july 2014 ď Ź Rs 100
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tm
for a connected lifestyle
more bang for your bucks! the budget smartphone revolution
P 20
Tested
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+, HTC Desire 816, Moto E, Micromax Unite 2, Nokia XL, LG G Pro 2, Atom Ultimus, Oppo Joy and more P 45
Phone of the month Gionee Elife S5.5 P 52
FIFA Fever Apps for the FIFA World Cup P 66
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first call “It is not expensive? Then it must be of poor quality.”
T
hat is a sentence that we have often heard in the past in the world of mobile technology. It is not as if we have not had affordable and relatively lower priced smartphones and tablets – we have, but they have always been perceived as being of inferior quality. After all, the rationale went, why would any manufacturer offer a relatively high-end device at a lower price when most flagships were priced exponentially higher? Well, that mindset seems to be finally changing. Thanks to the emergence of devices like the Moto E, the Nokia X, the HTC Desire 210 and the Nokia Lumia 630, consumers today can expect devices that deliver very good performance even in devices that do not cost the earth – in fact, today you can get a very good smartphone experience without having to spend more than Rs 7,000, something that could not have been imagined a few years ago. But is this just a passing phase or has the trend of value for money, low priced devices come to stay? That is the thrust of our lead story, as we look at the seeming reinvention of the budget smartphone. Another trend that has been making waves is the emergence of multi-core processors. Barely a few years ago, LG had surprised the world with its first dual core processor phone, the Optimus 2x. Today, we have octa core and hexa core processor driven devices from a number of manufacturers, and some of them don’t even cost the earth (Micromax has a quad core device for as little as Rs 7,000). But are these multi-core devices actually delivering value in terms of performance to the consumer or have they just become so much spec sheet fodder? We endeavour to find out by talking to manufacturers and users alike. With the FIFA World Cup getting underway in Brazil, football is well and truly in the air. We bring you the apps that will help you get your fix of the world’s most popular sport. And if you are concerned about the safety of your phone, do check our piece on the art of buying mobile phone covers. This time we have a special treat for all those who like our gadget reviews. The Burn Test section features a number of high profile devices, including the Moto E, the Alcatel Idol X+, the Nokia XL, the HTC Desire 816, the Micromax Unite 2 and the slimmest phone in the world, the Gionee Elife 5.5. Round that off with reviews of gadgets and accessories, including a look at two new wearables from Sony and Alcatel and you can see why I think gadget freaks will treasure this issue of our magazine. Rounding off these are our regular features, including interactions with leading figures from the industry (Sony, ZTE and Flickr among them) and of course, the sections that are entirely driven by you – the letters, consumer forum and mobile doctor. All of which should give you plenty to read and think about. And of course, there is always our website – www.mymoble.co.in – for those who want the latest news as it breaks in the world of tech. As always, we look forward to your feedback. Nothing inspires and motivates us more. So keep those letters and e-mails coming in.
Follow Us: editor-in-chief
04 MYMOBILE july 2014
Pankaj Mohindroo |
Editor-in-Chief
Nimish Dubey | Associate Editor Mukesh Kumar Singh | Assistant Editor Sahil Mohan Gupta | Correspondent & Web Controller Heena Gupta | Sub-Editor Abhijit Ahaskar | Correspondent Binni Rawat | Reporter Renu Yadav | Reporter
DESIGN Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer Pooja Papnai | Assistant Graphic Designer
O P E RA T I O N S Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business Apoorv Bhatnagar | Sr. Manager – Marketing Sandeep Kumar | Manager – Marketing K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Admin Pooja Sachdeva | Manager – HR Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts
CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation
A D V I S O R Y B O AR D Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia 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.
Happy reading.
Pankaj Mohindroo
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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.
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content
Lead Story
sneak peek
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They come at mainstream prices. And deliver exceptional performance. We take a look at new wave of budget smartphones that are sweeping the Indian market.
HTC reveals more design wizardry in the HTC One (E8) while Oppo unleashes the first phone with a quad HD display in India, the Oppo Find 7.
just in
43
44
One has an octa core processor, the other a quad core one. Neither cost the earth. The Panasonic P81 and the Lava Iris X1.
spotlight
36
chief speak
From dual to octa core, are multicore processors actually making a difference or are they just a hype?
cell clues
We meet Kenichiro Hibi, MD, Sony India, to know more about the company's plans for the coming days, in phones, tablets and wearables. And also figure out which phone he uses.
40
Looking for a cover for your handset? Here are a few handy pointers.
28
Face to Face What is new in Flickr 3.0 and where is the iconic image sharing service headed? We talk to Bernando Hernandez, head of Flickr, Yahoo Inc.
32 06 MYMOBILE july 2014
Will 4G be available for mainstream users at affordable rates? Ranjan Sharma, director, technical and commercial, ZTE Telecom India, shares his thoughts.
42
Letters
10
News
14
Consumer Forum
31
Mobile Doctor
77
Gear Guide
78
content
versus
64
They are the new standard bearers of Android. But which of them is best-suited for you? The Galaxy S5 and One (M8) face-off!
my guide
81
apptastic As the world gets gripped by World Cup fever, we look at four apps that deliver a football fix on your phone.
66
BURN TESTS
etc
Oppo Joy
45
htc desire 816
46
atom ultimus
48
motorola moto e
50
gionee elife s5.5
52
nokia xl
54
micromax unite 2
56
lenovo s660
58
lg g pro 2
60
alcatel one touch idol x+
62
Total number of pages= 102 (98 + 4 cover)
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Nikon Coolpix AW 120, Plantronics Voyager Edge, Canon Powershot SX700 HS, NudeAudio M, GoPuck 3X Powershot
vantage point Annie Matthew, Director-Alliance, BlackBerry India, shares her views on the mobile app revolution.
Smart Apps
68
Get a new spin on news with Reverb, manage your ING Vysya Bank account from your phone, check out Windows Phone's new file explorer and click foodie pictures with InstaFood.
100
Boredom Buster
70 Join the dots forwards and backwards with TwoDots, get a dose of ping pong magic in Table Tennis Touch, and much more.
letters Dear friends, It is amazing how much the SUPERHEROES SUPERPHONES WE GIVE PHONES SUPERHERO STATUS telecom secTested tor in India has grown. After I went through My Mobile magazine, I realized the wealth of developments that has happened in this sector. The product reviews in your magazine proved to be very useful. I was able to decide which mobile handset should be good enough for me. -Sudhir Kumar, Baroda JUNE 2014 Rs 100
www.mymobile.co.in
TM
FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE
P 20
Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2, Xolo Q1010i, Alcatel One Touch Idol X, HTC One (M8), Lava Iris 504 Q+, Dell Venue 8 Pro and more P 42
Hi My Mobile Team, I am Jigme Namgyal, From Bhutan and I am a regular reader of My Mobile and a lover of technology. Please make some efforts to tap the Bhutan market too as there are a huge number of tech savvy youth who would love to read your magazine. -Jigme Namgyal, Bhutan
Mobile TV The idiot box in your hand P 64
Phone of the month Nokia Lumia 630 P 48
Hi, The article on TV On mobile was highly readable. But I find it hard to understand that new TV technology is taking so long in being launched in India. Your article on TV On mobile should have shed some light on TV apps available in India as well. -Malti, Patna I was surprised to see that in the ‘Consumer Forum’ section none of the companies have bothered to attend to the issues mentioned, not even one company!. And this is a disturbing trend, isn’t it?. I think you need to address this issue for the cause of your esteemed readers. -Vineeta Hi, I am big fan of the Burn Tests that you publish. As soon as I get hold of the latest copy of My Mobile, I sit down to go through the reviews of different mobile handsets. The thing is that I am a big techno buff. Even if I am not buying a particular mobile handset, I wish to know all about it. I also like the My Guide section. This time I used the My Guide section to help my friend reach a decision about the handset that he would like to own. -Vishal Khanna I am a regular reader of your magazine and almost addicted to it since its very first issue. Your magazine has undergone a lot of changes and I feel has become a bit soft. Being a technology oriented magazine, I wish if you would publish the magazine more like the other technology magazines in the market. -Rishi Mohan
10 MYMOBILE july 2014
You are doing a great job by bringing a magazine dedicated to the telecommunications sector in this country. Every day we are hearing about some innovation or other or a booming number of telecom subscribers, but I must say that beneath all this glitz is a reality we must not forget. We must scrutinise these statistics as much as possible to ascertain the true face of mobile revolution in the country. -V. Gopal I enjoy reading the app reviews section in your magazine. However, I would like to WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN
SSM MAARRTT AAPPPPSS BREEZE An elegant step
PPSSPP: PSP EMULATOR
T
T
Play PSP games on your Android
counter
here is no shortage of fitness apps on the App Store, but what makes Breeze stand out from the crowd of some worthy apps including the likes of Endomondo Sports Tracker and Nike+ Run is the fact that it relies on the M7 motion processor that is found on the iPhone 5s. The result is that it runs quietly in the background not consuming much battery and counting every step you take without having to rely on your having to turn it on or GPS data. And that is not all. The app sets targets for you and keeps sending messages encouraging you to meet it, telling you how far behind you are at a particular time. You do not have to do anything – no entering height or weight, counting calories, nothing. You only have to keep your iPhone on your person and the app will tick away the steps neatly enough and later based on your activity will even allot you an animal avatar (we got an owl thanks to our penchant for taking night strolls) after a while. And unlike other apps that we have used, it did not get fooled by distance travelled alone – we found it registering barely a few steps during long car rides. It looks good, is simple to use and very effective indeed. The only catch is that it works only with the iPhone 5s as it uses the M7 processor. If you have an iPhone 5s, this is one app that you really need to download. Even if you are not a fitness nut!
he games of Sony’s popular hand-held gaming console, Play Station portable, are now available on an Android smartphone. Making this possible is a free PSP emulator app called PPSSPP, which lets you play any PSP game with ease on a handset. Yes, you will miss the fun of using physical buttons like the analog stick or the D-pad, but if you are used to playing games on touchscreen phones, you will adjust soon. Unlike emulators for Windows PCs, this one blends well with the smartphone’s UI and runs smoothly even on a dual-core device. Just copy the title’s ISO file anywhere on the phone and the game can be accessed via the app. And in a very neat touch, you can even play games on resolutions larger than that of the rather basic 480 x 320 one on the PSP. You can upscale the screen resolution and improve the image quality by a fair margin, something that is not possible in a PSP. If any game is having issues or is running slow, you can go to frame control in the settings and increase the frame skipping count. It worked every time and games played out superbly. A free solution, PSP Emulator is an excellent option for smartphone gamers who miss the PSP or are disappointed with the limited number of quality games on Android.
RATING
Name: Breeze RATING
Price: Free Tested on: iPhone 5s
abhijit@mymobile.co.in
Name: PPSSPP Price: Free
Name: Office Lens
Tested on: Lava Iris 504Q+
Price: Free
FRONTBACK The dual camera app
W
ith the increasing popularity of dual camera phones, there have emerged a number of apps that allow you to use both cameras on a device. And one of the most notable of these is FrontBack, which is not just an app but also a community of users who like to use both cameras to capture a picture on their phones. The operation of the app is simple – it first takes a picture using the rear camera of your device and then after a pause takes one using the front facing camera. The idea is simple – capture an object and your reaction to it. The net result is two shots blended into one. You can make the pictures interchange positions with a swipe of your finger. You can add a caption and share your picture on other social networks and also the one on FrontBack itself – yes, the app has a number of dedicated users who regularly update, like and comment upon images posted on the network. There will be those who will demand more editing options as well as the ability to add images from one’s gallery to the shots (right now, both shots have to be taken in quick succession), but speaking for ourselves, we like the simplicity and ease of execution of the app. It is a great way to combine the two cameras on a device and is pretty much a must-download for iOS and Android users in our book. Name: FrontBack Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPhone 5s
RATING
Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520
OFFICE LENS Adding scanner
RATING
abilities to your Windows Phone
D
ocument scanning apps are a dime a dozen in the app world, but most of them come from third parties and perform erratically at best. Which is why perhaps Microsoft decided to pick up the camera-as-scanner gauntlet itself and came out with the Office Lens app for Windows Phone. The app works with all Windows Phone devices and has three modes – Whiteboard mode, Document mode and Photo mode. Using the app is easy – you just have to run the app, select the mode you want and take a picture and then sit back as the app converts your picture to a digital copy of a document or whiteboard, enhancing text, removing glares and shadows. Every picture that you take from the app gets enhanced and saved to your OneNote account online and also to your camera roll. You also have the option to share your scans using mail and even pin a document to your launch screen if you wish. What we liked most about the app was the level of detail and clarity it captured. We found it worked particularly well with printed pages and whiteboards, although glossy pages did not quite render as well. Still, we think it is an awesome addition to all those who have Windows Phone apps, because of its simplicity and effectiveness.
mobiles and the mobile industry. I especially liked the My Guide section, which, I guess, is most detailed version of its kind available in India. -Gyan Singh I would like to say thanks for bringing out such a good magazine. It has given me so much of knowledge about mobiles and other gadgets that I am considered some sort of geek in my group of friends. I also like the ETC section. -Ritesh Beniwal I am a 15-year-old boy and I am an avid reader of My Mobile magazine since the last two years. I have now acquired a lot of knowledge about mobiles through your magazine. My friends call me a “Mobile guru” and I give them a lot of suggestions. You are doing a great job. Please keep it up. -Vinod Shehrawat I’m a regular reader of your magazine and am currently pursuing an engineering course in electronics and communication. I especially read your burn tests keenly but find it a bit odd that you don’t mention the benchmark of the handset either in the burn test or in my guide section. Last month’s cover story was also written well. -Vibhor
nimish@mymobile.co.in
70 70 MYMOBILE MYMOBILE JUNE JUNE2014 2014
JUNE JUNE2014 2014 MYMOBILE MYMOBILE 71 71
suggest that instead of describing the app in full, you should write more about the underlying concept and how it connects to the fancies of the people. Your team is doing an excellent job. All the best for the future. -Partho Pushp
I have been reading My Mobile for two years now and thought it was time to acknowledge the good work done by the My Mobile team. Thank you for bringing out such an excellent magazine on mobile phones. -Manish Kumar
The My Mobile website is very helpful for anyone who wants to know more about
e the nd hav a s e m n a drea ellpho n c i t y u e o k so st y ab es? can al u craz e it he late ew lin Are yo l to pen a f or news and hands on t ink you hav f th ur tia poten have a nose ve to lay yo em? If you h a dia’s to t u r Do yo ? Do you c orld about sh your CV y Mobile, In w u ne headli and tell the g for you. R r name in M n s ou i gizmo e are look .in to see y w o , in you mymobile.c e. n i @ z team bile maga o m best
news bits Sunil Dutt joins Reliance Jio as President, Devices
Indian market.
Aircel expands retail footprint Telecom Operator Aircel has extended its retail footprint in India by setting up 200 Xpress Stores. These stores are basically franchisee owned franchisee operated stores which exclusively provide Aircel products and services to new and existing Aircel customers. These products and sevrives include new connections, recharges and top-ups, resolution of customer queries, assistance and customer support. The operator intends to set up about 500 Xpress stores in the country by the first half of 2015. Aircel feels these stores are extremely convenient touch points offering a variety of services to customers.
scale, developing brands and understanding consumers.”
Microsoft Xbox One expected in September, price starts at Rs 39,990
Micromax appoints Vineet Taneja as company CEO Former Blackberry India Managing Director Sunil Dutt has joined Reliance Jio as President for devices. Mr. Dutt was the Managing Director of BlackBerry India, from December 2011 to March 2013. He has over twenty years of experience in the telecom industry. Prior to joining BlackBerry, he was the President of the Personal Systems Group at HP India Sales and was also the Country Head of Samsung India for two years, between December 2007 and November 2009. He played an active role in establishing Nokia’s distribution network in India during his five-year stint with the company as the Marketing and Sales Director.
Apple acquires Beats Audio for $3 billion Apple has acquired popular music streaming service, Beats Music, and owners of a popular line of headsets and speaker, Beats Electronics, for an enormous amount of USD 3 billion, making it the biggest acquisition in Apple’s history. USD 2.6 billion of the total amount will be paid upfront while the remaining USD 400 million will be paid in stocks. Beats Audio owns the critically acclaimed line of products including its music streaming service and a number of speakers, headsets and software. Beats Audio co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will be joining Apple as part of the deal.
ZTE to launch six smartphones in India this year ZTE is planning to launch six 4G and 3G smartphones in India later this year. These handsets will be available in the price range of Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. ZTE is also in talks with five distributors to make these devices available across the country. The company is working on making customised content available on all ZTE devices in India. For this the company will enhance its R&D team so it can provide more India-centric content. It will also bring colourful designs keeping in mind the high popularity of colourful handsets in the
14 MYMOBILE july 2014
Samsung India’s Country Head of IT & Mobile Businesses Vineet Taneja has left his high-profile job to join Micromax. He has joined Micromax as the company’s new CEO. Speaking about his move, Mr. Tanjea said, “It is a great opportunity for me to lead Micromax into its next phase of growth by consolidating and further strengthening its position in India, and looking at global markets to complete its transition of becoming a global force to reckon with.” Mr Taneja has more than 25 years experience in the industry with brands like Hindustan Lever, Nokia, Bharti Airtel and Samsung.
Microsoft’s all-in-one entertainment system and gaming console, the Xbox One will be available in India from September 23, 2014 for Rs 39,990 without the upgraded Kinect motion sensor and for Rs 45, 990 with the sensor. The price brings it at par with Sony’s latest gaming console, the PS4, which is also retailing at Rs 39,990. The Rs 39,990 unit will include a wireless controller, 500GB hard-drive, Blu-Ray player, built-in Wi-Fi support, and a 14-day trial of XBox Live Gold for new members. The games that will debut on the console will include the likes of Forza Horizon 2 and Halo 5.
Ex-Airtel CEO joins Micromax as Chairman of Board
Indian mobile companies to launch low-cost Firefox handsets in June Indian mobile brands Spice Retail and Intex are soon going to launch smartphones based on the Firefox operating system. Spice Retail is in talks with Mozilla to launch Firefoxbased smartphones in the coming days. Their handsets will be available at very low prices, will support HTML5, will have dual SIM slots and will have the Firefox Marketplace with applications like Pinterest, LINE, Facebook and Twitter. Intex’s Firefox handset, which has been named Cloud FX, will be priced in the sub Rs 2,000 category and will be launched in the first week of August. Cloud FX is a dual SIM phone with 3.5-inch touchscreen, 1 GHz processor and a 2.0-megapixel camera.
Former CEO of Bharti Airtel, Sanjay Kapoor has joined the Micromax promoter group as chairman of the Micromax Board, bringing with him a vast repertoire of experience in telecom sector with bodies like COAI, GSMA, CII, NASSCOM and with Airtel. He was instrumental in building the Airtel brand in India. As Airtel CEO he headed the telco’s India and South Asia operations. Commenting on his appointment, he said, “I am excited as an entrepreneur to be a part of the promoter group and as a professional to lead the Micromax board and management. I am looking forward to adding value to all stakeholders leveraging my strengths in building
Oppo launches Find 7 at Rs 37,990 Chinese smartphone maker Oppo Mobiles is launching its new flagship smartphone, the Oppo Find 7 in India. Priced at Rs 37,990, the handset follows in the footsteps of the company’s high-profile Oppo N1, which had debuted earlier this year and was notable for its rotating camera and powerful hardware. Compatible with 4G technology, Find 7 comes with a 5.5-inch quad HD Gorilla Glass 3 ready display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and pixel density of 538ppi. Its powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and comes with 3GB RAM, a 13.0-megapixel cam-
news bits era and a 3,000mAh battery.
Microsoft launches Nokia 225 dual SIM at Rs 3,329 Microsoft has come up with an affordable feature phone, the Nokia 225 dual SIM at Rs 3,329. Available in red, black, yellow, and white, the handset also has a single SIM variant. The handset features a 2.8-inch TFT display, a 1,200mAh battery that claims 21 hours of talktime and runs on the Nokia OS Series 30+ platform. It supports external memory cards up to 32GB, includes a 2.0-megapixel camera along with connectivity options like GPRS, Bluetooth, micro-USB and apps like Xpress browser, Facebook, Slam and FM radio.
Reliance Communications’ 3G services now available in 18 circles Reliance Communications has rolled out 3G services in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and UP East. The operator is offering services in 13 circles and with the addition of these five circles, its overall tally has grown to 18, making Reliance Communications the biggest 3G service provider in the country. The operator has, reportedly, entered into a 3G intra-circle roaming agreement with Aircel. The 13 circles where Reliance 3G is available are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Punjab, MP , Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, North East and Jammu and Kashmir.
Apple announces iOS 8 at WWDC Apple has showcased the next version of its mobile OS, iOS 8, at its annual developer conference, WWDC. The new OS boasts of a more interactive notification centre, which allows users to reply to messages by swiping down the notification centre. The notification screen also supports third party widgets which can be manually added. It also boasts of a new QuickType keyboard with support for auto suggestions. While existing features like Group Messaging, Spotlight search, iCloud drive have been improved, Apple has added a new functionality which allows users to access SMSes across devices including OS X hardware.
Dell to shut down Mohali facility US-based computing giant Dell Corporation has announced the closure of its Mohali facility, leaving about 1,000 employees in a precarious situation. Although the company claims
16 MYMOBILE july 2014
to have offered them the option to shift to the company’s Bangalore or Hyderabad facility, employees say they have been asked to move to other facilities or quit. They even held demonstrations against the decision. Started in 2005, the Mohali facility provided customer care support to the US market. The operations of the Mohali facility will be handled by facilities in Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Bangalore.
World Cup 2014 is now available on mobile phone through Sony LIV Sports Football fans can watch live matches of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil on their mobile devices by logging on to www. LIVSports.in or by installing the LIV Sports app from their respective app stores. Multi Media Screen surprised many when it bagged the TV broadcast and digital rights for the World Cup in India. While TV broadcast will be offered on Sony’s official sports channel Sony Six, digital telecast will be available on the website and the app. Users can register for free and access live streams, highlights, match statistics and player interviews.
Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
Line Messenger offers free talktime on sending Line stickers Line Messenger has come up with a free talktime offer which allows users to earn free points and convert them into free talktime. Users can earn one free point by sending a sticker every day to a friend using the Line Messenger and earn talktime up to Rs 111 after 25 days. The offer is available for both prepaid and postpaid users on their iOS and Android devices. The offer starts from June 1st and will be available throughout the month for Line users in India.
LG launches LG G3 with quad HD display
Is Google planning to buy Twitch? Goggle is reportedly planning to buy Twitch. com, a popular video streaming solution where gamers can watch top gamers play. The acquisition of Twitch can help Google build up stronger content for YouTube. Though Google’s video streaming service is offering live streaming services for games along with movies, sports and news, it is not as popular as Twitch. Started in 2011, Twitch enjoys a cult status among gamers in US with more than 45 million visitors every month. According to the online video delivery and caching solutions provider Qwilt, Twitch is currently number one in live online video rankings with 43.6 per cent of the market share. It is supposedly only behind Netflix and YouTube when it comes to overall video streaming.
