virtuoso offers lots for not too much

t has been raining Android handsets with a number of Indian tech brands launching smartphones at extremely affordable prices. Spice, always a key player in the value for money handset, has brought another handset to the affordable Android party – the Stellar Virtuoso Mi-495.

Looks: Decent The Stellar Virtuoso’s front is dominated by a 4.5-inch qHD display of 960 x 540 resolution with a respectable pixel density of 245 ppi. There

5 4

125 mm

Cons

Pros 61 mm

54 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013



Large screen



Old version of Android



Dual core processor



Decent looks

Stutters while handling highdefinition content



Mediocre camera

www.mymobile.co.in

highlights 4.5 inch qHD screen is good for viewing videos

Good number of pre-loaded apps

The device has dual camera

are three soft keys below it for Back, Home, and Settings. A silver strip runs along the sides of the phone. The back panel is textured and houses a camera and LED flash. On the top is a display/power on/off key and the 3.5mm audio jack, whereas the volume rocker is on the left. Due to the device’s glossy front and rear panels, fingerprints and smudges tend to get highlighted, so we would recommend keeping a cloth handy to clean them off. All in all, the smartphone looks elegant enough, and actually has a few hints of the iPhone 4S about it.

Hardware: Good enough The Stellar Virtuoso Mi-495 has a 1GHz dual core processor coupled with512 MB RAM that performs well enough as long as you do not overburden it – it go sluggish the moment we used high definition games on it. We would recommend installing a RAM optimising app and an app manager to keep it running smoothly. Its inbuilt storage is of 4GB, of which 1.58GB is available for the user, and is further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. There is 8.0megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. The phone is a dual SIM(GSM+WCDMA) device that can support 2G and 3G networks, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The phone’s rear panel is made out of thin flimsy plastic which could break if not handled properly while replacing the SIM or SD cards within.

Software: Old OS With so many budget Android devices running Android 4.1, it is disappointing to see the Stellar Virtuoso run on Android’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. That said, the phone comes with a number of user friendly features, such as SMS with threaded view, MMS, Push Mail, FM Radio and Java MIDP emulator. The homescreen provides quick access to settings, camera, music and gallery icons. From the top one can also pull down the notification bar, from where the user can quickly turn on/off various features like Wi-Fi, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, WLAN and availability of Airplane mode accord-

Has 8.0-megapixel rear camera which gives average picture quality

ing to requirements. The phone comes with various preloaded applications like File Manager, Sound Recorder, Video Player, Currency Calculator, BSE/NSE Stock Watch and YouTube. For social networking, it offers Facebook, Gmail, Nimbuzz, and Skype. More apps can be obained from the Play Store.

Multimedia: Mediocre The 4.5-inch qHD TFT screen is very good for viewing videos and images, but the viewing angles are not very good. The 8.0megapixel camera does not deliver very good results, with colours often appearing dull. Video is not exceptional either – this device clearly was built for viewing images and videos, rather than taking them. Sound quality is decent but nothing really to write home about.

Users Experience: Not convincing The Stellar Virtuoso cuts a neat

Spice Stellar Virtuoso Mi-495

Price: Rs 10,499

display/power on/ off key and the audio jack are placed on top of the phone

enough figure and has decent hardware running beneath its hood, but its performance was not the greatest. Although the battery life was adequate (we could easily see through a day of usage) and the connectivity options worked very well indeed. Those looking for a large screen Android handset with an affordable price tag can consider it, but we really think that the use of an older version of Android and less than impressive multimedia drags down the phone. We also wish the handset performed better while handling highdefinition tasks – after all, it does boast a dual-core processor.

Conclusion The Spice Stellar Virtuoso is a decent rather than an exceptional device. As such it is likely to have its hands full competing with the likes of Micromax, Karbonn, and other brands slugging it out in the value for money segment of the highly competitive smartphone market. At Rs 10,499, it is a decent option if you want an Android phone with a relatively large display. Those thinking of an alternative in this price segment, can consider the Micromax Canvas HD which offers a larger, higher resolution screen and a quad core processor for Rs 13,990. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

74%

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 55

boredom buster

Step on it! Another instalment of Asphalt hits the mobile screen

here’s a new edition of Asphalt in mobile gaming town. Asphalt 7: Heat comes with most of the circuits that were present in Asphalt 6, as well as some new tracks. The aim of the game remains simple enough: drive to win and win races to drive new cars. The career mode is lengthy and rewarding. You have plenty of cars to choose from in various tiers from manufacturers such as Ford, BMW, Nissan, Ferrari and Audi. As you start winning races, you accumulate stars and money, which in turn unlock more cars and next game levels. You also have side goals such as knocking opponents down in a particular race or using the nitro a cer-

tain number of times in a race. These get you additional stars, bringing you closer to better, faster rides. There is plenty of action happening in the career mode, where you get to race some hard AI opponents, play elimination rounds where the last of the lot gets eliminated every time the clock runs out and ‘beat em all’ where you have to take down your opponents within a particular time limit. There are more than a dozen stages in the game with four races each. Other modes include single player and the multiplayer mode (for which one requires a good 3G or Wi-Fi connection). The game graphics are decent enough for a mobile device. It does tend to lag a bit when

56 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

you hit a number of obstacles in a race, but nothing to really put you off. Sound effects are neat as well. However, just make sure you have more than a Gigabyte (Yes, 1GB) of space on your handset if you want to play this game. However, if you are into racing games, it would be storage space well used - as this is a game that will keep you occupied for hours. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: Asphalt 7: Heat Price: Free Tested on: BlackBerry Z10

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Mayhem in an urban sky Bioshock returns with a bang!

e had been waiting for the next instalment of the Bioshock, ever since its teasers were showcased at E3 last year. And now Bioshock: Infinite is here. The game takes place in the year 1912, in a floating city on the clouds called Columbia, and like all Bioshock titles this one too comes with a strong storyline. You play as Troy Baker, a former agent of the national detective agency, who has been hired by the Lutece twins to capture and bring back Elizabeth, in order to clear his debt with them. Racism is alive and well in Columbia - the city been dominated by the whites and slavery is common. You initially are able to move around unnoticed in the city, but things change when a citizen sees the A.D. sign on your hand, which also is the sign of the False Shepherd who will bring down the city of Columbia (we told you it was an unusual story). Life now gets complicated as you not only have to save your own life but also find Elizabeth. Standing in your path are formidable foes like AI Abe Lincoln. And of course, once you get Elizabeth things get still more complicated (no, we are not telling you why or how) and you have to get off the floating city. Eaiser said than done, although you have weapons aplenty as well as Vigours, which give you superhuman powers such as throwing fire to kill your enemies. You also get some help along the way, but still need to be careful and not plunge headlong into battle - our suggestion is to take cover whenever possible. Graphics are excellent and sound plays a vital role in taking the game to the next level. AI is tough and battles are bloody. All in all, Bioshock: Infinite is a worthy addition to the series and very much a must-buy for FPS lovers. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: Bioshock Infinite Price: Rs 2,499 Tested on: PS3

RATING



apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 57

Smart apps

Snaps with a sense of place Add where you took a snap, in a snap

ith the proliferation of GPS in handsets, it is easy to add the location of where a picture was taken to the picture itself. The process itself, however, tends to be a tad tedious, and more often than not, the location gets displayed in small text as part of a caption. What if you wanted to highlight the location in a more prominent way? Well, you could use InstaPlace. Available for both Android and iOS, InstaPlace lets you add large location-based captions to your images. You can either take a picture from within the app itself, or choose an existing image. Once that is done, InstaPlace scans the area around to try and identify your current location using Foursquare and Facebook. It is not always accurate, but you can choose and alternative location if you are not satisfied with the ones chosen by the app. That done, you can then opt for an appropriate location-based slogan (“I was here,'' “Delicious”and so on). You also have the option of adding a filter to change the look of the photograph if you wish – not a bad option if you have taken the shot from within the app itself as it does not seem to support autofocus. That done, you can share your image, complete with a slogan printed on it on your social networks. Some might say that InstaPlace is a limited app as all it does is add a location-based line to your images. You do not even get the option to edit the text on the image, although you can buy additional options, if you feel so inclined. The app itself is free, but comes with limited captions/slogans. That said, the app works very smoothly and is very intuitive to use. If all you are looking to add to your pictures is a sense of place, InstaPlace is the app for you. n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Instaplace Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPhone 4S

RATING

58 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013



www.mymobile.co.in

Snappy delight for WP 8 Who

needs Instagram?

