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appy independence day! 67 of the best free apps P 18

Tested

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Blackberry for the masses! The Z3 arrives Phone of the month Asus ZenFone 5 P 60

Amazon's Phone

Enter the Fire!

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first call

ree. The word means different things to different people. For some, it is synonymous with freedom from slavery. For others, it is spiritual liberation. For still others, it is the liberty to follow one’s will. And for many people, the word simply connotates the need to not pay anything at all for a product or service. Which is why, as our nation celebrates sixty seven years of independence, we decided to blend the material and spiritual side of freedom, and bring you a list of sixty seven applications that are available free of cost. From Web browsers to social networks to news delivering apps, be it on Android, iOS or Windows Phone, they are all here, in our digital celebration of sixty seven years of Indian freedom, and none of them come with a price tag. After all, aren’t the best things in life supposed to be free? If you like the feature, we would only be too delighted to make it an annual one – August 2015 would see sixty eight apps being featured in the magazine. So do send us your feedback on this feature.. The month of July also saw the new Government present its first budget. We take a look at its impact on the telecom sector and also gauge reactions from key segments of the industry. We also cover mobile number portability across states and what it means to the consumer. Meanwhile, a new chapter is set to be written in the smartphone wars with both Apple and Google showcasing new versions of iOS and Android. On the anvil are a plethora of new features and functionalities that could change the way in which we use our phones – the announcement of Android Wear for the wearable segment is particularly significant, in my opinion. We have covered what the two rivals offer and which one is likely to forge ahead in the next chapter of the smartphone OS wars. And then there are the devices. The monsoon might be taking its time coming to some parts of India, but it is certainly raining phones, tablets and wearables. And in this issue, we review a number of very high-profile products, including Flipkart’s first tablet, the Asus Zenfone 5 which promises to redefine value for money, the HTC Desire 210, and the Oppo Find 7, the first phone with a quad HD display to be released in India. We also cast an eye on some of the best add ons and accessories in the market, including the latest headsets from Plantronics and Amkette. Besides this, we have interactions with key members of the industry and our regular features like Mobile Doctor, where we answer your queries about handsets, and your letters and mails to us, of which we just cannot get enough. All in all, this issue of My Mobile should give you plenty to think about and even more to download. A very happy Independence Day from the team and happy reading. Happy reading.

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

Nimish Dubey | Associate Editor Mukesh Kumar Singh | Assistant Editor Abhijit Ahaskar | Correspondent Renu Yadav | Reporter

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

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

ADVISORY BOARD Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin 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.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 MYMOBILE august 2014

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

Volume X, Issue VI, AUGUST 2014

! ! " #

content

Lead Story

just in

To mark 67 years of freedom, we bring you 67 of the best free apps for your device. Appy Independence Day and appy downloading.

HTC joins the octa-core bandwagon with the new Desire 616 while Samsung brings back the camera phone in a sleeker avatar.

sneak peek

Xiaomi arrives in India with the much-talked about Mi 3, while the lightest Windows Phone device, the Xolo Win Q900s is all set to arrive.

chief speak We catch up with Peter Chang, the Managing Director of Asus India, which is set to redefine the mobile phone market with its ZenFone range.

spotlight

After intra-circle MNP, arrives pan India MNP. Yes, you can relocate anywhere in the country and still keep your number.

versus

Moto G has once again been challenged, and this time the challenger packs a serious punch. We find out whether the new Asus Zenfone 5 can succeed where others have failed.

06 MYMOBILE august 2014

Letters

News

Consumer Forum

Mobile Doctor

Gear Guide

content

in focus

my guide

73 Apple has showcased the new iOS. Google has showcased the new Android. As a new chapter gets set to be written in the smartphone OS rivalry, we look at what the future has in store.

What does the first Union Budget of the new Government have in store for the telecom sector?

BURN TESTS spice stellar mi360

lava iris x1

karbonn titanium s99

flipkart digiflip pro XT-712

htc desire 210

oppo find 7

panasonic p81

blackberry z3

asus zenfone 5

Total number of pages= 102 (98 + 4 cover) 08 MYMOBILE august 2014

etcetera

Amazon has finally released its first smartphone. We take a look at the Fire phone and the impact it could have.

64 64

Qualcomm Toq smartwatch, Sony SmartBand, Zoook Musicana, Plantronics BackBeat Fit headset, Ricoh Pentax K-500 camera, HGST Touro 5 and more

face to face Can sharing locations ever get popular in India? We speak to Bruce Woolsey, the co-founder of Blix Solutions.

bazaar bargain The BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung Galaxy S5 continue to be awesome devices and now are much more affordable too.

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Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Upgradable to kitkat 3G Enabled 1 GHz Dual Core Processor

Cover + Screen Guard

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Customer care No. 1860 2334444 / for Trade Enquiries : 80 80109333

letters I like reading My Mobile. It’s the only magaMORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS! zine which THE BUDGET SMARTPHONE REVOLUTION covers the Tested handsets and application side of the sector. Keep up the good work. I liked the cover story on affordable smartphones but my favourite ones are Burn Test and ETC as they keep me informed of the latest innovation in the mobile segment. In the absence of Internet connection in my village a magazine like My Mobile is a godsend as it gives us so much information on technology. -Dinkar Pandey, Sitamarhi JULY 2014  Rs 100

www.mymobile.co.in

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

P 20

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

@mymobilemag

I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine and like all sections in it. I feel that your My Guide section is very short and must be widened to include all international smartphone brands like GFive and VOX Mobiles. It will be a great bonus for readers, so please consider it. -Shyam Kumar Sharma, Kottyam I enjoy reading My Mobile as it keeps me updated about the new mobile phones and apps that are being launched in the market. I have been reading this magazine for the past six to seven years. I really appreciate your work. Among all the sections that you cover, I like the Burn Test Section where we get to read reviews of the latest mobile phone. If I talk about the June edition of My Mobile Magazine, I enjoyed reading about game and travel apps that

zine as well as the web portal from last six months. I am glad to inform that the magazine helped me choosing the right gadget for myself. The magazine gives the proper analysis of smartphones in the market which helped me to know about all the relevant features of the respective mobile phones available according to the prices and features. I really enjoy the Burn Test section of the magazine. -K. Ramanan, Chennai I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine and I was delighted to see that the cover story of the July issue focused on the arrival of budget phones. The availability of high quality phones at low prices is indeed the spur that is needed to make India a technology super power. I also think that more burn tests need to be done of such devices rather than super high end models which can be afforded by the swish crowd. All the very best. -Amit Kumar, Gorakhpur I have been reading My Mobile magazine for almost five years and have seen the manner in which the Indian consumer has moved from feature phones to smart phones. I like the way in which you analyse trends and review devices. However, I think you should actually review more apps and games instead of talking more about devices. The reason is simple – we can always download apps and games every month based on your advice but we can only buy a phone more rarely than that. So I would suggest you increase the space devoted to apps. -Dilima, Aizwal

What I really appreciated was that instead of going on like most bloggers who blindly praise anything that has multiple cores in it , the author actually advised readers to consider all factors and not just the cores in a processor when buying a phone. It is rare to see this kind of approach these days. The story on FIFA World Cup apps was also very timely, but I really would have liked to see more games, as news was not a problem during the tournament. -Ritesh Shah, Jabalpur I am a regular reader of the magazine. While I like most of the content of the magazine and in particular the burn tests and app reviews, what I cannot understand is why so many accessories and cameras get relatively small reviews (half page)

while even some low end devices get a full page. Surely there should be some manner in which a gadget gets a good review depending on how useful it is. I find it very strange when a DSLR camera gets about as much space as a power storage battery in your magazine. I would like to request you to give more space to reviews of accessories and other devices too. -Arup Chatterjee, Asansol

I loved the article called “Core Issues” which talked about how processors on handsets are now going multiple core just as they did in computers a few years ago.

you covered. The selection of games was very nice. I am very happy to say that I have seen a lot of improvement in this magazine. Keep up the good work! -Sourav Sahu, Dhanbad I have been following My Mobile maga-

10 MYMOBILE august 2014

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 Vodafone hikes 2G, 3G data rates by 100% Telecom operator Vodafone has almost doubled the 2G and 3G data rates for its pre-paid as well as post paid services. According to the new rates of the pay-as-you-go model, users now have to pay 4 paisa per 10kb instead of the earlier rate of 2 paisa per 10kb. The new rate applies to both 2G and 3G customers and will be available in all Vodafone circles. Vodafone, however, is not introducing it at once and will implement the rates in phases.

Garmin launches PND devices with 6-inch screen and Bluetooth support

September 30, 2014. The software company has finally decided to bring down the shutter on the social networking platform as it wants to focus more on its other products like Google Plus and YouTube and make them more interesting to users. The company said that the growth of online services like YouTube, Blogger and Google Plus had eclipsed Orkut and so the company was shutting it down. New account requests will not be entertained by Orkut any more.

Opera Mini to come as default browser in Nokia X series The Nokia X series of handsets will now carry Opera Mini as its default browser, as per an official release from Opera Software. The company claims that with the new browser, Nokia users can expect super-fast browsing experience and save data at the same time through Opera’s page compression feature called Turbo. Available for free download in all Nokia X series handsets through the Nokia Store, Opera Mini might show up in the upcoming Nokia X2 as the default browser.

campaign to drive out the misconception that electromagnetic emissions from mobile towers and cellphones are not safe for human body and prolonged exposure to either of them can cause cancer. The campaign has been named ‘Mobile Network and Public Health’ and it will be run all over the country. The campaign comprises reference books and video commentary from globally renowned experts and doctors working on the subject and sums up the COAI stand that there is no tangible evidence to prove that mobile towers can cause cancer.

Samsung launches Galaxy Tab S8.4 at Rs 37,800 & Tab S10 at Rs 44,800

Spice launches Stellar 600 with Android KitKat at Rs 9,999 US based satellite navigation company Garmin has launched three new PND devices Nuvi 55LM, Nuvi 65LM and Nuvi 2567LM at Rs 10,990, Rs 14,990 and Rs 17,990 respectively in India. These devices will be available as accessories and can be used with any car models. Some of the new features which they bring to the fore are Bluetooth support, predictive text input, landmark based navigation, parking suggestions, and live traffic update for six cities. Garmin has also partnered with Zomato for restaurant details like pictures, menu and users reviews on all three of them for 8 Indian cities.

Spice has become the latest Indian brand to come out with KitKat 4.4 based smartphones with the launch of Stellar 600. Priced at Rs 9,999, the Stellar 600 is a dual SIM phone with 6-inch screen, quad-core processor and 3G support on both the SIMs. It has 1GB RAM, an 8.0-megapixel camera and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad core processor. The handset comes with a number of free accessories like a four-in-one stylus pen and smart flip cover worth Rs 500 besides 2GB free storage on cloud.

COAI launches awareness campaign on whether mobile towers can cause cancer

Intex launches two entry level smartphones with Android 4.4 starting at Rs 6,090 After Micromax and Lava, Intex too has joined the ongoing rivalry in the entry level smartphone segment by launching the Aqua i14 and Aqua N15, with the latest Android 4.4 operating system, at Rs 7,090 and Rs 6,090 respectively. Barring a difference in screen size, both the handsets have more or less similar specifications. The Aqua i14 has a 5-inch screen, while Aqua N15 comes with a 4-inch screen. The devices run on Android 4.4, boast dual SIM and dual cameras, support 3G connectivity, are powered by quad-core processors and have 4GB internal memory, which can be expanded with a memory card.

Google makes its search engine more user friendly for Indians Google has added new features to Google Search to make it more conducive to the needs of Indian users. The company organized an event in Delhi to emphasize its endeavour to improve the search experience of Indian users, where it showcased the accuracy of English Voice Search in Indian accents, Knowledge Graph and Google Now. Google is working with 700 volunteers in India, collecting spoken specimens to create specific language models, and using them to strengthen English voice search in Indian accents.

Google to shut down Orkut on September 30 Google’s first social networking site Orkut is going to become non-operational from

14 MYMOBILE august 2014

South Korean mobile giant Samsung has announced two high end tablets named the Galaxy Tab S in 10.5 inch and 8.4-inch versions. Introduced primarily as entertainment products, the devices boast of super AMOLED displays with incredibly high screen resolution of 2560x1600 and a slew of smart accessories, free content and free data. The 8.4-inch Tab S with 3G and Wi-Fi will cost Rs 37,800, while the 10.5-inch version with 3G and WiFi is priced at Rs 44,800.

The association of GSM operators, COAI, has come up with a nationwide public awareness

Blackberry launches the Z3 in India at Rs 15,990 Blackberry has launched its highly anticipated

news bits mid-range smartphone, the Z3 at Rs 15,990. The handset runs on Blackberry OS 10.2.1 and features a 5-inch multi-touch display with a screen resolution of 960x540p and pixel density of 220ppi. A single SIM device, the Z3 is powered by dual-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1.5 GB RAM, 8GB internal storage which can be expanded upto 32GB, and a 2,500mAh battery. At Rs 15,990, it is one of the most affordably priced BlackBerry handsets to be released in the Indian market.

Micromax releases CDMA smartphone Duet AE90 at Rs 8,678

services company Credit Suisse has come up with a report which says that existence of strong state backed operator is not a good sign for private operators and the overall industry. After studying the Indian telecom sector, Credit Suisse pointed out that strong state-backed competitors are not good for the industry. Interestingly, MTNL and BSNL have the second largest spectrum market share after Bharti Airtel in the Indian market.

Simmtronics to manufacture settop boxes in India Mobile and tablet brand Simmtronics Semiconductors is planning to set up a factory to manufacture set-top boxes, becoming the first Indian company to manufacture set-top boxes in India. The initial investment in the manufacturing will be of Rs 30 crore and the first product to come out of the factory is going to be a set-top box with a Wi-Fi router, which will convert an ordinary LCD TV into a smart TV. The company is planning to capture 10 per cent of the set-top box market share by 2015 and 25 per cent by 2017.

Aircel launches customizable plan for postpaid, prepaid users

Micromax has released yet another entry level smartphone, the Duet AE90 on online retail stores at Rs 8,678. A dual SIM device with CDMA connectivity on one SIM, Canvas Duet supports 2G and 3G connectivity. It runs on Android 4.2 JellyBean OS and features a 4.5inch multi-touch display with 960x540p screen resolution. It boasts of 1GB RAM, is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processor, includes 4GB in-built memory, supports microSD cards of upto 32GB and has a 1,300mAh battery.

Telecom operator Aircel has come up with an online plan called ‘Design your own Plan’ allowing Aircel users greater flexibility and freedom of choice in deciding their plan. Unlike Bharti Airtel’s customizable plan which was only launched for postpaid customers, Aircel’s plan is available to both prepaid and post paid users. The new plan offers different customizable options. For instance if a user spends more time on calling and less time on texting they can go for a plan which offers more calling time and fewer SMS numbers. Similarly someone who spends more time on social networking sites and text than on calls can choose a plan with more data.

Zync launches 7-inch calling tablet Z-18 at Rs 6,009

MapMyIndia launches free glocal navigation maps Navi Maps

Indian smartphone and tablet maker Zync Global has launched a 7-inch tablet with 2G calling in India at Rs 6,009. Targeted at entry level buyers who seek calling support in tablets, the device will be available on HomeShop 18’s online and on-air retail store along with Snapdeal, Naaptol and Shopclues. Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Mali 400GPU, the tablet features a 7-inch display with 800x480 resolution, 4GB internal memory and 32GB expandable memory. It runs on Android 4.2, supports Bluetooth connectivity, and comes in red, black and white colour variants.

Strong State backed operators not good for private operators, says report Following the Telecom ministry’s proclamation to revive state backed operators like BSNL and MTNL, a Zurich-based global financial

16 MYMOBILE august 2014

version of the flagship One (M8) has been launched in India along with a mid-range handset, the Desire 616. Priced at Rs 35,990,

Indian satellite navigation company MapMyIndia has announced the launch of a Glocal navigation app named Navi Maps. A free app, Navi Maps is going to be available on Android devices first while the iOS and Windows Phone versions will be available soon. The app features house-level navigation, turn by turn voice guidance in 10 regional languages, international maps, automatic traffic based re-routing and real time journey updates on Facebook. Some of the features are available for free and some on an in-app payment of Rs 599.

HTC launches Desire 616 and One (E8) in India HTC One (E8), the highly anticipated ‘plastic’

the E8 comes with a 5-inch full HD display with a pixel density of 441ppi. It is powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU, features a 13.0-megapixel rear camera, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, upto 128GB expandable memory, and a 2,600mAh battery. It runs on Android 4.4.2 and carries HTC’s Sense UI 6. Desire 616 is powered by 1.4 GHz octa-core CPU, and boasts of 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 2,000mAh battery and HTC BlinkFeed. It is available for a much more affordable Rs 17,200.

Videocon launches feature phone VPhone Grande Videocon Mobiles has launched a feature phone with sleek form factor and interchangeable back panels. Called VPhone Grande, the phone comes in blue, black and white variants and will be available in the market for Rs 1,950. Interchangeable back covers are generally seen in the smartphone segment and bringing a facet of high-end phones into basic handsets is certainly going to spark up the waning interest in entry-level handsets. The phone supports six Indian languages, comes with a 2.8-inch colour screen, features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 1,100mAh battery and supports Bluetooth, GPRS, and FM radio.

