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Budget smartphone battle Five of the best value for money handsets face off P 26

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Tested

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first call

he very mention of those terms takes one back to the days of the early James Bond films or the Star Trek series with people speaking into their wrist watches and spectacles that came with scanners and cameras built into them. Well, today they are very much part and parcel of our tech lives and are indeed being hailed as the next frontier in mobile technology. Google has come out with a special version of Android for wearable devices (Android Wear); Samsung, LG, Qualcomm and Sony have come out with smartwatches that not only tell you the time but also know if you have got mail; and the likes of Garmin and Goqii are releasing devices that will rest on your wrist and ensure that you do not cheat your fitness routines. There are cameras, mail and social networking clients on watches, calling facilities in spectacles and even dual SIM card slots in phone-like devices that comfortably rest on your wrist. But are these just fads or is there some substance lurking beneath their ‘cool factor’? Well, it is too early to speculate on that but what we can do is take a good look at the wearables market and see what’s on offer. Which is exactly what we have done in our cover story. Do check our wearables buying advice too. And that is not the only change in the world of technology. The past month has seen a number of leading brands focus on selling their devices using the online route rather than going through conventional retail channels. While the success of the Moto G on Flipkart spurred the trend earlier this year, the amazing response received by Xiaomi’s Mi 3 device (which was literally sold out within seconds of being available online) has taken it to another level, to the extent that some brands have even taken to introducing their devices exclusively online for a period before moving on to more conventional routes. Is India entering the era of e-commerce finally? We take a closer look at this phenomenon and talk to key players - one of which incidentally is the man who many people credit with the success of Xiaomi, Hugo Barra. Besides this, the pages that follow have our usual blend of news, interviews and analyses - from giving you options to change the look and feel of your device using launchers to measures being taken to ensure more efficient use of the 3G spectrum to comparisons between five phones that claim to offer premium performance at mainstream prices. Yes, it is all here. All this topped off with our usual array of burn tests of the latest devices to hit the Indian market including the likes of the LG G3, the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, the HTC One E8, the Spice Smart Pulse smartwatch, and yes, even the Xiaomi Mi 3 (we did get our hands on a unit). We have not forgotten the software side of things too - check our Smart Apps and Boredom Busters sections. Finally, there is your section of the magazine - the letters, the consumer forum and your questions to our Mobile Doctor. All of which should give you plenty to read, we hope. Don’t forget that you can also get the latest from the world of mobile technology on our website www.mymobile.co.in. Keep reading, and do keep telling us how we can prove. This is, after all, your magazine as much as it is ours.

04 MYMOBILE september 2014

Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

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.

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EDITORIAL

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

Volume X, Issue VII, SEPTEMBER 2014

content

just in

Lead Story

Samsung came up with latest budget smartphone, Chrome tablet with its latest supporting system

Wearables are the latest rage in the market. We check out ten of the best options around.

sneak peek

Xiaomi Mi 4 the buzzing smartphone, Nokia X2 budget windowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smartphone set to arrive.

18 32

chief speak

spot light

As the Mi 3 racks up staggering sales in India, we talk to Hugo Barra, Vice President, Xiaomi Global, about Xiaomi and its plans for India.

Launching phones online seems to be the craze these days. Is this a temporary phase or a changing paradigm?

Letters

News

Bazaar Bargain

versus The battle for best budget smartphone heats up with the Asus ZenFone 5, Moto G, Lumia 630, Xiaomi Mi 3 and BlackBerry Z3 slugging it out for the title. Who comes out on top?

Consumer Forum 38 Gear Guide

Mobile Doctor

face to face It is one of the most popular news apps around. We speak to Vishal Anand, Chief Product Officer, News Hunt, to find out what makes the app tick.

06 MYMOBILE september 2014

Is MHL the new connectivity option people have been looking for? We speak to Vipin Sawhney, Country Manager of Silicon Image.

They believe in delivering innovative mobility and Internet solutions. We speak to Alan D' Souza, CEO, Vavia Technologies.

content

in focus

my guide

Are the TRAI guidelines for 3G spectrum sharing a harbinger for better days for the sector?

apptastic

We take a look at the wonderful world of Android Launchers, which totally transform your phone.

Boredom Buster

62 BURN TESTS MAXX MSD 7 Smarty

spice smart pulse

htc desire 516

xiaomi mi 3

huawei Ascend g750

lg g 3

obi octopus s520

htc One e 8

54 56

karbonn titanium octane plus samsung galaxy k zoom Total number of pages= 102 (98 + 4 cover) 08 MYMOBILE september 2014

Smart Apps

t icke w cr ss e n a , Cro re's The in town ts a e up e gam Tennis g saddled t t r Cou l and ge g! e stin sequ e jou m o for s

Check out news with Yahoo's new app, tweak images with Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows Phone, take a look at the new Foursquare and much more...

vantage point Sujay Chourasia, Retcomm Solutions, takes a close look at the faceoff between traditional, modern and online retail.

etcetera

Watch Dogs, HP Pavilion 11 x 360 notebook, Skullcandy Bombshell, Garmin Vivofit fitness band and more..

letters My Mobile is the magazine which APPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! shows me the things I want. Tested I am a gadget lover and just started my mobile retailing business. For market and the latest happenings, I prefer My Mobile magazine and it is very effective for my business. Thanks and keep us updated. Animesh Nandi Bakuda, West Bengal

regular reader of the magazine and adore it. Keep me updated always, My Mobile! Helina Cruz Pune

I am a businessman, and my 12 year old son is a gadget lover. I keep astonishing him with my knowledge of gadgets in the market. I usually sit with him and read your magazine and show him images and reviews which interest him. Keep up the good work. Mukesh Kumar Sinha Alwar, Rajasthan

I love reading My Mobile each and every month and love the magazine’s content. I love the Burn Test section the most with all the pros and cons fairly listed in the review. I even share the magazine with my friends who love mobile phones. Subhi Gupta Chennai

AUGUST 2014  Rs 100

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67 OF THE BEST FREE APPS

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BLACKBERRY FOR THE MASSES! THE Z3 ARRIVES Phone of the month Asus ZenFone 5 P 60

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Enter the Fire!

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I have been buying your magazine since I was an engineering student and now I am working with a mobile manufacturing company. I still love reading the magazine and my favourite section is the the Burn Test section, which shows the positive and negative aspects of the latest mobile phones. Keep going, My Mobile. Cheers! Harry Arora Chandiagarh I have never been into spending much on mobile phones as I believed it to be mainly for calls and text messages. But I have been trying out apps and new functions on them from the day I started reading My Mobile. I love the way many articles in the magazine show us different features of new devices and apps in a simple and understandable language. Tanushree Mukherjee Ahmedabad I love to keep myself updated and show people how much I know about everything today. And I keep myself updated about smartphones, with the reviews and articles that appear in My Mobile magazine. I am a

10 MYMOBILE september 2014

I have just graduated from college and I am a big mobile lover. I love playing games, chatting and taking selfies often. I read your magazine to keep myself updated about phones that fit my tastes and my pocket. And guess what? I purchased an Asus ZenFone 5 just by reading your review in the August edition. I enjoy using the phone and the credit goes to My Mobile. Thanks! Riya Banerjee Meeruth

I am a great fan of My Mobile and have been following it for the last three years. I read your website’s update on a regular basis. And I do consult your website’s comparison section where I can compare the mobiles and make a choice accordingly. Your magazine and website are a great combination of perfect information. Keep it up! Ramarajan Raman Orrisa Hello, MyMobile. I am a big fan of your magazine and wanted to share the happy news that I got the latest Asus Zenfone 5 after reading the review in your August edition. And I am very happy as you

people helped me in making a right choice according to my budget. Keep rocking, MyMobile. Shayanti Adhikari Jabalpur Hi, MyMobile Team, I wanted to tell you that I am a big fan. I have been following your magazine since 2010 and this year I bought the Blackberry Z3 after reading My Mobile. I want to tell you that I love my phone. Thanks. I have been referring to your magazine before buying any cell phone for me or my family. Rupsha Banerjee Jamshedpur My Mobile, you are amongst the best things I have ever read. Your Gear Guide is my favourite section which helps me buy some really fabulous accessories for my handset according to my pocket’s comfort. I simply consider you as my best friend for the right decision. I even loved the article on free apps in the August edition and enjoyed learning about so many apps that are free and work phenomenally. Your hard work is appreciated a lot. Sankalp Nigam Meeruth I am a gadget admirer. And love knowing and owning them. My Mobile Magazine gives me all the relevant information I need to know about the Indian market in this regard. And I refer to the magazine before even checking out websites to get the latest information about gadgets and information related to mobile phones. Please keep up the wonderful work. Mayank Chaturvedi Kanpur

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 Celkon launches budget KitKat Phone Celkon Mobiles has launched an Android 4.4 based smartphone, Signature Two A500, exclusively on Flipkart at Rs 5,999. The handset supports 3G and will be available with a free flip cover. A dual SIM phone, Signature Two A500 comes with a 5-inch display with screen resolution of 800x480p. It is powered by 1.3 GHz dual core processor, has 8GB internal memory and 1GB RAM. It boasts of a 5.0-megapixel rear camera, a 0.3-megapixel front camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 2,000mAh battery.

Acer releases PC- ICONIA A1-713 tablet at Rs 12,999 Acer has launched a 7-inch tablet, the PCAcer Iconia A1-713 which is priced at Rs 12,999. Based on Android 4.2, the tablet will receive the Android 4.4 KitKat update soon. Designed for single handed use, the tablet weights 305 grams, has a screen resolution of 1024x600p and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad core Cortex A7 processor from MediaTek. The tablet supports video calling, browsing, gaming and video playback. It further contains 16 GB internal storage and comes with a microSD card slot. The tablet supports Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and 3G, voice calling, and for photography, has a 2.0-megapixel rear camera along with a VGA quality front-facing camera. The battery is 3,400mAh, for which Acer claims a backup of 6 hours on a single charge.

Samsung opens customer service plaza Samsung has opened a new customer service plaza in Okhla, Delhi with a new service approach and abilities to handle multiple customers at once. With an area of 26,000 square feet, the plaza is going to be open seven days a week till 8 pm. The plaza is equipped with one of the largest customer interaction areas and has the capacity for handling 30 customers simultaneously. Samsung has also introduced a new service approach with live repairs in front of the customer to ensure complete transparency in terms of repair charges and parts replacement.

Three new budget smartphones with 12 language support from Samsung Samsung has announced three new smartphones – the Galaxy Star 2 priced at Rs 5,100, the Galaxy Star Advance and the Galaxy Ace NXT priced at Rs 7,400. It’s users will get free Internet usage upto 200 MB per month for first six months from Vodafone. Powered by

14 MYMOBILE september 2014

the latest Android Kit Kat, the handsets come with a new physical button which enables consumers to quickly shuffle between various apps. Interestingly, all the new handsets support 12 Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Assamese.

Budget Stellar devices from Spice Spice has launched two budget smartphones, the Stellar 520 and the Stellar 526 priced at Rs.8,999 and Rs.11,499 respectively. The smartphones have 5.0-inch IPS displays with 1280x720 screen resolution and are powered by Android 4.4 KitKat. They also come with a free flip cover worth Rs. 500. The Stellar 520 is powered by 1.3 GHz quad core processor, and features a 8.0-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash, a 2.0-megapixel front camera, 4GB internal storage which is expandable to upto 32GB and 1GB RAM along with a battery of 2,000mAh. Spice Stellar 526 is a dual SIM handset powered by 1.5 GHz hexa-core processor, 1GB RAM, and a 2,500mAh battery. It has 8GB internal memory, 8.0-megapixel rear camera with auto focus, a 3.2 megapixel front camera, and also has a dual Wi-Fi mode, which enables the smartphone to connect with a smart TV.

Oplus launches the Xon Phone 5 with Snapdeal Oplus has launched the XonPhone 5 exclusively on Snapdeal.com at Rs.7,999. The handset runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), and is powered by a quad-core processor. The handset has a 5.0-inch 720p HD multi-touch display and is powered by a MTK6582 quad core chipset from MediaTek with a clock speed of 1.3GHz. It has 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, and supports upto 32GB expandable memory. Other features include an 8.0-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED Flash, a 2.0-megapixel front camera and a 2,000mAh battery capacity.

Spectranet ties up with iYOGI for better customer support Internet service provider Spectranet has partnered with iYogi to provide its consumers with high quality technical assistance. The company expects this partnership to improve customer satisfaction and drive a 12 per cent increase in revenue and reduce support cost by 15 per cent in the next two years. iYogi has won worldwide renown for its customer service which manages over 90 per cent of complaints over the phone itself.

4.59 crore subscribers don’t have identification documents: CAG report: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has released a report showing that 4.59 crore subscribers in the country are still without identity. The Government has imposed penalty of Rs.4,200 crores on seven telecom companies for issuing subscription to unverified subscribers. The CAG report also states that these telecom service providers after paying 400 crores have refused to pay the penalty and the Government has not taken any action against them yet.

P Balaji steps down from Nokia Nokia’s India head P Balaji has resigned from his post at Nokia India (which is now called Microsoft Devices, after Microsoft took over the company). According to sources, he will remain the adviser for the company till October, 2014. Balaji was with Nokia for two years during which the company released a slew of new Lumia devices and also joined Microsoft.

Garmin releases the Vivofit band Garmin, which is best known for its navigation devices, has launched a fitness band called Vivofit exclusively on Flipkart at Rs 9,990. Available in swappable colour straps, the band is water-proof, has a display showing time, date, steps walked, goal countdown, distance and calories burned in a day. It can also be connected to a phone or a PC to get detailed information on your fitness.

Line adds a hidden chats option Line, a free call and messaging app, has added a Hidden Chats feature for Android and iPhone. The new feature will enable users to send messages within a time limit of 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week. A separate page exclusive to Hidden Chats can be created with a filter attached, and will make it impossible to view the content.

Vuclip ties up with ESPN Cricinfo Vuclip has partnered with ESPN Cricinfo India, to offer cricket related content to its subscribers. The content will be available on m.vuclip.com, the Vuclip Android App or the Vuclip Java App. Vuclip users can now access match previews, press conferences, and match analyses, feature programs like interviews of cricketers from around the world through this partnership.

WEGO.COM releases travel app Wego.com, a popular travel search portal, has released a travel app for Android and

news bits iOS users. The app provides hundreds of airfare options and hotel rates in 20 languages. The app will offer gesture-based navigation, advanced filtering and sorting options by using images and logic. It also allows users to e-mail travel search results to others.

Airtel launches new 3G Wi-Fi dongle Bharti Airtel has launched a 3G Wi-Fi dongle for Delhi-NCR circle priced at Rs.2,499. Supporting HSPA+ connectivity, the dongle offers download speeds of upto 21 mbps on 3G and can also be used to create a Wi-Fi hotspot. Users can connect upto five devices including mobile phone, tablet and laptop simultaneously to it. The dongle also comes with cash back offers and additional data benefit packages.

Sita gets smartwatch friendly Sita Labs has launched a facility for Android Wear watch users to get their boarding passes via its API which is available on its official website. A quick first swipe would reveal the boarding pass and a second swipe would display the barcode, allowing the passenger to get through the airport’s checkpoints and board the plane. A simple alert via Android Wear technology will also remind the passenger about their flight’s time and location.

Facebook joins COAI Facebook India has become an associate member of Indian GSM operators association, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). By joining COAI, Facebook intends to improve communication with both the Government and the mobile industry, addressing a number of issues.

PNY releases HP TF Class 10 memory cards PNY Technologies has unveiled a new range of HP TF Class 10 memory cards in India. The memory cards are available in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants, priced at Rs.450, Rs.470, Rs.1,500 and Rs.3,000 respectively. The memory cards claim to improve the consumer’s digital lifestyle by bringing better performance in speed and capacity. The minimum speed of the card is 10Mbps and it is compatible with mobile platforms like Android, BlackBerry, and GPS systems, as well as mobile gaming consoles.

Facebook acquires cyber security company Facebook has taken over California-based PrivateCore Company, which deals in cyber security and server data manufacturing. The step is believed to have been taken to make the social networking site’s vast server network more secure. The Chief Security Officer

16 MYMOBILE september 2014

at Facebook said that PrivateCore’s technology will help support Facebook’s mission to make the site more connected in a secure and trusted manner.

Sunstrike launches Rage Swift Sunstrike Telecom has launched the Rage Swift handset priced at Rs 2,999. Running on Android KitKat, Rage Swift is a 3G smartphone and comes with a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen. The dual SIM phone has a camera both in the front (VGA) and the rear (1.3 Megapixel) and features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity. The phone is available in black colour and the company is providing a crystal cover free with the handset.

Lumia Cyan Update available for Lumia Microsoft has rolled out the latest Lumia Cyan update for Nokia Lumia smartphones in several countries including India. In India, the update has been released for the Nokia Lumia 625, 925, 1320 and 1520. The company has also started its deployment on Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 1020. Other Lumia smartphones including the Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620 and 525 will get the update in September. The Cyan update is basically the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, which was launched a few months ago and first seen on the Lumia 630.

Gmail And Yahoo make phone number compulsory for verification Gmail and Yahoo have made it compulsory for subscribers to give telephone numbers for new email addresses for verification. Google said that the decision was taken to check spam email senders. Google has also limited the number of accounts used by a person on one telephone number. But it did not specify the maximum number of email accounts it will allow. While for Gmail, a person can give either telephone or mobile number, for Yahoo, it is mandatory for a user to have a mobile number registered.

Line releases version 4.6.0. for Android Line Corporation, the owner of free call and messaging app Line, has released the latest version 4.6.0 of the Line messenger app. The new version allows users to find stickers just by entering text with the new ‘Suggest’ feature. This update will be available for Android devices only. iOS users will have to wait for their own updates. Currently, free stickers and Emoji and a few of the paid stickers are compatible with the Suggest feature. The company is working on making more stickers and Emoji compatible in the future.

Timex launches Ironman One smartwatch Timex has launched a GPS based smartwatch Timex Ironman One in Canada and USA offering wireless connectivity without a smartphone. The smartwatch has been developed in collaboration with Qualcomm and AT&T and offers solutions for fitness activities. It comes with wireless connectivity, email-based messaging capabilities and tracking capabilities that communicate the user’s location to friends and family at any time from any location. The smartwatch also claims to be waterproof, has a built-in MP3 component with 4GB memory to play music via a Bluetooth headset, is sunlight readable, and has a high-resolution touch display.

