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t a h t 3 s 1 e 0 c i d2 v e D fine de

2014: What's in Store? 11 tech leaders tell us P 40 device of the month

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8

Tested

P 46

Apple iPhone 5c, HTC One Max, LG Google Nexus 5 and more... P 48

first call

“What an amazing year!” have been at the helm of My Mobile magazine for eight years now, and not a single one has passed without that exclamation. Indeed it is a testimony to just how rapidly technology has progressed in this period. Eight years ago, touchscreen phones were the exceptions, today they are rapidly becoming the rule. Eight years ago, Nokia was very much on top of the smartphone business, today it is Samsung that dons that mantle. Eight years ago, Apple was mainly about iPods and computers, today the company is better known for its phones and tablets. And 2013 has certainly played its role in this metamorphosis. This was the year in which Microsoft snapped up Nokia’s mobile phone business, the year in which you did not need to have a BlackBerry to use the iconic BlackBerry Messenger, the year in which you actually had a full-fledged version of Windows on a device that you could fit into your overcoat pocket, and last but not least, the year in which we actually could make a phone call from a wristwatch without too much hassle. Yes, innovation was the theme of 2013. As in other years – the world of mobile technology is like that. Which is why we decided to focus on thirteen mobile products that we think defined the year 2013 in our lead story. Not all of them were commercial successes, but each contributed in its own way to the development of mobile technology, adding new elements to the user experience, be it the fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch or the megapixel monster that was the Lumia 1020. Then, of course, there was the little matter of the new year itself. Judging from the past, it would be a brave person who would go out on a limb and predict what the year would have in store for mobile tech users. So, we decided to approach the leading lights in the industry and tap into their vision for what 2014 will bring. And as you will discover, it made for some very compelling reading. The new year’s special has not made us take our eyes off our usual features. This issue features a story on gesture based technology which is making its presence felt in the mobile world and also a handy guide for all those in the market for a Bluetooth speaker. We also have our usual array of features and interactions with key members of the industry. Rounding it all off as usual, is our array of gadget reviews, which includes the Lenovo Yoga tablet which Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher had a hand in developing; Android’s latest flagship, the LG Nexus 5; Sony’s innovative Lens Style cameras which add megapixels to any iOS or Android handset; Apple’s colourful iPhone 5c; and HTC’s foray into really (and we mean really) big phones, the HTC One Max. A fascinating mix to bring down the curtain on what has been a memorable year. We wager the next year will be just as exciting and eventful. We also hope you will keep playing an important role in our development with your feedback, criticism and encouragement. So, a very happy new year to you all from the team. Happy reading.

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

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

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

ADVISORY BOARD Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 MYMOBILE january 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 XI, JANUARY 2014

content

Lead Story

technology

Control your phone with a wave of your hand, or a nod of your head - the wonderful world of gesture control.

As 2013 fades into tech history, we take a closer look at thirteen devices that we think defined the year in terms of impact and innovation.

32 Face To Face

chief speak Dr Finbarr Moynihan, General Manager, International Sales & Marketing, Mediatek talks about bringing the first pure octa-core processor to India.

36 20

Amit Saxena, Marketing Director, ZTE India, on the Indian market and how his company plans to carve a niche for itself in it.

The mobile accesory market in India is expanding rapidly. Jay Pau, CEO, STK Accessories talks to us about trends in accessories and his own company's plans.

Letters

Mobile Doctor

Consumer Forum

News

Gear Guide

06 MYMOBILE january 2014

Anup Kumar, Senior General Manager, Simmtronics Semiconductor, talks about the journey from a PC component manufacturer to a tablet player.

Vivek Agarwal, Managing Director, M-Tech Mobiles, on the ever expanding smartphone market and why there's still room for feature phones.

versus Confused between the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 5? See who wins when we pit them against each other.

content

spotlight

expections in

my guide

With the beginning of a new year comes new hopes, innovations, products, services and a whole lot more. Rather than speculate ourselves, we bring you the thoughts of some of the leading companies on what 2014 will have in store for us all.

just in

sneak peek

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 and the Xolo Play Tegra Note add new dimensions to affordable smart devices. The new Nokia Lumia 2520 and the Moto G, a powerful tablet and an affordable Droid. Both setting course for India.

cell clues

apptastic

etc

bazaar bargain

vantage point

Speakers have gone wireless with the advent of Bluetooth. We list of some of the best Bluetooth Speakers around. Feeling lost and wondering where to head to next? Our selection of apps will tell you what lies around you. Dell Inspiron 11, Canon Image Formula P201, Sony QX10 Lens Style Camera, iBall TabKey Case and more

BURN TESTS lenovo yoga tablet 8

lg g pro lite

asus fonepad 7

swipe mtv slate

lg google nexus 5

apple iphone 5c

htc one max

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

08 MYMOBILE january 2014

They were a bit pricey when they were launched, but the HTC Butterfly and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 are now more affordable.

Telecom expert Rishi Mehta on the role celebrities can play in making tech products succeed in competitive markets.

Smart Apps Boredom Busters There's a new Dead Trigger in town, Hunger Games gets a constant runner, Clumsy Ninja takes interactive gaming to another level. And more!

Facebook throws texting into the mix in its newest Messenger app and Instagram at long long last comes to Windows Phone. And more.

letters I am a regular reader of My Mobile magazine and I never miss out on any of its issues. I really like all the stories that are published in the magazine. This time along with the stories I also liked the cover page of the magazine. It was very nice and thoughtful and gave a very clear picture of the cover story. I also enjoyed reading the cover story – the face-off SUPERPHONE FACE-OFF! of all the flagship devices. It Music to your ears made it easy for all the customers who want to buy a flagship device to pick the best one amongst them. The various categories included in the story made it complete as all important aspects were covered. I request you to do more comparative stories of such kind. –Ronak Sharma, Pune DECEMBER 2013  Rs 100

www.mymobile.co.in

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

P 22

Tested

Headphone rough guide P 36

Apple, iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Micromax Canvas Turbo, HTC One Mini, Nokia Asha 210, Gionee Elife E6, Intex Aqua i7, XOLO Q1000s and more P 42

PHONE OF THE MONTH

BlackBerry Z30

P 60

I recently started reading My Mobile magazine and I truly appreciate the good work of the team. The choice of stories is very nice. I really like the telecom stories that you include in each of your issues. They are consumer centric and also highlight what all is going on the in the telecom sector and how it is affecting the consumers. Apart from this I also like the Sneak Peek and Just In sections as they highlight the new entries and upcoming devices in the tech world. –Rishi Kumar, Gujarat I have been reading the My Mobile magazine for four years and I am a great fan of it. I eagerly wait for the next issue of the magazine. All the stories are very fresh and give a complete insight of the topics covered. I really liked the rough guide for headphones published in the December edition of the magazine. It clearly explained the various types of headphones that are available in the market and what one should look for before buying them. It was a very helpful story for all the music enthusiasts out there. –Renuka Singh, Punjab

tion came as a treat for me. I thoroughly enjoyed playing them and also thank the team for including them in the magazine. I would also request you to continue this trend and include similar games in the future as well. –Rahil Chawla, via mail

This Time, That Year15-Jan 14, 2008-09 My Mobile, Dec

There were a lot of mobile phones competing with each other for the title of Phone of the Mont in the January 2009 issue of My Mobile magazine. On the one hand there were entry-level devices like the Motorola W396, Fly V71 and Samsung E1410. On the other were high-end phones like the HTC Touch 3G, Asus P565 and the HTC Touch Pro. There was also a ‘designer phone’ in the mix – Samsung’s ‘Emporio Armani.’ It was a classic battle between different price segments, priorities and performances. The low end phones impressed with their music quality and FM radio and while the high end devices were wooing the customers with their smart touch technology. And in what would turn out to be precursor for what was to follow, the smartphones ultimately won the day, although even there, one witnessed a titanic struggle between the Asus P565 and the HTC Touch Pro. The Asus P565 was a conventional touchscreen bar phone, but the HTC Touch came with a touchscreen and a slide out keypad. Both devices performed very well and also had features like Wi-Fi, GPRS and Bluetooth. Both ran on Windows Mobile. And in the end, shared the title of Phone of the Month. The era of the smartphones had begun.

I love to read My Mobile magazine as it is full of amazing content. I really like the Burn Test section because it covers all the latest mobile phones available in the market. Apart from this I also like the ETC section because it covers some essential accessories that people would want to buy. I was thinking of buying a laptop but my budget was very limited. Then I noticed the Acer Chromebook that you covered in your magazine. It e the nd hav was a good option and also suited my pocket. I a s e m n a drea ellpho n am also very happy with the product. I would c i t y u e o k also azy ab atest ines? like to thank the My Mobile team and wish them you cr pen a few l ews and can ds on the l you have e r A all the luck. han ink or n tial to nose f to lay your m? If you th –Gaurav Kataria, Delhi poten ave a e I am a movie buff and also a game enthusiast. I really like to play different games based on movies and television shows. The games that you included in the Boredom Buster section of the December edi-

10 MYMOBILE january 2014

dia’s to the uh rav 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 Nokia Lumia 925, as it is the sleekest and best performing device among those you have listed. Some might say it has only a dual-core processor, but it performs very well and has easily one of the best cameras seen on a smartphone. If size is very important, then the Galaxy S4 mini is the most compact of the devices you have selected.

I want to purchase a smartphone within the price range of Rs 20,000. The phone should have minimum 8GB of internal memory and should also deliver a fast net browsing speed. It should also have a good processor and it should come pre-loaded with educational apps as I am a research student. My selected brands are Nokia and Sony. Please suggest which phone I should buy. –Dheeraj In my opinion, you should go for the Lenovo P780. It comes well within your budget, and has all the attributes you need. No, it does have pre-loaded educational apps, but as it runs on Android, you should be able to get plenty of them from the Google Play store. The great thing about this device is its solid build, decent specs and of course, a very long battery life. I don’t like large displays and want to buy a smartphone within the price bracket of Rs 25,000. It should have all the basic requirements but the screen size should be less than 5.0-inch. I have shortlisted Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia Lumia 925. Please suggest which is the better device of the three? -Adarsh Singh From the devices that you have shortlisted, I would go with the

I am an avid music lover. I want a high quality headset which would be able to carry out my music related requirements. I am currently using Samsung Galaxy-Y and I will be using my headset mostly with it. So please suggest a suitable headset for my phone. –Anish Sahu You have not specified your bud-

get, but I would recommend you visit a Sony or Philips store and check out their headphone offerings. Be sure to actually try out a headphone before you invest in it. All the very best. I have a budget of Rs 20,000 and want to purchase a smartphone. The phone should have a 5-inch

12 MYMOBILE january 2014

display, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB expandable memory. Along with this the phone should have an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. Which of these following brands- Nokia, Samsung, Micromax, Gionee, and Lenovo should I go for? –Ajay Bisht Of the brands you have mentioned, I would recommend going with either the Micromax Canvas Turbo or the Lenovo P780. Both meet your requirements and fall within your budget. The Canvas Turbo has a full HD display, while the Lenovo P780 has perhaps the best battery life seen on any large screen device. I want an Android smartphone or tablet which can handle games well. It should also have a good camera, and should run on Android version 4.0 or above. My budget is Rs 8,000. Please suggest something interesting. -Shreyam Nimesh At your budget, getting a tablet or phone which can handle games well and also possess a good camera is difficult. I would advise you to increase your budget slightly and go for the 2012 edition of the Nexus 7 tablet, which comes with a 720p display and is powered by a quad core NVIDIA Tegra processor. You will also be able to get the latest version of Android on it, and play most of the latest games. When this was being written, the 2012 edition of the Nexus 7 was being sold at around Rs 9,000 in some stores. I am using an HTC One V since more than a year. Its working fine but a few things like the RAM seems outdated. Every time I run a third party launcher it slows down. So I wish to upgrade to

a new phone with more RAM, 4-inch screen, good speaker and camera. My budget is Rs 15,000 to 18,000. I have shortlisted a few models- Xperia I, Xperia C, Lenovo P780, Lenovo A706, Panasonic T21, Panasonic P11. Should I go for any one of them or should I wait for the launch of Moto G? Do you know of something better then please suggest? -Vishal Chawla We have no real idea of when the Moto G will be launched in India, although it is expected very soon. However, we have heard complaints about it not being a very brisk operator. Among the phones you have shortlisted, I would go for the Lenovo P780 as it possesses a very good battery and is powered by a quad core processor. It also comes well within your budget and has a sturdy build. I want to buy a smartphone. I have chosen the Samsung Galaxy Core and the Xolo Play T1000. Which is the better one? How is the after sales service of Xolo? Please help me. -Sheel Ranjan From the two, my vote would go to the Xolo Play if you are looking at gaming performance and watching videos, as it has a very powerful processor. The Galaxy Core however has a brighter display and better camera. At the end, it all boils down to what your needs are. 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 purchased a Nokia Lumia 720 on 16 June, 2013 for Rs 18,000, trusting the brand name. I was horrified to find two major problems in the phone. The first issue was with memory. I found that around 50% of the memory was already occupied because of some bug. When I did some research on the Internet, I found that many customers were facing the same problem. I felt cheated as this problem was reported earlier also, still Nokia didn't pull back this series nor did they inform people about it. The second issue was with the screen. It broke after a minor fall. Previously, I was using the iPhone 3GS and I had dropped it a number of times, but nothing happened to it except for some minor scratches. When I went to the Nokia customer care, they asked for Rs 7,880 as the replacement cost. I think it is too high, and instead of paying so much I can go for another phone. I sincerely hope that someone from Nokia will address this to change the screen glass as well as fix the memory issue without any additional cost, as my phone is still in the warranty period. -Raghu M Nokia’s Response: We have spoken to the customer. The handset is physically damaged and he is not ready to pay the repair charges. We tried to educate him about warranty terms and conditions. He is demanding FOC repairs. We have politely denied the same.

Complaint 2 After seeing a TV commercial, I bought the Micromax A27 Bolt for Rs 3,500 from Sai Mobile, Mumbai. After a month, the phone started to hang. I called the customer care, and was asked to go to their Jigar Communication service centre. At the service centre, I was asked to pay Rs 250 without being given

a job sheet for it. I reported this to the customer care but nothing happened. After three months, the handset’s charger stopped

broken when I handed it over to them, they sent me an SMS saying my complaint has been closed. This is outright cheating. Please help. -Amrit Oswal Micromax’s Response: The customer has got his handset charger back from the service center and the case is closed. Amrit Oswal’s response: I got my charger, but I had to pay extra money for it, despite the fact that it was still in the warranty period.

Complaint 3 I bought a Nokia Lumia 720 Phone in May. In August the phone’s screen started responding by itself. I took it to the Nokia customer care, but they said the phone is damaged and will take Rs 6,000 to repair it. They even showed a small rash on the top right side corner on the back of the screen. I told them that the phone was never dropped, but yet they were not ready to

working. I again went to Jigar Communications and was told to wait for one month for the new charger or pay Rs 100 and take another charger. I told them that my phone was still under 1 year’s warranty. I decided to go to the Dadar service centre and submitted my charger for seven days, as I was told. Later that evening, I got call from the service centre to inform me that my charger was broken and I will have to pay Rs 200 for a new charger. When I refused, as the charger was not

14 MYMOBILE january 2014

accept it. Before this, I had encountered some other problems like dead screen, overheating, no volume control, camera light not going off, but I didn’t bother to take it to the customer care because it was very far from my place. But, now it is too much, as the phone responds on its own. -Dipesh Rai Nokia’s Response: We spoke to the customer. He has already sold his device.

Complaint 4 I am using a Nokia Lumia 920.

The phone has started having heating issues. The screen also becomes unresponsive sometimes. After the heating issues started, I noticed a crack, probably exposed by the heating. The touchscreen has also become unresponsive, sometimes the camera goes out of focus, and the headphones (both Nokia Purity Monster earphones and Nokia WH-920) get no output from the phone. When I contacted Nokia customer care they said, the touchscreen needed replacement and without listening to my entire problem, called it an accidental damage, which won’t be covered under warranty. I tried to explain but they did not listen. I was humiliated and mentally harassed because of their poor service. -Yashashwa Pandey Nokia’s Response: Awaited.

Complaint 5 I am an Airtel customer. Sometime ago, Rs 400 was deducted from my account without even asking me. When I called the customer care, I was given routine excuses, like, I was browsing the Internet. But this was not the case. This has not happened for the first time. Airtel has deducted money like this before from both my Airtel numbers. Now, I am going to change both the connections, but before that I need an explanation. -Pritambhara Prakash Airtel’s Response: Awaited

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 Tata DoCoMo ties up with WhatsApp

has launched this full HD device amidst huge competition from players like Micromax, Samsung, and Nokia.

MapMyIndia rolls out ReachMe app

Telecom operator Tata DoCoMo has partnered with the messaging app WhatsApp in order to launch unlimited data packs for its prepaid customers. The data packs will allow the Tata DoCoMo users to enjoy WhatsApp at customised value for data plans with unlimited usage.

MapMyIndia, India’s leader in digital maps, navigation and location-based services has launched an app called ‘ReachMe.’ The application enables the users to share their location with friends and contacts of their choice just by a single tap. Rakesh Verma, Managing Director, MapMyIndia said, “I am confident that ReachMe will be well received by the users as has been the case with other apps (Locate, Explore and MapMyIndia maps) that form the MapmyIndia SNT family. We will keep on expanding this family with an objec-

The two packs are priced at Rs 15 and Rs 30 and come with a validity of 15 and 30 days respectively. Tata DoCoMo said that these packs have been introduced keeping in mind price sensitive customers. The two plans are the outcome of the research done by Tata DoCoMo, which highlighted that the consumers want customised data offerings and want to pay only for the applications that they use and consume.

tive to offer apps that are not just innovative and highly functional but also are fun to have.”

Karbonn launches new flagship Titanium X

The ReachMe app is available for download free of cost on all the mobile platforms.

Karbonn Mobiles has officially made available its flagship smartphone, the Titanium X at Rs 18,490 on its website. This is the second full HD smartphone by the manufacturer after its previous flagship device, the Titanium S7. Featuring a 5.0inch 1080p display and a 13.0megapixel rear camera with dual flash and 5.0-megapixel front camera, the Titanium X is Karbonn’s latest attempt to carve a niche in the relatively mid-segment phone.

BSNL launches low cost smartphones and tablet along with Bharat Phone

It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory (expandable to 32GB). On the connectivity front, the Titanium X is equipped with support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. It comes with a battery of 2,300 mAh. Karbonn

16 MYMOBILE january 2014

BSNL in partnership with Pantel Technologies has launched four devices for the Indian market: two smartphones PS501 and PS650, a feature phone called PentaBharat and a tablet PC- Penta T-Pad WS707C. The feature phone, PentaBharat has a 3.0-inch display and is priced affordably at Rs. 1,799. This dual SIM handset is bundled with a scheme where the user gets 1,200 minutes of BSNL talk-

time for free. This is said to be India’s first Internet access ready phone at this price point which is designed for E-Governance applications for the common man. Of the two smartphones, one is the Penta Smart PS650 with a whopping display size of 6.5-inch, which is 3G enabled as well. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz A7 dual-core processor along with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating software and is backed by a 2,500 mAh battery. The PS650 sports a 2-megapixel camera and has multiple connectivity options like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. BSNL is giving a bundle offer where the user gets 3GB of BSNL 3G data and 300 minutes of talk-time for free. The other smartphone is PentaSmart PS501 and sports a 5-inch IPS display. It is packed with a 1.2GHz A7 dualcore processor combined with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal memory along with 15GB of cloud storage. It flaunts a 5-megapixel camera at the rear and a VGA camera at front to support video calling. It comes pre-bundled with 3GB of BSNL data and 300 minutes of talk time for free. The price for PS650 and PS501 has been fixed at Rs. 7,999 and Rs. 6,999, respectively. Last but not the least, the firm launched PentaT-Pad WS707C tablet PC at Rs. 6,999. The device sports a 7-inch display and is designed around the powerful new dual-core CPU with an independent graphics controller, claims the company. The device offers a multiple user-environment on a single tablet PC allowing each user to set his own screen interface and personalised applications. It also offers a full 3D experience enabled by the 3D Display screen. It runs on 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Android version with 512 MB RAM and 4GB Internal Storage, and, comes prefunded with 3GB of BSNL Data and 300 minutes of talk time.

