all-low-res-english-april-2014 by My Mobile

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April 2014 ď Ź Rs 100 tm

for a connected lifestyle

best of barcelona! the devices that rocked MWC 2014 Budget Smartphone

Moto G vs Nokia Lumia 525 vs Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini P 66

Appy Sharing Apps that let you share with minimum fuss P 32

Tested

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2, Moto G, HP Slate 6 Voice Tab, Gionee Elife E7, HTC Desire 601, Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini and many more P 44

Phone of the month Lenovo Vibe Z P 58

P 20

first call

ifferent religions have different places of pilgrimage. For the geeks who love mobile technology, however, it has always been Barcelona, ever since the Spanish city started hosting the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Every February sees the mobile tech faithful converge on the Catalan city, where leading players from the industry showcase their best products and technologies. And 2014 was no different. For four days, the MWC was a hotbed of innovation, with a host of products, varying from tablets to phones to convertibles to the latest rage in technology, wearables (watches, fitness bands, the works). Capturing all the excitement in a few pages is no easy task, but we have attempted to do just that in our lead story, where we highlight the most innovative devices and innovations seen at the event. But momentous though it was, the MWC was not the only highlight of the mobile calendar. We also saw the 2G spectrum auction come to an end with operators bidding for major markets. How will this affect the industry and the consumer? We take a closer look at the auction and its possible consequences. Meanwhile, even as mobile phone displays get bigger and tablets get more popular, the stylus - so cruelly criticized by the late Steve Jobs - is making a comeback of sorts, thanks to the efforts of companies like Samsung, whose S-Pen has proved that people still want to scribble on their handheld devices. But is this a flash in the pan or will the stylus return to the position of eminence it held in 2007? That is the question we attempt to answer in our feature. Rounding off our feature list is a piece on cellphone photography, which explains how you can get the most out of your cellphone’s camera. Many would have laughed at the very notion of using a cellphone’s camera for serious photography a few years ago -today, more people click pictures with their phones than with so-called ‘proper’ cameras. And of course, all this is served with what is the most popularsection of the magazine - our phone and tablet reviews. Once again, we savour the creme de la creme of mobile technology in the market and tell you what tastes best. Among the devices reviewed in this issue are the Lenovo Vibe Z, the Moto G, the Micromax Canvas Knight, and the HTC Desire 601, and many more. We also compare three phones that are redefining the Indian smartphone market in terms of value for money - the Moto G, the Nokia Lumia 525 and the Micromax Turbo Mini. Rounding off the issue are our reviews of apps and games that are making waves around the world, and of course, the My Guide section which is the most comprehensive guide to handsets that you will find in any tech publication in the country. All of which we hope will give you hours of reading pleasure and hopefully will also help you not just invest in better products but also make the most of those you already have. Needless to say, we look forward to your suggestions and feedback - they inspire us like few things do.

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

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

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

A D V I S O R Y B O AR D Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd.

Happy reading.

Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 MYMOBILE april 2014

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

Volume X, Issue II, APRIL 2014

content

spotlight The 2G auctions have been completed. But what do they mean for the industry? And you?

Lead Story

The Mobile World Congress 2014 had it all - phones, tablets, wearable tech, toothbrushes. We take a look at twelve products that really shone at Barcelona.

facebook

apptastic

Facebook surprised the world by acquiring WhatsApp Messenger. But what will the deal mean for you?

Want to share information between phones with minimum fuss? These apps will let you do just that.

32 cell clues

Face to Face Suresh Nair, MD, Cubit Tech, talks about the company's shift from PC business to phones, and the plans it has for the future.

After some time in the wild, the stylus seems to be making a comeback. Is it here to stay?

Take your phone photography to the next level with these simple tips and tricks.

38 36

06 MYMOBILE april 2014

Letters

Mobile Doctor

Consumer Forum

News

Gear Guide

content

BURN TESTS spotlight

Mot o Mot rla oG

versus

no lum kia ia 52 5

Nitin Mathur, Senior DirectorMarketing, Yahoo India and South Asia, talks to us about the brand's resurgance and its plans for the future.

The Interim Budget and its impact on mobile phones

mic ro c a ma x tur nvas bo m ini

chief speak

44 BSNL Champion SM 3513 3G 45 Eddy R70 46 Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini 48 Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 50 Motorola Moto G 52 Karbonn Titanium X 54 HTC Desire 601 56 Lenovo Vibe Z 58 HP Slate 6 Voice Tab 60 Gionee Elife E7 62 WickedLeak Wammy Titan 3

They are awsome. And do not cost the earth. We compare the Moto G, Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini and the Nokia Lumia 525.

just in

Micromax octa-core processor driven Canvas Knight and Nokia's first Android device, the Nokia X, are now in the market.

sneak peek

The Moto X is set to arrive. And Life's Good with LG's Lifeband Touch.

etc

Amkette Smart Keyboard, Transcend JetFlash380G, Sandisk Ultra Dual USB Drive, SkullCandy Uprock headphones, Zoook ZP-PB10000 portable mobile charger, Nikon D5300, and much more.

The BlackBerry Z10 and HTC Desire 700 get more affordable.

my guide

Boredom Buster 68

Build a city and contribute to good causes in Nokia's city building SIM, take on the might of the Persians in 300: Rise of an Empire, and more.

Share apps, data and pictures with SHAREit, read Sony's spin on the news with Socialife News, play around with pictures in One Shot and get Google Now on your launcher.

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

08 MYMOBILE april 2014

72 98

bazaar bargain

Smart Apps

43 64

letters I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine and I eagerly wait for the anniversary issue of the magazine. I really like the Powerlist that you cover in the issue. It gives a complete insight about the people who did exceptionally well in the telecom industry in the past year. Moreover, the readers also get to know the people who are workTested ing to make various brands a success. I appreciate the hard work of the My Mobile team behind this effort and would like to see more innovation done to same story in the next anniversary issue. – Hemant Patel, Gujarat MARCH 2014  Rs 100

www.mymobile.co.in

Dmitry Shukov, CEO – MTS India. The error is regretted

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

Xolo Play Tegra Note, HTC Desire 501, Asus Google Nexus 7 (2013), Idea Auras 4, HTC Desire 700, iBall Andi Uddaan and many more P 43

Phone of the month Nokia Lumia 1320 P 54

I am a great fan of My Mobile magazine and I love the exclusive and interesting features you cover in the magazine. I liked the feature story on colorful phones, which you covered in the March issue of the magazine. Colourful phones are in vogue and many manufacturers are bringing out phones in different hues and colours. Consumers too seem to be liking this trend as it makes a welcome change from the old black and grey options one had. I also liked the Chief Speak ofIntel’s Debjani Gosh. You always interview interesting personalities and like always, this one was also a delight to read. I also liked the personal touch which you add to the interaction by adding the column of personal questions. -Dileep Kumar, Jaipur In the March issue of My Mobile magazine, I read the ‘versus’ section between the two smartwatches by Samsung and Sony. It was an interesting article and proved to be a great help as I was planning to buy one. A lot of my queries were answered through this versus section and now I proudly own a Sony Smartwatch 2. I follow the magazine regularly and would like to thank you for writing such interesting stories. Waiting to see what comes in the next issue. Good luck team! – AkshitBhasin, Chandigarh

In the Etcetera section of the March issue of the magazine, the Zoook Musicana speakers, were referred to as ‘Zook Musicana.’ We regret the error in the brandname, which is actually ‘Zoook.’ n

This Time, That Year

My Mobile, Apr 15-May 14, 2009

The April 2009 edition of the My Mobile was very special as the magazine covered a number of interesting issues relating to the welfare of the consumers. Our lead story was on the open market (OMH), CDMA handsets and SIM cards. A number of interesting devices lined up for the title of Phone of the Month. The list included the Sony Ericsson W705, Samsung E1310 S, Nokia 5130 Xpress Music and many others. At the end, the Sony Ericsson W705 emerged as a clear winner. The phone belonged to the Walkman series of the company and came with a classy slider design. It delivered excellent music quality (hey, it was a Walkman phone) and the camera performed very well too. The phone faced tough competition from another device whose forte was music, the Nokia 5130 Xpress Music. But the W705 triumphed because of its more stylish appearance. This was also the time when Indian brands started making their presence felt in what had been a market dominated by the likes of Nokia, capitalizing on relatively low prices and offering dual SIM connectivity.

Corrigendum In the cover story printed in the March issue of the magazne, The Power List 2014, under the ‘Active and Passive Dr. Avneesh Agarwal Manoj G. Tirodkar infrastructure’ segment, the pictures e the nd hav of Dr. Avneesh Agarwal, President, Qualcomm a s e m n a drea ellpho n India and South Asia and Manoj G. Tirodkar, c i t y u e o k also azy ab atest ines? Chairman and MD, GTL got interchanged. The you cr pen a few l ews and can ds on the l you have e r A error is regretted. ink r han al to for n In the same cover story, we mentioned Andrei A Dubovskov, President & CEO, MTS group, but the achievements in India of the company should have been attributed to Dmitry Shukov

10 MYMOBILE april 2014

th u ti 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

mobile doctor camera, and runs on Windows Phone 8.

I want to purchase a smartphone within the price range of Rs 10,000 to 12,000. I am confused between the two operating systems Windows Phone and Android. I have also shortlisted two handsets Nokia Lumia 525 and the Samsung Galaxy Duos 2. Please suggest which is the better one amongst the two and any other better smartphone? – Piyush I would suggest that you go with the Nokia Lumia 525 because at this price point Windows Phone devices generally tend to work more smoothly than those running on Android. You will also be assured of getting operating system updates on Windows Phone, which can become a bit of an issue on Android. I want to buy a smartphone and have a budget of Rs 30,000. I want a phone which performs well during surfing the net and also has good camera quality. I have selected the Samsung Note 2. Is it a good device? If you have some better then, please suggest that. – Mahendra Rathor The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is an excellent device, with a bright colourful display, powerful processor and of course, the iconic S Pen stylus that lets you write on the screen itself. It is a very good choice in your budget. If you want to consider an alternative, you can also check out the Nokia Lumia 925, which has a smaller display but a much better

12 MYMOBILE april 2014

I am using a Nokia N73 for the last 6 years. Now I want to buy a new smartphone running on Android operating system. I have a budget of Rs 12,000 and the phone should have a good camera quality and should be able to take good pictures in low light conditions as well. Please suggest a good smartphone as per my requirements. -Arun Kumar At that price point, I think you would be best served by a Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini. The device has a decent display, a quad-core processor,

a good 8.0-megapixel camera (and a front facing 5.0-megapixel camera as well), and falls well within your budget. You will need to spend more if you want a device that takes good low light photographs, but the shooter on this device is a decent one for its price.

I want to buy a smartphone and have shortlisted a few like the Moto G 16GB, Sony Xperia M Dual and Samsung Galaxy Core. Please suggest which is the better device out of these? My main requirement is that it should be a dual SIM device. If there is any other option then, please recommend. - Abhinand Santhosh I would strongly recommend the Moto G. It has an excellent display for its price, is solidly built and best of all, runs the latest version of Android which means that it is likely to have fewer bugs and errors as compared to the others. It is also powered by a quad-core

Qualcomm processor and is unlikely to get outdated soon. I want to purchase a smartphone. The device should have bright display, good camera quality, a fast processor. It should also run on the updated version of Android. I have shortlisted a few

like the LG G2, Google Nexus 5 and the Samsung Note 3. Please suggest which one I should buy? – Naresh Gidwani All the three devices you have listed are excellent ones, featuring powerful processors and excellent displays. However, of these three, only the Nexus 5 has the latest version of Android (4.4, Kit Kat) at the time of writing. If you want good camera quality, our vote would go to the LG G2, while the brightest display of the devices mentioned belongs to the Super AMOLED one on the Note 3. It really depends on what you consider to be of greater importance. I want to purchase a smartphone, which has a good display and should offer at least 1GB of RAM. I don’t have any particular liking for the operating system. So, you can suggest me the smartphones that run on Windows or Android. I have a budget of Rs 12,000 and want to purchase the phone from Nokia, or Samsung. Please recommend a good device. – Rajbir Langthasa Given your requirements, I would recommend that you go with the Nokia Lumia 525. It comes well within your budget (it was retailing for approximately Rs 10,500 at the time of writing), and also has 1GB RAM. This means it will be able to handle most apps and games designed for Windows Phone 8. It also has a 4.0-inch display and a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, so it should perform decently. n

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

consumer forum Complaint 1 I am using a Xolo A700. The phone’s battery back-up was immensely poor. I went to the Xolo service centre at Atta, Noida, where the customer care official installed a new operating system and assured me that if even this did not work, I would be given a new battery. The problem persisted, so I went to them again. I was told to wait for 10 days for the new battery. I was told this on 20 December, 2013 but I am yet to receive a new battery. Every time I call, they ask me to wait for one more week. I have called Xolo customer care and written several mails to them but so far no action has been taken by them. Please help. -Pradeep Xolo’ Response: Awaited

Complaint 2 I purchased a Spice MI422 on 2 August, 2013 from Home Shop18. Its battery started getting discharged within an hour of full charge. So, I gave my battery to the Spice service centre on

7 January 2014 for replacement and they asked me to collect my battery after fifteen days but when I called them, they asked me to wait for two more days. When I complained, they gave me a battery of some other model for the time being and promised me a new battery as soon as it arrives. Now they are saying that no battery is coming for my model and have asked me to take the matter to some other official, who is not picking up the phone. The service centre is located at Kotla Mubarak, South Extesnion - 2, New Delhi. -Ankit Kumar Raj Spice’s Response: Awaited

Complaint 3

FORM IV (see rule 8) My Mobile 1.

Place of publication

Periodicity of its publication :

Monthly

Printer's Name

Pankaj Mohindroo

Nationality

Indian

New Delhi

Address :

#25, First Floor Shankar Market Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001.

Publisher's Name

Pankaj Mohindroo

Nationality

Indian

Address :

#25, First Floor Shankar Market Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001.

Editor's Name

Pankaj Mohindroo

Nationality

Indian

Address :

#25, First Floor Shankar Market Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001.

6. Name and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholder' holding more than one per cent of the total capital: OWNER Pankaj Mohindroo, #25, First Floor Shankar Market Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. I, Pankaj Mohindroo, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

My daughter purchased a Nokia 515 mobile from Ganapati Mobile shop at Lucknow on 27 October, 2013. Within two months of its use, the screen started showing errors regularly, call charges were getting deducted without any call from my side, and the phone would switch on/off on its own repeatedly. Since I was living in Nagpur, it was problematic for me to take mobile to its original place of purchase for remedial measures. So, I went to Nokia Care Center in Nagpur on 4 February, 2014. The technician told me that there are a umber of problems with the handset and rectification will take a lot of time. He asked

14 MYMOBILE April 2014

me to come again and collect my mobile on 6 February. I went on the given date and collected my mobile on, but the fact that the phone started giving trouble again within two months indicates that there is an inherent manufacturing defect with this particular product. It may create problems in future also. Therefore, I request them to give me a new set in place of the defective 515. - K.C.Ray Barman Nokia’ Response: Awaited

Complaint 4 I bought a Karbonn A9+ in December 2012 from Patna for Rs 8,800. Right from the beginning, there was some issue with the phone’s battery back-up. Even with full charge it gave only one and a half hours of back-up. I showed to the service centre

many times but they could not rectify it. In October 2013, the handset switched off completely. In November 2013, when I was in Kota, I submitted the handset at one of the Karbonn service centres. I was told to wait for fifteen days, but even after two and a half months, I haven’t got my phone back. The customer care is not responding to my calls. -Mayank kumar Karbonn’s Response: Awaited n

Are you being harassed by a Telco that doesn’t hear your plea? Email your issues to consumer-forum@my mobile.co.in and we will take up your cause with the concerned company. Kindly mention your contact number at the end of the Email so that we can get in touch with you. Whenever possible, also provide us complete details of the correspondence with the Telco.

news bits MapMyIndia updates Maps portal, adds traffic updates

users in eastern European countries as well. A first of its kind, Opera Max helps users get the most out of their limited data plans by compressing videos, photos and texts across apps. It was first released to a limited number of users in US in December 2013, where it was well-liked, which is the reason why Opera has opened its registration to more users.

MapMyIndia has upgraded its online maps portal, https:// maps.mapmyindia.com. The company has improved the UI, added more maps to its inventory along with some interactive features like traffic update (currently available only for Delhi, NCR and Mumbai), social media interface, and an enhanced search with new additions like categorization and visual feedback. Users can also add a location, which could be their home, shop or office on the maps for free with their e-mail, phone number and photos, and it will immediately be available for search on the maps.

Pakistan to hold 3G and 4G spectrum auctions this April

ZTE launches 2 Firefox phones at MWC, plans to ship 1 million units in 2014 ZTE has introduced two Firefox mobile phones in its low-cost Open series which runs on Mozilla’s Firefox operating system built on HTML5 and other open Web standards. Open C is powered by Qualcomm’s dual core Snapdragon 200 CPU, has 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, a 4.0-inch display and a 1400mAh battery. Open II runs on the same processor but has a smaller 3.5-inch display, 256RAM, 2GB internal memory, and an 1150mAh battery. ZTE is expecting to ship over 1 million units of Firefox phones by the end of 2014. It will make OS updates available to all its Firefox phones and is going to launch a 4.5inch Firefox smartphone next year.

Nokia launches Android phones in India Nokia has launched three Android based smartphones namely the X, X+ and XL in India. The phones run on the Nokia X software platform 1.0 based on Android Open Source Project and feature an interface which looks very similar to Windows Phone. All three are powered by Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon processor, support expandable memory, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The X and X+ have a 4.0-inch screen, 3.0megapixel camera, 512MB RAM and weighs 128 grammes. The Nokia XL has a 5.0-inch screen, 768MB RAM, a 5.0-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera and weighs 190 grams.

Beta version of Opera Max released for Android in US and Europe Opera has released the beta version of its data saving Opera Max browser on Android phones in the United States and Western Europe. The company is working on making it available to

16 MYMOBILE april 2014

Pakistan is all set to move to the next phase of mobile communication as the Government is going to conduct auctions of the 3G and 4G spectrum this April. A 3G license will cost $295 million and a 4G license will cost $210 million. The Government is expecting full payment or 50 per cent payment with the rest payable in instalments over the next five years at 3 per cent interest. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, out of the country’s total population of 180 million, around 132 million are using mobile phones.

Uninor launches unlimited data plans for Facebook and WhatsApp

Uninor has decided to move from volume based Internet plans, usually offered in MBs and GBs to service-based data plans on Facebook and WhatsApp. Coined as Sabse Satsa, which means most affordable, the services will allows mobile users to use an unlimited amount of Facebook and WhatsApp at a fixed charge. Charges for Facebook are 50 p for 1 hour, Rs 1 for one day, Rs 5 for one week and Rs 15 for one month. Charges for WhatsApp are Rs 1 for one day, Rs 5 for one week, and Rs 15 for one month.

existing chat and messaging services and provide new tools to the Facebook community. Of the amount, $4 billion will be paid in cash, $12 billion in Facebook stocks and $3 billion in shares. Facebook has also agreed to retain WhatsApp’s entire team of 50 employees for the next four years. In an official release, Facebook CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg said that the messenger service will be allowed to operate independently within the company under the same name and its team is going to stay at Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California.