here might be a well-publicised campaign underway to get Instagram on Windows Phone 8 devices, but that does not mean that there are no image-tweaking applications available for those who have opted for Microsoft's mobile OS. And one of the most powerful ones around is Camera360. Available as a free download from the Windows Phone Store, Camera360 adds a whole bunch of features to your shooting and editing experience. The app is not just an image tweaking one like Instagram, but actually can take over your camera. And that is actually not a very bad thing. Unlike the relatively plain interface of most Windows Phone 8 devices, Camera360's live camera shooting mode allows you to switch between six different shooting modes which are filter-based. You get a “live view”' on your display, letting you see the effects even before you hit the shutter button. And that's not all – you can also go right ahead and tweak the images after you have shot them. In a very interesting twist, Camera360 also rearranges your photo gallery in the form of a diary and calendar, arranging pictures in chronological order, which

is a whole lot better than the default photo gallery app on most WP8 devices. Once you are done with your editing, you can share your images on your social networks. The greatest strength of the app is its simplicity – you just need to select a filter to get the effect you want. Those looking for more detailed editing options or even basic functions like cropping will be disappointed, but if all you are looking for is something like Instagram-like magic on your Windows Phone device, this is about as good as it gets. n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Camera360 Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 920

RATING



apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 59

etcetera T

he Latitude series of notebooks from Dell has been very popular among professionals. And the company has strengthened the series by adding an ultrabook to it. The Dell Latitude 6430u has one thing on its mind - business performance. The black, well-designed ultrabook is very slim, although at 1.64 kg, it is not the lightest ultrabook on the block. Users get a large 14-inch (non-touch) display of 1366 x 768 resolution, and a fairly large keyboard in which the keys have a slight indent adding to comfort. The trackpad is big too and does not come in the way when one is typing. While many others are offering one in their slim collections, there is no optical drive in this ultrabook, although this one has two full-time USB ports with a third one that doubles up as an eSATA port. Users get the latest 64 bit Windows 8 Enterprise Edition operating system which runs just fine on it, thanks to a fast Intel Core i5 1.8 GHz processor with 4GB RAM, and graphics powered by an Intel HD 4000 graphics processor. As far as the storage is concerned the laptop has a 128GB SSD drive, which does not seem enough for enterprise use, but does manage to speed things up. We ran 3D mark 11 on it and it managed to score a decent 1,150 marks at the entry level. On PC Mark 7 it scored 4,356 marks. This indicates it really not built for graphical performance but for enterprise use. To sum it up, this laptop is great for business performance. However, we would have really loved it if it had touch screen and an optical drive - this is a Windows 8 device, after all. n

Ready for Business Another

ultrabook from Dell

Dell Latitude 6430u

Pros | Fast processor, Good keyboard

Price: Rs 69,990 upwards

heavy

Cons | No Optical drive, Slightly

60 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Apple TV Price: Rs 8,295

Pros | Compact form factor, Easy to install and use Cons | Limited access to online content, Works best with iOS/Mac OS devices only

RATING



TV Apple-ified

Adding a byte of Apple to your TV

he Apple TV has been around for a few years and is now available in India. No, it is not a television set. Nor even a set-top box as we know it. It is in fact a compact box whose main purpose is to let you access content stored on your other Apple devices and select online content on your television. Of course, it is designed in best Apple tradition. It is incredibly compact and light and fits into your hand. And installing it is as easy as connecting it to your television using an HDMI cable (alas, you will have to purchase it separately) and going online either using the device’s inbuilt Wi-Fi or connecting

an Ethernet cable to it. That literally is all you need to do to get your Apple TV up and running. Once ready, you can then opt to either check out Podcasts, trailers and YouTube videos from the device itself, or stream content from your iPad, iPod touch, iPhone or Mac computer on to your television. So you can actually surf the Web, play Temple Run and Infinity Blade, or just check your social networks on a larger screen. And of course, this being an Apple device, you can also purchase content – videos and films (but no apps) – from the iTunes App Store. There is plenty of Indian content in both the music and film sec-

tion. You also have the option of streaming video from your Apple computer or iOS device to the TV. All of which makes the Apple TV an excellent option for those possessing Mac OS or iOS devices. It is not exactly a Smart TV box and it offers limited direct access to online content (it has no browser), but yes, if you are looking for a device that will let you view content from different Apple devices on a large screen, this is definitely a very handy device. You can even slip it into your pocket, connect it to a TV and then stream a presentation off your iPad using it. It’s that simple to use. n

apr 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 61

etcetera Vivo Magic A good option to get your PC racing

into a backpack or a briefcase and at around 1.3 Kg relatively lightweight. There is some decent processing power beneath the sleek hood too – an Intel 3rd Generation Core i3- 3217U processor, 4GB RAM and a 500GB HDD. The display is bright, clear and offers a good touch and viewing experience. It handled most routine tasks well, although we did sense the touch lagging a few times. For multimedia the VivoBook sports

ith the launch of Windows 8, a number of manufacturers have been launching touch-friendly notebooks and ultrabooks. Initially these were all high-end devices, but now we are seeing more affordable notebooks in the market. And one of the most recent is the Asus VivoBook F202E, which comes with an 11.6-inch LED Backlight HD screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 and a capacitive touch panel with multi-touch function. The VivoBook flaunts a metallic chassis with aluminium hair-brush textures that look good. It is compact enough to slip

Asus vivobook f202e Price: Rs 39,999

dual speakers, each powered by Asus exclusive Sonic Master Technology and on the camera front it comes with a HD (720p) Web camera. In our rundown test, the VivoBook delivered five hours of battery life which is satisfactory rather than sensational. For connectivity, the notebook comes with USB ports, an SD card reader, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. On the software side, Asus has pre-loaded some apps for users such as the ASUS Win flash, Life Frame III, Live Update and GamePark Console along with standard Windows 8 apps – News, Mail, SkyDrive, Skype and Bing. The Asus VivoBook F202E is available in two colours in the Indian market: Champagne Gold and Black. n

Pros | Fast boot up, Good build

quality

Cons | Touch experience is not that great, Battery life could have been better

62 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Fujifilm x-E1 Price: Rs 89,000

Pros | Great image quality, Retro

looks

Cons | Complicated to use, Expensive

RATING



Old-fashioned snapper Eighties’ looks, new age muscle

n first glance, the Fujifilm X-E1 looks right out of the eighties when cameras were compact affairs with faux leather bodies and grips, and dozens of dials and buttons that one could fiddle around with to ensure that one got the perfect shot and did not waste the valuable film. Well, film might well have gone out of fashion but that has not stopped Fujifilm from including just about as many tweaking options on the X-E1, which is a slightly watered down version of the more expensive X-Pro1, which was released last year. There is no shooting mode dial,

letting you switch between different, although you do have two dials on the top of the camera. One is for shutter speed, the other for aperture. You can switch modes using a button next to the 2.8-inch LCD on the back of the camera. In fact, there is a stack of buttons on this camera, with buttons for menu, drive, shooting settings, macro, defining active focus points and so on. There are so many options that you can get great results from this camera in auto as well as manual mode, such is the control given to the user. Of course, you would need to invest some time

getting familiar with it. Once you get the hang of it, the X-E1 can deliver stunning results with its 16.0-megapixel sensor. It is a mirrorless camera so comes with an electronic rather than an optical viewfinder, located on the left of the LCD, which makes awkward to use initially. Work out the plethora of dials and options, however, and what you have is a camera that not just takes great pictures but will turn heads as well. Mind you, it does cost almost as much as a DSLR, but then, no DSLR ever looked this good. n team@mymobile.co.in

apr 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 63

fa c e t o fa c e After getting off to a relatively slow start,

social networks are growing briskly in India. One of the new players in the social sphere is Americos Technologies that launched a social polling platform, Hammer, recently. We quizzed Gaurav Khanna and Amit Khanna, Joint Managing Directors, Americos Technologies about the social platform and the opportunities offered

