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Chipping away at chipsets Everything you need to know about chipsets P 20

Apple iOS 7 Is this something really revolutionary? P 36

Tested

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8, Sony Xperia Tablet Z, Lenovo K900, Micromax Canvas 3D, Lava Iris 504Q and more... P 41

BlackBerry Q5 The new BlackBerry boy in town P 18

Quad-Core Battle

Four quad-core powerhouses against each other P32

Mobile Shopping Just how safe is it to shop on your handset? P 38 device of the Month

Amazon Kindle Fire

P 54

first call

o, you will not see it making as many headlines as its higher profile counterpart, the processor. No consumer goes about asking for it while purchasing a tablet or a mobile phone, and yet, without it, a phone would be nothing but a lump of designer plastic. Yes, chipsets or motherboards as some prefer to call them are the unhealed heroes of the smartphone revolution. Which is why we are taking a closer look at them and the innovations they have brought - and indeed, are bringing, even as we write - to the world of mobility in our cover story. If chipsets are the heroes waiting in the wings, processors are very much the heroes on mobile centrestage right now. But just how much of a difference do they actually make to the performance of your handset, and are all multi-core processors the same? That is what we attempt to figure out in our shoot out featuring no fewer than four high profile quad-core processor smartphones from different price segments. Yes, the results will surprise you. They certainly surprised us. Moving on from hardware components, this issue also sees us take a look at the phenomenon of shopping from your device and just how safe and reliable the process can be. We also cast a glance at 4G handsets in India - after all, the 4G network will be of little use if there are no handsets to make the most of them. And as Google lays its Google Reader service to rest, we take a look at five other applications that can serve up a good news reading experience on your handset and tablet. But if something holds centrestage in this month's issue, it is the burn test section. Yes, we do always go out of our way to ensure that you get to read our take on the best handsets in the market but this time, there are a slew of impressive devices to consider, and many of them come from brands that are relatively unknown in the mobile business. Amazon has finally brought its Kindle Fire tablet to India and we have got our hands on the 8.9 HD version for a review. Similarly, Lenovo's K900 is a fresh attempt at carving a niche for itself in the smartphone market - again, we have it for review. Then there's Lava's gesture based phone and the Xperia Tablet Z, Sony's amazing device that shows us how insanely thin a tablet can be. All this, along with our usual interactions with industry and relevant features (including trying to redress your grievances in the Consumer Forum and providing advice and aid in Mobile Doctor), is what makes up the issue of My Mobile that you are holding. We hope you enjoy reading it as much we did creating it. Needless to say, we look forward to your feedback - it is the best way ahead for us all.

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 august 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 VI, AUGUST 2013

content

just in

The waterproof Sony Xperia ZR accompanied by the Nokia Asha flagship the Nokia Asha 501

Lead Story

sneak peek

Chipset– the hidden hero within a handset. We discuss its importance and its future.

chief speak TM Ramakrishnan, CEO, Devices, S Mobility discusses his company’s growth and issues affecting the mobile industry today

BlackBerry’s more affordable QWERTY, the Q5, and Android’s gaming console, the NVIDIA Shield.

Face To Face Rohit Chaudhary, Founder and CEO, eTechies.in discusses about the challenges they face and their future plans.

Paramjot Singh, Global MD, Sunstrike International, talks about the changing consumer behavior.

Ashish Garg, Director, Zync Global discusses the Indian tablet market and how the company is performing.

Sumesh Menon, Co-founder and CEO U2opia talks about the maturing VAS market.

Letters

News

Consumer Forum

Gear Guide

Mobile Doctor

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Sumit Goswami, Keypoint Technologies reasons out different growth strategies, company performance and future surprises for its consumer.

Philip Beniac, Regional Vice President, APAC, QlikTech explains how Business Intelligence software is simplifying lives

28 30 34 35 67 93

content etc my guide 73

Garmin Nuvi, Transcend MP 350, Creative MA200 headphones, Corsair M95 mouse, F&D speakers, Sony Home theatre system BDB 3100, BenQ L37-7010 LED TV

spotlight

We put four quad-core devices through their paces to find out just how powerful they really are. iOS 7- Is it just a fresh coat of paint, or really revolutionary?

apptastic So what if Google Reader has shut down, these great apps will keep you up to speed with news from around the world.

Trivia

94 96 98

BBM- the original mobile messenger

BURN TESTS micromax canvas 3d

rumour mill the buzz around cell town

idea aurus iii

zen ultraphone 701hd

umi xii

simmtronics qpad xq1

lenovo k900

lava iris 504Q

sony xperia tablet z

kindle fire hd 8.9

samsung galaxy mega 5.8

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

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32 36 68

persona 10 interesting facts about Bill Gates

Cell Clues

Shopping on your handset? Take these handy precautions.

smart apps

The new Facebook app for Windows Phone, and a cricket app for all those who like to predict what will happen next.

Boredom Busters Take on super heroes and the undead in our two action packed titles this month.

letters I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine and I really like the way you present all the inforBuying a mation related to various gadgets. budget tablet? The way you break down all the Return of the jargon is simply outstanding. I feature DISPLAY phones really liked the cover story of your SHOW June issue in which you simplified Wearable TIME Tech EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW all the jargon related to mobile ABOUT MOBILE Tested DISPLAYS displays. This will help readers to understand their devices better, and will also prepare them for what to buy next. All the difficult terminology was explained very well and the visual presentation was also a treat. I would like to express my appreciation for the effort of the team and would request them to do such kinds of stories again, as it helps the readers. – Sangeeta Sharma, Delhi www.mymobile.co.in

JUN 15 to JUL 14 2013  Rs 75

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

Here's what to keep in mind P 36

Mobile website for constant news updates. The website covers all the necessary information which one needs to know. I really like the comparison section where a user can easily compare different handsets. The magazine is an excellent read and the web portal is also a delight to visit. Keep up the good work. – Shalini Singh, Bihar

They are back, and smarter than before P 28

Gadgets that you can wear P 32

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

P 18

LG Nexus 4

The budget tablet market is heating up as more and more companies are introducing budget range tablets to woo the customers. But with so many companies and choices a user tends to get confused and ends up buying something which they do not really need. In this situation of pure dilemma, the budget tablet story in your magazine offered a good insight as to what features should be kept in mind while buying a budget tablet. The user can keep the checklist handy at the time of purchasing the tablet and can get decent value for money. – Parag Gupta, Jaipur I am a great fan of My Mobile magazine. I am a tech freak and love to read a lot about technology. I thank the My Mobile team for doing such wonderful stories. They are content rich and stuffed with ample amount of information. In the last issue of the magazine I really loved the story on wearable tech. It was a good read and I was amazed to read about the gadgets that it covered. Out of all the entries in the list I personally liked the circuit dress. I hope that it gets launched in India. And would also like to request the team to do more such innovative stories. – Meeta Mehra, Chandigarh

This Time, That YearAug 15-Sep 14, 2008 My Mobile,

Today, foreign mobile manufactures are getting tough competition from Indian brands, but this was not the case in 2008. At that time, international brands pretty much ruled the roost in the Indian market. Nokia was the reliable, solid brand, Sony was known for stylish build and excellent multimedia, Motorola was an enterprise favourite and Samsung was just making its presence felt. Indian manufacturers were few and far between. But, among those, one of the first to challenge the dominance of the big brands was Fly. The company forged a reputation for phones with good quality, exceptional features and affordable prices, and did well in both urban as well as rural India. But the major breakthrough for it came when it rolled out the E105. The device had a sleek design, came with a touchscreen, and also featured a 3.2-megapixel camera. It was all these that enabled it to become the Phone of the Month in the August 2008 issue of My Mobile, beating the likes of the Nokia E71, Motorola Rocker E8, Samsung Touchwiz, Sony Ericsson W760i and the BlackBerry 8830. It was a formidable competition but the E105 overcame it with a mix of quality, performance and value for money. We did not know it then, but it was paving the way for other Indian brands to make their mark in the market.

I have been reading My Mobile magazine for the last four years and I really like the stories that you cover in your magazine. All the sections are filled with a lot of information and are a delight to read. However, I personally like the Apptastic section a lot. The apps that you cover in that section are very interesting. The photo filter apps included in the last edition were amazing. Using those apps on the images gives a very pleasurable e the nd hav experience to an amateur photographer like me. a s e m n a drea ellpho n They transformed the images and gave them c i t y u e o k also azy ab atest ines? a very refreshing and different look. I would you cr pen a few l ews and can ds on the l you have it e r A request the team to include more such utility for n think ur han tial to apps in the sections. poten have a nose ve to lay yo em? If you u t th cra India’s V to – Umesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Do yo obile, o you our C d abou Just like every tech enthusiast, I also love reading My Mobile magazine. The entire tech action missed during a month can be updated by reading the magazine. Apart from the magazine I also visit the My

10 MYMOBILE august 2013

yM worl ush y ne? D headli and tell the g for you. R r name in M u n s o i gizmo e are look .in to see y w o , c . u e o l bi in y mymo ne. team@ bile magazi o best m

GL-5C

NEWS bits HANDSETS & MORE LG unveils new flagship, the LG Optimus G Pro Large screen smartphones are in vogue and seem to be a hit with consumers. And the latest large screen device comes from LG which has launched its flagship model the LG Optimus G Pro. The smartphone boasts a 5.5-inch multi-touch IPS display with 400ppi pixel density. The device runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 quad core processor. It comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB using a mircoSD card. It sports a 13.0-megapixel rear camera with flash and VR panorama mode and a 2.1-megapixel front facing Full HD camera. The connectivity features of the device include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared and NFC. It also houses a powerful 3,140 mAh battery. The Optimus G Pro also has features such as upgraded Q Slide, Live Zooming and Quick Memo. Other features in the smartphone include Q Remote, Audio Zoom, Video Wiz, and Magic Remote Pad. The company has priced the device at Rs 42,500.

Nokia officially launches the Nokia 301 Nokia has finally launched the Nokia 301, which was earlier announced at the Mobile World Congress 2013. The phone comes with dual SIM functionality and features Nokia’s Series 40 operating system. It comes with a 2.4-inch LCD display with a resolution of 320x240 pixels. It is a bar phone with an alphanumeric keypad. The Nokia 301 has a 3.2-meagpixel rear camera, which comes with ‘sequential shots’, which enables the user to take three to five pictures in a row. It also features Panorama and a selftimer mode along with other camera attributes. The device comes pre-loaded with the Nokia Xpress browser, which offers 90 per cent more data efficiency. It has 64MB RAM and its storage capacity can be increased up to 32GB using a microSD card. The phone supports 3G and has Bluetooth connectivity. It is available in various colours like Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Black and White. The Nokia 301 comes with a pre-installed UTV movies app which enables the user to watch movies through the app for free. The company has priced the device for Rs 5,349.

Micromax launches the all new Canvas 4 After enjoying considerable success with the Canvas 2 and Micromax Canvas HD, Micromax has launched its new flagship the Micromax Canvas 4. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, the new Canvas is also a dual SIM handset like the other Canvas series phones. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and consists of a 5-inch multi touch display with 720p resolution. The smartphones boasts of a 13.0megapixel rear camera with image sensor, face detection and full HD recording. There is also a 5.0-megapixel front facing camera to provide a good video calling experience. The device comes with 1GB RAM and 16GB internal storage which can be expanded further up to 32GB through a microSD card. It also houses a 2,000 mAh battery to keep it ticking over nicely. And of course it does not cost the earth - the company has priced the Canvas 4 at Rs 17,999.

12 MYMOBILE august 2013

Policy & Regulations Fingerprint registration necessary for buying new SIM card

The Home Ministry has directed the Department of Telecom (DoT) to make fingerprint registration mandatory for buying a new SIM card, as people are buying new SIM cards by submitting forged documents. The ministry has asked DoT to maintain a centralised database where the biometric entry of every new SIM card owner can be stored. The ministry further recommended linking the collected data with the National Intelligence Grid in order to keep it safe and secure. The Home Ministry’s suggestion is in response to the recurring use of SIM cards, acquired illegally, for criminal and terrorist activities. Despite regular reminders by the police, small retailers continue to treat the process of verification as a mere ceremony. A similar move had come last month from a telecom operator. Reliance Communications had announced that new SIM cards will be issued using Aadhar’s online authentication process, making it necessary for every customer to provide their Aadhar card number to get a SIM card. The operator is waiting for DoT’s guidelines before this can be rolled out.

TRAI to be given penalising powers The Government is thinking about granting more powers to the telecom and broadcasting regulator, TRAI. As per the proposals of Telecom Ministry, TRAI should be given penalising powers so it can fine service providers for violating rules and regulations. As of now, the regulator’s powers are restricted to reviewing and monitoring rates, services and the quality of services provided by operators. In the absence of penalising rights, the regulator can only chide a violator or take them to court. Recently, the regulator had to move to Delhi court against cable operators for not providing relevant details of set-top box subscribers to multi- system operators. In its latest performance indicator report of service providers, TRAI found that all major telecom operators were involved in billing disputes with consumers. The proposal will be sent to the Cabinet for approval after which it will be presented under the Telecom Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in the Parliament.

Successful spectrum auction needed In a first of its kind open house discussion, Assocham invited senior policy makers from the telecom sector including Secretary Department of Telecom (DoT), Director General COAI, Secretary General AUSPI to call attention to the issues faced by the telecom industry. The panel unanimously supported successful auction of spectrum and the need to have uniform guidelines on Electromagnetic Fields and settlement of tower related issues. They suggested bringing in an appellate model for settling penalty related disputes and advised the Ministry to practice discretion in penalising telecom operators. TV Ramachandran, Chairman, National Council on Telecom, Assocham highlighted the contribution of telecom sector to India’s GDP and credited it for generating more than 15 million jobs in the last 4 years. He also advised stakeholders to sit together and resolve litigation issues mutually. n

NEWS bits operators & tariffs Uninor awarded ‘Most promising telecom company’

Telecom operator Uninor has been named as ‘India’s Most Promising Telecom Company of the year 2013’. The award has been given to the company because of its path breaking innovations in the telecom sphere. The company is making excellent progress in product innovation, efficient IT and network outsourcing apart from providing best in class affordable services to the mass market in all its operating six circles namely UP (West), UP (East), Bihar (including Jharkhand), Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat . Yogesh Malik, CEO, Uninor said, “We are the youngest operator and are working hard to grow and become the strongest in our present circles. He also stated that the company’s main focus is to provide best services to the subscribers at affordable prices.”

Vodafone to pay Rs 4,000 crore to retain licences Vodafone the second largest telecom operator has offered to pay Rs 4,000 crore to preserve 2G spectrum licenses in three key cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Vodafone has written to the Telecom Secretary offering to pay Rs 4,000 crore as extension of its licences past November, 2013. The company filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against DoT’s rejection of Vodafone India’s applications for license extension in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata circles. It is further said that the company filed extension applications for the three metro circles with DoT in December 2012.

MTS rolls out ‘Always Talk’ plan Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), which operates under the brand name of MTS, has rolled out a new plan for its prepaid subscribers named ‘Always Talk.’ It will allow the customers to make unlimited MTS to MTS calls. Along with this the customers will also get an additional 1,000 minutes of free local calling on other networks. The customers of Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West) and West Bengal circles can benefit from the plan. Leonid Musatov, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer MTS India, said that the plan will allow the user to stay connected with their friends and family at an affordable price. He further said that this will also strengthen the “Best Value Promise” being offered to MTS customers.

14 MYMOBILE august 2013

Value Added Services/Applications/ Games Line, the free messenger app comes to India Instant messaging services are becoming a rage in India today, thanks to its low cost and ease of use. The Japan based Line Corporation is also cashing in on this opportunity, and has launched its messenger app in India, called ‘Line.’ The Line app has 180 million registered users in 230 countries, and sends 5 billion calls and messages every day. The app allows the users to make free calls, free chats and sticker chats and is available on both mobile devices and PCs. In mobile platforms it is available on iOS, Android, Nokia Asha, Windows Phone and BlackBerry and on the computer, it is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Line is also very popular for its sticker chats, which offers sticker characters from Disney, Kitty, Hello and Iron-Man. The company has plans to update the messenger with fresh sticker characters for Indian users.

Polaroid Polamatic app released on Google Play store After enjoying a lot of popularity on the iOS platform the Polaroid Polamatic app has been released on the Google Play store for Rs 59. The app allows users to add digital photo effects to their images and present them as Polaroid pictures using classic Polaroid frames. Users can tweak photos using any of the 36 Polaroid frames and 20 photo filters. They can also add captions, if they wish, in as many as 24 different font types. Polaroid claims, the Polaroid frames are not computer generated and are high quality scans of vintage and new Polaroid picture frames. Users can also capture pictures directly through the Polamatic app and the images will be saved in their personal Polamatic library in ultra-high resolution. They can access the images at any time, edit them if needed and if they so want, they can share them via Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Tumblr or personal e-mail. The Polamatic app is compatible with devices running Android 2.3 and above.