Samsung to pay $930 million to Apple in damages, allowed to sell infringed products in US now One of the several patent battles between Samsung and Apple finally ended when a US district judge asked Samsung to pay $930 million in damages for patent infringement to Apple. Samsung had some consolation when the court rejected Apple’s petition seeking a permanent ban on the sale of those Samsung products that were found infringing the patents in US. The two companies have been sparring in several courts since 2012 over a number of smartphone features like pinch to zoom, design and packaging.

Garmin announces portable Headup display at Auto Expo

Tata Teleservices to set-up 9,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across India Tata Teleservices is going to set-up 9,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across nine Indian cities in the next two years in order to meet the growing requirement of mobile data. With more and more consumers adopting smartphones, the sale of smartphones is expected to rise rapidly in the coming years leading to higher uptake of mobile data. According to company sources, data consumption on mobile phones has increased ever since the operator started setting up Wi-Fi hotspots for airports, restaurants, cafes and other businesses in 2013.

Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion Facebook has acquired mobile messenger service WhatsApp for $19 billion to enrich its

Garmin Corporation has announced its first interactive head-up display HUD+ for smartphone navigation at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014. The device intends to lessen distractions while driving and increase passenger safety by allowing users to access navigation apps with turn by turn voice prompts on a transparent film placed on the windshield or an attached reflector lens. It can be paired wirelessly with any Bluetoothenabled Android and iOS smartphone. All a user needs is the Garmin HUD India navigation app, available on both Apple and Google Play stores for free and the HUD+ device.

news bits Cubit to launch 15 mobile phones in 3 months

Clear Audio. The phone features a 4.0-inch multi-touch screen with a screen resolution of 800x480, runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS, is powered by 1.2GHZ dual-core processor and has 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory and a 3.0- megapixel camera.

73.69 in Nov to 74.02 at end of Dec 2013.

Google Indoor Maps now available in 22 Indian cities

Azoi launches iPhone cases that check health

Indian mobile brand Cubit is going to launch fifteen mobile handsets including eight smartphones in the coming three months. The company is going to use the JRB Enterprises distribution network to distribute their mobile phones in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and will also set up four L4 service centers in the country. Two of their smartphones Lush 1 and Glam 1 have already been launched and are available in the market. Both handsets run Android 4.2.2 Jellybean OS, are powered by dual core processors, support 3G, and dual SIM connectivity. The Lush 1 has a 4.7-inch screen, while Glam 1 has a 5.0-inch capacitive screen.

US-based company Azoi has launched an iPhone case, Wello, equipped with a set of sensors that can measure human heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, ECG and lung function. Though the cases are made for the iPhone 5S, 5and 4S only, they are compatible with Android smartphones with Android Kitkat 4.4. Wello is available for pre-order on Azoi’s website for Rs 12,350. Shipments for the first lot of pre-orders will begin in August.

Reliance Jio to share tower infrastructure with Bharti The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has signed a tower-sharing agreement with Bharti Infratel for a faster roll-out of its 4G services in India. Reliance Jio holds 4G

Google has made its Maps available for indoor venues like shopping malls and museums across 22 cities in India. About 75 popular venues in Delhi (NCR), Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Coimbatore will be available on Google Maps. Users can browse and place a particular location on any floor of the venue through Google Maps. The feature is available with Google Maps, is free of cost and is already available in other countrieslike US, Japan, Netherlands, and Singapore.

Micromax launches octa-core Canvas Knight at Rs 19,999

Yahoo launches new Homepage in India Yahoo Inc has launched its new homepage in India. The new homepage (www.yahoo. co.in) comes with with a number of new features, such as a personalized user experience, option to read a page or save it for later read and direct access to weather forecast and Flickr photos. The homepage is compatible with all smartphones, tablets and PCs, and as per the company, is faster and more convenient to use. The new homepage has been made available in six countries - India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam - and will work just a smoothly on phones and tablets as on computers.

Sony launches Xperia E1 at Rs 9,490 Sony has launched an entry-level smartphone called the Xperia E1. The single SIM variant of E1 comes at Rs 9,490 while the dual SIM variant costs Rs 10,490. The device boasts of superior sound enhancements with special modes like X-loud and

18 MYMOBILE april 2014

licenses in the 2300 MHz band in all 22 circles in the country and has signed infrastructure sharing deals with other operators. The company already has two similar deals with the Bharti Group and has also entered into an agreement in 2013 with Reliance Communications to use its 48,000 towers.

Indian telecom subscriber base reaches 915.19 million India’s telecom subscriber base has reached 915.19 million. According to TRAI’s telecom subscription data for the last month of 2013, country subscriber base has gone up by another 5.05 million and currently stands at 915.19 millions. As expected, the increase has been in the wireless space with 2.83 million additions in cities and 2.33 million in villages. Meanwhile, wire line connections dwindled further at the rate of -0.38 percent. With this the overall tele-density in the country has also improved from

The new Micromax Canvas Knight smartphone has been launched in India at Rs 19,999. It is the industry’s second octa-core phone by an Indian mobile brand, after Intex. The handset is powered by 2GHz octa-core MediaTek processor, has 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, 2,300mAh battery and runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.2. The handset features a 5.0-inch full HD multi-touch display, supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, and features a 16.0-megapixel rear camera and an 8.0-megapixel front camera. n

lead story

MWC 2014 the dozen that rocked The Mobile World Congress at Barcelona this year once again saw a flurry of devices being revealed - from the routine to the expected to the utterly innovative. We take a look at twelve devices that stood out from the crowd and which could well change the way in which we use technology in the days to come. (Hint: one of them is a touchscreen with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ings and another a toothbrush!) My Mobile Team

20 MYMOBILE april 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

or a few days every year, Barcelona in Spain becomes the holy place of choice for all those who believe in mobile technology. The Spanish city hosts the Mobile World Congress, the premier event of the world of mobility, featuring just about every notable brand in the business. Visitors, participants and media persons descend on the event in hordes, looking to sample and showcase the latest and the best, be it in smartphones, tablets, accessories, or as was the case this year in wearable technology. Yes, for four days in Barcelona, it rained pure gadgetry. There were phones that had more powerful processors than desktops in the past, cameras that could focus in the fraction of a second, wristbands that could help you make

financial transactions, and even toothbrushes that could tell you if you were taking proper care of your oral hygiene. Of course, as is often the case, many of these products were just prototypes. Some might never make it to the market. And even if they do, there is no guarantee that we will see them in India. What, however, cannot be denied is that almost every product at MWC 2014 was digital proof of the fact that innovation was alive and well in the world of mobility. While there were many eye-catching products, these are the twelve that we thought were particular worthy of attention. Before reading, we would like to advise you to keep a firm grip on your jaw - it just might hit the floor. Yes, MWC 2014 was a bit like that.

april 2014 MYMOBILE 21

lead story

Samsung Galaxy S5 E

asily the most talked about phone at the event, the Samsung Galaxy S5 came with the usual hardware muscle that defines the Galaxy S series - a 5.1-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (an octa core version might be released too), 2GB RAM and just about every connectivity option that you can think of. What, however, grabbed attention was the fact that the phone came with an optional fingerprint scanner for unlocking the device and making payments and even more interestingly, with a heart rate monitor in the form of a small sensor on the back (all you need to do is place your finger on it). The 16.0megapixel camera is being touted as one of the fastest around, and the phone’s interface has been tweaked for faster performance. Yes, we wish the company had gone the metal way instead of sticking with its faux leather approach, but either way, this was one of the most powerful devices to be unveiled at Barcelona n

Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit T

he original Galaxy Gear might have been perhaps the most powerful smartwatch released last year, but it took a lot of flak for its design and its limited support for non-Samsung handsets. Sure enough, Samsung did release a new improved version of the Gear at MWC, but what really grabbed our attention was another wearable from the company, the Galaxy Gear Fit. It comes with a 1.84inch curved Super AMOLED display (Samsung claims it is the world’s first one of its kind) on a band that is changeable. Yes, you can get notifications for incoming calls, texts, mails and the like, but at its core, this funky looking band is a fitness tracker and comes with a heart rate monitor and a fitness coaching and activity tracker. It runs on Tizen OS and although it works best with Samsung’s own range of devices, we have a feeling it is going to be one of the stars of the year. n

22 MYMOBILE april 2014

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ZTE Firefox Open C and Open II A

ndroid might have ruled the roost at this year’s MWC , but that does not mean that other operating systems did not create a stir. The most notable of these was the Firefox OS which was showcased by ZTE on two of its phones, the Open C and the Open II. Although neither of the devices are likely to stop traffic with their specs (although both feature dualcore Qualcomm Snapdragon processors), what makes them special is the fact that they both run the latest version of the Firefox OS, which is famous for delivering a good experience even on relatively lowspecced phones. Which brings us to the biggest selling point of these devices - they are unlikely to cost the earth. Price predictions are hovering in USD 25-40 range, which would add a whole new dimension to the smartphone market. We are keeping our eyes on this duo. n

Sony Xperia Z2 S

ony has been the master of head-turning design and its Xperia Z2 phone definitely attracted attention at Barcelona with its well crafted exterior. Although it features a bigger 5.2-inch display than the Xperia Z1, the Z2 is still incredibly thin (8.2 mm) and relatively lightweight. The specs are in place for a Sony flagship - full HD display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3GB RAM and support for a stack of connectivity options, including LTE. The real eye-catcher in the device, however, is the camera. At 20.7-megapixels, it might not seem extraordinary to a casual observer, but get to video mode and you will see the option to record in 4K, a resolution four times of HD. The Xperia Z2 on paper has what it takes to make Sony reclaim its “best camera phone” title from Nokia. We will find out if it does that in the coming days. n

april 2014 MYMOBILE 23

lead story BlackBerry Z3 and Q20 A

number of people might be writing it off, but BlackBerry is clearly in no mood to ride into the cellular sunset yet. Contradicting rumours that it would be focusing more on software and also moving away from touchscreen interfaces, the company announced two new handsets - the Z3 and Q20 - at Barcelona. Z3 is the first device to be produced following BlackBerry’s tie-up with Foxconn and comes with an upgraded OS (10.2.1) and a 5.0-inch display, but what raised eyebrows was speculation at its price which some placed at as low as USD 200, which would make it the most affordable touchscreen BlackBerry device around. Q20 follows more traditional BlackBerry values and comes with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, this time complete with menu, back, send and end keys and a trackpad. Will they turn the company’s fortunes around? We would not bet against it, if the rumours of the Z3’s price have any substance to them. n

Nokia X series- X, X+, XL

or all the high-profile announcements made at the event, for many people, MWC 2014 will be remembered as the event at which Nokia finally hit the Android bullet. After resisting the temptation to use Android on its devices, Nokia finally unveiled not one, but three, running the world’s most popular OS. Interestingly, the company opted to totally customise the Android experience and UI on these devices, replacing a number of Google services with its own (maps, mail, etc.) The result are three Android devices that are unlike any others you will see in the market and most significantly, are unlikely to cost the earth either. At the time of writing, the Nokia X had been released in India for Rs 8,599 and the X+ and XL are not expected to cost much more. Is this Nokia reclaiming the smartphone mainstream? Some might pooh pooh the relatively modest specs of the X series (dual-core processors, 512-768MB RAM), but there are plenty who still have faith in the Nokia brand. And they could trigger a Nokia Android wave! n

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Sony SmartBand SWR 10

ts Z2 phone and tablet might have grabbed more attention, but in terms of sheer innovation, Sony came to the wearable tech party at Barcelona with its SmartBand SWR 10. Designed like a simple wrist band (it is available in a number of funky colours), it actually claims to record you life, or ‘life logging’ as Sony chooses to call it. It sits quietly on your wrist and automatically records your physical, social and entertainment actvities, and even does things like tracking your movements to recommend the amount of time you should be sleeping (it vibrates gently to wake you up for good measure). Making all this happen is an advanced sensor that records information and then sends it over Bluetooth or NFC to your Android smartphone. Oh yes, and it can tell you about the weather the next day as well. A totally new concept in wearable tech and one that goes beyond the usual notification and fitness path being followed by others. We approve! n

Huawei TalkBand B1 H

uawei released a number of products at Barcelona, but perhaps the most innovative of them was the TalkBand B1. On the surface it seemed like your standard smartband or smartwatch concept, with a 1.4-inch flexible AMOLED display that delivers notifications on your wrist and the ability to record the steps you have taken and calories burnt and so on. But what makes it most interesting is the fact that it actually comes with a removable earpiece tucked inside it. So whenever you get a call, you can not only just see who’s calling on your wrist, but just take out the earpiece and talk away. Sure makes a whole lot more sense - and catches lesser attention - than talking to your wristwatch. A whole new concept of mobile accessories, we think. Now, we are waiting for someone to store a mini camera inside the strap! n

april 2014 MYMOBILE 25

lead story

LG G Pro 2 L

G’s star at Barcelona was the successor to its much-acclaimed LG G Pro - the LG G Pro 2. Although its design follows relatively predictable lines, we can see tech spec lovers making a beeline for this hardware beast. It comes with the largest display we have seen on a LG handset - a 5.9-inch full HD affair. And then there is the little matter of a 2.26 Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor, 3GB RAM and storage options of 16GB and 32GB. As in the G2, the power and volume keys are on the back of the handset, leaving the front and sides of the device smooth, and yes, you can knock on the screen to wake it as you can on the G2. The 13.0-megapixel camera now comes with a Magic Focus feature that allows you to alter the point of focus on a photograph after you have taken it. And while LG has made a number of interface tweaks to the device, the most interesting is the Mini View which actually shrinks the screen into a smaller area of the display, allowing you to use it with just one hand. Now, that’s one feature we wish all phones had. n

The New YotaPhone E

very year at Barcelona, there emerges a relatively unknown manufacturer who surprises even the established players with a device that is high on innovation. And this year it was the turn of Russian manufacturer Yota Devices, which showed off a new version of its YotaPhone handset. Like the original YotaPhone, the new one also has two displays - a ‘normal’ LCD one and an e-paper one (like on Amazon’s Kindle e-book readers). But whereas in the original, one had to use gestures on a touchpad below the e-ink display to navigate the device, here the e-ink display is touch-enabled making it easy to use. And yes, now it also glows in the dark. Why should one need two displays? Well, because the e-ink one consumes very little power so you do not need to use the high-res coloured one for all your tasks. Specs have been boosted too - the front display is a 5.0-inch AMOLED one and the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. Battery life is said to be staggering. We just hope we see it in India at some stage! n

26 MYMOBILE april 2014

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Oral-B Smart Series 5000 Toothbrush P

Fujitsu Haptic Sensory Tablet

t might not see the light of the day as a commercial product, but Fujitsu’s Haptic Sensory Tablet was one of the most innovative devices we saw at MWC 2014. The touchscreen literally reinterpreted the touch interface by letting you get an idea of the texture of the object you saw on a display. So if water is being displayed on the screen, touching it would give you a smoother feeling, while in the case of mountains or rocks, you would get a slightly more ‘rough’ feel. In short, you can actually ‘feel’ the picture that is being displayed on your device, not just see it. Making this possible are ultrasonic vibrations that convey tactile sensations by varying the friction between the touchscreen and user’s finger. Sounds complex? Well, a number of experts are saying that the technology is just too expensive to be used in a mainstream device, but we are so hoping they are wrong. Imagine being able to feel the leather on a steering wheel as you play a racing game, or paper when you read news? We are rooting for this tablet. n

undits say that 2014 will be the year when wearable tech goes mainstream. But what about brush-able tech? We are not joking. Even as most of the crowds flocked to see tablets, phones and smartwatches at Barcelona, Oral-B surprised everyone with a smart brush. The Oral-B Smart Series 5000 toothbrush is designed to pair over Bluetooth with your smartphone and can fully personalise your tooth cleaning routine, telling you when to move on to another place in your mouth, cautioning you if you are brushing too hard (it actually comes with pressure sensors), and even letting you choose from five different brushing modes - Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Massage and Deep Clean. The company claims that if used properly it can remove up to 99.7 per cent of plaque from areas of the mouth that are generally hard to reach with a ‘normal’ toothbrush. A brush with brains? We saw it at MWC this year. n

team@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 27

spotlight

WhatsApp’s on

Facebook!

Mark Zuckerberg has gone shopping

for apps again, and after taking over Instagram, has now pocketed WhatsApp. Whatever’s next from The Social Network? Nimish Dubey

t was a deal that no one quite saw coming. While there had been a lot of speculation around companies trying to acquire BlackBerry’s iconic messenger app, BBM, not too many had expected Facebook to step in and acquire one of the most popular messaging services in the world, WhatsApp. And certainly not for a princely sum of USD 19 billion – that is actually more than what Microsoft paid for Nokia and Lenovo paid for Motorola, put together.

Why the high price?

The price Facebook has paid for WhatsApp has attracted as much attention as the fact that the company took over the app. On paper, some feel that USD 19 billion is too much to pay for a messenger app company. Especially when you consider the fact that WhatsApp did not actually collect any user data about its 450 million users – the registration for WhatsApp used to take place just through a verifying text message and the messenger was linked to a phone number. However, there is a school of thought that feels that Facebook is likely to use the rapidly growing WhatsApp service to reach more people, especially in rapidly growing markets like India and Brazil (China remains WeChat messenger territory). Facebook’s own messaging service was released well after the likes of WhatsApp and Nimbuzz(Facebook Messenger was released only in 2011) had time to establish itself, and with WhatsApp emerging as a viable alternative to text messaging in many countries, thanks to its simple and speedy interface, some pundits feel that the acquisition will help Facebook get

28 MYMOBILE April 2014

a firm foothold in the mobile messaging market, which is growing at the rate of knots – WhatsApp itself claims to get close to a million new users every day.

Will WhatsApp change

But while business professionals have been trying to work out the rationale for Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp, most consumers have been actually more concerned about what the deal would mean for them. Is WhatsApp Messenger likely to change? Well, if Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram is any indication, that seems unlikely as Zuckwerberg has displayed an admirable trait of not messing with something that already works. Which is not to say that there won’t be any changes. We are definitely likely to see some form of advertising come into WhatsApp, just as it has into Instagram, although it is unlikely to be as intrusive as some people fear. And well, there is a high chance that Facebook’s own messaging service might get cosy with WhatsApp’s – one could see the option to log into WhatsApp using one’s Facebook login and vice versa. Another theory is that WhatsApp might even replace Facebook Messenger altogether, becoming a part of the Facebook empire – mind you, given the fact that Facebook has allowed Instagram a relatively uninhibited run since its acquisition, we do not see this happening in the short run, at least. But by and large, it would be a massive surprise if Facebook opted to change what is perhaps one of the most successful messaging models in the mobile world. Our advice: don’t be too worried, WhatsApp away merrily.n nimish@mymobile.co.in

fa c e t o fa c e

“We are making products for smart India” They moved from PC to mobile business, sensing exponential growth and have now teamed up with JRB Info Solutions for distributing their phones in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. We met Suresh Nair, Chairperson & MD, Cubit Tech Pvt Ltd to find out more about Cubit and their future plans. Mukesh Kumar Singh & Abhijit Ahaskar What made you enter the mobile market? We believe the IT industry is heading towards a ceiling and the mobile industry is going to see an exponential growth, so we decided to diversify into the mobile business. The second reason was that in the mobile industry we thought a fusion between IT and mobile products was going to happen and mobile and PC interface will fuse into one platform and the outcome will be a handheld device with a lot of computing capabilities. It will be much handier, more powerful, more user friendly and will have more connectivity options. Have you thought about targeting any particular segment? The success of Samsung was mainly because of the price and the quality of the products they delivered on a consistent basis and they had a vast variety of products. We were pretty impressed by that, so that will be our endeavour too. Our focus will be on feature phones as well as smartphones, starting from Rs 1,000 and going up to 20,000. Are you competing with Samsung? It is foolish to compete with Samsung as they are the world leaders. It is really difficult, but at a given time everyone wants to grow like Samsung. It will be step-by -step growth.