Apple refreshes Macbook Pro with Retina display and faster processors Apple has updated the MacBook Pro series notebooks with Retina displays and faster processors and has also lowered the starting price of the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro by $100 to $1,099. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features 2.8 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, up from 4GB in the entry-level notebook. There is also a Core i7 version, with 3.0 GHz clock speed. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display comes at a reduced price of $2,499, for the entry level version. It features a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, with 16GB RAM, up from 8GB in the entry-level notebook.

Amkette unveils Trubeats Pixie 3-In-1 Bluetooth speaker Amkette has launched a 3 in 1 Bluetooth speaker named Amkette Trubeats Pixie. It is a portable Bluetooth speaker which comes in multi-colour silicon sleeves. Users can take one off and put on another colour sleeve and change its look and feel. It allows users to stream music over Bluetooth and boasts of a voice prompt technology which prompts users when the speaker is on, paired and connected with a device and in case of an incoming call. The Pixie will be available across all leading retail stores in India and ecommerce portals at Rs 2,195.

Xolo Play 8x-1200 phone released Xolo has launched a gaming smartphone. the Xolo Play 8X-1200 at Rs.19,999. The device runs on Andorid 4.4 KitKat OS, and comes with a 5.0-inch full HD IPS display, and is powered by 2.0 GHz true Octa-Core Processor, has 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The handset comes with a 13.0-megapixel rear camera with dual LED Flash, a 5.0-megapixel front camera and a 2,300 mAh Li-ion battery. It also comes with OTG support allowing users to connect a USB drive to the handset and transfer files. The smartphone is available at all authorized retail counters and outlets. n

4.0â&#x20AC;? IPS Display, 20GB Kitkat Smart Phone @ `4020/-/- only

Dual Core Processor

3.2 MP Dual Camera

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

lead story

Here Come The

Wearables As technology moves from computers, tablets and phones to being a part of what you wear, we take a look at ten of the best wearables available in the market today. Nimish Dubey

f you thought that technology was already an integral part of our lives, get ready to be surprised. For, if experts are to be believed, it is going to become even closer to us. Literally. Yes, the next big thing in the world of technology is going to be the wearable device. One which one wears on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s person rather than carries in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pocket or in a bag. We are moving from desktops and handsets to the world of smartbands, smartwatches, smart spectacles and who knows, even smart clothing - imagine cuff links that glow every time you get a message or a call or a shirt whose collar comes with integrated speakers and microphones allowing you take calls from it. No, it is not as ridiculous or out of the world as it might have seemed a few years ago and is well nigh possible. Although wearables have been around in some form or the other for quite a while - remember those Casio watches with calculators built into them in the eighties? - but it is only now that they have moved out from the terrain of James Bond and Mission Impossible films and are making an attempt to go mainstream. A few years ago, LG surprised a number of people when it introduced a watch that allowed you to make and receive calls. Today, a smartwatch (that is what they are called) is no longer a novelty and is seen more often - in fact, most major technology companies, be it Qualcomm, Google, Sony or Samsung, are working on some sort of wearable or another. It could be as basic as a band that is worn on the wrist and records your activities or as complex as a pair of spectacles that give you routing information, weather updates and let you make and receive calls, but wearables have well and truly started their journey to become a part of our lives. And paving the way for this exciting journey are some wearables that are already available in the markets. Not all of them are in India yet but you can be sure that they are en route. And will one day change your lives. By being a part of what you wear.

18 MYMOBILE september 2014

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september 2014 MYMOBILE 19

lead story Smart watch with muscle

o, its appearance is unlikely to be everyone’s cup of tea, but what cannot be denied is that when it comes to sheer versatility, there are not too many wearables out there that can compete with Samsung’s Gear 2. Want to make and receive calls from your phone? You can. Want to get notifications? You can. Want to shoot 720p video and stills? You can. Want to know your heart rate? You can do that too. You can even play music right off the device. This is actually as close to a phone on your wrist as one can possibly get without placing a device with a SIM card inside it on your arm. The Gear 2’s design is a huge step forward from the slightly clunky first Gear but the AMOLED display is perhaps the best we have seen in terms of colour and detail on a smartwatch. The watch is dust and water resistant and although battery life could have been better, we are not complaining given the amount of functionality it offers. If only it worked with more devices. And was more affordable. Price: Rs 21,550

LG G Watch Android Wear Ambassador

ndroid officially has a version for smartwatches now, called Android Wear. And one of the first devices to feature it is the LG G Watch. It comes with a 1.65-inch LCD touchscreen display that handles colours very well indeed and can pair with any Android device running Android 4.3 and above. Once paired, it can serve up notifications from your messages and mails and social networks, as well as the latest news and information pertaining to your fitness - it can even use Google Now to remind you of upcoming appointments and trips. Best of all, you can simply ask it for information by saying “OK Google” as you do on your phone. There are a number of apps being developed for it so you can expect much more functionality in the days to come. Battery life is a bit iffy - heavy use might need a recharge a day - and the watch does not come cheap, but if you are looking for a classic Android experience on a watch, this is it. Price: 14,999

20 MYMOBILE september 2014

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Sony SmartBand Your life on your wrist

implicity. If one had just one word to define the Sony SmartBand, that would be it. For, it is actually as basic as smartbands get - a simple core component placed inside a strap. But placed on your wrist, it keeps recording what you do and when paired with a compatible Android device, shows you your day in all its glory - from the number of hours you have slept, to the time you have spent on different apps (games, mail, books) to of course, time spent in activities like walking and exercise. Small wonder that Sony tends to call it a life recorder of sorts rather than a fitness band, although it can alert you to incoming phone calls and messages too. It is not the most snazzy design we have seen, but it is compact, has a good battery life (a couple of charges will see you through a week) and most important of all, is backed up by very good software. If you want one wearable that tells you what you did all day, this is it. Price: Rs 5,990

Sony SmartWatch 2 Solid, steady performer

onyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first SmartWatch did not set the markets on fire as too many thought that it looked more like a clip-on display than a smartwatch. Well, there is no chance of anyone mistaking the SmartWatch 2 for being anything but a watch with brains. It pairs with Android phones and lets you access a whole lot of information from them without having to pull out your phone all the time. So you can catch up with your Facebook and messaging alerts, take and receive calls, and well, if in fitness mode, can use apps to track the distance you have covered and get a report on how active you have been. It is well designed, water resistant and comes with a display that is readable even in bright sunlight. No, it is not as versatile as some of the smartwatches in this list, but where it scores is in its solid build and steady performance. Its battery life of 2-3 days is very decent for what it offers. And at the time of writing, it was relatively low-priced too. Price: Rs 12,999

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lead story Pebble Keeping it simple

hile other players in the wearables market have tried to score points by stuffing in a lot of features into their devices, the folks at Pebble have opted to keep matters simple. And have reaped the benefits. Thanks to its relatively low price, excellent battery life and cross platform functionality, the Pebble is one of the most popular wearable devices in the market today. The watch does not have a touchscreen display, and uses a combination of four buttons on the side for accessing information and executing instructions. That might sound tedious, but the display is an e-ink one which makes it easy to read even in bright sunlight, and enables long battery life - the Pebble can comfortably last a week on a single charge. It is compatible with both Android as well as iOS devices and very significantly has its own app store. You can check notifications, accept and reject calls and get updates on your calendar and do much more. It does not have a colour display or any fancy touches, but the Pebble simply works. Price: USD 150

Qualcomm Toq Display magic

ne of the most innovative takes on the wearable has come from processor specialists Qualcomm. Their Toq smartwatch uses a Mirasol display, a special display from Qualcomm which is designed to deliver a good viewing experience, while consuming very little power and being - believe it or not - always on. And while some might find the Toq a bit too large for comfort, the stark fact is that its display makes it stand out and also make it one of the easiest devices to actually read text on. The interface is brilliant too, featuring panels and large icons that can easily be used with a finger. It has a decent stack of apps (more are expected in the coming days) and lets you accept and reject calls and view messages and mails and much more right from your wrist, after you pair it with an Android smartphone. It also has wireless charging (a special cradle comes in the box) and a battery that lasts close to five days of constant use. Yes, we wish the strap was changeable and it was available in India, but even without that, this is one of the best smartwatches around. Price: USD 249.99

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Spice Smart Pulse Super affordable wrist phone

ne of the biggest challenges facing wearable manufacturers has been that of price - most wearable devices tend to cost about as much as a mid-segment phone. Which is where Spice scores heavily with its Smart Pulse watch. Well, calling it a watch is unfair, as this is actually more of a wearable phone. It comes with dual SIM connectivity, expandable memory and a camera. You can send messages from it, makes calls, check mail on it and even browse the Web using a very basic WAP browser - all without pairing it with another phone. It comes with a Bluetooth headset as well for those who dislike holding their wrists to their faces for a call. You can even pair it with an Android phone to get notifications and updates. Some might complain about the absence of sensors and a proper smartwatch OS (it runs on a proprietary Java OS), but we think that notwithstanding a slightly awkward design, this is one of the most affordable wearables around. Price: Rs 3,999

Xiaomi Mi Band The mainstream wearable?

fter making high-class smartphones super affordable (check out the Redmi Note and the Mi 3), Xiaomi has now taken on wearables. And in best tradition, has gone and upset a few applecarts by offering what seems to be a very high quality product at a price that is surprisingly low. It is essentially a fitness band that can pair with your smartphone and track your movements and like the Sony SmartBand, has no display but is instead a core component placed inside a strap. However, it does have some very interesting touches, such as the ability to unlock the phone with which it has been paired when you hold it in the hand on which it is tied and well, a month-long battery life. It is also waterproof. But its biggest selling point - literally - is going to be its price. At around thirteen dollars, the Mi Band will cost about as much as a routine wristwatch. Which is why it could turn out to be the most popular wearable of them all. Price: USD 13

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lead story Google Glass The ultimate tech wearable?

t is not commercially available yet, but there is perhaps no wearable that has made as much news as Google Glass. And that is because of what it offers. As its name indicates, it is basically a component that can be attached to a pair of spectacles. Once perched there, it allows you to do a whole host of things, from letting you know when you are getting a call to taking pictures to getting information about your route and letting you know the latest news. It responds to voice commands smoothly, letting you get on with life without having to pull out your phone for everything, and has a number of apps specifically designed for it. There have been some concerns about privacy and whether wearing such a device close to your eyes might actually distract you, but as of now, the number of the deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters are comfortably more than those who think it is nothing but a flashy gadget. Expect long lines when it does become available off the stores. Price: USD 1500

Garmin Vivofit Super Fitness Band

arminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt at a wearable revolves around fitness rather than a smartwatch, and what makes the Vivoband special is the fact that not only does it have a display of its own, letting you know the number of steps you have taken, calories burnt and the time, among other things, but it is also compatible with both iOS and Android devices, but is also the only wearable in this list that saves you from the hassle of constantly charging it. The device comes with a battery that lasts close to a year of constant use and is similar to those seen on digital wristwatches. Top that off with the fact that you can switch bands and go for funky colours and that the device itself is waterproof and even smart enough to alert you when you have been inactive and you have one of the best fitness devices in the wearables market. You can even get your heart rate using a heart rate monitor accessory. Price: Rs 9,990

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The Wearable Buying Guide Is it comfortable to wear? It is surprising how often people forget to take this basic factor into consideration while purchasing a wearable. Be it a smartwatch, or a piece of footwear with GPS tracking, it is unlikely to be of much good if it is not comfortable to wear. Unlike a phone or a notebook, a wearable is something that is likely to spend a lot of time in contact with your person, so choosing one is not just a matter of technology, but also comfort. Check for allergies too - you will be amazed at the number of people who have problems with watch straps. Is it compatible with your devices? Most wearables in the market are not capable of functioning on their own and generally work in conjunction with another device a phone, a tablet or a computer. And compatibility is not just a matter of Bluetooth availability but much more than that - an Android Wear device will not work with a Windows Phone or an iPhone. Similarly, a Galaxy Gear smartwatch will work only with some designated Samsung handsets. So do check for compatibility before you make a purchase. How long does the battery last? And how is it charged? Most wearables come with limited battery life, and require charging. Do check how frequently a wearable needs to be charged and what is its maximum battery life. Battery matters do not end there - you should also check how the battery is charged. Many wearables like the Qualcomm Toq come with their own special charging cradles. Similarly some others can only be charged off a wall power outlet and not from notebooks. Always remember to check if charging the wearable could become an issue. Can it be customised? As you are likely to be wearing it, you would ideally like to have the option of changing the appearance of a wearable device to make sure it blends with your wardrobe and appearance. This could be in the form of a wristwatch strap that can be changed, spectacle frames that can be altered and so on. Always keep in mind that in most cases, a wearable will be visible on your person, so check out the options you have of changing its appearance. App support This might sound like something out of a

guide for a smartphone, but the stark fact is that the stronger the app community around a

In the market for a wearable ? Confused by the large number of options available? Wondering if the device you invest in will actually serve your purpose? Do consider the following factors carefully before you make your purchase and you will be wearing your tech happily ever after.

wearable is, the longer it is likely to remain relevant and indeed get new features. Third party apps will also enable you to get more out of your device beyond its â&#x20AC;&#x153;officialâ&#x20AC;? features. One of the reasons for the success of the Pebble smartwatch has been the existence of an App Store dedicated to the watch and apps that run on it. Update frequency From the simple smart band to a complex smartwatch, all wearables work on some software or the other. And this software needs to be updated regularly to ensure that it remains secure and functions smoothly. So if you are in the market for a wearable, just check its software update record. The more regularly its software is updated, the better its performance is likely to be. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

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versus

The Budget Smartphone

Battle

V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S www.mymobile.co.in V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ the Asus ZenFone 5 which looked t is the bestV/S of times smartphone usersV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SforV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Svery V/Spre-V/S V/S V/ on relatively tight budgets. A year or so ago, mium indeed with its curved sides and gently V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ the very thought of getting a device capable sloping back. The second place surprisingly V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ goes to the BlackBerry Z3 which grabs attenof turning in a world class performance for tion with solid,V/S if a tad heavy build. It defianything less than 25,000 would have been V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SRsV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SitsV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ nitely looks a bit more niche than the slightly considered right out of the world of tech V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ routine design of the Mi 3, although the latter fantasy. Today, you actually have devices that V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ is the only device in the group to be using deliver just that for an even lower price. In metal V/S in its build not anV/S eyesore by V/S any fact, if you haveV/S about Rs 15,000 in yourV/S wallet V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S and V/Sis V/S V/S V/S V/ standards. Lumia look with today, would be V/S spoilt V/S for choice. V/S V/S V/SyouV/S V/S V/S Which V/S V/S V/S V/SThe V/S V/S630â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V/Scompact V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ colourful back plates wins it fourth spot, while is why we have decided to make things easier V/S V/S V/S V/SfiveV/S V/SweV/S V/S V/S V/S V/Splain-looking V/S V/S V/S V/ bringing up V/S the rear is the rather forV/S you by pitting of what thinkV/S are V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Svalue V/SforV/S V/S V/S V/Sout V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ Moto V/S G. theV/S five best money smartphones there against V/S V/S V/S V/Seach V/Sother. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ Ranking: 1. Asus ZenFone 5, 2. BlackBerry Z3, There are three Android devices, one V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ 3. Xiaomi Mi 3, 4. Nokia Lumia 630, 5. Moto G. Windows Phone one and one BlackBerry in V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ the mix. All of them are relatively new. All of them feature very good hardware and software Hardware V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ and all of them deliver a fair deal for the price There are three quad core devices in the list V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ they charge. - the Mi 3, the Lumia 630 and the Moto G. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ These are Nokia Lumia 630 (Rs 9,990), the There are three devices with 720p or higher Asus ZenFone 5 (Rs 9,990), the Moto G (Rs displays the Mi 3, the ZenFone 5 and the V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ 10,990), the Xiaomi Mi 3 (Rs 13,999) and the Moto G. And there are two devices with camV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ BlackBerry Z3 (Rs 15,990). To find out how eras of 8.0-megapixel and higher - the Mi 3 V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Seach V/S V/S V/S V/S 5.V/S V/Sthis V/S V/S V/ they fared against other andV/S who V/S came V/S V/S and the ZenFone SeenV/S from V/S any angle, is out on top when the dust finally settled on the a win for the Mi 3, whose only hardware limiV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/ budget read on: tation V/S seemsV/S to beV/S the absence of expandable V/S V/S V/Ssmartphone V/S V/S battle, V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S iconic messenger and mail services. The V/S V/ Moto G takes fourth spot with its uncluttered memory. The ZenFone 5 might have a dual V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sahead V/SofV/S V/S V/S V/S interface V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S Android andV/S surprisingly relegated core processor butV/S finishes the quad Looks V/S V/S V/Sit V/S V/S V/SweV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SaV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S to last is the ZenFone 5 which is the only core driven Moto G as itV/S has 2V/S GB RAM, When comesV/S to appearance, mustV/S admit member of the group to be running an older much better camera and expandable memory. that we were most impressed by the design of V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S version of its OS (Android 4.3), even though The Moto G takes third spot, the Lumia 630 V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V the fourth and coming in last is the BlackBerry it does come with a very innovative UI placed V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SaV/S V/Sit.V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V Z3 which has a V/S low resolution screen, dual V/Sover core processor and a rather ordinary 5.0-megaV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V Xiaomi Mi 3, 2. Nokia Lumia 630, pixel camera. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SRanking: V/S V/S1.V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V 3. BlackBerry Z3, 4. Moto G, 5. Asus ZenFone 5. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S Mi V/S V/S5,V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V Ranking: 1. Xiaomi 3, 2.V/S AsusV/S ZenFone 3. Moto G, 4. Nokia Lumia 630, 5. BlackBerry V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SMultimedia V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V Z3. camera, sound and action. And this V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SLights, V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V round was literally a slugfest between the V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SMi V/S V/S V/S5 which V/S V/S V/S 3 and the V/S ZenFone had the bestV/S V/S V Software and V/S cameras of the MiV/S 3 TheV/S fact that wasV/S the most V/S V/S V/S V/Sthis V/S V/Skeenly V/S conV/S V/Sdisplays V/S V/S V/S V/Sgroup. V/SThe V/S V/S V edged out the ZenFone 5 on both counts, and tested parameter of them all speaks volumes V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V although the ZenFone 5 bettered it when it to just how much innovation is taking place on V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sfront. V/SThe V/SMiV/S V/S V/StoV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S sound, the V/S Mi 3 did more than enough theV/S budget software 3 wins out V/Scame convince thatV/S it wasV/S a worthy of V/S V with its latest of Android topped off V/Sto V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sversion V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S us V/S V/Swinner V/S V/S The battle third spot was V/S a with its innovative Its Android V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SMIUI V/Sinterface. V/S V/S V/S V/Sthis V/Scategory. V/S V/S V/S for V/S V/S V/S V/S V brethren are however V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V beaten to second and V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V third spotV/S by the Lumia 630 and BlackBerry Z3 V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V respectively, both of V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V which not only come V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S verV/S V/S V with the latest sions of their V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Soperating V/S V/S V systems but also come V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V preloaded with a lot of V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V useful software - the 630V/S has maps naviV/S V/S V/S V/Sand V/S V/S V gation and music while V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V the Z3 has BlackBerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S