New voice recording app from Apple There are plenty of voice recording apps available in app stores around the world. They all are dedicated to recording voices whenever a user wants. Trust Apple to therefore put a spin on this and introduce a new voice recording app called Heard for iOS devices, which continuously records voices. After every five minutes, the recorded sound is automatically deleted. Running silently in the background, the new app constantly records every sound made around the phone and instead of stacking it in one long file keeps it in buffering. If a user wants to save something, they can go back to the buffered sound, choose the sound or conversation and save it. After saving it, the user can tag and even share it on Facebook right away. Heard is based on the same principles as TiVO and other DVRs. It has been launched as a freeware with 12 seconds of past recording. To get the full benefit of the app, users can get its premium version for $1.99 from the iTunes App Storen

just in Sony Xperia ZR The

budget heavy weight

ony seems to be betting heavily on the waterproof feature this year. After highlighting it in the Xperia Z and the Xperia Tablet Z, it now has launched yet another device that it claims is immune to the charms and harms of water. The Sony Xperia ZR is a smartphone that sports a 4.5inch TFT capacitive display with 1280x720 pixels resolution - the display is powered by the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 2 and is shatter proof and scratch resistant too. The smartphone runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad core processor. It comes equipped with a 13.0-megapixel autofocus rear shooter with LED flash and a VGA secondary camera for video calling and self portraits. On the memory front, it comes with 2GB RAM and 8GB inbuilt storage which can be further expanded to 32GB via microSD card. 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC are the connectivity options available, and ensuring that all this keeps working smoothly is a 2,300 mAh battery. The Xperia ZR is available for Rs 29,990. n

Nokia Asha 501

A new ray of hope for Nokia

ts Lumia range might be grabbing more headlines, but that does not mean that Nokia has forgotten its low-end devices. Indeed, if anything, the company has breathed new life into its affordable device segment, with the Asha series. And the Asha 501 is its flagship devices. The phone runs on the latest Nokia Asha platform 1.0 and comes with dual SIM functionality, a 3-inch TFT capacitive display with 240x320 pixels resolution, and a 3.0megapixel rear camera. Nokia has also bundled a lot of apps like CNN, ESPN, Facebook, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz and Twitter along with the device, and the phone comes with Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Xpress browser, which compresses internet data by 90 per cent and improves the browsing experience. There is 64MB RAM and storage can be expanded to

16 MYMOBILE august 2013

32GB, as well as a bevy of connectivity options including GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. One of the core strengths of the Asha 501 is its compact and snazzy design - it is available in six colour options: Red, Cyan, Black, White, Yellow and Green. With a price tag of Rs 5,199, we can see this device having lots of takers. n team@mymobile.co.in

sneak peek BlackBerry Q5

A youthful new Blackberry

lackBerry is trying hard to get back to where it once belonged in the smartphone market. And after its twin salvo of high-end devices - the Q10 and Z10 - earlier this year, there now comes the relatively moderately priced Q5. Like its predecessors, the Q5 will also be running on the new BlackBerry 10 operating system which is upgradable to 10.1. It comes with a 3.1-inch IPS LCD display of 720x720 pixels resolution. And below this display is the now iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keypad. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and comes equipped with 2GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB using the microSD card. The BlackBerry Q5 boasts of a 5.0-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera. The connectivity attributes of the device include 3G, EDGE, GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC. Along with all this, it houses a powerful non- removable 2,180 mAh battery. All of which makes it a bit like a watered down version of the Q10, but still very potent indeed. The company has not yet disclosed the price of the device but it is expected to cost in the vicinity of Rs 25,000.n

Nvidia Shield Android gaming console

aming consoles and mobile platforms have made for uneasy partners, with the exception of the Nintendo DS. Well, that has not deterred NVIDIA form trying its hand in the mobile gaming console field with its console named Shield. First announced in CES 2013, the Android-powered console comes with a 5.0-inch 720p flip-up screen attached to a gamepad. The console supports HD graphics and can be connected to any HD display, letting users enjoy games on the large screen as well. Powering the device is the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad core processor, which the company claims to be among the fastest around, backed up by 2GB RAM. The NVIDIA Shield also has 16GB of flash memory and comes with integrated stereo speakers with in-built microphone to deliver great sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, as well as Mini-HDMI and Micro USB 2.0 connectivity. We have no idea as yet as to what the console will cost but it is expected soon in the country. n team@mymobile.co.in

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lead story

Chipping Away Merrily If the CPU is the brain of a mobile phone, then the motherboard is its nervous system. It not only connects all parts of the phone together but makes sure they work efficiently and do their job well. We take a look at what the future has in store for this important component Sulabh Puri & Abhijit Ahaskar 20 MYMOBILE august 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

t may not make as many headlines as the display, camera or processor, but one of the most important components of a phone is its motherboard, also known as its mainboard and in some cases the chipset. Companies have put in thousands of hours in the lab to develop the current generation of chipsets that so many of us take for granted in our devices - and yet these chipsets are responsible for the day to day calling, data and entertainment features that the users get from their smartphones and tablets. The evolution in smartphone mainboards has been a rapid process, if we compare it to that in computers. In fact, the current generation of smartphones can solve complex algorithms as fast as a netbook or a PC. With quadcore CPUs becoming a rage, one can play graphichungry games, run heavy applications, and even edit videos and pictures on the go on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handset. It would not be incorrect, in fact, to say that the new generation of chipsets has transformed phones into mini computers. They not only keep the rest of the machinery in sync with each other but make sure the users get optimum performance. And this is just the beginning - chipset innovation seems set to continue for a while.

august 2013 MYMOBILE 21

lead story Spurring the smartphone revolution

and display in the world is of little use unless backed up by a good chipset.

About half a dozen years ago, feature phones ruled the market and innovation was relatively limited - colour phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity was considered cutting edge. That changed with the arrival of iPhone, followed by Android and today mobile phones and tablets are extremely versatile devices that people depend on for just about everything - they have become as much computers as phones. The smartphone era has also seen the rise and importance of phone hardware. People have now started to talk in terms of display resolution, processor speeds and cores, RAM and so much more. The motherboard has not quite gained as much attention as it merits but any specialist in the mobility field will tell you that even the best processor

Boosting graphics, battery, and changing the world

22 MYMOBILE august 2013

Graphic hungry games like Shadowgun which require multi-shaders and texture enhancers to play can now be played on high-end handsets, and one can now even watch - and edit - full high definition (full HD) movies on both smartphones and tablets - something that was unthinkable a few years ago. And as chipsets improve, 4K graphics, also known as ultraHD, will also make their way to our mobile devices. Of course, all this work does drain the battery of the device a fair bit, and, while people might complain about the battery lives of their devices these days, they forget that they are doing so much more on them than in the past.

Tim McDonough, vice president, Marketing at Qualcomm, says that at Qualcomm the engineers are well aware of the importance of battery life and it has to be extended. The current generation of chips from Qualcomm and NVIDIA attempt to manage performance and battery life so that the users can keep their phones going for as long as possible without compromising on performance. Yes, batteries have become larger, but what not too many know, that the machinery using them inside a device is more efficient in the past. And once again credit for this goes to the chipset. The current generation of chipsets, therefore not only ensures that your phone performs up to potential, but also delivers great graphics while optimising battery life. There is also the matter of connectivity. The addition of the HDMI port lets the users connect their smartphones to any HDTV, 3G and 4G networks enable the phone to interact with cloud servers and backup photos, movies and important data in a jiffy. In fact, some phones can even act as second screens when connected to consoles or televisions. And no prizes for guessing the component that is at the heart of all this innovation. Yes, the chipset.

This is how a mobile phone looks from inside

www.mymobile.co.in Network controller

CPU controller

Display controller

Flash controller Light controller SiIM controller mic controller

Keypad controller

Camera controller

MMC controller

Handsfree controller

USB controller

FM radio controller

Bluetooth controller

august 2013 MYMOBILE 23

lead story

Jargon-busting: Chipset Talk L

ike all technologies, chipsets too have their own distinct terminology which can be understood by the tech crowd but goes right over the heads of the common user. Here’s our attempt at simplifying some terms generally associated with chipsets. CDMA CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. Multiple Access reflects its capability to send multiple signals over a single communication channel. The technology which makes this possible is Spread Spectrum Technique, which spreads the bandwidth uniformly allowing every channel to use the full available spectrum instead of passing on a specific frequency to each user. This allows more subscribers to connect at the same time, and is possible because Spread Spectrum uses a transmission bandwidth of higher magnitude. This is why it was initially used in the Second World War for mili-

tary communications. GSM GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications is an open digital cellular service that uses the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technique, which allows eight simultaneous calls on the same frequency. This technology is handset independent and allows users to switch mobile handsets frequently by moving the SIM card. GSM operates on 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and 1900MHz frequency bands. Mobile phones that support all four bands are called quad band. 70 per cent of the world’s population is using GSM services. NFC Near Field Communication is a short range wireless technology which is used to transfer data from device to device if they are in the range of 10cms from each other, without the need to pair them, as in Bluetooth. File transfer via NFC goes upto 424 Kbit/s, and is based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and operates at 13.56 MHz air interface. Since NFC works over a small range, it is considered safe. It is increasingly being used in mobile phones for sharing digital data, monetary transactions and for mobile based access control. mAh Often mentioned alongside a mobile phone battery, mAh or Milliamps Hour is the unit which determines the strength and capacity of a battery. Basically mAh is the thousandth part of an ampere and stands for how

24 MYMOBILE august 2013

much electrical charge a particular battery has. mAh varies from battery to battery. A NiMh battery even with lower mAh can last longer than an alkaline battery with higher mAh. Wi-Fi The term Wi-Fi is the common term for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) 802.11 standards. It uses radio waves to allow high-speed data transfer over short distances. It uses the Spread Spectrum Technique to break signals and transmit them over multiple frequencies allowing many devices to use the same wireless network. The Wi-Fi allows local area networks to function without cables and wiring, making it a popular choice for home and business networks. Flash memory It is a non-volatile memory that can be erased and re-programmed. It provides storage for the mobile phone OS, apps, contacts, messages and other audio and video files. It is called flash because it is structured to support erasing files in a flash or instant action. It is cheap, compact, and durable and also consumes less power which is why it is widely used in portable devices including mobile phones. There are two sorts of flash memory- NAND and NOR, and both are used in mobile phones. Accelerometer Most of the modern day touch-based phones change orientation automatically. The Accelerometer is the reason why. It allows a mobile phone to identify its gravitational position, allowing the handset to automatically change the display orientation from landscape to portrait and vice versa, depending on how you are holding it. The accelerometer also helps in detecting rotation and motion gestures like swing and shake.

www.mymobile.co.in

Mobile Phones of the Future M

obile phones are changing every day. They are getting thinner, larger and more powerful, and are handling an increasing number of tasks - so much so that today many people feel that they can leave their notebooks and cameras at home for a while if they take their handsets along. This would not have been possible without advancements in mobile chipsets, which have come a long way. Today’s mobile chipsets offer more features than their predecessors, in spite of actually being much smaller in size. And they will continue to revolutionise handsets as we know them if the following prototypes are any indication of what the future has in store:

Flexible screens Imagine a mobile phone with a foldable display that you can roll or fold from anywhere you like. It might not be available commercially yet but a prototype with a similar concept has been seen- Samsung’s Youm being the latest. It comes with a flexible panel made of some plastic material and has a shatterproof OLED display, unlike glass based AMOLED displays, which makes the device lighter and razor like thin. Nokia also developed a flexible mobile phone model named Morph that can be flexed into four different forms. And Kyocera has been talking about a folding handset concept with OLED display that could be folded like a wallet or purse. The earphone as phone This prototype pretty much redefines

“razor thin” in handsets. Called Kambala Mobile, it comes with the earphone clip right in the middle of an ultra-thin handset, somewhere around the keyboard and upon being pushed backwards, the clip would pop out. This clip can be inserted into one’s ear and voila your handset becomes a headphone. As it is thin, it is not heavy. Kambala is still a concept and has a colour display and a keyboard. The device is made up of multi-layered polymer which holds its electronic components and the screen together. Wear your phone Can you wear a phone? And we are not talking about smart watches but proper phones on your wrist. The

bracelet mobile phone lets you do that. In contrast to the Nike Fuel band or the BT watches, it will not need to pair to a phone, but would actually be a fullfledged mobile phone right on your wrist. LG was the first brand to conceptualise a mobile phone made to look like a bracelet. They call it Helix and it could be practically worn on one’s wrist like a watch. Helix came with flexible circuits, had a touch-screen display and was made out of rubber and black stainless steel. The handset was attached to the belt through a magnetic charger. Another bracelet handset is the Yuxa. Made from plant fibres and biodegradable plastic, it has an OLED display running across the strap. To use the phone, one had to

take the bracelet off and uncurl it. Philips also designed a similar unit called Philip Fluid smartphone, which is flat, has an OLED display and can be worn on the wrist like a flat band. Phone like a butterfly... LG organised a contest called Design the future, inviting participants to come up with concept designs for future mobile phones. One of the concepts that bagged an award was Flutter, a butterfly-shaped mobile phone that looks sleek when closed with a numeric keyboard and a LG button below it. Once you press the LG logo, Flutter opens like the wings of a butterfly and an OLED based display with an iPhone like interface shows up in the middle. sulabh@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 25

chief speak

“We have a very potent product pipeline” It is one of India’s fastest growing mobile phone brands with a customer base running into millions. What’s more, it is very much part of the new breed of Indian brands that are taking on their better known international counterparts by offering the consumer well configured devices at relatively low prices. But how well is this approach paying off? We met TM Ramakrishnan, CEO, Devices, S Mobility Ltd, to pick his mind on this and a number of other issues affecting both the company and indeed the mobile phone industry Sulabh Puri

26 MYMOBILE august 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

more affordable, the growth in the segment has almost With competition increasing by the day, the Indian doubled. The feature phones segment seems to be losing mobile market is packed with players, plans and steam but has not de-grown. devices. How is Spice Mobile coping with all this? At Spice, we believe in innovation. We have been ‘category What is the strategy of Spice for India and how succreators’ in the market by launching several firsts includcessful has it been? S Mobility has brought its focus to ing dual SIM phones across GSM, CDMA, Tri-band and Android handsets during the past year. Combined with touchscreen PDA and smart devices on the Android this focus on value added phones, we have also striven to platform. S Mobility also became the first company in concentrate our energies on premium products. Taking the country to introduce a 12.0-megapixel camera phone into account the varied demographics and the sociowith optical zoom. We are a mobile internet company economic categories of the country, we are placing our and our products are specifically created to cater to the products in all the price segments catering to the needs needs of a digital lifestyle. Having won the prestigious Golden Peacock Award twice, we have continuously been of the consumer. From Rs 900 to Rs 15,000 - we have products at each price point within innovating in the devices category this price segment. The products which includes the first ever smart- We have seen a healthy range from basic feature phones phone with a 5.0-megapixel front growth in demand to touch phones to smartphones. camera with wide-angle. We once for our tablets. We are making giant strides in the again broke the barrier by bringing smartphones category. The tremenin the Spice Coolpad Mi 515 which We established an dous response we have received for is the first ever 5.0-inch quad core industry benchmark by our products has encouraged us to smartphone under Rs.10,000. We keep innovating and setting industry offer the best in technology devices introducing the most benchmarks. and are confident of continuing powerful battery with with the good work. our Stellar Pad Mi 1010. Will we see Spice coming out The tablet had a 7,600 with devices on other operating How do you see the rural populasystems as well, besides Android? tion adapting to the smartphone mAh battery and its Technology is ever-changing. We culture? How are you planning performance was well strive to bring the best user experito tackle Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns? ence to our customers. As and when We see a fair amount of acceptance appreciated there is a demand in the market, we for smartphones in the rural marwill be open to partnering with other operating systems kets. This segment is very price conscious. At the same as well. time switching to a smartphone from feature phones witnesses some amount of resistance due to change How do you see 4G playing out? Any smartphones in usability. Nevertheless, it is growing strongly. from Spice which are 4G ready? We are still in the Our main focus will be on the top 40 cities which initial stages. contribute around 75 per cent of our smartphone sales across India. Our Stellar Pinnacle and Spice Does Spice plan to bring new tablets to the market? If Coolpad series of smartphones have been highly so, what price range and configurations are you keen appreciated and well received by the market. In on? Definitely. Our tablets have been well received in the the future too, we will keep coming out with recent past. We have seen a healthy growth in demand new products to provide what’s desired and for our tablets. We established an industry benchmark by what’s needed by the customers. We have a introducing the most powerful battery with our Stellar terrific product pipeline and are confident Pad Mi 1010. The tablet had a 7,600 mAh battery and its of making a big impact in the market. performance was well appreciated. We have sold close to 30,000 tablets till now. Going ahead, 7.0-inch screen tabHow has been the growth of smartlets with quad core processors along with 3G and video phones, especially when compared calling and SIM car support will be in high demand. The to feature phones? The last fiscal price range should be between Rs.7,000 to Rs.8,000. saw the emergence of the Phablet category as the smartphone What is Spice looking to achieve in 2013-14? We have a segment grew manifold. The very potent product pipeline and will be aggressive on Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000 price catthe marketing front as well. We are confident of gainegory has seen the maximum growth. There’s been a growth ing a considerable share of the devices market and are aiming at a 5.5 per cent market share of the smartphone in the number of 3G handsets segment. The overall target of the company is to sell 10 within this price range as million handsets in the current fiscal, including 8 million compared to the last fiscal. 2G handsets from domestic sales.n Also, with smartphones getting more and sulabh@mymobile.co.in

august 2013 MYMOBILE 27

fa c e t o fa c e

“We want to change the rules of tech support in India” As his company strives towards making its presence felt in the very competitive Indian market, Rohit Chaudhary, Founder & CEO, eTechies.in speaks to us about the challenges they face and their plans for the market Team My Mobile To begin at the beginning: what is eTechies. is driven more by lifestyle, development index in? eTechies is India’s first and only professional doorstep and online ‘Service and Repair’ provider that operates in the space of Tech (-nical/-nology) support for consumer and small business. It provides instant service, repair and support at the doorstep or remotely over the internet with capabilities to handle computing devices ranging from PCs, laptops, Macs, servers, iPads, tablets, mobiles and smartphones. Launched in April, 2010, eTechies started with a simple idea of offering users in India with dependable technical support and quality repair service, backed by a knowledgeable and certified team of resources; serving online and at the doorstep. Residential, SMB and the small office home office (SOHO) segment respectively is our target. You have presence in Tier-1 cities. Any plans to launch services in Tier-2 and 3 cities? We have an extremely aggressive outlook to expand our business by offering value added services to our growing user base in the current fiscal. With our current expansion spree, we should be present in the top 40 cities of India by end of this year. eTechies.in is already offering Pan-India online and remote technical support to all its users. Be it a software glitch, mail problem or a hardware repair, users can access the services of eTechies.in by either calling a dedicated phone number or signing up online. The online and phone support services team work all days of the year. If we compare the Indian market to the global one, what are the differences you have observed? The user behaviour in the developed markets like the US, Canada, Australia and countries within Western Europe

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and above all factors like cost to repair vis-à-vis replace, and labour arbitrage. In these markets, the technology adoption and evolution is better and swifter as a result of superior infrastructure development. This is what we found missing in India - low awareness and unavailability of an organised and efficient player for the Indian market. Most of the users and their technical requirements till about 2010 were being serviced by the unorganised sector. This means that after the mandatory built-in warranty on the user’s laptop or desktop computer runs out, the best bet is to either look up the Yellow Pages for a repair shop down the street or send your piece to the original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) service centre, both being extremely costly propositions. The former of the above is usually an unsafe and unreliable option, while the latter is additionally time consuming. Most OEM warranties only last a year and even they don’t cover accidental damages. What is your total number of registered users? In our three-year journey we have serviced over 5,00,000 customer queries, with over 75,000 customers registered with eTechies services. Our targets for fiscal 2014 is to have over 5,00,000 customers registered under various regular and extended warranty service plans. Any growth plans for the Indian market? With operations in six cities, we are focusing on expanding to the top 40 cities of India by the end of the current year. We are also extending our bouquet of offerings by Extended Warranty Care packs. These packs will cover repair and support for technical devices, be it an electrical or mechanical glitch, even after the manufacturer’s warranty is over for the next one year. We want to change the rules of tech support in India. We have created state-of-the-art service centres with L4 repair capabilities. Additionally, having completed more than 50,000 remotesupport sessions, eTechies is positioned to establish itself as a blended end–end branded, dependable digital devices technical support and repair service to all its users’ pan-India. n team@mymobile.co.in

fa c e t o fa c e

“A five inch screen adds a lot in improving user experience” When it comes to handsets, there are not too many companies that know more about the business than Sunstrike International, a company that handles not only the trading and distribution of handsets, but also has its own range of devices under the Rage and OptimaSmart brandname. We met Paramjot Singh, Global MD, Sunstrike International, to pick his brains about the handset market Mukesh Kumar Singh