Ketan Pratap

“Social media is everywhere these days” Tell us something about Hammer? Hammer is a social polling platform. It allows you to ask a question, upload a photo or two, and have users give their opinions/suggestions on it. You can get opinions from anyone about anything - jobs, business, music, artwork, shopping, food, movies, relationships, gadgets, games, social issues. You can also post news about anything and people will give their opinion on it. For example: Which shirt should I wear to the party? What’s your take on budget 2013? Should I buy this watch? Furthermore, you can create a cool profile of yours and make friends. How important is the social platform to a business? Social media is everywhere these days. We see companies employing social media advertising on commercials, radio, billboards, websites, and even on our cellphones and other mobile devices. The perception of the social media platform has shifted quickly and has become a must for any business seeking to secure a place

in both the traditional and digital marketplace. What could once be accomplished by a traditional website now needs to be supplemented by a robust and responsive utilisation of the tools social media offers. The 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry report states that 85 per cent of all businesses that have a dedicated social media platform as part of their marketing strategy reported an increase in their market exposure. And 58 per cent of businesses that have used social media marketing for over three years reported an increase in sales over that period. In order to run a successful social media marketing campaign, you need to know which platform will work best for your business. On Hammer, businesses can approach their set target group (gender, age, category, location etc.) to get opinions and responses even for their pilot projects. What according to you is USP of Hammer? How it is different from other social platforms? Hammer is a totally dif-

64 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

ferent platform. It lays emphasis on “opinions” rather than on comments and likes. It is apt for every one today. It is possible to get multiple as well as a single opinion from people in real time. Apart from that, it allows you to create a discussion forum kind of atmosphere by letting you share news and getting to know what others have to say. How are you promoting your platform? Any tie-ups in the near future? Word of mouth – if people like it, they will definitely tell others about it. We are now looking for investors/advisors that have solid expertise/experience in working with mobile and Web applications. The funding will be used towards several areas like hiring, product development, and taking Hammer worldwide. Our in-house teams of developers have almost finished creating app for iPhone and Android smartphones. We will be launching it in a month’s time. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

in focus

Skin Trade:

The Android UI Battles

They might all be running Android, but all Android smartphones do not look and work the same. Ensuring that this differentiation exists are the skins or themes placed by the manufacturers over the basic interface. The result: Android devices from different brands look different. We line up the themes offered by Samsung, Sony, LG and HTC Ketan Pratap

lame it on Google’s openness. Thanks to it, handset manufacturers have been able to lay their user-interfaces over the standard Android user interface. And it is because of this flexibility that Android devices from various handset manufacturers are different in overall looks and work differently (to an extent anyway). And these have contributed to the user interface renaissanace that the industry has seen over the past five years, with a stylusbased touchscreen interface giving way to a more finger friendly one. Each of the major Android manufacturers has done its best to tweak the user experience on their Android devices and attracting the consumer. We take a look at four of the most popular Android user interface layers provided by manufacturers - HTC’s Sense, Samsung’s TouchWiz, LG’s

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 65

in focus

Aesthetic appearance

Optimus, and Sony’s Timescape – and compare them across different parameters to see what they deliver to the consumer and how well they do so.

One can see a very clear and stark contrast in all four interfaces when it comes to appearance. HTC’s Sense comes with a lighter and more visually appealing UI. While, LG follows with cleaner looks and customisable screen panels with swipe and not many complex options. As for Sony, the company seems to have particularly focused more on social networking and every event on the homescreen like calls, music, text messages from Facebook, Twitter, and gallery appears in a scrollable list that looks like a deck of cards. Samsung, on the other hand comes with an array of options on its homescreen panels like motion-activated panning and gesture support. It is literally over-flowing with options. At the end of the day, we would not be ashamed of being seen with either of the four. Winner – Tie

the product manual. Another point where Sony scores is in how quickly it lets users access the device – other themes come with multi-unlocking options that sometimes get annoying and also take too much time to wake up the device. Winner – Sony Timescape

Ease of Use

Lockscreen

Speaking purely from the aspect of general interface, Timescape (Sony) holds sway here. Designing a nice-looking interface is one thing but designing an interface that is also easy to use is another and Sony has managed it quite well in its Xperia handsets. Of all the UIs, Timescape was the one where most of the things were clear and obvious to anyone who used it even for the first time, without having to refer to

66 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

This is where different interfaces really go toe to toe against each other, with each having its own way of letting the user into the device – HTC features the simple pull up the ring mechanism to unlock the device, although one can also drag one of four app icons into the ring to promptly open those apps, all of which can be changed in the settings menu. On the other hand, Samsung has its dribbling water and dew-drop concept for the

www.mymobile.co.in

including SmartStay that uses the front facing camera on the device to detect whether or not the user is looking at the screen, S Beam that enables transfer of pictures quickly, Multiwindow for multitasking, and Pop up play to watch a video while replying to a message. In terms of pure add-ons to the UI, Samsung’s TouchWiz wins this one easily. Winner – Samsung TouchWiz

Battery life

lockscreen. One can also drag an app to open the device straightaway. LG follows a swipe to blow up a bubble mechanism for unlocking the device, which also looks very cool. Sony’s unlocking mechanism is very much a carbon copy of the standard Android unlocking system with a simple swipe to unlock the device or the camera. But we would award the palm to the HTC, thanks to its smoother running Sense overlay. Winner – HTC Sense

Add on features

Apart from just providing their devices with a different look and feel, all four overlays come with certain unique features that are generally not part of the standard Android app set. HTC throws in its own imaging technology, dubbed as ImageSense that offers several enhancements to the camera, and for music, apps like SoundHound, 7digital’s music store and TuneIn Radio for Internet radio streaming come preloaded. The Friendstream, HTC’s social networking widget enables one to share pictures, locations and apps straight from Friendstream. LG comes with its QuickMemo, using which one can instantly write on top of the screen with one’s finger and save the image, thumbnail preview while skipping a video and another feature dubbed as QSlide that makes the playing video transparent, and one can use the phone in the background while it plays the video. Sony seemed

a bit underpowered in this department with not much to offer when compared to the rest, except on the social networking front. Samsung on the other hand, takes the lead against the rest with a massive feature set,

No matter which brand you opt for, it is fair chance that your Android device is likely to struggle to get beyond a day on a single charge. And the manufacturer themes and UI do contribute to this battery drain as their additional features tend to further drain battery – the finer your device’s interface, the longer its battery should last, all other things staying equal. Which is why the HTC and Samsung skins tend to really soak up battery juice, while LG and Sony manage to keep their devices ticking just a bit longer. Winners: LG Optimus, Sony Timescape

Conclusion

While it would be tempting to start counting which company’s skin or theme scored on which parameter, the stark fact is that all brands have their pros and cons when it comes to UI. Those preferring an experience that is closer to the standard Google Android one might prefer Sony’s relatively un-fussy Timescape UI. On the other hand, those wanting a radically different UI from the stock Android one would just love HTC’s Sense. Those seeking less style and more substance would be attracted to the featurerich TouchWiz UI that is the trademark of Samsung’s Android devices. And those wanting a bit of both style and substance without being overwhelmed by either might appreciate LG’s Optimus look. In the end, as always, it really boils down to what you need. Just keep in mind, that different themes work differently on different devices – a high-end device might handle a theme better than another. And never compromise functionality for appearance – even in themes beauty is only skin-deep. Pun intended. n ketan@mymobile.co.in *Note: The conclusions in the story were based on HTC’s Sense 4 on HTC Desire X, LG’s Optimus on Optimus G, Sony’s Timescape on Xperia SL and Samsung’s TouchWiz on Galaxy Grand. The themes may perform differently on other devices from the same manufacturer.

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a p p ta s t i c

IPL: Appy Side Up

As the IPL gets underway and T20 fever grips the nation, we take a look at some apps that will give you a taste of the action on your phone or tablet Nimish Dubey 68 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

t is that time of the year when cricket followers are split between those who love the Indian Premier League (IPL) and those who think it is a blot on the fair name of the sport. However, love it or hate it, what you cannot do is ignore the IPL with its mix of marquee cricket names, film celebrities, industrialists and cheerleaders. But what if you are stuck in traffic? Or in a meeting? Or simply have had to surrender the television to the other (non-cricketing) members of your family? Well, fear not, for just as in everything else, there are apps that will ensure that you do not miss any on the excitement on and off the pitch. And these are six of the very best.

BCCI Price: Free Want the latest IPL news from the horse’s mouth, metaphorically speaking? Well, then go right ahead and grab the BCCI app, which is the official app for the tournament. And while those looking for colourful and spicy content might find this just a tad too bland for their liking, the app more than compensates with its plethora of statistics and analysis. It is also the best place to head to if you are seeking the official version of events, from changes of schedule to man of the match awards to resolving controversies. You are also assured of more interviews and player interactions as this is the official app after all. It could have done with some more excitement, though.

Available for: Android

IPL Dugout Price: Free No, the IPL is not just about cricket. It is a social celebration with people going out with their friends to watch matches and generally have a good time. Which is what this app is about. Sure, it delivers team details as well as live match updates and news of the tournament (which is par for the course, we believe) but where it stands out is in the fact that it also lets you search for cafes and restaurants in your city which are broadcasting the tournament and also those that are offering discounts on beverages and food. You can also share comments and observations about on and off-field action, if you so wish.

