all-pages-jun-2013 by My Mobile

www.mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 ď Ź Rs 75 tm

for a connected lifestyle

Buying a budget tablet?

Here's what to keep in mind P 36

Return of the

feature phones They are back, and smarter than before P 28

Wearable Tech

Gadgets that you can wear P 32

Tested

BlackBerry Q10, Nokia Lumia 720, Samsung Galaxy Note 510, LG Optimus L3 II Dual, Lenovo P770 and more... P 38

LG Nexus 4

Display Show Time Everything you need to know about mobile displays P 18

first call

he Mercury might be soaring in many parts of the country, but that definitely has not dampened the enthusiasm of the mobile tech sector. The past few weeks have seen a slew of important releases and announcements in the country as well as overseas, as the battle for mobile supremacy heats up. Pun intended. And as this battle intensifies, one of the parameters a number of manufacturers are using to distinguish their products from those of their rivals is the display. Always an important component of handsets - it literally is where the action happened - it has now acquired a whole new dimension, with the evolution of a host of technologies, materials, resolutions and sizes. A few years ago, full HD televisions were a rarity. Today, we have handsets and tablets with that sort of resolution. Of course, with technology comes terminology and the display field has been no different with users being bombarded with a series of terms and phrases, which tend to confuse rather than clarify matters. In our cover story, we take a closer look at displays and their types and also bust some myths and beliefs surrounding them. One of the reasons for displays grabbing so much of the centerstage has been the increasing popularity of tablets. And in best economic tradition, as the number of tablets have increased, their prices have dipped, leading to the rise of a strong budget tablet segment. But low cost tablets come with their own pitfalls and shortcomings, ignoring which could leave you holding a very expensive paperweight. Do take a look at our list of points to keep in mind before you go the budget tablet way. June also saw BlackBerry return to what many considered its roots with the release of the Q10, a phone which features its iconic QWERTY keyboard. Of course, we have reviewed the device, and have also included a brief piece that looks at where QWERTY keyboards are headed. There is more to mobile technology than just smartphones though, and this is a point that we try to bring out with our piece on "feature phones" that are now also smartening up with new features. That apart, you have the normal suspects onboard - interviews with key members of the industry, features on key trends and developments, and of course, reviews of the latests phones, apps and gadgets from tech town. Among the worthies being put through the fires of our Burn Test section are the Nokia Lumia 720, the Samsung Galaxy Note 510, the LG Nexus 4, and of course, the BlackBerry Q10. It is, as always, a bouquet of the best in mobile technology. Go right ahead and feast your eyes on it, and if it suits you not, let us know. Nothing inspires us more than your feedback.

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

DESIGN Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer Pooja Papnai | Intern Graphic Designer

CIRCULATION 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

Happy reading.

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 jun 15 to jul 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 V, JUNE 15, To JULY 14, 2013

content

just in

Lead Story

The Samsung Galaxy Mega and the Sony Tablet Z have arrived

sneak peek HTC's mid-level Desire 600 and a new Nokia Lumia flagship

Display showtime… we demystify the jargon that accompanies mobile display these days

celleb

17 In Focus

chief speak

They just refuse to go away - a closer look at the resilient feature phones

Kevin D’Souza, Country Growth Manager, Facebook, India reveals what's next from THE social network

We talk tech with the stunning Jacqueline Fernandez

26 spotlight

Is the physical QWERTY keypad dying or is it poised for a return?

Face To Face Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Samsung Mobile and Digital Imaging talks about the Galaxy S4, the REX series and the future plans of Samsung Letters

News

Gear Guide

Consumer Forum

Mobile Doctor

06 MYMOBILE Jun 15 to juL 14 2013

Prabhu, Business Head, Zapak Digital Entertainment, India shares his thoughts on mobile gaming and where Zapak is headed

Arvinder Singh Gujral, Head – Data VAS, Aircel analyses the Indian VAS market and the company’s future plans

content my guide 73

etc

The latest gadgets in town ranging from Canon's new DSLR to Sony's pint-sized wireless speakers to JBL's comfy headphones

Technology Technology that you can wear. Read about it here!

Cell Clues In the market for a budget tablet? Keep these points in mind

BURN TESTS

Jargon Buster

Idea aurus ii

HCL Me V1

LG Optimus L3 II dual

Croma CRCB 2093

Ubislate 7C+

Nokia Lumia 720

LG Nexus 4

Lenovo P770

Spice Pinacle Pro

Gionee GPAD G2

Samsung Galaxy NOTE 510

BlackBerry Q10

apptastic Transform your images with these photo filter apps

rumour mill So what's the buzz around cell town?

persona Know more about Sundar Pichai, Google's Android man

Trivia Kindle Fire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Amazon's tablet that's taking on the iPad

vantage point Annie Mathew, Director of Alliance & Business Development, BlackBerry, India talks about smart apps for a smarter life

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

08 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

36 37

Everything you wanted to know about IPv6

Micromax Canvas Music

68 95 96 97 98

smart apps A location sharing app and a revamped Opera browser

Boredom Busters Race a snail or take on the gods, the choice is yours

letters I am a regular reader of your magazine and I am very much impressed by the wide variety of content that you cover in each issue. I am a gaming freak and Warm, is it? your gaming based cover story of the May issue was a delight to read. I got to know the top games Tab Magic available on all major mobile platforms. I have a Windows MOBILE Phone and I came across many GAME ON! interesting games through your EMI Tested Schemes story, which I have not yet played. Amongst all the Windows games I liked Plant Vs Zombies the most - it was very engaging and interesting to play. The cover story was a wonderful piece for all the game lovers out there. I would like to request the team to do more stories of a similar kind. – Rakesh Kumar, Delhi MAY 15 to JUN 14 2013  Rs 75

www.mymobile.co.in

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

Five apps that tell you what the weather's like P 68

tech magazine. The information is ample to satiate the hunger of a tech enthusiast. However, the celebrity interview section was missing for some time from the magazine. I really fancy reading that section as it informs readers about which technology the stars and celebrities are using. This time, the celebrity interview was included and I really enjoyed reading it. I would appreciate if the team continues this section. -Mitali Kapoor, Punjab

Seven things to do with your tablet P 36

The best games, across all platforms P 20

Trick or Treat?

P 30

Sony XPERIA ZL, Nokia Asha 205, ASUS Fonepad, Alcatel One Touch Idol, HP ElitePad and more... P 38

This Time, That Year

My Mobile, June 15-July 14, 2008

PHONES OF THE MONTH

Samsung Galaxy S4 & Nokia Lumia 520

I want to express my appreciation for the My Mobile team for doing a good job. I am very thankful to the team for the EMI story, which came as a blessing to me as I was going to purchase a phone through EMI. It gave me a proper insight and explained the concept of EMI in totality. After reading the story and gaining full knowledge about the entire concept, I bought a new iPhone for myself. It was a consumer driven story and many more consumers will benefit from it just as I did. The team should do such kinds of stories as they are very helpful. – Anita, Pune I bought a tablet about a year ago and I usually use it to either watch a movie or browse the Internet. But, I didn’t know that there are lot more things which I can do using my tablet. The tablet story published in the May edition proved to be a great help. I love to scribble, but never thought that I can also do it on my tablet. After reading the story I purchased a stylus and now I enjoy writing on my tablet. The other things mentioned in the story were also very helpful. I used the teeth whitening app, which was something very new and was very excited to use it. Now I make full use of my tablet. It was amazing to see the different things a tablet can do. –Sunita Joshi, Gujarat

At around this time five years ago, Nokia was still very much the boss when it came to mobile phones. So much so that in some regions the word “Nokia” and “cellphone” were used as synonyms. However, the summer of 2008 saw Samsung come to the mobile phone party with some very exciting devices, most notably the brilliantly designed Metal Series, spearheaded by the Samsung Soul U900. At a time when Sony and Motorola were seen as the main competition to Nokia, the Soul established Samsung as a contender in the Indian phone market with its brilliant design and feature set and was our Phone of the Month. And it was not the only Samsung phone to rock our world - sharing the title of Phone of the Month was another Samsung device - the Samsung I780, which ran on Windows Phone, and was a very good smartphone. Little did we know what this would herald Samsung had also just started using Amir Khan as a brand ambassador to boost its brand image. A couple of years later, another Samsung phone with the letter ‘S’ would stun the world - the Galaxy S - paving the way for Samsung’s domination of the mobile world. And it all began in that summer of 2008.

I really like My Mobile magazine and never miss out on any of its issues. The vast tech information covered in the magazine is amazing. I like all the sections of the magazine as they provide varied information related to technology. I am a music lover and was planning to buy good headphones e the nd hav which would give me the ultimate music expea s e m n a drea ellpho n rience with least background noise. For this c i t y u e o k also azy ab atest ines? purpose the ‘Et Cetera’ section helped me. The you cr pen a few l ews and can ds on the l you have it e r A various music tools covered this time helped for n think ur han tial to me purchase a good pair of headphones. Thanks poten have a nose ve to lay yo em? If you dia’s to th u ra to the team for helping me out. I would also like Do yo ? Do you c orld about sh your CV y Mobile, In w u ne to request you to cover similar gadgets in your Et headli and tell the g for you. R r name in M n s ou i Cetera section. gizmo e are look .in to see y w -Rohit Yadav, Jamshedpur ou, le.co I enjoy reading My Mobile magazine as it is the best

10 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

bi in y mymo ne. team@ bile magazi o best m

NEWS bits HANDSETS & MORE Xolo introduces Xolo Q1000 quad core smartphone After the success of the Xolo Q800 and Q700, Xolo has announced another smartphone of the series, the Xolo Q1000. The smartphone comes with a 5-inch HD IPS display and a coating of Dragon Trail glass which will protect the phone from scratches. It runs on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad core processor. The smartphone comes with dual SIM capability (GSM+GSM). On the memory front it comes with 1GB RAM and 4GB internal memory which can be further expanded to 32GB using a microSD card. The Xolo Q1000 comes equipped with an 8.0-megapixel rear camera with BSI sensor along with a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera for video calling. The smartphone also houses a 2,100 mAh powerful battery. The company has priced the device at Rs. 14,999.

Maxx Mobile unveils two new Android smartphones Maxx Mobile has rolled out two new Android smartphones, the AX8 Race and AX9Z Race. Besides Android, the duo share common features like dual SIM, dual cameras, 3G connectivity, 4GB internal+32GB expandable memory, 512MB RAM and a 2,300mAh battery. The AX8 Race has a 5-inch multitouch display with a screen resolution of 800x480 and runs on Android 4.0 (ICS). It weighs 198 grammes and is powered by a 1 GHz single-core Mediatek processor. The device is available in black and white colours with a bundled leather cover. On the other hand, the AX9Z features a 5.3inch multi-touch display with 960x540 resolution and is powered by 1.2 GHz dual core Mediatek processor. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and comes with in-built light, proximity, gravity and accelerometer sensors. It weighs 203g and is available in white only with a leather cover. The Maxx AX8 Race and AX9Z Race are available at MRPs of Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 16,666 respectively.

HCL launches Me Connect 2G 2.0 7-inch tablet HCL Infosystems has launched a 7-inch tablet, Me Connect 2G 2.0, with 2G connectivity and voice-calling for Rs 8, 499. The device is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system. It boasts of a 7-inch multi-touch display with 800x480 resolution, and comes with 1GB DDR3 RAM and 4GB internal storage. The company is also offering freebies worth Rs. 2,000 with the tablet, which comes pre-loaded with 1 Mobile Store which has more than 3,00,000 downloadable apps. It also features dualcameras, a mini HDMI port and supports HD video playback, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G via data card. The tablet houses a 3,800 mAh battery. The company also claims that this is the first tablet which supports major local Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi.

12 MYMOBILE Jun 15 to jul 14 2013

Policy & Regulations DoT to issue unified licenses The Department of Telecom is all set to introduce new rules for Unified Licensing in a month’s time. Consumers will no longer have to go to different operators for mobile, landline, DTH and cable TV connections. Instead, they will be available from a single operator. As per the Unified License, the mobile companies will be able to provide various services through a single license. While companies like Airtel and Reliance have to provide various services separately, companies like Vodafone and Idea cannot provide DTH services, as they do not have separate licenses for it. The telecom secretary MF Farooqui said, that unified licenses will come in a month’s time. However, the licenses will not have spectrum bundled with them. Once operators get the Unified License, they can provide all existing services and can share spectrum and other facilities of telecom infrastructure, whic was forbidden until now.

Airtel to pay Rs 650 crore as penalty to DoT The Department of Telecom (DoT) may impose a fine of Rs. 650 crore on Bharati Airtel for disregarding telecom norms and offering subscriber local dialing services (SLD) between 2003 and 2005, in the face of clear instructions from the Telecom Ministry to stop in June, 2003. The Telecom Ministry has responded positively to the recommendations of the DoT committee to impose a fine of Rs. 50 crore for each of the 13 circles where the rules were flouted by the operator. Moreover, the committee is also planning to ask the operator to provide call detail records of all calls under SLD services to ascertain the loss caused

to the exchequer in the form of license fees and spectrum charges. The Telecom Ministry prohibited use of SLD services in 2003, as it allows roaming customers to operate on local networks, enabling telecom operators to avoid charges on long distance calls.

Penalty of Rs 20,000 for pesky calls: DoT Telemarketers are again in trouble for pestering mobile users as the Department of Telecom has recommended a fine of Rs 20,000 for such calls. DoT has further suggested that the Government should raise the penalty on unauthorised interception of calls from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 crore. The suggestion came as part of DoT’s comments on the proposed Rights to Privacy Bill. DoT also recommended that interception of calls should be allowed to find out whether a call or SMS is unwanted or not. Recently, TRAI had made amendments in Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations 2013, and now a fine of Rs 25,000 will be imposed on registered/unregistered telemarketers for making unwanted calls. The fine can go up to Rs 1.25 lakh on the sixth violation. They also risk losing their connection and being blacklisted for two years. Additionally, TRAI has also introduced SMS execution charge of 2 paisa per SMS for common SMS and 5 paisa per SMS on transactional SMSes. The charges will be paid by the sender’s service provider to the receiver’s service provider and will come into effect from June 1, 2013. As of now, only promotional SMSes are charged 5 paisa per SMS.

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

NEWS bits operators & tariffs Tata DOCOMO launches new unlimited plan for Photon 3G Tata DOCOMO, the unified brand of Tata Teleservices has rolled out an unlimited Photon 3G Data Plan for GSM postpaid customers. The plan will be available to both new and existing customers and will offer download speeds of up to 7.2 mbps. Customers can also select from two special unlimted 3G data packs, where they will get 3GB data for Rs 650 and 4GB for Rs750 excluding taxes. After the bundled data usage the customer will continue to enjoy a 5GB data benefit at the speed of 128 kbps and beyond that up to 8 kbps as per the usage policy. However, the customer can also avail special features like ‘speed booster packs’ once the bundled data usage is complete, if the want to continue on the 3G speed. There are three speed booster packs available for the customers, which offer free data bundled usage of 1GB at Rs 200, 2GB at Rs 350 and 0.5GB at Rs 125.

MTS launches a CDMA+GSM Android handset Sistema Shyam Teleservices which operates under the brand name of MTS has introduced its first ever GSM mobile phone in West Bengal and has announced its plans to expand in the GSM market. Emphasising this, the company has launched an Android based dual SIM smartphone in India. The device named ‘MTS Duet’ is a dual SIM device, which supports both CDMA and GSM technology. The device runs on an older version of Android, 2.3 (Gingerbread). It is powered by a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and comes with unlimited talk-time for local calls and unlimited data services for two months. MTS Duet features a 3.5-inch multi-touch display with 480x320p screen resolution, 3.0-megapixel camera, 32GB expandable memory, and a 1,200mAh battery. The company is also talking with many handset manufacturers like Samsung and Micromax to launch more GSM+CDMA based entry and mid-level mobile phones in the coming months.

Reliance to invest Rs 1,50,000 crore in three years: Mukesh Ambani In what could be its biggest venture ever, Reliance Industries Limited has announced an investment plan of Rs 1,50,000 crore in key areas like 4G, retail, petrochemicals, petroleum, exploration and production over the next three years. Through Reliance Jio, the digital service initiative of Reliance, RIL intends to improve the existing standards of technology and services and make broadband and digital services available to all, including people living in the remotest villages of the country. Addressing the 39th annual general meeting of Reliance Industries in Mumbai, Mukesh Ambani hailed the potential of Indian digital services market and emphasised his company’s commitment to developing and testing a world-class broadband network and digital service.

14 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

Value Added Services/Applications/ Games Foodpanda mobile app becomes number one food ordering app The mobile app of Foodpanda, the online food ordering platform has become the number one food delivery app worldwide. The app was launched in January this year and has also reached the download mark of 2,50,000. The app has also been listed amongst the top five food apps in countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Overall, it has been ranked and positioned amongst the top ten apps in 20 countries. Foodpanda’s mobile app is available on Android and iOS in 23 countries and has made food delivery service easier and quicker by providing a restaurant index that enables the user to simply enter their area and search for cuisine type, restaurants, price range, expected delivery time and other details. The new version of the app enables area search similar to that on the website.

New Nimbuzz app launched on BlackBerry Nimbuzz the free calling and messaging app launched its new app called ‘Nimbuzz New’ for the BlackBerry operating system. The app comes along with some major upgrades and new add-ons, which makes it quite an interesting proposition. Features which make the new Nimbuzz app easy to use include a UI with tabbed design, bubble chat, high speed file transfer, separate contact list and chat list. The app further offers filing of messages in an offline state and takes a mere three seconds to load the contact list. It supports phone number verification, making communication secure and enables auto-connect with your friends. The app can be integrated with the Blackberry Messenger so one can use it to set BBM status message, send invites and access Nimbuzz messages in one’s inbox. The Nimbuzz New for Blackberry is available in 19 languages and can be downloaded from the Blackberry App World for free.

Mail for Exchange office app avaible on Nokia app store The popular Mail for Exchange service is now available in app form on the Nokia app store for free. The users of Nokia Asha 308, 309, 310 and 311 can use their handsets for broader office work and can access their e-mails, calendar and contacts of Microsoft Exchange account on their mobile phones. Mail for Exchange uses Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync protocol, which allows push e-mail, calendar and contact data synchronisation between compatible office e-mail servers and Nokia Asha handsets. Besides the app, Nokia has also introduced two Office-related apps - Editori Text and Editori Sheet. Editori Text is free of cost and delivers a fully featured MS Word experience on an Asha device. It also has a range of formatting options, recognises URLs and allows users to see embedded pictures and tables. Editori Sheet offers a similar functionality for MS Excel spreadsheets. It allows text editing within each cell, page views in different sizes and lets users save documents directly on the memory card. n

Telecom Equipment Manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association of India

just in Sony Xperia tablet Z A new waterproof tablet

Samsung Galaxy Mega Larger than a phablet

amsung seems to be on a Galaxy launching spree. The latest to join the family is the Samsung Galaxy Mega smartphone. The highlight of the phone is its 6.3-inch Super Clear HD display of 1280 x 720 resolution. The smartphone runs on the latest version of Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) and is powered by a 1.7 GHz dual core Krait processor with Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset. The Galaxy Mega comes with 1.5GB RAM, and has two variants - 8GB and 16GB. The memory of the phone can be further expanded to 64GB using a microSD card. The smartphone boasts an 8.0-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and a 1.9-megapixel front facing camera. On the connectivity front the device offers, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, NFC, and even Infrared connectivity. The device also comes with features like Samsung Link, S-Translator, Sound & Shot, side by side multi-tasking, Air View, S-Voice, Samsung Chat-on and Story Album. The company is offering the device for Rs 31,490. It is expected to be available at all major retail outlets from mid-June. n team@mymobile.co.in

16 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

fter showcasing the device in the Mobile World Congress 2013, Sony has finally launched the Sony Xperia Tablet Z in India. It is the thinnest 10.1 inch display tablet launched to date, with a thickness of a mere 6.9mm. The display of the device has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and is protected by shatter proof and scratch resistant glass. It is powered by the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 2, and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Powering the tablet is a 1.5 GHz quad core processor, with 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory and 64GB of expandable (via microSD card) storage. The Sony Xperia Tablet Z comes equipped with an 8.0megapixel rear camera and a 2.2-megapixel secondary camera for making video calls. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and Infrared. The company claims that the tablet is dust proof, water proof, shock-resistant and can stay under water for 30 minutes. Of course, all this comes for a price - Rs 46,990 to be exact. n

sneak peek HTC Desire 600 Another desirable handset from HTC

ts the One which might be making headlines all over the world, but that does not mean that HTC has taken its eyes off the mid-range smartphone market. The newest to join the HTC family is the HTC Desire 600, which is squarely aimed at this very segment of smartphone users. The smartphone comes with dual SIM functionality (GSM+GSM), and packs in a 4.5-inch super LCD2 display with 960Ă&#x2014;540 resolution. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by 1.2 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. The Desire 600 comes equipped with an 8.0-megapixel rear shooter with LED flash. Also on board is a 1.6-megapixel front facing camera to facilitate video calling. The Desire 600 comes with 1GB DDR2 RAM and 8GB of internal memory which can be further expanded using a microSD card. Connectivity options include 3G (HSDPA), Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. Moreover, it comes with the HTC BlinkFeed homescreen and HTC BoomSound with Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers - shades of the HTC One. The HTC Desire 600 will be available worldwide from June this year. However, the company has not yet disclosed its price. n

Nokia Lumia 925 The

metallic Lumia

okia has expanded its Lumia range with the launch of its new flagship device, the Nokia Lumia 925. The handset will feature a new metallic body and an improved PureView camera. The smartphone is lighter than its predecessor, the Lumia 920, tipping the scales at only 139 grammes. Like all the Lumias released in recent times, it too runs on Windows Phone 8 device and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core processor. The smartphone comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED display and 332 ppi pixel density, 1GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. It comes equipped with a much improved PureView 8.7-megapixel camera, with optical image stabilisation. Additionally, there is also a primary 1.3-megapixel camera for video calling. On the connectivity front the device offers 3G, GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC. The phone will be available in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and China in June, followed by US and other markets. It is yet to be launched in the Indian market, and although the company has also not yet disclosed its price, many are expecting it to cost in the vicinity of Rs 40,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 17

lead story

18 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

display discovery! It is one of the most important parts of your smartphone or tablet. And is now gaining increasing prominence, and its own terminology to boot. We take a closer look at the world of mobile displays, bust some jargon and attempt to separate technology from terminology. Team My Mobile

ay back in the nineties, choosing a cellphone was a simple task. Options were limited and you just had monochromatic displays on all phones. Then came colour and in its wake, complexity. Then too, the choice of screens and types of displays were limited. Then came touch, and screens of different pixel density, and multiple resolutions....fast forward to today, when one of the first things a consumer checks when going to purchase a phone or a tablet is the kind of

display it sports. This â&#x20AC;&#x153;display obsessionâ&#x20AC;? is a rational one - after all, the screen of the phone is an important part of it. It shows you who is calling, displays files, documents, lets you see websites and games - well, basically gives you something to see! A mobile display is the window that engages the user. If the display is good, has vivid colours and does not hurt the eyes, users will flock to it. On the other hand, anything that delivers less than a pleasing visual experience condemns a device to

failure. Small wonder manufacturers take so much pains to highlight the display when they talk of their devices. The problem is that such talk often gets laced with jargon and before you know it, good old common takes a back seat as people start talking in terms of retinas, OLED, Super LCD and the lord alone knows what else, when all they want is a sight for their eyes, sore or otherwise. Which is why we bring you the world of phone screens, minus the techno babble. Read on and discover displays!