Providing Wi-Fi in public places added on DoT’s action plan
LG’s most powerful smartphone till date, the LG G3 has been launched in the South Korean market. Korean Press reports claim that the device has been well-received and is selling 25, 000-30,000 units of G3 every day. The handset comes with a 5.5-inch quad HD display with a resolution of 2550 x 1440 and pixel density of 538ppi. The only other handset with a quad HD display is Oppo’s recently launched Find 7. The G3 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 CPU, and comes with 2GB RAM besides featuring 16 GB internal storage, 4G support, Android 4.4, a 13.0-megapixel camera and a 3,000mAh battery. It is expected to be available in India in July.
Flipkart acquires Myntra.com for Rs 2,000 crore
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has included providing Wi-Fi services in public places in urban areas and commercial centres to its action plan. In an official statement, the department said that there is no regulatory impediment to making Wi-Fi facilities available from licensed service providers and other players. This came after the department received instructions from the Cabinet Secretariat regarding the action plan prepared by the department for the recently formed
India’s leading online store Flipkart has acquired online fashion retail store Myntra. com for an estimated amount of Rs 2,000 crore. The details on how the amount will be paid have not been disclosed yet. Myntra will continue to operate under the same name but the acquisition is likely to strengthen Flipkart’s presence in the apparel portfolio, and provide greater competition to the likes of Amazon. Flipkart recently raised USD 210million (Rs 1,200 crore) as fresh funds from Russian firm DST Global, which also provided funds to Facebook. n team@mymobile.co.in
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The budget
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Smartphone
Revolution In the past, most people used to associate “affordable” with “poor quality.” If you wanted a smartphone that could deliver a good performance, well, you would have to fork out a good sum for it. But the arrival of devices like the Moto E and the Nokia Lumia 520 has seen this equation being turned on its head. Today, you do not need to spend a fortune to get a phone that performs well. Welcome to the second wave of the smartphone revolution! Nimish Dubey & Abhijit Ahaskar
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lead story
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Nokia Lumia 520Rs 7,500 It might not have got the credit it deserved for starting the budget smartphone trend, but the very fact that the Lumia 520 is around and kicking more than a year after its launch tells you how good it is. Its design remains eye catching and funky and it runs the latest version of Windows Phone, and is also in line to get the next update to Windows Phone 8.1. Most importantly, it is a rock solid performer, with buttery smooth navigation, decent multimedia and very good maps and navigation. Small wonder that it was the highest selling phone in its price segment last year. And continues to do well.
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urabhi, a research scholar in Delhi’s Jawahar Lal University, was planning to buy an Android handset but did not want to spend more than 10k. She was not very comfortable with local brands either. The Moto E could not have arrived at a better time. She says, “I was in search of a budget smartphone that combined the goodness of high-end phones without their high prices. Affordability, smooth user interface, trendy design and good reviews from fellow users of Moto E are my reasons for buying this fairly new smart phone.� There is a saying that great quality comes at a price. So while there had always been smartphones that were affordable, they generally came with performance compromises - slower processors, older versions of operating systems and more often than not, less than sleek designs. There was the odd excepetion, like the Lumia 520 last year, which delivered near-premium performance and design at a relatively low cost, but such products were considered aberrations. By and large, established wisdom went, if you wanted high-quality, you would have to pay for it. Well, the past few months have seen that belief being turned on its head, thanks to the release of a number of devices from different manufacturers. Today, it is possible for a person to walk into a mobile phone store and ask for a device with a 4.5 inch display, quad core processor, 1 GB RAM and the latest version of an OS - without getting into five figure territory. And unlike in the past, where most budget smartphones used to come from local or lesser-known brands, one can now choose from the likes of HTC, Sony and Nokia. In many ways, this is a bit of a reversal of the situation at the beginning of the
year, when the likes of Micromax and Karbonn entered the premium phone market, taking on established players. Now it seems that it is the turn of the better-known brands to make their presence felt in the budget category. Either way, we do not see the consumer complaining, not in a nation, where price plays a major role in a phone purchase decision and a vast majority of user still use feature phones. The budget smartphone revolution has well and truly begun. And if it continues on these lines, the number of smartphone
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users in the country could finally outnumber those using feature phones.
In the beginning... As we mentioned earlier, it is not as if relatively low-priced smartphones are a new phenomenon. Even in the past, one could get a device from established brands at an affordable price. If - and this was quite an ‘if ’ - one was ready to compromise on performance and specs. A couple of years ago you could get a BlackBerry 8520 for less than Rs 10,000, but it featured a relatively old OS,
had an ordinary and a very low resolution display. Occasions when established brands launched new devices at budget prices with acceptable hardware and software, such as the LG Optimus One and the Lumia 510 and 520, were few and far between. Which had left the budget smartphone category very much in the hands of local players like Micromax, Lava and Karbon, and operators like Idea, who introduced devices in the sub-Rs 10,000 category, but with clear compromises on price. You would not get displays with the greatest resolution, and often had to make-do with older versions of Android and limited RAM. And yet, these phones, for all their compromises, did have a market. The unique nature of Indian telecom market played a significant role in making budget smartphones popular. Unlike western markets, where handsets were subsidized through operator tie-ups, even flagship handsets could be bought at substantially reduced prices, those looking for a smartphone on a tight budget in India had no choice but to head to the local brands or compromise and go for an older device from an established brand whose price had dropped.
The change-drivers Signs that scenario was changing emerged when Nokia released the Lumia 520 in 2013 at a price of Rs 10,499, without making significant design and performance compromises. The device came with a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a decent 5.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and the latest version of Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8. The phone was an overnight success, making it the highest selling Windows Phone device ever. But the real filip to the budget smartphone segment was given by the launch of
Moto ERs 6,990 For many people, the Moto E is the catalyst of the budget smartphone revolution in India. Athough there had been relatively low priced smartphones in the past, none offered what the Moto E did - a dual core processor, a good display, and most importantly the latest version of Android (KitKat, 4.4) with 1GB RAM - at a price that was as low as Rs 6, 999. The phone was available only online from Flipkart but such was its demand that it was being sold in grey markets within days of its launch, and kept going out of stock online. Rarely has a budget phone generated as much interest.
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lead story Sony Xperia E1- Rs 7,990 Sony claims that it is the best smartphone in its class. And the Xperia E1 surely delivers a lot for a relatively low price. The device comes with a 4.0-inch touchscreen, a dual core Qualcomm processor, and has the touch of design class that marks out all Sony products. Some may carp about its 3.0megapixel camera and the fact that it runs a slightly older version of Android, but the Xperia E more than compensates with its excellent sound quality and the quality of its display. And of course, being a Sony, it has very high aspiration value.
the Moto E barely a month ago. The company had been given a warm reception on is return to the Indian market with the Moto G and Moto X, but with the Moto E, it literally pulled a rabbit out of its hat with the Moto E. It features a decent display, colourful back plates, 1 GB of RAM and surprise, surprise, the latest version of Android, KitKat (4.4), all at a price of Rs 6,999. Yes, they were some quibbles about the quality of the fixed focus camera, but by and large, people lined up to purchase the device - exclusive retailer Flipkart has been out of stock more often
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than not since the device was launched. Within weeks, other leading brands like HTC and Nokia had released competing devices. And while Indian brands too came out with alternatives, it was clear that the battle for the budget phone segment for the first time would be between established brands and Indian ones.
Indian brands face a tough challenge “With the multinational brands entering the sub-Rs 10,000 smartphone segment aggressively, it will be a difficult
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task for the local brands. A typical Indian customer would go for a smartphone from a multinational brand over the local one even if they have to spend a thousand or two extra. This was a trend that was seen in the feature phone segment in the past and now plays a key role in customer’s smartphone buying decision,” says Sudhin Mathur, Director, Smartphones at Lenovo India. What is also new about the budget phone battle now is that the battle lines have changed. In the past, it was assumed that a low price meant a relatively poor
performance. Thanks to the likes of the Moto E, that is no longer true. Suddenly a good experience has become a parameter for budget devices. Viral Oza, Marketing Director of Nokia India says, “We strongly believe that it is not just the specs or the OS that consumers are looking for- consumers are looking for devices that offer them a complete experience.” Indian brands certainly have to rethink their tactics, even though their grip over the market gives them an edge over multinational brands. Their focus on grass-root level buyers, easy availability at the smallest of stores, and distribution network had made them the darlings of consumers in semiurban and rural areas. It is because of these strong points that three of the leading smartphone sellers in the country are local vendors, such as Micormax, Karbonn and Lava with 17 percent, 11 percent and 4.7 percent of the market share respectively, as per an IDC report. However, they now face competition like never before. A competition that may not have the kind of local reach that Indian brands do but compensates with its perception of high quality. Pankaj Rana, Business Head, Smart Phones and Tablets at Panasonic India says, “Changing market dynamics have forced the Indian companies to tweak the way they do business. Indian companies have to focus more on providing cutting-edge technology at cheaper prices. Their advantage in the smartphone segment is that they can make cheaper products keeping the preferences and needs of the local consumer. In such a competitive environment, continuous innovation and aggressive branding is the key to success and survival.” Hari Om Rai, Chairman & Managing Director, LAVA International, however, feels that Indian brands are more than ready for the challenge. “Indian brands have already clocked large volumes in sub Rs.10, 000 category through their deeprooted distribution network and better understanding of consumer needs in tier II and tier III cities,” he points out.
Micromax Unite 2Rs 6,990 Micromax has been known for the speed of its reaction to competition and the Moto E has been no exception. The Unite 2 offers what the Moto E has - the latest version of Android and 1 GB RAM, and also betters it in the camera and processor department. Unlike the Moto E which comes with a fixed focus camera, the Unite 2 has one with autofocus. Micromax’s budget offering also comes with a quad core processor that ran up much higher scores than the Moto E on benchmark tests. The big challenge for it, however, will be to challenge the perception that Motorola is a superior brand.
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lead story Nokia XRs 6900 Although launched initially at a price of Rs 8490, Nokia’s first Android phone is now available in stores at a price in the vicinity of Rs 7,000. Yes, the Android purists might scoff at the idea of a device that runs a different version of Android and does not come with the Google Play app store, but the stark fact is that the Nokia X is a smooth performer with respectable specs, and a lot of bundled goodies including free music, maps and navigation. And while it does not have Google Play, it compensates with its own Nokia store. And of course, it comes with the traditional solid Nokia build and the colourful backs that have become the signature of the Nokia Lumia and Asha series of devices. This is a budget phone most people would not find flaunting.
Pushing big brands to innovate? This new crop of smartphones boast of superior specifications and the latest OS versions, something that took years to show up in low-priced devices. Research shows that 21 percent of Android smartphones are still running on Android 2.3. With more than 70 percent users in India still using feature phones, the smartphone market is likely to grow at an astonishing pace. Given the options a user now has, they are more likely to opt for an entry level smartphone instead of a mid-range or high-end smartphone. Some people feel that this is likely to influence the business of high-end smartphones because some of these new age budget smartphones can accomplish a lot at astoundingly low prices, imploring people to rethink the wisdom of buying an expensive smartphone, when a lot of its functionality is available at an exponentially lower price. Nokia’s Oza disagrees. “While all the action seems to be on the affordable smartphone category, it would be wrong to say that this will affect the high end smartphones. High end will drive the innovation for the overall smartphone category,” he feels. Lenovo’s Mathur, however, feels that established brands need to innovate to retain their hold on the market. “If the premium segment brands do not
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innovate, they will lose out in the market. Consumers pay a price for innovation and hence it’s imperative for the big brands to be thought-through, innovative and step up the game consistently,” he says. Sony India’s MD Kenichiro Hibi, feels that different price segments will continue to exist in the market as each targets a different audience. “Smartphone is a very competitive category. In my opinion, there will always be a price range starting from entry level, to the premium segment, each catering to a different segment of customers. They might not have got as much attention as the Xperia Z2, but Sony has also released devices like the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia E1, which are targeted at different price segments,” he points out.
A new age budget smartphones So are we entering a new era of smartphones, where you no longer have to pay a premium price for good performance? Nokia’s Oza feels that the trend of affordable smartphones will continue. “We are all aware of the exponential growth witnessed by the Indian smartphone market. According to IDC, India’s smartphone market grew more than two and a half times to 44 million devices in 2013 and people will continue to shift to smartphones in 2014 at similar
HTC Desire 210-Rs 8,400
rates. Within the smartphone segment, it is the affordable smartphone category that is seeing an exponential growth – driven by increasing aspirations, ability of companies like us to introduce new features at lower price points and the replacement trend,” he says. Those looking for a budget smartphone have seldom had it so good. Manufacturers are offering freebies and special data plans even on low-cost devices, something that was unheard of a while ago. India has the youngest population in the world and this young population has a number of aspirations, if limited budgets. And smartphones that deliver excellent performance at affordable prices are just what it needs. The budget smartphone revolution has well and truly arrived in India. And manufacturers can afford to ignore it only at their peril.
Not too many companies design phones as well as HTC. And now users can sample the brilliant HTC design ethos at as little as Rs 8,400. The Desire 210 will not break speed records with its dual core processor and some may claim that it is running an old version of Android (4.2), but the handset comes with a very good display, excellent sound and the sort of design that you expect to see in devices with much higher price tags. And before you ask, yes, it does feature the Sense interface that is so famous in HTC devices. All of which makes purchasing it a very Sense-ible decision for those on a tight budget. n nimish@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in
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chief speak
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“Wearable tech is the next frontier of � y g o l o n h c e t r o f h t grow It has been a busy time for Sony India. The company has been launching a plethora of devices ranging from smartpones to televisions to cameras. And the man at the centre of all the action is its amiable Managing Director, Kenichiro Hibi. A man known for his ability to get the best out of a team and for having an uncanny sense of what will work in a market, Hibi has been at the helm at Sony India and has seen the company getting back into the smartphone limelight and even start to carve a place for itself in the new wearables market. We caught up with him to find out about Sony’s latest devices and what to expect next from the company. Nimish Dubey Let us start with the latest flagship - the Xperia Z2. What has been the response of the market to it, in India? The Xperia Z2 is the flagship smartphone device from Sony for this year and successor of the critically acclaimed Xperia Z1. The device was first unveiled at the prestigious Mobile World Congress 2014 and garnered accolades globally. Xperia Z2 was launched in India in May, 2014 and received an encouraging response in the market. The device has been highly appreciated for its unique features and design. Further, bundling with SmartBand has helped Xperia Z2 create a distinct position in the market. Within a short span of time, the flagship device has sold a remarkable number of units and sales continue to soar. We are confident that the device will surpass the success of its predecessor, Xperia Z1. If you had to single out a single feature that you really liked in the Xperia Z2, which would it be? The Sony Xperia Z2 is a feature-rich phone and offers best of Sony in design, quality and features. I have personally been using the device for a while now and have found all the features unique and highly beneficial. That said, I find the 4K video recording exceptionally useful as it helps me capture stunning videos.
They might not have got as much attention as the Z2, but Sony has also released devices like the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia E1, which are targeted at different price segments. Do you intend to continue on a similar line with different products for different price segments? This year we are going to extend the Xperia lineup with thirty new models. Our smartphone range will include a few models that will be priced sub-Rs. 10,000, going right up to the premium category. The strategy will help us cover a wider spectrum of the booming market. That said, we would continue to maintain our premium positioning in the market. Even in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment, Sony will continue to offer a premium proposition and will retain its proposition of offering the best in design, quality and features. Your decision to bundle the SmartBand with the Z2 has surprised many people. What was the rationale for it? Also, do you think that this is the best way ahead - to bundle wearable tech with devices that work with them? Wearable tech is the next frontier of growth for technology and the category has witnessed immense activity in the recent past. While in India the market for wearable tech is at a nascent stage, globally the category is growing with leaps and bounds. One
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chief speak of the reasons why the technology has not had wider adoption in India is the cost factor and lack of awareness. That said, owing to its unique proposition and utility, the category has a great potential. The idea behind bundling the SmartBand with Xperia Z2 as part of a limited period offer was to create a critical mass for the technology and cultivate the emerging mar-
free. Like a mini version of your smartphone, SmartWatch reflects what is happening in your world and updates you on your calls, messages and even social media updates. The SmartBand on the other hand is an innovative life logging wrist band that lets you keep track of everything you do – your movements, your communications, your entertainment. One can log special moments
Calling Kenichiro Hibo First phone: Sony Ericsson W800 Currently using: Sony’s recently launched Xperia Z2 and the Smartband Favourite food: South Indian (Dosas) Loves watching: Bollywood films (and he can sing too!)
customers. Staying with the dust and water resistance, you have managed to incorporate these two qualities in the Z series without seeming to compromise on appearance - rugged devices were supposed to look ‘ugly.’ How do you address the challenge of being tough while being beautiful? It is Sony’s continuous endeavor to create products that have cutting edge technology yet are stunningly beautiful. Sony Xperia range comes with the critically acclaimed OmniBalance design. This principle of OmniBalance is embodied in the design execution of our smartphones – a minimalistic form where only the essentials remain, with balance and symmetry throughout. It is essentially a plate of glass that has the edges and corners softened and strengthened in an encasing frame. The handsets with water and dust-proof abilities can be immersed in water and take a pounding in a dust-filled environment and they still maintain beautiful design and body. We have not heard much from Sony on the tablet market of late. Any reason for this, or have we missed out something? We are constantly looking to include innovative technologies and upgrade our products to offer the best user experience. Last year, we launched Xperia Tablet Z and we will soon have a successor of the tablet in the market. Any plans to come out with a Windows Phone in the coming days, or are you sticking to Android in the smartphone segment? For now, our focus is on Android phones.
ket. The offer has been well-received by our customers and has helped Sony create a distinct positioning in a cluttered market. Beginning June 2014, we have also started selling the SmartBand separately to help other Android users benefit from this unique smart device. Staying with wearables, Sony has now got three wearables in the market - two that are SmartWatches and one which is a SmartBand. Don’t you think this approach might confuse the consumer? Xperia SmartWear wearable technology lets you stay on top of things that matter. It interacts with your smartphone or tablet and lets you see your life as you live it. Both our SmartWatches and the SmartBand are innovative and unique in their own way. Sony SmartWatch, the Android compatible watch keeps you discreetly updated and your hands
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and watch their life played back to them on their Android smartphone or tablet. As mentioned above, both these devices are built on advanced technology and provide differentiated user experience. Back to the Z series, one of its notable features has been the fact that it is dust and water resistant. What is the reason for this stress on ruggedness? How have consumers responded to it? India is known for its diverse and often unpredictable weather. Taking India’s weather conditions into consideration, the Xperia Z series’ waterresistance is of great value. Further, for those who lead an active lifestyle and are prone to pollution and dust, the phones in the Xperia Z series come with a dust resistant body. Having addressed these two distinct lifestyle needs, we have received an encouraging response to the Xperia Z series from our
There is a feeling that thanks to devices like the Moto G, the Moto E and Sony’s own Xperia E, smartphone prices are due to come down in general. Do you think this is likely to happen? Smartphone is a very competitive category. In my opinion, there will always be a price range starting from entry level, to the premium segment, each catering to a different segment of customers. Finally, what can we expect from Sony in the coming days, in India? For this year, we have an interesting mix of products lined-up for the India market. We are aggressively focusing on the smartphone category and planning to launch over 30 handsets this year, which will offer the best in design, quality and features. We have introduced several innovations in smartphones starting with the launch of Sony Xperia Z last year, and you can expect that trend to continue. n nimish@mymobile.co.in
consumer forum Complaint 1 I asked for the deactivation of international roaming from my number on 9 April, 2014 as it wasn’t worth it. I have been paying the rental for the last two years but the number doesn’t work. Every time I start it, it asks me to visit the nearest Vodafone centre. Where can I find a Vodafone office outside India? Finally, when I came back to India, I went to Vodafone’s office and asked them to deactivate the international roaming and change the plan. They asked me to call the customer care and request for the changes. I called up and asked them to do so. After two days, I called them again and I was told that the plan was changed and international roaming deactivated. But when my bill arrived, it shows I have been charged for international roaming as well as data. What kind of poor service is this? If I go to Vodafone, they will again give a foolish excuse or ask me to visit their office again. -Dheeraj
number and a scan copy of the invoice bill. Ananya’s response: Details have been provided. HTC’s response: Warranty is valid from the date of purchase till twelve months. The warranty policy imposes the repair charges and hence charges will be applicable for the phone which is out of warranty.
connectivity, but in reality I am getting 2G connectivity. I told them to disconnect the service or I won’t pay the bills. The customer care registered the complaint. In spite of stating things clearly, I am still getting bills for it. -Shaunak Basu Airtel’s response: Awaited
Complaint 4 I bought a Nokia Lumia 720 but it soon started having problems. I gave it to Kamakhaya Communication in Guwahati for repair but had to follow up with them over 15 times to get it back. I was told that the handset was sent to the Gurgaon Nokia care. After I got it back, the problem returned in 2-3 days. The last time it arrived, its condition was too pathetic to be used. So I left it at the Nokia Care centre for further repair. I am a Nokia user for more than seven years, but I was never treated like this before. The phone is in such a bad state that I can’t even sell it. I am fed up with Nokia’s service and want them to return my handset in working condition as it was when I first submitted it to them. -Biswajeet Lahon
Vodafone’s response: Awaited Nokia’s response: Awaited
Complaint 2
Complaint 5
I bought a HTC Desire V in December 2012 from Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The handset restarts automatically on a daily basis and hangs when restarted. I contacted customer care and they told me to take the device to a service centre. When I went to the service centre I was told it was a minor problem. The problem started again in December 2013 and I gave the mobile phone to the HTC service centre again. They corrected it and returned it but within ten days the problem came back. I was told to deposit it again so it could be sent to Mumbai for repair. I was given a repair quotation of around Rs 10,000 and was told that the phone’s mother board and screen were dead. If the issue isn’t resolved soon, I will be forced to take some legal action. Please help me in this matter. -Ananya Jain
I purchased Spice MI422 in Aug 2013 from Home Shop 18. It was getting discharged within an hour of full charge. I went to the service centre and they asked me to collect a new battery after 15 days. When I called them after 15 days they asked me to wait for two more days. When I scolded them they gave me some other phone’s battery for the time being and promised me a new battery soon. Now they are saying that no battery is coming for that model and asked me to take the matter to some other official but the official is not picking up the phone. -Ankit Kumar Raj Spice’s Response: Awaited.
HTC’s response: Unable to locate phone details, please provide serial number, IMEI
Complaint 3 I asked my Airtel 4G number to be disconnected as I was not getting proper connectivity at my residence, even though I was assured that this problem will be resolved by December 2013. I also asked to be moved to a lower tariff plan but it hasn’t been done. I was also told that in a non-4G area like Bihar/ Jharkhand/ North East, I would get 3G
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.