Samsung unveils Galaxy S Duos 2 for Rs 10,990 Samsung has added yet another member to its Galaxy family with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2. Designed especially for the Indian market, the smartphone offers support for regional languages and enables the users to access apps from the Samsung Application Store in Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Marathi and Gujarati. The smartphone comes with a 4.0-inch TFT display and is powered by a 1.2GHz dualcore processor. The device offers 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 64GB using a microSD card. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The phone comes with a 5.0megapixel rear shooter with LED flash and a VGA front facing camera. The connectivity attributes of the device include 3G, Wi-Fi,

NEWS bits Nokia Lumia 525 announced, packs 1GB of RAM, Snapdragon S4 CPU Nokia’s Lumia 520 has helped Windows Phone gain market shares in emerging markets, proving to be one of the most popular Windows Phone devices. Now, Nokia has announced its successor, the Lumia 525.

Bluetooth, and GPS/AGPS. The company has priced the Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 for Rs 10, 990 and it is available in two colour options.

Looks wise, the device is very similar to its predecessor. However, Nokia has made some changes to its hardware. The company has remedied the biggest complaint about the 520 by ramping up the RAM to 1GB which allows the device to run all applications on the Windows Phone store. Powering it is a dual-

we could see other operators following in their footsteps. Not that the consumers would complain one bit.

Idea to challenge DoT’s penalty notice

Idea launches 21.6 Mbps 3G NetSetter at Rs 1,250

Idea Cellular, India’s third largest telecom operator has decided to challenge DoT’s order directing it pay a penalty of Rs 600 crore in penalties for alleged violation of terms and

Idea Cellular has launched a new version of the Idea NetSetter 3G dongle. The company has claimed that the 21.6 Mbps 3G NetSetter is the ideal dongle for the on-the-go data user as its Internet speed is fast and allows one to transfer data, stream media, and send SMS

core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU clocked at 1GHz, and 8GB of internal memory. Nokia has retained the 4-inch 800×480 pixels resolution display seen on the Lumia 520, combined with super sensitive touch technology. There is a 5.0-megapixel camera on the back, but again there is no front facing camera. The device will be available in multiple colours and will also have optional swappable external shells. The phone is geared at emerging markets and hence will be launched in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Singapore will receive the smartphone on December 14th for $199. But will the Lumia 525 be able to take on the wave of affordable Android devices? That could well be the story of 2014. conditions of CMTS/UAS licenses while acquiring erstwhile Spice Communications Limited in 2008. Five years ago, Idea agreed to buy smaller rival Spice Communications in a three-way deal that also gave Malaysia’s Axiata about a fifth of Idea. Idea currently runs Spice operations in two zones as part its own operations. The erstwhile Spice Communications Limited (Spice) was amalgamated with Idea effective March 01, 2010, after approval of company merger by Gujarat High Court and subsequently by Delhi High Court. The Government is of the view that Idea violated rules as it held permits in zones where Spice had operations. Indian rules then prohibited companies to own 10 per cent or more in a competing carrier in the same zone.

18 MYMOBILE January 2014

Videocon reduces roaming rates by 50 per cent Videocon has slashed down its outgoing roaming call rates by 50 per cent for all its customers across the country. The users will have to buy a special tariff voucher, in order to make local calls at 50 paise per minute instead of Re 1 per minute while roaming across the country. The special voucher will cost Rs 45 and come with a validity of two weeks. The company will also provide 20 minutes of free incoming calls per day instead of 75 paisa per minute for two weeks under the tariff. Arvind Bali, Chief Executive Officer and Director at Videocon Telecom said that this type of special tariff was not provided by any other operator to its consumers, while they were on roaming. Of course, given the speed at which things change in the Indian market,

messages in a short span of time. The mobile operator also said that NetSetter is India’s first Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 and Windows RT certified device. The device is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems as well as backward compatible on EDGE and GPRS networks. It supports HSPA plus networks, which are said to provide a download speed of up to 21.6 Mbps and upload speed of 5.76 Mbps. It also comes with a micro SD card that supports up to 32GB of data storage. Idea NetSetter is a simple plug and play device, and also comes with a built-in SMS manager, which allows the users to read, write, reply, forward, and delete text messages. Apart from this, users can also create as well as edit their contacts and this can be stored on the SIM card or on laptop. The Idea NetSetter is priced at Rs 2, 160 and will be available in Idea’s own retail and service outlets across major 3G markets –Maharashtra and Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and Kerala. Idea users can avail from a range of 3G data packs for the dongle starting from Rs 250 for 1GB to Rs 1,250 for 10GB data. n

fa c e t o fa c e

“India is not ready for LTE” For over a decade, they have been selling their products through operator tie-ups. Now, ZTE is testing the Indian waters on their own steam, launching their flagship devices in the market. But how will they fare in a highly competitive market? That is what we asked ZTE India’s Marketing Director, Amit Saxena Abhijit Ahaskar ZTE has the technology and phones, then why did you take so long to enter the Indian smartphone market? We are present in India for the last 13 years, doing business with operators. The environment in India is very good. The smartphone market is growing. In the last 2-3 years, operator bound business has come down, that is why we are focusing on open market. The other reason for waiting is the slow adoption of technology in India. The infrastructure was not ready, even now if you go to tier 2 and 3 cities, you will find that people are still using 2G. We did a detailed analysis of the Indian market, now we feel the customers are more mature and willing to move to new technology. How do you plan to move ahead? We are coming in India in a phased manner. As a company, we have been in the Indian market for 13 years, reaching out to more than 34 million customers. We have also been around in sales of terminal and handsets through other channels. Now, we are entering the open market, which is a new ball game for us, and so we don’t want to rush into it. First, we want to understand the customer requirements in India, and create the same kind of trust that we have created in operator sales. We want to know our customers properly before giving them the real ZTE experience. Our upcoming range of handsets is a lot more interesting, and includes some international flagship models. We are going to stack them with more features, more VAS based services and build our own Z World.

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What is Z World? We are trying to create a Z culture. Z is the last letter with nothing beyond it. We want to replicate the same kind of experience to our customers where they won’t see anything beyond it. We will create a complete VAS zone around the handsets, and it will include not only traditional VAS but also international VAS, because we are an international brand with tie-ups with all international VAS providers. Z culture is all about experience, which is why it is important for us to understand the customer needs first. How has been the response to the ZTE

Open and when will you launch it in India? We launched the ZTE Open in international market in June and as per several reports, it is selling well. In India, we have shared it with operators, for trial and testing and it will take some time. Its launch in India purely depends on the operators because it is related with their business model. As a device we are ready but we can’t launch it until the operators are ready. Do your phones support 4G technology? India is not ready for LTE. It is mostly found in metros. We are the first vendor to launch a TDD handset in India. As soon as LTE catches up and customers will begin to ask for it, we can immediately launch it in the market. In data cards, we have 63 per cent of the Indian market share. How are your handsets different from those sold by Indian brands? We are a global brand, and our focus is primarily on the quality of the products. The basic difference between Indian handsets and our handsets is that our handsets are C certified, SAAR certified and IPR protected. Even if it is not directly related to customers, it is important and concerns the quality of the handset. This is an issue because it concerns the human body and health. At ZTE we take care of all the standards, with our own in-house control system for batteries, accessories, screen, etc. What about ZTE service centers? We already have 214 service centers across India. We are also going to start our door to door service. We are one of the few brands which have L3 and L4 component repair factories in India. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

GET WHAMMED, GET NOTICED!

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“The days of one charger, one cover are gone” Smartphones and tablets may be grabbing most of the headlines, but the fact is that along with them, the mobile accessory market is growing too. And of the leading players in this segment is STK Accessories. We talked to Jay Pau, CEO Santok Group about how the company is getting a foothold in the Indian market and the challenges it faces Heena Gupta diate plans, we are focusing on a combination of national and regional marketing campaigns to support our listings. We certainly view India as an important strategic market. Tell our readers a bit aboutSTK and its business operations. STK Accessories is a division of the Santok Group and is widely acknowledged as a leading provider of accessories for mobile devices. The business launched in 1993 and today remains privately owned and managed by the Pau family. Ongoing investment in new technology, research, consumer innovation and design ensures the brand and its products remain at the forefront of the industry. The business is truly international - it is headquartered in London, UK and has regional offices across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, USA and Africa. Its research and development function is based in the UK and in China.

What trends do you see in the accessory market? In general we are seeing consumers buying more accessories for their portable devices and demanding greater choice and flexibility. The days of “one charger and one cover” are gone. Demand is high for protective accessories due to the significant value of mobile phones and tablets. Due to this we have seen a significant move away from conventional cases and screen protectors to higher quality products such as our Glaze tempered Shield. Likewise, with the surge of 4G, mobile broadband and public Wi-Fi, accessories that power and charge devices are growth areas.

What are you plans for the Indian market? We recently launched in India and are currently working with two large Indian retailers to establish and build our presence. The Indian market presents us with a huge opportunity due to the sheer size of the market, which is continuously growing. Due to the conversion from feature phones to smartphones, there is a requirement for credible and high quality products. In terms of imme-

Which is your most popular mobile accessory? So far this year, power accessories have slightly outperformed other categories. As people are relying on their mobile devices more and more, the need for accessories such as power banks has grown. We have multiple power banks available for different devices which are a huge success. Similarly our Glaze tempered Shield is one of the most popular products to date. It offers shatter

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proof protection making it more sustainable than other screen protectors available on the market. What is your distribution model? Any tieups in India? Within each country we build a bespoke distribution model combining both direct and indirect channels. We aim to structure and appoint a representative in different regions as well as work in partnership with distributors. We have both marketing and product teams available in different regions offering our range to market, which are all backed up by marketing solutions. We are currently in talks with two large retailers in India who will soon be distributing our products. What are your plans for the coming days? As new mobile devices are brought to market, we will continue to launch new accessories that optimise their performance. We will also work closely with device manufacturers to ensure the accessories economy continues with a view to meeting the ever-increasing requirements of the consumer. We predict multifunction accessories will be a significant growth area for the business – as end users attain a higher number of devices. We have some very significant products lined up for 2014 which are all innovative and enhance the user’s experience. n heenagupta@mymobile.co.in

lead story

The

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t was a year that saw the best of times for many companies, and the worst of times for a few. But what could not be denied was that 2013 witnessed innovation in the mobile computing world on a scale that had not been seen perhaps since the arrival of Android. Manufacturers came out with new concepts, devices, interfaces, features and apps that had the consumer dazzled. Yes, prices of high-end devices rose - suddenly Rs 50,000 seemed to be par for the course in the upper price tiers - but this was more than offset by the arrival of a number of relatively new manufacturers who offered decently specced devices at relatively affordable prices. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, this was also the year when the gap between the big brands and the so-called smaller ones began to blur. Thanks to well designed and slick mar-

keting campaigns (often featuring very high-profile brand ambassadors), the smaller brands not only began to make their presence felt in price segments that were once considered the preserve of established players. This is not to say that the old guard was impervious to change. Be it Nokia or HTC, Samsung or Sony, each company went out of its established patterns to try and find new ways of attracting Indian consumers. In fact, change and innovation were very much in the air in 2013. Which is why we have decided to look back at the year that was in terms of thirteen devices that we think highlighted this wave of innovation. Not all of them succeeded - in fact, some even passed out of the market without too much ado. But what each of these magnificent thirteen products did was showcase the innovation happening in the mobile world.

That Defined

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lead story

BlackBerry Z10: Innovative BB Boy

t was not the happiest of years for BlackBerry. The company had hoped to come zooming back into prominence in 2013 with its BB10 operating system. And the BlackBerry Z10 was the vehicle on which the company hoped to come roaring back into contention for smartphone supremacy. Although initial sales were encouraging, the device, alas, did not do as well as the company had expected. But that was due to no fault of its own. Indeed, we thought that the Z10 was perhaps one of the most innovative devices of the year in terms of interface. The whole idea of swiping up on the display to unlock it, swiping down to minimise an app, and the all-messages-in-one-place concept of the BlackBerry Hub were great touches. BlackBerry are the masters of typing and in the Z10, they delivered a keyboard that predicted the word you were typing and placed it over the next letter you were most likely to hit. Round that off with sleek design, very good battery life, and the best camera that had been on a BlackBerry device at that time, and you really wondered what else the company could have done to succeed. Perhaps a lower price would have helped. Still, all said and done, the Z10 was one of 2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best products in our book.

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Nokia Lumia 1020: The 41 megapixel wonder

he concept of a 41.0-megapixel sensor in a handset was not new - Nokia itself had shown us that it could be done in 2012 with the 808 PureView. However, that device had been criticised for its laggy interface and less than sleek appearance. The Lumia 1020 proved that Nokia had learnt those lessons - it ran not on Symbian but the uber smooth Windows Phone 8 and had a form factor that was not just slim, but barring the lens jutting out at the back, fitted right in with the Lumia style book. And the camera performed just as well as ever, taking pictures that could challenge most point and shooters and sometimes even DSLRs. Add to that the normal goodies that you get with a Nokia Lumia device such as free maps for a lifetime and free music downloads from the Nokia Music store for a year, and you would have thought that the Lumia 1020 had done enough to be a massive hit. Unfortunately, its DSLR-like performance was matched by a DSLR-like price. But what could not be denied was that it had pretty much redefined what a cellphone camera could do.

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Samsung S4 Zoom: Camera and phone meet

f the Nokia Lumia 1020 showed the world a great blend between a phone and a camera, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Zoom showed what could happen when one placed a phone in a camera. In terms of appearance, this was easily the most two-faced device we had seen, appearing like a large display phone from one side and a proper point and shoot camera on the other. And when we say a camera, we do not mean an ordinary one - the S4 Zoom’s camera packed in a 16.0-megapixel camera with a proper 10X optical zoom, as well as an interface that Samsung had tweaked to ensure you had ample control over image quality. Top that off with all the connectivity options and apps that you get with an Android smartphone and you had perhaps the smartest camera of them all, complete with the options of making calls and sending texts. The problem perhaps was that it tried too hard to be both a smartphone and a camera, and in the end, thanks to a slightly bulky design, ended up being a less than perfect blend of a lot of each. Still, Samsung had come oh so close to blending a proper camera with a proper smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Gear: The first real smartwatch

earable technology might have been one of the buzzwords of 2013, but in terms of actual products not too many were seen in the segment. Of those that did make it to the market, the most promising easily was Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which combined a very good AMOLED display with a number of functions, including the option to take pictures and shoot videos from a camera placed on the strap and best of all, the option to make calls from the watch itself. Unfortunately, it relied on being connected to a smartphone to function at its best, and even more unfortunately, it could at the time of writing be connected to a very few handsets. Round that off with a price tag that would have done justice to a well-specced smartphone, a strap that could not be changed and a battery that made a charge a day a necessity and you will realise why the Galaxy Gear did not exactly become a rage in 2013. What it did, however, manage to do was set a totally new benchmark when it came to form and function in wearable technology.

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lead story HTC One: Innovative, but not the Chosen One

ike BlackBerry, HTC too will not carry very happy memories of 2013 into the new year. The company had started 2013 on the front foot, and had promised to revive its sagging fortunes with a new device that it claimed would redefine smartphones. This was the HTC One, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship. And while it did not quite deliver on its promise, it certainly did enough to make other manufacturers realise that HTC had a few aces up its sleeve. Its relatively compact form factor, brilliant mix of metal and class in terms of design, new interface, utlrapixel camera (which delivered the quality of sensors with higher megapixel counts while keeping file sizes small), and front facing speakers heralded a whole new

Lenovo K900: Steely style

era in smartphone design. Supply issues and a stiff price tag kept it from being the saviour that HTC had hoped it would be, but the HTC One showed the world that it was premature to write off the company.

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f you had mentioned the brand â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lenovoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in early 2013, most people would have thought of desktops and notebooks rather than tablets and smartphones. However, 2013 changed all that and by the end of the year, the company had emerged as one of the strongest new players in the smartphone market. And the credit for that goes to devices like the K900. At a time when most people tended to look to more established brands for design innovation, Lenovo surprised everyone with a phone that was built predominantly of metal and in spite of being more than half a foot long, was an incredible 6.9 mm thin. It was powered by an Intel dual-core Atom processor, had a full HD display, a surprisingly affordable price tag for its spec-set, and most surprisingly, had more flaunt value than some of its competitors purely because of its design. Suddenly, cutting edge design and high quality specs were not the preserve of the established powers - there was a new Sheriff in town.

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Sony Lens-style Camera: Lens magic for phone cameras

n many ways, 2013 was the year of the cellphone camera. Different players tried different approaches to enable people to take better pictures from their handsets. Apple and HTC went the ultrapixel way, Nokia packed in lots of pixels into its sensor, and Samsung threw in a real optical zoom and a proper camera-like controls and interface. But Sony went a step further and actually came out with what it called Lens-style Cameras, which actually were lenses that could be combined with iOS and Android devices over Wi-Fi. With these, your phone became a viewfinder equipped with a powerful lens. Yes, they were not easy to use and set up, but to many, they represented the next big step in cellphone photography - the option to add a lens to your phone to take a better picture. The gap between cellphones and DSLRs remains a wide one, but is lesser than it was a year ago.

iPhone 5s: Remaining the Godphone

he release of a new iPhone every year has become a bit of an annual ritual, and Apple always manages to pull out something out of its hat to surprise both consumers and its rivals. And it did not disappoint with the iPhone 5s either. Although in terms of appearance, the device looked like a carbon copy of the iPhone 5 (minus the new colours, including gold), where it differed was in terms of hardware. The iPhone 5s packed in a chip built on 64-bit architecture, which was once the preserve of computers. There was also a new tweak for those concerned about security - the Home button could now double up as a fingerprint scanner, ensuring that no one else could even unlock your iPhone. Add to that a much-improved camera that made slow motion videos a cinch and the usual outstanding design (which stubbornly refused to get into large display territory), and Apple once again had unleashed a device that people would queue up for, notwithstanding a Godly price, purely because of its innovations.

Micromax Canvas Turbo: Indian brands arrive

013 was also the year in which Indian mobile phone brands decided to move beyond fighting at lower price points and actually moved up to take on the heavyweights. And perhaps no device symbolised this change in trend as much as the Micromax Canvas Turbo. It came with a stylish design, decent specifications and a price that a year ago, no one would have associated with an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indianâ&#x20AC;? brand. What however really stood out was the marketing blitz that accompanied the device, with Micromax roping in Hugh Jackman to promote the product, complete with front page advertisments and high-profile campaigns on prime time television. The Canvas Turbo might not have set new benchmarks in terms of performance, but it will be remembered as the first device from an Indian manufacturer that took on its rivals on its own terms.

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lead story

Acer Iconia W3: Windows 8 on a 8 inch tablet

indows 8 was easily the most touch-friendly edition of Microsoft’s iconic operating system ever. But most early products running the OS remained notebook clones, albeit with touchscreens. It was Acer, however, who yanked the OS firmly into tablet territory with the Iconia W3, which was a tablet with an 8.1-inch display, which in turn a full-fledged version of Windows 8. Critics frowned at its relatively lightweight spec sheet, but for many, it represented a massive move forward for mobile computing as one could have a device running exactly the same OS on one’s notebook or desktop inside one’s coat pocket. What’s more, it worked just fine when it came to most routine tasks like checking mail, social networking and working on MS Office files (MS Office, incidentally, comes preinstalled on it - a legit copy!) The fact that it did not cost a bomb only enhanced its utility. With the Iconia W3, Windows finally arrived at the tablet party, courtesy Acer.