Pepsi IPL App

NexGTV

Price: Free

There was a time when BlackBerry users had limited apps on which to get their IPL fix. Fast forward to today and they now have the Pepsi IPL app made in collaboration with Times Internet, which serves up a plenty of detail on the tournament and its players. You have news, team and player profiles, live score updates, orange and purple cap player lists and even a special video highlights section containing the high and low points of the tournament so far. We would have liked a bit more fizz, considering that it comes from a soft drink company known for it, but in terms of pure information and quick updates, this is a very handy app indeed.

The IPL is a visual spectacle, complete with coloured clothing, cheerleaders and fans in team jerseys. It is therefore best enjoyed on television. Mind you, carrying a television around is easier said than done and live streaming can be iffy. Not if you are using this handy app, though. Although, it is designed to stream a number of channels on your handset, including the likes of Star Plus, CNNIBN and BBC, we would recommend cricket lovers grab it for the Pepsi IPL section which streams matches live on to your handset. Onscreen controls are welldesigned, letting you watch the match and tweak settings without any hassles. Just make sure you have a decent Internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G), and of course, keep an eye on the data consumed.

Available for: BlackBerry

IPL 2013 Price: Free Yes, it offers pretty much the same features that you would expect from a routine IPL app - the news, the live match updates, points table, purple and orange cap leaderboards and so on and so forth.What, however, marks this app out as special is the snazzy deign and the speed at which it operates. We found we were getting far quicker match updates on IPL 2013 than even on the official apps, and well, the app simply looks a great deal better than some of its staid counterparts out there. Just do not expect too much beyond cricket here.

Available for: Android

Available for: iOS, Android

Stick Cricket

Price: Free

Watching and following the IPL is fun, but what if you want to slog yourself in the cricket arena on your handset? Well, if it is a brief cricketing time-killer that you seek, then Stick Cricket remains your best option. Gameplay is incredibly simple - you play the game from the batsman’s perspective and your job is to tap on the side of the screen you want to send the ball too. If you get your timing right, you will get runs. If not, it is back to the pavilion for you. The great thing about the game are its colourful animations (very cartoony) and the inclusion of real player names as well as the incorporation of left and right-handed batting. Critics will carp that the game has no provision for bowling. Well, Twenty20 is a batsman’s game. And this is its best mobile representation.

Available for: Android, iOS n nimish@mymobile.co.in

apr 15 to may 14 2013 MYMOBILE 69

Gear guide Disclaimer: The prices have been obtained from companies 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

Wireless Charging Plate

Keep your Nokia Lumia on this sleek plate and watch your battery charge up. It comes with minimalistic design and vibrant colours to match your device. Rs 3,999

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 2,100

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

JBL PlayUp Portable Wireless Speaker Take your music with you with no wires. Rs 11,999

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 1,600

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

70 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

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

Wireless Charging Shell for Lumia 820 With wireless charging shell make your Nokia Lumia 820 compatible across any Qi wireless charger. Rs 1,999

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

Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy

Now simply place your Lumia on the Fatboy pillow to start charging without even plugging in your Lumia. Rs 5,499

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 1,100

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

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Subscription

YEARS

Subscription

Offer

S uNbOs W c r!i b e SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM

Term No of (year) issue

Coverprice (Rs.)

2,700

1,800

Option

You pay (Rs)

2,700

Arise Electric Kettle / Timex Gents Watch worth Rs. 2,700

1,629

Save Rs. 1,080 i.e 40% discount on cover price

1,800

Timex Ladies watch worth Rs. 1,800

1,080

Save Rs. 720 i.e 25% discount on cover price

900

Numero Uno Shoes worth Rs. 999

540

Save Rs. 360 i.e 40% discount on cover price

900

Cash Benefit/Gift

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Add. - My Mobile Infomidia Pvt. Ltd., # 25, 1st Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110001. Phone: 011-46206161, 41081012/13, Fax: 011-41520637 Terms and Conditions: The offer is valid in India only. Gift will be deliverd within a month after clearing of the cheque.Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for processing your subscription. Any request for cancellation of subscription will not be entertained. Copies will be sent by ordinary post. The actual model of Subscription gift may vary from the model shown above. This subscription offer is valid till stocks lasts. All disputes subject to competent courts of Delhi only.

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 April 3, 2013) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colourcoded 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 73 APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MY

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 1280

100

101

110

114

112

C2-02

Dimension (mm)

107.2 x 45.1 x 15.3

110 x 45.5 x 14.9

110 x 46 x 14.8

110.4 x 46.9 x 15.4

102.8 x 51.2 x 17

Weight (grams)

81.92

69.6

110

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8.30/528

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

NA/No

7.2/840

10.5/637

14/840

5/60x0

65,536/1.8

56K/1.8

65,536/2.6

NA/No

64MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Symbian S30

S30

S40

Symbian S40

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System

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

Dual Band/No

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Slider/Yes/No

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

990

1,175

1,490

2,300

2,310

2,550

3,080

Music Player/FM Radio

MODELS

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

NOKIA

PARAMETERS X2-02

Asha 205

206

C2-03

202

Asha 200

Asha 306

Dimension (mm)

113 x 50 x 15

112.8 x 61.1 x 13

116 x 49 x 12.4

103 x 51.4 x 17

114.8 x 49.8 x 13.9

115.4 x 61.1 x 14

110.3 x 53.8 x 12.8

Weight (grams)

115

105

9.8/443

11/891

20/680

5/400

7/888

14/600

Model

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

262,144/2.2

65,536/2.4

65,536/2.6

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.4

65,536/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

10MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

NA/32GB

64MB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3Mp/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Slider/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,380

3,520

3,700

3,850

4,080

4,090

3,900

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

Price in Rs

74 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 305

Asha 309

Asha 308

302

Asha311

303

Dimension (mm)

110.3X53.8X12.8

109.9 x 54 x 13.2

109.9x54x13

116.5 x 55.7 x 13.9

106 x 52 x 12.9

116.5 x 55.7 x 13.9

115 x 58.9 x 12.8

Weight (grams)

102

104

126

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14X528

6/650

17/600

9/707

14/696

8.2/731

7.3/400

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.6

262,a144/2.36

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

100MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

Shared

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

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

Symbian S40

Symbian S60

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

4,200

4,800

5,200

6,400

6,375

7,900

9,200

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 510

Lumia 520

NEW

Lumia 610

Lumia 710

Lumia 620

NEW

Lumia 800

808

Dimension (mm)

120.7 x 64.9 x 11.5

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

119.24 x 62.18 x 11.9

119 x 62.4 x 12.5

115.4 x 61.1 x 11

116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1

123.9 x 60.2 x 13.9

Weight (grams)

129

124

131.5

125.5

127

142

169

6.2/738

14/360

10.5/670

7.3/400

14/330

13/265

11/465

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/4.0

16 million/4.0

16million/3.7

16 million/3.8

16miilion/3.7

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/No

8GB/64GB

8GB/No

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/Yes

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

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Nokia Belle

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

12,200

13,500

14,500

18,500

24,050

Windows Phone 7.8

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5 Windows Phone 7.5

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

10,099

10,499

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 75

myguide MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

Lumia 820

Lumia 900

Lumia 920

DS 186

DS187

DS222

MV242n

Dimension (mm)

123.8 x 68.5 x 9.9

127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5

130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7

108X47X15.6mm

107.9 x 44 x 14.8

115 x 49 x 14.7

118 x 51 x 15

Weight (grams)

160

185

125

Talktime/Standby (hours)

15.4/360

7/300

18.6/460

5/240

5/200

9/500

10/ 400

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.3

16million/4.3

16.7million/4.5

65,536/1.8

NA/2.2

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

NA/ 16GB

NA/32GB

245KB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

200

100

200

500

Quad Band/No

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

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Windows Phone 8

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Nucleus

Proprietry

Nucleus

Proprietry

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

23,500

30,000

37,500

990

1,090

1,590

INTEX

MICROMAX

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

FLY

PARAMETERS Model

DS222+

MV264

SX243

SX260

E284

Yuvi

X350

Dimension (mm)

115 x 49 x 14.5

122 x 53 x 14

121X51.5X10.5

125.3x48.8x14.3

114 x 62 x 13.5

117×50.5×13.8

Weight (grams)