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fa c e t o fa c e
“Flickr is an ecosystem” Most photography enthusiasts swear by Flickr, the social network that lets you share images without compromising on quality. Yahoo recently launched Flickr 3.0, adding new features. Bernardo Hernandez, the Head of Flickr, Yahoo Inc, shares what makes the new app - and indeed Flickr as a service - special for consumers around the world. Nimish Dubey you have. The speed at which you can browse through photographs has increased exponentially. Sharing photos on Flickr is also easier than ever. Using batch organization and our enhanced sharing features, you can share any of your photos from Flickr directly to Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. We’re also helping you discover more about the photo itself with an enhanced information screen. Find out where the photo was taken and which camera and lens were used to create each shot. You’ll uncover the story behind the photo and gain valuable insights to elevate your own skills!
Tell us a bit about the new version of Flickr. What’s new in it? Taking photos is one of our users’ most engaging daily habits, especially with so many powerful cameras we are surrounded with, one being our own mobile phone. We are constantly listening to what our users want and some of the features that we introduced in the Flickr 3.0 version are a result of that. Flickr’s redesigned version for iPhone, iPod touch and Android apps makes it faster and easier to capture, share, and discover beautiful photos and videos. We have added a new mobile video option that allows you to record up to 30 seconds of stunning HD video using the same live filters available with photos. You can also customize your video by adding different segments of footage and if you record a segment that you don’t like, you can simply remove it with one tap. But if you want to upload video from your camera roll, you can upload up to three minutes of video. The new version now comes with a more intelligent search engine, as well as improved auto-tagging, so you can quickly find what you’re looking for, no matter how many photos
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Which is your own favourite feature? My own favorite feature in the new Flickr is the auto-upload. There are so many image sharing services and applications in the world. Why should someone use Flickr then? The Flickr mobile app puts the photo and quality of image first and allows you to share, organize, search and manage your photos from wherever you are to keeping them safe forever. Here are just a few of the reasons users around the world come to Flickr everyday n Flickr is designed to put photos at the center of your experience with enough space to interact with and enjoy a lifetime of memories. With one terabyte of free space for everyone, Flickr gives you a lifelong home for your photos in high resolution. Calling Bernardo Hernandez Phone currently using: I use both iOS and Android phones. First phone: It was a Motorola Current ringtone: No ring tone :) Favourite game: Prince of Persia, Retro Favourite app (other than Flickr): Yahoo News Digest
Flickr maintains the original photo quality so every photo you edit and share looks as crisp and clear as the original picture, whether you zoom in on the smallest details or zoom out to see the whole image. n It is designed to display images beautifully and on any screen. n The back side of every photo includes details like camera-type, lighting, and location. Flickr is an ecosystem that includes so much -- a Web experience, 2 million groups for every daily habit --whether it’s taking photos of your cupcakes or looking for places to go in Barcelona. One thing that we have noticed is that a person now needs a Yahoo account to be able to access Flickr, and can no longer log in from Facebook. Why has this happened? Yahoo is continually working on improving the user experience, which includes our sign-in process for Flickr. This new process, which now asks users to sign in with a Yahoo username, will allow us to offer the best personalized experience to everyone. n
Many consider that Nokia’s Lumia range of phones have the best cameras. However, the Flickr app for Windows Phone has not been updated for a while. When can we expect a new Flickr app for Windows devices? At Yahoo we are concentrating on the platforms with user growth. Those platforms are iOS and Android for now. Finally, what next can we expect from Flickr? We are continuously focused on making Flickr better. You’ll certainly see even more enhanced user-experience, an easier interface and more powerful features to upload, manage and share your pictures. n nimish@mymobile.co.in
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spotlight
Core Issues:
Multi-Core Processors They used to be seen mainly in computers, but are now becoming an integral part of smartphones, and indeed a crucial parameter of purchase for many. But are multi-core processors making as much of a difference to the user experience as some claim? Or are they just marketing hype? We take a closer look. Abhijit Ahskar
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A
new specification has been added to the smartphone spec sheet in recent times, joining the likes of display resolution, megapixels, storage, RAM, and connectivity options - the number of cores in the processor in a smartphone. Yes, we had heard of multi-core processors in PCs, but over the past two years, they have become part and parcel of smartphonespeak. Whether a phone has a dual core or a quad-core processor is increasingly becoming the reason for accepting or rejecting it, and manufacturers are upping the ante by talking of hecta and octa core processors. Which might seem progressive on paper, but begs the question: can we really tell the difference between a quad-core processor and a dual-core processor? A lot of people that we have come across tend to believe that a handset with a quad-core processor will work faster than a handset with a dual-core processor. This might seem logical - after all, more cores should mean more efficient operation - but does not actually happen all the time. Even as the competition was talking of octa core processors, Nokia’s powerful Lumia 1020 device with a 41.0-megapixel camera sensor worked very well with a dual core processor. Similarly, Lenovo’s K900 was powered by an Intel dual core processor and yet the phone worked a lot faster than many quad core devices. Then there is the matter of the likes of the iPhone, which is still powered by a dual core processor, but is considered by many to be the best phone in the world. So do cores in processors matter? We decided to get into the core of the matter. Pun intended.
The need for multiple cores The processor is one of the most important components of a smartphone’s hardware. It is responsible for almost everything that your phone does and today that includes everything that at one time could be done only by a PC. Modern day phones have so many tasks to perform (Web browsing, video chatting, gaming, multimedia playback, video recording) and to handle them better manufacturers decided to make their processors more efficient and powerful by adding more cores to them. The logic was simple: more cores our smartphones could finish tasks in lesser time compared to single core devices. Having more cores means your job would be finished faster as the onus to carry it out is not on a single core but is divided among several but that alone can never guarantee a great user experience. Nishant Goyal, head of sales, consumer and mobile, NVIDIA South Asia agrees with this. “Smartphones and tablets are no longer used just for phone calls, messaging. Mobile applications for PC-class use cases such as photo editing, word processing, multi-tabbed web browsing, modern graphics-rich gaming and multi-tasking are now available for them and are pushing the performance requirements of these devices. Which is why modern day mobile SoCs (system-on-chip) include several key enhancements that deliver higher performance for the next generation of mobile applications.”
Just a matter of hype? But there are many who feel that the talk of multiple cores is more about hype than
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spotlight
actual consumer benefit. Stephen Elop of Microsoft once said that the so-called dual core and quad cores can only waste batteries, and are not always useful for consumers. Indeed, Nokia was one of the few companies that did not get into the multi-core processor wars and showed how single and dual core device could handle most consumer tasks with ease. Its two flagship devices, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 1020 were both dual core affairs and won rave reviews for their performance. Michelle Leyden-Li, Senior Director, Marketing, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies does not believe in the notion of counting CPU cores. She says, “True heterogeneous computing goes well beyond the CPU, utilizing the full spectrum of diverse and specialized processors within the modern mobile SoC, including connectivity, GPU, low power and multimedia cores. The unique capabilities of each of these engines can be
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used together to ensure that the right task is assigned to the most efficient processor for the job, maximizing the performance and power efficiency beyond what could be accomplished on a general computing CPU core alone.” Dr. Finbarr Moynihan, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, MediaTek, also points out that user experience is more important than just adding cores. He says, “What we have tried to do is just not about the cores. With the new platform, we have tried to focus on giving users better graphics, camera, higher resolution displays, new multimedia video features, so when a consumer picks up the phone, the overall user experience will be much better. It is not about the cores all the time. For some apps it is and for some it isn’t.”
More cores = Better experience? Not always Indeed, number of cores in a processor can make a difference in a phone’s performance, but there are other factors that comes into play too, such as internal memory, amount of RAM, Cortex version For example, if the amount of RAM is low, the device will not be able to handle multiple tasks well. Similarly if the internal memory is not enough the
device will eventually slow down once the internal memory will fill. Harmony between the software and hardware is also essential to make sure the handset’s multiple cores are used efficiently. If the software does not support multi-threading, even an eight core processor will not make much difference to its performance. Multithreading means assigning each core a task. So if your handset has a dedicated core for battery it will nit handle it unless your software supports multi-threading. GPU (graphics processing unit) is equally important as it can greatly enhance your handset’s performance. GPU works as an additional processor to the CPU and can be more effective than the latter when it comes to handling heavy graphics. Gaming on mobile phones is becoming as popular as gaming on other platforms and we can see some of the leading gaming titles being launched on mobile phones. Some of these games are highly graphic intensive and without a dedicated GPU, even an octa-core processor will be of little use. It has been seen that dual-core and quad-core phones can handle most routine consumer tasks quite well - e-mail, social networks, Web browsing, casual gaming and so on. More cores may make a phone more powerful but it is quite possible that a user may not even be using that additional power as there are not enough apps or tasks that would make full use of the many cores in a device. Mobile manufacturers concede that number of cores alone is not enough to
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conditions, high-definition games and multifaceted website content. Multi-core devices offer an evidently faster performance by using parallel computing approaches to deal with the variety of tasks and applications running on a smartphone.”
guarantee a smooth performance but it is certainly important as it can bring about a sizeable difference to a user’s experience. Ashish Aggarwal, Director of Karbonn Mobiles, an Indian mobile brand which owns a number of multi-core devices, says, “The performance of a device depends on everything from its base chipset and battery to its operating system and processor architecture. But as use cases evolve in complexity, it gets increasingly harder for a dual-core device to deal with a tidal wave of heavy multitasking
now quad to octacores in only two years. But we are going to see different things happening. We will see the use of more Big Little type architecture. The other thing is going to be the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit technology. We will see more of 64-bits and
Forget the cores, consider the experience The smartphone industry might have gone a bit overboard with the multiple core processor phenomenon. Many feel that simply adding cores and ignoring the user experience could prove counter productive in the long run for many manufacturers. Indeed, at the time of writing, there were manufacturers offering quad core processor devices at prices as low as Rs 7,000. “It is true that we have gone from single to dual, dual to quad and
The ARM architecture Angle ARM is the leading provider of microprocessor technology in smartphones. It develops ARM instructions and architecture for its products. One of them is the System on Chip or SoC architecture that is used in most modern day smartphones, except those running on Intel processors. ARM provides licenses to this architecture to chip manufacturing companies such as NVIDIA, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and many more partners. ARM owns a wide range of processor architectures known as Cortex , under Cortex A, Cortex R and Cortex M series. The Cortex A is a 32-bit architecture and is used in smartphones, e-book readers and tablets. The Cortex A7 and Cotex A5 in the A series are known for their high efficiency and are generally found in low-cost smartphones. The Cortex A8 and Cortex A9 are known as high performance solutions and are shipped in millions of handsets every year. The Cortex A12 is a mid-range product known for its high performance, while the Cortex A15 is the most efficient mid-range product and is being used in most high-end flagships. ARM’s 32-bit SoC is supposed to be the most used architecture in mobile devices. Last year the company also added a 64-bit SoC to its portfolio and launched it first with Apple iPhone 5s. So, when you are going to buy your next phone, do pay attention to the type of Cortex architecture it has as well. A 64-bit processor can process large amount of data more efficiently than a 32-bit processor, making the same features run better and faster. Other brands have showed interest in it too. But brands based on Android could find it a challenge as that would require Google to tweak Android to make the most of 64-bit architecture. It has not done so far, which is the reason why at the time of writing, no one except Apple has managed to launch devices with 64-bit SoC.
Big Little becoming the drivers, rather than cores going up.” says MediaTek’s Dr. Finnbarr Moynihan. So the next time you step into a store to buy a handset, do remember to look beyond the cores in its processor. A smartphone is made of a combination of elements and how well a phone can handle tasks depends on the harmony between these elements. The focus should be more on the overall user experience instead of just the specs. A phone that has powerful hardware is of little use if it does not work well. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in
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cell clues
Buying Guide:
Mobile Phone Covers
Once considered a luxury and needed only for expensive handsets, mobile
phone covers have become a necessary accessory today. With the proliferation of touchscreens and emergence of designer options, these are considered important not just for protection but are also emerging as fashion statements. But how do you choose a cover for your phone? Here’s our simple guide for you. Binni Rawat
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hey were always around (remember how Nokia bundled one with the early editions of the N95?), but phone covers went mainstream with a vengeance as soon the smartphone world went all touchy, thanks to the touchscreen revolution. Suddenly protecting those large displays was important, especially as phones also began to get more fragile, and glass began to be used as a key component. What’s more, with the smartphone revolution, the cover also became a bit of a fashion statement and people who could not afford to change phones, tries to compensate by changing covers, thus disguising its appearance.
Types of phone covers
The market today is flooded with several kinds of mobile phone covers. Choosing a phone cover is as difficult as choosing a phone, and too many options just add on to the confusion. Here are some of the more popular types of covers in the market: Flip or wallet covers: These covers are perfect for someone who wants to team up style with protection. There is a range of flip or wallet covers available, the most common being the front leather flap cover and plastic back panel. The flap cover is smooth and prevents your screen from scratches and cracks, while the back panel is fitted to the phone protecting it. We also have foldable flip covers nowadays where the flap turns into a stand. Sleeves or pouches: Sleeves and pouches are more common with big screen devices like tablets, notebooks or laptops but some people prefer sleeves or pouches for their mobile phones as well. These are made up of soft leather or soft and thick fabric that fits to the device and are a sort of envelop into which the phone can be placed. Some people might find them a bit inconvenient as one has to pull the device out all the time, but they cover the complete phone, unlike some others which leave some of the ports exposed. Also, they can be slightly more expensive than other regular cases and covers owing to their fabric and leather components.
Fitted cases and skins: These are the most popular types of covers used these days. Fitted cases grip around the device on all four corners cushioning it on both sides. On the other hand, there are skins that add on to the visual appeal of a device and may not provide any extra protection except to its back panel. We have soft and padded skins in the market along with waterproof ones for keeping your device safe. There are also covers available in the market that not only shield your phone but also add on to its looks and also have those mini stands in them. Phone charging covers: These can be a blessing in disguise to many of us. Smartphones run out of juice very often and these charging covers play the role of portable chargers, charging your device without your having to connect them to a separate portable charger. There is no wire dangling and charging the phone becomes so much easier. One can easily walk around with their devices while it is being charged and even use them as usual. And of course, being a cover, it also protects the mobile phone. Smart covers: These are relative newcomers in the cover category, and actually attempt to add some functionality to your phones. The most popular are those that switch the display on and off when they cover and uncover the phone. But a number of firms are going beyond that as well. Imagine monitoring your heart rate, measuring diabetes levels and an ECG test, all via a smart cover? Azoi launched a smart cover, Wello, which lets you do just that.
Things to keep in mind before buying a cover
There are a few things that users must keep in mind before they opt for a particular phone cover: 1. The material with which it is made. Manufacturers use different sorts of materials for different cases, like the silicone cover, polycarbonate cover, metal cover, leather case, plastic cover, carbon fiber case and others. Pick the one that you think will protect your phone the best. 2. A cover should not be very bulky as it tends to make the device heavier and the purpose of buying a sleek phone gets defeated. This is a tricky task as the heavier covers do tend to provide better protection while the sleek ones tend to be less tough. Your task is to find the golden mean. 3. Buy a cover that blends with the appearance of your device and does not detract from it. 4. As in the case with everything else, it makes sense to pay a bit extra and go for a cover from an established company that comes with a warranty instead of a cheaper one. Phone protection does not come cheap. For all their popularity, however, there are some who insist that phone covers are unnecessary. They believe that putting a cover on your phone makes it look bulky and is of little help in the case of really tough falls. Nokia went to the extent of actually dropping one of their phones on stage to show how tough they were. Both sides to the argument have their merits, but in most cases, we would advocate spending on a good cover. After all, phones are so essential to our lives these days. Surely they deserve a bit of protection? n
Suddenly protecting those large displays was important, especially as phones also began to get more fragile, and glass began to be used as a key component. What’s more, with the smartphone revolution, the cover also became a bit of a fashion statement and people who could not afford to change phones, tries to compensate by changing covers, thus disguising its appearance.
binni@mymobile.co.in
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fa c e t o fa c e
“LTE will drive adoption of 3G” In a country where 3G penetration is still very low, talking about 4G may seem unrealistic but the proponents of the technology feel otherwise. Ranjan Sharma, Director Technical and Commercial, ZTE Telecom India has been working closely with Indian operators to drive the adoption of 4G. He feels LTE will not only boost Internet penetration but will also lead to growth in GDP. Abhijit Ahaskar
What role has ZTE played in the deployment of LTE in India? ZTE has been actively engaged with all the operators in the LTE segment. India was lagging in 2G and is still trying to catch up with 3G. In the case of LTE, India is seeing it at the same time it is being launched in other countries. Our situation was similar. When 2G was there, we had the solution but we didn’t see so many deployments. In 3G, we are catching up but in 4G we are taking a lead. In India, we were the first infrastructure provider to give LTE solutions. Now, we are working aggressively with all operators in India, not just in TDD LTE but in FDD LTE also. 3G penetration is low as a lot of users are still using 2G. Don’t you think that we are not ready for 4G? Actually LTE will work as catalyst and drive adoption of 3G. When people will start using LTE, others who can’t afford LTE will buy 3G and like this the penetration of 3G will improve. 3G has a good ecosystem even if the pace is a little slow, but when people will start getting used to it, the pickup will be very fast. If you remember the 2G GSM race, call rates used to be as high as Rs 21 and users had
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to pay for incoming call too. At that time, nobody thought that we would achieve 74 per cent penetration so soon. The last six months and one year have been very good for 3G and in times to come 3G penetration is going to increase further. Should a user worry about jargon like TDD, LTE or the amount of spectrum before going for 4G? From a technology perspective, TDD LTE is already there. TDD LTE has 20MHz of spectrum which is good enough and in case of FDD, operators have 5+5MHz of spectrum, with five for uploading and the other five for downloading. So for providing hotspot capacity wherever TDD LTE is available, the network will reselect to the Hotspot technology, i.e., TDD technology, so that they can get better redirects. If the hotspot technology is not available, the network will fall back to FDD. The end user will not even know whether it is TDD or FDD. All of this will be smoothly taken care of so that the end user will get a seamless experience. What are the challenges facing successful deployment of 4G in India? Firstly, it
is the device ecosystem, affordability and the price plans that operators can offer. Secondly, there is volume of spectrum and the cost of spectrum. If the price of spectrum is high, the business case will fall apart. Thirdly, having a good backbone is important. You may do a lot on the access side but if you don’t have a strong backhaul you can’t run the services. These are some of the challenges that we faced and probably will continue to face in the future. In a market like India people are very conscious about prices. How long will it take for 4G to become affordable? It is difficult to predict how long it will take for 4G to become affordable. But, considering that users are more aware of what they can do with a phone, we think, once people start getting used to it, 4G will pick up very fast and the ecosystem will also improve. In China deployments are already happening as we speak on a much bigger scale. Once China picks up more customers, the overall ecosystem will improve in both TDD and FDD. India and China, being the biggest markets, will drive the whole ecosystem. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in
sneak peek HTC One (E8) The mini One (M8)
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he mini version of HTC One (M8) has been officially announced. Dubbed as One (E8), and also called Plastic due to its plastic body, the smartphone will be available in select markets including China at $448. It is likely to come to India by the mid of July and will cost somewhere in the vicinity of Rs 35, 000. It is being seen as spin-off version of the more high-profile One (M8) but given its hardware it is no less than a flagship in its own right. It features a polycarbonate unibody design and comes in four colour variants-polar white, electric crimson, Maldives blue and misty grey. It carries many of the features seen in the One (M8), like the Motion Launch, HTC BoomSound, HTC Sense 6 UI, and Android KitKat 4.4.2 OS. It comes with a 5-inch display with full HD screen resolution and a pixel density of 441ppi and is powered by Qualcomm’s Quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. It features a 13.0-megapixel rear camera, a 2.0-megapixel front camera and includes 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory expandable to up to 128GB, and a 2,600mAh battery. It is a dual SIM phone with a number of connectivity options like 4G LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. n
Oppo Find 7 The first quad HD
phone in India
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nveiled in India in June, Oppo’s latest flagship is the only smartphone to come with a quad HD display smartphone after LG G3. The Oppo Find 7, will be available by early July in the Indian market. Priced at Rs 37,990, which is a price that surprised many people, the Find 7 is the second high-profile device that has been released by the Chinese manufacturer in India. Its biggest attraction is going to be its 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 coated display which has an astonishingly high screen resolution of 2560x1440 p and pixel density of 538 ppi. It is powered by Qualcomm’s 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and Adreno 330GPU, and packs in some very serious hardware: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, a 3,200mAh battery and support for 4G connectivity. The 13.0-megapixel camera comes with Sony’s embedded sensor and supports 4K video recording. All this in a frame that is made of titanium aluminum alloy, which is heavier than the magnesium alloy generally used in smartphones with metal body, as it provides a better grip. n
team@mymobile.co.in
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just in Panasonic P81
Panasonic’s Octa Core Play
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he Panasonic P81 sees Panasonic get into the big display octa core processor category. It comes with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 1280x720, which might strike some as being a bit on the low side in this full HD era, but is actually very good for most tasks. It runs on what MediaTek calls a True octa-core processor, which has been seen in a number of octa-core devices from local vendors. The processor clock speed is 1.7GHz, while the amount of RAM is 1GB. Internal memory is 8GB and can be expanded by 32 GB. A dual SIM device, P81 boasts of a front-facing camera and a 13 megapixel rear camera. It has a 2,500mAh battery which is going to be one of its strong points. It comes with a case over phone flip cover adding extra protection to it. The handset supports Wi-Fi, 3G with HSPA+, 2G, GPS, dual SIM and Bluetooth 3.0. Its an Android handset running on Android 4.2. It has a faux leather panel quite similar to that of the Galaxy Note 3, and is available only in black. The phone is available in the market at Rs 18,990. n
Lava Iris X1 Taking on the Moto E
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he Iris X1 was released soon after the Moto E showed up. It has been priced in the same range and comes with what seem to be very impressive specifications on paper. And well, it will turn heads as well, as it bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone. However, the similarity is limited to appearance. The Iris X1 has a bigger screen of 4.5 inches with a much lower screen resolution of 800 x 480. Most of its features like the 4GB internal memory, microSD card support of up to 32GB, dual SIM slots, Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio, 1,800mAh battery are quite common in this range. What makes it stand out from the rest of the league are features like the the latest Android version KitKat 4.4, 1GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor from Broadcom, a 1,800mAh battery, 3G support and dual cameras of 8.0 and 2.0-megapixels on the rear and front side respectively. All of which make it a serious contender in the budget smartphone category. Priced at Rs 7,999, the handset comes in black, white, silver, and blue colour variants. n team@mymobile.co.in
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burntest Small screen Joy That’s what the Oppo Joy delivers
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Compact and well built The Oppo Joy is a good-looking, well-built and compact smartphone weighing 124 grams, a little more than the iPhone’s latest edition. Its compact size makes it handy and the matte finish and nicely rounded design make it easy to grip. The front panel includes a 4.0-inch display with touch keys underneath it which have been marked in silver. The buttons are on the side panel where they can be easily accessed. The display has a thin metallic bezel around it, which gives it a premium feel. It has a VGA front camera and a 3.0-megapixel rear camera. The back panel is removable and includes a micro SIM slot, a standard SIM slot, a micro SD slot and a 1,700 mAh battery.