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 19

lead story

display types They come in all shapes and sizes. and abbreviations too LCD display: In the nineties, when the mobile phone was knocking on our doorsteps, phones used to have single or double line LCD panels as in digital watches. The term LCD refers to the initial form of display in mobile phones. It is a flat panel which uses two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. LCD displays were used acorss several phone brands and are still considered excellent for reading text.

TFT display: Colour LCD displays have two variantspassive and active matrix display. The active matrix display is also known as thin film transistor or TFT display as it uses thin film transistor technology and is made from a thin film of amorphous silicon accumulated on a glass panel. TFT based LCD panels are more popular than passive LCD because they use a grid of transistors to hold charge for a limited period of time. Due to the switching action of transistors, only the desired pixel receives a charge and holds it until the next refresh cycle, thus enhancing the image quality. TFT based LCD was found in early Nokia handsets and is still found in handsets the like Sony Xperia Z.

Super LCD: Another form of LCD display, seen in devices like HTC Sensation, is Super LCD. It is basically a TFT LCD display with lower power consumption compared to other LCD panels.

22 MYMOBILE may 15 to jun 14 2013

An OLED display has faster response time, wider viewing angles, more flexibility, higher contrast ratio and looks brighter than an LCD panel. OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode is a film of organic compound which emits light in response to an electric current. It is of two types PMOLED and AMOLED. The latter is more popular and is widely used in smartphone displays. It uses a thin-film transistor backpane to switch each individual pixel on or off. AMOLED or Active Matrix Organic LightEmitting Diode is a hybrid display technology which pairs a TFT display with an OLED display. It offers high image quality, higher resolution, larger display sizes, consumes less power and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a backlight. The Nokia Lumia 820 comes with an AMOLED display.

www.mymobile.co.in

Displays: As defined by Manufacturers Super AMOLED: Super AMOLED is a term used by Samsung and is nothing but an AMOLED display with an integrated digitizer and is brighter and more power efficient than AMOLED. Samsung later created versions of super AMOLED like Super AMOLED Plus and Super AMOLED HD. The Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2 are Super AMOLED based mobile phones.

Retina display: Apple started the trend of calling displays with high pixel density, which made individual pixels invisible to the human eye, as Retina displays. The pixel density varies according to the size of the display. For larger display devices like an iPad, a retina display would have 264ppi and in smaller ones like and iPhone it will be 326ppi. Any LCD display with similar or more pixel density can be called a retina display.

Clear Black display: Clear Black is not a new display technology like AMOLED. Instead it uses a reflection blocking polarizer to improve display quality by enhancing the contrast of the screen. It improves colour vividness, increases wide viewing angles and consumes less battery. Clear Black can be found on both AMOLED and LCD panels. The display was announced by Nokia and is showcased in Nokia Lumia smartphones.

Nova display: Nova is an LCD display promoted by LG in the Optimus Black. It claims to offer 700 nits, making it very bright indeed. and is also believed to be energy efficient. An iPhone screen offers around 500nits.

Touchy displays Capacitive display: The iPhone made the capacitive touchscreen the rage it is today. It supports multi-touch and allows more than two touch gestures simultaneously to perform multiple functions. It is made of single layer glass coated by a transparent conductive material. When the display is touched, the screen uses the conductivity of the human body as an input, affecting the screenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electrical field. Almost all smartphones and tablets today have a capacitive display.

Resistive display: They might be criticised today but resistive touchscreens were the first touchscreens to be seen on mobile devices. These displays are called resistive as they are based on resistance and are made of two flexible sheets separated by an air gap. When pressure is applied on the touchscreen, the two layers come in contact. The vertical and horizontal lines on the sheet register the precise location of touch. Resistive displays function on applying pressure on the display, and work well with styluses and finger nails. Some consider it to be outdated but it is still found in many entry-level smartphones and tablets.

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lead story Display Jargon Simplified: Resolving

22 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x

qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (5

WVGA

HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480)

HVGA

320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA

(320 x 480)

QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x

HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480)

(800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800(800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480)

WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA

qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960)

XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (7 XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024)

HD HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) (720 x 1280)

WXGAWXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800) (1280 X 800)

Full-HD (1920 x 1080) Full Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800)

XGA is quite rare in smartphone displays and seen more in tablets and phablets. It refers to Extended Graphics Array, and is usually seen in unconventionally-shapeddevices, such as the LG Optimus Vu.

WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800)

HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480)

XGA (768 x 1024)

Full-HD (1920 x 1080) Full-HD (1920

(240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320)

HD (720 x 1280)

HD displays are popularly also known as 720p - the least resolution that can be considered high-definition. It is seen in the Samsung Galaxy SIII and the HTC One X.

Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

WXGA (1280 X 800)

It is actually a widened XGA resolution. It refers to Wide Extended Graphics Array and a number of screen resolutions fall under this category â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1280 X 768 and 1366 X 768. The Samsung Galaxy Note has a WXGA resolution (1280 X 800).

Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

Full-HD is used to refer to displays with 1080p resolution. It is often seen in highend smartphones and provides the highest quality viewing experience, provided one has HD content to view too!

Full-HD -HD (1920 x 1080) (1920 x 1080)

QVGA QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320) QVGA (240 x 320)(240 x 320)

HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480) HVGA (320 x 480)

WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480)

qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540

XGAx 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (7 XGA (768 (768 x 1024)

HD (720 x 1280)

WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800)

Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

Ful

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Some display ‘myths’

Resolution

768 x 1024)

qHD

(540 x 960)

WXGA (1280 X 800)

ll-HD (1920 x 1080)

Full-HD (1920 x 1080) Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

D (720 x 1280)

Full-HD (1920 x 1080)

768 x 1024)

WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800)

480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480) WVGA (800 X 480)

0 x 960)

XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024) XGA (768 x 1024)

960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x 960) qHD (540 x

540 x

x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720 x 1280) HD (720

x 1280) HD (720

WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800) WXGA (1280 X 800)

WXGA (1280 X 800)

1080X1920) HD (1920 x 1080)

0 x 1080) Full-HD

qHD (540 x 960)

qHD refers to one quarter of a full HD frame. This resolution is now seen in many high-end devices as screen sizes are increasing. It was seen in the HTC Sensation.

Whenever technology gets mixed up with terminology, truth becomes a casualty. So it is hardly surprising that the display world also has its share of myths and beliefs: an AMOLED screen cannot be a retina display, Corning Gorilla Glass is scratch-proof, more PPIs means better viewing experience. As in the case of most myths, they all start out by twisting a well-known fact and get propagated to the extent that they are considered undebatable truths. And of course, they are helped along by marketing and sales staff who see them boosting market share for their devices. Here then are just a few myths about displays on mobile devices, accompanied by facts: Increasing the PPI indefinitely will produce even sharper images on the screen?

WVGA (800 X 480)

WVGA stands for Wider VGA (Video Graphics Array) and refers to any display with a height of 800 pixels but a width of more than 480 pixels. This resolution is quite popular in smartphones today and is seen in a number of Nokia Lumia devices, such as the Lumia 820. It was also seen in the Samsung Galaxy SII.

Our eyes can determine the quality of the contents on a screen if the pixels are distinguishable at the normal viewing distance. It doesn’t depend on the PPI figure at all. Increasing the resolution increases the PPI, provided that the screen size is not increased much. For example, two smartphones having same screen sizes but different resolutions will have different PPIs.

HVGA (320 x 480)

HVGA refers to a small number of resolutions, the most common being the 320 x 480, which is half the size of VGA, hence the name. It was most famously seen in the Apple iPhone 3GS.

QVGA (240 x 320)

This is at the bottom end of modern phone resolutions. QVGA stands for Quarter Video Graphics Array, and is basically a quarter of the resolution of VGA. It is normally seen in affordable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Y and HTC Wildfire. Pixel density makes the screen bright. In fact the contrast and blacks are just as important.

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lead story LCD displays are viewable from all angles? This is false. LCDs do lose contrast ratio and colour accuracy away from dead-on centre. However, better LCDs can be viewed off to the side somewhat. If you are looking for all viewable angles in LCDs, then look for an LCD and IPS combination. IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology, has better off-axis picture quality

Is Retina display exclusive to Apple? No, the term ‘Retina display’ was made popular by Apple, but the technology is not exclusive to the company. In fact, any display sporting a 326 PPI or even higher can be called a Retina display. Apple called their iPhone 4 screen Retina display because the 326 PPI density was so high that individual pixels were impossible to differentiate for the human eye at the normal viewing distance.

Is Corning Gorilla Glass scratch-proof? No, it is scratch-resistant as well as shatter resistant. And scratch resistant is not the same as ‘scratch-proof ’. It simply means that the glass has been made to endure greater scuffing but that it is still possible to get scratches on it.

A Full-HD (1080p) display is always better than a HD display (720p) A 1080p display does have higher screen resolution (1920 x 1080) than a 720p display (1920 x 780). But the importance of those pixels depends on the size of the display, the viewing angles and your distance from it. n

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Full HD

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chief speak

“We are focused on building products that are ‘mobile best” How big is the Facebook community out here in India? And how does Facebook plan to expand it? With 78 million users, we’ve never been more excited about our mission of making the world more open and connected. We expect that the next billion Facebook users are going to come through mobile. We have introduced many new features such as a mobile-friendly redesign of News Feed, Facebook Home on Android and Facebook Messenger. Home is the first example of a new and different Facebook experience built leveraging the openness of Android. Home demonstrates what is possible with an app that is deeply integrated with the OS and brings friends to the center of your phone. Private sharing and connecting is a big part of the Facebook experience and Facebook Messenger will be a key driver of growth for Facebook with people connecting across platforms with features including chat, messaging, email, SMS, and Groups. We also have partnerships with handset manufacturers and operators to help people and communities have access to the Internet where they can connect with new knowledge, relationships and opportunities. What was the thinking behind Facebook Home? Home has been created with the purpose of offering a unique people centric, ‘homely’ experience on the devices, which currently has become more app centric. It’s not a phone, not an OS, but much more than just an app. In terms of features, ‘Home’ comes with new lock and home screens that will be based on one’s Facebook page or profile. This means users will be able to go through Facebook content via Cover Feed, interact via SMS and Facebook messaging with Chat Heads app. When we launched Home we said that we would update the app on a regular release cycle. We just announced the first update

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It has been a busy year for Facebook with new features, apps and tie-ups. Even in India, The Social Network has been making its presence felt as it attempts to expand an already vast user base. We caught up with Kevin D’Souza, Country Growth Manager, Facebook India, to quiz him on the next status update from Facebook Sulabh Puri

that focuses on performance enhancements and bug fixes. Stay tuned for future releases with new features and updates. Are you working on any other apps? We are constantly adding new apps and features for users to give them an enhanced experience. We intend to make the world more connected and Facebook Messenger is an important step in that direction. We recently rolled out apps like, Stickers. The user can use these to spice up the conversations and make them more interesting and fun. Then there is “Chat Heads”, which lets the user be just one tap away from the most frequently connected friends on Facebook. It makes the experience much less complicated. This January, we introduced Graph search to Facebook users, which enables the user to filter search results very effectively, and use social data to answer queries. When can we see a Facebook handset? We’re a software company, and we build software. We want to deliver this experience to as many people as possible. The best way for us to do that is to focus on software, and work with partners worldwide to get that experience out to as many users as possible. What is the Indian roadmap for Facebook? In 2012 we retooled the company to focus on developing for “mobile first,” and in 2013 we are focused on building products that are “mobile best”. Facebook recognises that in India, mobile phones will be the first window of internet access for millions. Today, Facebook has become the primary reason that people want to upgrade their phones and add data. At the centre is our mobile strategy and we have developed features and prod-

ucts around it such as “Facebook for Every Phone” app, which delivers a smartphonelike Facebook experience on feature phones in Hindi and other Indian languages including Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali and Marathi. Lately, we’ve made messaging a priority, focusing on building a seamless cross platform messaging experience across PCs, tablets and mobile phones. We strive to deliver the best Facebook experience on mobile and our focus is shifting from breadth to depth and making mobile the place where people have the best Facebook experience. You have entered the Mobile Messenger space quite late... Social Media, today, is not just about sending out public messages, but is also a great medium to stay connected with friends and family. Chatting is one aspect of social media that is very highly used. Users are not sticking to their desktops anymore, not even to their laptops for that matter. They are moving to their smartphones, to access all kinds of information, and also to stay connected with people. Facebook Messenger is one tool that combines both the above needs

We recently rolled out apps like, Stickers. The user can use these to spice up the conversations and make them more interesting and fun. Then there is “Chat Heads”, which lets the user be just one tap away from the most frequently connected friends on Facebook

and allows the user to get a convenient experience of staying in touch with the person they want to. It is easily accessible on mobile phones and the following features make the messaging experience more fun, by adding interesting angles to it - in terms of content and form. How different is it from other messaging apps? The app integrates many platforms and doesn’t only connect two or more mobile devices. A user’s message will reach their friend(s) wherever they log in to Facebook – on their smartphone, feature phone or the Web. Most people upload their life’s pictures on Facebook albums. Facebook Messenger allows you to share pictures from these albums with your friends and contacts too. Facebook Messenger allows the user to receive messages in the form of an SMS, when they are logged out of Messenger. So, they do not need to stay logged in all the time, and do not miss any messages from their friends. Any collaborations that you are working on? Facebook is a partner driven company. We are collaborating with device manufacturers to pre-load the Facebook mobile application. We have partnerships with major global brands as well as local brands like Nokia, Micromax and Lava to make sure that the right Facebook experience is pre-loaded on their devices. Most recently, we partnered with Nokia wherein the Nokia Asha 501 provides free access to Facebook to Airtel users in India. At the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, we announced partnerships with mobile operators to provide free or discounted data access to Facebook messaging for their subscribers. We tied up with more than 18 operators in 14 countries including Airtel and Reliance in India. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

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in focus

Smartphones may hog the limelight, but feature phones continue to sell, especially in the Indian market. And as the likes of Nokia and Samsung “smarten” up their feature phone portfolio, are we in for a new era of more powerful feature phones? We investigate Ketan Pratap

The Rise of ‘Smart’ feature phones T

he launch of Nokia’s Asha series and Samsung’s REX series has brought the spotlight back on ‘feature phones.’ Once considered basic, no-frills devices used only for texting or calling, these phones have acquired a new avatar – the ‘smart feature phone’ that includes some features found in smartphones, and are gaining popularity in the Indian market. According to Gartner, feature phone sales have declined but the smartphone segment is booming, with shipments rising by 47 per cent year-on-year. A mobile industry report by IDC shows that for first time ever, more smartphones were shipped worldwide than feature phones. In the first three months of 2013, around 418.6 million

mobile phones were shipped, out of which 216.2 million were smartphones, which is about 51.6 per cent, a historic figure. The main reason for the rise of this popularity of smartphones are declining prices, but it would nevertheless be premature to write the obituary of that old reliable, the feature phone. Phones might be getting bigger and faster, but one should not forget that a large chunk of the world’s population still wants nothing more than basic voice, messaging and Internet access on their handsets - classic feature phone territory.

A ‘Smart’ feature phone?

In simple terms, a smart feature phone is a phone that can connect to Internet via GPRS

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(2G) or EDGE (2.5G), has a camera with a relatively low-megapixel count and the ability to run apps. However, this definition is changing rapidly as manufacturers continue to compete in this segment and add features to what were once rather basic devices. The major difference between a feature phone and a smartphone is that the latter sports powerful processors, has multi-tasking abilities, runs on a powerful operating system and can without hassle run games and apps. But this difference is narrowing, as now the smart feature phones are coming with app access and have better features than their relatively “dumb” predecessors. Nokia can be given the credit for reviving feature phones with its Asha series. At Nokia World 2011, the

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company announced its new product range, dubbed ‘Asha’ (which means ‘hope’ in Hindi) which the company claimed to be targeted at the emerging markets.

Giving feature phones ‘Asha’

And the Asha series has certainly proved a star performer for Nokia. The company might be facing a stiff challenge in the smartphone segment but it is the Asha series that has been accounting for some very significant sales for it, and has kept it right at the top when it comes to the number of devices shipped in the feature phone segment. This year at MWC, Nokia displayed its prowess and showcased two new feature phones, the 105 and the 301 at the global stage. This was followed by the launch of its next major Asha series device, the 501. Samsung, Nokia’s great rival, has

The Feature Phone Future “Consumers are responding positively to Asha: to-date, we have sold more than 20 million Asha Touch smartphones globally. The uptake of all the services, viz, Nokia Music, Nokia Xpress Browser, Nokia Maps , Nokia Life and Nokia Store have been phenomenal. Data consumption on Nokia Xpress Browser has tripled since June 2012 as per Nokia Mobisight (June-December 2012). Nokia Store which offers more than 1,25,000 apps currently sees more than 17 million downloads per day. Such compelling numbers have encouraged us to continuously upgrade and offer more innovative services and features to our consumers enriching their smartphone experience.” -Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India

“Talking about the overall handset market, India still remains a predominantly feature phone market with 206.4 million shipments of feature phones against 15.2 million smartphones.” (Source: Cyber Media Research report 2013)

in the market for a decade. However, smartphones are coming into India thick and fast with the likes of Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG and a host of indigenous handset makers like Micromax and Karbonn leading the charge with cost-effective Android based smartphone devices. But it would still take some time for these devices to find their way into the hands of the majority of consumers - while urban India is smartphone

a smart feature phone is a phone that can connect to Internet via GPRS (2G) or EDGE (2.5G), has a camera with a relatively low-megapixel count and the ability to run apps. However, this definition is changing rapidly

also been working away at the smart feature phone segment. The company launched its affordable REX series last year and has been spending a lot in its promotion. The REX series consists currently of four handsets that are priced between Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 6,500, and pales in comparison to Nokia’s portfolio, but these are early days. Clearly a battle royale beckons in this segment as well. Speaking about the feature phone segment Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India says “While the overall feature phone segment continues to be the bulk of the mobile phone market in India, people are now looking for smart features like mobile Internet, instant messaging, high-resolution touch screens, smarter

user interface, etc., similar to that of high-end smartphones but at attractive price points. The target audience includes first-time Internet users who now can aspire to get the ultimate mobile experience and stay connected with low priced smartphones. The Nokia Asha series of devices bring smart solutions to the maturing consumer base, which is now looking to do more with their handsets. Our Asha full touch range has democratized services such as music, maps, web applications, faster internet, access to popular social networking sites etc by widening accessibility and affordability of key services to consumers at new price points – between Rs 3,500 – Rs 8,500.”