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There are so many mobile brands in India. Why should a customer buy a Cubit phone? If you see Cubit’s value system you will find that our emphasis is on making value for money and innovative products. Our phone screens are resilient to impact and heat, and won’t break easily. That is one of the innovations and we are charging a miniscule cost for it. Technology and value for money phones are the two reasons why a user will buy a Cubit phone. We are making products for smart India Tell us about your collaboration with JRB Info Solutions? Our collaboration with JRB is for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. These are the two states where they are very strong and we want to use their strength and exploit the market. We will enter a new market every month. After Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we will launch our products in Northern region including Delhi. What about your after-sales service? We are one of the few companies who get spare parts before launching mobile phones. Our culture is such that we always give more priority to service. Before we tied up with JRB Info Solutions we didn’t have big numbers but we never compromised on service quality. Whatever happens, a Cubit phone is always

our baby and we will take care of it for life. How many Cubit phones are going to be launched this year? We are not yet dictating terms, so we have to accept the fact that quad-core and octa-core phones are coming in. Our upcoming launches are going to be three quad-core smartphones, to be launched by April, and two octa-core phones, which will be launched by May. In the entire year, we will be launching around 24 smartphones. These phones will be running on MediaTek processors as MediaTek products are immensely stable and value for money. Will your focus be on smartphones? Which platforms will be given more priority? Consumers buy smartphones for connectivity, Internet, and content like Facebook and WhatsApp. If India can assure a large amount of bandwidth to all the users, I think the growth is there and there is a vast potential in affordable smartphones too. Which is why our smartphones will cost somewhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000. As of now, we will stick to Android because it is an open platform, inexpensive and more accessible than Windows Phone and other platforms. It fits Cubit’s strongpoint - making value for money products. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

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a p p ta s t i c

Sharing, the Appy Way

Want to send information from one phone to another, without setting up Bluetooth or tangling with wires? There are apps for that. And here’s our look at some of the best. Binni Rawat

hey say that sharing increases the value of an object. And well, it certainly is a way of life in the digital world, where we swap contacts, information, photographs and a whole lot more. However, the whole sharing process can at times be messy, involving fiddling with Bluetooth passwords, USB cables and the like. Fortunately, there are easier ways to send your information across from one device to another. All you need are the right apps. And these are some of the best of them.

SuperBeam - WiFi Direct Share (Android) Price: Free SuperBeam lives up to its name - transferring files and folders at lightning fast speeds. Pairing devices with QR codes or NFC verification, the app uses Wi-Fi Direct to share pictures, videos, zip files, APKs and a lot more. It facilitates compatibility even on restricted Wi-Fi networks and shares with devices that don’t carry SuperBeam, via a Web interface. The app automatically switches to hotspot mode for devices that don’t support Wi-Fi Direct. It also saves received files and allocates unique numbers to duplicate files created. Those wanting still more can upgrade to SuperBeam Pro, which lets you connect with your PC (SuperBeam for PC).

AirDroid

(Android, on the web) Price: Free Hassle-free content transfer is what this app provides. AirDroid is a complete delight for Android users who want to share data with minimum fuss. All you need is an Internet connection or your devices sharing the same Wi-Fi network. With AirDroid you can focus on just one screen without being bothered checking your phone to see who pinged what. The app actually brings all your smartphone content and controls to your computer, where you can share everything from pictures to files, within seconds. AirDroid also helps you keep track of your phone - in case you lose your phone, this app lets you remove all your personal information from it.

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Nokia Beamer (Nokia Lumia devices) Price: Free This one is a Windows Phone exclusive, available for a number of Lumia devices. But it still puts a spin on the whole sharing process. With Beamer, one canactually share their smartphone screen live on any other display having an Internet. All you need to do is go to https://beam.nokia.com on the screen on which you want to share information from your Nokia Lumia device and then scan the QR code that appears on it. It does depend on bandwidth but works smoothly and without any hassles – the app also comes with a remote sharing facility that lets you send a link to a person. Very neat, we think and absolutely awesome for those who like to make presentations from their devices.

Samsung Link (Samsung smart devices) Price: Free Update the AllShare Play app and you see the new and improved ‘Samsung Link.’ Linking your smart devices, this app lets you access, play and share content with devices via a wireless access point as well as the Internet. All you have to do is register your PC at link.samsung.com and you can access, manage and control even the remotest of your Samsung devices and share threads anytime, anywhere. Also, information taken by your device is automatically transferred to your PC or other storage point, hence, saving you from those ‘OMG, data lost’ moments. Samsung Link also lets its users stream their content on TV. You can easily push pictures from your device to the lavish screen of your smart Samsung TV and rest is the obvious!

SHAREit (Windows Phone, iOS, Android)

Price: Free Lenovo’s app lets you share massive files between devices, a lot faster than your Bluetooth and that too without any data connection. SHAREit shares anything and everything from pictures, videos, music files, docs, contacts to even apps in no time. Once installed, the app automatically traces other devices with SHAREit on them, and gives you the option to send information to them. The app also supports group sharing, allowing you to connect with up to five devices at once. You can instantly share clicks and flicks with up to five people in one go at blazing speeds. n

binni@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 33

spotlight

2G Auction: Impact, Implications

The eagerly anticipated 2G auction has finally come to an end. We take a close look at

its consequences and how it will affect the industry and the consumer. Abhijit Ahaskar 34 MYMOBILE april 2014

he last few years have not been very kind to the Indian telecom sector. Telecom operators alleged they were deliberately being hassled by an overzealous government, willing to go to any length to prove that it was not getting cozy with the private sector, and to make its point, regularly tightened the noose on them, at every instance. Stiff penalties were slapped, licenses were cancelled, and a number of regulations were laid down in the name of security that often inhibited growth. Even Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has acknowledged that the Government might have been too harsh on the telecom operators on occasions. Was this behaviour a result of the immense political pressure that was a consequence of the CAG report on 2G or an attempt at serious regulation of a sensitive sector? We cannot say for sure, but there seemed to have been a discernible slow down on the policy making front and in terms of initiatives. Given this less than rosy scenario, the auction of 1,800 MHz and 900 MHz band of the spectrum was considered a significant event and an opportunity to revive the telecom sector. The auction was vital to the scheme of things not just for the Government but also for the operators.

The auctions: who got what?

After ten days and sixty-eight rounds of bidding, this is how the auction panned out: Vodafone bagged licenses in eleven circles at Rs 19,644.72 crores; Bharti Airtel in fifteen circles at Rs 18,529.64 crores; Aircel in five circles at Rs 209.9 crores; Idea Cellular in eleven circles for Rs 10,715.63 crores; Reliance Jio in fourteen circles for Rs 11,054.41 crores; Telewings (Uninor) in five circles for Rs 844.72 crores, and Reliance Communications in one circle for Rs 163.2 crores. Those bidding for spectrum in the 1,800MHz band had to make an upfront payment of 33 per cent and pay the rest of the amount in instalments over a period of ten years after the moratorium period of two years. In the 900MHz band, the upfront amount was 25 per cent while the rest could be paid in installments. All in all, the Government is going to earn Rs 61,162 crore from the auctions, which is way beyond its earlier expectations, and a massive Rs 18,296 crore (approximately) is going to turn up in its bank account by the end of the financial year ending March 31, 2014. Airtel, Vodafone and Idea were going to lose their 2G licenses in November this year. None of these three high-profile and popular operators

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Who got what at the auctions n Vodafone- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan and East UP. n Airtel- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Punjab, Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

n Aircel- Jammu and Kashmir, North East, Rajasthan, East UP and West Bengal n Idea Cellular- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra, North East and Punjab.

n Reliance Jio-Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra, North East, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

n Telewings (Uninor)-Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, East UP and West UP. n Reliance Communications- Mumbai. could afford to discontinue their services. They had no choice but to go to make the most of the auctions, putting an end to the poor responses to 2G auctions seen in the past. The auctions also saw the arrival of a new player in the 2G sphere - the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, which already owns 4G licenses in twenty-two circles. Although Reliance Communications participated in the auction, it went after only one circle.

Impact of the auctions

The operators have paid significantly higher amounts than most expected in the auctions. So, what effect will it have on their balance sheets and immediate strategy? Bharti Airtel owes Rs 9,151 crores to investors on account of its India operations alone. The company’s overall debt is much higher. Vodafone India’s current debt stands at Rs 28,674 crore, while Aircel owes Rs 20,000 crore to several banks and is supposedly looking for a big investor. A major share of these borrowings was used to buy 3G and 4G spectrum by the operators. So far, no operator apart from Vodafone has hinted at a possible increase in prices. Vodafone India’s MD and CEO Marten Pieters said in an interview, that the amount to be paid by operators for 2G licenses is going to end up as debts on their balance sheets. This is going to upset their chances of investing further on making new technologies available to consumers, making price rise imperative. Some might be distressed at the prospect of an increase in prices for consumers, especially in a price-conscious market like India, but many feel that in this case, a price increase would be justified rather than arbitrary, and if all goes well, it will be only for a short time. Once operators are able to attain higher volumes, prices will come down once more. Rajan Mathews, Director General, COAI says, “Consumers are going to get better quality service, better features and faster speeds so if they have to pay a little bit more it is actually a price reduction. If you look at the present experiences, operators have to make substantial investments in the infrastructure

and they have already made investment in the spectrum, so that will obviously translate into higher tariffs but the experience itself is going to get a lot better.” Will the successful 2G auction work as the miracle drug the industry has been waiting for and restore its confidence? We cannot say

for sure right now, but it certainly has generated positive vibes in a sector that was getting defined by its negativity. The coming months will give us a better idea of its impact, but for now we can definitely say that the ice has been broken. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 35

cell clues

The Art of Cellphone Photography The cellphone camera might have emerged as the most popular photography device of them all, but are we actually making the most of it?

Here are some tips to ensure that you get a better picture the next time you ask someone to say ‘cheese.’ Nimish Dubey

hey were considered gimmicky when they first appeared on phones, but today the camera is considered a very important aspect of just about every mobile device. In fact, the most popular camera on the famous image sharing social network, Flickr, is not a “proper” camera but the iPhone. Yes, cellphone cameras today are used more often than their conventional counterparts to take photographs - they are easier to handle, allow one to edit and share pictures easily, and are also now getting to be more powerful than ever before. But no matter how good the camera on your phone, you can still end up with sub-standard photographs if you are not careful. So the next time you feel in the mood to snap, keep a few points in mind and you will end up with results that will surprise you: .

Unless it is a Xenon, avoid using a flash

There is no way around it - the flashes that accompany most cameras on phones are really token. They are good at lighting up a small portion of a picture but in most cases (with LED flashes), the area will look artificially lit up and detail is more often than not compromised. Our advice therefore is not to depend on the flash of your camera phone, unless it happens to be a Xenon one (of the type that is found on point and shoot cameras and DSLRs), and stick to shooting in welllit areas. You will get much better results.

In dark conditions, increase the ISO

But what if the light conditions are not perfect and you still want a good photograph? Well, then you should go to the settings of your camera app and increase the ISO. We are not going to get into jargon - let us just say that the ISO measures the sensitivity of the sensor to light. The darker it gets,

36 MYMOBILE april 2014

the higher an ISO you are going to need to get a decent shot. That said, do remember that using a higher ISO also results in more “noise” (that “grainy” look) in a photograph. So do experiment and see what works best for you.

Always shoot at the highest possible resolution

A point to note is that not all cellphone cameras are automatically set to shoot at the highest resolution. Many are actually fixed to shoot at slightly lower resolutions - a 13.0megapixel camera might be set to shoot 10.0megapixel images by default. Our advice: check this, and whenever possible, shoot at the highest possible resolution. You will get more detail and in a worst case scenario, will end up with a decent picture even after cropping out some part of the original.

Avoid shooting through ‘live’ filters

A number of photography apps these days come with ‘live’ filters which allow you to view different effects on the viewfinder itself even before you take a picture. While this can be handy sometimes, we would recommend always shooting in a ‘normal’ view. You can always add effects later on to a ‘normal’ photograph but your editing options get radically restricted the moment you use a live filter to shoot a photograph.

At the beginning do not plant your subject bang in the centre of the shot One of the most common errors in not just cellphone photography, but photography in general is to place the subject of a photograph right in its centre. This might seem natural but often does not result in very good photographs (unless you are looking

at those meant for ID documents), as the background gets lost and sometimes even the subject’s face gets a trifle distorted. Our advice is to follow the rule of thirds - use the “grid” viewfinder on the camera app (almost all phone cameras have them) and make sure the subject is leaning towards any of the four points of the rectangle formed in the centre. The subject however should not be in the centre of this rectangle, but should be touching one or two of its corners.

Try all shooting modes…and return to auto

These days, most cellphone cameras come with a number of shooting modes, such as smile detectors, close up, low light and so on. While these are all very useful, our recommendation is simple: stick with auto. This is because the Auto mode of most cameras is the one that tends to optimize settings for a “normal” shot. Yes, you should definitely try out all camera shooting modes, but the one you should be really trusting is the “auto” one.

Using digital zoom? Take a step towards your subject instead

Very few camera phones come with optical zoom, where the lens actually moves, letting you get a closer view of your subject. Instead, most cameras on phones come with digital zoom, which is nothing but actually cropping away an image to give you the impression of zooming in. The more you zoom digitally, the worse your image quality is likely to get. Our formula is simple - do not use the digital zoom on your phone, just take a few steps towards your subject!

Stay well-lit, stay stable

This is a basic requirement of standard pho-

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tography, but it applies even more so to cellphone cameras, which for all their improvements, generally are not in the league of similarly priced point and shooters. No matter what the spec sheet says, we think you will end up with great shots if you keep two factors consistent - light and stability. Always try to shoot in good lighting conditions and

always try to keep your camera stable. It is as simple as that. And it works.

Do not trust your phone display for viewing pictures

This may surprise a lot of people, but whenever possible view your photographs on a larger display. Your camera and in many

cases, even a 7.0-inch tablet is unlikely to give you a very accurate representation of your picture. Smaller displays tend to hide blurs and some displays like AMOLED ones, can tend to exaggerate colors. We would recommend checking images on a conventional computer screen whenever possible to get a real idea of how good or bad they are. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 37

cell clues

The Return of the Stylus?

They were omnipresent on touchscreen devices, before the iPhone and

capacitive displays came along. Mocked cruelly by Steve Jobs and discarded by many manufacturers, many felt the stylus had passed out of mainstream technology. But if recent trends are any indication, people want to start scribbling once again.

Heena Gupta

tyluses were pretty much a must-have for anyone using a touchscreen device, whether it was a PDA, smartphone or a notebook prior to 2007. Screens were resistive and responded better to sharp objects rather than human fingers, making styluses the best instrument for writing on them. The year 2007 however saw the arrival of the iPhone, a touchscreen device that did not need a stylus and which could be navigated by a user’s hand. The popularity of the iPhone and indeed the capacitive touchscreen suddenly saw the stylus being first relegated to the background and then being sidelined altogether by many manufacturers. It seemed that its day had come and gone.

The Note effect! However, the stylus made a surprise return to the spotlight when Samsung introduced its Galaxy Note series of phablets in 2011. The

38 MYMOBILE april 2014

device was accompanied by a stylus, which Samsung branded the S Pen. Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Mobile & IT, Samsung India says “Samsung introduced the phablet category in India with the Note series, which popularised the S Pen technology in smartphones. Using the S Pen comes as naturally as using a pen, which allows more control with a higher level of detail. Samsung has utilised the technology to enhance consumer flexibility and freedom,

thus enriching user mobile experience.” Notwithstanding cynicism from some quarters, the Samsung Galaxy Note series proved to be a huge hit. And this in turn has seen many manufacturers attempt to replicate its success with similar products, often with a stylus in tow. Today, Micromax, Spice, Panasonic, LG and Lenovo are just some of the manufacturers who have released mobile products with stylus support. Interestingly, the sty-

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lus has also emerged as an accessory for tablet users, who often purchase them separately. “The Stylus, as a segment, has been growing and it is critical for us to be present in this segment. While you would mostly see highend stylus devices in the market, there was a big demand for such device in the affordable segment,” says T M Ramakrishnan, CEO – Devices, Spice Retail Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, NVIDIA South Asia, stressed on the utility a stylus provided when talking of the Xolo Tegra Play Note, pointing out that a “stylus was simply created to replicate the natural ease of writing as well as erasing (using the other tip) on paper directly onto the tablet.”

Stylus innovations It is a testimony to just how popular styluses are getting so that companies are now innovating on different aspects of not just using them but also storing them (the Galaxy Note actually lets you know if you have not replaced its stylus in its slot in the device). NVIDIA designed the stylus of the Tegra Note Play keeping in mind the Asian audience. Commenting on the design of the stylus, Dhupar says, “Considering the writing styles and character strokes of every language, especially Asian, have a varying width, NVIDIA created an active 1.5mm stylus with their Tegra Note. DirectStylus works in conjunction with Direct Touch 2.0 technology which supports up to 300 scans a second (five times the typical 60Hz touch scan rate) to capture more detailed movement of the stylus for smooth ink and fine tip movement.” Samsung also modified its S Pen in order to make it more feature-rich and user friendly. Highlighting the strengths of the S Pen, Taneja points out: “The new S Pen reinvents and modernises the classic note-taking experience by providing the ability to accomplish everyday tasks with just one click. The advanced S Pen is designed to be fully functional as a communication driver between the phone and the user by creating essential input and control features. It plays an integral role in how users interface with the device, making all

How a stylus works A stylus pen is a device, which is used with graphics tablets or touchscreen input devices to write or draw on the computer screen, just like on a sheet of paper. Unlike a normal pen, a stylus consists of a simple plastic tip and is also smaller so that it can easily fit into the space provided in the device. It makes use of electromagnetic resonance technology in which radio waves are sent to the stylus and returned for position analysis. The device picks up the information in the pen’s tip in order to determine its position.

daily routines easier.” Indian manufactures like Spice and Micromax are working on developing better styluses, and are introducing them in far more affordable devices than high-end ones like the Galaxy Note. Spice’s T M Ramakrishnan feels that a “stylus helps the user to explore his or her creativity on their devices and helps individuals to save their thoughts, ideas and all they want to remember, thereby making them more organised and productive.”