OnMobile signs agreement with Bangladeshi operator Robi Global VAS provider OnMobile has signed an agreement with Bangladesh’s third major mobile operator, Robi, to deploy various RingBack Tone and Interactive Voice Response solutions in Bangladesh. On Mobile will take care of RingBack tone Service for Robi and will leverage that partnership to deploy more features and introduce new innovations beginning with its popular Reverse RingBack Tones service. With a 21 million subscriber base, Robi owns 21 per cent of the Bangaldeshi telecom market. n

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lead story

Celebrating

Appy

18 MYMOBILE august 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Freedom Looking for the best free apps in tech town? Well, we at My Mobile celebrate 67 years of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freedom by delivering a list of 67 free apps. What better way to celebrate independence? Nimish Dubey

hey say that the best things in life are free. Well, we would not like to get into a discussion on that particular subject but what cannot be doubted that when it comes to apps - those bits of software that add so much to your mobile experience, be it on phones, tablets or now wearables - you can actually go a long way in terms of functions and experience without having to pay a penny from your own pocket. Be it mobile browsers, file explorers, office suites, note making apps, or games of a casual or intense nature, there are literally thousands of apps out there that are available to you without any price tag whatsoever - you only need the bandwidth and Internet connectivity to download them. Which of course, in turn begs the question: which app(s) should you really be downloading, for not all free apps are great ones? Well, that is the question we are attempting to answer in our Independence Day special. As India completes sixty seven years of freedom, we mark the occasion by bringing you sixty seven of the very best free apps from app stores around the world. So if you are seeking Appy Freedom, read on and be prepared to download. This is how we celebrate freedom!

August 2014 MYMOBILE 19

lead story Web browsers Opera Mini

ne of the first third-party apps to deliver a desktoplike browsing experience to the smaller display of your handset, Opera Mini remains one of the most popular browsing apps for most mobile users. And that is thanks to its ability to work fast even on relatively slow Internet connections (and we have so many in India), innovative features like Speed Dial which let you access your favourite sites easily and the ability to save data charges by compressing Web pages. In terms of speed, one of the best browsers around. Works on: Android, iOS, Java Price: Free

Dolphin Browser

Chrome

n terms of sheer innovation, there are not too many browsers out there that can hold a candle to Dolphin. The browser was one of the first to come out with support for gestures, so you could actually open Facebook by typing F on your display. Add to that features like a voice powered search, one tap sharing and its own web app store, and you can see why the browser is a very good option for those who want something very different from the routine. Works on: Android, iOS Price: Free

he simplicity and clean interface of Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chrome browser is also available now for those using Android and iOS devices. Browsing is almost as simple and speedy as it is on the desktop version of the browser and yes, we saved the best for the last - you can share bookmarks between your desktop and your mobile browsers, ensuring you have a similar browsing experience, irrespective of the device you are using. There is support for voice search and Web page translation too. And of course, it works very fast indeed! Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Opera Coast

pera is trying to rewrite the rules for Web browsing on mobile devices with its new browser called Coast. And while it is a very good browser in terms of speed, what makes it very different is its interface. Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interface is very similar to what you see on an iOS or Android device - there are no drop down menus but just bookmarks of the sites you have chosen. You can open and close sites with a simple gesture and no browser uses the limited real estate display on a mobile device as well as this one. Revolutionary indeed. Works on: iOS Price: Free

UC Browser

ne of the most feature rich and cross-platform browsers available to users, UC Browser allows you to navigate the Web at a rate of knots. But what makes it really special are its add-ons which let you focus on special events and sites (there was even one for the World Cup) and themes that totally change the look and feel of the browser. Small wonder it is beginning to come preinstalled as the default browser in many devices these days. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Java Price: Free

20 MYMOBILE august 2014

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Notes and office suites Google Keep

lot of people were surprised when Google announced its note-making app called Google Keep. Designed for apps and lists, Google Keep is an excellent app for those seeking simplicity above all when it comes to making notes. Its colour coding option lets you mark out notes more clearly and well, it supports notes, photographs, voice notes and lists, all of which can be syncronised smoothly between your Android device and your PC. You can even set location based reminders, making you check a certain note at a certain location! Works on: Android Price: Free

Evernote

Kingsoft Office

t speaks volumes of its popularity and versatility that for many users, Evernote is very much synonymous with note-taking on mobile devices. And that is hardly surprising when you consider the plethora of features that come with it - there is support for voice notes, images and

complete office suite - word processor, presentation tool and spreadsheet - available free of cost on your mobile device, without any restrictions. Yes, we know it sounds too good to be true, but true it is. Kingsoft office comes with most of the features that you would want on a decent mobile office suite and a particularly good word processor and spreadsheet, and it works brilliantly too. And yes, it is extremely compatible with MS Office, letting you edit and create files in that most popular format with minimum fuss. Works on: Android Price: Free

One Note

routine notes and best of all, it is all neatly synchronised across different devices, ensuring you can access them anywhere. Simple, speedy, and very handy. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

icrosoft’s superb note-taking app is now available on smartphones. And it works brilliantly too. Yes, you can do the “normal” note taking just as you can on other note apps, but what makes One Note special are the rich formatting options that allow you to mark out points of special attention, giving it an almost word processor like feel (you can even edit tablets). You can sync your notes across OneDrive, ensuring you can see your notes from any device. For those who love making comprehensive notes. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

Microsoft Office Mobile

es, this is MS Office as we know it - good old MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint - and it is now available on mobile devices without paying a penny. And it is as feature rich as it always was, with a very powerful word processor and one of the best spreadsheet tools you can find for a smaller screen. Yes, you would need an Office 365 subscription to create and edit documents but even without that, this remains a must-download as it lets you view MS Office files with virtually no loss of formatting. Works on: iOS and Android Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 21

lead story Maps and navigation Google Maps

f there was an application that made mobile maps mainstream, it was Google Maps. The app remains one of the best for those wanting quick access to mapping information. Locations are displayed in great detail, there is an offline version too and in some locations, you even get traffic information, ensuring you steer clear of traffic jams. Metro and public transport information is also displayed in some cases. Best of all, it keeps evolving, adding new features and locations. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

NaviMaps by MapMyIndia

WoNoBo

lso referred to as India’s Street View, WoNoBo is perhaps the only app out there that not only helps you find where you wish to go but also gives you a 360 degree street view of different locations. And we are talking of real imagery, not diagrams. Yes, it does need a brisk Internet connection to work at its best, but there’s no doubting the amazing value it delivers for those who want to see a place as a bit more than a dot on a map - yes, you can actually see the view inside the Taj Mahal, if you wish. Works on: Android Price: Free

22 MYMOBILE august 2014

apmyIndia has been known for its high quality maps that have been generally seen in personal navigation devices (PNDs) in automobiles. However, the company has now made a number of these maps available for mobile users. The interface might not be as smooth as Google Maps but when it comes to sheer information, these are difficult to beat. On offer are multiple routes to a destination, traffic information and location and route sharing and much more. For serious travellers. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Waze

he social network for travellers is what many call Waze and with good reason. For, while the app does provide the ‘usual’ location and navigation features like key locations and routing facilities, what makes it really stand out is the fact that it gives you access to news and updates about the traffic and road conditions coming in from other users of the app. You can share information and even indulge in idle chit chat as you make your way to your destination. Maps meet social networking. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

HERE Maps

hen it comes to maps on phones, perhaps no company serves up the kind of detailed information that Nokia does. Nokia’s Here Maps app for Windows Phone and Android serve up comprehensive details of Indian and international venues, showing notable landmarks, traffic information (in some places) and also providing excellent navigation in a host of languages. And what we really love about them is the fact that they can work even if you have no Internet connectivity. Works on: Windows Phone, Nokia’s Android Price: Free

www.mymobile.co.in

Messengers BBM

he app that many credit with starting the whole mobile messaging phenomenon is now no longer restricted to BlackBerry devices. The arrival of the iconic BlackBerry Messenger (BBM to millions) on Android and iOS was one of the key tech events of 2013 and it speaks volumes of how well the app works that it has already millions of users. No, it might not have the kind of sticker gallery and numerous messaging options that some other apps in this have. What it however does have is speed, security and reliability. And for most people, that trio is more than enough for their messaging needs. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry Price: Free

Line

WhatsApp Messenger

ne of the more innovative messaging apps to have emerged in recent times, Line has been building a steady following for itself not just for its messaging functionality (which is something it does very well indeed), but also for its support for video and voice calls, and well, for its stunning sticker collection. In fact, so popular have its expressive stickers become that Line even launched an app to convert your selfies into stickers. You can also get news updates and special coupon offers. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

WeChat

ne of the most featurerich messaging apps around, WeChat comes with a host of features that range from the routine message and image swapping to backing up your chat history, finding out which of your friends is nearby and even letting you use your device as a walkie

Nimbuzz Messenger

veteran in the mobile messaging space, Nimbuzz shot into prominence well before the app revolution had occurred, allowing users to connect to different messaging services and swap messages with each other even on basic feature handsets. It remains one of the most popular messaging apps around because of its amazing feature and the fact that it lets you chat and swap files and images with your friends even on Facebook and Google Talk. You even have options like talking to a stranger and making some very affordable international calls, as well as an impressive collection of stickers and chatrooms. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

or many people, WhatsApp is pretty much the only messaging app to have. And that is because unlike some other apps that try to offer you the world, it keeps things very simple indeed, preferring to stick to the path of letting you swap messages and images with the ones you love. The fact that it lets you make groups has made many start treating it as a social network of sorts too. Yes, you need a phone number to activate it, but in terms of speed and ease of use, this is the messenger app to beat. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

talkie. It also comes with an impressive sticker collection (a must-have for messaging apps these days) and the ability to broadcast messages. And it works very fast too. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 23

lead story Games Temple Run

Angry Birds

f you had told us a few years ago that the world of gaming would be redefined by a game in which you throw birds at pigs hiding behind fortifications, we would have laughed at the very idea. However, today, Angry Birds is a phenomenon in its own right and people literally spend hours working out the speed and trajectory at which to hurl birds at pigs and break down the latter’s fortifications. Very entertaining and very challenging, it has spawned a number of sequels but the original remains as charming as ever. It is available for iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry too, but is free only on Android. Works on: Android Price: Free

Stick Cricket

urists might blanch at the idea of a cricket game in which the bowlers and fielders do not have much to do, but if your idea of cricket is to have a good go at the bowling with minimum fuss, then this certainly is the game for you. Graphics are good, there are real player names and the

24 MYMOBILE august 2014

he game that spawned the whole ‘endless runner’ phenomenon, Temple Run remains one of the most addictive games ever made. Yes, you only get a view of the back of the character. No, you have no idea of why he is running and why are the strange monkeys chasing him with a vengeance. All that you know is that you have to ensure that he keeps running with well timed swipes and device tilts, as your runner traverses different areas and locales. Incredibly simple and phenomenally addictive. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

Candy Crush Saga

h yes, we know that people cannot stop complaining about the invites they keep getting to play this game with their friends, but then it just shows what a massive phenomenon a simple candy matching game can become. And it is this simplicity that actually makes Candy Crush Saga special - you only have to match similar looking candies and can play the game anywhere at any time. There are hundreds of levels and charms and special features. Should come with an addiction warning. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

Cut The Rope

as there ever been a more adorable creature than the frog-like Om Nom? Well, we doubt it, as he has millions of people all over the world cutting intricately patterned ropes to ensure that the colourful candy attached to them reaches Om Nom. Basically a physics puzzle, Cut The Rope remains one of the most entertaining and yet challenging puzzle titles around, as you have to figure which rope to cut and when - you don’t want to see Om Nom crying! The game is available on iOS and Windows Phone too, but is free only on Android. Works on: Android Price: Free

game itself is - like the real game actually - totally a matter of timing and hitting a couple on onscreen buttons. Get things right and you will find yourself slogging away merrily, irrespective of where you are. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

www.mymobile.co.in

Social networking Google+

t might not have gained the sort of popularity that many believed that it would when it was launched as Google’s Facebook challenger, but there is no doubting the fact that Google+ has emerged as an active social network in its own right. It owes a lot of its popularity to its clean and simple interface and superb linking with Google’s other services, letting you import images and contacts with minimum fuss. And few social networks display images as brilliantly as it does. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Facebook

t has inspired an award winning Hollywood film, dozens of books and attracted more than its fair share of controversy. People love it for its ability to connect them with their friends, people hate it for the endless game requests and intrusions. Whatever your opinion, the stark fact is that today you ignore The Social Network at your peril. And part of the reason for its success is the fact that it works so smoothly on mobile devices, letting you share, like and comment right on the move. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

erhaps the only social network that many people take seriously and not consider a ‘waste of time,’ LinkedIn has been generating professional information and helping millions of people find and apply for jobs for years now. The network and the app are incredibly simple to access and use which would explain why more people flock to it rather than all those numerous job sites that claim to offer you the best in the professional world. Got a job? Looking for one? You have to be on LinkedIn. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

Flickr

t might not have the sort of following that Twitter or Facebook has and might not even be as popular among mobile photographers as Instagram, but for those who take their photography seriously, Flickr is pretty much THE app to have. It displays images without compromising on resolution and detail and also lets you edit images after taking them, thanks to some very handy tools. Round that off with 1TB of free online storage and a very interactive community and you have the photographers’ social network. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

Twitter

ow much can a person say in 140 characters? Well, a whole lot, it seems, if you check the Twitter phenomenon. The social network that was meant for short, punchy messages has cost ministers their places in cabinets and has also played its part in revolutions around the world. No, it is not always a pleasant place to be, but if you have something to say and can say it in 140 characters or less, Twitter is the social network to be on. And that character limit makes it ideally suited for handsets and tablets. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 25

lead story Photography Photo Editor by Aviary

with white levels and saturation and rounds it all off by serving up some very good special effects (depth of field, color splash, and many more) and filters. It is rare to get so much in a single app without paying a penny. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

f you are looking for a comprehensive one-app-does-it-all kind of application for handling your camera’s images, then perhaps Photo Editor by Aviary is your best option. The app not only has basic editing tools like cropping and tweaking orientation but also lets you play around

PIP Camera

FrontBack

n app that uses both cameras on your device? Well, FrontBack does just that. The aim of the app is simple - to capture an object and your reaction to it. So the main camera first takes an image and this is followed by the front-facing camera taking another shot. The app then puts them together one below the other, to show viewers both shots. There are not too many formatting options available but the app compensates by having a very active social network of its own a la Instagram. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

26 MYMOBILE august 2014

IP stands for “Picture in Picture” and that describes what this very handy little app does. It gives you the option to not only take a photograph, but also to actually insert in an already existing framework. So you could place a picture of yourself within a logo, a flower, a bottle, the sun and so on and so forth, and add a whole new dimension and perspective to your images. A whole lot of fun and incredibly easy to use as well. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Instagram

Adobe Photoshop Express

hen it comes to editing photographs, most people are ready to swear by Adobe’s famous Photoshop software. So imagine how good an application designed by the same company for mobile devices would be. Adobe’s Photoshop Express may not pack in the kind of features that Photoshop itself does, but it comes with some excellent editing and image tweaking options. Best of all, they are consistent and of a very high quality. If you are the type that likes playing around with pictures after having taken them, this is simply a must-have. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

or many people, Instagram remains the photography app of choice. The app added a whole new dimension to photography by bringing out the concept of filters and frames which added a retro effect to your photographs. Yes, it did affect the resolution of the images themselves and yes, there are apps that offer more filters and more effects, but what makes Instagram a cult app even today is the fact that it is extremely easy to use and comes with its own highly active social community. Small wonder Facebook paid billions to acquire it. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

www.mymobile.co.in

News LinkedIn Pulse

f Flipboard converted news into a flippable magazine like format, Pulse too innovated on presentation and delivered news in the form of rows and columns with each row representing a different subject or publication with articles arranged in columns in front of it. Add features like offline reading and the ability to customise news feeds and what you have is the news like you have never seen it before, in a clean attractive interface which makes it look like a very neat interface, Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

PressReader

ant the joy of reading a newspaper or a magazine exactly as it appears in print format on your tablet or handset? Well, PressReader delivers that - it gives you access to exact digital replicas of the paper editions of hundreds of newspapers from all over the world. Yes, these are the very newspapers that get delivered to doorsteps all over the world, right down to the very ads in them. Yes, you will have to pay a subscription if you want to keep downloading them, but in terms of news content and presentation, this is an app newspaper lovers will love. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

Flipboard

lipboard can be given credit for starting the whole news as a news magazine concept in news apps. Prior to that, news apps were at best RSS readers which presented news in the form of text with the odd picture here and there. Flipboard took news to another level by presenting it in the form

Newshunt

t might not have as snazzy an interface as Flipboard or Pulse, but where Newshunt scores heavily is in terms of providing information, especially to those seeking news from India and the subcontinent. The app delivers news in a format specially formatted for mobile displays from dozens of Indian news publications and in a number of Indian languages. No, it will not look spectacular but there is perhaps no better source of Indian news in terms of sheer content. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

Yahoo News Digest

t a time when most news apps have been trying to dazzle users with a plethora of content, Yahoo has gone in the opposite direction with its News Digest app, which delivers a small selection of news items to your handset or tablet twice a day, regular as clockwork. Some might complain about the absence of customisation options and the like, but on the other hand, this is news just like your newspaper - delivered timely with content determined by the appâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editors. Sleek design and very good news coverage make this a very useful app for those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the news all the time. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

of a beautifully designed, flippable news magazine. Initially only a tablet app, it is now available for handsets too and is actually one of the most coveted apps by most platforms. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 27

lead story Themes Yahoo Aviate Launcher

launcher that tries to rearrange apps depending on your location and the time of the day - that’s what Yahoo’s Aviate launcher attempts to do. Based on your habits, the launcher rearranges the apps on your homescreen. So if you are in office, it will show your mail and productivity apps, while it will show fitness related apps if it senses you are at a gym and so on. That apart, it is a simple enough launcher that works well enough. Yes, it does drain battery but in terms of sheer utility, this is a very handy launcher. . Works on: Android Price: Free