124 m
m
martphones are coming in all shapes and sizes, and generally seem to be getting bigger. And yet the popularity of small screen phones continues unabated, as it seems there still are users who are more comfortable using a compact device, one that is easy to hold and still get the best out of a smartphone. Witness the iPhone and Moto G. The Oppo Joy attempts to follow in the footprints of these legends. But will it succeed?
Pros
Decent looking display
Compact and handy
Cons
Lags at times
Old Android version
Screen Size | 4.0-inch, Capacitive
The Joy boasts of a 4.0-inch display with screen resolution of 800 x 480, which is quite common at this price point but it comes with very good viewing angles. It also handled colors very well for a budget smartphone. It runs on Android 4.2 and has its own interface called Colour OS. The interface looks simple but has a lot to offer. It is light and comes with simple icons. The interface has been clubbed into different categories – for instance in settings, you have sound, general, display placed separately to make your search easier. Features like double tapping on the home button to see all the apps that are running in the background, and closing them all at one time instead of doing so one by one are definitely useful.
Battery | Li-Ion 1,700 mAh
Ordinary performer
Oppo Joy tech specs Size | 124 x 63 x 9.9 mm Weight | 125 grams Memory | 4GB, MicroSD OS | Android OS v4.2 Jelly Bean
Talktime/Standby | -/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 3.0-Megapixel Others | OS interface, Battery management app
Price: Rs 7,999
m
63m
Decent display
The handset’s speaker is strong and clear, which is enough for music playback. However, the phone has its limitations – it did not handle games well and had some problems with a few video files formats. It does handle most apps well, however, and the battery back-up is quite respectable – it saw off a day of use quite comfortably. Though the camera is just 3.0-megapixels, it comes with flash and modes like Panorama, beautify, etc., and you can record videos in 720p too. Picture quality is decent too.
Conclusion At this price point the Oppo Joy faces stiff competition from the likes of Moto E and Micromax Unite 2. The Oppo Joy scores over both in appearance and has a decent camera too. So if you want a good-looking device and a relatively uncluttered Android experience, it is not a bad option. But the likes of Micromax Unite 2 and Moto E surely have an edge over it in terms of software, display, and processing muscle power. n team@mymobile.co.in
verdict 8
Looks Features
7
ease of use
8
perfoRmance
8
value for money
7
overall
76%
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burn test Big and Beautiful HTC ups the phablet design ante with the Desire 816
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an a phone with a large display look classy? HTC proves that it can with the brilliantly designed Desire 816. But will the consumers bite?
Looks surprisingly good Mention the word ‘large screen phone’ and the
first image that comes to mind is that of something larger and unwieldy. For while manufacturers have jumped on to the large phone (also known as phablet) bandwagon, not too many people have mastered the art of making these devices look smart. Most end up looking simply too large for comfort. Even HTC’s first
experiment in this regard, the HTC One Max, went awry on the design front. However, the company seems to have learnt its lessons well for its first relatively lower priced phablet, the HTC Desire 816. The device will turn heads, not just for its size, but also for its sleek design. HTC has managed to keep the thickness of the
Pros Good price, decent hardware Excellent sound Very good design
Cons Some may wish for a full HD display Glossy back might attract smudges Battery life remains iffy
HTC Desire 816 tech specs Size | 156.6 x 78.7 x 8 mm Weight | 165 grams Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4 Screen Size | 5.5-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 2,600 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 21 hours/ Up to 737 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 13.0-megapixel Others | Blink feed, HTC sence, Boom Sound, HTC Zoe
Price: Rs 23,000 46 MYMOBILE july 2014
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phone down to a rather surprising 7.9 mm. The front is dominated by a 5.5-inch display with speakers above and below it. Rather interestingly, HTC has opted to place the power/ display button and the volume rocker on the left side of the device, leaving the right one to house the dual SIM and memory card slots. Right above the display is a 5.0-megapixel front facing camera, while the back is smooth glossy plastic with a 13.0-megapixel camera and flash. It will attract its share of smudges, we fear, but there is no doubting that the gently curving sides add a touch of class to the device. At 165 grammes, it is slightly heavier than the much smaller HTC One (M8). Yes, it is very much a device to be used two-handed, but HTC need to be commended for making a large phone look good.
Decent hardware, good performer The Desire 816’s spec sheet does tend to remind us strongly of those from other manufacturers with similar devices, most notably the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra. The 5.5 inch display is a good one but at a time when full HD displays are rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception in large display devices, is a 720p affair. Powering the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad core processor, and aiding it in its task is 1.5 GB of RAM, a rather odd figure, we must confess. Storage stands at 8GB and is expandable using a memory card and connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. This is a dual SIM device but we do need to point out that both SIM cards need to be nano SIMs, which
might not please some people. And running on top of all this is Android 4.4, with HTC’s Sense interface laid over it. All this works very well together. The larger screen makes HTC’s Blinkfeed (which presents news and social network updates in a magazine-like format) a lot easier on the eye and by and large most regular operations work smoothly enough. The camera quality is not rave-worthy but if you are in good light conditions, rest assured, you will get some very good pictures indeed, from both the front as well as rear camera. We did notice a slight lag while playing some high-end games like Shadowgun but by and large, the device turned in a very good performance. Special mention needs to be made of the BoomSound front-facing speakers which deliver excellent sound for those who prefer hearing their music out loud. Indeed, HTC seems to be using sound as a key feature to distinguish its devices from those of its competitors. The front facing speakers do add to the length of the device, but the kind of sound they deliver is currently unmatched in loudspeaker mode. Mind you, using all this at full-tilt does tend to drain out the battery fairly fast. We found ourselves having to recharge the phone once a day on a regular basis whenever we indulged in extended gaming or photography sessions.
Conclusion It has got the looks, decent specifications and for the most part, performs very well indeed. Factor in a price of Rs 23,000 and the HTC Desire 816 seems like a very good proposition.
However, it does face some very stiff competition from the similarly specced Sony Xperia T2 Ultra which comes with a better display and camera. And then of course, there are the likes of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ and the Micromax Canvas Knight, both of which come with octa core processors and full HD displays and come at price tags that are less than Rs 20,000. Add to the mix Nokia’s Lumia 1320 which features a very good 6.0-inch display and excellent battery life and is in line to get an update to Windows Phone 8.1, and the HTC Desire 816 has its task cut out in carving a niche for itself in the Indian market. Those seeking a phone with a large display and excellent design would be hard-pressed to find a better option, though. n team@mymobile.co.in
verdict 8
Looks
9
Features ease of use
8
perfoRmance
8
value for money
7
overall
80%
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burn test A New Smartphone Star? The Atom Ultimus is a fine phone from a new brand
Pros
Impressive full HD display
Decent battery back-up
Decent performance
Cons
Glossy finish
Runs old Android
Camera adequate rather than exceptional
Atom Ultimus tech specs Size | 157 X 78 X 9.2 mm Weight | 125 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.2 Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 2,000 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 18 hours/ Up to 460 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 13.0-megapixel Others | Document to go, Notebook, Movie Studio
Price: Rs 16,999
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A
fairly new name in the smartphone industry, Atom mobiles is one of those rare Indian brands to make their debut with smartphones targeted at the mid-segment of the market rather than the lower ones (a strategy followed by many other brands, who only recently started looking beyond the budget segment). After Atom Supremus comes another mid-range smartphone called the Atom Ultimus, a more refined brother of the former.
Good looking but familiar The handset’s appearance reminds one a great deal of the Samsung Galaxy series smartphones as it has the same rounded edges, a metal bezel on the side and a sparkling white body. It comes with a troika of soft backlit keys, a front camera and a 5.0-inch display. The phone looks good and more refined than the Atom Supremus, but alas you may have seen its replicas many times. It is not that it looks bad but it certainly will not stand apart from the crowd either. It feels a little bulky but the rounded edges and smooth finish makes it quite easy to handle although some might find it a little too glossy and slippery. The display is the centre of attraction of the device, more by virtue of its quality than sheer size. At five inches, it is a bit on the larger size, but then we are living in the era of phones with large displays. The volume rocker sits on one side, while the screen lock and power button are on the other side of the handset, where they are well within reach so you can use it easily with one-handed also. The back panel is removable and houses a 2,000mAh battery, two standard SIM slots and a micro SD card slot. The back panel is quite flimsy and feels plasticky in nature, another feature reminiscent of the Galaxy series devices.
Quad-core power with Android 4.2 The Atom Ultimus runs on a slightly older version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.2 and comes with the regular Android interface with stock Android apps like Google Play, Maps, Gmail and a few others like FM Radio, Backup and Restore, Movies Studio and Documents to Go fortunately it has not been swamped with apps that users are never likely to use. The handset comes with 16GB storage of which about 11GB is available for general use while 2.85GB is available for apps. To this, you can add up another 32GB through a micro SD card. This affords ample storage for movies and games. The device is powered by 1.5GHz quad-core processor, supports dual SIM with 3G and has 1GB RAM and close to all the features expected in a device at this price point.
A good perfomer And the Atom Ultimus makes the most of
the hardware it has. It can pretty much handle most routine apps, casual games and can also play HD movies. Unfortunately, it comes up short when we move to high-end games like FIFA 14. The handset’s display is a full HD affair, looks vivid, has good viewing angles and handles colours very well, putting it quite on par with a number of devices in this price point from betterknown brands. Even with such a brilliant display, the battery life of the device is quite good and can easily see off a day of usage on a single charge. The handset’s speaker quality is also good. The 13.0-megapixel camera at the rear is accompanied with a flash and comes with a flurry of picture modes and tools, like upto forty continuous shots, face detection, ISO upto 1600, and smile detection. It can also record full HD videos. The camera can take good looking pictures in normal daylight. It supports touch to focus and can take decent close-up shots well. No, you will not buy this phone for its camera but neither will you feel deprived of a decent camera if you do opt for it.
157 mm
www.mymobile.co.in
78 mm
Conclusion The Atom Ultimus is easy to use and has a number of impressive features. Its glossy back panel makes it slippery and prone to smudges but other than that we had no issues with its build quality, which felt quite solid. It comes from a new player and comes at a price where quite a few relatively well known brands are already plying their trade with a number of good devices. It faces competition from a number of Indian brands like the Micromax Canvas Turbo and Canvas Knight, the Karbonn Octane; as well as a number of international ones like Lenovo K900, which has an impressive design and bigger display, and Samsung’s Galaxy Grand 2, which has more RAM, runs on Android 4.3 and a larger battery. At Rs 16, 999, we think the Atom Ultimus is a little overpriced, but it still is a very good effort from a brand that is slowly but steadily making its presence felt in a very competitive market. n team@mymobile.co.in
verdict Looks
8
Features
8
ease of use
8
perfoRmance value for money
7 8
overall
78%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 49
burn test Ultimate Budget Smartphone?
The Moto E has a lot going for it at that price
F
ew phones costing Rs 6,999 have got the kind of attention and acclaim that the Moto E has received over the past few weeks. And on paper, it actually does offer a fair bit for not too much money. But does the phone actually live up to the hype in terms of performance?
Looks solidly Moto Motorola has been working on a new design ethic with its Moto G and Moto X devices, which are marked by smooth curves and slightly rounded backs. And this ethos can be seen in the Moto E as well. In an era of large screen devices, the Moto E is surprisingly compact. The front is dominated by a 4.3 inch display, with three touch buttons below it. However, unlike in the Moto G and Moto X, here we have two thin chrome stripes above and below the display, for the speaker and microphone – some might like, some might not. The volume rocker and power/display buttons are metallic and are on the right side of the display, the 3.5 mm jack is bang on the top while on the base of the device is the micro USB port. The back is totally plain plastic, interrupted only by the Motorola logo and a 5.0-megapixel camera. The phone is not the slimmest or the lightest we have ever used (at 142 grammes) but it feels reassuringly solid and fits easily into the hand. As in the case of
Pros Great price Latest Android Generally smooth performance
Cons Ordinary camera Lags can set in Cannot handle heavy games
50 MYMOBILE july 2014
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Great software, good hardware The biggest attraction of the Moto E is its software. Like the Moto G and Moto X, it comes with the latest version of Android, KitKat, and even as this is being written, is in line to get its latest version, 4.4.3. And just as in other recent phones, Motorola has opted to let the OS run free of any layers or skins. This is as close to pure Android as you can get without buying a Nexus device. There are some Motorla apps on board such as Motorola Migrate which lets you transfer data from your old device to the Moto E, but by and large, this is untrammelled Android. The hardware it runs is good, rather than great, but then given the price point, we are not really complaining. The 4.3-inch display is the device’s strongest point and it comes covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to save it from scratches. It also features a resolution of 960 x 540 which is again very good at this price point. Backing this up are a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1 GB of RAM, and 4 GB onboard storage which can be expanded via memory card. The 5.0-megapixel camera is a fixed focus affair and there is no front facing camera. Connectivity options include dual SIM support, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. For the price, this is an excellent combination of hardware and software.
And works well too What makes the Moto E special is the fact that for most routine tasks, it delivers a performance that is on par with devices that cost two to three times more than it does. Web browsing, e-mail and social networks work with buttery smoothness as do most casual games (Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Temple Run). Battery life is decent enough – a charge will see you through a relatively hectic day of use and while the sound quality is not the greatest, it is more than adequate. Where the phone trips up is in the camera department. The 5.0-megapixel camera is good enough for taking pictures of relatively distant (three feet and beyond) objects but is frankly useless at close-ups, which limits its use a bit. A few lags also
tend to creep in if you get into high-definition games (Frontline Commando 2) or use the maps too heavily.
Conclusion It is difficult not to be distracted by all the hype surrounding the Moto E. The stark fact at the end of the day, however, is that it is no doubt one of the better budget smartphones in the country, notwithstanding some frailties. The phone’s biggest attraction is its display and the latest version of Android, which might appeal to geeks, but mainstream users might not take too kindly to its fixed focus camera and the lags that tend to creep in the moment you get into maps or hefty gaming. That said, it is one of the best phones you can get for its price of Rs 6,999. Not that it does not have competition. The Micromax Unite 2 packs in a larger display with a quad core processor and a 5.0-megapixel camera with autofocus at the same price point while the Lava Iris X1 costs a bit more but also comes with an 8.0-megapixel camera and larger display. What neither, however, possesses is the assurance of that ‘M’ on the back! n
124.8 m m
the Moto G, the glass of the display gently overlaps on to the sides, giving the phone a touch of class. No, it will not stop traffic but this is still a very smart looking phone. And yes, it is water-resistant too, which is a massive bonus at this price point.
team@mymobile.co.in
Moto E
64.
8m
m
tech specs Size | 124.8 x 64.8 x 12.3 mm Weight | 142 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4
verdict
Screen Size | 4.3-inch, Capacitive
Looks
8
Battery | Li-Po 1,980 mAh
Features
8
Talktime/Standby | -/-
ease of use
GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
perfoRmance
Camera | 5.0-megapixel
value for money
Others | Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Water resistance
Price: Rs 6,999
9 8 9
overall
84%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 51
burn test Slim is In! The Gionee Elife S5.5, the world’s slimmest smartphone arrives in india
M
ore attention might have been paid to their sizes, but the fact is that smartphones around the world have been growing slimmer as well. At one time, anything below 10 mm was considered to be super slim. Gionee, however, threatens to redefine the concept of phone slimness with its Elife S5.5, which
is a mere 5.5 mm thick. And there is more to the device than just a very slim frame, as we discovered.
Cellular sliver! Just how thin can a phone get? Well, we had thought that we had pretty much seen it all and
that most phones were making a fuss out of knocking the odd millimetre off the thickness of their devices. Gionee has however, managed to take a very solid chunk off the sides of its Elife S5.5 – the phone is an incredible 5.5 mm thin. The iPhone 5s which had wowed people with its thin body was 7.6 mm thin, which is
Pros
Incredibly thin design
Good hardware
Very good price
Cons
52 MYMOBILE july 2014
Laggy interface
Battery life
Old version of Android
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With some serious power But the S5.5 is no mere slim and dumb blonde. There is some very serious hardware that lies within that slim frame. That 5.0-inch display is a full HD one, and is also a Super AMOLED affair, which means dazzling colours and deep, rich blacks. Powering the phone is an octa core 1.7 Ghz processor, aided by 2 GB RAM. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. And there are two cameras – the 13.0-megapixel one on the rear and a 5.0-megapixel one in front for those fond of selfies and video calls. A surprise, however, is the fact that running on top of this powerful hardware is not the latest version of Android, but Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, which is adequate for most tasks but now seems a trifle long in the tooth. Of course, Gionee has covered it with its own Android overlay Amigo 2.0.
A few lags, but a good performer And it is actually Amigo that is the Achilles Heel of the S5.5. We loved browsing the Web on the classy full HD display and the cameras, front and back both, delivered some very good results. The sound was not quite in the class of what we had experience in the Elife E6 and Elife E7, but was loud enough in loudspeaker mode and excellent on the accompanying headphones. The octa core processor handled everything we threw at it with a degree of ease. High definition games and films played without a hitch and we were even able to sit around and edit some video on the fly without any problems whatsoever. Where we did, however, encounter problems was while
navigating the device’s basic interface where we encountered lags and slowdowns, whether it was in scrolling homescreens or browsing photographs in the default gallery app. The consensus seemed to be that this was caused by Amigo, which seemed to hog resources. It never reached deal-breaking proportions but exist it did. Battery life on the other hand, was very acceptable. We easily coaxed a day of reasonable use out of the phone on a single charge – we are guessing that that is the AMOLED effect.
Conclusion: If thinness is what matters most to you in a phone, then there is honestly no competition for the GioneeElife S5.5. It even makes the iPhone 5s look relatively flabby. The fact that Gionee has managed to pack in some very good hardware into such a slim frame makes the device a bit of a technological marvel, and make it very good value for money for its current price of Rs 22,500. Take slimness out of the equation, however, and the competition hots up. Challenging the E-life S5.5 are the likes of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ and Micromax Canvas knight, both of which pack in octa core processors and full HD displays and are available for less than Rs 20,000. Those wanting a better-known brand might also be tempted by the HTC Desire 816 which comes with a 720p screen and a quad core processor, but runs the latest version of Android and has a better camera and onboard sound. n
145.1 mm
about a third thicker than the S5.5. And it is this sliver-like thinness that strikes you the moment you clap eyes on the Elife S5.5. Unlike a number of manufacturers who have gone for the curved edge look, Gionee has kept the edges of the S5.5 sharp. This gives the device a slightly boxy look, but there’s no doubting its beauty. The front is dominated by a 5.0-inch display, with the volume rocker and display and power buttons being located on the left of the device. The top houses the micro USB port, while the base holds the 3.5 mm jack, which is a slightly odd arrangement. The right hand side is bare but for the slot for the SIM card tray. The back is a flat slab of glass with the speaker grille at the bottom and a 13.0megapixel camera with a LED flash in the top left corner. Seen on its own, it will not scream for attention but place the S5.5 on a table and it will turn heads – we had the black model and it did just that. Several times. A note of caution, however: be careful how you handle the device. All that glass on the front and back make it slippery and prone to smudges. And we are not too confident that the phone will be able to survive a fall.
team@mymobile.co.in
Gionee Elife S5.5 70 .2
tech specs
m
m
Size | 145.1 x 70.2 x 5.6mm Weight | 130 grams Memory | 16GB OS | Android OS v4.2 Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 2,300 mAh
verdict Looks
9
Features
9
ease of use
8
GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
perfoRmance
8
Camera | 13.0-megapixel
value for money
Talktime/Standby | -/-
Others | Amigo interface, Super AMOLED display
Price: Rs 22,500
9
overall
86%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 53
burn test Bigger Android, Nokia Style Nokia
joins the big screen Androids with the Nokia XL
I
ts first Android smartphone, the Nokia X, might not have made the kind of impact that many had expected, but Nokia has definitely not played its last card on the Android platform. With the XL, it literally increases everything that the X had, from the display size to RAM to the camera. The big question is: does it do enough to sway the Android faithful?
Honey, I enlarged the X A bigger version of the Nokia X – well, those were the words that shot through our minds the moment we clapped eyes on the Nokia XL. The build is on very similar lines, with the front being dominated by a large 5.0-inch display, and the back being a colourful plastic shell that seems right out of the Asha 501 range. Just as in the Nokia X, there is a single touch button beneath the screen. The volume rocker and the power/display buttons are on the right side of the display, while the 3.5 mm audio jack is right on top and the micro USB port on the base. The back houses a 5.0-megapixel camera, minus a flash, but with autofocus (something that we sorely missed on the Nokia X). No, the phone is not pencil thin and neither is it the lightest phone we have seen (it is 10.9 mm thick and weighs 190 grammes), but it radiates a solidity that is very typically Nokia and which we do not find in too many devices in this price point. We actually like the concept of having coloured backs, as Android devices by and large have tended to stick to the blacks, greys and whites.
Improved specs and performance It is not just the display in the XL that is larger than the X. Whereas the first Nokia Android had only 512 MB of RAM, the XL ups the ante here and comes with a more respectable figure
Pros Smooth performance Good battery life Rock solid and colourful build
Cons No Google Play Store Expensive for the specs Display is not the greatest
54 MYMOBILE july 2014
of 768 MB RAM. It also packs in a front facing camera of 2.0-megapixels, something that was absent in the Nokia X. The rest of the spec sheet is familiar – the processor is a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, storage is at 4GB expandable using a micro SD card, and connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. Even the resolution of the display is the same as the Nokia X – 800 x 480. And of course, running above it all is Nokia’s version of Android with its Fast Lane interface and tiles that are so reminiscent of Windows Phone. And before you ask, no, there’s no Google Play store in this one either, although once again you can grab apps from the Nokia store and from some others, as well as install .apk files on the device. So do these hardware improvements make a significant change to the performance of Nokia’s flavour of Android? Well, the answer is a mixed one. While there is no doubt that the larger display does make tasks like typing a whole lot easier than the cramped display of the Nokia X, the very fact that the display has the same resolution as its smaller screened predecessor means that it is not really as sharp as that one was. We did see a significant improvement in the handling of games and HD content, though, with the phone handling them smoothly and with very few lags. Try installing a hefty game’s APK however and you can be assured of a few lags creeping in. That said, as long as you stick to basic tasks like Web browsing, social networking and the odd spot of casual gaming and a lot of mailing, Nokia’s version of Android works just fine. And yes, we do think Nokia Maps are superior to Google Maps, while very few Android devices give you the kind of free music content that you get from Nokia Music. Where the XL scores most heavily is in the areas that are considered to be Nokia strengths. Call quality is excellent, the build solid, and battery life is frankly the best we have seen in an Android at this price point: a single charge saw through a day and a half of hectic use. The camera is an improvement over the X, but is not quite as good as the ones we have seen in the Lumias at this price point.