The stylus future? Users are discovering additional benefits of

using a stylus. A stylus allows you to operate your device in every climatic condition – you do not have to worry about removing your gloves to use it or about excessive sweating. There will also be fewer fingerprints and smudges on a display on which a stylus is used. And of course, a stylus also helps you to scribble and draw whatever you want, not restricting you to symbols and words on an onscreen keyboard. And if your device has handwriting recognition, it will convert your scribbles into proper typed documents. Windows 8 operating system also comes with stylus support. Given this scenario- increas-

ing functionalities, bigger displays, and lower prices – it is small wonder that the stylus is making its presence felt once more in the world of mobility. “Stylus in big screen devices is doing fairly well for the segment and its compelling features enhance the user experience. Because of this the market will surely witness growth in devices that come along with a stylus,” feels Samsung’s Taneja. Of course, it is still early in the day to predict how long this comeback will last, but one thing is for certain – the stylus is back. n heenagupta@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 39

chief speak

“We want to dramatically shift our focus to mobile” Once synonymous for millions of Internet users with e-mail and search, Yahoo has seen its fortunes change over the years. And after a few setbacks, the company seems set on a firm comeback path, driven by content and a commitment to the mobile platform. Evidence of this is seen in its innovative new apps like Weather and News Digest and newly-launched Yahoo homepage. We met Nitin Mathur, senior director marketing, Yahoo India and Southeast Asia, to find out more about the company and its plans. Nimish Dubey & Mukesh Kumar Singh 40 MYMOBILE april 2014

Let’s start with Yahoo in India. Do you think it is as popular as it once was? Why would a user go to the newly launched Yahoo homepage. We enjoy a certain amount of brand equity in India and about 30 million users in India come to our homepage on a monthly basis. So you can see that we already have a very large base. If you look at what people essentially do on the Internet, especially on mobile, you will find that people are mostly using the Internet to communicate, for messaging, for checking scores, and for consuming information. So when you think about these daily habits of users and then map Yahoo’s services against that you will see a 100 per cent fit. From Yahoo’s strategy standpoint, we believe we have all the right services. We want to dramatically shift our focus to mobile, which is what we have done in the last year and half and come up with a number of mobile apps. We think that in India, a lot of growth is driven by mobile and about 60 per cent of our users are accessing our services through mobile. In a mobile ecosystem you can’t just launch an app, sit back and relax. You got to be able to say what new features are there for users. Users want modern fresh intuitive design, less clutter so they see things that matter to them most. So you can see there is a design component to it. It is also important to help them make sense of all the content out there. Yahoo’s true promise right from the beginning is to organize the Web. Now we are going to take it further and say that we are going to personalize the Web. For a lot of users Yahoo is still a search and mail, but in the last year we have seen it focus more on providing curated content. What is the reason for this shift? We do have this hangover of being a mail, messenger and search company. It is true that these products are a significant part of our portfolio

from a user standpoint. We almost get half our revenue from Search. Directionally from Yahoo’s vision standpoint and especially since the time Marissa Meyer came on board, we think our role has been to inspire and entertain our users’ daily habits. We are focused on making each experience exceptional. Unless we do that, we won’t be relevant. It is not just about showing the weather but how you show it. Where do you see more traffic coming from mobile apps or mobile Web? Mobile Web still continues to be a very critical. It is true for India, other emerging markets and largely true for the US. I think both will exist because the reason and the way a consumer uses an app is slightly different from how he or she uses the mobile Web. The level of customization in an app is far more than in the Web. Slowly we are seeing that for a certain kind of information, people are inclined to go to apps but because you still have a large audience on mobile Web, you have got to have the right balance. Sticking to mobile, what percentage of Yahoo’s users are coming from mobile? Sixty per cent of our PC users are also using Yahoo on mobile. 42 million users in India come on the Yahoo network and about 23 to 24 million, which is 50 to 60 percent of our total traffic, comes from mobile. Sometimes mobile traffic varies also. For example, on one of our properties Yahoo Cricket, traffic increases when cricket matches are being played. Moving on to a specific app, why is the Yahoo News Digest app not available in India, even though it has won accolades globally? Yes, we want to bring it. We just don’t have a timeline for it. Traditionally the way we look at things as a company is to make sure that we

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april 2014 MYMOBILE 41

chief speak From Yahoo’s strategy standpoint, we believe we have all the right services. We want to dramatically shift our focus to mobile, which is what we have done in the last year and half and come up with a number of mobile apps. We think that in India, a lot of growth is driven by mobile and about 60 per cent of our users are accessing our services through mobile launch it in a market and really test it, stress test it, see how does it work, what is the feedback of users on the app store and what needs to be changed. So there is a constant iteration that happens on it before we bring it in other markets. Our philosophy is to really work well in a particular market and then launch it over a period of time in other markets.

ing everything, do a big bang launch and make everything available everywhere. We feel like if we have the experience right, lets ship it on iOS. We are really focused on Android too as the users are there. There is absolutely zero preference and I think because we come from such a neutral standpoint we can partner with anybody.

You have apps on different operating systems, but there is a feeling in some quarters that you tend to favour iOS… We have the benefit of partnering with everybody. The reason is that we are not an OS, browser or mobile company. We are a company that is focused on consumers’ Internet habits. We are absolutely clear about our strategy on mobile. Android and iOS are the core of the focus because the chase is where the users are. Sometimes we may launch something first on iOS but we follow it on Android. On the outside, going first on iOS may seem like we are favouring iOS, but it is the whole notion of shipping out faster and shipping out more often rather than perfect-

Any plans to come out with a social networking platform? I don’t think we need one. Social is more about behaviour rather than a destination. We do have Yahoo Answers, Yahoo Groove, Flickr, Tumblr. We have an exceptionally potent combination of great content and these tools to distribute that content. So I don’t think we need to have a destination. We think more about it in terms of fulfilling consumers’ daily habits.

42 MYMOBILE april 2014

All right, what about a browser then? It is good not to be in this business as you don’t have a baggage and everyone wants to partner with you. Since you are not an

OS, browser or mobile company, it becomes important to define what you stand for. From Yahoo’s point of view, we have defined our set of services well. No matter how much you push, eventually it’s the user who decides what he or she wants. Whether it is Chrome or Internet Explorer, it’s the user who decides. At least this choice should be available. Consumers are more educated than before so no matter how much a company tries to bind users, it never succeeds. Companies should not try to bind users but should focus on offering more and more choices, and then the user will decide which product is best for them. India is a pretty big market. How have you seen your consumers evolve? We have seen lots of changes, especially in consumer expectations. First, people have no patience if you are not giving them fresh and instant content. Second, the Internet audience is a lot younger now, mostly in the age group of 16 to 24 years. Internet in India is well spread out and Internet growth is happening beyond the top ten cities and in some cases in semi-urban areas too. Third is the notion of ‘make it relevant for me’. A lot of people are rejecting services because they feel personal relevance is lost. Fourth, is mobile. It has changed everything. That big platform shift is changing everything for companies. So we do believe that we will have a crossover as company some time towards the end this year when we have more mobile users than PC users. It will probably start in the US and then we will see it in other markets. What is your growth rate in India and worldwide? We can’t give you the exact market numbers as we have to depend on third party research. Globally, till 15months ago we were 608 million users, and today we are 800 million users. The big point here is that our traffic has greatly improved. What can we expect from Yahoo in the coming days in India and internationally? You will see us bringing more personalized content, better mobile experiences and newer versions of our existing products. You will also see a sharper focus on mobile because we think mobile is an important part that is driving Internet growth in India. Similarly, you will see us do more sophisticated advertising programs in India, which will allow advertisers to take advantage of what is happening. n nimish@mymobile.co.in mukesh@mymobile.co.in

just in Nokia X Nokia dons the Android hat

okia’s much-rumoured and talked about Android device, the Nokia X, finally saw the official light of the day at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona. And as we go to print, it has arrived in the Indian market as well. It comes with a 4.0-inch capacitive screen and is powered by 1GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor. It has 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory and supports up to 32GB expandable memory. The phone comes with dual SIM connectivity, a 3.0-megapixel fixed focus rear camera and a 1,500 mAh battery. It is available in multiple colour options, like bright green, bright red, cyan, yellow, black and white. Although it is an Android device, its interface is nothing like a regular Android device. Nokia has replaced Google’s services like the Google Maps, Gmail, Google Play, Hangouts, Google+ and Google Music with its own apps like Skype, Here Maps, Outlook.com, Nokia Mix Radio, Nokia Store and so on. The interface is a blend of the one seen on Nokia’s Asha and Lumia devices. Although the phone comes without Google’s Play Store, users can side load Android apps to the phone or download apps from supported app stores like Nokia Store and Yandex. Nokia X has been priced competitively at Rs 8,599. n

Micromax Canvas Knight An octa core Knight rises

fter launching the Canvas Knight A350 in Russia in February this year, Micromax has now brought the device to Indian shores. The Canvas Knight is Micromax’s first octa-core processor powered smartphone as it uses MediaTek’s latest 2GHz octa-core chipset. It also comes with a 5.0-inch 1080p FHD IPS display and is backed by a 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. On the back it sports a 16.0-megapixel camera, while a 8.0-megapixel snapper will let you take some very high-resolution selfies. The device also comes with a ‘Camerazzi’ camera feature which offers a host of functions including 360 Degree Panorama, Cinemagraph and Object Eraser. The Canvas Knight runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and comes with a 2,350-mAh battery to keep it ticking over smoothly. However, what is most likely to attract attention to the Canvas Knight is its drop-dead gorgeous appearance. In the looks department, this is easily the most good-looking phone to have come from the Canvas range, and is available in various colour options like black, black and gold and white and gold. It also comes pre-loaded with popular apps like Hike, BBM, Spuul, Truecaller, Getit, M!Vault, Opera Mini and much more. And yes, the price is surprisingly low too, in best Micromax tradition – Rs 19,999. n team@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 43

burntest Wickedly affordable phablet The WickedLeak Wammy

Titan 3 packs a decent punch for its price Pros  Quick 

Quad-core power on Jelly Bean The Wammy Titan 3 is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek Turbo processor with

WickedLeak Wammy Titan 3

Price: Rs 16,490 44 MYMOBILE april 2014

Quad-core processor

Cons

The Note 3 twin From a distance, the WickedLeak Wammy Titan 3 can easily be mistaken for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. However, it is slimmer than the Note 3 with a thickness of 7.9mm. The phone sports a 5.7-inch Full HD IPS display. Below the display is one hardware button in the centre and two soft keys. There is a 5.0-megapixel front camera to facilitate video calling and selfies. On the rear end is a 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and the speaker grille. The back panel is made of plastic and is given a “stitched” look – shades of the Note 3 again.

view cover



Poor battery backup



Average sound quality

157 mm

he Wammy Titan 3 is WickedLeak’s effort at capturing market share in the Indian phablet market with a device that comes with a full HD display. It has the looks and the specs and does not cost the earth, but does the phablet do enough to merit consideration from picky Indian consumers?

1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. Despite the quad-core processor, the phone lags a bit. Storage can be further expanded to 32GB. The phone comes with dual SIM functionality (WCDMA+GSM) and houses a 3,200 mAh battery. On the software side it runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It has a special Air-shuffle feature, which allows the user to navigate photos, change music tracks or take a picture by waving a hand over the front camera. One of the interesting features about the device is that it comes pre-rooted and enables you to flash custom ROMs – we can see geeks just loving this! The camera comes with a BSI sensor, which is supposed to be good for low light photography. However, while image quality was decent in daylight, it deteriorated when we took pictures in low light. Sound quality was good both on headphones and loudspeakers. The battery backup was not too good.

Conclusion

81.5 mm

verdict

team@mymobile.co.in

Features

ease of use

performance perfoRmance

At Rs 16,490 the WickedLeak Wammy Titan 3 is a decent option for those who are looking for a big screen smartphone, without spending a bomb. You can also consider the Micromax Canvas Turbo which features a metal body and a full HD display and is currently available for Rs 19,000. n

Looks

valuefor for money value money overall

8 7

72% 84%

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A Budget 3G Phone The BSNL Champion

SM3513 3G

Glossy but compact The Champion SM3513 3G is a compact touchscreen phone with a shiny plastic body. It is easy to carry around and use as it fits well into one’s hand owing to its compact size and light form factor. However, we feel it could have been better if the body was a little less glossy. Glossiness does give it a shiny appearance but it also makes it susceptible to smudges. The phone boasts a 3.5-inch screen and a front facing camera, while below the back panel is a battery, dual SIM slots and a microSD slot. The phone runs on a fairly new version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.2, which is impressive as most phones at this price point, especially those made by Indian brands, run on the outdated Android 2.3. The handset supports apps from Google Play but you won’t be able to install much without a microSD as the available space for use is just 137MB. Luckily it supports microSD cards so you can crank storage up to 32GB. For connectivity it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Not a great multimedia device We liked the fact that the device comes with a front-facing camera. Since it supports 3G, this will come in handy for video calls. For regular shots, it has a 3.0-megapixel camera on the rear. Neither of the cameras is exceptional, but then that often is the case with devices at this price point. Powered by a dual-core processor, the device mostly runs well as long as you stick to relatively routine tasks like browsing the Web and checking e-mail. Run games and films and you will find your eyes hurting because of the relatively dull screen and the lags. The phone’s speaker is loud and clear so you can enjoy FM and music playback on it. Backed by a 1,300 mAh battery, it lasts a good day of regular use and gives up to six hours of 3G talktime.

era and 3G connectivity. So if you are an avid internet user on a tight budget, this phone will suit you well. But if you value multimedia too, then try out Samsung Galaxy Star Pro, which offers a bigger screen, 4GB internal memory, and supports 3G for Rs 1,000 more. n team@mymobile.co.in

BSNL champion SM3513 3G tech specs Size | 119.5 x 63 x 10.8 mm Weight | NA

Conclusion

Memory | 256MB, MicroSD

The Champion SM3513 3G does not offer a great multimedia experience but is pretty well endowed with options like a front-facing cam-

Price: Rs 5,300 119.5 mm

ith the lines between feature phones and smartphones getting blurred, consumers now have access to a range of smartphones that cost a fraction more than feature phones did in the past. Though feature phones still dominate the market share but in the last few months their share has dipped while the share of smartphones, riding on entry level smartphones, has gone up. Champion, a relatively new name in mobile phone market is targeting the low-cost device market and has come up with the SM3513 3G, a 3G phone with BSNL’s support, although we don’t know how much free data would be available as part of the deal.

verdict Looks

Pros

Features

8 8



3G connectivity

ease of use



Front facing camera

performance perfoRmance value for money

Cons

7 8

overall 

Low internal storage



Dull display 63 mm

76% 84% april 2014 MYMOBILE 45

burn test

A Kid’s Tablet at Last! The Eddy R70

is targeted squarely at children

here was a time when people made every possible effort to keep mobile phones and tablets out of the reach of children. This was mainly because of the lack of proper content for them on these devices. But that seems to be changing – in fact, a number of apps have been designed especially keeping children in mind. And now we have a tablet that the manufacturer claims has been designed

46 MYMOBILE april 2014

for children – the Eddy R70. It comes loaded with a unique interface and lots of educational content targeted at the age group of 4 years -11 years. But will it convince parents to buy it for their children?

Safety comes first The first thing that strikes one about the Eddy is the brightly coloured rubber lining that covers its

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Cons

Pros

Poor sound quality Confusing interface  Low screen resolution

Good educational content  Rubber protection cover  Good build quality



Price: Rs 9,999 sides. The cover is quite thick and it protects the tablet even if it falls from a height. It also allows you to get a firm grip of the tablet, and comes with a handle which makes it very easy for kids to hold the tablet and also carry it



wherever they want. You have the option of removing the cover if you wish. The bottom of the tablet consists of a power button and a few slots. However, no hardware button has been given to control the volume levels - one has to use the soft keys given on the screen in order to increase or decrease the volume. All in all, the tablet scores well in terms of design and style, and should appeal to children.

tablet. That is a bit of a mixed blessing, though – the interface can be confusing to understand, especially if you keep switching between modes (the tablet even hangs while switching modes). Connectivity options of the device include Bluetooth, HDMI and Wi-Fi, although there is no SIM connectivity. The tablet also comes equipped with dual cameras, but their performance is nothing to write home about.

‘One, two buckle my shoe’

Conclusion

The Eddy tablet is especially designed for kids and we allowed children to spend some time with the device. We noticed that children really enjoyed using the tablet. It comes with an amazing collection of poems, which some of them learned easily in a short span of time. It did, however, take them some time to get used to the interface of the device. The homescreen consists of the Eddy Zone, Parents Zone and the Kids Radar. The Kids Radar helps you download new software and applications on the device. The Parents Zone gives you information about the applications used by your children, while the Kids Zone consists of educational content for the kids. You can also select the content according to the age group of your child. You can select from between 4 years to 11 years and you will get the content accordingly. There is a lot of content available and it is of very good quality as well. There are lots of interactive content which allows children to perform various activities and learn new things. For instance, if you are learning the English alphabet, then along with the letter ‘A’ you will also get to learn two words which start the same letter. Moreover, you can also exit from the Kids Zone and can use the tablet like any other Android tablet. The Parents mode has the Android option, from where you can use and access all your regular Android applications like mail, Facebook and others.

The Eddy tablet is designed for kids and the device scores full marks in this department. It has lots of interesting and useful content for the kids, all of which is well presented. However, we would have appreciated a display with better screen resolution, and also better sound quality on the loudspeaker (a very important point when you consider that this is a tablet targeted at children). The speaker is placed on the rear panel and if you doing something by keeping the tablet on the flat surface, then the volume suffers. Still, all said and done, the Eddy R70 gets a lot of things right, and is perhaps the first tablet that we have seen that’s actually designed for children. It is priced at Rs 9,999, and at the moment of writing, has no real competitors. n

Tech stuff The Eddy runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. However, after entering the Kid’s Zone, you will not realize that you are using an Android

team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

76%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 47

burn test The Turbo Goes Mini Micromax delivers a smaller version of the Canvas Turbo

f the many mid-range smartphones seen recently, Micromax has made one that stands out from the pack. Their latest Canvas device, the Canvas Turbo Mini is a spin-off of their Canvas Turbo and carries almost similar looks but in a more smaller form factor. Some of the features of the Turbo have been scaled down, but then so has the price. But what about the performance?

Ultra-light and compact The Turbo Mini has retained the overall good looks of Canvas Turbo (unibody design, matte finish, and sturdy build quality) except for a few variations like the camera position, screen size, and form factor (it is slimmer and a lot lighter). The camera is placed a little higher and the LED flash is placed under it, unlike in the Turbo, where it was above the camera. There is a removable slot right above the camera for putting in micro SD and SIM cards. This is a dual SIM device incidentally. The phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high point is definitely its looks but that is only second to its weight, or rather lack of it. The Canvas Turbo Mini has a 4.7-inch display yet weighs 110 grams whereas iPhone 5S, which has a 4.0-inch screen, weighs 112 grams. The Turbo Mini is considerably ahead of any phone in this price range in terms of form factor and build quality. Even the highly feted Moto G seems plump next to it. The front panel includes a wide in-call grille and a 4.7-inch screen with a screen resolution of 1280x720p and pixel density of 329ppi.