138

81.2

64.5

81.2

92.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

9/ 360

10/500

4.5/180

12/250

6.5/500

5/250

5/360

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

100KB/32GB

NA/32GB

180KB/32GB

45KB/16GB

NA/16GB

78KB/4GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

200

300

1000

300

500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Nucleus

Proprietry

Nucleus

Music Player/FM Radio

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

1,790

1,990

2,190

2,490

1,485

1,900

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

76 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

WYNNCOM

X295

X325

1200

E1207T

E1282T

W100n

W221

Dimension (mm)

121x51x10.77 mm

126.9 x 55.1 x 10.95

109.5 x 45.5 x 12.8

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5

108 x 46 x 14.7

128 x 48 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

65.1

74.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4/200

8.6/800

8/430

12/660

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.6

65,536/2.8

65536/1.5

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.8

NA/1.8

NA/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

258KB/4GB

32MB/No

NA/No

NA/4GB

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

No/No/No

NA/NA/NA

0.3 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

300

500

100

1,000

300

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/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

No/No/No

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

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,950

2,250

1,010

1,250

1,600

999

1,499

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL

WYNNCOM

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

LAVA

W617

W601

W704

E350

Discover 132

Discover 135

T375

Dimension (mm)

124.4 x 57.2 x 14.7

117.2 x 55.4 x 13.5

103 x 56 x 13.8

114 x 62 x 13.2

103 x 59 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

110

111.4

81.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

8/700

12.8/601

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.0

NA/2.8

NA/3.0

NA/3.5

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

NA/32 GB

45KB/16GB

258KB/4GB

NA/16GB

48MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes /Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,500

1,000

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 Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Nucleous

Proprietary

Nucleus

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

2,199

2,349

2,499

2,990

3,299

3,600

4,400

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

Price in Rs.

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 77

MODELS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Metro 2252

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Champ Delux

Rex 60

Chat 3G 527

Rex 70

Rex 80

Dimension (mm)

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

101.8 x 55.0 x 12.3

101.8 x 55 x 12.5

103 x 55 x 12

104.90 x 57.20 x 11.99

102.0 x 58 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

89.7

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11.9/760

14/550

15.8/500

15/NA

3/288

13/NA

15/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.8

65,536/2.8

262,144/2.4

65,536/3.0

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

30MB/16GB

80MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

20MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA, HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

2,500

3,200

3,600

3,700

3,800

4,380

5,050

MODELS

HIGH END

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

WYNNCOM

TAGHEUER

Rex 90

W707

W716

W711

W720

Meridiist GMT Stainless Steel/Black PVD

Dimension (mm)

113 x 61.90 x 11.84

107.5 x 55.8 x 13.1

120 x 63 x 12.4

120 x 63 x 11.8

125.7 x 68.6 x 10.8

112 x 46 x 15.5

118 x 67 x 16.6

Weight (grams)

109

110

138

155

200

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Link

15/NA

NA/NA

7/392

6.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

NA/3.2

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

10MB/32GB

NA/32GB

NA/NA

256MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

500

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad 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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Proprietary

Nucleous

Andriod v2.2

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/No

Yes/NA

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,599

Starting 2,85,000+/3,55,000

Starting 3,27,000+

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

Price in Rs.

5,800

3,049

78 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

3,249

3,399

MODELS

ENTERPRISE LEVEL

PARAMETERS Model

TAG HEUER

VERTU

APPLE

Meridiist Steel & Gold

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Constellation Quest

Signature

iPhone 4

Dimension (mm)

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

155

148

174

160

165 to 185

166

137

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7/392

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

7.5/349

3.5/300

14/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

16,32GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

1,500

Shared

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

iOS 6

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

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Starting 5,45,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

26,500/31,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/No Bar/No/No

APPLE

PARAMETERS Model

BLACKBERRY

iPhone 4S

iPhone 5

Curve 8520

Curve 9220

Curve 9320

Curve 9360

9860

Dimension (mm)

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

112 x 62 x 14.2 mm

120 x 62 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

140

112

106

102

103

130

135

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/200

8/225

4.5/408

7/432

5/336

4.7/337

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

65,536/2.46

65,536/2.44

262,144/2.44

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

256MB/microSD

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/No

iOS 6

BlackBerry OS

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,550

9,890

14,900

16,899

20,999

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

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

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

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 79

MODELS

myguide

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS

BYOND

Bold 9790

9810

9900

Z10

Dimension (mm)

110 x 60 x 11.4

111 x 62 14.6

115 x 66 x 10.5

130 x 65.6 x 9

Weight (grams)

107

161

130

136

115

Model

B51

B54

B63

113 x 61.2 x 8

125.2 x 64 .4 x 11.8

136 x 68.8 x 1.7

172

164

5.1/432

6.5/296

6.3/296

10/312

4/120

4/192

7/140

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.45

16million/3.2

16million/2.8

16 million/4.2

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

NA/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android v 2.3

Android v 4.1

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Quad Band/No

Blackberry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry 10

Android v 2.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Slider/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

31,250

43,490

3,499

4,499

9,999

22,999

26,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

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

PARAMETERS Model

BYOND

FLY

Phablet PIII

F32

F350

F51

F410

F41S

Dimension (mm)

158.5 x 88.6 x 11.3

110 x 58.7 x 14.7

118.88 x 61.79 x 11.8

146 x 77 x 11.5

123.9 x 64 x 10

126 x 63.5 x 10.3

131 x 67 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

230

115.5

170

101.5

140

158

4/100

6.5/250

4/350

7/144

10/331

7.5/263

8/100

Talktime/Standby (hours)

F45s

NEW

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/6.0

NA/3.2

NA/3.5

16.7million/5.0

16million/4.0

NA/4.0

16 million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

154MB/32GB

110MB/32GB

130MB/32GB

1GB/32GB

139MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/NA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v 2.3

Android 4.0 ICS

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,699

3,990

4,990

7,450

7,690

7790

11990

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

Price in Rs.

80 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire C

One V

Desire V

Desire X

Desire VC

Desire SV

Dimension (mm)

107 X 60 X 11.9

120.3 x 59.7 x 9.24

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.32

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

120.5 x 63 x 10.28

119.5 x 62.3 x 9.5

129.7 x 67.9 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

115

114

113

118

131

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

6.73/261

NA/NA

20/833

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16 million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/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

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

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

Android v4.0

Windows Phone 8

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

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,900

15,500

14,499

15,850

18,950

19,250

20,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

One S

OneX

Dimension (mm)

130.9 x 65 x 7.8

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

119.5

130

135

NA/NA

10/290

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

IDEA Butterfly

Zeal

137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3

143 x 70.5 x 9.08

130

143

140

NA/NA

7/300

16million/4.7

16 million/ 4.3

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

32GB/No

64GB/No

16GB/No

32,64GB/NA

16GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Price in Rs.

One X+

One

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9 132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

NEW

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/HSUPA,HSDPA

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Windows Phone 8

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

25,000

26,500

29,900

34,000

45,89

5,390

42,900

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 81

MODELS

myguide

IDEA

PARAMETERS

INTEX

KARBONN

Aurus

Ivory

Aqua 3.2

Aqua Sx

Aqua 5.0

Dimension (mm)

110.5 x 61 x 12.6

116 x 60.5 x 13

143 x 80 x 10.1

124 x 63.6 x 12.4

128x65.7x11.6

Weight (grams)

125

138

198.9

110

114.5

Model

NEW

3.5/200

5/320

4/120

5/360

5/115

3.5/120

3.5/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16million/5.0

262,144/4.0

NA/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

75MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

202MB/32GB

104MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

5.0 MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA,HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v 4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,000

7,090

3,730

4,720

9,690

4,990

5,490

S1 Titanium

A30

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

A15

A9+

A12

Dimension (mm)

135x66x11

133.6x66x9.1

134.6 x 66 x 9.25

166 x 91 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

164

126.5

280

NA/NA

4/200

4/180

4/200

10/600

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

NA/4.5

NA/4.2

16million/4.5

262,144/5.9

16 million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Price in Rs.