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LG G2: Innovative Android

f there was a prize for pure innovation on a smartphone, we would have no hestitation in handing it to the LG G2. In a year when most manufacturers stuck to the tried and tested, only upping specs and sizes, LG gambled on being very different with its flagship device. Yes, it boasted some very formidable specifications (quad-core processor, lots of RAM, 13.0megpaixel camera, et al) but what marked it out as different from the run of the mill high-end Android (and there were a lot of them in 2013), was its interface. You could tap on the screen to wake it up, and then there was the back button - LG actually put a spin on phone design by placing the power and volume buttons on the back on the phone, rather than the sides, as most other manufacturers do. A lot of people scoffed at it initially, calling it gimmicky, but as time passed, people realised that having a button on the back of the phone was not a bad idea after all. No, we do not really know if others will follow the example, but hats off to LG for trying to set one.

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Nokia Asha 501: A new hope

013 saw Nokia’s then-CEO Stephen Elop come to India to unveil a device. And contrary to what some thought, it was not a state of the art high end phone stuffed with specs, but a very pleasant blast from Nokia’s glorious past. The Nokia Asha 501 represented all that was once great about Nokia - excellent battery life, a solid and simple interface, excellent handling of basics like calls and texts, all packed into a smart looking shell with a less than extravagant price tag. No, in spite of a revamped and slick interface, it did not handle tasks like browsing and social networks with the elan that Android did, but it did show that Nokia was not giving up on the affordable phone segment, and indeed was willing to innovate on it. Even as we write, WhatsApp had been released for the Asha 501, proving that there was some fire left in Symbian, and that innovation in design and interface still had takers even at lower price segments.

Kindle Fire tablets: A new kind of Android

he year 2013 also saw Kindle’s Android tablet range, branded Kindle Fire, finally arrive in Indian markets. And when they did arrive, people had difficulty believing that they actually ran Android, for no company had quite changed the look and feel of Android to the extent that Amazon had. Yes, critics complained about the absence of Google Play store and the fact that one was totally tied to Amazon for app downloads, but on the flip side, there was much lesser malware and risque apps were shown the door. What’s more, instead of playing around with multiple homescreens and widgets, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets sported a single homescreen on which you could place mutliple books and apps, and scroll through them. They were not expensive, had excellent battery life and offered a flavour of Android that while limited was secure and for the most part, worked just fine. Android users in India had new options! nimish@mymobile.co.in

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technology

The Gesture Control Era Cometh?

Once considered gimmicky, they are now slowly making their presence felt in smartphones across price points, helping users control devices without having to always rely on onscreen taps and keyboards. Welcome to the world of gesture control technology, which is redefining the way in which we use our handsets Abhijit Ahaskar

he past year has seen an increase in the number of phones that have features that can be controlled by body movements rather than keyboard strokes or taps. These are popularly referred to as gesture controls as they are based on gestures and natural movements made by the human body. First popularised by gaming consoles like the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect, gesture controls are now being used globally by businesses to develop and deploy innovative solutions and applications, letting people to interact with devices through gestures, natural movements and voice. And following the heavily gestureladen interface of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the idea of using a nod of the head to turn a page, or waving a hand to flip to the next photograph is suddenly beginning to catch on among mobile phone users.

To control, just move!

The most common technology used in gesture control is natural gesture recognition, made by a movement of either hand or face. These are simple and allow users to communicate with their handsets by incorporating some of the commonest gestures from our day to day life. A Silicon Valley start-up called Cube 26 has developed a new set of gesture controls, and is going to deploy them in Android phones of six Indian mobile brands, who account for 25 per cent of the Indian smartphone market. One of the brands, Micromax, has already some of their gesture technology in their flagship model Canvas 4. Some of the gesture controls developed by Cube 26 includes Shh! to Mute, and change slides by waving hand over the screen. The former can be used to mute a phone by simply putting a finger to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

32 MYMOBILE january 2014

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lips. Look Away to Pause is another gesture control solution, made popular by South Korean giant Samsung and introduced in its flagship smartphone Galaxy S4. This pauses a video on the screen the moment the user takes their eyes off it and resume when they look at it again. Some other popular gesture features are Quick Glance (moving the hands above the screen to display status information), Air Jump (scroll through webpages and emails by moving the hand from top to bottom), Air Browse (move to the next or previous item by moving your hand to the left or right), Air Call Accept (receive incoming calls on your

phone by moving your hand over the screen), Blow to unlock screen, Auto-call (to send out a call when a user brings the phone to their ears), and Touchless Swipe to answer (allowing users to answer calls without having to touch the phone screen).

A trend or a gimmick?

Not everyone feels gesture control is actually going to make any difference to the user, and that this is just a marketing gimmick to attract attention. And the fact that in many devices, these controls do not exactly work as advertised seems to bear this out. However, Gionee’s India head Arvind Vohra feels with

The future of gesture control lies in its skilful implementation and its ability to add value to the customer experience , rather than being a flashy stunt for presentations. They might not have yet become an essential part of our lives, but gesture controls are very much here to stay.

constant increase in acceptance of smartphones in India over recent years, the Indian consumer will increasingly accept these advanced technologies to help ease their life. Gionee’s flagship device, the Elife E6 offers some of the most sought after gesture controls like Hands Free Photos Gesture recognition, Video Play/Stop control, Gesture Sensor Answering, and Motion Sensor Dialling. To ensure the greatest stability and accuracy of this technology in real life settings, Gionee studied and recreated the normal movements and gestures of the human hand, fingers, face and eyes because there are numerous variables that contribute to creating an effective and satisfying user experience. They then identified the most important scenarios and linked them to the most common and natural gestures. “Touch was the last great user-interface advancement and hand gesture recognition for mobile phones will be the next. With the emergence of tablets and smartphones as the preferred form of interacting with tech, it seems gestures will certainly persist and grow in popularity,” says Vohra. Kunal Ahooja of Cube 26 feels, “In an increasingly competitive and complex environment, OEMS are struggling to provide the ultimate use case benefits to their customers, which will help develop stickiness and long term loyalty towards their brand. Intuitive and innovative applications from us will redefine the user experience across platforms and devices.”

A matter of adoption

A big problem, however, is the lack of consistency in the gesture control experience. Rahul Kumar, an IT professional working in Gurgaon says, “User convenience is important. Touchscreen phones are more convenient than keypad phones. Their adoption was initially slow but as the technology around it improved it replaced keypad phones. Gesture control is a fairly new feature and needs time to be a part of our day to day use. However, it can be of immense assistance to old people, who can do a lot without touching their phone.” The future of gesture control lies in its skilful implementation and its ability to add value to the consumer experience, rather than being a flashy stunt for presentations. Gesture control certainly has a long way to go before becoming mainstream in India – the experience, as we pointed out, is not consistent across devices and most users do not have the patience to remember sets of gestures. A start, however, has been made and it is not uncommon to see people hanging on in metro trains, changing pages on their phone with a flick of their heads, or reject calls with a wave of their hands. They might not have yet become an essential part of our lives, but gesture controls are very much here to stay. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

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fa c e t o fa c e

“Big players won’t make an India-specific tablet” Once only a computer component manufacturer, Simmtronics has developed into a major tablet player in India. And being an Indian company, it has its fingers firmly on the pulse of the Indian consumer, releasing a number of value for money devices that delivered good performance at affordable prices. We met Anup Kumar, senior general manager, Simmtronics Semiconductor, to find out more about the company and its plans Mukesh Kumar Singh 34 MYMOBILE january 2014

You started in the operator industry. How has your journey through Indian telecom been so far? I joined the operator industry in 1996 when cellphones were making their debut in India. It was a new business for everyone then. When we launched the first cellphone, we realised that they could be carried anywhere and unlike cordless phones, had no limits on range, so you could make calls from anywhere. And in those days call rates were as high as Rs 17 for incoming calls. After that, I worked with LG and Samsung for some time. Then I decided to move towards Indian companies. I realised that I had to start from the base. Processes had to be defined, marketed, a brand had to be built and sold. How was your experience in Indian companies different from MNCs? MNCs followed predefined processes and policies, which they by and large replicated in India. What I liked about Indian companies was that they didn’t strictly follow those policies and were flexible, which proved to be their biggest advantage. They could mould themselves according to Indian conditions. These companies understood the requirements of Indian customers better than MNCs. Has being an Indian company helped you? Yes, it has done a lot of good for us. When a customer finds out that a product has been made by an Indian company, they won’t associate them with Chinese handsets. I am not saying that the ‘made in China’ tag is bad, because a lot of good handsets like iPhone and Nokia are also made in China, but it is perceived as bad. One thing which matters, no matter how big the company, is the after-sales service. Since my factory is here, components are here, everything is available, so I don’t have to worry about anything.

Second, if I am launching a tablet, I know what a customer wants from it, because the tablet market is not so big in India, therefore big players like Samsung or Apple won’t make an India-specific tablet. They will make an Indian-specific phone because the Indian phone market is a lot bigger. Therefore, I can make India-specific tablets keeping in mind the requirements of Indian users. What is the size of the Indian tablet industry and how much growth is expected in it? The tablet market will grow with the same speed as the cellphone market did. All it needs is a boom point. You will be surprised to know that today tablets sell more in tier 2 and tier 3 cities than in metros, because the Internet has reached villages and is affordable. All over the world, Wi-Fi tablets sell more. India is the only country where calling tablets sell more. That is because there is no Wi-Fi infrastructure. The day we are able to complete the infrastructure, tablets will see the same boom. Every brand is talking about the number of cores in the processors powering their tablets. What is your opinion on this? The reason why most brands are talking about quad-core is because customers don’t understand the difference between a quadcore and a dual-core processor. When a customer will realise that dual-core doesn’t mean slow processor and quad-core means faster processor, this race will stop. What are your plans for the future? Today we are available on 5,000 stores. In the coming year, we intend to double it. Second, we want to expand our international presence from the current 6-7 countries to every country in the world in one year. We already have 16 offices across the world. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

chief speak

“We have moved into a new realm of computing” Tell us about your new octacore processor? What can a user expect in terms of performance from it? Our octa-core processor is called 6592. It is our latest product for smartphones and tablets. If you look at MediaTek products over the last few years, you will see that last year we came up with a quad-core processor and this year we have announced our octa-core processor. We are trying to push it into the premium segment smartphones. The octa-core processor does a couple of things - first, we obviously go from four to eight cores, we are still using the same ARM Cortex A7, only we have eight of them. Second, we have manufactured it under a new process, so it allows us to run up to 2GHz, so we can also run the cores faster. Beyond that we have also taken a lot of care to enhance the graphics capability and multimedia capability by adding a new quad-core graphics engine, as well as adding some new video and camera capability. How does it fare against a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor? Snapdragon is based on quad-core architecture from Qualcomm. In some benchmarks they do better, in some we do better. But, broadly we are at the same level in terms of overall performance - the computing capability, multimedia, camera, display, all those will be very similar. You will find use cases where our octa-core processor will be better while in some they will do better. We have moved into a new realm of computing in this. In our experience, battery has been often been overlooked in the processor speed and core race. How is MediaTek handling this challenge? It requires some careful balance. If you run all the cores together, of course, battery will drain faster. We only turn on the eight cores when we need them. We have a software solution to manage all the cores. So for example, if you are running a light application like Facebook, or you are listening to music, which are not very demanding apps, you can run them on one core. In this case it will turn off the seven and you will be running only one core. This will keep the power consumption lower. In use cases where you need more performance, like heavy Internet browsing, multi-tasking on large screen devices, gaming, you can turn more cores. If you need four, you can turn four, and when you need, you can turn on six cores. During these

36 MYMOBILE january 2014

cases, the instantaneous power consumption will go up. A lot of people feel adding cores is becoming a tech spec race and the consumer won’t gain much from it. What do you think? What we have tried to do is just not about the cores. With the new platform, we have tried to focus on giving users better graphics, camera, higher resolution displays, and new multimedia video features. So, when a consumer picks up the phone, the overall user experience will be much better. It is not about the cores all the time. For some apps it is, and for some it isn’t. Intex has been talking about its device which will run on your octa-core processor. Which other companies and devices will be using it? Intex will be launching their smartphone with our octa-core processor early next year. They are one of the first in the world to announce a product based on our octacore. We have also announced this product in China. Probably, by January we will see a range of devices from partners in China. Also, we would expect other brands in India to launch products based on octa-cores, because all the brands in India seem to be doing well these days. As these players plan their portfolios in the coming year, we expect them to have their entry level, mid-range and high-range phones based on MediaTek’s processor. Why are international brands like Nokia and Samsung not using MediaTek processors? I think we haven’t found the right business conditions to work together. I think we would be very happy to see them using our products as well. We hope that they will, one day. For example, in the case of Nokia, we don’t support Windows Phone today and all major Nokia phones are Windows Phone-based, while our platform is on Android. So, there are some gaps that we have to fill. What is your level of involvement in the development of devices by Indian companies like Micromax or Intex? Part of what makes the partnership with local Indian brands work is that we deliver to the supply chain a very complete system solution. So we try to deliver a full chipset, a full hardware, power management, connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS and the software solution on top of that. We also test it to very high levels. So, what we are

delivering at the end of the day is close to a complete product. On the other hand, local Indian brands like Micromax, Karbonn, Spice, Intex and all our local partners have a good understanding of the local market requirements. The local brands influence the ODM partners to form the industrial design features they want in the devices. At the end of the day what we deliver is the same for all. Each of these brands wants to make their phone appealing to their consumers. More and more of them are investing in the differentiation. How many more cores can we expect in the next level of processors from MediaTek? Eight is going to carry us a long way for a while. It is true that we have gone from single to dual, dual to quad and now quad to octa cores in only two years. But we are going to see different things happening. The idea of scaling performance from one to two, two to four, four to eight has carried us so far. We have also scaled performance on frequency from 1GHz to 2GHz. One of the two things that we will see next year is big.LITTLE technology. So we will get to see architecture based on big.LITTLE. The other thing is going to be the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit technology. Apple has moved to it in its new processors. So we will see more of 64-bit and big.LITTLE becoming drivers, rather than cores going up. What can we expect from MediaTek in the coming year? We will continue our focus on feature phones. Feature phones are still a very high volume market for us. It is the base of our relationship with a lot of partners in India. It has become more of a market outside China. Feature phones will continue, even though a lot of focus will be on entry level smartphones. We just launched our 6572 product, and that will see many more devices being launched to hit lower price points. Even there we try to deliver dual core, 1.3GHz and a reasonably good user experience. Frankly, it is an experience that was in premium smartphones two years ago. And that’s now in the entry-level segment. Beyond that we will put more focus on tablets. The next big thing that you are going to see from MediaTek next year is LTE. We will be launching LTE solutions in 2014. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

It is considered to be the key player in the smartphone revolution, having enabled manufacturers to offer devices at significantly lower costs. But has also been criticized for compromising on performance. Whatever side you take, you ignore MediaTek at your peril. We met Dr Finbarr Moynihan, general manager â&#x20AC;&#x201C; international sales and marketing, MediaTek, to understand more about the company and its future plans. Mukesh Kumar Singh & Abhijit Ahaskar

One of the two things that we will see next year is big.LITTLE technology. So we will get to see architecture based on big. LITTLE. The other thing is going to be the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit technology. Apple has moved to it in its new processors. So we will see more of 64bit and big. LITTLE becoming drivers, rather than cores going up

january 2014 MYMOBILE 37

versus

hey are both Google phones. They have been both manufactured by LG. And they are both available to the Indian consumer. But what separates the Nexus 4 and its successor the Nexus 5, other than better specs? Do the better specs translate into better performance? And is the Nexus 4 still a viable option? Those were just some of the questions we attempted to answer as we threw the two Nexus devices into a no-holds-barred battle with each other across different parameters.

Appearance When it comes to looks, we must confess that we found the glass-backed, curvy appearance of the Nexus 4 to be far more classy than the more basic, plastic-backed Nexus 5. Yes, the Nexus 5 is impressively compact and thin, but if we were to compare the two in terms of just appearance, the Nexus 4 wins by a wide margin, thanks to that back with shiny bits underneath. Winner: Nexus 4

Hardware Not surprisingly, the Nexus 5 runs out a comfortable winner here. It is a newer phone and comes with much newer hardware. The most spectacular of which is the 4.95-inch display which is a full HD affair and has a pixel density of 445 ppi, well ahead of the 720p display of the Nexus 4. Both devices have quadcore processors from Qualcomm, but the Nexus 5 scores here with a much more powerful 2.3 GHz Snapdragon

38 MYMOBILE january 2014

800 processor, as compared to the 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro chip seen in the Nexus 4. In the camera department too, the Nexus 5 and 4 have both 8.0-megapixel shooters, but the Nexus 5’s camera comes with optical image stabilisation. The Nexus 4 is no foot soldier in the spec department, but it tells you just how much the Nexus 5 packs when we say that it wins easily in this case. Winner: Nexus 5

Software Which brings us to the software that is running on all those hardware riches. Once again, it seems simple enough on the surface – both devices run Android 4.4 (Kit Kat), but there’s a difference. While the Nexus 4 has been updated to the OS, the Nexus 5 comes with it running. And the version of Kit Kat on the Nexus 5 does seem a bit different from the one on the Nexus 4, most notably in terms of better integration of Google Now, Google’s card-based assistant service, on the homescreen. You also have the Hangouts app instead of the messaging app from the

The great

Nexus

face-off

www.mymobile.co.in

very outset. But that apart, there are not too many changes. Honestly speaking, we don’t think there’s a killer difference on the software front between the two devices, once you have upgraded your Nexus 4 to Android 4.4. Winner: Draw

Multimedia This is an incredibly close battle. The Nexus 5’s superior display and camera give it the edge as far as visuals go, but we could not but help notice that when it came to sound, the Nexus 4 delivered better results both on calls and music. Still, we would score this round to the Nexus 5, as the difference in displays and camera quality is significant. Winner: Nexus 5

Performance And this is where the real surprise comes in. With better specs and a better display, you would have expected the Nexus 5 to totally outperform the Nexus 4. However, as Android does not really have the apps to make the most of the hardware, the performance of the two phones seemed near identical in most tasks. Even in playing new games like Dead Trigger 2, we did not find too much to separate the two phones. Yes, things looked better on the Nexus 5, but as we pointed out, they sounded better on the Nexus 4. And when it came to basic tasks like Web browsing, social networking and casual gaming of the Angry Birds’ variety, the difference was non-existent. And that perhaps highlights one of the challenges

For the first time, the Indian consumer has two Nexus phones to choose from – the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 5. But which one is the better option? We pit the two devices against each other to find out just how much of an upgrade the Nexus 5, and whether the Nexus 4 remains a good option Nimish Dubey

faced by Android – the paucity of apps that can utilise the high-end hardware on some of its devices. Incidentally, battery life was ordinary on both devices – we actually managed to squeeze out more from the Nexus 4 in this regard. Winner: Draw

Value for money At the time of writing, the Nexus 4 was priced in the vicinity of Rs 25,000, while the Nexus 5 was priced at Rs 28,999. At that price, we must confess that the Nexus 5 seems a much better option than its predecessor, with a better display, camera and processor. That said, for those who care more for appearance, the glass backed (if scratch prone) Nexus 4 seems a better option than the Nexus 5. All said and done, however, we would back the Nexus 5 here. Until the price of the Nexus 4 is slashed (it is rumoured that it will be, shortly) Winner: Nexus 5

Conclusion: which one to buy? They may differ significantly on paper, but when it comes to performance, there’s not a lot between the Nexus 5 and 4. All of which leads us to conclude that if you are in the market for a smartphone, the Nexus 5 might be a better option than the Nexus 4. However, if you already have a Nexus 4, then perhaps there is not too much to be gained by an upgrade. Whichever way you go, you are unlikely to be disappointed. These are two awesome Android devices from Google and LG. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

january 2014 MYMOBILE 39

Spot light

What The Tech ‘Stars’ Foretell We witnessed a lot of action in the mobile and tech industry in 2013, with a number of new devices and technologies being released. There were innovations galore, on the services, products and app fronts. And 2014 promises to be no different. However, instead of speculating on our own, we decided to pick the minds of some of the leading lights in technology about what the year would have in store for consumers and companies alike. And this is what they told us. 40 MYMOBILE january 2014

“

“Imaging would completely change the game”

-Viral Oza, Director, Marketing, Nokia India

e believe 2014 will be an year of innovations and consumers will further start realising the ease technology can provide. There are various trends we foresee. The future will be of connected devices and how everything integrates across different screens. We have already taken the first step in this regard with our Windows partnership, where consumers receive a seamless, integrated experience across multiple platforms. Today you can use your tablets, PC and mobile to receive the same experience. Secondly, imaging would completely change the game – because it has started making consumers question the true capabilities of the handheld device. We will continue to innovate and differentiate on experiences. We have already established a benchmark in smartphone imaging with the launch of Nokia Lumia 1020, boasting a second generation 41.0 megapixel sensor. Thirdly, video on mobile will be a big trend in 2014. More and more consumers will start watching videos and movies on the go. Additionally, there is an overall change being led by the fact that mobile is the first screen and Internet usage on mobile has exceeded fixed line. Consumers will be more demanding of the entire ecosystem, like demanding on quality of service, demanding on quality of experiences of hardware and software and demanding of brands to innovate and use technology to further simplify their lives.