This feature (phone) story ain’t over! There is a huge installed base of feature phone devices across India which largely consists of Nokia devices, thanks to Nokia’s dominance

territory, other regions still swear by feature phones. The battle between ‘Smart’ feature phones and smartphones has been well and truly joined. The force of affordability and ease of use is with smart feature phones, while that of quality and features is with smartphones. The coming days will tell us whether feature phones will once again come into prominence and outshine smartphones or whether the Asha and REX surge will simply prove to be the last stand. But as of now, those on a tight budget have the option to choose between a smart phone and smart feature phone, which proves that it is not the end for feature phones. Not yet. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

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spotlight Once the beloved of enterprise users, the physical QWERTY keyboard seems to be fading into tech oblivion, thanks to the touchscreen revolution. Can the arrival of devices like Q10 spark a resurgence, or has the physical QWERTY era ended? Sulabh Puri

R.I.P, Physical QWERTY? C hristopher Sholes the man who started the QWERTY phenomena in the nineteenth century with the typewriter, could not have imagined in his wildest dreams that his invention would find its way on to cellphones. But make it, it did, and with stunning effect - the period from 2000-2010 was a decade that was the high noon of the physical QWERTY keyboard in handsets, with just about every manufacturer Nokia, BlackBerry, Palm, iMate, Motorola, Sony Ericsson - coming out with devices that had physical QWERTY keyboards. And when BlackBerry introduced its iconic 8520 at a surprisingly low price, there were many who believed that the physical QWERTY era was here to stay. While touchscreen phones were beginning to outsell those with physical keyboards, the common feeling was that typing on touchscreens was not the easiest experience. However, the years that followed saw the touchscreens overwhelm keyboards. Palm shut shop, BlackBerry went

into a sabbatical and Nokia shifted focus from Symbian to the more touch-friendly Windows Phone platform. And of course, Apple, HTC and Samsung continued to highlight devices whose keyboards were onscreen ones. Suddenly, phones with full physical QWERTY keyboards were hard to find. And thanks to the emergence of better touchscreen typing technologies like SWYPE and Google’s own default Android 4.2 keyboard, people were not missing them as much as many had imagined. Even the company that made QWERTY keyboards popular - BlackBerry - came out with the all-touch Z10, featuring an improved onscreen keyboard for better and speedier typing. The arrival of phablets made onscreen typing easier thanks to bigger onscreen keyboards and Samsung added a whole new dimension to data entry by giving users the option to circumvent the keyboard altogether in its Galaxy Note series, which had stylus support! That is not to say that the demand for

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“real” QWERTY keyboards had ended. There still are people who prefer a physical QWERTY keypad over a touchscreen one. G. Damodran, who is an investment banker in Mumbai and an avid user of Blackberry Bold 4 QWERTY device,, asserts that he would not even dream of switching to a touchscreen QWERTY, because the “tactile feel of the physical one is much better and is convenient”. Cellphone manufacturers however seem to be taking a different view of the market and seem to have gone into touchscreen overdrive. There is a glimmer of hope for the QWERTY brigade though - BlackBerry has released the Q10 (check its Burn Test in this issue) and is planning on a more pocketfriendly version of it as well. Meanwhile Nokia has also introduced a QWERTY phone in its Asha series - the 205. But will these devices herald the return of the traditional QWERTY keyboard or just mark its last gasp, only time will tell. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

fa c e t o fa c e

“We will continue to delight our consumers” From underdog to overlord - it has taken Samsung a mere decade to take that massive step in the mobile phone business. And the company seems in no mood to rest on its laurels, judging by the slew of products it is releasing. We managed to catch up with Vineet Taneja, Country Head-Samsung Mobile and Digital Imaging, to ask him about the Big S’ future plans Sulabh Puri What do you expect from the newly launched S4? The Galaxy S4 is clearly one of our flagship launches this year and with the launch of the Galaxy S4 we expect the market for high-end smartphones (Rs 20,000) itself to double in India .

in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Our endeavour is to make the lives of our consumers simpler and richer with our devices and we will continue to develop innovative devices that best meet the needs of our consumers.

Samsung today is the undisputed leader in the smartphone business. How do you plan to consolidate your position? Samsung has fuelled the growth in the smartphone market with its innovative product portfolio straddling different segments. Thus, while we have devices like the Note, Note 2 at one end of the spectrum that have virtually created new segments in the market, we have a device like the Galaxy Grand that is virtually redefining the smartphone market in India with its strong value proposition and very attractive price point. We have devices like the Samsung Galaxy Y which is a strong proposition for consumers looking to upgrade from their feature phones. From the product point of view, we will continue to delight our consumers with new propositions, as you saw

When will we see Windows Phone 8 devices from Samsung in India? We don’t give a forward guidance. As you are well aware, Samsung as a brand is platform agnostic and we will continue to provide consumers with products that they demand . The REX series was recently launched. How is it doing? With REX we were looking to create a new smart feature phone segment in the market and I think the initial response has been very good. There is stiff competition out there for the REX series, what are your plans to push it through? As the market leader, we are committed to developing the best possible mobile solutions to suit all lifestyles

and budgets. We have aggressive plans to maximize our sales for the REX series. For our Indian consumers, Samsung REX is enabled with some very useful ‘India specific’ apps available on the Samsung app store for free. These apps range from popular apps like ngpay, eBay, OLX, and Quikr, to a naukri.com, shaadi.com and VuClip. The REX series is launched with a very attractive Tata Docomo offer, which gives double data to consumers, on all standard data recharges until Aug 31, 2013. We have also increased the brand’s mindshare by launching an exciting TVC for REX which has been well received. So what can we expect next from Samsung? We will continue to focus on our consumers’ needs and continue to redefine their smartphone experiences with our innovative product offerings. We are always listening to our consumers, innovating to give them products that meet their needs and our endeavour will be to delight them as always.n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

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technology

When Tech gets wearable

Ever since Google showed off its Project Glass, the tech world has been buzzing with the concept of wearable tech. No, it is hardly new - remember Casio’s ‘smartwatch’ from the early 1980s, which was basically a calculator that could also show time and depending on the model, track a few notes too - but it has never really gone mainstream. However, with the likes of Google (and perhaps even Apple) showing interest in the field, it might not be long before you find yourself donning a cutting edge gadget instead of carrying it in your pocket or handbag. If that sounds a bit hard to digest, here’s a look at some gadgets and gizmos that you can actually wear right now Ketan Pratap & Abhijit Ahaskar Jawbone Up

Wrist bands have been associated with fashion statements rather than utility. But now wrist bands are all set to become the next frontier in the world of technology and will soon be called ‘smart bands’. Jawbone Up is a wrist band that is making waves. It looks like a normal wrist band but can actually track pulse and sleep patterns. Broadly, it helps in tracking the wellness of a human being. And it does not look bad either!

Nike+ Fuel Band

Nike+ Fuel is a light contraption worn like a wrist band. Just put it on and the band will track one’s daily activity including running, walking, playing, dancing, and a whole lot more, thanks to a sports-tested accelerometer. It has a quick look display, allowing the user to see just how well they are doing. It tracks each step taken and calorie burned and also tells the time taken for this. The generated data can be synced via a desktop app on a Mac or on iOS devices (no support for Android at the time of writing). It comes in three attractive colours.

Nike Hyperdunk+

This is a gaming shoe from Nike that has sensors in its soles to track every movement made on a basketball court and is synced directly to an iPhone, giving a player information on the length of a jump, speed of the player and intensity involved in an action during a basketball match. And, with these insights, feedback and a community of elite players, players can improve their game every time they go out play. Nike Hyperdunk+ can be customized in different colours and patterns. Sole tech provider indeed.

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Google Glass

When Google Glass started making news, people thought it was basically a set of goggles with augmented reality. Today, it seems so much more than that. In simple terms, Google Glass is a pair of spectacles that carries a head mounted display controlled by a small micro computer within. It is equipped with a camera and a button on top for taking pictures, a touch pad, compass, a micro USB charger, a speaker and an accelerometer. According to Google, Glass users can see texts, e-mails and can also check weather in real time. Users can navigate using voice activated commands and the augmented reality interface can serve up information about objects around you. Users can even record videos or snap few pictures and share them instantly. Just like in sci-fi!

Sony HMZ T1 glasses

These 3D glasses from Sony look straight out of the Hollywood blockbuster, Tron. They look stylish although they are definitely on the bulky side. This is basically a head mounted device with its own 3D display, and is a great tool for private entertainment. It features an OLED screens and can create a 720p HD display with 3D, with 5.1 channel virtual surround sound. One can play games and watch 3D and HD movies on it as well. Heady stuff!

Circuit M Dress

Circuit M dress looks just like any other silk dress for women. But it also accepts a standard SIM card and allows the person wearing it to receive and make calls without carrying a mobile phone in their pocket or purse. Designed by Cutecircuit, it allows the user to insert their SIM card in the slot below the label, letting the dress function as a mobile phone. To receive calls, users have to lift an arm and use the embedded speaker near the wrist. One limitation of the M Dress is that it does not have a display so you cannot know who is calling until you have received the call. Also, you can only call on one programmed number of your choice.

Fraunhofer FitnessSHIRT

Fraunhofer has jumped into the wearable tech sector and has introduced a FitnessSHIRT that can pick up electrical activity from the cardiac muscle as well as measure breathing through an elastic band around the chest. The result is a shirt that not only covers your body but also provides you information about it, thanks to an assortment of sensors. Staying in shape just got a whole new meaning. In fact, there are many experts who believe that the next big thing in wearable technology is not going to be spectacles, but garments. Do be careful wearing them in the rain, though.

Sony Smartwatch

Sony entered the wearable technology sector last year when it launched the Sony Smartwatch that could work with any Xperia device. The SmartWatch is a wrist-ready Android device that sports a 1.3-inch OLED screen with a screen resolution of 128X128 pixels. It is lightweight at just 40g with the wristband. The device can tell the time, and when paired over Bluetooth with an Android device, can also display text messages, call details, deliver weather information, and show social network notifications as well. The closest thing to a phone on your wrist right now.

Casio BT Watch

A Bluetooth 4.0 watch that can be used as an extension to the iPhone, the BT watch can be synced with the iPhone to receive incoming call alerts, mail alerts, and social networking alerts. And if you manage to misplace your iPhone, you can even make it issue a finding alarm from the watch. There is a built-in sensor in the watch, which puts it in hibernate mode to conserve battery when not in use. The watch can automatically adjust time by synchronising to time data received from the iPhone. n ketan@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 33

fa c e t o fa c e

“App Stores are Revenue Generators” As smartphone and tablet sales continue to rise, gaming on the move is no longer a niche experience. We spoke to Chaitanya Prabhu, Business Head, India Zapak Digital Entertainment and picked his brains about the world of mobile gaming and where it and Zapak were headed. Heena Gupta

When did Zapak get into mobile gaming? We entered mobile gaming in 2006. Initially, we were creating games for distribution on telco platforms around the world, till the iOS and Android app stores were introduced. We quickly started building games for these app stores and we have seen massive success with games like Formula One 2010, Formula One 2011, Real Steel, Total Recall, and Mirror Mirror. We also created games for the Indian market like Ben 10, Chhota Bheem, and Shaktimaan. How big is the mobile gaming market in India? There is no documented data giving us the exact size of the mobile gaming market in India but it is estimated to be a market in excess of Rs 500 crores. Zapak is one of the largest mobile gaming companies in India with about 40 per cent content share in the country. In the past, mobile operators had tight control over the gaming market. But the coming of different app stores has given developers greater freedom... Globally, the app stores are the revenue generators for developers. We are now seeing the same in India. Nokia started promoting free games and apps on their store therefore creating a consumption habit amongst users. Increased sales of smartphones and increased consumption of mobile Internet is increasing the consumption of games from app stores. App stores are giving back 70 per cent of the end user price to developers which is encouraging developers to focus more on app stores than telcos, which keep 70 per cent of the revenues earned. The Indian market is still dominated by feature phones. Is Zapak also developing Java powered games? Yes. With Nokia and Samsung still selling Java devices, we continue to create Java games for the Indian market. This year we plan to launch 15 – 16 new Java games. The ARPU in India is Rs 75 and many games are available for Rs 150 onwards. Don’t you think that buying games is a bit expensive as far as India is concerned? Yes. I agree. In fact consumers in India are not that willing to pay except in the case of those using a very high end device, which is a very small segment. Most users are comfortable only paying Re 1 to Rs 10 for a game. Revenue options like try and buy, in app purchase and ad-wrapped games are now offering consumers options to buy levels in games at a very low costs like Rs 1-5. Consumers are happy paying and we can monetise them due to the high volumes of consumption in India. What new offerings can we expect from Zapak in the coming days? India will continue to be a price sensitive market and we will have to monetise games via the freemium model wherein the consumer can download the game for free and then make purchases within the game as and when they starts liking the game. We will also continue focusing on getting our global IPs to India and also continuing developing games of local relevance like Ben 10. n heenag@mymobile.co.in

34 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

fa c e t o fa c e

“Our Mantra is: Internet For All” How do you see the VAS industry in India? Do you think it is shrinking? With voice dominating the market previously, the VAS market possibly did not get a fair chance to evolve in accordance with its potential. However, now, with the telecom industry witnessing a paradigm shift, we are seeing data emerge as the next big thing. We believe that VAS services will act as a key revenue driver as well as a differentiator for any telecom service provider. We see urban cities driving data value added services (data VAS) as they are the early adopters of data and smartphones while rural cities continuing to adopt non-data VAS products. Urban subscribers are maturing and upgrading from non-data VAS to data VAS and hence, instead of witnessing shrinking of value added services, we are in fact seeing momentum pick up in adoption of data services. How big is the current market size of VAS? The VAS market in India is currently valued at over USD 5 billion and is expected to reach USD 6 billion before the end of this year. Aircel has taken note of the fact that the users are shifting from using SMS based services to Internet based services. Also, we are gradually witnessing the user need of utility services in addition to entertainment services. Based on these changing subscriber usage patterns, Aircel has been constantly launching innovative and value for money products and services for its subscribers spread across all target segments. There has been a growing concern that the 3G uptake has failed to meet the expectations... Real uptake in 3G data will happen when video demand increases. E-mails and social networking doesn’t require much data. Also, 3G device penetration in India is just 9 per cent. Thus,

It is a challenging time for telecom operators in VAS sector, with some experts even claiming that it is in a state of decline. We talked to Arvinder Singh Gujral, Head- Data VAS, Aircel to talk about the Indian VAS market in general and his company’s plans in particular Ketan Pratap

with smartphone share expected to double between 2013-14 we will see the demand for 3G data rising. There have been some positive indicators: in data traffic, 2G has been outperformed by 3G with 70 per cent growth; and users are willing to spend 40 per cent of their monthly phone bill on Internet services. What is Aircel’s strategy to boost data uptake in India? The mantra of Aircel is ‘Internet for All’ and we want to make the Internet accessible to everyone in the country. At Aircel, we believe in a data-based revenue model for growth and we see a lot of optimism as we are growing at 65 per cent in data consumption. From a brand point of view, our Pocket Internet has been a key differentiator. In order to drive data usage, we have to educate the masses and create awareness about data services. Consequently, we support the launch of our products and services with high decibel 360 degree communication. We also constantly introduce new and exciting products and services surrounding data to encourage usage, and include non-users and first time users as we move along. What are your plans for the VAS sector? Our data-VAS segment has been doing extremely well. In fact, we have doubled our data VAS revenues in six months which is unprecedented. Last year at Aircel, music and games continued to grow at a very strong rate. Games alone contributed to 25 per cent of the data VAS consumption in 2012, followed closely by videos and music at 22 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Overall, the data VAS segment has emerged as one of the fastest growing revenue segments for Aircel. We will continue to delight our subscribers with user-friendly, innovative and value for money VAS services. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 35

Jargon Buster

IPv6 Simplified Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) has been around for a while now, but has started to make its presence felt in Internet space only recently. What does the term IPv6 mean and why is it considered the next big thing in the Internet? We try to demystify the term Ketan Pratap

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is the latest version of IP, designed to be a step up from IPv4. The IPv6 has been designed to create many times more addresses than the present IPv4 system.

Why is IPv6 necessary? Yes, because IPv4 is out of IP addresses. IPv4 has only 4.3 billion addresses, and with more devices getting connected to Internet every day, we have tapped the system dry. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address and can store up to 340 undecillion addresses.

IPv6 can create over 18 trillion addresses. And with this number, currently every human being on the planet can be assigned around 3,000 dedicated IPs each. Many consider IPv6 a mobile technology as it includes support for users who roam among different networks, with global notifications when you leave one network and enter another one.

36 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

Google’s take on the transition from IPV4 to IPv6 – “We believe IPv6 is essential to the continued health and growth of the Internet and that by allowing all devices to talk to each other directly, IPv6 enables new innovative services. Replacing the Internet’s plumbing will take some time but the transition has begun.”

Why is the internet running out of room? Just like mobile phones require a phone number in order to make calls, every Internet connected device requires a unique number known as an “IP address” that connects it to the global online network. The problem is IPv4 has room for only four billion addresses which is not enough for the rapidly growing world population and devices that are going online. As IPv4 runs out of free addresses, everyone will need to share addresses.

According to mathematicians IPv6 is capable of delivering - 340,300,000,000,0 00,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000, that’s above three hundred and forty duodecillion IPs.

www.mymobile.co.in

cell clues

Budget Tablet Checklist Buying a tablet is no longer an expensive proposition. In fact today, you can get a tablet for less than Rs 5,000. But with low prices come certain compromises on design and performance. To ensure that you get the most tablet bang for your buck, here are a few points to keep in mind when you venture forth to purchase a low-cost tablet Heena Gupta Display

Battery life

It is not just a matter of screen size, one should also check the touch of the display (is it resistive or capacitive?) and its resolution. Generally a capacitive touchscreen provides a better experience and as for resolution, the higher it is, the better your tablet experience.

The best of tablets is of little use if you spend more time charging it than using it. Again, there are no concrete figures, but in general, a 3,000 mAh will provide around six hours of back up over Wi-Fi. Again, the rule of thumb here is - more is better!

Operating System

Connectivity

The essence of a device is its operating system. Always try to get a tablet running as recent an operating system as possible. It will not only support newer apps but will also not get obsolete for a while and will generally operate more smoothly. When purchasing a tablet with an older OS, check to see whether it is upgradeable or not. And the company’s record when it comes to providing OS upgrades.

Memory and storage

The equation is simple - the lower the RAM and storage capacity, the worse your experience is likely to be. While there are no standard benchmarks, we would suggest settling for not less than 512MB RAM and 4GB onboard storage in a budget tablet - and make sure that the storage is expandable via memory card.

Not too long ago, getting a budget tablet with SIM card support was a rarity. That, fortunately has changed and today you can get tablets that cost less than Rs 5,000 and some with SIM card slots. “The more the merrier” is the principle to apply when it comes to connectivity, but the very least you should settle for is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. USB ports or USB on the go connectivity would be a welcome bonus. As for SIM cards, it all depends on whether you actually want to use the tablet for calls.

Cameras

No, we are not convinced that tablets are great for taking pictures but that is no reason why you should not pay attention to its cameras. We would advise not going by the megapixel count and actually taking some sample shots to

check for clarity. As a general rule, anything below 3.2-megapixels will not really deliver images worth viewing or sharing.

Processor

Gauging a processor these days is a difficult task, with even multi-core processor tablets being available for less than Rs 10,000. While nothing beats actual experience, we would once again recommend the “more is better” rule here. We would recommend not going for anything with less than 1 GHz of processing muscle really.

Pre-installed apps

Manufacturers of budget tablets often pack them with a number of applications. While these do add some value to the tablet, they also can create problems as they can gobble up space on your device. It all really depends on what you need - do not get lured by the number of apps on a tablet and instead check if you really need them. Also, whenever possible, take a tablet that lets you access the official app store of the OS running on it (like Google Play on Android). n heenag@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 37

burn test A Musical Canvas Micromax

icromax’s Canvas series will be best remembered for triggering the fall in prices of large screen devices. And now the company has tied up with JBL to woo music lovers with its latest Micromax A88 Canvas Music. Is it a marriage made in tech heaven?

Looks: Nothing new As far as looks go, the Canvas Music looks like most other smartphones launched by the company. The front of the phone is dominated by the 4.5-inch display, below which are three touch keys for Settings, Home and Back. On the top are the charging slot and 3.5mm audio jack, while the sides house the volume rocker key and power key. The dark grey piping on the sides and on the top of the display, however, do add an element of smartness to the device. The rubberized back panel distinguishes the phone from others in the market, and also allowed us to grip it firmly.

Hardware: Above par for the price The Micromax A88 Canvas Music runs on a 1 GHz MediaTek MT6577 dual core processor with 512MB RAM, which is not bad at all at this price. It has an internal memory of 4GB which can be expanded further up to 32GB using a microSD card. For connectivity, there are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G, while handling imaging duties are a 5.0-megapixel rear camera accompanied with a dual LED flash and a VGA front camera. The device is a dual SIM phone with support for GSM+GSM SIMs. The centrestage of course is held by the big 4.5-inch display with 854 x 480 pixels resolution, which is unusual in this price range.

Software: We have Jelly Bean We are beginning to get used to the fact that when it comes to Android, most smartphones in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment will come with Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). The Canvas Music does too, although it throws in some tweaks. The homescreen is customisable now and one can choose the number of panels to browse through when the device is unlocked. It also comes with some pre-loaded apps from company – Mi Live, Mi Zone and HookUp as well as some social networking apps.