You have been in the Indian market for a while now. What trends do you see emerging? The Indian market is not only price sensitive but also price dynamic. As of now, the trend is towards smartphones and the urban market is accepting Indian brands. Although feature phones are also selling, but it is more in rural markets, tier 2 and tier 3 cities. What counts most to consumers is the look and feel of the phone. One more important factor which is becoming decisive, is connectivity- mails, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp- all these have become a must in mobile phones. You have recently launched a 5.0-inch display device. What factors are driving the companies to offer such large-screen products? A 5-inch screen adds a lot in improving user experience - it facilitates mailing, typing and watching videos. As a key player of the market, launching a 5.0-inch screen device has been an incredible step up for us. How big is the smartphone market in India and what is your share in it? It is really difficult to comprehend and bit unfair to map our share in the market like India, which has most intricate pattern of consumer behaviour and sales, and is flooded with all international brands. We might not be having as good a

30 MYMOBILE august 2013

share of smartphone market in urban areas as multinational brands, but we are actually doing very well in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, which themselves account for a huge market. And with our newer range and increasing consumer acceptability, we are slowly picking up the pace in urban market also. There is a lot of emphasis on accessories these days. Do you also focus on accessories you give with your device? With purposes and functions of phones rising from being just a calling device to actually computer like usage, it is hard to sustain batteries for long. This has given way to accessories in the mobile market, and lately they have become an important factor to entice the consumers. Considering the importance of energy, we have also launched ‘power bank’. How do you see the tablet market in India? What new developments are driving the market? Many people assume tablets would take over laptops, I do not see this happening as both have very distinct target markets. While laptops are more into professional use, tablets in Indian market are more into educational and ‘work on the go’ purposes. Indian tablets are making their way to the middle class families, who think that it would be a better idea to provide their children with a tablet worth rupees five thousand, which would cater to their educational and recreational needs with almost equal efficacy as a twenty five thousand computer. Tablets are also quickly gaining popularity among

house wives and those who are more into field work. These days, big companies are also providing tablets to their representatives who visit homes; this trend is becoming instrumental in upgrading their consumer service. As of now these trends are driving the entire Tablet market in the country and persuading companies to tailor their products and promotional campaigns, accordingly. What new innovation and products can we expect from you this year? Industry is already shifting towards, multi-core CPU, bigger and high resolution screen, better camera, even up to 13 MP camera. Catching up with the market trend we are launching an innovative product called ‘LapTab’. LapTab is a unique device in which a Bluetooth keyboard is attached with tablet and both are made for each other. This is specially designed for those who find it difficult to type on tabs. Are you roping in to sign any Bollywood superstar or cricketer for brand endorsement? Celebrity endorsement is quite in vogue these days. We have been talking to people and are in process of roping in a relevant face for our product. Our target market is from 17-35 years, youth, college goers, freshers in jobs who do not have big salaries and those who want smart phones and Tabs as an add-on in their connectivity tools. We do not consider taking on board someone who is not pertinent to our market positioning. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

Spotlight

The Quad-Core Quartet O

nce components that were taken for granted and seldom talked about, processors today occupy centrestage in the smartphone world. Last year, dual-core processors were all the rage but things have changed fast. Quad-core handsets are now starting to arrive in force and are creating a lot of buzz. And just like their dual core predecessors, they started out in high-end devices but have now gone increasingly mainstream (as we go to print, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a smartphone with a quad-core processor available for less than Rs 10,000). But are all quad core processor driven smartphones the same in terms of performance? We tested out four devices powered by quad-core processors at different price points â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Sony Xperia Z, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the LG Nexus 4 and the Micromax Canvas HD - to see which made the most of its quad core innards.

skins. But, Samsung and Sony were not far behind.

Gaming

HD Videos

Until a few years ago, gaming was strictly computer and console territory, but with the advent of smartphones, things have changed. We downloaded some heavyweight games like Dead Trigger, Real Racing 3, and Iron Man 3 (The Official Game) on to the devices. All four devices fared very well in this category, though we found Micromax Canvas HD struggling a few times and surprisingly the Samsung Galaxy S4 lagging just a bit while playing Iron Man 3.

This is an out and out a fight between the two giants Sony and Samsung, both with 441 PPI screen density while the LG Nexus 4 is pretty vanilla when it comes to multimedia department much like the Micromax Canvas HD. While the results from both devices were excellent, we would award the palm to the Sony Xperia Z simply because of a richer native display performance (as per our tests) and under thesSun visibility. The LG Nexus 4 and Micromax Canvas HD are reduced to bystander status in this department, even though they are good performers.

also calculated the boot time for the devices and it was the LG Nexus 4 that won again - the Micromax Canvas HD took 35 seconds, the Samsung Galaxy S4 took 23 seconds, the Sony Xperia Z took 20 seconds while the Nexus 4 took 15-18 seconds to boot.

Rank | 1. Sony Xperia Z | 2. Samsung Galaxy S4| 3. LG Nexus 4 | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

Rank | 1. LG Nexus 4 | 2. Sony Xperia Z | 3. Samsung Galaxy S4 | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

Performance

Benchmarks

Rank | 1. Sony Xperia Z | 2. LG Nexus 4 | 3.Samsung Galaxy S4 | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

Multitasking We would call this the mother of all smartphone battles as all the four devices come packed with super specs. Speaking purely from the aspect of multitasking, the Nexus 4, the Xperia Z and the S4 were all neck and neck, while the Micromax Canvas HD did not quite come up to the same level and did lag more times when running multiple apps. We found the LG Nexus 4 the fastest, perhaps because it ran pure vanilla Android, unhindered by any

32 MYMOBILE august 2013

Rank | 1. LG Nexus 4 | 2. Samsung Galaxy S4 | 3. Sony Xperia Z | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

Web Browsing

The era of using the default browser to browse the web on your handset is very much passe in Android, with people increasingly downloading third party apps for the purpose. We also downloaded some popular browsers like Chrome, UC Browser, and Firefox for the smartphones. And this was again a close contest - if we had to pick a winner, then we think that the LG Nexus 4 wins, with the Galaxy S4 again coming very close. Rank | 1. LG Nexus 4 | 2. Samsung Galaxy S4 | 3. Sony Xperia Z | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

We downloaded a video editing app from Google Play Store to see how the devices handled it. The Micromax Canvas HD was inconsistent, hanging a few times. The Samsung Galaxy S4 also lagged a few times when we edited videos on the device, but the Nexus 4 and Sony Xperia Z managed this quite well. We

We subjected all devices to the Quadrant and AnTuTu benchmarks which can be downloaded from Google Play for free. The benchmark evaluates the CPU, memory, I/O, and 3D graphics of Android devices. And it is here that the Galaxy S4 goes screaming ahead of the opposition, with the most in both the tests. No one

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It is raining quad-core processor driven smartphones in the market. Be your budget Rs 15,000 or Rs 45,000, you can purchase a quad-core phone. But how much difference does the processor actually make to the overall performance of a phone? We took four high profile quad-core processor smartphones for a test drive to find out Ketan Pratap

was even close to it. Rank | 1. Samsung Galaxy S4 | 2. LG Nexus 4 | 3. Sony Xperia Z | 4. Micromax Canvas HD

Battery When it comes to battery life, the Nexus 4 fares the worst of the lot. The Galaxy S4 doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffer quite the same fate, with the phone being able to last through a day and more without much worry thanks to the 2,600 mAh battery. The Micromax Canvas HD also performs relatively well in this category lasting for more than a day of tweeting, e-mailing,

reading books and playing games. However, the Xperia Z surprised us being the best in this department, going past a day with juice to spare. Rank | 1. Sony Xperia Z | 2. Micromax Canvas HD | 3. Samsung Galaxy S4 | 4. LG Nexus 4

Final word So. who comes out on top of the quad-core processor phone battle? Well, if our parameters were all that mattered, the Nexus 4 and the Xperia Z win three apiece. But geeks will point out that the Galaxy S4 comes home by a mile in the benchmarks, and the value for money

crowd will stress that while the Canvas HD won no category, the very fact that it competed against devices that cost much more than it did shows what it is capable of. In the end, as always, it depends on your needs. Spec monster seekers will love the Samsung Galaxy S4, multimedia fans will hark to the Sony Xperia Z, those wanting a speedy, no-frills Android experience will love the LG Nexus 4, while those seeking a good Android device on a tight budget could not do better than the Micromax Canvas HD. The quad core era hath truly arrived and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something for everyone. ketan@mymobile.co.in

august 2013 MYMOBILE 33

fa c e t o fa c e

“Tier II-Tier III cities are the prime market for our business” Zync has now completed a year in India. How has been the journey so far? It has been a prolific journey with a lot of excitement with the company launching various products catering to the masses, with innovation at the helm for every product. We were the first company to bring out a tablet on the ICS 4.0 platform. We are also investing a lot on research and development, inventory and supply chain management to develop products that are par excellence and which do not burn a hole in the consumer’s pocket. All our products are priced below the sub 15,000 range and we believe in giving a value-add to all our customers. We have more than 400 service centres in key cities in India and a strong distributor network

The tablet market in India is growing by leaps and bounds with a number of players making their presence felt and even taking on well established brands. One of these is Zync Global. We met Ashish Garg, Director, Zync Global to talk about the Indian tablet market and his company’s strategy in this regard Team My Mobile in India. Most of our revenues come from the Tier II- Tier III cities and we see these as the prime market for our business. The tablet market is growing very fast in India. What have been the key drivers behind this growth? Since the invention of the Apple iPad, the tablet market has seen exponential growth in India. Newer models are being released in India every day which have caught the imagination of the consumers especially the youngsters. Because tablets offer an intuitive UI, portability and instant access to digital content, they have become the ultimate all-in-one consumption device. The tablet’s core value proposition is that there is ‘something for everybody’ needs to be optimally exploited by the various

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players for the Indian market. The key growth drivers for the tablet market are affordability, utility, user-experience and aspirational value. The Indian tablet market has a number of players offering good product deals. How do you propose to take them on? The last two years have seen a lot of players jumping on to the bandwagon in the tablet space. However, our brand is well poised to meet the growing demand from consumers. We are well entrenched with the latest technological developments, thus providing a better consumer experience at affordable prices. We are currently maintaining 7-8 products in our line-up and continually evolving with changing tastes and preferences of people. Zync as of today has sold 6,50,000 units and given the potential for 3G-enabled tablet PCs, is expecting sales of half a million devices this fiscal. Going forward, we aim to sell at least 1, 00,000 units every month. How do you ensure fast and efficient after sales service to your consumers? Zync has tied up with a renowned service provider which has more than 400 service centres. We have invested heavily in customer care centre and tech support. The company will invest 150 crore this year towards research and development, inventory and supply chain management. What are your investment plans for strengthening your retail network in India? Any innovations in retail can we expect from Zync in the coming days? We are targeting a Rs 300 crore turnover this year. We are also planning on increasing our reach to 28 states with our distribution network. We have marketing tie ups with retail brands like Promart and Bharti Walmart to sell our products. The distribution network too will undergo a revamp in terms of reaching out to the right masses across the country. We intend to increase our sales points across the nation and go overseas. We have already set up base in the Indian subcontinent in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and in other areas like the Middle East, Egypt, Kuwait, Nigeria and UAE. As our next stepping stone, we plan to export our tablet PCs to countries like Africa, Latin America, and Jordan. n team@mymobile.co.in

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“The Indian VAS market is maturing” Depending on the person you speak to, it is either boom or bust time for the VAS market in India. So you can imagine how intrigued we were to meet Sumesh Menon, Co-Founder and CEO, U2opia Mobile, one of the leading players not just in this segment but also in mobile applications, and pick his brains on the direction in which both the market and his company were headed Mukesh Kumar Singh Tell us a bit about U2opia Mobile. U2opia Mobile is a mobile applications company that provides solutions for all ends of the handset spectrum – from basic, to feature to smartphones. We work with 40 of the world’s largest mobile operators, spread over 20 countries, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.

markets for Facebook for USSD and as a matter of fact, we are growing faster today than we were at this time last year, despite the increasing spread of smartphones. Given the infrastructural and connectivity challenges in the Indian market, we don’t foresee the relevance of this solution diminishing significantly in the next few years.

What is your opinion about the VAS market in India? The Indian VAS market is maturing and as it makes this transition, the focus is increasingly homing in on developing better products which will result in consumer pull and fuel a high-growth equilibrium. This evolution will be as beneficial for the telecom operators as it will be for the content/platform providers.

With whom have you tied up in India in order to promote this service? We partner some of the largest mobile operators in India, including Airtel, Tata Docomo, Aircel, Idea, Uninor, Loop, Videocon and Reliance.

Tell us about the Facebook USSD service. How can a consumer use this? Facebook for USSD enables the user to access Facebook on any mobile, without an Internet connection, over a textual interface. The user needn’t invest in expensive data plans or high-end handsets to avail of this service. Users in 20 countries across the world are currently accessing Facebook via our service. What will be the charges of this service? How is it beneficial for the consumers? The charges for the service vary from daily, weekly to monthly plans, depending on the operator. It is beneficial for the users since it provides them ubiquitous access to Facebook, in six global languages, irrespective of whether they have an active mobile internet plan. The language options include French, Spanish and Arabic. As the smartphone market expands in India and data connection plans get affordable, do you think something like USSD will be successful in India? India is one of our largest

Now for some statistics, what is the size of your registered consumer base? The spread of our services has been fairly viral in every country that we have launched and we are adding close to a half million users a month. What new apps can we expect from U2opia Mobile in the near future? We are in the process of developing smartphone apps which will enable more intuitive and customised access to social media for the consumer. In addition, we are developing a suite of constellation services around Facebook for USSD to provide increased engagement and relevance to our users. n mukesh@mymobile. co.in

august 2013 MYMOBILE 35

Spotlight

iOS-The Seventh

Wave

It is perhaps the most radical overhaul of one of the world’s most revolutionary mobile operating systems. But can iOS 7 live up to the expectations of the Apple faithful? Nimish Dubey

t has been around for more than half a decade now in more or less its original form. And although its - albeit under a different name - totally redefined how we used mobile phones, even its most ardent fans had been complaining about the monotony. So not too many were surprised when Apple finally decided that it was time to give its iconic iOS mobile operating system perhaps its most radical makeover in terms of appearance.

It looks...different There can be no doubting it - iOS 7 looks nothing like its predecessors. If anything, it makes its predecessors look clunky in comparison. The new OS comes with a far more Spartan and minimalistic look, with a lot of bars and buttons being removed, and fonts being tweaked. The

result is an OS that looks incredibly clean and smooth, with more white space than we have noticed in the past. Some might think that it looks a bit dull and even a trifle hazy at times (thanks to the translucence effect in some apps), but we think it is the smartest we have seen on a handset for a while. Of course, all the beauty in the world would be of little use in an OS if not backed up by some substance. And Apple has thrown in a host of new features in iOS 7. The Control Center is perhaps the most dramatic of these, allowing users to access a number of tweaks like brightness, volume and connectivity options by just swiping upwards. There have also been significant improvements made to Siri, the voice assistant, which many feel might be able to work totally offline henceforth. Safari has been given

a makeover with a cleaner, less cluttered look and Apple has now made its move into the online radio business with iTunes Radio. The camera app gets new filters, notifications and multi-tasking get a boost and then there’s AirDrop which lets you share a photo or a document by just tapping a key (it happens over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and needs no set up!). And of course, rumour is rife that the much-maligned Apple Maps might finally become usable.

But is this enough? The big question of course is going to be whether all these features will be enough for iOS to maintain its reputation as being the most innovative mobile OS around. Well, while cynics have pointed out that the new OS seems to have taken a lot of pages out of Android’s book, what cannot be denied is that iOS’ biggest edge over its rivals has been the fact that it runs on hardware developed by the same company that makes it. What we can say for sure is that iOS 7 will mark a new chapter when it comes to appearance in the history of iOS. Whether fans will love the new features only time will tell. Look out for a detailed review when we get it on our iPhones and iPads in the coming days. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

36 MYMOBILE august 2013

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

cell clues

Mobile Apps:

Safe for Shopping? As our handsets become increasingly versatile, a number of us are even using them for shopping, just as we do on our computers. But how safe is shopping on your handset, given all the talk of vulnerabilities and malware? We take a closer look Abhijit Ahaskar

ooking a movie ticket on PVR pictures, a rail ticket on IRCTC or transferring money into somebody’s account does not require a computer any more. Nor does it require opening a bulky bandwidth intensive website (although many people still do that). Today, a number of people simply prefer doing such tasks on their handset. The average mobile phone is no longer just a SMS and calling device - it has more processing power and memory than computers of yesteryears and with the wide range of apps and services available along with a seamless broadband connection, can be used like computers. But while no one can doubt the effectiveness of mobile phones in doing these tasks, what cannot be denied also is that handsets today face as many - if not more - security threats than computers did in the past. And while mobile apps are numerous, many (especially on relatively open platforms like Android) can come with features that actually harm your phone or steal sensitive data (see box). This can especially occur during online shopping transactions that require you to share sensitive financial information (credit card data, etc.). Fortunately, one can enjoy a safe shopping experience on one’s handsets by taking a few simple steps. Here they are:

Never download stray apps As apps are susceptible to malware attacks, be careful about what permissions you grant before installing them. For apps like Snapdeal or IRCTC where you have to share details like credit card number, etc., make it a point to ensure the app’s authenticity. Always download apps from trusted sources and download apps provided by your bank, retailer, and credit card company. Ankit, VP, Product

38 MYMOBILE august 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

Management, Snapdeal, considers mobile apps as safe for shopping as the web provided consumers are careful. He points out that consumers should never share their credit/ debit card details except through bank authentication or if the mobile page is certified under PCI DSS security standards, and should also be wary of exposing mail boxes, phone contact list or any other personal info stored on the phone or belonging to some other app while shopping.

A mobile phone must be protected with a strong and unique password to keep the information on it safe. One should also set different password for different accounts Jagannath Patnaik, Channel Sales Director, Kaspersky Lab, South Asia feels users should always source apps from trusted sources to ensure they are not malicious and have appropriate safety protocols. Downloading apps from an unknown third party is the quickest route to losing control of your device.

Beware of adware

According to Lookout Mobile Security, 6.5 per cent of free apps on Google Play today contain madware or mobile adware. Since ad networks allow app developers to offer more free/cheaper apps to consumers, but are also the most rampant app based mobile threat today. Norton Mobile Security calls them a nuisance that disrupts the user experience and can potentially expose location details, contact information, and device identifiers to cyber criminals. They send pop-up alerts to notification bar ads icons, changes browser settings, and also steal personal information from your handset. One of the most popular marketing and shopping tools, QR Code is also being used by hackers to disguise malware.

Password protect your phone A mobile phone must be protected with a strong and unique password to keep the information on it safe. One should also set different password for different accounts, and if possible avoid storing information on your phone. Most banking apps never store details on the handset and

instead hire third party solution providers, hence transactions are mostly safe. However, one should be wary of lookalike apps that are designed by hackers to steal your credit card or bank details and connect you to a hoax site without your knowledge.

Say no to public Wi-Fi

Bandwidth does not come cheap so free Wi-Fi at public spots can be hard to resist. However, experts believe that users are much safer using mobile networks while shopping on their handsets, than public Wi-Fi. Most public Wi-Fi networks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any security protocol in place and using them can invite trouble. If your device is not protected with firewalls, someone on the same network can gain access to your passwords, credit card number and bank account details without your knowledge. Even when you sign out of the Wi-Fi network, the password gets saved on the system on which the Wi-Fi network is running.