Brilliant display, old Android Compared to the Turbo, the Mini has a smaller and lower resolution display but it nevertheless is bright and handled colours perfectly, making movies and games an enjoyable affair. The display also supports gesture controls like swiping on the screen to unlock. This works well and adds an element of fun to it. The handset supports multi-touch and its response is smooth. The phone runs on Android 4.2, a slightly older version of Android, and carries the usual Android interface with redesigned icons. Micromax has not redone the interface and has stood by the stock Android interface. It has added some apps, though, including BBM,

48 MYMOBILE april 2014

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Kingston Office, Hike, Opera Mini, and Hangout.

Decent hardware, impressive performance The device is powered by MediaTek’s 1.3GHz Quad-core MT6582 chipset for mid-range phones and has 1GB RAM. This chipset supports Mali 400 GPU for graphics and comes with connectivity features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and GPS. Its performance is by and large smooth and it handled movies, most of the apps and even games very well. One might be a little disappointed with the amount of internal memory on it - it has 4GB internal memory but only 1.6GB is available for use – but fortunately the phone comes with support for memory cards, which means that you can add another 32GB to it. The handset features an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and a 5.0megapixel front camera. The camera is not one of its high points but is not drab either. In a brightly lit room or outdoor environs, it can churn out some decent shots and has some interesting features like object eraser and cinemagraph to play around with. You can also record decent looking HD movies on it. Considering how slim it is, the 1,800mAh non-removable battery gives a decent back-up. It easily lasted a full day on single charge of casual use and offers up to 6.5 hours talk time on 3G.

Conclusion The Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini is a compact phone, is amazingly light, classy looking, gives decent battery back-up and works quite well. And all this is available at an impressive price of just Rs 12,100. We cannot say that it is the only phone that works this well at this price point. Motorola’s Moto G, priced at Rs 13,999, has some really good features too but it cannot match the Turbo Mini when it comes to looks and the camera. Some might say that the Moto G runs on the latest Android version (4.4) and has what many consider a superior Qualcomm processor. But, if you have the thing for good looking phones that perform well, the Canvas Turbo Mini is as good as it gets right now. You can also check out the Nokia Lumia 525, if you are open to trying Windows Phone OS, as it has a decent camera, and is cheaper by a fair margin. n team@mymobile.co.in

Pros Smooth performance  Ultra-light  Impressive display 

Cons Old Android version  Low internal memory 

Price: Rs 12,100 verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

86%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 49

burn test Another Grand Show

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 is a worthy successor to the original

samsung Galaxy Grand 2 tech specs Size | 146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95 mm 146.80 mm

Price: Rs 21,500 75.30 mm

ast year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Grand smartphone with a 5.0-inch display. The phone garnered a lot of attention and was also a hit among the masses, as it offered a decent spec set at a price that was not high-end, with dual SIM functionality thrown in for good measure. It however faced some criticism for its relatively low resolution display and occasional lags in the interface. Has Samsung ironed out these rough spots in the Galaxy Grand 2?

Old looks, new hardware Like most of its recent devices, the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 comes with a plastic rear panel, which looks like leather. The device is available in three colour options - Black, White and Pink (we got the White device). It has rounded edges and is surrounded by a chrome coloured ribbon along its sides. All in all, it looks better than its predecessor and is also sleeker â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 mm

thinner. However, the display of the device easily attracts fingerprints and while the rear panel does set it apart, from the front, it looks like just about every other Samsung phone. Samsung has tweaked the phone in terms of hardware. While the original Galaxy Grand came with a 5.0-inch display, the Grand 2 has a 5.25-inch display with a higher resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Like the original Grand, this one too is bright and handles colours well. Then there is the boost in processing power â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first Galaxy Grand came with a Broadcom 1.2GHz Cortex A9 chipset but the Grand 2 is powered by a Qualcomm 1.2GHz Cortex A7 quad-core processor. The result is much faster and smoother performance, and the ability to handle games like Asphalt 8 easily, and also multitask without breaking into a sweat. Like the original Grand, this new one too is a dual SIM (GSM+GSM) device.

50 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014 march 2014

Software innovations The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is at par for the course, as very few companies have so far released devices running on Android 4.4 (KitKat). We liked the user interface of the device, which allowed users to easily add, remove and edit the home panels as per their needs. The phone also comes with an interesting feature: while you are using any games or an app, an arrow will appear on the upper side of the display, which will allow you to take calls, messages and manage both the SIMs directly from there. The notification bar has also witnessed some changes. Now you can view the notification bar in a grid style or in a single line which you can also slide forward or backward. If we press the home button once, then the news app opens up, while pressing it twice will open the S Voice feature. While the phone does come with a number of apps pre-

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Pros Good display  Decent camera  Quad-core processor 

Cons Same old design Lags a bit  Relatively low resolution display  

installed, you can always access the Google Play store for more apps and the Samsung Hub for apps support.

Solid performer The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 delivers a decent performance across most functions, even though we experienced a few lags while using the news feature given on the main panel. The phone comes with an 8.0-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, which takes very good pictures during the day, although ‘noise’ does tend to creep in when you take images in low light conditions. The camera also comes with a number of editing and sharing options, letting you alter any pictures you take. Internet browsing was a pure joy on the large, bright screen.

Conclusion The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 comes with

a price tag of Rs 21,500. It is a very worthy upgrade for those who liked the original Grand as it takes the same formula and repeats with a newer OS and better hardware. However, this time ranged against it are a number of devices from Indian manufacturers in the same price segment that offer similar or even superior specs. Those considering alternatives could therefore find themselves considering the Micromax Canvas Knight, which boasts a full HD display, a 16.0-megapixel camera, a very innovative design and is powered by an octa core processor, while being priced at Rs 19,990. Another device that is available in the same price segment is the HTC Desire 700, which features a 5.0-inch display and a quad core processor and is retailing for Rs 22,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Hello, Moto G

Motorola returns to India with the Moto G

Pros 

Excellent display



Android 4.4 KitKat



Good processor

Cons 

Mediocre camera



Average battery life



No expandable memory

Price: Rs 13,999 52 MYMOBILE april 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Good looks and solidly built The Moto G looks good, with a solid build quality along with sleek and stylish design. The device easily fits into your palm unlike those big screen phablets ruling the roost these days. It comes in black colour by default, although one can buy colourful panels and flip covers to add on some colour to their devices. We did have a little issue with its extra big bezel that makes the screen space appear less with touch capacitive keys being a part of the screen only. The front of the device is plain with no branding, logo or physical buttons. On the top you can spot the 3.5-mm jack for headphones and a secondary microphone next to it, the left side is smooth with nothing on it, while the power key and the volume rocker are placed on the right - quite convenient to use, except that sometimes you end up increasing the volume accidentally while using the phone. The bottom of Moto G features a micro USB slot for charging the device and for data transfer, with a microphone alongside. On the rear is a plastic panel which has a rubberish feel to it that actually makes it very comfortable to hold. The camera is placed on the centre near the top and the flash is placed below it. Speakers can be spotted just next to the camera. Beneath the panel is a non-removable battery and two micro SIM slots (there is no expandable memory option on this device.

Great hardware for the price The Moto G has won accolades all over the world for its hardware and it is not difficult to see why. It comes with a 4.5-inch display with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating, making it scratch resistant. The quality of the display is very good and watching videos is certainly a delight on the 720p resolution display which has a pixel density that is higher than that of the iPhone. It is also very responsive to touch and works smoothly. And the reason for this speedy operation is the presence of a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. On the storage front, the device comes in 8GB and 16GB variants, with no memory card expansion options. The speakers are also pretty good, though the

earplugs that come along seem to be from another era. The 5.0-megapixel camera is decent enough. We would not call it powerful but it is better than what many devices offer at the same price point. Motorola has played a bit around the camera UI - users can tap anywhere on the display to click pictures, although there is also a touch to focus option. You can also take pictures while shooting a video, and there are a number of editing, filters and sharing options as well. The battery stands at 2,070mAh which is not very impressive, but lasts about nine hours of average usage. It will drain faster if one uses both SIM slots.

129.9 mm

otorola has once again entered the Indian market with its dual SIM device, the Moto G. The smartphone is available in both 8GB and 16GB variants and comes at what many consider to be a very good price – Rs 12,499 for the 8GB version and Rs 13,999 for the 16GB one. But does it do enough to carve a niche for Motorola once again in a highly competitive market?

The software side One of the most notable things about the Moto G is that it has already received the Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) update, which many high-end devices have not. The device also comes preloaded with some Motorola apps like Moto Care and the Migrate. Migrate is an app that allows the user to transfer all their data from the previous phone to the new Moto G over a Wi-Fi connection, all you need to do is download the Migrate app on the other device and sync them with each other; while Moto Care is an app that assists one on the problems one could face with the device. The device also comes along with the usual array of Google apps like the Google Plus, Google Drive (which gives you 50GB free storage for first two years), Play Music, Play Movie, YouTube, Play Books, Maps and much more.

65.9 mm

verdict Looks

Conclusion We downloaded a number of apps on our Moto G (16GB) and it continued to perform smoothly – no lags. We missed having a USB cable as the charger’s adapter is not detachable from its wire. However, all said and done, there’s no denying that the Moto G is a formidable device, especially for those who want a good Android experience at a relatively low cost. Those who want to explore other options in this price range can also consider the Nokia Lumia 625, the Samsung Galaxy Quattro and the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini. n team@mymobile.co.in

8 9

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

86%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Karbonn’s X-Factor Handset Will the Titanium X

take Karbonn to the next level

ndian brands are vying for a bigger share of the smartphone market with a new crop of smartphones. These phones are priced higher than before, have better specs, and offer a look and feel reminiscent of high-end phones from better-known brands. And one of these devices is Karbonn’s Titanium X. How well does it compete against similar offerings from the likes of Micromax and Xolo? That’s what we tried to find out.

Elegant looking, compact Cons

Pros Impressive display  Elegant and good looking design  Supports NFC 

The Titanium X is a compact unibody phone with a slightly longish appearance and curved back, which makes it easy to grip and handle. It looks elegant and weighs just 143 grammes. The back panel is rounder than usual allowing certain features like the speaker from getting smothered, something that is very common in phones with flat back panels. The front is pretty straight but far from a regular affair, as Karbonn has added a dash of uniqueness to it by making it jut out slightly. It literally stands out and also gives the whole phone a slimmer appearance from the sides. The only issue was the way it was placed. It appeared shaky and felt poorly held together. As far its quality goes, the 5.0-inch display is as good as that of the Micromax Canvas Turbo. It is vivid and handles colours brilliantly. The display boasts of a screen resolution of 1920x1080p and pixel density of 441ppi. Both are high-end elements found among high-end phones. Yes, the display is not in the same league as that on a high-end phone display, but for phones at this price point, it is definitely impressive. On the camera front, it comes with a 13.0-megapixel camera and dual LED flash on the back and a 5.0-megapixel camera along with a flash on the front. The cameras are decent and can record decent videos too. The rear camera supports auto-focus and comes with a number of shooting options. It is at its best in well-lit, bright environs more than indoors and low light conditions. The speaker placed on the back panel looks a little petite but is quite powerful. Sound quality is good in the headphone too.

Ordinary battery back-up  Lags during games  Looks flimsy in places 

143.9 mm

Decent performer

70.5 mm

54 MYMOBILE april 2014

The touch response of the Titanium X is impressive, as is its general performance. Movies played very well but when it came to handling games it was not as good. We were surprised to see it lag quite often on something as simple as Temple Run 2. Also, while the amount of internal memory (16GB onboard, of which 11.42GB is available) is decent, you cannot expand it as the phone has no memory card slot. However, the phone comes with an OTG cable that allows you to attach a USB drive to it and access files on the drive from the phone just as you would on a micro SD card. The only issue is that it would be dangling along with the phone every time you use it, although it does compensate to an extent for the absence of expandable memory. You can also charge any other phone from the Titanium X, which is a neat touch. Outside of the lag during games, this is a pretty able device. The phone runs on Android 4.2 and carries the stock Android interface, unlike some other brands who add their elements on the interface to give a different feel but end up slowing down the device. Karbonn has opted to the original interface and kept matters smooth. The phone comes with the usual bunch of apps from Google along with some popular ones like Hungama, Kingston Office, Opera Mini, MyDala, UC Browser, and WhatsApp Messenger. The Titanium X features a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and a non-removable 2,300mAh battery that gives

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Price: Rs 18,490

verdict

up to 240 hours on standby but only six hours of talk time. For connectivity it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and NFC.

Conclusion Overall, except for the occasional lag in games, Titanium X offers loads of features to play with and carries the look and aura of a top league phone. But, at this price point you can also

get phones like the Micromax Canvas Knight (priced at Rs 19,990), which has 2GB RAM, an octa-core processor and a better camera or the Gionee Elife E6 (priced at Rs 21,999) for its superior camera and 32GB internal memory. There is also the Lenovo K900 (priced at Rs 22,900) which comes with an Intel processor and has excellent build quality. n team@mymobile.co.in

Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

80%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 55

burn test Eminently Desire-able HTC’s Desire 601 is a midsegment delight

Pros Stylish design Good sound quality  Long battery life  

Cons Low resolution display  Expensive for the specs  Mediocre camera 

Price: Rs 22,500

56 MYMOBILE april 2014

TC has of late been focusing on the mid-segment smartphone market. The company has launched a number of devices in its Desire range targeting the consumer who is looking for a value for money proposition. One of these is the Desire 601.

Trendy looks The HTC Desire 601 dual SIM looks stylish and even resembles the highprofile HTC One from the front. But, unlike the One, the 601 comes with a plastic body. The device comes in two colour options: black and white (we got the white unit for review). The rear panel of the device is made of plastic and comes with a very smooth finish. It also houses a 5.0-megapixel camera fitted in a silver rim along with the LED flash. The smartphone boasts of a 4.5-inch qHD display with 960x540 pixels resolution, which is a bit on the lower side when you consider the price of the device. The phone comes with round edges and its sleek design and form factor makes it comfortable to use with one hand. A key feature of the front of the device are the dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers, which deliver sound with and offers HTC BoomSound technology. There is also a VGA front facing camera placed on the extreme right corner of the display. Unlike in other HTC devices, in this one the power button is located on the top along with the 3.35mm audio jack. The volume rocker buttons are placed on the left and the charging port can be found at the base of the smartphone. All in all, this is a very eye-catching phone and is surprisingly light as well.

Sense-ible software The HTC desire 601 Dual SIM is powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, backed up by 1GB of RAM. The processor works fine and does not lag, whether multi-tasking or handling graphics intensive games. Internal storage of the smartphone accounts to 8GB which can be further expanded to 64GB using the microSD card. The device comes with dual SIM functionality (GSM+GSM). Both the SIM cards are micro SIM in nature and one has to remove the battery of the device in order to insert the second SIM. The microSD card slot is placed

adjacent to the SIM card slot. The device offers connectivity options like 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS/AGPS+GLNOSS. Ensuring the phone keeps ticking is a 2,100 mAh battery, which easily lasts up to a day on a single charge. The phone, however, runs on Android 4.2.2. Now, a lot of devices run on this OS, but we would have still preferred a newer version of the OS, especially as even 4.4 is out. However, the version of Android is covered by HTC Sense 5 which comes with HTC BlinkFeed, HTC’s BlinkFeed news and status aggregator, as well as HTC Zoe, the artsy collage maker. HTC has also introduced a ‘Kid Mode’ which lets you lock some of the features of the smartphone with a password so that you do not have to worry about your children stumbling across and deleting your data. There are also a number of preloaded apps, including Scribble, while lets you make notes either by typing or writing with your finger. Of course, you can head towards the Goggle Play store for more appy action.

134.5 mm

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Decent performer The HTC Desire 601 comes equipped with a 5.0-megapixel autofocus rear camera along with LED flash. Like all the other HTC smartphones, this one too comes with a plethora of color effects and shooting modes like HDR and Panorama. The phone offers almost instant shot-to-shot times in normal mode. However, the image quality of the device was not that great and the images taken in low light were of very average quality. The Front VGA camera is also best used for video calls. On the sound front, the phone scored with loud and clear sound both over headphones and loudspeaker. The battery backup of the device was good and it easily stretched to a day of hefty usage.

Conclusion The HTC Desire 601 Dual SIM smartphone is a good option for anyone looking for a sleek-looking dual SIM device that works smoothly. However,

66.7 mm at Rs 22,500, it goes up against some very formidable competition, including the likes of the octa-core processor driven Micromax Canvas Knight and the freshly launched Samsung Galaxy Grand 2, both of which offer better spec sheets at comparative prices. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict 8

Looks Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

76%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 57

burn test Vibing with power Lenovo’s Vibe Z

combines design with muscle

Hey, good lookin’ In terms of appearance, the Lenovo Vibe Z takes inspiration from the Vibe X rather than the metallic and slightly sharp-edged K900. The front is jet black and dominated by the 5.5-inch full HD display. The phone’s volume rocker, placed on the left panel, can also be used to unlock the display, saving you the need to stretch your fingers to the top of the display every time you need to do so. Mind you, switching off the display still happens from the button on top, which can be a pain sometimes. The phone has a very metallic feel to it, but is actually cased in plastic, which is the reason why it feels unusually light for its size (just 145 grammes). At 7.9 mm, the Vibe Z is also one of the thinner devices we have seen at this price point. The corners of the phone are rounded making it comfortable to grip and the back has a brushed metal finish which is unlikely to pick up scuff marks or scratches easily. Located on the back is also a 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flash. Another feature the Vibe Z borrows from Vibe X is the front facing 5.0-megapixel camera. All in all, the Vibe Z looks good and feels comfortable to hold, although at almost half a foot long, it is difficult to operate with a single hand.

Hardware that rocks, software that needs work But if the appearance of the Vibe Z pays tribute to the sleek Vibe X, in terms of hardware, it is right up there with the most powerful devices in tech town. The full HD display comes with an impressive pixel density of 401 ppi, and powering the device is a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, backed up by 2GB RAM. The result is a device that performs at the rate of knots. Whether it was handling high definition games, tweaking videos or editing documents, the Vibe Z handled them all with no stutters whatsoever. As in the

58 MYMOBILE april 2014

K900, the camera of the device is a pleasant surprise, taking some excellent pictures in good light conditions, although picture quality starts to suffer as conditions get darker. There is no shortage of connectivity options onboard either – be it Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 3G. Onboard storage could disappoint some, however. At 16GB and non-expandable, it is just about adequate. Where the Vibe Z does get a bit unstuck is in terms of interface. Yet again, the phone seems to have taken a leaf out of its Vibe predecessor in this department, and has gone for an app drawer-less interface, where all your apps are arranged across different homescreens. Yes, you can customize the look and feel of it all, but at the end of the day, it will take some getting used to. On the flip side, the interface does have its advantages – stacks of shooting and editing options for the camera being just one of them. Lenovo also continues its tradition of preloading some very useful applications with the device, including the very useful SHAREit (which lets you share data without Internet connectivity or Bluetooth at incredibly brisk speeds – check our review in Smart Apps) and Battery Manager application. Battery life is decent – the device easily saw off a day of heavy use, with social networks and mail buzzing. We would have preferred better sound quality on the loudspeaker, though – it is perfectly fine with the bundled headphones.

offers as impressive a processor at a lower price (Rs 28,990), but comes with a smaller display and an inferior camera, while the impressive LG G2 comes with a smaller display and costs a fraction more at Rs 37,500. That said, the G2 remains the closest alternative to the Vibe Z in terms of the price-performance ratio. And that tells you just how good the Vibe Z is. n team@mymobile.co.in

149.1 mm

enovo has been making waves in the smartphone market over the past year, releasing some very high profile as well as high-performance devices like the K900, the P780 and most recently, the Vibe X. The Vibe Z sees the company attempt to marry the flair of the Vibe X with more powerful hardware. Is it a marriage made in heaven?