Buzz Launcher

Nokia Z Launcher

f you are one of those who likes to completely control the look and feel of your device, then this is the launcher for you. The real strength of Buzz Launcher comes from an active community of users that release a number of themes based on different subjects ranging from sports icons to graphic novel characters to Hollywood blockbusters. The result is that you have literally hundreds of options to change the look and feel of your phone, whether it is wanting new icons or wallpapers. A treasure trove for theme lovers. Works on: Android Price: Free

ust like the Aviate launcher, the Z launcher, an app from Nokia, also tries to show the apps you need most depending on your usage and location information. It, however, is far simpler in terms of presentation and gives you hardly any customisation options (you cannot even change the wallpaper from within the app). Another neat touch is the fact that it gives you access to an app by writing its first letter on the display. So for instance, you can access Facebook by writing F on the display. Yes, it is not as versatile as other launchers but it works smoothly and is actually very useful. Works on: Android Price: Free

Facebook Home

his is the app for Facebook addicts. The app not only delivers notifications from the popular social network (as well as Flickr and Tumblr) to the lockscreen of your device, but also gives you the option to use photographs from Facebook as wallpapers that keep changing automatically. The app launcher feature also lets you get to your favourite apps quickly. Yes, there will be those who will say that there is nothing special about the launcher other than its Facebook integration but given the fact that most smartphone users are on Facebook, that is not a bad thing at all. Works on: Android Price: Free

Google Now Launcher

ant the power of Google Now on the default homescreen of your Android device? Well, this launcher delivers just that. It might not look too different from the usual basic themes that you see on Google Play, but a simple swipe to the right will reveal the greatest strength of the launcher -Google’s card based information that tries to judge the kind of information you need based on the time of the day and your location (it will remind you of travel based on resevation data in your inbox for instance). No, it does not look extra special but it works briskly and does not slow down your device one bit. Works on: Android Price: Free

28 MYMOBILE august 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Location FourSquare

erhaps the most popular location sharing application around, FourSquare lets you share your location with other members of your network by logging in or checking into locations. You can find out which of your friends are in the vicinity, see if there are any offers available in the shops and restaurants close to you and even read reviews of interesting locations in the vicinity left by other members of the network. The social network for urban travellers. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

Glympse

ReachMe by MapmyIndia

hare your where” is what this app claims it will allow you to do. And it totally delivers on that promise. Glympse lets you send details about your location to your friends, allowing them to see you moving on your way towards your destination. What makes the app special is the fact that people need not have the

avigation wizard MapmyIndia’s ReachMe application is designed for sharing locations rather than helping you find your way around town. Mind you, it does have a strong navigation component. You can share your location with select people using a link or a PIN. All the person receiving the location has to do is either click on the link or enter the PIN and they will not only be able to see your location but also get directions on how to reach you as quickly as possible. You can even see them approaching your destination if they use the Follow Me feature. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

“S

InstaPlace

T app installed on their devices to be able to see you. All they need is an Internet enabled device and you will appear on it with a projected time of arrival. Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

he purpose of InstaPlace is incredibly simple - to add a layer over a photograph, telling the viewer where it was taken. Not only that, InstaPlace also gives you the option to add a snazzy line or two to the picture - you can add the time at which it was taken, a watch face and a host of other options. Makes a huge difference from those routine run of the mill photographs that you see on Facebook and helps the viewer know where you have been. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Guardian

eveloped by Microsoft, this app is meant to be a security app for Indian women. The app basically lets a person share her location with select people using Bing Maps APIs and Microsoft’s Azure Cloud services. Should they ever feel in need of aid, all they have to do is hit the SOS button for alerts to be sent out to specified people as well as local authorities like the police and hospitals. And in a neat touch the system keeps sending out SOS alerts even if the phone is destroyed or the connection is broken. Works on: Windows Phone Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 29

lead story Shopping eBay

Bay’s mobile app covers all aspects of shopping on eBay, letting you place orders, use barcode scanners to find items, make comparisons and track your orders. You can also set the app to give you alerts and read and place your own feedback about your experience. You can also manage your own business on the site from the app itself. Comprehensive, notwithstanding a slightly dull interface. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

Flipkart

he app of India’s most successful e-commerce shopping portal delivers a very good shopping experience right on your handset. You can browse through various categories of goods and search for what you are looking via text, voice and barcode. You can place orders, read reviews and even share anything interesting that catches your eye on social networks. You also get special discounts from Flipkart from time to time. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

DelightCircle

Amazon App

ant to find out the best deals in your vicinity? This nifty little application allows you to do just that. It uses your device’s inbuilt GPS to pinpoint your location and then scans through its vast database of registered stores to tell you if there are any special deals or discounts are being offered in various product categories around you. You also pick up points for simply walking into certain stores, which you can convert into discounts. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

30 MYMOBILE august 2014

Quickr

he app version of India’s popular online classfieds service gives you the option to not just buy but also sell products and services. From renting houses to finding tutors to discovering antiques, it is all there on Quickr, and if you have something to sell, placing it online is as easy as taking a snap of it and writing a brief description of it. You can browse products and services easily and yes, there’s even a matrimony section for those looking to get hitched. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

mazon’s shopping application shrinks the world’s largest online shopping store right into your hand. You can register using your Amazon username and password to see recommendations based on your browsing history, browse products, place orders and read and write reviews. One of the neatest options is the ability to search for an item by scanning its barcode. This is simple, speedy shopping at its best. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

www.mymobile.co.in

Books Aldiko Book Reader

powerful search function, thousands of free titles and a host of text tweaking and sharing options - that is what makes Aldiko one of the most popular free e-book readers on a mobile device. You can transfer your own books and documents to the app, make collections and groups of titles and even add tags to titles. Unlike other reading apps that subtly push you to make purchases, Aldiko focuses on reading. Which is what makes it special. Works on: Android Price: Free

Flipkart eBooks

Kobo Reading App

lipkart might have got into the e-book business a bit late by its own standards but it has lost no time in putting together a very good collection of e-books. Its e-book reader is not really in the class of Amazon’s Kindle and Kobo yet, but it does a very good job of delivering a good reading experience on mobile devices. And it has pretty much everything you would want from an e-book reading app, from the options to place bookmarks to search to make notes. (you cannot purchase ebooks from the iPhone app, though) Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

onsidered by many to be Amazon’s most notable rival in the e-book department, Kobo’s e-book reading app allows you to browse different titles and even get additional information about books using the ‘Beyond the Book’ feature in the app. That apart, you can read books on it to your heart’s content, tweaking settings to suit your convenience. Very handy if you are not an Amazon fan. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

Amazon Kindle

hen it comes to e-book reading software, Amazon’s Kindle app is supposed to be in a league of its own. And it is not difficult to see why. The app’s main purpose is to try and deliver an experience as close to reading on paper as is possible on a phone and tablet display and this it does very well. You can share excerpts from the app on social networks, make notes and highlight passages and also play around with fonts and background. Simplicity at its best for book lovers. (you cannot purchase ebooks from the iPhone app, though) Works on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone Price: Free

Scribd

ll the books that you can read for a fixed payment every month? That is what Scribd offers, making it a sort of online library app, where you go, browse through thousands of titles, pick the ones you want and well, get reading. It works across multiple devices, lets you store books for reading offline and also comes with a number of editorial collections and recommendations. And well, the first month of use is free, which is why it makes this list! Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

August 2014 MYMOBILE 31

lead story Utilities Astro File Manager

ne of the great advantages of Android is the fact that it is a relatively open OS as compared to its rivals. And apps like Astro File Manager allow you to make the most of this facility by actually letting you see the file structure of the device (a bit like you see files on Windows Exporer). You can see the files on your device, rename them, transfer them, create new folders and directories and so on. In simple terms, it gives you the power to play with files on your smartphone with a clean, uncluttered interface. Very handy. Works on: Android Price: Free

Shazam

Google Drive

his is cloud computing at its very best. The Google Drive app allows you to store files online, download them, share them with collaborators and if needed also create and edit files that are online. All that you need to get underway is a Google account. It is the closest thing to having a computer online that can be accessed by any one who has been given rights to it. You can access your files from multiple devices and even check changes being made by collaborators. And yes, it is completely compatible with MS Office. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

Google Search

o, this is not your regular Google search disguised as an app. Well, it is to an extent, but the Google Search app on both iOS and Android offers far more than the option to scour the Web. You also get Google Now integration which served us cards of information based upon your location. Then there is Google Goggles which tries to identify things based on your photographs. It might look plain but it works brilliantly. Typically Google. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

32 MYMOBILE august 2014

ver heard a song or piece of music playing but have not been able to identify it? Well, Shazam helps you identify snatches of music. All you have to do is launch the app and place the phone near the source of the sound and the app will do the rest. And it works just fine with a number of Hindi film songs as well. No, it does not identify humming by you but it more than compensates with its turn of speed. You can also check what people around you are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shazamingâ&#x20AC;? and also get the latest music news. Very neat. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free

www.mymobile.co.in

MakeMyTrip

ravel apps are a dime a dozen on app stores across platforms, but few have the kind of versatility that MakeMyTrip offers. As a one-stop travel app, this one has few peers as you can do everything from booking bus tickets to making hotel reservations using it. Yes, we would have preferred a cleaner interface but the app more than compensates with the host of options it offers in just about every category from modes of transportation to places to stay. An app that enables happy travelling, this is. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry Price: Free

SHAREit

he world knows Lenovo as the manufacturer of some excellent computers, tablets and smartphones, but the company also has some very good apps up its tech sleeves. And SHAREit is one of the best. It allows you to share just about anything - including apps (on Android), songs, videos and other files - from one device to another using Wi-Fi. Speed of transfers is much faster than Bluetooth and you can also control who can access the files. Brilliant for sharing information wirelessly and without fuss. Works on: iOS, Android Price: Free

TuneIn Radio

ove tuning in to international radio stations? Then this is an app that you do not want to miss. The app works off your

3G connection to deliver crystal clear sound from a number of radio stations from all over the world. You can search for a specific radio station or just for content - for instance, you can search for the BBC or you can search for the US Open commentary. The app handles both queries brilliantly, delivering the magic of radio on your handset or tablet. Works on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone Price: Free nimish@mymobile.co.in

August 2014 MYMOBILE 33

consumer forum Complaint-1 I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Star Pro GT 7262 on May 16, 2014 from Prem Prakash Watch and Mobile store in Makrana, Nagaur. I was offered free 2GB data for two months from Airtel which was valid till June 30. But when I installed my Airtel SIM card on the phone, I didn’t get the free data. I spoke to Airtel’s customer care officer and this speaking has gone over a month now but no action has been taken by them yet. I am fed up. -Vikram Singh

centre, for untimely delivery and for causing physical stress, failing which I will be compelled to take some legal action. -Asap Hangky Nokia’s Response: Awaited

having problems. I gave it to a 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 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 have been 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

Airtel’s Response: Awaited Nokia’s response: Awaited

Complaint-2

Complaint 5

I want to port my number from Aircel to Airtel. So I visited the nearest Airtel store and submitted the required documents and unique porting code on June 10, 2014. After that my number was turned off in Aircel on June 20. But my service with Airtel didn’t start and every time I install my Airtel SIM it says registration has failed. Now my mobile number is out of service and Airtel’s customer support officer says that they have not received my documents. When I asked my retailer, he says the documents were submitted properly. My number has been switched off since June 20. Please help me. -Pranav Priya Arya

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

Airtel’s Response: Awaited

Vodafone’s response: Awaited

Complaint-3 I have been using Nokia Lumia 520 for almost a year. The handset often hangs for no reason and there is some problem with the mute tone and memory card slot. After I was fed up of it all, I went to a Nokia service centre on March 18, 2014 where I was told to wait for 15 to 20 days. It is over three months and my issue is still as it is. I want my money reimbursed along with my phone for the several fruitless visits to the Nokia service

34 MYMOBILE august 2014

Complaint-4 I bought a Nokia Lumia 720 but it started

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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chief speak

“Customers are looking for affordability with amazing features” It might not be making the kind of waves that the likes of Samsung and HTC are making, but Asus has been steadily carving a niche for itself among those who value innovation in form factors. The company has grabbed attention with its Transformer, Fonepad and Padfone series of devices and is now all set to go mainstream with its high profile ZenFone range. We caught up with Peter Chang, Asus India’s Managing Director to find out more. Nimish Dubey & Mukesh Kumar Singh The price of ZenFones, especially the ZenFone 5, has taken the industry by surprise. Considering the quality of the device even a price tag of above Rs 15,000 would have been incredible but Asus launched it at less than Rs 10,000. What was the reason for such a low price? We made an important decision because the 5-inches model is the best technology that w e have. Of course originally, we had a higher price in mind but we wanted to the end user to feel this kind of product and so we finally decided to launch it at this low price. We did an analysis of the Indian smartphone market to find the price bands at which we could launch these products and finally we felt that this price band would be best for the market. How many units of ZenFones are you hoping to sell in India by next month? The target we have set is not for this month or next month because the product is new and has been launched just now. Our most important goal is next year by which time we want to be one of the top five brands in India. What is your distribution strategy for ZenFones in India? We always try to see which kind of distribution strategy we can use. We also learn from our channel side and experience of the other brands. Finally we will have distributor in each state and under the distributor there will be a sub distributor to distribute it with dealer channel. We noticed that most ZenFones are running on Android JellyBean 4.3. When will they get the KitKat update and why were the phones not launched with the KiKat update in the first place? All our products

38 MYMOBILE august 2014

will be supporting Kitkat update. Some of them already have KitKat in them and one by one we will provide them on all our phones. Android 4.3 has already proved to be a stable product while Android 4.4 is still new, so we felt that Android 4.3 would be good for the end user. Asus has built the first and second Nexus 7 tablets for Google. How big a challenge was it to handle this task, considering these were supposed to be Android’s flagship tablets? From the idea to the manufacturing to bringing the device in the market was supported with strategic planning and defined deliverables. We together were set to deliver the ultimate product for users’ satisfaction and we are elated with the response. Asus has both the FonePad and the Nexus 7 series of tablets. However, there is a perception that the company does not go out of its way to promote the Nexus 7 range. Both the products FonePad and Nexus 7 are equally significant in our journey. Both assisted us to introduce incredible experience for our customers. The products were being announced in line to all our product launches. You released the new FonePad 7 with dual SIM support. Do you think this is going to be defining feature for tablets in India? Certainly, as the Fonepad 7 dual sim is targeted at the masses with its reasonable price and features that they would not expect in such a price range. Customers are looking for affordability with amazing features and we made sure we provide them best of both the worlds. Asus makes both Windows 8 and Android

devices. What do you think is the future of a dual boot device, which gives the consumer the best of both these popular operating systems? The dual boot device trend has started and it is here to stay. People have always been confused whether to buy an Android or Windows device. Giving them the satisfaction from both the worlds is the step forward. There is no looking back as every company is targeting on giving its consumer the best technology and people would always crave for more and we will make sure we fulfill their needs. Most of Asus’ tablets have run on Android. Any plans to launch a Windows 8 tablet (not a Transformer) in India? Since Asus wants to provide the complete solution in mobile computing, so we’ll consider all the possibilities. So far Windows works more in 10-inch displays and above, while Android works with displays under 10 inches. We are further looking into how to break this boundary. Moving on to hardware, these days the number of cores in a processor driving a device have attained great importance. You work with most notable processor brands – what is your take on the rise of the multicore processors and where do you see this trend heading? We see emphasize being laid on the real performance of the CPU not only just by marketing name. Therefore, we’re coworking with our vendor to educate the market about this point. Asus has been a notable player in the Indian tablet market. What is the size of the Indian market for tablets and what share of it does Asus have? The tablet market in India

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is booming amazingly. There is a stiff competition with the introduction of low-priced tablets; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re within anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grasp. The wide spread acceptance and considerably advanced features and facilities have certainly proved out to be a boon for the expanding tablet market. Asus currently has a share of 5 per cent in the tablet and phablet market. We aim to reach, expand and grasp 10 per cent of the market share by the upcoming year. We have taken up our notebook, tablet, phablet and Transformer series with utmost sincerity and are constantly innovating in order to gain a substantial foothold. We anticipate being the foremost when it comes to touch devices. Mobile devices are gaining pace therefore, from the beginning of this year, we have been giving attention to this segment as well. We will also be venturing into different verticals further to broaden our offerings.

Calling Peter Chang Which was your first phone Nokia 6150 Which is your current phone and tablet? ASUS Padfone Infinity (which has both the phone and tablet function) Which is your ringtone? Standard ringtone from the phone itself Which is your favourite game? I like tower defense related games

Which is your favourite app? Google Maps

Asus has followed a strategy of opening exclusive retail stores in India. What is the reason for this? As an important market with diverse market trends and preferences, our go to market strategy for India has been through our retail expansion. In order to focus on the high growth areas, we aim at having increased number of branches in India. Our focus has also been the Tier II, III & IV areas with our ongoing retail expansion venture. To cater to that, we are working on increasing the channel partners and manpower to be able to reach each and every partner in each state. We have recently launched our 100th Store in Coimbatore and we are planning to double them by end of 2014. n nimish@mymobile.co.in mukesh@mymobile.co.in

August 2014 MYMOBILE 39

mobile doctor to Jelly Bean. We did the same but now the tab consumes much more battery and still apps are not compatible. Please help us! -Burhan Khan Dear Burhan, This seems to be some sort of problem with the firware of the tablet. It is something that the service centre needs to rectify. It does happen sometimes when software is updated.