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/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S by itsV/S call quality whichV/S was V/S a bit muffled, too,V/S with the edging /S V/Stight V/Sone V/S V/SLumia V/S630 V/S V/SoutV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SConclusion V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S which is where the ZenFone 5 pipped it to the BlackBerry Z3 by virtue of its better camAt the end of it all, we must confess that we /S V/Sera V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Scould V/SnotV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S second spot. And coming last was and sound, although the Z3 has a better find a clear cut winner. Yes, the /S V/Sdisplay. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S5 do V/S V/S At the bottom of the multimedia table Xiaomi Mi 3 and theV/S ZenFone seem to V/S V/S Ranking: 1. BlackBerry Z3, 2. AsusV/S ZenFone the Moto which doesV/S not really doingV/S well in most categories, but what /S V/SisV/S V/SG,V/S V/S V/S pack V/Stoo V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S5V/SbeV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S 3. Xiaomi Mi 3, 4. Nokia Lumia 630, 5. Moto G. much in the multimedia department apart sobered us up was the fact that the BlackBerry /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S from a very good 720p display. Z3 actually outshone them comfortably in /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sfor V/Smoney V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sareas V/SlikeV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S call quality, battery lifeV/S and browsValue Mi 3,V/S 2. Asus ZenFone 5, and e-mail. As always, whichV/S phone youV/S V/S When it comes valueV/S for money, thereV/S is /S V/SRanking: V/S V/S1. Xiaomi V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/StoV/S V/S V/S V/SingV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S NokiaV/S Lumia 630,V/S 4. BlackBerry Z3,V/S 5. Moto on what no doubt theV/S Xiaomi MiV/S 3 is inV/S a zone /S V/S3.V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sthat V/S V/S V/S V/Schoose V/S depends V/S V/S V/S you V/Sneed. V/SThose V/Snot V/S V/S G. too much into apps and seeking a simple and of its own, delivering extremely high-end /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S /S browsing experience with V/S V/S hardware a price thatV/S is a fraction of that experience /S V/SGeneral V/S V/S user V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SatV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Ssmooth V/S mail V/Sand V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S good call quality and battery life would love charged by other manufacturers. We would And this was another parameter that was /S V/S contested V/S V/Svery V/S V/Sindeed. V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S ZenFone V/S V/S V/StheV/S V/S V/S V/Sgeek V/S V/Swhich V/S V/S V/S BlackBerry Z3. The crowd handV/S the second spot to the Asus fiercely And threw up V/S /S V/Sa V/S V/S winner. V/S V/S V/SnotV/S V/S V/Sa V/S V/Sexperience V/S V/Sand V/S V/S V/S apps V/Sand V/S V/S V/S V/S loves theV/S latestV/S hardware, innovawhich delivers very good a V/S surprising It might haveV/S V/S V/S tive UI will flock to the Mi 3. The Lumia 630V/S V/S good display and camera for a surprisingly had the kind of hardware muscle that the /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S remains a fantastic proposition for anyone low price. The third place goes to the Lumia others packed but when it came to /S V/Ssmoothness V/S V/S ofV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Swanting V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S a phone that comes preloaded with a 630, which has the latest version of Windows operation and call quality, /S V/SweV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sof V/S V/Sfreebies V/S V/S V/S V/Sstack V/Sof V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S software goodies, while V/S those V/S seeking and aV/S number software on a device were astounded by theV/S performance theV/S classic Android any disthat costs 10,000. TheV/S MotoV/S G V/S the BlackBerry which handled /S V/SofV/S V/S V/SZ3, V/S V/S V/S everyV/S V/S V/S V/S just V/Sunder V/SRsV/S V/S V/S V/S experience V/S V/S minus V/S V/S V/S V/S tracting skins and overlays will appreciate the comes in fourth, with the BlackBerry Z3 comthing we threw at it without a hitch, had the /S V/Sbest V/Sbrowsing V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sclean V/SandV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S classic look of the Moto G. ing fifth. and mail experience, /S V/Sand V/S V/Sphone V/SofV/S V/S that V/Slasted V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S that V/Swill V/S V/S As we keepV/S saying, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V/S your needs wasV/S the only the three determine your choice. for once, Ranking: 1. Xiaomi 3, 2. V/S Asus ZenFone 5, V/S more than a dayV/S on V/S V/S V/S /S V/Scomfortably V/S V/S for V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SMiV/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SAnd V/S V/S there V/S V/S V/S plenty to choose from. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the budget 3. Nokia Lumia 630, 4. Moto G, 5. BlackBerry single charge. The Mi 3 was the best of /S V/Sa V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/Sis V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S smartphone revolution for you. n Z3. the lot in handling apps but was let down /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in /S V/S28V/S V/S V/Sseptember V/S V/S V/S MYMOBILE 2014V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/SS V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S /S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S V/S

versus

mobile senseX

bazaar bargain Want to experience the productive magic of the S-Pen, perhaps the best stylus around in tech town? Well, you can get it with the Note 3 Neo. Introduced as a slightly watered down version of the Note 3, the Note 3 Neo has become more affordable thanks to a dramatic drop in price. No, it does not have the full HD display or the 13.0-megapixel camera of the Note 3 (it has a 720p display and a 8.0-megapixel camera), but it comes with most of the sensors and connectivity options that make the Note 3 such a powerhouse. o 3 Ne And then there is the little matter of e t o yN the S-Pen, which works in all 90 alax G 40,9 g its glory on this device. n s u R s 90 at: An absolutely wonderful Sam 29,9 hed s c n R deal for scribblers at that Lau ce: nt t Pri r ce n price! n e e p r r

26 Cu fall: e c i Pr

Blac kbe Lau rry Q nch e 5 d Cur a t: R rent s 24,9 Pric Pric 90 e: R e fa s 13,9 ll: 4 50 4 pe r ce nt

This might be the era of touchscreens but QWERTY keyboards still have their supporters and for them, the steep drop in the price of the Q5 is a Godsend. It might not have the dazzling good looks of the Q10 or keys that are as large, but the Q5 remains a very good proposition for anyone who likes to type a lot. The device has been upgraded to the latest version of the BlackBerry OS and while its camera is nothing to write home about, there can be no complaints about the quality of its keyboard and its muscle in the messaging and mail departments. The screen is a bit small for Web browsing, but then this is a device meant for messaging and typing devotees. And at its reduced price, it is a steal. n team@mymobile.co.in

september 2014 MYMOBILE 29

fa c e t o fa c e

“We are focused on India” News apps are a penny a dozen in app stores around the world, but few have the kind of following that NewsHunt has. Considered to be India’s most popular news aggregator, NewsHunt is the chosen provider for millions as it offers content in vernacular languages across different platforms. We spoke to Vishal Anand, Chief Product Officer, NewsHunt, to find out more about the app and its future plans. Abhijit Ahaskar How many people are using NewsHunt and how many books, magazines and newspapers are available on the app? We have an installed user base of 55 million users. Since our launch we have over 3.5 million books downloaded. We have most major publishers (Indian and international) and a lot of famous Indian authors on board - and their books are getting live every day. Some of these authors are getting digital exposure for the first time. Notwithstanding its success, some people feel that NewsHunt’s user interface is a bit on the plain side when compared with the likes of Flipboard and Google Play Newsstand. Are you looking to change the app’s interface in the coming days? Good user experience is extremely important for us. A stylish app does not always provide the best experience. We support a lot more platform and languages than Flipboard or Google Play Newsstand does. Our usage is higher in time spent and content consumed than any of these apps (as is measured by third party sources). Our app size is lot smaller and we consume lot less bandwidth than these apps - which is extremely important in Indian context. In that regard we feel that we are doing much better than these applications. All that said - we are constantly working on providing even better experience. Each release that we do has improvements in user interaction and design. Does NewsHunt come pre-installed with smartphones? Yes, NewsHunt has appeared pre-installed on - Nokia Asha, Intex, Karbon, Micromax, Celkon, Nokia Android, and LG. We have also

30 MYMOBILE september 2014

seen some device manufacturers pre install it - without us knowing. What new publications are expected to show up on NewsHunt in the coming months?Are you planning to launch an international edition of NewsHunt? We are adding new sources every day. You will see more international publications also. There is no immediate plan to do an international edition. We are focused on India. What is the difference between accessing content from a news provider like Indian Express on NewsHunt and accessing it on Indian Express’ official app? We are a news aggregation app - and don’t generate our own content. We also work on all mobile platforms unlike lot of the publisher apps that only work on Android and iPhone. For almost all sources - we have the same content as they do. To publishers - we are more like an additional source of distribution and revenue. Are you working on a tablet interface for NewsHunt? When can we expect it? NewsHunt is already available on iPad. An Android tablet optimized version is in works. Content from a popular daily The Hindu is no longer available on NewsHunt. Why has it been removed and when is it going to reappear? We are working on it. It will be available soon. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

Mobiles

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2000 mAh Lith. Battery

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Dual SIM with HD Recording Corp. office: 309, 3rd Floor, Narain Manzil, 23, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110045 TOLL FREE: 1800 419 3322, Email: corporate@ariseindialtd.com, Website: www.ariseindialtd.com, www.arisemobile.in

spot light

Smartphone Sales:

Taking the Online Route? Once considered the preserve of the niche, online stores have suddenly emerged as a viable

selling option for a number of mobile phone brands, following the surprising success of the Moto G, the Moto E and the Xiaomi Mi 3. But are these aberrations or indications of a shift in the smartphone marketing paradigm. Mukesh Kumar Singh & Abhijit Ahaskar

hen the year started, a relatively unknown Indian brand Oplus, launched a tablet exclusively on Snapdeal.com. Although selling a device online first had been in existence for quite some time in international markets like China, it was a first for an Indian online store. No phone brand had shown so much faith on an online store before. It left many in the tech media wondering but because Oplus was not well known, interest withered away soon. A month later, the Moto G arrived and Motorola chose Flipkart as its exclusive seller. For the first time a company of such stature had taken the online route, eschewing traditional retail. The Moto G received an overwhelming response in India and within a month, Motorola sold over 1 lakh

32 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

units. This was a landmark success, as no online store had ever sold so many handsets within a month. Encouraged with the response, the company decided to sell more smartphones through the online channel and came up Moto E and Moto X. Within a matter of months Motorola became the fourth leading smartphone brand in the country selling over 1 million smartphones by June, pushing the likes of Nokia to the fifth place. That a brand could rise so fast solely on the back of online sales was unthinkable a few years ago. As baffled experts watched, the success of Motorola inspired other brands to take the online only route as well. Asus launched the ZenFone, Alcatel the One Touch Idol X Plus and Xiaomi the Mi 3 exclusively online.

The online advantage

With the increased penetration of Internet in the country, people have access to online stores. Even those who do not have a PC are now able to access the Web on their handsets. Online stores introduced facilities like cash on delivery, making it convenient for people to purchase goods online even when they did not have credit cards. The greater availability of models and multiple paying options has made purchasing gadgets an easier process online as compared to going to a store. Today, Snapdeal has more than 25 million customers and Flipkart gets over 2 crore hits every day. No wonder smartphone manufacturers are flocking to online stores. Tony Navin, Senior Vice president, Snapdeal. com says, “By associating with Snapdeal, phone manufacturers can reach out to 25 million customers right away. This is a big thing for any phone seller.” “Exclusive brand partnerships have worked very well for us, not just in electronics but in non-electronics category as well. Introducing devices through exclusive online partnerships, helping brands reach out to a wider set of audience across the country and providing them end to end service through one platform itself,” is what Flipkart delivers, according to Michael Adnani, VP Retail & Head Brand Alliances. There is however some cynicism about the online model too. A number of customers do not like the fact that they cannot touch and feel devices available online and have to rely on the specifications, images and reviews posted online. That does not seem to deter Adnani. “Online shopping, be it through the mobile or desktop is definitely poised to emerge as the preferred mode of shopping for Indian Internet users. Ecommerce companies should focus on improving the experience at every touch point – from order to delivery – so that customers don’t need to think about any other channel when it comes to their shopping needs,” he says. Samir Kumar, Director Category Management, Amazon India says, “Amazon is a customer obsessed company and this aligns with our vision of offering customers in India the widest selection at great prices, fast & reliable delivery and the most trustworthy and reli-

able shopping platform. Brands and sellers see a lot of value in their association with an ecommerce player like us.”

Irresistible pricing

A key reason why customers are increasingly buying goods from online stores is the heavy discount and aggressive pricing of products online. Even a small price difference is enough to draw a customer as India is a very price conscious market. Fully aware of this, online stores have made it a point to sell every product at lower price points. When a handset is sold through a retail store, it passes through several channels like national level distributors, sub distributors, and the physical store and at every juncture a commission is exacted. And then there is advertising. Brands also have to spend on advertising. While brands like Sony and Samsung spend crores on TV commercials, the likes of Moto G and Mi3 increasingly use social media to reach out to customers. Also on online stores, the manufacturer only has to tie up with an e-commerce site and this allows them to keep the prices down, as there are fewer parties involved in the entire process. Speaking on how Xiaomi manages to keep the price of a device like Mi3 down, Hugo Barra, Vice President International, Xiaomi says, “Our business model of selling directly to consumers through online stores and not allocating budgets to traditional advertising, as all of our marketing efforts happen through social media, has enabled us to keep the price of Mi3 down.”

Aberrations or a continuing trend?

Consumers and sections of the media were initially sceptical about online-only releases, but the success of devices like the Moto G, the Moto E, the Asus ZenFone 5 and the Xiaomi Mi 3 have forced a rethink. There are some who, however, feel that this is just a passing phase. They point out that while Motorola and Xiaomi have been successful but their taking the online route only was not entirely a matter of choice but was more due to the lack of it. Motorola had lost all their distribution networks when they wound up their mobility business in India in 2011 and Xiaomi has always used the online medium to sell its phones. It has done it in China and has been very successful there. So neither brand actually had a conventional retail option available. That said, other brands seem to be considering the online route for exclusive launches. Samsung, which generally relies on both physical and online media, released their Galaxy K Zoom camera phone on Amazon exclusively and Microsoft has also announced that its latest gaming console Xbox One will be available initially on Amazon.in. Love it or hate it, there is no way in which you can ignore the online shopping option if you are looking to purchase or sell a gadget in the country today. n

mukesh@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

september 2014 MYMOBILE 33

fa c e t o fa c e

“MHL is optimized for mobile” Let’s start with the basics. What is MHL? MHL technology allows you to easily connect your smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device to HDTVs, digital projectors, in-dash automotive displays, and a rapidly expanding ecosystem of other devices. Developed by Silicon Image as a member of the MHL Consortium (along with Nokia, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba), MHL technology features a single-cable, 5-pin digital interface that transmits video up to 4K resolution and surround audio while simultaneously providing power to your mobile device. It can be used over any connector type to allow video and power to be shared between devices without requiring additional connectors to be added, which is ideally suited for devices where space is at a premium.

There is a new connectivity standard in tech town - Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL). It is found in more than half a billion consumer electronics and mobile products and could change our lives. To find out just how it could do that, we met Vipin Sawhney, Country Manager, Silicon Image, a leading provider of multimedia connectivity solutions and services, which has been showcasing MHL. Nimish Dubey 34 MYMOBILE september 2014

Do you think there is the need for another connectivity standard? Would it not confuse consumers who already cannot really fathom things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi direct? Yes, absolutely, because Bluetooth addresses wireless audio/ HD and Wi-Fi is primarily a wireless data interface. Although there have been implementations of video over Wi-Fi, the technology is not robust with poor video quality, which has led to disappointed consumers. This is why we see growth in MHL adoption from mobile, CE, and automotive OEMs because it provides a guaranteed/ best-in-class experience to consumers. MHL technology is optimized for mobile and it allows you to send uncompressed HD video and up to eight channels of surround sound from your MHL smartphone or tablet to any digital TV display. Once connected, you can use the TV’s remote control to navigate all your favorite apps, games, music and photos. MHL technology is aimed at simplifying people’s lives. In which applications do you see MHL having the most impact? Home Theater – 4K Movie-Theater Picture Quality Watch and share all of your favorite content in 4K movie-theater picture quality

from your smartphone to your TV or home theater system. Stop, rewind, pause and play all of your content using the TV’s remote control. Mobile Games – Play all your mobile games on an HDTV up to 4K with no lag, all while the TV provides power to your smartphone for extended game play. The same games you play while on the go can be shown on the big screen, all while keeping your battery charged. Office – Transform your mobile device into a portable computer by connecting it to a keyboard, mouse, monitor (or multiple monitors), and storage device to work anytime, anywhere. Automotive – Interact with the smartphone through your car infotainment touch-screen display or buttons on your steering wheel to make phone calls, play music, navigate with the phone’s GPS, and more. If a person wanted MHL connectivity today in his or her device, how could they get it? MHL is already built into hundreds of millions of products from a variety of manufacturers across the globe. That means there is no additional hardware or software needed and everything is plug-and-play. A full list of MHL products can be found on the MHL website. Finally, what next can we expect on the MHL front? While we cannot provide any forward looking statements in terms of our technology, we are very excited about the many different use cases that are possible with MHL. This includes: • Education – Connecting your phone to a projector instead of an expensive laptop. • Professional – Connecting your smartphone to your TV monitor and pairing a Bluetooth. • Medical – Carrying around an MHL device that will give the doctor access to patient files. MHL can be used as a thin client interface that is secure and portable that can be used in various industries such as medical, business, and education. And there is much more besides. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

chief speak

Calling Hugo Barra Which was your first phone? Motorola StarTAC Which phone are you now using? Mi 4, Mi 3, Redmi Note and iPhone 5S What is your ringtone? The standard Mi ringtone, which I love Which is your favourite app? WeChat, which has completely changed my life Which is your favourite game Presently betatesting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sniper Assassinâ&#x20AC;?