Conclusion The Vibe Z tries to combine the stylish looks of the Vibe X with some very good hardware and succeeds to a large extent. Some might find its price of Rs 34,990 to be a bit on the higher side, but when you consider what is being offered in hardware terms, it is not a bad deal at all, especially as Lenovo has also bundled a smart cover with the device. The Nexus 5

77 mm

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Lenovo vibe Z tech specs Size | 149.1 x 77 x 7.9 mm Weight | 145.2 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD

verdict

OS | Android OS v4.3

Pros

Screen Size | 5.5-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Ion 3,000 mAh Talktime/Standby | Up to 33 hours/ Up to 648 hours

Excellent hardware  Very good performance  Good display and camera 

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

Cons

Camera | 13.0-megapixel Others | SHAREit, Battery Manager application

Price: Rs 34,990

A bit on the long side  Interface could take some getting used to  No expandable memory 

Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

88%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 59

burn test A Slate for Calling HP enters

phablet land with the Slate 6 Voice Tab

he new Slate 6 Voice Tab marks HP’s return to the mobile phone segment. Only this time they are targeting a larger audience than in the past, when the focus was more on the business class. This can be partly attributed to market trends and partly to the rapid growth in the smartphone segment. What it would however need is a good line of products that will help it carve a niche for itself in a very competitive market. The Slate 6 VoiceTab is its first lot of those.

Very big, yet very light

165 mm

The HP Slate 6 will catch the eye due to its sheer size, smart looks and solid build quality. It is made of plastic but feels as solid as any smartphone out there. A wide golden coloured metal band runs across the side panel, while the back panel carries a checked pattern, giving the handset a stylish look. The panel is removable and covers a massive 3,000 mAh battery, memory card and SIM slots. For a phone this big, the Slate 6 is amazingly light (at 160g) and easy to use. We have seen some very popular phones that have smaller screens yet weigh a lot more than this, for instance the Samsung Galaxy Note3 or HTC One Maxx. The speakers have been put on the front panel, on either side of the display, with some space to spare. This space ensures you have a better grip when you are using the device in landscape mode for games and movies. The device features two cameras - a 5.0-megapixel one with LED flash on the rear and a 2.0-megapixel one the front, which also has ‘HP’ embossed right under the display. The phone dons the twin roles of a tablet and a smartphone quite well. Since it has a big screen, games and movies look a lot better than on a smaller screen. The display has a screen resolution of 1280x720 and while not as striking as Galaxy Note3’s display, is vibrant and handled colours quite well. The display is a regular finger magnet, being

too glossy and susceptible to catching smudges and dust particles easily.

Plenty of storage, apps, free offers A dual SIM phone, the Slate 6 runs on Android 4.2 OS and features the regular Android interface. The phone offers a 15 per cent discount on all purchases from the Bagit Today app, travel vouchers worth Rs 5,000 from MakeMyTrip and three months subscription of India Today Group’s digital magazines worth Rs 2,911 to its users. It also comes with a number of apps installed on it including HP Connected Photo (it allows you to improve, edit and share your photographs), HP ePrint (to take print-outs on any HP eprinter from the handset wirelessly), Kingston Office, Google Play and Dropbox. The handset boasts of Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity, has 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory, out of which about 12GB is available for use. The phone also supports expandable memory, so if you need more, you can add up to another 32GB on it via a micro SD card. The Slate 6 is powered by Marvell PXA1088 quad-core processor from Marvell, a relatively little known brand compared to a Qualcomm or MediaTek. However, this processor handled games, movies, and applications effortlessly. The two cameras on the device are however, average, and more often than not delivered substandard results, being more like tablet cameras than phone cameras. The phone’s speakers are placed on the front panel and are pretty decent too. The handset is powered by a 3,000mAh battery that lasts a full day of use.

Conclusion If you want a big screen device, the HP Slate 6 is definitely an interesting option worth checking out. You are going to like it for its impressive design, light form factor, good display, long lasting battery and the price tag of Rs 22,990.

Cons

Pros Impressive build and design  Long lasting battery  Good performance 

83.2 mm

60 MYMOBILE april 2014

Average cameras  Smudge-prone display  Display could have had a higher resolution 

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However, there are alternatives to it, like the Windows Phone based Nokia Lumia 1320, which has a 6.1-inch display and is selling at Rs 23,990, or the Lenovo K900, which is powered by Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful Atom processor and comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display and has a rock-solid metal body and is selling at Rs 22,999. And of course, if you are ready to settle for a slightly smaller display, then there is the Micromax Canvas Knight, which combines an octa core processor with a full HD 5.0-inch display and 16.0-megapixel camera for Rs 19,990. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 22,990 verdict Looks

7 9

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

80% april 2014 MYMOBILE 61

burn test A Seventh (e)Life The Gionee Elife E7 ups the hardware ante

t may be a relatively new player in the highly competitive Indian mobile phone market, but Gionee has been making waves with its sleekly designed and relatively low priced handsets. The Elife E5 and E6 proved that the company had the design capability to slug it out with the best. With the E7, Gionee has stepped right into the ring of hardware heavyweights, with some very impressive hardware, while still managing to keep the price relatively low. But will the gamble pay off?

Looks stylish The Elife E7 might not be as much of a head turner as the more compact E6, but it remains a good-looking device nevertheless. It comes in a unibody frame, with the front being dominated by a large 5.5-inch full HD display. There are no hardware buttons on the front, and below the screen are the usual three touch keys for home, back and menu. The display and power on/off button is bang on top of the handset, which might have posed problems for some users, but you can also switch on the display using the volume rocker, which is on the right side of the device. The top also houses a 3.5mm jack while on the lower part of the phone is a micro USB port. The microSIM slot has been fitted on the left side of the phone. We reviewed the black model and many people felt that the front was very reminiscent of a Sony phone, which is not a bad thing at all. And if the front is

Price: Rs 26,490 62 MYMOBILE april 2014

Cons

Pros Great price  Good hardware  Eye catching design 

Laggy interface  No expandable memory  Older version of Android 

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Does not lack substance However, the real star of the E7 is its hardware. The 5.5-inch display is a full HD one and has a staggering pixel density of 401ppi, which is on par with some of the best devices in the market. The phone has dual cameras – a 16.0-megapixel one on the back and an 8.0-megapixel one in front, making it one of the most powerful dual camera combinations we have seen on a handset in recent times. It comes with all the connectivity options you could ask for including 3G, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-fi, and then there is the little matter of the processor. The Elife E7 is powered by a quadcore Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz, backed up by 2GB RAM, making this pretty much in the category of the Google Nexus 5, which was quite a speed merchant in its own right. Storage stands at 16GB, however,

and is not expandable, which is a disappointment, as is the fact that such a powerful device runs a relatively older version of Android (4.2, Jelly Bean).

Solid, rather than spectacular performer It has the looks and the hardware muscle, but where the Elife E7 comes up surprisingly short is in the matter of software. Yes, it does come with a number of apps installed including games and system tools, but what trips it up is its own Amigo interface. The interface is an improvement of the one we saw on the Elife E6, but remains a bit on the slower side, when compared to the buttery smooth speed seen on the Nexus series of devices. It is not as if the phone stops, it is just that it seems to slow down from time to time, especially sometimes when it just comes out of sleep. Another Achilles Heel is the multimedia department. Yes, the display is brilliant, but we actually expected a lot from the much-hyped camera – the 16.0-megapixel shooter takes some very good pictures in decent light conditions, but falters in low light ones, although sound quality is decent enough in terms of clarity and volume. A huge plus for the camera are the number of shooting options available in the interface, and we must concede that the front-facing camera on this device is the best of its kind in our experience. Battery life could have been better – we struggled to get through a day, but that could also have been because we took so many pictures (the cameras do tempt you to do that). All in all, the performance of this device belies its specs, mainly because of its interface. Slap a different skin or theme on it and the change in speed is discernible!

Conclusion The Gionee Elife E7 retails for Rs 26, 490 for the 16GB version, which is staggeringly good value for money for the hardware it serves up. In fact, the only device that we see getting close to it in terms

150.6 mm

reminiscent of Sony, the back seems to hark of Nokia’s Lumia series with a glossy finish and a camera lens that juts out a bit just like in the Lumia 925. All in all, the Elife E7 is definitely a good looking device which is solid to hold, although at 9.5 mm and 150 grammes, it is not the lightest or slimmest proposition around.

75 mm of spec set is the Nexus 5 itself which has an equally powerful processor but comes with a smaller display and a markedly inferior camera. Those not averse to trying out Windows Phone can also try the Lumia 925 which also has a very good design, excellent camera and is retailing for Rs 27,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

8 9

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

86%

april 2014 MYMOBILE 63

sneak peek LG Lifeband Touch

Your fitness on your wrist

s wearable tech continues to grow by leaps and bounds, LG has announced the launch of Lifeband Touch in India. With the Lifeband Touch, LG forays into fitness tech, allowing users to monitor their health by strapping on a watch-like device to their wrists. The device is compatible with Android and iOS devices as well as heart rate monitors. It can also transmit data to the LG Fitness app or other apps like MyFitnessPal, Runkeeper and MapMyFitness. It features a touch OLED panel to display time, biometrics, incoming calls and music controls. A built-in three-axis accelerometer and altimeter allows the device to accurately measure distance, speed, number of steps, calories consumed and projected pace. The devices lets you get call and text notifications sent from your smartphone, making it a perfect blend of work and play. The company has not yet revealed the price for the device as yet, although speculation is pinning it in the vicinity of Rs 15,000. It is expected to arrive in the Indian market around May. n

Moto X Following in the

G’s footsteps

fter the success of Moto G in the Indian market, Motorola seems to be all geared for the launch of its highly-acclaimed Moto X smartphone, which had made waves internationally last year. Motorola had tweeted in late February that Moto X will enter the Indian market within a few weeks and although we have no official hints about its price, most speculation seems to place it in the vicinity of Rs 19,990. The Moto X features a 4.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and is powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor. It comes with a 10.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash at the back and a 2.0-megapixel front-facing camera. The device comes with 2GB RAM and is available in two variants - 16GB and 32GB. Like the Moto G, it too runs the latest version of Android, 4.4 (or Kit Kat). In fact, the Moto X got the Kit Kat update before some Nexus devices. However, the feature that had caught the imagination of most people – the ability of users to customise it, by choosing back panels and chassis of their choice – might not be available in India. Still, the arrival of the device indicates that Motorola is well and truly back in the Indian market. n team@mymobile.co.in

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in focus

Budget 2014

The Mobile Effect

As the UPA Government presented the interim Budget with Lok Sabha elections looming on

the horizon, expectations were high in the mobile industry and consumers. Would the Government approve measures that would make mobile devices more affordable? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our look at what was ultimately delivered.

Heena Gupta

inance Minister P Chidambaramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interim Budget was a bit of a mixed bag for the telecom industry. Yes, it did deliver some concessions, but there was no mistaking the pro-Indian manufacturing tilt in it.

Advantage, Indian manufacturers

In India, the Government levies two types of Central Excise Duty (CENVAT) taxes on mobile phones. As per the norms the Government charges 2 per cent of CENVAT on a mobile handset priced up to Rs 2,000. The percentage of the tax increases to 6 per cent on mobile handsets costing more than Rs 2,000. Bringing a change to the existing system, the Finance Minister announced that from now onwards, 6 per cent CENVAT will be placed on all types of mobile handsets. He further declared that mobile phones manufactured within DTA (Domestic Territorial Area) in India, will be given huge

concessions in CENVAT - the amount of tax would be 1 per cent rather than 6 per cent. This measure should result in a decline in prices of mobile devices manufactured in India. However, the interim Budget had no concession for the consumers. In fact, consumers will have to pay more for new mobile devices. The percentage of CENVET charge on all handsets will increase, which means that even those that cost less than Rs 2,000 will cost more now.

Not all roses, though

Moreover, the deduction in CENVAT to 1 per cent under DTA manufacturing is not as impressive as it seems. Presently, Nokia and

Samsung are the two companies, which have manufacturing plants in India, whereas many other mobile companies import products. However, this new relaxation in CENVAT will not help either of the two companies as neither of them manufactures its products under DTA. Nokia manufactures its products under SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and Samsung under EHTP (Electronic Hardware Technology Park). Although, the companies do get tax relaxations as a result, these are not comparable to those being given to DTA manufacturers. All of which makes the interim Budget a bit of a mixed bag. While there is no doubt that it will encourage manufacturing in the country, immediate benefits to the consumer seem to be limited at the time of writing. n heenagupta@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 65

versus

They look good. Have very good software and hardware. And don’t cost the earth. We compare three new breed of affordable smartphones – the Nokia Lumia 525, the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini and the Moto G. Nimish Dubey

few years ago, investing in a smartphone that delivered a decent level of performance without any major compromises on the hardware and software front would set you back by anything in excess of Rs 20,000. However, it is a tribute to just how fast mobile technology has progressed that today one can get a smartphone that performs very well indeed for just a tad over five figures. And three devices that best reflect this change in the price-performance ratio are the Moto G, the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini and the Nokia Lumia 525. But which of this trio is the best? Well, that is what we tried to find out.

Round 1: Appearance In terms of sheer appearance, the metalaccented and sleek Canvas Turbo Mini is the thinnest at 7.9mm and lightest at 110 grammes, of the three devices here. Its metal accents also look more classy than the Lumia 525 and the Moto G, although those two worthies score with their colourful plastic back covers. The Moto G’s glass front is also very easy on the eye, but all said and done, the Canvas Turbo Mini wins the “eyes.” Result: 1. Micromax Canvas Turbo

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Mini, 2. Moto G, 3. Nokia Lumia 525

Round 2: Hardware

Mot or l Mot a oG

Budget Smartphones The Awesome Threesome

The battle for hardware honours is basically a slugfest between the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini and the Moto G. Both sport quad core processors, although the Moto G’s Qualcomm processor delivered better results than the MediaTek one. Both boast of 1GB RAM, and also have displays of 1280 x 720, although once again the Moto G’s display delivered richer colour and was noticeably brighter. Where, however, the Canvas Turbo Mini pulled away from the Moto G was in its superior camera (8.0-megapixel on the rear, and 5.0-megapixel one on the front to the 5.0-megapixel one on the Moto G) and the fact that while it has lesser onboard storage, it supports a memory card, whereas the Moto G’s storage options end at 8GB or 16GB. All of which does not mean that the Lumia 525 is poorly specced – its dual core Qualcomm processor backed up by 1GB RAM is good enough to run just about anything Windows Phone throws at it, it too comes with support for memory cards and its

5.0-megapixel camera is decent without being stunning. That it comes third in this face-off shows just how much the other two offer. Result: 1. Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini, 2. Moto G, 3. Nokia Lumia 525

Round 3: Software Both the Lumia 525 and the Moto G come with the latest versions of their operating systems, Windows Phone 8 and Android, while the Canvas Turbo Mini runs Android 4.2. While the battle is a close one, we decided to award it to the Lumia 525 simply because the device comes loaded with more free software and services than the relatively Spartan Moto G – the Lumia 525 comes with Nokia’s free music service, Nokia MixRadio and free lifetime navigation and maps. All of which tilts the balance in its favour at this price point. Result: 1. Nokia Lumia 525, 2. Moto G, 3. Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini

Round 4: Multimedia The Canvas Turbo Mini not only had the biggest display of the three devices, but its 8.0-

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megapixel shooter was far better than the 5.0-megapixel ones on the Moto G and the Lumia 525. The Lumia 525 was the best of the three when it came to sound, but the Canvas Turbo Mini was the surprise winner here thanks to its large display and very good (for the price) camera. Result: 1. Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini, 2. Nokia Lumia 525, 3. Moto G

Round 5: Performance This was one of the tightest rounds of them all, with all three devices scoring heavily in different areas. The Moto G reigned supreme when it came to running apps, the Turbo Mini’s 8.0-megapixel camera and expandable memory more than compensated for the lags we encountered in its performance. However, in terms of overall performance, we found the Lumia 525 to be the most consistent – it handled Windows Phone smoothly with no lags, and easily had the best sound quality of the three devices, and also had the best battery life and call quality of the three.