I want to buy a cell phone in the range of Rs 10,000 to 17,500. It should have good camera, HD display, decent hardware and good design. Kindly suggest something from some of the selected brands: Samsung, Micromax & Sony. -Rajat Jain

I saw your magazine at my friends house. I love all articles in it. I want to purchase a new mobile phone below Rs 20,000. It should have good battery backup, good looking display, FM radio, torch,

you try out the Micromax Canvas Knight which has a very good display and camera and most of the features that you are looking for. If you can stretch your budget a bit you could also try the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and the HTC Desire 816, which are both very good devices once again and meet most of your need.

Mi3 which is available for a much lower price and comes with significantly superior hardware to both these two devices.

I am looking to buy an Android smartphone with good looks, good brand (except Micromax), very good processor and 1GB RAM for smooth gaming, good camera and good sound quality. I have searched a lot on internet and I think Sony Xperia SP is the best budget phone. My budget is

Dear Nitin, At that price point, we would advise you to go for a Nokia Lumia 520. It does have good voice quality and a decent camera and fits your budget too. If the camera is not a very high priority, we suggest you also try out the Moto E which has a good display and runs the latest version of Android but has a relatively mediocre fixed focus camera. I want to buy a smartphone in the price range of Rs 15,000 to 20,000. It should have a good camera and build quality. It should be able to handle all tasks well and should not lag. How is Micromax Canvas Turbo? –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.

Dear Rajat, For your requirements, I would suggest you try out a Xiaomi Mi 3 phone which comes with a full HD display, a 13.0-megapixel camera and an excellent processor. If looks and appearance are very important then you could also check out the Micromax Canvas Knight, which costs a bit more but comes with a much more eye ctaching design and has an octa core processor and a full HD display. I want to buy a dual-SIM smartphone preferably Android around Rs.7000 with very good performance & good user experience. I have shortlisted few phonesMoto E, XOLO Q700S & XOLO Q1000 Opus. Which one would be better from overall experience? Brand is not a concern. -Joydeep Sengupta Dear Joydeep, Of the three devices, we would recommend that you try the Moto E, as it runs the latest version of Android and comes with a very good processor for that price point. We also found its sound quality to be better.

around 5-megapixel camera, good performing device, expandable memory upto 32 GB, dual SIM or triple SIM. I prefer Samsung or Nokia but I don’t mind trying other options if you say. Please help me in selecting the best smartphone. -Prasad Natu

You requested to take the Karbonn Smart Tab 1 to the service center and get it updated

Dear Prasad, Thanks for your kind words. At that price point, we would suggest

40 MYMOBILE august 2014

I want to buy a new Android smartphone. My requirement is 3G, high quality music, high quality camera. My budget is Rs 7000. -Nitin Srivastava

Rs 22,000. -Sudhir Chandragiri Dear Sudhir, The Sony Xperia SP is indeed a good device but we would also suggest that at that budget, you also try out Sony’s own T2 Ultra, which has a better camera and better battery life. But yes, the Xperia SP is not a bad choice either. If you are ready to try a new brand, do check the Xiaomi

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

just in Samsung Galaxy K Zoom The camera for making calls!

amsung has launched the next edition of its camera smartphone blend, the Galaxy K Zoom in India. Somewhat similar to its predecessors the Galaxy Zoom and the Galaxy S4 Zoom, the Galaxy K is more refined and relatively slimmer. On the camera side, it comes equipped with retracting lens technology that provides 10x optical zoom, Xenon flash, a 20.7megapixel CMOS sensor, along with options like optical image stabilization and low light support. Its smartphone side comes with a 1.3GHz Cortex A7 quad-core and 1.7GHz Cortex A15 dual-core processors, Android 4.4.2, a 4.8-inch AMOLED display with 1280x720p screen resolution, 2GB RAM, 8GB of onboard storage (expandable upto 64 GB) and a 2,430mAh battery. It is priced at Rs 29,999. n

HTC Desire 616 HTC’s affordable octa core!

TC has been coming out with new devices almost every month and this time it is the turn of the Desire 616 to hit the market. Although this is the company’s first phone with an octa core processor, it is by no means an extravagantly priced one. A dual SIM device, the Desire 616 comes with 1GB RAM, 2,000mAh battery, and has a 5-inch display with 1280x720p screen resolution. It runs on Android 4.2, but you will not notice that as running on top of it will be HTC’s BlinkFeed interface. Connectivity options include 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi. Although it does come with support for memory cards, we think its onboard storage of 4GB is a bit on the lower side. It features an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and a 2.0-megapixel front camera. HTC Desire 616 is available in the Indian market at Rs 17,200. n team@mymobile.co.in

42 MYMOBILE august 2014

sneak peek Xolo Win Q900s The

lightest Windows Phone yet!

t might have got off to a slow start but there are indications that Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform is gaining popularity. Initially adopted mainly by Nokia, it is now gaining traction among Indian manufacturs too. Micromax announced its Windows Phone devices last month and now Lava has come out with the Xolo Win Q900s, which runs on the latest Windows Phone 8.1. At a mere 100 grammes, the Xolo Win is the lightest Windows Phone based device in the world. It features a 47-inch IPS display coated with scratch resistant Dragon Trail glass with a screen resolution of 1280x720p and a pixel density of 312ppi. It is powered by Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, has 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory (expandable, up to 32GB) and sports a 8.0-megapixel rear camera and 2.0-megapixel front camera. Xolo Win Q900s is already up for prebooking on Snapdeal.com at an introductory price of Rs 9,999, although its real price is Rs 11,999. n

Xiaomi Mi 3 Great

specs, great price

fter gaining a sizeable market share in the Chinese market, Beijing-based mobile company Xiaomi has arrived in India with the highly popular Mi 3 handset. It runs on Qualcomm’s powerful 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and is considered to be one of the fastest phones in the world in terms of speed of operation. Though it runs on a slightly older version of Android (Jelly Bean 4.2), the Xiaomi Mi 3 comes with some very good hardware, including a full HD 5-inch display with a pixel density of 441ppi and a 13.0-megapixel camera. It boast of 16GB internal storage, supports external micro SD cards of up to 64GB, has 2GB RAM, and also a 2-megapixel secondary camera. It comes with a huge 3,050mAh battery, and is expected to be available in the Indian market at what seems to be a staggeringly low price tag in the vicinity of Rs 15,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

44 MYMOBILE august 2014

burn test

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Key Factor! The Spice Stellar Mi360 brings back QWERTY memories

ive years ago, touch screen phones were the exception rather than the rule in the mobile phone market. Cut to today and we find hardware keyboards having all but vanished off smartphones. And it is not a change that everyone loves. Which is why we suspect that many people will love the Spice Stellar Mi360 with its blend of modern touch and old fashioned typing.

Compact and handy to use The Stellar Mi360 is a compact, well built smartphone with a 3.5-inch multi-touch display and a full QWERY keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard will come as a boon for those who have a lot of typing on their hands but want to move on and try out an Android smartphone too. It is impressively compact and well-built, although we would have liked to have slightly bigger keys. The back panel houses two SIM slots, a micro SD card slot and a 1,500mAh battery. .

A big enough display Though the display is big enough for a decent smartphone experience, it disappoints on many fronts. First of all, it is very prone to scratches and smudges and makes an investment in a screen protector a necessity. The viewing angles are not very good either, the resolution is quite low (480x320p) and the colours seem washed out. At a time when the quality of budget smartphones is improving rapidly, this is surprising. The phone also has two cameras, neither of which is exceptional, to be honest. That said, it is good to see a front-facing camera at this price point when even the likes of the Moto E do not have one.

Pros Full QWERTY keypad, Compact design

Comfort of Android and power of dual core The handset comes with decent hardware and handled most routine tasks very well, although it showed lags during video playback and games. It is powered by 1.3GHz dual core processor, has 512MB RAM, boasts of 4GB internal storage out of which 1GB is available to the user (there is support for expanding storage upto 32 GB using a memory card). It runs on Android 4.2, and comes with a number of preinstalled apps like Backup, Olx, Opera, Hungama, QuickOffice, Spice Cloud storage and BBM. The battery backup is decent and we got through a day of hefty usage without too much trouble.

Conclusion The Spice Stellar Mi360 is an interesting device for anyone moving from a feature phone to an Android phone. Yes, one can get many better specced phones for its price of Rs 5,999, but very few will be able to give one the combination of keyboard and touch that it offers. It is not perfect, but is one of a rare kind. n team@mymobile.co.in

spice stellar mi360 tech specs Size | 133 x 62.5 x 11 mm Weight | 122 grams

Cons Scratch prone display, Lags in games and videos

Memory | 4GB, microSD

Touch and type

OS | Android OS v4.2

The biggest attraction of the Mi360 is the QWERTY keypad. Its keys are big and a little curved so will come in handy for those who text and chat a lot. Most people used to a keypad based handset will feel right at home with it, as there are not too many options left in this product segment. However, there are also some soft touch keys placed between the physical keyboard and the display to enable people to use the touchscreen better. These keys are too small and are difficult to locate, ahthough the touch response of the device is generally smooth.

Screen Size | 3.5-inch, Capacitive

verdict

Battery | Li-Ion 1,500 mAh perfoRmance

Talktime/Standby | -/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 3.2-megapixel Others | Spice Cloud, BBM, OLX

Price: Rs 5,999

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

74%

august 2014 MYMOBILE 45

burn test Good looking, low price The Lava Iris X1 brings both to the smartphone table

ne of the compromises one has to make when one is investing in a low price device is the design. Devices like the Moto E and the Nokia X are smart and solid but are unlikely to turn heads. And that is where the Lava Iris X1 seeks to be different – it does not cost the earth but it still manages to look very good indeed.

Godphone clone There is no getting away from it – the Iris X1 does seem to draw a lot of inspiration from a certain phone made by a fruity sounding company based in Cupertino. Mind you, given the track record of the company in design, that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Lava Iris X1 is easily the best looking phone in its price category and definitely will turn more heads than the Micromax Unite 2 and the Moto E. The front and back are completely flat and there is a chrome band running along the sides – the phone is a mere 8.9 mm thin, which is again impressive. The highlight of the front is the 4.5 inch display with 854 x 480 resolution with three touch buttons beneath it, and a 2.0-megapixel camera above it. The volume rocker is placed on the left of the device and power/display button on the right. The back panel houses an 8.0-

megapixel camera with (surprise surprise) a dual LED flash, which is a rarity at this price point. All in all, this is a phone that definitely looks upmarket, and for this, Lava’s designers deserve a round of applause.

A decent performer too Beneath those good looks there lurks a very decent smartphone too. The display is not in the Moto E class but is certainly very good for this price point, and thanks to Broadcom’s quad core processor backed up by 1GB RAM, the phone performed most tasks with nary a stutter. Yes, we would not recommend getting into HD gaming mode with this, but for Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, this more than suffices. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and the onboard storage of the device stands at 4GB, which is expandable using a memory card. Yes, we did feel a little let down by the camera, which though superior to the ones on the Moto E and Nokia X, did not exactly deliver the kind of the quality we expected, and we would have appreciated a bit more in terms of battery life, but in terms of general performance, there was very little fault that we could find with the device. Some might whinge about viewing angles but we do think that there is only so

much one can expect at this price point.

Conclusion It will turn heads with its appearance, runs the latest version of Android and is a decent performer as long as you do not push it too hard. All of which make the Iris X1 an excellent option for anyone looking for a decent smartphone on a tight budget. If you prefer a plainer design and a better display but an inferior camera, you could also check out the Moto E. n team@mymobile.co.in

LAVA Iris X1

Pros Good design, Decent performance

Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Dual LED flash, Quad-core processor, IPS display,

Price: Rs 7,800 verdict perfoRmance

Cons Below par battery life, Mediocre camera backup

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

82% 46 MYMOBILE august 2014

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KitKat on a budget Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

what the Karbonn Titanium S99 tries to deliver

Pros Runs on Android 4.4, Has a front-facing camera

s the budget smartphone market gets more competitive, Karbonn, one of the most successful Indian brands has launched the Titanium S99, its answer to the likes of Micromax Unite 2, the Moto E and the Lava X1. The Titanium S99 is undoubtedly the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best product in this price point, but how well does it compare against some very formidable competition?

Cons Poor camera, Ordinary battery life

Compact and easy to use Owing to its relatively small screen and compact form factor, the Titanium S99 is an easy to use and handle smartphone. We have seen better looking phones but its rounded edges make it comfortable to hold. It has a 4.0-inch display on the front, along with a front facing camera. The back is removable, houses a 1,400mAh battery, dual SIM slots, a micro SD card and also houses a 5.0-megapixel rear camera. Also present is a front-facing camera which does not have a very high megapixel count, but does give the device an edge over the Moto E.

karbonn titanium S99 tech specs Size | 133 x 66 x 9.7 mm Weight | 120 grams Memory | 4GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4

Android KitKat!

Screen Size | 4.0-inch, Capacitive

The S99 runs the latest version of Android, 4.4 or KitKat, which is quite impressive at this price point when you consider that many so-called flagship devices are still waiting for the latest version of the OS. The interface is clean, smooth and worked without any lags whatsoever. The phone also handled task like movies and games very well. The screen is low on resolution but viewing angles are very decent. Where it does come up short is in battery life and the camera. While the battery struggles to get through a day of normal use, the camera does not deliver good results, with poor image quality and washed out colours.

Battery | Li-Ion 1,400 mAh

Smooth operator The S99 worked smoothly and handled games well but stuttered when it came to handling multiple tasks. It is powered by 1.2GHz quad core processor, has 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage with 1.6GB available for use. The last is expandable by using a microSD card. It is loaded with a number of apps like Amazon Kindle, Clean Master, OLX, Saavn, Firstpost, FM radio, Karbonn ebazaar, Klive, Money Control, and Opera Browser. The display is prone to scratches and it also gets dirty frequently, so

Talktime/Standby | Up to 5 hours/Up to 168 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes do keep a clean cloth handy to buff it. The speaker quality is decent but gets muffled when held in hand or kept on a surface. On the connectivity front, the phone supports 3G and come with GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Camera | 5.0-megapixel Others | Amazon Kindle, Clean Master, OLX, Saavn

Price: Rs 5,990

Conclusion At Rs 5,990, the Karbonn Titanium S99 is a decent handset on any given day and superior to the scores of budget smartphones that flock the market. Where it does tend to lose out is in parameters like onboard storage, camera and design, but on the flip side, it does give you the latest flavour of Android at an unbelievably low price. Those seeking alternatives can also consider the Lava Iris X1, Moto E, and the Micromax Unite 2, all of which come with the latest version of Android and are available at around the same price point. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

76%

august 2014 MYMOBILE 47

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48 MYMOBILE august 2014

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The Shopaholic’s Tablet? That’s

what Flipkart’s Digiflip Pro XT 712 attempts to be Pros Good build quality, Bundled Flipkart discounts and freebies, Decent performance

Cons No unique shopping experience, Freebies might not appeal to everyone, Old version of Android

Digiflip Pro XT 712 tech specs Size | 113.7 x 185.3 x 9.2 mm

he rather oddly named Digiflip Pro XT 712 sees Flipkart enter the tablet fray. And it comes at a very affordable price and bundled with Flipkart goodies. But will those suffice to grab attention in a very competitive market?

Following in the Fire’s footsteps in hardware When rumours of a tablet from Flipkart first surfaced a few months ago, people were quick to draw parallels with the Kindle Fire, which is Amazon’s Android tablet with a totally reworked interface designed to encourage people to purchase goods from Amazon. And well, when it comes to appearance and hardware, the Digiflip Pro 712 certainly seems to be on the right track. It is built on solid lines and has a metal back, which is a bit of a rarity at this price point. The tablet itself is comfortable to grip and looks smart rather than spectacular. The front has a 1280 x 800, 7.0-inch display and backing this up is a 1.3 Ghz quad core MediaTek processor with 1 GB RAM. Storage stands at 16 GB, and is expandable using a microSD card. The back hosts a 5.0-megapixel camera with a flash (again, a rare combination at this price point), while the front houses a 2.0-megapixel one for selfies and video calling. Connectivity options include usual suspects like GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but a real surprise is the presence of dual SIM connectivity in the device, which also comes with support for calling. At 285 grammes, it is not exactly featherlight, but it certainly can be used as a phone.

…but not in terms of experience But if the Digiflip XT 712’s specs live up to – and indeed even exceed – our expectations at this price point, the software on the device is a bit of a letdown. We certainly expected a newer version of Android rather than 4.2 Jelly Bean (although an update is believed to be on its way), and unlike Amazon, which had totally overhauled Android to the extent to

make unrecognizable from ‘normal’ Android, Flipkart seems to have decided to travel a less intensive path. The Digiflip XT 712 is very much a routine Android tablet with five customizable homescreens on which you can park widgets and shortcuts. The display has the standard three touch keys (Home, Back and Multi-tasking) keys beneath it and even getting into the app drawer reveals apps and widgets laid out as usual. Adding a Flipkart touch to the proceedings, however, are the presence of the Flipkart app and the Flipkart eBooks app. But do not get your expectations too high – they work exactly as they would on any other Android device. The only difference is that with the Digiflip XT Pro 712, you would get free e-books worth more than Rs 2,300 and would also get additional discounts (which could add up to over Rs 5,000) on other transactions made through the app. However, even these come with their own terms and conditions – you have no control over the e-books you get (they are preselected) and additional discounts are limited to specific goods.