Multimedia: Striking the right notes On the multimedia front, the Canvas Music

sports a 5.0-megapixel camera, video player, FM radio and a music player. Although the camera comes with features like touch-tofocus, colour-effect, self timer and scene modes, the results were not too impressive. Music, however, sees the phone score heavily, thanks in no small measure to the bundled Tempo headset from JBL. We had no complaints regarding the quality of sound on headphones or speakers.

135 mm

bets on music

68.7 m

User experience: We expected more Our experience with the Micromax Canvas Music falls in the average category. The dual core processor handles most tasks well but was a disappointment when it came to playing games that had rich graphics content. Even the touch sensitivity of the device is disappointing. We tested the device on Quadrant and it scored 2,898 which is better than many of its counterparts in the price range.

Conclusion The Micromax Canvas Music is available for

Micromax canvas music a88 tech specs

Rs 8,499 and comes bundled with the JBL Tempo headset, which really sweeten the deal. Those seeking alternatives can go for the Sony Xperia E which also runs on Android Jelly Bean and offers a decent music experience, for Rs 9,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

Pros

Cons

 Decent

specs  Design could for the price have been better  Bundled  Camera JBL Tempo performance headset average

Size | 135 x 68.7 x 11.3 mm Weight | Memory | 4GB, MicroSD OS | Android 4.1

verdict Looks

Features

Battery | Li-ion 1,800 mAh

ease of use

Talktime/Standby | Up to 5 hours/Up to 260 hours

performance

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

value for money

Screen Size | 4.5-inch, Capacitive

Camera | 5.0-megapixel Others | JBL Tempo Headset, Mi Live

Price: Rs 8,499

38 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

overall

76%

www.mymobile.co.in

and improves the Aurus

dea cellular has launched an improved version of the Aurus. Called the Idea Aurus II, it comes with enhanced features, including a dual camera. It is still targeted at the affordable smartphone segment, though. Will consumers bite?

Looks: Decent enough It is not the sleekest phone around, but the Idea Aurus II still manages to look simple and stylish. It is a bit on the thicker side and comes with a rubberised plastic back cover, while the front is dominated by a 3.2inch, 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen display. Unlike its predecessor, the Idea Aurus II does not have any hard button on the screen. Below the display are three soft keys for Back, Home and Options, while above it is a 0.3-megapixel camera. The power and camera button are oddly placed and take some getting used to- the former is placed towards the left side on the top, whereas the camera button is placed on the upper part of the right side. On the back is a 3.2-megapixel camera and the speaker grille.

Hardware: Ordinary The Idea Aurus II is powered by 1 GHz processor which works fine, with not too many lags. It is a 3G smartphone and comes with dual SIM functionality (GSM+GSM) both SIMs and the microSD card are not hotswappable and one has to remove its battery to insert them. The phone comes with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal memory which can be further expanded to 32GB via microSD card. On the connectivity front, it offers 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Software: Nothing exceptional

good and the display decent enough for this price point.

The Idea Aurus II runs on Android 4.1, Jelly Bean. There are five fixed shortcuts on the main screen for calling, camera, main menu, internet and messaging. There are also five customisable homescreens, which can be used to place app shortcuts and widgets. The smartphone also offers some pre-loaded apps like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Gmail.

Multimedia: Good camera and sound

Conclusion The Idea Aurus II is priced at Rs 6,490. Those looking for alternatives can go for the Samsung Galaxy Y Plus, which runs on Android 4.0 and comes with a price tag of Rs 6,400. They can also consider the Nokia Asha 311 which is priced at Rs 6,375 and has a 2.0megapixel camera. n team@mymobile.co.in

The Idea Aurus II offers a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with no flash. The camera takes decent shots in daylight, although we would not recommend using it in low light conditions. There is also a 0.3-megapixel front facing cam-

Pros  Dual

Cons

camera

 Battery

life

A

bit bulky

1

GHz CPU

113 mm

And another Aurus, sir ji Idea tweaks

Price: Rs 6,490 verdict

60 mm era, which is best suited for video chats. The sound quality of the phone was good both on the loudspeakers and on the handsfree, and FM played very well too. Voice quality over calls was good as well.

User Experience: Satisfactory The phone in general works well without many lags. Internet browsing is also fast and hassle-free. We also found the battery back up

Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

76%

jun 15 to jul 14 20131 MYMOBILE 39

burn test It’s Me Again A new addition to the HCL Me portfolio

Pros  Sturdy  3G

build quality

connectivity

Cons  Lags

with games

 Poor

quality camera

itly marked under a category. Besides Google Play, it has an HCL Me app store which has about 20,000 paid and free apps. Some of the pre-loaded apps in the Me V1 include ThinkFree office, Zomato, Twitter, TOI, Nimbuzz, Bigflix, and the usual Google apps.

117

Multimedia: Poor camera If you love gaming on the move, the V1 is definitely not for you. It can install and store games, but when we ran games like Ae 3D Motor lags crept in. Video playback is smooth, and speaker sound is ordinary in speaker mode but very good on headphones. The camera, however, is poor, churning out hazy images.

192 mm

CL has been making steady ground in the budget tablet segment. And the latest to join its budget tablet line-up is the HCL Me V1.

Looks: Well-built and light This tab comes with a compact and sturdy form factor. It is slim and can be easily held in one hand. A robust tablet with metal finish, it tips the scales at a surprisingly low 350 grammes. The front and back panels are not crowded, giving it a smart look. It has a 7.0inch display, a camera, an in-ear grille for calling and a home button right below the display. The back has a 2.0-MP camera with flash and a speaker next to it. The sides are a lot more crowded with a micro SD slot, 3.5mm jack, a SIM slot, volume button and power button.

vicinity of six hours. The tablet scored 1,090 on the Quadrant benchmark - not impressive, but expected.

Software: Apps aplenty The tablet runs on Android 4.0 and has five home pages where every page has been explic-

HCL Me V1 tech specs Size | 192x117x12.53mm Weight | 350 grams

User Experience: Satisfactory The Me V1 does most basic tablet tasks (Web browsing, e-mail, social networks) very well. It can also handle HD videos and light games. Its touch is smooth and responsive. Browsing is also a pleasant experience.

Conclusion Best described as a feature tablet with loads of apps, the Me V1 works well for routine tasks but lacks the muscle. For Rs 7,000, it is not a bad deal but will face very stiff competition from the AOC Breeze and the Acer Iconia B1, which deliver just as much, if not more. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict

Memory | 4GB, MicroSD

Looks

OS | Android 4.0

Features

Hardware: Decent performer

Screen Size | 7.0-inch, Capacitive

The smart exterior hides some very competent hardware. The tablet comes with a 1 GHz Cortex processor and 1GB RAM, and is quite capable of handling web browsing, mails, documents, and movies. Its 7.0 inch display sports a 800x480 resolution - not the greatest, but it still looks good. The tablet also has a decent front camera for video chats and a 2G SIM slot for calling. 3G is supported as well, but runs only via a USB dongle. Battery life is in the

Price: Rs 7,000

40 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

8 7

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

78%

www.mymobile.co.in

Dual SIM, Low Cost Optimus LG

Pros  Android

rolls the dual SIM dice

 Good

Cons

Jelly Bean

 Screen

battery backup

 Lags

t is low-cost, dual SIM season in the Indian smartphone market. And the latest to join the fray is LG with its LG Optimus L3 II Dual. But has it cut too many corners for the sake of a low price tag?

102.9 mm

User Experience: A Fine one This phone works smoothly as long as you don’t tax it with any heavy duty tasks. The battery back up is decent - we saw through a day and a half of usage on a single charge. We would have preferred a slightly higher resolution display and a better camera, but at this price point, what the device serves up is very acceptable indeed.

Hardware: Standard The LG Optimus L3 II Dual is a dual SIM phone (GSM+GSM). But the SIMs are not hot swappable and one has to remove the battery from the device in order to insert the SIM. The phone is powered by a 1 GHz processor, but still tends to lag at times. On the memory front, it comes with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal memory, which can be expanded to 32GB using a microSD card. Connectivity options of the device include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth.

Software: Routine It runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). The user interface is plain Vanilla. There are five customisable homescreens which can be used for placing app shortcuts and widgets, and you can also customise the lock screen by adding four app shortcuts and a clock or calendar to it. There are four fixed shortcuts given on the main screen for calling, contacts, messaging and to open the main menu. Also on board are the usual Google apps such as Chrome, Gmail, Gtalk, and YouTube.

Multimedia: Poor camera, good sound The LG Optimus L3 II Dual comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with no flash. The camera quality is nothing to talk about really - it is mediocre, in both still and video mode. However, the sound quality is very good on both headphones and loudspeaker. The phone

sometimes supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ audio formats and MPEG and 3GP video format. The sound quality over calls was also good. Also onboard is FM radio, although we had a few reception issues while using it.

Looks: Decent The L3 II Dual looks decent enough. The body is made of plastic but feels solid and is good to grip. It comes with a 3.2-inch IPS capacitive display with a rather basic 320x240 resolution. There are no hard buttons on the front of the phone - just four soft keys given for Back, Home, Options and to switch between two SIMs. The power and display on/off button is placed on the top alongside a 3.5mm audio jack. The volume control key is placed on the left of the phone, while the charging slot is given at the bottom. The rear of the device carries a 3.2megapixel camera.

is a bit dull

Conclusion

61.3 mm

LG Optimus L3 II DuAl tech specs Size | 102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9 mm Weight | 110 grams

The LG Optimus L3 II Dual is a good option for those on a tight budget looking for a smartphone running a relatively new version of Android. It is priced for Rs 8,500. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Idea Aurus II which comes with the same screen size and a 3.2-megapixel camera, and is available for Rs 6,490. n team@mymobile.co.in

Memory | 4GB, MicroSD OS | Android 4.1

verdict

Screen Size | 3.2 inch, Capacitive

Looks

Battery | Li-ion 1,540 mAh

Features

Talktime/Standby | Up to 16 hours/ Up to 730 hours

ease of use

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 3.2-megapixel Others | Gmail, Gtalk, YouTube

Price: Rs 8,500

performance

8 7

value for money 6 overall

70%

jun 15 to jul 14 20131 MYMOBILE 41

burn test Croma gets smarty The CRCB

2093 delivers on many fronts tab territory

roma is one of the leading gadget stores who is now into mobile phones too. We got its CRCB 2093 phone to test out.

Looks: Elegant and well-built

core processor and 512MB memory, and can handle routine tasks well. It comes with 4GB storage that can be expanded using a memory card, and has support for dual SIMS - 2G via GSM and 3G with CDMA, which is a welcome change as most dual SIM phones offer both SIMs with GSM only. It has an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and a 2.0megapixel one in front. The 4.6-inch display looks brilliant, has a resolution of 480p, and responds well to touch. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS.

The phone is well-built. It comes with a 4.6inch display, yet weighs only 149 grammes. There is a metal rim around the bezel which houses a micro USB, 3.5mm jack, as well as the volume and power buttons. The front is dominated by the display, below which there are three regular touch buttons. The back has an 8.0-megapixel camera with flash and a speaker.

Software: Useful apps

Hardware: Decent enough

Multimedia: Good for movies and games

For its price, the CRBC 2093 packs in some very decent hardware. It has a 1GHz dual

It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and comes with the usual Google goodies (Google Play, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail) as well as an app called Croma Assist, which gives details about Croma service centers, and connects users to customer care support, free Croma apps and a user manual.

This phone supports HD videos, which run smoothly. The sound quality is good too, courtesy the speaker. The cameras are steady rather than exceptional - it is not as if they take bad pictures, but images are a trifle misty. Most games run without any hassles too.

User Experience: Occasional freeze, generally smooth

138mm

Overall, we found the CRBC 2093 comfortable to hold and

Pros  Well  Good

built

display

Cons  Average  Freezes

70 mm

42 MYMOBILE Jun 15 to juL 14 2013

battery life

at times

smart-looking. Its performance is however, a little unpredictable. It can freeze while doing the simplest of tasks, particularly when you are closing an app or going back to the previous page. It’s a little unexpected and annoying, but by and large, the device works well. Call quality is also good.

Conclusion It delivers decent value for its price tag, and is therefore a good option for those looking for a large screen smartphone without spending a bomb. Those looking for alternatives in the same price segment can consider the Nokia Lumia 520, which runs on Windows Phone 8 and has a dual core processor. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 10,000 verdict 8

Looks Features

7 8

ease of use performance

value for money

overall

74%

www.mymobile.co.in

Ubislate 7C+ delivers a budget tablet with call facility

115 mm

Calling Aakash? The

fter making headlines with the Aakash and the Aakash 2 tablets, Datawind has now launched a new model of its Ubislate series, the Ubislate 7C+. And its price remains as ridiculously low as ever. But will it help it overcome past criticism?

190 mm

Looks: Bulky In terms of looks the tablet is relatively plain, and a bit bulkier as compared to previous offerings from the company. The front features the display, a camera and speaker grille. The rear of the device is made of plastic and is textured, which makes holding the tablet easy to grip. There is another speaker grille on the back as well as a reset button, SIM card slot and microSD card slot. All in all, this is a very “routine” looking tablet. It will not turn heads.

Hardware: Not too bad The Ubislate 7C+ has better hardware as compared to its predecessors, and is one of the contenders to be the next Aakash tablet. The 7.0-inch display has a 800x480 pixels resolution, and is very sensitive to touch. Powering the tablet is a 1 GHz processor, backed up by 512MB RAM. Storage stands at 4GB onboard, expandable via memory card. Also onboard is support for SIM cards, allowing users to make and receive calls from the device as well. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth, EDGE and 3G (via dongle). However, the device does not really perform up to its onpaper specifications.

Ubislate 7C+

and MS PowerPoint files.

Multimedia: Not exceptional In the multimedia department, the device performs averagely. It comes with audio and video players. The video player can play HD video files with ease. However, the audio quality is average and nothing to rave about. There is a VGA camera on the front for video calling we would not advise using it for self-portraits.

connectivity

 Affordable

Price

quality

built

 Low

resolution display

Software: Mixed Bag The Ubislate 7C+ runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The tablet is easy to use and the main screen comes with feather touch keys for Back, Home and recently used apps below the display. A soft key is also provided on the main screen for calling. The tablet also comes packed with lots of education-related content like Datawind education, free book reader and many others. There is also the Documents To Go app, which allows the user to read, create and edit MS Word, MS Excel

Memory | 4GB, MicroSD OS | Android 4.0

Talktime/Standby | Up to 3 hours/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/No/Yes Camera | VGA Others | MS Word, MS Excel

Cons  Average

Weight | 336 grams

Battery | 3,200 mAh

The Ubislate 7C+ comes with a number of features, pre-loaded apps and calling facility, but alas, its performance does not live up to what it promises on paper. Battery back up is disap-

 SIM

Size | 190 x 115 x 12 mm

Screen Size | 7.0-inch, Capacitive

User experience: Nothing Great

Pros

tech specs

pointing and even in terms of appearance, the tablet looks ordinary. We would have also preferred a newer version of Android on it.

Price: Rs 4,999 verdict Looks

The Ubislate 7C+ comes with a price tag of Rs 4,999, which is startling low for what it offers. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Simmtronics XPad which comes at a price of Rs 5,999. n team@mymobile.co.in

Features

ease of use performance

Conclusion

value for money

overall

78%

Jun 15 to jul 14 20131 MYMOBILE 43

burn test The Lumia 720 bridges

The gap between high and mid segment devices

nokia lumia 720 tech specs

highlights

Price: Rs 18,400 1

5 3

The screen is a treat to work with

t has been raining Lumias of late, with the 820, 620 and 520 hitting the market in quick succession. Joining them now is the Lumia 720, which tries to strike a golden balance between specs and price. Does it succeed?

Looks: Size zero beauty The curvy design of the Lumia 720 is somewhat similar to other phones in the series. However there are subtle changes in the design which become evident when you take a closer look. The front of the phone has

The rear camera comes with flash

edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass 2, 4.3-inch IPS touch LCD screen of 217ppi pixel density. Three feather touch keys are placed right below the screen for Back, Home and Search. A front camera along with speaker grille is placed above the screen. Flipping the phone around reveals the main camera with flash on top and a loudspeaker at the bottom. The power, volume and camera buttons are placed on the right side of the phone, and are not clearly marked, although one can make out what they do. The audio port is located on the top of the phone and the USB charging cum data port is at the

44 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

Nokia Here maps work really well

The loudspeaker is crisp and loud

bottom. Overall the phone looks smart enough and is not very heavy to lug around.

Hardware: Good stuff under the hood For the price, Nokia is offering some good hardware in the Lumia 720. The phone comes with a 1 GHz dual core processor built on a Qualcomm MSM8227 chipset. For storage the phone has 8GB on board memory (expandable using a memory card) and graphics are provided by an Adreno 305 GPU. On the flipside, the phone comes with just 512MB RAM, which stops it

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Multimedia: Fabulous screen and sound

Cons

Pros Good screen  Nice design  Superb loudspeaker 

The screen is one of the strengths of the Lumia 720 - games and movies look exceptionally good, and we were able to play videos movies in popular formats without any problems, although there were some issues with full HD videos. The loudspeaker has deceent volume levels, and the supplied headphones are not bad either. The propriety apps for videos and music work well and rounding off the multimedia muscle of the device is the 6.1-megapixel camera which gave us some very decent images. The colours were nice and vivid, but we did face some issues with sharpness. Even low light images were fine - plus and minus the flash.

 RAM is a bit less  Picture sharpness not the

best  Not for high end gaming

User Experience: A mighty fine one

127.9 mm

All in all, our time with the Lumia 720 was a pleasant one. The screen responds well to swipes and touches, the voice quality and reception is crisp, even when the loudspeaker is on. There are wide variety of apps on the phone and most games work well and look good too. The typing experience on the phone was very good too. The battery life is very respectable for a phone with this large a display - a single charge can see you through a day comfortably, and if you are careful, even a day and a half.

Conclusion The Lumia 720, like other phones in the range, is available in a number of colours. And we must confess to being impressed with both its appearance and performance. If you want to look at other options, you can check out the Samsung Galaxy Grand Quatro available for Rs 16,500 n

2 5 A dedicated camera button is on the device

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verdict

67.5 mm

from playing some titles like Temple Run 2. But that apart, the phone performs smoothly enough with no slowdowns in regular functions. The rear camera has a 6.1-megapixel sensor, while the front one has a 1.3-megapixel one. Both can record HD video. The phone also supports Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Software: Windows Phone power Like all the new Lumias, the 720 too runs on Windows Phone 8. That means you have the

Looks

standard tiled interface with resizeable tiles, and animations that appear with many embedded Microsoft programs such as Xbox Live. Nokia has installed its usual bevy of apps including Maps and Music - free navigation and unlimited music downloads out of the box. Social network connectivity is also inbuilt with seamless connectivity to one’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. And of course, then there are Microsoft’s own software goodies - Internet Explorer for browsing the Web, and MS Office for all one’s office suite needs.

Features

8 9

ease of use perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 45

burn test 2

The Google Phone

The Nexus 4 finally comes to India. But is it too late? 1 5

highlights The device has shiny patterns on the back that glow when light plays on it

1 The 8.0-megapixel camera takes very good pictures in daylight

2 The display is awesome for viewing videos and Web pages

This is Android at its basic best - no skins or overlays

5 The glass covered back cover cannot be removed and is a fingerprint magnet

Pros Very good hardware  Latest version of Android  Excellent design 

Cons Not many pre-loaded apps Non-expandable storage  Prone to finger prints  

46 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

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or many Android fans, Google’s Nexus series of devices represent the purest form of the OS, with no manufacturer skins, and automatic updates. But is that all the LG-manufactured Nexus 4 has to offer the user, especially against some very stiff competition?

with the stock Google apps - Gmail, Google Talk, Chrome, etc. This is one device which you are going to need to populate with apps from Google Play as what it has is rather bare bones.

Looks: Very good indeed

The Nexus 4 comes with Android’s stock apps for camera, video and music. There is no special bundle to sweeten the deal, but all said and done, the phone performs adequately in this department. Sound clarity is good on both loudspeaker and headphones, although we would have preferred a slightly higher volume. The display makes watching videos a treat and the 8.0-megapixel camera takes some very good pictures in daylight, although the quality starts sagging as the shadows creep in. No, we would not put the Nexus in the same league as the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 in the multimedia department, but it is a decent performer nevertheless.

User Experience: Brilliant! We are going out on a limb and saying this in terms of sheer speed and efficiency, the Nexus 4 is easily the best Android phone we have used. There were zero lags and multiple apps - from social network apps to heavy duty graphic games - were handled with ease. If there was a major downside, it was that the device tended to gobble battery at the rate of knots - power users will struggle through a day with mail and social networks buzzing. A bit more storage space would also have helped. But make no mistake about it, this device is a speed demon.

133.9 mm

Unlike its predecessors who were the Plain Jane types, the Nexus 4 is very easy on the eye. The front and back are both smooth glass and the edges curve gently. The back also has shiny elements that twinkle in different patterns when light plays across them. The Corning Gorilla Glass covered front is sheer black with no buttons at all on it. The back panel is non-removable and the volume rocker and micro-SIM card tray are on the left side of the device. The form factor is surprisingly compact for a device with a 4.7-inch display (as big as the HTC One), and although at 9.1 mm, it is hardly super thin, it will fit into most hands with a degree of ease. No, it does not scream “cutting edge” at you but is all understated class. Just remember to keep a cloth handy for keeping fingerprints off the glass.