Your Mobile Security Lookout! Lookout Mobile Security classifies app based threats into four categories: Malware, Spyware, Privacy threats and Vulnerable apps. Once installed, a Malware can make changes to your phone bill, send spontaneous messages to people in the contact list, and sometimes allows the attacker to take control of your phone. Spyware steals private data or information on your handset like call history, location, photos, e-mail, etc., without your knowledge. Privacy threats include apps which use sensitive information like personal data, contact list and location which are not relevant to its functioning. Finally, Vulnerable applications are flawed apps that can be exploited to access sensitive information on a phone, stop a service or secretly download apps. They may be convenient and easy to use, but mobile shopping apps can expose you to a fair deal of risk if you are not careful. In the end, it is all about taking care and putting safeguards in place to protect your data. Remember how careful you used to be with your computer? Well, your handset deserves similar, if not more stringent, care. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

August 2013 MYMOBILE 39

consumer forum Complaint 1 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 was 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 cannot reset the device every time it fails to connect to the Internet. This is really sad considering that I have another Lumia 520 which is working very well. Please help. -Suhaib Ahmed Nokia’s response We have received the details for your complaint and now we are working on it. For your reference, please note that if the issue persists, we may replace the device but that is only post technical diagnosis of your current device, and Nokia does not have any refund policy.

Complaint 2 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 but I haven’t been offered a positive solution yet. Also to my surprise, customer care advised me to download a 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 data? This is not a very sensible advice. Please help. -Polly Paul

Airtel in October, 2012. 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 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: Thank you for reaching out to us. We have resolved the issue.

Complaint 5

Karbonn Mobile’s response: We have received the complaint and will try to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Complaint 3 Recently, I bought the Samsung Galaxy Grand. Its display broke and I gave the device to a customer care to repair or change it. But it’s almost three months and still I have not received my handset from the customer care. Whenever I call them, they tell me a new problem has popped up with the handset. Please do help. -Sunil Kothari Samsung’s reply- Awaited

Complaint 4 I had taken a 3G data card from

40 MYMOBILE august 2013

Recently, I visited a Spice HotSpot for buying a new smartphone. I was treated very well and was asked to go ahead with a device from LG. Although that was not my first choice, I trusted the representatives and bought the device. I was also given an assurance from representatives that if I was not happy with the device, they would take it back within seven days. However, I faced some issues with the device. Within seven days I went to the store and asked them to either resolve the issue or replace the handset with a new one as they had promised. However, the representatives started misbehaving and treated me badly. I am not at all happy at the way the representatives handled my case. I want to report this issue to Spice’s higher officials. Please help. -Sudhir Kumar Spice’s response: Thank you for contacting us. We have received your complaint and will try to resolve the issue soon.

Complaint 6 I had deposited my Nokia Asha 305 at Nokia’s service centre in

Guwahati due to some touch issues in February. It is now more than four months but I haven’t received the handset. I have been regularly visiting the customer centre for getting updates about the device. Could you please help? -Zamil akhter Nokia’s response: Awaited

Complaint 7 I have been using a postpaid Vodafone number for the last 8-9 years. My usual invoice comes between Rs 150-250 per month. In the month of April, 2013 I received a bill of Rs 2,630. I immediately contacted the local Vodafone customer care to resolve the issue and I was assured that they would look into the matter. But soon I started getting calls for the payment of the due amount. I also got a mail from the company claiming that the amount has been charged due to excessive use of data on my number, which surprised me as I used the data services for only accessing my mails. The amount could not have been this much as I know the tariff rates of the Internet services. I have also written to the Nodal officer of the zone and he has assured a resolution soon. I request you to please look into the matter. -A.K Gupta, Vodafone’s response: We have checked all the details and the bill issued to you is correct. On your number, data usage has been done extensively. 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.

burn test A 3D Canvas

Micromax offers 3D on a budget

aunching 3D phones is a tricky business. Most 3D phones astonish people with their rare 3D features for a while and then fade away. After the likes of HTC and LG, it is now Micromax’s turn to tread the path of glassless 3D - a feature that is the highlight of Micromax Canvas 3D phone.

Looks: Robust build Robust, slightly thick, a jutting out camera and a big wide screen, that’s the Canvas 3D for you. It is a bit heavy but because it has a nice matte surface and curved edges, it is easy to handle. The back panel holds a camera with LED flash, a speaker, a battery, two SIM slots and a micro SD card slot. It has a micro USB and a 3.5mm jack on the top. The 800x480 2D display dominates the front panel, over which is a front camera.

Hardware: Dual core, powerful A dual-core processor might not sound very impressive in these days of quad core hullabaloo, but the one in the Canvas 3D delivers. Backed up by 512MB RAM, it handles games like Bike Racing and Temple Run, which takes the wind out of many dual core devices, really well. The 5.0-megapixel camera is decent particularly in daylight. The front facing camera, however, is best left for video chatting. The phone supports dual SIM, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and has 4GB internal memory expandable via a microSD to up to 32GB. It has a 2,000 mAH battery and claims a talktime of 4.5 hours. The calling quality is good and the phone scored an impressive 3,008 in the Quadrant benchmark test.

Software: Apps aplenty The Canvas 3D runs on Android 4.1 Jelly bean OS and has a simple UI. It features FM radio, Google Play, Google Maps, Gmail, Sound recorder, Voice search, YouTube, GTalk and Micromax Zone app, where you can access a wide variety of content. It also supports a Bluetooth based keyboard and mouse.

Multimedia: 3D is just a feature Canvas 3D is not a 3D phone like the

LG Optimus 3D or Spice 3D phone. In it, 3D is an additional feature, to be turned on when required and off when you are done. Which is good, we think as 3D in phones continues to be stressful for the eyes and far too hazy. 3D on the Canvas 3D is limited to games and videos. You can add 3D games from the 3D games app available in the handset and transfer movies through its data cable. In case you don’t have a 3D video, the handset can convert a 2D video into 3D. The speaker sound is a bit average but picks up well in headphones. The display looks sharp and detailed even though the colour looks a little washed out. Still normal HD videos look pleasing and play without any friction. The 3D experience, however, is nothing

to write home about.

User Experience: Decent, worth the price If you are after 3D, be prepared for the headaches it will cause. Ironically, 3D apart, the Canvas 3D is a decent device. Its display is nice and it runs apps, movies and games well.

Conclusion While 3D is not its forte, it certainly doesn’t obstruct the regular working of the Canvas 3D, making it a decent smartphone for those on a tight budget. You can also check out the new Nokia Lumia 520, which is a dual core smartphone running on Windows Phone 8 and is selling at a lower price. n team@mymobile.co.in

Pros  Rugged

Cons

build  Low speakers  Nice big 2D  3D not the best display

Price: Rs 9,999 verdict Looks

7 8

Features ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

76%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 41

burn test Aurus the third

Still a great Idea, sir ji?

Pros  Good  Nice

Screen Resolution

Camera

Cons  Slow

processor

 Bulky

dea Cellular has been on a launching spree when it comes to budget devices. The latest in line is the Idea Aurus III, which comes with a better camera and screen resolution than its predecessors. But is it value for money?

placed on the top along with the 3.5mm audio jack. And the volume rocker key is on the right side of the phone. The rear panel houses a 5.0megapixel camera and a speaker grille.

tery easily lasts up to more than a day. The 5.0megapixel camera is good enough for casual photography and the sound quality is also decent enough.

Looks: Trendy

Hardware: Improved

Conclusion

The Idea Aurus III comes with stylish looks. However, like its predecessor, the Idea Aurus II, it is a bit on the bulky side. The phone has a shiny plastic finish, smooth body, with rounded edges surrounded by a silver ribbon which adds a touch of class to its looks. It is available in two colour variants, black and white. The device comes with a 4-inch LCD display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution and has three feather touch keys for back, home and recently used apps. However, these keys were barely visible on the white unit as they are not backlit. Above the display is a VGA front facing camera and a light sensor. The power button is

The Idea Aurus III comes with dual SIM support (3G+2G). There is also a SIM management menu which enables the user to choose from the SIMs for calling, messaging and browsing the Web. The device is powered by a 1 GHz Cortex A9 processor and comes with 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth. The smartphone has 512MB RAM and 4GB of on board storage which can be expanded to 32GB with the help of a microSD card. It also has a 1,400 mAh battery just like the Idea Aurus II.

The Idea Aurus III is priced at Rs 6,990. Those looking for alternatives can go for the Micromax Ninja which also comes with a 4.0inch display and is priced at Rs 5,370. n

Software: Routine

Size | 121 x 63 x 12mm

Just as the earlier device introduced by Idea Cellular, this one too runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. One has to drag down to unlock the screen, which has five fixed options for contacts, calling, main menu, messaging and Web browser. There are five customisable homescreens which can be used for placing shortcuts for apps and widgets. Apart from all this, the phone also offers pre-loaded apps like Facebook, Twitter, Chrome, YouTube and an office suite.

121 mm

Multimedia: Decent enough The Idea Aurus III comes equipped with a 5.0-megapixel rear camera, which manages to take some decent shots in good lighting conditions, and does not do too badly even in low light. The phone comes with an app called ‘PicSay’ which allows you to edit images and add a humorous twist to them. The secondary 0.3megapixel camera is best used for video calls. The sound quality of the phone was satisfactory and music quality was good both on the loudspeakers and headphones.

User experience: Satisfactory 63 mm

42 MYMOBILE august 2013

The Idea Aurus III offers some good specifications for its price segment. The display works well, and the bat-

team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 6,990 verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

performance

value for money overall

76%

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screen, small price

his seems to be the era of large screen displays with relatively low prices. The latest to join this budget phablet line is Zen; the company has rolled out a quad core device with a 5.0-inch display at a budget price, the Zen Ultrafone 701 HD. But how well does it perform against some formidable competition?

Looks: Decent The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD looks smart, even though it is a bit bulky. It comes with a rubberised back panel which makes it easy to hold, rounded edges and comes in a smart black colour as well. The front is dominated by a 5.0-inch IPS capacitive display with a resolution of 1280x720, with three feather touch keys for options, home and back, beneath it. Also on the front are a 3.2-megapixel front facing camera and a light sensor. The power button is placed on the right side of the device and the volume rocker keys on the left. The 3.5mm audio jack is placed next to the charging slot on the top. The rear of the smartphone has an 8.0-megapixel camera with flash and a speaker grille on the lower part.

Hardware: Quad-core muscle The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is powered by 1.2 GHz quad-core processor accompanied by a MediaTek 6589 chipset. It comes with dual SIM functionality (GSM+GSM), but the SIMS are not hot swappable, although the microSD card can be inserted without taking out the battery. The smartphone comes with 1GB RAM and 4GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded further up to 32GB. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and Bluetooth.

Software: Jelly Bean 4.2

Pros  Responsive

screen

 Quad-Core

CPU

Cons  Camera

not great

 Slightly

heavy

light, although colours often get smudged in images taken in low light. The smartphone is capable of recording HD videos and the quality of the videos is also decent. The camera comes with Electronic Image Stabilisation, which decreases distortions caused by the shaking of the user’s hands while using the camera. The sound quality of the phone was pleasing both on headphones and loudspeakers.

User experience: good The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD works very well without any lags. The battery life of the smartphone was also satisfactory and it easily pulled through a day on a single charge. The camera delivers good results and sound quality is above par. It scored 3,895 on the Quadrant benchmark, which is a good score. All of which make it a good option for those tight on budget.

Zen Ultrafone 701 HD tech specs Size | 144 x 74 x 10 mm Weight | NA

The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The interface comprises five customisable homescreens which can be filled with app shortcuts and widgets. The main screen of the device also has five fixed shortcuts for calling, contacts, menu, Zen World and messaging. On board are a number of pre-installed apps like Facebook, Twitter, Skype, WhatsApp and Saavn. There is also Zen World which give users access to many more apps and games.

Memory | 4GB, MicroSD

Multimedia: Standard stuff

Others | Fa cebook, Twitter, Youtube, WhatsApp, GTalk, Zen Mini Store

The phone does quite well in the multimedia department. The 8.0-megapixel autofocus snapper takes good quality pictures in day-

144 mm

Ultra Zen Big

74 mm

Conclusion The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is priced at Rs 11,999. Those looking for alternatives can go for the Micromax Canvas HD which also comes with a quad core processor and is priced at Rs 13,990. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict

OS | Android 4.2

Looks

Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive

Features

Battery | Li-Ion 2,000 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 8 hours/Up to 240 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/No/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixels

Price: Rs 11,999

7 8 9

ease of use performance

value for money

overall

78%

august 20131 MYMOBILE 43

burn test Quad-core Budget Beast The UMI XII

highlights

combines good specs with a great price

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

3 3

2 The display is awesome for viewing videos and Web pages

4 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

ot too long ago, smartphones with quad-core processors were very much in the Rs 30,000 and above price segment. However, the evolution of technology (speedy as ever) and increasing competition have brought the prices of quadcore devices literally crashing down over the past few months - today we have a number of quad core processor equipped smartphones priced in the vicinity of Rs 16,000. And one of the newest to venture into this territory is a Chinese handset maker, UMI, with its first Android smartphone for the Indian market, the UMI XII. But how does it compare with the existing players?

Pros 

Quad core processor and 2GB RAM



Decent Multimedia features



Very good battery back up

Cons 

A bit heavy



Design is plasticky



Typing not easy in portrait mode

Looks: Smart, but not different

44 MYMOBILE august 2013

At first glance, the UMI XII looked quite similar to the Nexus 4 except for the back panel. It is sleek (a mere 8.9mm thick), although we would have loved a smaller bezel – there just seems to be space

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wasted on the front of the device. There are three touch keys given on the front, beneath the 5.0-inch display, as in many Android devices. Speaking of display, the UMI XII boasts an IPS panel with 1920x1080 resolution, with a pixel density that the company claims stands at a very impressive 441 ppi. There is a micro-USB port on bottom of the device while the 3.5mm audio jack is placed on top and a volume rocker key on the right side accompanying the power key. There is a 13.0-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a front camera as well. However, as in most phablets, there is no camera button. All in all, this is a very solid device, although the back feels plasticky and has the camera protruding through it.

player features a five band equalizer along with bass boost, 3D effect and reverb that enhance the overall music experience. For videos, the device comes with a video player that supports all high-definition (HD) videos, and delivers a decent experience. On the camera front, the 13.0-megapixel autofocus camera clicks satisfactory images, although the LED did not deliver the kind of performance we expect in low light conditions. We were however surprised to see some lags while playing high-end games like Dead Trigger and Real Racing 3.

Hardware: Impressive

User-experience: Not bad at all

The phone has some serious processing power with an ARM Cortex A7 CPU 1.5 GHz quad core processor with 2GB RAM. The internal memory of the phone stands at 32GB and can be expanded further up to 64GB through a microSD card. Apart from the 13.0-megapixel rear auto focus camera at the back, it also has a 1.3-megapixel camera at the front. However, there is no built in video calling feature so you will have to depend on third party apps for the same. The 5.0-inch IPS panel is vibrant and delivers a decent visual experience. On the connectivity front, there is 3G, Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth. In terms of hardware, there is no denying the fact that UMI XII has covered most bases.

Software: Jelly Bean at its best! The UMI XII runs on the Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) and if you are the types that prefer a relatively pure form of the OS, you will like the UMI XII, which adds a few neat touches to the OS without intruding too much on its essence. You get five customisable homescreens, lots of widgets and apps classified in terms of those that came with the device and those that you download. Speaking of apps, the phone comes with a task manager and some Chinese apps, but nothing that we found compelling. We found typing to be a bit of a hit and miss affair in portrait mode, as the keyboard seemed a bit cramped - rare in a device of this size. That apart, it is standard Android fare here, with seamless support for e-mail, social networks and some very good browsing, courtesy the large display and Flash support.

141 mm

Our experience with the UMI XII was more than satisfactory. While the big screen made watching videos and browsing the Web a pleasant experience, the quad-core processor handled most tasks well, and the 2,500 mAh battery lasted more than a day of hefty use. All in all, the UMI XII is a good debut by the manufacturer.

Conclusion At Rs 16,000 the UMI XII is a

UMI X II

70 mm

very good option for those looking for a device with high-end specs and a relatively low price. Those looking for an alternative can also look at the Micromax Canvas HD (Rs 13,990) and Karbonn S5 Titanium (Rs 11,999). n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

8 9

Features ease of use

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

perfoRmance

Camera | 13.0-megapixel

value for money

Multimedia: Par for the course

Others | Five band equalizer, 2GB

Its superb display makes the UMI XII a very good device for viewing images and videos. The sound quality of the device was extremely good both on speaker and earplugs. The music

Price: Rs 16,000

RAM

overall

82%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 45

burn test Game, set, tablet! The XPad

XQ1 Supertab is targeted at mobile gamers

hey might have shaken off the “data consumption only” tag and in some cases, even replaced computers, but when it comes to gaming, tablets have so far played second fiddle to regular computers and notebooks. And it is this bastion that Simmtronics XPad XQ1 is trying to break into.

Looks: Fine finish, elegant looks Simmtronics means business in the tablet market and it shows in XPad’s design. Its back panel is aluminium, making it far more durable than plastic, and sports the same sort of metallic finish that one sees in the iPad and other high-end tablets. Despite the metallic touch, it is not heavy - at 540 grammes, it is fairly light for a 10.1-inch tablet (most tablets of this size, including the iPad, weigh in the vicinity of 600 grammes). The tablet comes with very few buttons and the few slots in it (mini HDMI, micro USB and micro SD card slot) are hidden behind

a closed panel, which is firmly fixed and is easy to open. The power and volume buttons are placed right above the panel, while the 3.5mm universal jack, charging port and reset button are placed right across it on the top panel. The gentle curves at its edges ensure that this tablet will be noticed.

Hardware: Quad-core power for gaming Beneath this elegant exterior lies formidable hardware. The XPad comes with a powerful 1GHz Cortex A7 quadcore processor, assisted by 2GB RAM. It has a brilliant-looking 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800, and comes with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and also has a mini HDMI port, which lets you connect it to a TV and enjoy games on a bigger screen. Although it has no SIM slot, one can also get some 3G joy, by using a 3G USB dongle. It comes with a pair of cameras - a 2.0-megapixel one on the back panel and VGA one on the front. When it comes to storage, the tablet comes with 16GB internal memory, with support for 32GB external memory, via a microSD card. Its 6,000 mAh battery which gives up to 6 hours on non-stop gaming and movie playback.