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“Flexible/Wearable technology will bloom”

-Amit Gujral, Marketing Head, LG Mobiles, LG India

he evolution of mobile phones has been unbelievable. From brick-size monstrosities into slim pocket devices, mobile phones have undergone radical changes in aesthetics, functionality and size. Last 3-5 years have seen a sea change in the way people use their hand phones. If 2013 was all about large screen sizes, high resolution displays and voice control apps, then 2014 will see this trend go even further. Gartner predicts that the Bring-Your-OwnDevice trend will result in the doubling or tripling of the mobile workforce. Another trend that sprouted in 2013 and will bloom in 2014 is Flexible/Wearable technology. Eyewear, bracelets and watches, all stand poised to capitalise on a market that now seems to be enjoying a lot of attention. Wearable tech is not new but with companies developing innovative products in this segment, acceptance of technology is surely new. On the business side, 2014 could mark the time when wearable tech becomes a productivity tool for mobile employees or professions where time is crucial. One of the most exciting things going on in hardware technology right now is flexible displays. Flexible devices will soon be capable of being bent, rolled up, or folded and placed in a pocket. It’s a little early, though, to say whether every application of flexible displays will be adapted but experimentation will be widespread. To sum it up, 2014 could see a turning point in technology and how it is redefined.

t a broader level, we believe that the smart connected device segment will continue to grow. In metros, PCs will attain volume of sales primarily from consumers who are not firsttime buyers. This growth will be mostly driven by touch enabled devices and Convertibles. With regard to tier 2 cities, first time buyers will drive penetration of computing devices, especially through tablets owing to its pricing. The smartphone segment will continue to grow at the same momentum, primarily in the budget category. The tablet segment too will find strong demand in the market, although at a lower rate than smartphones. Also, the line between these devices will have a blurring effect, resulting in phablets finding greater acceptance. Lenovo is confident that 2014 will offer a huge opportunity of healthy growth in each of these segments owing to our continued innovations and increased retail & channel spread.

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“The smart connected device segment will continue to grow”

-Shailendra Katyal, Director, Consumer Business Segment, Lenovo India

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“Major changes on the horizon”

-Shripal Gandhi, Founder and CEO, Swipe Telecom

his is a very exciting time for the Telecom Industry. As 2013 draws to an end, India is poised to make a huge impact on the global scene. The country is all set to become the world’s third largest smartphone market in 2014, and we are going to see major changes on the horizon. Though in the infant stages, 4G is slated to roll out in the country next year, and Swipe is geared to lead the change. We have a slew of breakthrough products in the pipeline, and most of them will be a series of firsts in the Indian market. Consumer demand as a whole has shifted from feature phones to smartphones, and users are going to find some immensely fascinating offerings in Swipe’s arsenal. One major shift in the industry has been the enormous surge in data usage. India is now amongst the world’s largest data consuming nations, and Swipe recognises it’s potential. 2014 will see not just Swipe introducing devices with the latest technology, we will also bring out some pre-loaded software services, which will offer new avenues to explore for users to share, connect and take delight in our offerings.

january 2014 MYMOBILE 41

Spot light

“

“Data usage will receive a boost”

-RK Upadhyay, Chairman & Managing Director, BSNL

“

“We will go to the next phase of unified licensing”

-M F Farooqui, Telecom Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

y March 2014, phase 7 expansion of BSNL’s GSM service will be almost over. This will improve the quality and availability of our mobile services. We are also expecting half of our data users to be on 3G network by the end of phase 7. We are also

here are a lot of things that we expect to happen in the year 2014. Auctions for the 2G spectrum are the first thing to take place and then we will bring the merger and acquisition policy. We will go to the next phase of unified licensing and are looking forward to the progress on green telecom. Telecom growth is expected to be greater in the upcoming year as compared to 2013.

he Indian telecom sector now has only five pan-India private operators, and pricing power is back with long-term scale players. We do see further consolidation in the industry in terms of total number of players. TRAI and DoT have clearly noted the telecom sector’s concerns and are taking steps to ensure that the coming quarters will see revival making firmer inroads. Pricing power is returning to pan-India scale operators. This augurs well for the coming quarters. India has over 600 million unique wireless subscribers after adjusting for 15-20 per cent dual-SIM users. With rural penetration of around 40 per cent, there is still headroom to add another 200-250 million voice customers over the next three-to-four years. As far as the data market is concerned, that offers an even bigger opportunity. In the larger scheme of things, India has nearly 150 million wireless data users, but only around 15.3 million wireless broadband users, with a penetration of less than 17 per cent for 2G data and a meager 2 per cent for wireless broadband— clearly, an exponential growth phase is just around the corner in the data space. In China, 3G usage has virtually exploded over the last two-and-a-half years, increasing ten fold—up from 35 million 3G subscribers in March 2011 to 378 million in September 2013. We expect a growth curve in the Indian wireless data market—that will be the crucial growth phase, when data finally emulates the voice growth story for Indian telecom companies.

hoping to make 3G available beyond the current 1,300 towns and cities. Data usage is increasing rapidly. A significant change that the overall industry will witness in 2014 is growth in smartphone use and this will boost data usage. Our network is ready and we are offering smartphones of Rs 8,000 to Rs 2,000 with bundled data. In BSNL, every 2G user is enabled on 3G, so all he or she needs is a phone which is compliant with 2G and 3G. Now, with these affordable phones users will be able to use both 3G and 2G, and since cost of data on 2G and 3G is same, they won’t have any problem.

42 MYMOBILE january 2014

“

“Exponential growth is just around the corner in the data space”

-Gurdeep Singh, President & CEO, Wireless, Reliance Communications

www.mymobile.co.in

“

“A transition from 32 bit to 64 bit in mobile computing”

-Dr. Finbarr Moynihan, General Manager - International Sales & Marketing, MediaTek

014 promises to be an exciting year that will offer a wide variety of choice to the consumer when it comes to technology. Today consumers are demanding more from their technology and are finding different ways of interacting with their devices. In the next three to five years India will also see a new wave in education with connected devices for students becoming the norm as student centric learning becomes pervasive. In 2013, research firm Gartner acknowledged that machines are becoming better at understanding humans and the environment – software that can recognize the emotion in someone’s voice is just one example. Intel agrees, and believes that 2014 will bring a rapid increase in emerging technologies such as human augmentation, speech-to-speech translation, augmented reality, gesture control and wearable user interfaces. 2014 will also be a year where Big Data will pave the way for innovation. Intel believes that having 15 billion connected devices in the next few years is achievable. The biggest question is around where the data will go when these devices connect and the best way to make use of that information. This will prompt a whole industry to grow around predictive analysis and raw data. Big Data will help make companies smarter, more progressive and give them a business advantage. Governments will soon follow.

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“Big Data will pave the way for innovation”

-Sandeep Aurora, Director Marketing & Market Development, Intel South Asia

e will continue to see the need for increased processing power for smartphones and tablets, with dual-core offerings becoming more standard in the mainstream segment and more multi-core (4 to 8 core) solutions in the high tier devices. The demand for performance from portable computing devices, such as tablets and smartphones, has been steadily rising. To jump to the next level for performance while maintaining good power efficiency, we will see the use of CPUs with different, power-efficient architectures. In particular, we will see more implementations of the Hetrogeneous Multi-processing (HMP) approach we pioneered with our MT8135 earlier this year (based on the ARM big.LITTLE architecture). The other thing we’re going to see in the coming years is a transition from 32 bit to 64 bit in mobile computing. So, that will give another boost to performance as a 64-bit can fetch or shuffle twice as many bits with each tick of the processor’s clock, thus performing computationally intensive tasks more quickly. That’s an architectural boost that is changing the core itself. We are also going to witness a huge growth in the tablet SoC space.

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“Increased content, improved connectivity and more mobility”

-Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager, SanDisk Corporation

e expect the secular demand trends of increased content, improved connectivity and more mobility (trends we believe are driving the Smart Digital Lifestyle) will continue into 2014. For the enterprise market, this means increased penetration of Flash-based solutions to speed access to critical data, lower power consumption and reduce overall Total Cost of Ownership. For the smartphone and tablet markets, we believe that Flash will continue to play a critical role in consumers being able to leverage smaller and lighter mobile devices with greater storage capacity. For the PC market, while overall unit numbers are decreasing, the per cent of penetration of Flash-based SSDs is rising, which we expect to continue. And, lastly, for the retail market, higher capacity solutions portend on-going strength globally. The explosion of digital content is driving the need for more memory, and SanDisk is well positioned to serve the large, fast-paced Indian market.

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“Consumer’s propensity to buy would go up manifold”

-Subrotah Biswas, Director, Logitech India & South-West Asia, Logitech India

n spite of all the challenges faced by the industry, mobility seems to have created a lot of excitement. We had Samsung getting stronger, Micromax establishing itself as a very strong player and towards the end of the year, we have also seen that, there is space for value-for-many offerings. Around these, Logitech and other accessory brands, have continuously launched interesting products, like Bluetooth mobile speakers, wireless headphones, keyboard folios and protective cases. Next year, by mid-2014, the consumer’s propensity to buy would go up manifold. I expect positive indicators to come from socio-economic factors, based on the expected political stability post 2014 Lok Sabha elections. With the CAD, GDP, Inflation, Stock Indices, etc., improving and with the implementation of critical policies like FDI in retail, I strongly believe, brands like Logitech, would be strongly positioned with their key strengths. Key growth drivers for Logitech in 2014 are going to be Bluetooth speakers, gaming accessories, and wireless computer peripherals. n team@mymobile.co.in

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fa c e t o fa c e

“The market for feature phones will never die in India.” The smartphone market might be growing at the rate of knots. But that does not mean that the market for feature phones has ceased to exist. If anything, it is healthy and doing well. That’s just one of the things we learnt when we met Vivek Agarwal, managing director, M-Tech Mobiles. Of course, we discussed more Mukesh Kumar Singh M-Tech has been in the mobile industry for quite a while now. What changes have you seen this time? There have been significant changes in the mobile industry. Prior to 2009, the Indian market was flooded with Chinese mobile handsets, which were low in price, quality and came with no warranty. However, this also paved way for the introduction of affordable mobile phones in India. Many Indian brands were now available in the market and M-Tech was among them. The next major shift came around the end of 2012, when the demand of bar phones/feature phones fell and smartphones became extremely popular. Today if we analyse the product portfolio of most of the companies, in terms of number of units, smartphones sold comprise 30 per cent of the total, but account for almost 50 per cent of the value in terms of total revenue. How has the past year been for M-Tech mobiles? Very encouraging I must say. We had a slight stuttering start but this year our sales in terms of number of units sold have doubled which is a good news. But if I talk about revenues, they may not increase in the same proportion as sales. The reason is we are expanding into new markets and that has increased our advertising budget, which means increase in costs, which is putting pressure on our profit margins. The smartphone market is expanding but M-Tech mostly comprises feature phones. Why is this? Yes, the smartphone market is expanding and expanding very fast. We also need to understand that the market for feature phones will never die in India. Today if you see M-Tech’s presence, it covers the tier 3 cities, small towns and interiors, where the demand for feature phones is high. Having more feature phones is a strategic decision. We are now tapping newer markets and as per their needs, we have also launched a few smartphones such as the Infinity

44 MYMOBILE january 2014

series, Plasma, Opal and of course Fusion. Tell us about some of your upcoming products? What are your expectations from your recently launched Fusion smartphone? We understand that the customer today expects something different every time and with Fusion we expect to pleasantly surprise them. Fusion is loaded with features and is yet light on the pocket and hence we believe that it will take the segment of affordable technology to the next level. With the launch of Fusion we are very confident that our brand will continue to grow and enable us to tap newer markets. There are a few smartphones in the pipeline and we shall announce them soon. We also have a couple of upcoming products in the range of Rs 700–Rs 10,000 from feature phones to PDAs as well as a few smartphones that are in the pipeline. We are planning a good quality but relatively low-priced 3.5-inch smartphone which will hit the market in this month. We are also coming up with 4.0-inch 3G Phones that will be a good add-on to our product line. Do you have manufacturing units in India? No not yet. We are hoping for the government to take some action and give some relaxation for the import duties of the various parts of mobile, so that it can be assembled in India at a lower cost and the customer get the phone at the best price. What would you say is the USP of M-Tech? Our USP is our commitment to provide quality, affordable, user-friendly innovation, along with a promise to deliver high-end after sales service to our customers, which reflects in every product we sell. This mantra will make us different from our competitors. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in

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burn test Multi-mode Yogi! Lenovo’s Yoga

Tablet 8 is a surprise Pros  Innovative stand  Solid build  Great battery

Cons  Not able to handle high-end tasks  Mediocre camera  Slightly older version of Android

46 MYMOBILE january 2014

hen was the last time you heard a celebrity not just endorsing a product but also claiming to have played a role in its design and development? Well, Ashton Kutcher claims to have done both for the Lenovo Yoga tablets (the company has even designated him a ‘product engineer’). And surprise, surprise, the Yoga Tablet 8 actually manages to throw a spin on the regular tablet market.

It’s got spine! Ever since the iPad burst on to the tablet scene, the design of tablets has more or less followed a fixed formula – most are rectangular and seem like larger versions of handsets. Well, the Yoga Tablet 8 seems neither. The designers seem to have taken a page out

of the book of the Sony Tablet S team. Just as that worthy had a thick cylindrical ‘spine’ on one of its longer sides to give it a book-like feel and something firm to grip, so too does the Yoga Tablet 8. However, unlike the Sony Tablet S whose sides curved towards the spine, the Yoga Tablet 8’s spine stands out distinctly, making the rest of the tablet seem almost sliver-like. And unlike in the Sony tablet, the spine in the Yoga 8 is not meant only to facilitate your holding the tablet, it also flicks open letting you use it as a proper stand when you choose to place the tablet on a table – making this a tablet you can use in multiple modes: in your hand, on the table resting on the spine, or raised a bit higher using the hinges on the spine. Lenovo calls it the Hold, Tilt and Stand modes, and we must

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LENOVO Yoga Tablet 8 tech specs say it certainly makes the Yoga Tablet 8 stand out in the crowd. The spine itself is made of solid metal, and adds a touch of solidity to the tablet. In another interesting touch, Lenovo has placed the power/display on/off button right on top of the spine (or the bottom, depending on how you hold it) – it also has a very springy feel to it, which takes some getting used to, but can actually grow on you. There is a volume rocker on the side, and when you push the stand out from the spine, you can see the SIM and microSD card slots. And no, that’s not the end of the role of the spine – it also houses dual front-facing speakers. Oh yes, this is not your usual run of the mill tablet. It looks slim, smart and very different.

Decent specs, innovative interface, good performance While the exterior of the Yoga Tablet 8 catches the eye, it is not a slouch in the specs department either. The 8.0-inch display boasts a 1280 x 800 resolution – not full HD, but ample for most tasks, especially as it seems bright enough and handles colours well. Powering the device is a quad-core Mediatek 8389 processor, backed up by 1GB of RAM. Again, decent rather than spectacular specs. On board storage stands at 16GB which can be expanded using a microSD card, and there is support for 3G and Bluetooth as well as voice calling. Some might be disappointed at Lenovo’s decision to go with Android 4.2 on this device, when Android 4.4 is already out. The company has compensated it, by throwing a spin on the basic interface, making it seem almost iOS-like, with fixed icons on the bottom and other apps arranged in rows and columns

across multiple homescreens. And it all works quite well really, as long as you do not venture too deep into HD gaming or video editing mode, when lags seem to start creeping in. We found the tablet a joy to use with the spine giving us a solid grip and making it easy to hold with one hand. No, we did not use the stand too often, but we certainly know of people who will, especially in conjunction with wireless keyboards. Finally, there is the matter of the battery – the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 is the first quality tablet we have seen that comfortably outlasts the iPad, with a battery life in the vicinity of almost 15 hours!

Conclusion All said and done, we must confess to being extremely impressed with the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8. It has been a long time since a tablet tried to be different in terms of both design and interface and the Yoga Tablet 8 manages to do both with a fair degree of success. At Rs 22,999, we know that it will be seen by many as being a bit too expensive, expecially when you consider that you can get the 2013 Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi only) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 for less than that price, and the old but still very classy iPad mini for just a bit more. However, we must confess that we like the cocktail of versatility and performance that the Yoga Tablet 8 serves up. Its solid build and phenomenal battery life will make it a hit among road warriors, and as long as you do not get into HD video editing mode, the performance will not let you down either. If Ashton Kutcher did indeed design this, give him a medal! n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 22,999 verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

88%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Definitely not a ‘Lite’weight The LG G Pro Lite Dual is a formidable device

Price: Rs 18,400

48 MYMOBILE january 2014

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A matter of style The LG G Pro Lite Dual comes with a 5.5-inch display. The phone is a bit large but it easily fits into one’s hands. It is a sturdily build device and the bright display further enhances its look and feel. The device is available in two colour variants black and white. We got the black one and the rear panel of the device comes with a pebble blue colour surrounded by a silver ribbon on all sides. The device feels nice, but there’s no innovation in terms of the design.

Big screen, ‘lite’ hardware The LG G Pro Lite Dual boasts a 5.5-inch screen with 540x960 resolution. We expected a better screen resolution, considering the price but the display is bright enough and handles colours and details well. The device is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor, which again is disappointing as many phones in the same price segment come with quad-core processors. Backing this up are 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB using the microSD card. The phone performed well in certain tasks but a lag was witnessed while playing HD games. The device comes with dual SIM functionality and dual GSM support. The SIM slots are given at the bottom of the back panel and both the SIMs and memory card are hot swappable. Interestingly, the LG G Pro Lite Dual supports SIM cards of the normal size, not micro SIMs as most phones in this segment do. The smartphone houses a 3,140 mAh battery, and connectivity options include GPRS, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Infrared (which you can use to control your television, DVD player and Blu-Ray devices).

Old Android The LG G Pro Lite Dual runs on Android 4.1,

Pros  Good battery backup  Dual SIM Support  Stylus support

Cons  Old Operating System  Low resolution screen  Dual-core processor which is very usable but definitely a bit old, as Google has already rolled out Android 4.4 even as we write. The user interface remains the same as seen on different LG devices. You can keep the shortcuts of your favourite apps and widgets on the homescreen. The display of the device houses three Android buttons and a SIM manager button as well. With the help of the SIM manager button you can select which SIM to use and can also use it to enable data connectivity. The left side of the device houses the volume control and memo button and a stylus is placed on the right panel of the device. The phone also comes with some pre-loaded applications like guest mode, Hangout, Safety care, as well as the Memo app which lets you take notes from anywhere. It also has applications like Smart Share and Beam which allow you to easily exchange data between two LG devices.