141.4 mm
www.mymobile.co.in
Conclusion All said and done, the Nokia XL is a solid rather than spectacular performer. It certainly works more smoothly than the Nokia X, and the bigger display does make it more gaming and video friendly. However, at its price of around Rs 11,000, it is likely to face some very stiff competition from well-entrenched local
Nokia XL tech specs Size | 141.4 x 77.7 x 10.9 mm Weight | 190 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Nokia X software platform 1.0
77.7 mm brands like Micromax and Karbonn, which are offering devices with higher resolution displays and more RAM at similar or even lower price points. And of course, there is the little matter of its own Lumia range of devices, ranging from the bestselling Lumia 520 to the newer Lumia 525 to the latest Lumia on the block, the Lumia 630, which runs Windows Phone 8.1, and actually comes with a better camera and a far more manageable design. n team@mymobile.co.in
verdict
Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive
Looks
8
Battery | Li-Po 2,000 mAh
Features
8
Talktime/Standby | Up to 16 hours/ Up to 720 hours
ease of use
8
GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 5.0-megapixel Others | Nokia Browser, Opera, HERE Drive, HERE Maps
Price: Rs 11,000
9
perfoRmance value for money
8
overall
82%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 55
burn test Taking on the Moto E That’s what the
Micromax Unite 2 does
L
ove it or hate it, what you cannot deny is the fact that the Moto E thrust the budget smartphone into the limelight like no other device has done in the past. Which is why it has been followed by the launch of a number of similarly specced and priced devices literally within weeks of its launch. One of the most prominent of these comes from Micromax – the Unite 2. But will it be able to sway people from the magic of the Moto E?
Smart looker with decent specs Micromax has been upping the design ante in its devices of late, and evidence of this is visible in the Unite 2. In the past, Micromax’s devices at this price point have tended to look a trifle cheap, but that is not an accusation that can be levied at the Unite 2. The phone looks smart and sticks to a simple design. The front is dominated by a 4.7-inch display, with rather large bezels below it, making the phone appear a bit larger than it actually is. There are three backlit touch buttons under the display. The right side of the phone hosues the volume rocker and the power and display on/off buttons while the left side is totally bare. At 9.4 mm, the Unite 2 is slim for its price point and although made mainly of plastic is comfortable to grip and will fit into most people’s palms without too much trouble. We did find it to be a bit on the heavy side (158 grammes) but we doubt that will be a deal breaker for people. The phone has a reassuringly solid look to it and its gently curving sides reminded us of the LG Optimus 2X. On the hardware side, the Unite 2 does come endowed with some decent specs. The 4.7-inch display has a resolution of 800 x 480, which is lower than that of the Moto E, but unlike that device, the Unite 2 is powered by a quad core processor from MediaTek. Like the Moto E, it too comes with 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of storage (expandable) and runs the latest version of Android (KitKat). However, where it does deal a significant blow to the Moto E is in the camera department – the Unite 2 has two cameras: a front facing 2.0-megapixel camera and a 5.0-megapixel camera on the rear, which also has autofocus.
Good performer And the Unite 2 performs very well too. We have seen a lot of people pour scorn on MediaTek’s low-cost processors in budget devices but when it came to handling routine tasks like Web browsing, mails
56 MYMOBILE july 2014
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and social networking, the Unite 2 more than matched the Moto E. And well, it was definitely a notch above that worthy when it came to gaming, handling even the likes of Asphalt 8 without too many lags. Where it does come second to the Moto E is in terms of display and interface. Micromax’s interface does not move too far from stock Android but the company has packaged way too many apps with the device, many of which are honestly of limited utility. The device has been promoted as supporting a number of Indian languages and this comes to the fore when one is using the keyboard and one can choose from about twenty Indian languages. However, we are not as impressed by the inclusion of Micromax’s own app store, Hike Messenger, Micromax Live and so on, especially with limited internal storage. The real difference in performance between the Moto E and the Unite 2 comes in the display and camera – the Moto E’s display is much sharper and brighter than that of the Unite 2, while the Unite 2’s camera turns in a very decent performance and is significantly superior to that of the Moto E, with auto focus also coming into the equation.
Conclusion The Micromax Canvas Unite 2 has a big challenge in front of it – to take on the Moto E and emerge as a viable challenger. And well, we must confess that it does manage to do so. While its display is not in the same league as that of the Moto E, the Unite 2 compensates with a much better camera and a front facing camera as well. It also handled gaming better than the Moto E did. However, the display is a vital component of any touchscreen device and here the Unite 2 lags behind the Moto E. It also lacks the waterproof quality that the Moto E does. Those looking for a device in the same price range might also consider the Nokia Lumia 520, which at the time of writing had a price in the vicinity of Rs 7,000 and although single SIM came with better design and a better camera. Of course, it runs on a different platform – Windows Phone, although like the Moto E, it too is in line for an update to the latest version (Windows Phone 8.1) n team@mymobile.co.in
Pros Good hardware for the price Decent camera Latest version of Android
Cons Display is a bit dull Not the greatest audio quality Too many preloaded apps
Micromax Unite 2 tech specs Size | 138.9 x 71.9 x 9.4 mm Weight | 158 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4 Screen Size | 4.7-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 2,000 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 8 hours/Up to 190 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 5.0-megapixel Others | Burn the Rope, Smash It, Kingsoft, Getit, Opera Mini
Price: Rs 6,999 verdict Looks
8 9
Features ease of use
8
perfoRmance
8
value for money
9
overall
84% june 2014 MYMOBILE 57
burn test Tough and Affordable Lenovo’s S660 has
both the metal and mettle for the budget segment
S
martphones may have become an integral part of people’s lives but is this integral part equipped for the wear and tear that most people encounter on a daily basis? Unfortunately most of the rugged and tough devices that one sees tend to come at the high end of the price segment. But there thnakfully are some aberrations, and one of these is the tough and long-lasting Lenovo S660.
Phone with a metallic exterior Unlike the Micromax Canvas Turbo which had more of an aluminum finish that kept its weight down by a fair margin, the Lenovo S660 boasts of something far more vigorous. The back panel is made of a solid metal. It isn’t easy to open and would require the help of something stronger than your nails. The back panel has a matte finish on it so it would not only remain clean but will look good as well. The phone does seem to be a bit on the heavy side, but then it also carries a large battery, which accounts for the phone’s size. The sides are a little wide but have been graced with a metallic band too. The micro USB is at the bottom, the card slot, SIM slots and a 3,000mAh battery lie beneath the back panel. The front includes three soft backlit keys for multi-tasking, home, and back. The power lock button is on the side along with the volume button, where it is handy and within reach for one-handed use. Barring the bulk, it has everything that a buyer would seek in a rugged handset at a relatively low price. It has been designed well, has a decent looking screen and a mid-range price tag, all of which make it a really good deal.
Good display, old Android The handset has a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display with screen resolution of 960x540. The screen resolution may not be as sharp and vibrant as the Moto G’s but it is not disappointing either. The viewing angles are good and even if it does not look very sharp, its handling of colours and content is brilliant. Games were rendered quite well by it and so were HD movies. Its only issue is that it is a little glossy and that makes it highly prone to smudges and fingerprints. The S660 runs on Android 4.2 and comes with the same user interface that has been seen in a number of Lenovo smartphones recently. The icons are big and colourful and
58 MYMOBILE july 2014
are easily discernible from each other. You can also club them under a category making it easier to find an app. There is no dedicated app inventory and so all apps appear on the home screen itself. It is a new spin and a good one as we generally do not make the most of home screens anyway. We would have however, preferred a newer version of Android. The phone also comes with a number of useful apps like SecureIt, SyncIt and ShareIt from Lenovo. Also on board are Evernote, UC Browser, Kingsoft Office and Navigate 6 maps.
ally smooth (be it multi-tasking or gaming), and the display is very good. Unlike Moto G, which has a very curved design at the back so it would fit well into hands, this one has very flat back panel but the edges are nicely curved, making it easy to hold. The handset comes with an interesting smart cover called the Magic cover with a rubber finish and a flexible strip in the middle, which can be used as prop to lean the handset on. A very handy add-on, we think, and solid enough to protect the phone as well.
Quad-core power backed by a long lasting battery
Conclusion
The handset is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor from MediaTek and has 1GB RAM. It has 8GB internal memory out of which around 5.5GB is available. You can expand it upto 32GB using a memory card. The handset has an 8.0megapixel camera with decent capabilities. It can take some respectable shots under good lighting conditions and comes with a number of shooting modes like self timer, face detection, panorama, smile detection, and HDR. You can also record HD videos on it. The call and speaker quality are decent: good and clear. And then of course, there is the matter of the battery, which clearly seems to draw inspiration from Lenovo’s previous long-life battery handset, the P780, which had a 4,000mAh battery. This one may not have the same power but is still high by industry standards. The 3,000mAh battery is a rarity at any price point and this one keeps the phone going easily over 2-3 days on a single charge.
Decent performer All said and done, the S660 does very well in most departments - battery life is good, performance is gener-
Its a good performer, but the Lenovo S660 also faces some very serious competition. For instance, Moto G is offering the latest Android 4.4 OS, Qualcomm’s quad-core processor and a 720p display at Rs 13,999, while Lava Iris 504Q+ comes with a metallic exterior, a better camera and a 720p display. If good battery back-up and rugged build count for you and funds are relatively limited, this definitely is your device. n team@mymobile.co.in
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Pros Smooth performance Robust metallic exterior Good battery back-up
Cons Glossy display Slightly bulky Old version of Android
Lenovo S660 tech specs Size | 137 x 68.8 x 10mm Weight | 151 grams Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.2 Screen Size | 4.7-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 3,000 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 36 hours/ Up to 840 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Asphalt 7, Evernote, Kingsoft Office, Lenovo SHAREit
Price: Rs 14,990 verdict Looks
8 9
Features ease of use
8
perfoRmance
8
value for money
8
overall
82%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 59
burn test LG’s Spec Beast The LG G Pro 2 is just that
L
It looks...big!
and houses the volume and power controls, just as it did in the LG G Flex and the G2. In fact in terms of design, the G Pro 2 reminds us more of the G Flex than the G2.
There’s no getting around it. Unlike the compact G2, which surprised us by fitting a 5.0-inch display in a remarkably small body, the G Pro 2 is unabashedly large. Yes, it does have a much larger display - at 5.9 inches, it is firmly in the big phablet category. And at 8.3 mm, it is remarkably slim as well - it is actually thinner than the highly acclaimed HTC One (M8). However, its other two dimensions overshadow its thinness - it is more than half a foot long at 157.9 mm and 81.9 mm wide (LG’s own G2 was 70.9 mm wide, to just give you an idea of how massive this device is). The result is a phone that in spite of not having any buttons on the sides, in keeping with LG’s latest design ethic, does end up looking massive. This is very much a device for those who like to use both hands on a phone. The back is textured
It comes with big hardware That big body boasts some very powerful innards as well. The G2 Pro’s 5.9-inch display is a full HD affair and powering it is a 2.26 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. Yes, we know some might think that the 800 is a bit on the older side, given that a number of flagships today run on its successor, the 801, but it remains a very powerful processor at the end of the day. Also assisting in the device’s operation is 3 GB RAM and 16 GB onboard storage, which is expandable using a memory card. There are two cameras - a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera and a 13.0-megapixel one on the back. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and Miracast. Whatever you can fault the G Pro 2, it certainly is not less than able in hardware department. Top that off with
157.9 mm
G has got right back into the smartphone race with the very impressive and highly acclaimed G2. But the G Pro 2 is a very different beast in terms of design, if with similar hardware muscle. Will it also strike a chord with the users and against some very formidable opposition?
m
81.9 m
Pros
60 MYMOBILE july 2014
Cons
Good hardware
High price
Very good display
A bit large for most hands
Great battery life
Back button interface takes some getting used to
www.mymobile.co.in
steeply that it is available in some places for less than Rs 40,000. Add in the iPhone 5s, which is retailing at close to Rs 50,000 in many places and has far more aspirational value and better design, and the extent of the challenge faced by the G Pro 2 becomes evident (even the G2 is being sold in the vicinity of Rs 35,000 and it has similar specs, if a smaller display). It is not that the phone is a bad one. Far from it. It just does not do enough to mark it out as being worth the price tag it carries, especially when you consider that some of the competition have newer processors. n team@mymobile.co.in
LG G pro 2 tech specs Size | 157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3 mm Weight | 172.5 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4 Screen Size | 5.9-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 3,200 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 14 hours/ Up to 370 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 13.0-megapixel (Ultrapixel) Others | Knock Code, LTE support, Back Button the latest version of Android, KitKat, and you have a device that is on paper as good as most of the Android flagships out there.
...and it performs big too And all that hardware combines to turn in a very good performance. In many ways, the G Pro 2 performs like a much large G2, which is not a bad thing at all. Yes, you will take some time to get used to having the buttons on the back, unless you have used the G2 or G Flex before, but we really like the concept of keeping a phone’s sides button-free. The 13.0-megapixel camera takes very good photographs and does decently in the video department as well. Battery life is surprisingly good, just as it was in the case of G2 - you can easily get through a day and a half on a single charge. But we have left the best part of the device for the last - the display. LG had shown that it was capable of coming out with excellent displays in the G2
and G Flex and in the G Pro 2, it delivers a staggeringly good one. Viewing angles are excellent, colours are well rendered and we also liked the Knock code functionality which lets you lock the screen by tapping in a pattern - so much better than those iffy fingerprint scanners on some devices. Sound quality is very good too.
Conclusion It has great hardware and performs brilliantly most of the time. But what trips the LG G Pro 2 - apart from its size, which we really think is going to put off anyone with a relatively smaller hand (put almost all the women in the world in that category) - is a failing that we have seen in many high-profile Android devices of late: its price. At Rs 49,990, the phone finds itself in the same boat as the likes of the HTC One (M8) and the Sony Xperia Z2, which offer comparable specs at similar prices. Then there is the matter of the Galaxy S5, whose price has fallen so
Price: Rs 49,990 verdict 8
Looks
9
Features
8
ease of use
9
perfoRmance value for money
7
overall
82%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 61
burn test Idol with X-Plus Factor The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ offers staggering value for money
I
f Micromax had surprised us by offering an octa core device with a full HD display for less than Rs 20,000 when it unveiled the Canvas Knight a couple of months ago, Alcatel has made our eyebrows shoot even further up by offering that, as well as a couple of very handy add-on accessories for an even lower price in its OneTouch Idol X+. But exactly how well does the device perform?
Looks very good Alcatel might not have been making as many headlines as some other companies but it has been coming out with some very well designed phones. We had loved the look of the sleek OneTouch Idol X, and we must concede to loving the appearance of the slightly plainer Idol X+. The finish of the Idol X+ is a bit more glossy than that of the X, which means it is more likely to attract fingerprints and smudges but there is no doubting the fact that the device does look good with its clean finish, curved edges and almost edge-to-edge display. The front is dominated by the 5.0-inch display, below which are three touch keys. There is a metal band running down the sides, with one SIM slot on the left side, the display/power button on the top, and the second SIM slot and volume rocker button being on the right. The phone is well-designed and will fit most hands without any trouble and at a mere 8.1 mm of thickness is light to hold too. The back is plain glossy plastic and houses the 13.1-megapixel camera with an LED flash below it. Bang on the base of the device is a speaker grille and micro USB port. All in all, pretty neat, we think.
But smart though it looks, what makes the OneTouch Idol X+ really stand out are its innards. The 5.0-inch display is a full HD one, and powering the device is a MediaTekocta core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz, backed up by 2GB RAM and 16 GB onboard storage (not expandable). The device also comes with a G Sensor and E-compass, and has the usual bevvy of connectivity options at this price point including dual SIM connectivity, 3G, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Alcatel has further sweetened the deal by offering its BoomBand wear-
62 MYMOBILE july 2014
A steady performer too In terms of performance, we found the Alcatel Idol X+ to be a steady rather than spectacular performer. Notwithstanding the octa core processor, there were signs of the odd lag creeping in from time to time especially when we unlocked the display. We suspect it might have something to do with the interface of the device rather than its hardware, though. The display is brilliant and has apixel density of 441 ppi which is right up there with the best, and is terrific
69.1 mm
for viewing films and playing games; speaking of which, we found the Idol X+ being able to handle pretty much every game we threw at it. It was very much at ease in multi-tasking as well. Sound quality was decent enough on the loudspeaker and exceptional on the bundled JBL phones. We felt a bit let down by the camera, though, which was decent in good light conditions but was not at its best when the lights dimmed. And of course, there is the little matter of the BoomBand. This smart wearable looks like Sony’s SmartBand and can be worn on your wrist. Once there and paired with your phone, it will keep recording your day’s activities and telling you how much you have walked, calories burnt and so on. It is a very handy fitness gadget and also serves up notifications using LED lights (it has no display).
Conclusion On the surface, there can be no doubting that the Alcatel Idol X+ offers staggering value for money. The phone has the specs of a high-end Android andcomes with a free smartband and a pair of JBL earphones. To get this much for Rs 16,999 is frankly a very good proposition indeed. Yes, there will be some who will complain about the older version of Android on the device and the fact that its camera is not really in the league of some of the higher-end devices around, but factor in the price, and you woul be hard pressed to find anything similar at this price point. The only device that comes close to matching it on the spec front is the Micromax Canvas Knight which also packs in a full HD display and an octa core processor, and adds a 16.0megapixel camera to the mix, but comes with no wearable freebie and costs more – Rs 19,990. n team@mymobile.co.in
140.4 mm
And comes loaded with a lot
able and a pair of JBL earphones free of cost with the device. The camera is a 13.1-megapixel affair capable of shooting full HD video and comes with a number of shooting modes. With all this on board, we were a bit disappointed to see the device running Android 4.2, rather than the newest version of the OS. Alcatel says that the device will be updated to KitKat in the coming weeks, though, and we certainly hope that happens.
www.mymobile.co.in
Pros Great price Bundled smartband and earphones Good display
Cons Old version of Android Occasional lags Mediocre camera
alcatel one touch idol x+ tech specs Size | 140.4 x 69.1 x 7.9mm Weight | 130 grams Memory | 16GB OS | Android OS v4.2 Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 2,500 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 12 hours/ Up to 240 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 13.1-megapixel Others | Boom band, Jbl earphone, Octa-core precessor
Price: Rs 16,999 verdict Looks
8 9
Features ease of use
8
perfoRmance
8
value for money
9
overall
84%
july 2014 MYMOBILE 63
versus
htc one (m8) T
he battle for Android smartphone supremacy has got an air of regularity about it now. Every year Samsung releases a device that is stacked with supremely good hardware and HTC comes up with something that scores in design innovation. In essence, both these companies set the benchmarks for Android flagships, one for hardware and the other for design. And this year has been no different, with Samsung releasing the Galaxy S5 and the HTC coming out with the One (M8), the former bristling with hardware muscle, the latter turning heads with its eye-catching design. But which of these is the phone for you? This is what we tried to find out by comparing the two devices with each other.
Appearance On the surface you would think that a phone that was thinner and lighter would have an edge over the competition when it came to looks. However, not in this case. Yes, the S5 is thinner than the M8 – 8.1 mm against 9.4 mm – and much lighter too (145 grammes against 160 grammes), and is even more compact than the
64 MYMOBILE july 2014
VS
M8 (it is just 142 mm long as compared to 146 mm). But cast a look at the two phones and there’s no debating which one you will look at again. The M8 might be a bit on the longer side, but its brilliant brushed aluminium back makes the dotted plastic one on the S5 look very ordinary indeed. The gently curving back of the M8 also makes it appear a lot slimmer than it actually is. The S5 is smart enough, it is true, but it looks standard Samsung with the trademark elongated oval home button. The M8 looks designer class. There can be only one winner here. Winner: HTC One (M8)
liant full HD Super AMOLED display. The One (M8) also comes with some very good hardware – a full HD display, a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2 GB RAM, and 16 GB storage (expandable, unlike that of the One), and while it concedes ground to the S5 in the camera department (it features a 4.0megapixel Ultrapixel shooter), it compensates with its excellent front facing BoomSound speakers. It is a close finish between the two here, but we think the S5’s brighter display, better camera and stack of sensors give it the edge. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Hardware
Software
They say that you should not judge a book by its cover. And in the case of the Galaxy S5, you can stretch the analogy to cover handsets. For beneath those seemingly regular Galaxy S looks lurks some very serious hardware. The S5 is powered by an octa core Exynos processor and comes with 16 GB storage (expandable), a 16.0-megapixel camera and 2 GB RAM. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor and a heart rate sensor. All topped off with a bril-
Both the Galaxy S5 and the One (M8) run the latest version of Android, KitKat (4.4), so the battle here is between two skins or layers. And here we must confess that HTC’s latest version of Sense scores heavily over Samsung’s TouchWiz. TouchWiz does offer you more controls and options but it just complicates matters far too much (just check the Settings tab) and is now beginning to show signs of lagging. Sense on the other hand is simpler
www.mymobile.co.in
They are both highlyrated. And both come loaded with incredibly powerful hardware and the latest version of Android. But which one is better? That is what we try to figure out as we pit two Android heavyweights against each other – the HTC One (M8) and the Samsung Galaxy S5. Nimish Dubey
samsung galaxy s5 to use and while we are not massive fans of BlinkFeed which delivers updates and news to your homescreen in magazine-like format, it is a lot less intrusive and easier on the eye than TouchWiz, which we really think needs an overhaul now. Winner: HTC One (M8)
Multimedia This is a real battle between sight and sound. While Samsung surprised us with the quality of the camera on the S5, HTC continues to move ahead in the sound department with the concept of front facing speakers. The result? The S5 takes fantastic photographs, the One (M8) delivers staggeringly good sound. Both displays are very good for viewing videos and Web pages, but the M8’s speakers make it a better option for watching films. However, when it comes to games and images, the AMOLED effect of the S5’s display kicks in, making images appear more colourful and bright, if a trifle oversaturated. We would just hand this one to the S5, based mainly on camera performance. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
General performance With so much excellent hardware, it is hardly surprising that both devices turn in sterling performances. Be it games, apps, films or video editing, both devices excelled. In terms of battery, we found the S5 doing marginally better, lasting more than a day of hefty usage while the M8 tended to need a recharge as the day ran out. Call quality seemed marginally better on the M8, though. A big minus for the M8 however are its size and slippery texture, which make it difficult to handle. All said and done, we would again give this one to the Galaxy S5, though again the difference is minute. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Value for money At the time of their launches, the Gaalxy S5 at Rs 51,500 was more expensive than the HTC One (M8), which was priced at Rs 49,990. However, at the time of writing, the price of the S5 had witnessed a dramatic decline, so much so that it was available at some stores for less than Rs 40,000. The One (M8) on the other hand continues to
sell at close to its launch price. In this scenario, the S5 comfortably represents a better deal for someone seeking a high-performing Android device. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Conclusion Our six round comparison of the two devices saw the Galaxy S5 win four rounds while the One (M8) won two. However, as ever so often, statistics do not tell the complete tale. For two of those rounds – general performance and multimedia – could have gone either way. In the end, we think that the choice will depend on what one gives greater importance to. Those coveting cutting edge hardware and bright displays and good cameras will prefer the Galaxy S5, while those more keen on terrific design and good sound quality will be attracted to the One (M8). The S5’s steep price fall also will make it more agreeable for those on a relatively tight budget, but there is no doubting that the One (M8) is far more flauntable. In the end, as always, it boils down to what you consider important. n nimish@mymobile.co.in
july 2014 MYMOBILE 65
a p p ta s t i c
fifa world cup
mobile fever As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Brazil, the world is gripped by football fever.