Software: Android, Jelly Bean flavour The XPad XQ1 runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean),

Pros Lightweight Good performance  Supports multiple file format  

Cons Slow boot-up  Average front camera  No SIM slot 

46 MYMOBILE august 2013

supports Google Play Store, and comes with a few in-built apps like BIGFlix, Voice Recorder, Documents to Go, 4K Video Player, and of course, games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja. Also on board are four pre-installed Hindi movies in HD - 3 Idiots, Singh is King, Dabangg and Don. The tablet supports a wide variety of audio and video file formats including MKV and FLV files, which are often not supported on other tablets. From the screen unlock you can swipe to go right away to the homescreen, or the Google Web page or the camera. Google voice search is available on all homescreens along with multi-window, screenshot and volume icons at the bottom of the display all the time. It ran up a score of 3,084 in the Quadrant benchmark test and for the most part, runs smoothly, although it is not entirely devoid of stutters.

Multimedia: Side by side multi-tasking The XPad XQ1 offers seamless side by side multi-tasking, quite similar to that seen in the Samsung Galaxy Note devices. So while working on a file or browsing the Web, you can watch videos on a small window, and can place it anywhere you want. You can also run four videos simultaneously. Overall, multi-tasking is smooth and lag-free, even with multiple windows and tasks running in the background. The speaker seems tiny, but still gives out pretty decent sound. The screenshot mode allow users to save whatever is running on the display and is a handy feature to have.

177 mm

www.mymobile.co.in

251 mm

Performance: Mixed bag, but mostly good

highlights

For the most part, the XPad XQ1 runs well, but it can be a pain when it hangs. The tablet looks good and its matte metal finish stays clean even when held. It is light enough to be carried easily, and while its camera is ordinary, its dis-

1 Side-by-side multi-tasking.

Simmtronics XPad XQ1

Solid metallic form factor.

tech specs Size | 251x177x9.6 mm

3 Takes screenshots in videos and games.

Weight | 540 grams Memory | 16GB, micro SD OS | Android 4.1

Screen Size | 10.1 inch, capacitive Battery | 6,000mAh

Long lasting 6,000 mAh battery.

Talktime/Standby | 6 hours/ NA GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | No/Yes/Yes/Yes

Camera | 2.0-megapixel Handles games really well.

Others | quad core processor

Price: Rs 15,999

play is bright and brilliant. And when on song, it can pretty much handle whatever you throw at it with ease from HD games to HD films. Typing is smooth since icons and keys are big and clearly separated from one another.

Conclusion The XPad XQ1 turns in a very good performer and is a decent option for any one seeking a good tablet with a large display without blowing a massive hole in their finances. It is currently priced at Rs 15,999. For gaming, its best alternative is Asus Nexus 7, which is also a quad-core device and is available for Rs 18,000.n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

82%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Shiny Metal Warrior The

Lenovo K900 has the looks and specs of a champion

Pros  Great build

quality  Very good camera  Excellent performance

157mm

Lenovo K900

Cons  Can be difficult

to hold

 No expandable

memory  Sound quality not exceptional

Others | 2 GHz Intel Atom Z2580 dual core processor

Price: Rs 32,990

1 78 mm

t has got an eye catching design, and some very powerful innards, including a poweful Intel processor. But is that going to be enough to make Lenovo’s K900 stand out in an increasingly crowded phablet segment?

Looks: Slick Metal At a time when almost all the devices falling into the phablet (‘large screen phones’ is another term one can use) category are marked by predominantly plastic builds, Lenovo deserve a medal for going the metallic way with the K900. The fact that they have done so without making the device heavy or fat just shows how good the design is - the K900 is an ultra-slim 6.9mm thin and tips the scale at a very respectable 156 grammes. The front has no hardware buttons and is dominated by the 5.5-inch display, the back has a metal plate with the Lenovo and “Intel Inside” logos, as well as a camera and dual LED flash, while the right side houses the power and display on/off button and a SIM card slot, and on the left the volume rocker (the

48 MYMOBILE august 2013

buttons are all in metal too). The phone is definitely on the longer side - it is more than half a foot long - but carries with it a stamp of class. Oh yes, this is a head turner all right.

Hardware: Dual core Atomic Intel power Beneath that sturdy, stylish exterior lies some formidable hardware muscle. The K900’s 5.5inch display is a full HD one and comes with a pixel density of 401 ppi, which is frankly staggering at this screen size. Powering the device is a 2 GHz Intel Atom Z2580 dual core processor, backed up by 2GB RAM. Storage stands at 16GB and is non-expandable and connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Finally, there is the matter of the rear camera, which is a 13.0-megapixel affair.

Software: Jelly Bean 4.2 version...yum! Unlike some other players in the phablet market who have stuck with Android 4.1 (Jelly

Bean), the K900 runs on a newer version, 4.2 (also called Jelly Bean). And while it brings with it Android’s trademark social network, browsing and mail capabilities, Lenovo has also added its own software layer over the OS. So, you have a lock screen from where you can go directly to the camera, messages, the phone or simply to the homescreen. Speaking of which, there are five customisable homescreens and some interesting effects like apps rotating in a circle when you navigate the apps menu, a whole new camera interface studded with effects galore and Lenovo’s power manager software to ensure that the battery lasts. There are some neat touches too using the sensors, such as the option to automatically increase ringtone volume when the phone is in one’s pocket, shaking the phone to lock the screen and using the volume keys to unlock the phone if need be!

Multimedia: Sheer display and camera magic We are going out on a limb saying this - the

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4 2

highlights The 5.5-inch display is a full HD one and serves up a great viewing experience.

The 13.0-megapixel camera takes great pictures.

Lenovo K900’s 13.0-megapixel camera is the best we have seen on any device with a display larger than 5.0-inches. Although it does seem to lag occasionally, the camera took brilliant snaps, capturing colours and detail very well indeed. Lenovo’s on board image tweaking app allows you to add a number of effects to your pictures as well. Video (yes, it can shoot in full HD) is notable too, but honestly, we love the stills more. Mind you, the absence of a dedicated video button makes taking pictures a bit difficult, as the device is a bit on the longer side. Then there is the display. The device handles full HD videos and high definition games with utter elan and on that 5.5-inch display, they look an absolute treat. Sound quality is however acceptable rather than exceptional on headphones as well as loudspeaker.

User experience: Awesome, but mind the size Your opinion of the Lenovo K900 is likely to be

The device is powered by a dual core Intel processor

The K900 runs on Android 4.2, and works smoothly

The metal back adds solidity and a touch of class

highly coloured by how you use it. Those who use it mainly as a data device to keep in touch with their social networks, handle mail, watch videos and browse the Web will just love it, but when it comes to using the device as a phone, the sheer size of the device will keep getting in the way. It does not fit palms easily and its relatively sharp edges can make it uncomfortable to hold after a while. That said, we cannot deny that in terms of solid design and performance, we have not seen a better large screen handset. Call quality was decent and when we used Lenovo’s battery management system, we actually found the device lasting more than a day of hefty use.

Conclusion The Lenovo K900 takes its place among the best high-end phablets we have used and at Rs 32,990, is certainly a very good value for money proposition. Those looking for an alternative can consider the Sony Xperia Z which features

a HD display, a 13.0-megapixel camera and is powered by a quad core processor and is available for Rs 37,900 n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict 8

Looks

Features ease of use

7 9

perfoRmance value for money

overall

82%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 49

burn test 2

hatever the big brands can do, the smaller ones can. And at a much lower price. Well, that seems to be the trend these days in the smartphone market. And we cannot see the consumer complaining when they get devices like the Lava Iris 504Q , which brings quad core muscle and gesture control at a surprisingly low price.

Moved by gestures!

Looks: Nicely - and solidly - done When it comes to build quality from domestic players, we usually get to see plasticky phones. This, however, is certainly not the case with the Lava Iris 504Q. The body feels sturdy and has a nice grip to it. The phone features a 5-inch IPS touch display and is unbelievably thin for the size and has all the gloss one looks out for. A nice silver trim runs along the sides of the charcoal grey body that adds a pleasant touch to the design. The phone features three feather touch buttons at the bottom of the screen - for the now-usual home, back and settings functions. At the top is the front facing camera and the gesture sensors. Flip the phone around and one will find the Lava logo on the middle of the back panel in tiny fonts. The rear camera is placed at the top centre with the LED flash underneath it. The loudspeaker grille can also be found on the lower part of the back. The power and volume keys are placed on the side of the phone, while the USB charging port along with the audio socket are on the top. All in all, a nicely built phone.

Quad core processor and gesture control on a budget

highlights The 5.0-inch display is excellent to work with

One can browse through music and more using hand gestures

50 MYMOBILE august 2013

The body of this phone is quite sturdy

Flash works well

Graphic hungry games can be played on it with almost no lag

www.mymobile.co.in

Pros

 Sleek

design

surprise. The build quality is good and voice quality is good in general. Lava has been promoting this phone for its gesture control, but we think its biggest strength is the brilliant display.

 Good

voice quality

Conclusion

 Brilliant

screen

The Lava Iris 504Q is a good phone for those seeking quad core processing on a tight budget. As alternatives, one can consider the Micromax Canvas HD which is available for Rs 14,000 and the Karbon Titanium S5 which is selling for Rs 13,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

 Camera

not the greatest

 Loudspeaker

could have been better

 Limited

storage

142.9 mm

Cons

onboard

Lava Iris 504Q

Hardware: Fast processing, less storage

tech specs

Like many devices recently released in the market, this device too rides the quad core processor wave. The Iris 504Q has a 1.2 GHz processor with 1GB RAM, which is a decent combination for those looking for some high-speed, high-definition action. However, onboard storage is definitely on the lower side (perhaps to keep costs low?) - there is only 4GB of it. Yes, you can install a microSD card upto 32GB in this phone, but that does add to the cost. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Iris 504Q has a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera for video calls and an 8.0-megapixel auto focus one on the back for more serious photography. The phone also comes with a 2,000 mAh battery, which gets through a day of normal use, but takes a hit the moment Wi-Fi is switched on. The phone is also 3G, GPS and Bluetooth ready, and one can transfer files easily to and from the phone using a USB cable. The phone can accommodate two SIM cards as well.

Size | 142.9 x 72.9 x 8.4 mm

Software: More Android goodness The Iris 504Q runs Android version 4.2, a newer version of Jelly Bean, with a few tweaks to the basic OS. The homescreens are well laid out and look good on the large display. Thanks to the sensors on board, now users can shuffle through music, pictures and FM channels without touching the screen. Just wave your hand over the screen and the phone will skip to the next FM channel, music track or picture. This feature is a good addition, although it is not as responsive as on the Samsung Galaxy S4. Lava has also added applications

Weight | 102 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android 4.2 Screen Size | 5.0 inch, Capacitive Battery | 2,000mAh 72.9 mm like WhatsApp, Cricket Fever and Shark Dash to the phone, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus apps for social networking addicts. Another feature worthy of mention is the predictive text, which works really well here - the on-screen keyboard recognises words and auto corrects them quickly too.

Multimedia: For HD viewing The 5-inch IPS touch display can play 720P (HD) content with ease. The phone handled multi-tasking very well too. The sound quality of the loudspeaker is not the best in the category - we recommend using the headphones, as one gets better results from them. Turning to the cameras, the front one is nothing great, and just about all right for video calls, while the rear camera too is not exactly noteworthy. It did manage to retain the original colours outdoors and in brightly lit rooms, but images got grainy at the edges. A flash is pretty much a must in low light areas.

User Experience: Surprisingly pleasant The phone does come across as a pleasant

Talktime/Standby | up to 15.50 hours)/Up to 230 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixels Others | Dual sim, Android jelly bean

Price: Rs 13,499 verdict 9

Looks Features

ease of use

performance

value for money

overall

82%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 51

burn test The Size Zero Tablet

Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z redefines anorexia

ony finally comes to the tablet wars with the magnificently designed Xperia Tablet Z, which also brings the Xperia Z’s water resistant capabilities to the table. But, is that enough to justify what many might consider an extravagant price tag?

Looks: Astounding Yes, we know that beauty is only skin-deep and so on and so forth, but only the blind would fail to be stunned by the looks of the Xperia Tablet Z. At 6.9mm, it is thinner than most mobile phones out there, and at 495 grammes, is remarkably light for a tablet with a 10.1-inch At 6.9 mm, the tablet is thinner than most phones

Cons

Pros

 High price Fantastic design  Good tech specifications  Mediocre camera  Android version could have  Water resistant been newer 

it look like a sleek black slate when switched off. Yes, this tablet will turn heads even when not switched on!

display. And although made of plastic, it has a solid and premium feel to it. The front is dominated by the 10.1-inch display and the back is matte plastic with a brushed look to it, with the 8.0-megapixel camera in the corner. It does attract smears but looks nothing short of outstanding. On the sides are the power button (circular shaped and metallic as in the Xperia Z phone) and the volume rocker, the SIM card and microSD card slot, and micro USB port. The tablet has a clear rectangular shape and has no hardware buttons at all on front, making

Hardware: Very good indeed That fantastic exterior is backed up with some very powerful hardware. The Xperia Tablet Z is powered by a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core processor, backed up by 2GB RAM, and 16GB of onboard storage (expandable using a memory card - and there is a 16GB card in the box!). The display has a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and is driven by the Bravia Engine 2 and the speakers come with S-Force Front Surround

highlights Sony has placed its skin over Android 4.1

The back will attract smears but looks awesome

3 266 mm

Speakers are placed at the bottom as well as the sides

The 8.0-megapixel camera is a bit of a let down

5 4

172 mm

52 MYMOBILE august 2013

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Price: Rs 45,500 3D. Connectivity options abound - there is 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and even Infra-Red (yes, you can use this tablet as a remote to control your television and other gadgets at home). Rounding off the spec sheet are two cameras an 8.0-megapixel one at the rear with Exmor R for Mobile and a 2.0-megapixel front facing one for video chats and self-portraits. Pretty wellloaded is what we would call this.

Software: Could we have fresher Jelly Bean With all that amazing software and hardware, we must confess we were very disappointed to see the Xperia Tablet Z running the Android 4.1 flavour of Jelly Bean. Given that Android 4.2 has been around for a while, we expected to see it on such a premium device. That said, for non-geeky consumers, the tablet will do just fine, providing up to seven customisable homescreens. Sony has covered Android with its own and added its own apps for music (Walkman Player), films (Movies), gallery (Album) and its own app store for good measure. There is also Sony Music which gives users unlimited music streaming and downloads for six months and Sony LIV which provides access to content from Sony’s TV channels. You can also launch a selection of apps from anywhere by placing them in the top corner - no, it is not quite as good as Samsung’s multi-window multi-tasking but allows you to access key apps from anywhere on the OS.

Multimedia: Mixed bag It is rare to see a Sony product stumble in the multimedia section but in the case of the Xperia Tablet Z, this does happen. We do not have any complaints at all about the display of the tablet which makes viewing videos, Web pages and high definition games an utter treat. Sony’s move in placing the speaker grilles on the bottom and the sides of the tablet means that your hands rarely obstruct sound completely and sound quality in general is acceptable too, if not exactly exceptional. Where the Tablet Z however, let us down was in the camera department. We have not really seen cameras on tablets do very well (barring those on the last two generations of the iPad), but we must admit that we expected more from the 8.0-megapixel rear shooter on this one. It took some decent shots in broad daylight but image quality dipped alarmingly the moment the lights dimmed a bit - noise crept in and colors looked faded even on cloudy afternoons. No, it is not the worst camera we have seen on a tablet, but we expected so much more.

User experience: Not bad The Xperia Tablet Z turned in a very decent performance, handling routine tasks and games without any troubles whatsoever, and letting us multi-task with a degree of ease. We did notice the occasional lag when swapping between home screens but by and large, this tablet per-

formed very well indeed. Battery life was very decent, going well beyond a day with e-mail and social networks kept on push mode. In terms of sheer performance, this is one of the better Android tablets out there.

Conclusion The Xperia Tablet Z is a superb tablet but at Rs 45,500 is priced very much on the higher side. One could get the 32GB 3G Wi-Fi edition of the iPad with retina display, which has a higher resolution display, better camera and a better app reservoir, for Rs 45,900. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

82%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Fire in the Amazon The Kindle Fire is an

highlights

Amazon tablet first, then an Android one

The back has Dolby Audio stereo speakers

The 8.9-inch display is super for videos and gaming

2 3

The centre of the interface is the carousel which shows recently used apps and books

There is no Google Play on the device, although Amazon has an app store

5 189 mm

The interface is totally different from other Android devices

120 mm

Cons

Pros Excellent display  Very good battery life  Quality apps 

54 MYMOBILE august 2013

No classic multi-tasking No Google Play  No 3G  

Camera | 1.3-megapixel Others | Amazon’s app store, Kindle e-book store

Price: Rs 21,999

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fter a prolonged wait, Amazon has finally released its Kindle Fire tablet range in India. And while it is totally unlike any Android seen in the country, will Indian consumers respond to its mainly Amazon-ic appeal? We try to find out with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9

Looks: Smart In terms of appearance, Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is smart rather than spectacular. At 9mm thick and 567 grammes, it is neither the thinnest nor the lightest tablet we have used, but is comfortable to hold and carry. The front is dominated by the 8.9-inch display, and has no hardware buttons at all. The back is plain plastic with a slightly rubbery feel giving it grippability, with a thick plastic strip running across with Dolby audio stereo speakers at each end. Volume rocker and display/power on/off buttons are on the side, as are the micro HDMI and micro USB ports.

Hardware: Standard In this era of quad core processor driven devices, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 might seem underpowered as it relies on a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, but as we will see, that more than suffices for what it does. Its biggest asset is however the 8.9-inch display which has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 (same as the Sony Tablet Z) and a pixel density of 254 ppi, which is

comparable to the 264 ppi of the retina display iPad. There are two storage options - 16 GB and 32GB, but memory is not expandable. There is no rear camera, although there is a front facing one, and connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (no 3G, alas). Ah, but the real magic lies in the next section.

Software: Amazon’s Android The Kindle Fire 8.9 HD is technically an Android tablet, but it is unlike any we have ever used. There are no customisable homescreens here - instead you have is a carousel of icons in the middle representing books and apps that you have used recently. Access to other sections (shop, games, apps, books, music, videos, etc) comes in the form of a row of scrollable words at the top, and you can access your favourite apps from anywhere by putting them in the favourites section marked by a star on the bottom corner. Notifications are shown subtly on the top and you can access the notifications bar by tugging down the top of the display. In a very neat touch, every time you highlight an item on the carousel, you will see a row of similar items below. Some might call it encouraging people to shop, we prefer to call it giving us alternatives. There are catches, though - there is no classic multitasking here, although you can place the apps you like in the favourites section and access them from any other app whenever you wish. Then there is the matter of Google Play - the Kindle Fire 8.9 HD, like its predecessors, comes with no link to the official Android app store. What it does come with, however, is Amazon’s app store, which has fewer apps but with much stricter quality control (limiting pornography), and also access to Amazon’s brilliant Kindle e-book store. Amazon has also provided

its own e-mail client and browser (Silk), which claims to deliver a good browsing experience without consuming too much data. Incidentally, one can get most of the popular apps at the Amazon app store - so you can grab Angry Birds, Documents to Go, Facebook, Twitter, Cut the Rope and so on, and even make the most of one paid app being made free every day.