150.2 mm

any mobile manufacturers have been launching ‘mini’ versions of their flagships of late - Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC unveiled the HTC One Mini. The latest to join this trend is LG, which has come out with a mini version of its LG G Pro, the LG G Pro Lite Dual. The mini element however, in this case does not refer to the size of the device - the LG G Pro Lite boasts of a larger display as compared to the G Pro. The ‘Liteness’ comes in terms of the spec sheet, where the LG G Pro Lite Dual trails the LG G Pro.

76.9 mm

Mixed multimedia bag The LG G Pro Lite Dual comes with an 8.0megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1.3megapixel front facing camera. The camera delivered varied results. Some of the photographs were average whereas some were really good. The camera comes with a number of shooting options like Burst, Panorama, Continuous Shots and Spots. Moreover, the camera also has the Cheese Shutter (when saying ‘cheese’ takes a photograph) and geo tagging features. There is no dedicated button given for the camera but you can use the volume control button as a shutter button if needed. The quality of the videos recorded was mediocre but the audio of the device was very good on loudspeakers, and the FM Radio worked very well too.

Conclusion The LG G Pro Lite Dual is a good device if you consider the fact that it is a dual SIM device. The build quality of the device is solid and overall performance was very decent. We would have preferred a faster processor and a newer version of Android, but even with those quali-

fications, there is no doubt that this is a very decent device for those looking for a dual SIM smartphone. The LG G Pro Lite Dual comes with a price tag of Rs 18,400 and those looking for alternatives can consider the Micromax Canvas Turbo which is priced at Rs 19,500 n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

8 9

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 49

burn test The calling tablet Asus’

Fonepad remains one of the best calling tablets around

ith smartphones getting bigger, the line between a tablet and a smartphone is fast blurring. Someone going for a smartphone with 6-inch or above screen size is not going to mind going for a 7-inch tablet provided its designed for one handed use, like the Galaxy tab 7, which is often seen being used as a phone. Asus had ventured into the tablet phone territory with the first FonePad last year, and now the company has decided to come out with an improved version of the device, called the Fonepad 7 K00E, with an improved Intel processor.

Crafted to feel like a phone If looks are top on your priority list, you will like the new Fonepad for its shiny and elegant appearance. It looks better than Samsung’s plasticky tablets and has a touch of class that you won’t find in the jagged looking Nexus 7 either. However, you will be surprised to find out what a regular smudge factory it can be once you lay your hands on it. The build quality, just like the looks department, will get a mixed response. Available in black and white variants, the Fonepad is made

50 MYMOBILE january 2014

of a fine plastic material, and has a solid and compact feel about it. So, you can hold it very much like the Galaxy tab 7 and use it for calling. Its weight is 24 grams more than Galaxy Tab 3’s 304 grams, but you won’t find much of a difference while holding it. The screen has been given an edge to edge appearance in the phone mode, resulting in a slimmer profile. It runs on Intel’s mobile processor which is why the back panel carries the Intel Inside line along with Asus.

Pros

Intel inside The Fonepad 7 is powered by Intel’s 1.6GHz Z2560 dual-core processor, Power VR SGX544 graphics card and 1GB RAM. The Z2560 belongs to Intel’s latest line of Clover Trail processors optimized for Android platform. This is a highquality processor and it shows while handling multiple tasks on the device. Not only did it run them smoothly, but it also handled games like FIFA 14 and Asphalt 8 without any problems. It did heat up a little during gaming but not to the point where it would bother you. The 7-inch multi-touch display is another of this tablet’s highlights. It looks vibrant and crisp and has a screen resolution of 1200x800, which is higher than Galaxy Tab 3’s screen resolution of 1024x600. The tablet boasts of 16GB internal

 Brilliant HD display  Powerful speakers  Smooth performance

Cons  Heats up a little  Glossy finish  Speaker sound drops while

holding it

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facility which allows one to control oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s device remotely through the device tracker website. Also, there are tools for password protecting and for backing up user data and apps.

Conclusion

design, like some other brands. Asusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first FonePad generally received decent reviews but the company still has decided to go in for a different design and has also increased its internal memory and used a better processor. Though it leaves the Galaxy Tab 3 behind in terms of screen and processing power, it faces much closer competition from the Asus Nexus 7 (32GB 3G &Wi-Fi), which runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and can also get the latest version of Android and is currently retailing online at Rs 16,999. Overall, the Asus Fonepad 7 is a very good tablet from a well-known brand and comes at a very reasonable price. n

Overall, this is an impressive tablet high on features. We should at least give it credit for trying something new instead of sticking to a standard memory, of which about 12 GB is usable, but the good news is that you can crank it up to 64GB using a microSD card. All this power is backed by a decent 3,950 mAh battery, which claims to deliver 28 hours on 3G talktime. On regular use, it easily gives 12 to 16 hours on single charge. Then there is the camera duo - the 5.0megapixel rear camera and the 1.0- megapixel front camera - capable of dishing out fine quality videos and stills, especially in good light conditions.

Very much Android in nature The FonePad 7 runs on Android 4.2 operating system, and Asus has stuck to the stock Andorid interface, keeping things simple, and featuring a wide range of useful apps. Besides regulars like Google Play, Maps, YouTube, Photos, Play Games, and Voice Search, it also comes with apps like Amazon Kindle, Asus AO Link, App locker, Flipboard, Facebook, and an interesting app called Audio Wizard which offers sound quality in different modes like gaming, movie and more. It also has a Parental Lock

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Price: Rs 17,499

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Not to be Slated! Swipe gets little wrong with the MTV Slate

alifornia-based Swipe Telecom has been consistently targeting the budget tablet segment with its 3G tablets over the past year. Its last three tablets have been launched in collaboration with the MTV music channel, with the channel providing some MTV specific content and apps exclusively on them. And now we have the fourth device in this range â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the MTV Slate. How does it compare with its predecessors?

Very elegant and well built We like the design and build quality of this tablet. It has a neat profile with very few buttons,. The controls are touch based and rest below the screen. These include back, home, multi-tasking, screenshot and a hide button, which hides the whole panel. Since this is an 8-inch device, you have a bigger screen than a 7-inch tablet to work around with. The screen is good and looks vibrant. The only downside is the glossy finish, which makes it a regular fingerprint magnet. Since, it is a calling device as well, the wider screen might hinder users for making calls as it is a bit too wide to be held across comfortably. The back panelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine aluminum finish, smudge-free appearance and rugged

Price: Rs 13,999 52 MYMOBILE january 2014

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feel are a welcome change from the run-of-themill tablets that we have seen at this price point. The back panel includes a 5.0-megapixel camera, and a slot for SIM and micro SD cards, which is easy to pry open but feels solid enough.

Decent hardware This suave looking tablet is bolstered by robust hardware, for its price point. It has a powerful 1.2GHz Cortex A7 quad core processor and 1GB RAM, while the screen

Pros  Elegant design and build  Decent hardware  Calling support

Cons  Glossy display  Ordinary cameras  Speaker position

boasts of a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, which again is decent for its price. It has 8GB internal memory, out of which around 5GB is available for use, and in case you need more, you can add up to 32GB using a micro SD card. It has a 3,600 mAh battery that gives up to five to six hours of back up on routine tasks like light games, video playback, and online browsing. The cameras are ordinary but have a lot of features and options like panorama and smile detection to play around with. It is also loaded with connectivity options like SIM support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Regular Android with some MTV apps The MTV Slate is a stock Android device with Android 4.2 out of the box. It has Google Play and a number of regular Google apps. What is fascinating is a set of MTV apps, an outcome of Swipe’s tie-up with MTV. The apps are called Funny, Hottie of the day and MTV India. While Funny presents a Facebook like slate with funny quote, cartoons and images, Hottie of the Day has all the beauties appearing on MTV Diva (unfortunately it carries just photographs and you can’t do much beyond looking at them), while MTV India has a lot more to offer - you can check out the latest MTV blogs, watch videos from MTV shows, and follow your favourite celebrities on the Celebrity Hub.

Decent performance too The MTV Slate handled most routine tasks well. The touch, to begin with, may not be top class but is pretty good for a sub-Rs 15,000 tablet. The speaker quality is good and clear, but it drops at times because of its positioning on the lower part of the tablet – if you are not holding it carefully, your hand will be all over it. They could have put the speaker on the back panel, where most tablet speakers are placed or on the front like the Asus Fonepad 7. Video playback is good, and that includes high quality HD videos. We tried some games and those played well too. The sound quality is good on the headset. We used the tablet for over a week, and didn’t encounter a single lag or hanging up.

A premium looking device at a decent price The overall appearance of this tablet is as good as any premium range device. The design and overall feel makes it an interesting option for someone who likes a good looking product, even though the screen is a finger print magnet and scratch prone. You will like the tablet for its smooth and sleek design, robust hardware, and calling support. What will let you down is the glossy display, its ordinary pair of cameras and the strange position of the speaker. For Rs 14,999, it is a very decent device.

Conclusion If you want to go for a better known brand, Samsung has a 7-inch tablet Galaxy Tab 3, which may not be at par with the MTV Slate on paper, but works really well, and will cost you in the region of Rs 17,000. At that price point, you could also check out the new Asus FonePad 7. And if you are willing to try an Indian brand, check out the Simmtronics XPad Freedom, also a 3G calling tablet, which is also priced at Rs 13,999 and comes with similar design and hardware. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

80%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Force Five from Nexus The Nexus 5

offers a lot at a very good price

o matter how many high-profile devices the likes of Sony, Samsung and LG launch, for most Android fans, the real Android flagship is the Nexus phone, which some even call the Google Phone. And the latest to join the fleet of Nexus devices is the Nexus 5, which like its predecessor, the Nexus 4, has been manufactured by LG. But can it live up to the massive expectations of the Android fan base?

Exit glass and the curves

137.9 mm

Although it too has been made by LG, in terms of appearance, the Nexus 5 is a very different device from the Nexus 4. While the latter had won rave reviews for its glass covered front and back panels, with shiny bits embedded in the

back to reflect light, the Nexus 5 is definitely a Plain Jane in comparison, with relatively straight lines as compared to the gently curved edges of its predecessor. We are not saying that it looks bad, but it certainly will not turn as many heads as the Nexus 4 did, with its relatively conservative plastic back. That said, it does look smart with LG managing to compress a 4.95-inch display into a form factor that is still relatively palm-friendly and light weight – at 130 grams, the Nexus 5 is actually lighter than the Nexus 4 in terms of weight and at 8.59-mm remains one of the thinner phones around. The front is dominated by the display, with the volume rocker on the left, and the power/display on/off key on the right. The back contains the 8.0-megapixel camera bordered by a surprisingly large border. The entire effect is one of quiet efficiency. No, it won’t win any beauty contests but neither will it make people turn their heads away.

It’s about what lies beneath

69.2 mm

54 MYMOBILE january 2014

However, as all Android followers know, what makes the Nexus special is not its appearance but the cocktail of hardware and software it serves up. On the software side, it runs the latest version of Android (4.4, KitKat) in best Nexus tradition. And in keeping with the Nexus tradition, it packs in some very hefty hardware. The display is full HD and has an amazing pixel density of 445 ppi, which is well above that found on most devices, and is made of Gorilla Glass. It is a brilliant display and among the best we have seen this side of an iOS device, although just a tad below

the ones seen on the Galaxy Note 3 and the LG G2 in terms of brightness. Powering the Nexus 5 is a quad-core 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, backed up

with 2GB RAM and 16 GB onboard memory (alas, still not expandable). The camera’s megapixel count stays at the same as that of the Nexus 4 – 8.0megapixels but added to the mix is optical image stabilisation, ensuring better images even if your hands shake a bit.

A warrior…with an Achilles Heel And those specs are not paper tigers. When it comes to performance, the Nexus 5 comfortably performs at par with other high-end Android devices like the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, be it playing HD video or high-definition games like Dead Trigger 2. And it is as good as any phone we have used when it comes to more routine tasks like browsing the Web, sending and receiving mail, and checking up social networks. As with all Nexus devices, there is no ‘skin’ or layer placed over the Android interface – this is pure Android at its best. The result is an incredibly smooth performance with hardly any glitches and no lags at all. That is not to say that the Nexus 5 is perfect. We must confess that we found its camera to be a bit underwhelming. It certainly was better than the camera on the Nexus 4, but nowhere in the league of the shooters seen on other high-end Android devices or even devices like the Lenovo K900 or the Lumia 920, which cost lesser. Sound quality too was a bit ordinary on loudspeaker mode, although matters improved when one slapped on a pair of headphones. And then there was the routine Nexus party spoiler – the battery life. That magnificent display drains battery at the rate of knots and if you use 3G and keep social networks and mail notifications,

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Pros  Great hardware  Excellent display  Great price

Cons  No standout messaging app  Design a bit on the plain

side

 Ordinary battery and

camera

you will need to recharge your device well before a day is out.

Conclusion Given what it offers – some very good hardware combined with the latest version of Android – at a price of Rs 28,999 for the 16GB version, it is very difficult to argue against the Nexus 5 in terms of sheer value for money if you are an Android fan. However, mainstream users will point out that the Lenovo K900 offers a bigger display and a better camera at a slightly lower price, while the Lumia 925 offers a much better camera and eye-catching design for a few thousand rupees more. All of which makes the Nexus 5 a very good option for anyone who actually wants a simple, uncomplicated Android experience on a device with great processing speed and a good display, with assured OS updates for a while. At that price, it is an awesome deal, especially when you consider the prices of flagship devices from other brands. Those possessing the Nexus 4, however, might not feel too tempted to upgrade as the difference in performance is actually not that discernible. n team@mymobile.co.in

LG Nexus 5 16GB tech specs Size | 137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6 mm Weight | 130 grams Memory | 16GB

verdict 8

OS | Android OS v 4.4 KitKat

Looks

Screen Size | 4.95-inch, Capacitive

Features

ease of use

Price: Rs 29,990

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 55

burn test C is for Colour And the iPhone

5c has lots of it Pros  Great colours and

design

 Better battery and

camera than the 5

 Superb performance

and iOS app treasury

Cons  Some might not like carbonate

body

 Remains expensive  Basically the iPhone 5 in new

124.4 mm

shell

59.2 mm

56 MYMOBILE january 2014

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the iPhone 5. The camera on the back is also similar to the one found on the iPhone 5 – 8.0-megapixels iSight. There is no 64-bit architecture, ultrapixel camera or fingerprint scanner – those are the preserve of the iPhone 5s. On the flip side, the iPhone 5c has access to iOS’ vast treasury of high-quality apps that are the envy of the Android and Windows Phone crowd.

t has been damned as being the ‘iphone 5 in plastic’ and praised as being a bold colourful step forward for the iPhone series. But where does the iPhone 5c really stand, both in the Indian market and in comparison with the other devices in the iPhone series.

Honey, I painted the iPhone 5 Not too many had expected Apple to launch two new iPhones this year, but in keeping with its reputation for being unpredictable, the fruity company from Cupertino did just that. While the iPhone 5s stuck to the tried and tested (and highly acclaimed) design of the iPhone 5, the surprise packet of the launch event was the iPhone 5c, which kept most of the innards of the iPhone 5, but added a coat of rich colour over it, and replaced the metal exterior with a carbonate shell, which of course has spurred the ‘cheap plastic’ outrage in some quarters.

C is NOT for cheap One of the biggest grudges being nursed by some against the iPhone 5c is its relatively high price. However, the fact remains that the ‘c’in the name stands for ‘colour’ and not ‘cheap’ as some seemed to assume. And the device certainly feels anything but cheap. It is a bit thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5, but has a pleasantly solid feel to it and even the buttons seem better outlined than their metallic counterparts on the iPhone 5 and even the iPhone 5s. And while the back might seem a bit scratch-prone, four days of hefty use from us did not leave any marks that a wipe from a clean cloth could not remove. All in all, in terms of appearance, this is one of those rare phones that manages to look classy and funky at the same time – we think the pink, blue and green models in particular will turn heads. Dispelling this notion of ‘cheap’ are also the innards of the iPhone 5c, which are very similar to those of the iPhone 5. The display is the same 4.0-inch retina display found on the 5 and 5s, while the processor is the A6 chip that powered

Doing a bit more than the iPhone 5 However, that is not to say that the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5c differ only in terms of colour. The 5c score heavily over the 5 when it comes to battery life, comfortably seeing off a day of hectic use – something that has become increasingly difficult with the iPhone 5 post the iOS 7 update. We also could see some difference in camera performance, although it was a close run thing. Both 8.0-megapixel cameras turned in superb results in good light conditions, but we felt that as the lights started to vary – both on the darker and brighter side – the iPhone 5c began to pull away and deliver better results in terms of both colour and detail. Mind you, that does not make the camera of the iPhone 5 a pushover – it just means that the camera of the 5c handles things a bit better. The iPhone 5c however is available only in editions of 16GB and 32GB – there is no 64B option, as in the case of the iPhone 5s. That apart, the iPhone 5c performed in best iPhone tradition, providing a great touch experience, and serving up brilliant multimedia in terms of music, viewing videos and taking photographs. And we certainly did not notice any lags in its performance even while handling titles like Infinity Blade 3.

Conclusion The big question that is likely to confront most people considering an iPhone in India today is whether to go for the new 5s, the 5 (which is still being sold), the 5c or the 4s. We would go against the swell of opinion that rates the iPhone 5 as superior to the iPhone 5c purely on grounds of the former being made of metal rather than plastic. Our experience with the device has revealed that it is a brilliant performer and more than matches the iPhone 5 when it comes to battery life and camera, and at Rs 41,900, costs lesser than the iPhone 5. Given that, we would have no hesitation in recommending it as the best option for those who want an iPhone but do not have the heart to shell out the Rs

53,500 required for the iPhone 5s. Those looking for non-iPhone alternatives can consider the BlackBerry Z30 which serves up a bigger display, while those wanting an Android option, can head for the LG G2 or Samsung Galaxy S4, both of which boast full HD displays and quadcore processors. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 41,900 verdict 9

Looks

Features ease of use

perfoRmance

value for money

overall

84%

january 2014 MYMOBILE 57

burn test One to the Max HTC

makes size matter with the One Max

t is by far the biggest handset we have seen from HTC in the Indian market, its large exterior chocka-bloc with powerful specs. But is the HTC One Max a breath of fresh air in the large screen display phone market or an “us-too” product from the company?

A proper phablet!

164.5 mm

HTC was a bit late in coming to the phablet (those devices that try to bridge the gap between tablets and phones) party, with its Butterfly hitting stores in India well after the likes of Samsung Note had grabbed most of the attention. However, it is clearly in no mood to ride into the phablet sunset if the HTC One Max is any indication. If the One Mini has made us go “aww…” with its amazingly cute form factor, the Max made our jaws drop with its sheer size. Unlike some large screen devices which try to draw attention from their display size by shrinking their waistlines or removing the borders around the display, the HTC One Max hits you with its size straight away. It is 10.2mm thick, is more than half a foot long, and tips the scales at well over 200 grammes. No, there’s no way in which you can mistake this for a smaller device. The One Max screams “large” at you. In capital letters. This is a hefty device. And is proud of it.

No beauty, but a hardware beast

82.5 mm

Cons

Pros Very good hardware  Brilliant display  Great sound 

Unwieldy to handle  Too big  Expensive 

58 MYMOBILE january 2014

In terms of appearance, the HTC One Max strikes one as an extremely outsized version of the HTC One. The design formula is essentially the same with the front being dominated by the display with three touch buttons below it, and with speakers above and below it. HTC has however moved the display/power on/off button to the right side, placing it just below the volume rocker, which too is on the same side – a wise decision, given the sheer size of the phone. On the left is a button for unlocking the back cover (yes, it does come off, and lets you access the SIM card and microSD card slots), while on the back of the device, which has a metallic sheen, are the Ultrapixel camera, LED flash and what seems like a dark square pad. This last is actually the fingerprint scanner, which lets you unlock

the phone and launch apps by a swipe of your finger. All in all, the One Max is not exactly a sight for sore eyes. We actually thought the Note 3 looked and felt more compact and stylish. However, where the phone comes into its own is in the hardware department. That display in front is a full HD one and is 5.9-inches in size. It is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7 GHz processor, has 2GB of RAM onboard, 16GB of onboard memory, expandable to 64GB and comes with every connectivity option you can dream of, including NFC. Running on top of it is Android 4.3, with HTC’s own interface laid over it.