A solid performer Step back from the Flipkart angle though and the Digiflip XT 712 comes across as a very solid device. The display is a good one, and touch is very responsive. And while we were not overimpressed with the cameras, they do a decent job when your phone is not handy. Round that off with battery life that ranges from seven to eight hours on a single charge and well, for Rs 9,999, Flipkart’s first tablet comes across as very good value for money.

Conclusion It might bear the Flipkart brand, but the Digiflip Pro XT 712 is more of a decentlyspecced Android tablet with a few Flipkart apps (which are available otherwise too) added on to it than the shopaholic’s tablet that many hoped it would be. Those looking for a solidly built tablet with dual SIM connectivity will like it, but this is definitely no

Price: Rs 9,999 Kindle Fire in terms of execution. In fact, even Flipkart addicts might not hark to it given the slightly restricted versions of the freebies on it. That said, if you are in the market for a decent Android tablet with 3G connectivity, this is certainly not a bad option at all, given its performance and price. Those looking for an alternative can consider the Lenovo A750 tablet which has largely similar specs but costs Rs 13,300 and has only single SIM connectivity. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

80%

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 49

burn test Desirable and Affordable The

HTC Desire 210 attempts to blend those two virtues

he arrival of the Moto G and Moto E has changed the affordable smartphone market in India and compelled local and international manufacturers to change their approach. And one of those who have responded to the challenge is HTC. Once known to focus on its high and mid-segment devices, the company has now moved into the affordable smartphone segment with the HTC Desire 210, which tries to deliver the HTC experience at a price that is well below five figures.

Compact and handy The Desire 210 is a compact smartphone with good build quality, but at 130 grammes, it carries a bit of a weight for a 4-inch device. It is more of a regular looking smartphone, with flat panels, wide bezels, and a 4.0-inch display with what we thought were rather wide bezels on either side. The design will not catch the eyes

Pros BlinkFeed UI, Responsive touchscreen, Good performance

but we guess it will win over some on account of it having colourful back panels. The back comes with a fine matte finish and covers two SIM slots, a micro SD slot and a 1,300mAh battery. Also on the back is a 5.0-megapixel camera (no flash, though), while in an interesting move, the speaker which is generally found on the back is placed above the display, close to the front facing VGA camera.

Old Android in a new phone HTC has opted to go with an older version of Android i.e. Jelly Bean (4.2), on this device, which is odd when you consider that as of now, a user can get handsets with KitKat OS at more attractive prices than Desire 210. Compensating for this to an extent is the presence of HTC’s dynamic UI, BlinkFeed, which until now was limited to its high-end products. And it works very well too, aggregating news and social networks in a magazine like interface that is rare to see at this price point. The Desire 210 also comes preloaded with a number of useful apps like Play Newsstand, Polaris Office 5, WeChat, Drive, and also has an FM radio onboard.

Dual core power, limited memory

Almost all handsets below Rs 10,000 have only 4GB internal memory out of which a user gets somewhere between 1GB to 2GB and has to rely on external memory cards. Unfortunately, in a number of handsets, one cannot install apps anywhere else but on the internal memory, ruling out a number of high-definition games straight away. The HTC Desire 210 suffers from the same problem, coming with just 4 GB of internal storage of which the user has access to 2.1GB. Another area where it Cons fails to stand up to Low RAM, the competition is in Old version of RAM – the device Android, runs on a 1 GHz dual Routine design core processor from MediaTek and comes with a relatively low 512 MB RAM, at a time when many devices in its price range come with 1 GB of RAM. It also comes with dual SIM connectivity, with support for 3G on one SIM, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. The display has a resolution of 800, which is generally what is seen in devices at this price point.

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HTC desire 210 tech specs

Price: Rs 8,100 A good performer It might not have impressive specs, but Desire 210 to a large extent is an efficient smartphone. It can handle most tasks well, which includes movies, e-mails and apps and relatively lowend games. Its touchscreen response is good and the screen’s colour and viewing angles are quite impressive too. The 5.0-megapixel camera is decent but like the Moto E, lacks flash and touch to focus. It has a 1,300mAh battery that can easily last a day if used carefully. The speaker quality is good and so is the call quality. The speaker lies on the front and so delivers better and unobstructed sound than it would have if located on the back.

Conclusion At Rs 8,100, Desire 210 is a decent addition to the affordable segment and comes from a highly reputed brand known for its quality products. What’s more, it comes with HTC’s famous inteface and BlinkFeed and is a very good performer at this price point. That said, it is likely to face very stiff competition in this price segment from devices like the Moto E and the Micromax Canvas Unite 2, which come with lower price tags, more RAM and have newer versions of Android on them. Whether the brand equity of HTC will sway consumers could well decide the fate of this device, but as of now, we can confidently assert that HTC has come to the affordable smartphone wars. And that's good news. n team@mymobile.co.in

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verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

76%

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Display Magic The Oppo Find 7 brings

quad HD displays to India

ppo had made waves in the Indian market with the Oppo N1 earlier this year, grabbing attention with its premium quality and innovative features like its swivel camera. And now the company has followed it up with the heavily specced Oppo Find 7, which is also the first phone in the country to come with a 2k display, with a shooter capable of taking 50.0-megapixel images to boot.

Ultra HD mode. Running on top of this, a bit surprisingly as we expected such hardware to have the latest flavour of the OS, is Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean), with Oppo’s own Color interface laid over it.

Big thing!

And for the most part, the Oppo Find 7 lives up to its hardware. We found the phone working brilliantly with absolutely zero lag. The Color interface adds some nice touches to standard Android, such as tap to wake up the display (handy, when you consider the size of the device) and support for gestures, which let you access apps by drawing characters on the screen. The display is the star performer by a mile, with rich colours and detail, making browsing the Web, viewing videos and playing games (that hardware muscle means this can pretty much handle any game out there) an absolute delight. We did expect a bit more from the camera, though, which, barring Ultra HD mode, we found to be a notch below the excellent shooter on the N1. Ultra HD itself is fascinating in terms of detail,

The first thing that hits you about the Oppo Find 7 is well, its size. Like the Oppo N1, the Find 7 too cuts an imposing figure and one which will not fit into many hands easily. It is slightly over half a foot long, and at around 171 grammes, is hardly lightweight. In terms of appearance too, it does not quite have the premium feel that the N1 had and looks a bit on the plain side, with the 5.5 inch display dominating the front, with three rather small touch keys beneath it, and a speaker and 5.0megapixel camera above it. There is a metallic band running along the sides but it really does not add too much to the phone from an aesthetic point of view. In a rather quirky arrangement, the power/display on/off button has been placed on the left of the display, while the volume rocker has been placed on the right. The 3.5 mm audio jack is placed on the top of the device, while its base houses the micro USB port for data transfer and charging. On the back of the phone is a textured plastic panel with a 13.0-megapixel camera and dual LED flash and a speaker grille on the lower side. All in all, the Find 7 looks and feels a bit on the hefty side. Don’t expect it to turn heads. Until you turn it on!

Cons Old version of Android, We expected more from the camera, Expensive

Pros Excellent display, Interesting interface, Good design

Solid performer

Oppo Find 7 tech specs

Big hardware

Size | 152.6 x 75 x 9.2 mm

Turning it on reveals what makes the Oppo Find 7 special. That 5.5 inch display is what many call a quad HD or 2k display, which is far superior to the full HD displays that one sees on most flagships. It has a resolution of a staggering 2560 X 1440 pixels, with a pixel density of 534 ppi, which is well ahead of anything in the phone market at the moment. Backing this up is some very formidable hardware – the Oppo Find 7 is powered by a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM and a staggering 32 GB of storage, which is expandable using a memory card. Connectivity options include NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS. And then there is the little matter of the camera. Although it has a megapixel count of 13, it is also capable of stitching together four pictures to generate one massive 50.0-megapixel image in what Oppo calls the

Weight | 171 grams Memory | 32GB, microSD

but the files do tend to get very bulky. Sound quality is very good on loudspeaker as well as headphones, although that bright display does take a heavy toll of the battery – be ready to charge this at least once a day if you are a heavy user.

Conclusion There are no two ways about it - the biggest attraction of the Oppo Find 7 is the staggering quad HD display, and its excellent hardware. That said, many are likely to find it a bit on the expensive side with its price tag of Rs 37,990. Yes, it does deliver a lot of bang for that many bucks, but at that price point, a number of other Android devices come into contention, none more notable than the excellent Samsung Galaxy S5 which has a very good camera and a Super AMOLED display as well. But if it is a superb display allied with good hardware that you seek, then the Oppo Find 7 is definitely a contender for your attention. n team@mymobile.co.in

OS | Android OS v4.3

verdict

Screen Size | 5.5-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Po 3,000 mAh

perfoRmance

Talktime/Standby | -/GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 13.0-megapixel Others | QHD screen, Fast charging technology

Price: Rs 37,990

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

80%

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Octa core, big screen The

Panasonic P81 delivers both

anasonic too has joined the octa-core bandwagon with the P81, a large phone with a good looking display and a rugged design. The company has released a number of phones of late, but with the P81, they are going head-to-head with the likes of Micromax, Intex and Gionee. We find out where the new octa core phone in town stands.

Impressive design and easy to use The P81 is well-built, has a removable leather faux pas back panel, which covers two SIM slots, a micro SD slot and a 2,500mAh battery. This leather panel is a useful addition and will make a considerable difference to a user. First, it is soft and so it feels comfortable. Second, because of the leathery feel it is easy to grip and thirdly it keeps the back panel clean and smudge free. The P81 has an expansive display and as it keeps the bezels around it relatively small, it actually manages to look more compact than some of the 5.5-inch display phones we have seen. The front boasts of a camera, and three backlit soft keys, while on the back panel sits a 13.0-megapixel camera and a speaker. It is not small by any means but considering the screen size, it is well designed and gives the impression of a well-built and tough phone.

Power of eight cores but... This handset is powered by MediaTek’s MT 6592 series 1.7GHz octa-core processor, which is the same one that has been used in the Micromax Canvas Knight. Only the Canvas Knight’s processor is little faster with a clock speed of 2.2GHz. The handset boasts of a 2,500mAh battery, and is a dual SIM phone with one SIM for 3G and the other for 2G. The 5.5 inch display has a relatively low screen resolution (1280x720p) for a mid-range smartphone. Not that it looks bad but a full HD (1920x1080p) resolution display is getting increasingly common in handsets in this range, especially in octa-core phones. It has 1GB RAM, which is again adequate for most tasks but is lower than the likes of Canvas Knight. The handset’s internal storage is 8GB, which is again a bit low for a handset in this range. Thankfully it supports external memory cards so you can crank storage up by another 32GB. But the interesting part is that it allows apps to be installed on the external memory cards so one can install as many games as one wants. It supports WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth and has microUSB for charging and data transfer.

Old Android, new UI An octa-core smartphone arrives several

Pros Impressive camera, Smooth and zero lag performance Good design

months after the release of Android KiKat yet runs on Android 4.2 – what else can we say other than that we are disappointed. However, Panasonic compensates for this older flavour of Android with a new UI that is rather different from the competition. Panasonic has Cons tweaked it from the word go Display picks up and added a number of small smudges, but effective touches. You can unlock the phone by drawing a Ordinary battery life ‘U’ on the display, access mesSpecs could have been saging by writing an ‘S’ and head better at the price straight to to the camera by just sketching a square. It all looks a trifle plain, but the gestures worked accurately

Panasonic P81 tech specs

Price: Rs 17,500

very well. Games and HD movies looked quite impressive and ran smoothly. The power of eight cores handled multiple tasks quite well too. The touch is good, and we found that the phone could handle most of the tasks that we threw at it. Battery back-up, however, is a bit of a disappointment, especially if you are the gaming type – we would advise keeping the charger handy. The display is also susceptible to smudges and finger prints But those aberrations apart, the Panasonic P81 is an impressive handset for those who are into watching movies and playing games on their mobile phones, and are not in the mood to spend a bomb.

Conclusion At Rs 17,500, the Panasonic P81 faces stiff competition from the likes of Micromax Canvas Knight, an octa core phone with 5-inch full HD display and a 16.0-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, which is selling at Rs 19,999. The Intex Aqua Octa is another octa core handset that comes with a large screen and 2GB RAM, and is available in the vicinity of Rs 16,999. n team@mymobile.co.in

if not swiftly. The phone also comes with a number of third party apps and games. In apps it has Hungama, the India Today app (with free subscriptions of the India Today group’s magazines for three months), Evernote, and a few others.

Smooth performance The camera quality of the device is good and it also comes endowed with a number of shooting and editing options as well as the ability to shoot some very decent full HD videos. The handset’s display looks good, despite the low screen resolution and it handled colours

verdict perfoRmance ease of use

Features

7 Looks

/10

value for money

overall

78%

August 2014 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Affordable BlackBerry? The Z3 attempts to be just that

fter trying to corner the top end of the smartphone market with devices like the Z30 and Q10, BlackBerry attempts to go mainstream with the Z3, which serves up the BlackBerry experience on a 5.0-inch display and is priced at Rs 15,990. But will consumers bite?

Big, solid BlackBerry The first thing that strikes you about the Z3 is its impression of solidity. At a time when many brands are trying to get into wafer-thin mode, the Z3 might strike some as being a bit on the thicker side at 9.3 mm, but it more than compensates with its build quality. Yes, at 164 grammes, this is not a featherlight phone but it has a reassuringly solid feel to it. The front is dominated by a 5.0-inch display, with a speaker above it, and the BlackBerry logo beneath it. As it runs BB OS 10, there are no buttons at all on the front of the device – just swipe upwards to unlock the device. The sides, however, provide a bit of a surprise – instead of having the volume rocker and the

56 MYMOBILE august 2014

display/power on/off buttons on the right as in the case of the Z10 and Z30, here the buttons are of the left, and taking their place on the right are a SIM card and microSD card slot. The back is non-removable and has got a dotted matte-like finish with the BlackBerry logo standing out in metallic silver in the middle, with the 5.0-megapixel camera in the top corner and a speaker on the lower one. The micro USB charging port is at the base of the device and the 3.5 mm audio jack right at the top. All in all, the Z3 exudes quiet confidence and does not scream for attention.

Vintage BB experience The Z3’s spec sheet might seem a bit modest in this era of Android spec monsters – the 5.0-inch display has a resolution of 960 x 540 and the device is powered by a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor backed up by 1.5 GB of RAM. Storage stands at 8GB and is expandable using a microSD card. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but there is no HDMI port on

this device unlike the Z10 and Z30. Running on top of this is the latest version of the BlackBerry 10 OS – 10.2, with support for installing Android apps via the installer files. The Z3’s big achievement, however, is coaxing a very good performance out of those specs. The onscreen keyboard remains amazingly good, and now can even predict words in Hindi and Hinglish. The BlackBerry 10 OS remains as smooth to use as ever and the BlackBerry Hub keeps your mail and social network messages a swipe or two away from the homescreen. We were honestly a little disappointed by the 5.0-megapixel camera which is frankly mediocre, but the device’s excellence in messaging and mail (traditional BB strengths) more than compensated. Call quality was good and when it comes to battery life, the Z3 proved to be a pleasant surprise, more often than not lasting a couple of days of hefty usage. The display is not the sharpest or brightest we have seen but more than sufficed for most writing and viewing tasks. Yes, this is vintage BlackBerry all right

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Conclusion All of which leads to the big question: should you consider investing in the BlackBerry Z3? And as always the answer depends on what your needs are. We must confess that when it came to routine tasks, we had absolutely nothing to reproach the Z3 with. BlackBerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s onscreen keyboard remains one of the best, letting us type entire sentences with a few touches. Round that off with excellent battery life and one of the best browsers that we have seen on a handset and the Z3 appears a formidable proposition. Where it does come up short is in the app segment, where it has fewer quality apps as compared to iOS, Android and even Windows Phone. Yes, one can run Android apps on it, but getting reliable APK files (which install the apps) can be a problem even today. And well, in an age when devices at this price point are boasting 720p displays and quad core processors at this price point, the Z3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specs are modest. Even those who love BlackBerry might feel the device is overpriced at Rs 15,990 when the Z10 which has the same OS but comes with a better build, camera and 720p display, comes at a similar price. But if what you seek is messaging and mail excellence rather than gaming and multimedia brilliance, the Z3 is an excellent option for you. n

Pros Good battery life, Smooth messaging and mail, Superb keyboard

Cons Ordinary camera, Relatively modest specs, Limited apps even now

team@mymobile.co.in

Blackberry Z3 tech specs Size | 140 x 72.8 x 9.3 mm Weight | 164 grams Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | BlackBerry OS 10.2

verdict

Price: Rs 15,990

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

84%

august 2014 MYMOBILE 57

burn test Redefining value for money The Asus Asus Zenfone 5 ZenFone 5 throws down the budget gauntlet

ust when we thought that we had seen pretty much that there was worth seeing in the budget smartphone market, Asus has sprung the ZenFone 5 at us. And it has been a while since a phone has surprised us as much as this one has.

It has got the looks At first glance, the Asus ZenFone 5 looks like anything but a budget phone offering. The front is dominated by a 5.0-inch display with three touch keys for home, back and multi-tasking below it. And adding just a touch of class to the front is a brushed metal finish below this that is very similar to that seen in Asus’ ZenBook range. No, at almost half a foot in length and 10.3 mm in thickness, this is not exactly a compact phone, but its gently arching out back does make it feel a whole lot more handy than it actually is. The back, incidentally, is removable and had a smooth plastic finish on it that will be more impervious to stains and scratches than the glossy backs we find on some handsets. On the back is also a 8.0-megapixel camera with flash. The volume rocker and power/display keys are on the right of the device and are metallic. All said and done, there is a certain touch of class to the ZenFone 5, especially the black edition.