User Experience: Very good People will either love or hate Amazon’s decision to skin Android to the point where it looks nothing like the world’s most popular mobile. We found Amazon’s take on the OS like a breath of fresh air. Silk is not the greatest browser we have seen but it does a very good job of browsing the Web. The retina display is among the best we have seen on a tablet and makes viewing apps and playing games a joy, and barring the odd lag, the tablet performed smoothly. Battery life is exceptional - we easily got 10-11 hours over Wi-Fi.

Conclusion The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is priced at Rs 21,999 for the 16GB version. It is pretty much one of a kind as far as Android tablets go. The closest thing to it perhaps is the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Mini, which has a smaller and lower resolution display but comes with a better design, superb camera and many more apps, and is available for Rs 21,900. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Galaxy goes mega Samsung ups the display ante

162.6 mm

Cons

Pros 5.8-inch large screen  Good touch response  Long lasting battery



82.4 mm

 Too big to use with one

hand  Takes time to charge  Nothing new in terms of design and features

highlights The touch response of the phone is excellent

The volume rocker given on the left panel of the phone

56 MYMOBILE august 2013

The 8.0-megapixel camera takes good shots

The phone has a 2,600 mAh battery

The phone supports two GSM micro SIMs

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When it comes to display sizes, Samsung clearly adheres to the “more the merrier, bigger the better” philosophy. The company that made phablets a rage has now come out with the Galaxy Mega series, with discernibly larger displays. We tried out the Galaxy Mega 5.8, which has, as its name indicates, a 5.8-inch display.

Looks: The Old saga continues At first look, it is easy to guess that the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a Samsung Galaxy phone. It looks similar to its other counterparts from the Galaxy series. The 5.8-inch display dominates the front with a hard button and two soft buttons below it., The volume control keys are given on the left side, whereas the on/off button is placed on the right side of the device. The 3.5mm audio jack is given on the top, while the charging port is at the bottom. The large display makes the phone a bit on the larger side - it does not fit into either one’s palm or even one’s coat pocket, unlike the Galaxy Note series.

Price: Rs 24,900

Hardware: Big display, dual core chip The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes with a 5.8-inch capacitive display of 540 x 960 pixel resolution - we found both the display and its touch response to be very good. On board is 8GB internal memory which can be expanded to 64GB using a microSD card. The device is powered by a 1.4 GHz dual core processor and comes with 1.5GB RAM, which is respectable, but we did expect more from a device at this price point. That said, the phone performed very well without any lags. The device comes with dual SIM capability and a large battery of 2,600 mAh, which serves up decent battery life although it takes a while to charge. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, EDGE and Bluetooth.

Software: Well done Samsung! The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 runs on the latest version of Android, 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The interface is Samsung’s TouchWiz and consists of five screen panels which can be increased to seven if need be. The settings are divided into four tabs for menu connection, my device, account and more. One can see notifications, call settings and other information on the lockscreen itself, which is a neat touch. Apart from the regular Google apps, the phone comes with Trip Advisor and Group

Play (which lets users play and watch music and videos with other devices using the same app). Samsung has also bundled its own app store on the device, alongside Google Play.

Multimedia: Music boom, camera dhoom The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes equipped with an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front camera. The rear shooter took some excellent shots and comes with options like face detection. The device is also capable of playing and recording high definition videos, and you can also edit the recorded video using the video editor. Sound quality of the smartphone is good over speakers and exceptional on headphones. The audio player comes with equalizer and other settings which further enhance the music experience. The FM reception, however, was routine and we also faced problems in signal reception.

User Experience: An excellent one The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a good option for those looking for a phone with a large display. The phone has a good camera, good display and the latest Android operating system as well. However, the design of the device is not really outstanding and follows the Galaxy template. And given its price, we would have expected the device to come with a quad core processor.

Conclusion The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes with a price tag of Rs 24,900. Those looking for alternatives can go for the Huawei Ascend Mate, which has a display size of 6.1-inches and is also priced at Rs 24,900. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

78%

august 2013 MYMOBILE 57

Smart apps

Cricket with a spin Not just ball by ball coverage

hen you talk of cricket apps, you either think of apps like StickCricket that let you smite some digital leather or the Cricinfo official app that keeps you up to speed with the latest happenings in a match. However, a third category of apps is emerging: those that not only tell you what's happening on the field but also let you interact with other people following the match and one of these is The Big Toss: Cricket. Currently available free of cost for the iPhone, the app puts a whole spin on cricket coverage. Yes, you do get live updates on the match and can see the scores, but you can also see what other fans are saying in the Buzz section of the app, and best of all, you can actually go right ahead and challenge others about predicting key events (batsman's scores, fifties, winner of the toss, etc.) in a game - you start the game with a certain set of points and can increase or decrease your tally depending on the accuracy of your predictions. And if you run out of points after a particularly bad run of fate, you can replenish them

58 MYMOBILE august 2013

with some in-app purchases. Of course if you do well, you have bragging rights about your place on the leaderboard. There are enough prediction options to keep you occupied for the duration of the match. There is also a discussion area and a new section, both of which are reasonably active, but for most cricket fans, the real attraction of the app will be the addition of the element of predictions in a game that is notorious for its glorious uncertainties. A must download for all iPhone toting cricket fans. n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: The Big Toss Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPhone 4S

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

The Social Network on WP8 Facebook on Windows Phone 8 gets a boost

ear seamless Facebook integration has been one of the core strengths of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system. It is therefore, ironical that the official Facebook app for the platform has been considered a poor cousin of its iOS and Android counterparts. Which is perhaps why Microsoft has given the app a significant makeover. It is currently available only for Windows Phone 8 devices but is expected to make its way to Windows Phone 7.8 phones too in the coming months. And we sure hope it does so, because the new Facebook adds a number of handy tweaks to the social network on your WP 8 handset. For one, you can now pull a "drawer" from the left of the display to see details like News Feed, Messages, Nearby Friends, Events and so on. A similar drawer on the right lets you chat on Facebook's messenger, without happening to open a different app. You also have shortcuts to post your status, pictures, and check into places. Images look a lot clearer now and the whole interface is a lot less cluttered than it used to seem. Not that it is perfect yet. You do not have the option to show what you are doing or what you are feeling as you can on the website, and many will be upset at the fact that there is no sticker support in chat. However, we are sure that those features will too make their way onto the app in the coming days. As of now, the app looks better and runs a whole lot smoother on WP8 phones. More importantly, it has bridged a lot of the gap between itself and the grand duo of iOS and Android. A must-download for all social networkers on WP8.n

nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Facebook App Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 920

RATING

 august 2013 MYMOBILE 59

boredom buster

Superhero Strike Injustice:

Gods Among Us is an excellent arcade fighter

njustice: Gods Among Us is one of those rare games that has hit multiple platforms almost simultaneously, from consoles to mobile devices. We played this game on the Apple iPad 2, being fans of arcade style fighting since Street Fighter and King of Fighters, where we used to pop in a Rupee coin at the corner gaming store to play. Fighting games have come a long way since those days, and Injustice: Gods among us is a perfect example of this evolution. The game is fun from the word go as you get to play all the super heroes and villains from DC comics, who go up against each other. Each super hero or super villain has a unique fighting style and one can perform single hits or combos using screen swipes and taps. As you keep fighting your way to the top you get power ups with which you can upgrade your final combo moves. You get a team of three who can be inter-

60 MYMOBILE august 2013

changed in between fights to take the other team down. The graphics of this game are extremely beautiful even on the iPad 2. The sound is excellent as well. However, we do recommend using the headphones for an even better experience. This is a must play game on the iPad and the large roster of heroes, which includes Superman and Batman is well worth fighting for indeed. n sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: Injustice: God Among Us Price: Free Tested on: iPad 2

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Against all odds

Battling through the undead

here have been numerous games with zombie ridden plots, but nothing quite as brutal and gory as The Last of Us. Before anything else we must tell you to keep it out of the hands of young children as it is just not suitable for young audiences. This is an action adventure third person shooter based in 2033 in post apocalyptical USA, where zombie-like creatures are running loose and killing every human they see. You play Joel who is accompanied by a child called Ellie, and you are trying to reach a friendly base governed by a group called Fireflies. Easier said than done as there are dozens of zombies in your path. The game involves lot of fighting and sneak attacks, as firing weapons attracts atten-

tion. The fights at times are very tough, but generally are easy enough. The learning curve of the game is not very high and one can master it in no time at all. The graphics are excellent and sound is very good, but we did find the tracks a bit slow at times. Overall, the game has a few glitches which hopefully can be sorted out with an update. Other than that, this is a very good game, but not for the faint of heart. n

sulabh@mymobile.co.in

Name: The Last of Us Price: Rs 2,499 Tested on: Playstation 3

RATING

 august 2013 MYMOBILE 61

etcetera Big screen entertainer BenQ

serves up a very good LED offering

BenQ L37 7010 LED TV Price: Rs 32,000 Pros | Easy to use controls, attractive price Cons | USB port not placed well, remote could have been more solidly built

RATING



62 MYMOBILE august 2013

t might not be making headlines in the Indian television market, but BenQ is very much around. One of its latest offerings is the BenQ L37 7010 LED TV which has an IPS panel of 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, 8W RMS X 2 Speakers, 16.7 million colour depth, HDMI high-speed multimedia interface, 24P real cinema and with Senseye, BenQ’s exclusive life like digital image enhancement technology. It looks decent and will not disappoint design fanatics who will like its narrow bezel and brushed finish. Its stand is solidly built, although the unit we received did wobble a bit. We were able to switch between channels smoothly and swiftly -

couch potatoes need not worry. At 37-inches, the BenQ L37-7010 is perfect for your living room and will meet most of your viewing needs. We played some HD videos and it handled them without hiccups. The edge-to-edge screen delivered a good viewing experience and the sound was also decent. The TV also boasts of wide-angle viewing, an ultra-wide viewing angle of 178˚/178˚ resulting in sharper details, higher contrast and good colours, which can be viewed and shared by everyone from just about any angle. On the connectivity front, the L37-7010 comes with two USB ports, HDMI input, a 3.5mm audio jack and two USB ports. All of which makes the BenQ L37-7010 a good option at Rs 32,000. n

www.mymobile.co.in

Garmin Nuvi 52LM Price: Rs 9,990

Pros | Lifetime map updates, Ssleek and compact form factor Cons | Doesn’t show traffic, poor bat-

tery life

RATING



Maps, directions on a budget The Garmin Nuvi 52LM

delivers a fair bit for its price

lanning a trip or having trouble finding your way around town? Garmin’s entry level GPS navigator, the Nuvi 52LM will ensure you will not have to ask for directions. It plays guide, and not just shows the way on its bright-looking 5.0-inch display but also delivers loud and clear voice prompts. And can do so in regional languages like Bengali, Tamil. Telugu, Punjabi and Malayalam. The Nuvi 52LM is easy to use, works fast and has a simple

interface. It comes with pre-loaded maps of various Indian cities and towns and is accurate and timely with its directions. Battery life is a concern - one charge lasts a dismal two hours. Thanks to its portable form factor. We loved its accuracy and features like speed limits, lane by lane instructions, route preference, details on the nearest fuel station and parking area. It has 4GB internal memory, expandable by microSD. For an entry level device, the Nuvi 52LM does offer a fair bit. n

august 2013 MYMOBILE 63

etcetera Full Throttle Entertainment Sony’s home theatre system delivers just that

Sony BDV E3100 Home Theatre Price: Rs 24,990 Pros | Smart TV features, excellent sound Cons | limited ports, high power consumption

RATING



64 MYMOBILE august 2013

ony is a respected name in entertainment. So when it comes out with a home theatre system, it is certainly worth noticing. And the BDV E3100 is no exception. It pulls out all stops when it comes to entertainment - it comes with a 3D Blu-ray player and a whole set of 5.1 speakers including 5 satellite speakers and one subwoofer, They can be placed in different corners as the cable that connects them to the Blu-ray player is long and tough. The Blu-ray player itself is a monolith unit with an elegant design and rugged matte finish. The control panel has a few keys meant for volume, stop, pause and playback on the top edge side. The front panel includes a start button, a Blu-ray drive, a single line LED

display, and a USB port for direct plug and play. It has the same Sony interface, the Xross Media Bar layout found in all Sony Bravia LED displays. Files with prominent logos appear vertically and are easy to manage through the remote. It works smoothly and detection and response is top notch. The remote has dedicated buttons for SEN, football mode and Bluetooth. The E3100 offers multiple smart TV features, so if you have a conventional TV, fret not as this system has everything that a Smart TV can offer, supports app, and if you attach a keyboard, you can browse online, use social networks, and work just as on a PC. Easy to operate, the system is a pure delight, while the 5.1 speakers are the best in class. It is a little high on power consumption, but on the whole, an impressive product. n

www.mymobile.co.in

Gamer’s delight

That’s what the Corsair M95 Vengeance mouse is

Healthy tunes A musical

fitness trainer

he latest member of the Corsair M series of laser mouses for gamers, the Vengeance M95 is a solid blend of metal and rubber. It looks macho and its large grand size and cozy surface provide the much needed comfort and balance gamers crave for. It is equipped with 15 programmable buttons including nine macro buttons and a rubber coated scroll wheel. You can access the macro buttons right on the mouse within your thumb’s reach, instead of wasting time on going for keyboard buttons. Serious gamers are going to love Vengeance M95 for its speed, courtesy its ultra high 8,200dpi sensor which makes it fast and workable on most surfaces. It has a fairly long cord with threaded coating and a blue coloured USB port. Yes, it is expensive, but is otherwise quite a brilliant device. n

Corsair M95 Vengeance mouse Price: Rs 5,550 Pros | Ultra-fast performance, robust and comfortable Cons | Slightly heavy, little pricey

RATING



ranscend MP 350, a digital fitness music player with a fitness manager designed for rough handling. It comes with a handy fitness tracker, voice recorder and FM radio connectivity, is compact in design and has water resistant capability, making it perfect for all weather conditions. It also comes with a built-in sports chip. The user can select a specific sports type and a workout goal. The fitness tracker enables the user to track the total time of the workout along with the amount of calories burnt in the process. On the music front, it supports MP3, WMA and WAV music formats, and comes with a built in microphone which facilitates voice recording. You can operate the device via an OLED display and a graphical, friendly interface. The player has an 8GB on board storage capacity and also has a USB port for transferring music to it, and which also doubles up as a charging slot. The Transcend MP 350 comes with a price tag of Rs 2,650, which is decent money for the value it delivers, and for letting you shape up tunefully. n

Transcend Mp 350 Price: Rs 2,650 Pros | Good built quality, water resistant Cons | Uncomfortable earphones, sound not great

RATING



august 2013 MYMOBILE 65

etcetera Pros | Nice looking, Comfortable ear

Creative’s trendy headset MA200

buds

Cons | Cord tangles, Doesn’t support basic feature phones

Price: Rs 1,499

RATING



Tangled, but tuneful Creative’s headset delivers great sound

reative’s trendy headset MA200 comes in five eye-catching colours with matching ear buds. It has a fairly long 1.2 metre cord with a rugged rubber build exterior and looks sleek and sporty. Although, the cable tangled every time we put it in our bag, it was easy to loosen. The ear buds are cushioned with soft rubber cover and because of their cylindrical shape, fit deep into the ear, blocking the outside noise completely. The headset offers three pairs of ear buds in three different sizes: small, medium and large, matching the unit’s colour. Its other end has a gold plated 3.5mm jack and in the middle is a sleek control panel with microphone and a multi-purpose button which can pause and play your movies/songs and receive and end calls from the unit itself. Sound quality was impressive - clear and firm and with deep bass drivers, it widens your options especially if you are into rock and jazz music. Although, it is meant for Android devices, it worked just fine with our Windows Phone device too. For Rs 1,499, this headset is a very good deal. Not only does it handle phone calls and music playback superbly, but is also very comfortable to use. n

Booming experience Great sound need not cost the earth

f you want a good sound experience without spending truckloads of money on high-end home theatre systems, then the F&D A511 speaker is definitely worth considering. The cost at which these speaker systems are available makes them a very good value for money proposition and a viable alternative to expensive home theatre systems. The F&D A511 is equipped with one subwoofer and two speakers. The speakers weigh around 4.7 kilograms and are capable of delivering 5,000 Watts P.M.P.O sound, not bad when you consider the price tag. It supports almost all popular sound file formats. However, we missed a digital screen where we could control the functionalities of the speakers - doing it manually in this digital age seems a tad odd. The speakers fared well in our sound tests, although some distortion did creep in on higher volume lev-

els. But at Rs 3,490 (yes, that’s what they cost), they remain a very good proposition for those on a tight budget. n

F&D A511

Pros | Affordable, smart design

Price: Rs 3,490

Cons | Distortion at higher volumes, no direct USB drive support or FM

66 MYMOBILE august 2013

team@mymobile.co.in

RATING



fa c e t o fa c e

“Text input is the preferred mode of communication” Hardware keyboards might be going out of fashion, but keyboards - of the digital kind - are very much here to stay. And few know as much about them as the folks at KeyPoint Technologies, makers of the immensely popular Adaptxt Keyboard app. We met Sumit Goswami, CEO, KeyPoint Technologies, to discuss the company’s strategy and key (board) issues. Mukesh Kumar Singh Touchscreens have led to an explosion in onscreen keyboards, haven’t they? Touchscreens now are a necessary part of every smartphone being shipped and it is predicted that 97 per cent of smartphones will be touchscreen phones by 2016, as compared to 81 per cent currently in 2013. Applications and the app ecosystem are key to the success of smartphones and almost 90 per cent of the applications require some form of input for action. Text input is the preferred mode of communication with devices and users need smart text input to help them communicate fast, in their preferred language, and error free. Our application is perfectly suited to meet the ever growing requirement of consumers for smart input technology. There are many keypad solutions available in the market like SWYPE. So, how are you different and better then them? Most of the keypad solutions available in the market use statistical form of prediction with some artificial intelligence built in. The output from

such keypads fails to create a human machine dialogue. Our flagship product Adaptxt combines artificial intelligence, context based information and a linguistic engine to provide users with a dialogue which reflects their persona and usage habit. This creates a personal connect between him or her and the device. Are you planning to tie up with any manufacturer to get your app per-loaded on their handsets? We are working with some leading manufacturers in India and abroad where our application is available on their devices as an embedded keyboard application. Gesture control and speech control are gaining popularity. Do you feel they pose any threat to the keypad? Gesture control and speech control are being adopted as an integral part of the keyboard application and hence will not pose any threat to the keyboard but will enhance their user experience. Will you be incorporating speech control

in your app? Our keyboard application has a dedicated key that provides an option to the user to use speech for input. The stylus seems to be making a comeback, especially when it comes to regional languages, where people prefer to write. Will you be introducing any feature for the stylus? Handwriting as a method for input is extremely critical to markets like China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and middle-east countries. We have selectively introduced our handwriting feature for Indic and few global languages to OEMs. What can we expect from you in the coming days? We will be introducing new products and features in the market which use our strengths around languages, personalisation and customisation. We are collaborating with our OEM customers and partners to launch input applications in the market which enhance the overall user experience of interacting with connected devices. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

august 2013 MYMOBILE 67

a p p ta s t i c

News In

Your Hand Everyone likes to keep in touch with what’s happening in their world. Which is why news apps are such a rage in the appy world. We bring you five of the best apps when it comes to keeping pace with news on your handset or tablet Nimish Dubey

hen it comes to apps, there are those who like productivity apps like browsers and office suites, and others who are more into entertainment and prefer easy photo filtering apps and games. But one app category that everyone simply cannot do without is news. Blame it on the natural curiosity of human beings or just a willingness to keep in touch with what’s happening in the world, news apps are amongst the most popular in the app world. And although Google might have downed shutters on Google Reader, their popularity shows no sign of declining. There’s a wide variety of news apps out there catering to the needs of different readers. And these are five of the best.