Fiesty performer! With all that hardware goodness onboard, you can be assured of a very solid performance and the HTC One Max, for the most part delivers. The large display makes it a great option for viewing videos, and in combination with the powerful processor, make gaming an absolute joy on the device. We had loved the sound quality of the front facing speakers on the HTC One and the Max carries that great tradition forward, delivering very good sound, courtesy HTC’s Boom Sound technology. The camera surprisingly did not seem to be in the same league as the one found in the HTC One but the flash turned out to be actually very handy with its ability to automatically adjust brightness depending on the device’s distance from the subject. The big display is also perfect for HTC’s BlinkFeed overlay which delivers updates to your homescreen – we did not get the sense of crowding that it created in the HTC One. And it is again thanks to the big display that we actually found ourselves editing images on the device itself – HTC’s handy photo editor and scribble tools play their role in this. The fingerprint scanner however turned out to be an iffy performer – it sometimes took many swipes to unlock the device. A far cry from the inch perfect experience on the iPhone 5s.

Conclusion So where does that leave the HCT One Max? Honestly, we must confess to being a bit puzzled. While there

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is no doubting that in terms of sheer hardware and performance, this is one of the most powerful handsets we have ever used, its size certainly makes it difficult to use. The net result is a device that performs brilliantly but thanks to its design is not the easiest to use, which is ironical when you consider just how palm-friendly the HTC One itself was. And at Rs 53, 900, it is one of the most expensive handsets in the Indian market, going up against some very formidable competition, including the likes of the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. This is a big phone facing a big challenge. We like its performance, but our aching wrists and palms testify to just how hefty a proposition it is. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 53,900 verdict 7

Looks

Features

ease of use

perfoRmance value for money

overall

74% january 2014 MYMOBILE 59

just in Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 Yet another Grand

offering

hen Samsung launched its Galaxy Grand smartphone, it hit the jackpot, especially in the Indian market, with its combination of a large display and a relatively affordable price tag. Small wonder then that the company has launched yet another pocket-friendly phablet in the Grand range – the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 for specific markets. The device sports a 5.25inch display and comes with a better spec sheet than its predecessor – it is powered by a 1.2GHz quadcore processor and runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, backed up by 1.5GB RAM and 8GB of expandable internal memory.

The device comes with an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash and a 1.9-megapixel camera at the front. It is equipped with a number of connectivity options like GPS, GPRS, Wi-Fi, EDGE, Bluetooth and micro USB. Also on board are a number of pre-loaded apps like ChatON, Samsung Hub, S Health, Group Play, S Travel, S Translator, and Samsung Link. There is no word on the pricing or the availability of device in the Indian market but we expect to see it in January at a price tag in the vicinity of Rs 20,000. n

Xolo Play Tegra Note

The gamer’s tablet

t might not be running as high-profile campaigns as some of its competitors, but Xolo has of late been grabbing attention with some well-designed and affordable devices. And the latest to device to join the league is the Xolo Play Tegra Note. It is easily one of the most powerful 7.0-inch tablets around, powered by a 1.8 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory expandable up to an additional 32GB. On the back is a 5.0-megapixel camera (with a VGA camera on the front), as well as HD audio stereo speakers on the front along with bass reflex port. The tablet has no 3G connectivity, but users have options like Wi-Fi, HDMI, micro USB, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. Gamers also have an option for one-stopshop for all TegraZone HD games. There’s a stylus too for those who love to scribble and sketch. All this for Rs 17,999, make this a power Android user’s and gamer’s delight. n team@mymobile.co.in

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sneak peek Nokia Lumia 2520 Getting

into Windows, big time

his year saw Nokia emerge as the standard bearer for Windows Phone devices, and even as we enter 2014, it seems that the Finnish manufacturer whose mobile phone business has been acquired by Microsoft, has now set its eyes on Windows 8 itself. Proof of this can be seen in the Lumia 2520 tablet, which runs Windows RT, and comes with a whopping 10.1-inch IPS LCD capacitive display along with 4G connectivity. It sports a 6.7-megapixel camera at the back and a 2.0-megapixel camera in front. Powering it is a quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM. Storage stands at 32GB, which can be expanded using a memory card. The tablet comes with a micro SIM slot and has other connectivity options like Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi, NFC and HDMI-D (micro). Of course, it is going to be no cakewalk for it, competing as it does with the likes of the iPad and Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Surface range of tablets, but the tablet has a lot going for it, especially if rumours about it being released at an iPad-like price are true. There is no word on the availability of this device in India, but we are expecting it to hit the market early in 2014, for about Rs 35,000. n

Motorola Moto G

Hello again, Moto?

he latest buzz in tech town is that Motorola is set to make a comeback in the Indian market with its low cost Android device, Moto G. The device has already been launched for the US market and is expected to hit Indian stores in early 2014. The Moto G is available in both 8GB and 16GB versions, and comes with a 4.5-inch display. It is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz. It runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and comes with 50GB Google Drive storage for two years. When launched in the US, the Moto G grabbed a lot of attention, not just for its colourful exteriors, but also because of its very aggressive pricing: the unlocked versions of the Moto G are available at $179 (8GB) and $199 (16GB). Availability of the Moto G in India is still unknown (at the time of writing), but it is expected in early 2014, and from what we hear, it could end up costing in the neighbourhood of Rs 10,000. We are keeping our fingers crossed. n team@mymobile.co.in

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cell clues

Bluetooth Speakers: No Wires For Sound Once considered an accessory for the niche, portable Bluetooth speakers are now becoming rapidly mainstream, allowing users to listen to their favourite music out loud with their friends at any place and any time, without the hassle and tangle of wires. And as the number of devices in this segment increases, we take a look at some of the best options for consumers today. Heena Gupta

here was a time when Bluetooth was associated only with mobile phones and laptops. But it has now made way into the sphere of speakers as well. In fact, Bluetooth speakers that can pair with your phone, tablet or computer are very much the rage today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; being at home in living rooms as well as corporate offices, be it playing music out loud or in some cases, acting as a speakerphone. They are portable, easy to carry, and best of all, free you from the tangle of wiredom. And if you are in the market for one of them, here are some of the best options around:

Creative Airwave HD The Creative Airwave HD is a Bluetooth speaker which also comes with NFC connectivity. This compact wireless speaker comes with four colour options of red, black, blue and pink, has a glossy and matte finish and is also very sturdy. The top panel of the speaker contains buttons for volume control, on/off and Bluetooth. There is also a microphone and an LED indicator. The user can easily pair their smartphones with the speaker and can play songs through the phone and also through live streaming. They can also play their favourite music by simply touching their device to the speaker, using the magic of NFC. Once again, very portable and with very good sound quality. Price: Rs 12,999

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Jabra Solemate If you wish to have a rugged portable speaker, which can easily survive rough handling, then you can go for the Jabra Solemate. The design of this Bluetooth speaker is inspired by footwear. The speaker comes with a non-slip rubber ripple sole and the carrying strap by the heel tab. All the ports and buttons are placed conveniently, and the major functions are performed by the three buttons placed on the top panel. The LED lights on the speaker show the battery life available and also Bluetooth connectivity. Apart from listening to music, you can also answer your phone calls by just pressing the centre button. The feature of Easy Voice helps in pairing the speaker to your device. Price: Rs 10,990

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Bose SoundLink Mini The Bose SoundLink Mini is a very compact device, which delivers a great audio experience to the user. The bottom consists of a rubber slab for stability, and there’s a metal grille on both the front and back of the speaker. Two passive bass radiators face in opposite directions to minimise vibrations. A row of buttons is placed on the top to control all essential functions. The speakers come with full-range audio and are able to reproduce music of different genres without any distortions. The SoundLink Mini can pair with six devices via Bluetooth. The speaker can deliver 7 hours of seamless music experience. If quality sound is what you seek, this is perhaps your best option. Price: Rs 16,200

JBL Pulse The JBL Pulse is a cylindrical shaped Bluetooth speaker which emits beautiful light patterns while playing music. It has five programmed light themes and more options can be downloaded, if needed. It facilitates Wireless Bluetooth stereo streaming with NFC to play music from Bluetooth-friendly Android and iOS devices. The speaker works in combination with the JBL app which allows users to control the audio, brightness and colour of the light show from the device. It delivers very good sound as well - the JBL Pulse broadcasts roomfilling audio using two high-performance 40mm drivers and a custom tuned bass port. The 2,000 mAh battery delivers 10 hours of music or five hours of music and light experience. Not bad at all. Price: Rs 14,990

Bluetooth Speaker Buying Guide Are you looking for a Bluetooth speaker? Then just take a quick glance at these factors before you go ahead.

Sony SRS- BTV5 The Sony SRS – BTV5 is a very cute looking compact portable speaker. Shaped like a ball, this speaker can easily be carried in a handbag. The speaker has a flat base and two buttons are placed on the back for controlling the volume. It also has an on/off-NFC toggle at the bottom – yes, it has NFC connectivity as well, enabling you to play the music by touching your phone to the speaker. You can also answer all your phone calls using the speaker if you wish. And for its size, it certainly delivers very good quality sound. Battery life is a bit on the low side at four hours but the form factor and portability more than compensate. Price: Rs 3,990

Sound Quality It is the most essential attribute that one should look for before investing in a Bluetooth speaker. Look for the speakers which have a good balance of low frequency speakers for a strong bass and middle and high frequency speaker for a well balanced output. Connectivity While buying a Bluetooth speaker the user should keep in mind the range to which the Bluetooth will function. The maximum Bluetooth range will facilitate a flexible using experience. Also look for additional options like NFC. Battery life If you are often on the move and do not always have a power outlet handy, go for a speaker that has decent battery life – this could be anything from five to ten hours. Design No, we are not just talking about looks and colours but the overall design. Are the controls large and easy to reach, is the speaker portable enough, can the charging wires be packed inside it – these are some of the design factors that could affect your experience. Round this off with a glance at additional features like water, dust, and shock-resistance, speakerphone functions or a built-in smartphone recharger, and you could end up with a Bluetooth speaker you – and your ears – will love! heenagupta@mymobile.co.in

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boredom buster Name: Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Panem Run (Android) Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

RATING

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The Hunger Games Run Hunger

Games’ gets into constant runner mode

onstant runners are very much in vogue and now Hollywood seems to be trying to cash in on the trend. We had seen Iron Man 3 being a constant flyer, and now comes the game based on the latest film in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire – Panem Run. The game looks like a clone of Temple Run: Brave in more ways than one. Here too, you can choose to be a lady with a bow in your hand. Here too, your task is to run non-stop, duck past obstacles and take pot shots at targets and collect goodies as you run along your path. It is not new, but on the flip side, does use a lot of locales from the film and is very simple to play. Some might actually find it easier to play than Temple Run, as there is no tilting of the device required to make the character (it could be male too) switch direction. No, we are not going to rave about the graphics of the game, nor are we going to call it crazily innovative, but what cannot be denied is that it can be highly addictive, especially for those who love the film and its spunky lead character. n

Name: Clumsy Ninja (iOS) Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPad (3rd generation)

RATING

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Touch magic Clumsy Ninja

combines interactivity with cuteness

he advent of touchscreens has led to the evolution of a new genre of games where characters in a game actually responds to how and where you touch them. This was first seen in Nintendogs on the Nintendo DS, and has also has its imitators on other platforms. However, most of these games have remained on the superficial side, which is where Clumsy Ninja on iOS stands out. Unlike pet games where the stress is on petting and activities like fetching objects, here you actually have to train a super clumsy Ninja wannabe. And you do this by actually moving his arms and legs, attaching objects to it and even helping it bounce off a trampoline. The result is a supremely intereactive experience, enhanced by some very good graphics. Your masked Ninja has a puppy-like cuteness that makes you want to try harder to accomplish tasks and improve his skills. What makes the game special is the way in which the Ninja reacts to your movements and touches - this could well be the next level in interactive gaming we are seeing here.n

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Return of the Zombie Shooter Dead Trigger 2 is spectacular

he first Dead Trigger game was acclaimed for setting new standards in mobile gameplay and graphics. The game was essentially a shooter in which you played a weapon toting hero in a Zombie infested area, knocking off the undead as you went along. What, however, made the game stand out from other Zombie killers was the quality of graphics it offered. And Dead Trigger 2 continues that tradition. No, the plot is not much to write about (“go out and kill zombies” sums it up), but the graphics are even better than before with light effects, shadows and water reflections coming out brilliantly. Gameplay remains a bit iffy with the touch controls not always working as smoothly as we would have liked. Also, this game does need a very good processor to play smoothly – it even lagged occasionally on the Nexus 4. But if you have a high-end device, and want a stunning game that will occasionally scare the Dickens out of you, grab Dead Trigger 2. n

Name: Dead Trigger 2 (Android, iOS) Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

RATING

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Constant roller! Rail Rush on Windows Phone is just that

indows Phone continues to boost its app reservoir and the latest to join its ranks is Rail Rush, a constant roller (that really describes it best) that will be a Windows Phone exclusive for a limited period of time before coming on other platforms. The game has shades of Temple Run and Secret Agent Dash but knowing how much we love those two titles, that is not necessarily a bad thing. The objective of the game is simple – you find yourself hurtling away on an open carriage on rails, reaching out to grab sundry items like gems and magnets as you go on and on. The game is very simple – leaning to a side just involves inclining your device in that direction, swiping up or down makes your character jump or duck and swiping sideways makes the carriage jump tracks. Sounds routine? Well, it is also addictive, especially with some very good graphics and smooth gameplay. If you are fed up of Temple Run but not the constant running genre, hop on and have fun. n Name: Rail Rush (Windows Phone) Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 920

RATING

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nimish@mymobile.co.in

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Smart apps Chat and text from FB

Facebook’s own Messenger app gets a boost

t has been raining messaging apps of late, with a number of players entering this segment, offering connectivity to a host of services ranging from Google Talk to Facebook Messenger. Facebook has had its own messaging app for a while, but it has been a relatively basic affair, so much so that many people prefer chatting on Facebook through the main app or even the browser. Well, the new Facebook Messenger app on iOS and Android is an attempt to change that. The app has been given a makeover in terms of appearance and works more snappily, but the biggest change is on the messaging. Now, you can even send text messages from the Messenger by adding a phone number to the contacts list. And it actually works. So you now have one app that can handle both your chats as well as text messages. Of course other features like chatting in groups and adding stickers are still there. Of course, third party apps will continue to offer options like making calls and accessing other services as well, but if most of your chatting happens on Facebook and on a handset, then this is the app for you. n Name: Facebook Messenger Price: Free Tested on: LG Nexus 4

Snap and shuffle Fuzel

adds a spin to Collage

aking collages is a rage these days thanks to the emergence of a number of applications that let you create collages in a snap. And one of the best of the lot is Fuzel, which is currently available for the iPhone. The app is incredibly simple to use - all you need is select the pictures you wish to include in your collage and the app does the rest, letting you choose from different patterns, and even add a few fancy touches along the way. And unlike many apps that restrict you to the images that are actually on your device, Fuzel actually lets you select images from Facebook, Flickr and Instagram as well. And while some might complain at the fact that one cannot really move pictures around as one wishes, there are plenty of options to choose from in terms of arrangements, as well as borders and labels, and the fact that one can add text and icons to the mix only adds to the fun. Of course, you can share your collages across social networks as well. Not bad at all for a free app, we think. n Name: Fuzel Price: Free RATING

Tested on: iPhone 4S

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RATING

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www.mymobile.co.in

Filter magic on WP

Instagram finally comes to Windows Phone

t might have got off to a relatively quiet start in the app space, but the past few months have seen Windows Phone gaining steadily on both Android and iOS. A number of apps that were previously available only on iOS and Android have made their way to Windows Phone now, and the latest and perhaps most significant of them all is Instagram. The app which allowed you to change the appearance of your pictures by adding a retro touch to them via a number of filters is now available on Windows Phone. You can now select pictures or take new ones, add filters, do a bit of tweaking in terms of illumination and focus and go right ahead and share them on your social networks, and of course, on Instagram’s own community. There are a few problems - you cannot record video, and sometimes the feed (which shows the images of those you are following) does not refresh. But then, this is a Beta after all. What matters is that one of the most popular image editing and sharing apps in the world is now available on a platform that has some of the best cameras in celltown. n nimish@mymobile.co.in

Focus on Anything Nokia

Refocus allows you to shift focus after taking a picture

ytro photography in which you take a picture and then choose which part of it to focus on or highlight has been gaining popularity of late. And now this ability has arrived on Nokia’s Lumia devices with PureView cameras, courtesy the appropriately named Nokia Refocus app. The app lets you take a picture, and once that is done, focus on any part of it. And this is not the slightly blurring or bokeh effect that you get from other apps - Refocus actually takes a photograph that is so rich that whatever you choose to focus on, actually emerges in vibrant colours and detail. You can also opt to highlight colour in a particular part of the photograph or just spread the focus equally across all the objects in the picture. For best results, the app recommends you stand close to the subject, and it certainly delivered stunning results on our Lumia 1020, with focus moving magically depending on where we tapped our finger on the photograph. Those new to the concept might find the app a bit slow to use, but our advice would be to be patient. The results are nothing short of magical. n

Name: Instagram Beta Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 920

RATING

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Name: Nokia Refocus Price: Free Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1020

RATING

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a p p ta s t i c

A Sense of Place, the Appy Way Wondering what to do and where to go? The answer is just an app away on your trusty smartphone. We look at six apps that tell what is happening in and around you Binni Rawat

tuck in a new place with no idea of where to go next? The answer could be in your smartphone. Or to be more accurate in an app on your smartphone. With most smartphones coming with GPS and Internet access, it is easy for developers to pinpoint your location and tell you about what lies in the vicinity, from Bank ATMs to restaurants to cinema halls to railway stations. And there’s no need to ask your way around either – most apps can tap into the maps that come preloaded on your device and not only show you locations, but in some cases, even help you navigate your way to them. So the next time you are wondering what to do next or where to head, don’t bother asking for directions. Just look up your phone to find the answer. And these apps will ensure that the answer is a reliable one as well.

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Around Me: (iOS, Android, Windows Phone) Price: Free This app features a wide list of categories including pharmacies, gas stations, restaurants, pubs, banks/ATM, hospitals, coffee shops, supermarkets and many more. All you need to do is click any one category, say, Coffee Shops and a list of coffee shops will open up on your phone screen. The Around Me app identifies your location and brings you all the options available under various business sections. You can go further by tapping on your choice of place and it provides you with a navigation map (options like standard map, satellite map and traffic map are also available), address and phone number of the particular shop or store, saving you the hassle of googling them. The list begins with the nearest option and expands on its way to farther places. The user can also share the address via social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter) and mark specific ones as favourites for future reference.

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Burrp: (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian)

Price: Free Another app that serves as a virtual guide for you, Burrp has picked up a cult following, especially in the foodie circuit. Once you get into the app you will find various categories to choose from and three major options on top - Home, Map, Favourites. Under the Home tab, you can select a category, the Map options guides you to your selected venue and suggests other places to visit around that area, while Favorites will be your personalised list where you can add your favorite spots to visit, like a restaurant, monument, market, mall, theatre and much more. The user can make bookings and reservations using the app and also go through the reviews for reference.

Getit: (iOS, Android,

Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian, Java)

Price: Free This app is another easy to use guide for local search. The interface is basic but user friendly – no jazzy touches. Getit offers many options under local services, products and events in your vicinity. Apart from that, the app also shares details about the latest deals and discounts across categories in 65 Indian cities. You can browse for options and rate, review and refer the service to your friends. Getit is also very detailed and specific. So, if you tap on ‘restaurant’, it will not bring you a list of nearby restaurants but ‘sub-categories’ like Chinese restaurant, pizza outlet, coffee shops, etc. Not the greatest option if you are in a tearing hurry, but very handy if you know exactly what you want!.