Result: 1. Nokia Lumia 525, 2. Moto G, 3. Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini

nok lum ia ia 52 5

mic rom can ax tur vas bo m ini

Round 6: Value for Money When we started writing this piece, this round was a direct confrontation between the Lumia 525, which cost in the vicinity of Rs 10,500 and the Moto G, which was retailing from Rs 12,499. The Canvas Turbo Mini had been launched at a relatively higher price of Rs 14,990. However, by the time we were going to print, the price of the Turbo Mini had come down to Rs 12,000, with some retailers offering even lower price tags. In this scenario, we must confess that its larger display, better camera and availability of memory card slot gave the Mini a clear edge over the Moto G, notwithstanding the latter’s better processor and camera. Beating these two in this department, however, was the Lumia 525, which not only cost the least, but also was the most solid performer of the three. Result: 1. Nokia Lumia 525, 2. Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini, 3. Moto G

Conclusion

We wish there was a clear way of declaring a winner in this fascinating three-way contest, but the fact is that each of the devices can be considered viable depending on one’s needs. The Moto G is definitely the geek’s choice with its simple Android interface, latest Android OS and excellent specifications. On the other hand, the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini’s stylish looks and good camera will appeal to those who want a phone that looks good and performs decently. Then there is the Lumia 525, which costs the least of the lot but scores heavily in terms of basic phone tasks, multimedia and preloaded software. As with everything else, it boils down to what you value most – the Canvas Turbo Mini combines good looks with decent performance but has a slightly older version of Android, the Moto G scores on processor and display but is limited in multimedia and storage, while the Lumia 525 ticks off all the basic phone boxes and comes across as a steady rather than spectacular product. Which works best for you, depends on what you need. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

april 2014 MYMOBILE 67

boredom buster Smash Hit Ready, aim, throw!

he team that gave us the amazing Sprinkle and Granny Smith are back with yet another title that is simple to play, and yet incredibly addictive. Your task in Smash Hit is to simply go from one room to another. Of course, there is a catch. These rooms have doors that can be unlocked only if you hit a button and your path – which incidentally, cannot be changed – is filled with obstacles. Helping you on your way is a set of balls. You start out with twenty-five and you can throw the balls to break the obstacles coming in your path and to hit levers that make doors open. Oh, and you also have to keep hitting green crystal cones that appear in the vicinity to keep replenishing your supply of balls. Basically, the game is nothing but tapping targets and timing throws well enough to keep moving – hitting an obstacle will deplete your supply of balls by 10. But thanks to some very good if surreal graphics that give the game a 3D feel, and some very good sound, you will find yourself tapping on a screen feverishly for hours, trying to get just a bit further on your path through different rooms. n

Name: Smash Hit Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

Nokia Modern Mayor Not your

usual city building game

okia getting into gaming? Well, the company has done just that with the release of Modern Mayor, a city building game – think Sim City – for the Windows Phone. And to its credit, it has decided to make it a game with a cause. For unlike other city-building games where your main aim is to ensure that your city is prosperous and safe, there is another element in the mix here – that of the environment. You start off as being in charge of a city that is in a fair bit of strife – pollution is rife and there is trash everywhere. Of course you have to turn things around. And it is not easy, as resources are limited and your decisions will have an impact on the environment too (hint: do not cut too many trees, please). You can speed things along by making in-app purchases, and the money you spend

68 MYMOBILE april 2014

will go to charities like Oxfam and World Wildlife Fund. Gameplay is not quite as intense as in hardcore city building games like Sim City but the graphics are decent and the music is good. And of course there is the feel good factor of not just helping a digital city get back on its feet, but also doing your bit for good causes. And it is totally free as well. n Name: Nokia Modern Mayor Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520

RATING



RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Name: Threes Price: Rs 110 RATING

Tested on: iPhone 5s



Threes Triple puzzle fun

t a time when most games revolve around elements of action, Threes is a welcome throw back to the time when games were built around numerical puzzles. No, this is not a game for math experts, we hasten to add. All you have to do is add up numbers in a grid by sliding them towards each other. And this is where the element of three comes in – the board only contains the numbers 1, 2 and 3. Your task is to first bring together numbers 1 and 2 to form 3, and then bring together similar numbers that are factors of three. No, it is not as complicated as it sounds: you can add 1 and 2, 3 and 3, 6 and 6, 12 and 12, and so on, but not 1 and 3, or 2 and 2, or 1 and 1. And of course as you slide numbers together new ones drop in to fill the grid. The idea is to go on and on until you literally are left with no space to move. The more threes and factors of three you are able to make in your efforts, the higher your score. It is as simple as that. Yes, we wish it came free, but even for Rs 110, we think this game is a truckload of fun for those who love puzzles. n

300: Rise of An Empire Brilliant but brief

hen it comes to sheer spectacular action, there are not too many films that can hold a candle to 300 and its recently released sequel, 300: Rise of An Empire. However, when it comes to gaming, 300’s mobile avatar had been a bit of a disappointment. Fortunately, Rise of An Empire is a very different kettle of fish. At its soul, it is basically a hack, defend and bash game and you get to control a character from the film. Controls are onscreen alas, so you have to play around with onscreen buttons to attack, defend, move and unleash special attacks. What makes the game different are the graphics, which are very good and replicate the feel of the film to quite an extent. The battles are gory and although most of the action is linear and you cannot take off on your own path, its fun for those who love their swords and shields. Where the game really disappoints is in its length – there are just four battles, too few for those who get addicted to the action. We hope the developer will add more in the coming days. And hey, it costs nothing. n nimish@mymobile.co.in Name: 300: Rise of An Empire Price: Free Tested on: Lenovo Vibe Z

RATING

 april 2014 MYMOBILE 69

SMART APPS Google Now Launcher

Google Now on your homescreen

oogle’s Google Now service has not exactly become the kind of rage that many expected it to become, but it has nevertheless gained a fair amount of populartity, with its attempts to predict your needs. And now, Google has tried to add a new dimension to it by blending it with a launcher app, appropriately enough called Google Now Launcher. As with other launcher apps, this too will replace your homescreen with its own icons and app arragements. On first glance, the launcher might not seem too different from the stock Android one, as it comes with homescreens that are customisable with app shortcuts and widgets. But there are a few changes under the surface. Saying ‘Ok Google’ on the homescreen now launches the Google Search app. And a swipe to the right from the landing screen takes you straight to the Google Now screen complete with information cards that try to guess your information requirements, serving up information about your football clubs, stock exchanges, weather and even the traffic on the way home. It is not fancy but it is speedy and free. The catch? It works only with Nexus devices at the time of writing. Well worth a try in our books, if you have one. n

Name: Google Now Launcher Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

SHAREit Share just about

anything

RATING

e have seen our share (pun intended) of informationsharing apps on different platforms, but we must confess that we have never seen anything quite like Lenovo’s SHAREit. The app is available for iOS and Android, but is most potent over the last-named. It works over Wi-Fi but needs no actual data connectivity – in the case of iOS, the devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, but in the case of Android, you just need Wi-Fi on the devices to be switched on. The real magic, however, comes when you start transferring data – be it a song, film, a photograph or in case of Android, even an app, you can transfer it at a rate that is much faster than Bluetooth. We were swapping high-definition games in minutes between our Android devices. All it takes is hitting the “Send” button on the phone sending the data and hitting “Receive” on the ones for whom it is intended. And yes, you can send data to up to five devices. Of course, one needs to be cautious while swapping copyrighted material, but that apart, this is one of the fastest sharing apps we have seen. n Name: SHAREit Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

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RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Socialife News News with a Sony touch

eading news has changed radically over the past years, thanks to the emergence of apps like Flipboard and Early Edition, which have put a radically different spin on the whole business of news consumption on a handset. And now Sony has joined the party with its Socialife News app. Earlier an Xperia excusive, the app is now available for all Android users for free from the Google Play. The app needs you to log in to Facebook to be able to make best use of it, although you can also use it without signing in. The real charm of the app is in the way it presents news and your Facebook feed, which are in the form of asymmetric tiles. Selecting a tile and swiping to the right will take you to a more detailed version of the story, while swiping from the left side of the app will take you to the settings panel which lets you play around with your social networks and your news feeds. And incidentally, this can also be used as a Facebook or Twitter client of sorts - you can share links, like posts, tweet, retweet and so on. All of this in an interface that looks funky and works smoothly. And is free. Worth a try if you are fed up of Flipboard and Pulse. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

Name: Socialife Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

RATING



OneShot Camera magic for

Windows Phone

here is a saying in tech town that while Windows Phone devices (most notably, the Lumias) have the best cameras, they do not offer the user too much in terms of apps. However, that has been changing thanks to the increasing popularity of the platform and also the emergence of innovative apps like OneShot. The app initially used to come with a price tag, but has gone free at the time of writing. What makes it special is its ability to deliver a number of features and functions to photographers using Windows Phone devices, without making them as complex as other apps, including Nokia’s own powerful (if slightly overwhelming) Nokia Camera. The app opens the camera’s viewfinder and comes with options on either side. You can choose shooting modes (yes, there is even a Macro option), play around with settings including ISO and manual focus, and in a neat touch, even mess around with live filters and effects to tweak your photographs – including a very entertaining mirror effect. Yes, it does take a bit of time to start up and sometimes it can seem a bit laggy, but that apart, this is a photography app that all Nokia Lumia owners definitely should try out, especially now that it has gone free. n

Name: OneShot Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520

RATING

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etcetera HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3545 Price: Rs 7,686 Pros | Impressive print quality, Print from handset using ePrint app

Cons | Limited paper capacity, Slow print speed

RATING



HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3545 An affordable network MFP for home users

his new HP inkjet combines a printer, scanner and copier into a compact form. The pace of churning out prints could have been better and even the ink takes some time to settle down. However, the colour accuracy and print quality compensate for the initial tardiness. The Ink Advantage 3545 can be used to take prints over a wireless network as it supports network printing but what is even more special is the HP ePrint feature which allows one to take prints remotely by sending a mail. Mail is easy to configure and so is the network setting and thanks to the two line LCD you can easily do it through the printer controls. A print can be sent from a mobile phone too if it is on the same wireless network and your phone has the HP ePrint app in it. Other attributes like scanning and copying work at a decent clip. The paper tray is quite limited and can take in only a hundred sheets at a time. Overall, this is a decent all-in-one printer with decently priced colour and black cartridges for home users. Both colour and black cartridges come for Rs 475. n

SkullCandy UpRock Headphones in Footy colours

kullCandy is known for its stylish headphones, but its new UpRock line does not only appease the style conscious, but also the football fan. Bathed in the colours of different football clubs (we got the FC Barcelona edition), the on-ear headphones are comfortable, have tangle free wires and also offer controls to change tracks. Build quality, however, could have be slightly better as they look a tad cheap at first brush. Just because they are in Barcelona’s colours, one should not expect Messi-like miracles in terms of sound quality, but at Rs 2,899 they do provide a decent aural experience. They have a decidedly warm sound signature (thick), which will go well with bass heavy music and also with a lot of the modern Bollywood stuff. For mid-range heavy rock, these are perhaps not the best sounding headphones as the sound of distorted instruments becomes muddy, but for most purposes, they do a decent job. n

SkullCandy uprock Price: Rs 2,899 Pros | Lightweight and comfortable, Tangle-free wire Cons | Cheap build, Muddy sound with certain genres of music

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RATING



www.mymobile.co.in

Transcend JetFlash 380G A double

powered flash drive

ranscend has introduced an on-the-go USB drive, the Transcend JetFlash 380G, which the company claims is designed to change the way you carry and transfer your data. One side of the drive consists of a micro USB which allows the user to connect their mobile devices which support on-the-go USB. Whereas, the other side has a full sized USB which enables the user to transfer files to any USB port-equipped desktop, ultrabook, notebook, or tablet just like a regular flash drive. The Transcend JetFlash 380G is also much smaller and lighter in weight as compared to other USB drives and is dust and water resistant as well. The company has also introduced the Transcend Elite app which helps you manage data on the drive. One can download the app from the Google Play store by scanning the QR code given on the package. The Transcend JetFlash 380G 32GB comes with a price tag of Rs 1,950 along with a limited lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. n

transcend jetflash 380G RATING



Price: Rs 1,950 Pros | Fast performance, On-the-go USB Cons | Very small in size

Amkette All in One Smart Keyboard Just for the typing types on tablets and phones

mkette’s All in One Smart Keyboard is a portable keyboard for smartphones and tablets. It is compact and is very solidly built with a metallic base (the whole keyboard weighs about 300g). Just below the top most layer of keys is a stand that can be pulled out and on which a phone or tablet can be balanced. You connect your device to the keyboard over Bluetooth and can type away merrily. Amkette has also added an inbuilt battery to the device– it claims to deliver 140 hours of battery life and well, it is still running for us even though we have been using it for a fortnight. There are hotkeys for music, volume, home and menu, saving you the need to reach out to touch your phone while typing. We would have preferred bigger keys and a more sturdy stand, but that apart, we think that this is a very handy accessory for all those who love to type on the move. n

Amkette All in One Smart Keyboard Price: Rs 2,995 Pros | Inbuilt stand, Sturdy build

RATING



Cons | Cramped keys, Stand seems a bit flimsy

april 2014 MYMOBILE 73

etcetera Zoook ZP-PB10000 Charge

oook’s new portable mobile charger comes with a massive 10,000mAh battery and can charge more than one device at a time. It works with all micro USB based Android and Windows tablets and mobiles phones and older versions of iPhone and iPad. It comes with two charging points, one of 1.0 Amp and the other of 2.1 Amp. Most chargers generally have a 1 Amp charger which takes longer to charge than a 2.1 Amp charger takes. It can power-up a drained device in a few minutes, and fully charge a smartphone in a couple of hours. It is big and definitely on the bulky side. But we guess that could not be helped given the amount of battery back-up it can offer. To keep you posted of the power status, it comes with four blue LED lights. Its cable is also adjustable and long enough. At this price, it is an impressive deal for all power users. n

many times, charge faster

Zoook ZP-PB10000 Price: Rs 3,995 Pros | Long lasting charger, Fast charging Cons | Cannot charge iPhone 5s and 5c, A bit bulky RATING

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Sandisk Ultra dual USB drive A USB drive for your handset

ou must have used a memory card with your mobile phone but have you ever considered using a USB drive with it, that too without any USB-To-Go cables? Well, Sandisk has now made a USB drive which can be used not only with your laptop and desktop but also with your smartphone and tablet. Dubbed as Sandisk Ultra Dual USB drive, the new drive can be accessed through the Sandisk Memory Zone app available for free download on Google Play. The app offers options like internal memory and dual USB drive, from where you can open and access content and even copy and paste files right from the app. Compact, well designed and well covered, the USB drive is compatible with Android devices but unfortunately it couldn’t pair with all the devices we tried it with. Data transfer is smooth and swift. At Rs 1,199 this 16GB drive is an impressive deal. n

Sandisk Ultra dual USB drive Price: Rs 1,199 Pros | Easy to carry, Well priced Cons | Did not pair with all Android phones

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RATING

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www.mymobile.co.in

Triggertrap Mobile Shoot

on your DSLR…from your phone

Triggertrap Mobile Price: Rs 3,500 Pros | Easy to use, Multiple shot modes Cons | Short cable, A bit expensive

RATING



ven as the battle between camera and cameraphone loyalists goes on, there are some devices that enable you to get the best of both worlds in photography terms. And one of these is Triggertrap Mobile. In simple terms, it is a device that lets you control the shutter of your supported camera (and a number of popular models are supported) from your Android or iOS handset. It is not as complicated as it sounds – all you need is a proprietary cable and dongle which is part of the Triggertrap Mobile package, and download a free app on your device. Connect your device to your camera and you are ready to go. What makes Triggertrap special are the multiple shooting modes that it provides you on the app (something Sony can certainly learn from its Lens Style Camera app) – you can shoot time lapses, trigger the shutter by a touch or a sound, and even use face detection mode. The app is also smart enough to use the GPS on your device for Distance Lapse pictures. We would have liked a longer cable, but that apart, we really think this is one awesome product for anyone who uses a camera and a smartphone. n

Nikon D5300 Another super snapper

martphone cameras might be getting better, but that does not seem to have affected the popularity of DSLRs. Nikon’s latest D5300 is likely to appeal to a person who is not exactly a professional, but likes to have some real firepower behind their lens. Armed with a Nikkor 18-140mm lens system, we found the D5300 to be an extremely capable shooter. Of course, the camera borrows technology from its exalted cousins - the D4 and the D800 in the form of the EXPEED 4 ISP and also a massive 24.2-megapixel sensor. Another handy addition was the fact that it had a swivelling screen so we had plenty of angles to create a shot from. Overall, we found that the camera was a worthy successor to the D5200 and it is the ideal DSLR for a person who has limited knowledge about photography. Even on auto mode, one can easily churn out great images out of the camera. A very good option for someone who knows a bit about DSLRs but is in no mood to spend on a high-end one. Yet. n

Nikon D5300 Price: Rs 54,450 (body only), Rs 59,950 (with 18-55mm lens)

Pros | Good image quality, Decent feature set Cons | Underwhelming low-light performance,

RATING



team@mymobile.co.in

Battery life

april 2014 MYMOBILE 75

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

76 MYMOBILE april 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

april 2014 MYMOBILE 77

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 March 3, 2014) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as:

Tablet CDMA Smartphone Lifestyle (Rs 12,000 upwards) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

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

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

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 79

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 105

100

106

107

108

114

112

Dimension (mm)

107 x 44.8 x 14.3

110 x 45.5 x 14.9

112.9 x 47.5 x 14.9

110.4 x 47 x 13.5

110 x 46 x 14.8

110.4 x 46.9 x 15.4

Weight (grams)

74.2

75.8

69.9

Model

12/840

7.2/840

9.9/840

12.7/576

13.8/600

10.5/637

14/840

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.45

65,536/1.8

56KB/1.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8MB/No

NA/No

384KB/No

4MB/16GB

4MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1000

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Dual Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 30

Series 40

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

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,140

1,350

1,600

1,970

2,423

2,785

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 206

Asha 500 Dual SIM

Asha 210

Asha 501

208

301

502

Dimension (mm)

116 x 49 x 12.4

10.3 x 58.1 x 12.8

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

99.2 x 58 x 12.1

114.2 x 50.9 x 12.8

114 x 50 x 12.5

99.6 x 59.5 x 11.1

Weight (grams)

101.8

97.3

90.6

102

100

20/680

14/528

12/1104

17/624

12/480

20/504

13.7/576

Model

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

65,536/2.4

262,144/2.8

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

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/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

1,000

2,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual 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/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 40

Asha software 1.1

Series 40

Asha software 1.3

Series 40

Asha software 1.5

Music Player/FM Radio

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

3,650

3,999

4,700

4,899

5,400

5,600

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs

80 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 503 Dual SIM

Lumia 520

515 Dual SIM

Lumia 525

Lumia 620

Lumia 625

Dimension (mm)

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

115.4 x 61.1 x 11

133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2

Weight (grams)

111.4

128.7

124

102

124

127

159

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NEW

12/480

13.3/408

14/360

10.4/432

17/336

14/330

23.9/768

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

16million/4.0

262,144/2.4

16million/4.0

16 million/3.8

16.7million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Shared

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Nokia X software

Asha Software

platform

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

Windows Phone 8

Series 40

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

6,400

8,599

8,900

10,400

10,100

12,300

16,500

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

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

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 720

Lumia 1320

Lumia 925

BSNL-CHAMPION Lumia 1020

Lumia 1520

JOSH

SQ 281

A2700

Dimension (mm)

127.9 x 67.5 x 9

164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8

129 x 70.6 x 8.5

130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4

162.8 x 85.4 8.7

130 x 55.5 x 11.5

120 x 51 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

128

220

139

158

209

23/520

25/672

18.3/432

19.1/384

27.4/768

2.5/36

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

16million/6.0

262,144/2.8

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

16GB/64GB

32MB/8GB

NA/8GB

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/ No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

20.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

500

100

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/No/No

Windows Phone 8

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

18,000

23,500

30,300

41,400

45,000

1,900

1,800

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.

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

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 81

myguide UP TO Rs 2,499)

EsNT (R 2,R5Y00L-E5V ,9E9L9)

MODELS

UP TO R s 2,499)

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

MAXX

SAMSUNG

ALCATEL

Discover 135

MX153

MX555

E1207T

E1282T

OT 2005D

OT 4007D PIXI

Dimension (mm)

112.5 x 45.5 x 14

122.8 x 51 x 9.8

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5

120 x 50 x 9.95

115 x 62.3 x 12.2

Weight (grams)

96.5

65.1

74.5

118

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/350

NA/350

8/430

12/660

14/425

13/500

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

65,536/1.8

NA/2.6

65,536/1.52

65,536/1.8

262,155/2.4

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/16GB

NA/NA

NA/No

NA/4GB

128 MB/8GB

512MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

Yes/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

300

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

Yes/Yes/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Proprietary

Android OS v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

2,400

1,030

2,376

1,260

1,700

2,750

4,933

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS Model

BSNL CHAMPION

HPL

JOSH

SM 3512

SM 3513

A35

A44

AONE

A40

A999

Dimension (mm)

119.5 x 63 x 10.8

122.3 X 65 X 11.2

135.2 X 67.5 X 9.9

125.5 x 64.5 x 10.7

113 x 58 x 13

Weight (grams)

117

108

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6/350

4/NA

3.5/NA

4.5/NA

25/350

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

NA/4.63

NA/4.0

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

512MB/NA

512/NA

512MB/NA

4GB/NA

NA/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

500

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

Price in Rs.