NEW

A27

NEW

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

S5 Titanium

NEW

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,990

7,490

8,490

9,490

10,490

11,990

12,490

82 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

LAVA

PARAMETERS Model

LENOVO

Iris N320

Iris n400

Iris N501

L3 E400

Optimus L3 Dual

115 x 61.5 x 11.9

125 x 63 x 10.2

148.5 x 79 x 10.5

125.6 x 64.5 x 12.8

142 x 78 x 9.9

102.6 x 61.6 x 11.85

102.6x 61.6 x11.85

Weight (grams)

115

162

196

110

119

Talktime/Standby (hours)

P700i

Dimension (mm)

S880

NEW

4/390

7.8/620

NA/NA

17/312

12/600

17/1044

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16 million/4.0

16 million/5.0

262,144/3.2

262144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

100MB/32GB

127MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

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

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,499

8,099

13,500

12,499

18,999

6,950

7,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

L3II Dual

NEW

Optimus L5

E510

Optimus L5 Dual

Optimus L7 P705

Optimus Black P970

E730

Dimension (mm)

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.5

113.4 x 60.8 x 11.9

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.6

125.5 x 67 x 8.7

122 x 64 x 9.2

122.5 x 62.5 x 9.8

Weight (grams)

110

125

123

126

124

109

107

16/730

10/900

10/901

19/902

6/375

18.5/496

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

16million/4.1

16million/4.3

16 million/4.0

16million/3.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Yes/32GB

4GB/32GB

2.72GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/N0

Quad Band/ GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,500

10,999

11,400

12,500

16,000

16,500

16,950

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

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 83

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX

Optimus L7II Dual NEW

Optimus 2X

Optimus L9 P765

Optimus Vu P895

Optimus 4X HD

Optimus G

Bolt A35

Dimension (mm)

122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7

123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9

131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1

139.6 X 90.4 X 8.5

132.4 x 68.1 x 8.9

131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5

116x62x11.5

Weight (grams)

115.5

139

125

168

133

145

Model

12/800

14.5/421

12/830

16/510

9.3/730

15/335

4.5/260

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16million/4.0

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

262144/4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

32GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

160MB/16GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

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/HSUPA,HSDPA

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Bar/Yes/No

18,400

18,900

18,800

23,499

27,550

30,999

4,050

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes/No

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

RAGE

A89 Ninja

A110

A90S

Canvas HD

OPS40

OPS50

OPS60

Dimension (mm)

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

125 x 65 x 10.6

144 x 74 x 10.7

116 x 59 x 12.5

127 x 64.3 x 10.8

140.5 x 70 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

144

156

110

135

170

4/170

5/180

5/174

5/200

6/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

16 million/5.0

262,144/4.3

16 million/5.0

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

NA/4.6

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.07GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512/32GB

512MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA,HSDPA

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android V2.3

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,050

9,990

13,100

13,990

3,999

4,999

6,999

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

Price in Rs.

84 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Pocket 5300 Galaxy Y Duos Lite

Galaxy Y

Galaxy Chat B5330

Galaxy Y Duos

Galaxy Music Duos

5830 Galaxy Ace

Dimension (mm)

103.9 x 57.90 x 12.98 103.9 x 57.9 x 12.98

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

118.9 x 59.3 x 11.7

109.8 x 60 x 11.95

110.1 X 59 X 12.3

112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5

97.5

112

109

106.9

113

Weight (grams) Talktime/Standby (hours)

15.8/520

15/410

6/120

14/520

17.5/630

15/570

12/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

262,144/3.1

262,144/3.0

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

3GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

158MB/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

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,120

6,150

6,550

8,100

7,550

9,100

10,050

Galaxy SII i9100

Galaxy Note

Galaxy SIII

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Ace Duos

Galaxy S duos

Galaxy Grand

Dimension (mm)

112.74 x 61.5 x 11.5

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.5

143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6

125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5

125.30 x 66.10 x 8.49

146.9 x 83 x 9.7

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

Weight (grams)

122

120

161

121

116

178

133

16.8/570

12.8/570

10.1/440

9/549

19.3/710

6/100

22.5/830

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16 million/4.3

16million/4.27

16million/5.3

16million/4.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

3GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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.

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Galaxy SII Plus

NEW

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,300

13,150

20,999

23,000

24,050

26,900

29,900

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 85

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

SAMSUNG

SONY

Galaxy Note II N7100

Xperia tipo

Xperia tipo dual

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

103 x 57 x 13

103 x 57 x 13 mm

Xperia E

NEW

113.5 x 61.8 x 11

Xperia E Dual

NEW

113.5 x 61.8 x 11

Xperia U

Xperia miro

112 x 54 x 12

113 x 59.4 x 9.9 mm

183

99.4

115.7

110

35/980

5/470

6/530

6.6/472

5/470

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.5

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

2.9GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

35,700

8,490

9,350

9,990

10,990

13,150

13,750

MODELS

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

PARAMETERS Model

SONY Neo L

Xperia Sola

Xperia J

Xperia go

Xperia P

Xperia SL

Xperia Ion

Dimension (mm)

120 X 61 X 12.8

116.0 x 59.0 x 9.9

124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2

111 X 60.3 X 9.8

122 x 59.5 x 10.5

128.0 x 64.0 x 10.6

133.0 x 68.0 x 10.6

Weight (grams)

131.5

107

124

110

120

144

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8/575

6/475

7/618

6.3/520

6/475

8/410

10/400

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16M/4.55

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.1MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/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

Price in Rs.

Android v4.0

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

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSPA+ Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

14,000

14,500

14,900

16,500

20,050

23,990

28,500

86 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model

Xperia ZL

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

NEW

131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8

SPICE Xperia Z 139 x 71 x 7.9

Mi 351

NEW

Mi 352

115.3x62x11.8

NEW

Mi 435

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

124 x 63.5 x 11.8

152 x 79 x 10.3

NEW

151

146

196.3

10/500

11/550

3/216

NA/NA

4.1/696

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

16 million/4.0

16millionm/4.5

16million/5.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

512MB/16GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

NA/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/No

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

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v 2.3

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,499

13,999

36,000

38,500

3,599

5,299

7,599

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

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

WYNNCOM

PARAMETERS Model

G32

G51

G58

A700

119.5 x 63 x 11.4

115.4x61.6x12

124 x 65 x 11

117.8 x 63 x 11.2

146 x 77 x 11.5

145 x 78 x 10.4

136 x 68.5 x 9.1

Weight (grams)

129

114

130

118

170

200

115

Talktime/Standby (hours)

G41

XOLO

Dimension (mm)

NEW

NA/NA

4/140

NA/NA

7/425

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/3.5

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

16million/3.5

NA/5

NA/5.0

16 million/ 4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32 GB

NA/32GB

100MB/32 GB

NA/32GB

4 GB/32 GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/ Yes

Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

5 MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android v2.3

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

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

Price in Rs.

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,599

4,799

5,499

7,499

9,999

9,050

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 87

myguide MODELS

CDMA

XOLO

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

CDMA

A800

A1000

X900

133x67x10.5

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

123 x 63 x 10.99

X1000

NEW

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

124

72.3

6/NA

NA/NA

14/336

9.5/336

3/230

4.3/470

6.5/720

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.0

16 million/4.7

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

8GB/32GB

597KB/No

351KB/No

450KB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

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

Androi v4.1

Quad Band/No

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Android v2.3

Android 4.0

BREW

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

11,500

13,500

19,999

1,000

1,100

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Android v4.0

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSPA+

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Hero B189 Samsung Hero B319

Dimension (mm)

105 x 44 x 13

108 x 45.4 x 14.7

Weight (grams)

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Samsung B379

Samsung B339

109.5 x 45.4 x 14.2 108.20 x 47.1 x 14.35 75

75.7

Samsung Guru 539 Samsung Guru Muzik 219

Lava ARC8c

109.6 x 44.9 x 14.0

112 x 46.3 x 15.3

77.5

3.3/250

3/257

4.3/470

6/720

4/230

May-90

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.77

65,536/1.7

65,536/2.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/No

1MB/No

351KB/No

2.5MB/4+4GB

14MB/2GB

NA/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/Yes

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

100

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/CDMA1X

Yes/No/No

Operating System

BREW

Music Player/FM Radio

No/No

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,150

1,380

1,400

1,650

1,990

2,500

2,699

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

88 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Guru Dual CDMA

Mpower TV 239

Samsung Primo Duos

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Blackberry 8530

Galaxy Ace Duos I589

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

Dimension (mm)

114.9 x 47.8 x 14.1

118.5 x 50 x 12.45

118.8 x 49.9 x 14.07

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

109 x 60 x 13.9

112.4 x 59.9 x 12.44

109 x 60 x 11

Weight (grams)

86.7

103

97.5

105

125

6.5/300

4.4/420

6.67/160

6/120

4.5/252

7/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

16million/3.5

NA/2.44

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

7.41MB/4GB

85MB/16GB

75MB/-

160MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

YesNo

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

Dual Band/CDMA+GSM

CDMA/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

BREW

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS7

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

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

3,250

4,400

4,999

7,350

12,500

12,550

17,250

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

Mi Book Mi 1

MODELS

TABLET

APPLE

PARAMETERS

BYOND

Model

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini Wi+3G

iPad 2 Wi-Fi

i-Pad 2 Wi-Fi+3G

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi

Dimension (mm)

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

119x191x11.9 mm

Weight (grams)

308

312

607

652

662

340

NA/NA

10/720

NA/NA

3/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/7.9

262,144/9.7

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64 GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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.