68 MYMOBILE august 2013

www.mymobile.co.in

Flipboard (iOS, Android) Price: Free One of the first apps that started the concept of presenting news in the form of a magzine, Flipboard remains popular to this day because of its presentation. The app lets you choose different news sources - websites, subjects, etc. - and then presents the latest from them in the form of a flippable magazine, complete with images. You can even select specific articles and use them to form your own magazine and if you are really hooked on to the magazine format, you can even view your Twitter and Facebook feed in magazine form. You can share articles and save them for later reading as well.

Available for: Google Play, iTunes App Store.

Google Currents (iOS, Android) Price: Free

Pulse (iOS, Android)

When Google announced that it would also be making an innovative news reading application, expectations were high and many people predicted a Flipboard killer. Well, Google Currents certainly did not destroy Flipboard which is alive and well, but it presented readers with yet another option of reading the news, with sources lined up neatly in a column on the left and their contents presented in magazine form on the right. One can read news items, flip through them and share them on social networks. No, it is not as uber smooth as Pulse or Flipboard but it works quite brilliantly and is much faster.

Price: Free If Flipboard won userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hearts by converting news feeds into a conventional - albeit digital - magazine-like format, then Pulse took the other route and came out with a militantly new format for viewing news on mobile devices. The app arranged news in columns and rows, with each row representing a source or website, and each cell in front of it containing a snapshot of a news item which could be read and shared across social networks. A single glance on the landing screen, therefore gives one a look at the main news items in a grid-like format. And one can scroll sideways with a simple flick of a finger.

Available for: iTunes App Store, Google Play

Zite (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

Price: Free Not everyone likes to look around for sources of news. In fact, many of us like our news served with minimum fuss and in an eye pleasing format. Well, Zite does just that. All you have to do is specify the topics on which you wish to receive news, and the app then arranges the news and presents it in an elegant format with subject heads in a row at the top and the news under the highlighted one on the screen. It is very easy on the eye (you can even change font sizes, if you wish) and share news items that you think are worthy of attention on your social networks. Hardcore news fans might hark for more customisation and source options, but for the mainstream news follower, there is enough here.

Available for: iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store

BuzzFeed (iOS) Price: Free There are those who love following news for its own sake. And then there are those who love to find out the news items that others like. BuzzFeed is tailormade for such readers. Its presentation is a mix of Google Currents and Pulse, with subject-heads on the left and stories under each shown in a pictorial grid on the right, but what marks it out is not just the news it delivers but the fact that it lets you post comments and remarks on news items, and even shows you items that got badges like OMG, WTF and a host of others from other users. Yes, the content is more Western than Indian and there is a bias for tabloid-style news, but this is a news app that entertains and informs at the same time!

Available for: iTunes App Store

nimish@mymobile.co.in

august 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

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-218

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

Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger | DC-16

You can 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 august 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

august 2013 MYMOBILE 71

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 July 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

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 73

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 105

100

101

110

114

112

Asha 205

Dimension (mm)

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

112.8 x 61.1 x 13

Weight (grams)

69.6

Model

12/840

7.2/840

10.5/637

14/840

11/891

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.45

65,536/1.8

56K/1.8

65,536/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8MB/No

NA/No

64MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

1,000

1000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

S30

S40

Symbian S40

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

1,150

1,250

1,500

2,260

2,550

2,600

3,550

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 206

C2-03

Asha 306

202

Asha 200

Asha 305

Asha 210

Dimension (mm)

116 x 49 x 12.4

103 x 51.4 x 17

110.3 x 53.8 x 12.8

114.8 x 49.8 x 13.9

115.4 x 61.1 x 14

110.3X53.8X12.8

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

Weight (grams)

115

105

97.3

20/680

5/400

14/600

5/400

7/888

14/528

12/1104

Model

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

65,536/2.4

65,536/2.6

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

10MB/32GB

NA/32GB

64MB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3Mp/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

1,000

Shared

1,000

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Dual Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Slider/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

3,750

3,780

4,000

4,100

4,400

4,600

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

Price in Rs

74 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 309

Asha 308

Asha311

Lumia 510

Dimension (mm)

109.9 x 54 x 13.2

109.9 x 54 x 13

114x50x12.5

99.2x58x12.1

109.9x54x13.2

106 x 52 x 12.9

120.7 x 64.9 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

102

104

102

104

129

Talktime/Standby (hours)

301

Asha 501

NEW

Asha 310

NEW

6/650

17/600

20/504

17/624

17/600

14/696

6.2/738

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

128MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

4GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

2,000

Shared

1,000

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

S40

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

Price in Rs.

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

Symbian S40

Windows Phone 7.8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,850

5,300

5,400

5,600

6,400

8,500

MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 520

Lumia 620

Lumia 720

FLY Lumia 820

Lumia 920

Lumia 900

DS 186

Dimension (mm)

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

115.4 x 61.1 x 11

127.9 x 67.5 x 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

108 X 47 X 15.6

Weight (grams)

124

127

128

160

185

160

14/360

14/330

23/520

15.4/360

18.6/460

7/300

5/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.0

16 million/3.8

16million/4.3

16.7million/4.3

16.7million/4.5

16million/4.3

65,536/1.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16GB/No

NA/ 16GB

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

200

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

No/No/No

Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 7.5

Nucleus

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

10,100

14,500

18,400

21,500

32,600

32,999

990

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 75

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

SAMSUNG

WYNNCOM

MV242n

E1207T

E1282T

W221

W540

Dimension (mm)

118 x 51 x 15

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5

128 x 48 x 13.5

130 x 95 x 62

116 x 105 x 80

119 x 52 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

125

65.1

74.5

259

280

246

NEW

W415+

W412

NEW

Talktime/Standby (hours)

10/ 400

8/430

12/660

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.4

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.8

NA/2.0

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

245KB/32GB

NA/No

NA/4GB

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/NA

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

0.3 MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

300

200

300

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Proprietry

Proprietary

Nucleus

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

Bar/No/No

1,590

1,250

1,590

1,199

1,349

1,499

1,599

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL

WYNNCOM

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

LAVA

W601

W617

W704

W716

E350

Discover 132

Discover 135

Dimension (mm)

117.2 x 55.4 x 13.5

124.4 x 57.2 x 14.7

103 x 56 x 13.8

120 x 63 x 12.4

114 x 62 x 13.2

Weight (grams)

111.4

110

109

81.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

8/700

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.8

NA/3.0

NA/3.5

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

NA/32 GB

NA/32GB

45KB/16GB

258KB/4GB

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3 MP/Yes /Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3 MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

1,500

500

1,000

500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Nucleous

Proprietary

Nucleous

Nucleus

Music Player/FM Radio

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,749

1,899

1,999

2,299

2,990

3,299

3,600

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

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

76 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

T375

Metro 2252

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Metro Duos C3322

Rex 60

Rex 70

Rex 80

Dimension (mm)

103 x 59 x 10.7

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

113.97 x 47.9 x 13.99

101.8 x 55 x 12.5

104.90 x 57.2 x 11.99

102.0 x 58 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

88.9

Talktime/Standby (hours)

12.8/601

11.9/760

14/550

10/500

15/NA

13/NA

15/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.2

65,536/2.8

65,536/3.0

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

48MB/16GB

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

46MB/16GB

30MB/16GB

10MB/32GB

20MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM 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/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietary

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,400

2,500

3,200

3,600

4,100

4,300

5,100

MODELS

HIGH END

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

Racing Carbon

Link

Racer Prestige Gold

Meridiist Steel & Gold

Dimension (mm)

113 x 61.90 x 11.84

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

Weight (grams)

160

155

160

200

160

155

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Rex 90

TAG HEUER Meridiist GMT Stainless Racer Sport Classic Steel/Black PVD

15/NA

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

3/220

7/392

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16 million/3.5

16million/3.5

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

10MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Android v2.3

Andriod v2.2

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

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+

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

Price in Rs.

5,800

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 77

MODELS

ENTERPRISE LEVEL

VERTU

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Constellation Quest

Signature

OT 8000D

OT 6030

Dimension (mm)

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

143 x 78.4 x 9.8

133 x 67.5x 7.9

Weight (grams)

148

174

160

165 to 185

166

163

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

7.5/349

3.5/300

9/600

7.2/415

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

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/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

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

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

12,900

15,800

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

APPLE

BLACKBERRY

OT 6033X

iPhone 4S

iPhone 5

Curve 9220

Curve 9320

Curve 9360

9860

Dimension (mm)

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.45

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

Weight (grams)

115

140

112

102

103

130

135

Talktime/Standby (hours)

16/ 700

14/200

8/225

7/432

5/336

4.7/337

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.65

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

65,536/2.44

262,144/2.44

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16,32,64GB/No

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/No

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

Android v4.1

iOS 6

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

9,500

15,000

17,000

20,500

21,500

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

78 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

FLY

Bold 9790

9900

Z10

Q10

F32

Dimension (mm)

110 x 60 x 11.4

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

Weight (grams)

107

130

136

139

Talktime/Standby (hours)

F351

F350

116 x 61.2 x 12 mm 118.88 x 61.79 x 11.8 81

115.5

5.1/432

6.3/296

10/312

10/NA

6.5/250

10/260

4/350

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.45

16million/2.8

16 million/4.2

16million/3.1

NA/3.2

262,144/3.5

NA/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

154MB/32GB

138MB/32GB

110MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/NA

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/No

BlackBerry 10

Android v2.3

Android V2.3.6

Android v 2.3

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

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

Blackberry OS 7.0

BlackBerry 10

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

25,000

31,000

42,000

44,990

3,990

4,199

4,990

Burn test Rating

MODELS

Price in Rs.

BlackBerry OS 7.0

FLY

PARAMETERS Model

F410

F41S

F51

Dimension (mm)

125x66x12.3

117.5x62.5x12.8

123.9 x 64 x 10

126 x 63.5 x 10.3

146 x 77 x 11.5

148x78.2x10.6

151.5x76.8x9.8

Weight (grams)

180

101.5

140

170

210.9

140

Talktime/Standby (hours)

F40

NEW

F350s

NEW

F50s

NEW

F53s

10/260

10/230

10/331

7.5/263

7/144

8/100

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

NA/4.0

16.7million/5.0

16million/5.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

170MB/32GB

200MB/32GB

1GB/32GB

139MB/32GB

130MB/32GB

3GB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1,000

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

Dua/ Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/NA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android V2.3.6

Android v4.0

Android 4.0 ICS

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,999

5,199

7,690

7,790

8,490

9,999

11,499

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 79

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

FLY

HTC Desire VC

Desire X

F45s

Desire C

Desire U

Desire V

Dimension (mm)

131 x 67 x 10.5

107 X 60 X 11.9

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.32

119.5 x 62.3 x 9.5

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

120.5 x 63 x 10.28

Weight (grams)

158

114

118

114

113

Model

8/100

NA/NA

20/833

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.5

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

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/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.0

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

11,990

9,547

14,390

12,179

13,587

14,057

14,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

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

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire XDS

Desire SV

OneX

One X+

Dimension (mm)

118.5 X 62.3 X 9.3

119.5x 62.3 x 9.4

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

129.7 x 67.9 x 10.7

134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9

132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

Weight (grams)

114

107

130

131

130

135

130

NA/NA

11.4/539

NA/NA

10/290

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16 million/4.3

16million/4.7

16 million/ 4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

32GB/No

64GB/No

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

NEW

Desire XC

NEW

Desire X600

NEW

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

16,790

17,590

26,890

19,491

24,700

26,800

26,945

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

Price in Rs.

80 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

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

MODELS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

JOSH

One

Butterfly

Zeal

Aurus 2

Ivory

Whiz

Dimension (mm)

137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3

143 x 70.5 x 9.08

118 x 62 x 10

Weight (grams)

143

140

170

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Petal

NEW

NA/NA

7/300

7/NA

5/320

8.5/NA

4/48

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32,64GB/NA

16GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

140MB/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

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

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

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes/Yes Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

42,500

43,000

5,350

6,450

7,000

7,800

4,100

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

JOSH

PARAMETERS Model

Fortune

Dimension (mm)

118 x 62 x 13

119 x 65 x 12

Weight (grams)

220

Talktime/Standby (hours)

A15

A9+

151.1x80.5x9.9

160x82.5x9.7

128x65.7x11.6

165

200

188

114.5

4/48

5/48

3.5/250

NA/NA

4/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16,million/5.3

16million/5.7

NA/4.0

262,144/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

170MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

104MB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

NEW

Fortune 9

KARBONN

NEW

Fortune HD

NEW

Thunder

NEW

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,999

6,199

12,499

15,999

5,350

5,500

7,500

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

Price in Rs.

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 81

MODELS

myguide

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA S9 Titanium

A12

A27

S1 Titanium

A30

S5 Titanium

Dimension (mm)

135x66x11

133.6x66x9.1

134.6 x 66 x 9.25

166 x 91 x 10.7

115 x 61.5 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

164

126.5

280

115

NEW

Iris N320

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4/180

4/200

10/600

NA/NA

4/390

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.5

NA/4.2

16million/4.5

262,144/5.9

16 million/5.0

16million/5.5

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

100MB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Android v 4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.2

Android v2.3

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,750

8,999

9,999

10,050

11,999

19,990

4,499

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/Yes/No

LAVA

PARAMETERS Model

LENOVO

Iris n400

Iris N501

A390

P700i

A706

S920

P780

Dimension (mm)

125 x 63 x 10.2

148.5 x 79 x 10.5

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

Weight (grams)

131

162

130

159

176

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7.8/620

14/220

NA/NA

16/230

25/480

43/840

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

NA/4.0

16 million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

127MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/16GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,099

13,500

8,689

12,499

15,949

26,339

22,529

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 AUGUST 2013

MODELS PARAMETERS

LENOVO

K900

Optimus L3 E400

Optimus L3 Dual

Optimus L3II Dual

Optimus L4 II Dual E445 NEW

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5

Dimension (mm)

157 x 78 x 6.9

102.6 x 61.6 x 11.85

102.6x 61.6 x11.85

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

112.8 x 64.7 x 11.9

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.5

Weight (grams)

162

110

119

110

125

103

125

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

15/300

12/600

17/1044

16/730

NA/NA

10/642

10/900

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

262,144/3.2

262144/3.2

262,144/3.2

16million/3.8

16 million/4.0

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

1GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.2

Android v2.3

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

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

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

32,999

6,499

7,100

7,900

9,500

9,999

10,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Tri-Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus L5 Dual

Optimus L5 II Dual

Optimus L7 P705

Optimus Black P970

Optimus L7II Dual

Optimus L9 P765

Optimus Vu P895

Dimension (mm)

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.6

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

125.5 x 67 x 8.7

122 x 64 x 9.2

122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7

131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1

139.6 X 90.4 X 8.5

Weight (grams)

126

103

124

109

115.5

125

168

10/901

10/642

19/902

6/375

12/800

12/830

16/510

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.1

16 million/4.0

16million/4.3

16 million/4.0

16 million/4.3

16 million/4.7

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

2.72GB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

32GB/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

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/GSM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

10,999

11,999

13,500

15,000

15,500

16,900

22,500

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

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 83

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX Optimus G Pro

Nexus 4

Optimus 4X HD

Optimus G

Bolt A51

A89 Ninja

Canvas Music

Dimension (mm)

133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1

132.4 x 68.1 x 8.9

131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5

150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4

135 x 68.7 x 11.3

Weight (grams)

139

133

145

170

Model

NEW

15/390

9.3/730

15/335

31/598

4/140

4/170

5/260

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

16 million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

16GB/64GB

512MB/32GB

2.07GB/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

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

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 v4.2

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

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

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

25,999

27,499

33,000

42,500

4,400

5,750

8,499

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

RAGE

Model

Canvas2 A110

Canvas 3D

Canvas A110Q

Canvas Doodle

Canvas HD

Dimension (mm)

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

147x77x9.9

144 x 74 x 10.7

116 x 59 x 12.5

Weight (grams)

144

156

110

5/180

4/225

6/280

6/220

5/174

5/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

262,144/5.0

16 million/5.3

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

NA/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

512/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Canvas 4

NEW

OPS40

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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.

Yes/Yes/HSPA

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

Yes/No/No

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.2

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android V2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,000

9,999

12,750

12,999

13,990

17,999

3,999

84 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

RAGE

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

OPS50

OPS60

Galaxy Star

Galaxy Y Plus

Galaxy Y

Galaxy Music Duos

Galaxy Chat B5330

Dimension (mm)

127 x 64.3 x 10.8

140.5 x 70 x 11.5

105 x 58 x 11.9

104.9 x 57.9 x 13

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

110.1 X 59 X 12.3

118.9 x 59.3 x 11.7

Weight (grams)

135

170

100.5

97.5

106.9

112

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6/240

14/320

6/260

6/120

15/570

14/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.0

NA/4.6

65,536/3.0

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

160MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

Shared Quad Band/No

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

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

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

Android v2.3

Android v4.1

Android v 4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

4,999

6,999

5,500

6,600

6,300

6,500

8,100

Galaxy Quattro

Galaxy Grand

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Yes/No/No

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

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Young

Galaxy Fame S6812

Galaxy Ace Duos

Galaxy S duos

Dimension (mm)

109.4 x 58.6 x 12.5

113.2 x 61.5 x 11.55

112.74 x 61.5 x 11.5

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

112

120

122

120

124

143.9

161

7/250

6/300

16.8/570

12.8/570

9/500

11/210

10.1/440

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15 MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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.