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Android OS v4.2

Android OSv2.3

Anroid OS v2.3

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

4,300

5,300

3,390

4,290

5,590

5,490

2,900

82 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

JOSH

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

JM2400

Petal

Fortune

Discover 132

Dimension (mm)

116 x 50 x 60

118 x 62 x 10

118 x 62 x 13

Weight (grams)

170

220

356 3G

402+

T375

116.9 x 62.5 x 12.6 125.50 x 64.50 x 11.40 112

103 x 59 x 10.7

124

Talktime/Standby (hours)

25/350

Apr-48

5/200

4/200

12.8/601

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.4

262,144/3.5

262,144/3.2

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/8GB

140MB/32GB

170MB/32GB

258KB/4GB

512MB/32GB

48MB/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

Shared

500

Shared

1,000

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

Price in Rs.

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

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

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,099

4,100

4,999

3,299

3,900

5,500

4,100

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS Model

MAXX

SAMSUNG

T585

Optimus L3 II Single

Optimus L3II Dual

MT401

AX353

Metro 2252

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Dimension (mm)

103.09 x 59.9 x 10.8

102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

125.5 X 67 X 12.5

118.80 x 63 x 11.90

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

103

125

110

140

Talktime/Standby (hours)

9/560

8/480

16/730

NA/300

4/NA

11.9/760

14/550

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

NA/4.0

262,144/3.5

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

50MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/VGA

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual SIM/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

4,200

5,700

5,900

2,838

2,970

2,650

3,200

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

Price in Rs.

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

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 83

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999) (Rs 6000-9,999)

(R s 6000-9,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

SPICE

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

BLACKBERRY

GIONEE

HPL

Mi 351

Mi 353

Mi 435

OT 8000D

Curve 9220

A1XP-QUAD CORE

Dimension (mm)

115.3 x 62 x 11.8

124.1 x 63.7 x 13.6

143 x 78.4 X 9.8

109 x 60 x 12.7

129.3 x 68 x 11.1

137 x 68.8 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

135

163

102

125

Talktime/Standby (hours)

3/216

3.5/150

NA/NA

16/15

7/432

4/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16million/4.4

262,144/NA

65,536/2.44

16million/4.3

NA/4.63

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/16GB

NA/16GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/32 GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/NA

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/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.

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

Quad Band/No

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.1

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,877

4,211

5,800

9,999

8,700

7,499

7,990

(Rs 6000-9,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-9,999)

HPL

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

JOSH

KARBONN

A45-qHD

A50-qHD

Aurus III

Aurus IV

Fortune 9

A10

A25

Dimension (mm)

135.2 X 67.5 X 9.6

143 X 74.2 X 9.6

119 x 65 x 12

146 x 78.6 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

115

127

165

150

Talktime/Standby (hours)

3.5/NA

7/350

7.5/400

4/48

6/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.5

NA/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

262,144/3.9

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/NA

4GB/32GB

170MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

114MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

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

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,590

9,590

7,790

8,999

6,199

6,000

6,780

84 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

myguide (Rs 6000-9,999)

(R s 6000-9,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-9,999)

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

LENOVO

A30

A27 +

Iris 455

Irish 506Q

A516

Optimus L4 II Dual E445

Dimension (mm)

166 x 91 x 10.7

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

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

Weight (grams)

280

126.5

120

148

125

103

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Optimus L5 II E450

10/600

4/180

8/NA

5.3/230

23/696

NA/NA

10/642

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/5.9

NA/4.2

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/3.8

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,000

8,800

7,200

8,800

9,500

7,100

8,800

(Rs 6000-9,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-9,999)

PARAMETERS Model

MAXX

MICROMAX

Optimus L5 II Dual

AX8 Race

AX505

AX 504

AX 506

Dimension (mm)

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

147 x 79.4 x 10.2

141.5 x 73.7 x 9.3

145 x 74 x 9.1

145.2 x 80 x 10.2

Weight (grams)

103

198

161

162

164

Talktime/Standby (hours)

A93

NEW

A96

NEW

10/642

5/NA

7/256

5.5/450

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

262,144/5.0

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

9,000

6,250

6,500

7,777

8,500

9,500

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

Price in Rs.

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 85

myguide (Rs 6000-9,999)

(R s 6000-9,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-9,999)

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

SPICE

WHAM

XOLO

Coolpad MI-515

WG50

A500S IPS

Galaxy Star Pro

Galaxy Trend

Galaxy S duos 2

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 496

Dimension (mm)

121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6

121.50 x 63.10 x

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6

140 x 73 x 9.9

110 X 57 X 10.1

125 x 63.2 x 9

Weight (grams)

121

10.85

118

161

190

120

Model

15/370

8/-

8/280

5/200

10/492

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/64GB

4GB/64GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/No

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.1

Dual Band/NA

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android v4.0

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,400

7,500

9,800

6,500

7,800

6,147

6,800

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

(Rs 6000-9,999)

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

XOLO

APPLE

A600

Q1000 Opus

OT 6012D IDOL MINI

OT 6030

OT 6033X

Iphone 5C

Iphone 5S

Dimension (mm)

136 x 67 x 9

143.3 x 72.9 x 9

127.1 x 62 x 7.9

133 x 67.5 x 7.9

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.4

124.4 x 59.2 8.97

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

Weight (grams)

110

132

112

22/650

18/700

9/540

7.2/415

16/700

10/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/NA

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/None

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

16,32/No

16,32,64/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDP+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

iOS7

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,000

9,000

10,900

13,500

17,900

41,900/53,500

53,500/62,500/73,500

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

Price in Rs.

86 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

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

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

Curve 9320

9720

Curve 9360

Z10

Z30

Q10

Dimension (mm)

109 x 60 x 12.7

114 x 66 x 12

112 x 62 x 14.2

120 x 66 x 10.8

130 x 65.6 x 9

140.7 x 72 x 9.4

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

103

120

130

120

136

170

139

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7/432

5/336

12/336

10/312

25/384

10/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.44

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.44

16million/3.1

16million/4.2

16million/5-0

16million/3.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 10.2

Yes/Yes/HSPA BlackBerry OS 10

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

12,000

15,000

16,500

19,000

17,990

30,000

31,250

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

BSNL CHAMPION

GIONEE

SM 6513

Trendy 531

Gpad G2

Elife E3

Dream D1

Elife E5

Elife E6

Dimension (mm)

182.5 x 99 x 8.5

151.10 x 80.5 x 9.8

145 X 73 X 9.9

137 X 68 X 7.9

130 X 67 X 8.6

137 X 69 X 6.85

142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

133.9

120

Apr-62

6/200

24/450

14/312

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/6.5

16million/5.3

16Millon/5.3

16Millon/4.7

16Millon/4.65

16millon/4.8

16.7million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/NA

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM

Quad Band/NA

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.

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

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,500

13,500

13,499

14,999

16,999

18,999

22,999

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 87

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

GIONEE E7

HTC Desire XDS

NEW

Dimension (mm)

150.6 x 75 x 9.5

Weight (grams)

150

Desire 501

Desire 500

118.5 X 62.3 X 9.3 128.5 × 66.9 × 9.8mm 131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9 114

130

123

Desire 601

Desire 600

134.5 x 66.7 x 9.88

132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

130

NA/NA

NA/NN

12.1/435

12.8/440

NA/NA

11.4/539

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.5

16million/ 4.3

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

8GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

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

Price in Rs.

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

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Windows Phone 8

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

26,490

12,000

15,500

18,500

22,000

23,000

26,000

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

Desire 700

One Mini

Butterfly

Butterfly S

One DS

One Max

Whiz

Dimension (mm)

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

132 x 63.2 x 9.25

143 x 70.5 x 9.08

144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29

Weight (grams)

150

122

140

160

143

217

8/338

13.27/692

NA/NA

25/659

27/500

25/585

8.5/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.9

262,144/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

22,000

28,000

34,000

46,000

41,300

52,000

7,800

88 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

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

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

JOSH

KARBONN

LAVA

LENOVO

Ultra

Fortune HD

Thunder

S5+ Titanium

S7 Titanium

Irish Pro 30

A850

Dimension (mm)

151.1x80.5x9.9

160x82.5x9.7

143.5 x 72 x 9.3

138 x 66.7 x 7.5

79.3 x 9.45 x 153.5

Weight (grams)

200

188

114

184

Talktime/Standby (hours)

16/700

5/48

NA/NA

4/200

4.5/400

28.6/490

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16,million/5.3

16million/5.7

16million/5.0

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/No

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/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

Tri Band/Dual SIM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,500

12,499

15,999

11,000

15,500

14,900

13,000

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

LENOVO

PARAMETERS Model

S890

S820

S920

Vibe X S960

Optimus L7 II

Optimus L7II Dual

Optimus L9 P765

Dimension (mm)

143.6 x 74.2 x 9.3

139.5 x 69.7 x 8.95

154 x 77.7 x 7.9

144 x 74 x 6.9 mm

121.5 x 66.6 x 9.7

122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7

131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1

Weight (grams)

176

143

159

121

118

115.5

125

17/312

22/140

25/480

16/288

12/800

12/830

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16 million/4.3

16 million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/16GB

16GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

15,000

17,000

24,500

12,000

12,200

15,500

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 Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 89

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS G Pro Lite Dual D686

Nexus 4

Optimus G

Optimus G Pro

Nexus 5 16GB/32GB

G2 16GB/32GB

G Flex

Dimension (mm)

150.2 x 76.9 x 9.48

133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1

131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5

150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4

137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6

138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9

160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

161

139

145

170

130

143

177

Model

14.5/845

15/390

15/335

31/598

17/300

NA/NA

15/720

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/4.95

16million/5.2

16million/6.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/64GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No

Qual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes / Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

18,000

23,500

26,000

29,500

29,990/34,000

34,000/37,000

60,000

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Canvas 2.2

Canvas HD

Dimension (mm)

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

144 x 74 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

147

156

7/290

5/174

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Model

Canvas Doodle 2

Canvas 4

Turbo

144 x 74 x 9

147x77x9.9

128.3 x 71 x 8.6

6.5/180

7/180

6/220

7/105

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

12MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Turbo mini

NEW

A117

NEW

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

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

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,800

11,800

12,100

13,000

14,000

14,900

16,400

90 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy Core

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy Quattro

129.30 x 67.60 x 8.95 133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65 124

143.9

Galaxy Grand

Galaxy Grand Neo NEW

143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6

143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6

161

163

Galaxy S4 mini

Galaxy Grand 2

Galaxy Mega 5.8

124.60 x 61.30 x 8.94 146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95 108

163

162.6 x 82.4 x 8.9 184

9/500

11/210

10.1/440

11/430

12/NA

17/370

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.01

16million/4.3

16million/5.25

16million/5.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

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

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

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

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Quad Band/No

Android OS v4.2

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

12,700

14,800

17,200

17,000

20,000

21,500

24,500

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

Galaxy SIII

Galaxy Note II N7100

Galaxy Mega 6.3

Galaxy S4 Zoom

Galaxy S4

Dimension (mm)

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

167.6 x 88 x 8

125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

Weight (grams)

133

183

199

208

130

162.5

168

22.5/830

35/980

17/420

13/2330

17/370

18/540

20/490

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.8

16million/5.5

16million/6.3

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/5.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

16.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Galaxy Note 3 Neo

NEW

Galaxy Note 3

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

23,000

24,500

28,500

29,000

34,000

37,000

44,000

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

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 91

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG Galaxy Golden

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

118 x 59.5 x 15.8

SONY E1

NEW

118 x 62.4 x 12

E1 Dual

Xperia M

Xperia M Dual

Xperia C

Xperia SP

124 x 62 x 9.3

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98

NEW

118 x 62.4 x 12

179

120

115

153

155

NA/NA

8.2/498

10.16/498

14.1/588

18/734

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.7

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.6

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Clamshell/Yes/No Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Shared

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

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

49,000

9,490

10,490

12,000

12,600

18,300

20,600

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS

SONY

SPICE

Xperia ZR

Xperia ZL

Xperia Z

Xperia Z 1

Xperia Z Ultra

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

Dimension (mm)

131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5

131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8

139 x 71 x 7.9

127 x 64.9 x 9.5

144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5

179 x 92 x 6.5

Weight (grams)

138

151

146

137

169

212

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Xperia Z 1 Compact

NEW

11/470

10/500

11/550

10/670

14/880

11/550

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.6

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.4

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

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

Price in Rs.

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

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSPA+ Android OS v4.3

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

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

25,000

30,500

33,500

36,500

40,000

10,499

92 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

myguide Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

SPICE

WHAM

XOLO

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

WT72

WQ45

WS50

W1 WIRY

Q900

Q800

152 x 79 x 10.3

188.4 X 108 X 9

132 X 66 X 9.9

147 X 73.5 X 9.8

120 x 60 x 5.8

137 x 70 x 9.9

135.5 x 67 x 9.6

196.3

270

150

130

120

138

143.5

4.1/696

6/240

4/280

10/280

6/240

13/384

16/360

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.3

16million/7.0

16/milliom/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/NA

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes//Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,000

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

Price in Rs.

13,999

10,567

11,432

12,628

12,990

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

Rs 10,000 UPWARDS

XOLO

PARAMETERS Model

CDMA

Q1000

Q2000

X1000

Q1000s

Q3000

Samsung B229

MTS Striker C121

Dimension (mm)

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

156 x 77.8 x 9.8

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)

180

158

65.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/350

17/520

9.5/336

22/327

33/667

6.5/720

33/360

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.7

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.44

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

450KB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/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.

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

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 v4.0

Android OS v4.2

BREW

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

11,500

12,800

13,800

14,000

18,500

1,100

1,500

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 93

myguide CDMA PHONE

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

MTS Striker C131

MTS Striker C132

Micromax GC222

Lava ARC8c

MTS Mtag 281

MTS Duet

MTS Duet II

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

68.2

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

BREW

Brew 3.1.5

Brew 3.1

BREW

Android OS v2.3

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

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,550

1,650

2,289

2,699

3,199

5,199

5,648

TABLET

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Dimension (mm)

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

97.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

APPLE

Blackberry 8530

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

HTC Desire XC

HTC Desire 600 C

HTC One Dual SIM

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

109 x 60 x 13.9

109 x 60 x 11

119.5x 62.3 x 9.4

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

105

107

130

143

308

6/120

4.5/252

NA/NA

11.4/539

27/500

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

NA/2.44

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16 million/7.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

160MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/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.

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v2.3

BlackBerry OS

BlackBerry OS7

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/GSM+CDMAQuad Band/CDMA+GSM Quad Band/CDMA+GSM Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

NA/No No/No/No

Android OS v4.1

iOS 7

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,350

12,500

17,250

20,190

27,541

54,290

21,900/27,900/33,900

94 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

myguide TABLET

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

APPLE

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

KARBONN

iPad 2 Wi-Fi

iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

i-Pad 2 Wi-Fi+3G

iPad Air Wi-Fi

iPad Air W-Fii+3G

A34 TA-FONE HD

A39 TA-FONE HD

241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

197 x 124 x 12.3

607

312

607

652

662

335

10/720

NA/NA

10/720

NA/NA

8/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/9.7

16 million/7.9

262,144/9.7

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64 GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64 GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

Tri Band/NA

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

iOS 7

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

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 6

iOS 7

iOS 6

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,200

8,500

23,999/29,500/34,500 29,900/35,900/41,900 32,000/38,000/44,000 31,900/37,900/43,900 39,900/45,900/51,900

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

KARBONN

PARAMETERS Model

A37 TA-FONE HD

Smart Cosmic

Dimension (mm)

197 x 124 x 12.3

Weight (grams)

335

LAVA

LENOVO

SAMSUNG

Ivory Tab 702

Yoga 8

Galaxy Tab 3 2110 Galaxy Tab 3 3100 8.0 Galaxy Tab 3 3110 8.0

194 X 120.5 X 10.8 213.3 x 114.78 x 7.62 360

401

188.0 x 111.1 x 9.9

209.8 x 123.8 x 7.4

304

316

8/240

NA/NA

18/NA

20/NA

24/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/7.0

16 million/9.7

16milliom/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/Yes

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

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

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

8,900

9,000

8,700

21,500

16,500

20,500

24,500

APRIL 2014 MYMOBILE 95

myguide TABLET

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

TABLET

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SONY

SPICE

TAG HUER

Meridiist GMT Stainless Stellar Pad Mi 1010 Racer Sport Classic Steel/Black PVD

Galaxy Note10.1N800

Xperia Tablet Z

Racing Carbon

Link

Dimension (mm)

243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9

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)

540

495

160

155

160

200

Model

30-Oct

10/890

NA/384

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/10.1

16million/10.0

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64/64GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/HSPA+

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Android v2.3

Android OS v2.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

49,990

43,000

12,999

Starting 2,06,000+

Starting 2,85,000+

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

LIFESTYLE

TAG HUER

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.

96 MYMOBILE APRIL 2014

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

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bazaar bargain HTC Desire 700

BlackBerry Z10 The BlackBerry Z10 had been hailed as the device that would transform the fortunes of the company and lead it into a brave new era. That it failed to do so had nothing to do with its own quality or performance. The device was well-designed and came with a 4.2-inch display boasting a resolution of 1280 x 768, and a pixel density of 366 ppi. Powered by a dual-core processor, and with a 8.0-megapixel camera in tow, the phone performed superbly, presenting users with the most innovative UI seen in smartphone terriotry since the days of the Palm OS. However, some users were put off by its high price - the device was launched at a princely Rs 43,490 - and relative paucity of apps. Well, both issues have now been addressed. The phone is now available for a much lower price of Rs 17,990, and thanks to a software update, can now also run Android applications. What reason do you have of resisting it now? n

Launched at: Rs 33,050 Current Price: Rs 22,000 Price fall: 33.43 per cent

While prices of most smartphones do tend to dip over the long run, it is rare to see the price of a device go down by almost a third in three months. But that is exactly what has happened with HTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dual SIM device, the Desire 700. Launched in December 2013, the Desire 700 won accolades for its design and appearance, which reminded many of the iconic HTC One with speakers placed above and below a large, 5.0-inch qHD display. A quad core processor backed up with 1GB RAM and a good 8.0-megapixel camera further sweetened the package, which was only soured by what many considered a stiff price tag (Rs 33,050). Well, the good news is that its price is now down to a surprising Rs 22,000. A good deal for anyone seeking a decent dual SIM smartphone, in our opinion. n

98 MYMOBILE april 2014

Launched at: Rs 43,490 Current Price: Rs 17,990 Price fall: 58.63 per cent

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