It has the specs Beneath that exterior lies some very good hardware as well. The display is a 1280 x 720

Pros Good display, Good camera, Amazing price

resolution affair with a respectable pixel density of 294 ppi, and looks sharp. And powering the device is an Intel dual core Atom Z 2560 processor –and before anyone talks of quad core processors, we would like to stress that we have seen Intel’s dual core processors outpace a number of high-profile quad core chips. RAM stands at 2GB and storage at 8GB, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, and yes, this is a dual SIM device as well. The 8.0-megapixel camera comes with Asus’ PixelMaster technology which the company claims delivers very good results in low light conditions. And running above all this is Android 4.3 with Asus’ Zen UI running above it, with an update to 4.4 expected in the coming days.

It has the performance The ZenFone 5 certainly turns in a performance that would put phones priced at twice its price tag to shame. The display is great for viewing Web pages and even has a reading mode for those who like to read books. The processor was adept at handling most tasks, and we were even able to play games like FIFA 14 on the device without any lags. The Zen UI is largely unobtrusive and easy to come to grips with, providing a smooth experience to the user. An ace up the ZenFone 5’s sleeve is that 8.0-megapixel camera. It is definitely superior to anything we have seen in the sub-Rs 15,000 category, leave alone

Cons Slightly older version of Android, Battery can drain fast, Some might find it too large

tech specs

Price: Rs 9,999 the sub-Rs 10,000 segment and comes with a number of shooting modes as well as image stablisiation technology. While we did detect a slight lag, by and large the camera delivered very good results. Sound quality was decent on calls and on the loudspeaker. Mind you, battery life could have been better – we found ourselves needing a charge a day.

...and it has the price! But where the ZenFone 5 really really scores is in its price. At Rs 9,999 for the 8GB model, it is miles ahead of anything that the competition can offer, be it the Moto G, the Lumia 630 or HTC’s budget Desire devices. We were honestly expecting a price tag in the vicinity of Rs 15,000-20,000 for a device that does as much as this one does. Honestly, at that price, the ZenFone 5 pretty much cleans up everyone in the opposition at the moment.

Conclusion With its feature set, the ZenFone 5 is currently in a zone of its own as far as budget smartphones go. Those seeking alternatives can consider the Lumia 630 which runs Windows 8.1 but has a lower resolution display or the Moto G, which has a smaller display and a markedly inferior camera. But honestly, if you are looking for a good smartphone and do not want to get into five figure territory, then this is easily your best option. By a mile. Asus just went and redefined value for money. n team@mymobile.co.in

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verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

88%

august 2014 MYMOBILE 59

versus

The Budget Smartphone

Face-Off Both offer a lot at surprisingly low prices. Both claim to have redefined the smartphone market and certainly have changed consumers’ expectations of ‘affordable’ smartphones by offering very good hardware and software at a relatively low price. But which is the better one? We compare the two budget smartphone warriors, the Asus ZenFone 5 and the Moto G. Nimish Dubey 60 MYMOBILE august 2014

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he year 2014 will perhaps go down as the one in which Indian consumers were finally able to get high-class smartphone performance at relatively low prices. Although Nokia had made its mark in this department with its superb Lumia 520, the budget smartphone segment in the country was really redefined by the much-hyped arrival of the Moto G, which delivered the latest version of Android bundled with decent hardware at a surprisingly low price. The time since then has seen the budget smartphone battle being well and truly joined by a number of brands trying to catch the attention of the consumer with similar offerings. However, nothing has quite challenged the Moto G the way the recently launched Asus ZenFone 5 has, combining good design with a design spec sheet and a good camera as well. Which is why we decided to pit the two against each other to see which one works better for you.

Looks and appearance There are no ways about it: while the Moto G did look like a slightly lower priced device with its plastic back and basic design, the ZenFone 5 comes with a surprisingly premium feel with a gently curved carbonate body with the metal embellishments above and below the 5.0-inch display adding a distinct touch of class to the device. Yes, the compact form of the Moto G does make it easier to hold, but the larger display of the ZenFone 5 does make it look more high end. We are giving this round to the ZenFone 5. Winner: ZenFone 5

Hardware And it is here that the battle gets really interesting. Both devices have 720p displays, but the one on the Moto G looks slightly richer as it has a higher pixel density. However, we felt that the Zenfone 5 compensated by being brighter. In terms of hardware, you have a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor going up against a dual core Intel Atom Z2560. Some would say that is a no-brainer, but our experience with the Lenovo K900 has shown us that Intel’s dual core processors are more than a match for the quad cores of other companies. Where the ZenFone 5 however, clearly pulls away is in having expandable storage, 2GB RAM as against 1 GB on the Moto G and an 8.0-megapixel camera as compared to the 5.0-megapixel one on the Moto G. All said and done, this is another round to the ZenFone 5. Winner: Asus ZenFone 5

Software This is a close battle. Those who love ‘pure’ Android will prefer the Moto G’s uncluttered Android KitKat (4.4), but Asus has managed to place one of the most interesting interfaces we have seen over Jelly Bean (4.3) on the ZenFone 5. It has some very neat touches, not least of which is a very detailed camera interface and a much more informative notifications area as compared to what we saw on the Moto G. We are going to call this a tie as while there is no doubt that there is something wonderful about pure Android, Asus’ skin on it is easily one of the best we have seen. Winner: Tie

Multimedia And this is where the ZenFone 5 literally gets up on a bicycle and hurtles away from the Moto G. Even the most ardent supporters of the Moto G have conceded that its rather basic 5.0-megapixel camera is its Achilles Heel. Asus on the other hand has thrown in a very decent 8.0-megapixel camera together with technology for low-light photography on the ZenFone

5. The result is easily the best camera we have seen in a device that claims to be “affordable.” By miles. In sound, the ZenFone 5 is a clear notch above the Moto G on loudspeaker mode and comes with a much better pair of headphones. The larger display of the ZenFone 5 also makes it better for viewing videos and playing games. Winner: Asus ZenFone 5

General Performance In routine phone functions, we saw the two devices pretty much match each other. Call quality was good in both, although we would give our vote to the Moto G in this department by a wafer-thin margin. The G edges out the ZenFone 5 in battery life too, although we must admit that this was mainly because we ended up using the ZenFone 5 far more for photography than the Moto G. The slightly larger display of the ZenFone 5 however gives it the edge when it comes to browsing the Web and reading text (there’s also a bookreading mode on the device incidentally). And yes, we did think the ZenFone 5 performed marginally faster, responding better to our touches and in general, handling multiple tasks more smoothly. All said and done, we give our vote to the ZenFone 5, although it is a very tight call. Winner: Asus ZenFone 5

Value for Money The final round and well, it is here that you see how these two devices have pretty much redefined value for money in the Indian smartphone market. The Moto G had been released at Rs 12,499 for the 8 GB version and had been hailed as revolutionary. So you can imagine how we feel about the Asus ZenFone 5 coming in with the same level of storage and expandable memory and a much better camera and design for as little as Rs 9,999. These are both very good devices, but at the end of the day, the ZenFone 5 offers much more bang for significantly fewer bucks. Winner: Asus ZenFone 5

Conclusion So which one should you go for? Well, if you are the type for whom Android versions mean a great deal, the Moto G is very much the device for you, running as it does the latest version of Android. Its more compact frame also makes it easier to handle. However, if you are looking at a large screen device with good design, a good camera and superb performance, we really cannot see a better option than the Asus ZenFone 5. It is the greatest we have seen in the sub-Rs 10,000 category. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

August 2014 MYMOBILE 61

spot light

Number Portability

Set To Go Truly National?

62 MYMOBILE August 2014

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After intra circle MNP, the path is being paved for full MNP, where you can change

your operator to that of any circle, while retaining your number. But is it really a big deal or just an additional investment burden for the industry. Abhijit Ahaskar

he roll out of mobile number portability or MNP in January 2011 changed the face of the Indian telecom sector forever and gradually acquired a cult status. It did away with the biggest barrier that made subscribers stick to an operator no matter how disgruntled or dissatisfied they might be with the quality of service. Changing operators prior to this meant one had to change one’s number as well, and most people did not want that. The availability of MNP compelled operators to improve the quality of services, lower their rates and introduce lucrative freebies on their products. For the first time, retaining existing customers became as (if not more) important as acquiring new customers. After three years of intra-circle MNP, the Government is all set to take it to the next level i.e. of achieving full MNP or national MNP. In line with the National Telecom Policy’s ‘One Nation One Number’ agenda of the Government, pan-India MNP is another landmark development in the history of the telecom sector even though the scale of its impact would be lower than what was seen in intra-circle MNP. Telecom operator Vodafone does not feel MNP is a game changer but agrees that it increased subscribers’ choices. A Vodafone company spokesperson says, “We believe that MNP is really not a game changer in the overall context. However, we believe it gave consumers the opportunity to choose the operator that offers them the best network, service and support. We have made considerable investments over time in the quality of our network and customer service which has reflected in the new additions to our subscriber base.”

What is pan India MNP?

Intra circle MNP has been a success with about 117 million MNP requests having been made across India, as per TRAI’s Monthly subscriber data report. That said, MNP did not address all the issues related to retaining one’s phone number. The foremost among them was the absence of MNP outside one’s service area or circle. With MNP a user could change their service provider yet keep their number but only within their service area. If the user migrated to another circle where their existing service provider does not have a license, they had no choice but to shift to another operator, which in turn necessitated a change of number. For example, a subscriber

living in Delhi can port his number to any other operator within Delhi but if he changed his location to Kolkata, he would have to get a new number from a Kolkata-based operator. He cannot keep the same number and use it in Kolkata without incurring roaming charges and STD call charges. This could change in the coming months as the Telecom Commission has given its nod to national MNP and is awaiting final approval from the Cabinet. Once implemented, it would allow subscribers to port their numbers to any circle in the country and use it at local rates. Of course, there are regulatory and technical aspects that need to be overcome. The move also is unlikely to receive the sort of attention intra-circle MNP did, simply because it is more relevant to those who are relocating from one circle to another - a small number compared to the one who are seeking change within a circle.

The technicalities involved

In the second half of 2012, The Department of Telecom asked TRAI to provide its guidelines on full MNP. In February 2013, TRAI responded with a pre-consultation paper on full MNP requesting inputs from operators on keys questions like processing of porting request, routing and charging of calls, generation of a unique porting code, and amendments required in the existing license conditions for the realization of full MNP. After the operators provided their inputs the regulator gave its recommendations to the Government and said that operators should be given six months for making the required changes in their infrastructure, and recommended changes in the existing MNP license, and reduction in the acceptance testing fee to 25 per cent of the current fee. Unfortunately, the plan was never implemented, primarily because the powers that be failed to decide who will handle MNP on the national level. TRAI was asked to rethink some of its recommendations, and in September 2013, came back with them. Key points included: n After the full MNP is rolled out, the recipient operator will forward the porting request to the MNP service provider of the zone to which original number holder belongs. n Operators will be given six months time for implementation of full MNP. n MNP service licenses will be modified to facilitate full MNP. n Testing Fee for testing the various scenarios in Full MNP should be reduced to 25 per cent of the current fee for service

providers and MNP service providers. Due to elections, the roll out was delayed again. But, now the wheel of national MNP has been again set in motion.

Impact of national MNP

Rajan Mathews, Director General of COAI says of national MNP, “It will impact operators in the sense that it will increase their cost of doing business. In case of customers the percentage that will be benefited is only 1-2 per cent. It impacts people who relocate from one place to another and their number is small. You have got MNP for state which is where most of the activity takes place. So given the plethora of challenges we have, is this something that operators would want to bring to top of the list? Even customers are not crying for it and it doesn’t give a great benefit to a great majority.” While the impact of pan India MNP will not be as far reaching as the impact of intra circle MNP, it will definitely benefit consumers and give them more options and mobility. Just as in the case of MNP, an operator stands the risk of losing subscribers but has a chance of gaining them too. The numbers might be small, but the change itself is significant. For intra-circle MNP, the country has been divided into two zones with 11 licenses service areas which included two metro service areas in each zone. Syniverse and Telcordia were given the contract to handle the MNP requests with the former taking care of the northern and western circles and the latter managing the southern and eastern circles. Full MNP might see changes in this structure but overall it will not be easy as operators will have to set up infrastructure for realizing full MNP and that needs a lot of investment. “It takes a significant investment of time and infrastructure. It took us three years to implement MNP on state level. So it is going to be a tremendous challenge for the operators. Just think about it. There are upwards of 400 mobile switching centers, 500,000 mobile towers, 900 million connections, two MNP providers, ILD licenses, NLD licenses. Nowhere in the world you would find this sort of complexity in the telecom sector,” Rajan Mathews points out. Be that as it may, the Government seems keen to roll out full MNP in the coming months. Its scale of impact may not be as spectacular as intra circle MNP, but it will empower the mobile consumer even more than before and compel service providers to improve their services. And that surely is a good news. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 63

in focus

iOS vs Android:

The Next Battle Both Apple and Google have shown the world the next versions of their mobile operating systems. What can the consumer expect in

the coming days? We take a closer look at Apple’s announcements at WWDC 2014 and Google’s I/O 2014. Nimish Dubey

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t was the best of times for mobile tech lovers as both Apple and Google revealed features of the next edition of their popular mobile operating systems, iOS and Android at WWDC 2014 and I/O 2014, respectively. Both iOS 8 and Android L (a final name is being worked out as we go to print) are expected to arrive on devices later this year, adding a new chapter to one of the most engrossing duels in the history of mobile technology.

iOS 8: “The biggest iOS release ever”

Apple, in its typically understated manner, has termed the release of iOS 8 the biggest iOS release ever. Stripped of the hyperbole, the statement still does seem to have some substance. There is an amazing amount of cloud integration and believe it or not, even signs that iOS is opening up somewhat, after being a rigidly closed OS for so long. The new Photo app will integrate smoothly with iCloud storage to ensure that you have access to all your photographs across all iOS devices. The notifications area has been radically overhauled to provide users with more details. The introduction of iCloud Drive will let you work on your files stored on the cloud from anywhere and now Messages also have support for a voice component. Apple did not reveal any plans for a wearable device but the talk of support for activity trackers and heart rate monitors and indeed the stress on health as a segment seems to indicate that the next range of iOS devices will definitely have a fitness angle to them. And finally, there at last came the change that many iOS users had been clamouring for – the support for third-party keyboards. So far, one could only use Apple’s own keyboard application across all apps on iOS devices, but with the arrival of iOS 8, users of iPhones and iPads will be able to use third party keyboards just as Android users can. Round all this off with greater integration between iOS and Apple’s desktop computing OS, Mac OS (you

will be able to answer a call on your iPhone from your Mac, for instance), and iOS 8 could mark one of the great convergence acts in modern tech times. iOS 8 is expected to arrive in autumn this year and will be compatible with iPad 2 and above, and iPhone 4s and above.

Android L and Android Wear!

Google, on the other hand, surprised a lot of people when it announced a very radical overhaul of Android in the next version of the version, which is so far being referred to as “Android L.” A word beginning with the letter L for the version will be found in the coming days, with Laddoo evidently being in the running. Moving back to the OS itself, it introduces a whole new design ethic in Android which Google has called Material Design. It is a design that Google claims is based on sheets of paper and is more colourful than in the past, with more animations also being seen even in an app as routine as the dialer. A lot of Android’s traditional icons are also set to receive a makeover with geometric shapes replacing the iconic touch icons beneath Android phones in the coming days. Multi-tasking will be improved and most significantly, people will now be able to interact with notifications from the lock screen itself. Round that off with Project Volta which Google claims will make Android use resources better (can we actually look forward to better battery life?) and you can see how big a change is in the works in the world’s most popular mobile OS. It is expected to arrive on devices this fall. An interesting addition to Android at I/O 2014 was the announcement of Android Wear, a version of Android tailored to work with wearables. Initially to be seen on the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, Android Wear revolves around the Google Now system and tries to gauge your information needs depending on your time and location, which it picks off the phone with which it is paired

(over Bluetooth). Currently compatible with devices running Android 4.3 and above, Android Wear also comes with extremely responsive voice commands, allowing you to do more by simply talking to your watch. We are likely to see more devices running Android Wear in the coming days, most notably the Moto 360, which unlike other smartwatches, actually has a circular display just like a ‘normal’ wristwatch. Combine this with Apple’s plans for an iWatch and we can already see the iOS vs Android battle being carried over to smartwatches and other wearables in the coming days.

Who has the upper hand?

So which one comes off better in the update stakes, iOS or Android? At the very outset, we must admit that seldom have we ever seen such radical overhauls to both the operating systems. However, on the surface, Android seems to have got the more militant makeover, as iOS’ transformation had already got underway last year with iOS 7. Without wishing to take sides, it does seem that the initial advantage will be with iOS simply because of Apple’s markedly superior update distribution system which ensures that compatible devices get OS updates literally within hours of its being placed online. Android, on the other hand, still depends on the whims and fancies of manufacturers, although those having Nexus and Google Play editions of devices are assured of getting updates. Which of course, brings us to the devices themselves – it is a fair chance that the next iPhone will be used to showcase iOS 8, just as the next Nexus will flaunt Android L. No, we are not sticking our necks out for a winner, but we can assure that interesting times lie ahead. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 65

in focus

Union Budget 2014:

Calling Telecom! When the NDA Government presented its first budget in Parliament, expectations were high in the telecom sector, in anticipation of new

initiatives. Were they met or belied? We take a look at the telecom side of the Union Budget 2014. Abhijit Ahaskar

he maiden budget of the newly formed NDA government was one of the most awaited occasions for the Indian economy and the telecom sector. Presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the budget evoked the usual contrasting reactions. Some welcomed it, while some were critical of it, claiming it skirted key issues. And this contrast in attitudes was particularly in evidence in the telecom sector.