Here is a look at four apps that will let you experience some of it on your mobile device. It is one infection that not too many will mind getting. Abhijit Ahaskar
66 MYMOBILE july 2014
T
he one time everybody on the planet is touched by football frenzy has arrived. The FIFA World Cup is upon us and everyone is trying to get their slice of the beautiful game in some form or the other. A few years ago we would take to our PCs or gaming consoles to fill in to our digital craving for football but now we have a more accessible option. Your smartphone can act as a one-stop solution where you can not only get football updates, news reports, and analysis of games but can also step into the shoes of your gaming console. So if you are looking to keep in touch with the action in Brazil and also kick the odd digital football around, here are some apps that will let you do just that.
www.mymobile.co.in
FIFA by FIFA (Android, iOS) Price: Free
This is the official app launched by soccer’s international governing body, FIFA. A free app, FIFA provides real time updates on anything that happens in the world of football, and that includes information on squads and matches not just from the World Cup but also from the numerous football leagues going on across the globe, besides what is new in the lives of your favourite stars, teams and anything or anyone associated with football. From Argentine playmaker Marcos Flores signing a one-season deal with Newcastle Jets to who are the next young guns of Brazil, the app collates the all relevant media at one place, making it the official app not just in name but in deed as well. You can search and filter minute by minute news from the football world, follow ongoing matches, and watch video recordings and photos of previous matches. The app also lets you find out more about soccer’s governing body FIFA and its many initiatives to promote the game among developing nations where the body is encouraging women and younger children to participate in the game.
ESPN FC Football & World Cup by ESPN Inc (iOS, Android, Windows
FIFA 14 by EA Sports
(iOS, Android, Windows Phone) Price: Free
Phone)
Price: Free ESPN FC Football & World Cup comes from one of the most respected media houses covering sports today. On the outside it may seem similar to the official FIFA app on account of some of the elements like news and live score updates that are common between them. But, unlike the FIFA app, ESPN’s app comes with a more astute user interface with a focus primarily on delivering news, providing live scores and a collection of Twitter feeds from players, football teams and associations keeping the Twitter aficionado amongst us up to date with the latest buzz on the social networking platform. The app has been wisely segmented under subcategories like World Cup (where you get everything on the World Cup), Leagues (which offers recent updates from top football leagues) and ESPN FC, for regular football coverage. The app also offers a login option which will fetch you timely alerts related to your favourite teams and games. We liked it for its timely updates, simplicity and zero cost.
FIFA 14 arrived several months before the World Cup but has been updated with the latest data of the tournament. From teams to their latest kits, the game has been brought up to speed for those craving for the latest. Whether you choose to use the easy to control touch buttons or the more interactive touch-based gesture controls, the game brings a console-like football experience to smartphones. It takes off from its precursor FIFA 13 had left off and takes the game to newer heights, with better graphics, new stadiums, more international leagues, players and a highly intuitive touch control. In fact we haven’t seen a more brilliant application of touch screen gestures before in a football game. Though available for free, the .free mode allows you to play only a very basic level of the game – you will need to pay Rs 300 to unlock career, tournament and kick-off mode. The payment is one time and pretty much unlocks everything forever, which is a good thing. The players look a lot better and a lot like heir real self, making your experience all the more realistic. It is the finest football simulation game for mobile devices.
Fluid Soccer by Fluid Games (Android, iOS) Price: Free
If you feel FIFA 14 is too demanding, just try out the Fluid Soccer from Fluid Games. Made for casual gamers, Fluid Soccer doesn’t have the depth or variety of FIFA 14 but is more of a football strategy game where your football skills and game tactics are on trial in a real game like situation. The game begins with simple challenges where you have to run, pass and eventually get the ball to the goal. Every goal accomplishes the mission and takes you to the next challenge where you face tougher and broader scenarios, like taking the ball from behind your defensive line to the goal. Trust us, it is not going to be as easy as it may seem. The control is touch based and the game offers a top down view of the field. The graphics are basic, but the gameplay compensates. Here is a game that works more like a puzzle than a game that would tire your fingers. Barring a few initial challenges most of the challenges would require a little cash but if you want a unique yet thrilling dose of football, it is worth a look. abhijit@mymobile.co.in
july 2014 MYMOBILE 67
Smart apps InstaFood For foodie photographers
I
RATING
n a recent survey, it was discovered that people tended to share pictures of food quite often. Well, if you are the type that likes to not just consume food but also share pictures of it, then InstaFood is pretty much an app you cannot ignore. It comes from Byss Mobile, the same folks who gave us InstaPlace and InstaWeather. And well, it works on similar lines. All you need to do is launch the app, take a picture of the dish you wish to share with your friends online and then choose an overlay. This is generally a caption as well as the location of the place where you were having the food. The app uses data from FourSquare and Facebook to pinpoint your location, which is handy, and as for the caption, well, most of them in the app are a bit on the general side, but you do have the option of customising them. Sharing options include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and the interface looks beautiful and works smoothly as well. So now, you can not only take pictures of food, but also share where you had it and add a saucy caption to it. All with minimum fuss and maximum effect. Bon App-etit, we say to all foodie photogName: InstaFood raphers, for whom this is pretty much a mustPrice: Free download. n Tested on: Google Nexus 5
ING Vysya Mobile Appy banking is here
B
anks have been online for quite a while now, but when it comes to apps, most banking apps have tended to be shrunk forms of their mobile websites, often opening the browser and sending you to the site itself for most tasks. However, ING Vysya have taken a more thorough approach to the whole appy business and the result is an app that is so good that you might stop using your computer for e-banking. It is really all about interface - the app has a speedometer like symbol to show your balance, so you can actually get an idea of how healthy your bank account is by simply a glance at the app (there is a red area for the times when the app thinks your balance is too low). You can carry out most of your banking transactions from the app itself such as transferring funds, working out loans, ordering cheque books and so on, and there some neat touches too - the app can send a SMS alert to the beneficiary whenever you transfer funds to their account and you also send e-gift vouchers from the app itself. A feature we liked in particular was the option to store cheques in the app by taking pictures of them. This is what a banking app should be like, we think. n
Name: ING Vysya Mobile Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5
68 MYMOBILE july 2014
RATING
www.mymobile.co.in
Files Windows
Phone finally gets a file manager
O
One of the biggest complaints that many users have about the Windows Phone OS is the absence of what is known as the file manager, allowing users to see the way in which files have been arranged in an OS and change file names and so on. Well, with Files, those who have Windows Phone 8.1 now have an official file manager on their devices. It is just a 1 MB download and works brilliantly, with a clean and smooth interface that is typical of Windows Phone devices. And yes, in terms of Name: Files Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 630
Reverb A new spin on
news
functionality, it is reasonably powerful too. You can view files stored not just on your phone but also on any memory card inserted in it. You can search for files, rename files and yes, you can even move them from folder to folder. Round that off with the ability to rename files and create new folders and what you have is one of those RATING apps that you simply must have if you have a Windows Phone device. It is simple. It is useful. Oh, and did we mention that it was free as well? We are so waiting for the Windows Phone 8.1 update to come to more devices - at the moment, only the Lumia 630 is capable of running this app. n
Name: Reverb Price: Free Tested on: iPhone 5s
N
ews apps are amongst the most popular in app stores around the world, but by and large, barring the likes of Flipboard and Pulse, innovation in them has tended to be on the lower side. Most developers prefer to play it safe and go with tried and trusted interfaces. Which is why Reverb stands out from the crowd. Instead of clustering the display with news items and pictures, the app actually comes with a concept of the Word Wall in which all key news events are written in large letters. Just tap on one to start reading about it. You can also form your own news stream, collect articles and mark out favourites, and of course, share news items that interest you on social networks. And all through an interface that works smoothly and is very easy on the eye. Add to that the fact that it works very fast, gets updates rapidly and seems designed to work very well on the smaller iPhone display, and you can see why we considered it good enough to look away from Flipboard for a while. And as it comes free of cost, this is one news app that is definitely worth trying out.n
RATING
nimish@mymobile.co.in
july 2014 MYMOBILE 69
boredom buster Million Dollar Arm
Innovative but needed more depth
M
illion Dollar Arm, a film about how two Indians went on to become baseball league pitchers in the US, is making waves in cinema halls these days. And in a very significant development, the rights for making the official game app for the film were given to an Indian company, 99Games, the same company that made the game for Dhoom 3. As in the case of that game, here too the developer has opted to keep things simple, so if it is a baseball simulator that you seek, give this a miss. For, Million Dollar Arm is all about target practice – throwing baseballs at a glove, to be more exact. The more gloves you hit, the higher your score Sounds simple? Well, it is. And it isn’t. For your time is limited and the gloves do not remain steady. Aiming is simple enough, and you can control trajectory. As you progress in the game, your task becomes tougher until you are actually picking up and throwing balls as soon as possible. A single miss and your turn is over – a bit cruel, we think, but it does make matters more tense. Not a classic in our opinion, but its sheer simplicity will have people coming back for another throw. n Name: Million Dollar Arm Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520
RATING
Table Tennis Touch Magnificent
Name: Table Tennis Touch
recreation of sport
Price: Rs 250 Tested on: iPhone 5s
I
t takes a lot for us to recommend spending money on an app when there are free alternatives available. But in the case of Table Tennis Touch, we would advise you to shell out Rs 250 instantly and get what we think is one of the greatest games ever made for handsets. We have seen table tennis games before on handsets but nothing quite prepared us for how realistic this one would be. The camera follows you as you move for your shots, there are two options of serving and there is a career mode that goes on and on. In short, there are hours and hours of finger burning gameplay here, with playing the game being as simple as swiping your finger in the direction where you want to send the ball. Timing is of the utmost importance though – swipe too fast and the ball will be past you by the time you play your stroke, swipe too slowly and your shot could lose its impact. It is brilliantly designed, hectic and supremely addictive. A must-have for everyone who loves high-class mobile gaming, we think. n
70 MYMOBILE july 2014
RATING
www.mymobile.co.in
Frontline 2 Commandos Fantastic looking shooter
T
he term ‘console quality graphics’ has been used too easily by too many people in the past to describe mobile games that look good. But with Frontline Commando 2, the term is fully justified. At its heart, the game is a basic shooter where you don the garb of a commando and need to pick out the bad guys. But it is the presentation that matters here. There is almost 3D-like effect, such is the depth and detail of the graphics. The environs are destructible too, so you cannot hide behind a wall forever as enemy fire will destroy it. Sound is excellent too. Where the game comes a bit of a cropper is in terms of controls – you can swipe to move the camera around but firing and moving from one covering area to another requires using onscreen buttons. Then there is the linearity of the game – for the most part you will be running from one point to another and shooting at the enemy, although you will get friends to help you in the latter stages. There are also the constant hints to make in-app purchases but even played in totally free mode, there is a lot of fun to be had here. Just make sure you have a powerful enough device! n
Name: Frontline Commando 2 Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5
RATING
TwoDots Another dotty winner!
A
fter Dots had created a sensation last year with its simple combine the dots formula, along comes its sequel, TwoDots. The game is still about combining dots of the same colour on a grid. What is, however, different is the fact that now the grids have more variety in terms of design, and more importantly, there are now clear targets to be achieved. Unlike in the earlier Dots where the aim was to simply keep combining dots until a certain time had elapsed or combine the most dots within a number of moves, TwoDots comes with objectives. So you might need to remove thirty red coloured and twenty yellow coloured dots from the grid (combining dots of the same colour removes them) within a maximum of twenty moves. The gameplay remains the same - you can combine dots of the same colour as long as they are next to each other and diagonal connections are not allowed - and the graphics and the sound are as brilliant as in the original. All these combine to deliver a game that is simple and yet incredibly addictive. And it’s free as well. n nimish@mymobile.co.in Name: TwoDots Price: Free Tested on: iPhone 5s
RATING
july 2014 MYMOBILE 71
etcetera NudeAudio Move M
Small form, great price, great sound
W
e have been seeing a lot of innovation in the mobile speaker space of late, with a number of new form factors coming into the market as users increasingly depend on these accessories to listen to music on the move. And NudeAudio’s Move M Bluetooth speaker is certainly one of the most promising devices we have seen in the segment. Square shaped and able to fit into the palms of most hands, it has a funky look to it, courtesy a bright-coloured carrying cord that lets you dangle the speaker from any point and looks very cool tool. What, however, is really impressive about the Move M is its performance – one paired with a phone or tablet, it delivers volume that is good enough to fill a small room, and the sound quality is very good too. We have not heard such bass on a small speaker for a while now. Battery life is excellent as well – a single charge saw us get through about seven to eight hours. Round that off with a microphone that lets you use it as a speakerphone and a sleeve for carrying it around, and we can confidently assert that the Move M is very good value for money. It delivers the best sound we have seen in a speaker of this size and at this price point. n Price : Rs 3,499
Transcend JetFlash 510G Thumb drive as big
as thumbnail
T
he new Transcend JetFlash 510G drive is a compact little drive of the size of a thumbnail. It is good looking, has a simple design and a solid metallic exterior which makes it resilient to dust, shock and water spills. The 24k gold plated finish gives it a stylish appearance and because of its small size it will not stick out as much while in use with a laptop or PC, unlike most pen drives which stick out very prominently and often get damaged. It is true that anything this small is likely to be misplaced, and Transcend has tried to address this by furnishing it with a hook that can be tied to a string or a key chain. It works on the simple plug and play model, is easily detachable, needs no driver and is available for use from the moment it is plugged in. At just Rs 1,890 this 32GB drive offers ample amount of storage to users looking for a really compact pen drive. n Price : Rs 1,890
72 MYMOBILE july 2014
www.mymobile.co.in
Canon PowerShot SX700HS A pro-
sumer in the garb of a point and shoot camera
T
he new Canon PowerShot combines the class of a prosumer type camera with a compact point and shoot camera’s look and feel. It has a 16.0-megapixel sensor, 3-inch LCD screen, HDMI support and runs on Canon’s latest Digic 6 processor. It also comes with a bevy of shooting modes, a very impressive 30X optical zoom, and is packed with WiFi and NFC, making it more of a smart device than just a camera. Its overall build quality, appearance, arrangement of of buttons and level of comfort is brilliant, in best Canon tradition. The slight bulge on the right hand side is because of a rubber grip that came in handy for long distance snaps. We however expected better battery backup – a 1100mAh battery is just not enough. The image quality is impressive, processing is fast and full HD video recording is top of the line. An impressive prosumer in garb of a point and shoot camera, in our opinion. n Price : Rs 22,995
ATH-CKX9iS Sonic Fuel Fuelling the music experience
H
eadphones can make or break your music listening experience. And the ATH-CKX9iS Sonic Fuel from Audio Technica will definitely add a filip to your audio experience. These in-ear headphones are designed to deliver good sound quality and comfort. They consist of a C-tip configuration, which nestles within the ear where it locks into place for extra stability. You can also customize your comfort with a multitude of C-tip and silicone ear tip sizes or use the included Comply foam ear tips for true sonic immersion. The headphones have a flat cable which keeps it tangle free, and also come with a durable carrying case which keeps them safe and is also easy to carry. The headphones come with in- line control with a microphone for answering/ending calls, controlling music and video playback, and also controlling volume (on compatible smartphones & other portable devices). It is a bit expensive, but users will also be getting Comply foam tips, silicone ear tips (XS/S/M/L), C-tips (S/M/L), and tangle-free flat cable along with the sales pack. n Price : Rs 5299
july 2014 MYMOBILE 73
etcetera Nikon CoolPix AW 120 The all weather camera
A
camera that is water and dust proof ? Well, Nikon’s rugged CoolPix AW 120 is just that. On the surface, this is a point and shooter that packs in some very decent muscle. Consider this: a 16.0-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 5X optical zoom, a 3.0-inch AMOLED display, and support for recording full HD video along with stereo sound. Right? And now ally that hardware muscle with some REAL design muscle – the AW120 can take a drop from 6.6 feet, will work just fine at temperatures of minus ten degrees Celsius, and can function in depths of upto 59 feet of water. Throw in Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity and this emerges as perhaps the ultimate camera for those who love to travel rough. All this in a frame that is compact enough to fit into a bag or in an overcoat pocket. Image quality is pretty good too. Yes, it does take some time to get used to the button placements and we would have liked more zoom, but all in all, this is pretty much THE camera for those who love to travel, and do not want to be burdened by a DSLR. n Price : Rs 17, 950
Plantronics Voyager Edge
Headset par excellence
P
lantronics has been carving a niche for itself with its Voyager series of Bluetooth headsets and with the Edge, it has just set what we think is pretty much a new benchmark. The Edge is very sleekly designed and lightweight and will fit in snugly into most ears. We wore it for about a week and most of the time we did not even notice its weight. What was particularly impressive was its sound quality. The Edge comes with three microphones and improved noise cancelling, and it actually shows. We found call quality to be excellent. There are some neat touches too. If your phone rings, you can transfer the call to your headset by simply placing the headset on your ear. You can also take a call by simply saying ‘Answer.’ Battery life is decent at six hours but is further enhanced by another ten hours thanks to a portable charging case that comes with the headset. Yes, we know that there are relatively inexpensive options also available, but the portable battery charger, the sleek design and the sheer design of the Voyager Edge gives it well, the edge over the competition in our opinions. n Price : Rs 7,490
74 MYMOBILE july 2014
www.mymobile.co.in
Google Chromecast A
superb, compact media streamer
A
ll right, we know that Google’s Chromecast dongle is not officially available in India, but you can still order it online. Our review unit came from ShopYourWorld.com, which has been selling the Chromecast to Indian users for a while now. Of course, there will be some who will wonder if they actually need a device like this, when there are smartboxes around. Well, if you are Android user, then we think you will love the sheer portability and ease of use that Chromecast provides. It might look like a simple USB drive but it actually plugs into the HDMI port of your television. Plug it in, connect to the Wi-Fi network and you will be able to stream video from your Android devices and the iPhone on to the larger screen. You can also browse the Web and watch YouTube channels. It needs your phone or tablet to act as a remote and it also needs a power source, which can sometimes be irritating. But yes, if you want a simple media streaming device that is easy to carry anywhere and works brilliantly, this has got to be one of the most elegant solutions that we have seen. n Price : Rs 2,999
GO PUCK 3X Power Shot
Smart power for your smart devices
O
ur phones handle so many tasks and come with so many features that they have become a more integral part of our lives than ever before. However, one area where they continuously come up short is in the battery department, where more powerful displays and processors are taking their toll. This in turn has spurred the portable charger market. And one of the newest entrants to this in India is the Go Puck 3X Power Shot. The 3X Power Shot is one of the better power banks we have used. It comes with a 4,400 mAh battery and dual USB output, standard and rapid charging at up to two amperes. This pocket sized, square shaped charger comes with a rugged design and is shock and vibration resistant. It also includes multiples connectors which can be used to charge various devices. Most importantly, the 3X Power Shot comes with a rapid port, which charges smartphones really fast. Some might consider it expensive, but we think that its rugged design, excellent performance and multiple connectors make it good value for money. n Price : Rs 3,500
july 2014 MYMOBILE 75
etcetera Mitashi Game In Thunderbolt 2
Android gamers console at an affordable price
M
itashi has been betting on Android consoles and its latest device in this category is the Thunderbolt 2, which is modeled more like Sony PS Vita. The device has a flat bar shape, with joystick, D-pad and navigation buttons on either side of a 5.0-inch touchscreen display. The joystick is too small and flimsy and the right side D-pad does not have any markings on it, which does confuse matters a bit. Mitashi has tried to create a console-like experience on Android but while it handled most games well, not all worked perfectly with the buttons. Some of the games are best played through the touch screen. Sound quality is good and this being an Android device, you can also access the Web on it using Wi-Fi, and also expand storage from the onboard 8 GB to 32 GB. The battery back-up is decent, build quality is solid even though some would find it too plasticky. It comes with mini HDMI port with which you can connect it with a bigger screen and play on a TV. Mitashi claims that the console is targeted at children. However, at that price it is a bit of an expensive proposition. n Price : Rs 7,999
Amkette Evo TV MC Adding brains to your TV
A
mkette has been one of the driving forces behind the concept of smartboxes in the country. And the new edition of their Evo TV series of devices allows you to add far more to your television than in the past. Compact enough to fit into an overcoat pocket, the Evo TV MC is classic plug and play and can be connected to a television using an HDMI cable. That done, you are ready to experience the joy of Android on your television, as the device runs Android and is powered by a 1 GHz processor backed up by 1 GB RAM. You can browse the Web, watch YouTube, use Torrents (there is a preloaded app), play games and do just about everything that you can on an Android device, with a far simpler and more colourful interface than in past editions. The remote supports motion sensing gaming and also has a microphone enabling you to make video calls and also use voice commands. There is no shortage of connectivity option (four USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet), so you can plug your hard drive to this device as well. Making a television smarter was never this easy. n Price : Rs 5,500 team@mymobile.co.in
76 MYMOBILE july 2014
mobile doctor as well. If budget is not an issue, I would advise you to check the Samsung Galaxy S5,, the HTC One (M8) and the successor to the Xperia Z1, the Xperia Z2 as well.