NA/No

Quad Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/Yes

iOS 6

iOS 4.3

iOS 6

Android OS, v4.0

No/No

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

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

4,250

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 89

MODELS

myguide

BYOND

PARAMETERS

HCL

Mi Book Mi 2

Mi Book Mi 5

Laplet L9

Laplet L9+

Mi Book Mi 7

Mi Book Mi 8

Dimension (mm)

111.5x193x11.6 mm

124.6x194x11

120 x 190 x 9.3

151 x 200 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

324

348

474

344

430

Model

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

16million/9.0

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

4GB/32GBp

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

Android OS, v4.0

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,350

6,999

7,750

8,250

10,999

11,999

5,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

NA No/No/Yes

HCL

PARAMETERS

INTEX

KARBONN

Model

ME G1

I BUDDY 7.0

Smart Tab 2

Smart Tab 8

Smart Cosmic

Dimension (mm)

238 X 186 X 11

193 X 121 X 9

Weight (grams)

570

316

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

7/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

NA/9.7

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

Yes/Yes

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

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

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

NA/NA/Yes

No/No/NA

No/No/Yes

Android OS, v4.0

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,999

11,999

14,999

6,150

5,990

6,990

9,990

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

90 MYMOBILE APR 15 to MAY 14 2013

MODELS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

MY ZEN TAB

RAGE

SAMSUNG

Infinity P275

Funbook

708B

708BH

773B

OPT400 Laptab

Galaxy Tab2 311

Dimension (mm)

192 x 122 x 10.5

122 x 192 x 10

193 x 121 x 8.5

195 x 122 x 11.7

194.2 x 121.4 x 11.45

241 x 185 x 9.8

193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

360

440

400

345

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

4/NA

5/NA

5/ 150

NA/1070

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/7.0

NA/7.0

16million/7.0

NA/9.7

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

1GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/No

0.3/No/NA

VGA/No/Yes

2MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/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

Dual Band/No

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Androi v4.1

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,500

5,850

6,999

7,699

9,930

14,999

12,899

MODELS

Price in Rs.

No/No/Yes

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SIMMTRONICS

SPICE

Galaxy Tab2 310

Tab 10.1 1750

Galaxy Note10.1N800

X720

X1010

X801

Stellar Pad Mi 1010

Dimension (mm)

193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5

256.7 x 175.3 x 8.6

262 x 180 x 8.9

117 x 193 x 11.6

10.5 x 165 x 263

162 x 212 x 12.8

Weight (grams)

345

565

600

332

610

500

30/NA

9/NA

NA/NA

NA/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

16million/10.1

16 million/7.0

16 million/ 10.1

16 million/ 8.0

16million/10.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

NA/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yesz

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

0.3 MP/No/Yes

0.3/No/Yes

2.0 MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

NA/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.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

No/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Android v3.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

18,250

31,750

36,500

3,999

8,449

8,499

12,999

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

APR 15 to MAY 14 2013 MYMOBILE 91

consumer forum Complaint 1

Complaint 3

Complaint 4

I purchased a Nokia C1 – 01 recently. I faced some issues related to the handset. I visited a Nokia Care as my handset was under warranty to check the issue. I was informed that it was because of liquid log. They asked for the purchase bill and after cross-checking told me that the warranty period is followed from date of manufacturing and not of sale, and they cannot provide the warranty service according to the purchase bill. As per their advice, I e-mailed Nokia a scanned copy of the purchase bill. After that I received a revert saying that we are not authorized to update the device warranty as per proof of purchase. Could you please look into the matter? -Swarup Barua Nokia’s response: We have received the unit and will deliver it back to the customer once resolved.

I bought a Samsung Champ 3770K recently. After a few days I encountered some problems in the handset. Whenever I downloaded any app or game, it would restart by itself. I went to a customer service centre

I bought a Micromax Funbook tablet from Flipkart.com last year. I had some problems with the device that I received as it's screen automatically stops working when the battery goes lower than 50 per cent. I contacted Flipkart but as one month had elapsed since the time of purchase, they told me to contact Micromax. When I went to Micromax, they replaced my battery within a few days but the problem was not solved. When I again contacted Micromax, they promised that they will again change the battery. But my concern is not the battery but the device. The company is not telling me but I think the device that I got is defective and I would like to have it replaced, if possible. Please help. -Aman Kumar Tiwary Micromax’s response: Awaited

Complaint 2 I bought a Nokia phone in March last year. The phone had some issues recently. It was within warranty so I gave the handset to a Nokia Priority Centre for a check. I was told that the handset had problems in ringer and was hanging a lot. I was advised to visit the Priority Centre again in a week’s time. After a week I received my handset with problems resolved as claimed by Nokia Priority representatives but I was not happy with the service and resolution. The phone was still hanging. The representatives asked me to leave the handset again for two days in which they said will update the software and fix up the hanging problem. After two days I received the handset which was almost dead and was not switching on. The representatives now said that the motherboard will need to be changed. I want to know why I was called if my problem was not solved. Request you to please look into the matter. -Agam Nokia’s response Sorry for inconvenience caused. We are looking into the matter.

Complaint 5 Recently, I recharged a day’s Internet pack on my Airtel num-

to resolve the issue and I was advised that the handset needs certain software upgradation. Even after the software update the problem was not solved. I was now advised to leave the handset for at least a month. They took almost two months, after which they returned the handset in the same condition and told me that the problem cannot be resolved. I am really feeling bad about the service offered by Samsung. Please help. - Prem Kumar Samsung’s response Thank you for mailing us. We are looking into the matter.

92 MYMOBILE apr 15 to may 14 2013

ber. I started using the Internet only when I received a confirmation SMS from Airtel. But at the end of the day, an amount of Rs 127 got deducted from my main account. Also, the complaint number 198 is not working on my number. Please look into the matter. -Shis Kumar Airtel’s response The issue has been resolved. Thank you for contacting us.

Complaint 6 I was using a Nokia 2730 Classic for almost two years and had no problems with the handset. Recently, I bought another Nokia

handset, the C2-01 but I am experiencing some problems while browsing the Web on the handset. Whenever I start the browser through WAP, the handset tends to restart and this happens every time I start the browser. I recently gave the handset to a Nokia service centre but I am not happy with the service provided to me. When I again went to the centre I was told that this is a default behavior of the handset and it cannot be repaired. Need help and assistance. -Gaurav Nokia’s response: Awaited

Complaint 7 I bought a Samsung Galaxy Y Dous GT-S6102 with which I got a bundled offer in which Airtel would give me up to 100 MB 3G data for 12 month, after a recharge of Rs 150. I tried to recharge my number with Rs 150 but was unable to after several attempts. When I contacted Airtel they told me to recharge with a Rs 155 voucher as it would give me up to 500 MB 3G data for the next 12 months. I recharged my number with the Rs 155 voucher but only received the data for a month after which I never got any free 3G data bundled with my new handset. I am not happy with the service at all. Need help. -Samiullah Chand Airtel’s response: Thank you for your e-mail to Airtel. n

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.

rumour mill

Talk Amazon’s Kindle phone a phablet?

We have been hearing about Amazon working on a phone for a while now, but the latest rumours indicate that the e-commerce giant is in fact looking at a phablet – a handset with a large 5.3-inch display. Evidently, the company thinks that a smaller display would not deliver a good reading experience. There is also rumour that Amazon might actually bundle a stylus along with not just the phablet but also with the next edition of the Kindle Fire, making it easier for users to highlight text and literally make notes on what they are reading. We have no idea about the tech specs of the device, but evidently it will have the same OS and interface as the Kindle Fire range and will come with a relatively low price tag.

Microsoft working on a WP-driven Xbox handset

Nokia and Sony might have failed in their attempts at delivering a gaming handset, but that has not dimmed manufacturers’enthusiasm for a device that combines the best of calling and gaming functions. And if we are to believe whispers from the gaming street, Microsoft itself is working on a handset that will run on Windows Phone 8 and will offer a superb gaming experience. If our sources are to be believed, the handset

in Tech Corners

will be a dual core affair and will come with its own set of games that can be downloaded from Xbox Live, with graphics on par with early Xbox 360 titles. No, we are not getting our hopes too high, given what happened with the N-Gage, but we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Google working on “one app to rule them all”

If whispers coming out of some corners of the Googleplex are to be believed, the search giant Google is looking at having a single app for all its services on both iOS and Android. Evidently testing is underway on a single ‘’Google super app’’ that combines Search, Gmail, Google+, Picasa, Google Talk, Google Maps and a host of other services that currently are available on different platforms in the form of distinct apps. The need to unify all of these services in a single app evidently stems not just from having a consistent look and feel across them, but also to make updating them a smoother and a more comprehensive process. We are just wondering what the size of the app will be, if and when it does get released. After all, there is a lot of Google in our lives.