A mixed bag for the telecom sector

The budget provides impetus to local manufacturing in the telecom sector. It intends to accomplish this by encouraging foreign investment, protecting local manufacturing and taxing imports. Electronics like LED, LCD TVs and below 19-inch screen and all CRT TVs are going to be cheaper as the basic custom duty on them has been removed. Assembled PCs will also get cheaper as government has done away with import duty on PC components. Ravi Swaminathan, Managing Director, AMD India says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Exemption on all inputs/components used in the manufacture of personal computers from 4 per cent special additional duty (SAD) would help revive the subdued demand and promote domestic manufacturing in the country.â&#x20AC;? The union budget stipulates 3 per cent educational duty on the import of electronic goods including smartphones to provide uniformity between domestic and imported devices, even though it is covered under the WTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Information Technology agreement. Technically this would push up the prices of all multi-national smartphones by 8 per cent, but in all likelihood it will be absorbed by international vendors and will not be passed on to the consumers.

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One issue on which the budget was silent was plans to change the UPA government’s policy of retrospective taxation, signalling no respite for Vodafone which is facing tax claims to the tune of Rs 27,000 crore in India. The Finance Minister asserted that retrospective taxation is the sovereign right of any government, but assured Parliament that it would not be used erratically. Ajjay R Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of Maxx Mobiles also feels the budget missed some key points. “In manufacturing, the reduction in investment allowance limit from Rs 100 crores to Rs 25 crores will help in encouraging ancillary units. But, the budget does not have any specific measures to incentivize large scale domestic manufacturing of mobile phones, like increasing the duty differential between imported and locally made phones. While we do appreciate the intent and direction of the finance minister to encourage manufacturing, some more concrete steps could have been taken,” he says.

Tough on online and mobile business?

Online and mobile advertising is going to become expensive as it has been brought under the ambit of service tax. Many think that this may throttle the growth of online portals and mobile apps. Manish Garg, Director, Finance at Unlockar Apps thinks differently. He beileves it is a step in the right direction as it will bring higher recognition and transparency in the online and mobile advertisement industry in the long run. He says, “Initially, marketing budgets for companies engaging in online and mobile advertisements might be negatively impacted, but bringing the online and mobile ads industry under the purview of service tax is a proof of the increasing dominance of such platforms, and recognizes them at par with the more conventional forms of media.” To encourage domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence of the sector on imports, the Government is going to levy a basic custom duty of 10 per cent on import of specified telecom products that do not fall under the Information Technology agreement of WTO signed by India. The agreement binds duty free import of telecom and IT products in various categories. Several telecom products which did not even fall under any category were being imported without duty. Rajan Mathews, Director General of COAI feels there were better alternatives to this move. He says, “Clearly the Government wants to create jobs and that comes through manufacturing, also in the long term they don’t want to keep on importing. There is an obvious logic in that but the question is how to balance it. I think there are better alternatives to it, like incentives and subsidies to domestic manufacturing. When you look at equipment today you will see that 80 to 85 per cent value in the equipment is not on the hardware but on the software. That is where the challenge is and putting 10 per cent without looking at the real issues, like component manufacturing, IP development, software development is mindless.”

The Smart Cites plan

One of the most ambitious proposals of the budget is the plan to develop 100 Tier 2 and 3 cities into smart cities. With a budgetary allocation of Rs 7,060 crores the Government intends to modernize these cities and create ‘smart cities.’ A smart city is a technology intensive city where the role of technology is more ubiquitous than ever. It is supposed to

have advanced Internet connectivity, 100 per cent Internet penetration, intelligent public service, integrated ICT network and must be using green energy. This plan has been appreciated by a number of industry experts. “The FM talked about Smart Cities and Digital India which clearly speaks about government’s intention to go aggressive in developing the nation by taking help of technology. The Government recognizes the role of technology for creation of a citizen centric governance framework,” Ravi Swaminathan points out. Sanjay Rohatgi, President, Sales, India, Symantec says, “We are particularly thrilled with the Government’s all-encompassing initiative themed ‘Digital India’ which clearly enunciates a clear action plan for last mile internet connectivity, better access to services, as well as IT skills development of local talent. Proposals for massive investments in smart cities, youth-focused programs like establishing new IITs and developing an environment for entrepreneurship reinforce it further.”

FDI in e-commerce!

The proposal to liberalize FDI in the e-commerce sector is another significant step. The sector is expanding but investment has been a major issue. Another significant announcement is the tax exemption for eBook readers. The basic custom duty of 7.5 percent levied on ebook readers is no longer applicable and that is a good news for students and fervent readers. Pardeep Jain, Managing Director of Karbonn Mobiles says, “This budget promotes domestic manufacturing, which will help bring greater prosperity to Indian economy and help in creating immense job opportunities in the country. The Finance Minister has also proposed greater FDI into the economy that will boost up the domestic production.” By and large, the telecom industry seems pleased with the budget proposals. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India sums it up, “There were five specific priorities that I was looking for to be addressed in this budget - ubiquitous use of technology for inclusive growth, enhancing the education ecosystem, promoting a tax regime that is stable and growth oriented, focus on the start-up ecosystem and greater impetus to the manufacturing sector. I see this budget setting the stage for higher growth on strong fundamentals of manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, built on the backbone of technology.” n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

august 2014 MYMOBILE 67

In focus

Calling Amazon The Fire Phone After much speculation, Amazon has finally unveiled its first smartphone, the Fire phone.

Initial response to it has been mixed. Will it be the kind of success that other Amazon devices have been or will it be lost amongst the crowd of high-spec phones in the market today? Abhijit Ahaskar

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few days ago, a smartphone was launched amidst enormous amount of media scrutiny and the ensuing public interest. It was partly on account of it being a certain company’s first smartphone but it was mostly because the certain company happened to be Amazon, a world leader when it comes to online retail. And the smartphone was the first phone to ever come with the Amazon branding - the Fire Phone. Yes, it has the elegance and good design that marks a high end phone, and some of its features are truly cutting edge, but what sets it apart from others is its near seamless connectivity with Amazon.

Availability, cost and the Indian market

The price of the Amazon Fire phone with contract is $199 for the 32GB version and $299 for the 64GB variant. And if a user wants it

off contract, they will have to pay $649 for the former and $749 for the latter. A fairly high price, some might say, as some of the variants of the iPhone and high-end Android flagships like the HTC One M8 would cost just as much. Of course, one has no idea what it will cost in India. In fact, one does not know if it will come to India at all. If it does not, it would be a colossal pity because in terms of hardware, this is a very impressive device. The Amazon Fire Phone weighs 160 grams, is 8.9mm thick and has 4.7-inch display of 1280x720p and 315ppi pixel density. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU with clock speed of 2.2GHz, besides having Adreno 330GPU and 2GB of RAM. It comes in 32GB and 64GB variants but offers free cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos taken with the phone. It has 2,400mAh battery, a 13.0-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front camera and runs on Amazon’s Fire OS 3.5, Amazon’s version of Android which is very different from the version we see on other Android devices. It supports 4G LTE, has speakers powered by dual Dolby sound, and has a feature called second screen which allows users to turn the TV at home into a primary screen and use the handset as a remote. Yes, the version of Bluetooth on it is an older one, and the display is not full HD, but that apart, the Fire phone ticks off most of the hardware boxes. Given the specific nature of Amazon’s devices, it is believed that they are primarily satellite products meant to generate traffic and improve sale on their main product, the Amazon store. The Kindle e-book reader and the Kindle Fire tablets were clearly made with this in mind, serving as dispensers of Amazon’s digital content. The Fire phone seems an addition to the category.

The Four Strengths of the Fire Phone Firefly: A cool application, Firefly can scan any physical object and products with QR codes or bar codes, using the

phone’s camera and then search the Amazon database for a possible match. If the product isn’t on their list, Firefly will not identify it, hence ending the search. The idea is to help users go to the Amazon store every time they come across some interesting commodity. 3D Dynamic perspective: Unlike the 3D screen phones of the past where 3D added no value to a user’s experience, the Fire phone’s 3D comes with a dynamic perspective that offers a three dimensional window view of the screen to the viewer and this view will change according to the viewing angle and the screen orientation. To achieve this, the device has a number of special cameras with 120 degree view to track the user’s head movement and position and adjust the screen accordingly. This comes in handy during games, manoeuvring through maps and a lot more. Amazon Prime: Fire phone buyers will also get a 1 year free subscription to Amazon’s premium service, called the Amazon Prime, an ad-free service with over a million songs, hundreds of custom built play list, 40,000 movies and TV shows and over half a million free books. It also offers free shipping on goods ordered from their store. No, Amazon Prime is not available in India. Mayday: Amazon’s avant-garde spin on customer care known as Mayday, which offers 24x7 customer service all around the year is also available on the Fire phone. Users just have to touch the Mayday button from quick settings to talk to a tech advisor from Amazon within 15 seconds to resolve their problems.

But will it work?

According to Amazon’s best sellers list, the Fire phone has dropped in the ranking of the most selling devices from number 4 on the second day of the launch to 68 after two weeks time. This sudden loss of interest can be attributed to the fact that the handset will be available only after July 25. Another factor can be the price, which some might find a bit steep, especially when established players are offering similar devices at the same price point. Some user might also complain about the absence of a full HD display, the lack of a new version of Bluetooth and well, the total absence of Google Play, the official Android store. Amazon does have its own app store in its place, but that might not suffice for the needs of some users. That said, there is no doubting that the Amazon Fire phone is going to make waves because of its innovative use of 3D and also as perhaps being the first phone that has been so cleverly interwoven with an individual store. If it succeeds, it could spawn imitators. A Flipkart phone? An eBay phone? Don’t rule it out. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 69

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

Nokia Fast Micro-USB Charger | AC-10E

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

Wireless Charging Plate

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

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-111

Choose the colour that suits you in a design that’s as comfortable as it is stylish - up to five colours available. It is lightweight and offers long time usage. Rs 2,100

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

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-218

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

Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger | DC-16

You can charge your smartphone anytime, anywhere with this power bank. It is compatible with most of the devices and has a battery capacity of 2,200 mAh. Rs 1,600

Nokia Play | 360°

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

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset | BH-505

Nokia Mono Bluetooth Headset | BH-109

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

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

70 MYMOBILE august 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

August 2014 MYMOBILE 71

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 August 10, 2014)

Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories based on price and colour-coded as:

Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, exDelhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion. M.O.P. mentioned 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

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 73

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

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

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)

74.2

75.8

69.9

83.4

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

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

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 30

Series 40

Nokia OS

Series 40

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,150

1,300

1,550

1,940

2,400

2,600

2,850

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

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

101.8

97.3

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

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Asha software 1.1

Series 40

Asha software 1.1

Series 40

Asha software 1.3

Series 40

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

3,200

3,700

3,980

4,490

4,600

5,000

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

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

114 x 48 x 11

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

Weight (grams)

100

111.4

128.7

124

102

124

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13.7/576

12/480

13.3/408

14/360

10.4/432

17/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

16million/4.0

262,144/2.4

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Tes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

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 Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Asha software 1.5

Asha Software

Nokia X software platform Nokia X software platform

Windows Phone 8

Series 40

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

5,100

6,430

7,450

8,200

9,000

10,000

10,500

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

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

16million/6.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

16GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

20.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Nokia X software platform

Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

11,000

11,100

15,300

19,990

27,800

43,000

41,000

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 75

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

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)

96.5

65.1

74.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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/NA

NA/No

NA/4GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/ No

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

300

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

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,900

910

1,520

1,030

2,376

1,370

1,700

(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

128 X 68 X 11

120.5 x 63.9 x 10.6

119 x 63 x 9.9

Weight (grams)

118

126

116

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/425

13/500

6/350

10/72

3/200

6/150

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,155/2.4

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

128 MB/8GB

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

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

Dual Band/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.2

Android4.0

Android 4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

2,750

4,933

4,300

5,300

4,500

3,399

3,499

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

CELKON

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

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

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

112

124

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/150

4/200

5/200

4/200

12.8/601

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512 MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

258KB/4GB

512MB/32GB

48MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

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

500

Shared

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

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/No

Operating System

Android 4.2

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

Bar/Yes/No

3,999

4,599

5,999

3,299

3,900

5,500

4,100

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

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

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

NA/4.0

262,144/3.5

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

50MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

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

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,200

5,700

5,900

2,838

2,970

2,650

3,000

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

Price in Rs.

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 77

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

116.3 x 63 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

121

112

122

135

155

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/16GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB /32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/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

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

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

5,990

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

102

144

164

140

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6.6/220

16/15

9/540

7/432

9/350

8/72

10/72

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

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android 4.1

Android OS v4.1

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Android 4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

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.

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS Model

GIONEE

HTC

IDEA

KARBONN

Desire 210

Desire XDS

Desire 310

Aurus III

Aurus IV

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

133 x 66 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

130

114

140

130

Talktime/Standby (hours)

S99 Titanium

NEW

NA/NA

11/852

7/350

7.5/400

5/168

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

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/HSDPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS, v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,440

8,000

10,900

11,000

7,790

8,999

5,990

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

LENOVO

A25

A27 +

S5+ Titanium

Iris 455

Irish 506Q

A516

Optimus L4 II Dual E445

Dimension (mm)

146 x 78.6 x 10.5

133.6x66x9.1

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)

150

126.5

120

148

125

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6/300

4/180

NA/NA

8/NA

5.3/230

23/696

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

NA/4.2

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/3.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

114MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Trai Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,780

8,800

11,000

7,200

8,800

9,500

7,100

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 79

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS

MAXX

MICROMAX AX 504

AX 506

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

AX8 Race

AX505

Dimension (mm)

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

138.9 x 71.9 x 9.4

Weight (grams)

103

198

161

162

164

158

Model

Unite 2

NEW

10/642

5/NA

8/190

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

262,144/5.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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/GSM+GSM

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.4

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,800

9,000

6,250

6,500

7,777

6,999

(Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX

SONY

SAMSUNG

SPICE

Galaxy Trend

Galaxy S duos 2

E1 Dual

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 496

Dimension (mm)

121.50 x 63.10 x 10.85

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6

118 x 62.4 x 12

145 x 72.9 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

124

118

120

177

9/260

8/-

8/280

8.2/498

7.5/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/6.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/64GB

4GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/No

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Model

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.

Canvas Doodle 3

NEW

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

Quad Band/No

Mi 506

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Bar

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

8,600

8,000

8,990

7,500

8,200

6,500

6,750

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

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

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

196.3

138

143.5

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDP+

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,800

10,499

13,999

7,000

9,000

10,000

(R s 6000-11,999)

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

HIGH LEVEL

PARAMETERS Model

XOLO

ZTE

ALCATEL

APPLE

Q1000

G2 (V880)

Blade L (V887)

OT 6030

Idol X+

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)

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

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

16,32/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual 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.

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/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HPSA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

iOS7

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,500

9,500

9,900

13,500

16,999

17,900

41,900/53,500

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 81

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

APPLE

ATOM

BLACKBERRY Z3

Iphone 5S

Supremus

Ultimus

Maximus

9720

Dimension (mm)

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

157 X 78 X 9.2

167 X 88 X 9.2

114 x 66 x 12

140 x 72.8 x 9.3

112 x 62 x 14.2

Curve 9360

Weight (grams)

112

125

225

120

164

130

NEW

10/250

18/460

7/432

15.5/384

5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16.7million/5.0

16.7/6.5

262,144/2.8

16million/5.0

262,144/2.44

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64/No

16GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

256MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS 10.2

BlackBerry OS 7.0

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

iOS7

Android OS v4.2

Android v4.2

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

53,500/62,500/73,500

16,999

18,999

23,400

15,000

15,990

16,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Model

BSNL-CHAMPION

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS

CELKON

Z10

Z30

Q10

SM 6513

Trendy 531

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

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

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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/HSPA

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 10.2

BlackBerry OS 10

Android OS v4.2

Android 4.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

19,000

17,990

30,000

24,990

6,500

13,500

14,499

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

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

GIONEE

PARAMETERS Model

CTRL V5

Elife E3

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

137 X 69 X 6.85

139.8 x 66.2 x 8.6

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

133.9

142.9

120

150

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Elife E7 Mini

NEW

14.5/324

14/312

18/200

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16Millon/4.7

16millon/4.8

16million/4.7

16.7million/5.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/NA

16BG/No

32GB/No

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.2

Frequency/Dual SIM

Yes/Yes/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.