36 MYMOBILE september 2014

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“We will not disappoint!” They call him the ‘Nexus Man’ in tech circles, but there is more to Hugo Barra than just the Nexus range of devices and the key role he played in Android becoming the most popular smartphone OS within a few years of its launch. The Brazilian took over as Vice-President International at Chinese company Xiaomi and his arrival has been marked with a flurry of devices that combine exemplary hardware at surprisingly low prices. As Xiaomi arrives in India with the Mi 3 (reviewed in the Burn Test section), we caught up with Hugo Barra to find out more about the company and its plans for the Indian market. Nimish Dubey The first question is one that a lot of people are asking in India: what is Xiaomi and how did it come into existence? We’re a four-year old startup based in Beijing China. The company’s founders worked for prominent global companies before starting Xiaomi — that includes companies such as Google, Microsoft and Motorola, and many of the employees also come from well known technology companies such as Facebook and Apple. Xiaomi is an Internet software company first and foremost. We build high-performance hardware products as part of our strategy to enable more users to access the Internet from their mobile devices. Which of course, leads to the second question: how on earth is Xiaomi releasing products with such high-end tech specs at amazingly low prices? We have a very lean team of world-class engineers who are capable of designing hardware that can be manufactured very cost effectively. Most importantly, however, is our business model of selling direct to consumers and not allocating budgets to traditional advertising, as all of our marketing efforts happen through social media. There are a number of players in the Indian market already offering devices with multi-core processors at relatively low prices. What makes Xiaomi different? What makes our approach unique is the tight coordination and collaboration between hardware and software. Our smartphones are built with the best components, which make

them the top performers in their categories — for example, Mi 3 has the highest AnTuTu benchmark score of any device in its category (because our engineers spend significant effort optimizing and perfecting our builds). But what really makes Xiaomi unique is our approach to software and services. MIUI, our Android-based operating system, is an incredibly well designed platform that inherits all of the features and elegance of stock Android, and goes beyond by offering features that enhance user experience without creating any clutter or performance hits. What’s better is that these features are not our ideas — they’re ideas from our user community (over 20 million registered users across all of our user forums). From a simple shortcut to activating the flash from the lockscreen all the way to offering a built-in FTP server, there are hundreds of handy features. Another example is the Mi Themes Store — over 4,000 unique and amazingly well designed themes that allow users to completely customize their experience, with many Indian themes on their way! Why did you opt for the MIUI rather than going for stock Android? We follow the community and users have been asking for more. So we combine the elegance and rich feature set of stock Android with fresh ideas from the community. Sticking with MIUI, which is your own favourite feature in it? Mi Themes — I change themes every week and it always feels like I’ve just bought an

entirely new phone (smiles). One of the big challenges facing any brand in India is after sales service. How is Xiaomi planning to tackle that? Our coverage at launch includes 20 cities, with a total of 35 service centers. We’re working diligently to achieve the highest level of quality in these service centers while also planning to add more. Users should stay tuned — we will not disappoint! In the long run, is this how you see smartphones becoming: high performing and yet more affordable? It’s hard to say without knowing the different strategies that the various players in the ecosystem will adopt, but that certainly is our strategy at Xiaomi — to sell high-performance mobile devices priced nearly at cost. You were the man behind the Nexus series and now are widely identified with Xiaomi. How different was it working on either product? I don’t understand your question (laughs). Finally, what next can we expect from Xiaomi - internationally as well as in India? We are focused on a few key markets at the moment, including India, Southeast Asia and Latin America. We want to bring as many of our products as possible to these markets before expanding further. That includes our smartphones, Mi Pad, accessories such as Mi Power Bank and Mi Band, and eventually our TV products. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

september 2014 MYMOBILE 37

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

38 MYMOBILE september 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.

just in Samsung Galaxy Star Advance Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affordable star!ing calls!

amsung has made its presence felt in the budget smartphone market with the Galaxy Star Advance with Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The smartphone comes with a 4.3-inch WVGA 480X800p TFT display and has dual-SIM support. It runs on a 1.2GHz processor backed by 512MB RAM and 4GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable upto 32GB by memory card. It features 3.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, but has no front facing camera. Connectivity options on the device include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The handset supports 12 Indian regional languages: Assamese, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Oriya, Punjabi, Urdu and Telugu. Customers who purchase the handset will also get 200 MB free data per month from Vodafone for six months. Would this be enough to take on the likes of the Moto E and the Asus ZenFone 4? We cannot say at this moment, but there is no doubt that Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entering the budget smartphone segment will create a few waves at the very least. The Galaxy Star Advance is available in the market in black and white colours and comes with a price tag of Rs 7,400. n

Croma 1179 Tablet Super

affordable Windows tablet

indows tablet at Rs 13,990? Well, that is the Croma 1179 tablet for you. And it runs Windows 8 in all its glory as well (it has been updated to Windows 8.1), on its 8.0-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800. Powering it is an Intel Atom Z3735D, 1.33GHz, quad core processor, backed up with 2GB RAM. It comes with 32 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded via microSD card. All of which means that you can pretty much get a very wholesome Windows experience in a device that can be easily carried in your overcoat pocket. The tablet also supports 3G via dongle, and comes with twin 2.0-megapixel cameras on the front and back. Making sure that you can use the device for an extended period of time is a 5000 mAh battery. Yes, some might find the design a bit on the plain side but at that price, we do not think too many people will complain too loudly. This is as affordable as Windows can get. n team@mymobile.co.in

40 MYMOBILE september 2014

sneek peek Nokia X2 Nokia’s last dance with Android?

okia’s affair with Android has been a peculiar one - it started late and now evidently has come to an end with Microsoft announcing that it would focus on the Lumia range. However, there is at least one more Android card to be played in the Nokia stack and that is the X2, which is expected shortly in the Indian market. The handset will come with in both single SIM and dual SIM avatars, with the latter expected later. The X2 is an Android-based smartphone like the X and the XL, and like them, runs Nokia’s particular version of Android, which seems to have more in common with the Windows Phone interface than with classic Android. No, there is no Google Play but Nokia has its own App Store to meet your appy needs and also gives links to other app stores. In terms of specs, the X2 like its predecessors is steady rather than spectacular. It features a 4.3-inch LCD display with a resolution of 480x800, and is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB RAM, with 4GB internal storage capacity which is expandable upto 32GB via microSD card. The phone has a 5.0-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash, and a VGA shooter in the front, with a 1800mAh Li-Ion battery to keep it ticking. It will come in glossy green, orange black, yellow, white, and matt dark grey colours, and is expected to be priced in the vicinity of Rs. 10,000 in the Indian market. n team@mymobile.co.in

Xiaomi Mi 4 The successor

to the Mi 3

he Xiaomi Mi 3 is a already making waves in the Indian market and if rumour is to be believed its recently launched successor, the Mi4 will arrive in the Indian market in the coming weeks too. The Mi4 is a high-end device that not only packs in some very impressive specs but also has a very sleek design - it is a mere 6.75 mm in thickness. It is running on a 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core processor, with 3 GB RAM, and it contains 16GB of internal memory and runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The smartphone has a 5 inch full-HD IPS display; a 13.0-megapixel Sony IMX214 camera, with a F1.8 aperture and an 8.0-megapixel front camera, giving it a lot of shooting muscle. Making sure all this runs smoothly is a 3,080 mAh battery. The Mi 4 supports wet finger recognition and offers a glove mode. It also supports technology that can make sure that finger movements on the edges of the phone may not be mistakenly read by the phone. It is expected to come with some very creatively designed back panels. And of course, a killer price. Our sources tell us that the Mi 4 might be priced in the vicinity of Rs 20,000 - a proposition that must be making geeks salivate! n

september 2014 MYMOBILE 41

burn test The new budget smarty in town Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Maxx AXD21/MSD7 Smarty

Pros Runs on Android 4.4, Stylish design

amed after the brand ambassador of Maxx Mobiles, the new Maxx MSD 7 is a breath of fresh air on the entry level smartphone circuit. It is a robust, stylish looking and runs on the latest Android KitKat, which sounds very promising. But does it live up to its promise and the name of its brand ambassador?

Stylish and handy An entry level phone rarely offers the class and elegance of handsets of higher order. But with the arrival of devices like Moto E and Micromax Unite 2, a lot has changed in this segment and look and feel is one of them. Handsets in the budget segment no longer just offer a semblance of smartphones but are becoming smart in the real sense. The Maxx MSD 7 Smarty lives upto its name, offering a good design and build quality at a relatively low cost. The front boasts of a 4.0-inch bright looking touchscreen and the back features a fine looking plastic body with faux leather design, somewhat similar to the high end Galaxy S5. Though it is made of plastic it feels rugged and compact and is good to grip too.

Decent hardware at this price The phone comes with a 4.0-inch screen with a screen resolution of 800x480p, which on this screen size is widely used. The phone has 4GB internal storage and the expandable memory goes upto 32GB, which is decent enough for an entry-level smartphone, considering that a lot of mid-segment handsets also offer the same amount of internal memory. The handset comes with a 16GB microSD card. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, has 512MB RAM, and a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, which is a fixed focus affair.

Conclusion The Maxx MSD7 Smarty is a decent entry level smartphone. It not only offers the latest Android experience, but also offers all that most other phones in this category have, with Android KitKat thrown in as a handy bonus. It works well and does not cost the earth at Rs 4,020 which makes it an interesting addition to the budget smartphone segment. If you want to check out some other handsets at the same price point, you could consider the Karbonn A12 Star. n team@mymobile.co.in

Maxx AXD 21 MSD7 Smarty

Price: Rs 4,020

Runs on Android KitKat Cons Average display, Ordinary camera

42 MYMOBILE september 2014

The handset runs on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. Despite being a low end handset, the presence of the latest OS will make it likeable to many buyers. Its interface is simple and the touchscreen is responsive. A lot of features are accessible right from the screen unlock button, a handy feature, courtesy the latest OS. The handset can be called a decent working smartphone as it handled most tasks pretty well. The camera and display quality are average but the sound quality and loudspeaker are very good. It comes with a 1,450mAh battery, which is what most handsets in this range have.

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

78%

www.mymobile.co.in

A Spicy Smartwatch Spiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smart

Pulse is more phone than watch

t a time when most smartwatches cost about as much as a mid-segment smartphone, Spice has pulled a rabbit out of its tech hat with the amazingly priced Smart Pulse. The device is literally a phone that can be worn on your wrist, but what really marks it out as special is its price of Rs 3,999. Of course, the big question is: what corners have been cut to deliver this product at such a low price?

A bit big... Spice Smart Pulse will turn heads, not because it looks sleek but because it will stick out in the crowd because of its sheer size. At 13.6 mm, it is thicker than many smartphones and its 1.6-inch display means that it is not exactly compact either. There are three touch buttons below the display and a hardware power button on the side. We would not call it an eyesore but the design of the Smart Pulse is more functional than fashionable, although Spice does throw in two extra bands in the box.

...but very well stacked Those relatively clunky looks however, conceal some very decent hardware. For the Smart Pulse is actually a full-featured phone. It runs on Java rather than Android Wear or any other smartwatch OS in vogue, but it can be paired with an Android device using a third party app. The big plus, however, is that you do not actually need to pair it to use it. The Smart Pulse comes with dual SIM support - just open the back cover and you will see the slots. There is even a

micro SD card slot and if that does not suffice, also a VGA camera with a flash. The 1.6-inch display is a capacitive one and you can actually dial numbers and write text messages from the phone itself using the onscreen keyboard, and even browse the Web using the very basic WAP browser. And no, it is not actually as difficult as some might think - we liked the sensitivity of the touchscreen. If you feel awkward holding the phone to your mouth or ear, fear not, Spice has also bundled a Bluetooth headset with the device.

Missing out on the watch front When it comes to being used as a basic phone, there is no doubt that the Smart Pulse ticks most boxes. Call quality is decent although using that keyboard takes some getting used to, and you can also hear music off your phone by pairing it over Bluetooth. However, when it comes to being a watch, it lacks some features. There are no display sensors so you will have to hit the power button every time you want to switch on the display - not convenient when all you want to see is the time. There are also no pedometers or step counters built into the device and as far as we could see there were not too many apps either. Even pairing with Android devices was not a very smooth process. Battery life, however, was a surprise - we saw through a day of calling and some very limited texting.

Conclusion All said and done, there can be no denying that in terms of sheer value, the Spice Smart Pulse is an excellent proposition. One ends up getting a device with dual SIM functionality, calling support and a Bluetooth headset to boot. However, the absence of sensors and basic watch functionality might deter those users who want a watch on their wrists as much as a phone. That said, there is no doubting that this is simply the most portable phone around in the market. And at its price of Rs 3,999, has no competition whatsoever. n team@mymobile.co.in

Com Pros fu plete Ver nctio phon n yg ood ality e pri ce

Camera | No Others | Dual SIM, Bluetooth Headset support, Calling

Price: Rs 3,999

Cons Clunky de More p sign hone t a watc han h

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

78%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 43

burn test Yet More Desire The HTC Desire 516 faces formidable competition

44 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

TC seems to be in brand launch mode these days. After talking of focusing on fewer devices a few years ago, the company now seems to have chosen the path of launching devices at short intervals, and especially in its Desire range. One of their recently launched handsets, the Desire 816 became very popular and to cash on its popularity, the company has come out with a slightly watered down lower priced version of it in the form of the Desire 516. Priced at Rs 14,999, the handset faces some serious competition, especially from the likes of Moto G, which as of now is cheaper by Rs. 2,000, and of course, those two new cavaliers in the cellphone market, the Xiaomi Mi 3 and Asus ZenFone 5.

A lot like Desire 816 but far from smart The Desire 516 has been presented as a mini edition of Desire 816 which explains the close resemblance between the two. Slightly smaller in size, the front panel boasts of a 5.0-inch screen, with three touch buttons underneath it, while the volume rocker and power button are placed on the sides. Of late, the speaker in HTC phones has been seen on the front panel, but not in this device, where it sits in its conventional place on the back. The overall appearance is decent but not really in the class of the 816 or even some of the better looking smartphones.

Surprisingly under-specced Desire 516 boasts of a 5.0-inch multi-touch display with a screen resolution of 960x540p. Considering the price point we were expecting a somewhat better screen resolution as this range is swamped with handsets with 720p screen resolutions. Its other features are also a bit low key - its internal memory is only 4GB and all you get of it to use is 1.5GB. Though it supports expandable memory up to 32GB, a handset at this price point with such a low internal memory seems odd, especially when something like the ZenFone 5 offers 16 GB expandable memory at a lower price point. A dual SIM handset, Desire 516 comes with two SIM slots and can take in standard SIMs. For photography enthusiasts, it has a 5.0megapixels rear camera and a 2.0- megapixels front camera - again, modest by modern standards. The Desire 516 runs on Android 4.3 JellyBean, which is a slightly older version of Android - again a bit of a blow when the likes of he Moto G and Xiaomi MI 3 come with KitKat. But the Desire 516 has its share of good features. First, is that it is equipped with the HTC Sense 5.1 user interface and the second is the HTC BlinkFeed. HTC has made a slight change in the Blinkfeed in the form of a search tray which opens by swiping from left to right and you can add your favourite news feeds there. Regulars like social activity, and news feeds are available as usual. By default there are three home screens, but one can add take it up to 5. The handset is easy to use and offers a number of free applications.

HTC desire 516 tech specs Size | 140 x 72 x 9.2 mm

Pros Good camera, Improved HTC Blinkfeed, Good display

Price: Rs 14,999 Good camera but average performance Though the Desire 516 handles most routine tasks with a degree of ease, it slowed down on games and we often experienced a few lags while using it. The handset boast of 1.2GHz quad-core processor, but truth be told, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like a quad-core device - we found it coming a very poor second to the similarly priced Moto G quite often. A pleasant surprise, however, is the camera, which in spite of having a megapixel count of five, was better than many 8 and 10.0-megapixel cameras that we have seen and comes with a number of handy features. Sound quality is good too, even though it does not have the regular elements like Beats Audio, or Boomsound, seen in earlier HTC devices. Features like bass boost and 3D effects more than compensate for their absence. The display handled browsing very well and is handy enough for most tasks and social networking.

Cons Old Android, Low internal memory, Sluggish performance

verdict

Conclusion The new HTC Desire 516 is priced at Rs 14,999, which makes it a mid-segment smartphone but compared to many of the handsets in this league, it fails to impress, not least because it faces some very formidable competition from the likes of the Moto G, the Asus ZenFone 5 and the Xiaomi Mi 3, all of whom boast comparable or better specs and turn in distinctly superior performances. We have to concede that given its price point, the HTC Desire 516 is not one of the most desirable phones around. n team@mymobile.co.in

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

76%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 45

burn test The Prince of Price and Performance! The Xiaomi Mi 3 delivers

a lot at a surprising price

46 MYMOBILE september 2014

Pros Excellent hardware Good performance Innovative interface

www.mymobile.co.in

Co d a ns he v g ail SIM qu reat abili al es ty ca ge rd tr ity t cal t s ay l tuc c k an

Good looks, great hardware Design was never supposed to be the forte of budget devices but that has been changing of late with the sleek looking ZenFone 5 from Asus and the BlackBerry Z3. The Mi 3 continues this tradition. Whatever it looks, it certainly does not look cheap. It is a mix of glass and metal, with the front being dominated by a 5.0-inch display with three touch buttons below it. The left side is completely bare while the right houses the volume rocker and the power key. The 3.5 mm audio jack and SIM card tray (it uses a normal sized SIM card, surprise, surprise) are placed right on top of the device, while the micro USB port is placed on its base. The back is all aluminum and magnesium alloy with the 13.0-megapixel camera with dual LED flash placed in the top left corner. All in all, the Mi 3 is definitely a looker, although not quite in the zone of the ZenFone 5. But what will stop tech traffic are the specs of the device. The Mi 3 pretty much packs the sort of artillery you would expect in a highend Android. It has a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz with 2GB RAM and 16 GB storage (non-expandable, alas). The 5.0-inch display is a full HD one, and the camera on the back is a 13.0-megapixel affair. In terms of connectivity, the device comes with 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC. And rounding it all off is the latest version of Android (4.4) laid over which is Xiaomi’s own innovative interface, the MIUI. Any way you look at it, this is a phone that ticks most Android flagship boxes. Which when you consider its price of Rs 13,999, is frankly staggering.