Multimedia: Achilles Heel?

Hardware: Manycored chip The Nexus devices have always come with a fair amount of hardware muscle and the Nexus 4 is no slouch in that department. It is powered by a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, has 2GB of RAM, and comes with 16GB of non-expandable storage and an 8.0-megapixel camera in the rear and a 1.3-megapixel one in front. There are stacks of sensors including an ambient light sensor, a compass, a gyroscope and a barometer. And for connectivity, there is GPS, NFC, Bluetooth, 3G and Wi-Fi. The 4.7-inch touchscreen display boasts a 1280 x 768 resolution and has a pixel density of 320 ppi, making it great for viewing videos, images and web pages. Yes, it is not full HD (1080p) like those seen on the Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, but considering the fact that there are very few apps that are designed to make the most of full HD displays, we do not think this is a deal breaker.

Software: Android, the latest! For many users, the killer feature of the Nexus 4 is the fact that it gets quick updates to the latest version of Android. The Nexus 4 runs on Android 4.2.2 out of the box and in all probability will get upgraded to the next few versions of the OS well before its competitors. On the flip side, it does not come with as many software bells and whistles as say, the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Nexus comes

Conclusion

68.7 mm

LG nexus 4 tech specs Size | 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm Weight | 139 grams Memory | 16GB, No OS | Android 4.2

It looks good, performs brilliantly, and at Rs 25,999, costs a whole lot lesser than other Android flagships. Frankly, we would be very hard-pressed not to recommend the Nexus 4 to anyone in the market for a very good Android phone, even though it is seen by many as being “old” (it was launched last year). The automatic updates are the icing on the cake. However, those looking for an alternative can also consider the Samsung Galaxy SIII which sports a quad core CPU, comes with expandable memory and has a much better camera, and is available for Rs 27,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict 9

Looks

Screen Size | 4.7-inch, Capacitive

Features

Battery | Li-Po 2,100 mAh

ease of use

Talktime/Standby | Up to 15 hours/ Up to 390 hours

perfoRmance

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Gmail, Google Talk, Chrome

Price: Rs 25,999

value for money

overall

86%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 47

burn test

Lenovo’s smartphone salvo The P770

bets on good specs and battery life

Pros Good User Interface  Nice Built  Good battery life 

Cons A bit heavy  Mediocre camera  Display prone to scratches 

highlights The battery life is very nice

The interface is easy to use

48 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

Video quality of this phone is superb

Applications and games open quickly

The loudspeakers delivers crisp sound

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t might be better known for its notebook and desktop computers, but Lenovo is emerging as a name to reckon with in smartphones as well. Helping its cause are devices like the P770 which comes packed with decent specifications and also promises very good battery life. But is that enough against some very formidable competition?

Looks: Fine, but bulky

132 mm

The Lenovo P770 is easy on the eye. It comes with a shiny and smooth back cover and at first glance, seems to have a metal body but is actually made of plastic. The phone is bulky and heavy, thanks to a massive 3,500 mAh battery. It comes with a 4.5-inch IPS capacitive display of 960 x 540 pixels resolution, and although it does not have Corning Gorilla Glass protection, is scratch-resistant. There is no hard button on the display - only three feather touch keys for Options, Home and Back. A secondary VGA camera is also placed on the extreme right corner above the display. The power button is placed on the top along with the charging slot and 3.5mm audio jack. The volume adjustment keys are given on the left of the device, while the rear panel of the phone contains the 5.0megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and the speaker grille, which is at the bottom.

Hardware: Usual, with an

5 exceptional battery

67 mm

Price: Rs 14,000

The Lenovo P770 is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor. It is a dual SIM device (GSM+GSM), although both SIMs and the memory card are not hot swappable (you will have to remove the back cover for inserting them). On the memory front, the device offers 1GB RAM and 4GB storage which can be further expanded to 32GB using a microSD card. The phone comes with a 5.0-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and a 0.3megapixel secondary camera for video calling (it really is not good enough for self-portraits). Connectivity attributes of the device include Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. One of the interesting features is that the device comes with USB OTG connectivity, which allows the user to connect the smartphone to another device and charge it on the go - which is of course, just one of the benefits of having a powerful 3,500 mAh battery.

Software: Jelly Bean!

the main screen for calling, contacts, main menu, messaging and Internet. There are also some pre-installed apps like Chrome, YouTube, Gmail, AccuWeather, CamCard Business Card Reader, CamScanner Phone PDF Scanner, Kingsoft Office document viewer, Skype, SugarSync and UC Browser.

Multimedia: Decent camera, good sound The Lenovo P770 delivers a solid performance in the multimedia department. The 5.0-megapixel autofocus took good photographs - the images were clear and the colours were also vibrant. However, using the flash can adversely affect image quality. The phone can also record videos of up to 720p HD resolution. The secondary 0.3-megapixel camera functioned well for video calling. Web browsing and gaming were a delight on the device - there were no lags, and multiple tasks ran easily on it. The sound quality of the device was good both on the headphones and the loudspeaker.

User experience: Very good The Lenovo P770 is a decent smartphone with good hardware and software specifications. The battery backup of the device was very good, although the battery does add to the weight of the phone (every rose hath its thorn, verily). The phone did not shine outstandingly in any department but neither did it take a backward step. It turned in a score of 3,392 on the Quadrant tests, which is indeed a good score for a device with the specs it boasts.

Conclusion The Lenovo P770 comes with a price tag of Rs 14,000, which is quite reasonable given the kind of battery back up it provides as well as the decent hardware it sports. Those looking for an alternative can consider the Miromax HD which comes with a quad core processor, runs on Android Jelly Bean, and is currently available for Rs 14,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

The Lenovo P770 runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It comes with Lenovo’s custom UI on top of it. The company calls the phone’s homescreen IdeaDesktop. It consists of a large widget called ‘Lotus’ which allows the user to have shortcuts for five apps on it. The smartphone also allows the user to have up to nine customisable homescreens which can be used to place shortcuts and widgets of various apps. Additionally, there are five fixed shortcuts on

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

78%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 49

burn test 5

Spicy phablet Spice serves up an affordable phablet

Pros 4

 Well-built  Smooth

highlights

Looks: Sturdy and heavy The Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi 535 is a typical phablet - big for a smartphone and small for a tablet. It is robustly built and feels compact despite being a little heavy, and well, it is a trifle wide for one handed use. Build quality is good, with curved edges giving it a smooth look. The back panel has a nice matte finish, and houses an 8.0-megapixel camera, as well as a speaker. The front has an IPS LCD multitouch display with touch based backlit keys and a 5.0-megapixel front facing camera (yes, you read that right) above the display. The top

cameras

The phablet has an impressive 8.0-megapixel front camera

s the phablet wave continues to hit the Indian market, Spice has come up with a new large screen phone, the Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi 535, boasting some very impressive specs at an affordable price. But does it do enough to stand out in the budget phablet crowd?

 Good

performance

Build quality is sturdy, finish is good

houses the micro USB port and 3.5mm jack, while there is a dedicated camera button on the side.

Hardware: Powerful, with dual SIM The Pinnacle Pro comes with a 1.2 GHz quad core processor and 1GB RAM, ensuring that it handles most tasks with zero lags or screen freezes. Its 5.3-inch IUPS display comes with HD resolution, and it has 8GB internal storage (expandable using an SD card). It packs in a lot of imaging power too - with an 8.0-megapixel camera (with dual LED flash) at the back and a 5.0-megapixel one in front. It supports 3G, has dual SIM slots, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity. Call quality is good, although the phone gets a little warm at times.

Software: Newer Jelly Bean Pinnacle Pro runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

50 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

The device runs on Android 4.2

There’s a dedicated button for the camera

Yes, it comes with the usual customisable homescreens (with widgets and app shortcuts) and seamless social network and mail connectivity that is Android’s trademark. Spice has also bundled a number of apps with it. The most notable of these is NQ Mobile, which can keep your phone safe from viruses and also works as an optimiser- it can close all running apps and save memory, giving your device a speed boost. It also acts as a network manager and can keep second to second track of your monthly data consumption. Also on board are apps like Nimbuzz, TOI, and YouTube. The phone scored an impressive 3,985 in Quadrant benchmark testing.

Multimedia: Movies run well, camera is nice The cameras are what makes this phablet special. The main 8.0-megapixel camera takes impressive pictures. An in-built app called

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Spice Stellar pinnacle pro Size |152 x 79 x 10.3 mm Weight | 196 grams

152 mm

tech specs

Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | Android 4.2 Screen Size | 5.3-inch, Capacitive

Cons

Battery | Li-Ion 2,500 mAh

 Heavy  Washed

out display  Can heat up while calling

Talktime/Standby | up to 5 hours/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/ Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel

5 The touchscreen is smooth and responsive

Others | HD display, NQ security app, 1.2 GHz quad core CPU

Price: Rs 14,999

Hi-camera gives it more options, a better and friendlier interface, and several shooting modes to choose from like panorama, video recording, beauty mode, smile mode, and puzzle mode. The front camera packs the biggest of all surprises. The fact that it packs in more megapixels than most its counterparts in most devices in this segment means that you can use it to for some very good self-portraits. And it works very well too. The 5.3-inch display supports full HD movies, which run well and look sharp too, although colours seem a little washed out. Games run very well on the tablet - we played some heavy duty racing titles on it, without any problems at all.

User Experience: Impressive but heavy While we liked the solid form and smart looks of the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi 535, we must admit that we found it a little heavy as

79 mm

well. That said, it performed very well, with its responsive touchscreen, good display, very handy dual cameras - this is the first time we have seen a phablet that comes with a front facing camera capable of taking very good pictures - and packaged apps. Battery life was decent - we were able to get through a day of normal use. Of course, the big question is whether these are enough to stave off the challenge of some very formidable competitors in the market. Honestly, we must confess to being impressed. Yes, it is heavy but then it does pack in a fair bit.

Conclusion Its good performance and dual cameras make the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro stand out in a crowd of sub-Rs 15,000 phablets. Yes, we would have liked it to be a bit lighter, but in terms of performance, we had no complaints. Those looking for an alternative can also

consider the Micromax Canvas HD, which is lighter in terms of both price and weight and is available for Rs 14,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

78%

jun 15 to jul 14 20131 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Big Screen On a Budget Large screen, low price phablet

153 mm

highlights

77.4 mm

The 5.3inch display is decent but not exceptional

t might be a relative newcomer in the highly competitive Indian mobile market, but Gionee has been making its presence by providing devices with impressive specs at surprisingly low prices. The GPad G2 is a case in point - it comes with a quad core processor, a large 5.3-inch display and still costs less than Rs 15,000. But just how well does it perform?

at the bottom of the screen for Settings, Home and Back while the front camera is on the top right. The back panel is completely plasticky and houses an 8.0-megapixel camera with flash and a speaker grille at the bottom. The silver strip around the handset gives it a premium look, however. The handset is definitely on the bigger side and a bit heavy - it is difficult to operate with one hand.

Looks: Huge!

Hardware: Power-packed

Gioneeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest tryst with Android is pretty conventional in terms of looks. The device comes with a design that is not new to Gionee devices. The front is dominated by the big 5.3inch qHD display with three soft keys located

The relatively routine looks, however, conceal some great hardware. The Gionee GPad G2 is powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex A7 quadcore processor coupled with a PowerVR SGX544 GPU for graphics. This along

52 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

The back houses the 8.0megapixel camera along with LED flash

with 1GB RAM ensures brisk performance. Onboard storage stands at 4GB, but can be expanded by 32GB using a microSD card. The device also comes with a 16GB microSD card, for good measure. Gionee has also experimented with two different SIM sizes in a single device - the GPad G2 is a dual SIM device (GSM+GSM) with dual standby that supports a normal SIM and a micro-SIM. On the camera front, the device sports an 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash that can record HD (720p) videos at the back, while the front camera has a 2.0-megapixel count. On the connectivity front, the device comes with 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and A-GPS. All in all, we would say that the phablet

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number of options, including a continuous shot mode that can keep capturing shots till you press the shutter release key. Picture quality is, however, average. Videos can be recorded in HD (720p) mode. On the sound front, the GPad G2 comes with an impressive music player with an easy to use interface and the sound experience is decent both on headphones and on speakers. The 5.3-inch screen is a treat and movies and videos run well. Colours are vivid and bright.

Gionee Gpad G2

tech specs Size | 153 x 77.4 x 9.9 mm

User-Experience: Decent enough

Weight | 124 grams

Our experience with the Gionee GPad G2 was smooth. While the quad core processor does not really get the opportunity of showing off its muscle in routine tasks, but the device seldom lagged. We tested the device with Quadrant and it scored 3,350 which was decent. We would have preferred a less plasticky design, though, and a better camera. On the other hand, we like the presence of slots for different sized SIM cards. An there’s also no denying that for the price, the device does not fare too badly at all when it comes to most routine tasks. The big display is definitely a bonus for all those wanting a larger screen to view content on. Mind you, it can be a bit too bulky and hefty for routine phone functions - the curse of the phablet segment, alas.

Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android 4.1

Pros

Screen Size | 5.3-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-ion 3,000 mAh

Big screen  Good price  Bundled 16GB memory card 

Talktime/Standby | NA/NA GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes

Cons

Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | NQ Mobile Security, WeChat,

 A bit heavy  Average camera performance

Kingsoft Office, Yahoo! Cricket

 Plasticky feel

Price: Rs 13,990

The Gionee GPad G2 runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)

Conclusion The Gionee GPad G2 is priced at Rs 13,990 and will ship with a free flip case and screen guard. It is difficult to get a 5.3-inch display device with a quad core processor at this price point. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Micromax Canvas HD priced at Rs 14,500, which boasts a 5.0-inch screen, a quad core processor, an 8.0-megapixel camera, and also runs on Android Jelly Bean. n

5 4

The device comes preloaded with apps galore

The back panel is completely plasticky

team@mymobile.co.in

verdict offers a fair deal of digital bang for the bucks it is charging.

Software: Jelly Bean, 4.1 edition The Gionee GPad G2 runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), which, while not being the latest OS on the block, is acceptable considering the price. The homescreen panels are customisable and one can add apps and widgets to them. You can go to the homescreen leap view by pinching on the screen, and can also create folders on the homescreen by simply stacking one app icon over the other. Like other Android devices, this one too comes with strong SNS integration. You can add your Facebook, Twitter, E-mail

accounts to it and even sync all your contacts in the phonebook. The company has pre-loaded a number of apps to the device such as NQ Mobile Security V5 Music, WeChat, Kingsoft Office, Yahoo! Cricket, and Shark Dash. That apart, there are the usual google goodies like maps, mail and search apps on board. And for everything else, well, there is the extremely well-endowed Google Play Store. The big screen and Flash support make browsing a delight on the phablet.

Multimedia: Got the groove The 8.0-megapixel camera in the Gionee GPad G2 promises to repeat the Dream D1 experience in terms of features. It also comes with a

Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

80%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Note to the power eight! Samsung brings the S-Pen to yet another tablet

Pros  Light

 Average

yet sturdy

 Excellent  Very

Cons

touchscreen

good hardware

camera quality

 Looks

could have been

 There

is no LED flash

better

highlights Users can work on two windows sideby-side on the 8-inch screen

It is light weight and can be easily held one-handed

Videos and games look good on the display

210.8 mm

The battery life of the device is impressive.

Audio quality is exceptional

54 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

135.9 mm

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amsung seems to be leaving no stone unturned in its attempts to dominate the large screen mobile device market. The Galaxy Note 510 (also referred to as the Note 8) comes with a stylus, an 8-inch display and calling facility. But will it carve a niche for itself or further muddy already distinctly murky phablet segment?

Looks: Bigger version of Galaxy SIII Of late, most of Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-end devices have been sporting similar looks. The note 510 continues the tradition. Out of the box, this device looks like a blown up version of the Samsung Galaxy SIII or Galaxy Grand handsets. But unlike them, it comes with a large 8.0-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen. The Note 510 is available in pearl white colour with grey trims, and looks very good, even though its glossy back panel and screen do attract a lot of fingerprints. The front sports three keys below the display, a hard press middle button for Home, and two feather touch buttons on either side for Back and the Options menu. The front also has a camera for video chats and self-portraits, a couple of sensors and a speaker. The back features a more powerful camera but minus a flash. The dual speakers are hidden under the device, while the volume rocker and an IR emitter are on the right side, and the micro SIM and microSD card slots are positioned on the left.

Hardware: Top notch There is some seriously good hardware within those exteriors. The tablet is powered by a 1.6 GHz Cortex A9 quad core processor, and comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, which can be expanded up to 64GB with the help of a microSD card. The front camera has a 1.3megapixel sensor while the one on the rear has a 5.0-megapixel count. The Note series is reputed for its hefty batteries, and the 510 is no exception - it stocks a 4,600 mAh battery, which lets it last for well beyond a day of hefty usage. On the connectivity front, the tablet comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB and 3G. And before you ask, yes, you can make and receive calls from it too. Finally, like other members of the Note series, it too comes with the S-Pen stylus.

Software: Jelly Bean on my plate The Note 510 runs on Android 4.1.2 (another variation of Jelly Bean), which is a bit of a surprise when you consider that the Galaxy S4 came on a newer version. Still, the hardware ensures that it runs smoothly. The tablet does not have too many pre-installed apps, but the ones that are there, are good for normal

3 entertainment, social and office use. Voice search works well, notwithstanding our accents, and navigation was not a problem either, thanks to Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apps. Users can also work on two screens at once, the same way one could on the Galaxy Note 2. The user interface spans five home screens, which can be customised with app shortcuts and widgets. Samsung has added a blocking mode to the device which when enabled will disable alarm, incoming calls and other notifications - perfect for those moment when you do not wish to be disturbed.

Multimedia: Good screen, average camera

Samsung Galaxy Note 510 tech specs Size | 210.8 x 135.9 x 7.95 mm

Samsung has forged a formidable reputation for itself when it comes to displays in its high-end devices, and the Note 510 does it no harm at all. Games and HD videos looked very good on the display, speaking of which, the tablet handled HD content, be it games or films, effortlessly. It did get a bit warm, but nothing to be too worried about. Movies look exceptionally good and the sound is loud and clear with the twin loudspeakers, and even better with the supplied headphones. The camera on the other hand was a bit disappointing. Images clicked, both indoors and outdoors, lacked sharpness. A flash would have been a boon.

Price: Rs 30,500

User Experience: Not bad at all It is definitely a bit large for a phone, but the Note 510 is an impressive performer nonetheless. The UI functions well and we did not face any problems with the calls either. We recommend use the supplied headset Samsung gives in the box for calls, as one would just look goofy holding such a big device next to their face.

verdict Looks

Features ease of use

Conclusion

performance

Overall, the Note 510 is a very good option if you are looking for a large screen - and yet portable - device with stylus support. If you want to look at other options in the same price bracket, then one can look at Apple iPad fourth generation (16GB), which is available for Rs 32,000. n

value for money

team@mymobile.co.in

8 9 8

overall

84%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Pricey, Classy BlackBerry BlackBerry brings back the QWERTY keyboard

119.6 mm

fter the all-touch Blackberry Z10, BlackBerry has now come out with a handset that looks, well, more like a BlackBerry than that one did. The Q10 runs on the new BB10, but also features the iconic BB QWERTY keyboard. But will that be enough for it to sweep the market?

Looks: Large and suave The Q10 at first seems like a much larger version of the Blackberry Bold 9900. There are a few differences though. Although like that device, this one too comes with a large QWERTY keyboard below the display, there are no scroller, menu or call buttons on the device. Managing those tasks is the preserve of the 3.1-inch touscreen display. The front of the phone also has a 2.0-megapixel camera for self-portraits and video chats. On the back is a special carbon weave back panel with the BlackBerry logo on it - it might seem thin but is lighter than plastic but much sturdier. Also on the back is a camera with flash on top, while the volume keys and the voice control button are located on the right side of the phone. The top has the power and audio buttons and the left side of the phone has the charging and micro HDMI ports.

66.8 mm

highlights

Hardware: Pretty quick In terms of hardware, the Q10 is similar to the Z10. It has a Cortex A9 dual core 1.5 GHz processor, which might disappoint some as Android devices in the same category come with quad core chips. The device also comes with 2GB RAM and a PowerVRSGX544 chip for graphics. As far as the storage is concerned the device has 16GB onboard memory, which can be expanded to 64GB using a microSD card. The 3.1-inch super AMOLED display supports 16million colours and can handle HD graphics with ease. The rear camera comes with an 8.0-megapixel sensor while the one in front has a 2.0-megapixel one. The phone supports 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and also comes with accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensors. Ensuring that it keeps ticking is a 2,100 mAh battery.