Here City Lens: (Windows Phone) Price: Free Nokia City Lens, now known as Here City Lens is a location based app exclusively for Windows Phone users. It provides you with an array of services in an interactive way. All you need to do is launch the app, and hold your Windows Phone device as if clicking a picture, and you will see a list of location that keep changing and refreshing as you move your device around. To find out more about a place, just tap on it to access descriptions and reviews. What’s more, you can even get directions to it, complete with navigation on Nokia devices.

Just Dial: (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) Price: Free Just Dial introduced the concept of getting information you needed by just dialing a number. The app works on similar lines. It allows you to make any kind of local search and has a huge category list that features almost everything one would need. There is a search bar on top and once you enter a category you will find four tabs- Top, Near Me, Ratings, SMS or E-mail. You can search among a variety of options varying from movies, fitness, pets, party to real estate, resorts, wedding, and towing. You can also SMS or e-mail the details to anyone using the app directly, and check out ratings given by your friends as well as their favourites.

Mojostreet: (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) Price: Free Another app that saves you from the pain of asking your way around a new place is the Mojostreet app. This app is somewhat similar to the Around Me app, but it provides much more than address, phone number and a map. This app toobrings you a list of categories to choose from, but the classification is based more on lifestyle. So you get categories like: Nightlife, Grab a Meal, Coffee & Ice-cream, Fun & Recreation, Get Fit, Personal Care, and Go Shopping. It traces your location and shows you all the available options in your vicinity. The user can either just scroll through the app or make an account which allows them to check in through the app, share pictures and reviews as well. It also allows users to see where their Mojostreet friends are hanging out, as well as avail of special discounts and offers. binni@mymobile.co.in

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

Nokia Fast Micro-USB Charger | AC-10E

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

Wireless Charging Plate

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

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-111

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

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

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-218

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

Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger | DC-16

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

Nokia Play | 360°

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

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset | BH-505

Nokia Mono Bluetooth Headset | BH-109

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

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

70 MYMOBILE january 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

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etcetera Alienware 14 Alien PC

Lights, Action….Game On

ell is back with an upgrade to the celebrated Alienware series, which has acquired a cult status among hardcore gamers, who love it for its gaming prowess and distinct looks. The new Alienware 14 aka Alien PC comes with the iconic Alienware form factor, swathed in a fine looking anodised metal exterior. Lights, a typical Alienware characteristic, continue to play an integral role. The keyboard is big, hand-rest wide and soft, but the touchpad seems undersized and constraining. A powerhouse to the core, the laptop boasts of a number of jaw-dropping features, such as, a non-reflective display, 750GB storage capacity, Intel’s latest Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX765M graphics card, ample number of ports and finally, a bunch of 12 fans, placed at the bottom, to keep the device cool while you unleash destruction and mayhem on aliens in Lost Planet 3 or on terrorists in COD: Modern Warfare. Considering what it runs, the battery does well to last out three hours of high-class gaming. Pricey? Yes, but pretty much THE notebook for gamers, we think. n

Alienware 14 Alien PC Price: Rs 1,49,990 Pros | Great performance, Brilliant looking display

RATING

Cons | Heavy, Very small touchpad



Dell Inspiron 11 Ultrabook

wannabe at an attractive price

t may not be an ultrabook in the classical sense of the word, but the Dell Inspiron 11 has many of that device’s qualities. It is light and thanks to Intel’s latest batteryfriendly Haswell processor, it charges fast and gives up to eight hours of battery backup. The notebook comes with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, and multiple connectivity options, including all the ports one expects in a decent notebook – for USB and HDMI to the RJ45. The speakers are placed at the bottom of the device but have been designed in such a way that they won’t be blocked by the surface. Although the display is on the dull side, the notebook performs well enough and anyone with regular needs like typing, browsing the Internet and watching movies is going to like it. But gaming is out, unless you want to run old games. Overall, the Dell Inspiron 11 is a decent laptop for general use, and at Rs 32,000 offers very good value for money. n

Dell Inspiron 11 Price: Rs 32,990

RATING



Pros | Smooth touch experience, Long-lasting battery Cons | Dull display, No backlighting in keyboard

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Sony NWZ-WH303 Price: Rs 8,999 Pros | Three functions, Good sound quality Cons | Expensive, Sound quality not in audiophile league

Amkette Trubeats Metal Small frame, big sound

hile portable Bluetooth speakers have been around for a while, it is a common belief that as they get more portable, sound quality and output levels suffer. That’s not the case with Amkette’s Trubeats Metal. Shaped like a tiny cylinder, it is incredibly compact and can fit into the palm of your hand. And it still manages to deliver a lot of dollop when it comes to sound, with its metal alloy drums ensuring that you feel every thump and every beat. We will not say that it will replace your stereo, but as a speaker that you can slip into any bag and plonk on the table when you feel like it, it is pretty awesome (pretty and awesome actually). It is very versatile too - you can connect over Bluetooth or using a cable and it can double up as a speakerphone as well. Round that off with almost eight hours of battery life, and the Metal starts justifying its initially stiffseeming Rs 2,995 price tag! n

RATING

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Sony NWZ-WH303 Very very

versatile

n first sight, Sony’s NWZ-WH303, seem like regulation wireless headphones, with two square-ish ear cups. At nearly 300 grammes, these are not exactly feather light, but they sit well on your head. Sound quality is very good as well, with a extra bass driver unit adding to the experience. But that’s not all. The WH303 comes with inbuilt storage of 4GB, so you can actually listen to music without pairing the headphones with another device. And if even that does not suffice, you also have the option of simply dangling the headphones around your neck and listening to music from speakers on the strap. And that is the real charm of the device - it can fulfil three roles: of a headset, of a music player with its own headset, and of a portable speaker system. Audiophiles might not get too impressed by the sound quality but it is very good by mainstream standards. As for us, we love the versatility of this gizmo! n

Amkette Trubeats Metal Price: Rs 2,995 Pros | Decent sound quality and high volumes,

RATING

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Good battery life

Cons | Some might find it heavy, On the expensive side

january 2014 MYMOBILE 73

etcetera Sony DSCQX10 Lens Style Camera Adding

megapixels and zoom to phones

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74 MYMOBILE january 2014

app

hotographers never tire of pointing out that cameras on most phones do not have an optical zoom or sensors as good as found on dedicated digital cameras. Well, Sony has attempted to address that with its very innovative range of Lens Style Cameras, which can be connected to iOS and Android devices. They might look like lenses, but are actually fullfledged cameras with everything including memory card, optical zoom and even a shutter button. The real magic, however, lies in the fact that they can be connected to an Android or iOS device, which then acts as a viewfinder and lets you take images from the phone itself. Of the two Lens Style Cameras introduced by Sony, the DSC-QX10 is the more affordable option, and packs in an 18.9-megapixel lens, 10x optical zoom and optical image stabilisation. You can connect it to your handset over Wi-Fi and NFC (in the case of Android), and if you wish can even attach the lens physically to the camera using inbuilt clips on the side. In a perfect situation that should mean great photographs from any Android or iPhone. Alas, usability gets restricted by the fact that you need to use Sony’s app to be able to access the gadget, and that in itself is not the greatest. Also the entire process of taking a photograph using the lens – you take out the lens, attach it to the phone, start the app, take a photograph and then remove the lens (it is too big to be left on) – detracts from the spontaneity of cellphone photography. Still, it definitely is more convenient than carrying a digital camera and delivers great results. All things considered, a very handy addition to the arsenal of those who love to snap using their handsets. n

www.mymobile.co.in

Canon image Formula P-201 Price: Rs 11,995 Pros | Great scan quality, Very easy to use Cons | Works only with PC, No internal memory

Canon image Formula P-201 Portable, but pricey

anon Image Formula is a compact scanner for documents, photos and business cards. Canon has attempted to create a classical scanner-like feel yet keep it as portable as possible, and has succeeded to an extent. It works on the plug and play principle - just connect the device to a PC with a USB cable and scan away using the One Touch Lite app. Using it is simplicity itself – just place the document on the scanner and it will automatically scan it. You can edit the scanned image

iBall TabKey Case Price: Rs 999 Pros | Solidly built, Decent price Cons | No wireless connectivity, Keys on the small side

RATING



and save it in any of multiple file formats. All in a matter of seconds. With a Wi-Fi adaptor, you can also use the scanner from a tablet – the catch is that the adapter itself costs Rs 14,000. The scanner has no internal memory so you cannot store scans on it, and have to depend on an external device. That apart, it delivers a fair bit in terms of scan quality, even though it is definitely priced on the higher side. n

IBall TabKey Case Simple,

affordable keyboard cover

ne of the biggest gripes people have against tablets is the problem of typing using an onscreen keyboard. A number of manufacturers have tried to get around this by offering keyboards that can be paired with tablets, some even combining keyboard with tablet covers. And it is this path that iBall has taken with its TabKey case which is designed for 7-inch display tablets. The company has stuck to the basics, opting for microUSB connectivity over Bluetooth, and going for a solid rather than spectacular case. It comes with a keyboard and two clasps between which you can fit a tablet. The keys are a bit on the small side, but one should be able to get used to them in time. There is no inbuilt battery, which means that while you do not have to worry about charging the keyboard, you also have to be concerned about the keyboard itself draining battery from the device it is attached to. For Rs 999, we think this is a very good deal for the budget Android tablet crowd! n

RATING



january 2014 MYMOBILE 75

etcetera Ice X Bazooka Bluetooth Speaker Price: To be announced

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (PS3) High

Pros | Compact, no pen drive support

octane action on the high seas

Cons | Slight problem in signal reception, a bit bulky

RATING



he Assassin’s Creed series of games has earned a cult following with its mix of stealth, adventure and action, with a generous dollop of time travel thrown in for good measure. However, until now, most of the action had been limited to urban areas. Not in the fourth edition of the series. Assassin’s Creed: Dark Flag sees the action shift to the high seas, with you essaying the role of Edward Kenway, an eighteenth century pirate. Yes, you still have to sneak up on people, steal stuff from them and occasionally even kill them, but this time you will find yourself not in the medieval Europe but in the Caribbean. And instead of hobnobbing with the likes of Da Vinci, this time you end up interacting with the likes of Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Thatch and Charles Vane, and battling and swinging across ships in stormy oceans. The result is a game that is a sprawling affair, with dozens of hours of gameplay and exploration. The storyline is not the greatest and you will find yourself doing the same thing again and again, but you will still keep coming back for more, just to see the gorgeous locales and rattle your sabre one RATING more time. Oh to be a pirate! n



Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Ice X d3 Bazooka X1

Price: Rs 2,999

Cons | Weak storyline, Repetitive gameplay

No wires, full volume

any accessory manufacturers are focusing on Bluetooth speakers as they are gaining immense popularity amongst consumers. They are very portable and can be carried anywhere without any problem and also provide an enhanced music experience. Keeping the ongoing trend in mind Ice X has also launched a Bluetooth speaker called ‘D3 Bazooka X1’. It’s a very compact speaker and you can easily carry it in your handbag. Round in shape, the speaker has a flat base with the control buttons on the base and the speaker grille on top. The circular rim at the base of the speaker consists of the volume control button, the microSD card slot, the Aux in port and the charging port. It provided decent sound quality when we played tracks using Bluetooth. However, when we played music on the FM mode we faced certain problems in the signal reception. The speaker comes with an inbuilt microphone and also supports calling. One can also play their favourite music by simply inserting the microSD card into the speaker. There are LED lights which indicate charging and Bluetooth connectivity. The Bazooka X1 is a good option for those who want a very compact Bluetooth speaker with FM and calling support. n

76 MYMOBILE january 2014

Pros | Very good graphics, Legendary characters

team@mymobile.co.in

mobile senseX

bazaar bargain Lau

It was the first truly large display device from HTC, and also its most expensive at the time of its launch. It might not have created the kind of buzz that a lot of people expected, but with its price having now dipped to a more reasonable Rs 31,500, the HTC Butterfly is definitely much better value for money now than at the time of its launch. It packs in a powerful processor, that 6.0-inch display is magnificent and well, we think that in terms of design, it still pretty much outshines the more recent HTC One Max, managing to look amazingly compact, in spite of that large display. A great option we think for those looking for a classy phablet, as long as the version of Android is not an issue. It certainly is a lot better in terms of both appearance and performance than some of the overpriced Android flagships out there n

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No, it has not had the kind of impact in India that it had in the US, but there can be no denying the fact that Amazonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is one of the best alternatives to the iconic iPad, if oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main interest is content consumption. Yes, it runs a version of Android that is very different from the kind you will see on your smartphones - no multiple homescreens and no Google Play app store either. But on the flip side, you have a very high quality app store from Amazon which offers you a paid app for free every day, a terrific display and silky smooth Kin operation, along with excelLau dle Fi nch re H e d lent battery life. And the D Cur at: R 8 rent s 21 .9 price cut just makes it even P rice Pric ,999 : Rs e fa more attractive. The perfect ll: 1 1 7,99 8.18 9 tablet for those who like to per cen read. n t

january 2014 MYMOBILE 77

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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 December 3, 2013) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as:

Tablet CDMA Enterprise High-end (Rs 12,000 upwards) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

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

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

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 79

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 105

100

107

108

109

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)

75.8

69.9

Model

12/840

7.2/840

12.7/576

13.8/600

7.8/768

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

4MB/16GB

4MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

1,000

1000

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

S30

S40

Symbian S40

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,140

1,350

1,565

1,775

1,899

2,423

2,785

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Asha 205

206

Asha 210

Asha 305

208

Asha 501

301

Dimension (mm)

112.8 x 61.1 x 13

116 x 49 x 12.4

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

110.3 X 53.8 X 12.8

114.2 x 50.9 x 12.8

99.2 x 58 x 12.1

114 x 50 x 12.5

Weight (grams)

97.3

90.6

102

11/891

20/680

12/1104

14/528

12/480

17/624

20/504

Model

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

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

64MB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1000

Shared

1,000

Shared

2,000

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Symbian S40

S40

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

3,400

3,664

4,725

4,850

4,899

5,000

5,511

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

Price in Rs

80 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Asha 308

Asha 310

Asha311

Lumia 520

Lumia 620

Lumia 720

Dimension (mm)

109.9 x 54 x 13

109.9 x 54 x 13.2

106 x 52 x 12.9

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

114 x 48 x 11

115.4 x 61.1 x 11

127.9 x 67.5 x 9

Weight (grams)

104

124

102

127

128

Talktime/Standby (hours)

515 Dual SIM

NEW

17/600

14/696

14/360

10.4/432

14/330

23/520

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/3.0

262,144/3.0

16million/4.0

262,144/2.4

16 million/3.8

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

2,000

1,000

2,000

Shared

1000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Symbian S40

S40

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

Price in Rs.

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

Symbian S40

Windows Phone 8

Symbian S40

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

5,600

5,800

6,700

8,700

10,264

12,500

16,800

MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 625

Lumia 820

Lumia 920

BSNL-CHAMPION Lumia 925

Lumia 1020

SQ 281

NEW

JOSH A2700

Dimension (mm)

133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2

123.8 x 68.5 x 9.9

130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7

129 x 70.6 x 8.5

130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4

130 x 55.5 x 11.5

120 x 51 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

159

160

185

139

158

23.9/768

15.4/360

18.6/460

18.3/432

19.1/384

2.5/36

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.7

16.7million/4.3

16.7million/4.5

262,144/2.8

NA/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16GB/No

Yes/Yes

32MB/8GB

NA/8GB

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Yes/ No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

500

100

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/No/No

Windows Phone 8

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

15,500

21,200

24,000

32,000

47,000

1,900

1,800

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

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 81

MODELS

myguide

MAXX

PARAMETERS Model

MX153

M-TECH CHAMPION

TULIP

METRO

STAR+

E1207T

112.5 x 45.5 x 14

122.8 x 51 x 9.8

120 x 51 x 13.5

118 x 50.5 x 14.2

123 x 52 x 12.9

114 x 50 x 14

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

96.5

65.1

Talktime/Standby (hours)

MX555

SAMSUNG

Dimension (mm)

NEW

-/350

NA/350

5/160

8/720

8/430

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

NA/2.6

NA/2.4

65,536/1.52

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/NA

32MB/8GB

NA/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/NO

Yes/No

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

300

500

1,000

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

Price in Rs.

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

No/No/No

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,030

2,376

1,299

1,699

1,599

1,699

1,300

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

ALCATEL

JOSH

MAXX

E1282T

OT 2005D

A999

JM2400

T375

T585

Dimension (mm)

109.2 x 45.5 x 14.5

120 x 50 x 9.95

113 x 58 x 13

116 x 50 x 60

103 x 59 x 10.7

103.09 x 59.9 x 10.8

125.5 X 67 X 12.5

Weight (grams)

74.5

103

140

Talktime/Standby (hours)

MT401

NEW

12/660

14/425

25/350

12.8/601

9/560

NA/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

262,155/2.4

NA/2.4

262,144/3.2

NA/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/4GB

128 MB/8GB

NA/8GB

48MB/16GB

50MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

2.0MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

500

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Operating System

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,600

2,750

2,900

4,099

4,100

4,200

2,838

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

Price in Rs.

82 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

HIGH END

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

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

Metro 2252

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Rex 60

Rex 80

Rex 90

Dimension (mm)

113.0 x 46.0 x 13.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

101.8 x 55 x 12.5

102.0 x 58 x 11.5

113 x 61.90 x 11.84

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

Weight (grams)

160

155

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11.9/760

14/550

15/NA

3/220

7/392

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

65,536/2.8

262,144/3.0

262,144/3.5

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

20MB/32GB

30MB/16GB

20MB/16GB

10MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Proprietary

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

2,06,000

Starting 2,85,000+/3,55,000

2,700

3,200

3,700

4,500

5,000

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

TAG HEUER

PARAMETERS Model

VERTU

Racing Carbon

Link

Racer Prestige Gold

Meridiist Steel & Gold

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Dimension (mm)

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

118 x 67 x 16.6

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

Weight (grams)

160

200

160

155

148

174

160

Talktime/Standby (hours)

3/220

6.5/336

3/220

7/392

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

2,000

1,500

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Android v2.3

Andriod v2.2

Android v2.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

4,55,000

Starting 5,45,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

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

Price in Rs.