And a very good performer too! The Mi 3 is no paper tiger either. It performs brilliantly. There were zero lags even while playing high-end games, running HD films or running multiple tasks. One area where we found things a bit iffy was the call quality. Although the sound on the speakers was quite good, the people we spoke to on the phone often complained that our voice sounded a bit muffled. Hard core geeks might also consider the absence of a memory card slot a disappointment, but that is a flaw that the Mi 3 shares with some very distinguished devices including the iPhone and the Nexus series. Camera quality is good in daylight although it does tend to fade towards the evening - we had expected more from the flash. We also would advise you to be gentle while extracting the SIM card tray -

Lim

magine getting hardware that is right out of flagship territory at a price that is comfortably mid-segment. Well, that is what the Xiaomi Mi 3 delivers in the company’s amazing debut device in India.

it can get stuck. Then there is the matter of the interface. We have seen our share of devices that came with good hardware on paper but which were held back by their software overlays (the Gionee Elife E7 was a prime example until a firmware update fixed matters), but the Xiaomi Mi 3 is not one of them. The device’s interface is very innovative, with icons across a number of homescreens and some excellent, colourful widgets. There are also some neat touches like the ability to switch on the torch function by simply keeping the home button pressed when the screen is locked, and a phone’s display locking automatically when it senses that it is in your pocket. Xiaomi keeps updating the MIUI regularly, adding new functions and improving functionality. As of now, we think it is our favourite Android overlay alongside HTC’s Sense.

Xiaomi Mi 3

tech specs Size | 144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm Weight | 145 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.3

Conclusion It has the looks, the specs and at Rs 13,999, the Xiaomi Mi 3 is in a zone of its own when it comes to the price-spec equation. The closest we can find to it in terms of specs and price is perhaps the Gionee Elife S5.5, which is the world’s slimmest phone and packs in an octa core processor, but even that comes at a price of Rs 19,999. The challenge with the Xiaomi Mi 3, however, at the time of writing, however, was one of access. The device is available exclusively on Flipkart and has been sold out within seconds of being available time and again. Whether this is because of low stock levels or overwhelming demand is not for us to say, but what has become clear is that getting the Mi 3 is actually becoming something akin to a Mission Impossible (the same initials, incidentally) for many smartphone users. If you can get it, we certainly think it is very good value for money. However, if you are not a spec fanatic and are just looking for a smartphone that delivers good performance in the sub-Rs 15,000 category you can also consider the 16 GB versions of the Moto G and the Asus ZenFone 5. n team@mymobile.co.in

Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive

verdict

Price: Rs 13,999

ite

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

86%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Ascent to Greatness? The Huawei Ascend G750 delivers a fair bit

Pr tao Erg core s p o ro Lon no g la mic cess o d sti ng esign r, ba tte , ry

, s lution , n Co eso era r m n a ee tc scr isten roid w Lo cons r And e In Old

48 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

aking on the Xiaomi Mi3, Huawei has launched an octa-core smartphone, the Ascend G750 at around the same price point. It might not have been as talked about as the Mi 3 or the Asus ZenFone 5 but nevertheless has the specs to make a dent in their market. But will it? That’s what we endeavoured to find out.

Ordinary but ergonomic looks Though the handset has an all plastic body it feels a lot better than the most devices that we have seen in this price segment. It is nowhere near the ZenFone 5 or the Xiaomi Mi 3 in terms of looks and appeal but has its good points too. It is made to appear as a rugged device with the user’s comfort getting priority over style. We liked the back panel for its fine leather-like finish and grey metallic bezel running across the side panel. It is far from elegant but is quite comfortable to handle. Also the back panel was much cleaner than phones with a glossy surface. The back panel is easily removable and covers a huge 3,000mAh battery, dual SIM slots and a micro SD slot. The size of the battery explains the rather big size of the phone. The front panel boasts of a fine looking 5.5–inch screen. The handset does seem a little wide but we found it immensely compact for a 5.5-inch screen device. The power button is also placed below the volume rocker on the side panel, so one can easily access it even with one hand. Overall, user’s convenience has been given precedence over looks, which might annoy the style merchants but scores points in our books.

Eight cores, but low screen resolution The Ascend g750 may not have the looks of the ZenFone 5 or the Mi 3 but definitely has the firepower in hardware terms to match that twosome. It is powered by the same octa-core processor that powers up the Micromax Canvas Knight and has a clock-speed of 1.7GHz. Besides the octa-core processor it has 2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, with support for up to 64GB of external memory. The smartphones’ screen looks colourful but we found the resolution of 1280 x 720 to be a bit on the low side - an octa core device merits a full HD display we think. The phone works very well, handled most tasks smoothly and has an impressive touch response.

Running on old Android Though it runs on the latest hardware, we

were surprised to see the Ascend G750 running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), especially at a time when even entry level smartphones are coming with Android 4.4 (KitKat). The handset carries Huawei’s own Emotion UI, which is simple and easy to use. There is no home button and the home screens carry all the pre-loaded and user downloaded apps, making the most of the home screens which otherwise are never fully used. Apps are classified in folders like tools, top apps and Google apps to make navigation easy

Impressive long lasting battery The handset boasts of a 13.0-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 5.0-megapixel front camera. The handset can take fine shots but tends to be a little inconsistent. Sometimes it takes really nice shots, especially the close-ups, but when it comes to far off shots and night shots it was not upto the mark. We feel the ZenFone 5 has a much better camera and offers far more engrossing and handy features than this one. Though it ran very well, with games and movie playback, we found a slight lag in the camera. The handset’s sound quality is very impressive and will come in handy during music playback and watching movies. Last but not the least is its huge 3,000mAh battery, which is a rarity in this price point. Barring a few handsets like the Lenovo S660 and the Gionee M2, most handset below Rs 20,000 don’t have this big a battery. Small wonder it easily lasts more than a day on single charge.

Huawei ascend g750

tech specs

Price: Rs 14,999

Conclusion At Rs 14,999, the Huawei Ascend G750 would have been an excellent choice had the likes of Xiaomi Mi3 and Asus ZenFone 5 not shown up. Even in the presence of those worthies, it remains a very good device. Ease of use, superb performance and a long lasting battery are some of its high points, although it is tripped up by an old version of Android and its inconsistent camera. Those looking for an alternative can of course check out the Xiaomi Mi 3 and Asus ZenFone 5, provided they can find one (both are difficult to find at the time of writing). Failing that, they can also consider the Moto G, which is selling at Rs 11,999 for the 16GB version or the Alcatel Idol One X Plus, which is selling at Rs 16,999. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

78%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 49

burn test Pros Excellent display Very good hardware Excellent performance

Cons Bulky Camera is a bit of a let down Expensive

50 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Hardware Hero That’s what the LG’s G3 is

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 G2 marked an important turning point for LG. It was the first flagship device from the company after the Optimus 2x that actually went toe to toe with some stiff competition and came out with flying colours, thanks to its innovative interface and excellent design. The G3 therefore has some very big shoes to fill. Does it succeed in doing so?

Large and handsome Unlike the LG G2 which had surprised us by being amazingly compact for a device sporting a 5.2-inch display (it was less than half a foot in length and a mere 8.9mm thin), the G3 pulls no surprises in the appearance department. This is an unabashedly large phone - at 146.3 mm, it hovers very close to the half-foot point and is a full 8mm longer than the G2, and at 74.6 mm is also wider. It however, is exactly as thin as the G2 - 8.9 mm - and at 149 grammes, is a mere three grammes heavier. The main reason for the increase in the size is the significantly larger display - the G3 sports a 5.5 inch one, making it the largest in the current lot of Android flagships. But the device itself has a reassuringly solid feel to it, in spite of being an all-plastic affair. As in the G2, the bezel on the sides of the display have been cut down to the point of non-existence, although there is more of a ‘chin’ to this device than in the G2. The micro USB port and the 3.5 mm audio jack are on the lower part of the device and the sides are totally plain. Yes, as in the case of the G2 and the G Flex, LG has stuck with its decision of keeping hardware buttons on the back - you can find the home button with the volume rocker on the back just below the 13.0-megapixel camera, flash and a focus assist LED. Unlike in the G2 where it had a more dimpled appearance, here the main button is smooth and metallic - it looks better but we had just a little more difficulty finding it as it did not protrude as prominently. The back is gently

curved outwards and is removable. All in all, while not a comfortable fit in most hands (especially feminine ones), the G3 does manage to look rather handsome.

Terrific hardware But what makes the G3 special is its hardware. The 5.5 inch display is a qHD one with a resolution of 1440 x 2560, and a pixel density of 534 ppi, which is frankly staggering. Powering it is a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor at 2.5 GHz, backed up by 2 GB RAM. Storage is at 16 GB and unlike in the G2, is expandable using a microSD card. The camera on the back is a 13.0-megapixel affair with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing one for selfies and video calls frankly, we had expected something better, given the G2 had similar cameras. In connectivity terms, the G3 is fully loaded - 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infra Red, GPS... they are all there. And running on top of it all is Android KitKat with a new LG interface that is more minimalistic and has a far more flat look to it than its loud and funky predecessor.

A very good performer With so much hardware muscle under its hood, its scarcely surprising that the G3 is one of the best performing smartphones we

LG G3

tech specs Size | 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm Weight | 149 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4

have used, once you get used to the back button functionality. The new interface is simpler than the one in the G2 and we loved features like Knock Code which let you unlock your device by tapping out a code on it, and dual window mode, which lets you run apps side by side. The star of the show is without doubt the magnificent display, which is awesome for playing games and viewing videos. Call quality and sound in general are very good, but we expected a bit more from the 13.0-megapixel camera. Yes, it took pictures at a very brisk rate but we expected better colour and detail. Battery life was just about all right though - that display and hardware tempted us into some long gaming sessions which generally necessitated a recharge a day.

Conclusion It packs in a lot of very good hardware - perhaps the best in the market at the time of writing - but the LG G3 does come at a pretty price. There are those who will consider its price tag of Rs 50,990 to be a bit on the higher side, especially when someone like Xiaomi is offering a very powerful device, the Mi 3, at less than a third of that price. At the end, it is really going to depend on how much you love that qHD display and want the latest cuttingedge hardware. If you do, then there is not much competition for the G3. The Oppo Find 7 is the only other phone in the market to come with a qHD display but it does not match up to the G3 in other spheres. We actually think that the G3 might face its stiffest test from the likes of the Sony Xperia X2, the HTC One M8, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and its own predecessor, the G2, which all deliver very good performances at prices that are lower. However, if it is pure hardware bliss that you seek, you would be hard-pressed to better the G3. n team@mymobile.co.in

Screen Size | 5.5-inch, Capacitive

verdict

Price: Rs 47,990

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

82%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 51

burn test New Octa Core on the Block That’s the Obi

Octopus S520

he involvement of a well known personality often does wonders for a phone’s fame. The Hugo Barra connection worked for Xiaomi. And there’s hope that former Apple CEO John Sculley’s association will similarly benefit Obi Mobiles, which has just made its debut in the Indian market. But how well will the company’s devices fare against some very tough competition? We spent some time with Obi Mobile’s flagship device, the Octopus S520 to find out more.

High on elegance and solid in build The Obi Octopus scores high on style and overall design, which is very much like any high-end smartphone. It has a shiny surface, uses metal extensively, is extremely lightweight for a 5.0-inch screen phone, is easily usable with one hand and looks cleaner than most smartphones in this range courtesy the matte finish. The back side has a metallic panel with the brandname screwed on to it on a small panel. The back panel itself is removable, but quite unusually the panel doesn’t cover the entire back, leaving a little space on either sides in plastic. The panel covers dual SIM slots, a micro SD slot and a battery. The lower plastic part carries the speaker while the upper plastic part carries a camera and a flash. The front side boasts of a 5.0-inch 720p HD display, three soft buttons and a front facing camera. All in all, the Octopus S520 is an impressive looking handset with a very good design and buildquality.

52 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in Pros

Cons Camera could have been better, No gorilla glass protection, Smudge prone display

Excellent performance, Light form factor, Impressive looks

Powered by an octa-core processor The name Octopus sounds a little odd but it is actually derived from the octacore processor that drives the device. It is a 1.7GHz octa-core processor that is similar to that seen in the very impressive Micromax Canvas Knight and a few other handsets. Besides the octa-core processor, the phone boasts of 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory with 5GB vacant, with support for external micro SD cards of upto 32GB, and an 1800mAh battery. The other highlight is the big 5.0-inch display with screen resolution of 1280x720p, a 13.0-megapixel rear camera and a 2.0megapixel front camera. The hardware is top notch and quite at par with some of the best devices in this price point.

Runs on the latest Android Obi has made sure its first handset is not found lacking in any department and has equipped the Octopus S520 with the latest Android 4.4 operating system. Also, unlike other smartphone brands, Obi is offering the stock Android user interface instead of adorning it with a new skin and icon pack. This keeps the interface light. Also, it does not clutter the interface by loading too many apps, leaving the choice on the user. There are the usual Google apps onboard, such as Maps, Google Now, Gmail, Play Store. Some other apps on it are TrueCaller, FM radio, movie studio and an app for taking data backup.

Fast and furious The device runs as smoothly as any high-end phone, handles apps and tasks effortlessly; and has a very good looking display too. Games and HD movies not just played out well but also looked very impressive. The display is

has Android KitKat, is well-designed and works efficiently too. Those looking for an alternative can check out the impressively specced but hard to get Xiaomi Mi 3 and the sleek Asus ZenFone 5 and Moto G. The very fact that the Octopus S520 can be mentioned in the same breath as those worthies shows that Obi has made a very promising debut in India indeed. n team@mymobile.co.in

OBI Octopus S520 tech specs

Size | 145 x 75 x 8.4 mm Weight | 134 grams Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | Android OS v4.4 Screen Size | 5.0-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Ion 1,800 mAh sharp, has fine viewing angles and handled colours well. The only downside is the amount of smudges and fingerprints it picks up. Putting on a screen protector might help. The camera speed is impressive and we were able to take multiple shots within seconds. The image quality, however, was average and lacking in colour, especially at evening and indoors. Brighter environs can deliver better results though. It can also record decent looking HD video. The handsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battery back-up is quite good and can last a full day on regular use. Its 3G talktime is 10 hours and on standby it can last upto 8 days on a single charge. We were also impressed by the handsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound quality, as it made music playback and games an enjoyable affair. Its performance puts it in the same league as any of the top contenders at its price point.

Conclusion At Rs 11,990, the Obi Octopus S520 is one of the most smoothly functioning devices that we have seen. It is lighter than the Moto G,

Talktime/Standby | Up to 10 hours/ Up to 192 hours GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Camera | 8.0-megapixel Others | Octa Core Processor, Dual SIM, True Caller

Price: Rs 11,990 verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

84%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Fantastic, Made of Plastic The

E8 is the HTC Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plastic cousin

ake most of the hardware goodness of the brilliant One M8 and place it inside a colourful and plastic body at a lower price tag - that is what HTC has done with the One E8. Does the gamble pay off.

Plastic, but still a looker! We have generally loved HTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to phone design which is radically different from the competition, and well, it is carried forth in the E8 as well. Its dimensions are very similar to the M8 - at 146.4 mm it is as long as the M8, and its 70.7mm width is a mere 0.01 mm more than that of the M8. It is however, a bit thicker - 9.9mm against 9.4 mm of the super svelte M8. But on the flip side, it is lighter - the E8 tips the scales at 145 grammes, as against 160 grammes of the M8. And the main reason for this state of weight is the build of the device. While the M8 was an all-metal affair, the E8 is plastic and unabashedly so. The back of the device does curve

54 MYMOBILE september 2014

HTC One (E8) tech specs

out gently as it did in the M8 but it is made of smooth, glossy plastic. Whether that is an improvement depends entirely on your taste. We had the white model and while it did not look as good as the M8, we did feel that it was still a very good-looking device. Seen from the front, the design follows the same pattern as the M8 - the large, 5.0-inch display flanked by BoomSound speakers above and below it, with a band bearing the HTC logo right below the display, adding to the length of the device. There are no physical hardware buttons on the front - the display/power button is on top of the device (not a convenient location, given the size of the phone). The nano SIM card slot is on the left side of the device, while the right houses the microSD card slot and the volume rocker finding the latter can be a bit of a problem as it almost seems to blend in with the display. The slightly curved back and edges make the phone comfortable to hold, although there is no denying that it is a bit on the larger side (it is longer

Price: Rs 34,350

www.mymobile.co.in

Pros Very good hardware Good design Excellent camera

than the LG G3 which has a larger display). All said and done, we found the HTC One E8 to be almost as attractive as the M8, which makes it one of the best looking smartphones around.

Hardware stays high-end The plastic back apart, it is pretty much business as usual in the hardware department for One E8. The 5.0-inch display is a full HD one and powering it is a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 2.5GHz, backed up by 2GB RAM. Internal storage stands at 16GB and is expandable using a memory card. Connectivity wise, the options are very much the same as on the M8 (3G, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), but there is no infra red port as on that device. One major difference however is the camera - while the M8 had the ultrapixel 4.0-megapixel camera, the E8 comes with a 13.0-megapixel camera. The phone runs on Android KitKat with HTC’s Sense interface with BlinkFeed.

Great performance, with a camera edge And just as in the case of the M8, the E8‘s hardware and software combine well to deliver a very good experience. There were no lags in performance and even high end games and full HD videos played without a hitch. One department in which the E8 comprehensively outpoints the M8 is in the camera. HTC has put a 13.0megapixel shooter in the device rather than the 4.0-megapixel ultrapixel affair that graced both the One and the One M8 and the result is better pictures with more detail. The 5.0-megapixel front-facing camera is also very good. Combine that with the fantastic audio that one gets off those front facing speakers and the brilliant full HD display and we can safely call the E8 the best multimedia Android device we have seen. Our only complaint was its penchant to heat up from time to time even when using something as routine as BlinkFeed.

Conclusion What makes HTC One E8 really special is its price. Unlike the M8 which came with a price tag of Rs 49,990, the E8 costs Rs 34,990. That makes it one of the best value for money propositions in the Android flagship segment and significantly better value for money than the likes of Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2, which charge more for similar specs. Yes, there are those who would say that the Xiaomi Mi 3 comes with comparable hardware at a price that is much much lower (Rs 13,999), but we think that the E8’s design and multimedia muscle make it a formidable proposition. And at a time when most high-end devices are priced well above Rs 40,000, seeing one at this price point is a pleasant surprise. It is plastic. It is fantastic. It is the E8. n team@mymobile.co.in

Cons Some might not like the plastic back A bit large Tends to heat up

verdict perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

84%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Octa Core Karbonn Karbonn joins the octa core

club with the Titanium Octane Plus

56 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

cta-core processors are the latest attention grabbers in the tech world, with brands competing with each other to get on to the eight core processor bandwagon. After the likes of Intex, Micromax, Gionee, Huawei, Panasonic and Samsung, it is now the chance of Karbonn to join the octa core gang with the Octane Plus, a sub-Rs 20,000 smartphone with a good design and the power of eight cores.