The touch screen comes with a full QWERTY keypad

56 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

tech specs Size | 119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4 mm

The rear panel has a special carbon mesh design

Software: BB10 power The Q10 is the second phone from BlackBerry to run on its revamped BB10 operating system. If you have used the Z10, you will not take much time getting hang of the Q10, but if you are a newcomer, you will need to invest some time getting used to it. Everything on this device is controlled through the touchscreen, barring the typing, volume and power. Swipe and tap is the name of the game here - you can swipe through screens, websites and open programs or close them with single touches or swipes. The new hub system and peek feature is active on the Q10 as well, as are some useful apps that were also found on the Z10 - these include Compass, Video Viewer, Docs to

Blackberry Q10

Weight | 139 grams

OS | BlackBerry 10 Screen Size | 3.1 inch, Capacitive

A few good social media apps are on board

Battery | Li-Ion 2,100 mAh

4 The device performs quickly

Memory | 16GB, microSD

Talktime/Standby | up to 10 hours/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/ Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Video Viewer, QWERTY keyboard, AMOLED display

5 Battery life is decent

Price: Rs 44,990

www.mymobile.co.in

Cons

Pros Good build  Decent battery life  Smooth performance 



Expensive



Camera not the best for indoor shots



Some might expect a quad core CPU at this price

go and the Reminder app. For social media junkies, the Q10 comes with embedded Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn apps. Significantly, just like the Z10, you do not require a BB plan to use the features on the device.

Multimedia: Good screen

The Q10’s display is not as large as the Z10, but it nevertheless handles colours very well indeed. Partnered with a brilliant loudspeaker, this phone is a multimedia powerhouse. Movies look exceptionally good on it and sound is crisp. Music beats are nice too. The camera on the other hand is not the best in the class- we got mixed results from it. While outdoor shots came out very vivid and sharp, those we took indoors were a bit dull. Macro shots were good too. For lowlight we do suggest you turn on the flash, as that will improve the result fourfold.

User Experience: QWERTY control

It is good to see a device with a hardware QWERTY keyboard in the market after a succession of large touchscreen ones. The keyboard works perfectly and one can quickly type what needs to be written. The screen is responsive to touches and swipes as well. The apps open up quickly and the phone in general performs smoothly. The battery lasts for over a day on 3G.

Conclusion

The big battery and the relatively large display for a QWERTY device do make the Q10 feel a bit heavy, but in terms of performance, we had little to complain about. Its price, however, is definitely going to shock some, and might even put it in direct competition with its sibling, the BlackBerry Z10. It however, remains the best option for those looking for a high-end device with a good QWERTY keyboard. Those looking for a powerful smartphone can, however, also consider the Samsung Galaxy S4 which is available for Rs 40,000 and the Sony XPERIA Z, which is available for for Rs 37,900.n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

8 9

ease of use perfoRmance

value for money

overall

82%

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 57

Smart apps Location sharing magic Foursquare's Windows Phone 8 avatar is one of the best location sharing apps we have seen

hen it comes to location sharing apps - something that is becoming increasingly common these days thanks to the proliferation of GPS-enabled devices - Foursquare has a special place. The app not only lets you share your location with your friends across different social networks as well as its own, follow people, and leave tips and information about places, but also informs you about interesting locations in your vicinity, as well as the location of your friends. What's more, visiting a place frequently can win you discounts and special deals too. This cocktail of features has made Foursquare one of the most popular location-based apps and social networks around. But its developers have never rested on their laurels and have been innovating constantly. Their latest tweak is a significant update to its Windows Phone 8 version, which adds some changes to its interface and also throws in some new functions. Perhaps the most significant of these is the fact that you can now view the interesting places around you using your device's camera, and see them change as you move around - it is currently a Lumia-only feature, but we are hoping it will come to other devices too. You can now also log in by voice and pin places and people to your homescreen and get notifications on your lockscreen. Best of all, the new Foursquare for Windows Phone blends very well with the tiled interface of the OS. There are not too many menus to bother with and barring a few stutters, the app works very briskly indeed, informing you about interesting places in your vicinity and about check-ins made by your friends within seconds of starting it. If you are the type that likes to share their location with their friends, or just want to explore the world around you, this is one app you cannot afford to miss. Especially if you have a Windows Phone device! n

58 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

nimish@mymobile.co.in

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

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Still a star performer It may

have a new rendering engine, but Opera remains one of the best mobile browsers around

hen we had heard that Opera would start working on a new Webkit rendering engine for its mobile avatar, we must admit to feeling a little concerned. After all, Opera for many of us has been synonymous with decent and speedy browsing on the mobile platform, be it via Opera Mini or Opera Mobile. Would the move to a new rendering engine change matters? Well, we are glad to report it did not. Opera for Android performed brilliantly in terms of both speed and rendering web pages. And also came with some superb new features. Perhaps, the most interesting of these is Discover, which is one of the options on the landing screen and lets you get the latest news on topics you are interested in, without having to go to a website! Then there is the Off-Road mode which lets you browse at a decent speed even in areas with poor connectivity, and finally there is the improved page resizing which resizes the page to fit your screen when you zoom in, ensuring that you have to scroll only downwards and not sideways - very handy especially if you like to browse websites in desktop mode instead of their watered down mobile avatars (you can fix that too from within the browser incidentally). That apart, there are the usual suspects - the Speed Dial that lets you select websites that you visit most frequently and places them right on your homescreen, the seamless social network connectivity, and a download manager for those moments when you want to save something on your device. Best of all, it works brilliantly with nary a hitch. No, it is not as radical a overhaul of the browser as we expected. But hey, we are not complaining. Because it still rocks.n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Opera browser Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

RATING



jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 59

boredom buster

Kratos returns! There’s a new God of War title in town

he God of War series has been one of the iconic titles for the PlayStation platform. And now its hero, the brawny Spartan Kratos is back in a new title, Ascension, complete with his lethal moves and blades. The game is a prequel to the alternate Greek reality series and shows a time when the planet was not inhabited by Olympian gods or Titans. The game is graphically rich and shows how Kratos morphed from a normal, slightly confused person into a mighty Titan slayer. Kratos starts the game in chains. Literally. he is chained to the ground by the Fury, Magaera - a consequence of breaking his blood oath to the Gods. He does break free, however and mayhem follows. He embarks on a journey to find the reasons for his predicament. And of course, there is no shortage of action, especially as there are a number of tough opponents on the way, including goat men and centaurs. Significantly, the Kratos we see here is not the snarling, angry behemoth of previous GoW games but a more mellow, confused version.

60 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

The gameplay here is similar to other versions of the game - you get the set of blades and chains to kill your foes. Similarly, quick button presses are required to perform combos and defeat bosses. We did find the camera angles a bit sloppy when Kratos had to jump over ledges or climb a high wall. On the other hand, puzzle sequences have been added to the game which freshens things up. The sound is good and so are the graphics. We found some levels to be a bit boring, as Kratos is doing nothing but just running from one place to another - a bit more combat would have helped. By and large, God of War: Ascension is a very engaging title and well worth trying out if you have a PlayStation 3. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: God Of War: Ascension Price: Rs 2,499 Tested on: PS3

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

rbo Racing Tu ! n u .f .. e b n a c e c a p Snail’s e never seen it League is racing as you hav

ing from shells upgrade or change everyth do to go faster new racing game where you you ble ena se to colours. The wheels of set l coo race to get not perform tricks or drift better. You can also a snail. or jets, but - please note nal tomatoes. on the track to get additio cardboard race this - a snail ing Yes, and that too around a read Yes, you are actually ing League. s! atoe track. Well, that is Turbo Rac tom up racing, to pick vie, Turbo, all this keeps Based on the upcoming mo The amazing thing is that d sse gue u (yo as play you lets on hape acti the gam you glued - there is lots of il. The game s, you get race ular it) Turbo, a not-so-slow sna reg pening. Along with teach you the rival and l fue ited starts off with a tutorial to lim ls, to go at time tria and win ple, sim is ive ls ect goa y obj dail ropes. The races. Over that, you also get events. ing rac of l leve at tom nex !) the (yes unlock which fetch you additional not have just awesome on On the race track, you do toes. The game looks pretty but also pick is quite and iPad to keep ahead of the pack, the of en the large scre game. this in cy ren cur the s, up tomatoe easy to play. The atoes to pimp You can redeem these tom sound is not the il. You can your ride, or rather, your sna best, but is fine for this game, although we recommend using

ing it. Apart the headphones when play can also rs use rd, from the leader boa up shells ped pim or res sco ir show off the ounts. If acc r on their Facebook or Twitte cars and ut abo all you thought racing was need lly rea you t tha e bikes, this is a gam to play. n

sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: Turbo Racing League Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPad 2

RATING



jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 61

etcetera

Canon power Another great DSLR in the mid-segment

anon’s latest addition to its iconic Rebel series is the EOS 700D – a DSLR built for the intermediate photographer. Although we could see a slight resemblance of this camera to its predecessor, the 650D, the more we gazed at it, the more differences we could spot. For starters the protruding grip at front right has become squarish. Subtle changes around the flash and placement of keys can also be seen. The camera feels a bit lighter as well. The rear LCD swivels out and is touch sensitive. Yes, you can multi-touch on the LCD to preview, zoom

and browse images. Coming to picture quality, the 700D can take exquisite shots even with the 18-55 mm kit lens. The camera comes with an 18-megapixel sensor on board that can take images at 5184 x 3456 pixels resolution, excellent for large posters and hoardings. We were able to squeeze some great shots in both auto and manual mode. Macro shots came out well too. The colours of the images are next to real and the overall output is sharp. For intermediates there are other modes as well, including aperture priority and

shutter priority. There are a few good scene styles too, which adjust the camera settings in accordance to the surroundings. These can be accessed through the top dial. The nine-point auto focus system works well and live view is great for shooting videos, which you can in full HD glory. Battery life is decent - we were able to take more than 400 pictures off a single charge. All in all, this is a great camera at a relatively decent price (some could find it a tad high, though), although we would recommend one to pick up a better lens with it. n

Canon 700D with kit Price: Rs 59,995 Pros | Good picture quality, Swivel out touch screen Cons | A better lens would have been a boon, Price is a bit on the higher side.

RATING

62 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013



www.mymobile.co.in

JBL 55i Price: Rs 5,490

Pros | Detachable cord, 180 degrees rotatable ear cups Cons | Difficult to carry, price a bit steep

RATING



Striking the right note

Blending music quality with comfort

ost music lovers seek headphones which deliver excellent sound quality, while cutting out background sound. Which is why they will love the JBL 55i headphones - they deliver pure audio, thanks to the inbuilt JBL Pure Bass technology. And they look smart too - the design is exciting and the finish is premium. The JBL 55i comes with rotating 180 degree ear cups, enabling the user to comfortably enjoy the music while avoiding external sounds. The ear cups and the head band are cushioned for maximum comfort, and come with a flat detachable cord, which does not tangle. The user can easily unplug the cord from the headphones while packing them. The headset has built-in buttons which allow you to control audio playback without having to touch the device while playing music. On the flip side, they are a bit bulky and cover a lot of space in your bag, and well, all this comfort comes at a hefty price of Rs 5,490. n

Small wonder Awesome

design. Sounds good too

ony has a knack for coming up with products with great design. And weird names. The SRS-BTV5 wireless speaker has both of those qualities. A spherical wireless speaker of 6.5 cm x 6.76 cm x 6.5 cm dimensions, it is small and light enough (135 grammes) to slip into a trouser pocket and comes with Bluetooth and NFC connectivity (although you need an app to get the NFC working), as well as a 3.5mm jack for those who insist on having wires. And yet it packs enough audio muscle to deliver decent enough sound to fill a small room or a car. What’s more, it comes with a microphone that lets you use the speaker as a speakerphone when connected to your phone over Bluetooth. Mind you, getting it to connect over Bluetooth was quite a task - it refused to connect to the iPhone 4S and Nexus 4, although it connected to the Xperia Z and Lumia 920. A very good option for those wanting relatively loud sound on the move (its battery lasts comfortably between four to five hours), without wishing to wake up the neighbours. Just remember to brace yourself for the flurry of “awww”s that will be uttered every time you put it on the table. n

Sony SRS-BTV5 Wireless Speaker Price: Rs 3,990

Pros | Excellent design, Speakerphone facility Cons | Pricey, Bluetooth connectivity can be iffy

RATING



jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 63

etcetera Akai Smart box

Pros | Simple and easy to use, Well-priced

Price: Rs 6,990

Cons | Old version of Android OS, Slows down while gaming

RATING



Adding brains to your TV That’s what Akai Smart Box does

mart televisions might be the rage, but they also cost a bomb. Fortunately, you can work your way around this by simply adding a far more affordable media box to your existing television, endowing it with the ability to surf the web, download and run apps and so on. A number of manufacturers have been coming out with such products and the latest is Akai with its new Smart Box. The Smart Box is good looking and has a shiny black exterior, with ports on the back and a blue LED indicator in front. It has four USB ports, an HDMI port an Ethernet port, and is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor. Unlike some media boxes, this one works with a compact wireless mouse - much better and smoother than a remote. It runs on Android 2.3 and has a simple UI with clearly marked big icons. It handles most routine tasks well but stutters in the gaming department, barring basic titles like Angry Birds. You can also play movies directly from a hard drive or an SD card. All in all, not a bad option if you are looking at surfing the web and playing casual games on your TV. n

Four Figure LED AOC’s TV has a compelling price!

AOC LE19A1331 LED TV Price: Rs 9,990

n LED television for less than Rs 10,000? There are not too many of those around, which is why AOC’s new 19-inch AOC LE19A1331 LED TV has grabbed our attention. And it does offer a fair bit for its low price tag it can be used as a monitor as it supports VGA, is light and compactly built, and even though it does not swivel, it is so light that you can turn it in any direction easily. It comes with a powerful set of speakers and handles HD and full HD videos very well, with realistic colours and sharp detail. The display has a matte finish, which cuts out reflection. Besides a VGA, the TV has wide range of connectivity options, like dual HDMI, TV port, AV and a USB port for direct plug, letting you play content from an external drive. It comes with a compact remote and has a simple UI. All of which makes it an excellent LED at an unbelievable price. n

Pros | Good, non-reflective display, good price Cons | Cannot swivel, build is a bit fragile

64 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Fujifilm finepix sl1000 Price: Rs 29,999 Pros | 50X optical zoom, Multiple shooting modes Cons | Average battery life, Priced on the high side

RATING



Super Zoomer A

massive 50X optical zoom makes this camera special

hinking of a camera that lets you get close to your subjects, without getting literally too close to them? You might want to consider the Fujifilm FinePix SL1000, a super zoom camera with DSLR-like features, and a massive 50X optical zoom. A prosumer, the camera is ruggedly built and has airs of a DSLR. It has a fixed lens with a rubber grip around it for convenience. To use 50x zoom there are two handy options, a lever on the side of the lens body and a knob around the shutter button. The 3-inch colour LCD panel on the back can be hinged and tilted for taking pictures in

crowded places. It has a small viewfinder with a sensor next to it, so if you go closer, it will automatically switch from LCD to viewfinder. Its control panel, next to the LCD panel is like a DSLR and is easy to use. The camera features 24-1200mm optical zoom lens, and super macro mode which allows one to capture shots from as close as 1cm. So it brings you the best of both close and long photography. It supports full HD recording at 60fps and has numerous modes like manual, advanced mode, panorama, shutter priority and aperture priority mode, usually found in DSLR cameras. Image quality is good, as is video, but we would advise using a tripod at the higher zoom levels as a lot of shake comes into play. At Rs 29,999, it does not come cheap but then not too many cameras give you this sort of zooming muscle. n

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 65

etcetera Jabra tour Price: Rs 6,499

Pros | Can be controlled with voice, powerful speaker Cons | Can mess up names, price on the higher sider

Tour de...Jabra Drive, talk and play music

RATING



abra Tour is a Bluetooth speakerphone that effortlessly pairs with a phone. While driving, you just have to speak and the Tour will handle your calls, so you can relax and concentrate on the road. Operable through voice commands, Tour is carved in a compact, rugged body and has a simple control panel. The HD mic is placed at the side and it receives your commands accurately and clearly. The speaker delivers phone calls to you, even when the side window is down. The Tour has to be clipped on the sun visor of your car where it stays within your reach. Just press the voice button, wait for the pair command, pair your phone and all your phone conversations will be transmitted to the speakerphone. To entertain a call you just have to say ‘answer.’ If not you just have to say ‘reject’ and the call will be cancelled. The speaker will also tell you who is calling if the caller is in the phone book. You can also call people from the phone book by merely uttering their names, although this is a bit iffy in execution. Volume is adjustable, the clip is firm, and battery lasts up to 20 hours. The 3W speaker also streams music and GPS instructions superbly. All in all, a great device, although a bit pricey! n

Sound Games Music for the ears of entry level gamers

ound is an essential part of gaming, be it professional or amateur. While there are many companies producing headsets for the PC gamer, not many have matched the standard set by the audio specialist Sennheiser. The latest product in this segment from the company is the PC 310, which is a headset designed for entry level gamers who want to discover Sennheiser’s gaming sound for the first time. The

PC 310 weighs 195 grams, which is slightly heavier than the average and comes packed with features - a noise cancelling microphone, comfortable foam padding in the headset and open-acoustic ear cups– all made in plastic. They fit comfortably over one’s ears and deliver very decent sound. Not a bad deal for Rs 4,490, we think, considering some of the pricey gaming headphones out there. n

Sennheiser PC310 Price: Rs 4,490 Pros | Comfortable ear pads, reletively affordable Cons | A bit heavy, volume controls missing on the headset

RATING

66 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013



www.mymobile.co.in

Mighty midget The Sony DSC-WX 300 packs a lot of muscle in a compact frame

ony has forged a formidable reputation for cutting edge design over the years. And with the Cyber-shot DSC-WX 300, it has added another dimension to it. For this is a camera that will fit into the palm of your hand more easily than some large screen handsets out there, but still manages to pack a stackful of features within what seems like an impossibly small frame. At barely 10 centimeters long and 170 grammes in weight, this is easily the smallest super zoom camera we have handled. Yes, you read that right, for this little beauty (and it is pretty, we tell you) comes with a 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 3-inch LCD display, inbuilt Xenon flash, and a quite incredible 20x optical zoom. In terms of sheer specs, this is as close to prosumer in your palm as you can get.

There are the usual shooting options including the much-hyped panorama mode (you can also opt to skip the lot of them and simply go for the Superior Auto which does a good job of picking the best shooting option for you), as well as the ability to shoot at a speed of ten FPS without compromising on resolution. Image and video quality (you can shoot full HD video) is very good indeed, with vivid colours and crisp, sharp details. Round that off with the ability to share images with smartphones and tablets using Wi-Fi. The DSC-WX 300 comes across as one heck of a deal for Rs 19,990. There are a few sore spots though - the small frame means controls are cramped on the back, and there is also a slight (but noticeable) lag, especially when you move up the zoom levels. That apart, this is one tiny, terrific camera. n

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX 300

Pros | 20x optical zoom in compact frame, Great image quality

Price: Rs 19,990

are cramped

Cons | Just a hint of a lag, Controls

RATING

 team@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 67

a p p ta s t i c

Pure Filter

Image Magic

Relatively unknown a few years ago, “filter effect” apps that add effects to transform your images are the rage these days. We take a look at six apps that will transform your images with minimum fuss, courtesy some filter magic Nimish Dubey

ot too long ago, editing an image used to mean dabbling with complex photo editing applications that generally ran on computers, which cost a bomb. However, thanks to the app and smartphone revolution, today one can do almost as much - and in some cases, even more - on one’s own handset. Of particular note has been the rise of the “image filter” apps which enable a user to place a layer of effects over a picture to get something that bears little semblance to the original. The filters range from the cartoon-ish to the retro (often from cameras of the eighties), but they allow users to add a whole new dimension to their photographs, without having to rely on expensive software or powerful computers. What’s more, most image filter bearing apps come with social networking options, letting you share your results with your friends online within seconds. So, if you are looking to add a twist to your photography, here are six apps that let you do just that:

68 MYMOBILE jun 15 to jul 14 2013

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Instagram Price: Free There are many who believe that it was Instagram that started off the filter app revolution and certainly there are few apps that have managed to blend filters, effects and frames with so much efficiency into a single package. There are some basic editing options, including that of blurring out parts of a picture (for that bokkeh look) and some very high quality filters and frames - this is an app that focuses on quality rather than quantity in that department. What’s more, Instagram is also a vibrant image sharing community in its own right, so be ready for lots of feedback and commentary on your work.

Available for: Google Play, iTunes App Store

Color Thief

Instaplace

Imagine having every picture that you take act as a filter? Well, Color Thief enables you to do that. Although the app also comes with a few basic filters, its real speciality is the fact that it allows you to transfer the colouring pattern of one image to another. Say if you had once taken a picture that came out particularly well - you can then “transfer” its colouring patterns to another. And doing so is incredibly simple - all the pictures are arranged one below the other and you can see the effect different images would have on the one you wish to alter before you go ahead and choose one. Simply the best option for those who prefer to let their images act as filters.

Adding filters is not about just colours and effects. You can also place a layer that contains information about the picture, such as location or comments. And if you are the type that does not like to type too much and would rather let the app do everything for you, then Instaplace is the app for you. As its name indicates, it automatically adds the location of the place where you take the picture and also lets you add emoticons and slogans to it. If you would like to add colour filters and effects, just use the share to Instagram option and well, you have the best of that world too.

Price: Rs 110

Pixlr-o-matic Price: Free This is definitely THE app for those who really want to go filter crazy. Coming from the legendary Autodesk, Pixlr-o-matic comes with stacks of effects, filters and frames letting you choose the look and feel of your image from literally dozens of permutations and combinations. Some might find it a trifle overwhelming but for those who really want to get stuck into playing with filters, this is paradise. What’s more, the list of effects and filters also keeps getting upgraded, so there’s always something new to try out.