I want to buy a phone within the price range of Rs 15,000 to 20,000. I want the smartphone should have a good camera and build quality. Along with this it should also able to perform all the tasks well and should not lag. I has shortlisted the Micromax Canvas Turbo. Please suggest if you have some better options. –Shreyansh Shahu Dear Shreyansh, The Canvas Turbo is a very good option in the price range you have mentioned. We would also like you to try out the Alcatel Idol X+ which is powered by an octa core processor, has a 13.0-megapixel camera and comes with a Smartband as well. It is priced at Rs 16,990 and has a very good design and build as well. I am presently using a Sony Xperia handset and am planning to buy a new Sony Xperia Z1. I have also shortlisted few other devices like HTC One Dual Sim, BlackBerry Z10, Apple iPhone 5S, Lenovo Vibe X and Nokia Lumia 925. Please suggest which is the best option amongst all of them or I should stick to the Sony Xperia Z1. –Dev Lin Dear Dev, It all depends on what you need. If you are looking for apps, a very good camera and flauntable design, then I guess the iPhone 5s is your best option. However, if you are looking for a large screen device and like Android, then you can stay with the Xperia Z1, as its hardware is still very good indeed and the device is likely to get an update to Android KitKat shortly
I want to purchase an Android smartphone and I have a budget of Rs 15,000. The phone should have a good camera and music quality. It should also have a powerful processor and 1GB of RAM along with 8GB of internal storage. Moreover, it should also have a good battery backup. Please recommend some good devices as per my requirements. –Sandeep Kumar
Dear Sandeep, We would advise you to go for the Alcatel Idol X+ which offers a full HD display, a 2.0 GHz octa core processor and a 13 megapixel camera for a price that is just above your budget (Rs 16, 990). However, if your budget lines are tightly drawn then we would suggest you try the Lenovo S660 which comes with a quad core processor and excellent battery life. If you are okay with a slightly smaller display, you could also try the Moto G, which comes with a 720p display and a very good quad core processor. I am planning to buy a smartphone within the price range of
Rs 10,000 to 18,000. I am confused between brands Sony, Nokia, Samsung, Lenovo and HTC. The device should have 1GB of RAM and a Snapdragon processor. It should have a good camera and should be able to produce good quality images. I want to use it for my office purpose and I also use apps like WhatsApp and Instragram. Please suggest me some good smartphones according to my budget. –Shweta Tyagi Dear Shweta, In the price points that you have mentioned, the only device that meets your requirements is the Moto G, which has a Snapdragon processor and 1 GB RAM. We would, however, also ask you to consider the Noikia Lumia 630, which comes with a Snapdragon processor but has only 512 MB RAM. However, what needs to be remembered is that the Lumia 630 runs on Windows Phone 8.1, which works just as well on 512 MB RAM. If you are prepared to relax your RAM requirement, then this would be the phone I would recommend to you.
able to handle pretty much any game that you throw on it and also handle Web browsing very easily. It is currently retailing for slightly more than Rs 30,000, but I think that the extra money is well worth what you are getting. If the Rs 30,000 budget cannot be changed, then I would recommend the LG Google Nexus 5, which is retailing for Rs 28,990, and also comes with a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor but has a slightly inferior camera to that of the Vibe Z.
I want to buy a smartphone and have a budget of Rs 30,000. I will mainly use the device for gaming and internet browsing. The phone should have a 5-inch display and should also provide good battery backup. I also don’t want to buy a Samsung. So, please suggest something other than that. –Manas Kalita Dear Manas, I would recommend that you try out the Lenovo Vibe Z. It meets your requirements and has a full HD display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core processor, so it should be
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.
I want to purchase a smartphone for about Rs 10,000. It should be able to deliver good battery backup. It should also have an excellent display and should be able to play and record HD videos. I have shortlisted the Micromax Canvas 2.2, Sony Xperia M, Acer liquid E1, Micromax A200 and Samsung Galaxy S duos 2. Which would be the best one? I also need brand reliability along with good looks. If you have some other good options then please suggest. -Suman Kumar Dear Suman, Of the phones that you have shortlisted the Sony Xperia M is perhaps the best of the lot. However, I would also ask you to consider the Nokia Lumia 630, which is priced slightly above your budget at Rs 10,499, but outperforms all the other devices in the list quite comfortably and is also very good-looking and comes in a number of colours.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Arshdeep Singh are his own and do not necessarily coincide with those of My Mobile.
july 2014 MYMOBILE 77
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
78 MYMOBILE july 2014
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
july 2014 MYMOBILE 79
MY GUIDE
While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our control. Please check with the retailer about features of the phone before buying. The ratings that have been included are from the burn tests of the phones that we have reviewed. Feel free to update us.
(Last updated on June 10, 2014)
Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as:
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.
Nokia Sub-entry level (up to Rs 2,499) Entry-level (Rs 2,500 - Rs 5,999) Mid-level
(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)
High-level
(Rs 12,000 upwards)
CDMA Tablet Lifestyle
NR stands for not reviewed M.O.P. stands for Market Operating Price
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 81
myguide NOKIA
NOKIA
MODELS
NOKIA
NOKIA
PARAMETERS 105
106
107
108
114
220 Dual SIM
112
Dimension (mm)
107 x 44.8 x 14.3
112.9 x 47.5 x 14.9
112.9 x 47.5 x 14.9
110.4 x 47 x 13.5
110 x 46 x 14.8
116.4 x 50.3 x 13.2
110.4 x 46.9 x 15.4
Weight (grams)
70
74.2
75.8
69.9
80
83.4
86
Model
12/840
9.9/840
12.7/576
13.8/600
10.5/637
24/576
14/840
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
65,536/1.45
65,536/1.8
65,536/1.8
65,536/1.8
65,536/1.8
262,144/2.4
56KB/1.8
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8MB/No
384KB/No
4MB/16GB
4MB/32GB
16MB/32GB
-/32GB
16MB/32GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
No/No
No/No
No/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Camera/Flash/Video
No/No/No
No/No/No
No/No/No
VGA/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
500
500
500
500
1000
500
1,000
Frequency/Dual SIM
Dual Band/No
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
No/No/No
No/No/No
No/No/No
No/No/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Operating System
Series 30
Series 30
Series 30
Series 30
Series 40
Nokia OS
Series 40
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY
No/Yes
No/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
1,200
1,400
1,550
1,900
2,500
2,600
2,850
Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
NOKIA
NOKIA
MODELS
NOKIA
NOKIA
PARAMETERS Asha 230 Dual SIM
206
Asha 500 Dual SIM
Asha 210
Asha 501
208
301
Dimension (mm)
99.5 x 58.6 x 13.2
116 x 49 x 12.4
10.3 x 58.1 x 12.8
111.5 x 60 x 11.8
99.2 x 58 x 12.1
114.2 x 50.9 x 12.8
114 x 50 x 12.5
Weight (grams)
89.3
91
101.8
97.3
91
90.6
102
12/504
20/680
14/528
12/1104
17/624
12/480
20/504
Model
Talktime/Standby (hours) Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/2.8
65,536/2.4
262,144/2.8
65,536/2.4
262,144/3.0
262,144/2.4
262,144/2.4
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
64MB/32GB
64MB/32GB
64MB/32GB
64MB/32GB
64MB/32GB
256MB/32GB
64MB/32GB
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Camera/Flash/Video
1.3MP/No/No
1.3MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
3.15MP/No/Yes
1.3MP/No/Yes
3.15MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
1,000
Shared
1,000
2,000
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 Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Asha software 1.1
Series 40
Asha software 1.1
Series 40
Asha software 1.3
Series 40
Series 40
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
NR
82
NR
NR
NR
NR
82
3,300
3,650
4,000
4,700
4,600
5,000
5,000
82 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide NOKIA
NOKIA
MODELS
NOKIA
NOKIA
PARAMETERS Model
502
Asha 503 Dual SIM
X
Lumia 520
515 Dual SIM
Lumia 525
Dimension (mm)
99.6 x 59.5 x 11.1
102.6 x 60.6 x 12.7
115.5 x 63 x 10.4
119.9 x 64 x 9.9
115.5 x 63 x 10.4
114 x 48 x 11
119.9 x 64 x 9.9
Weight (grams)
100
111.4
128.7
124
128.7
102
124
Talktime/Standby (hours)
X+
NEW
13.7/576
12/480
13.3/408
14/360
13.3/408
10.4/432
17/336
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/3.0
262,144/3.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
262,144/2.4
16million/4.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
64MB/32GB
NA/32GB
4GB/32GB
8GB/64GB
4GB/32GB
256MB/32GB
8GB/64GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
3.15MP/No/Tes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
1,000
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY
Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Asha software 1.5
Asha Software
Nokia X software platform
Windows Phone 8
Nokia X software platform
Series 40
Windows Phone 8
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
86
NR
NR
88
5,200
6,300
7,300
8,900
8,200
9,000
10,100
Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
NOKIA
NOKIA
MODELS
NOKIA
NOKIA
PARAMETERS Model
XL
NEW
Lumia 630
Lumia 625
Lumia 1320
Lumia 925
Lumia 1020
Lumia 1520
Dimension (mm)
141.4 x 77.7 x 10.9
129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2
133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2
164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8
129 x 70.6 x 8.5
130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4
162.8 x 85.4 8.7
Weight (grams)
190
134
159
220
139
158
209
16/720
16.4/648
23.9/768
25/672
18.3/432
19.1/384
27.4/768
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.0
16million/4.5
16.7million/4.7
16million/6.0
16.7million/4.5
16.7million/4.5
16million/6.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
8GB/128GB
8GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
16GB/No
Yes/Yes
16GB/64GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
32GB/No
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.7MP/Yes/Yes
41.0MP/Yes/Yes
20.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
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/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Nokia X software platform
Windows Phone 8.1
Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Yes
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
82
82
11,000
11,500
15,200
20,000
27,050
43,000
40,000
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 83
myguide UP TO Rs 2,499)
UP TO R s 2,499)
MODELS
SUB-ENTRY LEVEL (UP TO R s 2,499)
PARAMETERS Model
CUBIT
BSNL-CHAMPION
MAXX
SAMSUNG
SQ 281
S2
R3
MX153
MX555
E1207Y
E1282T
Dimension (mm)
130 x 55.5 x 11.5
112 x 45 x 16
120 X 50 X 10.5
112.5 x 45.5 x 14
122.8 x 51 x 9.8
108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5
109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5
Weight (grams)
NA
64
72
71
96.5
65.1
74.5
Talktime/Standby (hours)
NA
7/400
6/300
-/350
NA/350
8/430
12/660
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/2.8
65,536/1.8
65,536/2.4
65,536/1.8
NA/2.6
65,536/1.52
65,536/1.8
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
32MB/8GB
NA/8GB
NA/8GB
NA/NA
NA
NA/No
NA/4GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/ No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
No/No
Yes/No
Camera/Flash/Video
1.3MP/No/Yes
Yes/No/Yes
Yes/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
1.3 MP/No/Yes
No/No/No
No/No/No
Phonebook Capacity
500
1,000
1000
300
300
1,000
1,000
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Yes/No/No
No/No/No
Yes/No/No
No/No/No
Yes/No/Yes
No/No/No
Yes/No/No
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Proprietary
Proprietary
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
1,900
910
1,520
1,030
2,376
1,370
1,700
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
MODELS
ENTRY LEVEL (Rs 2,500-5,999)
ALCATEL
PARAMETERS Model
BSNL CHAMPION
CUBIT
CELKON
OT 2005D
OT 4007D PIXI
SM 3512
SM 3513
4u Topaz
A 9 Dual
A 15
Dimension (mm)
120 x 50 x 9.95
115 x 62.3 x 12.2
119.5 x 63 x 10.8
119.5 x 63 x 10.8
128 X 68 X 11
120.5 x 63.9 x 10.6
119 x 63 x 9.9
Weight (grams)
85
118
NA
NA
126
116
NA
Talktime/Standby (hours)
14/425
13/500
6/350
6/350
10/72
3/200
6/150
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,155/2.4
262,144/3.5
262,144/3.5
262,144/3.5
262,144/4.0
16million/3.5
16million/3.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
128 MB/8GB
512MB/32GB
256MB/32GB
256MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes /Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
3.0MP/No/yes
3.0MP/No/yes
3.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.2MP/No/Yes
3.2MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM
Dual Band/Yes
Dual Band/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
NA
Android OS v2.3
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android4.0
Android 4.2
Android 4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
2,750
4,933
4,300
5,300
4,500
3,399
3,499
84 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
MODELS
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
CELKON
PARAMETERS Model
LAVA
LG
A64
A 20
A 40
Discover 132
356 3G
402+
T375
Dimension (mm)
124 x 65 x 10.5
125.5 x 64.5 x 11.4
126.2 x 64 x 10.8
NA
116.9 x 62.5 x 12.6
125.50 x 64.50 x 11.40
103 x 59 x 10.7
Weight (grams)
125.6
122
126.5
NA
112
124
97
Talktime/Standby (hours)
5/150
4/200
4/200
NA
5/200
4/200
12.8/601
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
262,144/3.2
16million/3.5
16million/4.0
262,144/3.2
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
512 MB/32GB
512 MB/32GB
4GB/32GB
258KB/4GB
512MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
48MB/16GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
2.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.2 MP/Yes/Yes
5MP/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
1.3MP/Yes/Yes
3.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
500
Shared
Shared
1,000
Frequency/Dual SIM
Dual Band/Yes
Dual band/Yes
Dual band/Yes
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
Operating System
Android 4.2
Android 4.2
Android 4.2
NA
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Proprietary
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 Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
3,999
4,599
5,999
3,299
3,900
5,500
4,100
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
MODELS
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
LG
PARAMETERS Model
MAXX
SAMSUNG
T585
Optimus L3 II Single
Optimus L3II Dual
MT401
AX353
Metro 2252
Champ Neo Duos C3262
Dimension (mm)
103.09 x 59.9 x 10.8
102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9
102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9
125.5 X 67 X 12.5
118.80 x 63 x 11.90
113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9
96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5
Weight (grams)
103
125
110
140
67
79
82
Talktime/Standby (hours)
9/560
8/480
16/730
NA/300
4/NA
11.9/760
14/550
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/3.2
262,144/3.2
262,144/3.2
NA/4.0
262,144/3.5
65,536/1.8
262,144/2.4
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
50MB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
NA
512MB/32GB
NA/32GB
20MB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
No/Yes
Yes/No
Camera/Flash/Video
2.0MP/No/Yes
3.0MP/No/Yes
3.15MP/No/Yes
3.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/Yes/VGA
VGA/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
NA
Shared
Shared
1,000
Shared
NA
NA
Frequency/Dual SIM
Dual SIM/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/No/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/No/No
Yes/No/No
NA
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
NA
Android OS v2.3
NA
Proprietary
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
78
NR
NR
NR
NR
4,200
5,700
5,900
2,838
2,970
2,650
2,900
GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 85
myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
MODELS
(Rs 2,500-5,999)
PARAMETERS Model
SAMSUNG
SPICE
ZTE
Galaxy Star Pro
Mi 356
Mi 426
Mi 353
3G MI 438
Mi 435
KIS Flex (V793)
Dimension (mm)
121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6
119.9 x 63 x 11.5
119.9 x 58 x 10.8
124.1 x 63.7 x 13.6
145 x 79 x 9.5
NA
116.3 x 63 x 11.5
Weight (grams)
121
112
122
135
155
NA
117
Talktime/Standby (hours)
15/370
7.5/120
6/250
3.5/150
4/170
NA/NA
8/340
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.0
16million/3.5
16million/4.0
262,144/3.5
16million/4.0
16million/4.4
16m / 3.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
NA/32GB
NA/32GB
NA/16GB
NA/32GB
4GB/32GB
512MB /32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
2MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Share
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Android OS v4.1
Android OS, v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v2.3
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v2.3
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Yes
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
5,700
3,300
4,000
4,450
4,900
5,800
4,300
MID LEVEL
(Rs 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(Rs 6000-11,999)
PARAMETERS
ZTE
ALCATEL
BLACKBERRY
CUBIT
Model
Blade C (V807)
OT 8000D
OT 6012D IDOL MINI
Curve 9220
Topaz 3G +
Glam-1
Lush-1
Dimension (mm)
124 x 64 x 11.9
143 x 78.4 X 9.8
127.1 x 62 x 7.9
109 x 60 x 12.7
126 X 64 X 11
144 X 73 X 10
138 X 69 X 9
Weight (grams)
130
163
96
102
144
164
140
Talktime/Standby (hours)
6.6/220
16/15
9/540
7/432
9/350
Aug-72
Oct-72
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4
262,144/NA
16million/4.3
65,536/2.44
16million / 4.0
16million / 5.0
16million/4.7
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
2GB/32GB
4GB/32 GB
8GB/None
512MB/32GB
4GB / 32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
3MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
3.2MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Operating System
Android 4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
BlackBerry OS 7.1
Android 4.2
Android 4.2
Android 4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
80
NR
NR
NR
4,999
9,999
10,900
8,700
6,290
8,450
9,700
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
86 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)
(Rs 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(Rs 6000-11,999)
PARAMETERS Model
GIONEE
HTC
IDEA
KARBONN
P3
Desire 210
Desire XDS
Desire 310
Aurus III
Aurus IV
A25
Dimension (mm)
129.3 x 68 x 11.1
125.7 x 65 x 10.5
118.5 X 62.3 X 9.3
132.4 x 68 x 11.3
NA
NA
146 x 78.6 x 10.5
Weight (grams)
NA
130
114
140
NA
NA
150
Talktime/Standby (hours)
NA
NA/NA
NA/NA
11/852
7/350
7.5/400
6/300
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.3
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.5
16million/4.0
16million/4.5
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
114MB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA+
Yes/Yes/No
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS, v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.0
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
7,499
8,100
10,900
11,000
7,790
8,999
6,780
(Rs 6000-11,999)
(Rs 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(R s 6000-11,999)
KARBONN
PARAMETERS Model
LAVA
LENOVO
LG
A30
A27 +
S5+ Titanium
Iris 455
Irish 506Q
A516
Optimus L4 II Dual E445
Dimension (mm)
166 x 91 x 10.7
133.6x66x9.1
NA
137.1 x 68.5 x 9.92
143 x 73 x 8.9
132 x 66.7 x 9.9
112.8 x 64.7 x 11.9
Weight (grams)
280
126.5
NA
120
NA
148
125
Talktime/Standby (hours)
10/600
4/180
NA/NA
8/NA
5.3/230
23/696
NA/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/5.9
NA/4.2
16million/5.0
16million/4.5
16million/5.0
16million/4.5
16million/3.8
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
1.4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Trai Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Operating System
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
8,000
8,800
11,000
7,200
8,800
9,500
7,100
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 87
myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)
(R s 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(R s 6000-11,999)
LG
PARAMETERS
MAXX
MICROMAX AX 504
AX 506
A93
Optimus L5 II E450
Optimus L5 II Dual
AX8 Race
AX505
Dimension (mm)
117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2
117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2
147 x 79.4 x 10.2
141.5 x 73.7 x 9.3
145 x 74 x 9.1
145.2 x 80 x 10.2
NA
Weight (grams)
103
103
198
161
162
164
NA
Model
10/642
10/642
5/NA
5/NA
5/NA
5/NA
7/256
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
262,144/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
512MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
YesYes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/Yes/Yes
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Operating System
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v2.3
Android OS v2.3
Android OS v4.2
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
8,800
9,000
6,250
6,500
7,777
7,777
8,500
(Rs 6000-11,999)
(R s 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(R s 6000-11,999)
PARAMETERS
MICROMAX
SONY
SAMSUNG
SPICE
Model
A96
Galaxy Trend
Galaxy S duos 2
E1
E1 Dual
Stellar Virtuoso Mi 496
Dimension (mm)
NA
121.50 x 63.10 x 10.85
121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6
118 x 62.4 x 12
118 x 62.4 x 12
NA
145 x 72.9 x 9.6
Weight (grams)
NA
118
120
120
NA
177
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Mi 506
5.5/450
8/-
8/280
8.2/498
8.2/498
NA
7.5/200
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16.7million/5.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/4.5
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
NA/64GB
4GB/64GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
NA/32GB
NA/32GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/No
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
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.
Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.3
Android OS v4.3
Android v4.0
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Bar
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
9,500
7,300
9,500
7,500
8,200
6,500
6,750
88 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)
(Rs 6000-11,999)
MODELS
(Rs 6000-11,999)
SPICE
PARAMETERS
XOLO Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530
Coolpad MI-515
Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495
A600
Q1000 Opus
Q900
Q800
Dimension (mm)
140 x 73 x 9.9
NA
152 x 79 x 10.3
136 x 67 x 9
143.3 x 72.9 x 9
137 x 70 x 9.9
135.5 x 67 x 9.6
Weight (grams)
161
NA
196.3
NA
NA
138
143.5
Model
Talktime/Standby (hours)
NA
NA
4.1/696
22/650
18/700
13/384
16/360
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.0
16million/4.5
16million/5.3
16million/4.5
16million/5.0
16million/4.7
16million/4.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
NA/32GB
16GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
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 OS v4.1
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.0
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDP+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
7,800
10,499
13,999
7,000
9,000
10,000
10,000
(R s 6000-11,999)
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
HIGH LEVEL
PARAMETERS Model
XOLO
ZTE
ALCATEL
Q1000
G2 (V880)
Blade L (V887)
OT 6030
OT 6033X
Iphone 5C
Dimension (mm)
143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8
133 × 66 × 9.9
148 x 78 x 10.5
133 x 67.5 x 7.9
140.4 x 69.1 x 7.9
134.4 x 68.5 x 6.4
124.4 x 59.2 8.97
Weight (grams)
NA
145
200
110
130
110
132
14/350
12/300
8/320
7.2/415
12/240
16/700
10/250
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16.7million/5.0
16million/4.5
16million/5
16million/NA
16million/5.0
16million/NA
16million/4.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
2.5GB/32GB
2.5GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
16GB/No
16GB/No
16,32/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5MP/Yes/Yes
5MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.1/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Dual Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Idol X+
APPLE
NEW
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HPSA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
iOS7
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
NR
NR
11,500
9,500
9,900
13,500
16,999
17,900
41,900/53,500
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 89
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
PARAMETERS
APPLE
ATOM
BLACKBERRY
Iphone 5S
Supremus
Ultimus
Maximus
Curve 9320
9720
Curve 9360
Dimension (mm)
123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6
157 X 78 X 9.2
157 X 78 X 9.2
167 X 88 X 9.2
109 x 60 x 12.7
114 x 66 x 12
112 x 62 x 14.2
Weight (grams)
112
125
125
225
103
120
130
Model
10/250
18/460
18/460
18/460
7/432
7/432
5/336
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.0
16.7million/5.0
16.7million/5.0
16.7/6.5
65,536/2.44
262,144/2.8
262,144/2.44
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16,32,64/No
16GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
512MB/32GB
512MB/32GB
256MB/32GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Quad Band/No
Quad Band
Dual Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
iOS7
Android OS v4.2
Android v4.2
Android v4.2
BlackBerry OS 7.1
BlackBerry OS 7.1
BlackBerry OS 7.0
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/No/Yes
NR
NR
NR
NR
80
NR
NR
53,500/62,500/73,500
16,999
18,999
23,400
12,000
15,000
16,500
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Model
BSNL-CHAMPION
BLACKBERRY
PARAMETERS
CELKON
Q5
Z10
Z30
Q10
SM 6513
Trendy 531
S1
Dimension (mm)
120 x 66 x 10.8
130 x 65.6 x 9
140.7 x 72 x 9.4
119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4
182.5 x 99 x 8.5
151.10 x 80.5 x 9.8
17.8 x 9.8 x 6.5
Weight (grams)
120
136
170
139
NA
NA
135
12/336
10/312
25/384
10/NA
Apr-62
6/200
8/200
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/3.1
16million/4.2
16million/5-0
16million/3.1
16million/6.5
16million/5.3
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8GB/32GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes /Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Dual Band/GSM
Dual Band/GSM+GSM
Dual Band/Yes
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/HSPA
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSPA
BlackBerry OS 10
BlackBerry OS 10
BlackBerry OS 10.2
BlackBerry OS 10
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android 4.2
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
84
NR
82
NR
NR
NR
19,000
17,990
30,000
31,250
6,500
13,500
14,499
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
90 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
GIONEE
PARAMETERS Model
CTRL V5
Elife E3
Dream D1
Elife E5
Elife E6
Elife S5.5
Elife E7
Dimension (mm)
134.5 x 67.7 x 8.1
137 X 68 X 7.9
130 X 67 X 8.6
137 X 69 X 6.85
142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9
145.1 x 70.2 x 5.6
150.6 x 75 x 9.5
Weight (grams)
103.5
NA
NA
133.9
120
NA
150
Talktime/Standby (hours)
14.5/324
14/312
14/312
NA
NA/NA
NA
NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.7
16Millon/4.7
16Millon/4.65
16millon/4.8
16.7million/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
16GB/NA
32GB/No
16GB/No
16GB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
16MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Quad Band/NA
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Frequency/Dual SIM
Yes/Yes/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Operating System
Android OS, v4.2
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 OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
82
82
NR
NR
12,999
14,999
16,999
18,999
22,999
22,500
26,490
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
HTC
PARAMETERS Model
Desire 500
Desire 601
Desire 600
Desire 700
Dimension (mm)
131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9
134.5 x 66.7 x 9.88
134.8 x 67 x 9.26
145.5 x 72 x 10.3
Weight (grams)
123
130
130
150
12.1/435
12.8/440
11.4/539
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.3
16million/4.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Desire 816
One Mini
Butterfly
156.6 x 78.7 x 8
132 x 63.2 x 9.25
143 x 70.5 x 9.08
165
122
140
8/338
21/737
13.27/692
NA/NA
16million/4.5
16million/5.0
16million/5.5
16million/4.3
16million/5.0
8GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
8GB/128GB
16GB/No
16GB/32GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
4.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
NEW
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,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/HSPA+
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
82
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
78
82
NR
84
Bar/Yes/No
NR
82
18,000
22,000
24,000
22,000
23,000
28,000
34,000
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 91
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
HTC
PARAMETERS
IDEA
KARNONN
Butterfly S
One DS
One Max
Whiz
Ultra
S7 Titanium
Dimension (mm)
144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6
137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4
146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4
164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29
NA
NA
143.5 x 72 x 9.3
Weight (grams)
160
143
160
217
NA
NA
NA
Model
One M8
NEW
25/659
27/500
14/271
25/585
8.5/NA
16/700
4/200
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.0
16.7million/4.7
16million/5.0
16million/5.9
262,144/4.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/32GB
32GB/No
16GB/128GB
16GB/64GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
4.0MP/Yes/Yes
4.0MP/Yes/Yes
4MP/Yes/Yes
4.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/No/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.3
Android v4.0
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
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.