High on elegance, but not very sturdy Everyone likes a good-looking smartphone and Karbonn has been dishing them out quite frequently now. Some of their previous devices have looked not just good but a little different from the rest. The Octane Plus continues this tradition. It is a sleek, lightweight handset with a curved base, giving it the look and feel of a unibody phone and with the back panel’s white colour crossing through reaching the front panel, the illusion is complete and hard to catch. A unique spin, no doubt, adding to the overall good looks it has. However, it is not very sturdy and even a slight pressure on the back panel can show ripples on the screen. The front panel boasts of an in-ear speaker, a front camera and a good-looking display. Both the volume and power buttons are placed on the side panel, making it easy to use even with one hand. The speaker is neatly designed and lies on the back panel. The back panel is covered by a flimsy plastic cover with a glossy surface on the outside. It may look good but is not very practical as it makes the device slippery and prone to smudges. A matte panel would have been an ideal choice. So the build quality is not that great but the overall design and appearance is top notch.

Power of eight cores This handset is powered by 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek processor. The amount of RAM (2GB) and internal memory (16GB) appears to be decent as well and will come in handy for playing high-end games. A dual SIM device, the Octane Plus comes with a 2,000mAh Li-ion battery, a standard SIM slot, a micro SIM and a micro SD card slot which supports upto 32GB memory cards. A 2,000mAh battery on a full HD IPS display phone can be called a passable affair as it gives a day’s backup on a single charge on regular use. The handset handled most tasks with ease and there was hardly any lag in any of the tasks we threw at it.

Impressive Full HD display The device comes with a 5.0-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 1920x1080p. It is an impressive display but is nowhere near the full HD displays of a Galaxy S5 or Gionee E7. Its good points are that it handles colours well, has

very good viewing angles and HD videos and games look impressive on it. With the power of eight cores to power it up, it played videos and games very well. The sound quality is decent but could have been better.

Runs the latest Android in town Karbonn has been one of the few Indian brands that has steadily moved on to the latest Android KitKat on several of its devices. The entry level Titanium S99 also ran on Android Kitkat. And so does the Octane Plus. It runs on Android 4.4, and carries the stock Android interface. Icons are slightly bigger than usual but overall the interface is classic Android, unlike other brands which customize the interface in an attempt to appear different. The device comes with a number of pre-installed apps like Amazon, Saavn, Firstpost, FM radio, OLX, Sony LIV, Vodafone TV, and Karbonn’s own app called ebazaar which is a doorway to an e-commerce store where you can buy smartphones, tablets, apps, and get discounted products too. There is another app called Klive where one can get breaking news from CNN IBN, astrology, jokes, Bollywood and health related tips and content through SMS with the cost of a request being Rs 3 per sms.

is that though the box showed the camera as a 16.0-megapixel one, we could not get pictures of a resolution higher than 12 megapixels. The front facing camera has a high megapixel count too - it is an 8.0-megapixel affair. Its quality is quite good too and we can see selfie fans loving it.

Conclusion The Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus has some very good features, but is let down to an extent by its not so sturdy build quality and to some extent the price. The Xiaomi Mi3 offers a lot more than it and comes for just Rs 13,999, as does the ZenFone 5 which comes at an even lower price. A crucial point, however, is that unlike those two, the Titanium Octane Plus is actually available in stores. Which surely counts for something. n team@mymobile.co.in

Pros Great display, Smooth performance, Fine pair of cameras

Cameras are good too The Titanium Octane Plus boasts of a fine 16.0megapixel camera capable of taking excellent close-up shots and decent looking landscape ones. The colour is not very accurate but the picture quality is decent. An intriguing point

Cons Glossy finish, Flimsy build quality, Slightly over priced

Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus

tech specs

verdict

Price: Rs 19,490

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

80%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 57

burn test Point, shoot, call! The Samsung Galaxy

K Zoom does them all

amsung has been trying to blend a proper point and shoot camera with a powerful smartphone for a while now. How close does it come to making a perfect match with the Galaxy K Zoom?

It’s a camera, it’s a phone Designing a device that is both a camera and a phone is a tricky affair that no manufacturer has yet been able to master fully. However, the K Zoom is easily the best effort in this regard so far, especially the black model. Although there is no denying the bulk of the device (it is 16.6 mm thick), the camera at the back does not jut out to the extent that it did on the previous Galaxy Zoom or the original Galaxy Camera. The result is a device that looks like a phone or a camera depending on which side of it you are holding, which we think is exactly what Samsung intended. The phone side of the device is dominated by a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display with the typical oval home button below it that is the trademark of many Samsung Galaxy devices., with the multitasking and back soft touch keys flanking it. Turn the device around and you get the lens of the 20.7-megapixel camera with a 10x optical zoom, along with a Xenon flash. Samsung has done away with the awkward grips that marked previous smart cameras and the back also has the dotted finish that marked the Galaxy S5, while a chrome band runs along the sides, with the power/display on/off, volume rocker and dedicated camera buttons being on the right. At about 200 grammes, it is a bit on the heavy side and will not fit most hands comfortably, but it is still not a bad-looking device, especially when compared to its predecessors.

Decent hardware The Super AMOLED display is a 1280 x 720 affair , which is a bit of a let down in this era of full HD displays (and we would have loved one in a device with a camera). The device is powered by an Exynos hexa core processor and comes with 2GB RAM and 8 GB of storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card slot. Then there is the camera side - the 20.7megapixel count is in itself impressive, but combined with optical image stabilisation, a Xenon flash and a 10x optical zoom, it becomes a formidable shooting proposition for those who take their photography seriously. The device runs on Android KitKat with Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay and comes with all the connectivity trimmings you would expect in a highend device: GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, among others. We would not go so far as to call this cutting edge hardware but it is certainly very good.

58 MYMOBILE september 2014

Samsung Galaxy K zoom

Price: Rs 29,000

www.mymobile.co.in

Mixed performance

Pros Good camera 10X Optical zoom Decent hardware

We must confess that we have mixed feelings about the overall performance of the Galaxy K Zoom. While there is no doubting that this is by far the best camera with calling facility that we have ever used, the device - like its predecessors - tends to fall between two stools. Its bulk makes it a bit difficult to use as a phone - we felt a bit awkward holding it although we think this is a feeling that will pass with constant use. And while the display is brilliant, we actually would have preferred a full HD one at this price point. It is also a bit of a two-edged sword. Yes, Web pages and videos look awesome on it, but unfortunately, the tendency of Super AMOLED displays to oversaturate colours also meant that when using the camera, we often got images that looked different on the device and on other displays. Which brings us to the camera itself. While there is no doubting that the 20.7-megapixel shooter is better than anything we have seen on a phone in terms of detail, it still did not quite match up to the performance of prosumer and DSLR cameras which cost about as much. That said, there is no doubt that editing

and sharing photographs from the device is much easier than from a proper camera. Sound quality is decent but battery life could be an issue if you go crazy clicking images - a recharge a day would be necessary for those who love photography.

Conclusion At Rs 29,999, the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is priced at the high end of both smartphones and point and shoot cameras. While it does not exactly deliver in either department (there are better phones and cameras at that price point), as a blend of the two, it is unmatched. There will be those who will say that they can get a decent camera and a phone for a lower price, but if you are a fan of convergence and want everything in one device then the Galaxy K Zoom remains one of your best options. The closest alternative we can think of is the Lumia 1020, which comes with a 41.0-megapixel sensor (but no optical zoom) and runs on Windows Phone 8.1 and has a sleeker design, but costs significantly more at close to Rs 45,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Cons Expensive Bulky Low resolution display

perfoRmance

Features

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

78%

september 2014 MYMOBILE 59

in focus

3G Spectrum Sharing: Better Days for Telecom M

obile spectrum is a precious and scarce resource, and perhaps it is that notion that has led to greater emphasis on protecting it rather than using it. As a result, in several frequency bands, most of this scarce resource lies unutilized. However, this is no longer a viable option as the growing adoption of smartphones and the ensuing subscriber rush has escalated the pressure on operators’ current spectrum holdings. To accommodate more subscribers and their demand, operators came up with the idea of sharing their spectrum. The policy makers allowed spectrum sharing in 2G but when the matter of 3G spectrum sharing came up, they refused, saying it would endanger future auctions as operators might start sharing spectrum instead of buying it. However, the opinion on the subject has changed over the years and the first sign of it came from TRAI in July when it gave the green signal to spectrum sharing. After TRAI’s approval, DoT is likely to clear it too but whether they will yield to the regulator’s version or work out something different, only time would tell. One thing that is very likely to change, however, is the quality of service and the spectral efficiency.

From 2G sharing to 3G sharing

In 2012, TRAI issued its guidelines on spectrum sharing in 2G. It was only allowed between two operators and in the 1800/900MHz or 800MHz band. Leasing of spectrum was not allowed and so was 3G spectrum sharing. In 2013, when the regulator was finalizing the guideline for spectrum trading, some of the telecom operators requested the regulator to give its recommendations on guidelines for spectrum sharing. TRAI obliged and formulated a steering committee comprising TRAI officials and representatives from the operators to frame the working guidelines. After several meetings with the stakeholders, the regulator finalized its recommendations. A lot of what has been suggested is similar to what exists in 2G. For instance, in 2G spectrum, sharing is allowed in the same license area and the Government’s

60 MYMOBILE september 2014

prior permission is also required for it. Permission will be initially given for only five years but it can be renewed for another term of five years if the Government wants. Sharing will be allowed between two operators only and it will be considered that telcos entering the agreement will be sharing their entire spectrum in a circle. It seems the 3G spectrum sharing is treading on similar lines.

What the TRAI has suggested

TRAI’s guidelines allow spectrum sharing between two operators if both have access to spectrum in the same band in a service area. 800, 900, 1800, 2300, and 2500MHz bands are entitled for spectrum sharing. By doing so the operators will be able to accomplish better spectral efficiency. TRAI has said no to spectrum leasing. Also, the recommendation only speaks about sharing between two operators which means that multiple operator deals will not be possible. The Government will give its final guidelines soon but these are likely to be more or less based on those given by the regulator. Therefore, it is safe to assume that TRAI’s guidelines are pretty much what the sector is headed for and given the nature of recommendations, it seems the industry will not get the breather it was expecting. Take for instance, the mandate that only operators who have licenses in the five mentioned bands in a circle can share the spectrum, which means operators with spectrum in different bands will not be able to share spectrum. This means that unless an operator buys spectrum in a given band, it cannot share spectrum with another operator. So for instance, Reliance Communications cannot share its spectrum in 800MHz and 2100MHz band with Reliance Jio unless Reliance Jio acquires license in both the bands in the next auctions. Another talking point is in the fact that an operator can share spectrum with only one operator and not two. This means that the country’s top operators like Vodafone, Airtel or Idea cannot enter a sharing agreement together as they do not have 3G licenses in all circles and the circles that are common between them are very few. Besides,

www.mymobile.co.in

Are the TRAI’s guidelines for 3G spectrum sharing a harbinger for better days for both Indian telecom operators and subscribers? We take a closer look at the guidelines and their implications for the sector. Abhijit Ahaskar spectrum sharing will be useful mainly in those areas where both the participating operators are facing a capacity crunch. While operators like Airtel or Vodafone which have more than 90 per cent active subscribers, a player like Aircel can benefit a

great deal from this. Both operators entering the sharing deal should inform the Government prior to entering the agreement. This would be a formality and not a permission-taking exercise but the Government has the right to annul the agree-

ment if it feels the agreement is in contravention with any of the guidelines. We have seen the repercussions of over regulation, so it is to be hoped that the same circumstances will not come around this time as well. Of course. the operators entering the agreement will see higher returns for them, but the higher the revenue the higher the amount of SUC to the Government would be as well. Since it will not be possible to measure the quantum of spectrum shared at each site between two operators, to apply spectrum usage charges on them the Government will assume that the operators are sharing their entire spectrum holding in a given band in the circle. Rajan Mathews, Director General, COAI points out, “The TRAI guidelines are clearly a step in the right direction. However there have been some constraints which they have said they will look into. One is the fact that you cannot go beyond a band is a significant restriction that needs to be addressed.”

The objective of spectrum sharing

The key objective of spectrum sharing is to enhance spectral efficiency by pooling spectrum held by two operators because when two operators pool their spectrum holding in the same band, spectrum efficiency increases exponentially. This is the reason why the authorities are in its favour. Another factor is that the demand for data is growing rapidly and is set to become humungous by 2017. According to Cisco’s forecasts, data usage on mobile devices in India will grow four times faster than fixed IP traffic from 2012-2017. Mobile devices including smartphones and tablets alone will account for 40 per cent of IP traffic and around 2 billion network devices will be available in India by 2017. In that sort of scenario, operators will require additional spectrum to handle this surge. The industry is going through a lean phase and a number of operators are reeling under heavy debts. Opening up of spectrum sharing in 3G would open the scope for operators to pool their spectrum and use it more efficiently. Spectrum sharing can do a lot of good to the telecom industry but the general feeling is that the sector needs more than what the TRAI has suggested. It certainly is a right step in the right direction but more might need to be done. Telecom subscribers, however, can keep their fingers crossed for better services in the coming days. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

september 2014 MYMOBILE 61

boredom buster Name: Rival Knights Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520

RATING



Rival Knights Jousting on your handset

n the medieval age, jousting was a sport that was the favourite of knights. The idea of the sport was simple - two knights rode towards each other with lances raised and the idea of each was to knock the other off his horse through the impact of his lance. It was a violent sport and people sometimes even lost their lives in it- small wonder we don’t see it around in official form any more. Mind you, if you have your heart set on it, you can still play it on your handset by downloading the Rival Knights game. The game comes with very good graphics and allows you to test your lances against a number of opponents, and while the locales and opponents keep changing, your objective remains the same: to unhorse the man by hitting him with your lance. And for this you have to control two basic parameters - the speed of your horse and the timing and placement of your attack with your lance. It takes some getting used to and sometimes can be quite frustrating all that preparation for basically a few seconds of action - but once you get the hang of it, it can be quite addictive. The graphics and sound effects are top-notch and we love the absence of a price tag, although there are in-app purchases for those who want better equipment and horses. n

Name: Cross Court Tennis 2 Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

RATING



Cross is 2 A n n e T t r u Co ovement

r p m i t n a c signifi

has been s, tennis ualrm o tf la bile p ned q the es on mo ave spaw nted gam and golf which h me developers to best e ri -o s rt o a e ll p g a s th d tb f e to o o ir s p e fo s n e me hen it co rly served. Unlik is has not really in Tennis remains o some competio t a rather po y the dozen, tenn ost ancient Virtu wever likely to ge lightly clunky b s ity titles h is why the alm e devices. It is ho polished than its d on the left a p hic bil y re o w o jo m a m n ts h o is h r c same heig tions of the form is 2, which is mu en buttons - there . The joypad is fo in e t n ta represen Cross Court Ten ls are still onscre d another for slic Graphics are no s o t. tion from or. Yes, the contr ne for topspin an ection of the sho ugh camera angle o predecess eys on the right, s dictating the dir the eye even tho every point but n k r a and two e player as well definitely easy o celebrations afte h falls midway moving th nnis class but are done without the me of tennis whic plex Virtua Virtua Te . We could have a very decent ga nd the more com 1.99, but are fixed and done, this is le Stick Tennis a by paying USD se all said n the uber simp k a career mode k match to relea betwee . You can unloc king at is a quic tion. n o op Tennis you are lo is a good if all that adrenaline, this some

62 MYMOBILE september 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Real Cricket ‘14 Very well played

ricket has not been an easy sport to capture for the gaming crowd. The game’s many rules and formats, not to mention the variety of strokes and deliveries, pose a formidable challenge. That has not stopped developers from trying, however, and the latest effort comes from Nautilus Mobile, who have come out with Real Cricket ‘14. And if you are looking for an in-depth cricket gaming experience, then this is certainly worth trying out. The graphics are decent and the gameplay, while not being the simplest, certainly tries to capture the essence of the game. In essence, this is a game of choices, you have to mark out the position of the batsman and make sure he times his stroke well, while with the bowler, you have to choose the delivery and ensure that he delivers the ball at the right time. You get plenty of games to play, teams to play for and if you are willing to pay a bit, you can unlock other tournaments too. It is really about timing, and can seem a bit tedious at times as compared to the breakneck pace of Stick Cricket but we can see cricket fans loving the in-depth gameplay and the presentation. n Name: Real Cricket ‘14 Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

RATING



QuizUp Q&A magic on

your phone

he quiz - question and answer - is one of the oldest games going around in the world and one of the most popular as well. Be it Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Mastermind, quizzes have a massive following because of their being based on knowledge and their inherent simplicity. Well, the folks at Plain Vanilla have picked up the concept of the quiz and taken it global. So yes, the essence of the game is still to pick the right answer from among four options, but here your opponent is a real person in another part of the world. You get points based on how quickly you answer a question and while you cannot see the answer chosen by your opponent, you can see when they have made the answer. All of which makes each Quiz Up session a crackling, tense affair. There are dozens of topics to choose from and global and regional leaderboards which show the leading experts on different subjects. Yes, you do need an Internet connection to play it, but once you start, there’s no going back. This is quizzing at its very best on your handset. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

Name: QuizUp Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

RATING



september 2014 MYMOBILE 63

Smart apps ANS Navigator Pricey, but a performer too

urchasing an app for maps and navigation in this day and age when you have the likes of Nokia’s Here Maps and Google Maps available free of cost? Well, that is what Ayana Navigation Solutions hope to make us do with the ANS Navigator app. Yes, it does come with a stiff price tag, but then it does deliver a fair bit. Based on the famous iGO navigation engine used in many navigation devices, the app is a hefty download at 903 MB for the iPhone version but once set up (which involves not just choosing the default mode of travel and measurement units, but also the kind of keyboard you would be needing - a neat touch), it will more than suffice for your navigation needs. There are the usual touches about working out routes and alternative routes (which the app does quite well) but what we particularly liked was the availability of traffic information in eight Indian cities. You would need Internet connectivity to get traffic information but judging by the accuracy of the updates we got in Delhi, we think it is well worth it. If you are a hardcore traveller, this is one app we really think you should be having on your phone. n

Adobe Photoshop Express Windows gets a super

image editing app

ne of the greatest ironies in tech was the fact that while Windows Phone had some of the best camera phones in the world (the Lumia 920, the Lumia 1020, the HTC 8X), the platform did not have apps that could let you do more with the pictures you took. Well, that has been changing of late, first with the arrival of Instagram, and now of Adobe Photoshop Express. In our book, the latter is more important than the former as it gives the user access to not just a set of filters but also some very good editing tools. You can choose to either take a picture from within the app itself or choose an existing picture. That done, you can try out more than a dozen filters to change its appearance from the Looks option. Yo can also tweak features like clarity, sharpness, exposure and contrast in the Adjustments section, add different borders and crop the image and correct red eyes. Paying a bit can give you access to more filters and options like noise reduction, but even without them, this is a very powerful image editing tool. Very much a must-have for all Windows Phone users. n Name: Adobe Photoshop Express Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520

RATING

64 MYMOBILE september 2014



Name: ANS Navigator Price: Rs 1850 (iOS), Rs 1399 (Android) Tested on: iPhone 5s

RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Yahoo News at its simple best on your device

or most of us, Yahoo is associated with search or mail. However, the company of late has been revamping itself and has been getting into news aggressively. One of its news apps is the Yahoo News Digest which delivers news to your device twice a day, without your having to do anything more than subscribe to it. And well, the same simplicity to an extent comes to the Yahoo app on both iOS and Android. This app is not about search but just a news app, and once again, you have to do no choosing or sorting of subjects, but just launch the app to see the news presented in panels with photographs placed one below the other. You can get a summary of the news item on the panel itself or tap on it to read the full story. You can also save stories for reading later and share them on social networks. Yes, there are other apps out there as well, but this has got to be one of the cleanest in terms of design and presentation. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

Foursquare No more about checking in!