Available for: iTunes App Store

Available for: iTunes App Store, Google Play

Price: Free

Lomogram Price: Free There are those who believe that “filtering” apps are mainly the preserve of Android and iOS devices. Well, they in all probability have not tried out the extremely powerful and featurerich Lomogram. When we last checked, the app packed in more than forty filters, seventy lighting effects and another forty-plus frames, all of which can blend in a host of permutations and combinations. There are also some basic editing and tweaking tools thrown in (cropping, image rotation, etc.) Top that off with an interface that blends smoothly into Windows Phone 8 and we actually wonder why so many keep asking for Instagram on Windows Phone.

Available for: iTunes App Store, Google Play

Available for: Windows Phone Store

Analog Camera Price: 110 If it is bare bones simplicity that you seek, along with a superb interface then this is the app for you. The app lets you edit your pictures using eight filters, most of which are a trifle retro in style, but unlike other apps, it actually shows how your picture will look with each filter on a single screen, with the original picture right in the middle - a bit like a gallery of the same image with different effects with the original in the middle. Best of all, the interface is wonderfully smooth - a swipe is all that it takes to move you from the filter gallery to the camera and back. Some might want more editing options, but those seeking simplicity will love it.

Available for: iiTunes App Store. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

jun 15 to jul 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 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 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 jun 15 to jul 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

jun 15 to jul 14 2013 MYMOBILE 71

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

(Last updated on June 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 JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MY

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 1280

100

105

101

110

114

112

Dimension (mm)

107.2 x 45.1 x 15.3

110 x 45.5 x 14.9

107 x 44.8 x 14.3

110 x 45.5 x 14.9

110 x 46 x 14.8

110.4 x 46.9 x 15.4

Weight (grams)

81.92

69.6

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8.30/528

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

NA/No

7.2/840

12/840

7.2/840

10.5/637

14/840

65,536/1.8

65,536/1.45

65,536/1.8

56K/1.8

NA/No

8MB/No

NA/No

64MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Symbian S30

S30

S40

Symbian S40

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

999

1,160

1,249

1,470

2,260

2,300

2,550

Music Player/FM Radio

MODELS

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Asha 205

206

C2-03

202

Asha 306

Dimension (mm)

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

110.3 x 53.8 x 12.8

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

115.4 x 61.1 x 14

Weight (grams)

115

97.3

105

11/891

20/680

5/400

14/600

12/1104

7/888

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Asha 210

NEW

Asha 200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.4

65,536/2.6

262,144/2.4

65,536/3.0

65,536/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

NA/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3Mp/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1000

Shared

1,000

Shared

1000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Dual Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Slider/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

3,460

3,600

3,780

3,850

3,900

3,999

4,100

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

Price in Rs

74 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 305

Asha 309

Asha 308

Asha311

Lumia 510

Lumia 520

Lumia 610

Dimension (mm)

110.3X53.8X12.8

109.9 x 54 x 13.2

109.9 x 54 x 13

106 x 52 x 12.9

120.7 x 64.9 x 11.5

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

119.24 x 62.18 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

102

104

129

124

131.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/528

6/650

17/600

14/696

6.2/738

14/360

10.5/670

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

65,536/3.0

262,144/3.0

65,536/4.0

16 million/4.0

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

128MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

4GB/No

8GB/64GB

8GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

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

Windows Phone 7.8

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,400

4,750

5,100

6,300

8,500

10,000

11,500

Lumia 820

Lumia 920

Lumia 900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 620

Lumia 720

Lumia 800

808

Dimension (mm)

115.4 x 61.1 x 11

127.9 x 67.5 x 9

116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1

123.9 x 60.2 x 13.9

123.8 x 68.5 x 9.9

130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7

127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

127

128

142

169

160

185

160

14/330

23/520

13/265

11/465

15.4/360

18.6/460

7/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/3.8

16million/4.3

16miilion/3.7

16million/4.0

16.7million/4.3

16.7million/4.5

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Nokia Belle

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

14,500

18,400

18,900

17,999

23,900

32,600

32,999

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 75

myguide MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

FLY

PARAMETERS Model

DS 186

DS222

MV242n

DS222+

MV264

SX243

SX260

Dimension (mm)

108 X 47 X 15.6

115 x 49 x 14.7

118 x 51 x 15

115 x 49 x 14.5

122 x 53 x 14

121 X 51.5 X 10.5

125.3 x 48.8 x 14.3

Weight (grams)

125

138

81.2

64.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/240

9/500

10/ 400

9/ 360

10/500

4.5/180

12/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

NA/2.2

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/ 16GB

NA/32GB

245KB/32GB

NA/32GB

100KB/32GB

NA/32GB

180KB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

200

500

200

300

1,000

300

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Nucleus

Proprietry

Nucleus

Proprietry

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

990

1,590

1,790

1,990

2,190

MODELS

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

E1207T

E1282T

W100n

W221

W617

W601

W704

Dimension (mm)

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

124.4 x 57.2 x 14.7

117.2 x 55.4 x 13.5

103 x 56 x 13.8

Weight (grams)

65.1

74.5

110

111.4

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8/430

12/660

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.8

NA/1.8

NA/2.0

NA/3.0

NA/2.8

NA/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/No

NA/4GB

NA/16GB

NA/32GB

NA/32 GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

NA/NA/NA

0.3 MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes /Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

300

1,500

1,000

500

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

Price in Rs.

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Proprietary

Nucleous

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,250

1,590

999

1,499

2,199

2,349

2,499

76 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

LAVA

SAMSUNG

E350

Discover 132

Discover 135

T375

Metro 2252

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Rex 60

Dimension (mm)

114 x 62 x 13.2

103 x 59 x 10.7

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

101.8 x 55 x 12.5

Weight (grams)

81.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8/700

12.8/601

11.9/760

14/550

15/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.5

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

262,144/3.2

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

45KB/16GB

258KB/4GB

NA/16GB

48MB/16GB

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

30MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Nucleus

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

2,990

3,299

3,600

4,200

2,500

3,200

3,800

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

Rex 70

Rex 80

Rex 90

W707

W716

W711

W720

Dimension (mm)

104.90 x 57.2 x 11.99

102.0 x 58 x 11.5

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

Weight (grams)

109

110

138

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13/NA

15/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/3.0

262,144/3.0

262,144/3.5

NA/3.2

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

10MB/32GB

20MB/16GB

10MB/32GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Nucleous

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,450

5,100

5,800

3,049

3,249

3,399

4,599

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

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 77

MODELS

HIGH END

TAG HEUER

PARAMETERS GMT Stainless Racer Sport Classic Meridiist Steel/Black PVD

Model

VERTU

Racing Carbon

Link

Racer Prestige Gold

Meridiist Steel & Gold

Dimension (mm)

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

118 x 67 x 16.6

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

Weight (grams)

160

155

160

200

160

155

148

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Ascent

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

3/220

7/392

4.8/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16 million/3.5

16million/3.5

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1,000

2,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Android v2.3

Andriod v2.2

Android v2.3

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/No

Yes/NA

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

2,06,000

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

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

4,55,000

Starting 5,45,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

MODELS

ENTERPRISE LEVEL

VERTU

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Constellation Quest

Signature

Dimension (mm)

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

143 x 78.4 x 9.8

133 x 67.5x 7.9

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.45

Weight (grams)

174

160

165 to 185

166

163

110

115

Talktime/Standby (hours)

OT 8000D

NEW

OT 6030

NEW

OT 6033X

NEW

6/300

5/300

7.5/349

3.5/300

9/600

7.2/415

16/ 700

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/4.65

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

2,000

1,500

Shared

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/Optional

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Android v4.1

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

12,900

15,800

21,500

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

Price in Rs.

78 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

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

MODELS

APPLE

PARAMETERS Model

BLACKBERRY

iPhone 4S

iPhone 5

Curve 9220

Curve 9320

Curve 9360

9860

Bold 9790

Dimension (mm)

115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

109 x 60 x 12.7

112 x 62 x 14.2 mm

120 x 62 x 11.5

110 x 60 x 11.4

Weight (grams)

140

112

102

103

130

135

107

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/200

8/225

7/432

5/336

4.7/337

5.1/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

65,536/2.44

262,144/2.44

16million/3.7

16million/2.45

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

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

iOS 6

Yes/Yes/No BlackBerry OS 7.1

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

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Blackberry OS 7.0

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

9,750

14,500

16,500

21,200

21,999

37,500/42,500/54,000 45,500/52,500/59,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

9810

9900

Z10

F32

F350

F51

Dimension (mm)

111 x 62 14.6

115 x 66 x 10.5

130 x 65.6 x 9

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

110 x 58.7 x 14.7

118.88 x 61.79 x 11.8

146 x 77 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

161

130

136

139

115.5

170

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Q10

NEW

6.5/296

6.3/296

10/312

10/NA

6.5/250

4/350

7/144

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.2

16million/2.8

16 million/4.2

16million/3.1

NA/3.2

NA/3.5

16.7million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

154MB/32GB

110MB/32GB

130MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/NA

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry 10

Android v2.3

Android v 2.3

Android 4.0 ICS

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Slider/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

27,500

30,500

42,500

44,990

3,990

4,990

7,450

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

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 79

MODELS

myguide

FLY

PARAMETERS

HTC

F410

F41S

F45s

Desire C

Dimension (mm)

123.9 x 64 x 10

126 x 63.5 x 10.3

131 x 67 x 10.5

107 X 60 X 11.9

Weight (grams)

101.5

140

158

Model

Desire U

Desire V

Desire VC

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.32

119.5 x 62.3 x 9.5

114

118

NEW

10/331

7.5/263

8/100

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

NA/4.0

16 million/4.5

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1GB/32GB

139MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

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

Tri-Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,690

7,790

11,990

9,800

13,499

14,499

14,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

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

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire X

Desire SV

OneX

One S

One X+

Dimension (mm)

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

120.5 x 63 x 10.28

129.7 x 67.9 x 10.7

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9

130.9 x 65 x 7.8

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9

132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

Weight (grams)

114

113

131

130

119.5

135

130

20/833

NA/NA

10/290

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16 million/4.3

16million/4.7

16million/4.3

16million/4.7

16 million/ 4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

32GB/No

16GB/No

64GB/No

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Android v4.0

Windows Phone 8

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

15,300

18,500

19,999

24,700

25,500

29,500

33,500

80 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

KARBONN

One

Butterfly

Zeal

Aurus 2

Ivory

Whiz

Dimension (mm)

137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3

143 x 70.5 x 9.08

124 x 63.6 x 12.4

Weight (grams)

143

140

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

7/300

7/NA

5/320

8.5/NA

3.5/120

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32,64GB/NA

16GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

202MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

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

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

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/No Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

42,500

43,000

5,350

6,450

7,000

7,800

4,890

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

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

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

A15

A9+

A12

A27

S1 Titanium

A30

Dimension (mm)

128x65.7x11.6

135x66x11

133.6x66x9.1

134.6 x 66 x 9.25

166 x 91 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

114.5

164

126.5

280

3.5/250

NA/NA

4/200

4/180

4/200

10/600

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.0

262,144/4.0

NA/4.5

NA/4.2

16million/4.5

262,144/5.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

104MB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

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)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,350

5,500

7,500

7,750

8,999

9,999

10,050

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 81

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS Model

KARBONN

LAVA

LEMON Aspire 3D (A3)

Aspire HD (A2)

S5 Titanium

Iris N320

Iris n400

Iris N501

Dimension (mm)

115 x 61.5 x 11.9

125 x 63 x 10.2

148.5 x 79 x 10.5

126.9x64.5x11.2

141.9x73.6x10.2

151x79x10

Weight (grams)

115

105

140

137

NEW

Aspire A1

NEW

NA/NA

4/390

7.8/620

8/260

10/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.0

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16 Million/4.3

16 Million/5.0

16 million/5.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1.4GB/32GB

100MB/32GB

127MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.2

Android v4.0

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,999

4,499

8,099

13,500

12,499

14,499

15,599

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/Yes/No

PARAMETERS Model

LEMON Aspire FHD (A4)

LENOVO NEW

A390

NEW

P700i

A706

NEW

S920

NEW

P780

NEW

K900

NEW

Dimension (mm)

143.3x70x8.5

125.6 x 64 x 10.1

125.6 x 64.5 x 12.8

136 x 69 x 10

154 x 77.7 x 7.9

143 x 73 x 9.9

157 x 78 x 6.9

Weight (grams)

137

131

162

130

159

176

162

10/300

14/220

NA/NA

16/230

25/480

43/840

15/300

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

16 Million/5.0

NA/4.0

16 million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/16GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Tri-Band/GSM+GSM Tri-Band/GSM+GSM Tri-Band/GSM+GSM

Tri-Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v4.2

Android v 4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Yes/NA

Bar/Yes/No

17,499

8,689

12,499

15,949

26,339

22,529

32,999

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

Price in Rs.

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

82 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

PARAMETERS Model

L3 E400

Optimus L3 Dual

L3II Dual

Optimus L5

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

Optimus L5 Dual

Dimension (mm)

102.6 x 61.6 x 11.85

102.6x 61.6 x11.85

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.5

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.6

Weight (grams)

110

119

110

125

103

126

Talktime/Standby (hours)

12/600

17/1044

16/730

10/900

10/642

10/901

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

262144/3.2

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

16 million/4.0

16million/4.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v2.3

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

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

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,499

8,500

8,200

10,999

11,999

10,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus L7 P705

Optimus Black P970

Optimus L7II Dual

Optimus 2X

Optimus L9 P765

Optimus Vu P895

Dimension (mm)

125.5 x 67 x 8.7

122 x 64 x 9.2

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

133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1

Weight (grams)

124

109

115.5

139

125

168

139

19/902

6/375

12/800

14.5/421

12/830

16/510

15/390

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16 million/4.0

16 million/4.3

16million/4.0

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.72GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

32GB/No

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Nexus 4

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/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

13,500

15,000

15,500

19,000

16,900

22,500

25,999

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 83

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX

Optimus 4X HD

Optimus G

Bolt A51

A89 Ninja

Canvas ViVa

Dimension (mm)

132.4 x 68.1 x 8.9

131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5

76 x 142.8 x 10.6

135x68.7x11.3

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

133

145

186

144

Model

Canvas Music

NEW

Canvas2 A110

9.3/730

15/335

4/140

4/170

7/280

5/260

5/180

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

NA/5.0

16 million/4.5

16 million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

512MB/32GB

2.07GB/32GB

110MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

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

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

27,499

30,999

4,400

5,750

6,350

8499

10,000

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

Canvas 3D

Canvas A110Q

NEW

RAGE

Canvas Doodle

NEW

Canvas HD

OPS40

OPS50

OPS60

Dimension (mm)

147x77x9.9

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)

156

110

135

170

4/225

6/280

6/220

5/174

5/200

6/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

262,144/5.0

16 million/5.3

16 million/5.0

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

NA/4.6

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

512/32GB

512MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/No/No

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.2

Android v4.1

Android V2.3

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes

Bar/Yes/No

9,999

12,750

12,999

13,990

3,999

4,999

6,999

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

Price in Rs.

84 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

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

MODELS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Star

NEW

Dimension (mm)

105 x 58 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

100.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy Pocket 5300 Galaxy Y Duos Lite

Galaxy Y Plus

Galaxy Y

Galaxy Chat B5330

Galaxy Young

103.9 x 57.90 x 12.98 103.9 x 57.9 x 12.98

104.9 x 57.9 x 13

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

118.9 x 59.3 x 11.7

109.4 x 58.6 x 12.5

97.5

112

14/320

15.8/520

15/410

6/260

6/120

14/520

7/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Operating System

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v 4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,100

6,100

6,400

6,200

8,100

8,000

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Music Duos

5830 Galaxy Ace

Galaxy Fame S6812

Galaxy Ace Duos

Galaxy S duos

NEW

Galaxy Grand

Dimension (mm)

110.1 X 59 X 12.3

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.5

133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65

143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

106.9

113

120

122

120

143.9

161

15/570

12/520

6/300

16.8/570

12.8/570

11/210

10.1/440

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

16million/3.5

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

158MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.0

Android v2.2

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,100

9,400

11,000

11,500

12,200

16,500

19,500

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5 113.20 x 61.50 x 11.55 112.74 x 61.5 x 11.5

Galaxy Quattro

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

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 85

MODELS

myguide

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy SII Plus

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5

Galaxy Mega 5.8

NEW

162.6 x 82.4 x 8.9

SONY

Galaxy Note

Galaxy SIII

Galaxy Note II N7100

Galaxy S4

Xperia tipo

146.9 x 83 x 9.7

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

103 x 57 x 13

121

184

178

133

183

130

99.4

9/549

NA/NA

6/100

22.5/830

35/980

17/370

5/470

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16million/5.8

16million/5.3

16million/4.8

16 million/5.5

16million/5.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

2.9GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15/No/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

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

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

Android v 4.1

Android v4.2

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

23,200

24,900

27,500

28,000

36,500

40,000

7,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS

SONY

Model

Xperia tipo dual

Xperia E

Xperia E Dual

Xperia U

Xperia miro

Neo L

Xperia go

Dimension (mm)

103 x 57 x 13 mm

113.5 x 61.8 x 11

112 x 54 x 12

113 x 59.4 x 9.9 mm

120 X 61 X 12.8

111 X 60.3 X 9.8

Weight (grams)

99.4

115.7

110

131.5

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/470

6/530

6.6/472

5/470

8/575

6.3/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.9GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/No

4GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

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

Price in Rs.

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,999

9,000

10,990

12,999

13,000

13,500

86 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Xperia Sola

Xperia J

Xperia P

Xperia Ion

Xperia SL

Xperia SP

Xperia ZL

116.0 x 59.0 x 9.9

124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2

122 x 59.5 x 10.5

133.0 x 68.0 x 10.6

128.0 x 64.0 x 10.6

130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98

131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8

107

124

120

144

155

151

6/475

7/618

6/475

10/400

8/410

18/734

10/500

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16M/4.55

16million/4.3

16million/4.6

16 million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.1MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

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/HSPA+

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

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

24,990

35,500

14,500

20,000

22,000

23,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

SONY

SPICE

WYNNCOM

Xperia Z

Mi 351

Mi 352

Mi 435

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

Dimension (mm)

139 x 71 x 7.9

115.3x62x11.8

124 x 63.5 x 11.8

152 x 79 x 10.3

119.5 x 63 x 11.4

Weight (grams)

146

196.3

129

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11/550

3/216

NA/NA

4.1/696

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

16 million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.3

65,536/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

512MB/16GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

NA/32GB

16GB/32GB

NA/32 GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/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

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Android v4.1

Android v 2.3

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

Android v 2.3

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/No Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Bar/Yes/No

37,900

3,599

5,099

7,399

10,499

13,999

4,599

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 87

MODELS

myguide

WYNNCOM

PARAMETERS Model

XOLO

G32

G41

G51

G58

A700

A800

Dimension (mm)

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

133x67x10.5

Weight (grams)

114

130

118

170

200

115

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

4/140

NA/NA

7/425

6/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

16million/3.5

NA/5

NA/5.0

16 million/ 4.5

16 million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32 GB

NA/32GB

100MB/32 GB

NA/32GB

4 GB/32 GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

5 MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

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

4,799

5,499

7,499

9,999

8,050

10,000

MODELS

CDMA

XOLO

PARAMETERS Model

X1000

Samsung Hero Plus 159

Samsung B209

Samsung B229

Dimension (mm)

135.5 x 67 x 9.6

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

108.5 x 45.8 x 13.3

108.0 x 44.8 x 14.3

108 x 44.38 x 14.20

Weight (grams)

143.5

72.3

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Q800

NEW

A1000

Q1000

NEW

16/360

NA/NA

14/350

9.5/336

3/230

4.3/470

6.5/720

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

16 million/4.7

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

597KB/No

351KB/No

450KB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

Android v 4.1

Androi v4.1

Android v4.2

Android 4.0

CDMA/No

No/No/No

BREW

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

11,500

13,500

15,000

19,000

1,000

1,100

88 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Hero B189 Samsung Hero B319

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

105 x 44 x 13

108 x 45.4 x 14.7

Samsung B379

Samsung B339

Samsung Guru 539 Samsung Guru Muzik 219

109.5 x 45.4 x 14.2 108.20 x 47.1 x 14.35

109.6 x 44.9 x 14.0

112 x 46.3 x 15.3

Lava ARC8c NA

75.7

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

BREW

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

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,150

1,380

1,400

1,650

1,990

2,500

2,699

Samsung Primo Duos

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Blackberry 8530

Galaxy Ace Duos I589

MODELS

Price in Rs.