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
46,000
41,300
49,990
52,000
7,800
12,500
15,500
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
KARBONN
LAVA
S9 Titanium
Irish Pro 30
A850
Dimension (mm)
NA
138 x 66.7 x 7.5
79.3 x 9.45 x 153.5
Weight (grams)
176.5
114
184
NA
4.5/400
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/32GB
PARAMETERS Model
LENOVO S890
S920
Vibe X S960
194 x 120 x 11
143.6 x 74.2 x 9.3
154 x 77.7 x 7.9
144 x 74 x 6.9 mm
339
176
159
121
28.6/490
8/336
17/312
25/480
16/288
16.7million/4.7
16million/5.5
16million/7.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.3
16million/5.0
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
16GB/64GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/16GB
16GB/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
13MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
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.
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
A3000
NEW
Tri Band/Dual SIM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/Dual Band Tri-Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
14,400
14,900
12,000
15,000
15,000
16,000
25,000
92 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
LG
PARAMETERS Optimus L7 II
Optimus L7II Dual
L70 D310
L90 D410
G Pro Lite Dual D686
Optimus G Pro
Nexus 5 16GB/32GB
Dimension (mm)
121.5 x 66.6 x 9.7
122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7
127.2 x 66.8 x 9.5
131.6 x 66 x 9.7
150.2 x 76.9 x 9.48
150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4
137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6
Weight (grams)
118
115.5
126.6
NA
161
170
130
Model
12/800
12/800
4.6/490
NA
14.5/845
31/598
17/300
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.3
16 million/4.3
16million/4.5
16million/4.7
16million/5.5
16million/5.5
16million/4.95
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/No
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
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.
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Qual Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.4
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
82
84
12,000
12,200
12,700
15,400
17,400
29,500
29,990/34,000
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
LG
PARAMETERS Model
MICROMAX
G2 16GB/32GB
G Pro 2
G Flex
Canvas 2.2
Turbo mini
A117
Canvas Doodle 2
Dimension (mm)
138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9
157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3
160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9
147 x 76.5 x 9.7
NA
144 x 74 x 9
147x77x9.9
Weight (grams)
143
172
177
147
Na
NA
NA
NA/NA
8/270
15/720
7/290
6.5/180
7/180
6/220
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.2
16million/5.9
16million/6.0
16 million/5.0
16million/4.7
16million/5.0
16million/5.3
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/No
16GB/64GB
32GB/No
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
12MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Sahred
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM
Talktime/Standby (hours)
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Operating System
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
84
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
34,000/37,000
49,990
60,000
10,800
12,100
13,000
14,000
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 93
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MICROMAX
PARAMETERS Model
SAMSUNG
Canvas 4
Turbo
Canvas Knight
Galaxy Quattro
Galaxy Grand Neo
Galaxy Grand
Galaxy S4 mini
Dimension (mm)
NA
128.3 x 71 x 8.6
144 x 70 x 7.3
133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65
143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6
143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6
124.60 x 61.30 x 8.94
Weight (grams)
NA
-
NA
143.9
163
161
108
Talktime/Standby (hours)
NA
7/105
7.5/175
11/210
11/430
10.1/440
12/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/5.0
16million/4.7
16million/5.01
16million/5.0
16million/4.3
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/32GB
16GB/No
32GB/No
8GB/32GB
8GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
16MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity
Shared
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
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
84
NR
14,900
16,400
19,999
14,700
15,800
16,500
18,000
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
PARAMETERS Model
SAMSUNG Galaxy Grand 2
Galaxy SIII
Galaxy Mega 5.8
Galaxy SIII Neo
Galaxy Note II N7100
Galaxy Mega 6.3
Galaxy Golden
Dimension (mm)
146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6
162.6 x 82.4 x 8.9
136.6 x 70.75 x 8.6
151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4
167.6 x 88 x 8
118 x 59.5 x 15.8
Weight (grams)
163
133
184
132
183
199
179
Talktime/Standby (hours)
17/370
22.5/830
NA/NA
14/NA
35/980
17/420
NA/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.25
16million/4.8
16million/5.8
16million/4.8
16million/5.5
16million/6.3
16million/3.7
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
NA/64GB
16GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Sahred
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/NA
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Operating System
Android OS v4.3
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.3
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 OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Clamshell/Yes/No
84
82
76
NR
84
NR
NR
21,500
22,500
24,500
24,000
29,500
27,000
29,999
94 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
SAMSUNG
PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)
SONY
Galaxy S4
Galaxy Note 3 Neo
Galaxy Note 3
Galaxy S5
Xperia M
Xperia M Dual
Xperia C
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9
148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6
151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3
142 x 72.5 x 8.1
124 x 62 x 9.3
124 x 62 x 9.3
141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88
130
162.5
168
145
115
115
153
17/370
18/540
20/490
21/390
10.16/498
10.16/498
14.1/588
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.0
16million/5.5
16million/5.7
16million/5.1
16million/4.0
16million/4.0
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
32GB/64GB
16GB/128GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
16MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Shared
Shared
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.3
Android OS v4.3
Android OS, v4.4
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
12,600
17,500
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
86
NR
82
NR
NR
31,000
36,000
44,000
50,000
11,500
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
SONY
PARAMETERS Model
Xperia SP
Xperia M2
Xperia ZR
Xperia T2 Ultra
Xperia Z
Xperia Z 1 Compact
Xperia Z 1
Dimension (mm)
130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98
139.7 x 71.1 x 8.6
131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5
165.2 x 83.8 x 7.7
139 x 71 x 7.9
127 x 64.9 x 9.5
144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5
Weight (grams)
155
148
138
171.8
146
137
169
Talktime/Standby (hours)
18/734
13.5/588
11/470
16/1120
11/550
10/670
14/880
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/4.6
16million/4.8
16million/4.6
16million/6.0
16million/5.0
16million/4.3
16million/5.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.1MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.1MP/Yes/Yes
20.7MP/Yes/Yes
20.7MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v4.1
Android OS, v4.3
Android OS v4.2
Android OS, v4.3
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.3
Android OS v4.2
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
NR
84
20,000
21990
24,500
24,000
27,500
33,000
36,000
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 95
myguide CDMA PHONE
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
MODELS
Rs 12,000 UPWARDS
SONY
PARAMETERS
XOLO
CDMA
Model
Xperia Z Ultra
Xperia Z 2
X1000
Q1000s
Q3000
Samsung B229
MTS Striker C121
Dimension (mm)
179 x 92 x 6.5
146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2
NA
147 x 72.1 x 7
164.8 x 81.6 x 8.9
108 x 44.38 x 14.20
106.8×44.7×13.15
Weight (grams)
212
163
NA
158
NA
72
65.5
11/550
15/690
9.5/336
22/327
33/667
6.5/720
33/360
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/5.4
16million/5.2
16million/4.7
16million/5.0
16million/5.7
65,536/1.5
65,536/1.44
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16GB/64GB
16BG/128GB
8GB/32GB
16GB/No
16GB/32GB
450KB/No
450KB/No
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
No/No
No/No
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
20.7MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
13.0MP/Yes/Yes
No/No/No
No/No/No
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
1,000
500
Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Dual Band/No
Quad Band/GSM+GSM
CDMA/No
CDMA/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
No/No/No
No/No/No
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.4
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
BREW
BREW
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
No/No
No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
82
NR
82
NR
NR
NR
NR
38,000
49,990
13,800
14,000
18,500
1,100
1,500
CDMA PHONE
CDMA PHONE
MODELS
CDMA PHONE
CDMA
PARAMETERS Model
MTS Striker C131
MTS Striker C132
Micromax GC222
Lava ARC8c
MTS Mtag 281
MTS Duet
MTS Duet II
Dimension (mm)
108.5 × 46.7 × 12.15
115.5 × 47 × 13.5
110 x 45 x 10
NA
104 x 57 x 13.3
NA
116.36 x 61.7 x 12.7
Weight (grams)
72
68.2
80
NA
NA
NA
Talktime/Standby (hours)
16/240
17.9/360
4.5/170
May-90
10/220
NA/NA
10/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
65,536/1.77
65,536/1.77
262,144/1.8
65,536/2.2
262,144/2.8
242,144/3.5
262,14/4.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
1.29MB/No
1.29MB/No
59KB/4GB
NA/8GB
170MB/32GB
4GB/32GB
120MB/32GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
No/No
No/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
No/No/No
No/No/No
VGS/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
3.0MP/No/Yes
3.0MP/No/Yes
3.2MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
500
500
300
100
Shared
Shared
Sahred
Frequency/Dual SIM
CDMA/No
CDMA/No
CDMA/No
CDMA/No
CDMA/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/No/No
Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Operating System
BREW
Brew 3.1.5
Brew 3.1
BREW
Android OS v2.3
Android OS v2.3
Android OS v2.3
Music Player/FM Radio
No/No
No/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
1,550
1,650
2,289
2,699
3,199
5,199
5,648
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
96 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA
myguide CDMA PHONE
CDMA PHONE
MODELS
CDMA PHONE
CDMA
PARAMETERS Model
Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA
Blackberry 8530
Moto G
BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350
HTC Desire XC
Dimension (mm)
104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5
109 x 60 x 13.9
129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6
109 x 60 x 11
119.5x 62.3 x 9.4
Weight (grams)
HTC Desire 700 C
NEW
145.5 x 72 x 10.3
HTC Desire 600 C 134.8 x 67 x 9.26
97.5
105
143
99
107
150
130
6/120
4.5/252
24/NA
NA
NA/NA
8/338
11.4/539
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
262,144/3.0
65,536/NA
16million/4.5
NA/2.44
16million/4.0
16million/5.0
16million/4.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
160MB/32GB
256MB/32GB
8GB/No
512MB/32GB
4GB/32GB
8GB/64GB
8GB/64GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/NA/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
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
CDMA/No
CDMA/N0
CDMA/No
Yes/Yes/Rev.A
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/1xEV-DO
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/HSPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS v2.3
BlackBerry OS
Android OS v4.4
BlackBerry OS7
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Quad Band/GSM+CDMA Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
84
NR
7,350
12,500
13,490
17,250
20,190
22,000
27,541
TABLET
TABLET
TABLET
MODELS
CDMA PHONE
CDMA
APPLE
Model
HTC One Dual SIM
iPad Mini Wi-Fi
i-Pad Wi-Fi
iPad Mini Wi-Fi with iPad Mini W-Fii+3G retina display
Dimension (mm)
137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4
200 x 134.7 x 7.2
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4
200 x 134.7 x 7.5
Weight (grams)
143
308
662
331
PARAMETERS
i-Pad Wi-Fi+3G
iPad Mini Wi-Fi+3G with retina display
200 x 134.7 x 7.2
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4
200 x 134.7 x 7.5
312
662
331
27/500
NA/NA
10/720
NA/NA
NA/NA
10/720
NA/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16.7million/4.7
16 million/7.9
262,144/9.7
16 million/7.9
16 million/7.9
262,144/9.7
16 million/7.9
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
32GB/No
16,32,64GB/No
16GB/No
16,32,64/128GB/No
16,32,64GB/No
16,32,64 GB/No
16,32,64/128GB/No
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
4.0MP/Yes/Yes
5.0 MP/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
5.0 MP/No/Yes
5.0 MP/No/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
5.0 MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
NA
Shared
NA
NA
Shared
NA
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/CDMA+GSM
NA/No
NA
NA/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
No/No/No
NA
No/No/No
Android OS v4.1
iOS 7
iOS 6
iOS 7
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
iOS 7
iOS 6
NA/No No/No/No iOS 7
Yes/Yes
No/No
Yes/No
No/No
No/No
Yes/No
No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
86
84
NR
NR
84
NR
54,290
21,900/27,900/33,900
28,900
28,900/35,900/42,900/49,900
29,900/35,900/41,900
37,900
37,900/44,900/51,900/58,900
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 97
myguide TABLET
TABLET
MODELS
TABLET
APPLE
PARAMETERS
KARBONN
LAVA
iPad Air Wi-Fi
iPad Air W-Fii+3G
A34 TA-FONE HD
A39 TA-FONE HD
A37 TA-FONE HD
Smart Cosmic
Ivory Tab 702
Dimension (mm)
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4
197 x 124 x 12.3
197 x 124 x 12.3
197 x 124 x 12.3
NA
194 X 120.5 X 10.8
Weight (grams)
652
662
335
335
335
NA
360
Model
NA/NA
NA/NA
8/240
8/240
8/240
NA/NA
NA/NA
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16 million/9.7
16 million/9.7
16million/7.0
16million/7.0
262,144/7.0
16 million/9.7
16milliom/7.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
16,32,64GB/No
16,32,64GB/No
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
1.5GB/32GB
4GB/32GB
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
No/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0 MP/No/Yes
5.0 MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/Yes/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
2.0MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
NA
NA
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Tri Band/GSM+GSM
Tri Band/NA
Tri Band/GSM+GSM
No/No/Yes
Dual Band/GSM+GSM
No/No/No
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
No/No/Yes
Yes/Yes/Yes
iOS 7
iOS 7
Android OS v4.0
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY
No/No
No/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
7,200
8,500
8,900
9,000
8,700
Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
31,900/37,900/43,900 39,900/45,900/51,900
TABLET
TABLET
MODELS
TABLET
LENOVO
PARAMETERS Model
SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab 3 2110 Galaxy Tab 3 3100 8.0 Galaxy Tab 3 3110 8.0 Galaxy Note10.1N800
A1000
Yoga 8
Galaxy Tab 3 Neo
Dimension (mm)
199 x 121 x 10.7
213.3 x 114.78 x 7.62
193.4 x 116.4 x 9.7
188.0 x 111.1 x 9.9
209.8 x 123.8 x 7.4
209.8 x 123.8 x 7.4
243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9
Weight (grams)
340
401
322
304
316
316
540
8/336
18/NA
20/NA
20/NA
24/NA
24/NA
30-Oct
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/7.0
16million/8.0
16million/7.0
16million/7.0
16million/8.0
16million/8.0
16million/10.1
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
4GB/32GB
16GB/32GB
NA/32GB
8GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
16,32,64/64GB
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
VGA/No/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
VGA/No/Yes
3.15MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
NA
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
NA
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
NA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
NA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA
Android OS, v4.1
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.2
Android OS v4.3
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
88
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
9,500
21,500
12,600
18,050
20,000
25,000
48,900
98 MYMOBILE JULY 2014
LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE
MODELS
TABLET
PARAMETERS
SAMSUNG
SONY
SPICE
TAG HEUER
Meridiist GMT Stainless Stellar Pad Mi 1010 Racer Sport Classic Steel/Black PVD
Model
Galaxy Note Pro
Xperia Tablet Z
Racing Carbon
Link
Dimension (mm)
204 x 295.6 x 7.95
266 x 172 x 6.9
NA
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
Weight (grams)
753
495
NA
160
155
160
200
Talktime/Standby (hours)
54/NA
10/890
NA/384
3/220
7/392
3/220
6.5/336
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/12.2
16million/10.1
16million/10.0
16 million/3.5
262,144/1.9
16million/3.5
16million/3.5
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
32GB/64GB
16GB/64GB
16GB/32GB
8GB/32GB
NA/NA
8GB/32GB
256MB/8GB
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Camera/Flash/Video
8.0MP/Yes/Yes
8.1/Yes/Yes
3.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
No/No/No
5.0MP/No/Yes
5.0MP/No/Yes
Phonebook Capacity
Shared
-
Shared
NA
1,000
NA
Shared
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
NA/No
NA
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSPA+
No/No/HSPA+
No/No/Yes
Yes/Yes/HSUPA
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/HSUPA
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v4.1
Android OS v2.3
NA
Android v2.3
Android OS v2.2
Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
59,000
40,000
12,999
Starting 2,06,000+
Starting 2,85,000+
3,15,000
Starting 3,40,000+
LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE
MODELS
LIFESTYLE
TAG HEUER
PARAMETERS Model
VERTU
Racer Prestige Gold Meridiist Steel & Gold
Ascent
Constellation Ayxta
Ascent Ti
Constellation Quest
Signature
Dimension (mm)
118 x 64.35 x 15.9
112 x 46 x 15.5
117 x 46 x 19
100 x 48 x 18
115.5 x 49 x 13.1
116 x 60.8 x 12.7
130 x 42 x 13
Weight (grams)
160
155
148
174
160
165 to 185
166
3/220
7/392
4.8/300
6/300
5/300
7.5/349
3.5/300
Screen (colours)/Size (inch)
16million/3.5
262,144/1.9
16million/2.0
16million/2.4
16million/2.0
16million/2.46
16million/2.0
Inbuilt/Expandable memory
8GB/32GB
NA/NA
8GB/32GB
100MB/8GB
4GB/No
8GB/32GB
4GB/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Camera/Flash/Video
5.0MP/No/Yes
No/No/No
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
3.15MP/Yes/Yes
5.0MP/Yes/Yes
No/No/No
Phonebook Capacity
NA
1,000
2,000
2,000
1,500
Shared
2,000
Frequency/Dual SIM
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
Quad Band/No
GPRS/EDGE/3G
Yes/Yes/HSUPA
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/No/No
Yes/Yes/No
Yes/Yes/R99
Yes/Yes/HSDPA
Yes/Yes/R99
Operating System
Android OS v2.3
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Bar/Yes/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/No
Clamshell/No/No
Bar/No/No
Bar/No/Yes
Bar/No/No
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
4,55,000
Starting 5,45,000+
Starting 2,89,000+
Starting 3,47,000+
Starting 3,75,000+
Starting 3,90,000+
Starting 7,28,000+
Talktime/Standby (hours)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating
Price in Rs.
JULY 2014 MYMOBILE 99
va n ta g e p o i n t
Immediate, Information, Accessibility-
Mobile Applications @ the heart of your Smartphone On December 31st, 2013 at 11:59 pm, Flurry Analytics tracked a record 4.7 Billion app sessions in a single day, for a total of 1.126 Trillion sessions for the whole year.
‘1
.126 Tillion’ is a figure big enough to establish the increasing dependency of mobile applications in our daily lives. Today, we are using mobile applications in every aspect of our lives -- driving conversations with friends and family, setting up appointments, booking our movie tickets, checking into airlines, getting directions via maps, planning our vacations, weddings, dinners with families to much serious tasks such as buying stocks and various other business related tasks.…the list is never ending. And how do we do it? A simple download and a click! Apps have made their presence felt across a swathe of industries ranging from entertainment, publishing and games to enterprise and educational sectors. The vast majority of these apps are simple and intuitive; they address a specific need or function, be it messaging, task management, calendaring, reading a book or even inculcating a passion or a hobby… at present there are millions of mobile applications across categories which have a direct impact on our professional and personal decision making. According to the data released by Meeker report, a majority of the smartphone users check their phones 150 times a day. This data further explains the importance of mobile applications as one of the biggest touch points for businesses to reach their target audiences. Across the globe, established brands such as Zara, H&M, Marks
and Spencers and closer to home, PVR Cinemas and Shoppers Stop are investing heavily in creating the right mobile application with the right interface and design to reach out to their consumers. Even e- commerce brands such Flipkart, eBay, OLX and Quikr have personalized mobile applications for end users. Technologies such as geo tagging, combined with the outreach of mobile applications, are altering consumer outreach patterns across the globe. Apart from making lives easier, mobile applications are also facilitating a larger eco system for the rise of start-ups for developing apps. As global smartphone penetration surpasses the 1 billion mark and dependency on them increases, developers/ start-ups, instead of only taking advantage of capabilities available inside a mobile phone – the norm that was earlier – are slowly but steadily dictating the required capabilities of the mobile platform solutions. Additionally, this has fostered deeper engagement between the start-ups and the customers, which in turn has seen the rise of customized and innovative applications. For, the startups are now able to understand and identify the customer’s pain points better and provide mobile solutions speedily. To exemplify, Blackberry has set up Rubus Labs at the Startup Village in Kochi. This innovation center will provide opportunity for engineering students to train, intern and develop applications for mobile platforms. Such initiatives also encourage a growing number of developers who are looking at the mobile operating system to get the user’s attention. Armed with mobile applications and availability of affordable smartphones, we are in an era where smartphones are not only tools to satiate our thirst for knowledge but also empower us in more ways than one, all because of immediate info-accessibility via apps. For example, Blackberry’s Star Tracker is a boon to any stargazer and added tool to his telescope. With the help of this app, he can see the constellations in the sky any time of the day! And to top it all, it’s just a click away, in the BlackBerry World app store. n
-Annie Mathew, Director-Alliance, BlackBerry India (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)
100 MYMOBILE july 2014
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RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2012-13-14 (Posting Date 19-20 of every month)