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,999

15,300

16,830

17,599

22,440

22,430

26,490

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire 516

NEW

Desire 616

NEW

Desire 500

Desire 700

Desire 601

Desire 600

Desire 816

Dimension (mm)

140 x 72 x 9.7

142 x 71.9 x 9.2

131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

134.5 x 66.7 x 9.88

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

156.6 x 78.7 x 8

Weight (grams)

160

150

123

150

130

165

9/220

14/700

12.1/435

8/338

12.8/440

11.4/539

21/737

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri 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/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

14,000

16,900

17,900

18,500

20,000

24,000

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 83

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS

IDEA

KARNONN

One Mini

One DS

One M8

One Max

Whiz

Ultra

S7 Titanium

Dimension (mm)

132 x 63.2 x 9.25

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4

164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29

143.5 x 72 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

122

143

160

217

Model

13.27/692

27/500

14/271

25/585

8.5/NA

16/700

4/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.9

262,144/4.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

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

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

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/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

Bar/Yes/No

29,300

36,300

48,000

7,800

12,500

15,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

KARBONN

LAVA

S9 Titanium

Irish Pro 30

A850

S890

A3000

Dimension (mm)

138 x 66.7 x 7.5

79.3 x 9.45 x 153.5

143.6 x 74.2 x 9.3

194 x 120 x 11

137 x 68.8 x 10

144 x 74 x 6.9 mm

Weight (grams)

176.5

114

184

176

339

151

121

4.5/400

28.6/490

17/312

8/336

36/840

16/288

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/7.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

PARAMETERS Model

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

LENOVO

Tri Band/Dual SIM

S660

NEW

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

Vibe X S960

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

14,400

14,900

12,000

12,200

14,500

14,990

24,690

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

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

161

170

130

Model

12/800

4.6/490

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/4.95

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Qual Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.4

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

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

12,000

12,200

13,200

16,000

18,150

32,000

29,990/34,000

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

MICROMAX

G2 16GB/32GB

G Pro 2

G Flex

Canvas 2.2

Turbo mini

Canvas Doodle 2

Canvas XL A119 NEW

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

147x77x9.9

165 x 84.2 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

143

172

177

147

180

NA/NA

8/270

15/720

7/290

6.5/180

6/220

9.4/209

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.2

16million/5.9

16million/6.0

16 million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.3

16million/6.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

16GB/64GB

32GB/No

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

34,000/37,000

49,990

49,000

9,200

12,100

14,000

14,600

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

Price in Rs.

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

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 85

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Turbo

Canvas Knight

128.3 x 71 x 8.6

144 x 70 x 7.3

SAMSUNG Canvas Gold

NEW

Galaxy Quattro

Galaxy Grand Neo

Galaxy Grand

Galaxy S4 mini

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

143.9

163

161

108

7/105

7.5/175

8/210

11/210

11/430

10.1/440

12/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.01

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity Frequency/Dual SIM

Shared

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

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

16,400

19,999

21,500

13,600

14,990

16,500

18,990

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

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

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/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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Clamshell/Yes/No

21,500

22,500

24,500

24,000

29,500

29,999

MYMOBILE AUGUST 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 S5

Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Galaxy Note 3

Xperia M

Xperia M Dual

Xperia C

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

142 x 72.5 x 8.1

148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

124 x 62 x 9.3

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

130

145

162.5

168

115

153

17/370

21/390

18/540

20/490

10.16/498

14.1/588

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.1

16million/5.5

16million/5.7

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.2

Android OS, v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

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

29,990

34,000

36,000

44,000

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

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

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

Bar/Yes/No

20,000

21990

24,500

24,000

27,500

33,000

36,000

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 87

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

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

158

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

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

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

No/No/No

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.2

BREW

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

38,000

49,990

13,800

14,000

18,500

1,100

1,500

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

104 x 57 x 13.3

116.36 x 61.7 x 12.7

Weight (grams)

68.2

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

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

59KB/4GB

NA/8GB

170MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

120MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGS/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

300

100

Shared

Sahred

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/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

Music Player/FM Radio

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

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.

MYMOBILE AUGUST 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

107

150

130

6/120

4.5/252

24/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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

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

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

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,350

12,500

13,490

17,250

20,190

22,000

27,541

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

10/720

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.7

16 million/7.9

262,144/9.7

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

Camera/Flash/Video

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/CDMA+GSM

NA/No

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

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

Yes/No

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

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

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 89

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

197 x 124 x 12.3

194 X 120.5 X 10.8

Weight (grams)

652

662

335

360

Model

NA/NA

8/240

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

262,144/7.0

16 million/9.7

16milliom/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

No/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

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

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

243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

340

401

322

304

316

540

8/336

18/NA

20/NA

24/NA

30-Oct

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/10.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

NA/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

16,32,64/64GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

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

Android OS, v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

8,400

19,500

12,600

18,050

20,000

25,000

48,900

MYMOBILE AUGUST 2014

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

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

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

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

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

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

NA/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 v2.3

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/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

59,000

40,000

12,999

Starting 2,06,000+

Starting 2,85,000+

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

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/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

1,500

Shared

2,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

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.

AUGUST 2014 MYMOBILE 91

etcetera Plantronics BackBeat Fit Great sound

for fitness freaks

lantronics calls its BackBeat Fit “the perfect workout partner” and although some might wince at its price tag, it is very difficult not to agree with them after spending some time with the headset itself. This pair of headphones fits very snugly into one’s ears and in best Plantronics tradition, stays there without straining your ears or threatening to pop out while you are working out. The design is sweatproof and well, we love the funky Lime Burst and Electric Blue colours in which it is available. It connects without any hassles to your smartphone and also comes with a microphone, letting you take calls when they are absolutely necessary. A very neat accessory that comes with the device is the carrying case which can also be converted into an armband. Battery life is at a very impressive eight hours. And yes, we left the best for last - the sound quality on the headphones is very good indeed. Some might find it a tad expensive at Rs 7,490 but given the level of performance they deliver, we actually think they are very good value for money. n

Price: Rs 7,490

Zoook Musicana ZM-SP5100 Good sound,

many modes

Price: Rs 3,995

he latest Zoook Musicana speaker system is a good combination of loud and pure sound quality. It can be controlled with a bunch of physical keys or with the remote. For connectivity, it has a USB port, aux port, and also comes with an SD card slot. So one can play directly off a USB drive, connect it to a PC through aux or insert an SD card in it. Quite a collection, one can say, but what impressed us even more is the presence of an FM radio, which, means that one can listen to regular FM channels with the whole family. For a wide reaching sound effect, the system has a pair of 3.0-inch speakers and a 30 watt RM subwoofer. It automatically moves to FM radio if one removes the SD card, USB connection or aux. Barring a slight distortion at high volume levels, we found the system delivering very good sound indeed. n

92 MYMOBILE august 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

HGST Touro S Fast, sleek, tough USB drive

he Touro S is a USB 3.0 storage drive from HGST. It is an ultra portable drive with 1TB capacity, rotational frequency of 7200RPM, and comes with a fine aluminum finish which lends it solidity and elegance, but what adds a spin to it is the 3GB cloud back-up it assures and the dual layered protection to keep your content safe. It works with every PC which runs on Windows Vista and above, and in Price: Rs 6,000 the case of Apple computers, anything upward of Mac OS 10.6. It is silver in colour, is compatible with USB 2.0 so will work with older PCs, albeit at slower transfer speeds. The Touro S is an impressive storage drive, which transfers data at an impressive pace and in our experience, was on par with any other top of the league USB 3.0 drive. At Rs 6,000 it delivers a fair bit and looks good too. n

Ricoh Pentax K-500 Very good entry level DSLR

ou may remember Pentax series of cameras from Ricoh, a Japanese brand. Well, it has come up with a DSLR targeted at new camera users, the Pentax K-500. It is slightly heavy in contrast to its competitors in this range, but we were impressed by its old-school solid build quality. The camera offers a number of interesting modes capable of delivering good quality images. It allows a lot of customization like manual or auto focus, jpeg or raw image formats and comes with a dedicated button, which shows the size of an image on each format. The image quality is very impressive and noise-free even in low light scenarios and when clicking shots at a distance. It can record decent HD videos as well. The viewfinder is quite big and spacious and affords a good view. The cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interface is easy with big subject to subject icons and instructions making it handy even for first time users. It comes with an 18-55mm lens, which in size is fairly smaller than a Canon or Nikon. It is an impressive camera at an impressive price, if you want to dip your toes in DSLR waters. n Price: Rs 28,500

August 2014 MYMOBILE 93

etcetera Funskool Leapfrog LeapPad Ultra A tablet Just for kids

ired and to some extent worried about your children tinkering with your phone or tablet? Well do try out the new LeapPad Ultra, a rugged tablet with a multimedia toy like appearance. Designed especially for kids, it combines learning as well as entertainment and comes with games, cartoons and books for children. You can download more of the same from the company’s online store. There are two separate modesthe guest mode and the parent mode. The former is for children while the latter is for parents. A child will not be able to download anything without your approval. Most of the apps are paid ones but there is enough free content to begin with. The tablet worked smoothly, response to touch was good, and battery backup is impressive. It is slightly heavy, a little slow sometimes and can be difficult for children in the beginning (your assistance will be needed). We loved the build and interface of the device. Mind you, we would have liked a lower price. n

Price: 17,999

Amkette Trubeats ClipOn A ‘sound’ investment

mkette has been making waves in the audio headset segment with its Trubeats range of devices and has now come out with the Truebeats ClipOn bluetooth headset and receiver. As its name indicates, it comes with a unit that can simply be clipped on to your collar or be dangled around your neck. You can connect the bundled headphones with it or any other pair if you have another preference (we think the bundled ones are pretty good too actually, but it’s your call). You just need to pair the unit with your smartphone over Bluetooth or even connect it using the aux cable (which comes with the package) to your music system and you are set to get music in your ears. The device is capable of being connected to two phones at the same time and also comes with an inbuilt microphone allowing you to take calls. Yes, the setting up and pairing can sometimes get confusing if you use it with different devices, but we found its performance to be very good indeed. The design is neat enough and well, at that price, this is quite a good deal. n Price: 2,195

94 MYMOBILE august 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Cygnett Earphones Budget

Price: Rs 599

prices, classy performance

ygnett has come up with three headphones in the Indian market, focusing on delivering solid value for money. The Cygnett Atomic 2 is a multi-coloured earphone with cushy looking ear buds that not only look good but are also very comfortable to use. They fit soundly, block outside noise well, and in terms of looks, are a welcome change from what you get as accessory with your phone. They come with a built-in microphone, and so can be for taking calls as well. They work with all handsets and costs just Rs 999. Cygnett Fusion 2 boasts of a built-in microphone and comes in four colours. It has a touch of metal in many places, which gives it a rugged appearance, hinting at more outdoor use. Its sound quality is good and it works well with calls. At Rs 999, it is priced decently too. Finally, there are Cygnett Spacebuds which are more rounded and compact than the other two headphones and have a sleeker appearance. The cushions are soft and fashioned to fit into your ears comfortably. Sound quality is good and it comes in one colour (white). Not bad at all for Rs 599. n

Price: Rs 999

Sony SmartBand SWR10 Your life logged on your wrist

onyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest addition to its wearable line up, the SmartBand, might seem more like a fitness device, but is also a life logger of sorts. The SmartBand is shaped like a bracelet with a clip and will fit around most wrists. It has a core component which can be removed from the band itself and carried separately if you so wish. It is this core that actually does all the magic. It pairs with the smartphone and records your activities right through the day and presents them in the form of a colourful chart, telling you not only how much you walked, but also how much time you spent browsing the Web, on social networks, and even how much time you spent sleeping (if you keep the band on while in bed). It has no display of its own and can show notifications through blinking lights and can also act as an alarm. We would have wished for a better design (it is to be worn on the arm, after all) and compatibility with iOS and Windows Phone too (it currently only supports Android) but for the price, this is not a bad deal at all, especially if you are one of those who wish to know exactly how much time you spent doing what all day! n

Price: Rs 5,999

August 2014 MYMOBILE 95

etcetera Qualcomm Toq The Best Android Smartwatch. Period

Price: Not yet released in India

t might not be officially available in India yet, but Qualcommâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Toq smartwatch has already emerged as one of the frontrunners in the emerging and yet already highly competitive wearables market. Designed for use with Android devices, it comes with Qualcommâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mirasol display, which is one of the best we have seen for viewing in bright sunlight, this side of the e-ink display of the Pebble. Yes, at 1.55 inches it is a bit on the bigger side and actually we think that the Toq itself is a bit bulky and at 91 grammes, definitely heavy. But when switched on, that display makes you forget these quibbles - it is a 288 x 192 resolution affair and thankfully, it is always on (something we really think should be a given on smartwatches - flicking your wrist or tapping a screen just to see the time is so weird). And yes, tap twice on the strap at the top in pitch darkness and a backlight comes on - it is not on by default - which is kind of sensible. The watch is compatible with all Android devices running Android 4.0.3 and above and can be paired with an Android device via the Toq app. You can set up your watch to receive notifications from different apps and

services so you can find out when you have mail, a new message or are getting a call without actually having to pull out the phone every time to do so. We in particular liked the option to send standard responses to text messages (there are some set ones) from the watch itself and also the option to receive and reject calls (you will need to take the phone out to talk, though, if you receive a call). You can also use voice to text to respond to calls, although that was a bit iffy in noisy conditions. Using the Toq can however be a bit confusing as it has two components - a pad just below the display and of course, the display itself. Apps on the device are in the form of applets and accessing them involves a lot of tapping and swiping. It takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it, this is a very powerful device. Best of all, its battery lasts almost four days of hefty usage on a single charge and the device itself comes with a wireless charger. It is priced at USD 249 internationally. We so wish it was available in India, because once you get used to its size and interface, this is simply the best Android smartwatch out there. n team@mymobile.co.in

96 MYMOBILE august 2014

fa c e t o fa c e

“Blix is about remembering places” Think “location sharing” and a number of apps come to mind, from Google Maps to Glympse to FourSquare. And you can now add Blix to the list. But where does it stand against some very well-known and well-entrenched competition, and will it be popular among Indian users? We met Bruce Woolsey, Co-Founder, Blix, to find out more. Nimish Dubey Let’s start at the beginning: how did you get into making apps? Blix began as a passion project. John Samuel and I have been in technology for our entire careers but this was our first mobile app. The capability to save places was something we both wanted for ourselves, so we decided to build Blix and see where it went. The response to the idea has been very positive, so we’re excited about focusing now on growth and continued feature development Fast forward to the present. Do tell us a bit more about your new app, Blix. Our goal is to provide a very simple tool that allows users to save and share places. Blix allows people to use an address or a map to find a place, save the place (using latitude and longitude) and finally add information such as a photo, tags and notes to make it easy to remember. Smartphone users can also share one or many places with friends with just a few clicks. There are other applications that let you share your location like Google Latitude, Glympse and FourSquare. What makes Blix different? These apps enable you to broadcast your location, but they don’t allow you to save all of your places into what is essentially a personal place directory. Be it a restaurant, a favourite shop or a bench in a park - we want to provide one place for ALL of your places. Some of you may want to share while for others the places they ‘Blix’ may be very private. There are many apps that allow you to broadcast, geo-tag, discover, or review places Blix is about remembering places. In a day, typically, how would you yourself use Blix? I use Blix to save favourite places in my city, plan for trips, make a list of places I want to try (say a restaurant that has been recommended)

98 MYMOBILE august 2014

and save the location of the offices of business partners. I used Blix today to share a list of my favourite places in Seattle with friends who are visiting my city. Using Blix becomes a habit much as you add all phone numbers to your contact list, you just add all places to Blix. Once they are in Blix, places are saved forever - you never have to remember the address, and you can easily access a specific place using search or filters. One of the challenges in India is that not all locations are clearly mapped. How do you plan to tackle this? This is one of the best aspects of Blix - you may need the address (or detailed directions) to find a place the first time, but once you’re there, you can simply lock the location and you’ve got it forever. Google Maps or Open Street Maps are great tools to help you get there the first time - but Blix makes it easy to remember and get back to that place later. And you can save a location like a parking garage instead of the location the address may give you - which makes getting back to that exact location much more convenient. India is still largely a feature phone market. Do you think it is ready for apps yet? How do you plan to convince users to download Blix? India is a tremendous growth market for smartphones - and even a small percentage of the population is nonetheless a significant target for us. Our hope is to gain a passionate following among those who like to find and share places - and encourage them to share Blix with others. Blix becomes more powerful when all of your friends are using it - you can share your favorite places with them, and they can share theirs with you. Friends are our most trusted source for places - so the more friends you have using Blix, the greater your opportunity to discover new places... n nimish@mymobile.co.in

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

mobile senseX

bazaar bargain Samsung Galaxy S5 Launched at: Rs 51,500 Current Price: Rs 34,000 Price fall: 33.98 per cent We cannot remember the last time we had seen the price of a flagship device drop as sharply as in the case of the Galaxy S5. There had been some criticism of the hefty price tag that had accompanied the phone at its launch but it is currently available in many stores at a price that is almost a third lesser as compared to its launch price. And at this price, the phone frankly is a very good proposition, with one of the most brilliant displays we have seen on a mobile display, a superb 16.0-megapixel camera and a heart rate sensor right next to the camera flash. Yes, some people might complain about its relatively plain design, but there are not too many devices that can offer this sort of performance at this price point. In terms of hardware excellence, the S5 still sets a very high benchmark and it runs on the latest version of Android KitKat. And at this price, well, we cannot think of a device that can compete with what the S5 offers. n

BlackBerry Q10 Launched at: Rs 44,990 Current Price: Rs 24,490 Price fall: 44.56 per cent The Q10 was supposed to be the great white charger that would bring back BlackBerry’s glory days, coming as it did with the iconic QWERTY keyboard that was BlackBerry’s trademark a few years ago. While the device won rave reviews for its classy design and patterned backcover, it also took a lot of flak for being the most expensive BlackBerry device in the market apart from the Porsche model. Today, the Q10 is available at almost half the price at which it was launched and shows not a sign of being old or even remotely close to obsolete. The AMOLED display is great for viewing videos, the 8.0-megapixel camera clicks decent pictures, BlackBerry 10 OS still works with silky smoothness, and of course, there is BlackBerry’s traditional strength in messaging and mail, allied with a wonderful browser, and – we left it for last – that amazing keyboard that makes typing an absolute delight. At its current price, it is an absolute deal for those who like to write long messages and mails! n

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