The next PureView will be a smart camera We have seen PureView technology being

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put to good use in both the 808 PureView and the Lumia 920, and if we are to believe what we are hearing from some of our sources, Nokia will take the smart camera plunge with the next device to feature PureView branding. Of course, we have also heard rumours of a Windows Phone driven PureView Lumia E, but as per our source, the Finnish company will go the Symbian way on the smart camera, loading it with a massive 41.0-megapixel sensor and all the connectivity options you could ask for including LTE and Wi-Fi. And unlike the 808 PureView, this device will look like a camera, not a phone masquerading as one – and will also feature an 8X optical zoom. This could get interesting...

Dual-screen iPad? Whatever next

It would not be a proper rumour column without a reference to Cupertino’s fruity company, would it? Well, apart from the usual talk of a retina iPad mini and a more affordable iPhone, we have now heard that Apple is actually working on a double touchscreen iPad, allowing the user to either use both screens as a display or one as an input surface and the other as a display. Honestly, we are taking this with a grain of salt as Sony and Toshiba have tried their hands at the same and with very mediocre results. But then, you never really know with Apple, do you... n team@mymobile.co.in

Pinterest is not designed like other social networks and ignores the “create and share stuff” on a feed approach of Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Here users connect to the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting and are allowed to collect or ‘pin’ things they like! The most popular pin of all time is an image of garlic cheesy bread with a caption - “Garlic cheesy bread... Hubby is drooling!” The image got 96,987 re-pins and 13,030 likes. Ben Silbermann is the CEO and co-founder of Pinterest. He loved to collect things. It was his passion and he believed what a person collects says a lot about who they are, deep down inside. He turned his passion into a social networking site. Pinterest itself makes no money till date. It’s currently bankrolled by Japanese e-commerce giants and a number of investors. But just like other social networks, it is expected to make a lot of money in future. Between October 2010 and October 2011, Pinterest saw its user base expand rom 40,000 to 3.2 million, which is actually faster than Facebook and Twitter’s rate of growth in the same time. Silbermann worked with Google and for a short span of time, also created iPhone apps with his college friend. During this time he learnt a number of things, which have helped him in developing the social networking site. According to a survey, Pinterest drives more traffic to retailers than LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+. Pinterest users prefer items with a price tag. Approximately 66 per cent of Pinterest’s traffic came from North America. In the US, Pinterest is famously a largely female preoccupation, which is interesting, as usually men are considered early adopters of technology. Popular categories on Pinterest include travel, home decorating, gardening, food, drinks, books, healthcare, crafts, style, cosmetics and gifts. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

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persona

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Ten Things You Might Not Know About... Sir Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President, Industrial Design, Apple

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Jonathan Ive was born in Chingford, Essex, in 1967. The man who designed every Mac computer from the iMac on and not to mention the iPhone, iPod and iPad was pretty certain by the age of thirteen that he wanted to draw and make stuff but had no idea what to design as he was interested in everything - cars, products, furniture, jewellery and boats. After graduating, he launched a design studio, Tangerine, with a college friend. Apple was one of its clients, and later offered Ive a job in the designing team. Considered a close friend of Steve Jobs, Ive often had lunch with him and talked about different Apple products. In his biography of Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson described Ive as an artist with a “sensitive temperament” who liked colleagues but got upset when Jobs took too much credit for ideas he never originated. Ive was also upset when people outside the company saw Jobs as Apple’s only idea man. Jonathan Ive once admitted in an interview that the company nearly shelved the iPhone because of design flaws. Both Ive and Apple’s late founder, Steve Jobs were so focused on excellence that they were willing to reject potential ideas because they were merely good rather than great. Ive has played a role in nearly 600 patents and designs for Apple. According to former Apple designer Thomas Meyerhoffer, Ive is known to travel to Asia for weeks, studying ins and outs of metal-bending equipment. He was named Designer of the Year by the Design Museum London and awarded the title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ by The Royal Society of Arts in 2003. Jonathan was recently knighted by the Queen and is now officially known as ‘Sir’ Jonathan Ive. However, in Apple, he is still called ‘Jony.’ Due to his proximity to Jobs and his creative bend of mind, there are many who feel that Ive will one day head Apple - his recent stage appearances and sightings in Apple product videos are seen as precursors to this.

*Disclaimer: The information has been collected from the public domain and not from an interview with Sir Jonathan Ive.

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va n ta g e p o i n t

In-Car Technology trends in the automotive sector S

ince Henry Ford first introduced the moving assembly line, the technological evolution in cars has been incremental. The need to approach tasks in simpler ways has led to major innovations even in the automobile industry, making vehicles safer, cleaner, and more affordable. Now, in the 21st century, the industry appears to be on the cusp of revolutionary change—with potential to dramatically reshape not just the competitive landscape but also the way we interact with vehicles and, indeed, the future design of our roads and cities. The revolution, when it comes, will be engendered by the advent of autonomous or “self-driving” vehicles. And the timing may be sooner than we anticipate. Bringing world-class technology to Indian customers. Ford has been passionate about simplifying life for those who spend hours in their vehicles. The manufacturer is the pioneer democratising in-car technology across products in India and the world. From Bluetooth in the Ford Figo to Bluethooth Voice Control in the Fiesta to the soon-to-be launched SYNC with the EcoSport – these technologies are developed to not only keep passengers connected to the outside world while on the move but to also keep them fully secure. The Bluetooth-enabled Voice Control that lets the driver make phone calls, listen to music and broadcasts, and adjust in-car temperature without his hands leaving the steering is just an example of how we have increased customer convenience while ensuring safety.

When Ford launched its now-popular Figo in India, it carried out in-depth studies to understand the aspirations, lifestyles and requirements of the Indian customer. One of the significant insights gleaned from these studies was the customer’s need for connectivity, and the Figo became the first-insegment car to feature Bluetooth connectivity. Available at that time only in premium, high segment models, Figo’s Bluetooth-enabled entertainment system enabled customers to be seamlessly connected with their mobiles when driving. This feature provides complete phonebook access as well as audio streaming, and call hold/swap/mute and SMS notification while drivers can stay focused on driving.

This kind of technology on offer democratised in-car technology. The refreshed New Figo takes the tradition of technology further by sporting many safety features such as dual front airbags, ABS, door-ajar warning and three-point safety belts. Stack-mounted audio controls add a touch of convenience to the feature-packed car. In our premium sedan Ford Fiesta, you will see an array of cutting edge technological features. The car has Electric Power Assisted

Steering with Pull-Drift Compensation technology constantly measures the driver’s steering input and adapts to changing road conditions and helps compensate for slight directional shifts caused by factors such as crowned road surfaces or steady crosswinds. The car’s automatic PowerShift version features Hill-launch Assist and Grade Assist that can prevent rollback on inclines and ease moving in bumper to bumper city traffic. From using hi-strength aerospace-standard Boron steel in cars to impact-activated airbags and three-point safety belts, Ford has been introducing features that ensure passenger and occupant safety. We are even going further to bring the customer the latest technology-based features in the soon-to-belaunched urban SUV, Ford EcoSport, which offers remarkable standard of connectivity, safety and convenience in its segment, including Ford SYNC driver connect system with voice control, electronic air-conditioning and several more delightful technology-based conveniences. Powered by Microsoft, Ford’s open platform approach to mobile device connectivity has helped SYNC stand out in the industry for its ease of use, allowing for continuous improvement of the user experience. With SYNC at your disposal all you need to do is ‘Say a Command’ and the system will choose the playlist, track and artist name as per your desire. This is only one of SYNC’s many functions. Adjusting the cabin temperature of your car on a hot summer day or a cold winter evening, dialing your friend’s number via your paired phone and more can now be done simply by asking the vehicle to do so. Ford has democratised technology as it understands consumers’ need to go further with their social lives and their passion to be wired to the world they would like to be connected to. n -Vinay Piparsania, Executive Director, Marketing, Sales & Services, Ford 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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RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2012-13-14 (Posting Date 19-20 of every month)