No/No Bar/No/No

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Guru Dual CDMA

Mpower TV 239

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

Weight (grams)

86.7

103

97.5

105

125

MTS Duet

NEW

6.5/300

4.4/420

NA/NA

6.67/160

6/120

4.5/252

7/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.0

262,144/2.4

242,144/3.5

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

7.41MB/4GB

85MB/16GB

4GB/32GB

75MB/-

160MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/No

YesNo

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

Dual Band/CDMA+GSM

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

BREW

Android v 2.3

BREW

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android v2.3

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,250

4,400

4,799

4,999

7,350

12,500

12,550

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 89

myguide MODELS

TABLET

PARAMETERS

CDMA

APPLE

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

Dimension (mm)

109 x 60 x 11

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

Weight (grams)

308

Model

FLY

HCL

iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi

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

F8S

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

198 x 155 x 9.6

312

652

662

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.44

16 million/7.9

16 million/9.7

NA/8.0

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

4GB/32GBp

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

3.2/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

NA/No

Quad Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

BlackBerry OS7

iOS 6

Android v4.1

Android OS, v4.0

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,500

5,999

17,250

21,900/27,900/33,900 29,900/35,900/41,900 31,900/37,900/43,900 39,900/45,900/51,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No Yes/Yes/No

HCL

PARAMETERS

KARBONN

MICROMAX

Model

ME G1

Smart Tab 2

Smart Tab 8

Smart Cosmic

Funbook P275

Dimension (mm)

238 X 186 X 11

192 x 122 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

570

360

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

16.7million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

Yes/Yes

8GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/Yes

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/Yes

NA/NA/Yes

No/No/Yes

Android OS, v4.0

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,999

11,999

14,999

5,990

6,990

9,990

4,500

90 MYMOBILE JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013

MODELS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

RAGE

SAMSUNG Samsung Galaxy Note Galaxy Note10.1N800 510

Funbook

Funbook P600

OPT400 Laptab

Galaxy Tab2 311

Galaxy Tab2 310

Dimension (mm)

122 x 192 x 10

119.5 x 193.5 x 11.5

241 x 185 x 9.8

193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5

210.8 x 135.9 x 7.95

262 x 180 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

360

370

400

345

600

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

10/224

5/ 150

NA/1070

30/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/7.0

16 million/7.0

NA/9.7

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/10.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

1GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

NA/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

0.3/No/NA

2.0MP/No/Yes

2MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yesz

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

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

Dual Band/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Androi v4.1

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

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA Android v4.0

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

5,850

9,499

14,999

12,750

16,250

30,500

36,500

SONY

SPICE

MODELS

Price in Rs.

No/No/Yes

SIMMTRONICS

PARAMETERS Model

X720

XPAD X722

X1010

X801

XPAD XQ1

NEW

Xperia Tablet Z

NEW

Stellar Pad Mi 1010

Dimension (mm)

117 x 193 x 11.6

10.5 x 165 x 263

162 x 212 x 12.8

251x177x9.6

266 x 172 x 6.9

Weight (grams)

332

335

610

500

540

495

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/NA

5/100

10/890

NA/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/7.0

262144/7.0

16 million/ 10.1

16 million/ 8.0

16million/10.1

16million/10.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

0.3 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

0.3/No/Yes

2.0 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

8.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

NA/No

Quad Band/No

NA/No

NA/-

NA/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

No/Yes

No/No/HSPA+

No/No/Yes

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

3,999

5,999

8,449

8,499

15,999

45,500

12,999

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013 MYMOBILE 91

consumer forum Complaint 1 I bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray phone in January from Kota. Initially, the device was working fine. But soon after it had issues in connectivity and other features. I immediately contacted the Sony customer care and submitted the device, as per the advice from customer care representatives. But from here onwards I was stuck. Now it is more than three months and I have not received my handset yet. Every time I call the Sony care, those people tell me they don’t have the final solution. Kindly help me as I don’t know how to tackle the issue. I read My Mobile regularly and have been impressed with the Consumer Forum and its solutions. I hope you will get my issue fixed soon. -Anand Prakash Sony’s response: Awaited.

request you to revert with some details so that we can assist you in the best possible manner. Further, please note that if the issue persists, we may replace the device but that is only post tech-

Complaint 4

Complaint 2 I bought a Nokia Lumia 520 in May this year from an authorised dealer of Nokia. But soon the handset faced problems related to software. I was unable to change the themes and the handset was also hanging while I played games. I took the device to a nearby Nokia Care centre where I was offered a software update for my Lumia. But I am again facing issues this time with the touch of the device. For your reference, this was not the case before the update. The touch worked well. Another issue that has been irritating me is the Internet connectivity. The device was not connecting to the Internet until I reset it. But I want to know that if my Internet doesn’t connect, I cannot reset the device every time. This is really sad considering that I have another Lumia 520 which is working very well. Has Nokia lost the quality that it once had in its devices? Please help. -Suhaib Ahmed Nokia’s response We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. In response to your complaint, we

but I haven’t been offered a positive solution yet. Also to my surprise, the customer care advised me to download third party software called Wi-Fi Direct and also download the same to the sharing device. So if I am sharing with either my colleagues or my senior associates or friends, I should request them to download this software to share? This is not very sensible advice. I’m totally disappointed with Karbonn Mobiles service. Please help. -Polly Paul Karbonn Mobile’s response: Awaited.

nical diagnosis of your current device and Nokia does not have any refund policy.

Complaint 3 I bought a Karbonn Titanium S5 from Reliance Digital in May, 2013 with a view of using the Wi-Fi direct technology through this mobile. But to my surprise the Wi-Fi is not working with any Wi-Fi device. When I checked the Karbonn Titanium S5 User Manual that came along with the box, it says the device supports Wi-Fi direct. I have already spent a lot of money and time in travelling to the Reliance Digital Store and Karbonn Mobile Service Centres

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I’m a Tata Docomo user. I recharged my number with the Rs 26 data pack that offers Internet for 7 days. But within two days my maximum data limit of 300 MB was completed. So this time I recharged my number with the Rs 250 data pack that offers 2 GB data for a month. But to my surprise after two days I got a message from the company that my account will be renewed with the Rs 26 data pack. I contacted the customer care to deactivate the Rs 26 service. But there was no reply from the company. After two days the Rs 26 pack was renewed and due to this I lost my 2GB data and also Rs 250. Could you please look into the matter? -Venky Tata Docomo’s reply: Awaited

Complaint 5 I had taken a 3G data card from Airtel in the month of October, 2012. Later I placed a request to stop the service and cancel the connection in December. They didn't do this, claiming that my bills had not been cleared. Later, after a lot of argument, I cleared the payment in the month of January as a final settlement. I have the mails for this as well with me. But surprisingly, the bills have again started to reach

my doorstep. And this month, I am again getting recovery calls for Rs 2,000. This is very ridiculous. Why should I keep paying for what I am not using? Please look into the matter. -Suraj Airtel’s response: The issue has been resolved. Thank You for contacting Airtel.

Complaint 6 Recently, the telecom operator Aircel started a new recharge scheme initiative called "Extra Talk Time with CSK." Under this scheme, subscribers would get full talktime on a recharge of Rs 164. And extra talk time if Chennai Super Kings (CSK) scored over 164 runs in an IPL match. I recharged my number with Rs 164 to leverage the offer. But it was really sad that despite CSK scoring more than 164 twice in the IPL, I never got any extra talk time. In fact, I recharged my number twice with Rs 164 as one of your customer representatives advised me but yet again I never got the extra talktime. When I called customer care they informed me that the offer was valid for the first ten days only. But I have a mail from the Aircel team where nothing of this sort has been written. Please look into the matter. And I would appreciate a quick response from Aircel or else I will be heading to the Consumer Court. - Sachin Yadav Aircel’s response: We are looking into the matter. 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.

mobile doctor Generally, this problem is not faced in tablets as almost all of them have Java support. You have not mentioned the brand and model of your tablet in your question and have also not highlighted the website which shows the error. We would suggest resetting the device and then seeing if the problem persists. If it does, then it would make sense to go to the service center.

I want to purchase a smartphone and it should cost up to Rs 30,000. The phone should have a good camera, decent display, good battery backup and performance. I have shortlisted the HTC OneX+, The LG Optimus G, and the Nokia Lumia 820 and 920. Please suggest which would be the best amongst them. I am also a bit confused between the two operating systems - which would be better for me? -Jacob Elias Among your shortlisted devices, the Nokia Lumia 920 is the best. It is the most apt choice as far as the features, performance and battery backup are concerned. The camera comes with PureView technology and it also facilitates good low light photography. If you want to go with Android, the HTC One X+ is a good option. Apart from this in Android you can also consider the Samsung Galaxy SIII and LG Google Nexus 4. I have been using a tablet running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Whenever, I browse any Java-based website, it shows the error "Java not installed." Please suggest what I should do to resolve this problem. I also want to buy a phone or tablet which will support Java - could you please recommend something? -Deepak

I want to buy a phone but I am confused between the Samsung Galaxy Grand and the Micromax Canvas HD. My main concern is performance. The phone should perform well and should not lag. Please advise which one will be a good option for me. – Brajendra Shakyawal The LCD of the Micromax Canvas HD is better, but as far as performance and stability are concerned, the Samsung Galaxy Grand is far better than

the Canvas HD. Samsung Galaxy Grand comes with a Broadcom processor as well as a dual core CPU and dual core GPU. I want to purchase a smartphone and have shortlisted two phones the BlackBerry 9220 and the Nokia Lumia 520. My work profile

is basically Internet-related and I want a device that should be able to open PDF files. Please advise which one I should go for. Also highlight the cheapest internet plans of Blackberry in UP east and west circles. – -Sayantan Basu There are lot of applications available which will help you open PDF files. As far as the phone is concerned, then Nokia Lumia 520 is a good option as it is based on the latest operating system, whereas the BlackBerry 9220 functions on the old BB OS. Also the screen size of the Nokia Lumia 520 is bigger and the phone performs better online. I want to buy a budget phablet for hardcore gaming and it should also support 3D gaming. I have shortlisted the Micromax Canvas Doodle as it comes equipped with Adreno 203 GPU. Is it a good option for gaming? Please also suggest some other phablet for the same. –Sukhvinder Singh If it is gaming that really matters for you, then it would be better if you buy the Asus Google Nexus 7 tablet, as it comes with a powerful quad core processor that can easily play any kind of game. The tablet is available in both SIM and Wi-Fi variants. I brought an HTC Salsa smartphone last year. But it has slowed down since. Due to limited internal memory, I am not able to download any new games and applications. Please tell me what should I do as I want my phone to work as nicely as before. –Biswa Bijayee Ray The HTC Salsa is unfortunately a very old phone and due to its low internal memory, it cannot be upgraded to the a new version of Android. As a result, it will tend to remain slow. I would advise

you to buy a new phone. I want to buy a smartphone within a budget of Rs 21,000. I have selected the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos. But the phone does not have screen protection and NFC is also missing from the device. Do you think that it is a good option? Could you also please suggest some other good phones within the same price segment? –Divya Rajgir There are not too many NFC related services available in India at the moment, so it cannot be considered to be a critically important feature for a smartphone. I therefore think the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos is a good option for you. In this range you can also consider the Sony Xperia P and the Nokia Lumia 720. I want to buy a smartphone and have shortlisted the Sony Xperia J and the Nokia Lumia 520. Both the smartphones have exceptional features. Please suggest which one is better and which one should I buy. –Sabir Ali Both the smartphones come with different operating systems - one is an Android device and the other is a Windows Phone device. The Sony Xperia J is a slow performer and it does not have Sony's Mobile Bravia display. The Nokia Lumia 520 is good on the performance front and also comes with a decent dual core processor. n

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.

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c e l l- e b r i t y She may be known as one of the most glamorous stars in Bollywood, but Jacqueline Fernandez is also rapidly developing a distinct tech side. We caught up with her at the launch of the HTC One - the phone she uses herself, incidentally - and decided to get her take on tech Mukesh Kumar Singh Abhijit Ahaskar

“My Smartphone is the Only Gadget I Get to Use” Which is your favourite gadget? I think it is my smartphone, as that is the only gadget I get to use. Also I believe today’s smartphones are so powerful that they are a one-stop solution for all our needs. So instead of carrying three-four gadgets, I prefer to use a smartphone. My smartphone has a really good camera and I love using it. In addition, I use it to check my mails and for social networking. Which of course, begs the question: which smartphone are you using? The HTC One, because it is very slim, stylish looking and works fast and has a great camera. What apps are you using on your smartphone? I am not using too many of them, but I do use plenty of health related apps, especially those which guide on diets and help in developing healthy eating habits. I also use translation apps to translate Hindi. Initially, I had difficulty in handling them, but now I can handle them well. They have been very helpful in improving my Hindi. Are you on social networks? I wasn’t using them until a short time ago. I have recently opened a Twitter account and I am enjoying it immensely. I am learning to catch up with technology and am trying to be tech savvy as nowadays a lot of communication happens online. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

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www.mymobile.co.in

rumour mill

Talk Multi coloured iPhones coming up?

We have been hearing that Apple will be coming up with a lower priced avatar of the iPhone for a while now. And now a new spin has been added to that rumour - that we will actually be seeing multiple coloured versions of what some people call the ‘Godphone’. Interestingly, Apple has so far launched the iPhone in only two colours - black and white although it has experimented with a few more shades when it comes to the iPods. It is also being felt that the coloured iPhones will have plastic backs and will come with lower price tags.

BlackBerry readying large screen PlayBook... with keyboard Most of the world seems to be focusing on BlackBerry’s Q10 and Z10 devices, but if we are to believe some of our sources, the company is also working away on a revamped version of its PlayBook tablet. And this time it will come with not only a larger 10-inch display but will also feature a slide-out keyboard, making it more of a notebook clone than a tablet. It is expected to run on the BlackBerry 10 OS and will also come with seamless syncing with other BlackBerry devices. Will BlackBerry roll the tablet dice again? We are waiting and watching.

in Tech Corners

The Lumia E cometh

Nokia’s 808 PureView might have dazzled the world with its 41.0-megapixel sensor but was let down by its Symbian operating system that was not as smooth as its Android and iOS rivals. Well, we had reported that Nokia was considering launching a Windows Phone driven avatar with the same sensor a few months ago, and now it seems that the phone (codenamed the Lumia E) might be coming to markets in September, with improved software and inbuilt filters and editing to boot. Will it succeed where its predecessor failed? Given the smoothness of the Windows Phone 8 OS, we would hesitate to wager against it, but a lot would depend on the pricing and dare we say, appearance of the product (remember the bulky 808?). Right now, we must confess to being VERY interested in the prospect of that powerful a sensor with that smooth an interface.

Windows Phone 8 to get stylus friendly update

After getting off to a steady start, Microsoft is now looking to add some more features to its Windows Phone 8 operating system. An improvement that has been getting a lot of attention in particular is the incorporation of handwriting support via stylus. Of course, one can still use a stylus with Windows Phone 8

devices but if we are to believe our sources, the update will allow users to scribble away merrily while their handwritten notes get converted into text, and will also come with seamless integration with Microsoft’s own MS Office Mobile. The move evidently is an attempt to attract enterprise users who prefer scribbling and are not as comfortable typing on touchscreens. As per our sources, the update is expected to come in September this year.

A Nexus with Intel Inside?

Google might not have released a new Nexus at its recent Android event, but that has not stopped tech tongues from the possibility of such a device being released at some time later this year. And if one particular section of the tech community is to be believed, the next Nexus device could well be powered by an Intel processor, which has so far been mainly seen in the Xolo series and a few handsets from Motorola and Lenovo. Evidently, all at the Googleplex have been very impressed by the processing power in general and the energy conservation abilities of Intel’s newer mobile chips. So will the Nexus come with Intel inside? And will it be manufactured by Motorola, which had used Intel in one of its RAZR smartphones? We are keeping our fingers crossed. n team@mymobile.co.in

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persona

Ten Things You Might Not Know About... Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President, Chrome and Apps, Google

Sundar Pichai hails from the southern state of Tamil Nadu and was born in 1972. His educational background includes a number of prestigious institutions - IIT, Kharagpur; Stanford University and Wharton School.

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No, he did not start out as a gadget freak. In an interview, he admitted that, “thirty years ago, when he was a student in Chennai, he knew nothing about gadgets”. Being a son of an electric engineer, Sundar always liked technology but never had the access to gadgets. He joined Google in 2004. Although mainly identified with Chrome OS, he has also been associated with multiple Google products throughout his career span, including Google Toolbar, Chrome, Desktop Search, Gadgets, Google Pack and Gears, Firefox extensions, apps such as Gmail and Google Maps and Mac products. Pichai has been a popular face in the tech sphere and attempts have been made to lure him away to other companies. Perhaps the most notable of these was an approach from Twitter, after Jason Goldman, VP of Product for Twitter left the company. But Pichai decided to stay with Google.

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On Twitter, Sundar defines himself as: “Personal computing, Chrome, Chrome OS, Google, family, friends and life.” His complete name is Sundaram Pichai but now he’s more popularly known as Sundar Pichai. Speaking about Pichai’s accomplishments, Google CEO Larry Page once wrote in a blog: “Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use and he loves a big bet.” On the personal front, Pichai is married and has a daughter and a son.

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

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Kindle Fire n

The Kindle Fire is part of the Kindle family of devices, popularly known as ‘the thing causing the death of the book’ in UK.

The Kindle Fire has a 14 per cent share of the global tablet market. As Bezos puts it: ‘The Kindle Fire is the number one best-selling product on Amazon globally.’

About 41 per cent of Kindle Fire owners say that they are very satisfied with the device, according to a survey done by Amazon.

Due to its eye-popping affordability, the Kindle Fire is also considered as an “iPad killer” by some analysts. The Kindle Fire sells for less than half the price of the iPad. For every entry-level iPad bought and sold, one could buy two and a half Fires.

If content is considered king, then the Kindle Fire is pretty well-stacked. The tablet has immediate access

to 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines and books already available on Amazon’s easy-tobrowse virtual shelves. n

Thanks to Amazon’s WhisperSync technology that syncs your current location, notes and highlights to Amazon’s servers, every time you open a book on a supported Kindle device it will open to where you left off.

The users of the Kindle Fire use it mainly for - e-book reading (71 per cent), browsing the Web (39 per cent), playing games (29 per cent), using applications (20 per cent) and streaming video (13 per cent ).

For Kindle Fire users, Amazon’s Appstore offers an experience that is very different from Google Play. It is very selective and often offers paid apps free of cost as part of special offers. n ketan@mymobile.co.in

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va n ta g e p o i n t

Smart Apps for a smart lifestyle

he preceding generation could not have imagined the way smartphones would alter our lives. Having become lifelines of our daily existence, smartphones have enabled users to manage their day to day activities efficiently. Connecting people with alacrity, these phones have more computing power than the Apollo XI, which landed the first man on the moon! Smartphones are now becoming a radical, democratising force - particularly as they become more affordable for everyone. Smartphones offer several lifestyle benefits to their users, thanks to the different apps. They make things such as looking for restaurants, checking movie schedules and keeping abreast of the latest fashion trends very easy. The opportunities for mobile apps in the developing world are endless. Whether by providing banking services or healthcare information, apps have the capability to simplify people’s lives. Healthcare and education are benefitting from the rapid adoption of smartphones amongst users. People are moving away from reading cumbersome print newspapers while on the go - they are getting more used to reading the latest news or stories of their choice on their smartphones. Experts predict that by 2016, the number

of mobile app downloads will reach 44 billion and the worldwide online app market will grow from approximately $6.8 billion in 2010 to $25 billion by 2015. In fact, mobile apps in the business sphere are the future. Decision makers now see that these tools increase productivity, reduce paperwork, and increase revenue in ways other devices simply cannot. In fact, frequent business travellers can do away with lugging their laptops, mobile phones, PDAs and MP3 players every time they travel – smartphone apps take care of most needs. The Deck allows you to make beautiful presentations; once the text is entered into the app, The deck provides preset slide templates with pre-programmed animations to choose from and formats it automatically. Office productivity apps like Quickoffice, which integrate with cloud services like Dropbox, Box.net and Google Docs, help users to manage their work while on the go. While Documents To Go provides apps for working with MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF, Office Mobile has impressed many for integrating the same and syncing them with a Sharepoint site. Evernote is a digital repository for all kinds of information: text notes, handwritten notes, audio files, photos, and Web clippings. Outside the office, you can use the smartphone to do things you never imagined you could. Visualise your dream home with aug-

98 MYMOBILE Jun 15 to jul 14 2013

mented Reality. Want to paint your walls the same colour blue as yesterday afternoon’s sky? With BEHR’s ColorSmart mobile app, you can get the perfect matching paint colour. Use your smartphone for high-level design to create detailed blueprints for your project, or mock up that living room you always wanted. Use your phone as a level to hang pictures with, use it to start your car or as a remote control and program your DVR remotely. Similarly, on a holiday, know when to take advantage of a flight delay. Flightview tracks upcoming and in-route planes. WorldMate converts currency based on current exchange rates, stores your flight itinerary, forecasts weather, references time zones and performs other useful tasks. And as long as you have connectivity, you can never get lost, thanks to the many map apps to guide you. Use Photosynth to stitch photos together and create visual panoramas. Smartphones allow for quick sharing of photographs through Twitter, Facebook, and other sites, which is very convenient. Food and health apps keep a tab on your vitals and help you reach your health goals. Smartphones are a rapidly evolving tool with the potential to simplify and radically improve lifestyles. They function as your phone, PDA, digital camera, computer- all rolled into one. They have made life of all their users fuss-free and easier than ever before. n -Annie Mathew, Director of Alliances and Business Development, BlackBerry India, (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)