Galaxy Core

NEW

129.30 x 67.60 x 8.95 133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65

143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6

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

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,400

11,000

11,500

12,900

15.650

18,260

20,500

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

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 85

MODELS

myguide

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

SONY

Galaxy SII Plus

Galaxy Note

Galaxy Mega 5.8

Galaxy SIII

Galaxy Note II N7100

Galaxy S4

Xperia tipo

125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5

146.9 x 83 x 9.7

162.6 x 82.4 x 8.9

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

178

184

133

183

130

99.4

9/549

6/100

NA/NA

22.5/830

35/980

17/370

5/470

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16million/5.3

16million/5.8

16million/4.8

16 million/5.5

16million/5.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

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

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

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

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.2

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

22,200

23,000

24,400

28,000

36,500

39,500

7,500

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

Xperia go

Neo L

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

111 X 60.3 X 9.8

120 X 61 X 12.8

Weight (grams)

99.4

115.7

110

131.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/470

6/530

6.6/472

5/470

6.3/520

8/575

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

262,144/3.5

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.9GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/No

4GB/32GB

1GB/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 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

Android v2.3

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,999

8,790

10,100

11,700

12,999

13,200

13,400

86 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Xperia Sola

Xperia J

116.0 x 59.0 x 9.9

124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2

Xperia L

NEW

28.7 x 65 x 9.7

Xperia P

Xperia Ion

Xperia SL

Xperia SP

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

107

124

137

120

144

155

6/475

7/618

8.4/498

6/475

10/400

8/410

18/734

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.0

16M/4.55

16million/4.3

16million/4.6

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.1MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

23,900

24,700

14,500

17,200

20,500

21,700

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

SONY

PARAMETERS Model

Xperia ZL

Xperia Z

Mi 351

Mi 352

Mi 435

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5

131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8

139 x 71 x 7.9

115.3x62x11.8

124 x 63.5 x 11.8

Weight (grams)

138

151

146

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Xperia ZR

SPICE

Dimension (mm)

NEW

11/470

10/500

11/550

3/216

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.6

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

262,144/3.5

16 million/4.0

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

512MB/16GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

Android v 4.2

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

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

Yes/Yes/No Android v 2.3

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

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

Bar/Yes/No

29,990

35,200

37,900

3,599

5,099

7,399

10,499

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 87

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS Model

SPICE Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

WYNNCOM G11

NEW

G32

G51

G41

G58

117.8 x 63 x 11.2

146 x 77 x 11.5

124 x 65 x 11

145 x 78 x 10.4

152 x 79 x 10.3

147.5 x 90 x 65.3

115.4x61.6x12

196.3

318

114

118

170

130

200

4.1/696

4/140

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.3

NA/3.5

16million/3.5

NA/5

NA/4.0

NA/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

NA/32GB

NA/32 GB

100MB/32 GB

NA/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

5 MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android v4.0

Android 2.3

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v 4.0

Android v4.0

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

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes / Yes

Bar/Yes/No

13,999

3,799

4,499

4,999

5,999

10,499

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

WYNNCOM

XOLO A700

A800

Q800

A1000

Q1000

X1000

Dimension (mm)

133.6 x 67.5 x 10.6

136 x 68.5 x 9.1

133x67x10.5

135.5 x 67 x 9.6

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

Weight (grams)

115

143.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

G60Q

NEW

7/425

6/NA

16/360

NA/NA

14/350

9.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.5

16 million/ 4.5

16 million/4.5

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

16 million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

4 GB/32 GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android 4.2

Android v4.0

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

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Androi v4.1

Android v4.2

Android 4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,499

8,050

10,000

11,500

13,500

15,000

19,000

88 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Hero Plus 159

Samsung B209

Samsung B229

Dimension (mm)

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)

Samsung Hero B189 Samsung Hero B319 105 x 44 x 13

108 x 45.4 x 14.7

Samsung B379

Samsung B339

109.5 x 45.4 x 14.2

108.20 x 47.1 x 14.35

72.3

75.7

3/230

4.3/470

6.5/720

3.3/250

3/257

4.3/470

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.52

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

597KB/No

351KB/No

450KB/No

NA/No

1MB/No

351KB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

500

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

BREW

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

No/No

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,000

1,100

1,150

1,380

1,400

1,650

MODELS

Price in Rs.

No/Yes Bar/No/No

CDMA

PARAMETERS Lava ARC8c

Samsung Guru Dual CDMA

Mpower TV 239

MTS Duet

Samsung Primo Duos

Model

Samsung Guru 539 Samsung Guru Muzik 219

Dimension (mm)

109.6 x 44.9 x 14.0

112 x 46.3 x 15.3

114.9 x 47.8 x 14.1

118.5 x 50 x 12.45

118.8 x 49.9 x 14.07

Weight (grams)

77.5

86.7

103

6/720

4/230

May-90

6.5/300

4.4/420

NA/NA

6.67/160

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.77

65,536/1.7

65,536/2.2

65,536/2.0

262,144/2.4

242,144/3.5

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2.5MB/4+4GB

14MB/2GB

NA/8GB

7.41MB/4GB

85MB/16GB

4GB/32GB

75MB/-

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

YesNo

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

No/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

100

1,000

2,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/CDMA1X

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

BREW

Android v 2.3

BREW

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

1,990

2,500

2,699

3,250

4,400

4,799

4,999

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 89

myguide MODELS

TABLET

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

APPLE

Blackberry 8530

Galaxy Ace Duos I589

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

109 x 60 x 13.9

112.4 x 59.9 x 12.44

109 x 60 x 11

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

97.5

105

125

308

312

652

6/120

4.5/252

7/300

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

16million/3.5

NA/2.44

16 million/7.9

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

160MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

16,32,64GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/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

CDMA/No

Dual Band/CDMA+GSM

CDMA/No

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS7

iOS 6

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,350

12,500

12,550

17,250

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

MODELS

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No Yes/Yes/Rev.A

APPLE

FLY

Model

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

F8S

Smart Tab 8

Smart Cosmic

Dimension (mm)

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

198 x 155 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

662

NA/NA

PARAMETERS

Talktime/Standby (hours)

HCL

KARBONN

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/9.7

NA/8.0

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

1.5GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

4GB/32GBp

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/Yes

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

No/No/Yes

Operating System

iOS 6

Android v4.1

Android OS, v4.0

Android v4.1

Music Player/FM Radio

No/No

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

39,900/45,900/51,900

12,500

5,999

7,999

11,999

6,990

9,990

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

90 MYMOBILE AUGUST 2013

MODELS

KARBONN

MICROMAX

Funbook P275

Funbook P600

OPT400 Laptab

Galaxy Tab2 311

Galaxy Tab2 310

Dimension (mm)

192 x 122 x 10.5

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

PARAMETERS Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

SAMSUNG Samsung Galaxy Note Galaxy Note10.1N800 510

NA/NA

10/224

5/ 150

NA/1070

30/NA

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/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

2.0MP/No/No

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

4,500

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

Xperia Tablet Z

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

AUGUST 2013 MYMOBILE 91

mobile doctor

I want to purchase a smartphone and my budget is Rs 6,000. I have shortlisted two handsets: the Samsung Galaxy Y and the Nokia Asha 311. My two basic requirements are there should be no problem in signal reception and the phone should deliver a good Internet browsing experience. Please suggest which one I should go for. -Rajen Sahu As per your requirements, you should go with the Nokia Asha 311 because it has RF, which works very nicely in low signal areas. The device also has a 1 GHz processor which makes Internet browsing very fast. I want to buy a smartphone within the budget of Rs 13,000. I want that the phone should have good camera quality with HD recording. The music quality should also be decent on headphones. Please advise which phone I should purchase. -Prakash Bharti If you want to have good camera and music quality then you should go for the Nokia Lumia devices. They have better hardware integration for music. You should go for the Nokia Lumia 620 as it fits your budget bracket. I am a regular reader of your magazine and I want to buy a smartphone within the budget of Rs 33,000. The smartphone should be able to facilitate a good gaming and web browsing experi-

ence. The music quality and the memory specifications should also be very good. I have selected a few handsets like the HTC One X+, HTC 8X, HTC One S and the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Which would be a good option for me? -Aashay Verma The Samsung Galaxy SIII is a good option for you as per your budget. It has a big display, fast processor, good battery backup and a Super AMOLED display, so it will give you a good gaming experience. But, if you can increase your budget, then go for the HTC One, as it is available on many online stores for Rs 38,000. The smartphone offers a 1.9 GHz processor, and a large Super LCD 3 display which makes gaming a delight. I want to buy a smartphone in the price segment of Rs 14,000. Please suggest some good handsets of both Nokia and Samsung. And also please highlight the

difference between Android and Windows Phone operating system. -Sreekanth S. Both the operating systems belong to different genres. If you want a PC-like experience, then Windows Phone is a good option for you but if you are more into apps and gaming, then go for Android. Nowadays, Android is

92 MYMOBILE august 2013

more popular amongst consumers as its app store contains a lot of apps and now movies and books are also available there. You can go for the Samsung Galaxy Quattro and Samsung Galaxy Core. In Windows Phone, the Nokia Lumia 620 is the one for you. I have a Nokia N8 smartphone it works well without any lags. But recently, whenever I use my phone to browse the Web it heats up quickly. It becomes very hot and I have to stop the browsing in order to cool it down. Can you please tell me what is the problem with my device and what should I do to rectify it. -Nirbhay Kumar You might be using 3G in the phone in low signal areas. In low signal areas RF works on maximum output, so the phone tends to heat up fast. There are two ways by which you can resolve your problem. First, go to the settings menu and in the data option, them select the ‘only GSM’ option. Secondly, use the Web in areas with proper signal connectivity. If the problem remains then you should contact the customer service centre. Generally, during Web browsing phones heat up, and the Nokia N8 has an aluminum body so it will heat up fast. You can also use a silicon cover in order to minimize this heat. I want to purchase a smartphone. It should have a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera to facilitate video calling and also an 8.0-megapixel primary camera. It should also run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. It should cost in the range of Rs 18,000. Please advise which smartphone I should buy. -Saurabh Singh In this range you will have to go for Indian brands, as other brands cost more. You can go for the Samsung Quatrro - it will be in your budget but it has a VGA

front facing camera and a 5.0megapixel rear camera. You can also go for the Samsung Galaxy Grand - it comes with a 2.0megapixel secondary camera and a 8.0-megapixel rear camera. My budget is Rs 5,000 and I want to purchase an Android smartphone which has support for 3G and video calling. It should also have a good rear camera and nice touch experience. Web browsing should also be fast. Please suggest some phones as per my requirements. -Mukesh Kumar Sony In this budget, you will not be able to get a 3G smartphone. If you can slightly increase your budget, then you can go for the Karbonn A5 and the Micromax A89 Ninja. I am using a Samsung Galaxy Duos GTs 7562 dual SIM phone. Of late it has started giving me network problems. Whenever I make or receive a call, the call gets disconnected in between and I have to keep on dialing in order to complete the conversation. Can you please tell me what is the problem with my device and how it can be corrected? -Anup Bhatera Do check if you are getting any updates - if there are any, then please update your phone. If there are no updates, then go to the Settings menu and under connectivity select the “GSM only” option. If the problem persists, then go to customer care. 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.

fa c e t o fa c e

“We are simplifying decision-making for everyone, everywhere” QlikTech believes in providing business discovery solutions which enable users to gain new insights from data. And it certainly seems to be working - the company was hailed as the ‘emerging business analytics’ of the year. We met Philip Beniac, Regional Vice-President, APAC, QlikTech to talk about the company’s business intelligence software Heena Gupta How would you describe QlikTech to a layperson? QlikTech is a leader in Business Discovery – user-driven Business Intelligence (BI) technology. We are the pioneers in “inmemory” analytics and the “self-service” approach to BI. The QlikView Business Discovery platform solves critical business problems for companies delivering true selfservice BI that empowers business users and drives innovative decision making. We are simplifying decision-making for everyone, everywhere. How does the software you provide help your customers? Business Discovery allows users to access data themselves without waiting for IT, something called self-service BI. What makes it different is the speed and ease with which non-technical users can get to the information they need. Data is quickly consolidated from multiple sources then presented in an interactive way to explore without the confines of a rigid, predefined path. Users can ask what they need to ask, and explore information up, down and sideways rather than being restricted to a predefined path. What are your plans for the Indian market?

India as a market is significantly different from other regions like the USA or Europe. Organizations here are more open to innovations; this could mostly be due to the increasing data deluge seen across sectors, as a result of which, more and more organizations are turning to BI and analytics tools. What we are also seeing is that businesses now want to support their users with BI and Analytics rather than just in the hands of some select decision-makers. They want to enable their business users to be able to make decisions themselves. QlikView Business Discovery with its revolutionary user-driven approach to BI (rather than the traditional approach), and embedded in-memory analytics is doing precisely that, proving them with a self-service BI platform. What are the e-commerce trends that you foresee in the coming days? We are witnessing emergence of a more viable alternative to a traditional direct sales model. Companies are increasingly migrating their offline customers to more cost-effective, self-service, online-only environments and focusing their sales reps on acquiring and retaining highermargin and higher-volume key account

customers. In terms of mobility, gone are the days when decision making was done with you being tethered to your laptops/ desktops. We are in the era of decision-making on the fly. This is where information mobility with the ability for fact based decision making “anytime, anywhere” becomes increasingly pivotal. Over the last couple of years, use of BI has witnessed a sea change with the advent of sophisticated smartphones. Mobility takes user-driven BI (or what we call Business Discovery) to the next level making it the new normal. Your service is available on which platforms? QlikView delivers the same apps, with the same functionality on any platform. This allows users to benefit from a completely consistent experience across devices, whether desktops, laptops, tablets, or handhelds. The power of the QlikView Business Discovery platform is anywhere, allowing for value to be generated anywhere. Users get all the power and flexibility of QlikView Business Discovery when connected, and can take advantage of a new disconnected mode for offline access. n heenagupta@mymobile.co.in

august 2013 MYMOBILE 93

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) n

BlackBerry Messenger or BBM, as it is commonly referred to, is BlackBerry’s (formerly know as RIM) real-time messaging service and comes preloaded onto all BlackBerry phones.

BlackBerry Messenger is a data-based instant messaging network that is exclusive to BlackBerry devices at the time of writing.

BBM Messages are sent over BlackBerry’s proprietary network, ensuring security and privacy.

it is one of the biggest hooks that the BlackBerry platform has. Research In Motion (RIM) originally made its mark in the world with push e-mail, but in recent years it is BBM that has emerged as its killer feature.

BlackBerry Messenger gives BlackBerry users a quick and easy way to send instant messages to each other using their PIN codes. It’s free and, unlike with e-mail, users can carry on several conversations at the same time. They also can chat with a group, see contacts’ availability, send files and track message status. Since its inception, BBM has grown in functionality and now includes groups with shared calen-

94 MYMOBILE august 2013

dars, lists and files. Application developers can also make their apps BBM-connected in a number of ways, including showcasing their app on a user’s BlackBerry Messenger profile. n

As announced during BlackBerry Live 2013, BBM will be going cross-platform in the summer of 2013. This means that iOS and Android users will have a version of BBM as well. However, rumour suggests that these versions of BBM will not be as full-featured as the one on BlackBerry devices.

Not many know that the brain behind BBM is Gary Klassen, a software developer at Research In Motion for over 10 years and the man who literally wrote the code for version 1.0 of BlackBerry Messenger.

For all its popularity, many governments (including the Indian one) consider BBM a threat, mainly because of the difficulty in tracing the messages when compared with various other media.

Many consider BBM the mother of all instantmessaging apps, and consider it to be the benchmark for evaluating similar apps.n team@mymobile.co.in

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

www.mymobile.co.in

rumour mill

Talk Is the iMac set to be a television too?

Rare indeed is the month that passes without us hearing some new rumour about Apple and its products. And while talk of a cheaper iPhone and an iPhone 5S persist, a new stream of conversation in some corners is hinting that Apple is in fact thinking of making its iconic iMac a two in one proposition, combining a desktop with a television. We have heard of people talking about Apple working on a television in the past, but a combination of the iMac and a television, which lets you watch your favourite TV programme in a corner of the screen while you work away on a document? That would be quite something, especially if Apple is able to retain the iMac’s ultra sleek form factor.

Galaxy S4 to get a gaming avatar? It already has a standard version, a waterproof version, and if we are to believe some of the rumours reaching our ears, cellphone behemoth Samsung is also considering placing the Galaxy S4 branding on a gaming device. We have no idea whether this is a tablet, a phablet or even a console on the lines of NVIDIA’s Shield, but we are being told that the South Korean company is looking at coming out with a device that is tailored exclusively for handling mobile gaming of the highest level.

96 MYMOBILE august 2013

in Tech Corners

It will evidently run on Android, have an octacore processor but no camera or support for calling (although data connectivity will be available to facilitate multiplayer gaming). No, we don’t know if this is a fact but if true, we can see a lot of mobile gamers cheering.

Ten-inch Nexus tablet from Motorola

A lot of people have been wondering as to why Google has not been using Motorola’s significant phone manufacturing expertise to come out with its Nexus brand of phones and tablets? Well, if some of our sources are speaking the truth, Motorola indeed is working on a Nexus tablet, one with a 10.0-inch full HD display that is expected to be unveiled later this year and released in the market to cash in on Christmas shopping. Details of the device are very sketchy, but we have heard hints being dropped about a quad core processor, a retina display, wireless charging and most interestingly, a foldable keyboard which would give the tablet an almost notebook-like touch. Would this not clash with Google’s own Chromebooks? We know not but are keeping our eyes peeled out for more information. Needless to say, we will keep you informed.

LG readying another smart watch

A few years ago, LG made waves - but alas,

not too many sales - with a wristwatch that supported 3G and connected to your phone. Now, we are being told by sources unofficially that the company is reworking the concept and coming out with an improved and far more versatile version, with a larger display, support for Android Jelly Bean, calling directly from the watch itself (no pairing with a phone or tablet), and interestingly, a pretty powerful front facing camera. Yes, we must confess to being concerned about the design and price, but we must confess to being utterly intrigued as well!

Sony to try consolephone combo again

Its attempt at bridging the console and cellphone divide with the Xperia Play might not have worked, but if some people in the industry are to be believed, Sony has not yet given up on the concept of a phone that has been customised for high-end gaming. So, even as most of the world waits for the PlayStation 4, evidently a crack team is also working overtime to come out with the second PlayStation phone, which if we are to believe our sources, can also double up as a motion controller for the PS4 in times of need. Spec details are unclear but we are hoping for a much better display than on the original Play and a richer game library. Oh, and we are so hoping that this rumour is true. n team@mymobile.co.in

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persona

Ten Things You Might Not Know About 1 2 3 4

Bill Gates, Co-founder and Chairman, Microsoft The world may know him as Bill Gates but his full name is William Henry Gates III. Gates never completed his graduation from college. Instead, he founded Microsoft with his friend Paul Allen in 1975. He was just 20 years old when he founded Microsoft. He is known to keep his word. In school he bragged to his teachers that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 30. He kept his word, and in fact, was a billionaire by 31. The first computer program that Gates wrote was a tic-tac-toe game. The game was played in a two player format where the computer was the opponent.

5 6 7 8 9 10 98 MYMOBILE August 2013

Considered one of the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates is believed to earn nearly 250 US Dollars every second which is about 20 million dollars a day and 7.2 billion dollars a year. At that rate, he can pay off the entire United States debt in less than 10 years. His children often tease him by singing the song ‘Billionaire’ by Bruno Mars and Travis McCoy. He has a Twitter account and is very active on it. But is not very happy using Facebook as the friend requests got out of hand. However, Mark Zuckerberg and he are said to get along well. If Bill Gates was a country; he would be the 37th richest country on earth! He enjoys playing tennis, golf and bridge in his leisure time. He is a history buff! In an interview, he said that the first things he would save in a fire are the documents he’s collected from famous historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester notebook, which he bought in 1994 for over $30 million.

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

RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2012-13-14 (Posting Date 19-20 of every month)