Name: Yahoo Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

or many people, Foursquare is an app that is synonymous with check-ins, or showing one’s location. The app had come into prominence a few years ago and is seen by many as the pioneer in social location-sharing. However, with the emergence of other applications, and most notably even Facebook getting a signin option, Foursquare has had to change itself and it has done so by surprisingly ditching the check in option and becoming a location recommendation app instead. So now when you log in to Foursquare you no longer try to find people around you or become the mayor of a place through multiple visits but instead tell the app about your tastes and preferences and then sit back as the app recommends places in your vicinity that it thinks might interest you. These recommendations are based on the people you follow and of course you can also add your own recommendations, rating and tips and attain expert status. It is very handy if you are the type that likes to visit places based on the recommendations of friends, rather than socalled experts. The interface is rich in information and the app works smoothly. If you still miss the check-ins, try out Foursquare’s sister app, Swarm. n

RATING



Name: Foursquare Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

RATING

 september 2014 MYMOBILE 65

etcetera Garmin Vivofit Super wearable for fitness freaks

Skullcandy Bombshell

Sound for feminine ears

kullcandy has come out with a special line of headphones designed specially for women and among these is theBombshell range. Do not get deceived by the name, though - these are not hefty headphones for booming sound, but rather dainty looking buds that come in a special ladies clasp case that we think will sway many buyers. The gel buds at the end of the headphones are soft and flexible enough to fit even the smallest ears and also stay in place even when one is active. There is also an inline remote that will let you fiddle with the volume, switch tracks and handle calls. And of course, the headphones themselves come in some very catchy colours with some deft design touches (there are studs with the Skullcandy logo on the phones)- we got the light blue ones and they looked very femme indeed. All the looks in the world, however, are of little use if the sound quality is not up to scratch and the Bombshell delivers in this regard in best Skullcandy tradition. Sound quality is very good (although some men might find it a bit on the lower side, but then it is not made for them) and volume and call controls work smoothly too. Yes, they don’t come cheap but then when you have something this stylish, a slightly stiff price tag is to be expected. n

Price: Rs 9,990

est known for its navigation devices, Garmin has now launched a wearable in the Indian tech market. A smart band called the Vivofit, this device is a slim and compact band that is targeted at fitness enthusiasts. While it also has a ‘core’ component which is inserted into a strap - like the smart bands we saw from Sony and Alcatel - the Vivofit is a very different kettle of fish. For one, it has a display which shows the time and the amount of steps you have taken and calories you have burned. It also alerts you when it senses that you have been inactive. You can pair it with a computer or a smartphone (Android and iOS are both supported, which is wonderful) to get more detailed and graphic information on a host of subjects including your sleep patterns, provided you wear the band around the clock. Which in turn brings us to one of the most amazing features about the device - the fact that its battery lasts a full year. The Vivofit runs on the batteries that we see in many watches, saving you from the hassle of charging it. Yes, it is expensive, but we think that it is one of the better fitness bands around in terms of design (very sleek, and you have a choice of colourful bands too) and performance. n 66 MYMOBILE september 2014

Price: Rs 3,499

www.mymobile.co.in

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september 2014 MYMOBILE 67

etcetera Amkette OTG Smart Hub and Card Reader One device

to connect them all

Price: Rs 39,990

HP Pavilion 11 x360 Funky and functional

mkette has been coming out with a number of innovative mobile accessories in recent times and now it has added a smart hub to the collection. Basically, a small box-like component, it adds a whole lot of connectivity options to your phone. All you need to do is connect your phone or tablet to the hub using a cable that comes tucked in neatly with it and you can then connect a keyboard, a mouse or even plug in a USB drive to the three USB ports on the device and use it with your phone. And if that was not enough, there are also two card readers on the hub letting you access information from them. In short, this single device allows your phone or tablet to access a USB drive, a mouse, a keyboard, a storage device, and even memory cards, with minimum fuss. There are not too many wires to fuss around with. The only catch is that your device must support USB OTG (on the go). However, that feature is not as elite as it once was and if you have a mid-segment smartphone, it is a fair chance that it is supported. All of which makes the Amkette OTG Smart Hub and Card Reader a very good option for those who want to get more out of their smartphones. And at Rs 945, it is very good value for money. n

Price: Rs 945

otebooks have been getting more innovative and colourful of late, with interesting builds and new colours that shift away from the traditional grey/white/ black staple fare of the past. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually the first thing that strikes you about the device - its red colour. And things only get better when you lift up the 11.6 inch display to reveal a metal finish surrounding a keyboard with really big keys. The display incidentally is a touchscreen and has a resolution of 1366 x 768p. It can also fold all the way back to the back of the keyboard itself to allow you to use the device as a tablet - it runs Windows 8.1, and relax, the keyboard and the touchpad are rendered inactive when in this mode so you do not end up accidentally pressing keys. Powering the notebook is a 2.16GHz Intel Pentium 3520 processor and while we would not recommend it for heavy duty gaming, it certainly is more than adequate for most routine tasks. We also liked the sound of the Beats Audio speakers. Yes, we would have liked it to be a bit lighter (at 1.4 kg, it can be a pain to lug around), but in terms of form and function, we can see this being a big hit at the campuses. And at Rs 39,990, it does not cost the earth either. n

68 MYMOBILE september 2014

team@mymobile.co.in

Sabka saath, sabka vikas

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India

davp 22202/13/0025/1415

Heartiest greetings on 68th Independence day

a p p ta s t i c

The Wonder World of Launchers A The popularity of Android lies in the flexibility it offers. Mobile launchers allow Android users to play around with the look and feel of their smartphone, something which no other platform can offer. We bring you some of the top launchers in town. Abhijit Ahaskar Buzz Launcher: Visually appealing and high on variety Price: Free This launcher allows you to change everything that makes a UI, going well beyond just wallpapers and themes. In fact, it draws inspiration from popular culture, using themes from everyday life, movies, games, celebrities, cartoons, architecture and even places, and applies it on the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screen. You can contribute to the inventory by developing your own theme and share it with others. No wonder it has an enormous stock of over 5 lakh user created themes, which can be downloaded for free. Each of them transforms the wallpaper, menu, icons, and design. It is truly the most visually appealing launcher available. It may not act as an assistant but it surely changes the look and feel of a phone like no other. A must-have if you want your handsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screen to reflect your favorites from everyday life. Mind you, changing features on the themes can be a bit of a stiff task.

70 MYMOBILE september 2014

ndroid is considered to be the most dynamic mobile platform of them all because it takes customization to unprecedented heights, offering consumers a wealth of choice across all features. And nowhere is this more noticeable than in its interface. Thanks to a number of developer and officially created launchers, a user can transform the look and feel of a handset the way they like. The choices are many, sometimes too many, so we decided to make things easier for you by picking out what we think are the five best launchers for Android in the market. Download them and give your phone a whole new look and feel.

Facebook Home: Adding a Facebook touch to your phone Price: Free Completely designed for Facebook addicts (and there are plenty of those around), Home can transform your smartphone into a Facebook smartphone. It provides recent updates from Facebook and other social networking platforms like Instagram and Tumblr on the main screen, putting your social life before anything else, saving a Home user from the need to go to different apps every time they want to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buzzing on Facebook and supported social networks. It also allows you to chat with your friends while using other apps. Its limitation lies in its size that often slows down the device and its limited availability - it is available on limited handsets at the time of writing. Facebook fans swear by it, while those who are not consider it an indulgence. Either way, it certainly is innovative.

Go Launcher: Smooth as silk Price: Free Quite often smartphones come with a launcher of their own, which might not meet the needs (aesthetic and/or functional) of their users. A key issue with most pre-installed launchers is the size and heavy themes, which slow down the device over time. If that is the case with your phone, try Go Launcher, which brings the stock Android experience to your phone. It does not have the variety of a Buzz Launcher, but is certainly simpler and lighter. The app not only allows users to access recently used apps, but also hide apps you do not want to show, and also keeps one posted of the amount of memory used. It is best suited for those who want to get rid of the flashy official UIs and want something that is simple and fast. A key feature of the app is its ability to run very well on all devices, including budget smartphones with relatively modest configurations.

www.mymobile.co.in

Nokia Z launcher: Just Swipe and find anything Price: Free How often a smartphone maker come up with a launcher that is completely different from what runs on its phones? Nokia did just that when it released the Nokia Z launcher for Android. Poles apart from Nokia’s Android phones which remind one of the Windows Phone UI, the Z launcher is a simple and easy to follow app working on the premise of making everything accessible to users in one second. Just swipe the first letter of what you are looking for on the home screen and the app pulls out items based on your past usage pattern. It could be a name in the contact list, an app from the inventory, or anything that is on the phone. Highly useful, the app works smoothly and is available for download on the launcher’s official webpage. Its Play Store debut might depend on the response it gets from users. We certainly think it is well worth a download.

Yahoo Aviate: Not just a launcher, it’s a personal assistant Price: Free

Most launchers are supposed to take user experience to the next level, but that is a task easier said than done.What makes Yahoo Aviate different is its ability to deliver a little style and a lot of utility on any smartphone. The level of personalization it offers is remarkable. It allows you to classify your everyday apps into multiple categories like productivity, cooking, outdoor, social, games, news, travelling, finance and many more, but what makes it more special is the intelligence it brings to the table. For instance, if you are travelling, it would draw your travel apps on the first home page. Similarly, when you are at work, it would draw out the productivity apps for you. Neat, smooth and fast, the app offers feedback and information on all nearby places of interest like eating joints, cinema halls, shops and even offices pulled from Foursquare. Every day, it offers an image pulled form Flickr which can be set as one’s homepage. Impressive and very useful! It explains why Yahoo paid 80 million dollars to acquire Thumbs Up labs, a startup that developed Aviate. n

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 71

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

72 MYMOBILE september 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

september 2014 MYMOBILE 73

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 baswed on price and colour-coded as:

Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion. M.O.P. mentiond in My Guide are not applicable in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Nokia Sub-entry level (up to Rs 2,499) Entry-level (Rs 2,500 - Rs 5,999) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

High-level

(Rs 12,000 upwards)

CDMA Tablet Lifestyle

NR stands for not reviewed M.O.P. stands for Market Operating Price

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 75

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

1,850

2,400

2,650

2,850

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Asha 230 Dual SIM

206

Asha 500 Dual SIM

Asha 501

Asha 210

208

502

Dimension (mm)

99.5 x 58.6 x 13.2

116 x 49 x 12.4

10.3 x 58.1 x 12.8

99.2 x 58 x 12.1

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

114.2 x 50.9 x 12.8

99.6 x 59.5 x 11.1

Weight (grams)

89.3

101.8

97.3

90.6

100

12/504

20/680

14/528

17/624

12/1104

12/480

13.7/576

Model

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

262,144/2.8

65,536/2.4

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

65,536/2.4

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Asha software 1.1

Series 40

Asha software 1.1

Asha software 1.3

Series 40

Asha software 1.5

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

3,200

3,700

3,980

4,000

4,600

5,000

5,200

76 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

301

Asha 503 Dual SIM

X+

Lumia 520

515 Dual SIM

Lumia 525

Dimension (mm)

114 x 50 x 12.5

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)

102

111.4

128.7

124

102

124

Talktime/Standby (hours)

20/504

12/480

13.3/408

14/360

10.4/432

17/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.4

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/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Tes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

2,000

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

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Series 40

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/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

5,300

6,300

7,300

8,000

8,900

9,000

10,000

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 630

Lumia 625

Lumia 1320

Lumia 925

Lumia 1520

Lumia 1020

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

162.8 x 85.4 8.7

130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

190

134

159

220

139

209

158

16/720

16.4/648

23.9/768

25/672

18.3/432

27.4/768

19.1/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

20.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/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

Bar/Yes/No

11,000

11,500

15,000

19,990

27,000

39,000

40,000

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 77

myguide UP TO Rs 2,499)

ENTRY LEVEL

MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL (UP TO R s 2,499)

CUBIT

PARAMETERS Model

MAXX

SAMSUNG

ALCATEL

MX153

MX555

E1207Y

Dimension (mm)

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

120 x 50 x 9.95

Weight (grams)

96.5

65.1

74.98

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Guru Music 2

NEW

OT 2005D

7/400

6/300

-/350

NA/350

8/430

11/800

14/425

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

65,536/2.4

65,536/1.8

NA/2.6

65,536/1.52

65,536/2.0

262,155/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/8GB

NA/NA

NA/No

NA/16GB

128 MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

1000

300

1,000

Shared

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

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

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

910

1,520

1,030

2,376

1,370

1,785

2,750

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

CUBIT

CELKON

OT 4007D PIXI

4u Topaz

A 9 Dual

A 15

A64

A 20

A 40

Dimension (mm)

115 x 62.3 x 12.2

128 X 68 X 11

120.5 x 63.9 x 10.6

119 x 63 x 9.9

124 x 65 x 10.5

125.5 x 64.5 x 11.4

126.2 x 64 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

118

126

116

125.6

122

126.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13/500

10/72

3/200

6/150

5/150

4/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2 MP/Yes/Yes

5MP/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/Yes

Dual band/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v2.3

Android4.0

Android 4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,933

4,500

3,399

3,499

3,999

4,599

5,999

78 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

LAVA

PARAMETERS Model

Discover 132

356 3G

402+

T375

T585

Optimus L3 II Single

Optimus L3II Dual

Dimension (mm)

116.9 x 62.5 x 12.6

125.50 x 64.50 x 11.40

103 x 59 x 10.7

103.09 x 59.9 x 10.8

102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

112

124

103

125

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/200

4/200

12.8/601

9/560

8/480

16/730

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

258KB/4GB

512MB/32GB

48MB/16GB

50MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

Shared

1,000

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

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

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Proprietary

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,299

3,900

5,699

4,100

4,200

5,700

5,900

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MAXX

PARAMETERS Model

MT401

MSD7

NEW

AXD21

NEW

SAMSUNG

AX409 DUO

NEW

AX356

NEW

AXD 11

NEW

Metro 312

NEW

Dimension (mm)

125.5 X 67 X 12.5

115 x 61 x 11.5

125.30 x 63.83 x 10.10

123.5 x 63.5 x 11

116.3 x 61.1 x 10.4

122.3 x 62.3 x 10.4

112.7 x 46.4 x 13.1

Weight (grams)

140

114

109.3

115.6

107.6

71.10

73.7

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/300

2.5/300

4/150

5/200

3.5/100

4/150

12/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.0

262,144/3.5

256,144/4.0

262,144/4.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

65,536/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2 MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1000

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

Price in Rs.

Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

No/No/No

Android OS v4.2.2

Android OS v4.4.2

Android OS v4.2.2

Android OS v4.2

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

2,838

3,636

4,020

4,300

4,392

5,184

2,480

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 79

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SPICE

ZTE

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Galaxy Star Pro

Mi 356

Mi 426

3G MI 438

Mi 435

KIS Flex (V793)

Dimension (mm)

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6

119.9 x 63 x 11.5

119.9 x 58 x 10.8

145 x 79 x 9.5

116.3 x 63 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

121

112

122

155

117

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/550

15/370

7.5/120

6/250

4/170

NA/NA

8/340

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.4

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.4

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

20MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB /32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Android OS v4.1

Android OS, v4.2

Android OS v4.2

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

Price in Rs.

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

3,000

5,500

3,300

4,000

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

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

103

144

164

140

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Curve 9320

NEW

6.6/220

16/15

9/540

7/432

9/350

Aug-72

Oct-72

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4

262,144/NA

16million/4.3

65,536/2.44

16million/4.0

16million / 5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2GB/32GB

4GB/32 GB

8GB/None

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/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

Dual Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

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

9,900

6,290

8,450

9,700

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

Price in Rs.