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 83

MODELS

ENTERPRISE LEVEL

VERTU

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

Constellation Quest

Signature

OT 4007D PIXI

OT 8000D

OT 6012D IDOL MINI

OT 6030

OT 6033X

Dimension (mm)

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

115 x 62.3 x 12.2

143 x 78.4 X 9.8

127.1 x 62 x 7.9

133 x 67.5 x 7.9

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.4

Weight (grams)

165 to 185

166

118

163

110

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7.5/349

3.5/300

13/500

16/15

9/540

7.2/415

16/700

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/NA

16million/4.3

16million/NA

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

512MB/32GB

4GB/32 GB

8GB/None

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

2.0/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5,0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

2,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android 2.3

Android OS 4.1

Android OS v4.1

Android OS 4.1

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

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

4,933

9,999

10,900

13,500

17,900

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

APPLE

PARAMETERS Model

BLACKBERRY

Iphone 5C

Iphone 5S

Curve 9220

Curve 9320

9720

Curve 9360

9860

Dimension (mm)

124.4 x 59.2 8.97

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

109 x 60 x 12.7

114 x 66 x 12

112 x 62 x 14.2

120 x 62 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

132

112

102

103

120

130

135

Talktime/Standby (hours)

10/250

7/432

5/336

4.7/337

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

65,536/2.44

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.44

16million/3.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32/No

16,32,64/No

512MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

2.5GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/No

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

IOS7

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 7.0

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

41,900/53,500

53,500/62,500/73,500

8,800

12,000

15,000

20,000

84 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

BSNL-CHAMPION

9900

Z10

Z30

Q10

Dimension (mm)

120 x 66 x 10.8

115 x 66 x 10.5

130 x 65.6 x 9

140.7 x 72 x 9.4

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

119.5 x 63 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

120

130

136

170

139

Talktime/Standby (hours)

SM 3512

NEW

SM 3513

NEW

12/336

6.3/296

10/312

25/384

10/NA

6/350

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.1

16million/2.8

16million/4.2

16million/5-0

16million/3.1

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

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

BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry 10.2

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

BlackBerry 10

Android 4.2.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

22,500

25,000

39,990

43,500

4,300

5,300

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS

BSNL-CHAMPION

GIONEE

Model

SM 6513

CTRL V4

Gpad G2

Elife E3

Dream D1

Dimension (mm)

182.5 x 99 x 8.5

151.10 x 80.5 x 9.8

129.3 x 68 x 11.1

136 X 67 X 9.7

145 X 73 X 9.9

137 X 68 X 7.9

130 X 67 X 8.6

Weight (grams)

102

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NEW

Trendy 531

NEW

4/62

6/200

24/450

14/312

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/6.5

16million/5.3

16million/4.3

16Millon/4.5

16Millon/5.3

16Millon/4.7

16Millon/4.65

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes /Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

8MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Android 4.2

Android OS v4.2

Android V4.2

Android V4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,500

13,500

7,499

9,199

13,499

14,999

16,999

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

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 85

MODELS

myguide

GIONEE

PARAMETERS Model

HPL A35

A44

AONE

A40

Elife E5

Elife E6

Dimension (mm)

137 X 69 X 6.85

142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9

122.3 X 65 X 11.2

135.2 X 67.5 X 9.9

125.5 x 64.5 x 10.7

137 x 68.8 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

133.9

120

117

108

125

NEW

A1XP-QUAD CORE

NA/NA

4/NA

3.5/NA

4.5/NA

4/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16Millon/4.8

16.7million/5.0

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

NA/4.63

NA/4.0

NA/4.63

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/NA

32GB/No

512MB/NA

512/NA

512MB/NA

4GB/NA

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NEW

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/No

Android V4.2

Android OSv2.3

Anroid OS2.3

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

18,999

22,999

3,390

4,290

5,590

5,490

7,990

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/NA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

PARAMETERS Model

HTC

HPL Desire U

Desire XDS

Desire 500

Desire 600

Dimension (mm)

135.2 X 67.5 X 9.6

143 X 74.2 X 9.6

118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3

118.5 X 62.3 X 9.3

131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9

132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

Weight (grams)

115

127

114

123

130

3.5/NA

NA/NA

12.1/435

NA/NA

11.4/539

Talktime/Standby (hours)

A45-qHD

NEW

A50-qHD

NEW

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.5

NA/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/ 4.3

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/NA

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

16GB/No

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

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.

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

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v4.1

Android v 4.0

Android v4.1

Windows Phone 8

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,590

9,590

11,000

13,000

20,000

23,000

28,000

86 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

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

MODELS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

ICE

JOSH

One Mini

Butterfly

Butterfly S

One DS

Xphone

Petal

Fortune

Dimension (mm)

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

138 x 69 x 10.6

118 x 62 x 10

118 x 62 x 13

Weight (grams)

122

140

160

143

149

170

220

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13.27/692

NA/NA

25/659

27/500

5/120

Apr-48

4/48

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16.7million/4.7

16million/4.63

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

512MB/32GB

140MB/32GB

170MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

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

Android v4.2

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android v 4.1

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android V4.0

Android v2.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

32,000

36,000

46,000

48,000

5,999

4,100

4,999

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

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

JOSH

PARAMETERS Model

KARBONN

Fortune 9

Fortune HD

Thunder

A2+

A10

A25

A30

Dimension (mm)

119 x 65 x 12

151.1x80.5x9.9

160x82.5x9.7

124 x 63.6 x 12.4

146 x 78.6 x 10.5

166 x 91 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

165

200

188

110

150

280

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4/48

5/48

3.5/120

6/300

10/600

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16,million/5.3

16million/5.7

262,144/4.0

262,144/3.9

16million/5.0

262,144/5.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

170MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

180MB/32GB

512MB/32GB

114MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/No

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,199

12,499

15,999

4,500

5,500

6,500

7,990

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

Price in Rs.

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 87

MODELS

myguide

KARBONN

PARAMETERS

LAVA

S1 Titanium

S2 Titanium

A27 +

S5 Titanium

Iris N320

Iris n400

Iris N501

Dimension (mm)

134.6 x 66 x 9.25

145 x 74 x 9.90

133.6x66x9.1

115 x 61.5 x 11.9

125 x 63 x 10.2

148.5 x 79 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

186

126.5

115

Model

4/200

6/250

4/180

NA/NA

4/390

7.8/620

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

NA/4.2

16million/5.0

262,144/3.2

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

100MB/32GB

127MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/No

8.0MP/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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.1

Android v 4.1

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,000

8,500

9,490

9,500

4,499

8,099

13,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

LENOVO

PARAMETERS Model

A390

A706

P700i

S920

P780

K900

Optimus L3 II Single

Dimension (mm)

125.6 x 64 x 10.1

136 x 69 x 10

125.6 x 64.5 x 12.8

154 x 77.7 x 7.9

143 x 73 x 9.9

157 x 78 x 6.9

102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

131

130

162

159

176

162

125

14/220

16/230

NA/NA

25/480

43/840

15/300

8/480

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

4GB/16GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Tri-Band/GSM+GSM

Tri-Band/No

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v 4.0

Android v4.1

Android v 4.0

Android v4.2

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Yes/NA

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

7,500

10,100

12,000

17,500

18,500

28,000

6,500

88 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus L3II Dual Optimus L4 II Dual E445

Optimus L5

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

Optimus L7 P705

Optimus L7 II

Dimension (mm)

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

112.8 x 64.7 x 11.9

118.3 X 66.5 X 9.5

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

125.5 x 67 x 8.7

121.5 x 66.6 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

110

125

103

124

118

Talktime/Standby (hours)

16/730

NA/NA

10/900

10/642

19/902

12/800

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

16million/3.8

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

2.72GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

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

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,900

7,400

8,300

9,200

9,500

11,900

12,600

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

Optimus L7II Dual

Optimus L9 P765

G Pro Lite Dual D686

Nexus 4

Optimus G

Dimension (mm)

122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7

131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1

150.2 x 76.9 x 9.48

133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1

131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5

137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6

Weight (grams)

115.5

125

161

139

145

130

12/800

12/830

14.5/845

15/390

15/335

17/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/4.3

16 million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

16million/4.95

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/No

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Qual Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

Nexus 5 16GB

NEW

Nexus 5 32GB

NEW

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes / Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

13,000

15,500

18,400

23,500

26,000

29,990

34,000

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 89

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

MAXX AX353

Optimus G Pro

Dimension (mm)

150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4

138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9

118.80 x 63 x 11.90

147 x 79.4 x 10.2

141.5 x 73.7 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

170

143

198

161

Model

NEW

AX8 Race

NEW

AX505

NEW

AX51

NEW

31/598

NA/NA

4/NA

5/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/5.2

262,144/3.5

262,144/5.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

YesYes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/VGA

8MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android 2.3

Android OS, v 4.0

Android OS, v4.2

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

37,500

2,970

6,250

6,500

7,000

NR 29,500

35,500

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS A63

A74

Canvas2 A110

Canvas 3D

Canvas A110Q

Canvas Doodle

Canvas HD

Dimension (mm)

124.5 x 65.7 x 11.3

133 x 67 x 10.1

147 x 76.5 x 9.7

147x77x9.9

144 x 74 x 10.7

Weight (grams)

144

156

4/135

5/155

5/180

4/225

6/280

6/220

5/174

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16milllion/4.5

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

262,144/5.0

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v 4.2

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,350

7,350

9,500

8,500

11,500

10,100

13,990

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

Price in Rs.

90 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA

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

MODELS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

MTECH

SAMSUNG

Canvas 4

Turbo

DEZIRE

A1 INFINITY

OPAL

Galaxy Star Pro

Galaxy Young

Dimension (mm)

128.3 x 71 x 8.6

113.6 x 62 x 13.7

117.3 x 62 x 11.4

125 x 64.5 x 11.5

121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6

109.4 x 58.6 x 12.5

Weight (grams)

121

112

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7/105

4/240

5/300

15/370

7/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

NA/3.5

NA/4.0

16million/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Android v4.2

Android v4.0

Android v2.3

Android v4.0

Android v4.1

Android v 4.1

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

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/N0

Bar/Yes/No

17,999

19,500

3,099

3,499

4,899

6,250

6,500

Galaxy Quattro

Galaxy Grand

Galaxy Mega 5.8

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes Bar/Yes/No

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm)

Galaxy Trend

Galaxy S duos

NEW

Galaxy Core

143.5 x 76.8 x 9.6

162.6 x 82.4 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

120

118

124

143.9

161

184

Talktime/Standby (hours)

8/-

12.8/570

8/280

9/500

11/210

10.1/440

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/64GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

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

Price in Rs.

121.50 x 63.10 x 10.85 121.5 x 63.1 x 10.5

Galaxy S duos 2

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6 129.30 x 67.60 x 8.95 133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65

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

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

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

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.2

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

7,600

9,500

10,790

12,500

15,500

17,500

22,500

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 91

MODELS

myguide

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

Galaxy SIII

Galaxy S4 mini

Galaxy Note II N7100

Galaxy Mega 6.3

Galaxy S4 Zoom

Galaxy S4

Galaxy Note 3

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6

124.60 x 61.30 x 8.94

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

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

133

108

183

199

208

130

168

22.5/830

12/NA

35/980

17/420

13/2330

17/370

20/490

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.8

16million/4.3

16 million/5.5

16,million/6.3

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

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

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android v4.0

Android v4.2

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android OS, v4.2

Android v4.2

Android v4.3

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

24,000

22,000

28,000

29,000

30,000

40,000

44,000

MODELS

Price in Rs.

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

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

SONY

Galaxy Golden

Xperia E

Xperia E Dual

Xperia M

Xperia M Dual

Xperia L

Xperia C

Dimension (mm)

118 x 59.5 x 15.8

113.5 x 61.8 x 11

124 x 62 x 9.3

28.7 x 65 x 9.7

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

Weight (grams)

179

115.7

115

137

153

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

6/530

10.16/498

8.4/498

14.1/588

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.7

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.2/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Sahred

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

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

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

Android v4.2 Yes/Yes

Price in Rs.

Android v 4.0

Android OS, v4.1

Android v4.1

Android v 4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

50,000

7,500

8,500

12,500

13,500

15,700

19,500

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

Android v 4.1

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

92 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

SPICE

Xperia SP

Xperia ZR

Xperia ZL

Xperia Z

Xperia Z 1

Xperia Z Ultra

Mi 351

130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98

131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5

131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8

139 x 71 x 7.9

144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5

179 x 92 x 6.5

115.3x62x11.8

155

138

151

146

169

212

18/734

11/470

10/500

11/550

14/880

11/550

3/216

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.6

16 million/5.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.4

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

512MB/16GB

Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

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

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

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

Yes/Yes/No

Android v4.1

Android v 4.2

Android v 4.1

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

Android v 2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

21,000

28,500

2,850

32,000

41,000

43,000

3,877

MODELS

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

SPICE

PARAMETERS

WHAM

Mi 352

Mi 435

Coolpad MI-515

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

Dimension (mm)

124 x 63.5 x 11.8

140 x 73 x 9.9

152 x 79 x 10.3

110 X 57 X 10.1

188.4 X 108 X 9

Weight (grams)

161

196.3

190

270

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

WG50

NEW

WT72

NEW

NA/NA

4.1/696

5/200

6/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.5

16 million/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.3

16million/5

16million/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

16GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

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

Dual Band/NA

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes//Yes

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.1

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

Price in Rs.

Android v 2.3

Android v 4.0

Android v 4.1

Android v4.0

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,859

7,559

9,990

10,499

13,999

6,147

10,567

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 93

MODELS

myguide

WHAM

PARAMETERS Model

WQ45

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

WS50

NEW

132 X 66 X 9.9

NEW

147 X 73.5 X 9.8

XOLO W1 WIRY

NEW

120 x 60 x 5.8

A800

Q800

A1000

Q1000

133x67x10.5

135.5 x 67 x 9.6

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

150

130

120

143.5

4/280

10/280

6/240

6/NA

16/360

NA/NA

14/350

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16/milliom/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/NA

Quad Band/NA

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android OS v4.2

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

Android v4.0

Android v 4.1

Androi v4.1

Android v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,432

12,628

12,990

10,000

11,500

13,500

15,000

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

XOLO

CDMA

X1000

Samsung B229

MTS Striker C121

MTS Striker C131

MTS Striker C132

Micromax GC222

Lava ARC8c

Dimension (mm)

108 x 44.38 x 14.20

106.8×44.7×13.15

108.5 × 46.7 × 12.15

115.5 × 47 × 13.5

110 x 45 x 10

Weight (grams)

65.5

68.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

9.5/336

6.5/720

33/360

16/240

17.9/360

4.5/170

May-90

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.44

65,536/1.77

262,144/1.8

65,536/2.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

450KB/No

1.29MB/No

59KB/4GB

NA/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

VGS/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

500

300

100

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

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Android 4.0

BREW

Brew 3.1.5

BREW

Yes/Yes

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

19,000

1,100

1,500

1,550

1,650

2,289

2,699

94 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

MODELS

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

MTS Mtag 281

Mpower TV 239

Samsung Primo Duos

MTS Duet

MTS Duet II

Samsung Galaxy Y CDMA

Blackberry 8530

Dimension (mm)

104 x 57 x 13.3

118.5 x 50 x 12.45

118.8 x 49.9 x 14.07

116.36 x 61.7 x 12.7

104.0 x 58.0 x 11.5

109 x 60 x 13.9

103

97.5

105

10/220

4.4/420

6.67/160

NA/NA

10/NA

6/120

4.5/252

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.8

262,144/2.4

242,144/3.5

262,14/4.0

262,144/3.0

65,536/NA

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

170MB/32GB

85MB/16GB

75MB/microSD

4GB/32GB

120MB/32GB

160MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

Weight (grams) Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

YesNo

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

2,000

Shared

Sahred

Shared

CDMA/No

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

Price in Rs.

Android 2.3

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Rev.A

Yes/Yes/No

BREW

Android v 2.3

Android v2.3

BlackBerry OS

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

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0 Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0 BREW

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

3,199

4,400

4,999

5,199

5,648

7,350

12,500

MODELS

TABLET

CDMA

PARAMETERS

APPLE

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

HTC Desire XC

HTC Desire 600 C

HTC One Dual SIM

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

iPad(4th generation) Wi-Fi

Dimension (mm)

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

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

Weight (grams)

107

130

143

308

312

652

Model

NA/NA

11.4/539

27/500

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/2.44

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16 million/7.9

16 million/9.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

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

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No

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

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

BlackBerry OS7

Android v4.1

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

Android v4.1

Android v 4.1

NA/No

Quad Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

iOS 6

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,250

20,190

27,541

54,290

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

JANUARY 2014 MYMOBILE 95

MODELS

myguide

PARAMETERS

APPLE

ICE

KARBONN

Model

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

Xtreme Classpad

Xtreme Connect

ICE Xtreme Pro

A34 TA-FONE HD

A39 TA-FONE HD

A37 TA-FONE HD

Dimension (mm)

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

183.3 x 122.3 x 11

196 x 118 x 11

195 x 123 x 11.7

197 x 124 x 12.3

Weight (grams)

662

307

330

335

NA/NA

5/120

8/200

8/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

262,144/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/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

Tri Band/NA

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

iOS 6

Android V4.0

Android v4.1

Android OS, v4.0

Android OS, v4.1

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

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

39,900/45,900/51,900

4,999

6,666

7,999

7,490

7,990

8,990

SONY

SPICE

Xperia Tablet Z

Stellar Pad Mi 1010

MODELS

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

PARAMETERS Model

KARBONN

SAMSUNG

Smart Cosmic

Galaxy Tab 3 2110

Galaxy Tab 3 3100 8.0

Dimension (mm)

188.0 x 111.1 x 9.9

209.8 x 123.8 x 7.4

243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9

266 x 172 x 6.9

Weight (grams)

304

316

540

495

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy Tab 3 3110 8.0 Galaxy Note10.1N800

NA/NA

20/NA

24/NA

30-Oct

10/890

NA/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/10.1

16million/10.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

1.5GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

16,32,64/64GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.1/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

No/No/Yes

Quad Band/No

NA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android v4.1

Android v4.2

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

Price in Rs.

No/No/HSPA+

No/No/Yes

Android v4.2

Android v4.3

Android v4.1

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

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

9,990

16,500

23,000

23,500

49,990

45,000

12,999

96 MYMOBILE JANUARY 2014

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

va n ta g e p o i n t

Smartphones

A Goldmine for Advertisers and Celebrities W

ith due respect to all the religions and cultures in India, there are primarily only two virtual religions in the country: one is Cricket and the second is Cinema. Smartphones are steadily growing towards becoming a new FMCG category for urban India, and eventually will become a major revenue generator for advertisers and media. It is becoming difficult to imagine ourselves without a smartphone for more than a few hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something the youngsters refer to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nomophobioâ&#x20AC;?(no-mobile-phone phobia).

com company with an international look and feel. The ad shows Jackman juggling with the product features and design, which attracts the budget smartphones users. Micromax should take the advantage of the publicity and launch their smartphones across other countries with population of Indian origin specially across SAARC, and also wherever Hugh Jackman is famous to capitalise his brand value. Even an upcoming mobile player like-

The Brand Ambassador edge About five years ago when I was with Samsung, our company with merely a 3 per cent market share took a bold step to sign up Aamir Khan, the so-called perfectionist of Bollywood for a 3 year contract as a brand ambassador for around Rs 21 crore (more than USD 4 million). In fact this phase was most important for Aamir Khan with movies such as Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini and, what I consider to be the best movie of our times, 3 Idiots. As the brand value of Aamir grew by leaps and bounds because of his versatility and performance, it resulted in Samsung Mobile gaining better visibility and acceptability amongst channel partners and consumers, increasing its market share. Just recently Micromax the popular Indian mobile brand which is giving International players such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony, HTC, and Apple, a run for their money, launched its ad campaign for the Canvas Turbo phone featuring Hollywood star Hugh Jackman. Although the actor is not very famous in India, they still shelled out more than a million dollars to hook him. And thanks to him, Micromax is gaining mileage as an Indian tele-

98 MYMOBILE january 2014

Celkon has tied up with the new master blaster in the making, Virat Kohli as their brand ambassador, along with Tamanna who is very popular down south. The company promoters must have paid at least a million dollars to Virat Kohli, who is the new youth icon and a smart sylish cricketer. He was used in their commercial to attract young consumers

across India to give them a national presence/ acceptance. On the retailer side, trade chains such as Big C and Univercel create better awareness and visibility by hiring brand ambassadors from the southern film industry. Univercel has been working closely with Madavan and Mahesh Babu over last few years. When one visits any of their retail showrooms, one sees lots of branding of these actors to promote a number of products, from smartphones to tablets and accessories. Recently Big C, the largest mobile retail chain in Andhra Pradesh signed Shruti Hassan daughter of veteran actor Kamal Hassan and Sarika to attract consumers over the festive season. According to a recent survey, smartphone users in India spend 2.5 hours daily on their mobile phones, as compared to only 1.5 hours in the US. The Indian smartphone user base was estimated at around 35 million which is more than the Austrialia and NewZealand population put together. Also, more than 45 per cent of the smartphone users in the youth use apps and social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Twitter and Skype. Even app developers like Line and WeChat are promoting their products through commercials featuring the lines of Katrina Kaif, Parineeti Chopra and Varun Dhawan. In short more and more Telecom companies are using the brand power of cricketers and film stars to establish themselves in the minds of smartphone users. With operators reducing their 3G tariffs by 80 per cent and Reliance launching their 4G services soon, one can expect millions of dollars to be spent on marketing by established and new brands alike. The next couple of years will see a lot of celebrities signing contracts to endorse smartphone brands and appearing in innovative commercials to attract the ever growing consumer base in India. n -Rishi Mehta, Telecom Expert (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)

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