80 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 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 Plus

Aurus III

Aurus IV

S99 Titanium

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)

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

8,999

11,000

7,200

8,800

9,500

7,100

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 81

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX

SAMSUNG Galaxy Trend

Galaxy Star 2Plus

Galaxy Ace NXT

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

Unite 2

Canvas Doodle 3

Dimension (mm)

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

138.9 x 71.9 x 9.4

121.50 x 63.10 x 10.85

129.7 x 65.9 x 9.4

121.4 x 62.9 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

103

158

124

123

Model

10/642

8/190

9/260

8/-

-/-

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

16million/6.0

16million/4.0

65,536/4.3

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/64GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.5MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android v4.4

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

8,800

9,000

6,999

8,600

7,000

7334

7,335

(Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

SONY

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

SPICE

E1 Dual

Xperia M

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 496

Mi 506

Dimension (mm)

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6

130.3 x 68 x 9.8

118 x 62.4 x 12

124 x 62 x 9.3

145 x 72.9 x 9.6

Weight (grams)

118

138

120

115

177

8/280

-/-

8.2/498

10.16/498

7.5/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

262,144/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Galaxy S duos 2

Galaxy Core 2

NEW

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

8,990

11,900

7,500

8,200

11,500

6,500

6,750

82 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

SPICE

PARAMETERS

XOLO

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)

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

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

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 83

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS

APPLE

ATOM

BLACKBERRY

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

120 x 66 x 10.8

114 x 66 x 12

140 x 72.8 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

112

125

225

120

164

Model

10/250

18/460

12/336

7/432

15.5/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16.7million/5.0

16.7/6.5

16million/3.1

262,144/2.8

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64/No

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

8GB/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

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

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

iOS7

Android OS v4.2

Android v4.2

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

BlackBerry OS 10.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

53,500/62,500/73,500

16,999

18,999

23,400

13,990

11,990

15,990

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Model

CELKON

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS

GIONEE

Curve 9360

Q10

Z10

Z30

CTRL V5

Elife E3

Dimension (mm)

112 x 62 x 14.2

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

130 x 65.6 x 9

140.7 x 72 x 9.4

17.8 x 9.8 x 6.5

134.5 x 67.7 x 8.1

137 X 68 X 7.9

Weight (grams)

130

139

136

170

135

103.5

5/336

10/NA

10/312

25/384

8/200

14.5/324

14/312

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.44

16million/3.1

16million/4.2

16million/5-0

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16Millon/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

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/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 10.2

Android 4.2

Android OS, v4.2

Android OS v4.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

16,500

24,000

17,990

28,990

14,499

12,999

14,000

84 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

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

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

GIONEE

PARAMETERS Model

HTC

Elife E5

Elife E7 Mini

Elife S5.5

Elife E6

Elife E7

Desire 516

Desire 616

Dimension (mm)

137 X 69 X 6.85

139.8 x 66.2 x 8.6

145.1 x 70.2 x 5.6

142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9

150.6 x 75 x 9.5

140 x 72 x 9.7

142 x 71.9 x 9.2

Weight (grams)

133.9

142.9

120

150

160

150

Talktime/Standby (hours)

18/200

NA/NA

9/220

14/700

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16millon/4.8

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/NA

16BG/No

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

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

Android OS v4.2

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

15,900

17,599

21,000

22,440

24,999

14,000

16,900

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire 500

Desire 700

Desire 601

Desire 600

Desire 816

One Mini

One (E8)

Dimension (mm)

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

132 x 63.2 x 9.25

146.4 x 70.7 x 9.9

Weight (grams)

123

150

130

165

122

145

12.1/435

8/338

12.8/440

11.4/539

21/737

13.27/692

26.7/504

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.5

16million/4.3

16milliom/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

16GB/No

16GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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/HSPA

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,500

18,500

21,000

24,000

29,499

34,350

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/HSPA+

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

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 85

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS

IDEA

KARNONN

One DS

One M8

One Max

Whiz

Ultra

S7 Titanium

S9 Titanium

Dimension (mm)

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)

143

160

217

176.5

Model

27/500

14/271

25/585

8.5/NA

16/700

4/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.9

262,144/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/No

16GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/No/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

36,000

48,300

52,000

7,800

12,500

15,500

14,400

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

LAVA

LENOVO

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/Yes/No

PARAMETERS

Irish Pro 30

A850

S890

A3000

S660

Vibe X S960

Optimus L7 II

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

121.5 x 66.6 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

114

184

176

339

151

121

118

4.5/400

28.6/490

17/312

8/336

36/840

16/288

12/800

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/7.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Tri Band/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Model

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.

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

13,500

12,000

12,200

14,500

14,990

23,500

12,000

86 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus L7II Dual

L70 D310

L90 D410

G Pro Lite Dual D686

Optimus G Pro

Nexus 5 16GB/32GB

G2 16GB/32GB

Dimension (mm)

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

138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

115.5

126.6

161

170

130

143

12/800

4.6/490

14.5/845

31/598

17/300

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16million/4.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/4.95

16million/5.2

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

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Quad Band/No

Qual Band/No

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,200

13,200

16,000

18,150

32,000

29,990/34,000

34,000/37,000

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

MICROMAX

G Pro 2

G Flex

Canvas 2.2

Turbo mini

Canvas Doodle 2

Canvas XL A119

Turbo

Dimension (mm)

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

128.3 x 71 x 8.6

Weight (grams)

172

177

147

180

8/270

15/720

7/290

6.5/180

6/220

9.4/209

7/105

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.9

16million/6.0

16 million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.3

16million/6.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

32GB/No

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

49,990

49,000

9,200

12,100

14,000

14,600

16,400

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

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 87

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

OBI

Model

Canvas Knight

Canvas Gold

Dimension (mm)

144 x 70 x 7.3

Weight (grams)

Octopus S520

SAMSUNG NEW

145 x 75 x 8.40

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

7.5/175

8/210

NA/NA

11/210

11/430

10.1/440

12/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.01

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity Frequency/Dual SIM

Shared

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

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

19,999

21,500

11,990

14,500

14,990

16,500

17,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG Galaxy Grand 2

Galaxy SIII

Galaxy SIII Neo

Galaxy Mega 6.3

Dimension (mm)

146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

136.6 x 70.75 x 8.6

167.6 x 88 x 8

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6

118 x 59.5 x 15.8

Weight (grams)

163

133

132

199

183

162.5

179

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy Note II N7100 Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Galaxy Golden

17/370

22.5/830

14/NA

17/420

35/980

18/540

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.25

16million/4.8

16million/6.3

16million/5.5

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

NA/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/NA

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.0

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

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Clamshell/Yes/No

20,000

22,500

24,000

27,500

29,500

29,999

88 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 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

Xperia M Dual

Xperia C

Xperia SP

Xperia M2

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

142 x 72.5 x 8.1

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

124 x 62 x 9.3

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98

139.7 x 71.1 x 8.6

130

145

168

115

153

155

148

17/370

21/390

20/490

10.16/498

14.1/588

18/734

13.5/588

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.1

16million/5.7

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.6

16million/4.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/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

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS, v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

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

Price in Rs.

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS, v4.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

20,000

18,600

30,000

38,500

40,000

12,600

17,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model

Xperia Z

Xperia Z 1 Compact

Xperia Z 1

Dimension (mm)

139.7 x 71.1 x 8.6

131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5

165.2 x 83.8 x 7.7

150.7 x 77 x 7

139 x 71 x 7.9

127 x 64.9 x 9.5

144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

148

138

171.8

148

146

137

169

Talktime/Standby (hours)

M2 Dual

NEW

Xperia ZR

Xperia T2 Ultra

NEW

11.2/580

11/470

16/1120

12.7/639

11/550

10/670

14/880

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.8

16million/4.6

16million/6.0

16million/5.3

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

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/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 v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes/HSPA+ Android OS, v4.3

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

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

19,500

24,500

24,000

27,000

27,500

33,000

36,000

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 89

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.

90 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

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

myguide CDMA PHONE

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Blackberry 8530

Moto G

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

HTC Desire XC

HTC Desire 700 C

Desire 816

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

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

156.6 x 78.7 x 7.9

NEW

HTC Desire 600 C 134.8 x 67 x 9.26

105

143

107

150

165

130

4.5/252

24/NA

NA/NA

8/338

21/737

11.4/539

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/NA

16million/4.5

NA/2.44

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

8GB/No

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/NA/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/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/No

Yes/Yes/1xEV-DO

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS

Android OS v4.4

BlackBerry OS7

Android OS v4.1

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

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,500

13,490

17,250

20,190

22,000

25,500

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

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 91

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

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

186.9 x 107.9 x 9

210 x 124 x 7.9

243.4 x 176.4 x 7.9

212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6

Weight (grams)

340

401

322

276

320

487

345.7

8/336

18/NA

20/NA

10/-

-/-

-/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

16milliom/8.0

16million/10.1

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

NA/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.15/MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/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.

Galaxy Tab 4 231

NEW

Galaxy Tab 4 331

NEW

Galaxy Tab 4 531

NEW

Galaxy Tab S 705

NEW

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS, v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.0

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,400

19,500

12,600

17,900

23,500

30,498

37,800

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

92 MYMOBILE SEPTEMBER 2014

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

TABLET

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SONY

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

Galaxy Note Pro

Xperia Tablet Z

Racing Carbon

Link

Dimension (mm)

247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6

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

Galaxy Tab S 805

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NEW

-/432

54/NA

10/890

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/10.0

16million/12.2

16million/10.1

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.1/Yes/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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

No/No/HSPA+

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

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

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.0 Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

44,500

59,000

40,000

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.

SEPTEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 93

mobile doctor considering an alternative you can also check out the Micromax Unite 2 which comes with multiple language support.

I have purchased the Micromax Unite 2 some days before it got a good rating in your magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review. It is functioning well. But the problem is that it heats up at the back side after continuous use and I have difficulty using it with one hand. Can you suggest some mobile around this price and specification which works fine and can be comfortably used with one hand? - Jitendu Kumar Behera

I would like to buy a new phone. iPhone 5c, Nexus 5 and Moto X are some of my options. Utilities needed for me in the phone as follows: excellent display, camera pics should have good clarity even though in low light, well finished design is needed, long lasting battery life, need to play games without hanging. These all are my requirements. Can you suggest me a phone which is having all these. Humbly waiting for your response. -Athul Reghu Dear Athul, Of the devices that you have listed, the iPhone 5c comes closest to meeting all your requirements.

Dear Jitendu, We would suggest you try out the Moto E. It is priced at Rs 6,999 and is very compact. It has a good display, a decent processor and runs the latest version of Android. It should more than meet your requirements. I have forgotten the password of my SD card. Please help me recover my password as there is very important data in it. -Abhinav Srivastava Dear Abhinav, I would suggest you contact the support team of the SD card manufacturer in this regard as there is no set method of recovering a password. Does Karbonn A16 support Hindi font that means can I write and read message in Hindi on this mobile? If it does not support Hindi then help me Hindi supported phone in android. -Viraj Joel Dear Viraj, Yes, you should be able to read and write messages in Hindi on this handset. However, if you are

The Nexus 5 does have an excellent display but its camera is not in the same league as that of the 5c. In terms of design, both the Moto X and the iPhone 5c have very good design. I want to purchase a smartphone that has a 5.8-megapixel camera, a front camera, HD support, Android 4.4.2, Wi-Fi, a 5.0-inch touch display, and good battery life. My budget is between Rs

94 MYMOBILE september 2014

5,000 and Rs 10,000. -Bewan Singh Raghuwanshi Dear Bewan, I would suggest you opt for an Asus ZenFone 5. It comes with a very good 5.0-inch 720p display and a superb 8.0-megapixel camera. It runs on Android 4.3 but is due to get updated to Android 4.4 soon and has very good battery life. I am sure it will more than meet your requirements. I am looking to buy an Android smartphone with good looks, a good brand (except Micromax), very good processor and 1GB RAM for smooth gaming, a good camera and good sound quality. I have searched a lot on the Internet and I have found the Sony Xperia SP as the best phone for my budget. My budget is Rs 22,000. -Sudhir Chandragiri Dear Sudhir, The Sony Xperia SP is indeed a very decent device for your budget but I would also suggest you try out the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra which boasts a quad core processor, an excellent display and camera and is priced in the same vicinity. If you are willing to try out Windows Phone, you could also try out the Nokia Lumia 1320, which is again a very good performer. I want to buy a high end smartphone. I have shortlisted some of them: the LG G3, the Sony Xperia Z2, the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and the HTC One M8. Please suggest which should I buy. -Jaith

Dear Jaith, All the devices you have listed are superb. Each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Galaxy S5 is a very good option if you are looking for hardware muscle, while the HTC One M8 picks up points for its dazzling looks. The Note 3 has the benefit of the stylus and the LG G3 has a staggeringly good qHD display. But of the lot, the Sony Xperia Z2 is the most consistent performer across the most parameters, be it display, camera or battery life. So we would recommend that one, although it is a tight finish and you would be well served by any of these worthies.

Sir, I cannot decide which mobile phone to purchase - the Chinese Xiaomi Mi 3 or the Samsung Galaxy S5. Which is the better option of these two? If there are any other options too, do let me know. -Pushkar Dourbi Dear Pushkar, If budget is not a restriction, then the Galaxy S5 is certainly the better option of the two devices, as it has a superior camera, better sound and a much brighter display. The Xiaomi Mi 3 is a very good option if you are on a tight budget. If you have no major budget restrictions, I think you should also consider the Sony Xperia Z2, the HTC One M8, the LG G3 and the iPhone 5s as well. They are all excellent devices.

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.

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

WTA

fa c e t o fa c e

“The Indian app market is seeing a lot of growth potential”

Based in Bengaluru, Vavia Technologies has been making waves of late with its innovative txtBrowser and ChatHunt apps, with the former winning plaudits for leveraging text messaging services for browsing the Web, and the latter for adding a new dimension to social networking. We met Alan D’Souza, CEO, Vavia Technologies, to find out more about the company, its products and its future plans. Mukesh Kumar Singh 96 MYMOBILE september 2014

Tell us a bit about Vavia Technologies. Headquartered in Bangalore, Vavia is an emerging leader in providing innovative mobility and internet solutions. Vavia is focused on building innovative products and solutions that enable its users, consumers and businesses to make smarter and faster decisions. Vavia’s products and solutions are based on the core principles of simplicity and are built to scale rapidly bypassing language and cultural barriers. The team is working towards building an innovative mobile ecosystem that goes beyond the realms of what we have seen till now. Its flagship products txtBrowser and ChatHunt have already carved a niche for itself in yet unchartered territories. How does txtBrowser work? What’s so special about it? txtBrowser is an innovative message based service that allows a user to access any information that is available online without the need for Internet or data plans. It is a message service that allows any phone to access a wide range of Internet services over SMS. With txtBrowser, you can access any website, search and retrieve any information on any mobile phone without Internet access. It understands your intent and is able to help you with direct answers rather than having to go through several pages of content to find your answer. The benefit that it has over regular browsing is that it users needn’t go through the hassles of browsing via internet. TxtBrowsing simply requires the user to send a message for the intended content. Don’t you think text browsing will cost more money than regular browsing? It’s a choice of convenience. Also, our subscription plan is only Rs.30 for unlimited access during a month. When it comes to Internet browsing, we are presented with links that need to be accessed, deal with page loading times and then read through the content. This is a major reason as to why users would want to shell out the required money to continue with hassle free browsing. You have a chat app called ChatHunt. Tell us about it. ChatHunt allows users to anonymously chat with random users based on location proximity without revealing their identity. It helps build new connections with real people around you without having to leave your comfort zone and without revealing anything about yourself. What are your thoughts about the Indian app market? The Indian app market is definitely seeing a lot of growth potential with the entry of low cost smartphones. The boom in the introduction of low cost smartphones has a huge potential when it comes to applications. With more and more people indulging in browsing over phones and with the expansion in technology , we can be assured that with time India is going to secure its place with its high-end applications in the global market. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

va n ta g e p o i n t

A Classic example of Traditional V/s Modern Trade V/s Online e-tailing

ustomers love online retailers. Accessible and supposedly hassle-free, they offer an attractive alternative to the crowded and parking-scarce malls of urban India. For those in villages and semi-urban areas (if they are being served by the logistical companies), they are often the only channel through which to buy the latest gizmos. The IT and mobile industry is in a fix. Dependent upon traditional brick-and-mortar trade for more than 80% of their volumes, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have no choice but to fight in their corner. Some major OEMs, including Lenovo and Canon, have come out strongly against the e-tailers. They are threatening legal action against some of the online retailers for selling below the minimum prices, even at a gross loss. Samsung, Nokia, Toshiba and Lenovo all have their own online retail outlets, though often prices of their own products on thirdparty retailers and marketplaces are lower. To further complicate the landscape, e-tailers point out that just like online marketplaces around the world, they are just a selling platform with no control over prices. Various traders sell the same product through them, often at different prices. Of course, it’s a major headache for the OEM supplier which needs to take care of their overall distribution, without antagonizing the online e-tailer, as well as large CDIT stores. Here’s the rub: the traditional channels are simply not able to compete with the online channels on price. This is partly

98 MYMOBILE september 2014

because of good old retail infrastructure costs as well as predatory pricing by the e-tailers. If that was not bad enough, the e-tailers, fuelled by seemingly endless pots of venture capital have invested massive amounts of money in building both their brands and their customer service infrastructure. As a result, they have gained share at a rapid rate in the consumer markets. Parallel to this development is the steady market capture by Organized Multi Brand store Retailers. This market also has regionally strong chains like Vijay Sales (West and now North), Sangeetha, Tirumala Music Company, Universal (the last three being from South Indian states of Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) etc. The essential fight for OEMs to control the market is completely lost now, as large retailers have started bringing their own private labels, which are locally branded but China made products. To further complicate the landscape , e-tailers point out that just like online marketplaces around the world, they are just a selling platform with no control over prices. Further, it cannot be ignored that these portals have contributed significantly to the growth of small businesses who leverage them for enhanced distribution. Anecdotal evidence suggests sales growth of 33 per cent and beyond for small businesses as a direct result of leveraging online marketplaces. Flipkart and Snapdeal have given out statements highlighting that they take “utmost care” to list products only by those sellers who have the necessary authorization to sell these products. They

have assured customers that all the products including those of Lenovo and Toshiba which are available on their portals are genuine and eligible for warranty. Are the customers listening? As you read this, Snapdeal is getting another Rs 830 crore (around $120 million ) of funding from its existing investors , including eBay. A way forward is needed. Absolutely no one is going to win if the spat gets any uglier. The OEMs will be in a conflict with a channel which the customers love. The e-tailers are going to have to invest resources in conflict management too. And Joe Public will not quite know where to buy his next smartphone or printer from. As for traditional retail and channels, they are anyway going to have to raise their game to stay relevant. The industry needs to sit down together and come to a resolution. As always in these situations, everyone will need to give a little. The online trade will need to resist the temptation of selling below minimum offer prices, and certainly eliminate predatory pricing. The OEMs need to understand the increasing importance of the online trade. The traditional retailers and channels have the real problem. In India, the online companies have set the customer service bar so high, the traditional channels are struggling just to keep up. Traditional trade needs to start innovating, and fast. n -Sujoy Chourasia, CEO, Retcomm Solutions (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)

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